Cryptoming Botnet Smominru Returns With a Vengeance

Jeffrey Burt • September 19, 2019

The crypotmining botnet Smominru, which has been around since at least 2017, has resurfaced with a new campaign that has infected 90,000 devices worldwide, including in the U.S., China and Russia, according to security analysts at Guardicore.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Business Email Compromise Crackdown: 281 Suspects Busted

Latest

Cybercrime

Supply Chain Attacks: Hackers Hit IT Providers

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 19, 2019

A hacker group called Tortoiseshell has been hitting targets in the Middle East since at least July 2018, apparently targeting IT service providers to gain access to many potential targets at once. The campaign is fresh proof that criminals and nation-state attackers alike continue to favor supply chain attacks.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Facebook Removes Hundreds of Fake Accounts

Akshaya Asokan • September 19, 2019

Facebook announced this week that it has removed hundreds of fake accounts and pages. The majority of these originated in Ukraine or Iraq and used phony user identifications to spread misinformation in an attempt to influence local politics, the company says.

Governance

Lumin PDF Leak Exposed Data on 24 Million Users

Jeremy Kirk • September 18, 2019

Ignoring a breach disclosure can have ugly consequences. Case in point: Lumin PDF, a PDF editing tool, which saw data for much of its user base - about 24.3 million - published in an online forum late Monday. Data breach expert Troy Hunt says it's sign of the dysfunction in the breach disclosure process.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Senators Urge FCC to Review Licenses for Chinese Telecoms

Apurva Venkat • September 18, 2019

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., are asking the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider operating licenses granted to two Chinese telecommunications companies, citing concerns over national security and foreign espionage.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Using Artificial Intelligence to Combat Card Fraud

Nick Holland • September 17, 2019

Artificial intelligence is playing an important role in the fight against payment card fraud, says Gord Jamieson, senior director of Canada risk services at Visa. He'll offer a keynote presentation on the latest fraud trends at Information Security Media Group's Cybersecurity Summit in Toronto Sept 24-25.

Cybercrime

For Sale: Admin Access Credentials to Healthcare Systems

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • September 13, 2019

Cybercriminals are "upping their game" by stealing and then auctioning off on the dark web administrative access credentials to healthcare organizations' clinician and patient portals, says Etay Maor of IntSights.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Ransomware Gangs Practice Customer Relationship Management

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 13, 2019

Ransomware-wielding attackers treat infecting endpoints as a business and put customer relationship management principles to work, says Bill Siegel, CEO of ransomware incident response firm Coveware. He notes criminals "go after the low-hanging fruit because it's cheap and the conversion rate is high."

Governance

Tips on Countering Insider Threat Risks

Jeremy Kirk • September 13, 2019

Insider threats are difficult to counter. What happens when an employee goes rogue, and how do you catch them? Charles Carmakal of Mandiant, who says his firm is dealing with more insider threat investigations, shares tips for better defenses.

Account Takeover

Analysis: The Impact of Business Email Compromise Attacks

Nick Holland • September 13, 2019

This week's ISMG Security Report analyzes the cost of business email compromise attacks and the recent arrest of dozens of suspects. Also featured: updates on the easy availability of low-cost hacking tools and the latest payment card fraud trends.

Cybercrime

Iranian Hacking Group Continues Targeting Universities

Scott Ferguson • September 12, 2019

"Cobalt Dickens," a threat group with suspected ties to Iran, is continuing its attempts to steal intellectual property from schools and universities, according to an analysis by SecureWorks. The group's work continues even though several alleged members have been indicted by the Justice Department.

Cybercrime

Australia to Update National Cybersecurity Strategy

Akshaya Asokan • September 12, 2019

The Australian government is looking to update its national cybersecurity strategy by 2020. In preparation, it's released a discussion paper that seeks input from citizens, the business community, academics and other stakeholders.

Governance

Cyber-Intelligence Firm NSO Group Tries to Boost Reputation

Akshaya Asokan • September 12, 2019

Israel-based cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group, which has been accused of selling technology that enables governments to spy on citizens, is pledging to adopt human rights guidelines developed by the United Nations. But critics of the firm question whether its moves are meaningful.