FTC Sanctions Defunct Cambridge Analytica: So What?

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 9, 2019

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has sanctioned data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica for misusing Facebook users' personal details as part of voter-targeting campaigns. Just one problem: The firm declared bankruptcy in May 2018. Meanwhile, voter microtargeting continues unchecked.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Magento Marketplace Suffers Data Breach, Adobe Warns

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Finance & Banking

$200,000 Internet Fraud: Will Anyone Investigate?

Jeremy Kirk • December 9, 2019

Internet crime has grown so rapidly that law enforcement is outpaced. Here's the story of how a Manhattan doctor lost $200,000 in an internet scam, and why he's struggling to get law enforcement's attention.

Cybercrime

Wiper Malware Targets Middle Eastern Energy Firms: Report

Akshaya Asokan • December 6, 2019

A new malware campaign suspected of being tied to Iran has been targeting companies in the energy and industrial sectors in the Middle East, according to a report from IBM X-Force.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

AI, Machine Learning and Robotics: Privacy, Security Issues

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • December 6, 2019

The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics has enormous potential, but along with that promise come critical privacy and security challenges, says technology attorney Stephen Wu.

Endpoint Security

Analysis: Smart TV Risks

Nick Holland • December 6, 2019

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report offers an analysis of the FBI's security and privacy warnings about smart TVs. Also featured: discussions on the security of connected medical devices and strategies for fighting synthetic identity fraud.

Cybercrime

Skimming Campaign Leveraged Heroku Cloud Platform: Report

Akshaya Asokan • December 5, 2019

Several e-commerce sites were targeted with a card skimming campaign that used the Salesforce-owned Heroku cloud platform to host skimmer infrastructure and stolen credit card data, according to a new report from the security firm Malwarebytes.

3rd Party Risk Management

John Halamka on Privacy, Security of Mayo Clinic Platform

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • December 5, 2019

In an in-depth interview, John Halamka, M.D., the former long-time CIO at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, discusses his upcoming move to head Mayo Clinic's global digital health initiative in collaboration with Google - and why privacy and security are so critical to those efforts.

Endpoint Security

Cybersecurity Defenders: Channel Your Adversary's Mindset

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 4, 2019

A clear theme Wednesday throughout the first day of the Black Hat Europe conference was the importance of approaching the design and defense of networks and systems by thinking like the enemy.

Endpoint Security

FBI Warns of Smart TV Dangers

Jeremy Kirk • December 4, 2019

The FBI has a new suspect in its sights, and there's one in nearly every home: smart TVs. It warns consumers to be wary because the devices can pose privacy and security threats - an unsecured smart TV could be the avenue hackers use to gain access to a home network.

Cybercrime

New Malware Campaign Uses Trojanized 'Tetris' Game: Report

Akshaya Asokan • December 3, 2019

A new malware campaign uses a Trojanized version of the game Tetris to target healthcare and educational institutions for credential stealing, according to Blackberry Cylance. Analysts have observed evidence of the threat actors attempting to deliver ransomware with the 'PyXie' Trojan.

Governance

SAP Software Update Exposed New Zealand Firearms Register

Jeremy Kirk • December 3, 2019

German software giant SAP has apologized after a software update mistakenly assigned higher-level privileges to some users within New Zealand's firearms buy-back database, exposing personal details for gun owners. The system has been shut down by police.

Black Hat

15 Hot Sessions at Black Hat Europe 2019

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 3, 2019

This year's Black Hat Europe conference in London features dozens of briefings touching on a wide variety of topics, including exploiting contactless payment and Bluetooth vulnerabilities, identifying vulnerable OEM IoT devices at scale and running false-flag cyberattacks.

Governance

TrueDialog Unsecure Database Exposes SMS Data: Report

Akshaya Asokan • December 2, 2019

Researchers uncovered an unsecured database belonging to TrueDialog, a business SMS texting solutions provider, which exposed data on millions, including text messages, names, addresses and other information, according to a report by VPNMentor researchers. The database has since been closed.