Researchers: Emotet Botnet Is Active Again

Apurva Venkat • September 17, 2019

Emotet, one of the most powerful malware-spreading botnets, is active again after a four-month absence, according to several security researchers who noticed a surge in activity primarily against U.S., U.K. and German targets starting on Monday.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Email Servers: Exim Flaw Leaves Millions at Risk of Hacking

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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.

Governance

Microsoft Patches 2 Windows Flaws Already Being Exploited

Scott Ferguson • September 11, 2019

As part of its September Patch Tuesday security update, Microsoft issued software fixes for two vulnerabilities in several versions of Windows that it says are being exploited by attackers in the wild. Security experts are urging IT teams to quickly patch these flaws.

CISO Trainings

CISOs: Navigating Operational Conflicts

Nick Holland • September 10, 2019

Today's CISOs need to speak the language of business, says Chris Hetner of Marsh, who offers advice on navigating operational conflicts.

Governance

Weaponized BlueKeep Exploit Released

Akshaya Asokan • September 9, 2019

A new weaponized proof-of-concept exploit for the BlueKeep vulnerability in Windows has been released by researchers at Rapid7 and Metasploit in an effort to help create a sense of urgency to patch the flaw.

Cybercrime

Apple Accuses Google of 'Stoking Fear' With iOS Bug Report

Jeremy Kirk • September 9, 2019

Apple is criticizing recent Google research that describes an expansive iPhone hacking campaign, accusing Google of "stoking fear" among users of its products. Google says it stands by its blog post, which focused on technical findings.