Twitter Hack: Suspects Left Easy Trail for Investigators

Doug Olenick • August 3, 2020

Suspects in the epic attack against Twitter were uncovered in part by the use of their real photo identification for cryptocurrency accounts they used to broker the sale of stolen usernames. The mistakes proved crucial to their identification, according to court documents.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Anatomy of a Breach: Criminal Data Brokers Hit Dave

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Cybercrime

Top Cybersecurity Challenge: 'More Capable Threat Actors'

Mathew J. Schwartz • August 3, 2020

The pace of online crime hasn't been flagging, as "more capable threat actors" - criminals and nation-states alike - have been bringing more advanced tools and tactics to bear on victims, says Raj Samani, chief scientist at McAfee.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Fraud Detection: Lessons From Novartis Case

Suparna Goswami • August 3, 2020

Incidents of fraud at pharmaceutical giant Novartis that resulted in over $1 billion in fines worldwide might have been avoided if the company's compliance team used data analytics to detect patterns, says Thomas Fox, a compliance evangelist and author.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

North Korean Hackers Targeted US Aerospace, Defense Firms

Prajeet Nair • August 1, 2020

Hackers with suspected ties to North Korea targeted U.S. aerospace and defense firms with fake job offer emails sent to employees, according to security firm McAfee. The messages contained malware designed to gain a foothold in networks and gather data.

Cybercrime

FastPOS Malware Creator Pleads Guilty

Akshaya Asokan • August 1, 2020

A member of the infamous Infraud Organization who was the creator of a malware strain called FastPOS has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. Valerian Chiochiu assisted other cybercriminals through the Infraud site before authorities shuttered it in 2018, prosecutors say.

Endpoint Security

Boot-Loading Flaw Affects Linux, Windows Devices

Akshaya Asokan • July 31, 2020

A vulnerability that can impede the boot-loading process of an operating system could potentially affect billions of Linux and Windows machines, according to Eclypsium. The flaw, called "BootHole," could enable an attacker to gain near total control of an infected device.

Account Takeover

Analysis: The Hacking of Mobile Banking App Dave

Nick Holland • July 31, 2020

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the hacking of Dave, a mobile banking app. Plus: Sizing up the impact of GDPR after two years of enforcement and an assessment of IIoT vulnerabilities.

Breach Notification

Questions Persist About Ransomware Attack on Blackbaud

Mathew J. Schwartz • July 30, 2020

Numerous unanswered questions persist concerning a ransomware outbreak at Blackbaud, which provides cloud-based marketing, fundraising and customer relationship management software used by thousands of charities, universities, healthcare organizations and others.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Lazarus Group Reportedly Now Wielding Ransomware

Akshaya Asokan • July 30, 2020

The Lazarus Group, the North Korean hacking group behind the WannaCry worm, the theft of $81 million from a Bangladesh bank and the attacks on Sony Pictures, apparently is expanding into ransomware, according to the security firm Kaspersky.

COVID-19

VPN Vulnerabilities Put Industrial Control Systems at Risk

Prajeet Nair • July 30, 2020

Vulnerabilities in some VPNs used to remotely connect to industrial control systems could enable hackers to compromise large-scale industrial organizations, the security firm Claroty reports.

Cybercrime

An Attacker's IoT Paradise: Billions of Insecure Devices

Steve King • July 30, 2020

The speed at which IoT is enabling innovation is far outpacing the ability of the security custodians to implement appropriate controls before these devices hit the market. That creates a classic target-rich environment for the bad guys - one that will require vigorous defense and oversight.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Former Twitter Staffers Face Additional Charges

Doug Olenick • July 29, 2020

Federal prosecutors have filed a superseding indictment with additional charges against two former Twitter employees and a Saudi national who were originally charged in November. They're alleged to have gathered data on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government.

Governance & Risk Management

How Open Source Intelligence Tools Are Evolving

Suparna Goswami • July 29, 2020

Changes in the privacy policies of social media companies have rendered many free open source intelligence tools unworkable, says Mason Wilder, senior research specialist at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. He describes the evolution of these tools and offers tips on how to apply them.