Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

North Korea's Supercharged State-Backed Cryptocurrency Theft

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 1, 2023

To service the perpetually cash-starved regime of North Korea, hackers will continue their relentless onslaught on cryptocurrency - and all users of it - with state backing to industrialize their hacking and money laundering capabilities, experts warn.

Attackers Actively Target Critical ownCloud Vulnerability

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 29, 2023

Security researchers say attackers are actively attempting to exploit a critical vulnerability in unpatched ownCloud implementations, which they can use to steal credentials and other secret information. Last month, ownCloud said it had sent all users a security alert and updates to fix the flaws.

Okta Says Hacker Stole Every Customer Support User's Details

Mihir Bagwe , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 29, 2023

Identity and authentication giant Okta said the attacker behind its September data breach stole usernames and contact details for all users of its primary customer support system and warned customers to beware potential follow-on phishing and social engineering attacks.

Police Bust Suspected Ransomware Group Ringleader in Ukraine

Mihir Bagwe , Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 28, 2023

Police have arrested a group of criminals in Ukraine, including their alleged ringleader, who they suspect launched ransomware attacks against organizations across 71 countries, amassing at least 1,800 victims, from which they demanded ransoms collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Udderly Insecure: Researchers Spot Cow-Tracking Collar Flaws

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 27, 2023

Not even dairy cows appear to be safe from internet of things flaws, researchers report after reverse-engineering health-monitoring collars for cows and finding they could eavesdrop on and alter data. Once addressed by the manufacturer, they said the non-updateable collars would have to be replaced.

Amid Citrix Bleed Exploits, NetScaler Warns: Kill Sessions

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 21, 2023

With experts warning that NetScaler ADC and Gateway devices are being exploited by nation-state and cybercrime groups, the manufacturer has again urged all users to "patch immediately" as well as terminate active sessions, which attackers can otherwise use to access devices even post-patch.

Ukraine Sacks Top 2 Cyber Officials in Embezzlement Probe

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 20, 2023

The Ukrainian government dismissed two top cybersecurity officials as the country's anti-corruption unit probes suspected embezzlement. Six individuals have been accused of inflating the value of software and services contracts to misappropriate $1.7 million.

Known MOVEit Attack Victim Count Reaches 2,618 Organizations

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 20, 2023

Trackers of the tally of individuals affected by the Clop ransomware group's mass hack attack on MOVEit servers added another 4.5 million patients' data to the ever-ascending total. The incident currently affects more than 2,600 organizations and 77 million individuals.

Ukraine Tracks a Record Number of Cyber Incidents During War

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 16, 2023

Ukraine's national computer emergency response team, CERT-UA, says it sees an increase in cyber incidents as Russia's invasion continues. While wiper attacks are ongoing, a rising Russian hacker tactic involves stealing private CCTV footage to study the efficacy of missile strikes and drone attacks.

Info Stealers Thrive in Hot Market for Stolen Data

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 13, 2023

Info-stealer malware built for stealing lucrative, sensitive data - including cryptocurrency wallet and remote access credentials - continues to remain popular for criminally inclined individuals. Researchers reports that RedLine, LokiBot, Mars and Aurora remain attackers' top info-stealer choices.

What Does AI Need to Conduct Automated Code Review at Scale?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 13, 2023

How can generative artificial intelligence be adapted to automatically find and fix software vulnerabilities in critical code? Finding answers to that question is one of the "exciting prospects" tied to the AI Cyber Challenge recently announced by the White House, said NCC Group's Chris Anley.

Convicted: 'King of Crypto' Bankman-Fried Now King of Fraud

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 3, 2023

The guilty verdicts returned by a jury against Sam Bankman-Fried confirmed that the one-time cryptocurrency wunderkind now stands as one of America's biggest fraudsters. His sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2024. The statutory maximum sentences for his crimes total over 100 years in prison.

Boeing Reports 'Cyber Incident'; Ransomware Group Claims Hit

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 2, 2023

Boeing has confirmed suffering a "cyber incident" affecting its parts and distribution business days after the notorious LockBit ransomware group claimed to have breached systems at the world's biggest aerospace company and to have stolen "a tremendous amount of sensitive data."

Researcher Claims to Crack RSA-2048 With Quantum Computer

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 1, 2023

A scientist claims to have developed an inexpensive system for using quantum computing to crack RSA, which is the world's most commonly used public key algorithm. If true, this would be a breakthrough that comes years before experts predicted. Now, they're asking for proof.

Misdirection for a Price: Malicious Link-Shortening Services

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  October 31, 2023

Researchers have discovered an underground offering with the codename "Prolific Puma," which since 2020 has been the "largest and most dynamic" cybercrime link-shortening service on the market. Attackers use it to better target victims with phishing campaigns, scams and malware.