With every leap in civilization there comes along with it a new brand of criminal. People adopt new technology to improve their lives, but with new tech comes new vulnerabilities, and it's up to the individual to keep themselves protected. If you invent guns, you are eventually going to need to invent body armor too. Now in 2017 we have been dealing with the internet for … [Read more…]
Kaspersky hearing delayed by tax retreat, no new date
A sure-to-be-controversial congressional hearing featuring the head of a major Russian cybersecurity firm as a star witness was delayed because of the Republicans' tax reform retreat and no new date for the hearing has been set, a congressional staffer told Code and Dagger. Eugene Kaspersky, founder of the Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs, was invited (PDF) on Sept. 14 to appear … [Read more…]
Report: Iranian government hackers compromised US and international companies for months
An Iranian government-backed hacking group has been targeting American and other international businesses over the last few years, according to a report released by private cyber security researchers at FireEye. The hackers, dubbed APT33 by the security research firm, appear to be engaged in a form of industrial cyber espionage on regional and strategic competitors in the … [Read more…]
Admiral: US tolerated cyber ‘acts of war’ over last decade
Cyber attacks that might have constituted an "act of war" went unpunished by the U.S. over the last decade, leading to a more dangerous cyber environment, according to a top Navy admiral. "We've had an awful lot of examples of what, 10 years ago, we assumed would be construed as an act of war," Vice Adm. Jan Tighe said Thursday. "And, in a lot of cases, there has not been a … [Read more…]
DEF CON: Annual hacking convention going on now in Vegas
This week is the 25th iteration of DEF CON, the huge hacking convention held annually in Las Vegas that brings together tens of thousands of cyber security professionals, government intelligence agents, corporate business interests, and of course, hackers. Generally held in tandem with another hacking conference, Black Hat, DEF CON is a festival of sorts for all things cyber … [Read more…]
Exclusive: Congress asks U.S. agencies for Kaspersky Lab cyber documents
A U.S. congressional panel this week asked 22 government agencies to share documents on Moscow-based cyber firm Kaspersky Lab, saying its products could be used to carry out "nefarious activities against the United States," according to letters seen by Reuters. The requests made on Thursday by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology are the … [Read more…]
Local governments keep using this software — but it might be a back door for Russia
Local and state government agencies from Oregon to Connecticut say they are using a Russian brand of security software despite the federal government’s instructions to its own agencies not to buy the software over concerns about cyberespionage, records and interviews show. The federal agency in charge of purchasing, the General Services Administration, this month removed … [Read more…]
DHS and FBI report says hackers are targeting America’s nuclear facilities
Nuclear power facilities have been among the targets of multiple hacking attacks in the United States since May, disclosed in a joint report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, the New York Times reports. Other energy and manufacturing companies have been victim of the malware attacks, which have reportedly been in the form of spear phishing attempts … [Read more…]
May wants Britain to follow European lead emphasizing cybersecurity
PARIS — Following the third deadly terrorist attack Britain has suffered in less than three months, Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to review her country’s counterterrorism strategy. While May condemned what she called the “evil ideology of Islamist extremism,” the thrust of her new counterterrorism demands focused on a far more technical matter: the Internet. “We cannot … [Read more…]
In new sanctions list, Ukraine targets Russian social-media sites
MOSCOW — Ukraine on Tuesday put in place new sanctions seeking to block Russian media and online networks from operating in the country, including VKontakte, the nation’s most popular social network. The decision, signed by President Petro Poroshenko, was announced in an updated sanctions list, which included the Russian search giant Yandex, social media sites like … [Read more…]
Hacking group releases dated Microsoft product exploits, prompting speculation of U.S. government involvement
A group of hackers calling themselves “The Shadow Brokers” released a trove of hacking tools last Friday, claiming they were stolen from the National Security Agency (NSA) and designed to target Microsoft products. That initial report had caused considerable alarm among tech security experts, who cited the 300 megabytes of software exploits stolen from the NSA as the most … [Read more…]
North Korean hackers have stolen U.S.-South Korean war plans: report
North Korean hackers have breached a South Korean military network and have reportedly stolen military “war plans,” a South Korean newspaper reports. The hack occurred last September, and had originally been downplayed by South Korean defense officials, saying that no critical information had leaked. Now an anonymous South Korean government source is telling Chosun Ilbo … [Read more…]
