Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Chinese cyberspies’ wide-scale APT campaign hits Asian govt entities (BleepingComputer) Kaspersky researchers have revealed an ongoing and large-scale advanced persistent threat (APT) campaign with hundreds of victims from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and the Philippines government entities.
Chinese Hackers Target Government Entities in Widespread Campaign (SecurityWeek) Kaspersky issues a report on an advanced threat actor that has hit approximately 1,500 entities in Myanmar and the Philippines, including government entities.
Cyberattacks with links to Chinese-speaking group target PH gov’t entities – Kaspersky (Rappler) LuminousMoth is said to have links with HoneyMyte, a Chinese-speaking group gathering geopolitical and economic intelligence in Asia and Africa
LuminousMoth APT: Sweeping attacks for the chosen few (Securelist) We recently came across unusual APT activity in South East Asia . Further analysis revealed that the actor, which we dubbed LuminousMoth, shows an affinity to the HoneyMyte group, otherwise known as Mustang Panda.
Iranian APT Gang Phishes Middle East Experts (GovInfoSecurity) Proofpoint Describes Campaign That Uses Conference as a Lure
REvil: Die berüchtigte Ransomware-Gruppe ist plötzlich offline (Spiegel) Seit Dienstag sind die Websites der Erpressergruppe REvil nicht mehr erreichbar. Ist es das Werk von US-Behörden oder der russischen Regierung? Machen die Kriminellen nur Urlaub? Alle diese Theorien haben Schwächen.
Kremlin still unaware of details over REvil hacker group vanishing from dark web (TASS) Earlier, it was reported that the dark websites allegedly belonging to the REvil hacking group were down
Where Did REvil Ransomware Go? Will it Be Back? (Security Boulevard) Speculation swirled over why the prolific and dangerous REvil ransomware went offline – blog, payment processing, all suddenly went kaput – it’s important
Russia-Based Ransomware Gang Goes Offline, Prompting Questions (The Moscow Times) REvil’s disappearance sparked speculation about whether the move was the result of a government-led action.
REvil vanishes from the web without a trace (IT PRO) The mysterious shutdown comes only days after the ransomware group’s massive Kaseya cyber attack hit at least 1,000 businesses
Experts Warn of Ongoing Danger Despite REvil Going Dark (WebProNews) Ransomware gang REvil may have gone dark, with its sites offline, but experts are warning against becoming complacent.
Dmitri Alperovitch on RaaS, the REvil Ransomware Group and Policy Implications of the Kaseya Attack (RSA Conference) Tune into our interview with Dmitri Alperovitch, Executive Chairman at Silverado Policy Accelerator and RSA Conference Advisory Board member, as he discusses in detail how the sophisticated REvil system works and what the U.S. can do to take action against these cybercriminals.
Has the US Fired a Cybershot at Russia? (The Crime Report) The mystery over the sudden disappearance of a Russian-speaking cybercrime gang believed responsible for hacking more than 360 targets in the United States in 2021 alone has raised questions about whether the cyber “cold war” between Russia and the U.S. is heating up.
Google: Three recent zero-days have been used against Armenian targets (The Record by Recorded Future) One of Google’s security teams has published today technical details about four zero-day vulnerabilities that have been abused in attacks this year to compromise users as part of highly targeted hacking campaigns.
New Internet Explorer, Chrome zero-days highlight a growing market (CyberScoop) Hackers are still using vulnerabilities in the seven-year-old Internet Explorer 11 browser to go after targets, even as Microsoft plans to sunset the program in less than a year, researchers at Google’s Threat Analysis Group reported Wednesday.
Annoying LinkedIn Networkers Actually Russian Hackers Spreading Zero-Days, Google Says (Motherboard) A new report by Google researchers details a hacking campaign by “likely Russian government-backed” hackers targeting European government officials.
How we protect users from 0-day attacks (Google) Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) actively works to detect hacking attempts and influence operations to protect users from digital attacks, this includes hunting for 0-day vulnerabilities because they can be particularly dangerous when exploited and have a high rate of success.
Head of MI5 Ken McCallum warns ‘regular people’ being targeted by foreign spies (Sky News) UK’s top spycatcher will say foreign agents have made more than 10,000 “disguised approaches” to members of the public.
German intel chief: efforts to influence vote at ‘low level’ (Washington Post) German authorities see an interest on some countries’ part in influencing Germany’s national election in September, but so far such activities are at a “low level,” the domestic intelligence chief said Wednesday.
How cybercriminals create turbulence for the transportation industry (Intel471.com) Transportation companies are so reliant on the internet, they present a juicy target for the cybercrime underground.
Rising Value and Visibility of Coinbase Attracts Impersonators (INKY) Although Bitcoin is entirely fabricated out of whole cloth, has no intrinsic value, and was created primarily to pay for the heavy-duty computing resources needed to process blockchains, it has become a store of value and medium of exchange because people agree on its status and function. All that’s required for the value to exist is that two or more people agree that it does.
SonicWall warns of ‘imminent ransomware campaign’ targeting its EOL equipment (The Record by Recorded Future) Networking equipment vendor SonicWall has released an urgent security alert to its customers to warn companies of “an imminent ransomware campaing” targeting some of its equipment.
Imminent ransomware campaign targeting older appliances (Security Magazine) SonicWall has issued an urgent security notice warning customers of ransomware attacks targeting unpatched end-of-life (EoL) Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 100 series and Secure Remote Access (SRA) products.
Urgent Security Notice: Critical Risk to Unpatched End-of-Life SRA & SMA 8.x Remote Access Devices (SonicWall) Through the course of collaboration with trusted third parties, SonicWall has been made aware of threat actors actively targeting Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 100 series and Secure Remote Access (SRA) products running unpatched and end-of-life (EOL) 8.x firmware in an imminent ransomware campaign using stolen credentials. The exploitation targets a known vulnerability that has been patched in newer versions of firmware.
Zscaler Study Confirms IoT Devices are a Major Source of Security Compromise, Reinforces Need for Zero Trust Security (GlobeNewswire News Room) Report Reveals a 700% Increase in IoT-Specific Malware and the ‘Chattiest’ IoT Devices…
Repeat Offenders Target Prior Ransomware Insurance Victims for Fun and Profit (ZeroFox) Ransomware attacks, demands and insurance premiums are on the rise. Now a new trend points to threat actors targeting prior ransomware insurance victims.
API Threat Research: Detailed Financial Records Exposed on Financial Services Platform (Salt Security) Threat research report shares information to improve awareness around API security by detailing relevant attack patterns, technical details, and mitigation techniques for each vulnerability.
What’s Worse Than a Chip Shortage? Buying Fake Ones (Wall Street Journal) The global chip shortage has created a gold mine for bad actors, as dubious sellers buy ads on search engines to lure desperate buyers.
4 Integrated Circuit Security Threats and How to Protect Against Them (Dark Reading) Little-understood threats involving the IC supply chain are putting organizations around the world at risk.
Home delivery scams get smarter – don’t get caught out (Naked Security) We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: don’t be in too much of a hurry for those home deliveries you’re expecting!
Business Email Compromise attacks –A rampant cyber risk – ET CIO (ETCIO.com) With the increased sophistication and frequency of these attacks, enterprises need to acknowledge that a cyber breach incident is a question of ‘Whe..
600 million LinkedIn members scraped, data offered up for sale on hacker forum (TechRepublic) CyberNews reports that this is the third time in four months that member information has shown up on a hacker forum.
D-BOX Technologies Announces Ransomware Cyber Attack (GlobeNewswire News Room) D-BOX Technologies Inc. (“D-BOX” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: DBO) announces that the Corporation was subject…
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
ICS Patch Tuesday: Siemens and Schneider Electric Address 100 Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek) July 2021 Patch Tuesday – Siemens and Schneider Electric have released two dozen advisories covering a total of 100 vulnerabilities.
VMware Patches Vulnerabilities in ESXi, ThinApp (SecurityWeek) The issues could be abused to bypass authentication, cause a denial of service condition, or elevate privileges to administrator.
Trends
Positive Technologies: Attackers Customize Malware to Conduct Attacks on Virtual Infrastructure (Positive Technologies) Positive Technologies today unveiled its Cybersecurity Threatscape Q1 2021 research report, which finds cyber incidents continue to rise, ransomware accounts for nearly two-thirds of all malware attacks, and more cybercriminals are customizing malware for attacks on virtual infrastructure.
Cybersecurity threatscape: Q1 2021 (Positive Technologies) Highlights of Q1 2021 include:
The number of attacks increased by 17% compared to Q1 2020, and compared to Q4 2020, the increase was 1.2%, with 77% being targeted attacks. Incidents involving individuals accounted for 12% of the total.
What You Need to Know to Fight Ransomware and IoT Vulnerabilities (Nozomi Networks) Ransomware Insights
Why ransomware is a formidable threat
How Ransomware as a Service works
Analysis of DarkSide, the malware that attacked Colonial Pipeline
Recommendations for infection prevention, network segmentation, disaster recovery planning and more
Personal data compromises surge by almost 40% in Q2, 2021 (Atlas VPN) Millions of individuals and organizations are affected every day by cyberattacks that threaten to steal sensitive data. Even though more people have become aware of cyber risks, hackers develop new techniques and malware to stay ahead of defense technologies.
Cybersecurity: The Hidden Health Tech Crisis No One’s Talking About (HIT) Healthcare is a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals, and that threat is amplified by the willingness of healthcare org…
Marketplace
Nexon Asia Pacific acquires Computer Systems Australia (iTWire) End-to-end managed IT services provider Nexon announced today its acquisition of multi-award-winning technology services provider Computer Systems Australia (CSA). Nexon was founded in 2000 and received a big investment in 2019 when the EQT Mid Market Asia Fund took majority ownership. CSA, meanwhil…
Virsec Raises $100 Million in Series C Funding Round (SecurityWeek) Software workload protection solutions provider Virsec has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round, which brings the total raised by the company to $137 million.
SecurEnds Closes $21 Million Series A to Democratize Identity and Clou (PRWeb) Atlanta-based SecurEnds, a cloud-native Identity Governance company, today announced that it has closed a $21 million Series A led exclusively by Elephant. The inves
WSJ News Exclusive | NortonLifeLock in Talks to Buy Avast (Wall Street Journal) Assuming a typical deal premium, the deal could value cybersecurity firm Avast at more than $8 billion.
UK-listed cybersecurity firm Avast in merger talks with NortonLifeLock (Reuters) London-listed cybersecurity firm Avast (AVST.L) is in advanced talks with U.S. rival NortonLifeLock Inc (NLOK.O) about a merger that would create a clear leader in consumer security software.
Cybereason Nets $275M In Crossover Financing (PYMNTS) Cybereason is the recipient of a $275 million investment from crossover funding, which it will use to grow its its Cybereason Defense Platform.
Ex-Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s firm leads $275 million investment in Cybereason (CNBC) Mnuchin’s firm, Liberty Strategic Capital, is investing $200 million, while Neuberger Berman and SoftBank are investing $75 million.
As Merger Nears, Tailwind Acquisition Corp. Highlights QOMPLX’s Strong Business Growth and Momentum (GlobeNewswire News Room) Tailwind applauds QOMPLX’s continued acceleration of business momentum, new partnerships, elite talent hires, intellectual property expansion,…
Microsoft’s RiskIQ Acquisition a ‘Good, Sensible’ Move (Channel Futures) Microsoft’s upcoming RiskIQ acquisition is a sensible and good move. And it’s the latest by big players to have an offering in threat intelligence.
Human rights groups call for halt to phone-cracking Cellebrite’s share listing (Times of Israel) In a letter to SEC, Nasdaq, and SPAC with which Israel-based firm is set to merge, groups say digital forensic company should first show commitment to safeguarding human rights
Solista brings together six top security vendors to form the Zero Trust Alliance (Channel Life) The members of the Alliance will work to enable business agility and give organisations the ability to repel and remediate against internal and external threats.
5 Top Cybersecurity Stocks To Watch In The Stock Market Today (Nasdaq) Could These Be The Best Cybersecurity Stocks To Have On Your Watchlist Now?
Darktrace launches internship programme in partnership with NCSC (BusinessWeekly) Cambridge cyber security world leader Darktrace has launched an internship programme in partnership with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst initiative, welcoming its first intake of students earlier this month. CyberFirst encourages young people from all walks of life to start careers in cyber security, giving university students the opportunity to
Salt Security Launches Salt Labs to Drive Global Awareness of API Security Threats (PR Newswire) Salt Security, the leading API security company, today announced the launch of Salt Labs, a now-public forum for publishing research on API…
US Cyber Games Welcomes Leidos as Champion Sponsor of Inaugural Season (INSIDENOVA.COM) Leidos, a Fortune 500® information technology, engineering and science solutions and services leader, has joined as a top sponsor of the inaugural US
Owl Cyber Defense Opens Regional Technology Hub in Abu Dhabi (BusinessWire) Owl Cyber Defense opens regional office in Abu Dhabi to support growing customer base and deliver hardware-based cybersecurity solutions.
Apiiro Adds John Leon from GitHub as VP of Business Development to Leadership Team (PR Newswire) Apiiro, the industry’s first Code Risk Platform™, today announced the appointment of John Leon as Vice President of Business Development. Leon…
PureID appoints Jeremiah Grossman as board advisor (Help Net Security) Jeremiah Grossman, the world-renowned web security expert, has added a new title to his cv, taking on an advisory role at PureID.
CFO of the Year: Ed McGowan helped lead a full reorganization of Akamai (Boston Business Journal) When Ed McGowan joined Akamai Technologies in 2000, the company was two years old, losing money and on the verge of being delisted from NASDAQ. Things have certainly changed.
Larry Prior Joins Shift5’s Board of Directors (StreetInsider.com) Shift5, Inc., an operational technology data and cybersecurity company, announces Larry Prior joins as the latest addition to their Board of Directors.
Products, Services, and Solutions
KnowBe4 Receives Four ISO Certifications From ISOQAR, A Certifying Organization (KnowBe4) KnowBe4 Receives Four ISO Certifications From ISOQAR, A Certifying Organization
TruKno Launches Cyber Threat Intelligence for the 99% (PRWeb) TruKno today announced a new Cyber Threat Intelligence SaaS subscription that aims to help organizations reduce the risk of a breach by empowering their entire IT sec
SAIC Launches CloudScend™ to Accelerate Agencies’ Move to the Cloud (BusinessWire) SAIC announced CloudScend™, a solution to help federal agencies plan for and accelerate the migration to the cloud
StorageOS provides Civo with cloud native storage (StorageOS) StorageOS Provides Managed Service Provider, Civo with Cloud Native Storage to Support Lightning-Fast Managed Kubernetes Development and Deployment Service
New Index from Sepio Systems Helps Enterprises Measure and Understand Risk Exposure to Hardware-based Cyber Attacks (PR Newswire) Sepio Systems announced today the launch of the Hardware Access Control Index (HACx), an objective assessment, based on a range of variables,…
Illumio Introduces Automated Enforcement to Accelerate the Path to Zero Trust Security (Illumio) Latest Innovation Lets Organizations Protect Key Assets from Cyberattacks and Ransomware in Minutes
T-Mobile & Lumen Wireless Access Service Now Available on GSA’s EIS Contract (PR Newswire) T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) have expanded their relationship to help government agencies leverage T-Mobile’s 5G…
Cybersecurity Unicorn Illumio Bets On Automation for Zero-Trust Wins (SDxCentral) Illumio added new automation features to its platform that it says can speed up and simplify organizations’ zero-trust security adoption.
ThycoticCentrify Modernizes Just-in-Time Privilege Elevation with Newest Release of Server Suite (PR Newswire) ThycoticCentrify, a leading provider of cloud identity security solutions formed by the merger of privileged access management (PAM) leaders…
Securiti Partners with Snowflake to Enable Protection, Privacy and Governance for the Data Cloud (BusinessWire) Securiti enables customers to fulfill key obligations for protection, privacy, governance and compliance of sensitive data in Snowflake Data Cloud.
Attivo Networks Launches CIEM Solution, Expanding its Identity Detection and Response (IDR) Portfolio (Financial IT) Attivo Networks, the leader in identity detection and response, today announced a new Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) solution, IDEntitleX, designed to deliver visibility and reduce the attack surface for identities and entitlements in the cloud. IDEntitleX expands the company’s leadership position in providing unprecedented visibility and prevention of identity privilege escalation and lateral movement threat activity.
Mimecast Launches AI-Enabled Solution Designed To Help Organizations Protect Against The Most Evasive And Hard-To-Detect Email Threats (Mimecast) The Mimecast CyberGraph™ solution uses AI to help improve detection and reduce risk
Nick Dell’s SD-WAN Questions Any IT Manager Should Ask Themselves (Cato Networks) You’re considering SD-WAN for your company but what questions should you be asking? Just ask Nick Dell, the IT manager of a leading manufacturer. He’s already transitioned to SD-WAN and speaks widely about his experience.
The 3 Principles for Effective Business Continuity Planning (Cato Networks) Business continuity isn’t getting any easier despite what it seems. In our eBook, we uncover how the cloud and the shift to remote work subtly make business continuity planning more difficult for IT leaders with legacy networks.
Incognia Financial Services Mobile App Friction Study Measures the Pain of Password Resets (Yahoo Finance) Klover and eToro mobile apps get top ranking for Lowest Password Reset Friction. Study finds that the majority of apps still rely on passwords as the primary form of authentication, even with added friction. PALO ALTO, Calif., July 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mobile authentication pioneer Incognia, today announced the publication of their third Mobile App Friction Report– Login Authentication and Password Reset, for 2021, which highlights results from their most recent study focusing on authent
How Can Cobwebs’ OSINT Improve Corporate Security? (PR Newswire) Today’s world is a digital world. Accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, our collective online presence has intensified at a rate never…
ThreatQuotient Advances Industry Threat Intelligence Sharing With Stronger Data Curation Capabilities (Enterprise IT World) ThreatQuotient is addressing an industry need for more curated and data-driven threat intelligence with the availability of ThreatQ Data Exchange. Built on the foundation of ThreatQuotient’s flexible data model and support for open intelligence sharing standards, ThreatQ Data Exchange makes it simple to set up bidirectional sharing of any and…
U.S. DoD Identified Elite Cyber Talent With 95%+ Accuracy Using Haystack Solutions Cyber Aptitude and Talent Assessment (CATA), UMD Findings Indicate (BusinessWire) U.S. DoD Identified Elite Cyber Talent With 95%+ Accuracy Using Cyber Aptitude and Talent Assessment (CATA), U. Maryland Findings Indicate.
Location- and Device-agnostic Security for the Mobile Workforce (Akamai) I’ve spent my entire career in technology and can still recall the time when a desktop PC was the only way to work. (Truth be told, I’m also old enough to remember dumb terminals.) I also remember my first company laptop — a beast of a thing with a monochrome display so thick it came with an integrated 2.5
Microsoft ISV AvePoint Launches Global Partner Program (ChannelE2E) AvePoint is launching its first global partner program, expanding on previous regional programs for MSPs, VARs and other partners.
Fortinet replaces and secures Foodstuff North Island’s legacy network (Reseller News) The major cooperative operator of the Pak ’n Save, New World and Four Square supermarket chains has partnered with Fortinet to replace its legacy network infrastructure.
New Jersey Township Secures Long-Term Technology Partner to Modernize (PRWeb) eMazzanti Technologies, a NYC area managed services provider and local government IT consultant published a new municipal IT case study. The customer success s
Arcos Bosques Tower 1 Selects HID Mobile Access Solution and Readers for Secure, Touchless Access Control (BusinessWire) HID Global announced that the Arcos Bosques Tower 1 has deployed its mobile access control solutions to heighten security and manage visitor entry.
Group-IB joins Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Marketplace (PR Newswire) Group-IB, one of the leading providers of solutions dedicated to detecting and preventing cyberattacks, identifying online fraud, investigation…
OneLogin Eases Adoption of Zero Trust Framework with Delegated Administration (GlobeNewswire News Room) Launch of New Offering Comes on the Heels of the White House Cybersecurity Executive Order…
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Guidance For MSPs and Small and Mid-Sized Businesses | CISA (CISA) Cyber threat actors are known to target managed service providers (MSPs) to reach their customers. MSPs provide remote management of customer IT and end-user systems and generally have direct access to their customers’ networks and data. By exploiting trust relationships in MSP networks, cyber threat actors can gain access to a large number of the victim MSP customers. This CISA Insights provides mitigation and hardening guidance for MSPs and their small- and mid-size business customers.
Mitigations and Hardening Guidance for MSPs and Small- and Mid-sized Businesses (CISA) The Threat and How to Think About It
The Use of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies in Ransomware Attacks: Why Employers Should Care (JD Supra) As ransomware attacks continue to become more of a concern for employers of all sizes, an increasing number of hackers are demanding cryptocurrency…
IoT in Desperate Need for More Robust Identity and Access Management (IAM) (ABI Research) IAM to Transition from IT to the IoT Framework for a vigorous multi-faceted approach
Rising cyberattack and litigation risks highlight the need for cyber insurance (PropertyCasualty360) Litigation from customers, employees and shareholders often follows cyberattacks.
Ransomware: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (Security Boulevard) Many claim that “ransomware” is due to cybersecurity failures. It’s not really true. We are adequately protecting users and computers.
Design and Innovation
AT&T, Cisco Execs Claim Open RAN Boosts 5G Security (SDxCentral) Executives at AT&T, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and Altiostar claim open RAN will eventually increase the security stature of mobile networks.
Dragos Becomes Founding Sponsor of The Smart Factory @ Wichita to Protect Next Generation of Manufacturing (BusinessWire) Dragos, Inc., the global leader in cybersecurity for industrial controls systems (ICS)/operational technology (OT) environments, today announced that
Venafi Survey: With Software Supply Chain Attacks Escalating, Who is Responsible for Increasing Security? (BusinessWire) In spite of escalating cyber attacks targeting software build, distribution teams don’t agree on who is responsible for improving security.
Academia
NMU faculty and students learn new automotive cybersecurity system (Upper Michigans Source) Trainees will potentially teach the system to other college students as well as kids of all ages
SCCC cybersecurity degree program earns NSA nod (Innovate Long Island) By GREGORY ZELLER // Suffolk County Community College has earned a rare distinction from the National Security Agency. The Selden-based SUNY school’s Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Program has been designated…
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Hold company directors liable for cyber attacks (Information Age) Government considers range of options.
Singapore Makes Significant Changes to Data Privacy Legislation (JD Supra) Countries all over the globe have been changing their data privacy landscape to account for the information protection required in the digital age….
2021 a year of ransomware; financial cos need to be on toes for cyber resilience: NCSC Pant (The Economic Times) “The way 2021 has started, I would call it a year of ransomware. We are only half way through this year and already $1 trillion has been paid in ransom,” Pant said.
New Law Will Help Chinese Government Stockpile Zero-Days (SecurityWeek) China rules that all zero-day vulnerabilities must be disclosed only to the Chinese Government
Germany Is About to Block One of the Biggest Porn Sites (Wired) Regulators are trying to force adult sites to introduce age checks for users. Now one of the largest in the world faces a total block for refusing to do so.
The Cybersecurity 202: The Biden administration is stepping up the fight against ransomware (Washington Post) The Biden administration is increasing its efforts to disrupt ransomware campaigns and punish the criminals who launch them.
Biden’s Top Cybersecurity Officials, Explained (Wall Street Journal) President Biden’s senior cybersecurity cadre is set. How they will work together is an open question.
DHS issues new pipeline cybersecurity requirements (BIC Magazine) The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently issued a security directive that will enable the department to better identify, protect against and respond to threats to critical companies.
Cybersecurity bills gain new urgency after rash of attacks (TheHill) Bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening U.S. cybersecurity after a string of major attacks are making headway in both the House and Senate.
Senate Panel Approves K-12 Cyber Protection, Supply Chain Security Bills (MeriTalk) The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today approved two bills that aim to improve the cybersecurity of K-12 education institutions and to train Federal employees to better protect supply chains.
Durbin, Grassley Announce Senate Judiciary Committee To Hold Hearing This Month On Ransomware Attacks (The Official U.S. Senate website of Dick Durbin) U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today announced that on July 27, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the growing wave of ransomware attacks affecting businesses, non-profits, and local governments across the nation.
What Can Government Do as Cyber Insurance Costs Increase? (GovTech) Rampant cyber attacks have brought about a rising demand for cyber insurance, yet increased costs and narrower eligibility rules for coverage present a hurdle for organizations. Should government get involved?
Mike Brown Withdraws As Acquisition Nominee (Breaking Defense) Brown, the head of the Defense Innovation Unit, was caught in an Inspector General complaint.
Army Cyber Command leaders discuss capabilities, partnership with commander of U.S. Cyber Command (DVIDS) U.S. Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER) welcomed Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), director of the National Security Agency, and chief of the Central Security Service, for an overview of ARCYBER facilities here, and briefings and discussions of the command’s capabilities and how those capabilities and its partnership with USCYBERCOM support U.S. combatant command operations and exercises.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
$10 million rewards bolster White House anti-ransomware bid (WRAL.com) The Biden administration will offer rewards up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of foreign state-sanctioned malicious cyber activity against critical U.S. infrastructure — including ransomware attacks — and the White House has launched a task force to coordinate efforts to stem the ransomware scourge.
Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Foreign Malicious Cyber Activity Against U.S. Critical Infrastructure – United States Department of State (United States Department of State) The Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of any person who, under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure.
SCOTUS Resolves Circuit Split Regarding Scope of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (JD Supra) The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) was enacted in 1986 in order to curb unauthorized access to information stored on computers. …
Botswana police use Israeli Cellebrite tech to search another journalist’s phone (Committee to Protect Journalists) Tsaone Basimanebotlhe was not expecting security agents to appear at her home in a village outside Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, in July 2019, she told CPJ in a recent interview. But they didn’t come to arrest or charge her, she recalled – they came for her devices, hunting for the source for an article published by…
‘Chilling Effect’: Reporter Says Police Are Using This Israeli Tech to Hack Journalists’ Phones (The Daily Beast) Oppressive governments are increasingly relying on technology from Cellebrite, an Israeli surveillance firm, to search journalists’ phones, privacy watchdogs warn.
India bans Mastercard from adding new customers (TechCrunch) Reserve Bank of India has indefinitely barred Mastercard from issuing new debit, credit or prepaid cards to customers in the South Asian market over noncompliance with local data storage rules. The South Asian market’s central bank said the new restrictions will go into effect on July 22. …
Racism fuelling far-right threat in UK – MI5’s Ken McCallum warns (BBC News) Teenagers are a growing part of the problem, with children as young as 13 drawn into extremism online.
Facebook Seeks FTC Chair Lina Khan’s Recusal in Antitrust Case (Wall Street Journal) The social-media company says in a formal petition that Lina Khan, a Biden appointee, couldn’t be impartial because of her history of criticizing it and other big-tech firms.
DOL Begins Audit of Retirement Plans for Cybersecurity Shortfalls (Lexology) To increase protections for the estimated $9.3 trillion in American retirement assets, the Department of Labor (DOL) has begun a new cybersecurity…
Activists sue federal agency over voting system guidelines (AP NEWS) Key elements of the first federal technology standards for voting equipment in 15 years should be scrapped because language that would have banned the devices from connecting to the internet was dropped after private meetings held with manufacturers, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday.
US seeks 12 to 14.5 years prison sentence for Kelihos botmaster (The Record by Recorded Future) US prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging between 12 to 14.5 years in prison for Peter Levashov, a Russian national accused of creating and operating the Kelihos malware, one of the largest spam botnets that ever existed.