January, 2025

article thumbnail

AI Mistakes Are Very Different from Human Mistakes

Schneier on Security

Humans make mistakes all the time. All of us do, every day, in tasks both new and routine. Some of our mistakes are minor and some are catastrophic. Mistakes can break trust with our friends, lose the confidence of our bosses, and sometimes be the difference between life and death. Over the millennia, we have created security systems to deal with the sorts of mistakes humans commonly make.

article thumbnail

MasterCard DNS Error Went Unnoticed for Years

Krebs on Security

The payment card giant MasterCard just fixed a glaring error in its domain name server settings that could have allowed anyone to intercept or divert Internet traffic for the company by registering an unused domain name. The misconfiguration persisted for nearly five years until a security researcher spent $300 to register the domain and prevent it from being grabbed by cybercriminals.

DNS 362
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

You Can't Trust Hackers, and Other Data Breach Verification Tales

Troy Hunt

It's hard to find a good criminal these days. I mean a really trustworthy one you can be confident won't lead you up the garden path with false promises of data breaches. Like this guy yesterday: For my international friends, JB Hi-Fi is a massive electronics retailer down under and they have my data! I mean by design because I've bought a bunch of stuff from them, so I was curious not just about my own data but because a breach of 12 million plus people would be massive in a coun

article thumbnail

Microsoft Can Fix Ransomware Tomorrow

Adam Shostack

My latest at Dark Reading draws attention to how Microsoft can fix ransomware tomorrow. My latest article at Dark Reading is Microsoft Can Fix Ransomware Tomorrow. It starts: Recently, I was at a private event on security by design. I explained that Microsoft could fix ransomware tomorrow, and was surprised that the otherwise well-informed people I was speaking to hadn't heard about this approach.

article thumbnail

Why Giant Content Libraries Do Nothing for Your Employees’ Cyber Resilience

Many cybersecurity awareness platforms offer massive content libraries, yet they fail to enhance employees’ cyber resilience. Without structured, engaging, and personalized training, employees struggle to retain and apply key cybersecurity principles. Phished.io explains why organizations should focus on interactive, scenario-based learning rather than overwhelming employees with excessive content.

article thumbnail

BEWARE: Criminals Are Selling Fraudulent Expert Opinion Letters From “Me” In Support of CyberSecurity Professionals Seeking Immigration Visas to The United States

Joseph Steinberg

I have been made aware that one or more criminals are offering in exchange for payment, of course custom-written letters allegedly written and signed by me supporting applicants petitions for Alien of Extraordinary Ability visas to the United States. I have been sent a copy of one such letter it was well written, and, at least at first glance, highly convincing.

article thumbnail

EAGERBEE, with updated and novel components, targets the Middle East

SecureList

Introduction In our recent investigation into the EAGERBEE backdoor , we found that it was being deployed at ISPs and governmental entities in the Middle East. Our analysis uncovered new components used in these attacks, including a novel service injector designed to inject the backdoor into a running service. Additionally, we discovered previously undocumented components (plugins) deployed after the backdoor’s installation.

Malware 139

LifeWorks

More Trending

article thumbnail

A Day in the Life of a Prolific Voice Phishing Crew

Krebs on Security

Besieged by scammers seeking to phish user accounts over the telephone, Apple and Google frequently caution that they will never reach out unbidden to users this way. However, new details about the internal operations of a prolific voice phishing gang show the group routinely abuses legitimate services at Apple and Google to force a variety of outbound communications to their users, including emails, automated phone calls and system-level messages sent to all signed-in devices.

Phishing 342
article thumbnail

MikroTik botnet relies on DNS misconfiguration to spread malware

Security Affairs

Researchers discovered a 13,000-device MikroTik botnet exploiting DNS flaws to spoof 20,000 domains and deliver malware. Infoblox researchers discovered a botnet of 13,000 MikroTik devices that exploits DNS misconfigurations to bypass email protections, spoof approximately 20,000 domains, and deliver malware. In late November, the experts spotted a malspam campaign impersonating DHL which used emails about freight invoices, attaching zip files named “Invoice###.zip” or “Trackin

DNS 138
article thumbnail

Threat Modeling Google Cloud (Threat Model Thursday)

Adam Shostack

NCC has released a threat model for Google Cloud Platform. What can it teach us? In Threat Modelling Cloud Platform Services by Example: Google Cloud Storage Ken Wolstencroft of NCC presents a threat model for Google Cloud Storage, and Id like to take a look at it to see what we can learn. As always, and especially in these Threat Model Thursday posts, my goal is to point out interesting work in a constructive way.

article thumbnail

7-Zip bug could allow a bypass of a Windows security feature. Update now

Malwarebytes

A patch is available for a vulnerability in 7-Zip that could have allowed attackers to bypass the Mark-of-the-Web (MotW) security feature in Windows. The MotW is an attribute added to files by Windows when they have been sourced from an untrusted location, like the internet or a restricted zone. The MotW is what triggers warnings that opening or running such files could lead to potentially dangerous behavior, including installing malware on their devices. 7-Zip added support for MotW in June 202

Internet 143
article thumbnail

Zero Trust Mandate: The Realities, Requirements and Roadmap

The DHS compliance audit clock is ticking on Zero Trust. Government agencies can no longer ignore or delay their Zero Trust initiatives. During this virtual panel discussion—featuring Kelly Fuller Gordon, Founder and CEO of RisX, Chris Wild, Zero Trust subject matter expert at Zermount, Inc., and Principal of Cybersecurity Practice at Eliassen Group, Trey Gannon—you’ll gain a detailed understanding of the Federal Zero Trust mandate, its requirements, milestones, and deadlines.

article thumbnail

From Notifications to Deepfakes: How Human Behaviour Is Shifting and What It Means for Cybersecurity

Jane Frankland

It had been another long day, and I’d let the non-stop barrage of tasks and notifications, each one demanding more bandwidth than I had to spare, get to me. As I sat in my kitchen, chatting to my daughter about the amount of pings each of us got, an uncomfortable thought surfaced. A few minutes earlier, Id been scrolling through LinkedIn when a video caught my attention.

article thumbnail

Social Engineering to Disable iMessage Protections

Schneier on Security

I am always interested in new phishing tricks, and watching them spread across the ecosystem. A few days ago I started getting phishing SMS messages with a new twist. They were standard messages about delayed packages or somesuch, with the goal of getting me to click on a link and entering some personal information into a website. But because they came from unknown phone numbers, the links did not work.

article thumbnail

Chinese Innovations Spawn Wave of Toll Phishing Via SMS

Krebs on Security

Residents across the United States are being inundated with text messages purporting to come from toll road operators like E-ZPass , warning that recipients face fines if a delinquent toll fee remains unpaid. Researchers say the surge in SMS spam coincides with new features added to a popular commercial phishing kit sold in China that makes it simple to set up convincing lures spoofing toll road operators in multiple U.S. states.

Phishing 305
article thumbnail

News alert: Sweet Security’s LLM-powered detection engine reduces cloud noise to 0.04%

The Last Watchdog

Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 15, 2025, CyberNewswire — Sweet Security , a leader in cloud runtime detection and response, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking patent-pending Large Language Model (LLM)-powered cloud detection engine. This innovation enhances Sweet’s unified detection and response solution, enabling it to reduce cloud detection noise to an unprecedented 0.04%.

article thumbnail

Prevent Data Breaches With Zero-Trust Enterprise Password Management

Keeper Security is transforming cybersecurity for people and organizations around the world. Keeper’s affordable and easy-to-use solutions are built on a foundation of zero-trust and zero-knowledge security to protect every user on every device. Our next-generation privileged access management solution deploys in minutes and seamlessly integrates with any tech stack to prevent breaches, reduce help desk costs and ensure compliance.

article thumbnail

Safety and Security in Automated Driving

Adam Shostack

Lets explore the risks associated with Automated Driving. " Safety First For Automated Driving " is a big, over-arching whitepaper from a dozen automotive manufacturers and suppliers. One way to read it is that those disciplines have strongly developed safety cultures, which generally do not consider cybersecurity problems. This paper is the cybersecurity specialists making the argument that cyber will fit into safety, and how to do so.

Risk 189
article thumbnail

The great Google Ads heist: criminals ransack advertiser accounts via fake Google ads

Malwarebytes

Table of contents Overview Criminals impersonate Google Ads Lures hosted on Google Sites Phishing for Google account credentials Victimology Who is behind these campaigns? Fuel for other malware and scam campaigns Indicators of Compromise Overview Online criminals are targeting individuals and businesses that advertise via Google Ads by phishing them for their credentials ironically via fraudulent Google ads.

article thumbnail

Threat actor leaked config files and VPN passwords for over Fortinet Fortigate devices

Security Affairs

A previously unknown threat actor released config files and VPN passwords for Fortinet FortiGate devices on a popular cybercrime forum. A previously unknown threat actor named Belsen Group published configuration files and VPN passwords for over 15,000 Fortinet FortiGate appliances. “2025 will be a fortunate year for the world. At the beginning of the year, and as a positive start for us, and in order to solidify the name of our group in your memory, we are proud to announce our first offi

VPN 127
article thumbnail

Apps That Are Spying on Your Location

Schneier on Security

404 Media is reporting on all the apps that are spying on your location, based on a hack of the location data company Gravy Analytics: The thousands of apps, included in hacked files from location data company Gravy Analytics, include everything from games like Candy Crush to dating apps like Tinder, to pregnancy tracking and religious prayer apps across both Android and iOS.

article thumbnail

Optimizing The Modern Developer Experience with Coder

Many software teams have migrated their testing and production workloads to the cloud, yet development environments often remain tied to outdated local setups, limiting efficiency and growth. This is where Coder comes in. In our 101 Coder webinar, you’ll explore how cloud-based development environments can unlock new levels of productivity. Discover how to transition from local setups to a secure, cloud-powered ecosystem with ease.

article thumbnail

FBI, Dutch Police Disrupt ‘Manipulaters’ Phishing Gang

Krebs on Security

The FBI and authorities in The Netherlands this week seized dozens of servers and domains for a hugely popular spam and malware dissemination service operating out of Pakistan. The proprietors of the service, who use the collective nickname “ The Manipulaters ,” have been the subject of three stories published here since 2015. The FBI said the main clientele are organized crime groups that try to trick victim companies into making payments to a third party.

Phishing 263
article thumbnail

News alert: CyTwist launches threat detection engine tuned to identify AI-driven malware in minutes

The Last Watchdog

Ramat Gan, Israel, January 7th, 2025, CyberNewswire — CyTwist , a leader in advanced next-generation threat detection solutions, has launched its patented detection engine to combat the insidious rise of AI-generated malware. The cybersecurity landscape is evolving as attackers harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop advanced and evasive threats.

article thumbnail

Spatial Reasoning and Threat Modeling

Adam Shostack

Do diagrams leverage the brain in a different way? Creating, refining, communicating, and working with models are all important parts of how I think about answering what are we working on? People often want to eliminate the diagramming or modeling step as not required, and thats a mistake. The act of engaging with the higher order question of what are we building working on is important, and diagramming acts as a forcing function.

article thumbnail

The DeepSeek controversy: Authorities ask where does the data come from and how safe is it?

Malwarebytes

The sudden rise of DeepSeek has raised concerns and questions, especially about the origin and destination of the training data, as well as the security of the data. For those returning from a short holiday away from the news, DeepSeek is a new player on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) field. The Chinese startup has certainly taken the app stores by storm: In just a week after the launch it topped the charts as the most downloaded free app in the US.

article thumbnail

The Importance of User Roles and Permissions in Cybersecurity Software

How many people would you trust with your house keys? Chances are, you have a handful of trusted friends and family members who have an emergency copy, but you definitely wouldn’t hand those out too freely. You have stuff that’s worth protecting—and the more people that have access to your belongings, the higher the odds that something will go missing.

article thumbnail

A 7-Zip bug allows to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) feature

Security Affairs

A vulnerability in the 7-Zip file software allows attackers to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) Windows security feature. Attackers can exploit a vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-0411 , in the free, open-source file archiver software 7-Zip to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) Windows security feature. Mark of the Web (MotW) is a security feature in Microsoft Windows that identifies files downloaded from untrusted sources, such as the internet.

Software 123
article thumbnail

Microsoft Takes Legal Action Against AI “Hacking as a Service” Scheme

Schneier on Security

Not sure this will matter in the end, but it’s a positive move : Microsoft is accusing three individuals of running a “hacking-as-a-service” scheme that was designed to allow the creation of harmful and illicit content using the company’s platform for AI-generated content. The foreign-based defendants developed tools specifically designed to bypass safety guardrails Microsoft has erected to prevent the creation of harmful content through its generative AI services, said S

Hacking 271
article thumbnail

How to Build Your Cybersecurity Talent Stack

SecureWorld News

A career in cybersecurity isn't about mastering one skillit's about layering complementary skills that make you versatile and invaluable. That's the power of a talent stack. It's a mix of technical know-how, strategic thinking, and communication skills that, together, make you stand out in a competitive field. Think of it like building a tower. Each layer adds strength and stability, supporting everything above it.

article thumbnail

News Alert: Security Risk Advisors joins Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA)

The Last Watchdog

Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 7, 2025, CyberNewswire — Security Risk Advisors today announced it has become a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), an ecosystem of independent software vendors (ISVs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) that have integrated their solutions with Microsoft Security technology to better defend mutual customers against a world of increasing cyber threats.

Risk 130
article thumbnail

IDC Analyst Report: The Open Source Blind Spot Putting Businesses at Risk

In a recent study, IDC found that 64% of organizations said they were already using open source in software development with a further 25% planning to in the next year. Most organizations are unaware of just how much open-source code is used and underestimate their dependency on it. As enterprises grow the use of open-source software, they face a new challenge: understanding the scope of open-source software that's being used throughout the organization and the corresponding exposure.

article thumbnail

Lessons for Cybersecurity from the American Public Health System

Adam Shostack

An important step towards cyber public health Every four years, the Computing Research Association publishes a set of Quadrenial papers that explore areas and issues around computing research with potential to address national priorities. The white papers attempt to portray a comprehensive picture of the computing research field detailing potential research directions, challenges, and recommendations.

article thumbnail

“Can you try a game I made?” Fake game sites lead to information stealers

Malwarebytes

The background and the IOCs for this blog were gathered by an Expert helper on our forums and Malwarebytes researchers. Our thanks go out to them. A new, malicious campaign is making the rounds online and it starts simple: Unwitting targets receive a direct message (DM) on a Discord server asking about their interest in beta testing a new videogame (targets can also receive a text message or an email).

Scams 143
article thumbnail

A flaw in the W3 Total Cache plugin exposes hundreds of thousands of WordPress sites to attacks

Security Affairs

A WordPress W3 Total Cache plugin vulnerability could allow attackers to access information from internal services, including metadata on cloud-based apps. A severe vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-12365 (CVSS score of 8.5) in the WordPress W3 Total Cache plugin could expose metadata from internal services and cloud apps. The WordPress W3 Total Cache plugin is a popular performance optimization tool designed to improve the speed and efficiency of WordPress websites.

article thumbnail

FBI Deletes PlugX Malware from Thousands of Computers

Schneier on Security

According to a DOJ press release , the FBI was able to delete the Chinese-used PlugX malware from “approximately 4,258 U.S.-based computers and networks.” Details : To retrieve information from and send commands to the hacked machines, the malware connects to a command-and-control server that is operated by the hacking group. According to the FBI , at least 45,000 IP addresses in the US had back-and-forths with the command-and-control server since September 2023.

Malware 239
article thumbnail

Beware of Pixels & Trackers on U.S. Healthcare Websites

The healthcare industry has massively adopted web tracking tools, including pixels and trackers. Tracking tools on user-authenticated and unauthenticated web pages can access personal health information (PHI) such as IP addresses, medical record numbers, home and email addresses, appointment dates, or other info provided by users on pages and thus can violate HIPAA Rules that govern the Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates.