Don’t count on government, tech vendors to fix security woes, former CISA chief Krebs says

The Latest

• 

  Encevo stays resilient post-attack, but it’s still assessing the data damage

  The Luxembourg energy supplier’s ability to thwart a shutdown likely empowered its refusal to pay a ransom.

  Strategy

• 

  Twitter vulnerability risk resurfaces, testing the security of pseudonymous users

  A threat actor learned of the vulnerability, which allowed an account identity to be exposed by entering a simple email or phone number.

  Vulnerability

• 

  Slack resets passwords en masse after invite link vulnerability

  The bug, which went undetected for five years, impacts at least 60,000 users but likely more.

  Vulnerability

• 

  The 11 most-prevalent malware strains of 2021 fuel cybercrime

  Cybercriminals remain the most prolific users of malware, wielding these top strains to deliver ransomware and steal data.

  Cyberattacks

• 

  US must take a lead role in cyber diplomacy, State Dept. nominee says

  Nathaniel Fick told lawmakers the U.S. should promote international cyber norms to protect national security from authoritarian threats. 

  Leadership & Careers

• 

  White House to incorporate performance metrics into national cybersecurity strategy

  The Office of the National Cyber Director is working across multiple federal agencies and private sector partners to set priorities and assess effectiveness.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Hospitals have low level of accountability for connected device breaches

  Only an average of 3.4% of hospitals’ IT budgets are being spent on device security, a recent survey shows.

  Breaches

• 

  Ransomware defense guidance risks hang-ups under many steps

  Small and mid-sized businesses don’t typically have the resources to meet every safeguard. But every action, however small, helps.

  Strategy

• 

  Threat actors hide malware in legitimate — and high profile — applications

  Researchers from VirusTotal show how attackers use social engineering techniques to launch malicious attacks behind trusted applications.

  Threats

• 

  VMware discloses new authentication bypass vulnerability

  The virtualization giant advised customers to immediately deploy patches and said it’s not aware of any exploitation in the wild.

  Vulnerability

• 

  Initial access brokers selling online access to unsuspecting MSPs

  The ads for initial access to MSPs follow warnings from the FBI, CISA and intelligence partners from the Five Eyes.

  Threats

• 

  Luxembourg energy supplier Encevo hit by ransomware attack

  The group behind the attack threatened to leak more than 150 gigabytes of sensitive data on Monday.

  Cyberattacks

• 

  Most cyberattacks come from ransomware, email compromise

  Attackers are scanning for vulnerabilities in unpatched systems within 15 minutes, stressing the pace and scale of the threat.

  Vulnerability

• 

  Opinion

  Tips for translating cyber risk into board-friendly language

  Just because boards are more aware of the rise in cyberattacks does not mean they understand how digital technology and cybersecurity translate into business risk.

  Leadership & Careers

• 

  Threat actors shifting tactics as Microsoft blocks, unblocks and reblocks macros

  Proofpoint researchers say criminal hackers are turning to container files and Windows shortcuts to distribute malware.

  Strategy

• 

  Data breach costs spread downstream, IBM says

  Nearly half of all organizations studied by IBM have minimal or no cloud security practices in place.

  Breaches

• 

  Entrust acknowledges June cyberattack, remains tight-lipped on the details

  The cybersecurity vendor has yet to disclose how the incident occurred, the type of data stolen and if ransomware was involved.

  Breaches

• 

  CISA expands cyber relationship with Ukraine authorities

  The agreement formalizes closer ties between Ukraine and the key U.S. cybersecurity agency after the war with Russia led to increased threat activity. 

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Mandiant red team breaches OT servers to mimic crime group techniques

  Researchers are not aware of financially motivated actors using these techniques in the wild.

  Strategy

• 

  AWS wants to be an enterprise security strategy advisor

  The cloud giant advised customers to focus on specific needs, and rely on embedded defenses running automatically behind the scenes.

  Strategy

• 

  Relentless vulnerabilities and patches induce cybersecurity burnout

  Cybersecurity professionals are confronting a chronic vulnerability-patch cycle and the situation is getting worse.

  Vulnerability

• 

  Uber reaches non-prosecution deal with feds after concealing data breach

  The ride-sharing firm had been under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, when the 2016 data breach occurred, an event undisclosed until new management entered the picture. 

  Breaches

• 

  Breach rule would give credit unions longer reporting window than banks

  The 72-hour timeframe falls in line with the Critical Infrastructure Act that President Joe Biden signed in March, but is twice as long as the reporting window banks have had to comply with since May.

  Policy & Regulation

• 

  Google backs federal review board's Log4j, open source security push

  The technology firm said it will continue investments and engage in more secure software practices to help prevent a future crisis similar to Log4j.

  Vulnerability

• 

  T-Mobile agrees to $500M settlement for 2021 cyberattack

  The wireless carrier suffered a massive data breach in the summer of 2021, the fifth publicly acknowledged incident of its type in three years.

  Cyberattacks

More stories