By now, it’s no secret that the endless quest by tech companies, data brokers and other players to capture, make sense of and monetize as much user data as possible – a practice known as surveillance capitalism – presents all sorts of privacy issues. Less discussed are the increased security risks this model creates for companies, governments and individuals.
Operators used four different DLL side-loading scenarios to install and execute new malware after removing a resident PlugX Backdoor
November 4, 2020
Sophos uncovered attackers using DLL side-loading to execute malicious code and install backdoors in the networks of targeted organizations. A report published, “A New APT uses DLL Side-loads to Killl Someone,” outlines the discovery of four different DLL side-loading scenarios, which all share the same program database path and some of which carry a file named “KilllSomeOne.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has awarded $2 million to the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI), a DHS Center of Excellence (COE) led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), to develop a plan that CISA can execute to build a national network of cybersecurity technical institutes.
A Russian national was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in operating a sophisticated scheme to steal and traffic sensitive personal and financial information in the online criminal underground that resulted in an estimated loss of over $100 million.
Ian Pratt, HP’s Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, believes hardware-embedded security paired with a robust cybersecurity education and cyber hygiene protocols for remote employees is core to any organization’s operational resiliency. Below, we speak with Pratt about the long-term security implications of the pandemic, what CISOs should be doing now to prepare for an increasingly uncertain future and where he believes cybersecurity is headed next.
Cybersecurity teams struggle with a lack of visibility into threats, endpoint devices, access privileges, and other essential security controls necessary for a robust cybersecurity posture. Without full visibility into their entire digital ecosystem, infosec teams cannot fully secure the assets on their networks or effectively prioritize the most serious threats. Below, I dive into how security professionals are still fighting the battle between effectively viewing serious threats and communicating cyber risk to company leadership.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has taken work out of the office and into the home for most people. This means workers are using their home networks and personal devices to connect to the office more than ever before. This shift in work patterns brings with it new network connectivity and security challenges for IT teams to tackle.
The Maze ransomware group announced that they have officially closed down their ransomware operation and will no longer be leaking new companies' data on their site.
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced that it has awarded more than $458 million in grant funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to fight and prevent violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.
A CEO will last 8.4 years in the position, while a CFO clocks in at 6.2 years in average length of tenure. But a look around the boardroom will tell you that longevity isn’t in the cards for overworked, overwhelmed CISOs, with most only spending an average of two years in the role before calling it quits. This trend is no coincidence - CISOs are at the top of the list for burnt out, especially this year, as organizations accelerated digital transformation nearly overnight and employees continue to work remotely.