FBI: Hackers Sending Malicious USB Drives & Teddy Bears via USPS
Hackers from the FIN7 cybercriminal group have been targeting various businesses with malicious USB? devices acting as a keyboard when plugged into a computer. Injected commands download and execute a JavaScript backdoor associated with this actor. In a FLASH alert on Thursday, the FBI warns organizations and security professionals about this tactic adopted by FIN7 to deliver GRIFFON malware. READ MORE...
Google sent ~40K warnings to targets of state-backed attackers in 2019
In 2019, Google sent nearly 40,000 warnings to accounts that were targeted by state-sponsored phishing or malware attacks, it reported on Thursday. That's a nearly 25% drop from 2018: an improvement for which it claims at least some credit. Toni Gidwani, Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) security engineering manager, said: "One reason for this decline is that our new protections are working - attackers' efforts have been slowed down and they're more deliberate in their attempts." READ MORE...
Over 4,000 Android apps silently access your installed software
More than 4,000 Google Play apps silently collect a list of all other installed apps in a data grab that allows developers and advertisers to build detailed profiles of users, a recently published research paper found. The apps use an Android-provided programming interface that scans a phone for details about all other apps installed on the phone. The app details are uploaded to remote servers without permission and no notification. READ MORE...
Broadband speeds fall in dozens of big US cities during pandemic
Home-Internet download speeds have fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic in dozens of the biggest US cities as millions of Americans stay home due to school and business closures. However, typical download speeds remain high enough to support normal broadband-usage patterns, with the vast majority of cities still above the Federal Communications Commission's 25Mbps standard. READ MORE...
Apple Unpatched VPN Bypass Bug Impacts iOS 13, Warn Researchers
An unpatched bug in the latest version of Apple's iOS is blocking virtual private network (VPN) applications from cloaking some private data transmitted between a device and the servers they are requesting data from. While the bug remains unpatched, Apple is suggesting steps users can take to reduce risk, researchers state. The bug, outlined in a report by ProtonVPN, impacts Apple's most recent iOS 13.4. The flaw is tied to the way VPN security software loads on iOS devices. READ MORE...
The Wild, Wild West(world) of Cybersecurity
In the gunslingin' world of cybersecurity, there are threats everywhere. It can sometimes feel as dangerous to run a modern business as it was to run a saloon in the shadiest part of the Wild West. Actually, the parallels between the cowboy days and modern cybersecurity issues are aplenty - and one need look no further for proof of that than HBO's standout series Westworld. READ MORE...
- ...in 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signs a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million.
- ...in 1930, actor John Astin, best known as Gomez Addams on "The Addams Family", is born in Baltimore, MD.
- ...in 1964, the game show Jeopardy! debuts on NBC, hosted by Art Fleming.
- ...in 1981, President Reagan is shot by would-be assassin John Hinckley, Jr.
