Search results for defense | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Emotet, a notorious email-based malware behind several botnet-driven spam campaigns and ransomware attacks, contained a flaw that allowed cybersecurity researchers to activate a kill-switch and prevent the malware from infecting systems for six months. "Most of the vulnerabilities and exploits that you read about are good news for attackers and bad news for the rest of us," Binary Defense's James Quinn said. "However, it's important to keep in mind that malware is software that can also have flaws. Just as attackers can exploit flaws in legitimate software to cause harm, defenders can also reverse-engineer malware to discover its vulnerabilities and then exploit those to defeat the malware." The kill-switch was alive between February 6, 2020, to August 6, 2020, for 182 days, before the malware authors patched their malware and closed the vulnerability. Since its first identification in 2014, Emotet has evolved from its initial roots as a banking

Anonymous hacks Defense contractor ManTech for #Antisec In a tweet posted by Anonymous claimed to have hack the defense contractor, ManTech International. Hackers promise to Release the Data within 24 Hours. This is the latest hack in the group's AntiSec Operation, and in particular its series of "F*ck FBI Friday" attacks. Previous attacks have targeted defense contractors and, in particular, companies who have worked with the FBI. These attacks have included attacks on the Atlanta chapter of InfraGard and the firms IRC Federal, Unveillance, and Booz Allen Hamilton, all of which provide cybersecurity services and solutions to the U.S. Government. According to Anonymous " We're legal, we're illegal. But most importantly we are legitimate. We fight for you, the citizen. We are not scared anymore ". Anonymous identifies ManTech's work for the FBI and the National Security Agency as its motivation for targeting the company and Leave message for FBI " You

In today's digital world, where connectivity is rules all, endpoints serve as the gateway to a business's digital kingdom. And because of this, endpoints are one of hackers' favorite targets.  According to the IDC,  70% of successful breaches start at the endpoint . Unprotected endpoints provide vulnerable entry points to launch devastating cyberattacks. With IT teams needing to protect more endpoints—and more kinds of endpoints—than ever before, that perimeter has become more challenging to defend. You need to improve your endpoint security, but where do you start? That's where this guide comes in.  We've curated the top 10 must-know endpoint security tips that every IT and security professional should have in their arsenal. From identifying entry points to implementing EDR solutions, we'll dive into the insights you need to defend your endpoints with confidence.  1. Know Thy Endpoints: Identifying and Understanding Your Entry Points Understanding your network's

Considering the ever-changing state of cybersecurity, it's never too late to ask yourself, "am I doing what's necessary to keep my organization's web applications secure?" The continuous evolution of technology introduces new and increasingly sophisticated threats daily, posing challenges to organizations all over the world and across the broader spectrum of industries striving to maintain reliable defenses. 2024 promises to be no exception. Threat actors continue to adapt their tactics, techniques, and procedures to exploit vulnerabilities in innovative ways, injecting malicious content into files that bypass traditional antivirus solutions and advanced, AI and ML-powered solutions alike. Therefore, organizations must assess and continually reinforce their security measures. One critical aspect that organizations often grapple with is identifying and addressing security blind spots. These are areas within the infrastructure where vulnerabilities exist but may

Some widely sold D-Link VPN router models have been found vulnerable to three new high-risk security vulnerabilities, leaving millions of home and business networks open to cyberattacks—even if they are secured with a strong password. Discovered by researchers at Digital Defense, the three security shortcomings were responsibly disclosed to D-Link on August 11, which, if exploited, could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable networking devices via specially-crafted requests and even launch denial-of-service attacks. D-Link DSR-150, DSR-250, DSR-500, and DSR-1000AC and other VPN router models in the DSR Family running firmware version 3.14 and 3.17 are vulnerable to the remotely exploitable root command injection flaw. The Taiwanese networking equipment maker  confirmed  the issues in an advisory on December 1, adding that the patches were under development for two of three flaws, which have now been released to the public at the time of writing. "

H0lyGh0st, Magecart, and a slew of state-sponsored hacker groups are diversifying their tactics and shifting their focus to… You. That is, if you're in charge of cybersecurity for a small-to-midsize enterprise (SME). Why? Bad actors know that SMEs typically have a smaller security budget, less infosec manpower, and possibly weak or missing security controls to protect their data and infrastructure. So, how can you prepare for the imminent onslaught from new and emerging threat groups?  You need a plan. Start with the NIST Cyber Security Framework The good news is you don't have to create your security strategy from scratch. The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework (NIST CSF) is one of the most respected and widely used standards in the world. While originally designed for critical infrastructure industries, the NIST CSF is flexible enough for organizations of all sizes, sectors, and maturities to use in large part because the framewor

A Gaza-based threat actor has been linked to a series of cyber attacks aimed at Israeli private-sector energy, defense, and telecommunications organizations. Microsoft, which revealed details of the activity in its fourth annual  Digital Defense Report , is tracking the campaign under the name  Storm-1133 . "We assess this group works to further the interests of Hamas, a Sunni militant group that is the de facto governing authority in the Gaza Strip, as activity attributed to it has largely affected organizations perceived as hostile to Hamas," the company said. Targets of the campaign included organizations in the Israeli energy and defense sectors and entities loyal to Fatah, a Palestinian nationalist and social democratic political party headquartered in the West Bank region. Attack chains entail a mix of social engineering and fake profiles on LinkedIn that masquerade as Israeli human resources managers, project coordinators, and software developers to contact and s

In the digital age, the battleground for security professionals is not only evolving, it's expanding at an alarming rate. The upcoming webinar, " The Art of Privilege Escalation - How Hackers Become Admins ," offers an unmissable opportunity for IT security experts to stay ahead in this relentless cyber war. Privilege escalation - the term might sound benign, but in the hands of a skilled hacker, it's a devastating tactic. It's a method where cyber attackers, starting as standard users, clandestinely climb the ladder of access, eventually gaining root-level control. This isn't just a breach; it's a systematic takeover of your entire network. Picture a scenario where cybercriminals roam freely through your network, turning your layers of defense into mere spectators. It's a chilling thought, but it's a reality faced by organizations across the globe. What if you could anticipate and counter these threats? Expertly delivered by Joseph Carson , Ch

South Korea 's Ministry of National Defense is banning its employees from using the  smart phones inside of the ministry's building in a bid to prevent military data leaks. At present, the only way to ensure sensitive corporate and Defense data is not lost is to provide employees with devices owned and controlled by the enterprise. Staffers will still be allowed to make phone calls or use text messaging services and also visitors will also be required to leave their smartphones at the entrance, officials said Wednesday. Defense ministry employees will be required to install a smart phone application which deactivates major smart phone functions like computing, Internet connectivity and the camera. Employees will be allowed to answer and make phone calls and use text messaging services and the plan will kick in on July 15.

An Iranian cyberespionage group masqueraded as an aerobics instructor on Facebook in an attempt to infect the machine of an employee of an aerospace defense contractor with malware as part of a years-long social engineering and targeted malware campaign. Enterprise security firm Proofpoint attributed the covert operation to a state-aligned threat actor it tracks as TA456, and by the wider cybersecurity community under the monikers Tortoiseshell and Imperial Kitten. "Using the social media persona 'Marcella Flores,' TA456 built a relationship across corporate and personal communication platforms with an employee of a small subsidiary of an aerospace defense contractor," Proofpoint  said  in a report shared with The Hacker News. "In early June 2021, the threat actor attempted to capitalize on this relationship by sending the target malware via an ongoing email communication chain." Earlier this month, Facebook  revealed  it took steps to dismantle a &quo

Cybersecurity researchers have taken the wraps off a previously undocumented and stealthy custom malware called SockDetour that targeted U.S.-based defense contractors with the goal of being used as a secondary implant on compromised Windows hosts. "SockDetour is a backdoor that is designed to remain stealthily on compromised Windows servers so that it can serve as a backup backdoor in case the primary one fails," Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 threat intelligence  said  in a report published Thursday. "It is difficult to detect, since it operates filelessly and socketlessly on compromised Windows servers." Even more concerningly, SockDetour is believed to have been used in attacks since at least July 2019, based on a compilation timestamp on the sample, implying that the backdoor successfully managed to slip past detection for over two-and-a-half years. The attacks have been attributed to a threat cluster it tracks as  TiltedTemple  (aka DEV-0322 by Microsof

State-sponsored actors backed by the Russian government regularly targeted the networks of several U.S. cleared defense contractors (CDCs) to acquire proprietary documents and other confidential information pertaining to the country's defense and intelligence programs and capabilities. The sustained espionage campaign is said to have commenced at least two years ago from January 2020, according to a  joint advisory  published by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Agency (NSA), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). "These continued intrusions have enabled the actors to acquire sensitive, unclassified information, as well as CDC-proprietary and export-controlled technology," the agencies  said . "The acquired information provides significant insight into U.S. weapons platforms development and deployment timelines, vehicle specifications, and plans for communications infrastructure and information technology."

The landscape of cybersecurity in financial services is undergoing a rapid transformation. Cybercriminals are exploiting advanced technologies and methodologies, making traditional security measures obsolete. The challenges are compounded for community banks that must safeguard sensitive financial data against the same level of sophisticated threats as larger institutions, but often with more limited resources. The FinServ Threat Landscape Recent trends show an alarming increase in sophisticated cyber-attacks. Cybercriminals now deploy advanced techniques like deep fake technology and AI-powered attacks, making it increasingly difficult for banks to differentiate between legitimate and malicious activities. These developments necessitate a shift towards more sophisticated and adaptive cybersecurity measures. Take these industry statistics, for example. Financial firms report 703 cyberattack attempts per week.1 On average, 270 attacks (entailing unauthorized access of data, appl

EC-Council Launches Center for Advanced Security Training (CAST) to Address the Growing Need for Advanced Information Security Knowledge Mar 9, 2011, Albuquerque, NM  - According to the report, Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44 th  President, released in November 2010 by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), it is highlighted that technical proficiency is critical to the defense of IT networks and infrastructures. And there is evidently a shortage of such personnel in the current cyber defense workforce. The United States alone needs between 10,000 to 30,000 well-trained personnel who have specialized skills required to effectively guard its national assets. In essence, there is a huge shortage of highly technically skilled information security professionals. The problem is both of quantity, and quality, and this is not a problem just for the government space. Public and private companies are also in dire straits trying to fill such staffing needs. The informa

Cybersecurity is an infinite journey in a digital landscape that never ceases to change. According to Ponemon Institute 1 , "only 59% of organizations say their cybersecurity strategy has changed over the past two years." This stagnation in strategy adaptation can be traced back to several key issues. Talent Retention Challenges:  The cybersecurity field is rapidly advancing, requiring a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. However, organizations face a critical shortage of such talent, making it difficult to keep strategies agile and relevant. Leadership Focus : Often, the attention of leadership teams is divided across various priorities, and cybersecurity may not be at the forefront. This can result in strategies becoming outdated and less effective. Board Engagement:  Adequate board support is essential for strategy evolution. A lack of comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity issues at the board level can lead to insufficient resources and support for strategic updates.