Tag Archive for: CLOSE

How AI can help close IoT’s growing security gaps to contain ransomware


VentureBeat presents: AI Unleashed – An exclusive executive event for enterprise data leaders. Network and learn with industry peers. Learn More


Nation-state attackers are fine-tuning their tradecraft to take advantage of unprotected IoT sensors essential to infrastructure and manufacturing and increasing their attacks against U.S. and European targets. Once-sporadic attacks have given way to an all-out assault on infrastructure and production plants.  

IoT attacks seek to take advantage of infrastructure and manufacturing organizations that don’t know how many sensors and endpoints they have, where they are, if they’re current on patches or if they’re secured. IT and security teams in a typical enterprise don’t know where up to 40% of their endpoints are. During Q2 2023, 70% of all ransomware attacks were aimed at the manufacturing sector, followed by industrial control systems (ICS) equipment and engineering (16%).

Unprotected gaps between operational technology (OT) and IT systems, along with unprotected ICS’, are soft targets. This past year, 75% of OT organizations experienced at least one breach intrusion.

More AI-based, tightly orchestrated cyberattacks coming

Well-funded nation-state attackers and criminal gangs are also recruiting AI and machine learning (ML) experts to help build the next generation of generative AI attack tools. Threat actors are orchestrating their IoT attacks with social engineering and reconnaissance and often know more about a target’s network than the admins do.  

Event

AI Unleashed

An exclusive invite-only evening of insights and networking, designed for senior enterprise executives overseeing data stacks and strategies.

 


Learn More

Manufacturing CISOs seeing spikes in nation-state attack attempts say that new tradecraft reflects a faster, more efficient attack strategy often combined with deepfakes and advanced social engineering. Cyberattacks reflect a new generation of technologies capable of adapting faster than any infrastructure or…

Source…

Iranian protesters urge Albania to close down camp hosting MKO terrorists


Dozens of Iranian protesters and relatives of members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) have called upon Albanian authorities to shut down a camp that hosts anti-Iran elements and make preparation for the repatriation of their family members.

Demonstrators and members of the independent civil society organization Nejat Society converged outside the Turkish embassy in downtown Tehran, which represents Albania’s interests in the Islamic Republic, and appreciated the latest raids by Albanian police forces on the Ashraf-3 camp in the northwest of the capital Tirana.

Iranian protesters and relatives of members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) take part in a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Tehran, which represents Albania’s interests in the Islamic Republic, on June 30, 2023, to demand the repatriation of their loved ones and trial of the notorious ringleaders of the cult. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

They underlined that the camp serves as a place, where malicious plots and cyber attacks are being orchestrated, and various forms of money laundering and human rights abuse are being carried out.

The protesters released a communiqué during the gathering, asking Albanian authorities to shut down the camp and put the notorious ringleaders of the MKO terrorist cult on trial.

The relatives of MKO members also urged the Albanian government not to allow leaders of the cult to use their loved ones as human shields against security forces.

They also asked Albanian officials not to fall into the psychological warfare trap of the MKO and let the terrorists abuse them, as the cult is enormously hated by the entire Iranian nation and even opponents of the Islamic establishment.

Iranian protesters and relatives of members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) take part in a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Tehran, which represents Albania’s interests in the Islamic Republic, on June 30, 2023, to demand the repatriation of their loved ones and trial of the notorious ringleaders of the cult. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

“After seven years of supporting the MKO, the Albanian government came to…

Source…

CO 141 between Naturita and Gateway to close for flood safety — Colorado Department of Transportation


Southwest Colorado — CO Highway 141 will likely be closed between Naturita and Gateway on Friday evening due to forecasted high river flows. If the river reaches expected levels, the Colorado Department of Transportation plans to close the highway at 5 p.m. The highway will remain closed until the flood danger has subsided. This closure is dependent on various factors including snowmelt and reservoir releases. The public will be alerted once the official closure is in place. As flow amounts fluctuate, the bridge may require additional closures.

“River flows in the area have not been observed at these levels in 18 years. With the flood event expected to peak this Friday, we are taking proactive and cautionary measures at this particular bridge. Engineers and maintenance personnel will be assessing the structural integrity throughout this high-flow event,” stated Julie Constan, Regional Transportation Director.

For safety, CDOT has determined that the bridge structure at Roc Creek should be closed to traffic while peak water flows are occurring. The structure is located approximately 27.5 miles north of Naturita at Mile Point 88.5.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood advisory for the Dolores River due to the increased release of water from McPhee Reservoir. The flood advisory also includes the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers due to heavy runoff from snowmelt. The flood advisory is in place until further notice and covers the counties of Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel and Montrose.

Traffic Impacts

Check COtrip.org for current road closures and conditions or contact Southwest Region 5 Customer Service during weekday business hours 970-385-1423.

  • The northbound closure point is located just north of Naturita and the County Road CC junction, MP 64
  • The southbound closure point is located just south of Gateway, MP 110
  • Do not bypass the closure barricades
Dolores River flowing underneath a CDOT bridge structure located on CO 141
A photo captured on May 3, 2023 shows the Dolores River flowing underneath a CDOT bridge structure located on Colorado Highway 141 at mile point 88.5. River flow rates are nearing 10-year flood event levels.

For more information about the flood advisory, refer to the National Weather Service Flood Advisory. For more…

Source…

Cybersecurity: These simple steps can close the digital door on hackers


Photo courtesy DepositPhotos

Personal accounts can be a gateway for business cyberhackers. Forward-thinking businesses, however, will not leave the door open for them.

Carl Mazzanti

The number of small business data breaches continues to grow and highlights the way cybercriminals can use LinkedIn and other social media profiles as a gateway into businesses, gaining unauthorized access to megabytes of sensitive data. To minimize the risk, business owners should work with their Cyber Security services provider to secure business and personal accounts from hackers.

Mark Zuckerberg found this out the hard way a few years back when a reported LinkedIn hack led to the exposure of a slew of accounts belonging to the Facebook (Meta) CEO. Despite his presumed savvy — after all, he is the world’s No. 1 social media magnate — Zuckerberg reportedly committed a series of fatal errors, including using an easy-to-crack password (dadada) on multiple accounts.

 

Easily guessed passwords can be dangerous

Otherwise-knowledgeable users often do not want to memorize lengthy sign-in codes, and instead seek shortcuts, like using common words, or the same password for more than one account. But hackers are getting more sophisticated —the NSA, FBI, and other security agencies have noted that the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate’s Russian (GRU’s) Main Center for Special Technologies released new malware targeting Americans and other users — so that is a dangerous practice.

But securing accounts does not have to be complicated. One basic, yet effective measure is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). MFA requires at least two independent factors to log into an account. One factor may be a (secure) password, and the second could be a one-time passcode sent to the user’s mobile phone. This way, the account will be safe even if one factor is stolen.

Increasing the length of the initial password or PIN (Personal Identification Number) is another move. Shockingly, 7777 is one of the most common and easily guessed PINs. Since all devices support PINs longer than four digits, adding a few more numbers can make a big difference because of the math involved in guessing them. While…

Source…