Tag Archive for: increases

IOTW: China Possibly To Blame For India’s 2020 Power Outage As Cyber Warfare Increases Globally

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On February 28, a report published by the U.S. cyber security firm Recorded Future, prompted India to make its own announcement regarding a widespread hacking campaign against the country.

Facts

Last October, Mumbai, India’s financial capital, suffered a massive power outage that shut down thousands of businesses, dozens of trains, and left millions without power. The power outage was initially pinned on “technical glitches.” In an increasingly nationalistic country who is working to decrease its dependence on China’s supply chain and increase its international investment appeal, the power outage wasn’t just a logistical nightmare—it was also embarrassing.

Now, home minister of the state, Anil Deshmukh, is releasing information about the outage and its possible link to a wave of Trojan horse attacks and power company data transfers. Additionally, between June and October, 8GB of data from China and other nation states snuck into the servers of Indian power companies. Blacklisted IP addresses also tried to break in en masse.

Related: On The Leading Edge Of Fraud: The Data, The User & The Risk

Four months before the outage, Chinese and Indian troops engaged in a close-range skirmish at the border that involved bats wrapped in barbed wire, rocks, and batons. India reportedly lost 20 soldiers; China, four. The attack was the first to result in combat mortalities between the countries in 45 years.

Recorded Future’s investigation linked China with the power outage and theorizes that the attack on India’s infrastructure was both a warning and retaliation for the border skirmish. China denies the claim, saying, “It is highly irresponsible to accuse a particular party when there is no sufficient evidence around. China is firmly opposed to such irresponsible and ill-intentioned practice.”

Lessons Learned

India is taking extra measures to keep threat actors out of its infrastructure including strengthening firewalls, blacklisting additional IP addresses, and utilizing antivirus software.

Cyber attacks are a new form of warfare, both psychologically and with physical consequences, and level the playing field for…

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Report on 2020 Shows Triple-Digit Increases Across All Malware Types

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TipRanks

2 “Strong Buy” Cannabis Stocks Showing Monster Growth

Investors have been fixated on growth companies over the past year, and one segment which has been on the rise is the fledgling cannabis industry. The sector offers a unique proposition and the prospect of further growth, as there is still a major catalyst on the horizon which will completely alter the industry. As expected, a Democrat led senate has been good news for those banking on marijuana reform at the federal level; And it looks like the anticipated changes could happen faster than initially expected. Backed by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senators have stated that they will push for federal-level legalization of marijuana, promising “a unified discussion draft on comprehensive [cannabis] reform” in the first half of this year. The statement feeds expectations that the Democratic Congressional majority will pass – and that President Biden will sign – a bill to legalize marijuana. Investors are also looking at further state-level legalization moves; one key state in this regard is New York. So, the cannabis industry is looking up. There is an expanding network of state legalization regimes, and expectations of a change in federal policy; both are putting upward pressure on cannabis shares. Against this backdrop, we used TipRanks’ database to find two cannabis stocks that have been earmarked as ‘Strong Buys’ by the analyst consensus. Both have posted impressive year-to-date performances, and stand to rise even more in the year ahead. Village Farms International (VFF) We will start with Village Farms International, a company that has long been involved in the niche agricultural business. The company started out as a farmer, producing high-quality greenhouse vegetables year-round for sale in the North American market. That background fit the company well for a transition to the cannabis industry – Village Farms has experience in greenhouse production and industrial-scale growing. Village Farms’ shares are showing a tremendous growth profile, up 327% in the past 12 months – with a strong spike in recent days. Two important pieces of news precipitated the surge since the end of…

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Home working increases cyber-security fears

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Ted Harrington, a San Diego-based cyber-security specialist, and author of Hackable: How To Do Application Security Right, says firms should have started by giving all home workers a dedicated work laptop. While many larger companies may well have done this, not all smaller firms necessarily have the resources to do so, but Mr Harrington stresses its importance.

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TSA increases security at DC airport ahead of Biden’s Inauguration

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  • The Transportation Security Administration has ‘significantly increased’ security at DC airports ahead of Inauguration Day. 
  • Following the attacks at the Capitol building two weeks ago, TSA is processing hundreds of names with law enforcement agencies for a thorough risk assessment, according to a statement published Friday.
  • Similar to previous inaugurations, screening officers will be deployed to assist the Secret Service by screening individuals along the parade route and those authorized to attend the Inauguration in-person.

  • But TSA Media Relations manager Robert Langston told Insider that while the agency has a traditional role in security related to presidential inaugurations, “this year may be different in that there is still a pandemic and a different threat environment.”

  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

The Transportation Security Administration has ‘significantly increased’ security at DC airports ahead of Inauguration Day, the agency announced in a statement Friday. 

Following the attacks at the Capitol building on Jan. 6, TSA is processing hundreds of names with law enforcement agencies for a thorough risk assessment.

“Our intelligence and vetting professionals are working diligently around the clock to ensure those who may pose a threat to our aviation sector undergo enhanced screening or are prevented from boarding an aircraft,” the statement said.

Read more: Biden’s inauguration is raising tens of millions of dollars but won’t say how it’s spending the money

As in previous inaugurations, TSA officers will be deployed to assist the Secret Service by screening individuals along the parade route and those authorized to attend the Inauguration in-person. Beyond the Inauguration grounds, TSA has implemented additional layers of security at all three Washington, DC-area airports, according to the TSA statement.

Those security layers include more law enforcement and explosives detection canine teams, random gate screening, increased number of Federal Air Marshals on certain flights, and additional Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams to provide greater security presence at certain rail transportation hubs.

While the US…

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