Critical infrastructure attacks: why South Africa should worry – Institute for Security Studies
Critical infrastructure attacks: why South Africa should worry Institute for Security Studies
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Tech companies, firms like Microsoft and McAfee institute the ‘Ransomware Task Force’, Technology News
19 security firms, tech companies, and non-profit organisation have come together to create the “Ransomware Task Force” (RTF). Companies including Microsoft and McAfee have come together to fight ransomware.
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The RTF will assess technical solutions that are already in place, along with providing protections during an attack.
Besides monitoring the state of mechanisms in place, the RTF will commission research on the topic, engage with key players across industries, and find problems in the existing mechanism, while finding solutions to these problems.
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In addition, the RTF will also navigate across all potential solutions to carve out a roadmap to address serious issues.
The goal is to come up with a standardised framework to deal with ransomware attacks across industries. To achieve this, the RTF intends to consult industry players, instead of individual advice usually given out by contractors.
And 19 founding members of the RTF include big shots like Microsoft, McAfee along with many groups include Team Cymru, Aspen Digital, Citrix, The Cyber Threat Alliance, Cybereason, The Cybersecurity Coalition among many.
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Ransomware is a type of malware which threatens to publish the data of its victim unless a ransom is paid. In addition, access to that data may be perpetually blocked until the ransom is paid.
Ransomware is not the most common form of malware, but still remains a major threat, with the threat of ransoms growing from quarter to quarter.
Even then, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has revealed that BEC scams continue to cause the largest financial losses to companies every year.
US sanctions Russian institute linked to dangerous malware – Security
Washington has imposed sanctions on a Russian research institute tied to the development of a dangerous computer program capable of causing catastrophic industrial damage, a move that Russia called illegitimate.
The US Treasury Department alleged that the Russian government-backed Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics – also known by its Russian acronym, TsNIIKhM – was responsible for “building customized tools that enabled the attack” on an unidentified petrochemical facility in the Middle East in 2017.
The attack electrified the cyber security community when it was made public by researchers that year because – unlike typical digital intrusions aimed at stealing data or holding it for ransom – it appeared aimed at causing physical damage to the facility itself by disabling its safety system.
Nathan Brubaker, an analyst with cybersecurity company FireEye – which discovered the software involved – said the apparent intent made it uniquely dangerous because disabling safety systems at a plant like that one could lead to serious consequences, such as a fire or an explosion.
“The acute nature of the threat is what makes it scary,” Brubaker said. “Blowing things up and killing people – that’s terrifying.”
Treasury also said last year the attackers behind the malware were reported to be scanning and probing at least 20 electric utilities in the United States for vulnerabilities.
“We emphasize once again the illegitimacy of any one-sided restrictions. Russia, unlike the United States, does not conduct offensive operations in cyber domain,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, said on social media.
“We call on the United States to abandon the vicious practice of unfounded accusations.”
US officials have been on a tear in the past month, filing a glut of indictments against hackers in Russia, China and Iran, levying sanctions, and issuing several warnings about state-backed digital intrusions.
Experts see the activity as the United States warning hostile powers to not interfere in its Nov. 3 elections, less than two weeks away.
SANS Institute suffers data breach due to phishing attack – Security Magazine
SANS Institute suffers data breach due to phishing attack Security Magazine
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