Tag Archive for: joins

NCSC joins 2 organisations to promote domestic cybersecurity

/in


Ursula

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has joined two different international organisations, the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), to promote and strengthen capacity building and incident response through international collaboration.

This feat stems from the government’s commitment to developing the country’s cyberspace to be secure and resilient for the country’s sustained digital transformation.

Capacity building

A press release issued by NCSC on June 2 in Accra, quoted the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, of highlighting the importance of international collaboration for effective implementation of the recently passed Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

“Ghana’s domestic cyber resilience is very much dependent on strong international collaboration arrangements and our membership of these industry-led global institutions is timely as we begin the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020.”

As a member of these international bodies, the minister said the NCSC was expected to benefit from joint capacity building programmes, information sharing and technical tools to effectively detect and prevent cybersecurity incidents.

Cybersecurity Act

The release stated that the ministry, under the leadership Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, led efforts for the passage of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) by Parliament on November 6, 2020.

The Act was subsequently assented to law by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on December 29, 2020.

With the passage of Act 1038, the NCSC is expected to transition into a Cyber Security Authority (CSA) before the end of the year. The Act makes provision for the protection of critical information infrastructures, capacity building efforts, incident response and reporting procedures, among others.

Ghana’s membership of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), is part of efforts to improve the country’s cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity collaboration 

Security Governance Initiative (SGI), a…

Source…

April 2021 Android security update joins the Galaxy Fold

/in


The April 2021 Android security update is being inducted into the Galaxy Fold as of yesterday. Samsung’s latest patch for its seminal flexible-display device was first sighted in France, identified by version number F900FXXU4EUCF. Based on the said package name, some additional performance improvements, bug fixes, or both are part of the latest OTA download, as well.

Samsung has yet to share a detailed changelog accompanying this release, but expect an update on that front by next week. As for when to expect the update, itself, these releases are typically done in a gradual manner. The wait for the April 2021 security update to reach the Galaxy Fold probably won’t be too long, based on how swiftly past monthly patches arrived to Samsung’s first-ever foldable smartphone.

How much longer will the Galaxy Fold be supported?

The Galaxy Fold just turned two last month, but it’s nowhere near its anticipated EOL. For starters, it was included in Samsung’s 2020 promise to bring at least three generations of major OS upgrades to its modern devices. Meaning we still have at least Android 12-based One UI to look forward to, followed by at least another year’s worth of monthly security patches.

Only afterward is Samsung expected to start winding down Galaxy Fold support. The process is meant to happen gradually, with the transition period consisting of quarterly updates instead of monthly releases. In conclusion, we’re currently halfway into the Galaxy Fold’s lifecycle, at worst.

As for the April 2021 security patch, you can download full system images containing the update from our firmware section. Or just wait for the software upgrade notification to reach you naturally, which should happen any time now.


  • Model: SM-F900F
  • Dimensions: Folded: 160.9 x 62.8 x 17.1 mm
    Unfolded: 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9 mm
  • Display: 7.3 inch / 185.42 mm Dynamic AMOLED Display
  • CPU: Snapdragon 855
  • Camera: 16MP

Source…

Android app joins the dark side, sends malware update to millions

/in


Android app joins the dark side, sends malware update to millions

Google has removed a popular Android barcode scanner app with over 10 million installs from the Play Store after researchers found that it turned malicious following a December 2020 update.

After lying dormant for years, the previously legitimate Barcode Scanner app developed by LAVABIRD LTD self-updated and took over the users’ devices using malicious code now tagged by security vendors as trojan malware.

The malicious behavior experienced by its millions of users included seeing their default browser launching without any user interaction and displaying ads that promoted other, potentially malicious, Android apps.

“Many of the patrons had the app installed on their mobile devices for long periods of time (one user had it installed for several years),” Malwarebytes malware researcher Nathan Collier said.

“Then all of sudden, after an update in December, Barcode Scanner had gone from an innocent scanner to full on malware!”

LAVABIT Barcode Scanner
Image: Malwarebytes

Even though this wouldn’t be the first time malicious code has been found in Android apps, such incidents usually involve the use of third-party software development kits (SDKs) used by free app versions to display ads for monetization.

However, in this case, the obfuscated and signed malicious code was bundled with the app and installed on the devices of more than 10 million users in one fell swoop.

“To verify this is from the same app developer, we confirmed it had been signed by the same digital certificate as previous clean versions,” Collier added. 

“Because of its malign intent, we jumped past our original detection category of Adware straight to Trojan, with the detection of Android/Trojan.HiddenAds.AdQR.”

Google removed LAVABIRD’s Barcode Scanner app from the Play Store after receiving Malwarebytes’ disclosure in December.

Despite this, there might still be millions of other devices still affected and displaying unwanted ads to its unwitting userbase.

A LAVABIRD spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by BleepingComputer earlier today for comment.

Source…

Space Force joins US Intelligence Community to secure outer space

/in


Space Force joins US Intelligence Community to secure outer space

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe announced that the US Space Force (USSF) is the ninth Department of Defense component to join the US Intelligence Community (IC).

The USSF is a military service tasked with missions and operations in the space domain, the first new one established in the last 70 years, after the establishment of the US Air Force in 1947, and the first new intel element to join the IC since 2006.

“Today, we took action to elevate space intelligence missions, tradecraft, and collaboration to ensure the success of the Space Force, the Intelligence Community, and ultimately our National Security,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W.  Raymond said.

“This is a significant milestone, a clear statement that America is committed to a secure and accessible space domain.”

“This accession reaffirms our commitment to securing outer space as a safe and free domain for America’s interests,” Ratcliffe added.

The 18th member of the IC

The Space Force will join forces with 17 other IC members to conduct intelligence activities with the end goal of supporting the foreign policy and defending the national security of the United States.

The eight other Department of Defense elements part of the US Intel Community are the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and intelligence elements of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Other members of the IC are the FBI, CIA, NSA, and elements of the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of the Treasury.

“Through sharing space-related information and intelligence, the IC and DoD increase integration and coordination of our intelligence activities to achieve best effect and value in executing our missions,” Ratcliffe said.

“This move not only underscores the importance of space as a priority intelligence and military operational domain for national security, but ensures interoperability, future capability development and operations, and true global awareness for strategic warning.”

Intelligence efforts across all…

Source…