Tag Archive for: potential

Potential hacking victims could be underprepared for threats from the shadows: Report

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Organizations across the globe may be largely flying blind in responding to cybersecurity threats, according to a new report from cyber intelligence experts.

A survey of cybersecurity leaders from both public and private sectors found that 79% of them worked at organizations that made security decisions without insights into who may be targeting them, according to Mandiant Intelligence, an arm of Google’s cloud computing services.

The Mandiant Intelligence report, released on Monday, nonetheless also found that 96% of cybersecurity leaders were satisfied with the quality of their threat intelligence despite their self-reported gaps in security awareness. Nearly all of those surveyed acknowledged needing to be more nimble when it comes to responding to malicious hackers.

“A conventional, check-the-box mindset isn’t enough to defend against today’s well-resourced and dynamic adversaries,” Mandiant Intelligence Vice President Sandra Joyce said in a statement. “Security teams are outwardly confident, but often struggle to keep pace with the rapidly changing threat landscape.”

PHOTO: A computer hacker is pictured in an undated stock image.

A computer hacker is pictured in an undated stock image.

STOCK IMAGE/Bill Hinton/Getty Images

The report underscores critical threats in the cybersecurity landscape from both anonymous hackers and known entities who may be operating in the shadows.

U.S. and South Korean officials issued a joint warning last week that hackers backed by the North Korean government have conducted extensive ransomware attacks on health care providers and other organizations.

Ransomware is a particularly malicious form of cyber intrusion where digital systems and databases are held hostage with demands of electronic payment. U.S. officials previously alleged that North Korea uses money from ransomware operations to fund its pursuit of nuclear weapons and development of ballistic missiles.

The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced sanctions against several ransomware hackers linked to Russia whom officials believe targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S., U.K. and Ukraine. The individuals were part of the hacker group known as Trickbot which targeted U.S. hospitals and health care centers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in…

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Is Your Email Safe From Potential Hackers? Here’s How To Find Out

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closeup-hands-holding-iphone

closeup-hands-holding-iphone

If you think about how many emails you send and receive every day you may be shocked to learn that a big chunk of your daily life revolves around email. Given its importance, you’ll want to protect your email account and keep it as safe from hackers as possible. “As we all know, keeping our personal information and online accounts secure is more important than ever,” says Tech Expert Jessica Shee, manager at tech company iBoysoft. “With so much of our daily lives happening over email, it’s crucial to know how to tell if your email is safe from hackers and what steps you can take to keep it that way.”

Shee outlines a few major ways you can check whether your email has already been hacked — and some preventative steps you can take to make sure your account is as secure, private, and safe from prying eyes as possible. 

Check If Your Email Is Currently Secure

Is your email account secure at the moment? There are a few ways to check. 

“One easy way is to look for the ‘https’ in the website address or a padlock icon in your browser when you log in to your email,” Shee said. “This indicates that your connection is encrypted and secure. You can also check your account settings to make sure you have two-factor authentication enabled. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a code to be sent to your phone or another device in addition to your password.”

Another thing Shee suggests doing is regularly checking your sent items and trash folders for emails that you didn’t send. “This can indicate your account has been compromised and you should change your password immediately,” Shee said. 

Preventative Measures 

Even if everything looks solid and secure in your email account today, it’s not a bad idea to take preventative measures that can help keep future hacking attempts at bay. 

“First and foremost, use a strong and unique password for your email account,” Shee said. “Avoid using personal information such as your name, birthdate, or address, and mix letters, numbers, and symbols to make it harder for hackers to crack. Another good practice is to be cautious when opening email from unknown senders,…

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New Botnet Targeting Minecraft Servers Poses Potential Enterprise Threat

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The persistence and spread of a newly identified botnet targeting private Minecraft Java servers has far wider ramifications for enterprises than bumming out a Biome.

Microsoft researchers revealed in a report published Dec. 16 that this new botnet is used to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Minecraft servers, which might sound like kid stuff. But enterprises should take note because of the botnet’s ability to target both Windows and Linux devices, spread quickly, and avoid detection, the Microsoft team added.

It starts with a user downloading a malicious downloads of “cracked” Windows licenses.

“The botnet spreads by enumerating default credentials on internet-exposed Secure Shell (SSH)-enabled devices,” the Defender team reported. “Because IoT devices are commonly enabled for remote configuration with potentially insecure settings, these devices could be at risk to attacks like this botnet.“

The threat researchers suggest that organizations harden their device networks against these kinds of threats.

The group’s analysis revealed most of the infected devices were in Russia.

Enterprises Beware

Factors including the sheer number of potential server targets and the general lack of cybersecurity protections on private Minecraft servers make this botnet something security teams should take seriously, Patrick Tiquet, vice president of security architecture at Keeper Security, tells Dark Reading.

“The concern in this scenario is that there are a large number of servers that can potentially be compromised and then weaponized against other systems, including enterprise assets,” Tiquet explains. “Gaming servers such as Minecraft are typically managed by private individuals who may or may not be interested in or capable of patching and following cybersecurity best-practices. As a result, this vulnerability could continue unmitigated on a large scale for an extended period of time and could potentially be leveraged to target enterprises in the future.”

Beyond this particular malware, Microsoft’s recommendations are a good idea for protecting the enterprise from all sorts of botnets besides just the Minecraft-focused sort, according to Vulcan Cyber’s Mike Parkin.

“They’re…

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Top Wall Street Firm Has 5 Stocks Under $10 With 160% to 970% Upside Potential – 24/7 Wall St.

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Investing

December 10, 2022 6:10 am

While most of Wall Street focuses on large-cap and mega-cap stocks, as they provide a degree of safety and liquidity, many investors are limited in the number of shares they can buy. Many of the biggest public companies, especially the technology giants, trade in the hundreds, all the way up to over $1,000 per share or more. At those steep prices, it is difficult to get any decent share count leverage.

Many investors, especially more aggressive traders, look at lower-priced stocks as a way not only to make some good money but to get a higher share count. That can really help the decision-making process, especially when you are on to a winner, as you can always sell half and keep half.

Skeptics of low-priced shares should remember that at one point both Amazon, Apple and Netflix traded in the single digits. One stock we featured over the years, Zynga, was purchased by Take-Two Interactive. Cogent Biosciences, which we featured in March, has tripled since then.

Raymond James is one the premier investment banks in the world, so we screened the firm’s outstanding research database and found five stocks trading for less than $10 a share with the firm’s highest Strong Buy rating that could provide investors with some massive upside potential, ranging from 160% to almost 1,000%.

While all five are rated Outperform at Raymond James, they are much better suited for aggressive investors, and it is important to remember that no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.

Arlo Technologies

This company provides the kind of technology that is in big demand and forward growth could be remarkable. Arlo Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ARLO) provides a cloud-based platform in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere. It combines an intelligent cloud infrastructure and mobile app with various smart connected devices.

The company offers Arlo essential indoor camera; Arlo Go 2 LTE/Wi-Fi security camera; Arlo Q and Arlo Q Plus, an indoor wired solution that allows users to monitor their surroundings; and Arlo Go, an LTE-enabled…

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