This Week in Security News: US Cyber Command Exposes New Russian Malware and REvil Ransomware Gang ‘Acquires’ KPOT Malware
Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days. This week, learn about eight new malware samples that were developed and deployed by Russian hackers in recent attacks. Also, read about how the operators of the REvil ransomware strain have “acquired” the source code of the KPOT trojan in an auction held on a hacker forum last month.
Read on:
Beware a New Google Drive Scam Landing in Inboxes
Scammers just found a new phishing lure to play with: Google Drive. A flaw in Drive is being exploited to send out seemingly legitimate emails and push notifications from Google that, if opened, could land people on malicious websites. The smartest part of the scam is that the emails and notifications it generates come directly from Google.
What Are the Best Options for Cybersecurity Protection for Small Businesses?
For Workplace IT, providing the best cybersecurity protection for their company’s hundreds of small business clients is critical. Workplace IT relies exclusively on Trend Micro to ensure that its customers have the best cybersecurity protection available. Partnering with one security vendor makes it easy for the company to focus on other issues, knowing that security is handled comprehensively and consistently.
REvil Ransomware Gang ‘Acquires’ KPOT Malware
The operators of the REvil ransomware strain have “acquired” the source code of the KPOT trojan in an auction held on a hacker forum last month. The sale took place after the KPOT malware author decided to auction off the code, desiring to move off to other projects, and was organized as a public auction on a private underground hacking forum for Russian-speaking cyber-criminals.
Encouraging the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Stars to Join the Industry
At its core, Trend Micro has a passion for education and a desire to grow the cybersecurity industry with talented, dedicated professionals. The two are closely linked: If we can introduce cyber skills into schools at an earlier age, then more young people will be encouraged to start a career in cybersecurity. That’s why Trend Micro is running a new virtual event for university students in November, during NIST NICE Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week.
Cybersecurity Threats to Corporate America are Present Now ‘More Than Ever,’ SEC Chair Says
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton is telling corporate America it needs to be more vigilant on security. In an interview with CNBC, Clayton stressed that significant cybersecurity threats remain, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and election season. In October alone, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) put out 30 cyber alerts across various industries and business sizes, as well as consumers.
US Cyber Command Exposes New Russian Malware
US Cyber Command has exposed eight new malware samples that were developed and deployed by Russian hackers in recent attacks. Six of the eight samples are for the ComRAT malware (used by the Turla hacking group), while the other two are samples for the Zebrocy malware (used by the APT28 hacking group).
SaltStack Discloses Critical Vulnerabilities, Urges Patching
SaltStack disclosed three new vulnerabilities, two of which are assessed to be critical, and is urging users to patch immediately. In an advisory, the organization announced it released a security update to address the vulnerabilities. While two vulnerabilities were discovered and submitted by “KPC” of Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), the advisory does not say how CVE-2020-25592 was found. Dustin Childs, ZDI communications manager, said they reported it to SaltStack privately in late August.
New Data Shows Just How Badly Home Users Overestimate IoT Security
A new survey from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) shows adult workers vastly overestimate the security of the internet devices in their homes. The survey polled 1,000 adults – 500 aged 18-34 and 500 aged 50-75 – and found that the overwhelming majority of both believed the internet of things (IoT) devices they owned were secure.
Over 23,000 Hacked Databases Shared Over Telegram and Discord
It was reported that over 50GB of data from 23,000 hacked databases have been shared by hackers across Telegram channels and two hacking forums. A total of 23,618 databases were able to be downloaded through the Mega file hosting service, amounting to a dataset of around 13 billion personal files. The link was later taken down following abuse reports but there are fears that the data has entered the public domain.
A website created for global consultancy Deloitte to quiz people on knowledge of hacking tactics has proven itself vulnerable to hacking. The site, found at the insecure non-HTTPS URL http://deloittehackeriq.com/, makes its YAML configuration file publicly accessible. And within the file, in cleartext, is the username and password for the site’s mySQL database.
Toymaker Mattel Hit by Ransomware Attack
Top toymaker Mattel revealed it was a victim of a ransomware attack that successfully encrypted some data and temporarily crippled a limited number of business functions. The disclosure was part of a U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure filed in late October. Mattel reported the attack occurred on July 28, 2020 and that, for the most part, it was mitigated quickly and had a minimal impact on the company.
Spike in Emotet Activity Could Mean Big Payday for Ransomware Gangs
There’s been a massive increase in Emotet attacks and cyber criminals are taking advantage of machines compromised by the malware to launch more malware infections as well as ransomware campaigns. The October 2020 HP-Bromium Threat Insights Report reports a 1,200% increase in Emotet detections from July to September compared to the previous three months.
How do you secure your IoT devices at home? Share your thoughts in the comments below or follow me on Twitter to continue the conversation: @JonLClay.
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