Smart TVs: The Cyberthreat Lurking in Your Living Room, Feds Warn

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales of smart TVs are likely prodigious this Thanksgiving weekend – but consumers need to be aware of the hole they can punch in home cyber-defenses. That’s the word from the FBI, which warned that smart TVs, which hook up to the internet to allow users to access ap...

Caller Poses as CISA Rep in Extortion Scam

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA is aware of a phone scam where a caller pretends to be a CISA representative. The scammer claims to have knowledge of the potential victim’s questionable behavior and attempts to extort money. If you receive a threatening call from someone...

Ex-Twitter Employees Spied on Saudi Dissidents: DoJ

The Department of Justice DoJ has charged two former Twitter employees of working with the government of Saudi Arabia to snoop on political dissidents’ accounts. The 27-page complaint alleges that two former Twitter employees, Ali Alzabarah, 35, and Ahmad Abouammo, 41, accessed Twitter account da...

North Korean Malicious Cyber Activity

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI, and the Department of Defense DoD have identified a Trojan malware variant—referred to as HOPLIGHT—used by the North Korean government. The U.S. Government refers to malicious cyber activity by the...

FBI Expands Election Security Resources

The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has released additional election security resources as part of the Protected Voices initiative. Created in partnership with FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Protected Voices is an effort to...

FBI Releases Article on Defending Against E-Skimming

The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has released an article to raise awareness on e-skimming threats. E-skimming occurs when an attacker injects malicious code onto a website to capture credit or debit card data or personally identifiable information PII. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure...

Pitney Bowes Hit with Ransomware Attack

Shipping services company Pitney Bowes was hit with a ransomware attack that disrupted customer access to key services, the company said Monday. The attack comes on the heels of an FBI advisory on Oct. 2 that U.S. companies should be on alert for ransomware attacks, which are increasing in...

An iTunes Bug Let Hackers Spread Ransomware

FBI overreach, hacker payback, and more of the week's top security news...

FBI Releases Article on Defending Against Phishing and Spearphishing Attacks

In recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month NCSAM, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has released an article to raise awareness of phishing and spearphishing. The article provides guidance on recognizing and avoiding these types of attacks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure...

Tackling the BEC Epidemic in a New Partnership with INTERPOL

In just a few short years, Business Email Compromise BEC has gone from a peripheral threat to a major cyber risk for organizations. It’s making criminal gangs millions of dollars each month, hitting corporate profits and reputation in the process. Trend Micro has built a formidable array of...

Sextortionists Get Past Defenses with Cryptocurrency Shift

A sextortion campaign is making the rounds that attempts to evade detection by demanding payment in cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Sextortion operators typically send emails out claiming to have harvested webcam footage or browser histories related to adult content from the recipient’s...

Alabama Hospitals Pay Up in Ransomware Attack

An Alabama hospital system has paid its attackers in a ransomware attack that knocked its systems offline on Oct. 1. Officials at the DCH Health System didn’t say how much the hospitals paid for the decryption key, but noted that they have started a “methodical” process of system restoration. “We...

Russians Hack FBI Comms System

Yahoo News reported that the Russians have successfully targeted an FBI communications system: American officials discovered that the Russians had dramatically improved their ability to decrypt certain types of secure communications and had successfully tracked devices used by elite FBI...

Before He Spammed You, this Sly Prince Stalked Your Mailbox

A reader forwarded what he briefly imagined might be a bold, if potentially costly, innovation on the old Nigerian prince scam that asks for help squirreling away millions in unclaimed fortune: It was sent via the U.S. Postal Service, with a postmarked stamp and everything. In truth these old...

Feds Indict 281 People for Involvement in Massive Email Fraud Scheme

Federal authorities have arrested 281 people and seized nearly $3.7 million in a coordinated effort between multiple agencies to disrupt a massive email-fraud scheme. Perpetrators of a global business email compromise BEC scheme were the target of a four-month investigation that began in May call...

More on Law Enforcement Backdoor Demands

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy convened an Encryption Working Group to attempt progress on the "going dark" debate. They have released their report: "Moving the Encryption Policy Conversation Forward. The main...

Hundreds of BEC Scammers Arrested in Nigeria and U.S. — $3.7 Million Recovered

Breaking News — The Nigerian prince and his allies who might have also asked you over an email for your assistance to help save "the first African astronaut lost in space" have finally been arrested by the FBI. Don't take it too seriously, as there's no Nigerian prince or an astronaut seeking you...

FBI Safe Online Surfing Challenge

The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has launched the Safe Online Surfing SOS Challenge, encouraging educators to promote web literacy and safety for students during the 2019-20 school year. FBI developed the program to educate children on how to navigate the web securely using activities that...

Ransomware Protection Strategies

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA has observed an increase in ransomware attacks across the Nation. Helping organizations protect themselves from ransomware is a chief priority for CISA. Organizations are encouraged to review the following resources to help prevent,...

Potential Hurricane Dorian Cyber Scams

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA warns users to remain vigilant for malicious cyber activity targeting Hurricane Dorian disaster victims and potential donors. Fraudulent emails commonly appear after major natural disasters and often contain links or attachments that direc...