A week in security (February 25 – March 3)

Last week, we delved into the realm of K-12 schools and security, explored the world of compromised websites and Golang bruteforcers, and examined the possible realms of pay for privacy. We also looked at identity management solutions, Google’s Universal Read Gadget, and did the deepest of dives...

Major Android ad fraud scam campaign drains battery & eats data

By Waqas Presence of infected games and apps that are costing innocent users financial and data losses is not a new phenomenon. However, it is indeed surprising that a firm that promises to fight app piracy is itself involved in this horrendous act. According to the latest research from Oracle,...

This Week in Security News: Consumer Data and Malware

Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about the cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days. This week, learn what security issues and critical threats will impact consumer data this year. Also, learn about a malicious Adobe app targeting macOS...

Using Gmail "Dot Addresses" to Commit Fraud

In Gmail addresses, the dots don't matter. The account "[email protected]" maps to the exact same address as "[email protected]" and "[email protected]" -- and so on. Note: I own none of those addresses, if they are actually valid. This fact can be used to commit fraud:...

More Alleged SIM Swappers Face Justice

Prosecutors in Northern California have charged two men with using unauthorized SIM swaps to steal and extort money from victims. One of the individuals charged allegedly used a hacker nickname belonging to a key figure in the underground who's built a solid reputation hijacking mobile phone...

Keys to Safeguarding Consumer Data in 2019

Businesses and providers typically collect certain details from their customers in order to support service delivery. This information has always been a top target for hackers, but given the high level and rising sophistication of threats, it's more imperative than ever to ensure it's protected...

Cybercriminals Aim for the Super Bowl Goal Posts

Ah, the Super Bowl. For some, this Sunday’s show down between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots will be about gathering family and friends around for a great American pastime: The Super Bowl party. Some are just in it for the commercials. Some see a gambling opportunity; and for...

TheMoon Rises Again, With a Botnet-as-a-Service Threat

TheMoon, an IoT botnet targeting home routers and modems, is entering a new phase, as it were: It has added a previously undocumented module that allows it to be sold as-a-service to other malicious actors. This has already had significant real-world consequences, according to CenturyLink Threat...

Police Shut Down xDedic – An Online Market for Cyber Criminals

In an international operation involving law enforcement authorities from the U.S. and several European countries, feds have shut down an online underground marketplace and arrested three suspects in Ukraine. Dubbed xDedic, the illegal online marketplace let cybercriminals buy, sell or rent out...

Three Charged for Working With Serial Swatter

The U.S. Justice Department has filed criminal charges against three U.S. men accused of swatting, or making hoax reports of bomb threats or murders in a bid to trigger a heavily armed police response to a target's address. Investigators say the men, aged 19 to 23, all carried out the attacks wit...

Razy Malware Attacks Browser Extensions to Steal Cryptocurrency

UPDATE A Windows malware dubbed “Razy” has been uncovered that sports a toolbox of cryptocurrency theft and fraud tools. Razy works by weaponizing browser extensions in order to perpetrate a range of online scams on unwitting victims. According to researchers at Kaspersky Lab, the trojan targets...

Malware in Ad-Based Images Targets Mac Users

A massive adware campaign has so far impacted up to a million Mac users, using a tricky steganography technique to hide malware in image files. Researchers at Confiant and Malwarebytes said the attacks have been running since Jan. 11, using ads on the web and steganography to spread; steganograph...

Alleged Russian Hacker Pleads Not Guilty After Extradition to United States

A Russian hacker indicted by a United States court for his involvement in online ad fraud schemes that defrauded multiple American companies out of tens of millions of dollars pleaded not guilty on Friday in a courtroom in Brooklyn, New York. Aleksandr Zhukov , 38, was arrested in November last...

Alleged Russian Hacker Pleads Not Guilty After Extradition to United States

A Russian hacker indicted by a United States court for his involvement in online ad fraud schemes that defrauded multiple American companies out of tens of millions of dollars pleaded not guilty on Friday in a courtroom in Brooklyn, New York. Aleksandr Zhukov, 38, was arrested in November last ye...

Two Hackers Charged with Hacking SEC System in Stock-Trading Scheme

The U.S. authorities have charged two Ukrainian hackers for hacking into the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR filing system and stealing sensitive market-moving reports of companies before their public release. EDGAR, or Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval, is an online...

Pre-Installed Android App Impacts Millions with Slew of Malicious Activity

A pre-installed Android application on Alcatel smartphones has been found surreptitiously siphoning off geolocation data, email addresses and phone identification numbers and sending the data to a server in China. Analysts with Upstream’s Secure-D platform said that the app, Weather Forecast—Worl...

Secret Service: Theft Rings Turn to Fuze Cards

Street thieves who specialize in cashing out stolen credit and debit cards increasingly are hedging their chances of getting caught carrying multiple counterfeit cards by relying on Fuze Cards, a smartcard technology that allows users to store dozens of cards on a single device, the U.S. Secret...

Tech Support Scams: What are They and How do I Stay Safe?

If you read this blog regularly you’re no doubt aware that cyber-criminals are a determined bunch, with a large range of tools and tactics at their disposal to rob you of your identity and hard-earned cash. Tech support scams TSS are an increasingly popular way for them to do just this. In 2017,...

Shipping operators, what you need to know about phishing and CEO fraud

Maybe second only to ransomware, the most likely type of attack a shipping operator will experience will be a phishing scam. Usually this will be carried out by email, or social media, or even messaging apps. It will likely include a link to what seems a plausible website, and/or have an...

Podcast: Beware These Top Security Threats in 2019

While 2018 was a whirlwind of serious threats, newly-evolving malware and high-profile data breaches, 2019 has already started with a bang. Between two newly disclosed data breaches and a hack of hundreds of German politicians‘ personal information exploding to the forefront last week, the securi...