Four New Normals for 2017

Let’s not talk about cybersecurity predictions for 2017. Let’s talk instead about new normals, things that have ceased to be novel because, well, they happen all the time and everywhere. Let’s concede that things such as greedy ransomware, imposing IOT botnets, high-profile bug bounties and...

Mirai Giving DDoS-as-a-Service Industry a Boost

The availability of the Mirai malware source code online isn’t a guarantee that just anyone can quickly convert it into a money-making IoT-based DDoS botnet. Researchers at Digital Shadows have been combing dark web sites such as the Hackforums where black hat Anna-Senpai dropped the Mirai code i...

Netgear R7000/R6400 like router exposure remote arbitrary command injection vulnerability, CERT recommends that a comprehensive moratorium on the use-vulnerability warning-the black bar safety net

You with Netgear NETGEAR router? The recent need to be extra careful, especially router model R7000 and R6400 users-Netgear other models the users also need to beware. CERT/CC-us computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center on Friday issued a security Bulletin, users are advised to suspen...

How to Protect All Your Internet-Connected Home Devices From Hackers

How many Internet-connected devices do you have in your home? I am surrounded by around 25 such devices. It's not just your PC, smartphone, and tablet that are connected to the Internet. Today our homes are filled with tiny computers embedded in everything from security cameras, TVs and...

New Call to Regulate IoT Security By Design

A Washington, D.C. think tank whose mission is critical infrastructure security has joined the call for lawmakers to consider regulating the security of connected devices. In a report published this week, the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology pinned the blame for a rash of Mirai...

New Large-Scale DDoS Attacks Follow Schedule

A powerful new botnet is being blamed for massive and sustained DDoS attacks that security researchers at CloudFlare compare to Mirai when it comes to intensity and scope. The attacks began Nov. 23 and ran for eight hours daily, similar to an average workday. The consistent attacks occurred for...

Press Shift + F10 during Windows 10 Upgrade to Launch Root CLI & bypass BitLocker

If your computer's security relies on Windows BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption software, then Beware! Because anyone with physical access to your PC can still access your files within few seconds. All an attacker need to do is hold SHIFT+F10 during Windows 10 update procedure. Security researcher...

Antivirus Firm Kaspersky launches Its Own Secure Operating System

The popular cyber security and antivirus company Kaspersky has unveiled its new hack-proof operating system: Kaspersky OS. The new operating system has been in development for last 14 years and has chosen to design from scratch rather than relying on Linux. Kaspersky OS makes its debut on a...

On PoisonTap, Internet of Things Regulation, and Ransomware

Mike Mimoso and Chris Brook discuss the news of the week, including this week’s House hearing on the Internet of Things, Samy Kamkar’s PoisonTap tool, and Windows 10’s ransomware protections. Show notes: Regulation May Be Best Answer to IoT Insecurity PoisonTap Steals Cookies, Drops Backdoors on...

Raspberry Pi Zero Malicious USB Attack: PoisonTap

Raspberry Pi Zero Malicious USB Attack Exploits locked/password protected computers over USB, drops persistent WebSocket-based backdoor, exposes internal router, and siphons cookies using Raspberry Pi Zero & Node.js. PoisonTap produces a cascading effect by exploiting the existing trust in variou...

IBM Opens Attack Simulation Test Center

CAMBRIDGE, Ma. – IBM cut the ribbon on its new global security headquarters Wednesday that will also serve as command center for its just announced X-Force Incident Response and Intelligence Services. The centerpiece of the new 153,000-sqft facility is the company’s Cyber Range which IBM bills as...

Regulation May Be Best Answer to IoT Insecurity

One thing technologists overtly shun is the prospect of government regulation. But recent DDoS attacks carried out by botnets of connected things have spooked some people of influence in security to the point where intervention by lawmakers may be inevitable. Testifying before subcommittees of th...

Strategic Principles for Securing the IoT

DHS has released a set of Strategic Principles for Securing the Internet of Things IoT to help inform consumers, operators and manufacturers in their decision-making regarding networked and networkable devices. While the IoT can provide efficiency, convenience, and interactivity features that are...

5 Major Russian Banks Hit With Powerful DDoS Attacks

Distributed Denial of Service DDoS attacks have risen enormously in past few months and, mostly, they are coming from hacked and insecure internet-connected devices, most commonly known as Internet of Things IoT. Recent DDoS attack against DNS provider Dyn that brought down a large chunk of the...

Using CIS Controls To Stop Your Network From Falling in With the Wrong Crowd

Earlier this month Kyle Flaherty wrote a post on the Rapid7 Community Blog about how Rapid7 came out on top for coverage of the Center for Internet Security CIS Top 20 Security Controls. In light of recent DDoS events Id like to take a little time to discuss at a high level what the controls are,...

DDoS Attack Takes Down Central Heating System Amidst Winter In Finland

Just Imaging — What if, you enter into your home from a chilling weather outside, and the heating system fails to work because of a cyber attack, leaving you in the sense of panic? The same happened late last month when an attack knocks heating system offline in Finland. Last week, a Distributed...

DMCA Exemptions Lift Hacking Restriction

White hat hackers can breathe a little easier for the next two years because of a temporary removal of restrictions imposed on hacking of everything from cars, medical devices, to smart home appliances. Last week the U.S. Copyright Office temporarily removed certain restrictions imposed by the...

Someone is Using Mirai Botnet to Shut Down Internet for an Entire Country

Note — We have published an updated article on what really happened behind the alleged DDoS attack against Liberia using Mirai botnet. Someone is trying to take down the whole Internet of a country, and partially succeeded, by launching massive distributed denial-of-service DDoS attacks using a...

19-Year-Old Teenage Hacker Behind DDoS-for-Hire Service Pleads Guilty

Due to the worldwide promotion of Mirai botnet that knocked down half of the Internet last Friday, hackers and even script kiddies have started creating their own botnet networks by hacking millions of IoT devices and selling them as DDoS-for-hire service to overwhelm targets with data. A...

New IoT Botnet Malware Borrows From Mirai

Researchers have thrown back the covers on more malware infecting IoT devices for the purposes of building a botnet that carries out DDoS attacks. This sample has its roots in other IoT botnets such as Aidra, Bashlite and Mirai in that it attacks weak telnet credentials guarding devices and it’s...