While Denial of Service attacks amplified by the use of networks of bot-compromised PCs were becoming a notable problem by the turn of the century, DDoS extortion threats have accelerated in parallel (if less dramatically) with the rise in ransomware in the past few years. The post Trends 2018: The ransomware revolution appeared first on […]

Tools for mining cryptocurrencies also fall into this category, as in many cases the websites cannot warn users since they have been compromised themselves, hence even the administrators may not be aware that they are contributing to mining for the benefit of an attacker. The post Cryptojacking: the result of the “cryptocurrency rush” appeared first […]

More than three dozen cybercrime and digital forensics experts from 23 countries have investigated a simulated attack on a bank that had been carried out through an IoT device. The post Global police test their cyber-chops in simulated IoT attack appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

At its peak, inbound traffic reached a staggering 1.35 terabits per second (Tbps), outflanking the previously record-setting assault of 1 Tbps at French web hosting provider OVH in September 2016. The post GitHub knocked briefly offline by biggest DDoS attack ever appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The experts urge policy-makers to work closely with technical researchers, computer scientists and the cybersecurity community to investigate, understand and prepare for possible malicious uses of AI. The post The rise of AI needs to be controlled, report warns appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The big challenge with IoT devices is that they are all different: Each manufacturer has its own firmware, uses different protocols, and designs its own architecture. So, the first step before carrying out any analysis is to understand the architecture, find out what components are involved, and how they interact and communicate among themselves. The […]

If we look back at previous incarnations of mobile networks, 1G, 2G and so on, there have been major changes to the technology. The next generation, 5G, delivers, greater speed and lower latency, but also has the advantage of being able to connect many more devices concurrently. The post Mobile World Congress: Introducing 5G appeared […]

This document, which is described by its authors as a “real white paper on cyber-defense”, is divided into three parts, followed by approximately 20 priority recommendations summarizing the central elements of the document. The post Major reform of cybersecurity policies in France appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The blinding server randomly adds some nonsense code to every webpage. This ‘code obfuscation’, according to the academics, has no effect on what the actual page looks like, but it drastically changes the appearance of the underlying source file. The post Researchers unveil Veil to make ‘private browsing more private’ appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The recent rise in cryptocurrency scams appearing on the Android platform in disguise has shown that such incidents are not exclusive to PCs and also highlight the importance of knowing what to look out for so you do not unintentionally take part. The post Cryptocurrency scams on Android: do you know what to watch out […]

Bots that traverse the internet on behalf of their human operators can fulfill both legitimate and malicious automated tasks. Statistics indicate that bot-driven internet traffic, by helper and harmful bots combined, surpasses human traffic. The post Over 40% of online login attempts are attackers trying to invade accounts appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be a network of connected convenience but this should not come at the expense of safeguarding your privacy and the personal data that connected devices collect and share. The post Privacy by Design: Can you create a safe smart home? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

If you get sick of shopping sites sending you “I see you stared at this item, here’s some similar stuff” messages, you may be able to modify your subscriptions or notifications to make this stop. The post Six tips to help you avoid targeted marketing appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Young people were singled out as increasingly likely victims of internet-borne fraud, including because of their penchant for liberal sharing of personal information. The post Survey shows sloppy password habits among young Brits appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

A number of text-based apps crashed, became unresponsive or entered an endless bootloop when attempting to show the otherwise little-used character from a language that is spoken by some 75 million people. The post Apple defuses ‘text bomb’ bug appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

A further breakdown of the overall figures shows that, in all, the actual cost hinges on a number of variables. The factors that enter heavily into the equation include attack types and their frequency, along with the organization’s size and even the country in which an organization is based. The post Cybercrime weighs most heavily […]

This hack is said to be reminiscent of a particularly brazen bank cyber-heist from February 2016, in which hackers successfully pilfered $81 million from the account of the central bank of Bangladesh at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The post Millions bagged in two bank cyber-heists appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The vulnerability of critical infrastructure, including energy grids, to cyberattacks has been a growing concern worldwide. Many nations have been scrambling to improve their defenses vis-à-vis threats faced by services that are critical to the continuity of our daily lives. The post US forms dedicated office to help avert cyberattacks at infrastructure appeared first on […]

A record-high proportion of organizations worldwide (67%) said that they had been breached at some point, up from 56% in the report’s previous edition. The post Concerns about data breaches hitting all-time high appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Ransomware in 2017 saw users and businesses across the globe trying to cope with campaigns such as Petya and WannaCryptor. Not to be outdone, Android ransomware had a year full of innovative infiltration and rougher extortion as highlighted by the latest ESET research whitepaper. The post Android ransomware in 2017: Innovative infiltration and rougher extortion […]

This week saw the second Tuesday of the month, and everyone who is responsible for protecting Windows computers knows what that means: another bundle of security patches have been released by Microsoft. The post Patch now! Microsoft fixes over 50 serious security flaws appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Smart TVs afford us the opportunity to use them for purposes that are more commonly associated with computers. In fact, that’s what these TVs have become – internet-connected ‘computers’, much like mobile phones. It would no doubt help if we thought of them as such and treated them accordingly. The post How safe are you […]

These developments show that security technology is now keeping up, or outpacing other technological and regulatory developments. Thus, while users’ wants often continue to trump their appreciation of risk, the industry has responded and in many cases gotten ahead of popular demand. The post Blockchain Hardened devices: Can they restore privacy with security by design? […]

If undetected by a user’s security solution or content- or ad-blocker, the script ran in the background unbeknown to the user until the webpage was closed. A number of the affected websites, including that of the ICO, were also offline for hours in the aftermath of the attack. The post US and UK government websites […]

This is aimed at improving security at the time of the handshake, which is when the key is being exchanged. As a result, WPA3 is poised to provide robust security even if short or weak passwords are used, i.e. those that don’t contain a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. The post How will WPA3 […]

According to US authorities, the enterprise aimed at becoming the premier destination for the buying and selling of stolen payment card data and forged identification documents. It is believed that the losses that the Infraud Organization had intended to cause were north of $2.2 billion. The post Global cybercrime behemoth busted, 36 people indicted appeared […]

The investigation showed that the tool, which required little technical knowledge to deploy, had over 8,600 users in 78 countries. Victims are believed to be in the thousands. The post UK-led police operation quashes Luminosity Link RAT appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Another template attempts to scare, rather than thrill, the recipients. Upon learning that “your IP address and other identifying information were used to commit multiple online crimes”, the mark is urged to contact the sender by phone immediately. The post FBI warns of email scams claiming to be from Bureau appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

While it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask for help from local law enforcement, know that even major cities may not have the expertise or the bandwidth to investigate compromised mobile devices. The most important objective is to take steps to make sure you’re safe. Ask for help, but do not wait for others to help […]

In 2017, the number of vulnerabilities smashed records set in previous years. According to CVE Details, more than 14,600 vulnerabilities were reported in 2017, compared to 6447 in 2016. The post Vulnerabilities reached a historic peak in 2017 appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

While the evolution of new smartphones creates more possibilities for the user, these new devices also creates more possibilities for hackers. The post Smart, Smarter… Dumbest… appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Google says that it is getting better than ever at protecting Android users against bad apps and malicious developers. The post Google smashed over 700,000 bad Android apps last year appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The price puts the data records at a significant premium when compared to other stolen datasets. While, in general, many adverts in the dark recesses of the internet are fake, children’s personally identifiable information (PII) has for long been viewed as a particularly valuable commodity. The post Babies’ personal data hawked on dark web appeared […]

ESET research has found that the ransomware FriedEx, also known as BitPaymer, is actually the work of the notorious gang responsible for the Dridex baking trojan. The post FriedEx: BitPaymer ransomware the work of Dridex authors appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

In some countries, the financial allure of looking for security vulnerabilities is (even) more striking, according to the findings of a survey released recently by bug bounty platform provider HackerOne. The post How well can bug hunting pay? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Data privacy is also a topic that can spark big debates, like the one between the US and the EU as to what protections should be accorded to data pertaining to people, specifically by those who collect, control, or process such data. The post Data Privacy vs. Data Protection: Reflections on Privacy Day and GDPR […]

The new features included all the patches, fixes, and updates to the tools and Kernel that were released over the preceding period, which is no small matter, especially if you use Maltego or SET. The post 10 Linux distributions recommended for 2018 appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

To help malware analysts and security researchers overcome FinFisher’s advanced anti-disassembly obfuscation and virtualization features, ESET researchers have framed some clever tricks into a whitepaper, “ESET’s guide to deobfuscating and devirtualizing FinFisher”. The post ESET’s guide makes it possible to peek into FinFisher appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

As part of the policy, underage individuals and foreigners without local bank accounts will be barred from trading in virtual currencies. Banks will be required to share information about cryptocurrency exchanges with each other. The post South Korea moves to ban anonymous cryptocurrency trading appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

In a dynamic environment where threats continually evolve and new vulnerabilities are identified almost daily, it is necessary to use the most up-to-date security tools, since they deal with protection measures for new and ever-shifting attack vectors. The post Five ways to check if your router is configured securely appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The breach put at risk ‘only’ the customers who entered their payment data on oneplus.net between the middle of November 2017 and January 11, 2018. Those who paid with previously saved credit card details or via PayPal are believed to be out of harm’s way. The post Up to 40,000 OnePlus customers potentially hit by […]

The latest survey marks a shift from optimism regarding technological risks in the previous years. The heightened levels of worry come on the back of an escalation in cybersecurity threats, which, as noted by the WEF, are growing in prevalence and in disruptive potential alike. The post World Economic Forum: Cyberthreats rising in prominence in […]

Granted, not all that glitters is gold, and mobiles also come with some drawbacks in terms of the protection of information. There are a number of risks that users may face when trying to secure their information on mobiles and tablets. The post Are mobile devices insecure by nature? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Not content anymore to just have a bed made of soft plushy stuff, now you can adjust everything about the bed, from electronically sitting up in bed to the lighting surrounding your nap: connected digital technology everywhere. The post CES 2018 cybersecurity: Now in every single ‘whatchamacallit’ appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The depth of data collected from our online habits could easily allow profiles to be constructed, showing what may be considered extremely personal interests, drawing on information that we don’t realize someone is collecting. The post Trends 2018: Personal data in the new age of technology and legislation appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The attackers gained access to a range of customer data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and marital status. Making matters worse, the historical payment card details of some 18,000 customers were also compromised. The post Carphone Warehouse faces hefty fine for 2015 breach appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The first obvious candidate was banking, a sector that has been hard at work trying to implement blockchain to secure the vast troves of digital transactions that happen every microsecond of every day. The post CES 2018: Blockchain will solve everything appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

It’s easier to have scruples about how you earn your living when you’re not one of millions of people chasing just a few thousand jobs. The post Scammers and jobhunters appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

One side effect of slower than expected uptake of VR is that virtual reality application developers have been slow to invest in creating content. In this sort of chicken-and-egg cycle, growth tends to be slow, not explosive. The post CES 2018: Why doesn’t everyone use VR already? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The distribution of the USB sticks was halted on December 12 after some of the quiz’s successful entrants reported that their rewards had been flagged by their security software as containing malware. The post Security event in Taiwan ‘rewards’ quiz winners with malware-laden USB drives appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Row after row of startup tech here has tiny modules designed to be mashed up into the next big thing if their founders have anything to say about it, and the trend continues. The post CES 2018: The price of tech is dropping, kids can do this! appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Bitcoin, the progenitor of the entire cryptocurrency boom and still the most popular virtual currency, experienced a truly heady run-up in value. Its price surge was punctuated with a crescendo midway through December, when a single bitcoin approached $20,000. The post Tank-traps versus trappings in virtual currencies: A cybersecurity minefield appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

In order to establish persistence on the system, the installer tampers with the operating system’s registry. It also creates an administrative account that allows remote access. The post ESET research: Appearances are deceiving with Turla’s backdoor-laced Flash Player installer appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

It is not feasible, in fact not even possible, to replace all CPUs in all devices. It would be too costly, besides the success rate for unsoldering and resoldering pin-throughs in multi-layer boards will never be 100%. The post MADIoT – The nightmare after XMAS (and Meltdown, and Spectre) appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The first few days of 2018 have been filled with anxious discussions concerning a widespread and wide-ranging vulnerability in the architecture of processors based on Intel’s Core architecture used in PCs for many years, and also affecting ARM processors commonly used in tablets and smartphones. The post Meltdown and Spectre CPU Vulnerabilities: What You Need […]

As Wauchos was sold on underground forums, there were various monetization schemes. One of them was to use the form grabber plugin to steal passwords for online accounts. The post ESET Research: Wauchos now headed for extinction? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Taking time to think logically and deliberately about your assets can help you determine what needs to be secured. Preparing for the worst can help you see the best course of action to prevent those emergencies in the present. The post Now is the best time to craft your breach response appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Courtesy of its highly customizable nature – along with its ability to persist in the system and to provide valuable information for fine-tuning the highly configurable payloads – the malware can be adapted for attacks against any environment, making it extremely dangerous. The post Cybersecurity review of 2017: The year of wake-up calls – part […]

Need a New Year’s resolution? How about this one? Start taking password security more seriously. The post The worst passwords of the year revealed appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Ransomware and data breaches remain major thorns in the sides of users and organizations across the world, often piercing their defenses without too much effort. The post Cybersecurity review of 2017: The year of wake-up calls – part 1 appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Armed with the cultural theory described in part one as a possible explanation for why some people do not heed expert advice, we fielded a survey that queried US adults about their attitudes to 15 different technology hazards, including six that were cyber-related. The post Adventures in cybersecurity research: risk, cultural theory, and the white […]

Over the past few years the Sednit group has used various techniques to deploy their various components on targets computers. The attack usually starts with an email containing either a malicious link or malicious attachment. The post Sednit update: How Fancy Bear Spent the Year appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Imagine the scenario where an Internet Service Provider (ISP) allows a security company providing malware protection the option to pay for their traffic to be prioritized and a lower the priority level imposed on all other providers. The post What does revoking Net Neutrality mean for security? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Again and again we have seen security breaches occur because people did not heed advice that we and other people with expertise in security have been disseminating for years, advice about secure system design, secure system operation, and appropriate security strategy. The post Adventures in cybersecurity research: risk, cultural theory, and the white male effect […]

Granting ISPs the right to shape traffic, allowing for some traffic to be prioritized due to a commercial agreement, may have a negative effect on the outcome of using the service for both the consumer and the company providing the service. The post Why we should fight for Net Neutrality appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

To help the reader navigate through the maze of such threats, ESET’s thought leaders have zeroed in on several areas that top the priority list in our exercise in looking forward. The post Cybersecurity Trends 2018: The costs of connection appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

We still don’t have a solid scientific theory of memes; nonetheless, they already allow us to understand why certain things happen the way they do. Memes are “alive”; they reproduce, mutate, and evolve according to Darwinian laws. The post Memes: the explanation of nearly everything – including computer viruses appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The energy costs are not the only charges in a transaction: the bitcoin network itself levies a charge which, according to a blog from Valve, the gaming provider behind the Steam network, has skyrocketed from $0.20 in 2016 to $20 per transaction today The post Cryptocurrency in kilowatt hours: Counting the costs of anonymous transactions […]

A breakdown of the ‘spending pie’ shows that the ‘security services’ segment is projected to make up nearly 60% of the total IT security budgets, followed by the ‘infrastructure protection’ segment on a little over 18%. The post Enterprise security spend to continue to trend higher appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Besides delivering the promised functionalities, the malicious apps can display fake notifications and login forms seemingly coming from legitimate banking applications, harvest credentials entered into the fake forms, as well as intercept text messages to bypass SMS-based 2-factor authentication. The post Banking malware on Google Play targets Polish banks appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Businesses are often sent fake invoices and waybills which install ransomware. Teach staff to avoid these. If questionable, ask your IT dept to look at it. E-cards have been a target in the past and may be used again in holiday-themed attacked. The post Happy holidays, scam spotters! appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

As we reported in September, in campaigns we detected in two different countries, man-in-the-middle attacks had been used to spread FinFisher, with the “man” in both cases most likely operating at the ISP level. The post StrongPity2 spyware replaces FinFisher in MitM campaign – ISP involved? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The developer’s keyboard apps boast 40 million users across Android and iOS, but “only” Android users were affected by the security lapse. The post Virtual keyboard app exposes personal data of 31 million users appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The cast of characters behind the attacks, or their motives, are unclear. However, the onslaughts come at a time when the bitcoin price hits new highs, possibly triggering efforts on the part of cybercriminals to manipulate and cash in on the price. The post Cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex plagued by DDoS attacks appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

These factors can be key to the success or failure of the ISMS implementation, due to the day-to-day activities in the organization and the resources required for system operation. The post Six things to consider before implementing an ISMS appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The association expects the increased costs incurred in security breaches to come both from traditional areas, such as network cleanup and customer notification, and newer areas such as litigation. The post ISF predicts increasing impact of data breaches next year appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Throughout its monitoring of the threat, ESET found dozens of C&C servers every month. The bulk of ESET’s research was conducted late last year, with the peak of Wauchos’s activity going back approximately to that time. The post ESET helps law enforcement worldwide to disrupt Gamarue botnet appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Wauchos is an extensible bot that allows its owner to create and use custom plugins. However, there are some plugins that are widely available and that are used by many different botnets. The post ESET takes part in global operation to disrupt Gamarue appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The health service is now on the lookout for a partner to help run the project, having invited interested parties to tender for a contract that is set to run for three to five years. The new center is set to be based in the English city of Leeds. The post NHS’s cyber-defenses to get […]

The extension currently includes an input field that users can use to subscribe an email address in order to receive an alert when they may be affected by a future breach. The post Firefox to warn users when visiting breached websites appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The Volatility Foundation, the non-profit organization behind the Volatility Framework, sponsors the yearly Volatility Plugin Contest to acknowledge the best forensic tools built on the Volatility platform. The post ESET malware researchers awarded prize in open-source memory forensics competition appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Exactly how does the attack work and is it expensive to create? The attack, while seeming to be technology voodoo, is actually rather simple. It requires a transmitting relay near the key and a second relay near the car to receive the relayed signals and mimic the key. The post Keyless convenience or security risk? […]

Since nothing is what is seems, it’s hard to be sure who was really behind the attacks shown in the series. The world still believes fsociety was responsible (and they themselves do too, to an extent), but the truth is that there is a group in the shadows that is pulling all the strings. The […]

At the heart of the regulation is the requirement for banks to allow licensed third-party providers (TPPs) of financial services to access securely their customer-account data, as long as the customer has given their prior consent. The post New reality in European banking looming large: the lowdown appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Just as in past decades when cash drawers and bank vaults were targeted for theft, today’s e-shops and online banks have fallen under the scope of cybercriminals. Their “digital-focus” is just an evolutionary step beyond robbing stagecoaches in the Wild West, and banks in the 20th century. The post Busy Browsers attract Black Friday Burglars […]

Some three-quarters of users up to 34 years of age reported that they “definitely” or “probably” use their phone too much. Almost half (47 percent) of all ages said they make a conscious effort to pare back their mobile phone time, most commonly by keeping their devices in their bag or pocket or by switching […]

Between approximately July 23 and 29, Mesri reportedly engaged in his blackmail campaign. After the TV network didn’t pay the required $6 million in digital cryptocurrency, he began leaking portions of the stolen data on July 30. The post US indicts alleged culprit of HBO hack-and-extort campaign appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Girls Inc. of San Diego County was founded 50 years ago as a local affiliate of the national Girls Inc. The national organization was started as the Girls Club of America more than 150 years ago, to help young women who had migrated from rural communities in search of job opportunities. The post Girls Inc. […]

For a user, it can be difficult to figure out whether an app is malicious. First off it is always good only to install applications from the Google Play store, since most malware is still mainly spread through alternative stores. The post New campaigns spread banking malware through Google Play appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

In journalism, having good contacts is key and this is true when it comes to defending your digital assets. The following are some sources – of information and, possibly, assistance – that you might want to cultivate. The post Cybersecurity for journalists and the news media appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The holidays are a time when people purchase gifts for their friends, families, and yes, even for themselves. Increasingly, children are using and accessing more and more digital devices — making it important for everyone to work together to secure these devices. The post Only…zero days left until the holiday shopping season! appeared first on […]

German parents are being told to destroy smartwatches they have bought for their children after the country’s telecoms regulator put a blanket ban in place to prevent sale of the devices, amid growing privacy concerns. The post Kids’ smartwatches banned in Germany over spying concerns appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the United Kingdom has issued a stark reminder and straight-to-the-point warning for all employees who might be tempted to snoop on others’ personal data. The post UK’s ICO issues stark reminder of backlash for privacy invasion appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Unfortunately, as with every opportunity, there are people who want to benefit from your success without putting in the hard work. Cybercriminals will view the increase in traffic and spending as opportunities to make extra money. The post Is your business ready for the Holiday Season? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Simple DoS attacks, which are a one-on-one affair, have been all but supplanted by DDoS attacks. The latter involve concerted campaigns from armies of devices conscripted into botnets which, as if lined up and marching in lockstep, aim to knock the unlucky target offline. The post One-third of internet pounded by DoS attacks appeared first […]

In all the cases we investigated, the final payload was a mobile banking trojan. Once installed, it behaves like a typical malicious app of this kind: it may present the user with fake login forms to steal credentials or credit card details. The post Multi-stage malware sneaks into Google Play appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Currently the US government employs an inter-agency review, created under former President Barack Obama. Known as the Vulnerability Equities Process, it is tasked with deciding what happens to any cybersecurity flaws that is discovered by the National Security Agency (NSA). The post US rules on reporting cybersecurity flaws set to change according to source appeared […]

The high level of fear of cybercrime dovetails with the self-reported rates of victimization, as 25% of the respondents reported that their personal information or that of their household member has been stolen by hackers over the past 12 months. The post Americans’ unease about cybercrime towers over conventional crimes appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Unless companies processing citizens’ personal data fully understand the reasoning behind the decisions made based on their machine-learning models, they will find themselves between a rock and a hard place. The post Transparency of machine-learning algorithms is a double-edged sword appeared first on WeLiveSecurity