REvil/Sodinokibi/Sodin self-service decryptor page, reachable by the anonymzing Tor browser (Source: Secureworks)

No COVID-19 Respite: Ransomware Keeps Pummeling Healthcare

Mathew J. Schwartz • April 7, 2020

As the COVID-19 outbreak has intensified, so too has cybercrime, including ransomware, Interpol, the international crime-fighting agency, warns. Despite some gangs claiming to no longer be targeting healthcare organizations, experts have seen "no abatement, empathy or free decryptor" from any of them.

Governance & Risk Management

Health Data Breach Tally Spikes in Recent Weeks

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Cybercrime

Mitigating the Risks Posed by AI Meeting Assistants

Suparna Goswami • April 7, 2020

AI meeting assistants present increasing risks as more companies rely on teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, says U.K.-based Steve Marshall, CISO at Bytes Technology, an IT and cybersecurity consultancy, who discusses risk mitigation steps.

Encryption & Key Management

Zoom Promises Geo-Fencing, Encryption Overhaul for Meetings

Mathew J. Schwartz • April 6, 2020

Zoom, responding to research that highlighted encryption and infrastructure shortcomings in its audio and video conferencing software, has promised to further revamp its security controls. With COVID-19 driving a surge in working from home, researchers have been closely reviewing the security of such software.

Endpoint Security

Researcher Finds Flaws in HP's Software Assistant Tool

Jeremy Kirk • April 6, 2020

A security researcher found 10 flaws within HP's Software Assistant Tool, which is installed across HP's desktop and laptop computers. Bill Demirkapi, who found the flaws, says the software is risky because only seven of the flaws have been patched by HP.

Big Data Security Analytics

Achieving True Predictive Security Analytics

Varun Haran • April 6, 2020

True predictive analysis is difficult - and it sometimes takes years of learning and data modeling to get it right, says Derek Manky, chief of security insights and global threat alliances at Fortiguard Labs.

Endpoint Security

NIST Specialist Offers Telework Security Insights

Scott Ferguson • April 6, 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing large portions of the workforce to shift to telework, CISOs need to rethink corporate policies on the use of video conferencing platforms and other communications tools, says NIST's Jeff Greene, who offers risk mitigation advice.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

Spear-Phishing Campaign Uses COVID-19 to Spread LokiBot

Akshaya Asokan • April 4, 2020

A recently uncovered spear-phishing campaign is using fears of the COVID-19 pandemic to spread an information stealer called LokiBot. FortiGuard Labs researchers find that cybercriminals are once again using World Health Organization images as a lure.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

COVID-19 Response: The Re-Evaluation Phase

Tom Field • April 3, 2020

As April begins, enterprises are starting to re-evaluate their COVID-19 response plans, says crisis management expert Regina Phelps. What are the other pandemic response planning phases we can expect to see as infections spread and quarantines continue?

Cybercrime

Botnet Targets Devices Running Microsoft SQL Server: Report

Apurva Venkat • April 3, 2020

Researchers at security firm Guardicore Labs are tracking a botnet they call Vollgar that's targeting devices running vulnerable Microsoft SQL Server databases with brute-force attacks and planting cryptominers in the infected databases.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

Analysis: The Path Back to Business as Usual After COVID-19

Nick Holland • April 3, 2020

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report offers an analysis of the phases businesses will go through in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, plus an assessment of new risks resulting from the work-at-home shift and lessons learned from the Equifax breach.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

What Went Wrong at Equifax? We Have Good Answers

Mathew J. Schwartz • April 3, 2020

What missteps led to hackers stealing details on 145 million Americans from Equifax in 2017? The answer to that question can be found in numerous reports and a Justice Department indictment. Security researcher Adrian Sanabria says they're essential reading for anyone responsible for cybersecurity defenses.

3rd Party Risk Management

The Cybersecurity Follies: Zoom Edition

Mathew J. Schwartz • April 3, 2020

The stuck-at-home chronicles have fast become surreal, as remote workers face down a killer virus on the one hand and the flattening of their work and personal lives on the other. To help, many have rushed to adopt Zoom. And for many use cases - hint: not national security - it is a perfectly fine option.

COVID-19

Zoom Rushes Patches for Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

Apurva Venkat • April 2, 2020

The day after security researcher Patrick Wardle disclosed two zero-day vulnerabilities in the macOS client version of Zoom's teleconferencing platform, the company on Thursday rushed out patches for these flaws and one other.