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3rd Party Risk Management

Cloud Security: Mess It Up and It's on You

Jeremy Kirk  •  August 22, 2019

The transition to cloud-based software and infrastructure has revolutionized development and services. It's also created a bevy of new security challenges. Jay Heiser of Gartner says if organizations don't get cloud security right, it's their own fault. Here's why.

Application Security

Shifting to the Cloud to Protect Applications

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 22, 2019

Hunterdon Healthcare in New Jersey is shifting applications to cloud providers in order to tap into security capabilities and innovation that doesn't run as deep in the integrated healthcare delivery system's own technology team, says Jason Tahaney, the organization's director of IT.

Anti-Phishing, DMARC

Why Did Federal Agencies See Fewer Breaches in 2018?

Apurva Venkat  •  August 21, 2019

Federal government agencies experienced 12 percent fewer cyber incidents in 2018, when there were no "major" data breaches, according to a new White House report. But the report notes there's still plenty of risk mitigation work to be done.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

Texas Says 22 Local Government Agencies Hit by Ransomware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  August 21, 2019

Ransomware-wielding attackers continue to target not just big businesses and large government agencies, but increasingly their smaller counterparts too. In Texas, officials say a campaign tied to a "single threat actor" infected 22 local government agencies on Friday.

Governance

Is Apple's Top $1 Million Bug Bounty Too Much?

Jeremy Kirk  •  August 21, 2019

Progressive companies seeking to improve their security are increasingly adopting bug bounty programs. The theory is that rewarding outside researchers improves security outcomes. But in practice, bug bounty programs can be messy and actually create perverse incentives, says bug-hunting expert Katie Moussouris.

Biometrics

Use of Facial Recognition Stirs Controversy

Apurva Venkat  •  August 20, 2019

A developer's use of facial recognition technology to scan the faces of pedestrians in London has sparked concerns from residents, the mayor and Britain's privacy watchdog. Meanwhile, the use of the technology is raising privacy concerns worldwide and is even becoming an issue in the U.S. presidential race.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Facebook and Twitter Scuttle Hong Kong Disinformation

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  August 20, 2019

Facebook and Twitter have suspended a number of accounts and pages that they have tied to information operations being run by the Chinese government. Disinformation has targeted pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong - likening them to cockroaches - while dismissing anti-Beijing sentiment as "fake news."

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Cybercrime

Threat Intel for a Global Economy

Tom Field  •  August 20, 2019

The World Economic Forum recently identified "cyberattacks and data integrity concerns crippling large parts of the internet" as one of the top 10 global risks. Jaime Chanaga of NTT talks about the significance of that announcement and the concerns global security leaders face headed into 2020.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

FBI Arrests Nigerian Suspect in $11 Million BEC Scheme

Scott Ferguson  •  August 19, 2019

The FBI has arrested a Nigerian businessman for allegedly carrying out an $11 million business email compromise scheme that targeted a U.K. affiliate of U.S. heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

GAO: Army's New Cyber Units Understaffed and Underequipped

Apurva Venkat  •  August 19, 2019

To better prepare for cyberthreats posed by Russia and China, the U.S. Army has been building cyber and electronic warfare units. But a new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that these units are understaffed, underequipped and in need of better training.

Breach Notification

Texas Pummeled by Coordinated Ransomware Attack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  August 19, 2019

State officials in Texas say that at least 23 local government entities have fallen victim to a coordinated ransomware attack unleashed on Friday morning. Security experts say attackers continue to pummel local governments, and illicit profits have been rising.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Phishing Scheme Uses Google Drive to Avoid Security: Report

Akshaya Asokan  •  August 16, 2019

A newly identified phishing campaign used Google Drive to help bypass some email security features as attackers attempted to target a company in the energy industry, security firm Cofense reported this week.