Jeffrey Burt

Contributing Editor

Burt is a freelance writer based in Massachusetts. He has been covering the IT industry for almost two decades, including a long stint as a writer and editor for eWEEK. Over the past several years, he also has written and edited for The Next Platform, Channel Partners, Channel Futures, Security Now, Data Center Knowledge, ITPro Today and Channelnomics.

Researchers Describe Significant Flaw in Intel's PMx Driver

Jeffrey Burt • November 13, 2019

Researchers at Eclypsium have revealed new details concerning a significant flaw in Intel's PMx driver, which they say could give attackers "near-omnipotent" control over devices. Intel has released an updated version of the driver, a key step in mitigating risks.

McAfee: Malicious Voicemails Target Office365 Users

Jeffrey Burt • October 31, 2019

Cybercriminals are targeting users of Microsoft's Office365 subscription services with phishing campaigns that uses fake voicemail messages in an attempt to steal victims' credentials and other information, according to researchers at the security firm McAfee.

Domain 'Typosquatting' Hits 2020 US Elections

Jeffrey Burt • October 17, 2019

At least 550 fraudulent domains have been aimed at users who accidentally mistype the URL for a political candidate or election-related group, warn researchers at Digital Shadows. While many of these "typosquatting" domains appear to be relatively harmless, some could be more nefarious.

'Graboid' Cryptojacking Worm Spreads Through Containers

Jeffrey Burt • October 16, 2019

Attackers are using Docker containers to spread a cryptojacking worm in a campaign dubbed "Graboid," according to researchers at Palo Alto Network's Unit 42 threat research unit. Although the researchers describe the campaign as "relatively inept," they says it has the potential to become much more dangerous.

Report: 'PKPLUG' Espionage Campaign Targets Southeast Asia

Jeffrey Burt • October 3, 2019

Threat actors that may have connections to China have been using a variety of malware in a series of information-gathering espionage campaigns across Southeast Asia since at least 2013, according to researchers at Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 division.

Other Attackers Reuse Old Magecart Domains: Report

Jeffrey Burt • September 20, 2019

Decommissioned domains that were part of the pervasive Magecart web-skimming campaigns are being put to use by other cybercriminals who are re-activating them for other scams, including malvertising, according to researchers at RiskIQ.

Cryptoming Botnet Smominru Returns With a Vengeance

Jeffrey Burt • September 19, 2019

The crypotmining botnet Smominru, which has been around since at least 2017, has resurfaced with a new campaign that has infected 90,000 devices worldwide, including in the U.S., China and Russia, according to security analysts at Guardicore.

Chinese APT Group 'Thrip' Powers Ahead

Jeffrey Burt • September 11, 2019

A Chinese advanced persistent threat group dubbed "Thrip" has attacked at least 12 organizations in Southeast Asia since being exposed last year, Symantec researchers say. The group appears to be linked to Billbug, another Chinese APT group that has been around for a decade.

Lyceum APT Group a Fresh Threat to Oil and Gas Companies

Jeffrey Burt • August 30, 2019

An emerging cyber espionage group that apparently started its work in South Africa last year is now focusing on targeting critical control systems for oil and gas companies in the Middle East, according to researchers at two cybersecurity firms.

Chinese APT Groups Target Cancer Research Facilities: Report

Jeffrey Burt • August 23, 2019

Chinese advanced persistent threat groups are targeting cancer research organizations across the globe with the goal of stealing their work and using it to help the country address growing cancer rates among its population, according to researchers at cybersecurity company FireEye.

'Silence' Gang Ramps Up Bank Assaults

Jeffrey Burt • August 22, 2019

"Silence," a Russian-speaking criminal group that has stolen $4.2 million from ATMs and financial institutions since 2016, has become more active this year, using new tools and tactics in its attacks and expanding its reach globally, according to the security firm Group-IB.

Cloud Atlas Uses Polymorphic Techniques to Avoid Detection

Jeffrey Burt • August 15, 2019

The group behind the Cloud Atlas cyber espionage campaigns, which were first detected five years ago, is now deploying polymorphic techniques designed to avoid monitoring and detection, according to researchers at Kaspersky Lab.

GAO Blasts Cybersecurity Efforts of Federal Agencies

Jeffrey Burt • August 2, 2019

Some 23 federal agencies come up short in their cybersecurity efforts even as attacks on their IT infrastructures continue to grow and concerns about foreign interference in the upcoming 2020 elections persist, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

FIN8 Group Returns, Targeting POS Devices With New Tools

Jeffrey Burt • July 25, 2019

FIN8, a hacker group that targeted POS devices in the hospitality and retail sectors, is back on the scene with new malware, including the Badhatch backdoor that's designed to steal payment card data, according to researchers with Gigamon's threat detection unit.

Despite BlueKeep Warnings, Many Organizations Fail to Patch

Jeffrey Burt • July 18, 2019

Weeks after Microsoft issued a patch for the BlueKeep vulnerability, which threatens devices running older versions of Windows, many organizations worldwide have yet to install patches despite alerts from the software giant, government agencies and cybersecurity companies, according to researchers at BitSight.