CyberWire Daily

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Buggy app delays count in Iowa Democratic caucus. US county election sites ill-prepared against influence ops. Twitter fixes API exploited by fake accounts. NIST on ransomware. Feb 04, 2020

Show notes

Iowa Democrats work to sort out app-induced confusion over Monday’s Presidential caucus. A McAfee study finds widespread susceptibility to influence operations in US county websites. Twitter fixes an API vulnerability and suspends a large network of fake accounts. NIST’s proposed ransomware defense standards are out for your review--comments are open until February 26th. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on rules regarding destruction of electronic evidence. Guest is Alex Burkardt from VERA on how to protect critical financial data beyond the corporate perimeter.

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_04.html

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More on EKANS, the ransomware with an ICS kicker. Shipping company customer-facing IT disrupted in cyber incident. Coronavirus as phishbait. Election security, new DoD rules, and insider threats. Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

Dragos publicly releases its full report on EKANS ransomware, the first known ransomware with a real if primitive capability against industrial control systems. An Australian logistics company struggles with an unspecified malware infestation. Coronovirus fake news used as phishbait. Election security may get an early test in Iowa. The US Department of Defense issues new cybersecurity rules for contractors. And two cases of insider threats (alleged insider threats). Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI with reactions to ransomware legislation proposed in Maryland.

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_03.html

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Eric Haseltine on his book, "The Spy in Moscow Station." [Special Editions] Feb 02, 2020

Show notes

On this Special Edition, our extended conversation with Eric Haseltine on his book "The Spy in Moscow Station." The book... "tells of a time when—much like today—Russian spycraft had proven itself far beyond the best technology the U.S. had to offer. The perils of American arrogance mixed with bureaucratic infighting left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance and espionage."

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Tracking one of China's hidden hacking groups. [Research Saturday] Feb 01, 2020

Show notes

Operation Wocao (我操, “Wǒ cāo”, is a Chinese curse word) is the name that Fox-IT uses to describe the hacking activities of a Chinese based hacking group.

We are joined by Fox-IT's Maarten van Dantzig who shares his insights into their new report entitled "Operation Wocao: Shining a light on one of China’s hidden hacking groups".

The Research can be found here:

Operation Wocao: Shining a light on one of China’s hidden hacking groups

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Show notes

The Winnti Group is interested in Hong Kong protestors. The UK, the US, and the EU all look for a cooperative way forward into 5G. DDoS for hire hits an independent Serbian media outlet. Ransomware may have hit a US defense contractor. EvilCorp is back. The Sodinokibi ransomware gang is running an essay contest. And the 2015 Ashley Madison breach keeps on giving, in the form of blackmail. Emily Wilson from Terbium Labs on the sale of “points” and “status benefits” on the dark web. Guest is Michael Sutton from Stonemill Ventures with insights from the cyber VC world.

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_31.html

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Hacking the UN. Avast closes Jumpshot over privacy uproar. Facebook settles a biometric lawsuit. Data exposures, a LiveRamp compromise, and more newly aggressive ransomware. Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

UN agencies in Geneva and Vienna were successfully hacked last summer in an apparent espionage campaign. Avast shuts down its Jumpshot data analysis subsidiary and resolves to stick to its security last. Facebook reaches a preliminary, $550 million settlement in a privacy class-action lawsuit. SpiceJet and Sprint suffer data exposures. LiveRamp was compromised for ad fraud. And Russia blocks ProtonMail and StartMail. Caleb Barlow from Cynergistek on the business impact of ransomware on a hospital. Guest is Matthew Doan, cyberecurity policy fellow at New America, discussing his recent recent Harvard Business Review article “Companies Need to Rethink What Cybersecurity Leadership Is.”

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_30.html

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Ransomware in industrial control systems. Phone hacks, proved and unproved. Britain’s compromise decision on Huawei. Wawa cards in the Joker’s Stash. CardPlanet boss pleads guilty. Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Snake ransomware appears to have hit industrial control systems, and may be connected to Iran. The verdict on the Saudi hack of Mr. Bezos’ phone seems to stand at not proven, but the Kingdom does seem to have used Pegasus intercept tools against journalists and critics of the regime. Neither the US nor China are happy with Britain’s decision on Huawei. Cards from the Wawa breach are on sale in the Joker’s Stash. And CardPlanet’s boss will do some Federal time. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on AOC’s comments during House hearings on facial recognition technology. Guest is Dan Conrad from One Identity on sophisticated “pass the hash” attacks.

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_29.html

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Huawei will play in UK infrastructure, at least a little. Citizen Lab on KINGDOM, a Pegasus operator. Avast and sale of user data. Happy Data Privacy Day. Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Britain decides to let Huawei into its 5G infrastructure, just a little bit, anyway. Citizen Lab reports on its investigation of Saudi use of Pegasus spyware against journalists. Avast is again collecting user data and sharing anonymized data with a subsidiary for sale to business customers. Some Data Privacy Day thoughts on agreeing to terms and conditions, with reflections on the first systematic look at End User License Agreements, found in the final chapter of Plato’s Republic. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on evolving ransomware business models. Guest is Dr. Christopher Pierson from BLACKCLOAK with insights on the alleged Bezos phone hack and the vulnerabilities of high-profile individuals.

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_28.html

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A cyber espionage campaign is to use DNS hijacking. More observations on l’affaire Bezos. Operation Night Fury versus e-commerce hackers. Farewell to Clayton Christensen. Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

Someone has been running a DNS hijacking campaign against governments in southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and Reuters thinks that someone looks like Turkey. Experts would like to see a more thorough forensic analysis of Mr. Bezos’ iPhone: that hack may look like a Saudi job, but the evidence remains circumstantial. Interpol’s Operation Night Fury dismantles a gang that had been preying on e-commerce. And ave atque vale, Clayton Christensen, theorist of disruptive innovation. Robert M. Lee from Dragos with 2020 predictions (reluctantly).

For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief:

https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_27.html

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Know Thine Enemy - Identifying North American Cyber Threats. [Research Saturday] Jan 25, 2020

Show notes

The electric utility industry is a valuable target for adversaries seeking to exploit industrial control systems (ICS) and operations technology (OT) for a variety of purposes. As adversaries and their sponsors invest more effort and money into obtaining effects-focused capabilities, the risk of a disruptive or destructive attack on the electric sector significantly increases.

Selena Larson from Dragos joins us to discuss their new report North American Electric Cyber Threat Perspective.

The report can be found here:

North American Electric Cyber Threat Perspective

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