CyberWire Daily

Latest Episodes:

VPNFilter malware could brick devices worldwide. [Research Saturday] Jun 30, 2018

Show notes

Researchers from Cisco Talos continue to track malware they've named VPNFilter, a multi-stage infection with multiple capabilities, targeting consumer-grade routers. Craig Williams is head of Cisco Talos Outreach, and he joins us with the details.

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Data breaches and data exposure. Privacy legislation. Improperly collected phone call records destroyed. Jun 29, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast we hear that Ticketmaster UK's hacking incident will provide an interesting GDPR test case. Data aggregator Exactis left nearly two terabytes of personal and business information exposed on the publicly accessible Internet. NSA destroys telephone call data collected in ways it can't square with applicable law. California hastily passes a data protection law. Ave atque vale Harlon Ellison. And our condolences to the victims of the shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis. Dr. Charles Clancy from VA Tech’s Hume Center, discussing his recent congressional testimony concerning supply chain security. Guest is Dr. Mansur Hasib, discussing his book Cybersecurity Leadership.

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Ukraine accuses Russia of preparing a cyber campaign. China eyes Tibetan diaspora. A decryptor for Thanatos ransomware. Nudging away from privacy. Dark web undercover. Jun 28, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast we hear that Ukraine has warned that Russia is preparing a coordinated attack against Ukrainian financial and energy infrastructure. China appears to be stepping up surveillance of the Tibetan diaspora. Cisco's Talos unit has a free decryptor for Thanatos ransomware. Facebook's self-audit of data usage proves both more difficult and more skeleton-rattling than hoped. Norwegian consumer watchdogs find that Facebook and Google nudge users away from privacy. An alt-coin sting against drug dealers. Mike Benjamin from CenturyLink on Malspam, and how it differs from run of the mill spam. Guest is Jaime Blasco from AlienVault on the security implications of using open source tools.

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DDoS attack on ProtonMail. Rancor cyberespionage campaign. PythonBot serves ads and a cryptominer. EU joint cyber response unit forming. Arrests in BEC campaign. Reality Winner's plea. Jun 27, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast, we hear that ProtonMail was hit this morning by an Apophis Squad DDoS attack. Rancor cyberespionage campaign observed in Southeast Asia. PythonBot serves up adware and cryptojacking. WannaCry-themed protection racket is all bark and no bite. EU organizing a joint cyber incident response force. FBI and international partners make arrests in an Africa-based business email compromise racket. Reality Winner's guilty plea. Emily Wilson from Terbium labs with a story of a six-year-old dealing with identity theft. Guest is Paul Aubin from Varonis on the protection of federal systems.

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Romania, UK, warn of Russian cyber ops. International norms of cyber conflict. Bronze Butler's USB drives. Too-smart batteries not smart enough. Industry notes. Game cheater gets jail time. Jun 26, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast, we hear warnings of Russian cyber operations from Romania and the UK. Recent attempts at developing international rules of conduct (and conflict) in cyberspace. Bronze Butler's naughty USB drives—not as scary as they sound, but a useful reminder of some sound precautions. FireEye says it never hacked back. Smart batteries may be too smart for their users' good. A new venture fund lends credibility to cryptocurrency and blockchain startups. Overwatch hacker gets jail time in Inchon. Daniel Prince from Lancaster University on cascading failures in complex systems. Guest is Vikram Thakur from Symantec on the VPNfilter router infestation.

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Nation-state cyberespionage and cybercrime. Cryptocurrency fraud and theft give alt-coins a rocky ride. Sino-US trade conflict update. GDPR data extortion. Spammy protection racket. Jun 25, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast, we hear that Taiwan continues to receive the PLA's cyber attentions. A look at what the Lazarus Group is up to. Cryptocurrency fraudsters arrested as alt-coin values have a rocky ride. Continuing US hot water for ZTE and Huawei. GDPR-themed data extortion. Business email compromise is up. So are ransomware attacks against US city governments. And when is a ransomware attack not a ransomware attack? When it's just a protection racket. Johannes Ullrich from SANS and the ISC Internet Storm Center podcast on evasive cryptocoin miners.

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LG smartphone keyboard vulnerabilities. [Research Saturday] Jun 23, 2018

Show notes

Researchers at Check Point Research recently discovered vulnerabilities in some LG smartphone keyboards, vulnerabilities that could have been used to remotely execute code with elevated privileges, act as a keylogger and thereby compromise the users’ privacy and authentication details.

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Phishing plays small ball with depressing success. Chinese cyberespionage up. US IC, JCS, worries about innovation. Guilty plea in US espionage case. Ex-Knesset member suspected of spying. Supreme Court decides location privacy case. Jun 22, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast, we hear that phishing scams continue to nibble away at bank accounts and reputations: the State of Oregon is among those suffering. Avoid emails promising you leaked pictures of YouTube stars. Chinese espionage against US targets rises. US Intelligence officials worry that failure to play a long game puts the country at a disadvantage with respect to innovation. The Joint Chiefs mull electronic warfare issues. Reality Winner makes a plea agreement in her espionage case. And from ecstasy tablets to Iranian spying is a short sad road. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS weighs in on the US Supreme Court decision on location data privacy. Guest is Taavi Kotka, former CIO of the Estonian government, discussing that nation’s innovative digital identity system.

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Malicious apps, a clever botnet, and cryptojacking. Patch notes. EU copyright regulations. Congress still doesn't like the cut of ZTE's or Huawei's jib. Tesla sues a former employee. Jun 21, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast we hear about a malicious app that will save your battery, but it will also install a backdoor, steal information, and click on a bunch of ads. A sophisticated and patient botnet, Mylobot, is observed in the wild, but it's not yet clear what it's up to. Cryptojackers exploit a known (and patched) Drupal vulnerability. Vectra finds tunnels. Google adds security metadata to Android apps. Cisco patches. The EU's proposed copyright regulations attract little love. Congress pursues ZTE and Huawei. And Tesla sues a former employee. Ryan LaSalle from Accenture, on the opening of their new Cyber Fusion Center. Guest is Ned Miller from McAfee on their “Winning the Game” report on the gamification of security training.

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Satellite communications suffer from Thrip(s). Zacinlo rootkit poses as a VPN. Insecure Firebase apps. EU copyright legislation. Kardon Loader. Bithumb robbed. #Opicarus2018. Bitcoin Baron jailed. Jun 20, 2018

Show notes

In today's podcast, we hear that the Chinese espionage group Thrip is targeting satellite communications operators and others in the US and Southeast Asia. Zacinlo rootkit hides inside a bogus VPN. Developers are leaving Firebase apps insecure. The EU's controversial copyright regulation advances from committee. Kardon Loader malware is in beta. South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb is looted of more than $30 million. Anonymous is back with Opicarus2018. And the Bitcoin Baron goes to jail. Awais Rashid from Bristol University on why real-world experimentation is vital to cyber security. Guest is Dr. Chris Pierson from Binary Sun Cyber Risk Advisors, weighing in on the claims of sabotage at Tesla.

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