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Before yesterdaySecurity

Espionage Group Wields Steganographic Backdoor Against Govs, Stock Exchange

By Elizabeth Montalbano, Contributor, Dark Reading
APT group Witchetty (aka LookingFrog) has exploited the ProxyShell and ProxyLogon vulnerabilities to gain initial access and deploy new custom cyber tools against government agencies and a stock exchange.

  • September 29th 2022 at 14:33

Brazilian Prilex Hackers Resurfaced With Sophisticated Point-of-Sale Malware

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A Brazilian threat actor known as Prilex has resurfaced after a year-long operational hiatus with an advanced and complex malware to steal money by means of fraudulent transactions. "The Prilex group has shown a high level of knowledge about credit and debit card transactions, and how software used for payment processing works," Kaspersky researchers said. "This enables the attackers to keep

How Do Hackers Hack Phones and How Can I Prevent It?

By McAfee

How do hackers hack phones? Several ways. Just as there are several ways you can prevent it from happening to you. 

The thing is that our phones are like little treasure chests. They’re loaded with plenty of personal data, and we use them to shop, bank, and take care of other personal and financial matters—all of which are of high value to identity thieves.  

However, you can protect yourself and your phone by knowing what to look out for and by taking a few simple steps. Let’s break it down by first taking a look at some of the more common attacks.  

Types of Smartphone Hacks and Attacks 

Hacking software 

Whether hackers sneak it onto your phone by physically accessing your phone or by tricking you into installing it via a phony app, a sketchy website, or a phishing attack, hacking software can create problems for you in a couple of ways: 

  • Keylogging: In the hands of a hacker, keylogging works like a stalker by snooping information as you type, tap, and even talk on your phone.  
  • Trojans: Trojans are types of malware that can be disguised in your phone to extract important data, such as credit card account details or personal information. 

Some possible signs of hacking software on your phone include: 

  • A battery that drains way too quickly. 
  • Your phone runs a little sluggish or gets hot. 
  • Apps quit suddenly or your phone shuts off and turns back on. 
  • You see unrecognized data, text, or other charges on your bill.   

In all, hacking software can eat up system resources, create conflicts with other apps, and use your data or internet connection to pass along your personal information into the hands of hackers—all of which can lead to some of the symptoms listed above. 

Phishing attacks 

These are a classic form of attack. In fact, hackers have leveled them at our computers for years now too. Phishing is where hackers impersonate a company or trusted individual to get access to your accounts or personal info or both. And these attacks take many forms, like emails, texts, instant messages, and so forth, some of which can look really legitimate. Common to them are links to bogus sites that attempt to trick you into handing over that info or that install malware to wreak havoc on your device or likewise steal information. Learning how to spot a phishing attack is one way to keep yourself from falling victim to one. 

Bluetooth hacking 

Professional hackers can use dedicated technologies that search for vulnerable mobile devices with an open Bluetooth connection. Hackers can pull off these attacks when they are range of your phone, up to 30 feet away, usually in a populated area. When hackers make a Bluetooth connection to your phone, they can possibly access your data and info, yet that data and info must be downloaded while the phone is within range. As you probably gathered, this is a more sophisticated attack given the effort and technology involved. 

SIM card swapping 

In August of 2019, the CEO of Twitter had his SIM card hacked by SIM card swapping scam. SIM card swapping occurs when a hacker contacts your phone provider, pretends to be you, and then asks for a replacement SIM card. Once the provider sends the new SIM to the hacker, the old SIM card will be deactivated, and your phone number will be effectively stolen. This means the hacker has taken control of your phone calls, messages, and so forth. This method of hacking requires the seemingly not-so-easy task of impersonating someone else, yet clearly, it happened to the CEO of a major tech company. Protecting your personal info and identity online can help prevent hackers from impersonating you to pull off this and other crimes.  

Ten tips to prevent your phone from being hacked 

While there are several ways a hacker can get into your phone and steal personal and critical information, here are a few tips to keep that from happening: 

  1. Use comprehensive security software on your phone. Over the years, we’ve gotten into the good habit of using this on our computers and laptops. Our phones? Not so much. Installing security software on your smartphone gives you a first line of defense against attacks, plus several of the additional security features mentioned below. 
  2. Update your phone and its apps. Aside from installing security software, keeping current with updates is a primary way to keep you and your phone safe. Updates can fix vulnerabilities that cybercriminals rely on to pull off their malware-based attacks. Additionally, those updates can help keep your phone and apps running smoothly while also introducing new, helpful features. 
  3. Stay safer on the go with a VPN. One way that crooks can hack their way into your phone is via public Wi-Fi, such as at airports, hotels, and even libraries. These networks are public, meaning that your activities are exposed to others on the network—your banking, your password usage, all of it. One way to make a public network private is with a VPN, which can keep you and all you do protected from others on that Wi-Fi hotspot.  
  4. Use a password manager. Strong, unique passwords offer another primary line of defense. Yet with all the accounts we have floating around, juggling dozens of strong and unique passwords can feel like a task—thus the temptation to use (and re-use) simpler passwords. Hackers love this because one password can be the key to several accounts. Instead, try a password manager that can create those passwords for you and safely store them as well. Comprehensive security software will include one. 
  5. Avoid public charging stations. Charging up at a public station seems so simple and safe. However, some hackers have been known to “juice jack” by installing malware into the charging station. While you “juice up,” they “jack” your passwords and personal info. So what to do about power on the road? You can look into a portable power pack that you can charge up ahead of time or run on AA batteries. They’re pretty inexpensive and easy to track down.  
  6. Keep your eyes on your phone. Preventing the actual theft of your phone is important too, as some hacks happen simply because a phone falls into the wrong hands. This is a good case for password or PIN protecting your phone, as well as turning on device tracking so that you can locate your phone or even wipe it remotely if you need to. Apple provides iOS users with a step-by-step guide for remotely wiping devices, and Google offers up a guide for Android users as well.  
  7. Encrypt your phone. Encrypting your cell phone can save you from being hacked and can protect your calls, messages, and critical information. To check if your iPhone is encrypted can go into Touch ID & Passcode, scroll to the bottom, and see if data protection is enabled (typically this is automatic if you have a passcode enabled). Android users have automatic encryption depending on the type of phone. 
  8. Lock your SIM card. Just as you can lock your phone, you can also lock the SIM card that is used to identify you, the owner, and to connect you to your cellular network. By locking it, keeps your phone from being used on any other network than yours. If you own an iPhone, you can lock it by following these simple directions. For other platforms, check out the manufacturer’s website. 
  9. Turn off your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use. Think of it as closing an otherwise open door. There are several attacks that a dedicated and well-equipped hacker can make on devices where Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are open and discoverable. Likewise, while not a hack, some retailers will track your location in a store using Bluetooth technology for marketing purposes—so switching it off can protect your privacy in some situations as well. You can easily turn off both from your settings and many phones let you do it from a pulldown menu on your home screen as well. 
  10. Steer clear of third-party app stores. Google Play and Apple’s App Store have measures in place to review and vet apps to help ensure that they are safe and secure. Third-party sites may not have that process in place. In fact, some third-party sites may intentionally host malicious apps as part of a broader scam. Granted, cybercriminals have found ways to work around Google and Apple’s review process, yet the chances of downloading a safe app from them are far greater than anywhere else. Furthermore, both Google and Apple are quick to remove malicious apps once discovered, making their stores that much safer. 

The post How Do Hackers Hack Phones and How Can I Prevent It? appeared first on McAfee Blog.

XSS Flaw in Prevalent Media Imaging Tool Exposes Trove of Patient Data

By Becky Bracken, Editor, Dark Reading
Bugs in Canon Medical's Virea View could allow cyberattackers to access several sources of sensitive patient data.

  • September 29th 2022 at 13:37

What Lurks in the Shadows of Cloud Security?

By Fernando Montenegro, Senior Principal Analyst, Omdia
Organizations looking to get ahead in cloud security have gone down the path of deploying CSPM tooling with good results. Still, there’s a clear picture that data security and security operations are next key areas of interest.

  • September 29th 2022 at 13:00

Mystery Hackers Are ‘Hyperjacking’ Targets for Insidious Spying

By Andy Greenberg
For decades, security researchers warned about techniques for hijacking virtualization software. Now one group has put them into practice.

McAfee Secure VPN: Now with WireGuard for Faster Speeds and Enhanced Stability

By Cagla Ruacan

McAfee’s Secure VPN now supports the WireGuard protocol, which gives you faster connection speeds plus enhanced stability and security.  

WireGuard is the latest standard in Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology, and we’re rolling it out across McAfee Secure VPN for Windows which is included in our comprehensive online protection plans. And just as before, it offers smart protection that can be set to automatically turn on when you need it, so you can stay more private and more secure online. 

If you’re new to using a VPN, let’s take a quick look at two of the big things a VPN can do for you. 

It makes you more secure. 

The bank-grade encryption used by a strong VPN shields your data and information while it’s in transit, which makes it difficult for hackers to spy on your connection. (Think of your data and information traveling through a tunnel that no one else can use or see into.) In that way, a VPN makes all kinds of online activities more secure—like banking, shopping, and checking up on your finances, even using your apps.  

It protects your privacy. 

By masking your whereabouts and your IP address, along with encryption that helps keep your activities private, a VPN reduces the personal information that others can collect and track. That includes internet service providers, social media companies, businesses, app developers, websites, and others who gather your data for marketing purposes or for resale to third parties. 

A faster and more stable VPN with WireGuard 

A quick word about what WireGuard is in slightly more detail. It’s a VPN protocol, which is a series of technical rules that govern how your device can securely reach the VPN servers, validate your access to the requests you make online, and encrypt your browsing traffic so that only you can see what you are doing over the internet. WireGuard is one of several protocols that we support, such as the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. While WireGuard improves upon OpenVPN and IKEv2 in many ways, both are still secure and safe ways in which a VPN can connect. 

Now with the latest WireGuard standard in place, our VPN for Windows that comes with all our all-in-one plans offers faster speeds and improved stability compared to what previous standards offered. This gives you the security of a VPN with similar performance as if you were on a fully open connection—along with the added benefit of keeping your browsing and other activities private. 

Taken together, the improved speed and stability give privacy-conscious people a further reason to use a VPN more often than before. Because a VPN can minimize the exposure of data as it transmits to and from your devices, companies and data brokers can potentially learn far less about you, your shopping, your travels, your habits, and any other information that they could possibly collect and otherwise profit from. The more often you use a VPN, the less they can potentially gather. 

For more about VPNs and how ours can keep you more private and secure online, give us a visit here any time. 

 

The post McAfee Secure VPN: Now with WireGuard for Faster Speeds and Enhanced Stability appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Covert malware targets VMware shops for hypervisor-level espionage

Mandiant tracks back operators, finds ties to China

Emerging covert malware can target VMware environments to allow criminals to gain persistent administrative access to hypervisors, transfer files, and execute arbitrary commands on virtual machines, according to VMware and Mandiant, which discovered such a software nasty in the wild earlier this year.…

  • September 29th 2022 at 13:00

Researchers Uncover Covert Attack Campaign Targeting Military Contractors

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A new covert attack campaign singled out multiple military and weapons contractor companies with spear-phishing emails to trigger a multi-stage infection process designed to deploy an unknown payload on compromised machines. The highly-targeted intrusions, dubbed STEEP#MAVERICK by Securonix, also targeted a strategic supplier to the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. "The attack was carried out

Five Steps to Mitigate the Risk of Credential Exposure

By The Hacker News
Every year, billions of credentials appear online, be it on the dark web, clear web, paste sites, or in data dumps shared by cybercriminals. These credentials are often used for account takeover attacks, exposing organizations to breaches, ransomware, and data theft.  While CISOs are aware of growing identity threats and have multiple tools in their arsenal to help reduce the potential risk, the

Swachh City Platform Suffers Data Breach Leaking 16 Million User Records

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A threat actor by the name of LeakBase has shared a database containing personal information allegedly affecting 16 million users of Swachh City, an Indian complaint redressal platform. Leaked details include usernames, email addresses, password hashes, mobile numbers, one-time passwords, last logged-in times, and IP addresses, among others, according to a report shared by security firm CloudSEK

Hackers Aid Protests Against Iranian Government with Proxies, Leaks and Hacks

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Several hacktivist groups are using Telegram and other tools to aid anti-government protests in Iran to bypass regime censorship restrictions amid ongoing unrest in the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. "Key activities are data leaking and selling, including officials' phone numbers and emails, and maps of sensitive locations," Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point said in

The Optus Data Breach – Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself

By McAfee

Optus, one of Australia’s largest telecommunications carriers, reported news of a data breach that may have compromised the information of current and former customers.

As of this writing, the company has not stated how many customers may have been affected, citing their ongoing investigation in conjunction with law enforcement and Australian government officials

According to Optus, the breach may have included the following:

“Information which may have been exposed includes customers’ names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and, for a subset of customers, addresses, ID document numbers such as driver’s license or passport numbers. Payment detail and account passwords have not been compromised.”

Optus is currently notifying customers who may have been affected by this breach with SMS and email messages. However, the company makes an important distinction here:

“We are not sending links in SMS or emails. If customers receive an email or SMS with a link claiming to be from Optus, they are advised that this is not a communication from Optus. Please do not click on any links.”

Often in the wake of such breaches, cybercriminals will send out phony communications that use the name of the company affected. These can include phishing attacks over email and SMS that solicit personal and account information or other tactics that attempt to capitalize on the announced breach.

Optus continues to keep its customers up to date on the latest developments on its website, which includes a comprehensive FAQ that details what happened, what steps are being taken, and what customers can do in the wake of this announcement.

What should I do if I think my information was caught up in the Optus breach?

Any time a data breach occurs, your exposed personal information may be used by those trying to commit identity fraud or theft. Different pieces of personal information can be more useful to them than others.

Some information is directly useful, such as a driver’s license or credit card information because they identify you right away. Others are indirectly helpful, like device IDs, browsing history, geolocation information, and internet protocol addresses. While they don’t identify you on their own, a cybercriminal could piece together your identity if they have enough indirect information about you.

In light of this, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself in the aftermath of a data breach, which involve a combination of preventative steps and some monitoring on your part.

Work with a credit and identity recovery pro

If you become the victim of fraud or theft after a data breach, a licensed recovery pro can help you restore your credit and identity. If you’ve ever dealt with fraud or theft before, or know someone who has, recovery can be a time-consuming and stressful process if you undertake it alone.  With McAfee+ Advanced, you have around-the-clock support from a restoration expert with limited power of attorney who can take the steps that can help restore your credit and identity.

Working with an expert can lend you extra peace of mind, particularly in a time where there’s plenty of uncertainty. First, you’ll know that a professional is working on your case—a person who knows exactly where to start and what needs to happen for the best possible outcome. Second, you’ll get precious time back, time you’d otherwise have to spend if you took on the process yourself.

Keep an eye out for phishing attacks

As mentioned above, with some personal information in hand, cybercriminals may seek out more. They may follow up a breach with rounds of phishing attacks that direct you to bogus sites designed to steal your personal information—either by tricking you into providing it or by stealing it without your knowledge. So, it’s always wise to keep a skeptical eye open for unsolicited messages or phone calls that ask you for information in some form or other, often in ways that urge or pressure you into acting.

Consider using identity monitoring

An identity monitoring service can monitor your information from email addresses to IDs and phone numbers for signs of breaches so you can take action to secure your accounts before they’re used for identity theft.​ Personal information harvested from data breaches can end up on dark web marketplaces where it’s bought by other cyber criminals so they can launch their own attacks. McAfee monitors the dark web for your personal info and provides early alerts if your data is found, an average of 10 months ahead of similar services.​ We also provide guidance to help you act if your information is found.

Change your passwords and use a password manager

While it does not appear that login information was affected, a password update is still a strong security move. Strong and unique passwords are best, which means never reusing your passwords across different sites and platforms. Using a password manager will help you keep on top of it all, while also storing your passwords securely. Moreover, changing your passwords regularly may make a stolen password worthless because it’s out of date.

Enable two-factor authentication

While a strong and unique password is a good first line of defense, enabling two-factor authentication across your accounts will help your cause by providing an added layer of security. It’s increasingly common to see nowadays where banks and all manner of online services will only allow access to your accounts after you’ve provided a one-time passcode sent to your email or smartphone. If your accounts support two-factor authentication, enable it.

Clean up your personal data online

Mentioned earlier, information stolen in a data breach may indirectly identify you. Yet when pieced together with other information, it can then directly identify you. One way cybercriminals complete this identity picture puzzle is with information provided by data brokers that buy and sell personal information online. However, you can take some control over this. Our Personal Data Cleanup service scans high-risk data broker sites for your personal information and then helps you remove it—which denies cybercriminals the information they may need to commit identity theft.

Check your credit and consider a credit freeze

When personal information gets released, there’s a chance that a hacker, scammer, or thief will put it to use. This may include committing fraud, where they draw funds from existing accounts, and theft, where they create new accounts in a victim’s name.

Even though it’s believed that no payment information was involved in this breach, customers should still take steps to monitor their statements and their overall credit report so that they can spot and address any unusual activity. Optus has announced that it will offer affected customers 12 months of credit and identity monitoring through Equifax, one of the major global credit agencies, at no cost.

Another step that customers can take is to place a credit freeze on their credit reports with the major credit agencies in Australia— Equifax, illion, and Experian. This will help prevent cybercriminals from opening new lines of credit or taking out loans in a victim’s name by “freezing” their credit report so that potential creditors cannot pull it for reference. Terms of freezing a credit report will vary, so check with each agency for details.

Consider using comprehensive online protection

A complete suite of online protection software can offer layers of extra security for future protection. In addition to more private and secure time online with a VPN, identity monitoring, and password management, protection like McAfee+ Advanced includes web browser protection that can block malicious and suspicious links that could lead you down the road to malware or a phishing scam—which antivirus protection can’t do alone.

Should I replace my driver’s license and passport for a new ID number?

Per Optus, a subset of those affected may have had their driver’s license and/or passport ID number affected by the breach. Given that license and passport ID numbers are such unique pieces of personally identifiable information, anyone notified by Optus that theirs may have been affected should strongly consider changing them.

The process for replacing either document will vary depending on your state or territory. Given the scope of the attack, some states and territories have proposed making exceptions to the rules for attack victims. As of this writing, that picture continues to evolve, so look to your local government for guidance.

The Optus data breach – you have ways to protect yourself

Not all data breaches make the news. Businesses and organizations, large and small, have all fallen victim to them, and with regularity. The measures you can take here are measures you can take even if you don’t believe you were caught up in the Optus breach. As you can see, several of them are preventative, which is important because word of data breaches tend to reach customers days, weeks, or even months after they’ve been discovered—leaving cybercriminals plenty of opportunity to commit all kinds of identity crime in the meantime.

In this case, the breach certainly made the news due to its apparent size and scale. And as Optus works with law enforcement and government officials, more details into the attack and who has been affected will arise.

However, you have every reason to act now rather than wait for additional news. Staying on top of our credit and identity has always been important, but given all the devices, apps, and accounts we keep these days leaves us more exposed than ever, making protecting ourselves a must.

The post The Optus Data Breach – Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Credit Lock and Credit Freeze: Which Service Is Best for You? Both!

By Cagla Ruacan

Are you hoping to buy a house or apply for a car, personal, or business loan at some point? A great credit score helps to achieve all those things. You never know the twists and turns life might take you, so even if these financial milestones aren’t on your radar now, it’s nice to know that a great credit score will open many doors for you when you’re ready. The better your credit score, the more likely you are to get the loan you want at the best interest rate. People spend years (even decades!) working to improve their credit scores to unlock numerous opportunities. In the blink of an eye though, a credit fraudster can erase all that hard work and inflict long-term credit damage. It can cost huge sums to repair and take years to correct.  

Many people feel lost on how to prevent these problems or what to do if they suspect identity theft. Luckily, new McAfee services called credit lock and security freeze, which includes credit freeze, are great tools to add to your credit protection toolbelt. They’ll help protect your most personal information from thieves, and both services will help give you the peace of mind you need to confidently go about your day. 

Keep reading to learn more about McAfee’s credit lock and security freeze and find out how you can use them to help you from the negative consequences of identity theft.  

First, What Is Credit Fraud? 

Credit fraud is a type of identity theft where a criminal uses your information to borrow money, open a new credit or debit card, or uses your card to make purchases that they never intend to pay off. Then, when the loan defaults and the bills stack up, the victim is often left with their credit score in shambles. 

According to the FTC, credit fraud is the most common type of identity theft in 2020 and 2021, receiving nearly 18,000 reports from people saying that someone used their information to gain illegal access to their credit card accounts.1 

What Are McAfee Credit Lock and Security Freeze? 

To make sure we’re all on the same page, here are quick definitions of McAfee’s credit lock and security freeze services. 

  • Credit lock. A service that provides a very quick and easy way to lock your credit information with one of the major credit bureaus when your personal information is compromised and also can be used as a preventive measure. You can quickly turn the function on or off at will for TransUnion through the McAfee Protection Center. 
  • Security freeze. A service that provides guidance and the contact information to set up credit, bank, and utility freezes. A credit freeze can be set up with each of the three main credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. The credit freeze prevents most credit-related fraud by preventing companies from accessing your credit reports, a step that’s necessary to open a loan, credit card, and more in your name. A credit freeze requires more information than a credit lock to set up and usually takes 24 hours to apply or remove. 

A credit lock and a credit freeze both stop companies from accessing your credit information without your consent when an application for a loan or credit card is submitted. The main difference lies in their speed and credit bureau coverage. By toggling a switch in the McAfee Protection Center, turning on a credit lock is almost instantaneous. A credit freeze can take up to a day to enable or remove; however, it may offer stronger financial loss protection in most U.S. states if an unauthorized line of credit goes through while all three credit bureaus are frozen. Also, McAfee’s credit lock stops one credit bureau from accessing your account, while a credit freeze enables you to halt all three.   

Just make sure that you unlock and unfreeze your credit before you do the following: 

  • Apply for a loan 
  • Apply for a credit card 
  • Make a large purchase that requires financing, such as an expensive home appliance, car, or house 
  • Refinance your mortgage 

These are all situations where a bank or creditor will need to access your credit files. Luckily, with significant purchases and financing opportunities like these, you usually plan ahead, so you should have plenty to time to enable access to your credit. To unlock your credit, just click the credit lock toggle. To unlock a freeze, use the same provided links, sign into your account, and follow the instructions from there. 

To further help you decide which service may be best for your needs, here are the situations where credit lock and credit freeze would be most helpful. 

What Is Credit Lock Most Effective Against? 

McAfee credit lock lets you simply toggle on and off one credit bureau’s ability to access your credit report. Usually, filing a lock on your credit with a bureau requires filling out forms and remembering a PIN to apply or remove a lock. Not with McAfee’s credit lock! You can turn a lock on and off at will through the McAfee Protection Center. 

Convenience and blazing speed are ideal in situations where you’re worried that a criminal has your personal information and may use it to open accounts in your name that could then damage your well-earned great credit. Some people may choose to always have the credit lock enabled and only unlock it when they’re applying for a credit card or loan. That way, they can feel better about the safety of their credit score. 

What Is Credit Freeze Most Effective Against? 

Credit freeze provides protection and peace of mind just like credit lock; however it enables you to freeze your account at all three major credit bureaus. When creditors check your credit score, they could do so with any credit bureau. If you only freeze one bureau’s access to your information, that still leaves the other two to make inquiries, so it’s important to set up a freeze for each one to cover all your bases.  

As mentioned, a credit freeze is just one type of security freeze offered by McAfee. If you’re worried about an identity thief opening not just credit cards, but also utility and/or bank accounts in your name, McAfee’s utility freeze and bank freeze may be additional services for you. Security freeze helps stop unauthorized fraud attempts by giving you quick links and phone numbers. Having all these contact details in one place really speeds up the process and takes the guesswork out of if you’re contacting the correct offices. 

Preventing Identity Theft Is Key 

Dealing with identity theft or credit fraud is a scary and stressful situation. That’s why McAfee is here with tools that help you protect you. Credit lock and credit freeze may help you feel calmer in a situation of suspected or real identity theft and gives you peace of mind to help prevent credit fraud from happening in the first place. Speed is of the utmost importance when foiling a criminal, so both solutions are easy to use with intuitive design so you’re not wasting time trying to figure out how they work. Plus, neither will affect your credit score. They just stop creditors from looking at your credit files, while you continue to boost your credit with your smart habits. 

With both credit lock or credit freeze in your back pocket, you can feel more secure knowing you’re better protected from credit fraud. 

1Fortunly, “20 Worrying Identity Theft Statistics for 2022 

The post Credit Lock and Credit Freeze: Which Service Is Best for You? Both! appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Protecting teens from sextortion: What parents should know

By Phil Muncaster

Online predators increasingly trick or coerce youth into sharing explicit videos and photos of themselves before threatening to post the content online

The post Protecting teens from sextortion: What parents should know appeared first on WeLiveSecurity

Cryptohacking: Is Cryptocurrency Losing Its Credibility?

By Vishnu Varadaraj

In the fall of 2021, cryptocurrency value skyrocketed. Ethereum and Bitcoin had their highest values ever, causing a huge stir in interest in online currencies from experts, hobbyists and newbies alike … and in cybercriminals seeking huge paydays. Since then, cryptocurrency value has cooled, as has the public’s opinion about whether it’s worth the risk. Huge cryptohacking events dominate the headlines, leaving us to wonder: Is cryptocurrency losing its credibility? 

In this article, you’ll learn about recent unfortunate crypto hacks and a few cryptocurrency security tips to help you avoid a similar misfortune. 

Secure Your Crypto Wallet 

A crypto wallet is the software or the physical device that stores the public and private keys to your cryptocurrency. A public key is the string of letters and numbers that people swap with each other in crypto transactions. It’s ok to share a public key with someone you trust. Your private key, however, must remain private — think of it like the password that secures your online bank account. Just like your actual wallet, if it falls into the wrong hands, you can lose a lot of money.   

What happened in the Mars Stealer malware attack on crypto wallets? 

A malware called Mars Stealer infiltrated several crypto wallet browser extensions, including the popular MetaMask. The malware stole private keys and then erased its tracks to mask that it had ever gained entry to the wallet.1 

How can you ensure a secure wallet?  

One way to completely avoid a breach to your software crypto wallet is to opt for a hardware wallet. A hardware wallet is a physical device that can only be opened with a PIN. But there is some risk involved with a hardware wallet: if you drop it down the drain, all your crypto is gone. If you forget your wallet PIN, there is no customer service chatbot that can help you remember it. You are solely responsible for keeping track of it. For those who are confident in their hardware’s hiding spot and their personal organizational skills, they can benefit from its added security. 

For anyone less sure of their ability to keep track of a hardware wallet, a software wallet is a fine alternative, though always been on alert of software wallet hacks. Keep an eye on crypto news and be ready to secure your software at a moment’s notice. Measures include un-downloading browser extensions, changing passwords, or transferring your crypto assets to another software wallet. 

In the case of the Mars Stealer malware that affected MetaMask, being careful about visiting secure sites and only clicking on trustworthy links could’ve helped prevent it. Mars Stealer made its way onto people’s devices after they clicked on an infected link or visited a risky website. Stick to websites you know you can trust and consider springing for well-known streaming services and paying for software instead of torrenting from free sources. 

Only Trust Secure Bridges and Be Prepared to Act Quickly

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts often spread their crypto investments across various currency types and blockchain environments. Software known as a bridge can link numerous accounts and types, making it easier to send currency. 

What happened in the Horizon bridge hack?

The cross-chain bridge Horizon experienced was on its Harmony blockchain, where a hacker stole about $100 million in Ethereum and tokens. The hacker stole two private keys, with which they could then validate this huge transaction into their own wallet. To hopefully prevent this from happening in the future, Horizon now requires more than just two validators.2 

How can you avoid crumbling bridges? 

According to one report, in 2022, 69% of all cryptocurrency losses have occurred in bridge attacks.3 If you exchange cryptocurrencies with other users and have various accounts, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll use bridge software. To keep your assets safe, make sure to extensively research any bridge before trusting it. Take a look at their security protocols and how they’ve responded to past breaches, if applicable.  

In the case of Horizon, the stolen private keys were encrypted with a passphrase and with a key management service, which follows best practices. Make sure that you always defend your private keys and all your cryptocurrency-related accounts with multi-factor authentication. Even though it may not 100% protect your assets, it’ll foil a less persistent cybercriminal. 

Phishing attacks on bridge companies in conjunction with software hacks are also common. In this scenario, there’s unfortunately not much you can control. What you can control is how quickly and completely you respond to the cybercrime event. Remove the bridge software from your devices, transfer all your assets to a hardware wallet, and await further instructions from the bridge company on how to proceed. 

Never Trade Security for Convenience

Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is now one of the riskiest aspects of cryptocurrency. DeFi is a system without governing bodies. Some crypto traders like the anonymity and autonomy of being able to make transactions without a bank or institution tracking their assets. The drawback is that the code used in smart contracts isn’t bulletproof and has been at the center of several costly cybercrimes. Smart contracts are agreed upon by crypto buyers and sellers, and they contain code that programs crypto to perform certain financial transactions. 

What happened in recent smart contract hacks? 

Three multi-million-dollar heists – Wormhole, Beanstalk Farms and Ronin bridge – occurred in quick succession, and smart contracts were at the center of each.4 In the case of Wormhole, a cybercriminal minted 120,000 in one currency and then traded them for Ethereum without putting up the necessary collateral. In the end, the hacker cashed out with $320 million. Beanstalk Farms lost $182 million when a hacker discovered a loophole in the stablecoin’s flash loan smart contract. Axie Infinity’s Ronin bridge was hit for $625 million when a hacker took control over and signed five of the nine validator nodes through a smart contract hole.4 

How can you avoid smart contract failures  

To be safe, conduct all crypto transactions on well-known and trustworthy software, applications, bridges, and wallets that are backed by a governing body. What you lose in anonymity you gain in security by way of regulated protocols. Hackers are targeting smart contracts because they do not have to depend on large-scale phishing schemes to get the information they need. Instead, they can infiltrate the code themselves and steal assets from the smartest and most careful crypto users. Because there’s almost no way you can predict the next smart contract hack, the best path forward is to always remain on your toes and be ready to react should one occur. 

Enjoy Cryptocurrency but Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Don’t let these costly hacks be what stops you from exploring crypto! Crypto is great as a side hustle if you’re committed to security and are strategic in your investments. Make sure you follow the best practices outlined and arm all your devices (mobile included!) with top-notch security, such as antivirus software, a VPN, and a password manager, all of which are included in McAfee + 

Privacy, excellent security habits, and an eagle eye can help you enjoy the most out of cryptocurrency and sidestep its costly pitfalls. Now, go forth confidently and prosper in the crypto realm! 

 

1Cointelegraph, “Hodlers, beware! New malware targets MetaMask and 40 other crypto wallets 

2Halborn, “Explained: The Harmony Horizon Bridge Hack 

3Chainalysis, “Vulnerabilities in Cross-chain Bridge Protocols Emerge as Top Security Risk 

4Protocol, “Crypto is crumbling, and DeFi hacks are getting worse 

5Cointelegraph, “Beanstalk Farms loses $182M in DeFi governance exploit 

The post Cryptohacking: Is Cryptocurrency Losing Its Credibility? appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Microsoft to kill off old access rules in Exchange Online

Awoooogah – this is your one-year warning to switch over, enterprises

Microsoft next month will start phasing out Client Access Rules (CARs) in Exchange Online – and will do away with this means for controlling access altogether within a year.…

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Fake Accounts Are Not Your Friends!

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Inflated user bases and fake engagement cause more harm than good, especially when the artificial accounts are based on stolen human identities.

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Plug Your Data Leaks: Integrating Data Loss Prevention into Your Security Stack

The average cost of a data-exposing cybersecurity incident is $4.35 million. If your business can’t avoid to pay, make sure you’ve got a strong data loss prevention practice in place.
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Google Quashes 5 High-Severity Bugs With Chrome 106 Update

By Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading
External researchers contributed 16 of the 20 security updates included in the new Chrome 106 Stable Channel rollout, including five high-severity bugs.

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Matrix chat encryption sunk by five now-patched holes

You take the green pill, you'll spend six hours in a 'don't roll your own crypto' debate

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Sophisticated Covert Cyberattack Campaign Targets Military Contractors

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Malware used in the STEEP#MAVERICK campaign features rarely seen obfuscation, anti-analysis, and evasion capabilities.

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The web's cruising at 13 million new and nefarious domain names a month

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Fast Company CMS Hack Raises Security Questions

By Tara Seals, Managing Editor, News, Dark Reading
The company's website remains offline after hackers used its compromised CMS to send out racist messages.

  • September 28th 2022 at 20:12

The Race to Find the Nord Stream Saboteurs

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Container Supply Chain Attacks Cash In on Cryptojacking

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Google Cloud DORA: Securing the Supply Chain Begins With Culture

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Phishing Attacks Crushed Records Last Quarter, Driven by Mobile

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The Countdown to DORA

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Hacked Fast Company sends 'obscene and racist' alerts via Apple News

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Chaos Malware Resurfaces With All-New DDoS & Cryptomining Modules

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Illumio Introduces New Solution to Stop Endpoint Ransomware from Spreading Across the Hybrid Attack Surface

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Researchers Warn of New Go-based Malware Targeting Windows and Linux Systems

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Time to Change Our Flawed Approach to Security Awareness

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When Will Cybersecurity Get Its Bloomberg Terminal?

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Reducing the risk of human error in cyber security

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Optus breach – Aussie telco told it will have to pay to replace IDs

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Licence compromised? Passport number burned? Need a new one? Who's going to pay?

Malwarebytes Expands OneView Platform for MSPs

Malwarebytes achieves 250% year-over-year MSP partner growth, introduces new modules to enhance protection, detection, and resolution of threats for SMBs.
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Cloudflare Takes a Stab at a Captcha That Doesn’t Suck

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The internet infrastructure company has an alternative tool to check whether you’re human—and it doesn’t force you to pick out buses in tiny boxes.

Ever suspected bankers could just use WhatsApp comms? $1.8b says you're right

Thought shadow IT at your office was bad? Try enforcing workplace device policies on hedge fund traders

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  • September 28th 2022 at 13:00

Cyber Criminals Using Quantum Builder Sold on Dark Web to Deliver Agent Tesla Malware

By Ravie Lakshmanan
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Improve your security posture with Wazuh, a free and open source XDR

By The Hacker News
Organizations struggle to find ways to keep a good security posture. This is because it is difficult to create secure system policies and find the right tools that help achieve a good posture. In many cases, organizations work with tools that do not integrate with each other and are expensive to purchase and maintain. Security posture management is a term used to describe the process of

Defend your organization from ransomware attacks with Cisco Secure Endpoint

By Nirav Shah

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous threats organizations face today, so it’s no wonder that Cisco Talos Incident Response named it the top threat of the year in 2021. These attacks continue to grow and become more advanced, with ransomware attacks  growing by 13% over 2021 and a whopping 79% over 2020 so far this year (see Figure 1 below).1  Stopping ransomware attacks isn’t easy either, as adversaries continue to change their techniques and attacks become increasingly sophisticated.

Figure 1: Publicized ransomware attacks by month (2020-2022)

Fortunately, Cisco Secure Endpoint defends your organization from ransomware by delivering security outcomes that enable you to radically simplify your security, maximize your security operations, and achieve peace of mind. Let’s dive deeper into each of these areas to better understand how Secure Endpoint can help your organization defend against ransomware attacks.

Radically Simplify Your Security

Cybersecurity has become increasingly complex due to the numerous security solutions deployed by organizations today. These disparate point-products increase complexity while creating security gaps because they require additional management overhead and typically don’t communicate with each other. This increases the burden on security operations teams since they must spend time managing these different solutions and filling in the gaps between tools rather than using their time to investigate and respond to threats

Cisco takes a very different approach to cybersecurity by looking at ransomware endpoint protection holistically, as part of an integrated security solution. For instance, Secure Endpoint includes built-in extended detection and response (XDR) capabilities from the Cisco SecureX platform that centralizes visibility in a single console, creates high-fidelity detections by correlating threats, and coordinates threat response across your entire security environment. In addition, Secure Endpoint unifies your security stack, simplifies management, and reduces agent fatigue because we’ve consolidated endpoint protection, cloud security, and remote access agents into a single agent.

Learn more about how Secure Endpoint helps you simplify your security while defending your organization from ransomware attacks by watching this video:

Maximize Your Security Operations

One of the common themes we’ve heard from our customers is that their security operations teams are frequently overstretched. The ongoing cybersecurity skills shortage means that security teams have to do more with less and a vast number of security tools to manage along with inefficient security operations processes, often leading to burned-out security teams.

Cisco addresses these challenges by allowing you to get the most out of your security operations. For example, you can accelerate investigation and incident response with valuable vulnerability context since we’ve integrated risk-based vulnerability management from Kenna Security into Secure Endpoint. Moreover, Secure Endpoint includes advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities via Orbital Advanced Search and built-in XDR from SecureX that enable you to rapidly detect, respond to, and contain ransomware attacks. Lastly, you can get the security expertise you need with proactive threat hunting from SecureX Threat Hunting, which uses an analyst-centric process to quickly spot hidden ransomware.

Check out how Secure Endpoint helps you maximize your security operations while defending your organization from ransomware attacks by watching this video:

Achieve Peace of Mind

Keeping up with the latest ransomware attacks can seem like an impossible challenge due to Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) kits which make it simple and lucrative to target organizations with ransomware and the evolving threat landscape, where attackers are continuously changing their methods to evade detection.

Cisco helps you stay ahead of the newest ransomware attacks and gives you the peace of mind you deserve by taking a comprehensive approach to ransomware endpoint protection. This means ensuring that you never have to go it alone with always-on security operations from Cisco Secure Endpoint Pro, a managed service that uses a team of Cisco security experts to perform the heavy lifting of securing your endpoints. It also includes offering advanced EDR and integrated XDR capabilities such as Orbital and SecureX to speed detection and response, simplify investigations, and quickly contain ransomware attacks before it’s too late. Finally, Secure Endpoint prevents initial ransomware infections with multifaceted prevention techniques such as machine learning, exploit prevention, and behavioral protection as well as actionable threat intelligence from the Cisco Talos research team.

Learn more about how Secure Endpoint helps you achieve peace of mind while defending your organization from ransomware attacks by watching this video:

All these capabilities in Cisco Secure Endpoint enable you to defend against ransomware attacks from compromising your endpoints while ensuring you stay resilient against threats. For more information on how Secure Endpoint can defend your organization from ransomware attacks, please watch the Cisco Secure Endpoint Ransomware Series.

1 BlackFog The State of Ransomware in 2022: https://www.blackfog.com/the-state-of-ransomware-in-2022


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By Ravie Lakshmanan
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