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Microsoft Warns of Large-Scale AiTM Phishing Attacks Against Over 10,000 Organizations

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Microsoft on Tuesday disclosed that a large-scale phishing campaign targeted over 10,000 organizations since September 2021 by hijacking Office 365's authentication process even on accounts secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA). "The attackers then used the stolen credentials and session cookies to access affected users' mailboxes and perform follow-on business email compromise (BEC)

Microsoft Patch Tuesday, July 2022 Edition

By BrianKrebs

Microsoft today released updates to fix at least 86 security vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and other software, including a weakness in all supported versions of Windows that Microsoft warns is actively being exploited. The software giant also has made a controversial decision to put the brakes on a plan to block macros in Office documents downloaded from the Internet.

In February, security experts hailed Microsoft’s decision to block VBA macros in all documents downloaded from the Internet. The company said it would roll out the changes in stages between April and June 2022.

Macros have long been a trusted way for cybercrooks to trick people into running malicious code. Microsoft Office by default warns users that enabling macros in untrusted documents is a security risk, but those warnings can be easily disabled with the click of button. Under Microsoft’s plan, the new warnings provided no such way to enable the macros.

As Ars Technica veteran reporter Dan Goodin put it, “security professionals—some who have spent the past two decades watching clients and employees get infected with ransomware, wipers, and espionage with frustrating regularity—cheered the change.”

But last week, Microsoft abruptly changed course. As first reported by BleepingComputer, Redmond said it would roll back the changes based on feedback from users.

“While Microsoft has not shared the negative feedback that led to the rollback of this change, users have reported that they are unable to find the Unblock button to remove the Mark-of-the-Web from downloaded files, making it impossible to enable macros,” Bleeping’s Sergiu Gatlan wrote.

Microsoft later said the decision to roll back turning off macros by default was temporary, although it has not indicated when this important change might be made for good.

The zero-day Windows vulnerability already seeing active attacks is CVE-2022-22047, which is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in all supported versions of Windows. Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative notes that while this bug is listed as being under active attack, there’s no information from Microsoft on where or how widely it is being exploited.

“The vulnerability allows an attacker to execute code as SYSTEM, provided they can execute other code on the target,” ZDI’s Dustin Childs wrote. “Bugs of this type are typically paired with a code execution bug, usually a specially crafted Office or Adobe document, to take over a system. These attacks often rely on macros, which is why so many were disheartened to hear Microsoft’s delay in blocking all Office macros by default.”

Kevin Breen, director of cyber threat research at Immersive Labs, said CVE-2022-22047 is the kind of vulnerability that is typically seen abused after a target has already been compromised.

“Crucially, it allows the attacker to escalate their permissions from that of a normal user to the same permissions as the SYSTEM,” he said. “With this level of access, the attackers are able to disable local services such as Endpoint Detection and Security tools. With SYSTEM access they can also deploy tools like Mimikatz which can be used to recover even more admin and domain level accounts, spreading the threat quickly.”

After a brief reprieve from patching serious security problems in the Windows Print Spooler service, we are back to business as usual. July’s patch batch contains fixes for four separate elevation of privilege vulnerabilities in Windows Print Spooler, identified as CVE-2022-22022, CVE-2022-22041, CVE-2022-30206, and CVE-2022-30226. Experts at security firm Tenable note that these four flaws provide attackers with the ability to delete files or gain SYSTEM level privileges on a vulnerable system.

Roughly a third of the patches issued today involve weaknesses in Microsoft’s Azure Site Recovery offering. Other components seeing updates this month include Microsoft Defender for Endpoint; Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based); Office; Windows BitLocker; Windows Hyper-V; Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync; and Xbox.

Four of the flaws fixed this month address vulnerabilities Microsoft rates “critical,” meaning they could be used by malware or malcontents to assume remote control over unpatched Windows systems, usually without any help from users. CVE-2022-22029 and CVE-2022-22039 affect Network File System (NFS) servers, and CVE-2022-22038 affects the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) runtime.

“Although all three of these will be relatively tricky for attackers to exploit due to the amount of sustained data that needs to be transmitted, administrators should patch sooner rather than later,” said Greg Wiseman, product manager at Rapid7. “CVE-2022-30221 supposedly affects the Windows Graphics Component, though Microsoft’s FAQ indicates that exploitation requires users to access a malicious RDP server.”

Separately, Adobe today issued patches to address at least 27 vulnerabilities across multiple products, including Acrobat and Reader, Photoshop, RoboHelp, and Adobe Character Animator.

For a closer look at the patches released by Microsoft today and indexed by severity and other metrics, check out the always-useful Patch Tuesday roundup from the SANS Internet Storm Center. And it’s not a bad idea to hold off updating for a few days until Microsoft works out any kinks in the updates: AskWoody.com usually has the lowdown on any patches that may be causing problems for Windows users.

As always, please consider backing up your system or at least your important documents and data before applying system updates. And if you run into any problems with these updates, please drop a note about it here in the comments.

Microsoft Releases Fix for Zero-Day Flaw in July 2022 Security Patch Rollout

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Microsoft released its monthly round of Patch Tuesday updates to address 84 new security flaws spanning multiple product categories, counting a zero-day vulnerability that's under active attack in the wild. Of the 84 shortcomings, four are rated Critical, and 80 are rated Important in severity. Also separately resolved by the tech giant are two other bugs in the Chromium-based Edge browser, one

Microsoft Windows Autopatch is Now Generally Available for Enterprise Systems

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Microsoft on Monday announced the general availability of a feature called Autopatch that automatically keeps Windows and Office software up-to-date on enrolled endpoints. The launch, which comes a day before Microsoft is expected to release its monthly round of security patches, is available for customers with Windows Enterprise E3 and E5 licenses. It, however, doesn't support Windows Education

That didn’t last! Microsoft turns off the Office security it just turned on

By Paul Ducklin
An Office anti-malware setting that took more than 20 years to arrive... and fewer than 20 weeks to vanish again.

PyPI Repository Makes 2FA Security Mandatory for Critical Python Projects

By Ravie Lakshmanan
The maintainers of the official third-party software repository for Python have begun imposing a new two-factor authentication (2FA) condition for projects deemed "critical." "We've begun rolling out a 2FA requirement: soon, maintainers of critical projects must have 2FA enabled to publish, update, or modify them," Python Package Index (PyPI) said in a tweet last week. "Any maintainer of a

Hackers Exploiting Follina Bug to Deploy Rozena Backdoor

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A newly observed phishing campaign is leveraging the recently disclosed Follina security vulnerability to distribute a previously undocumented backdoor on Windows systems. "Rozena is a backdoor malware that is capable of injecting a remote shell connection back to the attacker's machine," Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researcher Cara Lin said in a report this week. Tracked as CVE-2022-30190, the

Microsoft Temporarily Rolls Back Plan to Block Office VBA Macros by Default

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Five months after announcing plans to disable Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros by default in the Office productivity suite, Microsoft appears to have rolled back its plans. "Based on feedback received, a rollback has started," Microsoft employee Angela Robertson said in a July 6 comment. "An update about the rollback is in progress. I apologize for any inconvenience of the rollback

Over 1,200 NPM Packages Found Involved in "CuteBoi" Cryptomining Campaign

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Researchers have disclosed what they say could be an attempt to kick-off a new large-scale cryptocurrency mining campaign targeting the NPM JavaScript package repository. The malicious activity, attributed to a software supply chain threat actor dubbed CuteBoi, involves an array of 1,283 rogue modules that were published in an automated fashion from over 1,000 different user accounts. "This was

Researchers Uncover Malicious NPM Packages Stealing Data from Apps and Web Forms

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A widespread software supply chain attack has targeted the NPM package manager at least since December 2021 with rogue modules designed to steal data entered in forms by users on websites that include them. The coordinated attack, dubbed IconBurst by ReversingLabs, involves no fewer than two dozen NPM packages that include obfuscated JavaScript, which comes with malicious code to harvest

Microsoft Warns About Evolving Capabilities of Toll Fraud Android Malware Apps

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Microsoft has detailed the evolving capabilities of toll fraud malware apps on Android, pointing out its "complex multi-step attack flow" and an improved mechanism to evade security analysis. Toll fraud belongs to a category of billing fraud wherein malicious mobile applications come with hidden subscription fees, roping in unsuspecting users to premium content without their knowledge or consent

Google Improves Its Password Manager to Boost Security Across All Platforms

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Google on Thursday announced a slew of improvements to its password manager service aimed at creating a more consistent look and feel across different platforms. Central to the changes is a "simplified and unified management experience that's the same in Chrome and Android settings," Ali Sarraf, Google Chrome product manager, said in a blog post. The updates are also expected to automatically

New 'SessionManager' Backdoor Targeting Microsoft IIS Servers in the Wild

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A newly discovered malware has been put to use in the wild at least since March 2021 to backdoor Microsoft Exchange servers belonging to a wide range of entities worldwide, with infections lingering in 20 organizations as of June 2022. Dubbed SessionManager, the malicious tool masquerades as a module for Internet Information Services (IIS), a web server software for Windows systems, after

Microsoft Warns of Cryptomining Malware Campaign Targeting Linux Servers

By Ravie Lakshmanan
A cloud threat actor group tracked as 8220 has updated its malware toolset to breach Linux servers with the goal of installing crypto miners as part of a long-running campaign. "The updates include the deployment of new versions of a crypto miner and an IRC bot," Microsoft Security Intelligence said in a series of tweets on Thursday. "The group has actively updated its techniques and payloads

New 'FabricScape' Bug in Microsoft Azure Service Fabric Impacts Linux Workloads

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 disclosed details of a new security flaw affecting Microsoft's Service Fabric that could be exploited to obtain elevated permissions and seize control of all nodes in a cluster. The issue, which has been dubbed FabricScape (CVE-2022-30137), could only be weaponized on containers that are configured to have runtime access. It has been 

APT Hackers Targeting Industrial Control Systems with ShadowPad Backdoor

By Ravie Lakshmanan
Entities located in Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Pakistan are in the crosshairs of an attack campaign that targets unpatched Microsoft Exchange Servers as an initial access vector to deploy the ShadowPad malware. Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, which first detected the activity in mid-October 2021, attributed it to a previously unknown Chinese-speaking threat actor. Targets include

Mysterious “Follina” zero-day hole in Office – here’s what to do!

By Paul Ducklin
News has emerged of a "feature" in Office that has been abused as a zero-day bug to run evil code. Turning off macros doesn't help!

Good Luck Not Accidentally Hiring a North Korean Scammer

By Lily Hay Newman
DPRK hackers are tricking their way into jobs with Western firms. A US government alert reminds employers they're on the front lines—and potentially on the hook.

Microsoft patches the Patch Tuesday patch that broke authentication

By Paul Ducklin
Remember the good old days when security patches rarely needed patches? Because security patches themlelves were rare enough anyway?

GitHub issues final report on supply-chain source code intrusions

By Paul Ducklin
Learn how to find out which apps you've given access rights to, and how to revoke those rights immediately in an emergency.

What Are Browser Cookies and How Do I Manage Them?

By McAfee

As an avid internet surfer, you’ve most likely heard of cookies. No, we’re not talking about the ones filled with chocolate chips. We’re talking about the ones that allow you to log in to your favorite websites. Cookies may impact your online security, so check out these tips to manage them and keep your online accounts safe.  

What Are Cookies in Browsers?  

Ever wonder how a website saves the items you placed in your shopping cart last week, even though you closed the tab before making the purchase? This is made possible by cookies. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a cookie is information saved by your web browser. When you visit a website, the site may place a cookie on your web browser so it can recognize your device in the future. If you return to that site later, it can read that cookie to remember you from your last visit, keeping track of your activities over time.1  

First-party vs. Third-party Cookies  

Cookies come in either the first-party or third-party variety. There’s no difference between the two in how they function, but rather in where and how you encountered them. First-party cookies belong to sites you visited first-hand in your browser. Third-party cookies, or “tracking cookies,” generally come from third-party advertising websites. 

Magic Cookies vs. HTTP Cookies 

Although cookies generally function the same, there are technically two different types of cookies. Magic cookies refer to packets of information that are sent and received without changes. Historically, this would be used to log in to a computer database system, such as an internal business  network. This concept predates the modern cookie we use today. 

HTTP cookies are a repurposed version of the magic cookie built for internet browsing and managing online experiences. HTTP cookies help web developers give you more personalized, convenient website experiences. They allow sites to remember you, your website logins, and shopping carts so you can pick back up where you left off from your last visit. However, cybercriminals can manipulate HTTP cookies to spy on your online activity and steal your personal information. 

What Is Cookie Hijacking?  

Cookie hijacking (also known as session hijacking) is typically initiated when a cybercriminal sends you a fake login page. If you click the fake link, the thief can steal the cookie and capture anything you type while on the fraudulent website. Like a phishing attack, cookie hijacking allows a cybercriminal to steal personal information like usernames, passwords, and other important data held within the cookie. If you enter your information while on the fake website, the criminal can then put that cookie in their browser and impersonate you online. They may even change your credentials, locking you out of your account.  

Sometimes, criminals initiate cookie hijacking attacks without a fake link. If you’re browsing on an unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection, hackers can easily steal your data that’s traveling through the connection. This can happen even if the site is secure and your username and password are encrypted. 

Can Cookies Compromise Your Browser Security?  

Because the data in cookies doesn’t change, cookies themselves aren’t harmful. They can’t infect computers with viruses or malware. But if your cookies are hijacked as part of a cyberattack, a criminal could gain access to your browsing history and use cookies as the key to enter your locked accounts. For example, a hacker may steal your identity or confidential company information, purchase items in your online shopping carts, or loot your bank account.  

Tips for a More Secure Browsing Experience 

Preventing cookie hijacking attacks can allow you to browse the internet with greater peace of mind. Follow these tips to not only safeguard your personal information but to also enhance your browsing experience:  

Clean out the cookie jar  

Make it a habit to clear your cookie cache regularly to prevent cookie overload, which could slow your search speeds. Also, almost every browser has the option to enable/disable cookies on your computer. So if you don’t want them at all, your browser’s support section can walk you through how to disable them. 

Turn off autofill features 

Although it’s convenient to not have to re-type your credentials into a website you frequently visit, autofill features could make it easier for a criminal to extract your data with cookie hijacking. Plus, autofill is risky if your physical device falls into the wrong hands. To browse more securely without having to constantly reenter your passwords, use a password manager like McAfee True Key. True Key makes it so you only have to remember one master password, and it encrypts the rest in a vault protected by one of the most secure encryption algorithms available. 

Opt into multi-factor authentication 

Strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts, updated regularly, offer ample protection against hackers. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds yet another layer of security by double-checking your identity beyond your username and password, usually with a texted or emailed code. When your accounts offer MFA, always opt in. 

Connect to a virtual private network (VPN) 

Criminals can hijack your cookies if you’re browsing on an unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection. To prevent a criminal from swiping your data, use a virtual private network (VPN), a service that protects your data and privacy online. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel that makes you anonymous by masking your IP address while connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots. This is a great way to shield your information from online spies while you’re banking, shopping, or handling any kind of sensitive information online. 

Use antivirus software 

McAfee LiveSafe™ is an antivirus solution that protects your computer and mobile devices from suspicious web cookies by: 

  • Allowing you to keep your online passwords (which are often stored in cookies) in one secure location. 
  • Warning you of suspicious links, keeping potentially harmful cookies off your device. 
  • Protecting you against viruses and malware. 
  • Blocking spam and emails that could lead to sites containing dangerous cookies.  

The post What Are Browser Cookies and How Do I Manage Them? appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Yet another Chrome zero-day emergency update – patch now!

By Paul Ducklin
The third emergency Chrome 0-day in three months - the first one was exploited by North Korea, so you might as well get this one ASAP.

It’s World Backup Day! Here’s How You Can Preserve Your Files

By McAfee

Let’s play a game. Go to the Photos app on your phone and look at the total number of videos and images on your device – all those precious memories of family vacations, clips from your favorite concert, and countless snapshots of your furry companion. Next, open your laptop or desktop and check to see how many documents you have saved — perhaps all the research reports you have saved to defend your graduate thesis or an important slideshow you’re presenting to your boss on Monday. If you had to guess, would you say the total number of these various pieces of data is into the thousands? Now imagine if all this data was suddenly gone. What would you do?  

You might be thinking, “That will never happen to me.” However, this situation is more common than you think. More than 60 million computers will fail worldwide this year, and over 200,000 smartphones are lost or stolen every year. That’s why we’re celebrating World Backup Day by sharing how you can properly back up your files and find peace of mind knowing that your data is safe and sound.  

What Are Backups and Why Are They Important? 

A backup is a separate copy of your important and sentimental digital files and information. Storing all that data in one place, like a personal computer or smartphone, can prove unsafe. Creating another copy of that data through a backup will ensure that it’s stored and kept safe somewhere else should your device get wiped or stolen. 

It’s important to recognize that data loss isn’t something that only happens to huge corporations or unsuspecting victims in spy movies. Everyone is susceptible to data loss or theft and backing up that data is an easy step to protect all your information and prevent cybercriminals from taking what isn’t theirs. 

Data Storage 101 

Data is one of the most important assets in the modern world. As we illustrated earlier, people collect countless files that contain valuable information they want to keep safe. Luckily, there are two common and inexpensive ways that a user can store their data and their ever-important backups.  

Cloud storage  

Although “the cloud” became a major buzzword years ago, its definition is still cloudy for some folks. The cloud exists in remote data centers that you can access via the internet. Any data you’ve uploaded to the cloud exists on dedicated servers and storage volumes housed in distant warehouses, often situated on campuses full of such warehouses. Data centers are owned by cloud service providers, who are responsible for keeping the servers up and running.  

To keep your data physically safe from theft and destruction, and to make sure it’s available whenever you want to access it, data centers run extensive cooling systems to keep the electronics from overheating and have at least one backup generator in case of power outages. But how do they make sure that this data is secure in the cybersphere? Cloud systems use authentication processes like usernames and passwords to limit access, and data encryption to protect data that is stolen or intercepted. However, it’s important to remember that passwords can be hacked. Typically, the service provider holds the encryption keys to your data, meaning that rogue employees could, theoretically, access it. Likewise, your data could also potentially be searched and seized by government entities. 

This begs the question: Trust or don’t trust? Because cloud storage companies live and die by their reputation, you can rest assured knowing that they go to great lengths to use the most advanced security techniques and provide the most reliable service possible. To help ensure the security of your data should you choose to store or back it up to the cloud, keep anything truly sensitive in a private cloud behind a firewall.  

External hard drive  

With an external hard drive, you can manually back up all your data and files yourself onto a physical device that you can access anytime. These drives are a reliable way to achieve data redundancy. An external hard drive doesn’t rely on internet access like cloud-based services and is an easy fix when transferring data to a new device. However, using external hard drives requires a more hands-on approach to backing up your data. It’s your responsibility to regularly perform backups yourself and store your hard drive in a safe location. While cloud solutions offer huge amounts of storage, storage space on hard drives are limited, so you may have to purchase more than one device. Look for an external drive with at least a terabyte of space to accommodate all your data, which tends to accumulate quickly. 

Kickstart Your Digital Spring Cleaning  

As you’re cleaning out your garage and tidying up your home, take the same care to do some digital spring cleaning this World Backup Day. Give your devices, apps, and online accounts a good decluttering and gain more peace of mind knowing that all your valuable data is stored in a safe, secure place … and that you have a backup in case something goes awry. Remember, proactivity goes a long way toward shoring up your cybersecurity and protecting your information.   

The post It’s World Backup Day! Here’s How You Can Preserve Your Files appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Helping Mom & Dad: Online Banking

By McAfee

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles about how we can help our elder parents get the most out of digital life—the ways we can help them look after their finances and health online, along with how they can use the internet to keep connected with friends and family, all safely and simply.

Online banking is for everyone. Or at least it should be. 

The benefits of online banking are many for our moms, dads, and grandparents, just as they are for us. Elder adults can deposit checks, pay bills, transfer money to and from investments, and so on, all without needing to leave home. However, our parents and the older people in our lives may face a few hurdles that are holding them back. As a son, daughter, or loved one, there are things you can do to help them clear those hurdles so they can enjoy the convenience of online banking, safely and securely. 

What do some of those hurdles look like?  

  • Familiarity, for one. Their comfort level with the internet simply may not be as high as ours. (After all, so many of us have grown up with it to some degree.) The web page layouts, transactional flows, and basic internet navigation sense that we all take for granted may still feel a touch foreign to them.  
  • Another hurdle is trust. Many of our parents simply know and have come to trust, in-person and face-to-face interactions, particularly at a bank. Simply put, they may be far more trusting of the teller behind the window than the web page on the browser. 

Meanwhile, the digital world continues to evolve apace, particularly with regard to online banking. Between 2018 and 2022, the number of people in the U.S. who use online banking steadily rose to more than 65%, and more than three-quarters of Americans used a mobile device the last time they checked their balance. And as of 2020, nearly two billion people worldwide used online banking, a number that only continues to increase. 

This rise in online banking has implications for the elders in our lives. Even if they aren’t active in online banking themselves, their financial information is part of this digital mix. The banks and financial institutions where they keep their savings and funds are digitally connected and digitally accessible. At a minimum, this means that they should take steps to protect themselves and their finances. Yet the upside is here is that we can help them do much more than that—that we can actually help them take advantage of online banking and enjoy its benefits. 

Setting up online banking for mom and dad—start with the basics 

Depending on their comfort level, you may want to start by reviewing some basic digital literacy before diving right into online banking. As mentioned above, there’s so much about the internet that we take for granted, and the elders in your life may benefit a little 101-level introduction to the internet. 

When you’re both confident that their comfort level with the internet is in the right place, you can move on to the next step—making sure mom and dad have solid online protection in place. This is square one before going online, particularly when you’re banking online. Some basic digital hygiene will help protect their banking and finances. Moreover, it will help protect the other things they do online as well.  

The following quick list is a great way to make them far more secure: 

1) Update their software

That includes the operating system of their computers, smartphones, and tablets, along with the apps that are on them. Many updates include security upgrades and fixes that make it tougher for hackers to launch an attack. 

2) Lock up

Computers, smartphones, and tablets will have a way of locking them using a PIN, a password, a fingerprint, or the owner’s face. Take advantage of that protection, which is particularly important if that device is lost or stolen.  

3) Learn about tracking and wiping smartphones

This is important should they lose their smartphone or believe it’s been stolen. Have them turn on device tracking so that they can locate their phone or even wipe its data and contents remotely if they 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.  

4) Use online protection software  

Protecting your devices with comprehensive online protection software will defend them against the latest virus, malware, spyware and ransomware attacks plus help steer them clear of phishing attacks and malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information. Also, make sure it offers a password manager like ours does, which can create and store strong, unique passwords for each of their accounts—alleviating the burden of mom and dad remembering them.  

5) Look into an identity protection service

With all the personally identifiable information (PII) we create simply by using the internet, tracking and monitoring your PII is essential for preventing identity fraud and theft. The same is true for mom and dad. A strong identity theft protection package will offer cyber monitoring that can detect the misuse of your PII. Our identity protection service takes that protection a step further if the unfortunate happens with $1M coverage for lawyer fees, travel expenses, lost wages, and more. 

Take it in steps 

With their devices and PII more secure, you can move on to the banking portion itself. While there’s so much you can do with online banking, it’s a good idea to take things one at a time. Some elders aren’t sure how to sign up for online banking with their financial institution, so you can start there. Take them through the setup process (using that strong, unique password as mentioned above) and simply get them going.  

From there, they can familiarize themselves with the layout of banking site or app they’re using. A straightforward task like checking account balances is a great way to do just that. After their comfort level with the site or app tales root, you can move on to other things they can do online, like pay bills online, deposit a paper check with their phone, and review their statements for any discrepancies. 

Be ready to lend an ear and a hand 

Another thing that may help put your folks at ease is to let them know you’re there to help. Questions will inevitably come up, and it’ll be a great comfort to them knowing that you’re around to lend them a quick answer as needed.  

For example, let’s talk about spotting possible discrepancies in their statements. Some account entries may look a little strange because the name of a business does not always match the way it appears in a bank or credit card statement. This may lead to questions about the purchase—was it something they made? Is it a legitimate charge? These are answers you can help them track down. 

Related, online banking provides our parents with a powerful tool against identity theft and fraud. By reviewing account statements closely, they can potentially spot bogus charges and purchases before they become a larger, and more costly, problem. (For a great primer on the topic, read and share this article that covers identity theft and fraud, along with steps to prevent it.) 

Call on the experts 

Several different banks offer resources specifically for elder bankers. The offerings will of course vary from bank to bank, yet you may find that they have videos and information on their websites designed to make online banking easier. Likewise, they may offer special services that mom and dad may qualify for. In all, feel free to lean on their bank for assistance as needed. They’re there to help. 

You can also look into independent resources as well, such as the AARP and “Ready, Set, Bank,” which both provide a wealth of videos and articles about online banking.   

Helping mom & dad get the most from online banking 

As kids, grandkids, and younger loved ones, there’s plenty we can do to help the elders in our lives enjoy online banking with confidence. Shoring up their security, starting them easy, and then being there to answer questions can help them clear the hurdles of familiarity and trust they face. 

Just as they’ve guided you through the ins and outs of life, here’s a chance to return the favor. What’s more, it’s yet another way you can spend time together, whether in person or over a call. And that’s a good thing. 

The post Helping Mom & Dad: Online Banking appeared first on McAfee Blog.

The Wearable Future Is Hackable. Here’s What You Need To Know

By McAfee

Quick mental math challenge: How many Apple Watches can you buy with $118 billion dollars? If you guessed around 296 million watches congrats, you’re smarter than the writer of this blog! We had to use a calculator. The point is that’s the predicted size of the US wearable market by 2028 according to a recent report. That means for as much wearable tech as we have in our lives already, even more, is on the way. 

If you own a piece of wearable tech it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. After all, it can track our fitness, provide contextual help in daily life, and, in the case of hearing aids, even do cool things like sync with Bluetooth. As VR and AR gains a foothold who knows what other incredible tech might be headed our way by 2028? However wearable tech also comes with certain risks. The most prominent: cybercriminals potentially gaining access to your data. 

How can criminals gain access to your wearable data? 

The weakest link in the wearables space is your mobile phone, not the actual wearable device itself. That’s because wearables tend to link to your mobile device over a short-range wireless spectrum known as “Bluetooth.” This spectrum is used to send and receive data between your wearable device and your mobile. That makes your mobile a prime target for hackers. 

Most commonly, hackers gain access to the data on your mobile through malware-laden apps. These apps are oftentimes designed to look like popular apps, but with enough differences that they don’t flag copyright suspicion. 

What are they doing with my wearable data?

Hackers can use these malicious apps to do a variety of things from making phone calls without your permission, sending and receiving texts, and extracting personal informationall potentially without your knowledge. They can also, with the help of your wearable, track your location through GPS and record any health issues you’ve entered into your wearable. The point is: once they have permissions to your mobile device, they have a lot of control and a lot of resources. 

The hacker can then use this data to conduct varying forms of fraud. Need a special prescription from your doctor that happens to sell well on the black market? Well, so does the hacker. Going out for a jog in the morning? Good information for a burglar to know. These personal details just scratch the surface of information available for the taking on your mobile devices.

Beyond wearables and into the internet of things

These types of threats aren’t limited to wearables, however. The Internet of Things—the phenomenon of devices connected to the Internet for analysis and optimization—encompasses all sorts of other electronic devices such as washing machines and refrigerators that can put your data at risk as well. But these life-changing devices can be secured through education and industry standards. Two things we’re working on day and night. 

Defend your wearables and your personal information

  • Use a PIN. All of your mobile devices ought to have a personal identification number (PIN). This basic security method is a great way of dissuading casual hackers or thieves from stealing your data. 
  • Limit what you share. Most wearables don’t need access to every piece of information about you. You can lessen the likelihood of your wearable sharing sensitive information by only entering the information your wearable device requires. On the flip side, always double-check the permissions that the wearables app is requesting on your mobile device. Does it really need access to your location, camera roll, and address book? If not, be sure to alter these settings appropriately. 
  • Use identity protection. Identity protection can monitor your accounts online – accounts tied to your wearable – so you can receive alerts if that information has been compromised or found online. If it has, a service like McAfee’s Identity Protection Service may also provide insurance and loss remediation as well.

Of course, securing the weakest link in your wearables environment, your phone will go a long way towards keeping your data safe. But what happens when your computer, where you store backups of your smartphone, is compromised too? We’ve got you covered with McAfee LiveSafe™ service, our comprehensive security solution that provides protection for your entire online life. 

The post The Wearable Future Is Hackable. Here’s What You Need To Know appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Google announces zero-day in Chrome browser – update now!

By Paul Ducklin
Zero-day buses: none for a while, then three at once. Here's Google joining Apple and Adobe in "zero-day week"

At last! Office macros from the internet to be blocked by default

By Paul Ducklin
It's been a long time coming, and we're not there yet, but at least Microsoft Office will be a bit safer against macro malware...

Wormable Windows HTTP hole – what you need to know

By Paul Ducklin
One bug in the January 2022 Patch Tuesday list is getting lots of attention: "HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability".

Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers

By Lily Saleh

With the holidays on the horizon, spirits are high—and it’s those same high spirits that hackers want to exploit. ‘Tis the season for clever social engineering attacks that play on your emotions, designed to trick you into giving up personal info or access to your accounts.  

Social engineering attacks unfold much like a confidence scam. A crook takes advantage of someone’s trust, applies a little human psychology to further fool the victim, and then pulls off a theft. Online, a social engineering attack will likely involve a theft attempt of personal or account information that the crook can then use to make purchases, drain accounts, and so forth. 

Not at all in the holiday spirit, right? Let’s take a look at some of their top tricks so that you can spot and avoid them. 

As said, spirits can get high this time of year. There’s looking forward to gatherings with family and friends, the fun that comes along with hunting for that perfect gift, and the excitement of the holidays overall. And that’s what hackers count on—people getting caught up in the rush of the holidays, to the point where they may not look at emails, offers, shipping notices, and such with a critical eye. That’s how the scammers get their foot in the door. 

Some of their favored tricks can look a little like this: 

1. Special access to hard-to-get holiday gifts. 

What are the holidays without that trendy “must-get” gift item, the one that’s seemingly out of stock no matter where you look? Scammers are keen on these items as well and will prop up phony ads and storefronts that pretend to sell those items but really don’t. Instead, they’re just a shady way for them to steal your debit or credit card information—or to lift a few bucks out of your pocket in return for nothing. 

One way to keep from getting burned by one of these scams is to follow the old adage, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” In this case, crooks are using feelings of scarcity and urgency to get you to bite. Here’s where you can take a moment before you click to do some research.  

  • How long has the company been around?  
  • Are there reviews of this company?  
  • Do you have friends who’ve shopped with them before (and had a good experience)?  
  • What is their listing with the Better Business Bureau (and do they even have a listing)? 

Answers to these questions can separate the good businesses from the bogus ones. 

2. Gift card and coupon scams. 

Like the above, crooks will create a sense of urgency about a hot holiday item or limited time offer. The twist comes when they request payment via a gift card rather than by credit or debit card or other legitimate online payment methods. This request is highly deliberate because gift cards are much like cash. Once the money on the card is spent, it’s gone, and these cards do not offer the same protections that come with other payment methods. 

You can avoid this one easily. If anyone asks you to use a gift card as payment, it’s a scam. Gift cards are for gifts, not payment, says the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If you come across such a scam, you can report it to the FTC as well. 

3. Charity scams. 

Donating to a charity in someone else’s name is often a popular gift. Much the same, giving a donation to a worthy cause feels particularly good this time of year. Once again, scammers will take advantage of these good intentions by propping up phony charities designed to do nothing more than dupe you out of your money. Whether that’s a flat-out phony charity or one of the many other scam charities that have been known to pocket 90 cents of every dollar donated, this is the time of year to be on the lookout for both. 

The advice here is much the same as the advice for avoiding phony businesses and retailers. Do your homework. The Better Business Bureau maintains a listing of charities that can help you make good donation choices. Also, your state government’s charity officials can help you separate good charities from bad—and even file a report if you suspect a scam is at play. 

And once again, if a charity is asking for donations in the form of cash, gift cards, or wire transfer, just say no. That’s a surefire sign of a scam. 

4. Phony shipping notices. 

Scammers know you have packages in transit this holiday season, loaded with gifts that you’re eagerly tracking. Enter another classic scam—the phony shipping notice. The idea is that you already have so many packages on their way that you won’t think twice about opening an email with a “shipping notice” that comes in the form of an attachment. Of course, that attachment is a fake. And it’s loaded with malware.  

Too bad for scammers, though. This is another one you can steer clear of rather easily. Don’t open such attachments. Shipping companies will almost certainly send along notices and invoices in the body of an email, not as an attachment. If you have a question, you can always visit the shipper’s website and look up your tracking info there. Likewise, follow up with the customer service department of the company that you purchased the item from in the first place. 

Yet more ways you can protect yourself from holiday scams 

While the holidays are a special time for scammers too, there are several things you can do to up the level of your protection now and year ‘round. A quick list includes: 

  • Secure your devices and set your email spam filters. If you haven’t already, secure your devices with comprehensive online protection. With that in place, it can prevent you from mistakenly clicking risky links and downloads, blot out spam emails before they reach your inbox, and protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords. 
  • Protect your identity too. Another thing that comprehensive online protection should cover is you. With identity theft protection, you can protect yourself. It can monitor dozens of different types of personal info along with your email addresses and bank accounts—plus provide theft insurance and support from a licensed recovery pro if identity theft, unfortunately, happens to you. 
  • Beware of downloads you aren’t expecting. This is always good form because hackers love to spike downloads with malware designed to steal your personal information. Whether you get an unexpected attachment from a friend or business, follow up with them before opening it. If they say they didn’t send it, that’s a quick way to find out whether the attachment is legitimate or not. 
  • Keep an eye out for typos and poorly crafted messages. Scammers may know a thing or two about human nature, but that doesn’t mean that they’re the best writers, designers, and website developers. A common sign of a scam is an email, ad, message, or site that simply doesn’t look or read right. Granted, some scammers have gotten quite good at making their scams look legitimate, yet many still fail to clear that bar 

Keep the good feeling going this holiday season 

No doubt, the holidays have a feel all to themselves, one which hackers and crooks want to take advantage of. They’ll craft their tricks accordingly and try to twist the good times that roll around at the end of the year into scams that capitalize on your good intentions. As you can see, it’s not too tough to spot them for what they are if you pause and take a moment to scrutinize those emails, offers, and sales. And that’s the thing with the holidays. We can all feel pinched for time at some point or other during this stretch. Look out for their pressure tactics and seemingly clever ways of using social engineering to rip you off. That way, you can spend the holidays focusing on what’s important—your friends and family. 

The post Social Engineering: Tis the Season for Tricky Hackers appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Check your patches – public exploit now out for critical Exchange bug

By Paul Ducklin
It was a zero-day bug until Patch Tuesday, now there's an anyone-can-use-it exploit. Don't be the one who hasn't patched.

5 Signs Your Device May be Infected with Malware or a Virus

By Toni Birdsong

The malware landscape is growing more complex by the minute, which means that no device under your family’s roof—be it Android, iPhone, PC, or Mac—is immune to an outside attack. This reality makes it possible that one or more of your devices may have already been infected. But would you know it? 

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Hackmas 

According to 2021 statistics from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the number of data breaches reported has soared by 17 percent over last year. In addition, as reported by McAfee, cybercriminals have been quick to take advantage of the increase in pandemic connectivity throughout 2020. McAfee Labs saw an average of 375 new threats per minute and a surge of hackers exploiting the pandemic through COVID-19 themed phishing campaigns, malicious apps, malware, and more. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday now at hand, we can count on even more new threats.  

Have you been hacked? 

Often, if your device has been compromised, you know it. Things get wonky. However, with the types of malware and viruses now circulating, there’s a chance you may not even realize it. The malware or virus may be working in the background sending usage details or sensitive information to a third party without disrupting other functions. So, be on the lookout for these tell-tale signs.  

5 signs of malware or a virus 

  1. Your device is hot to the touch. When you accidentally download malware, your device’s internal components immediately begin working harder to support the malware or virus that’s been embedded. This may cause your device to be hot to the touch or even overheat.  
  2. Everything ‘feels off.’ Much like a human virus can impact our whole body, a digital virus can impact every area of a device’s performance. For instance, it may cause websites to load slower, it may cause apps to crash, or your battery may not hold a charge. Overall performance remains sluggish no matter how many times you reboot or how many large files you delete.  
  3. An increase in random pop-ups and new apps. If your device is housing a malicious app or a virus, you may notice an increase in random pop-ups (more than usual). And, if you take a closer look at your app library, you may even see app icons from apps you never downloaded.   
  4. Fraudulent links from your accounts. It’s common for malware to gain access to your contacts list and then use your phone to send out messages to your friends—a powerful tactic designed to spread the malware to your contacts and their contacts and so on. This can happen via email, and more commonly, via your social media accounts. If you notice this cycle, change your passwords immediately and scan your devices for malware that may be working in the background on all devices.  
  5. You have unauthorized charges. If you notice unauthorized charges on your credit card or banking statements, dig deeper. It may be a malicious app making purchases on your behalf or malware that’s grabbed your personal information to make fraudulent purchases.  

Ways to safeguard family devices

  • Stay on top of updates. In addition to installing comprehensive security software to block malware and viruses, be sure to update your device’s security features. Regular updates give you the latest security features, some of which have been developed to thwart specific attacks. 
  • Use strong, unique passwords. Every family device should have a strong password along with a unique username. This means changing your factory settings immediately and getting your family on a schedule to change passwords.  
  • Know your apps. Only download apps from trusted sources. Avoid third-party apps. Also, consider researching the app safeguards and reading reviews before installing. A best practice is to stick to apps from the app store or verified associated app stores. 
  • Don’t click that link. Slow down and notice your digital surroundings. Does that link look suspicious? Phishing scams that load malware and viruses onto your devices often come in emails, text messages, or via your trusted social media circles.  
  • Lockdown settings and limit app permissions. A great way to block malware is to make all accounts as private as possible and limit app permissions. Instead of opting for “always-on” in an app’s permissions, change the setting, so it requires you to give the app permission every time. In addition, if an app requests access to your contacts or connect to other apps in your digital ecosystem, decline. Each time you allow an app to connect to different branches of your digital footprint, you hand over personal data and open yourself up to various new risks.  
  • Clear browsing history. Take the time to go through your history and data. If you notice a suspicious link, delete it. Clear your browsing history by choosing your browser and clicking “clear history and website data.” 

Next steps 

If you discover a family device has been compromised, there are several things you can do. 1) Install security software that will help you identify the malware so you can clean your device and protect yourself in the future. 2) Delete any apps you didn’t download, delete risky texts, delete browsing history and empty your cache. 3) In some situations, malware warrants that you wipe and restore your device (Apple or Android) to its original settings. Before doing so, however, do your research and be sure you’ve backed up any photos and critical documents to the cloud. 4) Once you’ve cleaned up your devices, be sure to change your passwords.  

The surge in malware attacks brings with it a clear family mandate that if we want to continue to live and enjoy the fantastic benefits of a connected life, we must also work together at home to make online safety and privacy a daily priority.  

The post 5 Signs Your Device May be Infected with Malware or a Virus appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Patch Tuesday updates the Win 7 updater… for at most 1 more year of updates

By Paul Ducklin
The clock stopped long ago on Windows 7, except for those who paid for overtime. But there won't be any double overtime!

Top Signs of Identity Theft

By Natalie Maxfield

When it comes to identity theft, trust your gut when something doesn’t feel right. Follow up. What you’re seeing could be a problem.  

A missing bill or a mysterious charge on your credit card could be the tip of an identity theft iceberg, one that can run deep if left unaddressed. Here, we’ll look at several signs of identity theft that likely need some investigation and the steps you can take to take charge of the situation.  

How does identity theft happen in the first place?  

Unfortunately, it can happen in several ways.   

In the physical world, it can happen simply because you lost your wallet or debit card. However, there are also cases where someone gets your information by going through your mail or trash for bills and statements. In other more extreme cases, theft can happen by someone successfully registering a change of address form in your name (although the U.S. Postal Service has security measures in place that make this difficult).   

In the digital world, that’s where the avenues of identity theft blow wide open. It could come by way of a data breach, a thief “skimming” credit card information from a point-of-sale terminal, or by a dedicated crook piecing together various bits of personal information that have been gathered from social media, phishing attacks, or malware designed to harvest information. Additionally, thieves may eavesdrop on public Wi-Fi and steal information from people who’re shopping or banking online without the security of a VPN.    

Regardless of how crooks pull it off, identity theft is on the rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft claims jumped up from roughly 650,000 claims in 2019 to nearly 1.4 million in 2020—practically double. Of the reported fraud cases where a dollar loss was reported, the FTC calls out the following top three contact methods for identity theft:  

  • Online ads that direct you to a scammer’s site are designed to steal your information.  
  • Malicious websites and apps also steal information when you use them.  
  • Social media scams lure you into providing personal information, whether through posts or direct messages.  

However, phone calls, texts, and email remain the most preferred contact methods that fraudsters use, even if they are less successful in creating dollar losses than malicious websites, ads, and social media.  

What are some signs of identity theft?  

Identity thieves leave a trail. With your identity in hand, they can charge things to one or more of your existing accounts—and if they have enough information about you, they can even create entirely new accounts in your name. Either way, once an identity thief strikes, you’re probably going to notice that something is wrong. Possible signs include:  

  • You start getting mail for accounts that you never opened.   
  • Statements or bills stop showing up from your legitimate accounts.  
  • You receive authentication messages for accounts you don’t recognize via email, text, or phone.   
  • Debt collectors contact you about an account you have no knowledge of.  
  • Unauthorized transactions, however large or small, show up in your bank or credit card statements.  
  • You apply for credit and get unexpectedly denied.  
  • And in extreme cases, you discover that someone else has filed a tax return in your name.  

As you can see, the signs of possible identity theft can run anywhere from, “Well, that’s strange …” to “OH NO!” However, the good news is that there are several ways to check if someone is using your identity before it becomes a problem – or before it becomes a big problem that gets out of hand.   

Steps to take if you suspect that you’re the victim of identity theft  

The point is that if you suspect fraud, you need to act right away. With identity theft becoming increasingly commonplace, many businesses, banks, and organizations have fraud reporting mechanisms in place that can assist you should you have any concerns. With that in mind, here are some immediate steps you can take:  

1) Notify the companies and institutions involved 

Whether you spot a curious charge on your bank statement or you discover what looks like a fraudulent account when you get your free credit report, let the bank or business involved know you suspect fraud. With a visit to their website, you can track down the appropriate number to call and get the investigation process started.   

2) File a police report 

Some businesses will require you to file a local police report to acquire a case number to complete your claim. Even beyond a business making such a request, filing a report is still a good idea. Identity theft is still theft and reporting it provides an official record of the incident. Should your case of identity theft lead to someone impersonating you or committing a crime in your name, filing a police report right away can help clear your name down the road. Be sure to save any evidence you have, like statements or documents that are associated with the theft. They can help clean up your record as well.  

3) Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

The FTC’s identity theft website is a fantastic resource should you find yourself in need. Above and beyond simply reporting the theft, the FTC can provide you with a step-by-step recovery plan—and even walk you through the process if you create an account with them. Additionally, reporting theft to the FTC can prove helpful if debtors come knocking to collect on any bogus charges in your name. You can provide them with a copy of your FTC report and ask them to stop.  

4) Place a fraud alert and consider a credit freeze 

You can place a free one-year fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax), and they will notify the other two. A fraud alert will make it tougher for thieves to open accounts in your name, as it requires businesses to verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name.  

A credit freeze goes a step further. As the name implies, a freeze prohibits creditors from pulling your credit report, which is needed to approve credit. Such a freeze is in place until you lift it, and it will also apply to legitimate queries as well. Thus, if you intend to get a loan or new credit card while a freeze is in place, you’ll likely need to take extra measures to see that through. Contact each of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) to put a freeze in place or lift it when you’re ready.  

5) Dispute any discrepancies in your credit reports 

This can run the gamut from closing any false accounts that were set up in your name, removing bogus charges, and correcting information in your credit report such as phony addresses or contact information. With your FTC report, you can dispute these discrepancies and have the business correct the record. Be sure to ask for written confirmation and keep a record of all documents and conversations involved.   

6) Contact the IRS, if needed 

If you receive a notice from the IRS that someone used your identity to file a tax return in your name, follow the information provided by the IRS in the notice. From there, you can file an identity theft affidavit with the IRS. If the notice mentions that you were paid from an employer you don’t know, contact that employer as well and let them know of possible fraud—namely that someone has stolen your identity and that you don’t truly work for them.  

Also, be aware that the IRS has specific guidelines as to how and when they will contact you. As a rule, they will most likely contact you via physical mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. (They won’t call or apply harassing pressure tactics—only scammers do that.) Identity-based tax scams are a topic all of their own, and for more on it, you can check out this article on tax scams and how to avoid them.  

7) Continue to monitor your credit report, invoices, and statements 

Another downside of identity theft is that it can mark the start of a long, drawn-out affair. One instance of theft can possibly lead to another, so even what may appear to be an isolated bad charge on your credit card calls for keeping an eye on your identity. Many of the tools you would use up to this point still apply, such as checking up on your credit reports, maintaining fraud alerts as needed, and reviewing your accounts closely.  

Preventing identity theft 

With all the time we spend online as we bank, shop, and simply surf, we create and share all kinds of personal information—information that can get collected and even stolen. The good news is that you can prevent theft and fraud with online protection software, such as McAfee+ Ultimate 

With McAfee+ Ultimate you can: 

  • Monitor your credit activity on all three major credit bureaus to stay on top of unauthorized use.​ 
  • Also monitor the dark web for breaches involving your personal info and notify you if it’s found.​ 
  • Lock or freeze your credit file to help prevent accounts from being opened in your name. 
  • Remove your personal info from over 40 data broker sites collecting and selling it. 
  • Restore your identity with a licensed expert should the unexpected happen.​ 
  • Receive $1M identity theft and stolen funds coverage along with additional $25K ransomware coverage. 

In all, it’s our most comprehensive privacy, identity, and device protection plan, built for a time when we rely so heavily on the internet to go about our day, whether that’s work, play, or simply getting things done. 

Righting the wrongs of identity theft: deep breaths and an even keel  

Realizing that you’ve become a victim of identity theft carries plenty of emotion with it, which is understandable—the thief has stolen a part of you to get at your money, information, and even reputation. Once that initial rush of anger and surprise has passed, it’s time to get clinical and get busy. Think like a detective who’s building – and closing – a case. That’s exactly what you’re doing. Follow the steps, document each one, and build up your case file as you need. Staying cool, organized, and ready with an answer for any questions you’ll face in the process of restoring your identity will help you see things through.  

Once again, this is a good reminder that vigilance is the best defense against identity theft from happening in the first place. While there’s no absolute, sure-fire protection against it, there are several things you can do to lower the odds in your favor. And at the top of the list is keeping consistent tabs on what’s happening across your credit reports and accounts.  

The post Top Signs of Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.

How to Help Seniors Spot Online Job Scams

By Toni Birdsong

Sadly, online job scams targeting older adults have been an issue for years. However, in a pandemic job market, cybercriminals are working overtime to devise schemes that exploit job seekers’ need for financial security.  

According to the Better Business Bureau, Americans lost more than $62 million in employment scams in 2020. In addition, with federal unemployment benefits ending this month, that number is expected to rise as more people head online to look for work.    

Online hiring scams can be hard to detect because scammers advertise job opportunities the same way legitimate employers do—via online ads, job sites, and popular social networking channels. They promise job seekers opportunity and hope but are carefully designed to the applicant’s personal information or deceive them into sending money. 

Online Hiring Scams 

Here are just a few examples of online jobs scams targeting older adults and a few ways to avoid becoming a victim.   

Bogus LinkedIn job offers 

Last year the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) identified and shut down a scam on LinkedIn in which a company sent potential job candidates a direct message promising a high-paying job still unpublished to the public. The catch? Potential candidates were asked to pay a fee of up to $2,500 to set up the interview. Variations of this scam, using LinkedIn as a channel, may be in play. 

Fraudulent employers 

Some scammers are getting especially bold and posting job openings using the names, logos, and even staff names from legitimate companies to lure unsuspecting job seekers into fake interviews. After a questionnaire or interview, the company informs the applicant they have the job. From there, they collect personal information as if it’s part of a legitimate onboarding process—only the job doesn’t exist. 

Work-from-home scams 

A popular scam involves a company offering job seekers a six-figure income working from home with the promise you can “be your own boss “and “set your own schedule.” The catch: Job seekers must first purchase a starter kit or some form of online coaching package to qualify for the “opportunity.” After that, the company can disappear or charge the consumer thousands of dollars more for training that never comes. 

Identity theft 

According to the BBB, some scams include job seekers submitting personal information to potential employers only to have that information stolen and used for fraudulent schemes. Some scams even involve online interviews that appeared legitimate; only the interviewer didn’t appear on camera. The bogus employer asks for personal data during the interview, including banking information needed for direct depositing a paycheck. 

Spot & Stop a Scam 

Awkward hiring process 

If an employer attempts to hire you by text, email, or a photo-only video interview, beware. Legitimate employers, no matter how small, will have a professional hiring process. Job Search Safety Tips: 1) Call the company to make sure the job offer is legitimate. 2) Verify the name of the company contact through LinkedIn and verify the person with whom you are communicating  3) Consider comprehensive security software to protect your devices from malware sent via phishing emails from potential employers.  

Request for money 

A legitimate employer will not ask for money from a potential or new hire. Nor will they ask you to purchase “training” or cash a check for “software” as part of your employment. Job Search Safety Tip: Check the BBB’s Scam Tracker for scams connected to a company.  

Checks exchanged 

If an employer sends you a cashier’s check or even a corporate check, know it may not be real, even if your bank accepts it for a deposit (it won’t clear). Various fake check scams can pull in unwitting victims through job posts that advertise positions for merchandise resellers, virtual assistants, mystery shoppers, car wrappers, caregivers, and photographers.  

Request for personal financial info

If an employer immediately asks for personal data such as your SSN, birthdate, driver’s license number, etc., chances are it’s a scam. Job Search Safety Tip: 1) Bank-routing information is for direct deposits after you’ve met an employer in person. If you are applying for remote work, wait for a signed offer, be sure to verify the company and the offer before sharing financial information. 2) Consider using a Virtual Private Network, to share any kind of private information regarding employment.  

Urgency and pushiness

Job scammers target people who are stressed and desperate for work. If the potential employer seems to be pushing you to give information, send money, or take the next step, it may be a scam. Job Search Safety Tip: Slow down and ask yourself, “Does this sound right?” Seek out the opinion of a friend or relative if needed.  

Resources for Seniors

Stay informed 

Need guidance? Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline toll-free at 877-908-3360. Stay aware of scams targeting seniors at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. 

Report job fraud

If you are the victim of a scam or attempted scam, report it to the FTC,IC3, FBI, and IdentityTheft.gov. 

Finally, remember that legitimate job boards such as Indeed, Monster, and LinkedIn can contain fake companies, bogus jobs, and positions that look incredible that will cause incredible heartache for a job seeker that forges ahead without caution.    

The post How to Help Seniors Spot Online Job Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.

8 Signs It May Be Time for Parental Controls

By Toni Birdsong

Equipping and guiding your digitally connected child is one of the toughest challenges you will face as a parent. As your child grows and changes, so too will their online activities. Friend groups, favorite apps, and online interests can shift from one month to the next, which is why parental controls can be a parent’s best friend.  

According to a report from Common Sense Media, teens spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes on their phones a day. Tweens (ages 8 to 12) spend four hours and 44 minutes daily. This is time outside of schoolwork. 

That is a lot of time to stroll the streets of cyberspace for entertainment purposes, and it’s only increased since the pandemic.  

Striking a balance between screen time and healthy device use is an always-evolving challenge. On the one hand, your child’s device is an essential channel connecting them to their self-identity, peer acceptance, and emotional well-being. On the other hand, that same device is also the door that can bring issues such as cyberbullying, predators, risky behavior, and self-image struggles into your child’s life.  

Raising the Safety Bar 

Parental controls are tools that allow parents to set controls on their children’s internet use. Controls include content filters (inappropriate content), usage limits (time controls), and monitoring (tracking activity). 

Many of the technology your family already owns or sites your kids visit have basic parental controls (i.e., built-in controls for android and iPhone and social networks such as YouTube). However, another level of parental control comes in software specifically engineered to filter, limit, and track digital activity. These consumer-designed parental controls offer families a higher, more powerful form of protection.  

 If you are like many parents who land on this blog, you’ve hit a rough patch. You have concerns about your child’s online activity but aren’t sure how to begin restoring balance. Rightly, you want to find the best parental control software and put digital safeguards in place.  

8 Signs Your Family Needs Parental Controls 

Every family dynamic is different, as is every family’s approach to online monitoring. However, most parents can agree that when a negative influence begins to impact the family’s emotional and physical health, exploring new solutions can help get you back on track.  

Depending on your child’s age, you may need to consider parental controls if:  

 1. They don’t respond when you talk to them  

If your child is increasingly engrossed in their phone and it’s causing communication issues in your family, you may want to consider software that includes time limits. Connecting with your child during device-free time can improve communication.  

2. They’ve started ignoring homework and family responsibilities  

There are a lot of reasons grades can plummet, or interests can fade. However, if your child is spending more and more time online, limiting or monitoring what goes on in that time can help restore emotional balance and self-discipline to meet responsibilities.  

3. Their browser history shows access to risky content  

Innocent online searches can lead to not so innocent results or children may go looking for content simply because they’re curious. Parental controls automatically block age-inappropriate sites and filter websites, apps, and web searches.  

4. They won’t give you their device without a fight  

If the phone has become the center of your child’s world at the cost of parental respect and family rules, they may be engaged in inappropriate behavior online, connecting with the wrong friends, or struggling with tech balance. With the proper parental controls, a parent can block risky content, view daily activity, and set healthy time limits.  

5. They’re losing interest in family outings and other non-digital activities  

Poor habits form quietly over time. If your child has dramatically changed their focus in the past three to six months, consider zooming in on why. It may not be technology use, but you may consider an additional layer of protection if it is.   

6. They go into another room to respond to a text  

While everyone deserves privacy, if constantly sneaking away to communicate with a friend is your child’s new norm, you may consider making some screen time adjustments.  

7. They are exhausted  

Unbeknownst to parents, kids might be exchanging sleep for screen time. Parental controls can help you nip this unhealthy habit. Setting time limits can help kids experience deeper sleep, better moods, more focus, and more energy. 

8. They overshare online  

If you browse through your child’s social media and notice their profiles are public instead of private, or if your child tends to overshare personal information, parental controls can help you monitor future activity. 

Ideally, we’d all prefer to live in a world where we didn’t need parental controls at all. Unfortunately, that is neither a present nor future reality. So, we recalibrate, keep learning, and keep adding to our parenting skills. As always, we believe the first go-to digital safety tool is investing in consistent open and honest conversation with your child. And the second tool? Yup, reach for the parental controls. While you may hear some hemming and hawing from your kids at first, the peace of mind you gain from having parental controls in place will be worth it.  

The post 8 Signs It May Be Time for Parental Controls appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Microsoft Urges Customers to Update Windows as Soon as Possible

By McAfee

What happened  

Microsoft has shipped an emergency security update affecting most Windows users. This update partially addresses a security vulnerability known as PrintNightmare that could allow remote hackers to take over your system.  

How does this affect you?  

PrintNightmare could allow hackers to gain control of your computer. This means hackers could perform malicious activities like installing their own apps, stealing your data, and creating new user accounts.  

How to fix the issue

Microsoft recommends Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 users update their computers through Windows Update as soon as possible. Note that an additional patch will likely be required to fully fix the issue, so expect another update prompt from Microsoft in the days to come. 

Additional protection 

For extra protection against malware that may result from a hack like this one, we recommend an all-in-one security solution, like McAfee Total Protection or McAfee LiveSafeIf a hacker takes advantage of the exploit and tries to install additional malware, McAfee Total Protection/LiveSafe can help protect against those attempts. Learn more about our online security products here. 

An alternate solution for tech-savvy Windows users 

PrintNightmare exploits a vulnerability in the Windows Print Spooler service. The step-by-step instructions below will guide you through turning off the service to ensure hackers can no longer exploit the security flaw. The Print Spooler will remain off until the PC is rebooted.   

Step 1: Press the Windows key, and type Services, clicking on the Services App 

Zero Day Vulnerability

Step 2: Scroll down to the Print Spooler Service 

Zero Day Vulnerability

Step 3: Right-click on the Print Spooler Service and click Stop. 

Zero Day Vulnerability

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Less Is More: Why One Antivirus Software Is All You Need

By Vishnu Varadaraj
Antivirus Software

Personal devices and the information they carry are incredibly valuable to their owners. It is only natural to want to protect your device like a royal family fortifying a medieval castle. Unlike medieval castles that depended upon layers and layers of protection (moats, drawbridges, spiky gates, etc.), personal devices thrive on just one defense: a devoted guard called antivirus software.  

Increasing your personal device’s security detail with more than one guard, or antivirus software is actually less effective than using a single, comprehensive option. Microsoft operating systems recognize the detriment of running two antivirus software programs simultaneously for real-time protection. Microsoft Windows automatically unregisters additional programs so they do not compete against each other. In theory, if you have a Microsoft device, you could run on-demand or scheduled scans from two different antivirus products without the operating system disabling one of them. But why invest in multiple software where one will do?  

If you do not have a Microsoft device, here is what could happen to your device if you run more than one antivirus program at a time, and why you should consider investing in only one top-notch product.  

Fight over potential viruses  

Antivirus programs want to impress you. Each wants to be the one to catch a virus and present you with the culprit, like a cat with a mouse. When antivirus software captures a virus, it locks it in a secure place to neutralize it. If you have two programs running simultaneously, they could engage in a tussle over who gets to scan, report, and remove the virus. This added activity could cause your computer to crash or use up your device’s memory.  

Report each other as suspicious  

Antivirus software quietly monitors and collects information about how your system runs, which is similar to how viruses operate. One software could mark the other as suspicious because real-time protection software is lurking in the background. So, while one antivirus program is busy blowing the whistle on the other, malicious code could quietly slip by.  

Additionally, users could be buried under a barrage of red flag notifications about each software reporting the other as suspicious. Some users become so distracted by the onslaught of notifications that they deactivate both programs or ignore notifications altogether, leaving the device vulnerable to real threats.  

Drain your battery and slow down your device  

Running one antivirus software does not drain your battery, and it can actually make your device faster. However, two antivirus programs will not double your operating speed. In fact, it will make it run much slower and drain your battery in the process. With two programs running real-time protection constantly in the background, device performance is extremely compromised.  

Antivirus software best practices 

There is no reason to invest in two antivirus programs when one solid software will more than do the trick to protect your device. Here are some best practices to get the most out of your antivirus software:  

1. Back up files regularly 

One habit you should adopt is backing up your files regularly. You never know when malware could hit and corrupt your data. Add it to your weekly routine to sync with the cloud and back up your most important files to an external hard drive.   

2. Keep your software up to date 

Whenever your software prompts you to install an update, do it! New cyber threats are evolving every day, and the best way to protect against them is to allow your software to stay as up-to-date as possible.  

3. Read the results reports    

Always read your antivirus results reports. These reports let you know the suspicious suspects your software was busy rounding up. It will give you a good idea of the threats your devices face and perhaps the schemes that you unknowingly fell into, such as clicking on a link in a phishing email. This information can also help you improve your online safety habits.  

Go with the single strongest antivirus, and more  

Everyone needs strong antivirus. Yet antivirus alone isn’t enough to beat back today’s threats. Hackers, scammers, and thieves rely on far more tricks than viruses and malware to wage their attacks, and data breaches slip billions of personal and financial records into the hands of bad actors. You’ll want to pair antivirus with further protection that covers your privacy and identity as well. 

For example the antivirus included with McAfee+ Ultimate can secure an unlimited number of household devices. Yet it offers far more than antivirus alone with our most comprehensive protection for your privacy, identity, and devices. The full list of features is long, yet you’ll get credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, removal of personal information from risky data broker sites, along with identity theft protection and restoration from a licensed expert if the unexpected happens. In all, it offers a single solution for antivirus, and far more that can protect you from the broad range of threats out there today. 

The post Less Is More: Why One Antivirus Software Is All You Need appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Myth-busting Antivirus Software Assumptions

By Vishnu Varadaraj

The number of new viruses grows every day. In fact, McAfee registers an average of 1.1 million new malicious programs and potentially unwanted apps (PUA) each day, which contributes to the millions and millions already in existence. While there is no way to know when or how cyberattacks will occur, it’s clear that antivirus software is one of the best ways to ensure you, and your devices, are safe. 

Despite its proven strengths, some long-standing myths question the effectiveness of antivirus. To set the record straight, we’ve debunked five of the most common antivirus software myths, so you can rest assured that you are safely navigating the evolving cyber landscape. 

Myth 1: Antivirus software slows down your device 

We expect a lot from our devices—faster performance every time the latest model is released. As a result, many are reluctant to install apps or software that may jeopardize device performance, including antivirus software. 

Many believe that antivirus software will slow down your devices. However, contrary to popular belief, quality antivirus software can improve device performance by using advanced optimizations. It’s this simple: antivirus software conducts regular system-wide scans to identify and prevent viruses and improve performance without compromising efficacy. 

To run these scans, antivirus software requires system resources, which is where this myth originates. If you download or operate more than one antivirus program or download the wrong version for your system, then yes, your device will slow to a crawl. That is why it is essential to install one high-quality antivirus software that meets all your devices’ system requirements. Additionally, best-in-class antivirus software can be set to run during specific hours to avoid delays during the busiest times of your day. 

Myth 2: Antivirus software only protects against a few viruses 

The number of malware strains and potentially unwanted applications (PUA) increases every year. It is understandable why people might think that antivirus software cannot protect against them all. 

However, antivirus software can provide extensive protection against the majority of malicious programs. It does so in two ways: 

  1. It protects you from existing threats based on an extensive list of known threats, which is updated regularly (a good reason to set your software to update automatically rather than manually). 
  2. It protects you from entirely new threats with behavioral detection and machine learning to detect, isolate, and eliminate zero-day digital threats (brand new threats that haven’t been seen before). This approach integrates deep learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to emulate human-like reasoning and accurately detect threats. In addition, behavioral heuristic-based detection finds new viruses by assessing known malicious behavior, such as abnormal application demands and instructions.  

Taken together, a known list of threats paired with the unique capabilities of machine learning, data science, and AI for advanced threat detection enable antivirus software to protect against a wide range of existing and evolving threats. 

Myth 3: Independent third-party test results are useless 

Can you imagine grading your own driving test? You could omit the dreaded three-point turn and pass with flying colors, but the result wouldn’t be as accurate as that of an unbiased evaluator. This same concept applies to evaluating the efficacy of computer security.  

It’s easy for a company to set up a test environment where they highlight all the excellent capabilities of their antivirus software and gloss over its shortcomings. It’s equally as easy for a company to commission a third-party to conduct a custom test painting the company in a good light. However, the results will not be as comprehensive or accurate as those from an independent third-party. Additionally, they also will not provide a comparative analysis with other company offerings to help users draw their own conclusions. 

Independent third-party test results offer a more thorough evaluation of antivirus software. They also do a better job at evaluating security features. Furthermore, ISO-certified independent third parties lend transparency and credibility to the techniques used and ensure that evaluations align with industry standards. 

Myth 4: Apple products can’t get viruses 

There is a common belief that Apple products are protected against viruses because cybercriminals often target Windows and Android operating systems. However, Apple devices are just as vulnerable to viruses as any other computer or smartphone. Regardless of your device or operating system—macOS, iOS, Windows, or Android—if it connects to a network, it’s susceptible to viruses. 

Windows and Android have long been the dominant operating systems for computers and smartphones. That’s why macOS and iOS have, up until recently, been the lesser focus for cybercriminals. The problem is that cybercriminals want to spread their viruses to the platforms with the largest customer base which just so happens to be Windows and Android. As Apple products continue to grow in popularity, cybercriminals will continue coming out with more viruses specifically targeting Macs, iPhones, and other iOS devices. 

Myth 5: You are 100% protected if you have antivirus software 

Antivirus software is not a guarantee of protection against all viruses. Some malware can and will slip through. This is where antivirus software’s ability to detect and remove malware comes in. Ours comes with a Virus Protection Pledge, which provides a 100% guarantee we’ll remove viruses on your devices, or we’ll give you your money back, all as part of your automatically renewable subscription. 

However, viruses and malware are just one form of attack that hackers and bad actors will wage on their victims. They’ll also make attempts at identity theft or likewise try to invade your privacy—with the intent of stealing passwords, account information, and personal information, which could drain your debit cards, damage your credit, or otherwise impersonate you for their financial gain. 

In this way, antivirus is just one form of protection. To truly stay safe as possible online, you need online protection software that looks after your identity and privacy as well. McAfee+ Ultimate offers our most comprehensive coverage, with  

Fact vs. Fiction: Know what antivirus software can do for you 

It is necessary to bust common myths about antivirus software to protect yourself and your family from cyberthreats. By educating yourself and selecting a best-in-class antivirus software that’s further bolstered by identity and privacy protection, you will be well on your way to implementing an effective protection strategy. 

The post Myth-busting Antivirus Software Assumptions appeared first on McAfee Blog.

What Is a DDoS Attack and How to Stay Safe from Malicious Traffic Schemes

By McAfee
What is a DDoS attack?

What Is a DDoS Attack and How to Stay Safe from Malicious Traffic Schemes

Imagine you’re driving down a highway to get to work. There are other cars on the road, but by and large everyone is moving smoothly at a crisp, legal speed limit. Then, as you approach an entry ramp, more cars join. And then more, and more, and more until all of the sudden traffic has slowed to a crawl. This illustrates a DDoS attack.

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service, and it’s a method where cybercriminals flood a network with so much malicious traffic that it cannot operate or communicate as it normally would. This causes the site’s normal traffic, also known as legitimate packets, to come to a halt. DDoS is a simple, effective and powerful technique that’s fueled by insecure devices and poor digital habits. Luckily, with a few easy tweaks to your everyday habits, you can safeguard your personal devices against DDoS attacks.

DDoS Attacks Are on the Rise

The expansion of 5G, proliferation of IoT and smart devices, and shift of more industries moving their operations online have presented new opportunities for DDoS attacks. Cybercriminals are taking advantage, and 2020 saw two of the largest DDoS offensives ever recorded. In 2020, ambitious attacks were launched on Amazon and Google. There is no target too big for cybercriminals.

DDoS attacks are one of the more troubling areas in cybersecurity, because they’re incredibly difficult to prevent and mitigate.. Preventing these attacks is particularly difficult because malicious traffic isn’t coming from a single source. There are an estimated 12.5 million devices that are vulnerable to being recruited by a DDoS attacker.

Personal Devices Become DDoS Attack Soldiers

DDoS attacks are fairly simple to create. All it takes are two devices that coordinate to send fake traffic to a server or website. That’s it. Your laptop and your phone, for example, could be programmed to form their own DDoS network (sometimes referred to as a botnet, more below). However, even if two devices dedicate all of their processing power in an attack, it still isn’t enough to take down a website or server. Hundreds and thousands of coordinated devices are required to take down an entire service provider.

To amass a network of that size, cybercriminals create what’s known as a “botnet,” a network of compromised devices that coordinate to achieve a particular task. Botnets don’t always have to be used in a DDoS attack, nor does a DDoS have to have a botnet to work, but more often than not they go together like Bonnie and Clyde. Cybercriminals create botnets through fairly typical means: tricking people into downloading malicious files and spreading malware.

But malware isn’t the only means of recruiting devices. Because a good deal of companies and consumers practice poor password habits, malicious actors can scan the internet for connected devices with known factory credentials or easy-to-guess passwords (“password,” for example). Once logged in, cybercriminals can easily infect and recruit the device into their cyber army.

Why DDoS Launches Are Often Successful

These recruited cyber armies can lie dormant until they’re given orders. This is where a specialized server called a command and control server (typically abbreviated as a “C2”) comes into play. When instructed, cybercriminals will order a C2 server to issue instructions to compromised devices. Those devices will then use a portion of their processing power to send fake traffic to a targeted server or website and, voila! That’s how a DDoS attack is launched.

DDoS attacks are usually successful because of their distributed nature, and the difficulty in discerning between legitimate users and fake traffic. They do not, however, constitute a breach. This is because DDoS attacks overwhelm a target to knock it offline — not to steal from it. Usually DDoS attacks will be deployed as a means of retaliation against a company or service, often for political reasons. Sometimes, however, cybercriminals will use DDoS attacks as a smokescreen for more serious compromises that may eventually lead to a full-blown breach.

3 Ways to Prevent Your Devices from Being Recruited

DDoS attacks are only possible because devices can be easily compromised. Here are three ways you can prevent your devices from participating in a DDoS attack:

  1. Secure your router: Your Wi-Fi router is the gateway to your network. Secure it by changing the default password. If you’ve already thrown out the instructions for your router and aren’t sure how to do this, consult the internet for instructions on how to do it for your specific make and model, or call the manufacturer. And remember, protection can start within your router, too. Solutions such as McAfee Secure Home Platform, which is embedded within select routers, help you easily manage and protect your network.
  2. Change default passwords on IoT devices: Many Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smart objects that connect to the internet for increased functionality and efficiency, come with default usernames and passwords. The very first thing you should do after taking your IoT device out of the box is change those default credentials. If you’re unsure of how to change the default setting on your IoT device, refer to setup instructions or do a bit of research online.
  3. Use comprehensive security: Many botnets are coordinated on devices without any built-in security. Comprehensive security solutions, like McAfee Total Protection, can help secure your most important digital devices from known malware variants. If you don’t have a security suite protecting your devices, take the time to do your research and commit to a solution you trust.

Now that you know what a DDoS attack is and how to protect against it, you’re better equipped to keep your personal devices and safe and secure.

Stay Updated

To stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, subscribe to our email, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

 

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Microsoft Azure job outlook

By Greg Belding

Introduction The business world is relocating to the cloud and the trend is strong. It has been predicted that by the end of 2020, 83% of all businesses will be in the cloud and by 2021, the percentage of workloads processed in cloud data centers will reach 94%. By 2022, cloud services will be three […]

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Microsoft Azure job outlook was first posted on October 20, 2020 at 8:05 am.
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Microsoft Azure Certification: Overview And Career Path

By Mosimilolu Odusanya

Introduction The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced individuals and organizations to adopt new ways of doing daily tasks, from working to learning. It has also accelerated the journey to the cloud for many organizations; for others, it has made them more reliant on the cloud. With that move comes a demand for professionals with cloud […]

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Microsoft Azure Certification: Overview And Career Path was first posted on October 5, 2020 at 8:03 am.
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Networking fundamentals (for Network security professionals)

By Nitesh Malviya

Introduction To understand Network Security, it’s imperative that we understand networking fundamentals and networking basics. In this post, we will be learning about networking basics and fundamentals to get started with Network Security.  We cannot cover whole networking in a single post so we will be focusing only on core networking concepts needed for network […]

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Networking fundamentals (for Network security professionals) was first posted on September 30, 2020 at 12:03 pm.
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Black Hat Trip Report – Trend Micro

By William "Bill" Malik (CISA VP Infrastructure Strategies)

At Black Hat USA 2020, Trend Micro presented two important talks on vulnerabilities in Industrial IoT (IIoT). The first discussed weaknesses in proprietary languages used by industrial robots, and the second talked about vulnerabilities in protocol gateways. Any organization using robots, and any organization running a multi-vendor OT environment, should be aware of these attack surfaces. Here is a summary of the key points from each talk.

Rogue Automation

Presented at Black Hat, Wednesday, August 5. https://www.blackhat.com/us-20/briefings/schedule/index.html#otrazor-static-code-analysis-for-vulnerability-discovery-in-industrial-automation-scripts-19523 and the corresponding research paper is available at https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/internet-of-things/unveiling-the-hidden-risks-of-industrial-automation-programming

Industrial robots contain powerful, fully capable computers. Unlike most contemporary computers, though, industrial robots lack basic information security capabilities. First, at the architectural level, they lack any mechanism to isolate certain instructions or memory. That is, any program can alter any piece of storage, or run any instruction. In traditional mainframes, no application could access, change, or run any code in another application or in the operating system. Even smartphone operating systems have privilege separation. An application cannot access a smartphone’s camera, for instance, without being specifically permitted to do so. Industrial robots allow any code to read, access, modify, or run any device connected to the system, including the clock. That eliminates data integrity in industrial robots and invalidates any audit of malfunctions; debugging becomes exceptionally difficult.

Industrial robots do not use conventional programming languages, like C or Python. Instead, each manufacturer provides its own proprietary programming language. That means a specialist using one industrial robot cannot use another vendor’s machine without training. There are no common information security tools for code validation, since vendors do not develop products for fragmented markets. These languages describe programs telling the robot how to move. They also support reading and writing data, analyzing and modifying files, opening and closing input/output devices, getting and sending information over a network, and accessing and changing status indicators on connected sensors. Once a program starts to run on an industrial robot, it can do anything any fully functional computer can do, without any security controls at all. Contemporary industrial robots do not have any countermeasures against this threat.

Most industrial robot owners do not write their own programs. The supply chain for industrial robot programs involves many third-party actors. See Figure 1 below for a simplified diagram. In each community, users of a particular vendor’s languages share code informally, and rely on user’s groups for hints and tips to solve common tasks. These forums rarely discuss security measures. Many organizations hire third-party contractors to implement particular processes, but there are no security certifications relevant to these proprietary languages. Most programmers learned their trade in an air-gapped world, and still rely on a perimeter which separates the safe users and code inside from the untrusted users and code outside. The languages offer no code scanners to identify potential weaknesses, such as not validating inputs, modifying system services, altering device state, or replacing system functions. The machines do not have a software asset management capability, so knowing where the components of a running program originated from is uncertain.

Figure 1: The Supply Chain for Industrial Robot Programming

All is not lost – not quite. In the short term, Trend Micro Research has developed a static code analysis tool called OTRazor, which examines robotic code for unsafe code patterns. This was demonstrated during our session at Black Hat.

Over time, vendors will have to introduce basic security checks, such as authentication, authorization, data integrity, and data confidentiality. The vendors will also have to introduce architectural restrictions – for instance, an application should be able to read the clock but not change it.. Applications should not be able to modify system files, programs, or data, nor should they be able to modify other applications. These changes will take years to arrive in the market, however. Until then, CISOs should audit industrial robot programs for vulnerabilities, and segment networks including industrial robots, and apply baseline security programs, as they do now, for both internally developed and procured software.

Protocol Gateway Vulnerabilities

Presented at Black Hat, Wednesday, August 5, https://www.blackhat.com/us-20/briefings/schedule/index.html#industrial-protocol-gateways-under-analysis-20632, with the corresponding research paper available here: https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/internet-of-things/lost-in-translation-when-industrial-protocol-translation-goes-wrong.

Industry 4.0 leverages the power of automation alongside the rich layer of software process control tools, particularly Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and its bigger cousin, Supply Chain Management (SCM). By bringing together dynamic industrial process control with hyper-efficient “just-in-time” resource scheduling, manufacturers can achieve minimum cost, minimum delay, and optimal production. But these integration projects require that IIoT devices speak with other technology, including IIoT from other manufacturers and legacy equipment. Since each equipment or device may have their own communication protocol, Industry 4.0 relies heavily on protocol converters.

Protocol converters are simple, highly efficient, low-cost devices that translate one protocol into another. Protocol converters are ubiquitous, but they lack any basic security capabilities – authentication, authorization, data integrity or data confidentiality – and they sit right in the middle of the OT network. Attackers can subvert protocol converters to hijack the communication or change configuration. An attacker can disable a safety thresholds, generate a denial of service attack, and misdirect an attached piece of equipment.

In the course of this research, we found nine vulnerabilities and are working with vendors to remediate the issues. Through our TXOne subsidiary, we are developing rules and intelligence specifically for IIoT message traffic, which are then embedded in our current network security offerings, providing administrators with better visibility and the ability to enforce security policies in their OT networks.

Protocol converters present a broad attack surface, as they have limited native information security capabilities. They don’t validate senders or receivers, nor do they scan or verify message contents. Due to their crucial position in the middle of the OT network, they are an exceptionally appealing target for malicious actors. Organizations using protocol converters – especially those on the way to Industry 4.0 – must address these weak but critical components of their evolving infrastructure.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below or @WilliamMalikTM

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Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 1)

By Trend Micro

Welcome to the new normal. We’re all now living in a post-COVID-19 world characterized by uncertainty, mass home working and remote learning. The lines demarcating normal life have shifted abruptly – perhaps never to return. That’s not the worst that can happen, as we all know, but it does mean we all need to get used to new ways of living, working and studying from home. This has major implications for the online safety, security and privacy of our families.

To help you adapt to these new conditions while protecting what matters most, Trend Micro has developed a two-part blog series on “The New Normal.” Part 1 identifies the scope and specific cyber-threats of the new normal. Part 2 provides security tips and products to help address those threats.

What’s going on?

In April, nearly 300 million Americans were estimated to be in government-mandated lockdown. Even as some businesses, municipalities and states begin to relax these rules, experts have warned of subsequent waves of the virus, which could result in new localized lockdowns. In short, a lot of people will continue to work from home, while their children, also at home, attempt to study remotely from their mobile devices.

This has considerable implications for how we spend our time. Without that morning commute to work or school, more of it than ever will involve sitting in front of a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone screen. Even the smart TV is enlisted. Dangers include

  • Use of potentially insecure video conferencing applications. The number of daily meeting participants on Zoom surged from 10 million in December 2019 to roughly 200 million in March.
  • Visits to P2P/torrent sites or platforms for adult content. In search of entertainment, bored kids or teens in your household may have more time and inclination to do this.
  • Downloads of potentially malicious applications disguised as legitimate entertainment or gaming content.
  • More online shopping and banking. June alone generated $73.2 billion in online spend, up 76.2% year-on-year. Whenever you shop or bank online, financial data is potentially exposed.
  • Use of potentially insecure remote learning platforms. Educational mobile app downloads increased by a massive 1087% between March 2 and 16. The trend continues.
  • Logging on to corporate cloud-based services. This includes Office 365, to do your job remotely, or using a VPN to connect directly into the office.
  • For recreation, streaming and browsing on your smart TV. But even your smart TV is vulnerable to threats, as the FBI has warned.

Risky behavior

Unfortunately, the increase in working from home (WFH), especially for those not used to it, may lead to an increase in risky behavior, such as: using non-approved apps for work; visiting non work-related sites on work devices; and using personal devices to access work resources. Recent global Trend Micro research found that:

  • 80% have used their work laptop for personal browsing, with only 36% fully restricting the sites they visit.
  • 56% of employees have used a non-work app on a corporate device, and 66% have uploaded corporate data to it.
  • 39% often or always access corporate data from a personal device.
  • 8% admit to watching adult content on their work laptop, and 7% access the dark web.

This is not about restricting your freedom to visit the sites you want to visit while at home. It’s about reducing the risk of exposing corporate data and systems to possible malware.

What are the bad guys doing?

Unsurprisingly, there has also been a major uptick in the volume of cyber-threats targeting home users. With a captive audience to aim at, it’s a huge opportunity for cyber-criminals to steal your log-ins and personal data to sell to fraudsters, or even to steal corporate passwords and information for a potentially bigger pay-off. They are helped by the fact that many home workers may be more distracted than they usually would be at the office, especially if they have young children. Your kids may even share the same laptops or PCs as you, potentially visiting risky sites and/or downloading unapproved apps.

There’s also a chance that, unless you have a corporate machine at home, your personal computing equipment is less secure than the kit you had in the office. Add to that the fact that support from the IT department may be less forthcoming than usual, given that stretched teams are overwhelmed with requests, while themselves struggling to WFH. One recent report claimed that nearly half (47%) of IT security pros have been taken off some or all of their typical security tasks to support other IT-related jobs. In another, only 59% of respondents said they believe their cybersecurity team has the right tools and resources at home to perform their job effectively.

It’s time to step up and take security into your own hands. Stay on the lookout for the following threats.

  • Unsecured home routers and smart devices might be hijacked in more sophisticated attacks designed to steal data from corporate networks via the home worker.
  • Phishing attacks spoofing well-known brands or using COVID-19 information/news as a lure. Google is blocking 18 million malicious pandemic-themed emails every day. The end goal may be to hijack your online consumer accounts (Netflix, banking, email, online shopping) or work accounts. Other phishing emails are designed to install data-stealing malware, ransomware and other threats.
  • Attackers may target vulnerabilities in your home PCs and the apps you’re using (video conferencing etc) to gain remote access.
  • Business Email Compromise (BEC) attackers may try to leverage the lack of internal communications between remote workers to impersonate senior execs via email, and trick finance team members into wiring corporate funds abroad.
  • Kids exposing home networks and devices to malware on torrent sites, in mobile apps, on social media, and via phishing attacks potentially imitating remote learning/video conferencing platforms.
  • Kids searching for adult/inappropriate content, and/or those that are bored and over-share on social media. Unicef has warned that millions of children are at increased of online harm as lockdown means they spend more of their days online.
  • Mobile apps represent a potential source of malware, especially those found on unofficial app stores. There has also been a reported 51% rise in stalkerware – covert surveillance apps used by domestic abusers and stalkers to target victims.
  • The pandemic has led to a surge in e-commerce fraud where consumers are tricked into buying non-existent products or counterfeit goods including medical items.

So what’s a remote worker/concerned parent to do to protect themselves and the family in the midst of the “new normal?”

Read Part 2 in this mini-series, which we’re publishing simultaneously with Part 1, where we share some best practice advice on how to keep your digital lives and work systems safe from online threats during lockdown—and where we provide tools to help you do just that.

The post Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 1) appeared first on .

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