Category Archives: Internet Security

Fears mount over Russian and Chinese hackers targeting the 2020 U.S. presidential election – CNBC

As the 2020 presidential election approaches across America, voters have dj vu and are concerned over the risk of hacking. On Sept. 10, Microsoft warned that the Russian military intelligence unit that had attacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016 was back. This time, the company warned, the threats would be more sophisticated and target consultants, staff members, and other entities associated with both Democratic and Republican campaigns.

Representatives for Microsoft were not available for comment, but on its blog, the company said that the Russian hacking group Strontium had attacked over 200 organizations, while the Chinese organization Zirconium had attacked people associated with both the election and the Biden campaign. The Iranian hacking group, Phosphorus, has attacked people affiliated with the Trump campaign.

The Biden and Trump campaigns both confirmed these cyberattacks in a recent CNN article,noting they remain vigilant against these threats, and will ensure that the campaign's assets are secured.

According to Specops Software, the United States has experienced more cyberattacks from hostile actors than any other nation, with 156 incidents classified as "significant" between May 2006 and June 2020. The company also found that these attacks are increasing, and as a result, cybercrime is projected to cost the global economy $6 trillion per year as soon as 2021.

The state-sponsored hackers named in Microsoft's blog entry are all using tactics designed to compromise elections directly. Some of the methods are the same as those used in 2016, such as brute force compromises and spear phishing, as well as the harvesting of people's log-in credentials and "password spraying," an attempt to gain access to large numbers of usernames by using common passwords.

Neal Dennis, threat intelligence specialist at the cybersecurity company Cyware, said that in addition to these tactics,hackers are exploiting weaknesses in public-facing databases.

Voters in Virginia's 7th district wait in line to vote at the Henrico County Registrars office September 18, 2020 in Henrico, Virginia.

Win McNamee | Getty Images

"Many databases are compromised due to poor management practices," he said. "Some because they fail to update or patch known vulnerabilities, others because people either use poor security practices or just leave them publicly accessible."

He said thatmuch of the goal of these hackers is to spread disinformation, which is intended to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

"The information these nations attempt to compromise would enable them to stage major disinformation campaigns," he said.

In addition to compromising a particular candidate's campaign, Dennis said that disinformation efforts sow distrust in entire political parties and cause voters to doubt that their votes are being recorded accurately. Alexander Urbelis, a partner with the Blackstone Law Group and former chief information security officer for the National Football League, said that the current political climate makes the United States' electorate ripe for disinformation campaigns.

"I believe that we are more susceptible to misinformation and ideological attacks because of the global Covid-19 health crisis, conflicting information about voting by mail, and chiefly because of how polarized, tribal, and generally intolerant we have become of each other as a society," he said.

Dr. Chenxi Wang, founder and general partner at the Rain Capital cybersecurity firm, said that this year's attacks have intensified compared to 2016, and cited a massive increase in the targeting of voter databases, the hacking of campaign email lists, and what she referred to as "massively increased bot army activities on social media platforms." She said that many of her colleagues in the cybersecurity space have noticed it as well, particularly with respect to the brazenness with which these hacking groups are operating.

I believe that we are more susceptible to misinformation and ideological attacks because of the global Covid-19 health crisis, conflicting information about voting by mail, and chiefly because of how polarized, tribal, and generally intolerant we have become of each other as a society.

Alexander Urbelis

partner, Blackstone Law Group

"There is a general sense in the cybersecurity community that the scale of the attacks and the scale of disinformation campaigns have all increased visibly since 2016," she said. "There is more reconnaissance, larger-scale targeting, as well as newer hacking techniques."

Sometimes, the political campaigns themselves can inadvertently contribute to the problem. Dennis specifically cited former Vice President Joe Biden's official "Vote Joe" app, which had a glitch that left millions of voters' personal information exposed.

So what can be done now to safeguard the security and integrity of the 2020 U.S. presidential election?

The private sector has jumped in to offer some support in this worrying situation. In February, the small town of Fulton, Wisconsin, was the first to implement new software from Microsoft called ElectionGuard, which confirms to voters that their choices are being accurately recorded.

Facebook, for its part, pledged to combat disinformation by blocking all new political advertisements on its platform in the week leading up to Election Day. After the election, the company intends to redirect users to accurate election results, so that neither candidate can prematurely claim victory.

While these measures are welcome, Dr. Wang said that they may already be too late. Influencing the outcome of an election is a long-term effort that begins well before a single vote is cast, and hackers who participate in them are becoming more brash in their efforts.

"There is a boldness to the information operations this time around, less clandestine, more prevalent," Dr. Wang said. "Many of us describe the threats this time around as moving from covert operations to unconcealed manipulation."

Urbelis agreed that malicious actors view laying the groundwork for successful hacking campaigns as a long-term effort. As such, political campaigns and the people who work on them should see what they do as an ongoing effort.

"All too often, we are concerned with cyberattacks happening in the run-up to an election or event," he said. "More concerning to me are the successful attacks on our election infrastructure that happen way before an election when nobody is on high alert or even paying attention."

What can the private sector do to help campaigns protect themselves? Dennis said that Cyware shares and disseminates threat information with clients, allowing them to ensure the timely acquisition of actionable security data.

"Our software can help organizations take data and intelligence about a threat and correlate that back to nation-state threat actors," he said.

As for the campaigns themselves, Dr. Wang said that both the Trump and Biden teams have dedicated cybersecurity personnel and provide all staff with security training. She also noted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides data and services to both.

"The DHS is providing data, such as malware samples, criminal group activity profiles, hacking campaign signatures, to the campaigns to help them fight against cyberhacks," she said. "The DHS has had a data exchange effort with private companies and other government agencies for this purpose for years this is called the NCCIC project."

Urbelis said that there's still more the campaigns and political parties can do to safeguard elections, such as implementing multi-factor authentication for anyone with access to campaign materials. He also advised that all staff use separate personal and business devices, and keep them separate.

The current state of election security may lead some to believe that neither their data nor their votes are safe from malicious actors. However,Matt Masterson, senior cybersecurity advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said that his organization and others have made great strides in safeguarding against hackers since the last presidential election.

"Security is top of mind for the entire election community from CISA and our federal partners, to state and local election officials, the private sector, and campaigns and political parties," he said. "CISA is engaged with all 50 states and thousands of local jurisdictions as they adjust plans and procedures to keep voters and poll workers safe."

He added that voters can also take part in measures to protect the integrity of the election in November.

"CISA encourages people to be a '3-P voter,' meaning prepared, participating, and patient," he said. "Make a plan today for how you're going to vote, sign up to be a poll worker if you're healthy and able, and remember that everything may take a little longer this year, including reporting the results. Working together we can ensure the 2020 elections are the most secure and resilient in modern history."

Dennis said that while there is indeed cause for concern, there have been significant improvements in the last four years.

"There is a lot of work with DHS, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Center for Internet Security, and Election Assistance Commission to provide standardized best-practices for election security," he said. He cited the Department of Homeland Security'selectionsecurity efforts to provideservices to state officials, local officials, and private sector partners with "immediate and sustained assistance, coordination, and outreach to prepare for and protect from cyber and physical threats."

The services offered include cybersecurity assessments, cyber threat hunting,information sharing, incident response, and career development.

"The DHS and partners have worked to build robust security standards which are currently being adopted across many states," Dennis said. "Still lacking overall, but many are taking cybersecurity more seriously this year than any year prior."

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Fears mount over Russian and Chinese hackers targeting the 2020 U.S. presidential election - CNBC

Internet of Things (IoT) Security market to Witness Increase in Revenues by 2016-2028 – Crypto Daily

This report is a comprehensive study providing a detailed analysis of the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market. The report defines the product type of Internet of Things (IoT) Security , along with its application in various industry verticals with reference to various regions and major countries. Further, the study has identified and studied all the major players operating in the global Internet of Things (IoT) Security market space and evaluated various parameters such as business strategies, annual sales volume, market revenue, and historical growth rate.

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Companies Covered: Cisco Systems, Infineon Technologies, Intel Corporation, Siemens AG, Wurldtech Security, Alcatel-Lucent S.A., Axeda Machine Cloud, Checkpoint Technologies, IBM Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, AT&T Inc., and NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc.

Based on all these insights, the global Internet of Things (IoT) Security market report recommends a business strategy for the current market participants to strengthen their market positions. Moreover, the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market analysis supports new market participants for market entry strategy.

Further, the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market report has identified the major vendors and distributors operating in all the major regions. This Internet of Things (IoT) Security market analysis is expected to aid the market players to fortify their market distribution networks and increase their geographical reach.

Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market Strategic Analysis

The Internet of Things (IoT) Security market report has analyzed the market using various marketing tools such as Porters Five Forces Analysis, market player positioning analysis, SWOT analysis, market share analysis, and value chain analysis. In Porters Five Forces analysis, the market dynamics and factors such as the threat of substitute for Internet of Things (IoT) Security , threat of new entrants in the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, to Internet of Things (IoT) Security providing companies and internal rivalry among the Internet of Things (IoT) Security providers are analyzed to provide the readers with a thorough overview of the market and its current dynamics.

This analysis can help the users to evaluate the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market based on various parameters, such as economies of scale, switching costs, brand loyalty, and existing distribution network. All these gathered data are anticipated to support the key decision makers of the industry. Further, this analysis answers the imperative questions for new entrants to enter the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market or not.

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Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market Key Trends Analysis

The report has analyzed the major factors which are impacting the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market. Driving factors that are positively impacting the demand for Internet of Things (IoT) Security and restraining factors that are hindering the growth of Internet of Things (IoT) Security market are discussed in detail, along with their impacts on the global Internet of Things (IoT) Security market. Further, tendencies which are shaping the market and influencing the growth of the market are determined and deliberated in detail.

Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market Key Segment Analysis

All the segments of the Internet of Things (IoT) Security market have been analyzed based on the present and future trends.

: By Component (Solutions and Services), By Type (Network Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security, Cloud Security, and Others), By Solution (Identity Access Management, Data Encryption & Tokenization, Intrusion Detection & Prevention System, Device Authentication & Management, Secure Software & Firmware Update, Distributed Denial of Service Protection, and Security Analytics), By Service (Professional Services and Managed Services)

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Internet of Things (IoT) Security market to Witness Increase in Revenues by 2016-2028 - Crypto Daily

How to leave no trace on the internet when using a VPN? – Techiexpert.com – TechiExpert.com

The expansion of the internet has opened new ways for us to communicate, trade, search up information and stay in touch with the things happening in the world. However, as time goes by people realize that it is almost impossible to leave no trace on the internet, regardless of their intentions or purpose.

Many people consider the tracking and surveillance methods as an act of privacy invasion

In this article, we will talk about what VPN is and how it can benefit you with having the best and safest internet experience.

VPN or Virtual Private Network is an essential internet tool that provides the user with high internet security and anonymity. By creating a single-shared-network between the user device and the virtual server selected, it encrypts all of the data that is being sent through it. On top of that, by giving you the option to select from different servers from all around the world VPN successfully hides the real IP address of the user and replaces it with a new, virtual one. This means that the user cannot be tracked or fall under surveillance while being online, which is done by the government, the ISP (Internet Service Provider) or a third-party viewer.

VPN has found a great use in business, as it allows companies to employ remote workers. By using VPN these remote workers can log-in to the company server at any time, via any device and still do their job with ease.

However, the usage of VPN in private matters has been increasing lately. With all the security measures that it has and the freedom it gives people on the internet it is one of the main reasons why more and more people are using VPN each day.

The issue of data collection by big-tech companies has been going on for a while. One of the main tracking and surveillance done by websites are via cookies. Cookies on websites are used to collect the data of the visitor, their username, password, website history and download history. These cookies can also reveal the real IP address of the user, which marketers use to adjust advertisements for certain products to fit the narrative of the user.

Many people have wondered if there is a way to leave no trace on the internet and several solutions have popped up. For a short while, people have started using Incognito Mode that browsers offer as it does not save internet history so naturally people thought that this could hide their activity. However, it was not long until people realized that the ISP and the Government are able to track and keep logs of user activity while they are using Incognito Mode. However, leaving no trace on the internet when using VPN has become one of the easiest and safest ways to browse online as years go by.

With the option for the user to choose from different servers around the world, VPN allows you to successfully change the real IP address which will prevent any surveillance and tracking and provide you with an anonymity cloak while you are online. On the other hand, high encryption protocols that VPN providers are offering are the safest way to keep your information intact and protected from cybercriminals.

Many different VPN providers will have different offers for their clients. It is up to the client to decide which one of these offers appeals to them the most, and most importantly which one suits their needs the best. Protecting your personal data online is something that should be taken seriously and VPN helps you with that. Some of the main features to look for in a VPN when you want to leave no trace on the internet are:

In case you were ever wondering Why do I need a VPN to stay safe online? here is your answer. VPN does not only protect your private data, but it also lets you roam the internet freely and stops any tracking or surveillance that is happening.

With this new technology taking over the world day by day, leaving no trace on the internet is becoming easier. Once you have successfully connected to a virtual server via VPN, all of your data, internet history and download history will be safe from any prying eyes that lurk the open web. Being connected to an open internet is one of the biggest security threats for people online.

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How to leave no trace on the internet when using a VPN? - Techiexpert.com - TechiExpert.com

2020 Demand In Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market By Key Types, Regions, Countries, Top Companies Competition, Consumers, Import-Export Forecast…

Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Product Overview, Applications, End-Users, Consumer & Demand Analysis From 2020-2026is presented in this report. The product sales, growth rate comparison for every Internet of Things (IoT) Security type and application is offered in this report. The report strategically evaluates the Internet of Things (IoT) Security Industry prospects, competition, product demand, application popularity from 2015-2026. In the beginning, the market inclusions, exclusions, conversion rates, limitations, and Internet of Things (IoT) Security stakeholders information is covered. Our research methodology consists of primary and secondary data sources used to derive the industry insights. The captured data is broken down by Internet of Things (IoT) Security supply-side and demand-side for each key product type, application, end-user, regions, and prime companies in this market.

The key aspects like Internet of Things (IoT) Security revenue share analysis illustration, market size, pricing analysis, COVID-19 impact on the growth rate, and ways to emerge again is provided by Reports Check. The Internet of Things (IoT) Security sub-segment level market is analyzed via a top-down approach and supply-side. The market breakdown and data triangulation methods state the market size, share, revenue, Internet of Things (IoT) Security sales for each type and application, gross margin, and profits. The increasing Internet of Things (IoT) Security volume which is driving growth in this market are stated.

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The Asia-Pacific market segmentation by product and country covers China, Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and rest with Oceania. Similarly, the European market segmentation by product and country covers Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Poland, and rest. The South America market segmentation by product and country covers Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, and rest. The Middle East and Africa market segmentation by product and country cover Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and rest.

The developed and developing Internet of Things (IoT) Security country-level markets which will register high CAGR is studied in this report. The untapped developments, innovations, opportunities, and challenges in terms of stringent regulations, Internet of Things (IoT) Security product recalls are analyzed by the analyst team of Reports Check company. The Internet of Things (IoT) Security strategic benchmarking in terms of product type comparison, demand, popularity, import-export scenarios, and production rate is studied.

The product portfolio analysis, Internet of Things (IoT) Security parent market analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis is conducted. Also, threats to the new market entrants, the threat of substitutes, a feasibility check, the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers is analyzed in this research study. Also, the intensity of Internet of Things (IoT) Security competitive rivalry is provided.

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2020 Demand In Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market By Key Types, Regions, Countries, Top Companies Competition, Consumers, Import-Export Forecast...

How the Pandemic Pushed a Generation of Americans to Discover the Perks (and Risks) of Online Banking – NextAdvisor

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What if, instead of opening a birthday card from Grandma to find a crisp $20, she hit your Venmo instead?

This scenario is becoming more likely. Venmo and Zelle have both seen a rise in usage by older age groups during the pandemic.

Boomers, particularly since the onset of the pandemic, has been the fastest-growing demographic, says Donna Turner, COO of Early Warning, which operates Zelle, a peer-to-peer payment service.

Many older Americans have availed themselves of digital offerings, like their banks online services, since the pandemic forced an end to day-to-day activities in March. Carma Peters, CEO of Michigan Legacy Credit Union, has seen this trend play out both personally and professionally.

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Peters first learned the benefits of setting up older people online when, at 63 years old, her mother started doing her banking online and continued to do so for the remainder of her life.

If my mother was still alive, Id stick her in every branch to talk to people and tell them how easy [online banking] is and the freedom it gives you, Peters says. She was able to do it all on her own.

What started as a way for Peters to help her mom manage her finances more easily and avoid the hassle of going to the bank in her wheelchair spilled into her professional life. Peters decided to invest in more robust online services for the credit unions clients, and has experienced the trend currently playing out in banks across the country.

Digital and online banking has already been on the rise in recent years, but the pandemic forced large-scale uptake. There was a 200% jump in new mobile banking registrations in April, according to an analysis by Fidelity National Information Services, an international financial services firm. That jump accompanied a 50% drop in branch bank traffic in the same month, according to U.S. banking data firm Novantas.

For Michigan Legacy Credit Union, the shift to online banking during the pandemic has been dramatic. A 38% increase in online transactions from March to April reinforced Peters plan to downsize the credit unions branch space and refocus on online services.

For baby boomers especially, or roughly those between 55 and 75 years old, the pandemic has been a catalyst for more rapid adoption of online banking and other financial services.

It started with these older Americans using digital services from their brick-and-mortar bank for the first time. This is happening at banks both large and small, according to six bank executives and leaders we talked to.

Take mobile deposits as an example: While this has become a basic feature of most banks mobile apps, usage by MLCU members over 50 is up 171% since March, Peters says.

We know we have a 96-year-old using online banking, both desktop and mobile, Peters says.

Bank tellers were the most frequently used account access method for Americans 65 and older in 2017. When that option went away this year, online banking forced a major change in routine, including the adoption of peer-to-peer payment apps, like Venmo.

This is a sign for how this generation is digitizing in the current situation, a Venmo spokesperson said.

The shift has been palpable. Everything they did in person theyre now doing online or even on mobile, says Allie Fleder, COO of SimplyWise, a retirement and Social Security resource.

While the benefits of online banking go beyond just negating the need to go out in public during a pandemic, there are new risks and challenges as well, which older Americans who are new to online banking might not be aware of.

Banking execs contend that an abundance of safety features makes transacting digitally a safer option, but for Americans who have spent more years of their lives without a cellphone than with one, it can be a jarring change.

These times can be ripe for bad guys, Turner says. She warns that isolation, heightened levels of concern, and a shortage of normally-available goods and services combine for a perfect storm of scams. And, unfortunately, seniors are more susceptible to such schemes, Turner adds.

Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) is a nonprofit dedicated to helping educate older Americans on safe digital habits with e-learning classes. The classes teach basics like how to open an internet browser, along with more complex topics, like how to use multi-factor authentication, which typically involves confirming a log-in attempt with your mobile phone.

The COVID crisis has been a double-edged sword, says Tom Kamber, Executive Director of OATS. Its created anxiety and dislocation, but its also driving people to use new tools.

In general, Kamber recommends older Americans who are new to digital banking seek at least two sessions of support before diving into a new online service. These sessions can be with a family member or teacher, or an online learning tool. If you want to help an elderly person navigate getting online safely, or want to get better at your own online skills, Kamber has some tips:

If youre introducing someone to the internet and know theyre likely to call you for help, put them on the same platform as you.

If you go online in an Apple environment, put them on Apple. If you have an Android, get them an Android, Kamber says.

Kamber says it really helps to be seeing the same screen that theyre seeing, and that youd be surprised how many minor variations there are across devices.

For older learners, the learning curve is shallow in the beginning and then steepens very quickly, says Kamber. This means that the first few sessions introducing a technology or service can be much longer than expected, but patience is key in the early learning stage.

I tell people to figure out how much time you think its going to take, then multiply that by four, says Kamber.

While the introductory phase can drag, Kamber says the basics are essential for the next phase, which is incorporating safe online practices. After that, many elderly users accelerate quickly.

After they have all of the knowledge and are ready to do things, the learning curve is going to go super fast, says Kamber. The first step is the basics, then the second level is internet security topics.

A mistake many teachers often make is doing something on their own instead of allowing the person theyre teaching to figure it out for themselves.

People learn by doing, so helping people practice things and giving them a chance to puzzle through it, with support, is what they need, Kamber says.

Its also important to give actionable goals that can be worked toward.

Older learners are super practical, says Kamber. What they want is quick, actionable information that will really help their needs.

If you can help someone bulk up their online presence safely, there are perks and benefits to be had.

Like Peters mother found, its much more convenient to bank from the comfort of home. In addition to cutting trips to the bank, Peters says her mother benefited from centralizing her finances under one log-in.

You only have to remember one log-in instead of every other place you go to pay bills, Peters says.

Peters says setting her mother up with online banking helped take the stress out of managing her finances late in life.

When she did become very ill, I didnt have to worry about her supplemental Medicare policy being paid, or that anything was missing, Peters says. Her Social Security came in, her disability came in, and everything was just automatically scheduled out.

Setting up online bill pay, which can be configured through your banks online services, can ensure that your finances remain in order in the event of a medical emergency or other major life event.

Online banks can often cut fees that larger brick-and-mortar banks cant afford to lose. While ditching the comfort of a branch can seem daunting, Fleder says these money-savers are perhaps most important for people on fixed incomes, particularly those who may be unbanked or unable to access good credit products.

Americans aged 45 to 65 have an increased willingness to switch to online-only banks as a result of COVID-19, according to data from Varo bank. And when it comes to retirement, every dollar helps, says Eric Taylor, Director of UX research at Varo.

The push toward digital banking and fintech by older Americans doesnt appear to be a fad.

I dont really see us reverting, Turner says. Weve built new muscles, weve built new habits, weve built new routines.

But Barry Baird, head of payments at TD Bank, contends that this isnt a death sentence for branches. For people who have been sticking with their branch over the years, they want to go in, because its their local bank and they know the teller or the clerk, Baird says. Its not about self-service. Its about human connection.

For Peters, the decision to downsize Michigan Legacy Credit Unions branch square footage to focus online is not to eliminate that human connection for clients, because, we see value in branches, just not as big as they are right now, Peters says.

Reinvesting that capital into online services, however, is where Peters sees the most value-add for clientsas was the case for her mother.

We understand the challenges facing older people right now, Peters says. Its that pivotal moment in time where we have the opportunity to demonstrate theres an easier way.

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How the Pandemic Pushed a Generation of Americans to Discover the Perks (and Risks) of Online Banking - NextAdvisor

APT groups actively target Linux-based workstations and servers – Backend News

Many organizations choose Linux for strategically important servers and systems, not least because this operating system is thought to be safer and less prone to cyberthreats than the far more popular Windows operating system. While this is the case for mass malware attacks, it is not so clear cut when it comes to advanced persistent threats (APTs).

Kaspersky researchers have identified a trend where more and more threat actors are executing targeted attacks against Linux-based devices while developing more Linux-focused tools.

Over the past eight years, over a dozen APT actors have been observed to use Linux malware or some Linux-based modules. These include such infamous threat groups as Barium, Sofacy, the Lamberts, and Equation, as well as more recent campaigns such as, LightSpy by TwoSail Junk and WellMess. Diversification of their arsenal with Linux tools enables threat actors to conduct operations more effectively and with wider reach.

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There is a significant trend in many countries toward using Linux as a desktop environment by big enterprise companies, as well as in governmental entities, that pushes threat actors to develop malware for this platform. The myth that Linux, being a less popular operating system, is unlikely to be targeted by malware, invites additional cybersecurity risks.

Malware

While targeted attacks on Linux-based systems are still uncommon, there is certainly malware designed for them including webshells, backdoors, rootkits and even custom-made exploits. The small number of attacks is misleading as the successful compromise of a server running Linux often leads to significant consequences. These include attackers not only being able to access the infected device, but also endpoints running Windows or macOS, thus providing wider access for attackers which might go unnoticed.

Turla, a prolific Russian-speaking group known for its covert exfiltration tactics, has significantly changed its toolset over the years, including the use of Linux backdoors. A new modification of the Penguin_x64 Linux backdoor, reported earlier in 2020, has according to Kasperskys telemetry, infected dozens of servers in Europe and the United States, as recently as July 2020.

Lazarus

Another example is Lazarus, a Korean-speaking APT group, which continues to diversify its toolset and develop non-Windows malware. Kaspersky recently reported on the multi-platform framework called MATA and in June 2020, researchers analyzed new samples linked to the Lazarus Operation AppleJeus and TangoDaiwbo campaigns, used in financial and espionage attacks. The samples studied included Linux malware.

The trend of enhancing APT toolsets was identified by our experts many times in the past, and Linux-focused tools are no exception. Aiming to secure their systems, IT and security departments are using Linux more often than before. Threat actors are responding to this with the creation of sophisticated tools that are able to penetrate such systems. We advise cybersecurity experts to take this trend into account and implement additional measures to protect their servers and workstations, said Yury Namestnikov, head of Kasperskys Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) in Russia.

In order to avoid falling victim to a targeted attack on Linux by a known or unknown threat actor, Kaspersky researchers recommend implementing the following measures:

Related

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APT groups actively target Linux-based workstations and servers - Backend News

IT Security-as-a-Service Market 2020 By Manufacturers, Regions, Type And Application, Forecast To 2025| Blue Coat, Cisco, IBM, Intel Security,…

Chicago, United States: Global IT Security-as-a-Service Market Report offers an entire study of the Impact of COVID-19 on IT Security-as-a-Service Market, Industry Outlook, Opportunities in Market, and Expansion By 2025 and also taking into consideration key factors like drivers, challenges, recent trends, opportunities, advancements, and competitive landscape. This report offers a clear understanding of this also as a future scenario of the worldwide IT Security-as-a-Service industry. Research techniques like PESTLE and SWOT analysis are deployed by the researchers. They need also provided accurate data on IT Security-as-a-Service production, capacity, price, cost, margin, and revenue to help the players gain a clear understanding of the general existing and future market situation.

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IT Security-as-a-Service Market competition by top manufacturers/Key player Profiled:Blue Coat, Cisco, IBM, Intel Security, Symantec, Alert Logic, Barracuda Networks, BT Global Services, CA Technologies, CenturyLink, CGI Group, CheckPoint Software Technologies, CipherCloud, Computer Sciences, CYREN, FishNet Security, Fortinet, HP, Microsoft, NTT Com Security, Panda Security, Proofpoint, Radware, Trend Micro, Trustwave, Zscaler

The study objectives of IT Security-as-a-Service Market report are: 1.To identify opportunities and challenges for Global IT Security-as-a-Service.2.To provide insights about factors affecting market growth. To analyze the IT Security-as-a-Service market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, SWOT analysis, etc.3.To identify and analyze the profile of leading players involved within the manufacturing of worldwide IT Security-as-a-Service.4.To provide country-level analysis of the market regarding the present IT Security-as-a-Service market size and future prospective.5.To examine competitive developments like expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in Global IT Security-as-a-Service.6.To provide a detailed analysis of the market structure alongside forecast of the varied segments and sub-segments of the worldwide IT Security-as-a-Service market.

By Types, the IT Security-as-a-Service Market can be Splits into:

Internet security

Endpoint security

Wireless security

Network security

Cloud security

By Applications, the IT Security-as-a-Service Market can be Splits into:

Commercial

Industrial

Military and Denfense

IT security is the practice of preventing unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, inspection, recording or destruction of information. To standardize this discipline, academics and professionals collaborate and seek to set basic guidance, policies, and industry standards on password, antivirus software, firewall, encryption software, legal liability and user/administrator training standards. This standardization may be further driven by a wide variety of laws and regulations that affect how data is accessed, processed, stored, and transferred.

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Regions Covered in these Report:

Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific)Europe (Germany, the UK, France, and Rest of Europe)North America (the US, Mexico, and Canada)Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America)Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

Global IT Security-as-a-Service Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of IT Security-as-a-Service Market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Reasons To Buy: Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data associated with the IT Security-as-a-Service market, and every category within it.Extensive price charts draw particular pricing trends within recent yearsPosition yourself to realize the most advantage of the IT Security-as-a-Service markets growth potentialTo understand the latest trends of the IT Security-as-a-Service marketTo understand the impactful developments of key players within the market, their strategic initiatives and comprehensively study their core competencies

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Table of Contents

Report Overview:It includes major players of the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market covered in the research study, research scope, and Market segments by type, market segments by application, years considered for the research study, and objectives of the report.

Global Growth Trends:This section focuses on industry trends where market drivers and top market trends are shed light upon. It also provides growth rates of key producers operating in the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market. Furthermore, it offers production and capacity analysis where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market are discussed.

Market Share by Manufacturers:Here, the report provides details about revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, expansion plans, mergers and acquisitions, and products, market entry dates, distribution, and market areas of key manufacturers.

Market Size by Type:This section concentrates on product type segments where production value market share, price, and production market share by product type are discussed.

Market Size by Application:Besides an overview of the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market by application, it gives a study on the consumption in the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market by application.

Production by Region:Here, the production value growth rate, production growth rate, import and export, and key players of each regional market are provided.

Consumption by Region:This section provides information on the consumption in each regional market studied in the report. The consumption is discussed on the basis of country, application, and product type.

Company Profiles:Almost all leading players of the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market are profiled in this section. The analysts have provided information about their recent developments in the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market, products, revenue, production, business, and company.

Market Forecast by Production:The production and production value forecasts included in this section are for the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market as well as for key regional markets.

Market Forecast by Consumption:The consumption and consumption value forecasts included in this section are for the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market as well as for key regional markets.

Value Chain and Sales Analysis:It deeply analyzes customers, distributors, sales channels, and value chain of the global IT Security-as-a-Service Market.

Key Findings: This section gives a quick look at important findings of the research study.

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IT Security-as-a-Service Market 2020 By Manufacturers, Regions, Type And Application, Forecast To 2025| Blue Coat, Cisco, IBM, Intel Security,...

Critical steps for securing cyberspace – Microsoft on the Issues – Microsoft

Recently, we identified cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election. While we are committed to defending our democracy against these attacks through notifications of such activity to impacted customers, security features in our products and services, and legal and technical disruptions, the role of government in addressing these threats has never been more important. Beyond the most recent attacks targeting U.S. elections, nation-states and cyber criminals continue to conduct attacks and steal data and dollars with impunity.

We can and must do better. On a national and global level, Microsoft has been an active participant with government and private-sector partners to strengthen cybersecurity. The opportunity for Congress to do its part and take meaningful steps to advance cybersecurity is right before us. Recent recommendations from theCyberspace Solarium Commissionoffer opportunities to strengthen government and build deeper public and private partnerships in order to advance our collective cybersecurity.

Building trust and security in cyberspace requires sustained global engagement and collaboration across key multilateral and multi-stakeholder dialogues. Strengthened U.S. leadership is needed now more than ever. Importantly, the Commission contemplates working with a coalition of like-minded allies and partners willing to collectively support a rules-based international order in cyberspace to better hold malign actors accountable. We support this vision. However, in current practice, the lack of U.S. leadership in key dialogues at the United Nations and multi-stakeholder convenings such as the Paris Call for Trust and Security has inhibited progress. Moreover, as the Commission notes, and as we have seen through our participation, a leadership vacuum creates an opportunity for harmful agendas to gain traction.

Cyberattacks are increasing every day. These attacks are threatening ordamagingour enterprises, critical infrastructure, elections and citizens who use the internet for banking, commerce, communication, education, entertainment and all the activities of modern society.Many of the ideas and recommendations put forward in the Commissions reporthave become even more important since its work was completed, as the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified all of societysreliance on the internet.

In the context of all of these considerations, the Solarium Commission has made some specific recommendations that are critical to advancing our collective cybersecurity, and, as we approach National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we stronglyrecommend thatCongress acton them:

The U.S. Government is well positioned to lead the world in domestic cybersecurity, and as an advocate for meaningful cybersecurity principles globally. Microsoft has long been an active participant in international cybersecurity policy and has worked continuously to collaborate with governments to strengthen security and improve the safety of the internet for all. We will continue to engage in this much-needed cybersecurity discourse both here and abroad. We commend the Cyberspace Solarium Commission for its thoughtful recommendations and believe that they warrant careful consideration by Congress. We call on members of Congress to take action on the Commissions recommended solutions to establish mechanisms for the U.S. to strengthen its cybersecurity, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders and be a leader on critical global efforts.

Tags: cyberattacks, cybersecurity, Cyberspace Solarium Commission, National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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Critical steps for securing cyberspace - Microsoft on the Issues - Microsoft

Proven ways to stay ahead of configuration drift – ITProPortal

Cybersecurity professionals jobs would be much easier if configurations stayed put once they were aligned to a known and secure baseline state. Unfortunately for them, configurations naturally deviate from their once-secure state over time as system changes take place. This issueknown as configuration driftmeans the more time its been since your most recent scan, the less confident you can be about the exposure of your attack surface.

What kinds of changes lead to configuration drift? Product improvement being a never-ending project, application owners are regularly modifying apps and infrastructure to improve end-user experience. Some of these changes are harmlesswhile others push systems away from their secure baseline to dangerous effect.

Configuration security is one of the foundational elements required to build an effective defense against cyberattacks. From a policy point of view, establishing secure configurations sets you off to a good start (using CIS-hardened images, for example). However, maintaining them can be much more of a challenge.

Taking a look at a few concrete examples can help illustrate how easy it is for configuration drift to occur. Quick fixes that seem harmless at first glance can prove prohibitively hazardous. In other cases, the struggle lies in communicating evidence of a changes acceptability to auditors.

1. Introducing new ports

Lets say theres an innovative approach to improving an apps customer experience. One of the steps of implementing this approach is opening a new communication port for proprietary protocol use. The business team initiates a change ticket. They find the app working impeccably once the new port is opened on the servers and firewalls.

When its time for a security audit six months later, auditors point to this undocumented open port as a substantial issue because it doesnt match the security policy. Now the security team must spend a great deal of time attempting to trace back to the change in question and assess the acceptability of the associated risk. Even if the risk is deemed acceptable given the context, it took auditors too long to get adequate information to make this determination.

When security teams track configuration drift and document modifications to the known hardened baseline, its much easier to provide audit evidence without misusing valuable time.

2. Privilege escalation

Escalated privileges are one way IT professionals can introduce a lot of risk to their systems unknowingly. For example, if an app developer logs into a single server repeatedly, they might want to cut a corner by adding the users group to the user rights categories they need for added convenience.

This way, they can bypass the special admin credentials required to make a production change. Checking out admin credentials from the password vault can be time-consuming, and the developer is likely to think that its not a huge risk since its a single server as opposed to an entire domain.

However, privilege escalation for even a single server can prove riskier in terms of configuration drift than the added convenience is worth. Now, the security teams wont be able to know what has occurred until the servers next manual audit.

3. Cloud storage

Using a public cloud provider requires that youre fully aware of which security responsibilities are your own and which fall under the purview of the provider. Amazon Web Services (AWS) blocks all public access by default when a user creates a new bucket. This is advantageous from a security perspective, but it could be seen as a hindrance to efficiency by the IT team.

To streamline certain IT operations, this automatic block setting might be a tempting one to disable. This might be done by IT at the point of set-up, or it could occur around a temporary use case and be quickly forgotten without being switched back to the default setting. This could also be the result of a mistake in an automated script.

Whatever the reason, changing bucket access settings can create the type of configuration drift that leaves organizations highly vulnerable to a breach. Following security configuration management (SCM) best practices helps offset these types of risks. But more even important than establishing these processes is continuously monitoring them for drift from their approved configuration state.

There is a world of Secure Configuration Management guidance out there, but lets look at configuration management from a maturity model perspective. Depending on the maturity of your organizations security program, you may be in the manual, scanning, or near-real time state of configuration management maturity.

1. Manual configuration monitoring

Manual configuration monitoring is a major time drain, leading teams to avoid doing it on a regular cadence when other priorities seem more pressing. This can then lead to systems being left unwatched until a detected compromise gets someones attention or its time for a routine upgrade.

Compliance regulations mean that a subset of these systems may be included in the scope of an audit due to compliance requirements. When this is the case, security teams often try limiting the number of systems to be included in the audit. Then, only the non-compliance of those particular systems will be acted upon if detected during an audit (leaving other systems potentially exposed).

2. Using a solution that scans for compliance

The next level of configuration management maturity is using a solution that automatically scans for compliance at scheduled intervals. This is not nearly as tedious as the previous stage of maturity, but it does still require a hefty amount of interaction to create administrative credentials for the tool to scan with, as well as someone to schedule or run the scans when required and remediate the results. This is typically done once a month or once a quarter to try to get ahead of the audit process.

Similarly to the previous stage, this stage can be limited in terms of which systems are covered by the processscans may be limited within a compliance zone. The systems outside that zone can become left behind and only checked when compromise or the need for an upgrade takes place.

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) advises in Critical Security Control #5 that all systems need to be provisioned with secure configurations and that configurations need to be maintained on an ongoing basis as changes occur over time.

3. System monitoring in near-real time

The next level of maturity is reached when the scanning process is closer to real-time rather than intermittently scheduled scans. This requires the provisioning of a lightweight agent for system monitoring without the requirement login credentials or OS auditing. The agent must be deployed on all systems via embedding into images or inclusion into processes of automated tools like Puppet or Chef.

When new changes occur that result in configuration drift, a remediation process can be initiated. One example of this is the automated creation of incident tickets or alerts sent to the security operations center (SOC) over the security incident and event management (SIEM) tool. Organizations like CIS offer proven guidelines for system configurations that actively reduce your attack surface, called benchmarks.

CIS recommends tracking the following metrics to accurately measure this data:

1. What is the percentage of business systems that are not currently configured with a security configuration that matches the organizations approved configuration standard ?

2. What is the percentage of business systems whose security configuration is not enforced by the organizations technical configuration management applications (by business unit)?

3. What is the percentage of business systems that are not up-to-date with the latest available operating system software security patches?

4. What is the percentage of business systems that are not up to date with the latest available business software application security patches?

5. What is the percentage of business systems not protected by file integrity assessment software applications?

6. What is the percentage of unauthorized or undocumented changes with security impact?

Avoiding configuration drift is an ongoing process, and one in which you can raise your organizations configuration management maturity level steadily over time to optimize for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Benchmarks from organizations like CIS are a great focus for security and business teams to collaborate around so that configuration drift is altogether avoided or remediated swiftly.

Tim Erlin, VP, Product Management & Strategy, Tripwire

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Proven ways to stay ahead of configuration drift - ITProPortal

Global Embedded Security For Internet Of Things Market 2020 Trends Analysis and (COVID-19) Effect Analysis | Key Players Market With COVID-19 Impact…

Global Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market 20202026: Industry Analysis, Growth Analysis, Price Analysis, And Trends

The comprehensive research report on theEmbedded Security For Internet Of Things marketinfluences iterative and comprehensive research methodology to offer insights of the existing market scenario over the forecast timeframe. The report also delivers in-depth details about the growth and development trends that will have a major impact on the behavior of the Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market in the approaching years. Furthermore, the report touches upon other key pointers such as the regional aspects and policies overriding the industry. Apart from this, the study highlights the COVID-19 pandemics effect on the revenue share and yearly growth rate of the market.

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Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this Industry.

The Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market report has comprehensively provided information regarding the driving forces that have a huge impact on the market size. In addition, the dynamics of the industry are defined by studying the current and future trends of this industry vertical. Along with the competitive terrain even the regional landscape of the Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market is provided. The vast research can be clearly seen through the market analysis that provides data associated with advantages and disadvantages of the products developed by the manufacturersIntel, Cisco, NXP, Infineon, Gemalto, Check Point, Palo Alto, ARM, Synopsys, Inside Secure, Trend Micro.

Additionally, the entire evolution of the market dynamics along with the supply and demand chain of the product is presented in the research report. The global Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market is segmented on the basis of{Software, Controller Chip}; {Retail, Aerospace and Defence, Healthcare, Gaming, Automotive, Others}. Along with this the product types and the applications of the Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market are also discussed.

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1. Product spectrum elaboration2. Volume and revenue share forecasts3. Growth rate, market share, & production framework detailing over the forecast timeline

Highlights points of Embedded Security For Internet Of Things market:

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Global Embedded Security For Internet Of Things Market 2020 Trends Analysis and (COVID-19) Effect Analysis | Key Players Market With COVID-19 Impact...