Category Archives: Internet Security

Office and Penetration Testing Software Increasingly Becoming Vectors for Malware – Campus Technology

Research

Half of all malware that tried to infect computers during the third quarter of 2019 was already known, according to a newreportfrom WatchGuard Technologies. The other half was "zero-day" malware, which bypassed (and therefore went undetected by) traditional signature-based security software. On its list of the top-10 malware attacks for a three-month period, WatchGuardidentified several Apache Struts vulnerabilities, which the cybersecurity company identified as the same type of malware used in the Equifax data breach. In its report, WatchGuard also highlighted an increase in the use of Microsoft Office exploits as well as "legitimate penetration testing tools" for delivering computer infections.

The bulk of the content for the latest "Internet Security Report" is generated and collected by willing participants using the company's products, including its Firebox firewall appliances and software, and DNS-level protection services.

Among the many findings shared in the report are these:

Overall network attacks rose by 8 percent quarter over quarter, the company found. Among them was the Apache Struts 2 Remote Code Execution (the one that hit Equifax), which allows attackers to install Python or make a custom HTTP request to exploit the vulnerability "with just a few lines of code and obtain shell access to an exposed system." Two additional Apache Struts were also on the top-10 list. As the security researchers pointed out, the continued use of this vulnerability "should serve as a reminder of how important it is for web admins to patch known flaws as soon as possible."

Also on the list: two malware flavors that hit Office products. Both were delivered via email, the report noted, pointing up the importance of training users in the art of being able to identify phishing attempts and potentially malicious attachments.

Two newly identified malware flavors incorporated penetration testing tools: Boxter, a "PowerSploit" script; and Hacktool.JQ, a password stealer. What researchers couldn't determine was whether these were being used by legitimate hackers for the purposes of testing enterprise networks or by cyber criminals "leveraging readily available open source tools."

Among top compromised websites was one legitimate site (an Arabic platform) for sharing photos and links, which also hosted "malicious payloads." While the site validates the file extension when accepting an image, it doesn't go beyond that, which means attackers can change the file extension to something friendly while uploads still carry malware that's activated when the files are clicked.

The dramatic increase in zero-day malware instances (up to 50 percent from 38 percent over the last several quarters) pointed up the need for a layered security approach that could use multiple services to defend against "advanced, ever-evolving threats."

"Our latest threat intelligence showcases the variability and sophistication of cyber criminals' growing playbook. Not only are they leveraging notorious attacks, but they're launching evasive malware campaigns and hijacking products, tools and domains we use every day," said Corey Nachreiner, the company's chief technology officer, in a statement. "As threat actors continue to modify their tactics, organizations of every size must protect themselves, their customers and their partners with a set of layered security services that cover everything from the core network to endpoints to the users themselves."

The security report, with more detailed findings, is availableon the WatchGuard website(registration required).

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

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Office and Penetration Testing Software Increasingly Becoming Vectors for Malware - Campus Technology

Network attacks increased in third quarter, WatchGuard says – TechRepublic

One network attack targeted the same vulnerability exploited in the Equifax data breach from September 2017, according to a new report.

Keeping up with the latest tactics and tricks of cybercriminals is a challenging process, especially as the level of certain threats seems to keep rising from quarter to quarter.

There was a jump in the number of network attacks in the third quarter, as outlined in WatchGuard Technologies' Internet Security Report for Q3 2019, released on Wednesday.

SEE:Network Attacks and Their Detection Mechanisms: A Review (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

For the quarter, network attacks rose by 8% compared with the second quarter of 2019.

Among the Top 10 most "popular" network attacks seen by WatchGuard last quarter, one exploits a vulnerability found in the open-source web application framework Apache Struts, the same vulnerability used in the Equifax data breach from September 2017.

Specifically, cybercriminals use Apache Struts 2 Remote Code Execution to install Python or create a custom HTTP request using just a few lines of code to obtain shell access to an exposed system.

Other threats analyzed for the quarter exploited two additional Apache Struts vulnerabilities, a reminder that web admins need to patch security holes as soon as possible.

On the malware front, WatchGuard offered good and bad news. The good news? The overall number of malware detections dropped by 4% from the second quarter. The bad news? The number was a huge jump of 60% from the third quarter of 2018.

In particular, zero day malware instances accounted for half of all malware detections last quarter, up from around 38% over the past several quarters.

This shows that half of all malware attacks in the third quarter were able to bypass traditional signature-based security solutions, pointing out a need for more layered security methods.

Microsoft Office continues to be another exploitable product. On WatchGuard's Top 10 list were two malware variants that target Office products.

Both attacks were deployed primarily via email, which means that organizations need to focus on training and education to help users learn how to identify phishing emails and messages with malicious attachments.

Cybercriminals appear to be using legitimate penetration testing tools for nefarious purposes. Two malware variants caught by WatchGuard exploited the Kali Linux penetration testing tools.

One variant, dubbed Boxter, is a PowerShell Trojan used to download and install unwanted programs on a user's device without permission. The other, known as Hacktool.JQ, was the only other authentication attack tool besides Mimikatz to appear on WatchGuard's list.

Researchers weren't sure whether the rise in these types of detections was attributable to legitimate penetration testing activities or malicious attackers exploiting readily-available open source tools.

Either way, organizations should continue to make use of anti-malware services to protect their data, they said.

Finally, malware attacks targeting the Americas rose dramatically. More than 42% of such attacks were launched against organizations and users in North, Central, and South America, up from just 27% in the second quarter.

WatchGuard was unclear as to the specific reasons, but organizations in these regions should be aware of this trend, it said.

The findings for WatchGuard's "Internet Security Report for Q3 2019" were taken from anonymized Firebox Feed data from active WatchGuard Unified Threat Management appliances whose owners have agreed to share data. More than 37,000 appliances worldwide contributed threat intelligence data to the report.

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Network attacks increased in third quarter, WatchGuard says - TechRepublic

What is a VPN Used for on Android? – eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

Want to know more about how to use a VPN on your Android device? Then youve found yourself in the right place. Using a VPN on your tablet, or smartphone is a great idea. But what exactly is a VPN used for on Android?

Whether youre sitting soundly in your local caf, or getting ready to board a flight from Budapest to Moscow, youre going to need to get a handle on your internet security. Those public networks can certainly be helpful, but they are also a danger to your information! Lets take a look at what you should know about VPNs and your Android device.

Your VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a great way to keep your data and private information away from hackers. Lets say youre in a public space, a restaurant, or coffee shop, and you want to use their public network. Its not a bad idea, but it is potentially a very easy way for hackers to get ahold of your personal information.

A VPN makes it so your personal Android device can connect to the internet securely, while helping keep your personal data private. Not only that, but VPNs make it so your browsing activity cant be accessed on a public network as well! Finding the right VPN is easy, This is because a good Android VPN will be affordable and easy to access. But why should you use one?

Today, we use technology for such a wide variety of things. Whether youre sending important legal documents via email, or googling adorable cat videos, there are a lot of things that you may want to keep hidden.

Here are just a few things that a hacker can access from your Android on a Public Network:

However, there are ways to keep your private data, well private! Using a VPN on your smaller devices will help to not only keep hackers at bay, but also a wide array of other things. It is not as complicated as building new technology for NASA. But all things considered, finding internet safety shouldnt have to be!

A VPN will also allow you to operate online through a proxy IP Address. Meaning you can access websites, streaming platforms, and so many other things that may be limited in your region. You can access Japanese streaming platforms from the U.S., you can watch British television from North Africa, the world is pretty much your private oyster!

Your phone or tablet holds an enormous amount of personal data. In order to keep that information safe, you should definitely look into using a VPN. As these devices hold not only the information you put on there, but also the data from servers, your location, and so much more!

In order to help you keep your data secure on your phone, as well as your other Android devices, it is highly recommended that you access unknown networks through a VPN. Not only that, but you can even use your Android VPN at home as well! This can allow you a new wave of opportunities online.

Though they are helpful in keeping your internet information more private, VPNs are not perfect! VPNs may cause slower download speeds, or connectivity speeds, as well as cost more than you thought. There ARE free VPN services out there, but the best ones are going to have a price tag.

There are many pros to using a VPN on your Android device. From keeping your information safe and secure, to bypassing geo-blocking, youre well on your way to making the most of this internet platform. Secure your Android by signing up for a VPN.

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What is a VPN Used for on Android? - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

Pulse Secure Partners with Nozomi Networks in IT-OT Convergence Play – Channel Futures

Pulse Secure and Nozomi team up to provide broader security for IT/OT.

Pulse Secure, the secure access provider, and Nozomi Networks, a provider of operational technology (OT) and IoT security, on Thursday said theyve teamed up to provide Pulses zero-trust protection in a native, unified IT/OT cybersecurity solution for businesses in manufacturing, health care and critical infrastructure sectors that are at the core of the industrial internet of things (IIoT).

The new joint solution protects OT, industrial control systems (ICS) and IIoT infrastructure, and leverages the Pulse Secure zero-trust model to enable organizations to bring IIoT devices out of OT isolation and into the IT realm to increase operational flexibility, reduce time for troubleshooting, and improve uptime and productivity.

Pulse Secures Prakash Mana

Attackers increasingly use connectivity and IoT device exposures to scan the network for other exploitable targets that provide access to sensitive data or credentials or enable operational disruption. Pulse Secures NAC solution provides the necessary visibility and policy-based access management to ensure appropriate IoT device onboarding, monitoring, segregation and risk mitigation, said Prakash Mana, vice president of product management at Pulse Secure. By integrating with Nozomi Networks, we can further extend native operational intelligence, access control and threat response capabilities of IIoT devices operating within OT and ICS environments.

Theres been convergence of IT and OT networks, referred to as IIoT 4.0. Cybersecurity strategies are necessary to address potential exploitation of security gaps between IT ad OT technologies.

An example of this convergence is a user on an IT network logging in remotely to a machine on a manufacturing floor network to monitor it or get data from devices on the floor.

In the past, those networks [on the factory floor] were isolated from the outside world with their own capabilities, which has its benefits, but also disadvantages in terms of scale or communications and data analytics, Scott Gordon, chief marketing officer at Pulse Secure, told Channel Futures. The reason why they merge is for better data communications, better data analysis and it allows things to be cloud-enabled in terms of control and diagnostics. So, there are a lot of advantages of why there are IT/OT integration trends going on.

Exposure to the internet, however, brings potential for risk and threats.

Gordon said many of Pulse Secures manufacturing customers, for example, want to take the discovery, classification, monitoring and threat response capability and apply it to devices in their OT network. Now they can.

Pulse Secure system integration and VAR partners are typically specialized, often selling into manufacturing environments. With the new native support for Nozomi, Gordon suggests its not a big leap for partners to expand their opportunity.

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Pulse Secure Partners with Nozomi Networks in IT-OT Convergence Play - Channel Futures

2 Dead in Protests Over Indias Religion-Based Citizenship Bill – The New York Times

NEW DELHI Tens of thousands of protesters rioted in three states across Indias northeast, some defying a government curfew and military deployment to demonstrate against the passage of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill, which will grant citizenship to thousands of migrants on religious grounds.

By Thursday night, the government had shut down the internet, deployed hundreds of troops, imposed a curfew in Assam state and banned groups of more than four people from assembling in neighboring Meghalaya state.

The police shot and killed two protesters in Assam whom they accused of defying the curfew, and arrested dozens of others there, The Associated Press reported.

Protesters are angry that the bill will grant citizenship to thousands of Hindu, Christian, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh migrants from some neighboring countries where New Delhi says they are religiously persecuted. Demonstrators say this will flood their hometowns with unwanted foreigners.

The bill will make it harder for Muslim migrants to attain Indian citizenship, although many Muslims are also discriminated against in neighboring countries. Critics fear the bill will be used to harass Indian Muslims by forcing them to pass a citizenship test and prove their familys lineage in the country, while giving a blanket pass to people of most other religions.

But government officials say the bill is a humanitarian effort to provide shelter to religiously persecuted minorities. The bill is expected to be signed into law in the coming days.

The protests first broke out on Wednesday, after the controversial bill was passed by the upper house of Indias Parliament, and quickly turned violent. Protesters set two train stations on fire, clashed with security forces, blocked national highways, burned vehicles and attacked the home of the highest-ranking government official in Guwahati, the capital of Assam.

The governments show of force only seemed to enrage protesters further, with larger numbers of demonstrators gathering on Thursday and clashing with security forces.

Protesters in the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura say the bill will dilute their numbers by naturalizing Hindus from neighboring Bangladesh who fled to India decades ago, during their countrys civil war.

Although the three states are majority Hindu, their residents tend to be more concerned about safeguarding their unique ethnic makeup and linguistic heritage than about helping coreligionists from other countries.

Hiren Gohain, a retired professor in Guwahati, denounced what he called an arbitrary bill by the government that had little public support, but only sought to reinforce the Indian governments quest to unravel Indias secular underpinnings.

There had been no demand from any quarter in India for this Citizenship Amendment Bill, Mr. Gohain said in a telephone interview. Indias governing party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., has brought the bill to polarize people among communal lines and extinguish the very national existence and culture of Assam, he added.

The government shutdown of the internet in Assam on Wednesday and Thursday secured Indias spot as the country with the most internet blackouts in the world. India, the worlds largest democracy, was responsible for 67 percent of the worlds internet shutdowns last year, with 134 incidents, according to Access Now, a digital information advocacy center.

So far this year, India has had 89 internet blackouts, some lasting months, as in Kashmir, where the internet was shut down for 133 days after the government stripped the majority Muslim territory of its autonomy in August.

Indias Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed TV channels on Wednesday to refrain from broadcasting protests or any anti-national content, a move critics say is part of government efforts to stamp out opposition. The order came as the live TV station for the upper house of Parliament cut out when opposition lawmakers heckled the home minister, Amit Shah, who is behind the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government tried to push a similar citizenship bill. But the legislation stalled after many politicians objected to the religious dimension of the bill and the possibility that a large number of Hindu Bengalis would be made citizens, giving them the right to acquire land.

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2 Dead in Protests Over Indias Religion-Based Citizenship Bill - The New York Times

RIPE NCC and TRA hold roundtable in UAE on government role in Internet – Intelligent CIO ME

The RIPENetwork Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), in co-operation with the TelecommunicationsRegulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE, have held a roundtable discussion dedicatedto Arab ICT ministries and regulators on The Role of Arab Governments in InternetDevelopment.

Thediscussion put the spotlight on current opportunities and challenges in theMiddle East in managing Internet resources and highlighted new developments.

The roundtablewas attended by representatives from several Arab countries, including: UAE, KSA,Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt.

H.E. HamadObaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said: We have important strategicissues to examine and discuss, we have a lot of headlines that representopportunities and challenges at the same time. These include the future of the Internetin light of the growing scope of users across the region and the implementationof IPv6 and the consequent necessities of co-ordination and mutual benefit fromexpertise and experience.

Salam Yamout, Board Member,RIPE NCC, added: The RIPE NCC is committed to working with stakeholders, includinggovernments in the region, to advance and develop the Internet, and to supportthem with the necessary technical expertise.

We commend the work of the TRA in UAEand its role in developing new initiatives to support the development ofInternet and economic growth in the region. These meetings are an idealplatform to address some of the pressing challenges facing information sharingand Internet security today.

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RIPE NCC and TRA hold roundtable in UAE on government role in Internet - Intelligent CIO ME

Global and Regional IT Security Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 – Industry PressRelease

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The global version of this report with a geographical classification such as

North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico)Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Benelux)Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia)The Middle East and Africa

Reason to buy and Regional IT Security Market Report : 1) Breakdown of the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2014 to 2019.2) The and Regional IT Security competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.3) Describe and Regional IT Security sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.4) The details of the competitive landscape outlined in this report are likely to provide an analysis of the prominent industry vendors, their growth profiles, strategies, and tactics, etc., that would help investors in decision-making.5) To project the size of and Regional IT Security submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).6) To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.7) Focuses on the key global and Regional IT Security players, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years.

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The next part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Apart from the mentioned information, the growth rate of the and Regional IT Security market in 2023 is also explained. Finally, the possibility analysis of new project investment is done in the report, which contains a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the and Regional IT Security market.

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Global and Regional IT Security Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 - Industry PressRelease

How do Cypriots spend their time on the Internet? – In-Cyprus.com

Nearly nine out of 10 households in Cyprus had Internet access according to a survey carried out by Cystat and published on its website on Thursday.

This show that in 2019 nternet access in households increased and reached 89.6% compared to 86.2% in 2018.

According to the survey, 85.5% of persons aged 16-74 years old use the internet at least once a week. Among people aged 16-24 the figure was 100%. This percentage decreases with age, even though for individuals aged 6574 years old the use of internet increased to 44.3% in 2019 compared to 37.5% in 2018.

Persons with high educational level (97.3%) use the internet more frequently than persons with low educational level (55.7%).

What is the Internet used for?

The most popular Internet activities are: use of instant messaging (88.6%), telephone calls over the internet/video calls (via webcam) over the Internet (84.0%), participation in social networks (83.3%), search of information about goods and services (83.2%) and reading news/ newspapers/magazines (81.9%).

91.6% of persons that used the Internet in the first quarter of 2019, used their mobile or smart phone to access the Internet away from home or work, 26.1% used a laptop and 19.6% used a tablet.

e-GovernmentCompared to 2018, the percentage of persons who use the Internet for interaction with public authorities in 2019 increased from 41.7% to 50.3%. This is due to the increase of people using the Internet for obtaining information from public authorities websites (from 38.7% to 48.3%), downloading official forms (from 27.4% to 37.1%) and submitting completed forms (from 26.1% to33.9%).

e-CommerceThe percentage of individuals 16-74 years old making online orders during the first quarter of the year significantly increased to 36.2% in 2019 compared to 23.3% in 2018.

The most popular categories of goods/services ordered online were the following: clothes or sports goods (66.2%), travel arrangements such as transport tickets, car hire etc. (54.6%) and holiday accommodation (51.7%).

During the period April 2018-March 2019, 84.6% of persons aged 16-74 years old that bought or ordered goods and services for private use bought from sellers from EU countries, 44.2% bought from sellers from the rest of the world and 45.1% bought from sellers in Cyprus. 38.9% of these persons bought goods or services of value between 100-500 euro.

The survey was conducted during the period April August 2019 and covered 1,824 households with at least one member aged 16 74 (inclusive) and 3,860 individuals aged 16 74 (inclusive).

The aim was to collect data on the access of households to selected Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the use of Internet, use of e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Skills, and Internet Security.

The survey covers all the government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus

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How do Cypriots spend their time on the Internet? - In-Cyprus.com

CipherCloud and Thales Collaborate to Support Zero Trust Data Access – Business Wire

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CipherCloud, a leader in cloud security and governance, and Thales, a world leader in digital identity and security, today announced a technology collaboration that leverages the capabilities of Thaless SafeNet Trusted Access, a cloud-based identity, access management and authentication platform, with CipherClouds CASB+ solution. It effectively authenticates, protects against unauthorized access to data, delivers fined-grained access control, and minimizes the risk of compromised end user credentials. The combination creates a powerful cloud security and secure adaptive access solution that can be customized to support any platform, including email, SaaS, IaaS, and private cloud applications.

This collaboration creates a simple yet effective way to help customers secure data and access in the cloud without limiting end user productivity, administrator management, or system security, and is ideal for enterprises of any size.

Thales is a leader in the zero trust security framework that allows enterprises to manage access to cloud and premises apps on all devices while trusting none and which recognizes that todays network perimeter extends well beyond the office, said Pravin Kothari, CEO, CipherCloud. Our collaboration helps customers implement this zero trust security framework to the cloud with the benefit of CipherClouds Cloud Security Access Broker (CASB),that provides end-to-end protection against unauthorized access for any application in the cloud.

CASBs, policy-based access management and IAMs authentication are foundational elements of zero trust IAM frameworks, said Francois Lasnier, Vice President, Access Management solutions at Thales. The combination of SafeNet Trusted Access (Thaless access management service) and CipherCloud enables organizations to significantly improve their IAM security posture: by enforcing the appropriate assurance level at the access point and providing adaptive access controls to sanctioned SaaS applications, CISOs now have the ability to gain greater visibility and control over their cloud services.

We needed to effectively control personal health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) data across numerous devices and multiple cloud applications, said Adam Price, vice president of information security, Addiction Campuses. We chose CipherCloud after evaluating multiple CASB vendors and found that CipherClouds zero trust data access solution provided the best protection for our environment.

The Zero Trust data access solution seeks to allow authenticated users access to business-critical data and applications from anywhere with any device. This is accomplished by implementing procedures that authenticate every user, authorize every device, and increase end user productivity through a flexible security infrastructure that can adapt to rapid changes in business operations. As enterprises move into the cloud, close integrations with cloud security technology leaders makes implementing this model easier and more secure.

The CipherCloud Zero Trust CASB+ platform enables complete control of cloud applications to provide comprehensive visibility, data security, threat protection, and compliance for cloud-based assets. CASB+ protects any cloud application from unauthorized upload, download, access, and data sharing to meet corporate governance, compliance, information technology, and cybersecurity policy. The cloud-native CASB+ platform ensures that confidential and sensitive data is protected at all locations - in the cloud and on users' devices. CASB+ provides one centrally controlled unified platform for enterprises to safely use the largest and most diverse multi-cloud environments -- email, SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS, and custom cloud environments.

The CipherCloud CASB+ platform has the ability to scale to fit any enterprise so as users scale their use of the platform, elasticity will cope with the increased demand without impacting customer service, cost or manageability.

About CipherCloud

CipherCloud introduced the first CASB solution to the market in 2011 and continues to reshape the cloud security market. CipherClouds recognized data protection expertise forms the foundation for the industrys only zero-trust CASB solution, providing seamless zero-trust security across all clouds with unified policies, trusted data protection, and automatic compliance for the cloud-mobile era. CipherClouds CASB+ provides the deepest levels of data protection and real-time data access control to provide an immediate solution for challenging cloud security and compliance problems.

CipherCloud has been awarded Winner of the Cloud Security Product of the Year by SC Magazine, Overall Leader in the CASB market by KuppingerCole, Best IT Data Management Solution by ASTORS Homeland Security, and earned numerous awards from the 2019 Internet Security Product Guide. The worlds largest global enterprises and government institutions in over 25 countries protect and secure their cloud information with CipherCloud, which is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Transamerica Ventures, Delta Partners and T-Venture, the venture capital arm of Deutsche Telekom. For more information, visit http://www.ciphercloud.com and follow us on Twitter @ciphercloud.

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CipherCloud and Thales Collaborate to Support Zero Trust Data Access - Business Wire

Malware variety grows by 13.7 percent in 2019 due to web skimmers – Eagle Online

In 2019, the number of unique malicious objects detected by Kasperskys web antivirus solution rose by an eighth, compared to last year reaching 24,610,126. This growth was mainly influenced by a 187% rise in web skimmer files. Other threats, such as backdoors and banking Trojans detected in-lab, also grew, while the presence of miners dropped by more than a half. These trends have demonstrated a shift in the type of threats used by attackers on the web who search for more effective ways to target users, according to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin: Statistics of the Year report.

In 2018, unique malicious objects (including scripts, exploits and executable files) detected by Kasperskys web antivirus solution totaled 21,643,946, rising to 24,610,126 this year. The growth accounts for an increase in the number and variety of HTML pages and scripts with hidden data loading usually used by unscrupulous advertisers. Yet, most notably, the growth was also partially caused by online skimmers (sometimes referred to as sniffers) where scripts are embedded by attackers in online stores and used to steal users credit card data from websites.

The growth of online skimmers unique files (scripts and HTML) detected by Kaspersky web antivirus equaled 187%, reaching 510,000. At the same time the number of threats detected by web antivirus have risen five-fold (by 523%), totaling 2,660,000 in 2019. Web skimmers also entered the top 20 malicious objects detected online, taking 10th place in the overall ranking. The share of new Backdoors and banking Trojan files, among all types of threats detected in-lab, also grew by 134% and 61% to reach 7,644,402 and 739,551 respectively.

Nevertheless, the number of unique malicious URLs detected by Kaspersky web antivirus halved in comparison to 2018 (50.5%) from 554,159,621 to 273,782,113. This shift was largely caused by significant decrease of hidden web miners, even though several detections related to them (including Trojan.Script.Miner.gen, Trojan.BAT.Miner.gen, Trojan.JS.Miner.m), can still be seen in the top 20 web malware threats.

The presence of programs that secretly generate cryptocurrency on users computers (called local miners) has also been steadily declining over the year: the number of users computers affected by attempts to install miners dropped by 59%, from 5,638,828 to 2,259,038.

85% of web threats were detected as malicious URL this detection name is used to identify links from Kasperskys black list. It includes links to web pages containing redirects to exploits, sites with exploits and other malicious programs, botnet command and control centers, extortion websites, and others.

The volume of online attacks has been growing for years, but in 2019 we saw a clear shift from certain types of attacks that are becoming ineffective, to the ones focused on gaining clear profit from users. This is partly due to users becoming more aware of the threats and how to avoid them, and organisations steadily becoming more responsible. A good example is miners, which have lost their popularity due to lower profitability and cryptocurrencies fight against covert mining. This year we also witnessed growth in zero-day exploits, showing products remain vulnerable and are used by attackers for sophisticated attacks, and this trend is likely to continue in the future, says Vyacheslav Zakorzhevsky, Head of Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky.

The number of new malicious files processed by Kasperskys in-lab detection technologies amounted to 342,102 which is 1.05% less than the previous year.

Read more about annual threat statistics onSecurelist.com.

In order to stay protected, Kaspersky recommends the following:

Pay close attention to and dont open any suspicious files or attachments received from unknown sources

Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources

Do not click on any links received from unknown sources and suspicious online advertisements

Create strong passwords and dont forget to change them regularly

Always install updates. Some of them may contain critical security issues fixes

Ignore messages asking to disable security systems for office software or antivirus software

Use a robust security solution appropriate to your system type and devices, such asKaspersky Internet SecurityorKaspersky Security

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