On July 9 and 10 of this year, hackers disrupted Iranian train services and posted fake delay notices on digital billboards. Long delays due to cyber attacks. More information: 64411, read a message displayed on railway station signs. The phone number is linked to the office of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The railway attacks, according to analysis by Check Point that has subsequently been confirmed by New Yorkbased threat intelligence company Intezer, was linked to a group of hackers dubbed Indra, after the Hindu god of war. The group has also conducted attacks in Syria, and is unlikely to be linked to a country, the analysis says. Check Point says that the little-known group appears to be focused on targeting entities that cooperate with the Iranian regime, and that it has also attacked a currency exchange and a Syria-based private airline, and threatened to attack a Syrian oil refinery in 2019 and 2020.

The office phone number was also briefly displayed on some gas station pumps in October, after a cyberattack paralyzed Irans 4,300 gasoline stations. Thousands of stations were offline for up to 12 days as the system behind government-issued smart cards, which allow people to buy subsidized fuel, was crippled. Motorists complained of chaos as they queued for hours waiting to refill their vehicles. The fuel attack happened around the second anniversary of the Iranian regime hiking fuel prices, then shutting down the internet after people protested the increases.

However, the gas station campaign appears to be separate from the attacks on the railway infrastructure. While an unknown group called Predatory Sparrow claimed responsibility, Iranian officials have said the attack was the work of a state actor. A New York Times report this weekend, citing unnamed US defense officials, linked the attack to Israel. Other recent targets include an Iranian airline, as well as the systems behind the countrys dams and water supplies, other reports say.

Traditionally, these kinds of attacks are reserved to nation states because we are dealing with very complicated infrastructure, Finkelstein says. Various groups have tried to claim responsibility for the attacks. However, multiple security experts point out that attribution lacks any published technical details from officials or the groups that claim to have conducted them.

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A Hacking Spree Against Iran Spills Out Into the Physical World - Wired.co.uk

Orange Business Services launches the fourth edition of the Business Internet Security 2021 report, which presents and analyzes the latest information in the field of cybersecurity, in the context of rapid digital transformation in all business sectors.

Cyber security challenges have increased significantly in the last year as many companies have migrated to hybrid or remote modes of operation and transformed their business model. The report reveals the main cyber security threats, risks and predictions identified locally by Orange Business Services experts.

According to Business Internet Security, if in 2019 ransomware attacks accounted for only 3 percent of all incidents detected, today, in 2021, are the most common attacks. They represent 31 percent of the total and target, in particular, the health sector and public institutions to compromise IT systems. In second place, totaling 29 percent, phishing attacks continued to be reported locally, especially through SMS, Whatsapp and email campaigns. The main victims of these incidents were customers of banking institutions and retailers.

Industry-level statistics show that this year, the retail industry was the most exposed to cyber attacks. The spectacular evolution of the e-commerce sector, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, has continued with an accelerated pace of online shopping, but also with a significant increase in the number of online stores, which has made cyber risks increasingly bigger for this sector. Thus, 29 percent of all incidents were detected in this industry, followed by the field of transport by 27 percent.

Regarding the cities most affected by cyber attacks in the last 12 months, Bucharest ranks first, with a monthly average of 600,000 incidents detected and prevented, followed by Iasi and Timisoara with 400,000 and 370,000, respectively.

In 2021, we have seen a significant increase in cyber attacks that can compromise user systems and data, both in volume and complexity, with the expansion of software solutions used by companies and individuals. Our security solutions for B2B customers have detected and blocked complex attacks, especially phishing attempts, ransomware and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. However, the most important challenge, among companies, but also among home users, remains the lack of awareness of risks and exposure in the online environment - Ioan Constantin, Cyber Security Expert Orange Romania

The Business Internet Security 2021 report is part of an ecosystem developed by Orange Business Services that aims to raise awareness of cyber security. Thus, through the Business Internet Security (BIS) service, a complete system for securing internet connections, over 8 million threats are identified and blocked monthly in the security infrastructure of Orange business customers.

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Orange Business Services: In 2021, we saw a significant increase in cyber attacks that could compromise systems and user data - The Diplomat Bucharest

Protect your keys to the digital world; create complex passwords for all your accounts and applicationsuse a different password for eachand change them regularly.

By Ritesh Chopra

The real world has become inextricably intertwined with the digital world. Online presence comes with the risk of exposure to cyberthreats. Yet, peoples behaviour, by and large, seem to reflect a disregard for cyber safetyfrom readily clicking on SMS links, using public Wi-Fi to bank and shop online, through to sharenting and oversharing on social media. A Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report study, conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of NortonLifeLock during May 20-June 8 among more than 1,000 Indian adults, revealed that 82% of Indians say that the amount of time they spend in front of a screen, aside from work or school purposes, has increased significantly during the pandemic, likely owing to the new norms of working, learning, and shopping from home. During this time, cybercriminals are targeting consumers with an increased number of sophisticated attacks and well-coordinated scams. Yet seeing daily news reports about data breaches, identity theft, and cyberbullying is now worryingly common.

One of the possible reasons for this situation could be that not all consumers are well-informed about how to protect their internet-enabled devices and online activities. While they may have heard about terms such as phishing, malware and creeping, not everyone knows the measures they could take. On the Dark Web, as an unregulated space, operators and users can work anonymously to avoid being traced, which has created a breeding ground for illegal online activities, including trading of peoples personal data, but the impact often spills over into the real world.

It is difficult for the user to know if the information they think is securely on their device is being tracked or monitored by a third party. Often, users themselves unwittingly provide access to their information when they select options like accept all cookies, save password/account details for future use or grant activity surveillance across platforms without a second thought. The price for such momentary convenience can sometimes be a heavy one to pay.

The Norton Cyber Safety Insights 2021 Report showed that four in five Indian adults (82%) admitted to using personal information in their password, most notably their name (38%), their child(ren)s name (27%), their pets name (23%) or a current (22%) or former (19%) partners name. However, Indian adults do take some security precautions, as 72% Indian adults with a Wi-Fi router (72%) change their Wi-Fi password more than once a year.

Protect your keys to the digital world; create complex passwords for all your accounts and applicationsuse a different password for eachand change them regularly. Do not share your passwords with anyone. Use a trusted Virtual Private Network (VPN) to secure your network and ensure the privacy of your digital activities. Practice safe computing, do not click on suspicious links or visit unsecured websites. Download software updates only from trusted, secure sources. And last, use a comprehensive internet security solutionit is a small but worthy investment. Nobody wants their personal and financial data being accessed and misused by cybercriminals.

Cyberattacks are on the rise against businesses, governments, and individuals alike. Many of the existing threats can be warded off by being aware and mindful of our actions and by keeping abreast of developments in the cyber landscape. Taking adequate care at the individual level and installing internet security solutions on devices, together, can go a long way.

The writer is director, Sales and Field Marketing, India & SAARC Countries, NortonLifeLock

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Playing safe: Ways to manage cyber threats - The Financial Express

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Global COVID-19 cases hit 250 million, eastern Europe infections at record levels

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 250 million on Monday as some countries in eastern Europe experience record outbreaks, even as the Delta variant surge eases and many countries resume trade and tourism. The daily average number of cases has fallen by 36% over the past three months, according to a Reuters analysis, but the virus is still infecting 50 million people worldwide every 90 days due to the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Kuwaiti govt resigns, possibly helping to end political standoff

Kuwait's government on Monday submitted its resignation to the ruling emir, a move which along with an amnesty pardoning political dissidents could help end a standoff with opposition lawmakers that has hindered fiscal reform. The resignation, reported by state news agency KUNA, is the second this year by a government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah in the feud with the elected parliament of the Gulf OPEC producer.

Iran-backed militia behind attack on Iraqi PM -security officials, sources

A drone attack that targeted the Iraqi prime minister on Sunday was carried out by at least one Iranian-backed militia group, Iraqi security officials and sources close to the militias said. The sources, who spoke to Reuters on Monday on condition of anonymity, said the drones and explosives used in the assault were Iranian-made.

Former U.S. President Obama says 'act now' to help island nations

Former U.S. President Barack Obama called on the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow on Monday to address the risks that island nations face from rising sea levels. Obama said their tales at the 2015 climate talks had been crucial to the resulting Paris Agreement, which commits countries to holding the rise in the average global temperature to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

China builds mockups of U.S. Navy ships in area used for missile target practice

China's military has built mockups in the shape of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and other U.S. warships, possibly as training targets, in the desert of Xinjiang, satellite images by Maxar showed on Sunday. These mockups reflect China's efforts to build up anti-carrier capabilities, specifically against the U.S. Navy, as tensions remain high with Washington over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Relatives of MH17 victims call for clarity on Russia's role in crash

Relatives of the 298 people who died when a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine in 2014 on Monday asked judges presiding over the Dutch murder trial looking at the crash to provide clarity over the alleged role of Russia in the incident. Piet Ploeg, whose brother, sister-in-law and nephew died in the crash, told judges to look specifically at Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict.

Amnesty says NSO's Pegasus used to hack phones of Palestinian rights workers

The mobile phones of six Palestinian rights workers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were hacked using Israeli technology firm NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, Amnesty International and internet security watchdog Citizen Lab said on Monday. The new findings followed NSO's blacklisting last week by the U.S. Commerce Department amid allegations its spyware targeted journalists, rights activists and government officials in several countries.

Veering from democracy, Nicaragua's Ortega locks in another term

Daniel Ortega easily secured a fourth consecutive term as Nicaragua's president, early results showed on Monday, after the former guerrilla fighter suppressed political rivals in a vote critics said was rigged but which won Russian recognition. Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council said that with roughly half the ballots counted, a preliminary tally gave Ortega's Sandinista alliance about 75% of votes.

Singapore court grants stay of execution to Malaysian in drug case

A Singapore court on Monday stayed the execution of a Malaysian man convicted of heroin smuggling pending an appeal to be heard on Tuesday on grounds that he was not of sound mind, the man's lawyer said. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam is set to be executed on Wednesday, but rights groups have urged he be spared from hanging because he was intellectually disabled.

Poland fears 'major incident' as migrants from Belarus head for border

Polish authorities accused Belarus of trying to spark a major confrontation on Monday and said they had mobilised additional soldiers as footage on social media showed hundreds of migrants walking towards the Polish border. In one video, shared by the Belarusian blogging service NEXTA, migrants carrying rucksacks and wearing winter clothing were seen walking on the side of a highway.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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World News Roundup: Global COVID-19 cases hit 250 million, eastern Europe infections at record levels; Kuwaiti govt resigns, possibly helping to end...

The holiday shopping season always means big business for phishers, who tend to find increased success this time of year with a lure about a wayward package that needs redelivery. Heres a look at a fairly elaborate SMS-based phishing scam that spoofs FedEx in a bid to extract personal and financial information from unwary recipients.

One of dozens of FedEx-themed phishing sites currently being advertised via SMS spam.

Louis Morton, a security professional based in Fort Worth, Texas, forwarded an SMS phishing or smishing message sent to his wifes mobile device that indicated a package couldnt be delivered.

It is a nearly perfect attack vector at this time of year, Morton said. A link was included, implying that the recipient could reschedule delivery.

Attempting to visit the domain in the phishing link o001cfedeex[.]com from a desktop web browser redirects the visitor to a harmless page with ads for car insurance quotes. But by loading it in a mobile device (or by mimicking one using developer tools), we can see the intended landing page pictured in the screenshot to the right returns-fedex[.]com.

Blocking non-mobile users from visiting the domain can help minimize scrutiny of the site from non-potential victims, such as security researchers, and thus potentially keep the scam site online longer.

Clicking Schedule new delivery brings up a page that requests your name, address, phone number and date of birth. Those who click Next Step after providing that information are asked to add a payment card to cover the $2.20 redelivery fee.

After clicking Pay Now, the visitor is prompted to verify their identity by providing their Social Security number, drivers license number, email address and email password. Scrolling down on the page revealed more than a half dozen working links to real fedex.com resources online, including the companys security and privacy policies.

While every fiber of my being hopes that most people would freak out at this page and go away, scams like these would hardly exist if they didnt work at least some of the time.

After clicking Verify, anyone anxious enough over a wayward package to provide all that information is redirected to the real FedEx at Fedex.com.

It appears that sometime in the past 12 hours, the domain that gets loaded when one clicks the link in the SMS phishing message returns-fedex[.]com stopped resolving. But I doubt weve seen the last of these phishers.

The true Internet address of the link included in the FedEx SMS phishing campaign is hidden behind content distribution network Cloudflare, but a review of its domain name system (DNS) records shows it resolves to 23.92.29[.]42. There are currently more than three dozen other newly-registered FedEx phishing domains tied to that address, all with a similar naming convention, e.g., f001bfedeex[.]com, g001bfedeex[.]com, and so on.

Now is a great time to remind family and friends about the best advice to sidestep phishing scams: Avoid clicking on links or attachments that arrive unbidden in emails, text messages and other mediums. Most phishing scams invoke a temporal element that warns of negative consequences should you fail to respond or act quickly.

If youre unsure whether the message is legitimate, take a deep breath and visit the site or service in question manually ideally, using a browser bookmark so as to avoidpotential typosquatting sites.

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'Tis the Season for the Wayward Package Phish Krebs on Security - Krebs on Security