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VERT Threat Alert: September 2015 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses 12 new Microsoft Security Bulletins. VERT is actively working on coverage for these bulletins in order to meet our 24-hour SLA and expects to ship ASPL-632 on Wednesday, September 9th. Ease of Use (published exploits) to Risk Table Automated Exploit Easy...
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First Report of Simulated Human Being Hacked - But Don't Panic

Yes, simulated humans exist. And even if they don't quite walk amongst us, they do lie in beds in hospitals, helping medical students get valuable experience in caring for patients without the worry that one wrong step might result in a real human life being lost. Don't know what I'm talking about? Then meet iStan, the "most advanced wireless...
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Android Ransomware Masquerades as Pornography App

A security firm has discovered a variant of Android ransomware that masquerades as a pornography app called "Adult Player." According to a post published on Zscaler's blog, the ransomware, which is not found on legitimate app stores like Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, successfully loads onto a device after asking for admin permissions....
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Data Security Standards in a Post-Wyndham v. FTC World

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) can now sue a company for failing to adequately protect client data. Let that sink in for a moment. In short, the recent court ruling confirmed the FTC’s authority to create, impose, and enforce data security rules on virtually any business that holds consumer data. QUICK BACKGROUND On August 24, 2015, the US...
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A Security Wake Up Call for Chief Information Officers

The nation is in the midst of a torrent of major data breaches. The most recent breaches include the Ashley Madison breach, the Office of Personnel Management breach, and the theft of millions of dollars from small- to mid-size businesses. In addition to the financial impacts, the breaches include the release of personal-data including social...
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This Week in Security: Malware Hits iPhones, Lizard Squad Attacks NCA Website, Malvertising Campaign Targets Match.com

Our security roundup series covers the week’s trending topics in the world of InfoSec. In this quick read compilation, we’ll let you know of the latest news and controversies that the industry has been talking about recently. Here’s what you don’t want to miss from the week of August 31st, 2015: On the one-year anniversary of 'The Fappening,' an...
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What's On Your Network?

You can't protect what you don't know about. It may seem trite to bring out that cliché, but the fact is that it remains relevant in information security today. So much of what we do in this industry is about discovery, whether it's discovery of assets, discovery of vulnerabilities, or discovery of an existing compromise. As information security...
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Netflix's Sleepy Puppy Tool Helps Researchers Track XSS Propagation

Netflix has released a new tool called Sleepy Puppy that helps security researchers capture, manage, and track cross-site scripting (XSS) propagation over extended periods of time. Two application security researchers for the movie-streaming service, Scott Behrens (@helloarbit) and Patrick Kelley (@monkeysecurity), created the Sleepy Puppy tool to...
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WHSmith Data Breach Sends Customers' PII Out Via Email

British retailer WHSmith has suffered a data breach that has resulted in users' personally identifiable information (PII) being sent out to hundreds of customers' inboxes. According to The Guardian, personal information including names, phone numbers, and email addresses that users typed into the retailer's contact form was not sent to the company...
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The Ashley Madison Hack – A Timeline (Updated: 9/10/15)

Ashley Madison, a website for those who are interested in committing adultery, has made headline after headline in recent weeks after a hacking group penetrated its servers and published the information of all 37 million users online. As of this writing, it is believed that this incident dates back to mid-July of 2015. The timeline below recounts...
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Attacks Might Be Sophisticated, But So Can Be Your Defense Mechanisms

When working in security, the top priority is to protect your organization’s business-critical data from cyber attacks. You know that your traditional security mechanisms are in place – the database is secure; you have implemented audit trails and encryption on sensitive data, and you instituted pretty tight access control. Anti-virus solutions are...
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North Dakota Legalizes Weaponized Drones for Law Enforcement

North Dakota was named the first U.S. state authorizing local police departments to fly drones with “less-than-lethal” weapons, including tasers, sound cannons, teargas and non-penetrating firearms, after the passage of House Bill 1328 last week. The initial proposal of the legislation, introduced by Rep. Rick Becker, was aimed at requiring police...
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Three Vulnerabilities in SIMATIC HMI Devices Patched by Siemens

Siemens, a leading producer of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis, has patched three vulnerabilities affecting a variety of SIMATIC HMI devices. The multinational technology company was first alerted to the vulnerabilities, among them two Schneider kits and a number of remote and local exploits, by the...
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Security Slice: Confessions of a Professional Cyber Stalker – Part One

Tripwire senior security analyst, and frequent security slice guest, Ken Westin, recently gave a popular presentation at DEF CON 23 called “Confessions of a Professional Cyber Stalker.” In his presentation, Ken discussed the various technologies and methods he has developed to track criminals, which has led to at least two dozen convictions. Listen...
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Threat Modeling 101: Ten Common Traps Not to Fall Into

As part of Tripwire’s Threat Intelligence University webcast series, we recently had the pleasure of hosting industry expert and renowned author Adam Shostack who shared with us how threat modeling can effectively drive security through your product, service or system. Shostack has championed several security start-ups and previously led Microsoft’s...
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Four Common Scenarios for Dormant Functionality in Malware

Malware is continually evolving to meet the challenges posed by security researchers and antivirus software. Recently, malicious programs have begun to incorporate evasive behaviors, which include four of the most common anti-detection techniques: 1) environmental awareness, 2) confusing automated tools, 3) timing-based evasion, and 4) obfuscating...