In the first and second part of this series, we introduced the risks of the IoT / IoE world and addressed the mandatory security design considerations around the C-I-A triplet; the concepts of “openness;” the secure system and SDLC; the 4 “A”s; as well as the term “non-repudiation.” To continue with our overview, we will describe the important...

Cicis Pizza, a casual fast food restaurant chain, has acknowledged it suffered a payment card breach at more than 130 locations. On July 19, the restaurant chain informed its customers of the breach: "Cicis values its customers and respects the privacy of your information. As a precautionary measure, we want to inform you that your personal...

One of the dominant tech stories of the year has been the Netflix crackdown on VPN users, and six months in, the story continues to rumble on. Despite widespread criticism, Netflix is still attempting to, slowly but surely, block access to its service from each and every VPN. To look at some of the media coverage of their activities, it would be...

In today's digital threat environment, the common computer criminal wants two things: money and safety. They want to get a high return on investment for their efforts, but they don't want to get caught. By meeting those two demands, a criminal ensures they have the resources and freedom necessary to plan out future attacks. These bad actors get what...

A security audit evaluating many best-selling fitness trackers and wearable devices, including the Apple Watch, revealed that some manufacturers are continuing to make blatant security errors. Conducted by AV-TEST, the new study found several security flaws in Android-powered fitness trackers. The organization tested the following devices: Basis...

Breaches involving stolen credentials don’t surprise anyone these days. Those of us in infosec know too well that it’s a thousand times easier for the bad guys to gain access to a network and fly under the radar with a stolen login—often obtained through social engineering—than it is to get through cyber defenses. From the bad actors’ perspective, why...

A security breach at Ubuntu Forums exposed the information of as many as two million users. Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical, which is the company that produces the Debian-based Linux operating system Ubuntu, published a statement about the hack on Friday: "At 20:33 UTC on 14th July 2016, Canonical’s IS team were notified by a member of the Ubuntu...

You’ve managed fine on your own for years, but suddenly there’s a new security data scientist in your life. You’re excited at the possibilities, but can you really make it work? Here are five sure-fire ways to turn that initial buzz into a perfect partnership, so that your data scientist can deliver the insights you’re looking for. Together, you can...

It has been eight months since the Court of Justice for the European Union struck down the 15-year-old Safe Harbor arrangement between the EU and US. At the time, there was a good deal of consternation over the future of EU-US data exchange and just how businesses would continue to operate. Despite several fits and starts, parties on both sides of...

A man has received prison time for his role in doxxing and swatting 50 people including politicians, celebrities, and infosec journalist Brian Krebs. Mir Islam (Source: Krebs on Security) On July 11, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia sentenced Mir Islam, 22, to two years...

In May 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigations issued an alert warning hospitals, state and local governments, law enforcement, small businesses, and individuals to be on the lookout for a rise in ransomware attacks. The FBI acknowledges in its letter that in the absence of data backups, victims of a ransomware attack have no option but to pay...

A good definition of Internet of Things (“IoT”) found in Wikipedia is “the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data.” Although this is a very broad definition, it is important to understand the...

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced on Wednesday the launch of its own bug bounty program, rewarding researchers for disclosing security vulnerabilities in its connected cars. As the seventh-largest automaker in the world, Fiat Chrysler is among the first major vehicle manufacturers to offer ...

You visit a company on business, and want to print something out. You visit another department in your office and need a hard copy of a document in your email. You're a guest at someone's home and want to print off directions to the airport. What do you? Simple. You get Windows to quickly search for and add a printer hosted on the network, and off...

Businesses must evolve their security practices in order to keep pace with ever-changing technology and the associated security threats. If they don’t, the cost of a data breach can be devastating. According to the 2016 Cost of Data Breach Study published by the Ponemon Institute, the average total cost of a data breach is $4 million, and the...

In the first part of this series, we have learned about the imminent risks with the IoT / IoE world and that we need to do something about it; introduced the typical C-I-A triple; as well as the concept of “openness.” Now, we continue to add several key points for the secure system design and development concepts: Secure System | Software...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses 11 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-680 on Wednesday, July 13th. Ease of Use (published exploits) to Risk Table Automated Exploit Easy ...

Organized cybercrime is a business just like any other legitimate business; they want to have low-risk and efficient operations in order to maximize their profits. The main caveat for criminals is that pesky problem of getting caught and spending the rest of your life in jail. Data is the currency of the 21st century – historically, cyber criminals...

WordPress (WP) is the most popular and widely used blogging platform. It supports every kind of website, from a simple blog to a full-featured business website. Twenty-six percent of all websites globally use WordPress. As a result of this popularity, hackers and spammers have taken keen interest in breaking the security of WP-operated sites. In this...

An infected Android version of the Pokémon GO app is infecting unsuspecting users with the malicious remote access tool DroidJack. First released in the United States on July 6, Pokémon GO is a mobile game available for Android and iPhone. It leverages Niantic’s Real World Gaming Platform to help players find and catch Pokémon as they explore real...