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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...
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Agora, the dark web's biggest marketplace, shuts over Tor privacy fears

Where would the dark web be without Tor? Probably in the bright, uncomfortable spotlight of law enforcement if it doesn't find an alternative method of cloaking itself. Agora, the dark web site that grabbed the dubious honour of being the world's most popular online drugs marketplace following the shut down of Silk Road and Silk Road 2.0, has...
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FireEye Intern Pleads Guilty to Selling Dendroid Malware on Darkode

A former intern at FireEye has pleaded guilty to selling the Dendroid malware on the underground web forum Darkode. According to The Register, Morgan Culbertson, 20, of Pittsburgh recently pleaded guilty to his crimes before a Pittsburgh federal judge. "I committed the crime, so I am responsible," Culbertson told Senior U.S. District Judge Maurice...
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Exploiting the Social Media Security Conundrum

It is 2015, and social media is everywhere. It is embedded in your smartphone, and its logos are printed on nearly every product packaging. A few years ago, having an online presence by way of a website for a company was enough. Today, consumers expect a company to have a presence on the App Store, Play Store and every social media platform out...
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What Does it Mean to Wipe a Drive?

At a recent press conference, U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was asked if she wiped the drive that came out of her now infamous personal e-mail server. She responded: “What, like, with a cloth?” Please note that I will never make a public political comment. That is not my area of interest. I would like to take a moment, however, to...
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Report: Phishing Scams Cost Companies Millions Per Year

The average organization could potentially spend up to $3.7 million per year responding to phishing attacks, says a new report issued by the Ponemon Institute. The study, which surveyed nearly 400 IT professionals at companies with employees ranging from less than 100 to more than 75,000, found that the majority of phishing costs (48 percent) are...
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Ticking the Box Is Not Enough

Up until this month, I wasn't aware of Ashley Madison's site or the nature of the services they offered – what may be described ‘RaaS’ (Relationships as a Service). However, since this organisation has come to my attention, I have conducted research and completed interviews for BBC TV, the radio, news publications, and a host of other agencies,...
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VoIP Scam Lands Three Men in Jail

An electronic scam involving the use of purchased Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) airtime has resulted in three British men receiving jailtime. On Friday, August 21, Ross Faulkes, from Brighton; Mark Thompson, from Worthing; and David Robinson, from Bournemouth, were sentenced to three years, four years, and five years in jail, respectively, by...