Blog

Blog

FBI, Europol, Others Shut Down AlphaBay and Hansa Dark Web Markets

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Europol led an international law enforcement operation that shut down the AlphaBay and Hansa dark web marketplaces. On 20 July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the takedown of AlphaBay, an underground commercial exchange where members bought and sold illicit goods like drugs, stolen credentials...
Blog

Sweet Security Supercharged

Over the past few years, I have spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out a way to monitor what is happening on my home network in the same way that I have grown accustomed to doing so in an enterprise environment. Not happy with what was available on the market, I chose to start building my own solution. Back in 2015, I released the first set...
Blog

FBI Issues Alert Warning of Privacy, Safety Risks with Smart Toys

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued a public service announcement earlier this week, warning parents of the privacy and safety risks associated with internet-connected toys. The advisory noted that smart toys and entertainment devices for children are increasingly incorporating technologies that learn and tailor their behaviors...
Blog

Scam Email Campaign Targeting Origin Energy Customers with Malware

Yet another scam email campaign is now targeting customers of the Sydney-based energy provider Origin Energy with malware. In this new wave of attacks, customers receive scam emails asking them to view their bills online. Those messages use the energy provider's logos to try to convince a recipient they're legitimate. If the ploy works, the...
Blog

Cyber Security Heroes Part 3: Holly Williams

They say you should never meet your heroes—often they will just disappoint you. But thankfully, there are also exceptions to this rule. In this five-part series, I will be introducing you to five of my key cyber security/infosec heroes. These individuals inspire me to continuously strive for more, with one even motivating me to move across the pond....
Blog

31 New Moms' Patient Data Exposed by Facebook Post

A researcher's Facebook post inadvertently exposed the confidential patient data of 31 new mothers. An Italian researcher who had been working on a study to improve the detection of pregnancies with a high risk of a complication known as preeclampsia is responsible for having caused the breach. On 2 July, the researcher updated his Facebook status...
Blog

Why Your C-Suite Needs Security Awareness Training

“My C-level doesn't understand that they’re being directly targeted – help me scare them!” Such was the request aimed at one of my colleagues at a cybersecurity conference not too long ago. Being in the security awareness industry, it’s not uncommon for others to solicit our feedback on how best to educate employees of all stripes. The appeal above,...
Blog

Back to Basics: Tips to Improve Your Security Hygiene

Recently, I had the pleasure of working with Amrit Chana, a 15-year-old girl from Newlands Girl School in Maidenhead, UK, who completed a week's worth of work experience at Tripwire. Amrit helped with the content of this article, providing input on the areas we believe need to be addressed by every user of a computer system. One of the tasks Amrit...
Blog

What Yoga Teaches Us About Cybersecurity

Truth be told, I have two exercise addictions: yoga and lap swimming. Yoga provides strength and flexibility benefits, while lap swimming gives my cardiovascular system a stellar workout. As with most things in life, you can take lessons learned from one activity and apply them to others – so it is with yoga and cybersecurity. Let’s “dive” in ...
Blog

Australia's New Laws Would Force Tech Companies to Decrypt Messages

The government of Australian has proposed legislation that would compel technology companies to decrypt users' messages for investigations. If passed, the new laws would function similarly to the United Kingdom's Investigatory Powers Act by requiring companies to cooperate with investigators. That could mean providing access to encrypted messages...
Blog

Are you looking at me? Welcome to the world of facial recognition

As new technologies develop, it's worth reminding ourselves that just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should. Often a new technology can bring plenty of new opportunities to do amazing things, but that doesn't mean that it cannot also be ripe for abuse. That's certainly the case with facial recognition technology, where some law...
Blog

University of Iowa Health Care Notifies Patients of Data Breach

The University of Iowa Health Care (UIHC) has notified thousands of patients of a data breach that exposed their personal and medical information. On 22 June, UIHC sent out notification letters to 5,300 patients affected by the data breach. The University explains in these letters that it has not found any evidence suggesting bad actors misused...
Blog

The Costs of Three Major Email Security Breaches

Email is integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives, everything from business to banking to health and beyond. As such, our email accounts are some of the most precious digital assets we have. Currently, there are 4.9 billion email addresses worldwide. In just two years, there have been 6,789 email data breaches globally, according to Avatier...