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Found an iOS zero-day? This firm will pay you $300,000 more than Apple

It's just a week since Apple announced its first-ever bug bounty for researchers who find vulnerabilities in its widely-used software and hardware, in the hope that it can provide better security and privacy to its millions of customers. The Cupertino-based company made headlines for its belated entry into the bug bounty marketplace, offering up to ...
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CVSSv3 Disappointment

I was incredibly happy with the initial release of CVSSv3. While it wasn’t perfect, it was a huge improvement over CVSSv2 in that a couple of the weaknesses in v2 were removed. The first of two particularly great changes was the language related to the network attack vector in the specification document: A vulnerability exploitable with network...
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Australia Takes Census Website Offline Following Digital Attacks

Authorities took Australia's census website offline following four digital attacks, a decision which prevented many Australians from filling out the survey. David Kalisch of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) explained the website came under attack four times on Tuesday and that authorities took the website down as a precaution after the...
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4 Lessons Learned from Offensive v Defensive Training

In June this year, Fifth Domain ran a ten-day cyberwar course for 21 participants. The course provided participants with both red-team (offensive) and blue-team (defensive) cyber operations exercises. During the first eight days, participants learned a number of principles, frameworks and technical skills that were then put into practice during the...
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Why Continuous Scans Are Important to Vulnerability Management

To protect against evolving digital threats, more and more organizations are employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems on their computer networks. EDR consists of six crucial security controls. The first two, endpoint discovery and software discovery, facilitate the process of inventorying each device that is connected to the network...
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VERT Threat Alert: August 2016 Patch Tuesday Analysis

Today’s VERT Alert addresses 9 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-684 on Wednesday, August 10th. EASE OF USE (PUBLISHED EXPLOITS) TO RISK TABLE Automated Exploit Easy ...
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Adaptive Security Starts with the Human Being

Many problems in information security are both perennial and intractable. Audits expose them year after year. Breach after breach occurs because of them. Information security managers are fired as a result of the inevitable breaches, and the deck chairs are rearranged again each time. And yet, the attack surface rarely changes. It’s a revolving door...
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Could Your Smart Home Put You at Risk?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is slowly taking over consumer markets in every category, from coffee makers to fitness trackers. Yet while smart automation might seem like the ideal for consumer convenience, when it comes to home security systems, connecting to the Internet can lead to increased vulnerability. In this article, we take a look at some...
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Man Charged with Selling Stolen Bank Accounts on Dark Web

A federal grand jury has charged a man with selling access to bank customers' stolen account logins on a dark web marketplace. On 22 July, 2016, U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King charged Aaron James Glende, 35, of Winona, Minnesota with bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft after the man allegedly advertised criminal...
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Recommendations for Protecting Against ICS Security Threats

Security is not the same for the industrial control systems (ICS) as it is for information technology (IT). This difference in part arises from the unique characteristics that set IoT and IT environments apart from one another. Take IT, for instance. One of the most important business drivers for securing systems in those types of environments is...
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Apple Announces Bug Bounty Program with Maximum Reward of $200K

Apple has announced it will be launching a bug bounty program that will pay security researchers upwards of USD 200,000 for finding flaws in its software. On Thursday at the Black Hat USA 2016 security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, head of the Apple Security Engineering and Architecture group Ivan Krstic made the announcement at the end of his...
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How Financial Institutions Can Navigate the New FinCen Rules

The timing could not have been better. Or worse. On the one hand, the massive leak of the so-called Panama Papers earlier this year shone a bright light on the scope of the issues financial institutions grapple with daily to combat money laundering activity and comply with complex, global regulations. On the other, it is likely that more than a few...
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Does dropping malicious USB sticks really work? Yes, worryingly well...

Good samaritans and skinflints beware! Plugging in that USB stick you found lying around on the street outside your office could lead to a security breach. This is no secret, of course. We have all (hopefully) been aware of the dangers of inserting an unknown USB device into our computers for some time. Heck, the technique has even made it into the...
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PCI 3.2 and The Regulation Storm

There is never a dull moment for compliance and security. Case in point, amidst a brewing storm of regulation, version 3.2 of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) announced in late spring articulates good data security intent along with controversy. PCI has been around since 2006, and aims to protect payment data for consumers...
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Nigerian Mastermind Scammer Arrested for Stealing $60M from Victims

Authorities have arrested a Nigerian mastermind scammer for leading an international criminal network's efforts to steal $60 million from its victims. INTERPOL arrested the 40-year-old Nigerian national, known as "Mike," in June 2016 after law enforcement officers received a report containing actionable intelligence from Trend Micro, a strategic...
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Ruckus Raucous: Finding Security Flaws in Enterprise-Class Hardware

Wireless routers designed for consumers often do not employ proper security practices. This topic was extensively covered in VERT’s 2014 report, “SOHO Wireless Router (In)security.” Our research revealed that 74% of the 50 top-selling consumer routers on Amazon shipped with security vulnerabilities, including 20 different models where the latest...
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Five Security Tips to Protect Embedded Devices

Embedded devices on enterprise networks make attractive targets for hackers because they provide potential footholds. These systems perform a variety of functions, often involving sensitive data or control of critical systems. Network gear, printers, storage appliances and other equipment generally do not have end-point protection installed, making...