You are here

Home » Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

Hacked? Unplug Networks, Not Power

An article from F-Secure cautions cyber attack victims from following the natural urge to turn machines off and then on. Killing the power wipes out any data stored on the RAM, which in invaluable to investigators. “Turning off the computer is like destroying evidence – evidence that can help uncover who the attackers are and what they’ve done,” says Janne Kauhanen, a member of F-Secure’s Cyber Security Services team. Instead, F-Secure recommends disconnecting all networks, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and Mobile Data Network connections.

Mobile Device Security Guidance from NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released Special Publication 1800-5, Mobile Device Security Cloud and Hybrid Builds, a guide for how organizations can secure mobile devices used for work. As observed by the guidance, while mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have enabled employees to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently, the security controls that go along with them have not kept pace with the risks they can introduce.

Poor Password Practice – Some Utilities Use Service that Sends Passwords in Plain Text

After a concerted attempt at responsible disclosure to the vendor who designed his power company’s website, an anonymous security researcher shares his September 2018 discovery of poor password practices. According to ArsTechnica, the researcher reached out to SEDC, an Atlanta firm that provides utility software solutions, after the troubling discovery that his power company’s website was sending plain-text passwords in-lieu of a reset for forgotten credentials.

Password Manager Flaws Can Expose Data on Compromised Devices

Researchers at Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) examined five popular password managers and found that for each it was possible to extract “trivial secrets” from a locked password manager, which sometimes included the master password. Assessing the underlying functionality of 1Password, Dashlane, KeePass and LastPass on Windows 10, the researchers discovered that in some cases the master password could be found in plaintext in the computer’s memory when the password manager was locked and that they could extract the master password using standard memory forensics.

Siegeware: When Criminals Take Over Your Smart Building

A cybersecurity researcher presents a scenario for the employment of “siegeware,” whereby an adversary holds a building for ransom by hacking into the software that controls its functionality, including room temperature, door locks, and alarms. According to the researcher, this is not an imaginary scenario, as he claims to have met someone who was the victim of a siegeware attack. When the person’s company refused to pay the attackers, its use of the targeted building was disrupted. And in his further investigations, the researcher discovered other similar incidents involving siegeware.

Cyber Adversaries Increasingly Using Malware to Destroy Business Operations, according to Symantec’s Annual Report

Cybersecurity company Symantec has just released its Internet Security Threat Report for 2019, which analyzes data captured by Symantec’s global network of 123 million attack sensors. Among other highlights, the report observes that nearly one in ten targeted attack groups now use malware to destroy and disrupt business operations, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.

Horner Automation Cscape (ICSA-19-050-03)

The NCCIC has published an advisory on an improper input validation vulnerability in Horner Automation Cscape. Versions 9.80 SP4 and and prior are affected. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could crash the device being accessed, which may allow the attacker to read confidential information and remotely execute arbitrary code. Horner Automation recommends affected users update to the latest version of Cscape (Version 9.90). The NCCIC also advises on a series of mitigating measures for these vulnerabilities.

Delta Industrial Automation CNCSoft (ICSA-19-050-02)

The NCCIC has published an advisory on an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Delta Industrial Automation CNCSoft. Versions 1.00.84 and prior are affected. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause a buffer overflow condition that may allow information disclosure or crash the application. Delta recommends updating to the latest version of CNCSoft v1.01.15 and restricting the interaction with the application to trusted files. The NCCIC also advises on a series of mitigating measures for these vulnerabilities.

Intel Data Center Manager SDK (ICSA-19-050-01)

The NCCIC has published an advisory on improper authentication, protection mechanism failure, permission issues, key management errors, and insufficient control flow management vulnerabilities in Intel Data Center Manager SDK. Versions prior to 5.0.2 are affected. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities may allow escalation of privilege, denial of service, or information disclosure. Intel recommends that affected users contact an Intel Data Center Manager SDK reseller for the Version 5.0.2 update. The NCCIC also advises on a series of mitigating measures for these vulnerabilities.

Dragos Year-in-Review 2018 Reports – Creating Defensible ICS Networks

A great deal can be learned through industry trends and shared challenges. As such, ICS cyber forensics firm Dragos published a series of year-in-review reports examining their customer engagements throughout 2018. The reports evaluate changes in the industry and discuss actions organizations can take to increase their networks’ defensibility. Dragos’ customer demographic for these reports was primarily focused on energy (56%).

Pages

Subscribe to Cybersecurity