Welcome back to our homage to National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) with the WaterISAC ‘15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Awareness Month’ (15CFAM) where we walk through WaterISAC’s 15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities. Today we are touching on risk assessments.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published an alert on the Emotet malware. In the alert, CISA states that since August there has been a significant increase in malicious cyber actors targeting state and local governments with Emotet phishing emails. It emphasizes that this increase has rendered Emotet one of the most prevalent ongoing threats.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has released a special report on ransomware, noting it has observed an increase in the number of these incidents affecting Australian organizations and individuals. Some of the most significant takeaways from the report include that most ransomware incidents occurred after other malicious activity has been conducted against an organization (e.g. phishing campaigns) and that all sectors and individuals with information of value are potential targets for cyber criminals seeking opportunities for financial gain.
Europol has just released its annual Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment, in which it reports on the latest trends and current impacts of cyber crime within the European Union and beyond. The report emphasizes the impacts the COVID-19 has had on the cyber threat landscape. It notes that the pandemic demonstrated how cyber criminals take advantage of society when it’s most vulnerable, enhancing many existing cyber threats and challenges.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published a new Malware Analysis Report (MAR) on SLOTHFULMEDIA, a malware variant used by a sophisticated cyber actor. In addition to providing a description of the malware, the MAR contains suggested response actions and recommended mitigation techniques.
Late last week, the U.S. Treasury Department published an advisory warning that ransomware victims who pay hackers that are under U.S. sanctions could be punished.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2020’s Week 1 theme, “If You Connect It, Protect It” seems fitting this year. With widespread and persistent remote working, there is no telling how many home routers, wireless access points, mobile devices, gaming systems, toasters, coffeemakers, and baby monitors have unintentionally been connected to corporate networks. Left unsecured, these hostile foreign devices are not only vulnerable to a plethora of cyber threats, but they also have the potential to wreak havoc on enterprise networks, home networks, and the internet at large.
It’s October! And while many are thinking pumpkin spice and everything nice, in the cybersecurity realm October has become synonymous with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). But given cyber is a part of everyday life and a cost of doing business, NCSAM isn’t just for cybersecurity, it’s for everybody. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility among all people.
In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), WaterISAC will cover each of our 15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals during the month of October. We dubbed the series, ‘15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals Awareness Month’ (15CFAM). The goal of 15CFAM is to provide reminders along with additional resources not previously included in the current guide. Members can track ongoing posts through the Resource Center on our portal with the ‘15CFAM’ tag.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published an alert providing specific Chinese government and affiliated cyber threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and recommended mitigations In light of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China. CISA is providing this information to assist in the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure. In addition to recommendations listed in the mitigations section of the alert, CISA recommends organizations take the following actions:
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