Bill Siegel, CEO, Coveware

Ransomware Gangs Practice Customer Relationship Management

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 13, 2019

Ransomware-wielding attackers treat infecting endpoints as a business and put customer relationship management principles to work, says Bill Siegel, CEO of ransomware incident response firm Coveware. He notes criminals "go after the low-hanging fruit because it's cheap and the conversion rate is high."

Cybercrime

Texas Ransomware Responders Urge Remote Access Lockdown

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Cybercrime

Credit Card Theft Ringleader Pleads Guilty

Scott Ferguson • September 13, 2019

One of the three Ukrainian men charged with leading the notorious Fin7 hacking group, which prosecutors say stole 15 million payment cards, has pleaded guilty to two federal charges.

Multi-factor & Risk-based Authentication

PSD2 Authentication Requirements: The Implementation Hurdles

Geetha Nandikotkur • September 13, 2019

Because banks, fintech firms, merchants and payments processors in the EU have struggled to meet the Sept. 14 deadline for compliance with the new PSD2 "strong customer authentication" requirements for electronic payments, it may take a while for European consumers to notice authentication changes.

Biometrics

Calif. May Ban Facial Recognition in Police Body Cameras

Apurva Venkat • September 13, 2019

Lawmakers in California have voted to ban the use of facial recognition technology within the body cameras that police wear. The measure now awaits the governor's signature.

Cybercrime

For Sale: Admin Access Credentials to Healthcare Systems

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • September 13, 2019

Cybercriminals are "upping their game" by stealing and then auctioning off on the dark web administrative access credentials to healthcare organizations' clinician and patient portals, says Etay Maor of IntSights.

Governance

Tips on Countering Insider Threat Risks

Jeremy Kirk • September 13, 2019

Insider threats are difficult to counter. What happens when an employee goes rogue, and how do you catch them? Charles Carmakal of Mandiant, who says his firm is dealing with more insider threat investigations, shares tips for better defenses.

Account Takeover

Analysis: The Impact of Business Email Compromise Attacks

Nick Holland • September 13, 2019

This week's ISMG Security Report analyzes the cost of business email compromise attacks and the recent arrest of dozens of suspects. Also featured: updates on the easy availability of low-cost hacking tools and the latest payment card fraud trends.

Electronic Healthcare Records

National Patient ID Debate Intensifies

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • September 12, 2019

Some healthcare IT industry groups and large provider organizations are pushing the Senate to follow the House's lead and approve a measure to lift the 20-year ban on federal funding of the development or adoption of a unique national patient identifier. Why is this still such a hot privacy issue?

Cybercrime

Iranian Hacking Group Continues Targeting Universities

Scott Ferguson • September 12, 2019

"Cobalt Dickens," a threat group with suspected ties to Iran, is continuing its attempts to steal intellectual property from schools and universities, according to an analysis by SecureWorks. The group's work continues even though several alleged members have been indicted by the Justice Department.

Cybercrime

Australia to Update National Cybersecurity Strategy

Akshaya Asokan • September 12, 2019

The Australian government is looking to update its national cybersecurity strategy by 2020. In preparation, it's released a discussion paper that seeks input from citizens, the business community, academics and other stakeholders.

Governance

Cyber-Intelligence Firm NSO Group Tries to Boost Reputation

Akshaya Asokan • September 12, 2019

Israel-based cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group, which has been accused of selling technology that enables governments to spy on citizens, is pledging to adopt human rights guidelines developed by the United Nations. But critics of the firm question whether its moves are meaningful.

Governance

Microsoft Patches 2 Windows Flaws Already Being Exploited

Scott Ferguson • September 11, 2019

As part of its September Patch Tuesday security update, Microsoft issued software fixes for two vulnerabilities in several versions of Windows that it says are being exploited by attackers in the wild. Security experts are urging IT teams to quickly patch these flaws.

Governance

Government Agencies Field More Cybersecurity Maturity Models

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 11, 2019

The Pentagon and the Department of Energy are pitching new or revised cybersecurity capability maturity models to help their sectors prioritize cybersecurity investments and refine processes and controls. But should they defer to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework instead?