Content by Doug Olenick

Treasury Dept. Warns Against Facilitating Ransom Payments

Doug Olenick  •  October 2, 2020

A Treasury Department advisory offers a reminder that financial institutions, cyber insurance firms and others that facilitate a ransom payment after a ransomware attack could face federal penalties. But the warning isn't necessarily a sign of a looming enforcement effort, some cybersecurity experts say.

Could a Mobile App for Voting Prove Effective?

Doug Olenick  •  October 2, 2020

A voting app under development would scans of driver's licenses as an essential security step for voting via a smartphone. The developer explains just how the app would work.

Microsoft Issues Updated Patching Directions for 'Zerologon'

Doug Olenick  •  September 30, 2020

Microsoft has issued additional instructions on how to better implement a patch to fix an elevation of privilege vulnerability called Zerologon in Windows Server that affects the Netlogon Remote Protocol. The update comes as Cisco Talos researchers report a spike in attempts to exploit the flaw.

FBI Warns: Credential Stuffing Attacks on the Rise

Doug Olenick  •  September 28, 2020

The FBI is warning organizations in the financial sector about an increase in botnet-launched credential stuffing attacks that are leading to the theft of millions. Many of these attacks, which target APIs, are being fed by billions of stolen credentials leaked over the last several years.

Federal Agency Hacked Using Stolen Office 365 Credentials

Doug Olenick  •  September 25, 2020

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued a report describing how a threat actor apparently used a well-known VPN vulnerability and compromised Office 365 credentials to gain administrative privileges to a federal agency's network.

Lessons to Learn From Shopify Data Breach

Doug Olenick  •  September 24, 2020

Shopify's announcement this week that two employees inappropriately accessed transactional data from 200 of the merchants that use its e-commerce platform demonstrates the importance of taking a "zero trust" approach to security and improving identity and access management capabilities, security experts say.

179 Arrested in Darknet Market Crackdown

Doug Olenick  •  September 22, 2020

An international coalition of police agencies made 179 arrests and seized virtual currency, cash and drugs based on intelligence gathered from earlier takedowns of the Wall Street and Alphabay darknet marketplaces.

Leaked FinCEN Reports Reveal Sensitive Security Details

Doug Olenick  •  September 22, 2020

What will be the impact of the leak of investigatory documents from FinCEN - the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network? For starters, experts warn that FinCEN reports may reveal sensitive information tied to banks and law enforcement agencies' investigatory tools and tactics.

US Banning TikTok, WeChat Downloads

Doug Olenick  •  September 18, 2020

The U.S. Commerce Department is banning the downloading and hosting of China-based social media apps TikTok and WeChat effective on Sunday, citing national security concerns. The announcement comes as Oracle continues to negotiate a deal for partnering on TikTok's U.S. operations.

US Imposes Sanctions on Iranian APT Group

Doug Olenick  •  September 17, 2020

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday imposed sanctions on an Iranian advanced persistent threat group, 45 associated individuals and a front company the Iranian government allegedly used to run a years-long malware campaign that targeted Iranian dissidents, journalists and others.

Dunkin' Data Breach Settlement Paves the Way for More Suits

Doug Olenick  •  September 17, 2020

Dunkin' Brands' settlement with the New York state attorney general of a lawsuit tied to a 5-year-old data breach affecting its Perks rewards cardholders could open the door to suits by other states - as well as customers.

5 Chinese Suspects Charged in Connection With 100 Breaches

Doug Olenick  •  September 16, 2020

Federal prosecutors have unsealed indictments charging five Chinese suspects - alleged members of the China-linked APT41 hacking group - with breaching more than 100 companies, government agencies and other organizations around the world.

National Guard Cybersecurity Units Ready to Protect Election

Doug Olenick  •  September 15, 2020

National Guard units are commonly called up to help deal with the aftermath of a natural disaster. And they played a role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest. But some states are now calling out the National Guard to help safeguard elections from online attacks and interference.

CISA: Chinese Hackers Targeting US Agencies

Doug Olenick  •  September 14, 2020

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warns that hacking groups backed by the Chinese Ministry of State Security are exploiting several unpatched vulnerabilities to target federal agencies.

US Election Hack Attacks Traced to Russia, China, Iran

Doug Olenick  •  September 10, 2020

Russian, Chinese and Iranian hackers are targeting organizations and individuals associated with the Republican and Democratic U.S. presidential campaigns, Microsoft reports, noting that the majority of the attacks appear to have been blocked.