Theresa Defino reports: Compared to other agencies, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a little fish in the big federal pond, but it has an outsize effect on HIPAA covered entities (CEs) and business associates (BAs). And, if Congress agrees, its impact would expand significantly in the coming months. As part of its…
Category: Commentaries and Analyses
Hackers are now hiding malware in Windows Event Logs
Ionut Ilascu reports: Security researchers have noticed a malicious campaign that used Windows event logs to store malware, a technique that has not been previously documented publicly for attacks in the wild. The method enabled the threat actor behind the attack to plant fileless malware in the file system in an attack filled with techniques…
Hackers are actively exploiting BIG-IP vulnerability with a 9.8 severity rating
Dan Goodin reports: Researchers are marveling at the scope and magnitude of a vulnerability that hackers are actively exploiting to take full control of network devices that run on some of the world’s biggest and most sensitive networks. The vulnerability, which carries a 9.8 severity rating out of a possible 10, affects F5’s BIG-IP, a…
Insufficient Data Security and Disregard for Student Data Privacy Plague the DeKalb County School District; With Commentary by Jim Siegl
Keegan Brooks writes: The DeKalb County School District has been making thousands of files containing sensitive student and staff information widely accessible to anyone in the district. Types of information exposed have included social security numbers, academic records, medical forms, course transcripts, standardized test scores, discipline records, and the 504/IEP information of students, among others….
Cybercrime loves company: Conti cooperated with other ransomware gangs
Seems to be a lot of Conti-related analyses this week, as well as the $10 million reward offered by the government for information leadings to Conti’s leaders. From Intel471: Software developers often depend on the collective knowledge of the industry to build their products. Whether it’s through reverse engineering, poaching talent, or straight up cloning…
False-flag cyberattacks a red line for nation-states, says Mandiant boss
Jessica Lyons Hardcastle reports: False-flag cyberattacks represent a red line that even nation states like Russia and China don’t want to cross, according to Mandiant CEO Kevin Mandia. “It’s one of the last rules of the playground that a modern nation may not want to break because they don’t want everyone doing false flags,” he…