When everyone started working from home, one of the first predictions was that there would be more breaches related to the use of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). RDP is used by vendors or business associates to connect to their clients’ systems. As such, it’s a valuable tool, but left enabled instead of disabled, it provides…
Category: Commentaries and Analyses
Blockchain transactions confirm murky and interconnected ransomware scene
Catalin Cimpanu reports: A report published today by blockchain investigations firm Chainalysis confirms that cybercrime groups engaging in ransomware attacks don’t operate in their own bubbles but often switch ransomware suppliers (RaaS services) in a search for better profits. The report analyzed how Bitcoin funds were transferred from victims to criminal groups, and how the…
Terra Quantum AG Company Says It Found Weakness That Imperils Encryption
Ryan Gallagher reports: Security experts have long worried that advances in quantum computing could eventually make it easier to break encryption that protects the privacy of people’s data. That’s because these sophisticated machines can perform calculations at speeds impossible for conventional computers, potentially enabling them to crack codes previously thought indecipherable. Now, a Swiss technology…
The Eleventh U.S. Circuit Weighs in on Data Breach Standing Issues
Alfred Saikali of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. writes: Yesterday, in a 26-page opinion, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on two important questions in the world of privacy and data breach litigation. First, does a plaintiff have standing where he was exposed to a substantial risk of future identity theft, even…
How the United States Lost to Hackers
Nicole Perlroth reports: If ever there was a sign the United States was losing control of information warfare, of its own warriors, it was the moment one of its own, a young American contractor, saw first lady Michelle Obama’s emails pop up on his screen. For months, David Evenden, a former National Security Agency analyst,…
The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force Releases Ransomware Fact Sheet
The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) has released a new joint-seal ransomware fact sheet. This educational product is intended to provide the public important information on the current ransomware threat and the government’s response, as well as common infection vectors, tools for attack prevention, and important contacts in the event of a ransomware…