Catalin Cimpanu reports on a new ransomware threat to local governments. France’s cybersecurity agency sounded the alarm. The alert, issued by France’s CERT team, points to a rising number of attacks carried out with a new version of the Mespinoza ransomware strain, also known as the Pysa ransomware. This ransomware strain was first spotted making victims last…
Category: Commentaries and Analyses
UK: Covid-19 response forces halt to NHS cyber security checks
Nick Carding reports from the between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place dept.: Security checks to keep the NHS safe from hackers have been delayed to help managers deal with covid-19. The service has also been warrned of attempts to exploit the pandemic by online fraudsters. The six-month delay means NHS trusts do not need to complete a cybersecurity checklist until…
New Nefilim Ransomware Threatens to Release Victims’ Data
Lawrence Abrams reports: A new ransomware called Nefilim that shares much of the same code as Nemty has started to become active in the wild and threatens to release stolen data. Nefilim became active at the end of February 2020 and while it not known for sure how the ransomware is being distributed, it is…
Better data could be the missing link in cyber policy
Andrew Eversden reports: The government needs to collect and store better data to develop a more effective cyber strategy and strengthen defenses, Cyberspace Solarium Commission members said March 17. The Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which laid out several cyber policy recommendations March 11, suggested that the broader federal government and private sector adopt the Department of Defense’s defend…
Coronavirus Compounds K-12 Cybersecurity Problems: 5 Areas to Watch
Jake Maher reports: Cybersecurity experts have warned about coronavirus pandemic-related phishing scams targeting all sectors of the economy, from health care and consumer products to banking. Now, schools are being warned to be extra vigilant too. Doug Levin, the founder and president of the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, pointed out that schools have long been the subject…
Coronavirus: Cybercriminals target healthcare workers with email scam
Rowland Manthorpe reports: Cybercriminal gangs are targeting healthcare professionals with phishing emails about “coronavirus awareness” – part of a wave of scams capitalising on the pandemic. Sky News has seen a copy of an email scam sent to a number of healthcare organisations that pretends to be from each firm’s internal IT team. The email…