Nsikan Akpan has a report on PBS that is worth reading, especially now that I’ve gotten rid of their headline that I really really really didn’t think was accurate. Apkan starts by reminding us all how a ransomware attack on a hospital could have life-threatening consequences. But the main point of his piece is to…
A DDoS gang is extorting businesses posing as Russian government hackers
File this one under “Ooh, that’s clever!” Catalin Cimpanu reports. For the past week, a group of criminals has been launching DDoS attacks against companies in the financial sector and demanding ransom payments while posing as “Fancy Bear,” the infamous hacking group associated with the Russian government, known for hacking the White House in 2014…
Vietnamese student behind Android adware strain that infected millions
Catalin Cimpanu reports: ESET researchers have tracked down the author of a recent wave of Android adware to a university student living in Hanoi, Vietnam. The student is the author of at least 42 Android apps that have been uploaded on the official Google Play Store. The apps, installed more than eight million times, contained…
Australian Cyberfraud: Holding the Line on Payment Card Fraud While Scam Attempts Increase
Stas Alforov and Christopher Thomas of Gemini Advisory have issued a new report on cyberfraud in Australia. While things seeming to be getting worse all over the world and Australia has also experienced more incidents, there’s a bit of good news in their report: the rate of worsening is slowing down in Australia – at…
Geisinger Health Plan Notifies Members About Business Associate Phishing Attack at Magellan NIA
HIPAA Journal reports: HIPAA Danville, PA-based Geisinger Health Plan has discovered the protected health information (PHI) of some of its members has been exposed as a result of a suspected phishing attack on one of its business associates, Magellan NIA. Magellan NIA provides radiology benefits management services to the health plan, which requires access to…
Cluley: “Frankly, sometimes paying the ransom is a good idea”
I usually don’t link to podcasts, but this one was especially good, I thought, as an analysis of what happened in Baltimore’s ransomware incident. And I am glad to hear Graham say what I have said a number of times: “Sometimes paying the ransom is a good idea.” You can hear the podcast here. I…