Cybersecurity

US Intelligence Officially Accuses Russian Government for the DNC Hack

In a joint statement today by the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security, Russia has been blamed for hacking and publishing archived emails from the Democratic National Committee this summer. more

Longevity of Phishing Websites Dropped by 25% Since Last Year, Study Finds

A new phishing survey released by the Anti-Phishing Work Group (APWG) reveals that the longevity of phishing Web sites dropped by 25 percent over the last year. The survey has also revealed that a single criminal syndicate dubbed "Avalanche" was responsible for nearly one quarter of all phishing attacks in the first half of 2009. Indications are that the gang is continuing to claim a larger proportion of all detected phishing attacks. more

Stay Safe Online: Fifth Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month

This month marks the fifth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) will be actively engaging public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to increase overall awareness and minimize vulnerabilities. This year, according to DHS, 28 state governors signed a proclamation in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month and 51 endorsements were provided by companies, non-profits, universities and government agencies. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month. To learn more, visit DHS and StaySafeOnline.org. more

G7 Nations Set Cybersecurity Guidelines for Financial Sector

The Group of Seven industrial powers today announced an agreement on guidelines aimed at protecting global financial sector from cyberattacks amidst a series of cross-border bank thefts by hackers. Jason Lange from Washington reporting in Reuters. more

Increasingly Aggressive Russia, Cyberwarfare a Growing Threat to UK, Says MI5 Chief

"In the first newspaper interview given by an incumbent MI5 chief in the service's 107-year history, Andrew Parker said that at a time when much of the focus was on Islamic extremism, covert action from other countries was a growing danger. Most prominent was Russia," Ewen MacAskill and Paul Johnson reporting in The Guardian. more

Cybersecurity Standards Competition

The conventional wisdom in the world of legacy standards-making is that monolithic standards produce, if not accelerate, better products and services. Conformance, certification, and associated labelling schemes to implement those standards were believed essential to trust. Although competition law seems now evolving in the other direction, regulatory standards-making bodies themselves have been accorded considerable anticompetitive cartel liability protection. more

FBI Withheld Warning Democratic National Committee of Suspected Russian Role in Hack

Russian hackers believed to be affiliated with the Russian government continued to have access to Democratic Party computers for months during the critical phase in the U.S. presidential campaign, the sources have said. more

Moscow Calls US Accusations of Russian DNC Hack “Unprecedented Anti-Russian Hysteria”

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow says U.S. accusations that Russia was responsible for cyber attacks against Democratic Party organizations lack any proof and are an attempt by Washington to fan "unprecedented anti-Russian hysteria". more

US Ramping Up to Defeat Terrorism Online

Obama administration is ramping up its efforts to fight terrorism -- "How the US is working to defeat ISIS online" Kristina Wong reprots today in the Hill: "Driving the effort is the recently set up Global Engagement Center, housed at the State Department but led by retired Navy SEAL Cmdr. Michael Lumpkin, a former top Pentagon official." more

UK Raises Cybersecurity Spending to $2.3 Billion

Britain's finance minister on Tuesday announced government's new five year National Cyber Security Strategy, almost doubling the funding from its 2011 plan to 1.9 billion-pound ($2.3 billion). more

Reprot Suggests China Hacked High-Level Officials at Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

The former chairman, chief of staff and general counsel of the agency were all infiltrated. more

How Decades-Old Decisions Left U.S. Networks Vulnerable to Chinese Cyberintrusion

It seems like there is more disturbing news every day about Chinese infiltration of our telecommunications networks. A recent headline said that nine large ISPs have now been infiltrated. Tom Wheeler, a previous Chairman of the FCC, recently wrote an article for the Brookings Institute that speculates that the ability of the Chinese to infiltrate our networks stems back to decisions made decades ago that have never been updated for the modern world of sophisticated hacking. more

British Banks Not Fully Reporting Cyber Attacks, Fear Punishment, Bad Publicity

"Britain's banks are not reporting the full extent of cyber attacks to regulators for fear of punishment or bad publicity, bank executives and providers of security systems say," reports Lawrence White in Reuters today. more

Security Shortfalls Exposed in End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Storage Providers

A recent study critically examines the security of popular end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage providers, uncovering significant vulnerabilities in platforms widely marketed for their user-controlled privacy features. more

US Senators in Letter to Yahoo Say Late Hack Disclosure “Unacceptable”

"A group of Democratic U.S. senators on Tuesday demanded Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) to explain why hackers' theft of user information for half a billion accounts two years ago only came to light last week and lambasted its handling of the breach as "unacceptable," reports Dustin Volz from Washington in Reuters. more