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Credit to Author: Matt Hamblen| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 11:40:00 -0700

A variant of the WannaCry ransomware that emerged Monday has been able to infect some of the computers patched after the original malware struck last week, according to a top cyber official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“We’re working on how to address that [variant] and sharing as we can,” said the official who asked not to be named. The official did not say how many computers have been affected by the variant, other than to say “some.” The original WannaCry attack hit more than 200,000 computers starting Friday in more than 150 countries, UK officials said over the weekend.

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ComputerWorld Independent

May 15, 2017 admin

WikiLeaks posts user guides for CIA malware implants Assassin and AfterMidnight

Credit to Author: Darlene Storm| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 11:25:00 -0700

The latest WikiLeaks release of CIA malware documentation was overshadowed by the WannaCry ransomware attack sweeping across the world on Friday.

WikiLeaks maintains that “Assassin” and “AfterMidnight” are two CIA “remote control and subversion malware systems” which target Windows. Both were created to spy on targets, send collected data back to the CIA and perform tasks specified by the CIA. Both are persistent and can be scheduled to autonomously uninstall on a specific date and time.

The leaked documents pertaining to the CIA malware frameworks included 2014 user’s guides for AfterMidnight, AlphaGremlin – an addon to AfterMidnight – and Assassin. When reading those, you learn about Gremlins, Octopus, The Gibson and other CIA-created systems and payloads.

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Security Wired

May 15, 2017 admin

The US Government Isn’t Just Tech-Illiterate. It’s Tech-Incompetent

Credit to Author: Emily Dreyfuss| Date: Thu, 11 May 2017 23:40:47 +0000

Drafting sane tech policy is hard. But that’s no excuse for not doing it, as Comey’s tenure as FBI director proves. The post The US Government Isn’t Just Tech-Illiterate. It’s Tech-Incompetent appeared first on WIRED.

Fortinet Security

May 15, 2017 admin

Critical Update: WannaCry Ransomware

Credit to Author: Aamir Lakhani| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 10:12:26 -0700

On May 12th, 2017 the ransomware WannaCry disrupted hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries. The ransomware encrypts personal and critical documents and files and demands approximately $300 USD in BitCoin currency for the victim to unlock their files.

Security TrendMicro

May 15, 2017 admin

Why “Just Patch It!” Isn’t as Easy as You Think

Credit to Author: Dustin Childs (Zero Day Initiative Communications)| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 16:30:02 +0000

At the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), we see patches in a way few do. We get the initial report from a researcher, we verify the issue internally, we notify the vendor, and finally we publish some details once a patch is released. Those patches represent the best method for preventing cyber attacks. Recently, an issue…

Security Sophos

May 15, 2017 admin

Sophos guidance on WannaCry ransomware

Credit to Author: Bill Brenner| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 15:37:54 +0000

Sophos continues to work at protecting customers from the WannaCry ransomware attack – here’s what you need to know.<img alt=”” border=”0″ src=”https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=news.sophos.com&blog=834173&post=33836&subd=sophos&ref=&feed=1″ width=”1″ height=”1″ /><img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sophos/dgdY/~4/njvzLvfCFBc” height=”1″ width=”1″ alt=””/>

ComputerWorld Independent

May 15, 2017 admin

'Perfect storm' of ransomware and network worm hits unprotected computers globally

Credit to Author: Matt Hamblen| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 07:59:00 -0700

The cruel reality of a global ransomware attack that crippled computer systems in 150 countries on Friday is this: Attackers took advantage of under-prepared computer users and their organizations.

Enterprises — including manufacturers, car makers, hospitals and government agencies — were running older versions of Windows or hadn’t patched even the newest Windows versions with a patch that Microsoft released in March.

And, truth be told, some unsuspecting users evidently clicked on email links or, more likely, a suspected compressed Zip file attachment that launched the ransomware known as WannaCry, also known as WannaCrypt or WannaCrypto.

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Fortinet Security

May 15, 2017 admin

Service Provider Security in the Age of Digital Transformation

Credit to Author: Richard Orgias| Date: Mon, 15 May 2017 08:13:46 -0700

Digital Transformation is Happening Now Digital Transformation is a subject on the minds of CEOs everywhere as they seek to improve business results and align more closely with the needs and the expectations of their customers. And why not? Businesses large and small are adopting digital practices that a recent McKinsey study shows delivers, on average, five times more revenue and eight times more profitability than peer companies. The appeal of improved revenues, greater profitability, and higher levels of customer engagement underpins a shift…