Independent – Page 47 – Computer Security Articles

Ransomware.

It’s one word that can strike a chill in anyone from a corporate C-suite to a home user. It’s sometimes hard to get a feel for the overall ransomware industry (and yes, it’s now an industry). But based on anecdotal reviews of forums and social media, it appears as though attacks against individuals are slowing. I no longer see people report they’ve been hit by ransomware on their PCs.

But it may be that attackers have realized that going after “one-off” targets isn’t the best business plan. In fact, in a recent Microsoft Secure online seminar (registration required), Jessica Payne and Geoff McDonald discuss how ransomware is now a big business, offered as a service by those who sell access to compromised networks to others.

To read this article in full, please click here

Independent Krebs

March 31, 2023 admin

German Police Raid DDoS-Friendly Host ‘FlyHosting’

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:35:15 +0000

Authorities in Germany this week seized Internet servers that powered FlyHosting, a dark web service that catered to cybercriminals operating DDoS-for-hire services. Fly Hosting first advertised on cybercrime forums in November 2022, saying it was a Germany-based hosting firm that was open for business to anyone looking for a reliable place to host malware, botnet controllers, or DDoS-for-hire infrastructure.

ComputerWorld Independent

March 31, 2023 admin

Researchers warn of Wi-Fi security flaw affecting iOS, Android, Linux

Apple’s decision to support MAC Address Randomization across its platforms may provide some degree of protection against a newly-identified Wi-Fi flaw researchers say could let attackers hijack network traffic. iOS, Linux, and Android devices may be vulnerable.

The problem is how the standard handles power-saving

The researchers have identified a fundamental flaw in the design of the IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard attackers could exploit to trick access points (Wi-Fi base stations) into leaking information. The researchers do not claim the vulnerability is being actively exploited, but warn that it might enable the interception of network traffic.

To read this article in full, please click here

ComputerWorld Independent

March 30, 2023 admin

3CX DesktopApp compromised by supply chain attack

Credit to Author: avenkat@idg.com| Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2023 05:25:00 -0700

3CX will be releasing an update for the DesktopApp in the next few hours; meanwhile, users are urged to use the PWA Client instead.

ComputerWorld Independent

March 30, 2023 admin

Legislation to rein in AI’s use in hiring grows

Organizations are rapidly adopting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for the discovery, screening, interviewing, and hiring of candidates. It can reduce time and work needed to find job candidates and it can more accurately match applicant skills to a job opening.

But legislators and other lawmakers are concerned that using AI-based tools to discover and vet talent could intrude on job seekers’ privacy and may introduce racial- and gender-based biases already baked into the software.

“We have seen a substantial groundswell over the past two to three years with regard to legislation and regulatory rule-making as it relates to the use of AI in various facets of the workplace,” said Samantha Grant, a partner with the law firm of Reed Smith.

To read this article in full, please click here

ComputerWorld Independent

March 29, 2023 admin

Tech big wigs: Hit the brakes on AI rollouts

More than 1,100 technology luminaries, leaders and scientists have issued a warning against labs performing large-scale experiments with artificial intelligence (AI) more powerful than ChatGPT, saying the technology poses a grave threat to humanity.

In an open letter published by The Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit organization that aims is to reduce global catastrophic and existential risks to humanity, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and MIT Future of Life Institute President Max Tegmark joined other signatories in saying AI poses “profound risks to society and humanity, as shown by extensive research and acknowledged by top AI labs.”

To read this article in full, please click here

Independent Krebs

March 28, 2023 admin

UK Sets Up Fake Booter Sites To Muddy DDoS Market

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:26:07 +0000

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has been busy setting up phony DDoS-for-hire websites that seek to collect information on users, remind them that launching DDoS attacks is illegal, and generally increase the level of paranoia for people looking to hire such services.

ComputerWorld Independent

March 27, 2023 admin

Q&A: Cisco CIO Fletcher Previn on the challenges of a hybrid workplace

In April, 2021, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins announced he would let all 75,000 employees work remotely indefinitely, even after the COVID-19 pandemic ended. The company had seen no drop in productivity by allowing employees to work from home and expected to save money by not fully staffing offices. When and how often employees should come into the office would be up to their managers, who abide by a flexible hybrid policy.

But that shift brought technology challenges most companies are by now familiar with: how do you secure networks when the employee’s home is essentially a branch office? How do you create company culture from afar? And, how do you retain employees at a time when IT talent is in historically high demand.

To read this article in full, please click here