Average ransom amounts demanded by ransomware operators (Source: Group-IB, November 2020)

Fueled by Profits, Ransomware Persists in New Year

Akshaya Asokan • January 21, 2021

Ransomware dominated the cybercrime landscape in 2020 and looks set to do so again this year, as criminals seek fresh new ways to make victims pay. Experts predict gangs will double down on whatever works, which lately includes data exfiltration.

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3rd Party Risk Management

'SolarLeaks' Site Claims to Offer Attack Victims' Data

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COVID-19

President Biden Orders SolarWinds Intelligence Assessment

Mathew J. Schwartz • January 22, 2021

The new Biden administration has pledged to hold Russia accountable for its recent "reckless and adversarial" actions and has ordered a full-scale intelligence review of the SolarWinds hack. The moves signal the importance of cybersecurity to President Biden's national security agenda.

3rd Party Risk Management

How to Manage Software Supply Chain Risks

Jeremy Kirk • January 22, 2021

The threat posed by software supply chain attacks is growing, but organizations can take steps to minimize the risks. Trey Herr of the Atlantic Council outlines ways to gain more insight into supply chain problems.

Cryptocurrency Fraud

DreamBus Botnet Targets Linux Systems

Prajeet Nair • January 22, 2021

Zscaler's ThreatLabz research team is tracking a new botnet dubbed DreamBus that's installing the XMRig cryptominer on powerful, enterprise-class Linux and Unix systems with the goal of using their computing power to mine monero.

3rd Party Risk Management

Analysis: How Will Biden Address Cybersecurity Challenges?

Anna Delaney • January 22, 2021

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features an analysis of the cybersecurity challenges the Biden administration must address. Also featured: payments security advice from Verizon; the outlook for the lifting of restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cybercrime

Microsoft Describes How SolarWinds Hackers Avoided Detection

Doug Olenick • January 21, 2021

Microsoft researchers are offering fresh details on the SolarWinds hackers' extensive efforts to remain hidden, which gave them more time to fully penetrate systems, move laterally through networks and exfiltrate data in follow-on attacks.

Finance & Banking

Singapore Publishes Updated Banking Cybersecurity Guidelines

Akshaya Asokan • January 21, 2021

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has published a revised set of guidelines for technology risk management to help the country's financial institutions mitigate cybersecurity threats.

Cryptocurrency Fraud

Cryptomining Campaign Linked to Iranian Software Firm

Prajeet Nair • January 21, 2021

An ongoing global cryptomining campaign has connections to an Iranian software firm, according to a report from Sophos. The MrbMiner malware has targeted thousands of vulnerable Microsoft SQL Servers.

Cybercrime

Chinese Hacking Group Targets Airlines, Semiconductor Firms

Prajeet Nair • January 21, 2021

A hacking group with apparent ties to China is targeting airlines and semiconductor firms to steal intellectual property and personal data in repeated exfiltration efforts, according to NCC Group.

Governance & Risk Management

Implementing 'Zero Trust' for the Cloud

Suparna Goswami • January 20, 2021

Essential steps to implementing a "zero trust" architecture when shifting to the cloud to support a distributed workforce include implementing multifactor authentication, conducting device posture checks on endpoints and analyzing network traffic, says Timothy Snow of Cisco.

3rd Party Risk Management

Free Auditing Tool Helps Detect SolarWinds Hackers' Malware

Akshaya Asokan • January 20, 2021

Security firm FireEye has released a free auditing and remediation tool on GitHub that it says can help organizations determine if the hacking group that targeted SolarWinds used similar techniques within their network to gain access to Microsoft Office 365 accounts.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

Malwarebytes CEO: Firm Targeted by SolarWinds Hackers

Prajeet Nair • January 20, 2021

The CEO of security firm Malwarebytes says the hackers who attacked SolarWinds also targeted his company and gained access to a "limited subset of internal company emails."

COVID-19

COVID-19 First Anniversary: It's About Vaccines & Variants

Tom Field • January 20, 2021

As the U.S. marks its first anniversary of fighting COVID-19, pandemic expert Regina Phelps says the next several, critical weeks come down to two vital words: vaccines and variants. "Those are going to determine our destiny for the long and foreseeable future," she says.