CyberWire Daily

The Cyberspace Solarium has released its report, as promised, and they wish to make your flesh creep. Coronavirus scams and phishbait amount to what some are calling an “infodemic.” Some notes on Patch Tuesday, and, finally, some words on the actual coronavirus epidemic. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on FBI recovering stolen funds, guest is Josh Mayfield from RiskIQ on his 2020 predictions. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_11.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google removes from the Play store an app nominally designed to track COVID-19 infections. An EU power distribution consortium says its business systems were hacked. An assessment of Cablegate has been declassified. Ex-CIA employee Schulte’s trial for disclosing classified information ends in a hung jury. The alleged proprietor of a criminal market is arrested. Crooks hack rival crooks. More US primaries are held today. And a case of identity theft in North Carolina. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS with updates on ClearView AI, guest is Kathleen Kuczma from Recorded Future on 2019 Top Vulnerabilities List. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_10.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coronavirus misinformation, coronavirus online scams, and coronavirus disinformation. Ransomware hits a steel plant, local government, and a defense contractor. And how criminals’ desire for glory betrays them in social media. Zulfikar Ramzan from RSA Security with three product updates, guest is Robert Waitman from Cisco on their Annual Data Privacy Benchmark study. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_09.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do some developers and development teams write more secure code than others? Software is written by people, either alone or in teams. Ultimately secure code development depends on the actions and decisions taken by the people who develop the code. Understanding the human factors that influence the introduction of software vulnerabilities, and acting on that knowledge, is a definitive way to shift security to the left. On this Research Saturday, our conversation with Anita D’Amico from CodeDX on which developers and teams are more likely to write vulnerable software. The research can be found here: Which Developers and Teams Are More Likely to Write Vulnerable Software? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Virgin Media discloses a data exposure incident, another misconfigured database. Microsoft subdomains are reported vulnerable to takeover. A dark web search engine is gaining popularity, and black market share. Researchers find that Russian disinformation trolls have upped their game. The crypto wars have flared up as the US Senate considers the EARN IT act. Tech companies sign on to voluntary child protection principles. And Huawei talks about backdoors. Thomas Etheridge from Crowdstrike on empowering business leaders to manage cyber risk, guest is Sherri Davidoff on her book, Data Breaches: Crisis and Opportunity. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_06.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Credential stuffing affects J. Crew and Tesco customers. T-Mobile discloses a data breach. Emcor works to recover from a ransomware infestation. Coronavirus-themed emails remain common phishbait--it’s an international problem. US authorities are pleased with how election security on Super Tuesday went, but some local governments are recovering from self-inflicted tech wounds. And there’s more on official US suspicion of Huawei. Mike Benjamin from CenturyLink on Nanocore, guest is Bil Harmer from SecureAuth on nation-state attacks. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_05.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick security retrospective on Super Tuesday, a day on which no dogs barked (or bears growled, or kittens yowled, or pandas did whatever it is that pandas do). The Cyberspace Solarium previewed the good-government framework it intends to recommend in next Wednesday’s final report. The EU uses its Rapid Alert System against coronavirus disinformation. US aid will go to Ukraine for cybersecurity capability building. And backups are an attack surface, too. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on FBI convictions of Romanian criminals, guest is Chris Kubic from Fidelis Cybersecurity with lessons learned from securing the country’s biggest and deepest secrets. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_04.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese security firm calls out the US CIA for Vault 7 campaigns against civil aviation. Meanwhile, the jury’s out in the Joshua Shulte Vault 7 case. Incident responders in the UK may be reentering the labor market. US agencies issue a joint warning to adversaries (and joint encouragement to citizens) about election interference. The Cyberspace Solarium talks about elections. And the Justice Department offers advice on cyber threat intelligence collection. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on telecommunications companies in hot water with the FCC, guest is Stuart Reed from Nominet with new CISO stress research. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_03.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Super Tuesday eve, and people worry about influence operations, both foreign and domestic. DoppelPaymer hits a precision manufacturer, and moves surprisingly quickly to expose stolen files. Vulnerable WordPress plugins are being exploited in the wild. And a catphish is running for Congress in Rhode Island--he’s even got the blue checkmark. Johannes Ullrich from the SANS Technology Center on the development of authentication issues in iOS, guest is Elvis Chan from the FBI on election security. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/March/CyberWire_2020_03_02.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Research Saturday features our conversation with Robert Heaton, a software engineer with Stripe who penned a blog post about his disappointing discovery involving his Wacom tablet tracking his applications. The post struck a nerve and has since been widely distributed. The research can be found here: Wacom drawing tablets track the name of every application that you open Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Carolina prepares for tomorrow’s primary, confident that it will be able to conduct the vote securely and without disruption. An evolved version of the Cerberus Trojan has been spotted. Bots are making fraudulent appeals for brushfire aid to the Australian Red Cross. The FCC is preparing to fine four major wireless carriers for mishandling user geolocation data. Proposed changes to FISA surveillance in the US. And farewell to RSAC 2020. Partner is Mike Benjamin from CenturyLink with observations from RSA, guests are magicians Penn and Teller with insights on deception and social engineering. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_28.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naming and shaming seems to work, at least against China’s Ministry of State Security. Iranian cyberespionage continues its regional focus. Wi-Fi chip flaws could expose encrypted traffic to snoopers. Someone, maybe from abroad, is pretending to be the US Democratic National Committee. Tips on backing up files. Ransomware gangs up their game. And that unmarked small box on your car? Go ahead: you can take it off. David Dufour from Webroot with trends and predictions from the floor at RSA, guest is Liesyl Franz from the Dept. of State on nation state cyber activities and deterrence in cyberspace. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_27.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google patches a Chrome zero-day. Ransomware attacks against infrastructure. DoppelPaymer prepares to dox its victims. How CISA and NSA cooperate. Dallas County, Iowa, finally drops charges against pentesters. Mr. Assange’s evolving defense against extradition to the US. Notes on RSAC 2020. And if you were a superhero, which superhero would you be? Justin Harvey from Accenture on his RSA observations, guest is Keith Mularski from EY on ransomware. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_26.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cloud Snooper is infesting cloud infrastructure servers. A China-skeptical advocacy group draws attention to US states’ contracts with Chinese vendors that aren’t named “Huawei.” Senator Wyden would like the security company that audited the Voatz to explain the clean bill of health it gave the voting app. Facebook’s campaign troll hunt comes up empty, so far, this time. And what we’re seeing and hearing at RSAC 2020. Our Chief Analyst Rick Howard on SASE and what he’s looking for at RSA, guest is Dr. Chenxi Wang from Rain Capital previewing her panel at RSA and discussing innovations in the industry. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_25.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The EU condemns Russian cyberattacks on Georgia, and Russia says Russia didn’t do it--it’s all propaganda. Skids can buy spamming tools for less than twenty bucks. Satellite constellations offer an expanding attack surface. Amid continuing worries about US election security, the question of Russian trolling or home-grown American vitriol arises in Nevada (but the smart money’s on the U S of A). FISA reauthorization is coming up. And hello from RSAC 2020. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on SIM swappers targeting carrier employees, guest is Erez Yalon from Checkmarx on the recently published OWASP API Security Top Ten list. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_24.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SafeBreach Labs discovered a new vulnerability in the Realtek HD Audio Driver Package, which is deployed on PCs containing Realtek sound cards. On this week's Research Saturday, our conversation with Itzik Kotler, who is Co-Founder and CTO at SafeBreach. The research can be found here: Realtek HD Audio Driver Package - DLL Preloading and Potential Abuses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Defense Information Agency discloses a data breach affecting personal information of up to two-hundred thousand individuals. More international reprobation for the alleged GRU hack of Georgian websites. Trolls move from creation to curation. Stalkerware data exposure. And a look at how the UK might actually implement its compromise position on high-risk 5G vendors. Joining us in studio, a surprise new addition to the CyberWire team, guest is Aisling MacRunnels from Synack on women in cyber. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_21.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

British and American authorities blame Russia’s GRU for last October’s defacement campaign against Georgian websites. Senator Sanders thinks maybe some of his apparent supporters are Russian bots--the ones who are tweeting bad stuff in social media. Julian Assange says he was offered a pardon to say the Russians didn’t meddle with the DNC. Stolen data from MGM Resorts turns up in a hacker forum. NSA leaker Reality Winner would like a pardon. Justin Harvey from Accenture on staying prepared against potential Iranian cyberattacks, guest is Jamie Tomasello from Cisco Duo on cognitive capacity and burnout. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_20.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CISA reports a ransomware infestation in a US natural gas compression facility--it arrived by spearphishing and there are, CISA thinks, larger lessons to be learned. A new threat actor, possibly linked to China’s government, is running an espionage campaign against gambling and betting operations in Southeast Asia. More notes on firmware signatures. Huawei loses one in US Federal Court, and the defense asks for a mistrial in the Vault 7 case. Caleb Barlow from CynergisTek on Wigle and the impact your SSID name can have on your privacy, guest is Anita D’Amico from CodeDX on which developers and teams are more likely to write vulnerable software. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_19.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fox Kitten appears to combine three APTs linked to Iran. LokiBot is masquerading as an installer for Epic Games. Unsigned firmware found in multiple devices. Extortionists threaten to flood AdSense banners with bot traffic. China says the Empire of Hackers is in Washington, not Beijing. Iowa Democratic caucus IT post-mortems continue. Japan connects SoftBank breach to GRU. And more on that hacker-madness poster from the West Midlands. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on wireless carriers selling location data. Guest is Kaitlin Bulavinetz from Washington Cyber Roundtable on facilitating conversations among the industry. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_18.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev, Israel, is introducing the first all-optical “stealth” encryption technology that will be significantly more secure and private for highly-sensitive cloud computing and data center network transmission. Joining us in this special Research Saturday is BGN's Dan Sadot who helped pioneer this technology. The Research can be found here: Ben-Gurion University Researchers Introduce the FirstAll-Optical, Stealth Data Encryption Technology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US indicts Huawei for racketeering. The FBI and CISA release details on malware used by North Korea’s Hidden Cobra. Iran attributes last week’s DDoS attack to the US. Google takes down a big malvertising and click-fraud network that exploited Chrome extensions. Reports surface of DNC involvement in IowaReporterApp. Not all official advice is necessarily good advice. And if things don’t work out with your object of affection, don’t spy on their social media accounts, OK? Craig Williams from Cisco Talos with updates on JhoneRAT. Guest is Shuvo Chatterjee from Google on their Advanced Protection Program (APP). For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_14.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers report phishing campaigns underway in the Palestinian Territories. They appear to be a Hamas-linked effort targeting the rival Fatah organization. FireEye offers a summary of current Iranian cyber capabilities. The GAO warns that the Census Bureau still has some cyber security work to do before this year’s count. Researchers call mobile voting into question. And some observations about why some extortion brings in a bigger haul than its rivals. Johannes Ullrich from SANS Technology Center on IoT threats. Guest is Darren Van Booven from Trustwave on how to know if the CCPA applies to your organization. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_13.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook takes down coordinated inauthenticity from Myanmar, Vietnam, Iran, and Russia. The US says it’s got the goods on Huawei’s backdoors. Notes on Patch Tuesday. The EU backs away from a five-year moratorium on facial recognition software. Switzerland takes a look at Crypto AG. And the Nevada Democratic caucus a week from Saturday will use iPads, Google Forms, and some tools to process the results. That’s “tools,” Jack, not “apps.” Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on the Senate GOP blocking election security bills. Guest is Christopher Hadnagy from Social-Engineer, LLC on social engineering trends they are tracking. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_12.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pyongyang establishes a template for pariah states trying to profit in cyberspace. The FBI warns that there’s a RAT in the ICS software supply chain. The US has a new counterintelligence strategy, and cyber figures in it prominently. Likud’s exposure of Israeli voter data may benefit opposition intelligence services. Notes on the Equifax breach indictments. As New Hampshire votes in its primaries, CISA warns everyone not to get impatient. And Iowa? Still counting. Robert M. Lee from Dragos on their recent report, “Industrial Cyber Attacks: A Humanitarian Crisis in the Making.” Guest is Andrew Wajs from Scenera on the NICE Alliance and Cloud Privacy. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_11.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US indicts four members of China’s People’s Liberation Army in connection with the 2017 Equifax breach. North Korea establishes an Internet template for pariah regimes’ sanctions evasion. Iran sustained a major DDoS attack Saturday. US Democratic Party seeks to avoid a repetition of the Iowa caucus in other states as the Sanders campaign asks for a partial recanvas. Israel’s Likud Party involved in a voter database exposure incident via its own app. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI with a look back at the Clipper chip. Guest is Shannon Brewster from AT&T Cybersecurity with thoughts on election security. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_10.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chameleon attack technique is a new type of OSN-based trickery where malicious posts and profiles change the way they are displayed to OSN users to conceal themselves before the attack or avoid detection. Joining us to discuss their findings in a new report entitled "The Chameleon Attack: Manipulating Content Display in Online Social Media" is Ben-Gurion University's Rami Puzis. The research can be found here: The Chameleon Attack: Manipulating Content Display in Online Social Media Demonstration video of a Chameleon Attack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese espionage groups target Malaysian officials, and two more Japanese defense contractors say they were breached, also by China. Google patches Android problems, including an unusual Bluetooth bug. Google also expels apps that wanted unreasonable permissions from the Play store. Some in Iowa say the DNC pushed an eleventh-hour security patch to IowaReporterApp. The US may indict more Chinese nationals for hacking. More Senate reporting on 2016 Russian influence. Caleb Barlow from Synergistek with more insights on hospitals and ransomware, this time from the patient’s perspective. Guest is Matt Cauthorn from ExtraHop comparing cloud platforms’ similarities and differences. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_07.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa Democrats continue to count their caucus results, and blame for the mess is falling squarely on Shadow, Inc.’s IowaReporterApp. Bitbucket repositories are found spreading malware. The attack on Toll Group turns out to be Mailto ransomware. The Gamaredon Group is active, against, against Ukrainian targets. Charming Kitten’s been phishing. And there’s a new legal theory out and about: the pain-in-the-ass defense. (We know some colleagues who’d plead to that.) Justin Harvey from Accenture on DNS over HTTPS (DoH). Guest is Peter Smith from Edgewise Networks on defending against Python attacks. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_06.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa’s Democrats are still counting their caucus results, but on the other hand they weren’t hacked. A poorly built and badly tested app is still being blamed, and that judgment seems likely to hold up. The FBI warns of a DDoS attempt against a state voter registration site. Trends in DDoS. Some new strains of ransomware are out in the wild. Spoofed emails may be an Iranian espionage effort. And the confessed Ninendo hacker cops a plea. Craig Williams from Cisco Talos with updates on Emotet. Guest is Kurtis Minder from GroupSense on the Pros and Cons of notifying breached companies. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_05.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iowa Democrats work to sort out app-induced confusion over Monday’s Presidential caucus. A McAfee study finds widespread susceptibility to influence operations in US county websites. Twitter fixes an API vulnerability and suspends a large network of fake accounts. NIST’s proposed ransomware defense standards are out for your review--comments are open until February 26th. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on rules regarding destruction of electronic evidence. Guest is Alex Burkardt from VERA on how to protect critical financial data beyond the corporate perimeter. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_04.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dragos publicly releases its full report on EKANS ransomware, the first known ransomware with a real if primitive capability against industrial control systems. An Australian logistics company struggles with an unspecified malware infestation. Coronovirus fake news used as phishbait. Election security may get an early test in Iowa. The US Department of Defense issues new cybersecurity rules for contractors. And two cases of insider threats (alleged insider threats). Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI with reactions to ransomware legislation proposed in Maryland. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/February/CyberWire_2020_02_03.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Special Edition, our extended conversation with Eric Haseltine on his book "The Spy in Moscow Station." The book... "tells of a time when—much like today—Russian spycraft had proven itself far beyond the best technology the U.S. had to offer. The perils of American arrogance mixed with bureaucratic infighting left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance and espionage." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Operation Wocao (我操, “Wǒ cāo”, is a Chinese curse word) is the name that Fox-IT uses to describe the hacking activities of a Chinese based hacking group. We are joined by Fox-IT's Maarten van Dantzig who shares his insights into their new report entitled "Operation Wocao: Shining a light on one of China’s hidden hacking groups". The Research can be found here: Operation Wocao: Shining a light on one of China’s hidden hacking groups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Winnti Group is interested in Hong Kong protestors. The UK, the US, and the EU all look for a cooperative way forward into 5G. DDoS for hire hits an independent Serbian media outlet. Ransomware may have hit a US defense contractor. EvilCorp is back. The Sodinokibi ransomware gang is running an essay contest. And the 2015 Ashley Madison breach keeps on giving, in the form of blackmail. Emily Wilson from Terbium Labs on the sale of “points” and “status benefits” on the dark web. Guest is Michael Sutton from Stonemill Ventures with insights from the cyber VC world. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_31.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UN agencies in Geneva and Vienna were successfully hacked last summer in an apparent espionage campaign. Avast shuts down its Jumpshot data analysis subsidiary and resolves to stick to its security last. Facebook reaches a preliminary, $550 million settlement in a privacy class-action lawsuit. SpiceJet and Sprint suffer data exposures. LiveRamp was compromised for ad fraud. And Russia blocks ProtonMail and StartMail. Caleb Barlow from Cynergistek on the business impact of ransomware on a hospital. Guest is Matthew Doan, cyberecurity policy fellow at New America, discussing his recent recent Harvard Business Review article “Companies Need to Rethink What Cybersecurity Leadership Is.” For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_30.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Snake ransomware appears to have hit industrial control systems, and may be connected to Iran. The verdict on the Saudi hack of Mr. Bezos’ phone seems to stand at not proven, but the Kingdom does seem to have used Pegasus intercept tools against journalists and critics of the regime. Neither the US nor China are happy with Britain’s decision on Huawei. Cards from the Wawa breach are on sale in the Joker’s Stash. And CardPlanet’s boss will do some Federal time. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on AOC’s comments during House hearings on facial recognition technology. Guest is Dan Conrad from One Identity on sophisticated “pass the hash” attacks. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_29.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britain decides to let Huawei into its 5G infrastructure, just a little bit, anyway. Citizen Lab reports on its investigation of Saudi use of Pegasus spyware against journalists. Avast is again collecting user data and sharing anonymized data with a subsidiary for sale to business customers. Some Data Privacy Day thoughts on agreeing to terms and conditions, with reflections on the first systematic look at End User License Agreements, found in the final chapter of Plato’s Republic. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on evolving ransomware business models. Guest is Dr. Christopher Pierson from BLACKCLOAK with insights on the alleged Bezos phone hack and the vulnerabilities of high-profile individuals. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_28.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Someone has been running a DNS hijacking campaign against governments in southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and Reuters thinks that someone looks like Turkey. Experts would like to see a more thorough forensic analysis of Mr. Bezos’ iPhone: that hack may look like a Saudi job, but the evidence remains circumstantial. Interpol’s Operation Night Fury dismantles a gang that had been preying on e-commerce. And ave atque vale, Clayton Christensen, theorist of disruptive innovation. Robert M. Lee from Dragos with 2020 predictions (reluctantly). For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_27.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The electric utility industry is a valuable target for adversaries seeking to exploit industrial control systems (ICS) and operations technology (OT) for a variety of purposes. As adversaries and their sponsors invest more effort and money into obtaining effects-focused capabilities, the risk of a disruptive or destructive attack on the electric sector significantly increases. Selena Larson from Dragos joins us to discuss their new report North American Electric Cyber Threat Perspective. The report can be found here: North American Electric Cyber Threat Perspective Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PupyRAT was found in a European energy organization: it may be associated with Iranian threat actors. Another threat actor, the Konni Group, was active against a US government agency last year. Saudi Arabia maintains it had nothing to do with hacking Jeff Bezos’s phone. The EU and Ukraine separately consider anti-disinformation regulations. Canada may be ready to “impose costs” in cyberspace. And Huawei’s a threat, but what’re you gonna do? Justin Harvey from Accenture with an outlook on 2020. Guests are Hank Thomas and Mike Doniger from SCVX, describing their plan to bring a funding mechanism know as a SPAC to cyber security. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_24.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s more phishing around the Arabian Gulf, but it doesn’t look local. Reactions to Brazil’s indictment of Glenn Greenwald. The forensic report on Jeff Bezos’s smartphone has emerged, and the UN wants some investigating. Microsoft discloses an exposed database, now secured. Ransomware gets even leakier--if it hits you, assume a data breach. And Windows 7 is going to enjoy an afterlife in software Valhalla--you know, around Berlin. Tom Etheridge from CrowdStrike with thoughts on incident response plans. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_23.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UN rapporteurs say that the Saudi Crown Prince was probably involved in the installation of spyware on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s personal phone. Brazilian prosecutors have indicted Glenn Greenwald, co-founder of the Intercept, on hacking charges. IBM describes a renewed NetWire campaign, and Microsoft says StarsLord is back, too. And in cyberspace, there’s nothing new on the US-Iranian front. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on surveillance cameras hidden in gravestones. Guest is Sean Frazier from Cisco Duo on their most recent State of the Auth report. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_22.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new RAT goes after Arabic-speaking targets. Updates on US-Iranian tension in cyberspace. An Internet Explorer bug is being exploited in the wild; a patch will arrive in February. A pseudo-vigilante seems to be preparing Citrix devices for future exploitation. Mitsubishi Electric discloses a breach. A booter service dumps half a million Telnet credentials online. And tomorrow is the last day to file a claim under the Equifax breach settlement. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI with the story of a random encounter that set him on his professional path. Carole Theriault speaks with Jon Fielding from Apricorn on whether or not anything has really changed with GDPR, 18 months into it. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_21.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of our favorite and most trusted IoT devices help make us feel secure in our homes. From garage door openers to the locks on our front doors, we trust these devices to recognize and alert us when people are entering our home. It should come as no surprise that these too are subject to attack. Steve Povolny is head of advanced research at McAfee; we discuss a pair of research projects they recently published involving popular IoT devices. The research can be found here: McAfee Advanced Threat Research demo McLear NFC Ring McAfee Advanced Threat Research Demo Chamberlain MyQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hacks and rumors of hacks surrounding US-Iranian tension. Ukrainian authorities are looking into the Burisma hack, and they’d like FBI assistance. The FBI quietly warns that two US cities were hacked by a foreign service. The New York Fed has thoughts on how a cyberattack could cascade into a run on banks. Arrests and a site takedown in the WeLeakInfo case. And a quick look at the chum being dangled in front of prospective phishing victims these days. Emily Wilson from Terbium Labs on synthetic identity detection. Guest is Eric Haseltine, author of The Spy in Moscow Station. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_17.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Proof-of-concept exploits for the CryptoAPI vulnerability Microsoft patched this week have been released. CISA warns the chemical industry to look to its security during this period of what the agency calls “heightened geopolitical tension.” Families of deployed US soldiers receive threats via social media. Someone’s been phishing in Turtle Bay. More fleeceware turns up in the Play Store. And Moscow heaps scorn on anyone who thinks they hacked Burisma. Craig Williams from Cisco Talos on how adversaries take advantage of politics. Guest is Ron Hayman from AVANT on how companies might leverage Trusted Advisors to proactively prepare their security response. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_16.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NSA gives Microsoft a heads-up about a Windows vulnerability, and CISA is right behind them with instructions for Federal civilian agencies and advice for everyone else. Norway’s Consumer Council finds that dating apps are “out of control” with the way they share data. Ransomware goes all-in for doxing. The US pushes the UK on Huawei as Washington prepares further restrictions on the Chinese companies. And think twice before you book that alt-coin conference in Pyongyang. Johannes Ullrich from SANS Technology on malicious AutoCAD files. Guest is Chris Duvall from Chertoff Group with an overview of the current state of ransomware. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_15.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NSA discloses a vulnerability to Microsoft so it can be patched quickly. Intrusion Truth describes thirteen front companies for China’s APT40--they’re interested in offensive cyber capabilities. Area 1 reports that Russia’s GRU conducted a focused phishing campaign against Urkraine’s Burisma Group, the energy company that figured prominently in the House’s resolution to impeach US President Trump. And the US Justice Department moves for access to encrypted communications. Joe Carrigan from JHU ISI on the security issues of Android bloatware. Guest is Haiyan Song from Splunk with 2020 predictions. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_14.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FBI reiterates prudent, consensus warnings about a heightened probability of cyberattacks from Iran, but so far nothing beyond credential-spraying battlespace preparation has come to notice. The US Congress mulls the definition of “act of war” in cyberspace. Taiwan’s president is re-elected amid signs that Chinese influence operations backfired on Beijing. The Maze gang doxes a victim. SIM swapping enters a new phase. And the FBI promises the FISA Court it will do better. Ben Yelin from UMD CHHS on a Washington Post story about college campuses gathering location data on their students. For links to all of today's stories check our our CyberWire daily news brief: https://thecyberwire.com/issues/issues2020/January/CyberWire_2020_01_13.html Support our show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices