Content by Scott Ferguson

Stolen Payment Card Trafficking Mastermind Pleads Guilty

Scott Ferguson  •  January 24, 2020

Aleksey Burkov, who was extradited from Israel to the U.S. in November, plead guilty this week to several federal charges related to his site "Cardplanet," which trafficked in stolen payment card data.

Hackers Target European Energy Firm: Researchers

Scott Ferguson  •  January 24, 2020

Hackers who may have ties to Iran have recently turned their attention to the European energy sector, using open source tools to target one firm's network as part of an cyberespionage operation, according to the security firm Recorded Future.

Updated FTCODE Ransomware Now Steals Credentials, Passwords

Scott Ferguson  •  January 22, 2020

FTCODE, a ransomware strain that has been active since at least 2013, has recently been revamped to include new features, including the ability to steal credentials and passwords from web browsers and email clients, according to two research reports released this week.

Citrix Releases First Patches to Fix Severe Vulnerability

Scott Ferguson  •  January 20, 2020

Citrix has released the first of several patches that address a vulnerability in its Application Delivery Controller and Gateway products that was discovered by researchers in December. If left unpatched, the vulnerability is remotely exploitable and could allow access to applications and internal networks.

'WeLeakInfo' Website Shut Down

Scott Ferguson  •  January 17, 2020

Law enforcement agencies in five countries have shut down WeLeakInfo.com, which allegedly provided cybercriminals with access to over 12 billion personal records culled from 10,000 data breaches.

BEC Fraudsters Targeting Financial Documents: Report

Scott Ferguson  •  January 17, 2020

As business email compromise schemes continue to evolve, some cybercriminals are focusing on accessing companies' financial documents, which provide useful information to support the theft of money, according to a new report from security firm Agari.

Windows Vulnerability: Researchers Demonstrate Exploits

Scott Ferguson  •  January 16, 2020

A day after the NSA disclosed a significant vulnerability that could affect the cryptographic operations in some versions of Windows, security researchers started releasing "proof of concept" code designed to show how attackers potentially could exploit the flaw. This highlights the urgency of patching.

How Wireless Carriers Open the Door to SIM Swapping Attacks

Scott Ferguson  •  January 15, 2020

A new Princeton University research paper finds that five major U.S. prepaid wireless carriers are leaving their customers open to SIM swapping attacks. The main culprit is weak account authentication procedures that attackers can easily exploit.

NSA Uncovers 'Severe' Microsoft Windows Vulnerability

Scott Ferguson  •  January 14, 2020

The NSA took the unusual step Tuesday of announcing what it calls a "severe" vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows 10 operating systems ahead of Microsoft's Patch Tuesday security update. The flaw could allow attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks or decrypt confidential data within applications.

Facebook's FTC Privacy Settlement Challenged in Court

Scott Ferguson  •  January 10, 2020

Six months after Facebook agreed to a landmark privacy settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that resulted in a $5 billion fine, a federal judge is still considering objections from advocacy groups that claim the deal doesn't go far enough.

Accenture to Buy Former Symantec Services Unit From Broadcom

Scott Ferguson  •  January 7, 2020

Accenture plans to buy the former Symantec Cyber Security Services business from Broadcom for an undisclosed sum, the two companies announced Tuesday. The deal comes only five months after Broadcom paid $10.7 billion for Symantec's entire enterprise security division.

US Conflict With Iran Sparks Cybersecurity Concerns

Scott Ferguson  •  January 3, 2020

After an Iranian general was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad late Thursday night, security experts and the Department of Homeland Security warned of possible retaliatory cyber strikes from Iran that could target critical infrastructure, government agencies as well as private businesses.

Restaurant Chain Landry's Investigates Malware Incident

Scott Ferguson  •  January 2, 2020

Landry's Inc., a Houston-based company that owns and operates over 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos and other entertainment establishments in the U.S. and around the world, is investigating an apparent data breach after its security team found malware within a system.

Huawei: US Trade Ban Will Make 2020 'Difficult'

Scott Ferguson  •  December 31, 2019

In a message to employees, Huawei's rotating Chairman Eric Xu says the company is preparing for a "difficult" 2020 as security concerns over national security and the U.S. trade ban will linger into the new year.

Ready for the New York SHIELD Act?

Scott Ferguson  •  December 30, 2019

While CCPA has drawn the biggest headlines when it comes to new U.S. privacy laws, businesses and consumers should also take notice of New York's SHIELD Act, which goes into effect in March 2020. The law is expected to have impact on Wall Street firms and other financial institutions headquartered in the state.