Month: February 2018

Can Consumers’ Online Data Be Protected?

Posted on By infossl
datacollection, essays, hacking, nationalsecuritypolicy, schneiernews, Security technology, securityengineering

Everything online is hackable. This is true for Equifax’s data and the federal Office of Personal Management’s data, which was hacked in 2015. If information is on a computer connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable. But just because everything is hackable doesn’t mean everything will be hacked. The difference between the two is complex, … Read More “Can Consumers’ Online Data Be Protected?” »

Jumping Air Gaps

Posted on By infossl
airgaps, breaches, cybersecurity, Security technology, sidechannelattacks

Nice profile of Mordechai Guri, who researches a variety of clever ways to steal data over air-gapped computers. Guri and his fellow Ben-Gurion researchers have shown, for instance, that it’s possible to trick a fully offline computer into leaking data to another nearby device via the noise its internal fan generates, by changing air temperatures … Read More “Jumping Air Gaps” »

Internet Security Threats at the Olympics

Posted on By infossl
cyberattack, dhs, internet, leaks, mcafee, northkorea, russia, Security technology, securitymonitoring, southkorea, sports

There are a lot: The cybersecurity company McAfee recently uncovered a cyber operation, dubbed Operation GoldDragon, attacking South Korean organizations related to the Winter Olympics. McAfee believes the attack came from a nation state that speaks Korean, although it has no definitive proof that this is a North Korean operation. The victim organizations include ice … Read More “Internet Security Threats at the Olympics” »

Water Utility Infected by Cryptocurrency Mining Software

Posted on By infossl
cryptocurrency, hacking, malware, scada, Security technology, utilities

A water utility in Europe has been infected by cryptocurrency mining software. This is a relatively new attack: hackers compromise computers and force them to mine cryptocurrency for them. This is the first time I’ve seen it infect SCADA systems, though. It seems that this mining software is benign, and doesn’t affect the performance of … Read More “Water Utility Infected by Cryptocurrency Mining Software” »

Cabinet of Secret Documents from Australia

Posted on By infossl
australia, control, laws, leaks, nationalsecuritypolicy, physicalsecurity, secrecy, Security technology

This story of leaked Australian government secrets is unlike any other I’ve heard: It begins at a second-hand shop in Canberra, where ex-government furniture is sold off cheaply. The deals can be even cheaper when the items in question are two heavy filing cabinets to which no-one can find the keys. They were purchased for … Read More “Cabinet of Secret Documents from Australia” »