The Effects of the Spectre and Meltdown Vulnerabilities

Posted on By infossl
cloudcomputing, intel, internetofthings, patching, Security technology, vulnerabilities

On January 3, the world learned about a series of major security vulnerabilities in modern microprocessors. Called Spectre and Meltdown, these vulnerabilities were discovered by several different researchers last summer, disclosed to the microprocessors’ manufacturers, and patched­ — at least to the extent possible. This news isn’t really any different from the usual endless stream … Read More “The Effects of the Spectre and Meltdown Vulnerabilities” »

WhatsApp Vulnerability

Posted on By infossl
academicpapers, control, encryption, Security technology, signal, vulnerabilities, whatsapp

A new vulnerability in WhatsApp has been discovered: …the researchers unearthed far more significant gaps in WhatsApp’s security: They say that anyone who controls WhatsApp’s servers could effortlessly insert new people into an otherwise private group, even without the permission of the administrator who ostensibly controls access to that conversation. Matthew Green has a good … Read More “WhatsApp Vulnerability” »

Detecting Drone Surveillance with Traffic Analysis

Posted on By infossl
academicpapers, drones, privacy, Security technology, surveillance, trafficanalysis, video

This is clever: Researchers at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel have built a proof-of-concept system for counter-surveillance against spy drones that demonstrates a clever, if not exactly simple, way to determine whether a certain person or object is under aerial surveillance. They first generate a recognizable pattern on whatever subject­ — a window, … Read More “Detecting Drone Surveillance with Traffic Analysis” »

New Malware Hijacks Cryptocurrency Mining

Posted on By infossl
botnets, cryptocurrency, hacking, malware, scams, Security technology

This is a clever attack. After gaining control of the coin-mining software, the malware replaces the wallet address the computer owner uses to collect newly minted currency with an address controlled by the attacker. From then on, the attacker receives all coins generated, and owners are none the wiser unless they take time to manually … Read More “New Malware Hijacks Cryptocurrency Mining” »

Skygofree: New Government Malware for Android

Posted on By infossl
android, implants, italy, kaspersky, malware, Security technology, spyware

Kaspersky Labs is reporting on a new piece of sophisticated malware: We observed many web landing pages that mimic the sites of mobile operators and which are used to spread the Android implants. These domains have been registered by the attackers since 2015. According to our telemetry, that was the year the distribution campaign was … Read More “Skygofree: New Government Malware for Android” »

Dark Caracal: Global Espionage Malware from Lebanon

Posted on By infossl
espionage, lebanon, malware, Security technology

The EFF and Lookout are reporting on a new piece of spyware operating out of Lebanon. It primarily targets mobile devices compromised by fake secure messaging clients like Signal and WhatsApp. From the Lookout announcement: Dark Caracal has operated a series of multi-platform campaigns starting from at least January 2012, according to our research. The … Read More “Dark Caracal: Global Espionage Malware from Lebanon” »

Security Breaches Don’t Affect Stock Price

Posted on By infossl
academicpapers, breaches, disclosure, marketing, Security technology

Interesting research: “Long-term market implications of data breaches, not,” by Russell Lange and Eric W. Burger. Abstract: This report assesses the impact disclosure of data breaches has on the total returns and volatility of the affected companies’ stock, with a focus on the results relative to the performance of the firms’ peer industries, as represented … Read More “Security Breaches Don’t Affect Stock Price” »

Article from a Former Chinese PLA General on Cyber Sovereignty

Posted on By infossl
china, firewall, internetandsociety, nationalsecuritypolicy, Security technology

Interesting article by Major General Hao Yeli, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (ret.), a senior advisor at the China International Institute for Strategic Society, Vice President of China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, and the Chair of the Guanchao Cyber Forum. Against the background of globalization and the internet era, the emerging cyber sovereignty concept … Read More “Article from a Former Chinese PLA General on Cyber Sovereignty” »