Security News, Features, and Interviews

• Misconfigured WS-Discovery in devices enable massive DDoS amplification

  Researchers were able to achieve amplification rates of up to 15,300%. Some mitigations are possible.

• Secrets of latest Smominru botnet variant revealed in new attack

  Researchers gained access to a Smominru command-and-control server to get details on compromised devices and scope of the attack.

• What is the EU's revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and its impact?

  The upcoming PSD2 requirements, which include multifactor authentication for online European payment card transactions, will have a ripple effect on the payments processing industry in the U.S. and elsewhere.

• New NetCAT CPU side-channel vulnerability exploitable over the network

  NetCAT takes advantage of Intel DDIO technology to remotely execute keystroke timing attacks.

• Regional municipal ransomware attacks soar; MS-ISAC can help

  Recent regional ransomware attacks underscore the importance of information sharing among municipalities.

• Cisco: 6 critical security alarms for UCS software, small-biz routers

  Cisco finds critical bugs in its Unified communications Director and Director Express software for Big Data packages as well as its Small Business 220 Series Smart Switches.

• More critical Remote Desktop flaws expose Windows systems to hacking

  Microsoft finds and fixes multiple RDS and RDP vulnerabilities in Windows, but new research on BlueKeep patch rates suggests many machines could remain exposed.

• ICS security: Popular building management system vulnerable to takeover

  Remotely exploitable vulnerability in internet-connected devices gives attackers a means to cause disruption and damage in a wide range of industries.

• Why blockchain-based voting could threaten democracy

  As the desire to increase voter turnout remains strong and the number of online voting pilot projects rises in the U.S. and abroad, some security experts warn any internet-based election system is wide open to attack, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.

• Microsoft finds Russia-backed attacks that exploit IoT devices

  Microsoft says default passwords, unpatched devices, poor inventory of IoT gear led to exploits against companies by Russia's STRONTIUM hacking group.

• Cisco pays $8.6M to settle security-software whistleblower lawsuit

  Cisco will pay $2.6 million to the federal government and up to $6 million to 15 states in a settlement over video security software it stopped selling in 2014

• Researchers to launch intentionally ‘vulnerable’ blockchain at Black Hat

  Cybersecurity vendor Kudelski Security hopes the flawed open-source ledger it's created will help users learn about blockchain and let developers suggest security enhancements.

• Worst DNS attacks and how to mitigate them

  DNS threats including DNS hijacking, tunneling, phishing, cache poisoning and DDoS attacks are all on the rise.

• Companies with zero-trust network security move toward biometric authentication

  According to new research, more companies are enabling biometric authentication on devices to verify access requests.

• Best tools for single sign-on (SSO)

  SSO can reduce the risk of weak passwords and administrative overhead associated with managing account access. These are the top single sign-on solutions to consider.

• To pay or not pay a hacker’s ransomware demand? It comes down to cyber hygiene

  A recent call for city leaders to stop paying ransomware demands underscores the need for municipalities to step up their cyber practices and have a good backup process in place.

• Zoom fixes webcam flaw for Macs, but security concerns linger

  The desktop chat app firm this week came under fire for moving slowly to close a potential security flaw affecting macOS users.

• Cisco sounds warning on 3 critical security patches for DNA Center

  Cisco issued three “critical” security warnings for its DNA Center users - two having a Common Vulnerability Scoring System rating of 9.8 out of 10.

• Oracle does-in Dyn, resets DNS services to cloud

  Oracle wants its DNS customers to migrate from its Dyn service to Oracle Cloud services, but some of those customers are very unhappy.

• EY teams up with Wire to enable end-to-end encrypted messaging with clients

  As the threat landscape continues to grow, EY has collaborated with encrypted messaging service Wire to improve its security strategy and move away from email