Content by Scott Ferguson

Mystery Database Exposed Info on 80 Million US Households

Scott Ferguson  •  April 30, 2019

An unsecured database hosted on Microsoft's cloud platform contained personal information on nearly 80 million U.S. households, according to two researchers who found it. What does Microsoft have to say about the mysterious database?

2 Million IoT Devices Have P2P Software Flaw: Researcher

Scott Ferguson  •  April 29, 2019

An independent security researcher is warning about a vulnerability in peer-to-peer software used in millions of IoT devices that could allow a hacker to eavesdrop on conversations or turn these items into a botnet.

Trojanized TeamViewer Attacks Reveal Mutating Malware

Scott Ferguson  •  April 26, 2019

Check Point Research has spotlighted attacks against several embassies that show how subtle changes in source code can alter how security professionals can detect and stop different types of malware.

Cellular Networks Present Security Challenges

Scott Ferguson  •  April 26, 2019

Cellular networks, including upcoming 5G networks, are not as secure as many believe, says Roger Piqueras Jover of Bloomberg, who reviews what businesses should know about security pitfalls and flaws in the networks.

TA505 Group Hides Malware in Legitimate Certificates

Scott Ferguson  •  April 25, 2019

TA505, a sophisticated advanced persistent threat group, is now using legitimately signed certificates to disguise malware that can penetrate banking networks, security researchers warn in a new report.

Google Sensorvault Database Draws Congressional Scrutiny

Scott Ferguson  •  April 24, 2019

Google is facing questions from Congress about Sensorvault, its database that stores the geolocation data of millions of Android users, which has sometimes been shared with police as part of criminal investigations.

'ShadowHammer' Spreads Across Online Gaming Supply Chain

Scott Ferguson  •  April 24, 2019

A sophisticated supply-chain attack dubbed Operation ShadowHammer is becoming more pervasive, with the group targeting online gamers, security researchers at Kaspersky Lab warn.

'Silence' Cybercrime Gang Targets Banks in More Regions

Scott Ferguson  •  April 23, 2019

Known for targeting banks and ATMs in Russia and other Eastern European countries, the "Silence" gang apparently is now expanding into other regions, using a combination of custom malicious tools and "living-off-the-land" techniques, researchers report.

What Led to a $4.7 Million Breach Lawsuit Settlement?

Scott Ferguson  •  April 22, 2019

Washington State University has agreed to pay more than $4.7 million to settle a lawsuit stemming from the theft of a portable hard disk drive from a self-storage unit. The drive contained information - much of it unencrypted - on more than 1 million individuals.

Leak Exposes OilRig APT Group's Tools

Scott Ferguson  •  April 19, 2019

A set of malicious tools, along with a list of potential targets and victims, belonging to an APT group dubbed OilRig has leaked online, exposing some of the organization's methods and goals, analysts say.

Today's Forecast: Cloudy With a Chance of Malware

Scott Ferguson  •  April 18, 2019

For about 90 minutes Thursday morning, the broadcast of The Weather Channel's signature early show, "AMHQ," was shut down by what the company called "a malicious software attack."

'Sea Turtle' DNS Hijacking Group Conducts Espionage: Report

Scott Ferguson  •  April 17, 2019

A nation-state sponsored espionage campaign dubbed "Sea Turtle" has been manipulating the domain name system to target more than 40 organizations, including intelligence agencies - especially in North Africa and the Middle East, Cisco Talos warns. Experts say defenses against DNS hijacking lag.

Ecuador Hit With 'Cyberattacks' After Assange's Arrest

Scott Ferguson  •  April 17, 2019

The government of Ecuador has been hit with millions of "cyberattacks" following its withdrawal of asylum protection for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his arrest by British police last week, an Ecuadorian official says.

Hackers Reportedly Post Data on Law Enforcement Officers

Scott Ferguson  •  April 15, 2019

Federal law enforcement authorities are investigating an apparent breach of three chapters of FBI National Academy Associates, a nonprofit training and education organization that's independent of the FBI. The breach may have exposed data on thousands of law enforcement officials.

Silk Road 2.0 Operator Sentenced to Prison

Scott Ferguson  •  April 15, 2019

An unemployed British man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for his role in operating the Silk Road 2.0 darknet site, which succeeded the original Silk Road website after the FBI closed it in 2013, U.K. authorities say.