Blogs

Why Skimming Will Grow in 2017

ATM, Pay-at-Pump Terminal Attacks Will Plague Issuers

Tracy Kitten • January 3, 2017

Localized skimming attacks, whether waged against ATMs or self-service gas pumps, continue to wreak havoc on banks and credit unions. And we're likely to see an uptick in 2017 as fraudsters ramp up their efforts to cash in.

State Department Official Who Backs Russian Cyber Engagement Leaving

Christopher Painter Departs at Month's End as First U.S. Cyber Diplomat

Eric Chabrow • July 19, 2017

Christopher Painter, who has advocated for diplomatic engagement with cyber friends and foes alike, is leaving his post as coordinator of cyber issues at the State Department, a job he has held since early 2011.

Database Hijackings: Who's Next?

Hackers Reportedly Holding Databases for Ransom

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • January 5, 2017

Hackers have apparently hijacked potentially thousands of vulnerable MongoDB databases and demanded ransoms for the return of critical data, with some victims paying up, according to security researchers.

Kaspersky Lab Debate: Put Up or Shut Up

Show Your Cards, or Fold, Cybersecurity Professionals Tell FBI

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 20, 2017

Information security professionals to the U.S. government: Please put up or shut up over Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, by either showing evidence that others can independently judge, or else dropping your vague insinuations.

Latest Equifax Bungle: Predictable Credit Freeze PINs

Changing the PIN Will Cost $5-$10 and Is Done by Postal Mail

Jeremy Kirk • September 11, 2017

A 10-digit PIN used by consumers to freeze access to credit reports with Equifax is based on dates and times, several observers have noticed. Equifax says it plans to change how the PIN is generated, but experts say it's another troubling development for a troubled company.

Trump's Cybersecurity Executive Order Will Be Judged by the Action It Inspires

The actors behind WannaCry couldn't have timed their actions more ironically.

Tony Kontzer • July 20, 2017