CIA Router Hacking Tool Exposed by WikiLeaks
Documents published by WikiLeaks on Thursday provide details on a tool allegedly used by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to hack routers and access points. Dubbed CherryBlossom, the tool is described by its developers as a system designed for monitoring a target’s Internet activity and delivering software exploits via wireless networking devices. WikiLeaks said…
Al-Jazeera reportedly hit by systematic hacking attempts
Al-Jazeera, the Doha-based broadcaster owned by the ruling family of Qatar, says the websites and digital platforms of Al Jazeera Media Network, its parent company, “are undergoing systematic and continual hacking attempts.” “These attempts are gaining intensity and taking various forms. However, the platforms have not been compromised,” the broadcaster said in a statement that…
How computer security pros hack the hackers
The long, awkward silence is always the first sign that a previously over-confident hacker realizes he’s suddenly become the victim. It happens every time. The malicious hacker had been firing his “ion cannon” at my network address trying to overwhelm my home computer and internet connection. I had sent him an email the day before…
Stopping Threats in Their Tracks With Proactive Monitoring
With household names such as Renault ceasing manufacturing and the National Health Service of the U.K. actively redirecting patients from hospitals that are incapable of providing critical health care, ransomware has moved well beyond an annoyance that impacts your grandmother’s laptop and directly into the global spotlight. Over the past few days, however, the behavior…
Mastodon: different social network, additional risks
Mastodon is a social network that’s a few months old and it’s been mentioned on news sites quite a lot recently, leading users to sign up to an instance and check it out. I have noticed that some of the new people seem to be treating it like any other social network and not realizing…
Network teams spend more time on data security amidst new threats
Enterprise network teams are expending more time and resources than ever before to battle security threats, according to Viavi Solutions, who surveyed 1,035 CIOs, IT directors, and network engineers around the world. “Dealing with these types of advanced, persistent security threats requires planning, resourcefulness and greater visibility throughout the network to ensure that threat intelligence…
Exploit revealed for remote root access vulnerability affecting many router models
Back in January 2013, researchers from application security services firm DefenseCode unearthed a remote root access vulnerability in the default installation of some Cisco Linksys (now Belkin) routers. The flaw was actually found in Broadcom’s UPnP implementation used in popular routers, and ultimately the researchers extended the list of vulnerable routers to encompass devices manufactured…
Things to Consider Before Implementing Advanced Network Security
Today’s networked world is constantly shifting, and the number and type of devices it connects changes minute by minute. The combination of in-house computing, cloud-based resources and a mobile workforce armed with a growing diversity of devices means advanced network security systems need to be both flexible and agile to detect intrusion and malware activities….
BrandPost: Protecting against IoT-powered cyberthreats
Last October, long-standing predictions that the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) would form a launching pad for new cyberattacks hit home in a big way. As many as 100,000 malware-infected IoT devices flooded two major internet service providers with superfluous traffic in a broad distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Among the many commercial websites impacted were Twitter, Amazon and Netflix.
Debunking 5 Myths About DNS
From the boardroom to IT and the end user, the Domain Name System is often misunderstood, which can leave organizations vulnerable to attacks. The Domain Name System (DNS) is the common denominator for all communication on the Internet. It touches everyone. Every online transaction – good or bad – begins with a DNS lookup. Despite…