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Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Adoption of AI Surveillance Technology Surges

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 18, 2019

Governments are rapidly adopting AI surveillance technology to advance political goals, according to a new report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. While Chinese suppliers dominate, liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes alike are developing and procuring such technology.

Governance

Lumin PDF Leak Exposed Data on 24 Million Users

Jeremy Kirk  •  September 18, 2019

Ignoring a breach disclosure can have ugly consequences. Case in point: Lumin PDF, a PDF editing tool, which saw data for much of its user base - about 24.3 million - published in an online forum late Monday. Data breach expert Troy Hunt says it's sign of the dysfunction in the breach disclosure process.

Governance

Justice Department Sues Snowden Over Memoir

Scott Ferguson  •  September 18, 2019

The U.S. Justice Department has sued Edward Snowden over his new memoir, claiming that the former NSA contractor violated a nondisclosure agreement he signed when he worked for the government before becoming the world's best-known whistleblower. The suit seeks to collect all profits from the book.

Cybercrime

Researchers: Emotet Botnet Is Active Again

Apurva Venkat  •  September 17, 2019

Emotet, one of the most powerful malware-spreading botnets, is active again after a four-month absence, according to several security researchers who noticed a surge in activity primarily against U.S., U.K. and German targets starting on Monday.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Report: Encrypted Smartphone Takedown Outed Canadian Mole

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 17, 2019

The Canadian government has arrested a senior intelligence official on charges of working as a mole. He was reportedly unmasked after investigators found someone had pitched stolen secrets to the CEO of Phantom Secure, a secure smartphone service marketed to criminals that authorities shuttered last year.

Breach Notification

Brokerage Firm Hit With $500,000 Data Breach Penalty

Apurva Venkat  •  September 16, 2019

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has hit Philips Capital Inc., a Chicago-based brokerage firm, with a $500,000 penalty for security missteps before and after a 2018 data breach, which resulted in the theft of $1 million from client accounts.

Governance

Life After Snowden: US Still Lacks Whistleblowing Rules

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 16, 2019

Ahead of the release of Edward Snowden's memoirs chronicling his decision to bring illegal "big data" domestic U.S. surveillance programs to light, a former NSA intelligence specialist points out that the U.S. still lacks a whistleblowing law to protect intelligence workers who spot illegal activity.

Cybercrime

Credit Card Theft Ringleader Pleads Guilty

Scott Ferguson  •  September 13, 2019

One of the three Ukrainian men charged with leading the notorious Fin7 hacking group, which prosecutors say stole 15 million payment cards, has pleaded guilty to two federal charges.

Cybercrime

For Sale: Admin Access Credentials to Healthcare Systems

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 13, 2019

Cybercriminals are "upping their game" by stealing and then auctioning off on the dark web administrative access credentials to healthcare organizations' clinician and patient portals, says Etay Maor of IntSights.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Ransomware Gangs Practice Customer Relationship Management

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  September 13, 2019

Ransomware-wielding attackers treat infecting endpoints as a business and put customer relationship management principles to work, says Bill Siegel, CEO of ransomware incident response firm Coveware. He notes criminals "go after the low-hanging fruit because it's cheap and the conversion rate is high."

Governance

Tips on Countering Insider Threat Risks

Jeremy Kirk  •  September 13, 2019

Insider threats are difficult to counter. What happens when an employee goes rogue, and how do you catch them? Charles Carmakal of Mandiant, who says his firm is dealing with more insider threat investigations, shares tips for better defenses.

Account Takeover

Analysis: The Impact of Business Email Compromise Attacks

Nick Holland  •  September 13, 2019

This week's ISMG Security Report analyzes the cost of business email compromise attacks and the recent arrest of dozens of suspects. Also featured: updates on the easy availability of low-cost hacking tools and the latest payment card fraud trends.