Content by Doug Olenick

Ransomware Attack on Eye Clinic Chain Affects 500,000

Doug Olenick  •  June 24, 2021

Wolfe Eye Clinic, which operates diagnostic and surgical centers in 40 Iowa communities, is notifying 500,000 current and former patients that their data may have been inappropriately accessed during a recent ransomware attack. But the organization refused to pay a ransom.

John McAfee Found Dead in Spanish Prison Cell

Doug Olenick  •  June 23, 2021

Cybersecurity pioneer John McAfee, 75, was found dead in a Spanish prison cell Wednesday, hours after a Spanish court had authorized his extradition to the U.S. to face tax evasion charges, according to news reports.

Biden Promises Retaliation Unless Putin Stops Cyberattacks

Doug Olenick  •  June 16, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden issued a clear warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin at their Geneva summit Wednesday, saying that should Russia continue to launch cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, or hack software supply chains, then Moscow should expect to see retaliation.

Forcepoint, Deloitte and Cerberus Sentinel Make Acquisitions

Doug Olenick  •  June 16, 2021

Three cybersecurity deals were announced Tuesday, with Forcepoint, Deloitte and Cerberus Sentinel all making acquisitions.

RSA Spins Off Fraud and Risk Business

Doug Olenick  •  June 10, 2021

RSA Security LLC has spun off its fraud and risk intelligence business into a stand-alone company named Outseer. The new company will be led by Reed Taussig as CEO, and it will serve a worldwide customer and partner community.

Private Equity Firms Acquire ExtraHop in $900 Million Deal

Doug Olenick  •  June 9, 2021

ExtraHop announced Tuesday it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by the private equity firms Bain Capital Private Equity and Crosspoint Capital Partners for $900 million. The transaction is expected to close in the summer of 2021.

Colonial CEO at Senate Hearing Details Ransomware Attack

Doug Olenick  •  June 8, 2021

Colonial Pipeline Co. CEO Joseph Blount defended his actions during the opening hours of the May 7 DarkSide ransomware attack against his company as several lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee grilled the executive for over two hours on Tuesday.

$2.3 Million of Colonial Pipeline Ransom Payment Recovered

Doug Olenick  •  June 7, 2021

The U.S. Justice Department reported it recouped $2.3 million of the $4.4 million ransom Colonial Pipeline Co. paid following a May 7 ransomware attack. The DOJ's Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force coordinated the effort, in which the FBI tracked payment to a bitcoin wallet it controls.

Is STG Building a New Cybersecurity Powerhouse?

Doug Olenick  •  June 5, 2021

Symphony Technology Group's acquisition of FireEye Products Business in a $1.2 billion deal will set up the private equity group to better compete with security giants such as Microsoft and Cisco, while unlocking profit potential for FireEye and the now stand-alone Mandiant Solutions, analysts say.

White House Urges Cybersecurity Boost: Business Reaction

Doug Olenick  •  June 4, 2021

In response to a string of high-profile and damaging ransomware attacks that took place over the past several months, the Biden administration sent an open letter to U.S. business leaders asking them to take the proper steps to protect their organizations from ransomware.

Amazon Sidewalk Raises Privacy and Security Concerns

Doug Olenick  •  June 3, 2021

Internet of things security professionals are expressing concern over Amazon's new Sidewalk - a low-bandwidth network program that will allow some of the company's connected and IoT devices to share Wi-Fi access even outside an owner's home.

Pulse Connect Secure VPNs Still Under Attack

Doug Olenick  •  May 28, 2021

Two China-linked threat groups are still exploiting unpatched flaws in Ivanti's Pulse Connect Secure VPN products, using additional malware variants to support cyberespionage, FireEye's Mandiant Threat Intelligence team says.

Iran Devises Way to Convert Oil to Bitcoin

Doug Olenick  •  May 25, 2021

Iran is using its abundance of oil to generate electricity that powers a massive bitcoin cryptomining operation that enables the country to turn its greatest natural resource into money, offsetting some of its income lost as a result of economic sanctions, according to cryptocurrency analysis firm Elliptic.

Should Paying Ransoms to Attackers Be Banned?

Doug Olenick  •  May 24, 2021

Insurance company CNA's apparent decision to pay attackers a $40 million ransom and Colonial Pipeline Co.'s payment of a $4.4 million ransom are stirring debate over whether such payments should be banned under federal law.

Solarium Commission's Recommendations: The Top Priorities

Doug Olenick  •  May 20, 2021

In a session at RSA Conference 2021, three cybersecurity experts said top priorities among the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission's recommendations that have not yet been carried out are adopting a federal data breach notification law and improving public-private partnerships.