twitter_sticker

Twitter denies stolen account passwords came from its servers and issues security advice

In recent days the internet has been abuzz with news that credentials for millions of Twitter accounts have been put up for sale on the Dark Web. Despite the online chatter about what many people assumed to be a security breach, Twitter chose to remain silent. Now the company has spoken out after an investigation and denies that the password leak was the result of Twitter being hacked.

Dismissively referring to the "purported Twitter @names and passwords", the company says that the leak is probably a combination of data gathered from previous breaches as well as credentials gathered by malware. Twitter has identified a number of accounts directly affected by the leak and has reset the passwords to protect the owners.

Man Laptop Dark

European workers use cloud services for whistle blowing

Wait until you hear what employees in Europe are using cloud services for. Oh, boy.

Blue Coat Systems has polled more than 3,000 workers in France, Germany and the UK, asking them about their cloud usage habits, and, as it turns out, some employees use such services (Dropbox, Box, Office 365, Slack, LinkedIn, Facebook, Gmail, etc.) to store data before starting a new job, for corporate espionage, whistle-blowing and even "personal protection".

By Sead Fadilpašić -
Chrome logos

Buffer overflow vulnerability in PDFium PDF reader affects Google Chrome

The name PDFium might not be immediately familiar, but if you're a Chrome user there's a high chance you're using it to view PDFs. The PDF viewer is built into Google's browser, and a vulnerability has been discovered in the jpeg2000 library which could allow for malicious code to be executed.

Unearthed by Aleksandar Nikolic from Cisco Talos, the heap buffer overflow vulnerability could be exploited by simply getting a user to open a PDF document with an embedded jpeg2000 image. The National Vulnerability Database entry warns that the security flaw affects versions of "Chrome before 51.0.2704.63 [and] allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted PDF document".

ddos_attack

Number and frequency of DDoS attacks rising

The number, and the frequency of DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service) continues to grow, a new report by content delivery network (CDN) services provider Akamai Technologies says.

The company said its DDoS mitigation platform, the Akamai Intelligent Platform, mitigated 4,500 DDoS attacks during the first quarter of 2016, representing a 125 percent jump, compared to the same period last year.

By Sead Fadilpašić -
shh_finger_on_lips

One in five UK businesses would keep a data breach secret

Almost a fifth (19 percent) of companies in the UK wouldn’t notify their customers in case of a data breach, a new report highlights.

As the EU GDPR draws closer, Trend Micro investigated if companies have formal processes in place to notify data protection authorities (within 72 hours), and the public, in case of a data breach, as will be enforced by the Regulation.

By Sead Fadilpašić -
Google finds security questions are crap because your answers are fake

Majority of web services and mobile APIs are unsecure

More than 60 percent of web services, or mobile app APIs have at least one high-risk vulnerability, which can potentially lead to a compromised database. Those are the results of a new and comprehensive report by High-Tech Bridge, summing up the trends in web security for the past six months.

The report also says that in case a website is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS), it is also vulnerable to other critical flaws, in at least 35 percent of cases. Other vulnerabilities include SQL injection, XXE or improper access control.

By Sead Fadilpašić -
Superhero city

New breed of 'super hunters' earn thousands from bug bounty programs

With data breaches still making headlines and security teams facing increased pressures it's not surprising that companies are looking for innovative ways to find flaws in their systems.

Crowdsourced security specialist Bugcrowd has released the results of its second annual State of Bug Bounty Report which shows that the number of bug bounty programs hosted on its platform is up by an average of 210 percent year on year since January 2013.

By Ian Barker -
cloud lock

More than half of enterprises believe cloud apps are as secure as on-premise

In the past there's tended to be a perception that running applications in the cloud is less secure than keeping them in-house.

However, a new study by data protection company Bitglass suggests that this view is changing as cloud apps mature. 52 percent of organizations are now confident that cloud apps are as secure as premises-based apps, up from 40 percent a year ago.

By Ian Barker -
Connected car dash

Connected cars take data security concerns in new directions

Modern-day computers began trickling into the auto industry with cars like the 1971 Chrysler Imperial, which was one of the first to offer anti-lock brakes controlled by an electronic sensor system. Some 45 years later, the growth in computer-based car technology shows no signs of stopping. A number of Chevy vehicles, for instance, will provide you with a standard mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and 4G LTE connectivity for less than $20,000. And for folks who can afford a Tesla, that brand's "Autopilot" nearly lives up to its name. But as we've seen in other fields, as the potential benefits of connectivity increase, so does the potential for cybercrime.

Consider something as basic as mobile Wi-Fi. While Chevy is the only mainstream brand to supply that technology with 4G connectivity right now, a growing number of premium brands offer it, and a growing number of customers want it. Yet while mobile Wi-Fi gives you the same kind of online access as you'd get at your home or office, it also opens you up to all the same security issues you face there, from worries about passwords and personal data being captured, to concerns over the automakers' own security protocols.

By Charles Krome -
surveillance_eye

Snooper's Charter, aka the Investigatory Powers Bill, voted into UK law

The controversial Snooper's Charter -- or the Investigatory Powers Bill as it is officially known -- has been voted into law by UK MPs. An overwhelming majority of politicians (444 to 69) voted in favor of the bill which has been roundly criticized by both the public and technology companies.

The Investigatory Powers Bill grants the UK government, security, and intelligence agencies greater powers for monitoring internet usage, as well as permitting bulk data collection and remote hacking of smartphones. The law allows for the kind of mass surveillance that Edward Snowden warned about, and while the bill may have passed a majority vote, there are still those who fear not enough has been done to safeguard individuals' privacy.

Internet of things

New free security scanner checks Internet of Things devices

Protecting yourself online is no longer just about your PC and your mobile phone. There are now a whole host of other devices which are potentially vulnerable.

Internet security specialist BullGuard is launching a new, free tool for consumers that reveals connected devices which could be vulnerable to hackers. If a user's smart device is flagged as being vulnerable, details about the specific security issues are provided.

By Ian Barker -
mobile cloud enterprise

Lookout and Microsoft partner to protect enterprise mobile

The world is becoming increasingly mobile first and businesses need to ensure that their data is protected however it’s accessed.

Mobile security specialist Lookout has announced that it's partnering with Microsoft to deliver integration of its Lookout Mobile Threat Protection with Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite.

By Ian Barker -
risk jigsaw piece

Enterprises struggle to evaluate security risks

Many organizations rely on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) to evaluate cyber risks, but a new report suggests that relying on the score alone is not enough.

NopSec, a provider of cybersecurity precision threat prediction and remediation solutions, has released its 2016 State of Vulnerability Risk Management report. This suggests that in addition to CVSS, subscores combined with other factors such as context, social media trend analysis, and data feeds deliver a better risk evaluation and prioritization.

By Ian Barker -
Bing iPad

Bing now gives malware and phishing warnings

Microsoft has changed the way it displays malware warnings in its search engine Bing to help users distinguish between the various forms of attacks that can appear in its searches.

The company has decided to replace its generic warning for websites that could be potentially dangerous for users, and instead offer separate warnings for sites that are known to contain malware and phishing sites.

By Anthony Spadafora -
Windows-10 nov-installed

82 percent of IT pros think Windows 10 would make their company more secure

Security is an ongoing struggle for businesses and many data breaches can be traced back to the use of out of date software.

A new survey from systems management company Adaptiva asked more than 150 IT pros their feelings about their enterprises' security, and found that the majority were concerned about potential vulnerabilities.

By Ian Barker -
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