SecurITy At Miner

  Listen to the Podcast here:  https://theaifix.show/spotify

 

 

  The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Cyber Directorate is warning the Army community about cellphone text cyber threats and offering tips to avoid this fast growing scam. Similar to email messaging scams, cybercriminals use Short Message Service (SMS) or text messaging to try and trick consumers into clicking links in the message. “Smishing is very similar to phishing via email except the message is received on a smartphone as a SMS message, also known as a text,” said Edward LaBarge, assistant director of CID’s Cyber Directorate. “Cybercriminals are combining the two social engineering tactics to place malware on your device or to obtain personal information from the user.” With roughly 290 million smartphone users in the United States, cybercriminals have a target-rich environment. Cellular phone users, and even those with a hardline, have likely received or is familiar with robocalls and vishing attacks, which are voice phishing to obtain personal information such a...

  Service members across the military have reported receiving smartwatches unsolicited in the mail. These smartwatches, when used, have auto-connected to  Wi-Fi  and began connecting to cell phones unprompted, gaining access to a myriad of user data. These smartwatches may also contain malware that would grant the sender access to saved data to include banking information, contacts, and account information such as usernames and passwords. Malware may be present which accesses both voice and cameras, enabling actors access to conversations and accounts tied to the smartwatches.   These products may also be used for Brushing. This is the practice of sending products, often counterfeit, unsolicited to seemingly random individuals via mail in order to allow companies to write positive reviews in the receiver's name allowing them to compete with established products. W...

  Highlights: Check Point Research (CPR) puts a spotlight on a Chinese state sponsored APT malware propagating via infected USB drives The new malware version shows malware spreading rampantly via USB, crossing network borders and physical continents with ease CPR calls out to organizations to protect against similar attack methods, and secure their assets which are using USB drives Executive Summary In a recent incident at a healthcare institution in Europe, the Check Point Incident Response Team ( CPIRT ) uncovered a disturbing malware attack. This incident shed light on the activities of  Camaro Dragon , a Chinese-based espionage threat actor also known as Mustang Panda and LuminousMoth. While their primary focus has traditionally been Southeast Asian countries, this latest discovery reveals their global reach and highlights the alarming role USB drives play in spreading malware. The Uninvited Guest: Malware Sneaks In Through USB Drives: The healthcare institution fell vict...

Y ou most likely have been reading about a relatively new term called   Phishing Resistant MFA . In fact, we are seeing   recent government requirements   for phishing resistant MFA to be implemented. What exactly is it, what are the benefits, and what does it mean to you and your organization?  This concept can be a bit daunting at first, so we will start at the beginning – with authentication. Authentication is the process of confirming someone’s identity.  In other words, are you really the person you claim to be? Every time you login into a website with your username and password, you are authenticating.  Authentication is often paired with authorization.  Once you are authenticated (e.g. your identity has been confirmed), authorization determines what you can and cannot do.  What we are talking about today is just the authentication piece. Traditionally authentication has been a username and password combination.  Your username states wh...

 

  Phishing attacks have become the most common method cyber attackers use to target people at work and at home. Phishing attacks have traditionally been emails sent by cyber attackers to trick you into doing something you should not do, such as opening an infected email attachment, clicking on a malicious link, or sharing your password. While traditional phishing attacks continue today, many cyber attackers are creating advanced phishing emails that are more customized and harder to detect. They are also using technologies such as text messaging, social media, or even telephone calls to engage and fool you. Here are their latest tricks and how you can spot them. Cyber Attackers Are Doing Their Research Phishing emails used to be easier to detect because they were generic messages sent out to millions of random people. Cyber attackers had no idea who would fall victim; they just knew the more emails they sent, the more people they could trick. We could often detect these simpler att...

  Many travelers rely on technology even more to enhance their experience.   As you embark upon your next adventure, stay cyber safe while away from  home by following some simple practices to help keep your devices safe and  your vacation plans from going awry. Read the article here: https://staysafeonline.org/resources/vacation-and-travel-security-tips/

 https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/securing-generation-gap/ Overview Trying to securely make the most of today’s technology can be overwhelming for almost all of us, but it can be especially challenging for family members not as used to or as familiar with technology. Therefore, we wanted to share some key steps to help secure family members who may be struggling with technology and might misunderstand the risks that come with using it. Focus On The Basics Frequently, the best way to help secure others is to make security as simple as possible for them. Focus on the fewest steps that will have the biggest impact. 1.  Social Engineering:  Social engineering attacks are one of the primary ways most of us are targeted. Explain how scammers and con artists have operated for thousands of years, the only difference now is bad guys are using the Internet to fool us. Give examples, such as phishing emails pretending to be your bank or a package shipment or scammers calling pr...

  Vishing - Phone Call Attacks and Scams Overview When you think of a cyber criminal you probably think of an evil mastermind sitting behind a computer, launching sophisticated attacks over the internet. While some of today’s cyber criminals do use advanced technologies, many simply use the phone to trick their victims. There are two big advantages to using a phone: Unlike other attacks, there are fewer security technologies that can detect and stop a phone call attack; also, it is much easier for criminals to convey emotion and build trust over the phone, which makes it easier to trick their victims. Let’s learn how to spot and stop these attacks. How Do Phone Call Attacks Work? First, understand that these criminals are usually after your money, information, or access to your computer (or all three). They do this by tricking you into doing something you should not do, a technique called “social engineering.” Cyber criminals often create situations that feel very urgent and realis...

Federal Trade Commission - SCAM Alerts  

  Federal Trade Commission - Protecting Your Privacy Online

 Federal Trade Commission - Protecting Kids Online