Category Archives: Fancy Bear

VPNFilter now has ‘even greater capabilities,’ research shows

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VPNFilter, the malware framework that co-opted half a million routers into a botnet earlier this year, has “even greater capabilities” than previously documented, new research shows. Talos, Cisco’s threat intelligence unit, said it recently found seven more VPNFilter modules that “add significant functionality to the malware,” whose botnet loomed over Ukraine ahead of a key soccer match in late May as well as an important public holiday in that country. Among the newly discovered capabilities of VPNFilter are the ability to exploit endpoint devices via compromised network gear, plus “data filtering and multiple encrypted tunneling capabilities to mask command and control and data exfiltration traffic,” Talos researcher Edmund Brumaghin wrote in a blog post Wednesday. The VPNFilter-enabled botnet had the ability to “brick” or disable thousands of devices, so researchers and U.S. law enforcement urgently sought to raise awareness of and mitigate the threat. The same week that Talos exposed VPNFilter, […]

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Wyden: Tech company has told multiple senators of foreign hacking attempts

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A major tech company has informed “a number of senators and Senate staff members” that foreign government hackers have targeted their personal email accounts, according to Sen. Ron Wyden. In a Sept. 19 letter to Senate leadership, Wyden, D-Ore., did not name the company or identify the foreign hackers, but he did warn that the publicly reported activity of a Russian government-linked hacking group may be just “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to advanced cyberthreats to lawmakers. The group, often referred to as Fancy Bear, breached the IT networks of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 as part of a coordinated hack-and-leak operation that the U.S. intelligence community attributed to Moscow. “The November election grows ever closer, Russia continues its attacks on our democracy, and the Senate simply does not have the luxury of further delays” in shoring up its cybersecurity, Wyden wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch […]

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Symantec offers political campaigns service to guard against website spoofing

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Symantec on Tuesday became the latest cybersecurity giant to offer free election security services to political campaigns and election officials ahead of the 2018 midterm vote. The California-based company’s AI-fueled service is designed to thwart malicious websites that spoof legitimate ones to steal personal information. That threat is a prime concern given the numerous political candidates that are running websites with limited budgets. “Symantec has been focused on election security for many years, but given the gravity of the current security landscape, we are compelled to raise awareness and make it easy for relevant parties to participate in ensuring the integrity of the upcoming election,” Symantec CEO Greg Clark said in a statement. The Symantec service, which is also available to state election commissions, essentially takes a screenshot of a legitimate website it’s protecting and then alerts the page’s owner to any attempt to impersonate it, explained Eric Chien, technical […]

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8/27/19 – Dtex, Insider Threat, Privacy News: Microsoft APT28 Shut Downs Highlight Insider Threat Risks, Tech Heavyweights Seek to Sidestep California Privacy Law

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Last week, Microsoft reported that it detected six internet domains that were set up by cyberattack groups associated with the Russian government. According to Microsoft: Last Week, Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) successfully executed a co… Continue reading 8/27/19 – Dtex, Insider Threat, Privacy News: Microsoft APT28 Shut Downs Highlight Insider Threat Risks, Tech Heavyweights Seek to Sidestep California Privacy Law→

Security Boulevard’s 5 Most Read Stories for the Week, August 20-24

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A new week, a new crop of security stories. Last week, malware complacency, Russian cyberspies, GDPR compliance and Mirai IoT malware made the headlines. In addition, we analyzed top security threats for web apps. Be sure to check Security Boulevard d… Continue reading Security Boulevard’s 5 Most Read Stories for the Week, August 20-24→

Google tells senator that nation-state hackers probed his old campaign email accounts

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Google has informed Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., that nation-state hackers may have tried to breach old email accounts associated with his campaign, according to Toomey spokesman Steve Kelly. The probing involved phishing emails to accounts over a year old, and there is no evidence of a breach, according to Kelly. Based on scans of the emails, they did not appear to contain malware, he added. Toomey, who won re-election in 2016, is not up for re-election again until 2022. “This underscores the cybersecurity threats our government, campaigns, and elections are currently facing,” Kelly said in a statement Friday. “It is essential that Congress impose tough penalties on any entity that undermines our institutions.” Kelly’s statement did not say whether the hackers have been tied to a particular country. Google did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Toomey is the latest politician to draw the attention of […]

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DNC Becomes Latest Target in Series of Election-Season Attacks

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The DNC thwarts a phishing effort aimed at its voter database, days after Microsoft’s Fancy Bear disruption and Facebook’s efforts against Iranian propaganda. Continue reading DNC Becomes Latest Target in Series of Election-Season Attacks→

Microsoft Seizes Domains Set Up by Russian Cyberspies

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Microsoft has seized six domains that were registered by Russian cyberespionage group Fancy Bear and mimicked the websites of U.S. political organizations and think tanks. “One appears to mimic the domain of the International Republican Institut… Continue reading Microsoft Seizes Domains Set Up by Russian Cyberspies→

DHS, Microsoft to brief states on latest Russian intelligence activity

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The Department of Homeland Security will hold a conference call for Microsoft representatives to brief state election officials on new evidence showing Russian hackers have targeted the U.S. Senate and conservative think tanks, according to senior DHS cybersecurity adviser Matthew Masterson. The goal will be to turn Microsoft’s observations into actionable security advice for state officials as the November midterms approach. The conference call, which Masterson said had not been scheduled yet, will be an opportunity for state officials to study the latest techniques from the Russian hacking group, often known as Fancy Bear, that breached Democratic Party organizations in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Masterson said Microsoft’s takedown of internet domains allegedly set up by Fancy Bear showed “a growing interaction and relationship that we have with industry.” Asked if he anticipated that private companies would need to take similar action in the future, Masterson said the Russian […]

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Microsoft disrupts Fancy Bear election meddlers

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In a new skirmish, Microsoft took control of six internet domains that were about to be used by the group to spoof US political organisations. Continue reading Microsoft disrupts Fancy Bear election meddlers→