Profile of Reality Winner
New York Magazine published an excellent profile of the single-document leaker Reality Winner…. Continue reading Profile of Reality Winner
Category Archives: intelligence
Kaspersky Lab takes U.S. government to court over federal software ban
Russian anti-virus maker Kaspersky Lab is suing the U.S. government for its decision to ban the company’s software in federal agencies and departments, according to an open letter written by company founder Eugene Kaspersky. Citing a lack of due process and insufficient evidence relating to the Department of Homeland Security’s Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 17-01, Kaspersky is claiming the U.S. government violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the Fifth Amendment. The Administrative Procedures Act controls how administrative agencies can propose and establish regulations, requiring organizations to provide “substantial evidence” for their decisions if questioned by a U.S. court. In September, DHS ordered civilian agencies to remove Kaspersky Lab from their computers within 90 days via the directive. Although the process had been ongoing for some time, the ban was then codified into law last week when U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The lawsuit represents […]
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Hacking group turns Microsoft Office flaw into an exploit in less than a week
Less than one week after Microsoft publicly acknowledged a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office, Iranian hackers targeted the weakness via phishing emails sent to various Middle Eastern government agencies last month, according to research produced Thursday by U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye. According to FireEye, the targets indicate that the group is likely linked to the Iranian government. There were multiple attempts to breach financial, energy and government enterprises located in geographic rivals of Iran, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel. This particular cyber espionage group, titled APT34 by FireEye, is also known as “NewsBeef” to other security researchers. APT34 has been especially active since mid-2016, based on publicly available research from FireEye and Kaspersky Lab. “We believe APT34 is involved in a long-term cyber-espionage operation largely focused on reconnaissance efforts to benefit Iranian nation-state interests and has been operational since at least 2014,” a FireEye blog post reads. “We […]
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Roy Moore scandal used for phishing schemes aimed at U.S. law firms
Since at least June, Chinese hackers have been actively targeting a shortlist of multinational law firms in an apparent effort to spy on lawyers and steal confidential information, according to cybersecurity firm FireEye. The hacking group, which is known as APT19, will often design phishing campaigns that contain references to pertinent, high-profile U.S. news stories. Most recently, these booby-trapped emails have separately mentioned U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The hacking group has been loosely linked to China. FireEye says APT19 crafted the subject line “FW: Roy Moore scandal ignites fundraising explosion for Democratic challenger Doug Jones” to seemingly capitalize on the contentious campaign to fill the vacant senate seat in Alabama. Moore, 70, has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward multiple teenage girls when he was in his 30s. It’s relatively common for hackers to leverage public […]
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Why Eugene Kaspersky keeps talking about ‘Project Sauron’
Kaspersky Lab founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky says he’s figured out why the U.S. government hates his company. According to Kaspersky, his company’s research into a sophisticated, international cyber espionage operation that targeted government entities in Russia, Iran and Rwanda represents why the Russian anti-virus maker has become a bogeyman for the U.S. government. This reasoning came during public comments Kaspersky made Tuesday during a small event in London. His comments are the most detailed effort among Kaspersky’s multiple attempts to defend his company from allegations the Moscow-based company acts as an intelligence collection tool for Russian spies. Kaspersky talked about his company’s discovery of U.S. intelligence related hacking operations, including those of the NSA-linked “Equation Group” and CIA-linked “Lamberts,” being the reason for the recent firestorm. He specifically emphasized the unveiling of one particular campaign — known as ProjectSauron or Strider — as a driving factor while also implying U.S. involvement with […]
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AWS GuardDuty: Human Security Employment Will Become Moot
The apparent beginning of the end for certain information and cyber security employment categories: Hehold the newly minited Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) AWS GuardDuty… H/T via the inimitable Trey Blalock of Firewall Consultants and Verification … Continue reading AWS GuardDuty: Human Security Employment Will Become Moot
DOJ reveals indictment against Chinese cyber spies that stole U.S. business secrets
A group of Chinese hackers recently indicted by the Department of Justice were involved in an international cyber espionage operation connected to a foreign intelligence agency, security researchers tell CyberScoop. On Monday, senior Justice Department officials announced eight relevant criminal charges against the Chinese hackers. Although the indictment was originally issued in September, it was sealed until Monday. The criminal activity allegedly dates as far back as 2011. Court documents describe that Chinese nationals Wu Yingzhuo, Dong Hao and Xia Lei hacked into and stole data from several American companies, including Siemens AG, Moody’s Analytics and GPS technology company Trimble. The trio worked together at a company named Boyusec, also known as the Guangzhou Bo Yu Information Technology Co. Business registration records show that Wu and Dong are executives at Boyusec. Conservative news outlet The Washington Free Beacon reported in November 2016 that Boyusec, which it described as a Chinese cybersecurity firm, […]
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Senator questions DHS about surveillance technology used in U.S. by foreign spies
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is requesting information from the Department of Homeland Security concerning the use of foreign cell phone surveillance devices in the U.S., according a letter posted Monday to the Senator’s website. Wyden’s inquiry specifically looks at issues surrounding the use of IMSI catchers, also known as international mobile subscriber identity collectors. An IMSI catcher is an inexpensive spying tool that can essentially act as a fake cell phone tower to intercept calls, text messages and other location information that normally emits from mobile phones. The letter, dated Nov. 17, asks Christopher Krebs, an acting DHS undersecretary, if the agency is aware of foreign-operated IMSI catchers in the Washington, D.C. area or in other major cities. “I am very concerned by this threat and urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve its efforts to detect such activity,” Wyden writes. “Foreign government surveillance of senior American political and […]
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Amazon Creates Classified US Cloud
Amazon has a cloud for US classified data. The physical and computer requirements for handling classified information are considerable, both in terms of technology and procedure. I am surprised that a company with no experience dealing with classified data was able to do it…. Continue reading Amazon Creates Classified US Cloud
Huawei tried to acquire technology from the winners of the Cyber Grand Challenge
After seven supercomputers hacked each other on stage at a prominent cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas in August 2016, a Chinese corporation approached U.S. researchers responsible for developing the cutting-edge technology in hopes of acquiring it. The previously unreported but concentrated interest by Huawei Technologies, a company once at the center of a federal investigation and which has come under scrutiny by U.S. spy agencies, came in the form of phone calls and emails sent to select individuals involved in engineering machines that competed in the 2016 DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge. ForAllSecure, the company whose team won the challenge, was among those contacted by a representative claiming to be from Huawei. ForAllSecure ignored the advances, according to company CEO David Brumley. The decision was partially driven by a common understanding that Huawei is closely connected to the Chinese government and as such, a relationship with Huawei may negatively impact ForAllSecure’s ability to […]
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