Remotely Exploding Pagers

Wow.

It seems they all exploded simultaneously, which means they were triggered.

Were they each tampered with physically, or did someone figure out how to trigger a thermal runaway remotely? Supply chain attack? Malicious code update, or natural vulnerability?

I have no idea, but I expect we will all learn over the next few days.

EDITED TO ADD: I’m reading nine killed and 2,800 injured. That’s a lot of collateral damage. (I haven’t seen a good number as to the number of pagers yet.)

EDITED TO ADD: Reuters writes: “The pagers that detonated were the latest model brought in by Hezbollah in recent months, three security sources said.” That implies supply chain attack. And it seems to be a large detonation for an overloaded battery…

Continue reading Remotely Exploding Pagers

Remotely Exploding Pagers

Wow.

It seems they all exploded simultaneously, which means they were triggered.

Were they each tampered with physically, or did someone figure out how to trigger a thermal runaway remotely? Supply chain attack? Malicious code update, or natural vulnerability?

I have no idea, but I expect we will all learn over the next few days.

EDITED TO ADD: I’m reading nine killed and 2,800 injured. That’s a lot of collateral damage. (I haven’t seen a good number as to the number of pagers yet.)

EDITED TO ADD: Reuters writes: “The pagers that detonated were the latest model brought in by Hezbollah in recent months, three security sources said.” That implies supply chain attack. And it seems to be a large detonation for an overloaded battery…

Continue reading Remotely Exploding Pagers

Brandon Wales reflects on 20 years of cyber as he leaves CISA

SolarWinds, election security and protecting federal networks were among the highlights, he said in an interview with CyberScoop.

The post Brandon Wales reflects on 20 years of cyber as he leaves CISA appeared first on CyberScoop.

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Police Accessed Proton Mail User Data in Terrorism Probe

By Deeba Ahmed
Encrypted email services like ProtonMail and Wire promise privacy, but can they guarantee anonymity? A recent case in Spain has users questioning the limitations of encryption when law enforcement steps in.
This is a post from HackRead.c… Continue reading Police Accessed Proton Mail User Data in Terrorism Probe

U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Alleged ISIS Cybersecurity Experts

By Waqas
The US Treasury Department announced sanctions against two Egyptian nationals, Mu’min Al-Mawji Mahmud Salim and Sarah Jamal Muhammad Al-Sayyid, for running the Electronic Horizons Foundation (EHF), a platform allegedly providing cyber tools an… Continue reading U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Alleged ISIS Cybersecurity Experts

Journalist Targeted in USB Drive Bombing Attack

By Deeba Ahmed
According to the attorney general of Ecuador, a terrorism investigation has been launched after the incident took place in the country.
This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Journalist Targeted in USB Drive Bombing Att… Continue reading Journalist Targeted in USB Drive Bombing Attack

Exploding USB Sticks

In case you don’t have enough to worry about, people are hiding explosives—actual ones—in USB sticks:

In the port city of Guayaquil, journalist Lenin Artieda of the Ecuavisa private TV station received an envelope containing a pen drive which exploded when he inserted it into a computer, his employer said.

Artieda sustained slight injuries to one hand and his face, said police official Xavier Chango. No one else was hurt.

Chango said the USB drive sent to Artieda could have been loaded with RDX, a military-type explosive.

More:

According to police official Xavier Chango, the flash drive that went off had a 5-volt explosive charge and is thought to have used RDX. Also known as T4, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (…

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