Twitter scammers have a new weapon with the release of an effective spear phishing tool that lands a victim almost two thirds of the time, dwarfing the usual five-to-fifteen-per-cent-open-rate for spam tweets. The SNAP_R machine learning spear phishing Twitter bot is a data-driven menace unleashed at the Black Hat security conference that is capable of consuming information from victim tweets to target users. Security experts commented below. Jonathan Sander, VP of Product Strategy at Lieberman Software: “The spear phishing Twitter bot SNAP_R is the inevitable result of bad guys catching up in the machine learning and big data worlds. If…
ISBuzz Team
The new Iris recognition technology provides many opportunities for mobile banking, but also takes a look at how the new technology poses many security risks and how these can be overcome. John Fernandez, Senior Legal Counsel at PPRO Group commented below. John Fernandez, Senior Legal Counsel at PPRO Group: “Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 boasts iris recognition technology and provides interesting opportunities for mobile banking. Compared to knowledge based authentication, biometric solutions such as Samsung’s offer more robust security and will prove an attractive proposition to issuers in the fight against fraud. It will certainly stimulate more interest in biometric authentication…
Analysis from ABI Research for Verizon has shown that the ever growing number of IOT devices is expected to surge from 1.2 billion devices in 2015 to 5.4 billion connected devices worldwide by 2020. This dramatic growth also brings with itheightened security risks. 72 percent of security experts surveyed for ISACS’S 2015 IT Risk / Reward Barometer, said they feel device manufacturers are failing to implement satisfactory security measures in IOT devices, and 73 percent said the current security standards in the industry do not sufficiently address IoT specific security concerns. The figures highlight a serious risk. And the severity…
Following the investigation into the attempted hack into the Garda Síochána (Irish Police) computer system, Jonathan reminds organisations of the importance of having early warnings in place and sharing intelligence to ensure we’re one step ahead of attackers. Jonathan Martin, Anomali EMEA Operations Director at Anomali: “The old adage of “Fail to Prepare” has never been more relevant to organisations today – the volume and complexity of attacks is changing at such a rate that it is increasingly difficult for security teams to keep up with the fast changing world of hackers and the threats they pose. The information needed to understand…
Four newly discovered Android vulnerabilities can give attackers complete control of devices and access to sensitive data on them Check Point researchers have announced four new vulnerabilities that affect over 900 million Android smartphones and tablets at the Def Con 2016 security event in Las Vegas. QuadRooter is a set of four vulnerabilities affecting Android devices that are built on the Qualcomm chipset, a supplier of 80% of the chipsets in the Android ecosystem. If any one of the four vulnerabilities is exploited, an attacker can trigger privilege escalations and gain root access to a device, enabling them to change…
Convinced by the prospect of cost savings, global email access and a round-the-clock workforce, a growing number of organisations have made the switch to Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based email platform. While employees across the globe have placed their trust in Microsoft to keep their emails, attachments, Office documents and other files safe, the cloud platform is becoming increasingly crowded with users looking to take advantage of any security gaps they can find, in order to fuel their criminal campaigns. Cybercriminals have given no second thought to following Microsoft Exchange users into Office 365. Any company who has taken part in…
Eleventh annual IP EXPO to include a host of influential speakers IP EXPO Europe, Europe’s number one enterprise IT event has launched its 2016 IT showcase, to take place on 5-6 October 2016at the ExCeL in London. Following the success of last year’s event, IP EXPO Europe has announced a collection of influential speakers who will be holding keynotes over the two-day event focusing on the six themes of Cloud, Cyber Security, Networks and Infrastructure, Data Analytics, DevOps, and new for 2016, Open Source. In the wake of an elected Brexit, this year’s IP EXPO Europe will explore how this change…
Following the news that Blizzard’s Battle.net servers have been knocked offline following massive DDoS attack, Stephanie Weagle, Senior Director at Corero Network Security commented below. Stephanie Weagle, Senior Director at Corero Network Security: “In the fast-moving world of online gaming, just the shortest of service disruptions can be devastating. The impact of DDoS attacks can be incredibly costly when systems, applications or platforms fall victim to attack. The online gaming industry is no stranger to DDoS attacks, as motivations, including player retaliation, are endless. For an industry that relies on player accessibility, DDoS attacks pose a serious challenge to game availability that…
Tripwire researchers have found that organizations using Ruckus internet routers may be at risk of compromise, particularly when the access points are used to provide customers with Wi-Fi access. IT security experts from ESET and Lieberman Software commented below. Mark James, Security Specialist at ESET: “The need to keep costs down to continue to sell products into a saturated market will of course lead to shortcuts and may even include substandard parts. The electronics industry is no different to any other, at one time purchasing a nice shiny electronic device would bring years of enjoyment but quite often these days that’s short-lived. We…
There’s a sucker born every minute. And for each sucker there are hundreds of scammers waiting to take advantage of them. Now, with the Olympic Games fast-approaching, fraudsters are lining up to take advantage of unwitting consumers interested in attending or simply sharing in a little bit of the excitement from the comfort of their home. A variety of scams abound from fraudulent sites selling fake tickets to the opening games to “lotteries” giving “winners” hundreds of thousands in cash and prizes. Here are the five most sophisticated scams we’ve seen to date: Lotto: The Scam of Choice According to…