February 2017

The Necurs botnet has learned a new trick. Instead of spewing spam delivering Locky ransomware, the notorious botnet is now capable of launching DDoS attacks.   According to BitSight’s Anubis Labs, the malware was modified in September to include a module that adds DDoS capabilities and new proxy command-and-control communication functions. Necurs is the malware that makes up the botnet that goes by the same name and is currently...

Ransomware generated an estimated $200 million for attackers during the first quarter of 2016, and the researchers believe it’s only a matter of time before critical industrial systems are compromised and held for ransom. Cybersecurity have developed a new form of ransomware that was able to take over control of a simulated water treatment plant. After gaining access, the researchers were able to command programmable...

For now, it’s just a lab experiment, but the researchers behind the first industrial control system ransomware believe it’s just a matter of time before criminals take note.   Imagine a group of hackers was able to infect the tiny computers that control critical infrastructure, such as power plants or water treatment facilities, also known as Programmable Logic Controllers or PLCs. The hackers could then lock these...

Phishing is more than just the obvious scams you find in your spam folder. Reliable security solutions are a big help. They can certainly cut down on the classic “spam and scam” threats. And even if something does get through, surely everyone knows that poorly written emails asking for your bank account info or passwords are scams. Right?     If phishing were that simple, it would be extinct. But...

With less than two weeks to go until 2017, we’ve taken a look back at the past year in cyber security. In this post we discuss lessons learned from 2016, and what these developments mean for security professionals and the whole industry in 2017.   In short, what we’re seeing is that cyber security never stops. And it is exactly what makes cyber security so endlessly interesting and ruthlessly...

Endpoint protection – not the sexiest of subjects? However, a vital one for your business security. And one that most businesses spend a lot of time and resources on. Yet, as we have seen several times in the news, all types of companies get breached, with severe consequences. Why is this? There are several reasons: You’re dealing with an explosion of endpoints and software: New users, mobile workstations,...