Technology Archives

Technology

Report: Android Shield Adds Invisible Encryption To Mobile Apps

August 19, 2014 Paul Roberts

Wired reports on a team from Georgia Tech that has designed software that acts as an overlay on Android smartphones’ communication applications, encrypting communications to and from those apps, while mimicking their user interface. The researchers describe the technology as a “transparent window” over apps that prevents unencrypted messages from leaving the user’s device. “The window acts as a proxy between the user and the app. But the beauty of it is that users feel like they’re interacting with the original app without much, if any, change,” says Wenke Lee, the Georgia Tech professor who led the developers. “Our goal is to make security that’s as easy as air. You just breathe and don’t even think about it.” The researchers call their prototype Mimesis Aegis, or M-Aegis, Latin for “mimicry shield.” They plan to present their research at the Usenix Security conference this week. Read more via Wired: This Android Shield Could […]

Was An IPMI Flaw Behind 300Gbps DDoS Attack? – ComputerworldUK.com

August 19, 2014 Paul Roberts

Computerworld UK has an interesting story that digs into a massive, 300 Gbps DDoS attack that used a flaw in the IPMI protocol to compromise 100,000 unpatched servers, which were then used to send junk traffic to the victim site. The attack was documented by the security firm VeriSign in its quarterly threat report. The flaw, in the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is a well-documented security hole that affects a wide range of devices. The attack in question took place in June and targeted what Verisign described as a content delivery network (CDN) in the media and entertainment sector. The attack combined a variety of techniques, including SYN, TCP and UDP protocols to flood a target data center. The attacks reached a peak traffic volume 300 Gbps and lasted more than a day, prompting Verisign to balance the load across its global network. Verisign attributed the massive volume of the attack to a botnet made up […]

Report: Hospital network hacked, 4.5 million records stolen

August 19, 2014 Paul Roberts

News today that Community Health Systems, a national hospital network that operates 206 hospitals across the United States, was the victim of a cyber attack that resulted in the theft of 4.5 million patients. According to CNN Money, hackers gained access to patient names, Social Security numbers, physical addresses, birthdays and telephone numbers. The breach affects anyone who received treatment from a physician’s office tied to a Community Health Systems network-owned hospital in the last five years. The FBI is investigating the breach. Community Health Systems’ hospitals operate in 28 states but have their most significant presence in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. Help Net Security has a panel of experts comment. The consensus is that the healthcare sector is more in the cross hairs for sophisticated attacks that are intended to steal personal information that can be used for identity theft scams. Read more over at CNN Money: Hospital network hacked, 4.5 million […]

Popular Web Sites Still Getting Gamed in SEO Attacks

August 12, 2014 Or Katz

In this post, Security Ledger contributor Or Katz of Akamai provides details of how malicious actors are abusing redirect vulnerabilities in popular web sites to boost the reputation of malicious sites they control. One recent attack involved the compromise of some 4,000 vulnerable web applications for the purpose of pumping up the search engine ranking of more than 10,000 malicious web sites, Katz reveals.

Security Experts call for Action on Connected Auto Safety

August 8, 2014 Paul Roberts

A non-profit group that represents prominent computer security researchers has issued an open letter to the automotive industry calling for more collaboration on cyber security issues. The group, I Am The Cavalry said the automotive industry needs to elevate cyber security to put it on par with other vehicle safety issues. The announcement, on Friday at DEF CON 22 in Las Vegas – an annual hacker conference – included a letter to CEOs in the automotive industry, calling for the adoption of “five key capabilities that create a baseline for safety relating to the computer systems in cars.” The letter asks for safety to be built into the design of computer systems in vehicles. “Increasing reliance on computer systems and internet connectivity in cars is opening up a whole new area of consumer risk, much of which is still being investigated and understood,” the group said. “Modern cars are computers […]