Threats

When Cybercrooks Chat, Privacy isn’t Everything

In-brief: a survey of cyber criminal groups by Flashpoint revealed that secure messaging apps are becoming more popular, but that security isn’t the only thing motivating online criminals. 

Code Tutorials Spread Application Flaws Far and Wide

In-brief: Researchers at universities in Germany, working with the security firm Trend Micro, discovered more than 100 vulnerabilities in GitHub code repositories simply by looking for re-used code from tutorials and other free code samples. The same method could be harnessed by cyber criminals or other sophisticated attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities in software applications, the researchers warned.

Podcast: Hack, or Phreak – What Really Happened in Dallas?

In-brief: The April 7th hijacking of more than 100 civil defense sirens in Dallas was dismissed as an “old school” hack that relied copycat radio tones to set off a cacophony that lasted for nearly two hours. But was it? Security researcher Mark Loveless (aka “Simple Nomad”) has his doubts about the official explanation. In this latest Security Ledger podcast, he talks to Editor in Chief Paul Roberts about what might have really gone down in Dallas. 

DHS warns of BrickerBot Threat to Internet of Things

In-brief: the Department of Homeland Security is warning about destructive attacks by BrickerBot, a new piece of malicious software that attacks Linux devices and renders them useless, wiping out critical configuration information and data from the devices.