cybersecurity
There's a certain kind of security threat that catches the headlines--the massive data breach, or the malware that hijacks your computer for a ransom--but it's also important to keep your guard up against some of the lesser-known attacks out there too.
As methods for accessing and stealing data grow slicker and harder-to-spot, not a day goes by without a news report about a data security issue. Higher ed leaders, in particular, should be concerned about these threats as colleges and universities are top targets for hackers and scammers.
Cybersecurity and Education: The State of the Digital District in 2020, focused on the state of security, staff and student safety, and endpoint device health in K-12 organizations.
By investing in digital and smart manufacturing, the U.S. can lead the world in manufacturing productivity, energy efficiency and innovation. But we must do so in a cyber secure manner. The challenge is enormous and the complexity of cybersecurity grows bigger every day with the explosion of digital linkages between manufacturers, suppliers, customers and employees along with the digitization of products and services.
In February 2018, Cybersecurity Ventures optimistically predicted that by the end of 2019, women will represent more than 20 percent of the global cybersecurity workforce. We’re now only a few months away from that prediction either coming true or falling flat. Also noteworthy is the fact that the cybersecurity field still yearns for experts to join the workforce, whether they are male or female.
This year, attacks on MSPs (managed service providers) have paralyzed thousands of small businesses and public agencies. Huntress Labs, a Maryland-based cybersecurity and software firm, has worked with about three dozen MSPs struck by ransomware this year, its executives said. In one incident, 4,200 computers were infected by ransomware through a single MSP.
As insurance companies have approved six- and seven-figure ransom payments over the past year, criminals’ demands have climbed. The average ransom payment among clients of Coveware, a Connecticut firm that specializes in ransomware cases, is about $36,000, according to its quarterly report released in July, up sixfold from last October.
Ever wonder what became of the Nigerian romantic in a financial jam or the lottery winner who needed your help to claim his winnings?The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it had arrested 281 of them - including 74 people in the United States - and charged them with wire fraud, money laundering and other crimes for a wide range of digital scams designed to prey on the unsuspecting.
Apple issued a press release late last week disputing part of Google’s findings. The iPhone maker strenuously objects to Google’s claim that the attacks operated for two years. In fact, Apple says it was closer to two months. Furthermore, Apple says it already knew about the flaws and was conveniently already working on a fix. It’s impossible to verify that claim, but it does sound suspect. Google’s Project Zero researchers are cited in Apple’s official changelog from February as reporting the flaws.
Apple likes to talk up its focus on security and privacy, but iPhone owners have unknowingly been targets of an indiscriminate and severe hacking campaign for at least two years. Google’s Project Zero team uncovered the scheme, which used websites loaded with unpatched exploits to install malware on iPhones that could track user locations, steal files, and more.