US Warns Nation-State Groups May Exploit Flaw in Zoho Tool

Scott Ferguson • September 17, 2021

CISA, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command warn users of Zoho Corp.'s single sign-on and password management tool to patch for a vulnerability that nation-state groups may look to exploit. Attackers could use the bug to compromise credentials and exfiltrate data from Active Directory.

Application Security

House Bill Seeks to Insulate CISA Director From Politics

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Electronic Healthcare Records

HHS OCR's Latest HIPAA Enforcement Action

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • September 17, 2021

While the wait continues for the Biden administration to name a new leader for the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, the HIPAA enforcement agency recently issued its 20th settlement to date in a case involving a patient "right of access" dispute.

Cybercrime

Fraudster Gets 12-Year Sentence for AT&T 'Unlocking' Scheme

Dan Gunderman • September 17, 2021

A dual citizen of Pakistan and Grenada has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for orchestrating a seven-year scheme that unlawfully unlocked nearly 2 million AT&T smartphones, which the carrier says amounted to $200 million in subscriber losses, according to the U.S. DOJ.

Critical Infrastructure Security

Good News: REvil Ransomware Victims Get Free Decryptor

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 17, 2021

Score one for the good guys in the fight against ransomware: Anyone who fell victim to REvil, aka Sodinokibi, crypto-locking malware before July 13 can now decrypt their files for free, thanks to a decryptor released by security firm Bitdefender.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

OCC's Hsu Addresses Need for Cryptocurrency Oversight

Dan Gunderman • September 17, 2021

Amid growing calls for cryptocurrency regulations, the U.S. acting comptroller of the currency has made a definitive statement on safeguarding investors and how cryptocurrency should intersect with traditional financial institutions.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

Is White House Crackdown on Ransomware Having Any Effect?

Mathew J. Schwartz • September 17, 2021

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features an analysis of the state of the Biden administration's efforts to disrupt ransomware attackers, as well as how a newly patched Apple iMessage flaw was being targeted by Pegasus spyware to effect zero-click exploits.

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

Is Grief's Threat to Wipe Decryption Key Believable?

Doug Olenick • September 16, 2021

Regarding the recent tactical innovation by the Grief ransomware gang that is threatening to wipe a victim's data and decryption key if the victim engages a ransom negotiator, analysts are calling this a desperate ploy to scare a target into paying the ransom demand.

Breach Notification

FTC: Health App, Device Makers Must Report Breaches

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • September 16, 2021

The FTC warns makers of personal health records, mobile health apps, fitness devices and a variety of similar products and services that they will face stiff civil monetary penalties for failure to comply with the commission's 12-year-old - but never-yet enforced - Health Breach Notification Rule.

CISO Trainings

Profiles in Leadership: Tim Nedyalkov, Commonwealth Bank

Jeremy Kirk • September 16, 2021

Cloud-based services are affecting governance, risk management and compliance practices in Australia, says Tim Nedyalkov, who is a technology information security officer with Commonwealth Bank. He discusses the differences between how managers and practitioners approach the problems.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

New York Court Shuts Down Crypto Platform 'Coinseed'

Dan Gunderman • September 15, 2021

New York officials won a court order shuttering cryptocurrency trading platform Coinseed, after it allegedly defrauded thousands of investors out of millions of dollars, according to State Attorney General Letitia James. The court also awarded a $3 million judgment against Coinseed and its CEO.

Cybercrime

Former US Intelligence Officers Spied on US for UAE

Prajeet Nair • September 15, 2021

Three former U.S. Intelligence Community and military personnel have agreed to pay more than $1.68 million to settle federal charges for providing hacking-related services to the United Arab Emirates, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Access Management

Microsoft Fully Ditches the Password

Doug Olenick • September 15, 2021

Microsoft has officially gone fully passwordless, allowing Windows users to replace their alphanumeric passwords with one of several substitute sign-in technologies to gain entry into a Microsoft product - a move received positively by industry insiders.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

SEC Chair Pushes for Additional Cryptocurrency Regulations

Dan Gunderman • September 14, 2021

U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler testified before the Senate on Tuesday and again called for comprehensive cryptocurrency regulations, citing a need to reduce cybersecurity risks, other market risks, and criminal efforts to defraud investors, while simultaneously advancing the space.