Adam Levin

MAY 14, 2021

Colonial Pipeline paid roughly $5 million to the ransomware group responsible for hacking its systems, contradicting earlier claims. . Bloomberg News reported that the company paid the ransom in cryptocurrency hours after the May 7 cyberattack that shut down the country’s largest fuel pipeline. In exchange for the payment, the hackers responsible provided Colonial with a decryption tool that restored the company’s access to its data. .

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Backups Cryptocurrency Ransomware Cybersecurity 260

Adam Levin

APRIL 9, 2021

Adam Levin spoke with NPR about the recent data archive of over 500 million Facebook accounts found on a hacking forum. “It’s serious when phone numbers are out there. The danger when you have phone numbers in particular is a universal identifier,” said Levin. Read the article here. The post Adam Levin Discusses Facebook Data Leak on NPR appeared first on Adam Levin.

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Accountability Hacking 208

Adam Levin

MARCH 1, 2021

Gab was breached February 28, with 70 gigabytes of user data leaked by a group of “hacktivists.” A popular audio chatroom app for iOS devices called Clubhouse was breached seven days before that. A few weeks earlier, Clubhouse had run afoul of privacy advocates concerned about its data storage–including the possibility that the company was routing content through China. .

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Media Data privacy Risk Government 130

Adam Levin

JANUARY 13, 2021

The data breach of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been attributed to the compromise of a third party file sharing service. “A third party file sharing service provided by Accellion called FTA (File Transfer Application), used by the Bank to share and store some sensitive information, was illegally accessed,” the bank announced in a January 11 press release.

Data breaches 152

Data breaches Banking Software Government 152

Adam Levin

JANUARY 12, 2021

A hacker and security researcher claims to have downloaded and archived over 99% of the posts, videos, and images uploaded to Parler, a right-wing social media platform that was taken offline earlier this week. The hacker, known by her Twitter account name as @donk_enby, began to archive content posted to Parler with the goal of archiving posts to the platform on January 6, when violent insurrectionists stormed the Capitol building.

Media 181

Media Internet Internet Accountability 181

Adam Levin

JANUARY 7, 2021

The rioting in the Capitol gives rise to cybersecurity issues as well as some basic concern regarding traditional modes of spying. There is no way to know who all the intruders were. They didn’t sign in, and their bags were not searched when they left. The riot offered perfect cover for espionage and extremely sensitive data compromise of all stripes.

Computers and Electronics 342

Computers and Electronics Cybersecurity Social Engineering Spyware 342

Adam Levin

JANUARY 6, 2021

The Cyber Unified Coordination Group (UCG), a task force composed of U.S. cybersecurity, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, announced earlier this week that Russia was “likely” responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds data breach. In a joint statement , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), NSA, and FBI announced that “an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or

Government 130

Government Telecommunications Data breaches Hacking 130

Adam Levin

JANUARY 5, 2021

When SolarWinds was compromised it set the stage for the infiltration by Russian-backed hackers of Fortune 500 companies and several branches of the U.S. government. It gave Russia a bird’s eye view of sensitive information, and signaled the failure of cybersecurity not as an industry, but as a concept as it is currently imagined. If you’re lumping the recent SolarWinds hack in with everything else that happened make 2020 synonymous with Friday the 13th, don’t.

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Hacking Government Passwords Cybersecurity 130

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Law enforcement agencies from the United States and Europe seized domain names and servers belonging to a virtual private network (VPN) provider long linked to online cybercrime. In a press release issued December 22, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced the action, called “Operation Nova,” which disrupted the activities of a so-called “bulletproof hosting service” in coordination with Europol and law enforcement agencies from Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

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VPN Cybercrime Phishing Accountability 260

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 16, 2020

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected–and do the best we can in a rapidly changing world. That’s always the case when it comes to cybersecurity. Here are 12 New Year Resolutions for a safer and more secure digital you in 2021: Think before you click that email link: 2020 was a record-breaking year for ransomware, malware, and phishing , and many, if not most of these attacks were launched with the click on a link in an email.

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VPN Antivirus Passwords Backups 245

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 13, 2020

The email systems of several government agencies including the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Commerce were breached and monitored by foreign actors most likely connected to the Russian government, the Trump administration acknowledged December 13, 2020. “Highly sophisticated” threat actors were apparently able to compromise authentication protocols used by Microsoft’s Office suite of applications, including Word, Outlook, and Excel, according to the Washington Post. .

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Hacking Government Authentication Accountability 179

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 9, 2020

FireEye is a global leader in cybersecurity. The company disclosed this week that a data breach had occurred, announcing that “a highly sophisticated threat actor” compromised their systems and stole tools the company used to simulate cyberattacks and data breaches. . Here’s what you need to know: The threat actors responsible have yet to be identified.

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Data breaches Hacking Government Software 190

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 8, 2020

The personal information of thousands of Israeli citizens has been compromised as the result of a cyberattack on Shirbit, a leading insurance company. . The attack was disclosed in a joint announcement by the Capital Markets Authority and the Israel National Cyber Directorate, which confirmed that customer information had also been leaked online. Both organizations are currently investigating the incident.

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Insurance Hacking Marketing Government 130

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 7, 2020

? The threat landscape of cybersecurity changes daily, with hackers and cybersecurity professionals in a perpetual cat-and-mouse chase; hackers discover new ways to infiltrate and exploit their targets, and the cybersecurity industry looks for vulnerabilities, tries to anticipate new threats and responds when cyber security issues arise. The cybersecurity industry faced a challenging combination of new and familiar challenges in 2020.

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IoT Artificial Intelligence Technology Scams 130

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Retailers around the world are anticipating less foot traffic in their shops this holiday season, with more than 75% of consumers expected to do most of their shopping online due to the pandemic. And if there was any doubt as to this proposition, Black Friday certainly proved the point. While that will certainly keep consumers safer when it comes to Covid-19 infections, it could make them more vulnerable to other ills like cybercrime.

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Cybersecurity Firewall Internet Internet 130

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 4, 2020

The personal information of over 243 million Brazilians was left accessible online for at least six months. The data leak was discovered by the Brazilian newspaper Estadao and has been attributed to web developers leaving the password to a government database in the source code of a publicly accessible website. The potentially exposed data included full names, addresses, telephone numbers, and medical details of anyone who had registered with the country’s national health system, totaling roughl

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Passwords Government Identity Theft Data breaches 130

Adam Levin

DECEMBER 2, 2020

Android users trying to install mods for the wildly popular game title Minecraft may be unintentionally installing adware and malware to their devices. According to new research from cybersecurity and anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab , over twenty apps available to download on Google’s Play store claiming to add additional content to the game were “malvertising,” which launches unwanted popup ads on a user’s device.

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Adware Malware Cybersecurity Technology 173

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for scammers and hackers. Shoppers and philanthropists are both easier targets during the busy holiday season. The Covid-19 pandemic has meant increased virtual visits with loved ones, and of course remote work. The number of people willing to use their personal devices for holiday shopping has also increased as a result of the pandemic.

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Cybersecurity Retail Scams Phishing 191

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

Capcom Co., Ltd., the Japanese video game company known for Street Fighter and Resident Evil, has confirmed the compromise of personally identifiable information (PII) associated with over 350,000 customers, business partners, and employees of the gaming giant. The data was exfiltrated in a ransomware attack. . In a press release, Capcom announced that it was successfully breached in “a customized ransomware attack following unauthorized access” and that “some personal information maintained by

Ransomware 239

Ransomware Malware Data breaches Technology 239

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

As Covid-19 rise across the country, public health officials are starting to ramp up contact tracing efforts. . Among other issues, tracking the spread of the disease has been stymied by widespread confusion and misinformation about what kind of data is being collected, and by whom. . Misconceptions about Covid-19 tracking have yielded fertile ground for scammers, who have used phone calls, text messages, and even malicious apps to collect sensitive personal information and spread malware. .

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Scams Identity Theft Mobile Accountability 130

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 10, 2020

The personal information of technology and culture website Mashable.com users has been discovered in a leaked database online. Mashable announced the leak late November 8, in an announcement on its website. “[W]e learned that a hacker known for targeting websites and apps had posted a copy of a Mashable database to the internet.The types of data in the database included first and last names, general location (such as city or country), email addresses, gender, date of registration, IP addresses,

Passwords 286

Passwords Media Technology 286

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Network access to over 7,000 organizations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia is allegedly available for auction on Russian hacking forums. An unidentified hacker is advertising an archive of remote desktop protocol (RDP) credentials to several thousand organizations with bids starting at 25 bitcoins (roughly $390,000). . “I sell everything at once, without samples, convenient access via rdp to each network,” states the advertisement , promising administrative access to each compromised network.

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Advertising Hacking Ransomware Malware 100

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Healthcare facilities are under an increased threat of cyberattack, according to the FBI. In a joint cybersecurity advisory with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FBI warned of an “increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.”. While there are currently several strains of malware actively targeting healthcare facilities, the advisory primarily focused on TrickBot, a program with a

Healthcare 175

Healthcare Antivirus Backups Cybercrime 175

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 6, 2020

Network access to over 7,000 organizations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia is allegedly available for auction on Russian hacking forums. An unidentified hacker is advertising an archive of remote desktop protocol (RDP) credentials to several thousand organizations with bids starting at 25 bitcoins (roughly $390,000). . “I sell everything at once, without samples, convenient access via rdp to each network,” states the advertisement , promising administrative access to each compromised network.

Advertising 182

Advertising Hacking Ransomware Malware 182

Adam Levin

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

The infamous Maze ransomware gang has announced they will cease operations, effective immediately. . On November 1, the hacking group behind several high profile ransomware attacks in 2020 issued a rambling press release, riddled with spelling errors, on the dark web announcing, “it is officially closed.”. “All the links to out [sic] project, using of our brand, our work methods should be considered to be a scam,” the announcement stated.

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Ransomware Scams Hacking Malware 168

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 28, 2020

An immigration law firm confirmed a data breach that may have compromised the personal information of current and former Google employees. Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, a New-York based law firm specializing in work permit and work authorization services that has contacted an undisclosed number of Google employees informing them of the breach.

Data breaches 114

Data breaches Identity Theft Technology 114

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Gen Z has seen an uptick in identity-related crimes in the wake of Covid-19. In the latest Third Certainty, Adam Levin discusses how convenience should never trump security, no matter your age. The post Identity Thieves Targeting Gen Z – Third Certainty #31 appeared first on Adam Levin.

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Identity Theft 232

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 21, 2020

Democratic voters in four states have received threatening emails from the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys. The emails tell recipients that the Proud Boys will “come after” them unless they switch party affiliation and cast their ballots for President Trump. . Because metadata points to possible foreign sources, it is not yet clear who is behind these emails.

Media 210

Media Hacking Technology 210

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 16, 2020

Barnes & Noble has confirmed a data breach following a cyberattack that took many of their services offline. . The bookseller sent an email to customers notifying them that their personal information had been exposed, but that their financial information had not been compromised. . “While we do not know if any personal information was exposed as a result of the attack, we do retain in the impacted systems your billing and shipping addresses, your email address and your telephone number if yo

Data breaches 286

Data breaches VPN Passwords Accountability 286

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 8, 2020

The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an alert warning of an increase in Emotet malware-based phishing attacks on state and local agencies. “Since August, CISA and MS-ISAC have seen a significant increase in malicious cyber actors targeting state and local governments with Emotet phishing emails. This increase has rendered Emotet one of the most prevalent ongoing threats,” the alert stated.

Government 208

Government Antivirus Phishing Banking 208

Adam Levin

OCTOBER 2, 2020

Facebook has announced that it will place greater restrictions on advertisements for social and political issues ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The company announced the new restrictions on its corporate blog earlier this week, which prohibit the following content: Ads discouraging participation in the voting process. Ads seeking to delegitimize lawful voting practices as fraudulent, illegal, or corrupt.

Advertising 156

Advertising Risk Technology Hacking 156

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Ransomware operators have released the personal data of students in the Clark County School District in Nevada after officials refused to pay to have their files decrypted. The information leaked reportedly includes Social Security numbers, names, grades, addresses, and financial information. District officials have been thus far unable to verify the data.

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Ransomware Media Encryption Government 237

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

Tyler Technologies, a software and technology provider for U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, announced that its internal systems were hacked last week. . The company, which provides election, information management and emergency management systems to over 15,000 government offices across the country, announced the hack after its website was taken offline Wednesday, September 23. .

Technology 208

Technology Software Government Ransomware 208

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Distracted by a pandemic, historic social unrest, a general election, fire tornados and murder hornets , the Trump administration seems intent on handing Republicans a prize equal to if not greater than the parade of federal judges appointed over the last 44 months—namely, an undercount in the 2020 decennial population census. Legally mandated every ten years, the census determines where the 435 seats of the House of Representatives should go, and how federal funds should be allocated.

Cybersecurity 225

Cybersecurity Scams Phishing Identity Theft 225

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

The personal information of 540,000 sports referees, league officials, and school representatives has been compromised following a ransomware attack targeting a software vendor for the athletics industry. ArbiterSports, a software provider for several sports leagues including the NCAA, announced that it had averted a ransomware attack in July 2020, but despite blocking the attempt to encrypt their systems, the company discovered that a database backup had been accessed prior to the attack.

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Identity Theft Passwords Backups Encryption 246

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

A phishing campaign is targeting employees with phony email reminders for cybersecurity and phishing awareness training. . In a clever spin on more widely known phishing methods, hackers are sending emails pretending to be from KnowBe4, a company specializing in training employees to recognize phishing scams. . Source: Cofense.com. The emails prompt their targets to click links to complete “required” training sessions, which redirect them to spoofed Outlook.com login pages hosted at a Russian t

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Phishing Scams Cybersecurity 238

Adam Levin

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

The city of Hartford, Connecticut’s capital, was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted many of its critical systems and caused the city’s first day of school to be postponed. “We are often the subject of cyberattacks,” said Hartford mayor Luke Bronin. This was, however, the most extensive and significant attack that the city has been subject to in the last five years.” .

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Ransomware Cybersecurity Technology Education 154