Security Slice by Tripwire

FireEye recently discovered a massive spear-phishing malware campaign targeting journalists in Hong Kong. The attack appeared to be state-sponsored, and hid a command and control server in their victim’s Dropbox account. As is often the case, the attack could have been circumvented by installing a few simple patches. How can vendors support the patching process […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Cloudy with a Chance of Patching appeared first on The State of Security.

VTech, a global electronics manufacturer and toymaker, recently suffered from a data breach that exposed personal information for over 200,000 children and 5 million adults. The data leaked included names, home addresses, genders, birthdays and linked parents and children. Do children face unique security risks when their information is exposed in a data breach? Listen […]… Read More The post Security Slice: The VTech Breach appeared first on The State of Security.

According to a recent report by Trend Micro, the majority of cyber criminals in Japan request payment through gift cards. Meanwhile, an Apple Store employee in New York was recently arrested for using fraudulent credit card details to buy almost $1 million worth of Apple gift cards. Credit card fraud is  widely understood but how […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Cyber Crime: The Gift That Keeps on Giving appeared first on The State of Security.

Surprise, surprise: ransomware is on the rise. Not only is ransome-focused malware becoming more common, it’s becoming more complicated, as well. For example, Linux.Encoder.1 is a new breed of ransomware which can be injected into websites to pose as shopping cart programs. Despite the dangers of ransomware, a member of the FBI recently recommended that […]… Read More The post Security Slice: The Rising Cost of Ransomware appeared first on The State of Security.

Apple recently removed over 250 iOS from their App Store. Every removed app used a software-development kit from Chinese advertiser Youmi, which allegedly data mined massive amounts of information from users without the developers or customer’s knowledge. How can users identify malicious or intrusive apps on mobile stores? Listen to our latest Security Slice podcast […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Avoiding Adverse Apps appeared first on The State of Security.

The TalkTalk breach has already led to several arrests, and the alleged hackers’ ages range from 15 to 20. This isn’t the only recent incident involving young hackers. Earlier this year, a teenager claimed to have breached the email account of CIA Director John Brennan. Are cyber attackers getting younger? Listen to our latest Security […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Honey, the Kids Are Going to Be Hackers appeared first on The State of Security.

According to Raytheon|Websense, the healthcare industry is four times more likely to suffer advanced malware attacks than is any other sector. The news gets more concerning, as phishing attacks are 74 percent more likely to affect healthcare organizations. What can the healthcare industry do about their unique security challenges? Listen to our latest Security Slice […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Healing Healthcare Security appeared first on The State of Security.

Symantec recently discovered a new strain of malware, dubbed “Linux.Wifatch,” which has already infected more than 10,000 IoT devices. The malware’s author says Linux.Wifatch is actually beneficial because it removes a malicious backdoor and encourages users to update weak passwords. Do the ends of vigilante-style malware and beneficial botnets like Linux.Wifatch justify the means? Listen […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Beneficial Botnets? appeared first on The State of Security.

According to a recent study by Clearswift, IT professionals believe finance and human resources employees are more likely to cause a data breach than other departments. In addition, employees between the ages of 35-44 were believed to be the most likely to leak company data with malicious intent. Do these statistics accurately reflect enterprise risk […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Human Resources Security Woes appeared first on The State of Security.

Drone security has been in the news recently. First, a computer hacker associated with the Islamic State was killed in a drone strike. Second, two popular consumer drones were successfully hijacked by security researchers at DEF CON 23. As privacy and drone security issues begin to intertwine, what issues should privacy advocates be concerned about? […]… Read More The post Security Slice: Game of Drones appeared first on The State of Security.