#CyberCapabilities

[rnoni]

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/explosive-growth-forecasted-military-cyber-weapons-market-thakur-ngunc/?trackingId=HUGMXQJi2bM65870d%2FQk9g%3D%3D

[usnewsper-politics]

US Military Boosts High-Tech Defense to Counter China's Growing Threat #advancedtechnologies #artificialintelligence #competitiveedge #cybercapabilities #emergingthreats #globalsecuritylandscape #hypersonicweapons #increasedspending #militaryexpansion #Pacificregion #Pentagon #researchanddevelopment #SouthChinaSeatensions #USmilitaryfocusonChina #USChinarelations #weaponsystems

[mariacallous]

A mention of North Korean hackers typically conjures images of either crippling cyberattacks or, more often, massive cryptocurrency heists. But a new report on the authoritarian state’s capabilities and tendencies paints a different picture.

The report, prepared by cyber-intelligence firm Recorded Future and shared exclusively with Foreign Policy, labels espionage as the predominant motive of North Korea’s cyberprogram. Recorded Future analyzed 273 cyberattacks over a 14-year period linked to North Korean state-sponsored groups and found that information collection was the primary motivation for more than 70 percent of them.

“The narrative seems to be that North Korea is a bunch of cybercriminals that are backed by a state, but they’re just pulling off all of this financially motivated cybercrime, and that is one aspect of their strategy,” said Mitch Haszard, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future and lead author of the report.

“But what this report shows is that they’re still heavily focused on information collection, or cyber-espionage, and they conduct more of those operations than they do financially motivated or financial theft operations.”

Pyongyang predominantly seeks to use cyber-operations to either “gain insight into how its adversaries think” or “access to information on technologies” that will help it in a conflict with those adversaries, the report said. Government entities are the most frequent targets, followed by cryptocurrency, media, finance, defense, and nongovernmental organizations.

“North Korea’s leadership appears to be much more interested in learning about what others think of them, gathering information that can help them develop nuclear and ballistic missile technology, and stealing money to fund their regime,” the report added.

However, North Korea’s obsession with cryptocurrency is unique, and the country’s cyber-operations are one of its biggest avenues to prop up its nuclear arsenal. Anne Neuberger, the White House’s cyber czar, said at an event in Washington last month that half of the regime’s missile program is funded by cryptocurrency and cyberheists.

“There aren’t really any other states or countries that are trying to steal cryptocurrency, so North Korea is unique in that perspective, but they still do a lot of things that other states do,” Haszard said.

The heists tend to make headlines, with North Korean hackers linked to thefts worth billions of dollars from cryptocurrency exchanges around the world in recent years, with two high-profile attacks on exchanges in Estonia and California so far this year. Beyond crypto, North Korea has been linked to larger and more disruptive global attacks, starting with the crippling of Sony Pictures just under a decade ago that put its cybercapabilities on the map. That was followed by a hack of Bangladesh’s central bank that compromised the global financial transfer system known as Swift, and a crippling of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.

However, Haszard and his colleagues found that the vast majority of North Korea’s cyberactivity goes after targets much closer to home. Nearly 80 percent of the attacks for which geographic information is available took place in Asia, according to the report. Most of that is in its immediate neighborhood: South Korea accounted for just over 65 percent of the targets among the 29 countries where attacks took place. The United States is a distant second, at 8.5 percent, and no other country accounted for more than 3 percent of North Korean attacks.

Recorded Future found that Lazarus, the most notorious and high-profile hacking group linked to the authoritarian regime, tends to go after more global targets but is not the most common perpetrator of cyberattacks. That distinction belongs to a group called Kimsuky, which mainly targets Asian government and civil society entities and accounted for more than one-third of total attacks. According to multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies, Kimsuky hackers pose as South Korean journalists, exchanging emails with their targets on the pretext of setting up interviews before sending them a link or document embedded with malware. That malware, known as BabyShark, gives hackers access to the victims’ device and communications. “Kimsuky actors have also been known to configure a victim’s email account to quietly auto-forward all emails to another actor-controlled email,” a joint cybersecurity advisory by the FBI, National Security Agency, and South Korean authorities earlier this month said.

While Pyongyang has established its ability to disrupt critical infrastructure in the West and conduct ransomware attacks, it is increasingly less likely to conduct those types of attacks compared to other cyber-capable adversaries such as Russia and China. It prefers to go smaller, faster, and more frequently, deploying more basic techniques such as stealing passwords or phishing emails, which infect systems with viruses by fooling users into clicking on dodgy links.

“The thing that I see in my tracking of North Korean threat actors is an incredible amount of activity that is generally low-sophistication in nature,” Haszard said, adding that that’s likely a matter of strategy rather than ability. “They’re achieving a lot of success doing the kind of lowest-common-denominator cyberattacks. So if it were me, why would I change?”

[bgugliel]

CyberCap ou quand le numérique sauve des jeunes

Mon Carnet, le podcast · {BONUS} – CyberCap ou quand le numérique sauve des jeunes L’organisation québécois CyberCap favorise la persévérance scolaire et la réinsertion professionnelle des jeunes de 18 à 25 ans grâce à des programmes axés sur la cybersécurité et la formation numérique. Ils interviennent dans les écoles pour sensibiliser les jeunes aux opportunités et aux risques numériques, tout…

[networksecurityprovider]

5 Mobile Vulnerabilities and Common Attacks You Must Know

Strengthening mobile security is imperative to counter the most common attacks on sensitive information. Mobile security has different aspects: mobile applications security, APIs and server security, and back-end security. Cybercriminals take advantage of mobile vulnerabilities and can steal sensitive information like passwords, customer information, and banking details.

5 common threats to mobile devices

Many organizations are investing heavily in mobile initiatives since research shows that mobile initiatives can improve operations and productivity.

The increase in organizational mobility typically causes an increase in mobile devices connecting to your system remotely. Consequently, you need to protect your organization from a data breach by securing increasing endpoints and threats. But, in order to learn more about android and iOS exploits, we must know what causing them:

Phishing attack

Fake emails and text messages containing a clickable link sometimes contain malware. Once you click the link, all information on your devices gets transferred to the third party. Therefore, you should avoid emails and messages from unknowns you find suspicious. This will also lessen the possibility of zero-day vulnerability attacks.

Unsecured public WiFi

We love whatever we get for free. But, you should think twice before connecting your devices to public WiFi. Cybercriminals usually look for their next target on these unsecured networks. You will lose your important and confidential data within seconds of connecting your device to an unsecured public network. Increasingly, employers are offering remote work options, which can create security concerns for your organization on public WiFi networks.

Browser exploits

An exploit uses known security flaws in your mobile browser to gain access to your information. Android exploits work against other applications like PDF readers and easily access data from your device. You might have noticed an unexpected change in your phone browser that signifies a cyber attack on your device.

Bad passwords habits

According to a 2020 study by Balbix, Users reuse passwords more than 99% of the time, whether they use them on work or personal accounts. There's more to it than that. Passwords are shared across an average of 2.7 accounts. These poor password habits make companies more susceptible to cyber threats, as some employees use personal devices to access their organization accounts.

Madware & Spyware

Mobile Adware attacks are known as Madware. These malicious creatures collect your personal information through ads and transmit it to cyber criminals. When you click on a specific link on your browser, it collects information about your location, banking details, and more. Sometimes, these ads or links are a part of the whole cybercrime gamble, and they misuse your information.

In Final Words

Organizations are spending hefty amounts on increasing their cyber capabilities and security practices to mitigate cyber threats. These threats may sound scary, but you can completely stop the possibility of a common attack on your device. The best way to prevent mobile security threats is to take a few common-sense precautions.

[megacorp-one]

CyberCap (1995)

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[moneyhealthfinance-blog]

Poor coding limits IS hackers' cyber-capabilities, says researcher

Poor coding limits IS hackers' cyber-capabilities, says researcher

Hackers working for the so-called Islamic State are bad at coding and hiding what they do, suggests research. They produce buggy malware and easily crackable encryption programs, said senior security researcher Kyle Wilhoit at security conference DerbyCon. In particular, he called three attack tools created by one large IS hacker collective “garbage”. Their poor skills meant IS groups had…

[cushydiet-blog]

Poor coding limits IS hackers' cyber-capabilities, says researcher - http://wp.me/p8IYwe-8Z2 - #Coding, #Cybercapabilities, #Hackers, #Limits, #Poor, #Researcher, #World_News

[snipshin]

Get Start the “Air Invasion”!

Shin Keroro + The Cybercap (Episode 267)

:)

[briefnewschannel]

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

WASHINGTON — A new examination of how Russia used its cybercapabilities in the first months of the war in Ukraine contains a number of surprises: Moscow conducted more cyberattacks than was realized at the time to bolster its invasion, but more than two-thirds of them failed, echoing its poor performance on the physical battlefield. However, the study, published by Microsoft on Wednesday,…

[mariacallous]

Over the years, Russia has built up one of the world’s most formidable cybercriminal ecosystems, with Russian hacker groups linked to disruptive cyberattacks including takedowns of one of the United States’ most critical oil pipelines and the world’s largest meat producer. 

Now, Russia’s war in Ukraine has thrown that ecosystem into disarray, according to multiple new reports. The yearlong war has led to a splintering of many cybercriminal groups in both countries—and in Russian ally Belarus—along political and ideological lines. Russia’s brain drain of technology professionals as a result of the war has further weakened its capabilities, according to a report released Friday by the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. 

“Cybercrime … is entering into a new era of volatility as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the report reads. Google researchers reached a similar conclusion in a separate report this month, finding that “[w]hile ransomware groups continue to be disruptive, the ecosystem itself has been disrupted with some groups declaring political allegiances and prominent operators shutting down.”

Ransomware attacks, in which hackers gain control of an organization’s computer systems and demand large sums of money to return access, were among the biggest concerns when Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago. While there were some isolated ransomware attacks on Ukraine and Poland late last year that Microsoft attributed to Russian military-affiliated hackers, attacks on the scale that hit Colonial Pipeline and meat processor JBS in 2021—resulting in millions of dollars of ransom payments—have largely been absent from the conflict. Ransomware payments declined by double-digit percentages across the board in 2022, according to cybersecurity firms and analysis groups. 

“In general, we’ve seen disruptions to every single commodified form of cybercrime,” said Alexander Leslie, a threat intelligence analyst for Recorded Future’s research arm Insikt Group. “It’s pretty incredible to see the scale at which dark web forums, shops, and marketplaces have been disrupted, not only by the conflict but by political differences, by IT brain drain.”

The drop in ransomware attacks is also reflective of a relative shortfall of Russian cyberattacks more broadly in the context of the war. Fears of large-scale digital disruption to Ukrainian and Western infrastructure have thus far not borne out in the first year of the war (though not for lack of trying—Google said Russia increased targeting of Ukrainian users by 250 percent in 2022, compared with 2020, while targeting of users in NATO countries went up 300 percent). 

Experts say this is not necessarily an indictment of Russia’s cybercapabilities but rather an effective Ukrainian cyberdefense, shored up by Western allies—much as on the ground militarily—and private sector companies including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. 

That support was “crucial” to keeping Ukraine’s cyberspace relatively unscathed, said Nadiya Kostyuk, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology whose research focuses on modern warfare and cyberconflict. “Even though Ukraine has been building its cybercapabilities since at least 2014, they are still inferior to those of Russia,” she said, adding that Microsoft and other firms “played an important role defending Ukraine’s cyberspace and building better resilient networks and systems.”

Russia still has tools at its disposal, however, including so-called hacktivist groups that are nominally independent but are increasingly being co-opted by Russia’s military and government. Some Russian lawmakers have reportedly proposed releasing the country’s cybercriminal groups from legal liability, which would effectively make their connection with the Russian state more overt than it has been in the past. 

“Russia for over a decade has said that attackers in a geopolitical conflict or in a period of crisis targeting a Russophobic or an adversarial nation are just cybercriminals—they’re patriotic independent hackers that have nothing to do with the Russian state whatsoever,” Leslie said. 

“When it comes to Ukraine, at least in 2022, the ability to augment Russia’s cybercapabilities with nonstate actors was very limited. … This move for plausible deniability hasn’t really worked.”

And while large-scale destructive cyberattacks have not played as big a role in the conflict, Kostyuk said the effectiveness of Russia’s other cybercapabilities—particularly espionage—is not yet known. “Throughout the war, the Kremlin used the internet to collect information and intelligence,” she said. “Russia’s invasion in Ukraine demonstrated that cyberconflict is less about being an important virtual combat theater but more about being a separate set of intelligence contests and information operations.”

Governments and private companies that have played a key role in defending Ukraine cannot afford to drop their guard as the conflict drags on into its second year, with Russia having shown the ability to play the long game, said Samantha Lewis, the manager of strategic geopolitics at Recorded Future’s Insikt Group.

“There is always the threat that they’ve been withholding capabilities. I would be shocked if we were to find out that Russia had actually used the best of its best,” she said. 

“I don’t think Putin’s threat calculus has changed, and I think that the [Russian] strategy of continuing this protracted conflict until the West gets bored of supporting [Ukraine is] … more likely. But the concern is that if at some point they just decide they are going to launch those withheld operations, if they do exist, that sort of does keep me up at night.”

[bgugliel]

Mon Carnet du 2 février 2024

Mon Carnet, le podcast · Mon Carnet du 2 février 2024 Débrief Transatlantique avec Jérôme Colombain (1:50)Facebook souffle ses 20 bougies Entrevues:Conférence de l’UNESCO sur la gouvernance de l’IA (14:32)Faits saillant du nouveau NETendances (28:51)L’actualité de l’IA avec Chloé Sondervorst (37:15)Visite au pays des petites mains derrière l’IA (50:34) – (La Presse – ARTE)CyberCap ou quand le…

[letsjanukhan]

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

WASHINGTON — A new examination of how Russia used its cybercapabilities in the first months of the war in Ukraine contains a number of surprises: Moscow conducted more cyberattacks than was realized at the time to bolster its invasion, but more than two-thirds of them failed, echoing its poor performance on the physical battlefield. However, the study, published by Microsoft on Wednesday,…

[democracyin-news]

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

Many Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War, Study Says

WASHINGTON — A new examination of how Russia used its cybercapabilities in the first months of the war in Ukraine contains a number of surprises: Moscow conducted more cyberattacks than was realized at the time to bolster its invasion, but more than two-thirds of them failed, echoing its poor performance on the physical battlefield. However, the study, published by Microsoft on Wednesday,…