InfoManager_TM

It’s an epidemic. As the travel seasons ramp up, so does the cybercrime industry looking for easy targets. This week Safenetting looks at travel phishing :
* Travel Spam – beware using email for transactions
* PC Mag just catching on . . . Security Watch
* Australian tourists stranded by phishing scam
* Beware of Phishing ‘Vacation Rental’ Sites
* 10 Tricky Travel Scams (and How to Beat Them)
* Buyer beware: 10 common travel scams
* World’s Worst Travel Scams
* Review what you already know . . . memorize it
and more . . .

On August 15, 2012, Saudi Arabia’s national oil and gas company, Aramco, suffered a debilitating cyberattack. More than 30,000 computers were rendered inoperable by the Shamoon virus. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta described this virus as the most destructive weapon ever used against the business sector. Network security is a growing problem in the IT industry today. Continue reading »

Phishing and cyber crime go hand in hand, and they’re looking for April fools. Beware and don’t fall prey to them. This week’s Safenetting evils are :
* Coca Cola, Credit Suisse and Mercedez-Benz execs caught up in phishing scam
* Advanced Persistent Threats get more advanced, persistent and threatening
* Coinbase phishing attacks are the 3rd Bitcoin security problem this week
* Friday is the worst day of the week for phishing attacks, apparently
* DHS warns of spear-phishing campaign against energy companies
* Cyber attacks hit businesses once every three minutes
* 10 Tips to Avoid Identity Theft this Tax Season
* UP accounts hit by phishing emails
and more . . .

Phishing and cyber crime go hand in hand, and they’re looking for April fools. Beware and don’t fall prey to them. This week’s Safenetting evils are :
* Cloud-based Self-Assessment Tool : simulated phishing attack
* Romanian Man Gets Five-Year Sentence for Phishing Scam
* Phishing Campaign Using Military, Illicit Attachments
* UI staff counter attack on campus email system
* 8 in 10 companies suffered web-borne attacks
* Beware of tax-related fraud and scams
and more . . .

We report on the edge . . . our malware reports posted to the Facebook feed last week and week before are now being recognized by the main-stream media. Why won’t people listen to us ???? This week’s report includes :
* Has Anyone Seen a Missing Scroll Bar? Phony Flash Update Redirects to Malware
* Web-based malware threats primary security challenge for industry pros
* New malware goes directly to US ATMs and cash registers for card info
* Advanced Persistent Threats: Not-So-Advanced Methods After All
* BYOD and Increased Malware Threats Help Driving Billion Dollar Mobile
* New Android malware threat looks like an IRS e-mail
* Dr. Web Uncovers Fresh Mac Malware, Trojan Yontoo
and more . . .

The big news last week was the hack into the government database . . . but now the CIA and Homeland Security say the cyberwar threat is our most pressing threat … even more than terrorism. They should have listened to UGNN Safenetting back in 2007! This week’s report includes :
* NIST, US government’s vulnerability database, brought down by ironic malware
* Puzzle box: The quest to crack the world’s most mysterious malware warhead
* US government cyber-security database taken offline due to hacker attack
* Finance sector under threat from sophisticated malware threat
* ‘NotCompatible’ Android malware rears its ugly head, again
* Malware attack recovery costs an average of $3,000 per day
* Ramnit Malware Back and Better at Avoiding Detection
* Facebook’s Android app update is a malware gateway
* Mac Computers Not Immune to Malware
and more . . .

Phishing and cyber crime go hand in hand with malware — but I think spam and phishing overall is in decline. This week’s Safenetting evils are :
* Calls threaten restraining orders, phishing to steal your identity
* Mandiant’s Report Manipulated and Utilized within Phishing Scams
* How to spot a spammer on Pinterest
* ACMA bags another spammer’s scalp
* Thoughts on BP spammer e-mails
* A Pinterest spammer tells all
* List of spammers
and more . . .

Malware creators are getting more and more inventive — now targeting specific infrastructure and governments around the world. It’s going to get ugly, folks … real ugly. This week’s report includes :
* Apple Updates Anti-Malware Software to Block Older Versions of Adobe Flash
* Prices fall, services rise in malware-as-a-service market
* Three things you need to know about Stuxnet malware
* Hackers employ new malware attacking gov’t entities
* Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
* Android malware will eat your children
* More Java based malware discovered
and more . . .

Our Phishing reports have been scarce and near empty for the past several weeks — only to be overtaken by malware, and various insidious exploits. Comsumers get smarter … cyber crime gets smarter.
* Point-of-Sale malware attacks – crooks expand their reach, no business too small
* Old OS X malware used in increased attacks against Uyghur groups
* Malware-Serving LA Times Page Went Unnoticed for 6 Weeks
* More Mac malware attacking minority groups in China
* How PayPal is perpetuating the phishing problem
* Facebook hacked; Malware attack probed by FBI
* Where Has All The Mobile Malware Gone?
* Home Networks Show Traces of Malware
* Canada ranks high in malware sites
and more . . .

Well, the phishing and cyber crime industry didn’t let up over the holidays, and isn’t about to let up in the new year. In fact, it’s getting more grevious! This week’s Safenetting evils are :
* BBB Offers Tips on How to Handle Phishing Emails Directed at Your Business
* Not just Twitter DMs: Scammers now phish usernames, passwords, and credit
* Telephone phishing scam targets Chino Federal Credit Union customers
* Users targeted with phishing scam via Facebook messages
* Facebook Phishing Scam Claims You’ve Violated Policy
* Cyber espionage, spear-phishing to continue in 2013
and more . . .

Malware distribution is overtaking other forms of online crime simply because it is easier to grab victims, and ad them into automated distribution than trying to get them directly by spam. Which ever route they take is still NOT good for you or me :
* Android malware potentially stole up to 450000 pieces of personal data
* Skype calls purportedly being tapped, Skype-based malware spreads
* Gozi malware mastermind and two others charged in New York court
* Reporters Without Borders website abused in malware campaign
* Bank-raiding Gozi malware – three men charged in New York
* Gozi malware arrests, report highlight Russian cybercrime
* Taking on mobile malware like a ninja (infograpic)
* Android malware cases to hit one million in 2013
and more . . .

UGNN reader James Jones from BlueFirePR has seen the Safenetting infographics, and wrote in to say : “I have a great infographic that I think you might enjoy — your readers would really get a kick out of it, as the graphic provides some eye opening facts about the phishing scene.” WOW … he sends along this cool infographic, from www.lifelock.com

Security alerts are going up everywhere, and the frequency of attacks promises to increase. We publish the most news worthy regardless of platform because no matter which platform you use, malware, virus, trojans, botnets and the evils spawned on the computer world effects us all. . . .
* Latest Mac malware adds to ‘troubling trend,’ says security expert
* 18 million Android devices could get whacked with malware in 2013
* Secuity firm warns of malware stealing bank data sent by SMS
* Fake CitiBank credit card statement leads to malware
* New malware waits for a mouse click before executing
* New ‘Dexter’ malware strikes point-of-sale systems
* New Mac Malware charging user’s mobile accounts
and more . . .

The summer has not seen a decline in spam and phishing. New attacks come every day, and here are just a few from this week . . .
* Outlook.com gets extra anti-phishing and scam-deterrent support
* Connecticut Federal Jury Finds Romanian National Guilty
* Watch Out for Personalized Phishing Attempts
* Seven Arrested In PCeU Phishing Probe
* State sues Fla.-based texting spammer
* World map of phishing attacks
* Gone phishing?
and more . . .