FBI Cyber Crime Stories Week 11

We are plagued by cyber threats every day. Just as steps and controls are taken to mitigate one threat, another one appears in its place, often harder to detect, and even harder to combat.

ABC News reports a new form of malware, WireLurker, is monitoring devices connected by a USB cable to an infected computer and is installing malicious applications onto Apple devices, stealing valuable information from these mobile devices.

The Tech News World website, http://www.technewsworld.com/, provides valuable information on the latest cybersecurity threats. In one of the reports, hackers affiliated with the Russian government were able to breach some unclassified computer networks at the White House; users experienced  service disruptions as the FBI, Secret Service and NSA worked to contain the intrusion. No longer are intruders armed with guns where they can be contained before they reach the front doors. In this case, they were able to enter the White House while sitting in their room all the way in Russia. Computer users and organizations must ensure a considerable budget is allocated to counter the ever-rising security threat that comes with fast-evolving technological advances.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/cybersecurity-firm-ids-apple-targeting-malware-26727467
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/81312.html

FBI Cyber Crime Stories Week 10

Today I received an email supposedly from Yahoo, asking me to click on a url to upgrade my mail account. Reading the email thoroughly, I discovered a comma where a period was supposed to be, and immediately deleted the email. It was just another scam to allow a hacker access to my system! One must give these hackers some credit .... they are persistent!
The FBI most recent cyber crime story is from a few days ago, "Purchase Order Scam Leaves a Trail of Victims". The attackers are using online and telephone social engineering techniques to trick retailers into fulfilling fake Purchase Orders that are purportedly from legitimate businesses. The products end up in  Nigeria. A new tactic, but using old tricks. Like always, businesses must look for e-mails that contain unusual phrases or spellings, and phone numbers that are hardly ever answered by a live person. Again the emphasis is not on any complicated security measures, but on plain old common sense!

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/october/cyber-crime-purchase-order-scam-leaves-a-trail-of-victims/cyber-crime-purchase-order-scam-leaves-a-trail-of-victims