The Cybersecurity (CS) Digest is a curated bi-weekly news summary for cybersecurity professionals. It is transmitted in an HTML-formatted email and provides links to articles and news summaries across a spectrum of cybersecurity topics.

CSIAC ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Free CSIAC Webinar – Tuesday, Oct. 23 @ 12 pm EST – Operational Technology Risk Assessment - CSIAC

This webinar describes a cyber risk assessment approach for operational technology. It argues that a risk management approach to cybersecurity includes the integration of key activities: Cyber Workforce Development and training; Public-Private Partnerships; Operational Technology Risk Management Supply Chain cybersecurity; and cyber threats.

Safeguarding the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure: National Cyber Security Awareness Month – Week 4 - CSIAC

The 15th annual NCSAM is coming to a close, and we hope you'll join in to promote a safer, more secure and more trusted Internet for these last few days of the month. CSIAC will continue to emphasize the importance of securing our critical infrastructure as we transition into November's Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Month (CISRM), which is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Cloud Computing:

Microsoft, Amazon CEOs Vow to Continue Defense Work After Google Bails on JEDI - Defense One

The leaders of two contenders for the Pentagon's massive cloud contract sounded off on Google's decision not to bid.

Critical Infrastructure:

NotPetya Linked to Industroyer Attack on Ukraine Energy Grid - Threat Post

Evidence shows that three of the most destructive incidents seen in modern cyber-history are the work of one APT.

Cyberwarfare:

US May Have by Far the World’s Biggest Military Budget But It’s Not Showing in Security - The Register

A "red teamer" cracked into a US Department of Defense system and rebooted it, but nobody noticed: the system suffered unexplained crashes. In another case, testers "caused a pop-up message to appear on users' terminals instructing them to insert two quarters to continue operating."

With an Eye on Russia, U.S. Pledges to Use Cyber Capabilities on Behalf of NATO - Reuters

The United States is expected to announce in the coming days that it will use offensive and defensive cyber capabilities on behalf of NATO if asked, a senior Pentagon official said, amid concerns about Russia's increasingly assertive use of its cyber capabilities.

Data Security:

‘Do Not Track,’ the Privacy Tool Used by Millions of People, Doesn’t Do Anything - Gizmodo

We've got bad news for those millions of privacy-minded people, though: "Do Not Track" is like spray-on sunscreen, a product that makes you feel safe while doing little to actually protect you.

Voice Phishing Scams Are Getting More Clever - KrebsonSecurity

Most of us have been trained to be wary of clicking on links and attachments that arrive in emails unexpected, but it's easy to forget scam artists are constantly dreaming up innovations that put a new shine on old-fashioned telephone-based phishing scams. Think you're too smart to fall for one? Think again: Even technology experts are getting taken in by some of the more recent schemes (or very nearly).

Pentagon Reveals Cyber Breach of Travel Records - AP News

The Pentagon on Friday said there has been a cyber breach of Defense Department travel records that compromised the personal information and credit card data of U.S. military and civilian personnel.

Phishing Campaign uses Hijacked Emails to Deliver URSNIF by Replying to Ongoing Threads - TrendMicro

While most phishing campaigns are fairly simplistic in nature and easy to spot (they usually involve a legitimate-looking email, often with a malicious attachment or link embedded in the text), a spam campaign we observed in September indicates attackers are angling towards a more sophisticated form of phishing.

How 50 Million Facebook Users Were Hacked - Motherboard

Facebook revealed more details about how hackers exploited three distinct bugs to get the ability to control up to 50 million users' accounts.

Blockchain and Digital Currency:

This Cryptojacking Mining Malware Pretends to be a Flash Update - ZDNet

Cryptojacking crooks hide mining malware in what looks like a legitimate software update.

FEEDBACK FROM PREVIOUS DIGEST:

Information Warfare:

Former NSA Employee Gets 5 Years in Prison for Retaining Classified Data - Tripewire

A former employee of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) received a five-year prison sentence for retaining classified national defense information.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Internet-of-Things:

Rivals ARM and Intel Make Peace to Secure Internet of Things - Reuters

Rival semiconductor giants ARM and Intel have agreed to work together to manage networks of connected devices from both firms, clearing a major stumbling block to market growth of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT).

FDA Warns Users of Cyber Vulnerability in Pacemaker Programmers - CyberScoop

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a cybersecurity advisory for two models of programming equipment that doctors use to check cardiac devices like pacemakers, citing a vulnerability that could allow unauthorized access to the programmers.

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence:

The US Military Wants to Teach AI Some Basic Common Sense - MIT Technology Review

Even the best AI programs still make stupid mistakes. So DARPA is launching a competition to remedy the field's most glaring flaw.

Mobile Security:

Android Apps Pretend to Mine Unmineable CryptoCurrencies to Just Show Ads - Bleeping Computer

Scammers are creating fake Android cryptocurrency mining apps and promoting them on the Google Store. The kicker is that these apps claim to mine cryptocurrency that can't be mined in the first place.

Talos: Android Trojan Resembling Play Store Installs Sophisticated Spyware - CyberScoop

A newly uncovered Android trojan can install advanced spyware on unsuspecting users' phones under the guise that it's just part of the operating system, according to research from Cisco Talos out Thursday.

FEEDBACK FROM PREVIOUS DIGEST:

Software Security:

The Chilling Reality of Cold Boot Attacks - F Secure

Olle and his fellow cyber security consultant Pasi Saarinen recently discovered a new way to physically hack into PCs. According to their research, this method will work against nearly all modern computers. This includes laptops from some of the world's biggest vendors like Dell, Lenovo, and even Apple.

CSIAC Supported Communities

CSIAC supports several communities of practice, such as the Cyber Community of Interest (COI) Group and research & development working groups.

Technical Resources, Policy and Guidance

This list of related sites provides additional sources to pursue the topic of Cybersecurity. The sites include Government organizations, including federal agencies, Department of Defense and military service agencies, commercial organizations, and academic institutions.

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