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:

New CSIAC Cyber Awareness Video – Encryption – Part 2 of 3 - CSIAC

Learn how encryption is used to provide electronic credentials. This short video explains digital certificates and how they are issued. This is part 2 of a 3 part series on the topic of encryption.

Watch the latest CSIAC Webinar – Defense Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Catalog: 2017 Update - CSIAC

One goal of the DoD Net Centric vision is to provide visibility into the M&S resources across the DoD enterprise. The Defense M&S Catalog was established to support the visibility component of the net centric data strategy and to provide an avenue for M&S organizations to make resources available for reuse. This presentation will provide an overview of the Defense M&S Catalog and the Defense Enterprise Metacard Builder Resource (EMBR) tool that complements the Catalog.

The DoD Cybersecurity Policy Chart – Updated January 2018 - CSIAC

The goal of the DoD Cybersecurity Policy Chart is to capture the tremendous breadth of applicable policies, some of which many cybersecurity professionals may not even be aware, in a helpful organizational scheme. The use of color, fonts and hyperlinks are all designed to provide additional assistance to cybersecurity professionals navigating their way through policy issues in order to defend their networks, systems and data.

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Critical Infrastructure:

Researcher: Metadata the ‘Most Potent Weapon’ Against Critical Infrastructure Security - Federal Times

The threat is what might be called "weaponized metadata," and the risks are detailed extensively in a new report, Metadata: The Most Potent Weapon in this Cyberwar, recently published by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), a Washington, D.C.-based cybersecurity think tank. ICIT produces many publications annually, but the 28-page report on metadata is notable for its urgent tone and sharp criticism of governments and businesses globally.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Data Security:

SyncCrypt Ransomware Hides Inside JPG Files, Appends .KK Extension - Bleeping Computer

A new ransomware called SyncCrypt was discovered this week by Emsisoft security researcher xXToffeeXx that is being distributed by spam attachments containing WSF files. When installed these attachments will encrypt a computer and append the .kk extension to encrypted files.

China Drone Maker Steps Up Security After U.S. Army Ban - Reuters

Chinese drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd is tightening data security on its drones after the U.S. Army ordered its members to stop using DJI drones because of "cyber vulnerabilities," a company official told Reuters on Monday.

Ransomware Targeting WordPress – An Emerging Threat - Wordfence

Recently, the Wordfence team has seen ransomware being used in attacks targeting WordPress. We are currently tracking a ransomware variant we are calling "EV ransomware." The following post describes what this ransomware does and how to protect yourself from being hit by this attack.
Tags: Ransomware

Shipping Company Maersk Says June Cyberattack Could Cost it up to $300 Million - CNBC

Container shipping company A.P. Moller Maersk on Tuesday said it expects that computer issues triggered by the NotPetya cyberattack will cost the company as much as $300 million in lost revenue.

The Blockbuster Saga Continues - Paloalto Networks

Recently, we've identified weaponized Microsoft Office Document files which use the same malicious macros as attacks from earlier this year. Based on the contents of these latest decoy documents which are displayed to a victim after opening the weaponized document the attackers have switched targets from Korean language speakers to English language speakers. Most notably, decoy document themes now include job role descriptions and internal policies from US defense contractors.

Fancy Bear Using Leaked NSA Tools: Report - The Hill

Researchers believe that a team of hackers that attacked the Democratic National Committee is now using leaked National Security Agency hacking tools. Fancy Bear, who is associated with Russia's foreign intelligence agency, the GRU, appears to be using a now-patched Windows networking vulnerability nicknamed EternalBlue to distribute malware, according to a report from the security firm FireEye.

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Internet-of-Things:

Hacking A $1500 ‘Smart Gun’ With $15 Magnets - TheHackerNews

I think we should stop going crazy over the smart things unless it's secure enough to be called SMART—from a toaster, security cameras, and routers to the computers and cars—everything is hackable. But the worst part comes in when these techs just require some cheap and easily available kinds of stuff to get compromised. Want example? It took just cheap magnets purchased from Amazon online store for a security researcher to unlock a "smart" gun that only its owner can fire.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence:

IBM Just Achieved a Deep Learning Breakthrough - Futureism

Today's artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are usually run using machine learning algorithms. These operate on what's called a neural network - systems designed to mimic the human brain inner workings - as part of what is called deep learning. Currently, most AI advances are largely due to deep learning, with developments like AlphaGo, the Go-playing AI created by Google's DeepMind.
Tags: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Machine Learning Tackles Quantum Error Correction - Phys.org

Physicists have applied the ability of machine learning algorithms to learn from experience to one of the biggest challenges currently facing quantum computing: quantum error correction, which is used to design noise-tolerant quantum computing protocols. In a new study, they have demonstrated that a type of neural network called a Boltzmann machine can be trained to model the errors in a quantum computing protocol and then devise and implement the best method for correcting the errors.
Tags: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML)

How Machine Learning is Helping Neuroscientists Crack Our Neural Code - MIT

Whenever you move your hand or finger or eyeball, the brain sends a signal to the relevant muscles containing the information that makes this movement possible. This information is encoded in a special way that allows it to be transmitted through neurons and then actioned correctly by the relevant muscles. Exactly how this code works is something of a mystery. Neuroscientists have long been able to record these signals as they travel through neurons. But understanding them is much harder. Various algorithms exist that can decode some of these signals, but their performance is patchy. So a better way of decoding neural signals is desperately needed.
Tags: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML)

Mobile Security:

Secret Chips in Replacement Parts can Completely Hijack Your Phone’s Security - ARS Technica

People with cracked touch screens or similar smartphone maladies have a new headache to consider: the possibility the replacement parts installed by repair shops contain secret hardware that completely hijacks the security of the device.

Network Security:

Researchers Find Phishing Site Encrypted With AES - Threat Post

"This technique uses AES encryption instead of B64 or simple XOR routines write new content to the page at load time," said a Ring 0 Labs representative in an email to Threatpost. "Since this is a newer technique, it can be fairly effective at avoiding scanning services and crawlers that aim to detect these types of sites. But like anything, these services will surely catch on to this technique and adapt accordingly."
Tags: Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Apple, Phishing

8 More Chrome Extensions Hijacked to Target 4.8 Million Users - TheHackerNews

Almost two weeks ago, we reported how unknown attackers managed to compromise the Chrome Web Store account of a developer team and hijacked Copyfish extension, and then modified it to distribute spam correspondence to users.
Tags: Browser Security, Network Security

Neuromorphic Computing:

‘Brain-Like’ Supercomputers Could Enable Better Defense Decision-Making - DoD

The TrueNorth computer chip is a "neuromorphic" chip that mimics human neurons and performs unusually advanced computations using far less energy than conventional chips, said Qing Wu, principal electronics engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The technology could be a huge boost for artificial intelligence-based defense systems and the human data analysts who use them, he added.
Tags: Neuromorphic Computing

Public Sector:

Defense Secretary Mattis Sees Growth for Silicon Valley Defense Unit - Reuters

Mattis paid his first official visit to the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Experimental Unit, or DIUx, in Mountain View, California, as part of a two-day outreach tour to the U.S. technology industry intended to highlight the Pentagon's commitment to technology innovation.
Tags: Cyber Defense

Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Elevation of Cyber Command - The White House

This new Unified Combatant Command will strengthen our cyberspace operations and create more opportunities to improve our Nation's defense. The elevation of United States Cyber Command demonstrates our increased resolve against cyberspace threats and will help reassure our allies and partners and deter our adversaries.

Why HPE is Sending a Supercomputer to the ISS on SpaceX’s Next Rocket - Techcrunch

Officially named the "Spaceborne Computer," the Linux-based supercomputer is designed to serve in a one year experiment conducted by NASA and HPE to find out if high performance computing hardware, with no hardware customization or modification, can survive and operate in outer space conditions for a full year - the length of time, not coincidentally, it'll likely take for a crewed spacecraft to make the trip to Mars.

Quantum Computing:

Blind Quantum Computing for Everyone - Phys.org

For the first time, physicists have demonstrated that clients who possess only classical computers-and no quantum devices-can outsource computing tasks to quantum servers that perform blind quantum computing. "Blind" means the quantum servers do not have full information about the tasks they are computing, which ensures that the clients' computing tasks are kept secure. Until now, all blind quantum computing demonstrations have required that clients have their own quantum devices in order to delegate tasks for blind quantum computing.
Tags: Quantum Computing

Chinese team sends quantum keys to ground stations and teleports ground to satellite signals - Phys.org

Quantum-based networks have been proposed as the next innovation for both speeding up and sending more information through communications networks-to that end, teams in countries such as Japan, the U.S. and China have been working hard to better understand how to actually create them. Most in the field agree that national, international and global quantum networks will require data to be sent at least partially via satellites because traditional media such as fiber cable results in too much interference and data loss. Quantum networks are also theorized to be hack-proof because observing the keys that are used to unlock the data would destroy them due to their quantum nature. In this new effort, the two research teams have fulfilled the second and third goals (the first was to break the distance record for sending entangled particles and was achieved this past June) outlined by officials directing that country's Quantum Experiments at Space Scale project, which involves making use of the Micius satellite-the first sent aloft to conduct quantum networking experiments.
Tags: Quantum Communications

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Most Popular:

The Ghostly Radio Station That no One Claims to Run - BBC

In the middle of a Russian swampland, not far from the city of St Petersburg, is a rectangular iron gate. Beyond its rusted bars is a collection of radio towers, abandoned buildings and power lines bordered by a dry-stone wall. This sinister location is the focus of a mystery which stretches back to the height of the Cold War.

CSIAC SUPPORTED COMMUNITIES:

Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure - Department of Homeland Security

CSIAC serves on the EO 13636/PPD-21 Research & Development (R&D) Working Group (WG) run by DHS S&T. If you would like further information, contact Dr. Paul Losiewicz at plosiewicz@csiac.org

Cyber Community of Interest (COI) Group - CSIAC

The Cyber COI engages in multiple activities and forums for coordinating cyber S&T strategies, sharing innovative ideas and technical approaches, promoting technology transfer and upcoming business opportunities, and in jointly planning programs across the Department of Defense and other government agencies. Membership is based upon approval by the Cyber COI group administrator.

TECHNICAL RESOURCES, POLICY & GUIDANCE:

Presidential Policy Directive – United States Cyber Incident Coordination - The White House

Opportunities Exist for DOD to Share Cybersecurity Resources with Small Businesses - GAO

DOD OSBP officials acknowledged that cybersecurity is an important and timely issue for small businesses -and therefore the office is considering incorporating cybersecurity into its existing outreach and education efforts. During the review, GAO identified 15 existing federal cybersecurity resources that DOD OSBP could disseminate to defense small businesses.

DHS S&T Collaboration Community - Ideascale

The National Conversation is intended to bring together everyone to play a role in shaping the future of homeland security technology. This means responders, operational users, citizens, academia, and industry.

The Department of Defense Cyber Strategy - Department of Defense

The purpose of this strategy is to guide the development of DoD's cyber forces and strengthen our cyber defense and cyber deterrence posture. It focuses on building cyber capabilities and organizations for DoD's three primary cyber missions.
Tags: Cybersecurity Strategy

Information Sharing Environment - ISE

The Information Sharing Environment (ISE) broadly refers to the people, projects, systems, and agencies that enable responsible information sharing for national security.

Standards & Reference Documents - CSIAC

View all Best Practices and Reference Documents on the CSIAC website.

The DoD Cybersecurity Policy Chart (Formerly the IA Policy Chart) - CSIAC

DoD Cyber Domain Resources - Department of Defense

DHS Cyber Security Strategy (“Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future”, 2011) - Department of Homeland Defense

DIB CS/IA Voluntary Information Sharing Program - DoD DIBNet

DoD's DIB CS/IA program is a voluntary program to enhance and supplement DIB participants' capabilities to safeguard DoD information that resides on, or transits, DIB unclassified information systems.

US-CERT Bulletins - Department of Homeland Security

Bulletins provide weekly summaries of new vulnerabilities. Patch information is provided when available.

US-CERT Alerts - Department of Homeland Security

Alerts provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits.

National Vulnerability Database - NIST

NVD is the U.S. government repository of standards based vulnerability management data represented using the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP). This data enables automation of vulnerability management, security measurement, and compliance. NVD includes databases of security checklists, security related software flaws, misconfigurations, product names, and impact metrics.

Trustworthy CyberSpace: Strategic Plan For The Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program - NITRD

Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) - Committee on National Security Systems

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