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.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Big Data and Cloud Computing:

Intel Lends Custom Lift to the AWS Cloud - HPC Wire

If the latest Amazon Web Services gathering is any indication of cloud adoption in high performance computing, one can certainly make the argument that there is momentum building.

Critical Infrastructure:

America’s Critical Infrastructure Is Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks - Forbes

America’s critical infrastructure—the utilities, refineries, military defense systems, water treatment plants and other facilities on which we depend every day—has become its soft underbelly, the place where we are now most vulnerable to attack.

Cyberwarfare:

The US-China MOU on Air and Maritime Encounters - The Diplomat

The U.S.-China Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) On the Rules of Behavior for the Safety of Air and Maritime Encounters announced after the November 12 summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama is definitely a step forward on this vexing issue.

Data Security:

Rogue, Malware-Spewing Tor Exit Node Tied to Cyber Espionage Group - PC World

A malware program distributed recently through a rogue server on the Tor anonymity network was also used in targeted attacks against European government agencies.

High Performance Computing:

Intel Turns to Light Beams to Speed Up Supercomputers -

Intel will start using light pulses next year to move data at blistering speeds in supercomputers, yielding potentially massive advances in high-performance computing.

$425M High Performance Computing awards for ORNL, Lawrence Livermore - Oak Ridger

U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz today announced two new High Performance Computing (HPC) awards to put the nation on a fast-track to next generation exascale computing, which will help to advance U.S. leadership in scientific research and promote America’s economic and national security.

Legislation and Regulation:

Senate fails to pass NSA reform bill - Computer World

The U.S. Senate has voted against a bill that would rein in the National Security Agency's bulk collection of telephone records within the country, possibly killing any NSA reforms until next year.

Mobile Security:

‘Masque Attack’ iOS Malware Is ‘WireLurker’ Enhanced, Can Steal Sensitive Information - Toms Hardware

It’s barely been a week since we learned about the WireLurker malware for iOS, and now we have new reports that an even more dangerous iOS malware called "Masque Attack" is in the wild.

Network Security:

Windows Kerberos Bug: How to Detect Signs of Exploitation Before the Update? - Net-Security

Microsoft has shared more details about the critical elevation of privilege bug found in Microsoft Windows Kerberos Key Distribution Center (CVE-2014-6324) which is being exploited in “limited, targeted attacks” in the wild, and has once again urged admins and users to apply the issued patch.

The Largest Cyber Attack In History Has Been Hitting Hong Kong Sites - Forbes

The largest cyber attack in history has been carried out against independent media sites in Hong Kong over the past few months.

Cybersecurity Lapses Leave Gov. Agencies Vulnerable to Hackers - Washington Times

Heritage’s Mr. Rosenzweig said he fears that federal authorities have not made system updates a top priority due to high costs.

USPS Played Cat And Mouse With Cyber Attacker - Information Week

The largest cyber attack in history has been carried out against independent media sites in Hong Kong over the past few months, according to the company protecting them, increasing in their intensity each time pro-democracy activists announced new activities or developments.

Public Sector:

Google-Backed Initiative Will Pinpoint Illegal Fishing in Near-Real-Time - The Verge

Global Fishing Watch provides new insight into growing environmental crisis.

Quantum Computing:

Quantum Computing – RFP - USRA

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is pleased to invite proposals for Cycle 2 of the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Research Opportunity, which will allocate computer time for research projects to be run on the D-Wave System at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) for the time period October 2015 through September 2016.

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