22
Mar
2021
Mar
2021
Acer hit by ransomware attack
Computer giant Acer hit by $50 million ransomware attack
+++++++++++++++++
more on ransomware in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=ransomware
Searching for "ransomware"
01
Dec
2017
Dec
2017
Malware, Phishing, Hacking, Ransomware
Keeping Safe in a Digital World
How Not to be Hacked
Malware, Phishing, Hacking, Ransomware – oh my! Learn about the threats to you, your users and your library. During this session, we will explore the threats to online security and discuss solutions that can be implemented at any level. Most importantly, we will look at how we can educate our users on current threats and safety
Date: December 5th, 10AM
Presenter: Diana Silveira
Webinar December 5, 2017 10 AM
- create policies. e.g. changing psw routinely
- USB blockers for public computers (public libraries). like skimmers on gas stations
- do not use admin passwords
- software and firmware updates.
- policy for leaving employees
- HTTP vs HTTPS
- Cybersecurity KNowledge Quiz Pew research Center
http://www.pewinternet.org/quiz/cybersecurity-knowledge/
facebook.com/novarelibrary
twitter @Novarelibrary
+++++++++++
more on hacking in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=hacker
09
Apr
2016
Apr
2016
ransomware
Adobe issues emergency update to Flash after ransomware attacks
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-adobe-systems-cyber-ransomware-idUSKCN0X502K
Ransomware
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to the infected computer system in some way, and demands that the user pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction. Some forms of ransomware systematically encrypt files on the system’s hard drive, which become difficult or impossible to decrypt without paying the ransom for the encryption key, while some may simply lock the system and display messages intended to coax the user into paying. Ransomware typically propagates as a trojan, whose payload is disguised as a seemingly legitimate file.
Beware the Rise of Ransomware
Kim Boatman
http://us.norton.com/yoursecurityresource/detail.jsp?aid=rise_in_ransomware
27
Jan
2022
Jan
2022
schools cybersecurity
America’s schools increasingly face costly cybersecurity risks, yet many systems are ill-prepared for the challenge. #EWOpinion #RHSU https://t.co/TQKkhiEdqI
— Education Week (@educationweek) January 27, 2022
As of this past August, Politico has reported that ransomware attacks have hit 58 education organizations and school districts, including 830 individual schools. Last March, the Broward County, Fla., district didn’t pay a $40 million ransom, leading the hackers to publish 26,000 stolen files online (these included student and staff Social Security numbers and addresses).
+++++++++++++
more on cybersecurity in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cybersecurity
01
Aug
2021
Aug
2021
Internet of Thing Security Problem
categories: educational technology, information technology
The Internet of Things’ Persistent Security Problem
- The threat of ransomware
- IoT’s special vulnerabilities
- Potential solutions
In what is currently a fragmented regulatory and standards landscape internationally, the EU has taken strongest interest in IoT, but from a competition perspective. The EU Commission is investigating competition questions related especially to the three dominant voice-assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri), a node for issues of data privacy and interoperability. Its recently released report hardly mentions security.
+++++++++++++++++
more on IoT in this iMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=internet+of+things
14
Aug
2020
Aug
2020
phony social media agitation
categories: social media
a historic report last week from the nation’s top boss of counterintelligence.
the need for the United States to order the closure of the Chinese government’s consulate in Houston.
metaphor for this aspect of the spy game: a layer cake.
There’s a layer of activity that is visible to all — the actions or comments of public figures, or statements made via official channels.
Then there’s a clandestine layer that is usually visible only to another clandestine service: the work of spies being watched by other spies.
Counterintelligence officials watching Chinese intelligence activities in Houston, for example, knew the consulate was a base for efforts to steal intellectual property or recruit potential agents
And there’s at least a third layer about which the official statements raised questions: the work of spies who are operating without being detected.
The challenges of election security include its incredible breadth — every county in the United States is a potential target — and vast depth, from the prospect of cyberattacks on voter systems, to the theft of information that can then be released to embarrass a target, to the ongoing and messy war on social media over disinformation and political agitation.
Witnesses have told Congress that when Facebook and Twitter made it more difficult to create and use fake accounts to spread disinformation and amplify controversy, Russia and China began to rely more on open channels.
In 2016, Russian influencemongers posed as fake Americans and engaged with them as though they were responding to the same election alongside one another. Russian operatives even used Facebook to organize real-world campaign events across the United States.
But RT’s account on Twitter or China’s foreign ministry representatives aren’t pretending to do anything but serve as voices for Moscow or Beijing.
the offer of a $10 million bounty for information about threats to the election.
+++++++++++++++++++
more on trolls in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=troll
07
Jan
2018
Jan
2018
cybersecurity threats for schools
The top 5 cybersecurity threats for schools
BY EARL D. LAING November 29th, 2017
1. Link Security
From ransomware to phishing and other types of security breaches, direct contact is the number one way that you can create a vulnerability in your system. Those who commit these online crimes are finding smarter and sneakier ways to infiltrate your data every day. Sometimes the attack can even come as an email from a legitimate sender, or appear to be a perfectly normal message on social media. The goal is usually to get you to click on a link.
Solution: Make sure the security preferences for your email account(s) are set up to filter spamming, phishing and executable files that aren’t recognized.
2. Unknown Devices
Solution: Your IT system should include a solution that tracks all devices, including those not owned by your school, that enter the network.
3. Out of Date Technology
Contrary to popular misconception, user interaction isn’t always required for a cyber attack to be launched. The WannaCry attack targeted hundreds of computers all with the same security vulnerability on their Windows operating systems.
Solution: Again, an IT solution that tracks all devices is important, but one that can also check on software upgrades and block access to certain apps is ideal.
4. User Error
A data breach in Florida is just one example of the chaos user error can provoke. This issue didn’t begin with hackers at all. It began with carelessness that caused sensitive information to become public.
User error occurs regularly, and a common root of this is failing to restrict access to files or certain sites that may be compromised.
Solution: Restrict user access to sensitive documents only to those who absolutely need them, and make sure that your site architecture is set up to require a secure login for access. You may also want to create a white list of safe sites and applications and block the rest.
5. No Backup
As disheartening as it sounds, even when you take all the necessary precautions to protect your vital information, data breaches can still occur. When an attack happens, it’s often a major blow to productivity to try and get all the information back into a secure place. Worse, vital work can be lost for good.
Solution: Install a backup system on each school device that sends data to a remote server throughout the day (not just at night) to help make sure nothing is lost.
+++++++++++++++
more on cybersecurrity in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cybersecurity
25
Oct
2017
Oct
2017
bad rabbit virus
categories: announcement
Bad Rabbit cryptoware attack: New virus hits companies in Russia, Turkey, Germany & Ukraine
Kaspersky Lab advised those who do not use anti-virus products to restrict execution of certain files (C:\Windows\infpub.dat, C:\Windows\cscc.dat) and shut down the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service. My note: let the wolf in the shed with sheep.
The source of the attack remained undetermined, but earlier this month the head of Microsoft, Brad Smith, pinned the blame for it on North Korea, which allegedly used cyber tools or weapons that were stolen from the National Security Agency in the United States. The top executive, however, did not provide evidence to back his claims.
New ransomware attack hits Russia and spreads around globe
Malware WARNING: ‘Bad Rabbit’ virus causes flight delays, is YOUR PC susceptible?
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/870887/Bad-Rabbit-Ransomware-Malware-UK-Virus
Bad Rabbit ransomware outbreak
Bill Brenner https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/10/24/bad-rabbit-ransomware-outbreak/
++++++++++++
more on cybersecurity in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=cybersecurity
14
Jun
2017
Jun
2017
IoT
Survey: IoT Overtakes Mobile as Security Threat
By Rhea Kelly 06/05/17
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/06/05/survey-iot-overtakes-mobile-as-security-threat.aspx
a report from ISACA, a nonprofit association focused on knowledge and practices for information systems. The 2017 State of Cyber Security Study surveyed IT security leaders around the globe on security issues, the emerging threat landscape, workforce challenges and more.
- 53 percent of survey respondents reported a year-over-year increase in cyber attacks;
- 62 percent experienced ransomware in 2016, but only 53 percent have a formal process in place to address a ransomware attack;
- 78 percent reported malicious attacks aimed at impairing an organization’s operations or user data;
- Only 31 percent said they routinely test their security controls, while 13 percent never test them; and
- 16 percent do not have an incident response plan.
- 65 percent of organizations now employ a chief information security officers, up from 50 percent in 2016, yet still struggle to fill open cyber security positions;
- 48 percent of respondents don’t feel comfortable with their staff’s ability to address complex cyber security issues;
- More than half say cyber security professionals “lack an ability to understand the business”;
- One in four organizations allot less than $1,000 per cyber security team member for training; and
- About half of the organizations surveyed will see an increase in their cyber security budget, down from 61 percent in 2016.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IoT to Represent More Than Half of Connected Device Landscape by 2021
By Sri Ravipati 06/09/17
analysis comes from Cisco’s recent Visual Networking Index for the 2016-2021 forecast period.
- IP video traffic will increase from 73 percent of all internet consumer traffic in 2016 to 82 percent in 2021 (with live streaming accounting for 13 percent);
- Virtual and augmented reality traffic is expected to increase 20-fold during the forecast period at a compound annual growth rate of 82 percent; and
- Internet video surveillance traffic is anticipated to grow during the forecast period, comprising 3.4 percent of all internet traffic.
To learn more, view the full report.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By Danielle R. June 14th, 2017
1. Labeling and Finding
campus’ buildings were able to transmit interactive map data to a student finding their way around for the first time
2. Booking and Availability
3. Preparation
4. Intervention
As FitBit and other personal wearables become better at tracking various health markers, these markers can be put to use tracking individual patterns in the student body.
The University of Southern California is currently researching the impact that analyzing IoT-gathered data can have on student performance, but the IoT can be used to prevent more than just academic difficulties.
the privacy concerns such use might raise; as universities implement systems that integrate wearables, they will encounter this hurdle and have to implement policies to address it.
5. Research
Laboratories are often required to be completely controlled spaces with considerations made for climate, light, and sometimes even biometric data inside the lab.
+++++++++++++++++++++
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=internet+of+things
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=iot