A lot happens in the security world, some big and some small, and many stories get lost in the mix. In an effort to keep our readers informed and updated, we present the Webroot Threat Recap, highlighting 5 major security news stories of the week.
FBI Data Breach
In recent weeks, it became known that an anonymous hacker had gained access to thousands of FBI and DHS employee records, including names, email addresses, and phone numbers. The leak was announced shortly before the Super Bowl started, with a tweet stating the release of personal information for 20,000 FBI employees, accompanied by pro-Palestinian messages.
Read More: http://motherboard.vice.com/read/hacker-publishes-personal-info-of-20000-fbi-agents
Microsoft Addresses Unsolicited ‘Microsoft’ Calls
A blog post from Microsoft, this week, has brought attention to a long-known issue of unsolicited third-party companies cold-calling customers and claiming to be Microsoft in order to gain access to an unsuspecting user’s computer. Along with additional security tips, they warned readers to never give out credit card, or other sensitive information, to anyone calling to assist you, unwarranted.
Read More: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/microsoft-safer-interent-day-security-advice/
North Korea Hit With DDoS After Satellite Launch
Recently, a group of hackers known as New World Hackers, had launched a DDoS attack on several North Korean news sites, in response to an unauthorized satellite launch. The group claims to have started the attack to halt any communications between the sites and the satellite, whose purpose is still undetermined.
Read More: https://www.hackread.com/anonymous-ddos-north-korea-sites/
Bitcoin Wallets, As Good As Their Passwords
This week, researchers reported that, through the use of a brute-force attack, they were able to access over 18,000 Bitcoin passwords. The researchers used an Amazon service that allows users to examine passwords/or any other data in a large grouping instance, and for a surprisingly low cost, attacked nearly a trillion possible passwords. This result proves that, regardless of your password’s complexity, it can still be easily susceptible to cyber-attacks.
The High Cost of a Security Breach
With companies being under the constant threat of a cyber attack, it’s pricetag remains as daunting as ever. In a recent survey, it was estimated that a data breach would cost nearly $1 million USD and take over two months to resolve. While some companies surveyed have some form of insurance for financial loss or a data breach, many are still without protection or are still implementing their solutions.
Read More: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=19422
