This week’s Threat Recap is filled with everything from the latest retailer succumbing to malware infection to a possible hack on the NSA. Read up on five of the latest threat happenings to stay informed and up-to-date.
Eddie Bauer Stores Compromised
It is reported that point of sale systems at several Eddie Bauer stores across North America have been compromised. Eddie Bauer states nearly all of its 350 stores may be affected. In their official statement, the company ensured customers that only in-store purchases were at risk and that those shopping through their website weren’t impacted.
Hospitals Remain a Prime Target for Ransomware
The big score for cyber criminals is usually international corporations; however, hospitals are quickly becoming the most commonly targeted organizations for ransomware attacks. Reliance on outdated security measures makes health care facilities tempting to target. The latest in these attacks are coming from email phishing campaigns that employ macro-based malware that is launched by having macros enabled in Office 2007 applications.
Possible NSA Hack Reveals Zero-day Vulnerabilities
Claims of an NSA hack surfaced this week and several of their exploit tools have been publicly released. That’s in addition to information on several zero-day bugs found in Cisco and Juniper Networks’ software. Both companies have begun patching these vulnerabilities that may have been active for years, yet unknown to all but the NSA. This is not the first time the NSA has held onto zero-day exploits to keep them from being resolved for their own purposes. However, it does leave a question of how many more do they still have?
SMS Scam Target Empathetic Users
Many cellular users in the UK have been victims of a new SMS scam. The scam SMS pretends to be an acquaintance involved in a serious accident and needs a text reply back. Some victims claim it showed a message from their child and sternly requests a text reply to an unknown number. Those falling for the scam have been charged £20 for replying, in hopes of helping their injured friend.
Student Loan Phishing Scheme Ready for New School Year
The Student Loans Company, based in the UK, issued warnings to its customers about fake emails being sent out requesting both personal and financial information. The fake emails seem to be easy to spot, as they tend to have spelling errors and address their victims vaguely, rather than using their names.
