- Russian Hackers Used Two Unknown Flaws (Reuters Reports): A recent report by security firm FireEye determined that Russian hackers had been using flaws in Adobe’s Flash and Microsoft’s Windows operating system to try to get information about diplomatic targets in the United States and elsewhere. Adobe issued a fix for the breach on Tuesday, and while Microsoft is still working on a fix, Reuters reports that the Microsoft problem by itself is less dangerous. Read the full article here. To read the FireEye report, click here: FireEye – Russia’s Cyber Espionage Report
- Army and DEA Buying Remote Access Hacking Tools (Arstechnica.com Reports): An Italian company called Hacking Team sells a piece of malware remotely installed on a target’s computer or smartphone which collects data, and then transmits that data to an encrypted and untraceable server. According to Arstechnica.com, both the DEA and the US Army have been buying what the article calls a “questionable” remote access hacking tool for years. The article also notes that according to experts, it’s only a matter of time before these surveillance tools turn up in the hands of local law enforcement, if they haven’t already. Read the full article here.
- Pentagon’s “Blunt Force Trauma” Cyber Weapons (Politico Reports): Military services are looking to move beyond developing defense cyber capabilities to pursuing offensive “cyber weapons they could wield the way they now deploy fighter squadrons or infantry battalions.” The goal is to create weapons that have the same large-scale effect as conventional weapons. An example: turning an enemy surface to surface missile around and sending it home. To read more about these plans, read the full article here.
- Hackers Could Kill You With Your Oven (TheRegister.com Reports): As technology continues to improve, consumers are expecting more consumer goods to utilize the advantages that come with technological innovations. TheRegister.com provides the example of the simple iron to explain the ramifications of this trend. An iron has many setting for steam, so how would you as a consumer feel about creating an iphone application that keeps track of each item of clothing you own and the setting required for each item, and then automatically applies that setting to your clothes? How about an oven you can set with your iphone? According to TheRegister.com, “if something uses electricity, it will be connected.” If it is connected, a hacker can access it. What started as a neat way to set your oven from your living room, results, potentially, in a hacker turning your gas on, then your pilot, and leaving you breathing deadly fumes in your sleep. According to the article, we need to find a solution which provides security to these connected devices before we begin integrating this type of technology into our consumer goods. Read the full article here.
- Wi-Fi Increases Hacking Risks on Airplanes (Wired.com Reports): A new government report suggests that hackers could take advantage of Wi-Fi on planes in order to hijack the navigation system or commandeer the plane through the in-plane network. In order for a hacker to gain access, a passenger need only visit a website with a virus or malware embedded. For the full article, click here. For a summary of which changes the report recommends for the Federal Aviation Administration, read an article by Threatpost.com, here. Read the full report here: GAO: Air Traffic Control Report
Cyber, Cyber Weapon, hacking, Russia
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