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Cyber Security News & Trends – 06-21-19

by SonicWall Staff

This week, it’s National Selfie Day, Facebook launches its cryptocurrency, and, as predicted by SonicWall, ransomware is all over the news.

SonicWall Spotlight

National Selfie Day

  • June 21 is National Selfie Day and SonicWall staff around the world are taking part! Can you name all the locations?

Innovation Will Sharpen America’s Tech Edge, Federal Officials Say – NextGov

  • SonicWall CEO Bill Conner appeared at a Chertoff Group Security Series Event this week. Next Gov quotes his insight as they cover the full discussion between him, Christopher Krebs, director of the Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Dimitri Kusnezov, Deputy Under Secretary for Artificial Intelligence & Technology, Department of Energy.

Latest Attack From TrickBot Malware Family Identified: SonicWall – CRN (India)

  • CRN follow up on the SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team's identification of a new variant of Trickbot malware. The modular structure on this malware allows it to freely add new functionalities without modifying the core bot. This story was also covered in Var India, DataQuest, NCN Online, Tech Herald, and CSO Forum.

Cyber Security News

U.S. Lawmaker Calls for Facebook to Pause Cryptocurrency Project – Reuters

  • Amid comments that Facebook is "already too big and too powerful," House Representative Maxine Waters is calling for Facebook to halt development on the Libra cryptocurrency until Congress and regulators can review the issue.

Hit by Ransomware Attack, Florida City Agrees to Pay Hackers - New York Times

  • The City Council of Riviera Beach unanimously agrees to have its insurance carrier pay 65 Bitcoin, about $592,000, to hackers after the city systems were caught by a ransomware attack three weeks previously.

Is AI Fundamental to the Future of Cybersecurity? – CSO Online

  • While traditional cybersecurity tools require some level of human interaction to keep them running and up-to date, CSO Online investigate the development and advancement of AI which may be able to develop and improve with little to no human involvement. They also predict that passwords will become obsolete if AI proves to be the more secure option.

U.S. Cities Are Under Attack From Ransomware — and It’s Going to Get Much Worse – Vice News

  • With Atlanta, Baltimore, and many smaller cities getting hurt by ransomware, Vice argues that ransomware attacks appear to be spiking right now due to increased focus on government targeting, and just how easy launching an attack has become.

Inside the FBI's Fight Against Cybercrime – Dark Reading

  • Dark Reading conducts an interview with a member of one of the small FBI teams that are dedicated to fighting cybercrime. The agent discusses the difficulties of being heavily outnumbered by criminal actors, but also the surprisingly high level of successes that they have achieved - including defeating the massive Mirai DDoS-for-hire attacks

Desjardins, Canada's Largest Credit Union, Announces Security Breach - ZDNet

  • Canada's largest credit union announces that 2.9 million members had customer data - including names, date of birth, social insurance number, addresses and more - taken from its database by a now ex-employee. The Credit Union is currently working with law enforcement to investigate the breach.

Maryland Governor Signs Order to Boost Cybersecurity After Baltimore Ransomware Attack – The Hill

  • Responding to Baltimore’s recent ransomware woes, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signs an executive order establishing the "Maryland Cyber Defense Initiative" and creating a Chief Information Security Officer who will be charged with giving cybersecurity recommendations to the governor.

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