Cybersecurity News & Trends – 04-03-20

This week, while remote workers and hospitals alike struggled to adjust to the new realities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, hackers looked to exploit the upheaval for ill-gotten profit.

SonicWall Spotlight

There's now COVID-19 malware that will wipe your PC and rewrite your MBR - ZDNet

• Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, some malware authors are releasing coronavirus-themed malware that destroys infected systems by either wiping files or rewriting a computer’s master boot record (MBR). The first of the MBR-rewriters was discovered by security researcher MalwareHunterTeam, as detailed in a report from SonicWall this week.

Cyber Security Threats Loom Large as Employees Work Remotely - The Week

• According to SonicWall’s Capture Labs Threat Research Team, the risks of engaging with any coronavirus app—some of which purport to track infections or point to a vaccine—is very high, as hackers target newly minted remote workers in general, and those concerned about the virus in particular.

SonicWall Research Team Flags off 5 Top Cyberattacks in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic - CXO Today

• The rise in employees working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic is requiring that businesses provide employees secure access to remote infrastructure, networks and devices—and help safeguard against opportunistic cybercriminals preying on this new pool of remote workers.

Cybersecurity News

Marriott International Confirms Data Breach of Guest Information - Intelligent CISO

• Terry Greer-King, VP EMEA at SonicWall, commented on the breach: “The Information Commissioner’s Office’s £99 million fine for Marriott in 2019 for a breach of GDPR was supposed to create much-needed reform on how the company processes and secures data. It appears that certain lessons are yet to be learned.”

Cyber Version of 'Justice League' Launches to Fight COVID-19 Related Hacks - Dark Reading

• A group of cybersecurity experts from around the world—including from companies like Microsoft and Okta—have teamed to help organizations fight COVID-19-related hacking and phishing attacks, Dark Reading reports.

Hackers ‘Without Conscience’ Demand Ransom from Health Providers - Bloomberg

• Bloomberg’s Ryan Gallagher reports on threats targeting the healthcare industry as healthcare providers deal with the massive influx of patients afflicted with COVID-19. Experts around the world are warning that hackers could keep doctors from vital patient data by encrypting records.

FBI warns Zoom, teleconference meetings vulnerable to hijacking - Cyberscoop

• The warning comes after reports that Zoom—which is also under fire for leaking personal information to strangers and illegally selling user data to Facebook—isn’t securing communications as advertised.

Tech Giants Prepared for 2016-Style Meddling. But the Threat Has Changed. - The Wall Street Journal

• The chairman of Huawei Technologies warned the U.S. to expect countermeasures from the Chinese government if it further restricts the technology giant’s access to suppliers, as the company’s profit last year grew at the slowest pace in three years.

Banking Malware Spreading via COVID-19 Relief Payment Phishing - Bleeping Computer

• The Zeus Sphinx banking Trojan has recently resurfaced after a three years hiatus as part of a coronavirus-themed phishing campaign, one of many launched as hackers race to take advantage of the current pandemic.

FBI re-sends alert about supply chain attacks for the third time in three months - ZDNet

• The FBI says a group state-sponsored hackers are now targeting the healthcare industry, which is currently grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak.

In Case You Missed It

• Securing SaaS: Protect More, Manage Less - Vishnu Chandra Pandey
• How to Simplify Endpoint Security - Vishnu Chandra Pandey
• How to Protect Your Business During a Global Health Crisis - Agasthiamani Sankaran
• Strength in Numbers: SonicWall Named New Member of Cyber Threat Alliance - Lindsey Lockhart
• SonicWall Wins Best UTM Security Solution at SC Awards 2020 - Geoff Blaine
• Catapult the Wi-Fi User Experience: Fast, Secure & Easy to Manage - Srudi Dineshan