Welcome back!
As many know, one of the biggest security events of the year, RSA Conference, took place this week. Despite the coronoravirus, the show went on! Some of the main themes were IoT security and identity – music to our ears – as well as API security, DevSecOps, and “always on” technologies.
Beyond the conference, there was still lots of cybersecurity news to discuss. One of the biggest stories was the significant breach at facial recognition provider Clearview AI. This one is rather concerning since the company is a top provider of technology to law enforcement agencies. Also, hackers continue to make progress on the energy grid with the report of a new ransomware attack at a Massachusetts power station. Finally, according to a new report the most cybersecure country in Europe is….Ireland!
Grab your coffee mug and read on.
Top Global Security Stories
Databreach Today (February 25, 2020) – Facial-Recognition Company That Works with Law Enforcement Says Entire Client List Was Stolen
"The startup Clearview AI disclosed to its customers that an intruder 'gained unauthorized access' to its list of customers, to the number of user accounts those customers had set up, and to the number of searches its customers have conducted. The company’s client list includes powerful law-enforcement agencies. Clearview AI said an intruder 'gained unauthorized access' to its list of customers, to the number of user accounts those customers had set up, and to the number of searches its customers have conducted. However, the servers were not breached and that there was 'no compromise of Clearview’s systems or network.'"
Infosecurity Magazine (February 25, 2020) – Ransomware Attack at US Power Station
"A Massachusetts power station hit by ransomware is refusing to meet attackers' financial demands. The Reading Municipal Light Department (RMLD) was targeted on February 21 by cyber-criminals hoping to extort money by encrypting data in the station's computer system. However, the organization hired an outside IT consultant to help them deal with the ransomware infection instead of paying for the return of their files."
TechCentral.ie (February 25, 2020) – Ireland most cybersecure country in Europe
"Irish eyes may be smiling after reading this! According to a report from Specops Software. Ireland is the most ‘cybersecure’ country in western Europe. The study revealed the cyber-insecurity of western European countries by analyzing the percentage of cloud provider attacks on Azure and the percentage of machines that encountered cryptocurrency mining, malware and ransomware each month. Overall, the Netherlands was the most cyber vulnerable country in western Europe with 17.64% incoming attacks and encounters. The Netherlands was followed closely by Bulgaria at 17.55%, and Belarus at 10.83%."
Becker’s Health & CIO Report (February 25, 2020) – 25 companies that phishing hackers most likely to impersonate
"For its Q4 2019 Phishers' Favorites report, Vade Secure analyzed the emails from 600 million mailboxes in 76 countries and came up the 25 most commonly impersonated brands. The top five? You probably won’t be surprised at the top five: PayPal, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix and WhatsApp."
Other Industry Headlines
Latest Security News from RSAC 2020
NIST Releases Roadmap on How to Build Cybersecurity Workforce
After a phishing scam, ‘Shark Tank’ star Barbara Corcoran is on the hook for $380,000
IoT security fail: The weird devices that employees are connecting to the office network
Experts Warn: Targeted Ransomware Attacks to Surge
Kr00k Wi-Fi Vulnerability Affected a Billion Devices
Malware Attack Hits Danish Service Provider ISS World
Phishing attack: US insurance company reports data security incident
