FFT news digest — 2 December 2022
FFT news digest — 2 December 2022
Password mismanager
One of the leading password manager companies says attackers have accessed “certain elements” of its customers’ information. LastPass says it detected unusual activity in a cloud storage service following a breach of its systems in August. It’s important to emphasise that this does not mean any customer passwords were revealed because the way they’re stored means LastPass can’t access them, even if it wanted to. But it is essential that LastPass users are on their guard for emails that appear to come from the company because this is an obvious opportunity for any attacker is to impersonate it. We also suggest being cautious about using LastPass browser extensions. LastPass has been reasonably transparent about the incident(s) and it’s understandable that they haven’t revealed exactly what customer information has been accessed (not least because they may not know yet). Nevertheless, the breach will inevitably cause nervousness among people considering whether to start using a password manager. Password managers are still the best solution for using passwords safely - and they’re far more secure than reusing passwords or storing them in a browser. That said, given that LastPass was breached in August and attackers almost always come back for more, it’s worrying that LastPass wasn’t able to prevent this latest incident.
Threats
USB : A new cyber-espionage group in Southeast Asia is using booby-trapped USB devices to target public and private organisations. Mandiant Domains : Most major organisations aren’t doing enough to protect their domain names from spoofing, fake registrations and other threats. CSC Fake VPN : Android users in the Middle East and South Asia are being targeted with spyware posing as fake VPN apps. Among its capabilities, it can steal sensitive data including contacts, SMS texts, call logs, device location, and record phone calls. It can also actively spy on chat messages World Cup : Scammers have come up with multiple ways to harvest personal information and steal money from people trying to buy merchandise or tickets online. Group-IB TikTok : The promise of nude videos is being used to lure victims into downloading information-stealing malware. The wrinkle this time is a trend known as Invisible Challenge which involves applying a filter to videos so that only a silhouette of the person’s body remains. Scammers offer a tool to reveal what was hidden. Checkmarx Gift cards : Scumbags are playing on people’s emotions to try to persuade them to send them gift cards. The criminals break into email accounts and send messages to the owner’s contacts claiming they need to send a gift to an unwell friend. Abnormal Security Phishing : IT and security teams spend one-third of their week handling phishing threats, according to Osterman Research (R). The study also highlights the expanding use of messaging apps and cloud-based file sharing platforms to reach targets.
Spyware
A relatively new exploit broker is offering up to $1.5 million for ways to break into the Signal messaging app, trebling the going rate for such vulnerabilities. The offer comes from a St Petersburg-based company called OpZero. The price is believed to be linked to the widespread use of Signal by the Ukrainian military and government which makes it an irresistible target for Russia. Like any software, Signal has had security vulnerabilities in the past but the relatively small size of the organisation means it’s normally very quick at fixing them. Meanwhile, in the first such case of its kind, the maker of Pegasus spyware is facing a lawsuit in the US. It’s been brought by a US journalist and colleagues from El Salvador who allege they were targets of the NSO Group’s spyware. Their aim is to persuade a judge that NSO has broken US law. The New Yorker’s long-read is worth the effort.
The Twitter saga continues - with Elon Musk threatening to go to war with Apple, and just as quickly retreating after what he said was a “good conversation” with Apple chief executive Tim Cook (and a tour of “Apple’s beautiful HQ.”) Childish tirades asides, the key issue to watch is what happens to the content on Twitter. It’s clear the platform’s moderation capabilities have been eviscerated. Previously banned controversialists have been allowed to return (though Kanye ‘Ye’ West was promptly banned again after he posted a swastika). The policy on misleading Covid information will no longer be enforced . Advertising revenue is vital - so it will be the tweets that determine whether major companies (like Apple) want to hand over some of their marketing budgets to help Musk service the debt now sitting on Twitter’s books.
In brief
Conspiracy : Computer Weekly alleges that the former UK spy boss Richard Dearlove leaked names of MI6 secret agent recruiters in China as part of an aggressive right-wing US campaign against Chinese technology giant Huawei. His emails were hacked and then leaked, probably by Russian intelligence. Online Safety Bill : We’ve been watching this bill’s halting parliamentary progress because of its potential impact on privacy. Index on Censorship has also been studying it and says the law will outlaw end-to-end encrypted messaging as part of the fight against child abuse and terrorist content. Geolocation : The FBI’s investigation into the violence on Capitol Hill is the biggest in its history and includes 5,723 devices identified by Google as being in or near the area during the riot. Wired examines the use of “geofence warrants.” Meta : Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has imposed a €265 million fine on Meta for failing to safeguard the personal data of 533 million Facebook users. That means the Irish regulator has fined Meta almost $1 billion in the past 18 months.