Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about the cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days.
Below you’ll find a quick recap of topics followed by links to news articles and/or our blog posts providing additional insight. Be sure to check back each Friday for highlights of the goings-on each week!
Malware’s Newest Leading Lady Is Alice
Trend Micro threat researchers from our Forward-Looking Threat Research Team (FTR) discovered a new family of ATM malware called Alice. Unlike other ATM malware families, Alice’s main focus is to empty the safe of ATMs.
Updated Sundown Exploit Kit Uses Steganography
Sundown is something of an outlier from typical exploit kits. It tends to reuse old exploits and doesn’t make an effort to disguise their activity. The URLs for Sundown requests for Flash files end in .swf, while Silverlight requests end in .xap.
Trend Micro Named as a Leader in IDC MarketScape on Worldwide Email Security
It is always nice to begin the year with accolades from an industry insider recognizing the effectiveness of one of your core products. IDC, a global market intelligence firm, recently named Trend Micro as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Email Security 2016 Vendor Assessment.
Ransomware Took $1 Billion in 2016
Ransomware cybercriminals took in about $1 billion last year, based on money coming into ransomware-related Bitcoin wallets. That includes more than $50 million each for three wallets associated with the Locky ransomware, and a fourth one that processed close to $70 million.
Recent Spam Runs in Germany Show How Threats Intend to Stay in the Game
In early December, GoldenEye ransomware (detected by Trend Micro as RANSOM_GOLDENEYE.A) was observed targeting German-speaking users—particularly those belonging to the human resource department.
Hackers Are Using WhatsApp to Target Unsuspecting Users
Avoid opening attachments you aren’t totally sure are safe. Hackers are using WhatsApp to send Word documents that look legit, but end up being viruses that can steal your personal information — including banking data and login credentials.
India Wants Google’s Help with Cybersecurity
With India increasingly embarking the digital age, the government has grown worried about all the threats the country faces online. With no hesitance, it is looking at Google for help. India’s IT, Law and Justice Minister, today, requested to make Google more involved with India’s cyber security efforts.
Former Secret Service Agent Says Criminal Underground Threatens Businesses
Ed Cabrera is on the front lines of the fight against criminal hackers. As chief information security officer for the United States Secret Service, Cabrera directed information security and cyber investigative initiatives. He was with the agency for 20 years before moving into the private sector.
Security Without Boarders Is Helping Activists and NGOs with Cybersecurity
A collective of hackers and researchers has launched a new site called Security Without Borders that aims to provide cybersecurity help to NGOs, activists, and other at-risk groups. Claudio Guarnieri, a white hat hacker and researcher at Citizen Lab, revealed the initiative recently.
Five Cybersecurity Resolutions Every CISO Should Have on Their List
Year after year, some Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) set lofty goals of securing all data to fullest extent wherever it resides. However, as many New Year resolutions go, these aspirations often fall because they’re not founded on sound enterprise risk management principles.
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