cybersecurity | Common News Update

Oct22019 by adminNo Comments

Healthcare tops other industries for cybersecurity breaches

Health

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A crippling ransomware attack on multiple Alabama hospitals emphasizes a growing concern about healthcare computer system vulnerabilities that threaten privacy, as well as the general availability of services. Researchers reported last week in the Annals of American Medicine that more than 70 percent of hospital data breaches include sensitive demographic or financial information that could leave patients vulnerable to identity theft. Healthcare-related cybersecurity breaches accounted for over a quarter of the more than 750 data breaches reported nationwide in 2018, and healthcare led all industries in breaches last year, according to a report from global law firm BakerHostetler. "The major story we heard from victims was how compromised, sensitive information caused fin...

Jan132018 by adminNo Comments

US Senate in Russian hackers' crosshairs: Cybersecurity firms

Technology

The same Russian government-aligned hackers who penetrated the Democratic Party have spent the past few months laying the groundwork for an espionage campaign against the U.S. Senate, a cybersecurity firm said in a report Friday. The revelation suggests the group often nicknamed Fancy Bear, whose hacking campaign scrambled the 2016 U.S. electoral contest, is still busy trying to gather the emails of America's political elite. "They're still very active — in making preparations at least — to influence public opinion again," said Feike Hacquebord, a security researcher at Trend Micro Inc. who authoered the report. "They are looking for information they might leak later." The Senate Sergeant at Arms office, which is responsible for the upper house's security, declined to comment, but Nebrask...

Nov212017 by adminNo Comments

Drone maker DJI in cyber-security row over bug bounty

Technology

Drone maker DJI has accused a cyber-security researcher of hacking its servers.Kevin Finisterre claims that he accessed confidential customer data after finding a private key publicly posted on code-sharing site Github.He approached the firm, which offers a "bug bounty" reward of up to $ 30,000 (£23,000) for security weaknesses discovered in its systems.DJI said the server access was "unauthorised".The data Mr Finisterre was able to see included "unencrypted flight logs, passports, drivers licences and identification cards", he said.Despite initially offering him the money, in a statement DJI has now accused Mr Finisterre of refusing to agree to the terms of its bug bounty programme "which are designed to protect confidential data and allow time for analysis and resolution of a vulnerabili...

Nov192017 by adminNo Comments

UK seeks future cyber-security stars

Technology

A £20m initiative to get schoolchildren interested in cyber-security has been launched by the UK government.The Cyber Discovery programme is aimed at 15 to 18-year-olds and involves online and offline challenges themed around battling hackers.It is one of several programmes trying to build interest in security work and help fill a looming skills gap. One industry expert said a broad strategy would be needed to address the widening gap.Hacker clubsThe free Cyber Discovery programme aims to "encourage the best young minds into cyber-security", said Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in a statement.Young people interested will be asked to enrol via an online assessment and the best performers in that test will then be put through a "comprehensive curricul...

Nov182017 by adminNo Comments

Investors are pouring money into cyber-security sector

Finance

Data breaches such as Equifax's recent hacking scandal are a nightmare for hundreds of millions of consumers. They do, however, offer lucrative opportunities for niche investors and venture capitalists who are banking on the ability of new cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data protection technologies to solve one of the world's largest evolving problems."Security is one of the best near- to mid-term market segments to be in," said venture capitalist Rick Grinnell, who began investing in early stage cybersecurity and artificial intelligence firms more than 15 years ago and now operates his own venture capital firm, Glasswing Ventures.Venture capital firms invested $ 3.1 billion in nearly 300 cybersecurity startups in 2016, according to research firm CB Insights. Top-funded, privat...