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Infosec bits for week 31/19

- Roderick Mooi

  1. Louisiana declares emergency over cyberattacks targeting schools [Benjamin Freed, Scoop News Group]
    - see also: Louisiana governor declares state emergency after local ransomware outbreak
    - and: Syracuse cyber attack: Experts say schools easy prey for ransomware
  2. Ed Dept: Hackers created thousands of fake student profiles [Natalie Schwartz, Industry Dive]
    - see also: Ellucian Banner System Vulnerability Update
    - and note: “Attackers are utilizing bots to submit fraudulent admissions applications and obtain institution email addresses through admission application portals. Ellucian recommends adding reCAPTCHA capabilities to the admission process to reduce the likelihood of experiencing fraudulent applications for admissions, even if institutions are not currently experiencing this issue.”
  3. Student data systems compromised in Hawaii, Tennessee [Ryan Johnston, Scoop News Group]
  4. Most City Power IT systems, networks restored following cyber attack [Alex Mitchley, 24.com]
    - see also: Ransomware incident leaves some Johannesburg residents without electricity
  5. Steps to Safeguard Against Ransomware Attacks [The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)]
  6. A BEAST and a POODLE celebrating SWEET32 [Bojan Zdrnja]
    - Overview: “In last couple of years we have witnessed many SSL/TLS vulnerabilities with various acronyms: POODLE, BEAST, BREACH, CRIME, DROWN, FREAK and SWEET32 – to name some. Almost every time, a snazzy logo and a lot of panic around the vulnerability made us believe that this is the end of secure communication on the Internet. However, we are yet to see any real hacks that actually exploited one of the above mentioned vulnerabilities. This presentation will explain how these vulnerabilities work and will comment on their viability for web, mobile and fat client applications. We will try to identify the SSL/TLS vulnerabilities who cried wolf, so we can concentrate on those that pose a serious threat (if such exist, that is).”
    - See also: Verifying SSL/TLS configuration
  7. Password Managers [Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC)]
  8. Teenage hackers are offered a second chance under European experiment [Jeff Stone, Scoop News Group]
  9. The Encryption Debate Is Over – Dead At The Hands Of Facebook [Kalev Leetaru, Forbes Media LLC]
  10. How Cyber Weapons Are Changing the Landscape of Modern Warfare [Sue Halpern, The New Yorker]
    - see also: U.S. Cyber Command simulated a seaport cyberattack to test digital readiness