CyberWire Daily

Cybersecurity Sales Engineer Brandon Robinson shares how he built his career in technology and the barriers he experienced along the way. He talks about how his job involves him interacting with customers at the highest levels making sure their solution is meeting needs. In addition, Brandon describes how as a black man and a trailblazer, he's been met with resistance. His positive spin on moving ahead involves relying on himself. Brandon's advice: find your passion, don't be intimidated and you will be met with success. Our thanks to Brandon for sharing his story with us.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers at Symantec spotted a Sodinokibi targeted ransomware campaign in which the attackers are also scanning the networks of some victims for credit card or point of sale (PoS) software.It is not clear if the attackers are targeting this software for encryption or because they want to scrape this information as a way to make even more money from this attack.Joining us in this week's Research Saturday to discuss the report is Jon DiMaggio of Symantec. The research can be found here: Sodinokibi: Ransomware Attackers also Scanning for PoS Software, Leveraging Cobalt Strike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kittens and Pandas and Bears, oh my. Ransomware gets its skates on, but it still has loose idiomatic control. CISA has some advice on email. While at home on pandemic lockdown, a lot of people (not you) are spending too much time on unedifying sites. Momentum Cyber looks at the state of the cybersecurity sector in 2020. The SINET 16 have been announced. Chris Novak from Verizon on understanding the complexities of PFI breach investigations. Our guest is Steve Vintz from Tenable on why CFOs should lean into cybersecurity issues. And, finally, take a moment today to remember 9/11.For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news brief:https://www.thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/9/177 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ransomware hits a major data center provider, but appears to have left service unaffected. There’s a thriving criminal market for website defacement tools: vandals can be consumers, too. CDRThief does what its name implies. ByteDance tried negotiating TikTok’s American future. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission starts enforcing Schrems II against Facebook. Awais Rashid outlines software development security pitfalls. Our guest is John Morello from Palo Alto with insights from their new State of Cloud Native Security report. And China’s ambassador to the UK has his Twitter account hacked.For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news brief:https://www.thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/9/176 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back to school time for everyone...or it would be, if it weren’t for all that ransomware. The sad criminal underworld stealing from online gamers. Notes on Patch Tuesday. Joe Carrigan considers digital comfort zones. Our guest is Sandra Wheatley from Fortinet with key findings from their new report on the cybersecurity skills shortage. And some thoughts on election security and disinformation from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news brief:https://www.thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/9/175 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanos is back, but as ransomware or a wiper? Cyber agencies in France, Japan, and New Zealand warn of a spike in Emotet infections. Australian authorities say 186,00 were affected by the breach at Services NSW. Georgia decries cyberespionage at its Lugar Lab. COVID-19 cyberespionage efforts have been intense, as have counterintelligence efforts designed to defend labs and supply chains. Rick Howard looks at identity management. Ben Yelin covers tightened surveillance of political advisors. And Anonymous may have a successor: K-pop stans.For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news brief:https://www.thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/9/174 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave shares a story about our own state of Maryland trying to crack down on ransomware, Ben shares a New York Times story about facial recognition software, and later in the show our conversation with Stuart Thompson from the New York Times on the article, Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy.Links to stories: How ransomware bill would tighten focus on the threat in Maryland The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy As We Know ItGot a question you'd like us to answer on our show? You can send your audio file to caveat@thecyberwire.com or simply leave us a message at (410) 618-3720. Hope to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology attorney and startup chief of staff Elizabeth Wharton shares her experiences and how she came to work with companies in technology. Elizabeth talks about how she always liked solving problems and Nancy Drew mysteries, but not litigation. These morphed finding into her home in the policy legal world and some time later, technology law. Elizabeth describes how she loves planning and strategy in her work and encourages others to ask questions and absorb all of the information. Our thanks to Elizabeth for sharing her story with us.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look at the realities of ransomware from Sophos, including an industry-first detailed look at new detection evasion techniques in WastedLocker ransomware attacks that leverage the Windows Cache Manager and memory-mapped I/O to encrypt files. A complementary article examines the evasion-centric arms race of ransomware, providing a months-long review of how cybercriminals have been escalating and markedly changing evasion techniques, tactics and procedures (TTPs) since Snatch ransomware in December 2019. The research also breaks down the five early warning signs organizations are about to be attacked by ransomware and why ransomware attacks continue to occur.Joining us on this week's Research Saturday to walk us through the research and share their findings is Sophos' Principal Research Scientist Chet Wisniewski and EVP & Chief Product Officer Dan Schiappa.The media alert and research articles can be found here:  Media Alert: Sophos Reports on the Realities of Ransomware WastedLocker’s techniques point to a familiar heritage Ransomware’s evasion-centric arms race 5 signs you’re about to be hit by ransomware The realities of ransomware: extortion goes social Ransomware: why it’s not just a passing fad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ransom DDoS: it’s been around for awhile, but now it’s become a much bigger thing. Phishing campaigns are putting malicious payloads into legitimate file-sharing services. Malek Ben Salem from Accenture on proactive "alpha innovator" organizations. Our guest is Joseph Marks from The Washington Post on his recent coverage of election security. And it’s time to go back to school, at least virtually, with all the attendant cyber risk.For links to all of today's stories check out our CyberWire daily news brief:https://www.thecyberwire.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/9/173 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices