This week, one city is back to using pen and paper after a ransomware attack, cybercriminals utilize popular video game Fortnite in a money laundering scam and construction industry cranes are alarmingly vulnerable to being hacked.

SonicWall Spotlight

SSL, TLS Certificates Expiring on US Government Sites During Federal Shutdown – SonicWall Blog

• SonicWall’s Brook Chelmo explains why US Government websites are starting to suffer during the ongoing Government Shutdown, explaining that security certificates are not being updated and what kind of messages you might be seeing as a result.

Cyber Security News

Hack Brief: An Astonishing 773 Million Records Exposed in Monster Breach – Wired

• Wired details the mega-breach where at least 773 million emails and 21 million unique passwords have been released in a folder called “Collection #1.” Some are calling this the largest collection of breached data ever found, although it should be noted that Collection #1 is a compilation of both old and new leaked details.

Fortnite Is Being Used by Criminals to Launder Cash Through V-Bucks – ZDNet

• Criminals have been using the in-game currency in Fortnite for laundering money from stolen cards. It is not known exactly how much profit the cybercriminals have made, but Fortnite coins sold on eBay alone have grossed over $250,000 in two months.

Defense Department Continuously Challenged on Cybersecurity – Security Week

• A report has revealed that while the U.S. Department of Defense has been making strides to improve their cybersecurity stance, they are still struggling. In September of last year there were 266 open cybersecurity‑related recommendations, some dating as far back as 2008.

NotPetya Victim Mondelez Sues Zurich Insurance for $100 Million

• Zurich insurance rejected a $100 million claim by Mondelez saying that since the NotPetya ransomware attack has been seen by some, including the UK government, as a Russian military attack it is not covered by standard insurance against malware. Mondelez are taking legal action in response.

Oklahoma Gov Data Leak Exposes FBI Investigation Records, Millions of Department Files – ZDNet

• A storage server belonging to the Oklahoma Department of Securities was found with terabytes of confidential data exposed and accessible to the public.

Yes, You Can Remotely Hack Factory, Building Site Cranes. Wait, What? – The Register

• Cybersecurity protection on cranes, drilling rigs, and other heavy machinery has been found to be severely lacking with a report into the area finding that none of the radio remote controllers investigated had “implemented any protection mechanism to prevent unattended reprogramming.”

WEF: Cyber-Attacks a Major Global Risk for Next Decade – Infosecurity Magazine

• The World Economic Forum released a reporting stating that cyberattacks remain as one of the risks facing the world today with 82 percent of those queried stating they expect data and monetary theft attacks to increase.

Ransomware Attack Sends City of Del Rio Back to the Days of Pen and Paper – ZDNet

• Officials at Del Rio, Texas, had to abandon their computers and switch to pen and paper after a ransomware attack last week. It has not been revealed who is behind the ransomware but the FBI have been informed and are investigating.

Emotet Malware Returns to Work After Holiday Break – BankInfoSecurity

• Whether coincidence or a sign that the criminals were actually on holidays, a number of malware strains including Emotet have returned in 2019 after falling out of use towards the end of the year. BankInfoSecurity trace the history and usage of Emotet, including information on where in the world it has and has not been striking.

In Case You Missed It

• December 2018 Cyber Threat Data: Ransomware Peaking Globally – John Lynch    
• 2018 Holiday Cyber Threat Data: Final Analysis Shows Big Ransomware Spikes in US, UK – John Gordineer
• 4 Security Predictions for MSSPs in 2019 – Brook Chelmo
• Is 802.11ax Going Away? And What is Wi-Fi 6? – Srudi Dineshan

How long did it take before 2019’s first cyberattack took place? Find out this and more. SonicWall has collected this week’s best cybersecurity stories, just for you.

SonicWall Spotlight

SonicWall Celebrates Key EMEA Milestones  – Enterprise Channels MEA

• SonicWall’s Michael Berg comments on SonicWall’s boosted presence in EMEA, crediting channel expertise and commitment to speaking the local language as key factors in growth.

Ransomware Attacks Hit Legal System – Today’s General Counsel Magazine

• An investigation into the growing threat of ransomware in the legal world uses SonicWall 2018 data as its jumping off point.

Cyber Security News

The Elite Intel Team Still Fighting Meltdown and Spectre – Wired

• The Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities were first announced a year ago and made major waves in the news cycle due to their scope and impact. Wired follow up on the story with an in-depth look at how STORM, Intel’s strategic offensive research and mitigation hacker group, have been dealing with the problem.

Town of Salem Breach Affects 7 Million Accounts – SC Magazine

• Some payment information was exposed in the breach, but the main leak was of usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, IP addresses, game and forum activity. The developers have stressed that no card numbers were leaked.

What We Still Don’t Know About the Cyberattack on Tribune Newspapers – Washington Post

• A cyberattack seriously hampered printing several papers owned by Tribune Publishing, including The L.A. Times. While the Tribune group say they suspect the cyberattack originated from abroad, they have given little other information and the identity and motive of attackers remain unclear.

Dublin’s Luas Tram System Threatened With Private Data Leak – ZDNet

• Dublin’s tram system is hit with what looks like a ransomware attack that threatens to expose online users unless a ransom of one bitcoin is paid.

Your Data Was Probably Stolen in Cyberattack in 2018 – and You Should Care – USA Today

• Marriott, Quora, Facebook, Dunkin’ Donuts; USA today summarize the biggest hacks of 2018 and come to the conclusion that very few people have escaped unscathed.

German Politicians Targeted in Mass Data Attack  – BBC

• Hundreds of German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, had personal details stolen and published on Twitter throughout December. No one has publicly taken responsibility for the attack yet but all parties except those on the far right were affected.

This Data-Stealing Android Malware Infiltrated the Google Play Store, Infecting Users in 196 Countries – ZDNet

• When an App is first uploaded into the Google Play Store it is subject to tough reviews to ensure it is safe for users, but some malware developers have been taking advantage of less stringent checks later down the line and injecting malware as an update.

2019’s First Data Breach: It Took Less than 24 Hours – CBR Online

• The first data breach of 2019 was reported less than 24 hours into the New Year when an estimated 30,000 Australian civil servants had work emails, phone numbers and job titles leaked. Thankfully, no financial information is said to have been affected.

In Case You Missed It

• 5 Tips to Keep You Cybersecure During Holiday Travel – Nicole Landfield
• 4 Security Predictions for MSSPs in 2019 – Brook Chelmo
• Is 802.11ax Going Away? And What is Wi-Fi 6? – Srudi Dineshan
• 6 Phishing Scams to Look Out for this Holiday Shopping Season – Ganesh Umapathy
• Video: Why Layered Security Matters – Geoff Blaine
• NRF 2019: Join SonicWall at the ‘Big Show’ – Nicole Landfield

A history of data breaches, SonicWall expands in Dubai and India, and the reappearance of Shamoon. It’s your cybersecurity news roundup for the week.

SonicWall Spotlight

NetSecOPEN Names Founding Members, Board of Directors – Dark Reading

• SonicWall is amongst the founding members of NetSecOPEN, an organization that aims to create open network security testing standards. Atul Dhablania’s testimonial confirms SonicWall’s dedication.

The 10 Coolest New Cybersecurity Tools of 2018 – CRN

• SonicWall Capture Cloud Platform is included on CRN’s coolest tool list for its advanced capabilities at analyzing, classifying and blocking malware.

SonicWall Strengthens Regional Presence With New Dubai HQ – Tahawultech (India)

• SonicWall executive director Michael Berg is interviewed on video talking about the opening of SonicWall’s new office in Dubai.

India, a Key High Growth Market for SonicWall – CRN India

• Debasish Mukherjee talks SonicWall’s expansion in India, explaining how it’s strong technology that allows SonicWall to stand out from the crowd.

Cyber Security News

The Wired Guide to Data Breaches – Wired

• Wired trace the history of electronic data breaches, from a 1984 credit agency leak all the way up to present-day, and look at the future of the cyber arms race.

Is Tech Too Easy to Use? – The New York Times

• The increase in frictionless tech experiences means end users often don’t think about how their data is being collected and used. This can have devastating effects down the line if a data breach occurs.

Google to Shut Down Google+ Early Due to Bug That Leaked Data of 52.5 Million Users – NPR

• After inadvertently giving app developers access to information on over 52 million users in November of this year, Google is shutting down Google+ in April rather than August 2019.

Super Micro Finds No Malicious Hardware in Motherboards  – The Wall Street Journal

• After headline reports earlier this year claimed that the Chinese government had secretly planted spying chips into computers assembled in China, Super Micro Computers Inc. this week told customers that they can find no evidence of hardware tampering.

Poll: Cyber Crime Has Affected One in Four Americans – The Hill

• Gallup asked the American public if they or a close family member had been affected by cybercrime and 23 percent say they had.

Fortune 500 Cybersecurity Is Better and Worse Than You’d Think – Axios

• Rapid7 released their first Industry Cyber-Exposure Report and found huge problems with email security at more than half of Fortune 500 companies. However, it also found that most are doing a good job at reducing entry points.

Over Half of Brazil’s Population Exposed in Security Incident – ZDNet

• As many as 120 million Brazilian citizens had their ID numbers publicly accessible for weeks in the early months of 2018.

Shamoon Reappears, Poised for a New Wiper Attack – Threat Post

• Shamoon is a data-wiping malware that can completely cripple an infected PC that previously made world news targeting energy firms. It first emerged in 2012, made a comeback in 2016 and is now being detected again, leading experts to predict that another attack may be imminent.

In Case You Missed It

• 6 Phishing Scams to Look Out for this Holiday Shopping Season – Ganesh Umapathy
• Video: Why Layered Security Matters – Geoff Blaine
• NRF 2019: Join SonicWall at the ‘Big Show’ – Nicole Landfield
• Cloud Security: Making the Invisible … Visible – Beau Beamesderfer
• 3 Ways to Prevent Cryptominers from Stealing Your Processing Power – Brook Chelmo
• SonicWall Wins Gold and Silver in Best in Biz Awards 2018 – Nicole Landfield

Each week, SonicWall collects the cyber security industry’s most compelling, trending and important interviews, media and news stories — just for you.

SonicWall Spotlight

Cyber Monday, Black Friday Targeted by Spike in Ransomware Attacks – SonicWall

• SonicWall researchers have completed a special analysis of cyber threat data and attacks for the busiest online shopping period of the year. SonicWall CMO David Chamberlin explains the newest cyberattack trends to have emerged over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.

Best in Biz Awards 2018 Winners – Best in Biz

• SonicWall win two awards with a Gold for Most Innovative Product of the Year – SMB for our Capture Cloud Platform, and a Silver for Support Department of the Year.

SonicWall Aims to Be an All-Round Player in Security Solutions: COO Atul Dhablania – Tech Circle (India)

• Atul Dhablania is interviewed by Tech Circle about SonicWall’s presence in the region, the Internet of Things, and the current cybersecurity landscape.

Cyber Security News

A Plan to Turn New York Into a Capital of Cybersecurity – New York Times

• They’re calling it “Cyber NYC” and it’s an ambitious plan to turn New York City into a global leader of cybersecurity innovation and job creation.

ThreatList: Cryptominers Dominate Malware Growth in 2018 – Threat Post

• Kaspersky Lab figures say cryptomining botnets have jumped from 2.9 percent of botnets in 2017 to 4.6 percent in 2018. It’s a problem SonicWall has noticed as well.

Buckle Up: A Closer Look at Airline Security Breaches  – Dark Reading

• An in-depth look at how and why there has been so many Airline security breaches recently and the big question, could a cybercriminal take a plane down from the sky?

Half of All Phishing Sites Now Have the Padlock – Krebs on Security

• Once upon a time the security padlock was enough to tell you if a website was legitimate, this is no longer the case.

Uber Fined £385,000 for Losing UK Customer Data – BBC

• Having previously settled in the US, Uber received a fine in Europe for not sufficiently disclosing their 2016 data breach.

Why Cyber Monday Is Just the Beginning of the Festive Hacking Season – ZDNet

• Cyberattacks reach a peak around the holiday season but ZDNet argue that understaffing over Christmas leaves many companies open to further attacks.

The Case for Protecting Small Firms From Cyber Lawsuits – Wall Street Journal

• Small companies often do not have the resources to be able to meet the strictest cybersecurity standards. Two academics argue that they should not be financially penalized in the same way as larger corporations can be.

In Case You Missed It

• 3 Ways to Prevent Cryptominers from Stealing Your Processing Power – Brook Chelmo
• SonicWall Wins Gold and Silver in Best in Biz Awards 2018 – Nicole Landfield
• Historic Black Friday, Cyber Monday Threat Data Prepares Businesses, Shoppers for Holiday Cyberattacks – Scott Grebe
• October 2018 Cyber Threat Data: Web App Attacks, Ransomware Continue Upward Trend – John Lynch
• Bill Conner: We Need a ‘Single, Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Strategy’ – Geoff Blaine
• Why SMBs Continue to Drive Growth in Managed Security Demand – Charles Ho

Each week, SonicWall collects the cyber security industry’s most compelling, trending and important interviews, media and news stories — just for you.

SonicWall Spotlight

SonicWall Secures Hybrid Clouds by Simplifying, Enhancing Deployment for Enterprises, SMBs – SonicWall Press Release

• This week SonicWall announced a major expansion of their Capture Cloud Platform including secure SD-WAN, Zero-Touch Deployment, and personalized cyber threat intelligence.

Congress Passes Bill Creating Cybersecurity Agency at DHS – Security Week

• SonicWall CEO Bill Conner talks to Security Week with his thoughts on why the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Act is paramount for securing critical digital infrastructure.

Free SD-WAN Capability Highlights New SonicWall Capture Cloud Platform Announcements – Channel Buzz (Canada)

• SonicWall’s Lawrence Pingree talks to Channel Buzz about SonicWall’s recent product expansion announcement and how he sees SonicWall’s position now compared to 12 months ago.

13 Tech Experts Share What Facebook Should Do Post-Data Breach

• Bill Conner, CEO of SonicWall, is featured as a member of the Forbes Tech Council highlighting why good policy is important for a company like Facebook if they want to be able to recover from a data breach.

Cyber Security News

Researchers Discover Seven New Meltdown and Spectre Attacks – ZDNet

• A team of researchers have found that new variants of Meltdown and Spectre are being released. SonicWall confirmed that Capture ATP cloud sandbox with Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection will stop them.

Nordstrom Blames Breach of Employee Data on Contractor – BankInfoSecurity

• US department store Nordstrom suffered from an internal breach of employee data in October and have pinned the problem on a contractor.

Scare Force: Pakistan Military Hit by Operation Shaheen Malware – The Register (UK)

• The Pakistan Air Force and Government have been hit with a concentrated phishing and malware campaign according to new research by Cylance.

Mozilla: Firefox Will Start Alerting You to Recently Breached Sites – ZDNet

• Firefox Monitor, previously a separate website, is being expanded and integrated into the Firefox web browser and will inform users with an alert if a website being visited has had a breach reported in the previous 12 months.

2018 on Track to Be One of the Worst Ever for Data Breaches – Dark Reading

• A new report says that 2018 is currently only behind 2005 when it comes to data breaches, with up to 3.6 billion records compromised so far.

Ahead of Black Friday, Rash of Malware Families Takes Aim at Holiday Shoppers – Threat Post

• As many as fourteen types of malware are found to be readying themselves to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers.

A Leaky Database of SMS Text Messages Exposed Password Resets and Two-Factor Codes – Tech Crunch

• An exposed server was found with tens of millions of text messages, including password reset links, two-factor codes, shipping notifications and more all easily accessible.

In Case You Missed It

• Monitor & Optimize Your Cybersecurity Posture with Real-Time Risk Metering – Ken Dang
• Choosing a Firewall with PoE Integration – Scott Grebe
• What is Secure SD-WAN and How Can It Save Me Money? – Scott Grebe
• SonicWall’s Multi-Cloud Offering Extends to Hyper-V Private Clouds with Flexible Licensing – Srudi Dineshan
• Security for Multi-Cloud Strategies: How SonicWall Safely Guides Organizations to a Virtualized, Cloud-Connected World – David Chamberlin
• Cybersecurity for SMBs: Bundled Network Security Delivers Cost-Effective Protection – Steve Pataky