Comments on: Cyber security news June 2020

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 15:48:54 +0000

US Air Force delays timeline for testing a laser on a fighter jet
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/06/30/us-air-force-delays-timeline-for-testing-a-laser-on-a-fighter-jet/

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, its program head said.

The Air Force’s Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator program, or SHiELD, had originally planned to conduct its first flight demonstration in 2021, but the test has been pushed two years back, said Jeff Heggemeier, SHiELD program manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory.

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 15:47:43 +0000

China’s Huawei and ZTE officially designated ‘national security threats’ by the FCC
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/07/01/fcc-huawei-zte-officially-designated-national-security-threats.html

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 15:32:01 +0000

Senate Armed Services Committee wants to prevent #DISA from spending money to deploy a network security program on #DoD’s secret network

The Senate has questions about DISA’s network security system
https://www.c4isrnet.com/cyber/2020/06/29/the-senate-has-questions-about-disas-network-security-system/

A Senate committee’s version of the annual defense policy bill would ban the Department of Defense from spending money to deploy a controversial cybersecurity program on its secret network.

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:58:41 +0000

Dan Goodin / Ars Technica:
US Cybercom warns foreign state-backed hackers will likely abuse a recently discovered SAML vulnerability that allows unauthorized network admin logins — The window of opportunity to fix critical security bug is rapidly closing. — Foreign hackers backed by a well-resourced government …
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/06/foreign-adversaries-likely-to-exploit-critical-networking-bug-us-gov-says/

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 10:05:52 +0000

Apple: We’re defending your privacy by nixing 16 browser APIs. Rivals:
You mean defending your bottom line
https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/29/apple_web_developers/
iGiant accused of holding back web progress to protect its 30% app cut

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 10:04:12 +0000

Google removes 25 Android apps caught stealing Facebook credentials
The malicious apps were downloaded more than 2.34 million times.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-removes-25-android-apps-caught-stealing-facebook-credentials/

According to a report from French cyber-security firm Evina shared with ZDNet today, the apps posed as step counters, image editors, video editors, wallpaper apps, flashlight applications, file managers, and mobile games.

The apps offered a legitimate functionality, but they also contained malicious code.

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:08:14 +0000

AWS Facial Recognition Platform Misidentified Over 100 Politicians As Criminals
https://threatpost.com/aws-facial-recognition-platform-misidentified-over-100-politicians-as-criminals/156984/

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 07:46:30 +0000

DDoS and dingoes: Australia to bolster cyber-defences with 500 hackers
amid China spat
https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/30/australia_cyber_defence_fund/
Australia will hire 500 hackers as part of a AU$1.35bn (£754m, $925m)
boost to protect the nation’s networks from a wave of cyber attacks.

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 07:46:11 +0000

Stinker, emailer, trawler, spy: How an engineer stole top US chip
designs, smuggled them to China to set up a rival fab
https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/30/avago_spying_guilty/
Chinese chap swiped communications blueprints from
what-is-now-Broadcom on behalf of Beijing. An engineer-turned-spy
stole confidential blueprints of American wireless electronics on
behalf of the Chinese government to run a rival factory churning out
the components in the Middle Kingdom.

By: Tomi Engdahl

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 07:45:46 +0000

COVID-19 Breach Bubble’ Waiting to Pop?
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/06/covid-19-breach-bubble-waiting-to-pop/
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder for banks to trace the source
of payment card data stolen from smaller, hacked online merchants. On
the plus side, months of quarantine have massively decreased demand
for account information that thieves buy and use to create physical
counterfeit credit cards. But fraud experts say recent developments
suggest both trends are about to change and likely for the worse.