Robert Lemos

Over the past two years, cyber-criminals have focused more heavily on attacking Websites based on the WordPress content management system and its ecosystem of software plugins. The trend will continue in 2015, driven by the lack of security awareness among WordPress’ large user base and the lack of security expertise among its plugin developers, according […]

A new open-source intelligence analysis of the breach of health insurer Anthem has reinforced theories that the data theft leads back to a Chinese espionage program, security firm ThreatConnect stated on Feb. 27. In the report, which is based on public sources or “open-source” intelligence, security researchers at ThreatConnect and other companies found technical evidence […]

Three technology companies teamed up with international law enforcement to disrupt the Ramnit botnet, sinkholing more than 300 domains and seizing servers in four European countries, the organizations stated on Feb. 25. Since at least 2010, Ramnit has spread to systems by infecting files and has evolved into modular bot software focused on stealing passwords […]

While critics continue to take PC maker Lenovo to task for including Superfish adware on its consumer notebook systems, the flawed security of the network-traffic interception component has turned the spotlight on boutique developer Komodio. Komodia, a small information-technology firm founded in 2000, sells its network interception technology—Redirector and SSL Digestor—to other software makers. The […]

Groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are becoming increasingly skilled at launching cyber-attacks, stealing sensitive data and adopting cyber-crime tactics, according to research released by two security firms. One group, dubbed Arid Viper by Trend Micro, used spearphishing, pornography and leased servers to conduct espionage attacks against Israeli targets, the company […]

An espionage group has infected thousands—and possibly tens of thousands—of targets globally using sophisticated malware that has telltale links to code previously attributed to operations carried out by the National Security Agency, according to a Feb. 16 report by Kaspersky Lab. Dubbed “Equation” by Kaspersky researchers, the group has operated for at least 15 years, […]

Using spear phishing attacks to compromise financial workers’ systems, a gang of cyber-criminals has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from banks in Russia, Ukraine, China, Germany and the United States during a two-year crime spree, security firm Kaspersky Lab stated in a report published on Feb. 16. The cyber-thieves sent malware-laden documents to bank […]

Attackers continue to target mobile devices with a variety of adware and malware, which led to a 25 percent increase in infections in 2014, according to a report published on Feb. 12 by mobile security firm Alcatel-Lucent. The company, which monitors malicious activity on Internet service provider (ISP) and cellular networks, found that 0.68 percent […]

Corporate employees continue to expand their use of the cloud, an overall trend that simultaneously continues to increase risks to data security, according to a quarterly look at cloud usage published by Skyhigh Networks. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the average company used 897 cloud services, a 43 percent increase over the same quarter […]

A suspected Chinese espionage group compromised popular media site Forbes.com in November 2014 in an operation designed to infect computers at companies in the financial and defense industries, according to a report published on Feb. 10 by security firms Invincea and iSIGHT Partners. The attack infected Forbes.com’s “Thought of the Day” Adobe Flash widget and […]

Few users who encounter an alert through their browser actually read or understand the suggested advice but can be guided to take corrective action, according to a study by Google and University of Pennsylvania researchers, who hope to find ways to fix the problems. In a study to be presented in April, the group of […]

The attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment will cost consumer giant Sony an estimated $35 million in investigation and remediation fees through March 2015, the company told investors on Feb. 4. During its third-quarter earnings announcement, Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony’s chief financial officer, told investors that it paid an estimated $15 million to investigate the cyber-attack and […]