SANS NewsBites

SANSFIRE 2011

Chinese Hackers Accessed Google's Surveillance Database (May 20, 2013)

The Chinese hackers who broke into Google servers in 2009 and 2010 were able to gain access to Google's database of surveillance orders from the US government.......

Chinese Hackers Resume Attacks on US Organizations (May 20, 2013)

After reports emerged earlier this year accusing China of launching persistent cyberattacks against US companies and government agencies, activity from the People's Liberation Army against US sites grew quiet for several months.......

SafeNet Cyberespionage Campaign Detected (May 17 & 20, 2013)

An attack that exploits a known flaw in Microsoft Office has been detected on machines around the world.......

Italian Police Arrest Alleged Anonymous Members (May 17 & 19, 2013)

Italian police have arrested four people believed to be active members of the Anonymous hacking collective.......

Australian Government Shuts Down 1,200 Sites in Effort to Target Just One (May 17, 2013)

In an attempt to block a website believed to be associated with a financial scam, the Australian government shut down 1,200 other sites that were unrelated to the targeted site expect for the fact that they were hosted on the same IP address.......

Vendors Want Cybersecurity Rule Freeze Until National Standards are Issued (May 17, 2013)

Federal contractors are asking the US General Services Administration (GSA) to temporarily suspend cybersecurity rulemaking until the government issues national guidelines later this year.......

Federal Agency Seeks Funding for Research Into Security Issues of Automated Cars and Associated Networks (May 17 & 18, 2013)

David Strickland, Administrator of the US's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that he intends to look carefully at what security requirements need to be in place for automated cars and proposed vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) networks.......

Mac OS X Malware Found on Human Rights Activist's Laptop May Have Ties to Cyberespionage-for-Hire Service (May 16 & 17, 2013)

Malware that targets Mac OS X has been found on the laptop of an Angolan human rights activist attending the Oslo Freedom Forum.......

Man Jailed for Role in Skimming Scheme Develops Anti-Skimming Device (May 17, 2013)

A Romanian man currently serving a five-year prison sentence for his role in an ATM skimming operation, has developed a device that he says can prevent ATMs from succumbing to skimming devices.......

Apple iOS Approved for US Military Use (May 17 & 19, 2013)

The US Defense Department has approved Apple iOS for use to connect to DOD networks.......

Future Version of Firefox Will Block Mixed Active Content by Default (May 17, 2013)

A future stable version of Firefox will block mixed active content by default.......

Proposed Legislation Would Require Feds to Obtain Warrant to Seize Phone Records (May 16, 2013)

Four US legislators have introduced a bill that would require federal agencies to obtain a court order prior to obtaining phone records.......

SSL: Another Reason Not to Ignore IPv6 (May 17, 2013)

Sites that use proxies to allow access via IPv6 may find themselves dealing with two different certificates, both of which must be valid.......