Sunday, November 13, 2022 // (IG): BB // Bubba3dPrints // Coffee for Bob
Ukraine Police dismantled a transnational fraud group that made €200 million per year
FROM THE MEDIA: The arrests are the results of a joint operation conducted with the support of law enforcement officers in Albania, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Latvia and Spain. In these countries the gang established its offices and call centers and employed more than 2,000 people to carry out the criminal activity. The group defrauded investors through a pseudo-investment scheme in cryptocurrencies and securities, the investigation began in 2020. The investors were tricked into initiating a series of fake investments.
READ THE STORY: Security Affairs // REDDIT
Russia’s plot to sabotage a British mile long floating pipeline foiled
FROM THE MEDIA: The UK has foiled a Russian plot to sabotage a mile long pipeline in the South Atlantic following an intelligence tip-off. Intelligence suggested that the pipeline was to be targeted by Russian saboteurs which is crucial as it delivers fuel to the RAF, US Space agency and navy bases on Ascension Island. The Island is a remote British Overseas Territory near Guinea, Africa which was used during the Falklands war 40 years ago which is now a UK-US signals intelligence facility.
READ THE STORY: LLB // EXPRESS UK // AN
Ukraine says Russian hacktivists use new Somnia ransomware
FROM THE MEDIA: Russian hacktivists have infected multiple organizations in Ukraine with a new ransomware strain called 'Somnia,' encrypting their systems and causing operational problems. The Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) has confirmed the outbreak via an announcement on its portal, attributing the attacks to 'From Russia with Love' (FRwL), also known as 'Z-Team,' whom they track as UAC-0118. The group previously disclosed creating the Somnia ransomware on Telegram and even posted evidence of attacks against tank producers in Ukraine.
READ THE STORY: Bleeping Computer
You Should Be Worried For The Future Of Satellites - Here's Why
FROM THE MEDIA: How many satellites and other objects are currently zipping around Earth? It should be an easy question to answer, yet no one can seem to agree on how many are up there because the rate at which we're sending them into orbit has increased so dramatically in recent years. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), as of May 1, 2022, there are 5,465 satellites currently floating around Earth's orbit. A January 2022 report from DEWESoft states there were 4,550 satellites in orbit, a number supposedly compiled by information from the UCS Satellite Database, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), and the Space Foundation.
READ THE STORY: SlashGear
Top spy agencies working to defeat China bid to rewrite international rules
FROM THE MEDIA: The Chinese ideas of rewriting the international security rules are seem likely to be thwarted as the premiere intelligence agencies in the UK and USA have started acting against it. Citing a report from the Associated Press in London, the Global Strat View quoted Jeremy Fleming, director, Government Communication Headquarters of Great Britain, as saying, “When it comes to technology, the politically motivated actions of the Chinese state are an increasingly urgent problem we must acknowledge and address.”
READ THE STORY: ThePrint
SpaceX launches two telecommunications satellites into orbit
FROM THE MEDIA: The rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:06 a.m. EST, carrying Intelsat's Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 satellites. The first carrier stage was previously used in 13 launches. This time, SpaceX has decided not to return this Falcon 9 component to Earth. All of the fuel will be utilized to launch satellites into orbit before it falls into the Atlantic Ocean.
READ THE STORY: BusinessWire // MEHR // SPACE
Burner Phones Warn World Cup Fans of Qatar Apps
FROM THE MEDIA: In a statement issued, the authoritative French data protection authority CNIL has provided tips on how football fans can implement security measures to avoid being spied on by apps. These tips can come in handy for the Qatar World Cup. To maximize your security, it would be best to travel with a blank smartphone or an old phone that has been reset by CNIL, a CNIL spokesperson told POLITICO earlier this week. If you are traveling to Qatar for the World Cup, it is highly recommended that you purchase an electronic burner phone.
READ THE STORY: Cysecurity
Malware Spotted on the Google Play Store Steals Banking Credentials & Intercepts SMS Messages
FROM THE MEDIA: The Zscaler ThreatLabz team found the ‘Xenomorph’ banking trojan embedded in a Lifestyle app in the Google Play store. The app’s name is “Todo: Day manager,” and has more than 1,000 downloads. The trojan called ‘Xenomorph’ steals login information from users’ devices’ banking applications. Additionally, it has the ability to intercept users’ SMS messages and notifications, enabling it access to one-time passwords and requests for multifactor authentication.
READ THE STORY: GBHACKERS
Ukraine minister warns state could seize more corporate assets
FROM THE MEDIA: Kyiv has warned it would take more companies under state control if they did not fully back the war effort, after the government invoked the conflict against Russia to commandeer five industrial groups. The companies Kyiv has taken over include Ukraine’s largest oil producer Ukrnafta and the largest oil refiner Ukrtatnafta, which are both controlled by oligarch Igor Kolomoisky. The billionaire backed Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2019 presidential bid before becoming embroiled in an investigation into the bankruptcy of PrivatBank, which he previously owned.
READ THE STORY: FT
IMF chief warns on U.S.-China rivalry, calls Trump-era tariffs counterproductive
FROM THE MEDIA: The head of the International Monetary Fund warned of risks to the global economy from the rivalry between China and the United States, while describing tariffs put on Chinese imports under then-President Donald Trump as counterproductive. "We may be sleepwalking into a world that is poorer and less secure as a result," IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told the Washington Post in an interview published on Saturday.
READ THE STORY: Reuters
Russia and terror propaganda
FROM THE MEDIA: On the main avenue of Kozacha Lopan, near the Town Hall, a black poplar stands amidst the bombed and charred buildings. It is big, the biggest tree in the whole street. And every time they pass it, one of the few remaining inhabitants of the city looks at it holding their breath. There doesn't seem to be anything special about the tree to justify these looks of attention. Nothing is extraordinary, until you get within a few meters of it. That's when you see that, instead of leaves and branches, several mobile phones sprouting from its bark.
READ THE STORY: Atalayar
How Cybercrime and Cyberwar are Interlinked
FROM THE MEDIA: Cybersecurity experts have long debated that future conflicts will no longer be confronted just on a physical battlefield, but in a digital sphere as well. Although it is clear that the physical battlefield will not be mitigated sooner, considering the recent conflicts, we are also witnessing a rise in state-sponsored attacks like never before. It is therefore important that businesses, individuals, and governments ensure that they are prepared in combating an attack. Since, in a digital battleground, it is not just the soldiers being targeted, but everyone is in the line of fire.
READ THE STORY: Cysecurity
Russia’s war in Ukraine: 3 cybersecurity takeaways for enterprises
FROM THE MEDIA: Offensive cyber actions are an integral part of modern armed conflict. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been no exception. Russia had already shown it could damage the fledgling democracy through cyberwarfare. Since at least 2013, suspected Russian attacks against Ukraine have included attacks against critical national infrastructure. For example, the NotPetya destructive worm of 2017, which remains Ukraine’s most destructive cyber attack. Since the invasion, there has been a continuing onslaught of attacks against both the public and private sectors — but organizations have largely been able to repel them. This demonstrates that with planning, preparation and the necessary resources, attacks conducted by even the most sophisticated and persistent attackers can be defeated.
READ THE STORY: VB
Hackers Hide Information-Stealing Malware in PNG Files Using Steganography
FROM THE MEDIA: Experts at Avast, who built on the discoveries of ESET, the first to notice and report on the threat group known as “Worok”, conceals malware within PNG images to silently infect victims’ computers with information-stealing malware. Reports say it targets high-profile companies and local governments in Asia. Currently, they are targeting energy companies in Central Asia and public sector entities in Southeast Asia to steal data based on the types of the attacked companies.
READ THE STORY: CyberSecurityNews
Crypto experts allege Gate.io and Crypto.com could collapse like FTX: Accident or proof-of-reserves
FROM THE MEDIA: The FTX collapse has raised concerns among crypto traders regarding safety of user funds in exchanges’ cold storage. Exchanges started publishing proof-of-reserves to steer clear of the issues that surrounded FTX exchange before its collapse. Gate.io completed its proof-of-reserves audit on October 28, 2022, merely days after receiving $404 million worth of Ethereum from Crypto.com.
READ THE STORY: FXstreet // CNET // OUTLOOK
Tesla Twitter Impersonator Shares Aim Of Spoof Amid Blue Tick 'Horror Show'
FROM THE MEDIA: The man behind a parody Tesla account, complete with a verification check mark, has claimed the reason for his spoof profile was to show how "incompetent" Elon Musk has been following his Twitter takeover. Musician Connor Musarra, 29, from Los Angeles, was among a number of impersonators who appeared on Twitter while exposing serious flaws in Musk's Twitter Blue plan. Musarra told Newsweek: "As I'm sure most creators of other fake verified accounts would agree, the goal of my fake Tesla account was to highlight how much of a thin-skinned, incompetent buffoon Elon is, but also I just wanted to make people laugh."
READ THE STORY: Newsweek
Social media restricted in Turkey after blast in Taksim, Istanbul
FROM THE MEDIA: Social media restricted in Turkey after blast in Taksim, Istanbul Network data confirm the restriction of social media platforms on multiple internet providers in Turkey on Sunday, 13 November 2022 following a deadly explosion on Istiklal Street in Taksim, Istanbul. The disruption comes as Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) regulatory authority announces a media ban on the topic of the explosion. Real-time NetBlocks metrics show that social media and communications platforms Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and some Telegram servers are currently restricted.
READ THE STORY: NETBLOCKS
Was Marriott Hacked (Forced Password Change)
FROM THE MEDIA: Several LoyaltyLobby readers have contacted us in the past week about forced password changes with Marriott and if there had been another undisclosed hack. Readers are encouraged to send us questions, comments, or opinions by email, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We’ll try to cover them here several times a week. You can access Marriott here. Understandably, some may suspect a widespread hack because the first indication is usually a forced password change or temporarily locked accounts.
READ THE STORY: Loyalty Lobby
Dial-up Internet over WHATSAPP
FROM THE MEDIA: As we returned from Supercon 2022, we noticed many airlines offer free in-flight messaging. While the messages are handy for complaining about the seat size, it isn’t quite as exciting as access to the internet. In the air, we wondered how hard it would be to tunnel an internet connection over messaging. Funny enough, [Aleix Rodríguez Alameda] has a project that does exactly that by tunneling traffic over Whatsapp. In [Aleix]’s case, cell carriers are pretty stingy with internet data when traveling in South America but often give unlimited WhatsApp data. So, ahead of time, two accounts are set up. A server is on one account and acts as a proxy to the broader internet and listens to messages to the server account.
READ THE STORY: HackaDay
US intel report accuses UAE of ‘manipulating American political system’
FROM THE MEDIA: A recent investigation by Intelligence Online, a publication covering secret diplomacy, undercover operations and sensitive intelligence-gathering, has uncovered the source of funding for a number of influential policy influencers and pundits in America. In a report published on 9th November, the publication links senior fellow at the right-wing Claremont Institute David Reaboi who had co-founded and served as the senior vice president of the Security Studies Group think tank (SSG) which was shut down in 2021 – to Elliot Broidy, venture capitalist and Republican Party fundraiser.
READ THE STORY: DOHA News
'Even if we go into nuclear winter, I know I tried to help': A volunteer hacker on waging cyber war
FROM THE MEDIA: Robin* remembers the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine very clearly. "It was like watching Hitler’s invasion of Poland live on television," they said. The head of cybersecurity at a major company in Stockholm, Robin had a deeply-rooted suspicion of Russia and a particular set of skills they wanted to put to use to help Ukraine. In the months since the invasion, the Swede joined the ranks of a large guerrilla network of global hackers who are taking on Russia from their keyboards. Due to the illegal nature of their actions, they spoke to Euronews Next on the condition of anonymity.
READ THE STORY: EURONEWS
Contacting an abortion clinic online may put your personal information at risk
FROM THE MEDIA: In 2015, prosecutors in Indiana arrested a woman on infanticide charges after she self-induced an abortion. Their evidence included her text messages with a friend about obtaining drugs to cause an abortion. In 2017, prosecutors in Mississippi accessed a woman’s browser search history — she had been looking for the words abortion pill — to charge her with murder for “killing her infant child.” In January, prosecutors in Texas arrested a woman after she went to a hospital for complications from a self-induced abortion. The hospital reported her to authorities.
READ THE STORY: The Philadelphia Inquirer
NASA war-games an asteroid impact disaster and it goes badly
FROM THE MEDIA: NASA and a number of other federal, state and local organizations war-gamed an asteroid impact on Winston-Salem, North Carolina, according to Scientific American. The scenario depicted an asteroid measuring 70 meters in diameter being detected shortly before it entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The asteroid would explode eight miles above the city with a force of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb. The explosion would lay the city and surrounding areas waste, with casualties in the thousands.
READ THE STORY: The Hill
Those spreading "fake news" on Russian army must be stripped of citizenship, Putin proposes
FROM THE MEDIA: President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation introduced an amendment to the draft law on the possibility of revocation of acquired citizenship, which was approved at first reading. This was reported by Meduza on its Telegram channel, according to Ukrinform. The norm will apply to those who received a passport not by birthright, but as a result of the "accession" of new territories.
READ THE STORY: Ukrinform
Satellites can track CO2 emissions in real-time, leaving polluters nowhere to hide
FROM THE MEDIA: To ensure that countries keep their climate commitments, more needs to be done to rein in ‘super-emitters’ such as power plants, megacities, refineries, and giant factories. These together are responsible for nearly half of humanity’s total output of greenhouse gases. Now, scientists have shown that for these large super-emitters of carbon dioxide ‘tracking-at-the-source’ is already possible, even with existing satellites. A new study, published in Frontiers in Remote Sensing undertook a “proof-of-principle,” using five years of carbon dioxide measurements from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) and OCO-3 – which is attached to the ISS.
READ THE STORY: COSMOS
Internet Sales Tumble By Half In Iran By Government Disrupting Access
FROM THE MEDIA: Almost half of the Internet service providers in Iran have seen a 50% drop in sales due to disruptions, censorship, and Internet shutdowns by the government during protests. The computer trade union of Tehran -- or Tehran ICT Guild Organization -- announced Saturday that based on a survey conducted at 104 member companies, almost half of the ISP firms have faced a 50% drop. The union's secretary Alireza Keshavarz Jamshidian went on to say that about half of the Internet providers lost over 500 million rials (around $1,400) a day, as sales dropped. However, he added, one-fifth of the companies say they suffered between $2,800 and $14,000 loss a day.
READ THE STORY: Iran International
Items of interest
US prevented Lebanon from receiving 600 thousand tons of Iranian fuel: Senior Hezbollah official
FROM THE MEDIA: Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem indicated, via Twitter, Lebanon was prevented from receiving 600 thousand tons of Iranian fuel as a donation which values around 350 million dollars could provide 5 to 6 hours of daily power supply for several months. For his part, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Mujtaba Amani stated, via Twitter, that foreign sides were behind frustrating the Iranian endeavor to establish power plants in Lebanon and grant the Lebanese the fuel donation. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah had reiterated during his Friday address on Martyr’s Day that the Us administration has been preventing Lebanon from receiving the Iranian fuel donation, stressing that Washington represents a curse with respect to the Lebanese.
READ THE STORY: Almanar // PressTV
Bitcoin forensics - visualizing blockchain transactions with Maltego (Video)
FROM THE MEDIA: Cryptocurrency investigations - like Bitcoin forensics - usually involve blockchain transaction analysis. You can use blockchain.com Explorer to look up Bitcoin, Etherium, and other blockchain transactions or addresses. However, the site is not very useful when attempting to analyze many transactions. Instead, visualizing the blockchain is much more helpful.
Blockchain and Data Analytics (Video)
FROM THE MEDIA: In this video Freddy Zwanzger, Chief Data Officer of Anyblockanalytics, describes how crypto natives can take advantage of data analytics.
These open source products are reviewed from analysts at InfoDom Securities and provide possible context about current media trends in regard to the realm of cyber security. The stories selected cover a broad array of cyber threats and are intended to aid readers in framing key publicly discussed threats and overall situational awareness. InfoDom Securities does not specifically endorse any third-party claims made in their original material or related links on their sites, and the opinions expressed by third parties are theirs alone. Contact InfoDom Securities at dominanceinformation@gmail.com