When the United Kingdom added “intrusive” surveillance technologies to the Wassenaar Arrangement list of “weapons” in late 2013, analysts speculated whether the handwriting was on the wall for some ISS vendors. If adopted by member nations of the Arrangement, the rules would place stricter export licensing requirements not only on lawful malware but also on Zero Days, IMSI … [Read more...]
Zero Days vs. Malware — What’s the Difference?
In the popular mind, Zero Days and Malware – including Trojans, bots, bugs, rootkits, worms, spyware and other forms – are commonly lumped together under the general heading of viruses and more recently “cyber attacks.” While the latter term is appropriate as a generic catch-all, it is important for law enforcement to understand the difference between Zero Days and Malware as … [Read more...]
Blue Coat Systems Jousts With Hacking Team – And Misses
Security company Blue Coat Systems has won kudos from security press in recent days for spotting an Android-focused drive-by attack supposedly linked to Italian ethical malware company, The Hacking Team. The comparatively rare but highly lethal exploit of Android vulnerabilities was discovered at Blue Coat laboratory, and has the gift of infecting targeted mobile devices merely … [Read more...]
FireEye Mandiant: FBI’s Secret Malware Friend?
When reports emerge about the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations’ offensive cyber capabilities (creating a fake newspaper website to catch a Seattle bomber and similar phishing escapades) the question always arises: Where does this talent arise -- in-house of via subcontractor? -- and the short answer is FireEye Mandiant. Before we delve into how Mandiant works with the … [Read more...]
Internet of Things: The Map of Cyber Intrusion Vulnerability
The Web is alive with a new report by Evans Data Corporation showing rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT). The report cites North America and the Asia Pacific region as being well ahead in IOT development projects, while EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) lag far behind due to lack of interest by developers. The implication: Those in the lead are … [Read more...]