Category: Cyberattack
Cybersecurity For Dummies available for legal download, at no charge from cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks
Chinese authorities had arrested a number of individuals and shut down the WireLurker Command and Control Server just ten days after Palo Alto Networks released their findings.
Last weekend we focused on Cybersecurity issues. Many visitors to this site may not be fully versed in Cybersecurity issues. In that vein, I wanted to let you all know that Palo Alto Networks is allowing the legal download of Cybersecurity for Dummies. It discuss APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats) to the Enterprise Network. Old solutions no longer work. A layered approach of new solution is detailed.
Click on this link to view other CyberSecurity related posts found on Uniquely Toronto.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice. Any offers mentioned in this post are also subject to change without notice.
Next Suits and Spooks event to be held in London England on May 06 and 07 2015
Suits and Spooks Events are a bit like TED Talks, but focused on Cyber Security issues. From the Suites and Spooks webpage: “Each event draws thought leaders and decision makers from the public, private, defense, law enforcement and intelligence sectors who come to learn about and discuss some of the key security challenges which face our digitally connected nation and world“
One unique aspect of the presentations made at Suits and Spooks is that after the first 10 minutes, the Audience can join in by asking questions or directly challenging the presenter. Audience participation resulting in Debate and Discussion is the cornerstone of these events.
The next Suits and Spooks Event will be held in London England on May 6th and 7th 2015.
Click on this link to view other CyberSecurity related posts found on Uniquely Toronto.
Posted by: Vincent Banial for Uniquely Toronto
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Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice. Any offers mentioned in this post are also subject to change without notice.
Just wanted to say Hello to our visitors from the American NSA agency , Canadian CSIS agency, Russian SVR agency and German BND agency. Sorry if I left out one or two others…
Thanks for dropping by and checking out this past weekend’s Cybersecurity related posts….
Click on this link to view other CyberSecurity related posts found on Uniquely Toronto.
Kaspersky Lab publishes details about the Equation Hacker group’s arsenal, including “nls_933w.dll” which can reprogram the hard drive firmware of over a dozen different hard drive brands
Kaspersky Lab presented at their Security Analysts Summit something even more scary than the details about the Carbanak Bank Cyber Heist. Per Karspersky the Carbanak group ripped off about 100 banks around the globe of about $1 Billion Dollars (and in my opinion very likely still counting).
Kaspersky Lab Experts referred to the Equation group as the “God” or the “Death Star” of Malware. Part of the huge arsenal of code which the Equation group has been developing over what looks like decades is “nls_933w.dll“. “It allows them to reprogram the hard drive firmware of over a dozen different hard drive brands“.
Once “nls_933w.dll“ installs the Malware into the Hard Disk’s firmware, there is no way to remove it. Repartitioning will not affect it. Reformatting has no effect. The only way to get rid of this Malware from the targeted computer, is to physically destroy the Hard Disk.
Kaspersky Lab goes on to report that the Equation group seems to have existed long before the Stuxnet group.
The word “Elite” is part of the lexicon of Hackers. The Equation group therefore can be called the Elite of the Elite of the Elite of the Elite of the Elite and so on of Uber Hackers. To be able to hack and modify a Hard Drive’s firmware is unheard of. To be able to do so for Hard Drives of over a dozen different brands is insanely impossible. Yet the Equation group did it and very likely much more, that has yet to come to light. In comparison, this makes things like the REGIN Malware group’s incredible capabilities seem like no big deal.
Ok, enough of my rambling.
Click on this line to view the Kaspersky Lab report about the Equation group and their arsenal of jaw dropping Malware. On that page you will find a link to a downloadable PDF of the Question and Answer session from their presentation at the Security Analysts Summit.
Wow, this has turned into a CyberSecurity long weekend. Very impressive and rather scary stuff has been revealed by Kaspersky Lab.
Click on this link to view other CyberSecurity related posts found on Uniquely Toronto.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice.
Kaspersky Lab report: The Great Bank Robbery: Carbanak cybergang steals $1 Billion Dollars from 100 financial institutions worldwide
Video is courtesy of the Kaspersky Lab YouTube channel
The Kasperskpy Lab report which was presented at the Security Analyst Summit (on Feb 16 2015) is now available online.
Click on this line to visit the Kaspersky Lab SecureList page which discusses the report : The Great Bank Robbery: Carbanak cybergang steals $1bn from 100 financial institutions worldwide. You can also download a PDF of the “Full” Report via a link on that webpage.
Click on this link to view other CyberSecurity related posts found on Uniquely Toronto.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice.
Hackers supposedly were able to steal up to $1 Billion Dollars from Banks around the globe
This is a further update to our prior post about the breaking news of a major Cyber Bank Heist.
The amount supposedly stolen from assorted banks around the globe is now being published to be around $1 Billion Dollars.

Racks filled with Cisco Networking gear. Photo Credit Vincent Banial
Hackers supposedly infiltrated Banks via Malware, allowing them to steal hundred of millions of dollars. Detailed report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab to be made public on Monday Feb 16

Photo of racks filled with Cisco Networking Gear. Photo Credit Vincent Banial
I have had many arguments about security software. One group especially got me going because to them Norton Security was the end all and be all. I finally got their so-called Tech to admit that to him Norton Security was the best because it had the largest market share. That’s like saying that GM automobiles are better than Rolls Royce automobiles because GM has a larger market share.
Of course Norton Security is very good. I believe that the security software created by Kaspersky Lab is better (your mileage may differ). Testing done by the Security Software testing site AV TEST http://av-test.org also top rates Kaspersky Lab security software. But I digress…our coverage of this major Cybersecurity Breach continues below.
The report on what Kasperky Lab had determined about the Cyber Bank Heist will be made public on Monday Feb 16.
Supposedly ATMs were instructed by the Hackers to dispense money at specific times.
Account balances were supposedly inflated and then the inflated amounts were transferred to Bank Accounts setup by the Hackers.
In the New York Times article it seems that Kaspersky Lab had supposedly seen evidence of hundreds of millions of dollars in supposed theft. The article implied that the Cyber Security Experts at Kaspersky Lab think that the sums stolen could possibly be multiple times more.
I will keep watching for the official Kaspersky Lab report on Monday. Till then you can learn more about this by visiting some of the links below.
The New York Times post which looks to be the main post which brought this to public light.
CNet’s post about the supposed Cyber Bank Heists.
ARS Techinca coverage of the Cyber Attack on Banks around the globe.
The Citizen post about this Hacker worldwide Bank Heist.
New York Times sub post about how Hackers infiltrated Banks.
I will continue to post about this as more is learned – most likely when that Kaspersky Lab report is released on Monday Feb 16 2015.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice.
Check to see if your Computer Security and Android Mobile Device Security Software is working and providing a high level of protection?
I just posted to our Uniquely Tech site, about how to check your Computer Security Software. The checks are to Industry Standards.
For those who own an Android Tablet or Smartphone,there are also checks of the Security Protection on said Android devices.
Unfortunately Google prevents me from posting a duplicate post on this site.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice.
WireLurker Malware targeting Apple IOS and OSX products
If you use an Apple IOS or OSX device (phone, tablet, notebook and desktop) you might want to check out my post about WireLurker.
Apple users sometimes are smug about not needing any security software. Yes, Apple products have been highly secure.
As the number of Apple products being purchased keeps growing, Apple products are also becoming targets for those who create Viruses and Malware and other interesting code.
Back in 2012 “Flashback” victimized about 700,000 Macs. WireLurker and future variants of it could have the potential to do the same.
Staying informed can help keep you and your Apple IOS and OSX gear from falling victim to such attacks.
Posted by: Vincent Banial
Disclaimer: Any Trademarks mentioned in this post are owned by the respective Trademark owner. There could be unintentional errors or omissions in this post. Always refer to the official sites to confirm details and any ongoing changes or updates. This post is subject to change without notice.
New blog post about how to Clean a Computer Virus and Malware infection
Just started another blog, for Tech oriented material. Our first post details how to clean a computer virus and malware infection. In the post I discuss the two best software programs which you should use. Both are top rated by major testing site AV-TEST.ORG and you can download them both for “free”.
