CyberWire Daily

This special edition podcast highlights three women, Priyanka, Ashley and Lauren, who chose to focus their careers in cybersecurity for the mission-based organization Northrop Grumman. Kathleen Smith from ClearedJobs.Net joins us as our panel moderator. The CyberWire's Jennifer Eiben hosts the event. We are excited to share this look into the world of women in cybersecurity.

In this special edition, our extended conversation with Hank Thomas and Mike Doniger from their new company SCVX. Both experienced investors, their plan is to bring a new funding mechanism known as a SPAC to cyber security which, they say, is new to the space.  February 2021 Update: we revisit the topic with guest Hank Thomas to hear the latest on SPACs.

A conversation with Lenny Zeltser on zero trust.

It's important for employees to be brought into the fold as security's allies, rather than as its adversaries. For cybersecurity teams that operate with an adversarial mindset appropriate for external threats, it can be challenging to approach internal threats differently. You can't treat employees the same way you treat nation-state hackers. But employees play a pivotal role in preventing data leaks, making it important to create a company-wide culture of transparency...

An election hack that wasn’t. More DDoS in New Zealand’s stock exchange. A look at how Iranian cyber contractors make money as a byproduct of cyberespionage. Malware sneeks past Apple’s notarization process. The bandit economy that’s grown up around Fortnite. Ben Yelin looks at how the upcoming US elections could direct the nation’s cybersecurity strategies. Our guest is Julian Waits from Devo with highlights from their 2nd annual SOC performance report...

Aquatic Panda has been found working Log4shell exploits against an academic institution. Apache fixes new Log4j issues reported last week, and Microsoft also updates Windows Defender to address Log4j risks. Cyberattacks, criminal or hacktivist in motivation, hit news outlets around the new year. Microsoft works on fixing a Y2K22 bug in on-premise Exchange Server. Andrea Little Limbago from Interos on technology spheres of influence...

It’s going to take time, vigilance, and attention to detail to manage the Log4j risks. A North Korean APT is trying to install the Konni RAT into Russian diplomats’ devices. More hacktivist-looking incidents follow the anniversary of Iranian General Soleimani’s death. Other, self-inflicted, software supply chain incidents. The Kremlin is said to be worried about what Mr. Klyushin might tell the Americans who’ve got him in jail...

CISA says US Federal agencies are now largely in compliance with Log4j risk mitigation guidance. The FTC issues advice and a warning on Log4j to US businesses. A skimmer is installed through cloud-delivered video. The Vice Society’s ransomware is meddling with supermarket operations in the UK. The Atlantic Council offers advice on strategy for the grey zone. Hacktivists are expected to punish greenwashing in 2022...

ICS vendors address Log4j vulnerabilities. Regulators and legislators think about addressing issues in the software supply chain. Ransomware gangs were quick to exploit Log4shell. An old, and patched, Windows vulnerability is being exploited by the Malsmoke gang. Social engineering of Google Docs users is up. Mr. Klyshin pleads not guilty. Robert M. Lee from Dragos makes the case for salary transparency...

Kazakhstan shuts down its Internet as civil unrest continues (and one consequence is a disruption of alt-coin mining in that country). The UK’s NHS warns of unknown threat actors exploiting Log4j bugs in unpatched VMware Horizon servers. In the US, CISA continues to assist Federal agencies with Log4j remediation, and observers call for more Government support of open-source software security. A major provider of school websites is hit with ransomware...