Security News
Several weapon marketplaces on the dark web have listed military-grade firearms allegedly coming from Western countries that sent them to support the Ukrainian army in its fight against the Russian invaders. While the listings appear genuine and the offered weapons are priced realistically, the chances of them being created by pro-Russian actors for propaganda purposes are high.
Several weapon marketplaces on the dark web have listed military-grade firearms allegedly coming from Western countries that sent them to support the Ukrainian army in its fight against the Russian invaders. While the listings appear genuine and the offered weapons are priced realistically, the chances of them being created by pro-Russian actors for propaganda purposes are high.
China claims it has obtained a sample of malware used by the NSA to steal files, monitor and redirect network traffic, and remotely control computers to spy on foreign targets. The NSA apparently used NOPEN to take over "a large number" of computers around the world, and the theft of data from this equipment has caused "Inestimable losses," the tabloid reported.
The REvil ransomware gang, thought to be behind an attack on meat producer JBS which netted an impressive $11m payoff, has found another victim. Described as a "a small, veteran-owned consulting firm focused on managing advanced technologies and concepts with strong potential for military and space applications," Sol Oriens' links to the US nuclear weapons programme were revealed in a job posting for a "Senior Nuclear Weapons System Subject Matter Expert" on recruitment site Lensa, first spotted by CNBC correspondent Eamon Javers.
US nuclear weapons contractor Sol Oriens has suffered a cyberattack allegedly at the hands of the REvil ransomware gang, which claims to be auctioning data stolen during the attack. Job postings first spotted by CNBC correspondent Eamon Javers provide some insight into Sol Orien's operations, who are seeking program managers, consultants, and a 'Nuclear Weapon System Subject Matter Expert' to work with the National Nuclear Security Administration.
A subcontractor for the U.S. Department of Energy that works on nuclear weapons with the National Nuclear Security Administration, last month was hit by a cyberattack that experts say came from the relentless REvil ransomware-as-a-service gang. As Javers noted, "We don't know everything this small company does," but he posted a sample job posting that indicates that it handles nuclear weapons issues: "Senior Nuclear Weapon System Subject Matter. Expert with more than 20 years of experience with nuclear weapons like the W80-4." The W80 is a type of nuclear warhead carried on air-launched cruise missiles.
We need to face that reality by halting the purchase of insecure weapons and support systems and by incorporating the realities of offensive cyberattacks into our military planning. Military computers, whether they're embedded inside weapons systems or on desktops managing the logistics of those weapons systems, are similarly vulnerable.
Details of some US nuclear missile bunkers in Europe, which contain live warheads, along with secret codewords used by guards to signal that they're being threatened by enemies, were exposed for nearly a decade through online flashcards used for education, but which were left publicly available. The astonishing security blunder was revealed by investigative journalism website Bellingcat, which described what it found after "Simply searching online for terms publicly known to be associated with nuclear weapons."
The highest-ranked officer in India's armed forces has admitted that China has cyber-war capabilities that can overwhelm his nation's defenses and suggested that only cross-forces collaboration will get India to parity with its giant neighbor. General Bipin Rawat, a four-star general and since 2020 the first to hold a new role of chief of defense staff, offered that assessment yesterday in a talk hosted by Indian think tank the Vivekananda International Foundation.
SAP and security analysts Onapsis say cyber-criminals are pretty quick to analyze the enterprise software outfit's patches and develop exploits to get into vulnerable systems. In a joint report issued by the two organizations, Mariano Nunez, CEO of Onapsis, cited "Conclusive evidence that cyberattackers are actively targeting and exploiting unsecured SAP applications," and warned time was of the essence, reporting "SAP vulnerabilities being weaponized in less than 72 hours since the release of patches."