New Android Ransomware Filecoder.C

ESET researchers have discovered a new Android ransomware strain called Android/Filecoder.C.  The strain was distributed on adult content-related topics in Reddit and in the “XDA developers” forum under the guise of a “sex simulator” app.  Clicking the link downloads the ransomware.  It then uses the victims contact list to further distribute the infected link via […]

According to a study by Ocean Tomo, intangible assets have emerged as the leading determinant of a company’s value.  From 1975 to 2025, the value of tangible assets dropped from 83% down to 16% while the intangibles went from 17% to 84%.   A company’s value derives from its tangible and intangible assets. Intangible assets include […]

Paige Thompson, a software engineer who formerly worked for Amazon Web Services, is accused of breaking into a Capital One server.  Thompson obtained access to 140,000 Social Security numbers, 1 million Canadian Social Insurance numbers and 80,000 bank account numbers.  She also had access to over 100 million people’s names, addresses, credit scores and limits, […]

The HIPAA Privacy Rule states that clearinghouses, covered entities, and business associates are required to follow the HIPAA security and privacy rules. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the Privacy Rule “requires that a covered entity obtain satisfactory assurances from its business associate that the business associate will appropriately safeguard the […]

With the ever-growing monitoring of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations and media attention to their subsequent soaring costs, there has never been a better time to ensure your Access Control/Governance Policy is in place.  According to hitconsultant.net, in regard to ongoing HIPAA compliance efforts, initiating an access governance program perhaps is the best […]

Equifax has agreed to pay anywhere from $575 million to $700 million in its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and 50 U.S. states and territories.  In 2017, Equifax had one of the largest data breaches in US history when they failed to properly secure over 148 million […]

Microsoft Security Intelligence has sent out a new set of Tweets outlining an attack strategy that uses a number of Windows toolsets to install a remote access trojan (RAT) malware onto victims’ systems. The malware uses executables, tools, and scripts to avoid detection. According to KnowBe4, here’s how it works: The potential victim receives an […]

Ransomware is targeting systems world-wide, big and small.  And every unlucky victim faces the same dilemma:  to pay or not to pay.  Despite the US Conference of Mayors approved resolution last week to not pay cybercriminals, there are still persistent arguments to both sides of the issue. According to the FBI’s “Ransomware Prevention and Response […]

Scammers are using Google’s Calendar app to trick users into clicking on phishing links that upload malware hidden in a java script. Over 1.5 billion users are at risk. Scammers send a calendar invite complete with meeting topic and location to fool users into clicking the innocent and valid looking link poised to send them […]

Without a federal privacy law in place, individual states are starting to examine privacy legislation on their own. California already has the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).  It appears the next state will be New York. NY Senate Bill 224 is privacy legislation that’s even tougher than California’s bill. Though the NY Privacy Act (NYPA) […]

A new set of malware is locking down computers instantly and demanding hundreds of bitcoin to get access to your files and network back. Recent attacks don’t appear to be derived from a particular nation but rather a group of hackers called ShadowGate. According to Malwarebytes, an antivirus developer, the attack targets exploits found in […]