PHI of 287K patients at risk after cyber-attack on South Denver Cardiology Associates

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Last month, the LAPSUS$ hacking group stole up to one terabyte of internal data, including hashed passwords, from graphics card maker NVIDIA.

Of course, you would hope that any sensible NVIDIA employee would have chosen a sensible hard-to-crack password, and ensured that they weren’t using the same password anywhere else on the internet…

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Aleksei Burkov, a cybercriminal who long operated two of Russia’s most exclusive underground hacking forums, was arrested in 2015 by Israeli authorities. The Russian government fought Burkov’s extradition to the U.S. for four years — even arresting and jailing an Israeli woman to force a prisoner swap. That effort failed: Burkov was sent to America, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to nine years in prison. But a little more than a year later, he was quietly released and deported back to Russia. Now some Republican lawmakers are asking why a Russian hacker once described as “an asset of supreme importance” was allowed to shorten his stay.

A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Burkov admitted to running CardPlanet, a site that sold more than 150,000 stolen credit card accounts, and to being a founder of DirectConnection — a closely guarded online community that attracted some of the world’s most-wanted Russian hackers.

But Burkov’s cybercriminal activities spanned far beyond mere credit card fraud. A 2019 deep dive into Burkov’s hacker alias “K0pa” revealed he also was co-administrator of the secretive Russian cybercrime forum “Mazafaka.” Like DirectConnection, Mazafaka’s member roster was a veritable “Who’s Who?” of the Russian hacker underground, and K0pa played a key role in vetting new members and settling disputes for both communities.

K0pa’s elevated status in the Russian cybercrime community made him one of the most connected malicious hackers ever apprehended by U.S. authorities. As I wrote at the time of Burkov’s extradition, the Kremlin was probably concerned that he simply knew too much about Russia’s propensity to outsource certain activities to its criminal hacker community.

“To my knowledge, no one has accused Burkov of being some kind of cybercrime fixer or virtual badguy Rolodex for the Russian government,” KrebsOnSecurity wrote in 2019. “On the other hand, from his onetime lofty perch atop some of the most exclusive Russian cybercrime forums, K0pa certainly would have fit that role nicely.”

Burkov was arrested in December 2015 on an international warrant while visiting Israel, and over the ensuing four years the Russian government aggressively sought to keep him from being extradited to the United States.

When Israeli authorities turned down requests to send him back to Russia — supposedly to face separate hacking charges there — the Russians imprisoned Israeli citizen Naama Issachar on trumped-up drug charges in a bid to trade prisoners. Nevertheless, Burkov was extradited to the United States in November 2019.

And if there were any doubts Issachar was jailed for use as a political pawn, Russian President Vladimir Putin erased those by pardoning her in January 2020, just hours after Burkov pleaded guilty in the United States.

In June 2020, Burkov was sentenced to nine years in prison. But a little more than a year later — Aug. 25, 2021 — Burkov was released and deported back to Russia. According to a letter (PDF) sent Monday by four Republican House lawmakers to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials escorted Burkov onto a plane destined for Moscow shortly after his release.

“An ICE spokesperson stated that Burkov is wanted by Russian authorities, and a DOJ spokesperson denied that a prisoner exchange took place,” the letter reads. “The decision to prematurely release Burkov is curious given the lengths to which the U.S. government went to secure Burkov’s arrest.”

The letter, signed by the ranking members of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, demanded to know why Burkov was released prematurely, and whether the U.S. received anything in return. The lawmakers also asked for a list of all Russian nationals convicted of crimes in the U.S. who were released early since President Biden took office.

Records show Burkov was in the custody of either Israeli or U.S. authorities for almost five years prior to his sentencing in 2020. At the time of his release, Burkov had already been incarcerated for nearly six years. So where did the other years of his sentence go?

That remains unclear, but it is possible he cut some sort of deal to lessen his sentence. On June 16, 2021, a “sealed pleading” was added to Burkov’s court record, followed by a sealed document entered on Aug. 18 — a week before Burkov’s deportation.

The motion to seal these and other documents related to the pleading was made by U.S. federal prosecutors, and those documents remain hidden from public viewing.

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A-list celebrities and social media influencers are now adding their voices to the roar of other cryptocurrency fans asking you to join them in the investments of the future. It’s impossible to deny the grip cryptocurrencies have on the world today, for better or worse. In some industries, they speed the pace of business and for some, it’s a viable way to make ends meet and set up long-term investments. The cryptocurrency realm has also proven to be vulnerable to cybercriminals. For example, the Wormhole hack leaked $320 million, and cybercriminals have targeted crypto platforms with ransomware and mining app scams. 

Whether you’re already in the cryptocurrency game or are thinking about taking the plunge, here’s what you need to know about crypto wallets and tips on how to keep yours safe from cybercriminals. 

What Is a Crypto Wallet?

A cryptocurrency wallet, or crypto wallet, is a software product or a physical device that stores the public and private keys to your cryptocurrency accounts. Keys are strings of numbers and letters that encrypt and decrypt crypto transactions and secure crypto accounts. You can think of public keys as the routing and account numbers that appear at the bottom of paper checks. There’s not much a nefarious character can do with that information, and it’s totally normal to give that information to an acquaintance with whom you’re doing business. Private keys are like your online banking password or debit PIN. Those you must guard very closely because in the wrong hands, your hard-earned bank balance could disappear. A crypto wallet also allows you to transfer funds between crypto types and make transactions.  

What Are Some Types of Crypto Wallets?  

Here are a few basic types of crypto wallets to help you decide which type is right for you. 

Noncustodial vs. custodial

A non-custodial wallet means that you are the sole keeper of the keys to your crypto assets. If you forget your password, there’s no “forgot your password?” prompt to let you back in. While not having this safety net is a little nerve wracking, noncustodial wallets are considered the more secure option. You don’t have to worry about a security breach of a major corporation leaking your private key. If you’re responsible and confident that you’re prepared to look after your assets by yourself, this may be the best option for you. 

A custodial wallet is a little less secure, but you have a third party helping you log in and manage your crypto accounts. Custodial wallets are often web-based, and the biggest tick in their pro column is that they’re generally very easy to use. While reputable custodial wallets take security very seriously, the threat of a breach is always a possibility, especially as crypto accounts are appealing targets to cybercriminals. 

Hardware vs. software

Hardware wallets, also known as cold wallets, are devices you can fit in the palm of your hand. Most models are Bluetooth-enabled devices that look like small remote controls or are flash drives. The device is secured by a PIN that you should never write down or share with anyone else. Also, you should designate a safe and private spot to store your hardware wallet. Similar to a noncustodial wallet, you are solely responsible for keeping track of the device and remembering the PIN. If you lose it, your crypto accounts are locked, and there’s no locksmith to open them for you. As long as you keep track of it, hardware wallets are very secure. Most models are equipped with malware- and virus-proofing security features. 

Software wallets are downloaded and internet-connected mobile or desktop apps. They allow you to make transactions on the run, as you can access your crypto accounts from your phone. In that sense, they’re more convenient than hardware wallets. Additionally, software wallets have the same safety net as custodial wallets: if you lose your phone, forget your password, or require login assistance, the maker of the software can help you access your accounts. Software wallets are very secure when you enable their two-factor authentication login settings; however, since they connect to the internet, there’s always a chance a cybercriminal could break-in. Thus, hardware wallets are considered more secure than the software variety. 

How to Keep Your Crypto Wallet Safe 

Check out these tips to ensure your assets are safe and secure in your crypto wallet: 

Check your accounts regularly. It’s imperative that you check your crypto wallet regularly to ensure that your accounts look in order and you can catch suspicious activity quickly. Crypto wallets and digital wallets are unlike the physical one you carry in your pocket or your bag, because when your physical wallet goes missing, you’re likely to notice it quickly. “Phone, keys, wallet” is a mantra most of us sing before walking out the door. Plus, everyone knows the immediate steps to take when a physical wallet goes missing: retrace your steps, put a hold on credit and debit cards, file for a new driver’s license. If you think something is amiss with your wallet, cancel any credit cards linked to your account, change your password immediately and set up two-factor authentication if you haven’t already.
Set up two-factor authentication. Speaking of login security, always make sure you enable two-factor authentication. It is one of the best ways to deter a thief. If your device has biometric authentication, that’s even better. This means that only a scan of your face, voice, or fingerprint will open your accounts. 
Know how to identify crypto wallet scams. Watch out for phishers who may be persistent in trying to gain access to your cryptocurrency accounts. If anyone by email, text, phone, or snail mail asks for your private key, ignore the correspondence and go on high alert. Never share your private key with anyone! Phishing attempts often use fear or excitement to trick people into divulging personal information, so don’t fall for messages masquerading as contests or as a crypto company that needs your private key to restore your accounts.

Explore Crypto Safely and Confidently

Cryptocurrency value is reaching galactic heights like the spaceships depicted in prime-time ads. Don’t feel pressured to hop aboard the crypto rocket, but if you do decide to jump on, make sure you do your research carefully and make the best decisions for your crypto goals. 

The post What Is a Crypto Wallet and How to Keep Your Wallet Secure? appeared first on McAfee Blog.

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This will be law soon:

Companies critical to U.S. national interests will now have to report when they’re hacked or they pay ransomware, according to new rules approved by Congress.

[…]

The reporting requirement legislation was approved by the House and the Senate on Thursday and is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden soon. It requires any entity that’s considered part of the nation’s critical infrastructure, which includes the finance, transportation and energy sectors, to report any “substantial cyber incident” to the government within three days and any ransomware payment made within 24 hours.

Even better would be if they had to report it to the public.

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The widescale DDoS attack is suspected to have been conducted by a nation-state actor

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In February 2022, Arechlient2, CryptoWall, and Delf. CryptoWall returned to the Top 10, while Arechclient2 and Delf made their first appearances.

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