Timely patching is one of the most important cybersecurity controls preventing system compromise – especially amid growing cyber threats.

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New real-time scanning feature conducts analyses of an app’s code during the installation process

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The ExtraHop survey involved over 1200 global security and IT leaders

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Plastic surgeries have been warned that they are being targeted by cybercriminals plotting to steal sensitive data – ncluding patients’ medical records and photographs – that will be later used for extortion.

Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog.

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One of the oldest malware tricks in the book — hacked websites claiming visitors need to update their Web browser before they can view any content — has roared back to life in the past few months. New research shows the attackers behind one such scheme have developed an ingenious way of keeping their malware from being taken down by security experts or law enforcement: By hosting the malicious files on a decentralized, anonymous cryptocurrency blockchain.

In August 2023, security researcher Randy McEoin blogged about a scam he dubbed ClearFake, which uses hacked WordPress sites to serve visitors with a page that claims you need to update your browser before you can view the content.

The fake browser alerts are specific to the browser you’re using, so if you’re surfing the Web with Chrome, for example, you’ll get a Chrome update prompt. Those who are fooled into clicking the update button will have a malicious file dropped on their system that tries to install an information stealing trojan.

Earlier this month, researchers at the Tel Aviv-based security firm Guardio Labs said they tracked an updated version of the ClearFake scam that included an important evolution. Previously, the group had stored its malicious update files on Cloudflare, Guard.io said.

But when Cloudflare blocked those accounts the attackers began storing their malicious files as cryptocurrency transactions in the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), a technology designed to run decentralized apps and “smart contracts,” or coded agreements that execute actions automatically when certain conditions are met.

Nati Tal, head of security at Guardio Labs, said the malicious scripts stitched into hacked WordPress sites will create a new smart contract on the BSC Blockchain, starting with a unique, attacker-controlled blockchain address and a set of instructions that defines the contract’s functions and structure. When that contract is queried by a compromised website, it will return an obfuscated and malicious payload.

“These contracts offer innovative ways to build applications and processes,” Tal wrote along with his Guardio colleague Oleg Zaytsev. “Due to the publicly accessible and unchangeable nature of the blockchain, code can be hosted ‘on-chain’ without the ability for a takedown.”

Tal said hosting malicious files on the Binance Smart Chain is ideal for attackers because retrieving the malicious contract is a cost-free operation that was originally designed for the purpose of debugging contract execution issues without any real-world impact.

“So you get a free, untracked, and robust way to get your data (the malicious payload) without leaving traces,” Tal said.

In response to questions from KrebsOnSecurity, the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) said its team is aware of the malware abusing its blockchain, and is actively addressing the issue. The company said all addresses associated with the spread of the malware have been blacklisted, and that its technicians had developed a model to detect future smart contracts that use similar methods to host malicious scripts.

“This model is designed to proactively identify and mitigate potential threats before they can cause harm,” BNB Smart Chain wrote. “The team is committed to ongoing monitoring of addresses that are involved in spreading malware scripts on the BSC. To enhance their efforts, the tech team is working on linking identified addresses that spread malicious scripts to centralized KYC [Know Your Customer] information, when possible.”

Gaurdio says the crooks behind the BSC malware scheme are using the same malicious code as the attackers that McEoin wrote about in August, and are likely the same group. But a report published today by email security firm Proofpoint says the company is currently tracking at least four distinct threat actor groups that use fake browser updates to distribute malware.

Proofpoint notes that the core group behind the fake browser update scheme has been using this technique to spread malware for the past five years, primarily because the approach still works well.

“Fake browser update lures are effective because threat actors are using an end-user’s security training against them,” Proofpoint’s Dusty Miller wrote. “In security awareness training, users are told to only accept updates or click on links from known and trusted sites, or individuals, and to verify sites are legitimate. The fake browser updates abuse this training because they compromise trusted sites and use JavaScript requests to quietly make checks in the background and overwrite the existing website with a browser update lure. To an end user, it still appears to be the same website they were intending to visit and is now asking them to update their browser.”

More than a decade ago, this site published Krebs’s Three Rules for Online Safety, of which Rule #1 was, “If you didn’t go looking for it, don’t install it.” It’s nice to know that this technology-agnostic approach to online safety remains just as relevant today.

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ISACA’s new CEO highlights growth of its European membership as the Association works on an aggressive growth strategy

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We’re pleased to announce the availability of the 2023 AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report: Focus on Retail. The report examines the edge ecosystem, surveying retail IT leaders from around the world, and provides benchmarks for assessing your edge computing plans. This is the 12th edition of our vendor-neutral and forward-looking report. Last year’s focus on retail report documented how we secure the data, applications, and endpoints that rely on edge computing (get the 2022 report).

Get the complimentary 2023 report.  

The robust quantitative field survey reached 1,418 security, IT, application development, and line of business professionals worldwide. The qualitative research tapped subject matter experts across the cybersecurity industry. Retail-specific respondents equal 201.

At the onset of our research, we established the following hypotheses.

Momentum edge computing has in the market.
Approaches to connecting and securing the edge ecosystem – including the role of trusted advisors to achieve edge goals.
Perceived risk and perceived benefit of the common use cases in each industry surveyed.

The results focus on common edge use cases in seven vertical industries – healthcare, retail, finance, manufacturing, energy and utilities, transportation, and U.S. SLED- delivering actionable advice for securing and connecting an edge ecosystem, including external trusted advisors. Finally, it examines cybersecurity and the broader edge ecosystem of networking, service providers, and top use cases.

The role of IT is shifting, embracing stakeholders at the ideation phase of development.

Edge computing is a transformative technology that brings together various stakeholders and aligns their interests to drive integrated business outcomes. The emergence of edge computing has been fueled by a generation of visionaries who grew up in the era of smartphones and limitless possibilities. Look at the infographic below for a topline summary of key findings in the retail industry.

In this paradigm, the role of IT has shifted from being the sole leader to a collaborative partner in delivering innovative edge computing solutions. In addition, we found that retail leaders are budgeting differently for edge use cases. These two things, along with an expanded approach to securing edge computing, were prioritized by our respondents in the 2023 AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report: Edge Ecosystem.

One of the most promising aspects of edge computing is its potential to effectively use near-real-time data for tighter control of variable operations such as inventory and supply chain management that deliver improved operational efficiency. Adding new endpoints is essential for collecting the data, but how they’re connected can make them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Successful cyberattacks can disrupt services, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures.

Edge computing brings the data closer to where decisions are made.

With edge computing, the intelligence required to make decisions, the networks used to capture and transmit data, and the use case management are distributed. Distributed means things work faster because nothing is backhauled to a central processing area such as a data center and delivers the near-real-time experience.

With this level of complexity, it’s common to re-evaluate decisions regarding security, data storage, or networking. The report shares emerging trends as retail continues exploring edge computing use cases. One area that’s examined is expense allocation, and what we found may surprise you. The research reveals the allocation of investments across overall strategy and planning, network, application, and security for the anticipated use cases that organizations plan to implement within the next three years.

Preparing to secure your retail edge ecosystem.

Develop your edge computing profile. It is essential to break down the barriers that typically separate the internal line of business teams, application development teams, network teams, and security teams. Technology decisions should not be made in isolation but rather through collaboration with line of business partners. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of existing business and technology partners makes it easier to identify gaps in evolving project plans.

The edge ecosystem is expanding, and expertise is available to offer solutions that address cost, implementation, mitigating risks, and more. Including expertise from the broader retail edge ecosystem increases the chances of outstanding performance and alignment with organizational goals.

Develop an investment strategy. During retail edge use case development, organizations should carefully determine where and how much to invest. Think of it as part of monetizing the use case. Building security into the use case from the start allows the organization to consider security as part of the overall cost of goods (COG). It’s important to note that no one-size-fits-all solution can provide complete protection for all aspects of edge computing. Instead, organizations should consider a comprehensive and multi-layered approach to address the unique security challenges of each use case.

increase your compliance capabilities. Regulations in retail can vary significantly. This underscores the importance of not relying solely on a checkbox approach or conducting annual reviews to help ensure compliance with the growing number of regulations. Keeping up with technology-related mandates and helping to ensure compliance requires ongoing effort and expertise. If navigating compliance requirements is not within your organization’s expertise, seek outside help from professionals specializing in this area.

Align resources with emerging priorities. External collaboration allows organizations to utilize expertise and reduce resource costs. It goes beyond relying solely on internal teams within the organization. It involves tapping into the expanding ecosystem of edge computing experts who offer strategic and practical guidance. Engaging external subject matter experts (SMEs) to enhance decision-making can help prevent costly mistakes and accelerate deployment. These external experts can help optimize use case implementation, ultimately saving time and resources.

Build-in resilience. Consider approaching edge computing with a layered mindset. Take the time to ideate on various “what-if” scenarios and anticipate potential challenges. For example, what measures exist if a private 5G network experiences an outage? Can data remain secure when utilizing a public 4G network? How can business-as-usual operations continue in the event of a ransomware attack?

Successful edge computing implementations in the retail industry require a holistic approach encompassing collaboration, compliance, resilience, and adaptability. By considering these factors and proactively engaging with the expertise available, retail will continue to unlock the potential of edge computing to deliver improved operational efficiency, allowing the industry to focus on innovation rather than operations.

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