Third-party cookies have been the lynchpin of online advertising for many years. Plans to phase cookies out forever continue to run at a steady pace, with Google in the driving seat. In 2019, it announced its vision for a “Privacy Sandbox”. The building blocks for this were essentially: Most aspects of the web need money to survive, and advertising that relies on cookies is the dominant revenue … [Read more...]
March 6, 2021
March 5, 2021
China’s RedEcho accused of targeting India’s power grids
RedEcho, an advanced persistent threat (APT) group from China, has attempted to infiltrate the systems behind India’s power grids, according to a threat analysis report from Recorded Future [PDF]. It appears that what triggered this attempt to gain a foothold in India’s critical power generation and transmission infrastructure, was a tense standoff at Pangong Tso lake in May 2020. … [Read more...]
March 1, 2021
Defending online anonymity and speech with Eva Galperin: Lock and Code S02E03
This week on Lock and Code, we discuss the top security headlines generated right here on Labs. In addition, we talk to Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity for Electronic Frontier Foundation, about the importance of protecting online anonymity and speech. In January, the New York Times exposed a public harassment campaign likely waged by one woman against the family of her former employer. … [Read more...]
February 27, 2021
To pay, or not to pay? That is the VPN question
VPNs have been a subject of deliberation for a long time. Is it even important to use one? I think the pandemic has made it clear that, yes, using a VPN is useful, even necessary, most especially for those working remotely. But should you pay for it? Or would you rather settle for free? We’re going to take a look at free VPNs and paid VPNs in general. Mind you, we didn’t … [Read more...]
February 25, 2021
Scammers, profiteers, and shady sites? It must be tax season
US tax season is upon us, a time of the year when a special kind of vermin comes crawling out of the woodwork: tax scammers! Not that their goals are any different from any other scammers. They want your hard-earned dollars in their pockets. Most of the tax-related attacks follow a few tried and true methods: A phishing email or scam call from someone purporting to be from the IRS, or an … [Read more...]
February 22, 2021
A week in security (February 15 – February 21)
Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, the spotlight fell on the State of Malware 2021 report, wherein we have seen cyberthreats evolve. We also touched on ransomware, such as Egregor and a tactic known as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) brute forcing that has long been part of the ransomware operators’ toolkit; insider threats, such as what Yandex recently experienced with one of its own … [Read more...]
February 20, 2021
Omegle investigation raises new concerns for kids’ safety
Social media site Omegle is under fire after an investigation found boys using the platform to expose themselves on camera, and adults exposing themselves to minors. Omegle users are paired with a random stranger who they can socialize with via text or video chat. An investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) found boys and adults exposing themselves on camera, after its … [Read more...]
February 19, 2021
North Korean hackers charged with $1.3 billion of cyberheists
The US Department of Justice recently unsealed indictments detailing North Korea’s involvement in several global cyberattack campaigns against institutions in the financial and entertainment sectors, and money laundering schemes in certain US states. The first unsealed indictment is for hacking activities done by three computer programmers from North Korea. Prosecutors name Jon Chang Hyok … [Read more...]
February 19, 2021
Cybersecurity in Cyberpunk 2077: the good, the bad, and the cringeworthy
What game caused some players to experience seizures, allows you to have unauthorized sex with Keanu Reeves, features a lead character who can’t keep the contents of his pants contained, was pulled from the PlayStation Store weeks after release, and still managed to shatter sales and streaming records? Of course we’re talking about Cyberpunk 2077, the latest game from Polish developer CD … [Read more...]
February 18, 2021
Romance scams: FTC reveals $304 million of heartache
In 2020, reported losses to the FTC for romance scams went up by 50% from 2019, totalling $304 million. And things weren’t exactly good before: Romance scams have cost people a fortune for 3 years running, according to the FTC. Their latest report suggests a steady rise in these kind of scams generally and ponders the impact of the pandemic. If nobody can go out, it stands to reason that … [Read more...]
