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Category: cybercrime/malcode – Page 41

Neglected Domains Used in Malspam to Evade SPF and DMARC Security Protections

Cybersecurity researchers have found that bad actors are continuing to have success by spoofing sender email addresses as part of various malspam campaigns.

Faking the sender address of an email is widely seen as an attempt to make the digital missive more legitimate and get past security mechanisms that could otherwise flag it as malicious.

While there are safeguards such as DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) that can be used to prevent spammers from spoofing well-known domains, such measures have increasingly led them to leverage old, neglected domains in their operations.

New EAGERBEE Variant Targets ISPs and Governments with Advanced Backdoor Capabilities

Internet service providers (ISPs) and governmental entities in the Middle East have been targeted using an updated variant of the EAGERBEE malware framework.

The new variant of EAGERBEE (aka Thumtais) comes fitted with various components that allow the backdoor to deploy additional payloads, enumerate file systems, and execute commands shells, demonstrating a significant evolution.

“The key plugins can be categorized in terms of their functionality into the following groups: Plugin Orchestrator, File System Manipulation, Remote Access Manager, Process Exploration, Network Connection Listing, and Service Management,” Kaspersky researchers Saurabh Sharma and Vasily Berdnikov said in an analysis.

Quantum Leap: D-Wave’s Bold New Move! Discover the Future of Computing

In a groundbreaking development poised to reshape the landscape of quantum computing, D-Wave Systems has announced their latest innovation: the Advantage2 quantum processor. As the industry grapples with an ever-increasing demand for computational power, this announcement signals a pivotal moment in the quest to harness the full potential of quantum technology.

Game-Changing Technology The Advantage2 processor boasts a staggering 7,000 qubits, significantly surpassing its predecessors and setting a new benchmark for quantum performance. This advancement is expected to enhance quantum annealing processes, thereby accelerating solutions for complex optimization problems that classical computers struggle to handle efficiently.

Pioneering Quantum Real-World Applications D-Wave is focusing on addressing real-world challenges across various sectors, including logistics, pharmaceuticals, and cybersecurity. By providing unparalleled computing speed, the Advantage2 aims to facilitate breakthroughs in drug discovery and materials design, and to optimize intricate supply chain networks with unprecedented efficiency.

“WWI Fighter Plane Hack” Inspires Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed an innovative technology inspired by the synchronization mechanism of WWI fighter aircraft, which coordinated machine gun fire with propeller movement. This breakthrough allows precise, real-time control of the pH in a cell’s environment to influence its behavior. Detailed in Nano Letters, the study opens exciting possibilities for developing new cancer and heart disease therapies and advancing the field of tissue engineering.

“Every cell is responsive to pH,” explains Jinglei Ping, associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at UMass Amherst and corresponding author of the study. “The behavior and functions of cells are impacted heavily by pH. Some cells lose viability when the pH has a certain level and for some cells, the pH can change their physiological properties.” Previous work has demonstrated that changes of pH as small as 0.1 pH units can have physiologically significant effects on cells.

Massive healthcare breaches prompt US cybersecurity rules overhaul

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to secure patients’ health data following a surge in massive healthcare data leaks.

These stricter cybersecurity rules, proposed by the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and expected to be published as a final rule within 60 days, would require healthcare organizations to encrypt protected health information (PHI), implement multifactor authentication, and segment their networks to make it harder for attackers to move laterally through them.

“In recent years, there has been an alarming growth in the number of breaches affecting 500 or more individuals reported to the Department, the overall number of individuals affected by such breaches, and the rampant escalation of cyberattacks using hacking and ransomware,” the HHS’ proposal says.

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