Content by Scott Ferguson

Cybercrime Forum Administrator Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Scott Ferguson  •  March 22, 2021

A Russian national who co-founded the Infraud Organization's online cybercrime forum, which trafficked in stolen payment card data and was tied to more than $560 million in fraud losses, has been sentenced to serve 10 years in prison.

Acer Reportedly Targeted by Ransomware Gang

Scott Ferguson  •  March 21, 2021

Acer, one of the world's largest PC and device makers, has been targeted by the ransomware gang REvil, aka Sodinokibi, according to news reports. The Taiwanese company has not confirmed it has been attacked, but data has been posted to the gang's darknet site.

Russian Pleads Guilty in Tesla Hacking Scheme

Scott Ferguson  •  March 19, 2021

A Russian national who conspired to extort millions from electric car manufacturer Tesla by trying to plant malware in the company's network has pleaded guilty to a single federal conspiracy charge, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The FBI thwarted the plot before it could be carried out.

US Intelligence Reports: Russia, Iran Targeted 2020 Election

Scott Ferguson  •  March 16, 2021

U.S. intelligence agency reports conclude that Russia and Iran tried to interfere in the 2020 presidential election via disinformation campaigns, but found "no indication that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process," including voting results.

Exchange Hacks: How Will the Biden Administration Respond?

Scott Ferguson  •  March 15, 2021

As the Biden administration makes final preparations to respond to the attacks against SolarWinds, it's been confronted by a second major cyberthreat: the hacking of Microsoft Exchange servers throughout the U.S. The response to this incident, however, will likely be much different.

Relief Package Includes Less for Cybersecurity

Scott Ferguson  •  March 11, 2021

The $1.9 trillion economic relief package known as the American Rescue Plan, which the House approved Wednesday and President Biden signed Thursday afternoon, includes about $2 billion for cybersecurity and IT modernization, rather than the $10 billion the president originally proposed.

John McAfee Charged With Cryptocurrency Fraud

Scott Ferguson  •  March 8, 2021

Cybersecurity entrepreneur John McAfee, who already faces tax evasion charges, has now been indicted for allegedly using his vast social media following to run cryptocurrency pump-and-dump schemes as well as promote virtual currencies to investors without revealing his stake in them, federal prosecutors say.

Researchers Disclose More Malware Used in SolarWinds Attack

Scott Ferguson  •  March 4, 2021

Researchers with Microsoft and FireEye are disclosing additional malware used by the hacking group that targeted SolarWinds last December. These second-stage malware variants appear to have been deployed after organizations downloaded the "Sunburst" backdoor hidden in a software update.

Lesson From SolarWinds Attack: It's Time to Beef Up IAM

Scott Ferguson  •  March 4, 2021

The SolarWinds supply chain attack should prompt federal agencies and others to rethink how they approach security issues - especially identity and access management, according to a breakdown of the attack presented this week by NIST and CISA.

House SolarWinds Hearing Focuses on Updating Cyber Laws

Scott Ferguson  •  February 26, 2021

A pair of U.S. House committees held their first public hearings into the SolarWinds attack, with lawmakers and witnesses offering support for expanding federal cybersecurity laws to address the security failures. This includes a larger role for CISA to conduct threat hunting.

Senate SolarWinds Hearing: 4 Key Issues Raised

Scott Ferguson  •  February 24, 2021

The Senate Intelligence Committee's hearing about the supply chain attack that affected SolarWinds and dozens of other companies and federal agencies answered some questions about what went wrong but also raised four key issues.

White House Preparing 'Executive Action' After SolarWinds Attack

Scott Ferguson  •  February 18, 2021

In an update on the investigation into the SolarWinds supply chain attack, Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger said the Biden administration is preparing "executive action" to address security shortcomings that have come to light.

3 North Koreans Indicted for Conspiring to Steal $1.3 Billion

Scott Ferguson  •  February 17, 2021

Three North Koreans have been indicted for allegedly taking part in a criminal conspiracy that attempted to steal or extort $1.3 billion in cryptocurrency and cash from banks and other organizations around the world, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Biden Assesses US Policies on China Cybersecurity Issues

Scott Ferguson  •  February 16, 2021

The Biden administration is reviewing former President Donald Trump's policies addressing potential national security and cybersecurity concerns about Chinese-owned companies as it develops new plans for dealing with a wide range of issues tied to China.

Water Treatment Hack Prompts Warning From CISA

Scott Ferguson  •  February 12, 2021

Following the hacking of a Florida water treatment plant, CISA is warning the operators of other plants to be on the lookout for hackers who exploit remote access software and outdated operating systems - and to take risk mitigation steps. The advice applies to other organizations as well, some security experts say.