Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

US Power Grid: The Russians are Hacking! (Or Not)

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  January 5, 2017

Hackers will hack, but any attempt to attribute attacks back to an individual, group or state apparatus too often involves political agendas, cybersecurity marketing moves, attempts to deflect blame or outright errors of interpretation.

2017: 'Year of the Breach' Redux?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 28, 2016

Will more "historical" breaches be revealed in 2017 and beyond? Data breach expert Troy Hunt is optimistic that such revelations will become rare as large businesses operating online continue to improve security. But what about small and mid-size organizations?

How to Battle IoT Devices Infected with DDoS Malware

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 28, 2016

With the rise of malware infecting IoT devices, DDoS defenders "have to assume that the attackers have an unlimited supply of machines that they can compromise," says Akamai's Michael Smith. But quarantines, ISP feedback loops and better patch management can bolster defenses.

Ukrainian Power Grid Blackout Alert: Potential Hack Attack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 23, 2016

Unprecedented hack attacks knocked three Ukrainian power providers offline in late 2015, and now a potential repeat hack has surfaced. Security experts recommend all power operators globally hunt carefully for related signs of attack.

Russian DNC Hackers Tied to Ukrainian Artillery App Hack

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 22, 2016

A variant of malware used to infect U.S. Democratic National Committee systems was also used to infect an Android app used by Ukraine's artillery forces, bolstering attribution of both attacks to Russia, says cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike.

Online Bank Fraud Mastermind Failed to Cover Tracks

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 21, 2016

Memo to would-be cybercriminals: Want to move stolen funds internationally to bank accounts that you control? Need to route the funds to a few money mules to get it laundered? Don't do it from a system tied to an IP address registered to your home.

Report: Shadow Brokers Leaks Trace to NSA Insider

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 20, 2016

The Shadow Brokers is offering more Equation Group attack tools for sale, payable in bitcoins. Experts say the dump appears designed to deflect attention from Russia's alleged meddling in this year's U.S. presidential election, but it may have originated from a rogue NSA insider.

Romanian Cybercrime Suspects Extradited to Face US Charges

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 19, 2016

Three Romanian men accused of running a cybercrime ring that used custom-built "Bayrob" malware and money mules to steal at least $4 million from victims have been extradited to face charges in the United States.

Yahoo Breach Alert: 1 Billion Accounts at Risk

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 15, 2016

Yahoo has the dubious distinction of having not just one but two record-shattering historical breaches come to light this year. The latest breach to be revealed, which dates back to 2013, involved the potential compromise of 1 billion accounts.

Breach Attribution and 'Hack Back': Don't Waste Time

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 14, 2016

Hack attack victims often ask two questions: "Who did it? And can we hack them back?" But after an attack, with time of the essence for blocking further damage, those are the wrong questions for breached organizations to be asking, data breach response expert Alan Brill says in this audio interview.

Bangladesh Bank Heist Probe Finds 'Negligent' Insiders

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 9, 2016

An internal investigation into the February theft of $81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh reportedly found that a handful of negligent and careless bank officials inadvertently helped facilitate the heist by outside hackers.

IoT Botnet Plague: Coming Soon to an ISP Near You

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 7, 2016

Coming soon to an internet service provider near you: routers infected by IoT device botnet-building malware such as Mirai. The latest victim is ISP TalkTalk, which is updating routers to block DDoS attackers who have been seizing control of the devices.

US Tech Firms Promise Terror Content Crackdown

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  December 6, 2016

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube have promised to contribute to a shared database containing hashes - digital fingerprints - of images and videos that promote hatred or terror to facilitate more rapid takedowns. But does the project go far enough?

Britain's New Mass Surveillance Law Presages Crypto Fight

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 30, 2016

Britain has enacted a new mass surveillance law - the Investigatory Powers Act - which will allow the government to demand backdoors from tech companies to intercept communications. But at what cost?

San Francisco's Muni Vows: We Won't Pay Bitcoin Ransom

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  November 29, 2016

Score one for preparation: In the wake of a ransomware attack that infected 900 workstations, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says it's restoring affected systems, vowing to not give the attackers a single bitcoin of their ransom demand.