X-Industry

When Facebook changed its name to “Meta Platforms” in October 2021,[1] the word ‘metaverse’ moved from the domain of techno geeks to the mainstream.  There is no single definition of the metaverse, which is a portmanteau word combining ‘meta’ meaning ‘beyond/after’ in Greek, and ‘universe’.  It is a hypothesized iteration of the internet.  The most common description of the metaverse is a virtual-reality space or an alternative economy or world in which users can interact with other users within

Humanoid robot called “Jia Jia” was created by a team of engineers from the University of Science and Technology of China and was presented at a conference in Shanghai at the beginning of 2017.  Jia Jia can hold a simple conversation and make specific facial expressions when asked, and her creator believes the eerily lifelike robot heralds a future of cyborg labor in China. This was five years ago and was billed as China’s first human-like robot.  2022 - The Brave New World is in full force.

Ji

The Year 2021 was on fraught with numerous cyber attacks and ransomware lead the list.  Here is a look back at the biggest cyber incidents of 2021.  Over the past couple of years, it has become hard to ignore that the digital life we all live in is completely exposed to cybercriminals. Hackers are happy to take almost any opportunity to make money or have fun, from creating free gym memberships for their entire family to hacking into the energy systems of different countries.  Even though the ye

Tens of thousands of devices around the world, including many industrial control systems (ICS) and government computers, have been targeted in what appears to be an espionage campaign that involves a new piece of malware now named PseudoManuscrypt, Kaspersky recently reported. Manuscrypt, aka NukeSped, is a family of malware tools that have been used in espionage campaigns in the past. One such was a February spear-phishing campaign linked to Lazarus a prolific North Korean APT that used the Man

A US republican senator will soon introduce a bill that, for the first time, attempts to regulate the cryptocurrency space. The bill would reportedly add investor protections, rein in Stablecoins,[1] which are pegged to a stated currency, and create a self-regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the US Securities and Exchange Commission and its sister agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The proposal stems from a Wyoming senator who is a longtime crypto-evangelist and one of two U

Activity Summary - Week Ending on 30 December 2021:

• Red Sky Alliance identified 18,056 connections from new IP’s checking in with our Sinkholes
• 77-88-9-11.spider.yandex.com
• Analysts identified 4,095 new IP addresses participating in various Botnets
• Chaos in Japan
• SonicWall
• An Albania Hit, Aagain
• Five Eyes on Log4j
• Chinese Propaganda in Full Force
• Ireland is getting Serious
• Healthcare at Risk, Still
• Free Peltier

Link to full report: IR-21-364-001_weekly364.pdf

With apologies to the interesting Discovery Channel series “MythBusters,” here are some cyber security myths that need to be retired.  With the growing awareness about cybersecurity, many myths of cyber security are still prevalent. These misconceptions can be a barrier to effective security.  The first step to ensure the security of your business is to separate the false information, myths, and rumors from the truth.[1]

Myth #1 — Instituting excessive cyber security diminishes productivity.

The

With Bitcoin recently surpassing $50,000.00, crimes involves that e-currency is getting really expensive.  Recently, more than $154 million in funds stolen from Sony Group Corp., based in Tokyo Japan was recovered after an insider allegedly embezzled money and converted it to Bitcoin.  This reported by the US Department of Justice.  The US government has filed a civil action lawsuit in federal court to return the funds to Sony.  Following an investigation by the FBI, authorities allege that Rei

Synthetic ID fraud or SIF has grown in popularity among bad actors over the years, with US companies reporting losses of $20 billion in 2021 compared to $6 billion in 2016. Cybersecurity and fraud experts discuss why this type of fraud has gained traction, how fraudsters use it, mitigation steps, and what we can expect in 2022.   SIF-deploying threat actors use automation and artificial intelligence to evade traditional identity verification solutions, according to synthetic identity fraud solut

Addictive “brain hijacking” methods used by social media giants to keep users on their platforms have harmful effects, particularly on children, according to an industry insider who says the companies may be violating child protection laws and consumer protection laws by employing such techniques.  This researcher, who has over 35 years of experience in the tech and telecom industry, recently testified before Congress, speaking to members about some of the deceptive practices used by social medi

Wall Street, especially the insurance markets, is very concerned about the cyber security risks that state and local governments are facing, including a cascade of ransomware attacks targeting a public sector which is still struggling with how to manage more and more on-line services during the never ending COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The landscape is changing quite rapidly right now, from the cybersecurity insurance and the threat landscape side, which leaves local governments in the middle dealing wi

Since the beginning of COVID-19, now well over a year, some company managers thought that people would come flocking back to the office once generous unemployment benefits ended.  Instead, after Republican states cut the $300-a-week Federal benefit and other benefits expired, there has been no rush to return to the workforce.  There are many reasons for this.  People do not want to catch COVID-19 and new variants; people are sick of their bad jobs; early retirement; and the one I care about toda

We live in a fast paced, ‘instant’ world.  What we used to measure in days and hours are now measured in seconds.  In purchasing, consumers expect immediate sales and services – all at their fingertips, which include product deliveries right to their doorsteps.  Buying a car is no different as purchasers want cars NOW and have them delivered in their driveways.  Various on-line auto sales services have sprung up and are highly successful.  One such company is being looked at very closely by the

Activity Summary - Week Ending on 22 December 2021:

• Red Sky Alliance identified 30,069 connections from new IP’s checking in with our Sinkholes
• dauction.ru Still has Issues after 4 weeks !
• Analysts identified 5,039 new IP addresses participating in various Botnets
• Log4j Vulnerability
• BlackCat
• AgentTesla Additions
• Iran Hackers
• Cyber and Medical Devices
• Attacking K-12 School Apps
• Cyber Port Protection
• Finite Recruitment

Link to full report: IR-21-356-001_weekly356.pdf

Unless you have been living in a cave, everyone knows that supply chain issues and delays are widespread and affect many industries.  For small businesses, it is even worse.  Large companies, including major retailers, are using their own shipping to get needed supplies and inventory in time.  Whether you have a retail outlet or an e-commerce store, it can be a challenge to keep popular items stocked and deal with impatient customers.  Here are some ways you can prepare for these challenges and

The US and the UK have ‘quietly’ sent cyber warfare experts to Ukraine to help sabotage any cyber warfare threats like that in the 2015 Ukraine power grid hack when Russian hackers remotely took over a power company’s control center.  It was the first publicly international acknowledged attack using digital weaponry that attacked the Ukrainian power grid, causing power outages across the country.  In the hopes of protecting the Ukraine, as the US and allies speculate the next move of Russia, bot

Ransomware is now a primary threat for businesses, and with the past year or so considered the "golden era" for operators, cybersecurity experts believe this criminal enterprise will reach new heights in the future.  These are only a handful of 2021's high-profile victims of threat groups including DarkSide, REvil, and BlackMatter.  According to Kela's analysis of dark web forum activity, the "perfect" prospective ransomware victim in the US will have a minimum annual revenue of $100 million and

Remember “War driving” and setting up “Honeypots?”  What has been used in the past to gauge cyber vulnerabilities are being used again. The Honeypot is one of the oldest tricks used for luring hackers into the system. The Honeynet is a group of computer systems that together creates a trap for hackers. It is more powerful for catching the hackers as the chances for the possible information loss are lessened because the entire system is put together to track down hackers.

Recently, cybersecurity

Activity Summary - Week Ending on 17 December 2021:

• Red Sky Alliance identified 39,374 connections from new IP’s checking in with our Sinkholes
• ru Still has Issues after 3 weeks
• Analysts identified 4,459 new IP addresses participating in various Botnets
• Zoho ManageEngine
• Manga
• Log4j
• Ransomware bad actor arrested in Romania
• Volvo Snatched
• AgentTesla
• Cyber Attacks are a National Security Concern
• Kronos Attack

Link to full report: IR-21-351-001_weekly351.pdf

Researchers have found that 1.5 million dark web payment card data belong to US citizens.  Visa cards were the most frequent, with 913,955 found on the darknet, followed by Mastercard with 406,851 cards and American Express with over 143,836.  And, Australia and Hong Kong were the next most affected places, with details on 419,806 and 399,537 cards found, respectively.  According to research, a card's vulnerability depends on the proportion of non-refundable cards, the country's population, and