Tag Archive for: Oct.

WhatsApp Spy Mod Malware Attacked Telegram Users Over 340K Times In Oct – BW Businessworld

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A malware named “WhatsApp spy mod” has attacked Telegram users more than 3.4 lakh times in October alone. This malware mainly targeted users who communicate in Arabic and Azeri, according to the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky.

The malware enters the devices through third-party WhatsApp mod application, which are generally used for additional features such as scheduled messages and customisable options.

As per the report, such mod applications also contain a malicious spyware module that can compromise users personal data. When installed, such mod WhatsApp application allow the malware to run in the background and gather sensitive information from the infected device, including its IMEI number, phone number, country and network codes and more.

The malware can transfer data every five minutes. It can even record audio from the a device’s microphone and steal data from external storage. 

The highest attacks were recorded in Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Turkey and Egypt, although the malware also affected users from other countries, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany.

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Dallas County computer systems targeted in cyber attack Oct. 19, county judge says

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A cyber attack recognized by Dallas County officials Oct. 19 may have compromised the personal information of employees and residents, according to a statement from County Judge .

Jenkins said in the statement, released Monday, that the county is working with police and external cybersecurity experts to determine the extent of the information compromised in the attack. Dallas County officials took immediate steps when the attack was identified on Oct. 19 to contain it.

Jenkins did not say how extensive the attack was, who may have been impacted or what information was targeted. The county has put “stringent security protocols” in place to “safeguard our systems and data,” he said in the statement.

“As the investigation is still ongoing, we do not want to make premature assumptions about the extent of impact or other details, which may evolve as the forensic investigation advances,” Jenkins said. “We value the trust and credibility we have established with our residents and partners and strive to maintain accuracy in the information we share.”

The city of Dallas was hit with a ransomware attack in May that disabled systems for months and exposed information related to more than 30,000 people. Dallas officials identified the attackers as ransomware group “Royal.”

In June, Fort Worth was targeted by a cyber attack that resulted in a leak of roughly 180 gigabytes of city work orders and police reports. SeigedSec, a self-described hacker group of “gay furries,” was identified by the city as the perpetrators of the attack. It said on social media around the time of the attack that it was targeting Texas governments because of the state’s policy on gender affirming care.

The city said in June it was confident it had identified and plugged the hole that allowed the hackers access to the city’s systems. Unlike the attack in Dallas, the hack on Fort Worth’s systems was not ransomware.

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JavaScript Security Best Practices | by Dale Clifford | Internet Stack | Oct, 2023

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JavaScript Security Best Practices

As a website content author specialising in search engine optimisation, keywords to optimise page conversion and post category tag manager, it is important to understand the best practices for JavaScript Security.

In this guide, we will cover the basics of JavaScript security, why it is important, and how to implement best practices.

Getting Started

JavaScript is a powerful programming language used to add interactivity to websites.

However, it is also vulnerable to security threats such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and injection attacks.

Learning JavaScript security best practices is essential for anyone who works with web development, including web designers, developers, and content creators.

How To

  1. Use strict mode: strict mode is a way to introduce better error-checking into your code. It helps you write cleaner, more secure code by flagging certain unsafe actions.
  2. Sanitize user input: user input can be manipulated by attackers to execute malicious code. Use input validation and sanitization to prevent attacks.
  3. Avoid using eval: eval is a function that allows you to execute code dynamically. However, it is also a potential security risk as it can execute any code passed to it.
  4. Use HTTPS: HTTPS encrypts data transmitted between the user’s browser and the server, preventing attackers from intercepting and manipulating the data.
  5. Keep your software updated: keep your JavaScript libraries and frameworks updated to ensure that you are using the latest security patches.

Best Practices

  • Always use strict mode
  • Sanitize user input
  • Avoid using eval
  • Use HTTPS whenever possible

Examples

Let’s say you are working on a web application that allows users to input their credit card information.

To prevent attacks, you should:

User input validation: Verify that the user enters only numeric data in the credit card field.

Use regular expressions to validate the input.

Sanitization: Remove any non-numeric characters from the input before processing it.

This will prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into the input field.

HTTPS: Use HTTPS to encrypt the data transmitted between the user’s browser and the server.

This will prevent attackers from intercepting and manipulating…

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Cyber-security service providers must apply for a licence by Oct 11

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The agency added that the “risks of services being carried out by incompetent or substandard providers are multifold”. Licensing, thus, seeks to improve standards over time.

Licensing aims to address an information gap faced by customers, especially smaller ones, by helping them to identify credible providers, said CSA.

Telco StarHub, one reseller of cyber-security services that provided feedback on the licensing framework, said that with the “growing importance of cyber security in today’s digital world, we understand the need for a calibrated and effective licensing regime”.

One of the services that require licensing is “penetration testing”, which checks if an organisation can identify and respond to simulated cyber-security attacks.

Another licensable service is for monitoring activities in computer systems to identify threats.

Organisations that offer licensable cyber-security services for free, as well as entities that provide such services to a related company, do not need to be licensed.

The framework also does not cover offerings for non-business consumers, such as anti-virus software.

Providers, either companies or individuals, who offer a licensable service without a licence after the deadline can be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to two years or both.

But providers who apply for a licence by Oct 11 can continue to offer their services until a decision on their application has been made.

Licensed service providers that fail to meet licensing conditions can have their licence revoked or suspended, and face a fine of up to $10,000 for each infringement, capped at $50,000 in total.

CSA sought public feedback on the licensing framework from September to October last year. Some respondents suggested that licensing be required only for providers that offer services to clients directly, and exclude sub-contractors or resellers.

And for providers that tap related businesses from the same corporate group here or overseas to offer services to the same customer, they asked that just one entity in the group needs to be licensed.

CSA said it understood the concerns over the possible administrative burden. But it added that requiring only one entity to be licensed might…

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