The Conti ransomware gang has developed novel tactics to demolish backups, especially the Veeam recovery software.

Newly discovered code resembles the Kazuar backdoor and the Sunshuttle second-stage malware distributed by Nobelium in the SolarWinds supply-chain attacks.

A campaign is stealing one-time password tokens to gain access to PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, among others.

The security operations center (SecOps) team sits on the front lines of a cybersecurity battlefield. The SecOps team works around the clock with precious and limited resources to monitor enterprise systems, identify and investigate cybersecurity threats, and defend against security breaches.

One of the important goals of SecOps is a faster and more effective collaboration among all personnel involved with security. The team seeks to streamline the security triage process to resolve security incidents efficiently and effectively. For this process to be optimized, we believe that ruthless prioritization is critical at all levels of alert response and triage. This ruthless prioritization requires both the processes and the supporting technical platforms to be predictive, accurate, timely, understandable for all involved, and ideally automated. This can be a tall order.

Alert Volumes Have the SecOps Team Under Siege

Most SecOps teams are bombarded with an increasing barrage of alerts each year. A recent IBM report also found that complexity is negatively impacting incident response capabilities. Those surveyed estimated their organization was using more than 45 different security tools on average and that each incident they responded to required coordination across around 19 security tools on average.

Depending on the enterprise size and industry, these tools may generate many thousands of alerts in periods ranging from hours to days, and many of them may be redundant or no value. One vendor surveyed IT professionals at the RSA conference in 2018. The survey results show that twenty-seven% of IT professional’s receive more than 1 million security alerts daily^[1].

The cost and effort of reviewing all of these alerts are prohibitive for most organizations, so many are effectively deprioritized and immediately ignored. Some surveyed respondents admit to  ignoring specific categories of alerts, and some turn off the security alerts associated with the security controls that generate much of the alert traffic. However, the one alert you ignore may have resulted in a major data breach to the organization.

Tier 1 SecOps analysts have to manage this barrage of alerts. They are surrounded by consoles and monitors tracking many activities within enterprise networks. There is so much data that incident responders cannot process but a fraction of it. Alerts pour in every minute and ratchet up the activity level and the attendant stress throughout the day.

A Tier 1 SecOps analyst processes up to several hundred alerts in a day that require quick review and triage. As the alert is logged, the Tier 1 SecOps analyst usually goes through a checklist to determine further prioritization and determine if further escalation is required.  This can vary substantially depending on the automation and tools which support their efforts.

Once the alert is determined to be potentially malicious and requires follow-up it is  escalated to a Tier 2 SOC Analyst. Tier 2 SOC Analysts are primarily security investigators. Perhaps only 1% or less are escalated to a Tier 2 SOC analyst for deep investigation. Once again, the numbers can vary substantially depending on the organization and industry.

Security investigators will use a multitude of data, threat intelligence, log files, DNS activity, and much more to identify the exact nature of the potential breach and determine the best response playbook to use. In the case of a severe threat, this response and subsequent remediation must be done in the shortest possible amount of time, ideally measured in minutes if not just a very few hours.

In the most dangerous scenario that a threat actor has executed what is determined to be a zero-day attack, the SOC team works with IT, operations, and the business units to protect, isolate, and even take critical servers offline to protect the enterprise. Zero-day attacks raise the SOC to a war footing, which, if properly and rapidly executed against the team’s playbooks, can help mitigate further damage from what is otherwise previously unknown attack techniques. These require the skill and expertise of advanced security analysts to help assess and mitigate complex ongoing cyberattacks.

Given the barrage of alerts, it is essential to adopt a strategy to fit best the capabilities of your team against a priority-driven process. This allows you to optimize your response to alerts, best manage the resources on the SecOps team, and reduce the risk of a dangerous breach event.

There are several strategic views that SOC leadership can take on how to best approach prioritization. These include data driven strategies using tools like DLP, threat driven strategies to bolster defenses and shorten reaction time to threat vectors active in your industry and geography, and perhaps asset driven strategies, where certain assets will merit enhanced protection and priority driven escalation for alerts. Most organizations find that an integrated mix of these strategies addresses their overall needs.

A Data-Driven Approach to Prioritization

The first approach to prioritization, consistent with the tenets of zero trust, is to take a data-driven approach. Customer data and intellectual property are often at the center of every organization’s most protected jewels. One way to move this into focus within SecOps would be to implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP). Data loss prevention (DLP), per Gartner, may be defined as technologies that perform both content inspection and contextual analysis of data sent via messaging applications such as email and instant messaging, in motion over the network, in use on a managed endpoint device, and at rest in on-premises file servers or in cloud applications and cloud storage. These solutions execute responses based on policy and rules defined to address the risk of inadvertent or accidental leaks or exposure of sensitive data outside authorized channels.

Enterprise DLP solutions are comprehensive and packaged in agent software for desktops and servers, physical and virtual appliances for monitoring networks and email traffic, or soft appliances for data discovery. Integrated DLP works with secure web gateways (SWGs), secure email gateways (SEGs), email encryption products, enterprise content management (ECM) platforms, data classification tools, data discovery tools, and cloud access security brokers (CASBs).

A Threat-Driven Approach to Prioritization

Threat intelligence focuses on defense and triage priority from the data to external threat actors and the techniques they are most likely to utilize. Threat intelligence can give the SOC the data they need to anticipate threat actors and the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) these threat actors might use. Further, threat intelligence can provide a path to recognize the often unique Incidents of Compromise (IOCs) that can uniquely identify a type of cyberattack and the threat actor that uses them. The goal, of course, is to identify and prevent these most likely attacks before they occur or stop them rapidly upon detection.

The consolation prize is also a good one. If you cannot prevent an attack, you must be able to identify an unfolding threat. You must identify the attack, break the attacker’s kill chain, and then stop the attack. Threat intelligence can also help you assess your environment, understand the vulnerabilities that would support the execution of a particular kill chain, and then let you move rapidly to mitigate these threats.

In August of 2020, researchers from Dutch and German universities^[2] co-presented at the 29th Usenix conference on a survey they conducted. The survey showed that there is less overlap between threat intelligence sources than most of us would expect. This includes both open (free) and paid threat intelligence sources.  The moral of the story is that large organizations likely need a wide set of threat intelligence data from multiple sources to gain an advantage over threat actors and the attack vectors they are likely to use. And these sources must be integrated into a common dashboard where SecOps threat investigators can rapidly leverage them.

An Asset-Driven Approach to Prioritization

Of course, certain assets are more valuable than others. This can be a function of the data they may uniquely hold, and the access to network, applications, and information resources frequented by their owners, or the level of criticality of the asset’s function. For example, the chief financial officer’s laptop may be assumed to be in possession of the most sensitive data, or medical device monitor during surgery or command controller for manufacturing production. Hence they may deserve higher priority in terms of protection.

Optimize Your Prioritization Strategy with MVISION XDR

MVISION XDR provides capabilities leveraging all of these prioritization strategies: data-driven, threat-driven, and asset-driven. On top of this MVISION XDR offers predictive assessment based on global threats likely to target your organization with a local assessment of how your environment can counter the threat. This “before the attack” actionable assessment is powered by the distinct MVISION Insights empowering SOC to be more proactive and less reactive.  Here is a preview of MVISION Insights top ten threat campaigns.  Here are some key prioritization examples delivered in MVISION XDR:

Key MVISION XDR Prioritization Examples

 

Priority Strategy (ies)	Capability Description	Benefit & Value
Data-driven	Alert based on data-sensitivity	Focus on critical impact activity
Threat-driven	Automatic correlated threat techniques to derive at likely next steps	Gain confidence in the alert less false positives
Threat-driven	View trends and threat actors targeting your organization	Reduce the universe of threats and actors to those that matter
Asset-driven	Tag critical assets for automated prioritization	Address threats to critical assets faster

Prioritization Delivers Improved Business Value for the SecOps Team

MVISION XDR can help you implement and optimize your prioritization strategy. Your SecOps team will have the improved triage time they need with prioritized threats, predictive assessment, and proactive response, and the data awareness to make better and faster decisions. To learn more, please review the MVISION XDR solution brief or reach out to our sales team directly.

 

^[1] https://www.imperva.com/blog/27-percent-of-it-professionals-receive-more-than-1-million-security-alerts-daily/

^[2] https://www.usenix.org/system/files/sec20_slides_bouwman.pdf

The post The Art of Ruthless Prioritization and Why it Matters for SecOps appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

The latest gadget on the tech and fashion streets is Ray-Ban Stories, a sunglasses collaboration between Facebook and Ray-Ban. These pair of shades feature two cameras that capture video, audio, and photos and sync to a mobile app. Social media fanatics are excited about this new ability to capture and share hands-free content. 

Do gadgets like Ray-Ban Stories make you immediately think, “Cool, but what about the security and privacy red flags?” If so, you may be suited to a career in cybersecurity. Everyone benefits from implementing cybersecurity best practices into their daily lives, and those who enjoy a career in the field experience many benefits. 

Check out these four benefits of a career in cybersecurity and discover if this might be the path for you. 

1. Do Good in the World

One of the best things about working in cybersecurity is you go to work every day knowing that you’re helping people. Nightly news broadcasts are littered with reports of major disruptions caused by cyberattacks, such as the Colonial Pipeline incident. Sometimes, even people’s lives are at stake in the cybersecurity realm, as in the case of connected pacemaker security vulnerabilities. 

Cybersecurity professionals can feel good that their work gives people the confidence to go about their daily lives without worrying. The fear of identity theft, phishing, and malware stop people from enjoying their connected devices and the internet to the fullest. Technology is capable of incredible feats, and everyone should be able to use it enthusiastically. 

2. Earn an Excellent Salary 

Saving the world from cybercriminals is financially rewarding as well as personally rewarding. Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand as nearly every business in every sector is at risk of a breach, DDoS, or ransomware attack at any time. Average entry-level positions begin over $80k CDN. Seasoned professionals can make six figures. Additionally, cybersecurity professionals are in high demand, so you will likely enjoy solid job security. 

3. Work in a Global Industry

Another benefit of a career in cybersecurity is the opportunity to work in a global industry. You’ll get to meet coworkers and clients all over the world. The diversity of outlooks and backgrounds can make every day a learning experience. 

If you’re a keen traveler, working in cybersecurity allows you to explore the world. First, much of the work you would be completing can be done remotely. As long as you have a secure and strong internet connection and are OK with time zone differences, you may be able to work from anywhere. Also, there are opportunities for trips to international conferences and meetups with satellite offices or clients. 

Working in a global industry means that you can be a cybersecurity ambassador for your home country. For example, if your home country has devised an innovative new technology, you may have the opportunity to teach others abroad. Or, if another country has developed an exciting new technology, you can learn about it and perhaps tailor it to your location. 

4. Specialize in an Area That Speaks to You

Cybersecurity is a highly specialized field, which means there is definitely a branch of it that plays to your strengths and interests you. Also, if you get tired of one aspect of the field, you can likely stay with your same company but move to a different department. 

Here are a few areas of cybersecurity specializations that may speak to you: 

• Privacy Officer. If you’re a leader at heart, a privacy officer may be the position for you. Privacy experts know global privacy regulations, such as GDPR and PIPEDA, like the back of their hand, and lead their organization to be completely compliant. 
• Security researcher. A security researcher monitors the current threat landscape across operating systems. They find malicious code and then reverse engineer the bugs to understand how they work. Due to their incredible work and diligence, security researchers protect people, not just their devices. This is an exciting career path; you never know what the day will bring, and it requires fast thinking. 
• Engineer. Join the team at ground level and build security solutions from the ground up! If you’re interested in coding and problem solving, this is the path for you. 

Start Your Cybersecurity Career Journey Today 

McAfee can help you achieve your cybersecurity career aspirations. It’s an exciting, fast-paced field, and McAfee is at the forefront of new innovations. Check out current McAfee career openings and embark on your new career today! 

The post How to Start a Career in Cybersecurity appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

When it comes to crime, what do people worry about most? Having their car stolen? A break-in while they’re not at home? Good answers, but not the top answer by a long shot. In this U.S.-based survey, hacker-related crime weighed in at 72%, with a home burglary at 35% and auto theft at 34%, indicating that people’s concerns about cybercrime are very much front and center.  

Taking Charge of Your Safety Online 

The good news is that plenty of cybercrime can be prevented, or at least made less likely, provided you protect yourself online, much in the same way you take steps to protect your car or home. And that’s the focus of this year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. With the theme of “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart,” it reminds us of how we can take charge of our own safety—the ways we can look out for ourselves and others as we enjoy our time online. 

Throughout October, we’re participating in Cybersecurity Month here on our blogs and across our social media channels, posting a host of ways that you can help keep cybercrooks away from your digital doorstep. Each week, we’ll tackle a different aspect of online protection: 

Week of October 4th: Be Cyber Smart 

Maybe it comes as no surprise to hear it, yet one recent study shows the average person spends nearly eight hours a day online. With that, we’re taking this week to focus on the family, how they spend their time online and how they can be safer when they do. 

Week of October 11th: Fight the Phish! 

Whether they come by email, text, or DM, phishing attacks account for the most common types of reported cybercrime, according to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. This week, we’ll show you how you can indeed fight the phish! 

Week of October 18th: Explore. Experience. Share. 

This sentiment sums up the best of the internet in so many ways. Getting out there, discovering, catching up with friends online. Our focus this week is helping you enjoy it all without any of the bad apples out there spoiling your fun. 

Week of October 25th: Cybersecurity First 

We wrap it up with a look at some of the top priorities so everyone in the family can #BeCyberSmart—online banking, app scams, privacy, identity theft, and more—along with plenty of straightforward tips that can help you stay safer. 

Join us all this month! 

We hope our posts throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month help you get a little sharper and feel a little safer so you can enjoy your time online, free from hassles or headaches. Look for more from us throughout October! 

The post Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Taking Charge of Your Safety Online appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

In February, KrebsOnSecurity wrote about a novel cybercrime service that helped attackers intercept the one-time passwords (OTPs) that many websites require as a second authentication factor in addition to passwords. That service quickly went offline, but new research reveals a number of competitors have since launched bot-based services that make it relatively easy for crooks to phish OTPs from targets.

Many websites now require users to supply both a password and a numeric code/OTP token sent via text message, or one generated by mobile apps like Authy and Google Authenticator. The idea is that even if the user’s password gets stolen, the attacker still can’t access the user’s account without that second factor — i.e. without access to the victim’s mobile device or phone number.

The OTP interception service featured earlier this year — Otp[.]agency — advertised a web-based bot designed to trick targets into giving up OTP tokens. This service (and all others mentioned in this story) assumes the customer already has the target’s login credentials through some means.

OTP Agency customers would enter a target’s phone number and name, and then the service would initiate an automated phone call that alerts that person about unauthorized activity on their account. The call would prompt the target to enter an OTP token generated by their phone’s mobile app (“for authentication purposes”), and that code would then get relayed back to the bad guy customers’ panel at the OTP Agency website.

OTP Agency took itself offline within hours of that story. But according to research from cyber intelligence firm Intel 471, multiple new OTP interception services have emerged to fill that void. And all of them operate via Telegram, a cloud-based instant messaging system.

“Intel 471 has seen an uptick in services on the cybercrime underground that allow attackers to intercept one-time password (OTP) tokens,” the company wrote in a blog post today. “Over the past few months, we’ve seen actors provide access to services that call victims, appear as a legitimate call from a specific bank and deceive victims into typing an OTP or other verification code into a mobile phone in order to capture and deliver the codes to the operator. Some services also target other popular social media platforms or financial services, providing email phishing and SIM swapping capabilities.”

Intel471 says one new Telegram OTP bot called “SMSRanger” is popular because it’s remarkably easy to use, and probably because of the many testimonials posted by customers who seem happy with its frequent rate of success in extracting OTP tokens when the attacker already has the target’s “fullz,” personal information such as Social Security number and date of birth. From their analysis:

“Those who pay for access can use the bot by entering commands similar to how bots are used on popular workforce collaboration tool Slack. A simple slash command allows a user to enable various ‘modes’ — scripts aimed as various services — that can target specific banks, as well as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a wireless carrier.

Once a target’s phone number has been entered, the bot does the rest of the work, ultimately granting access to whatever account has been targeted. Users claim that SMSRanger has an efficacy rate of about 80% if the victim answered the call and the full information (fullz) the user provided was accurate and updated.”

Another OTP interception service called SMS Buster requires a tad more effort from a customer, Intel 471 explains:

“The bot provides options to disguise a call to make it appear as a legitimate contact from a specific bank while letting the attackers choose to dial from any phone number. From there, an attacker could follow a script to trick a victim into providing sensitive details such as an ATM personal identification number (PIN), card verification value (CVV) and OTP, which could then be sent to an individual’s Telegram account. The bot, which was used by attackers targeting Canadian victims, gives users the chance to launch attacks in French and English.” 

These services are springing up because they work and they’re profitable. And they’re profitable because far too many websites and services funnel users toward multi-factor authentication methods that can be intercepted, spoofed, or misdirected — like SMS-based one-time codes, or even app-generated OTP tokens.

The idea behind true “two-factor authentication” is that the user is required to present two out of three of the following: Something they have (mobile devices); something they know (passwords); or something they are (biometrics). For example, you present your credentials to a website, and the site prompts you to approve the login via a prompt that pops up on your registered mobile device. That is true two-factor authentication: Something you have, and something you know (and maybe also even something you are).

In addition, these so-called “push notification” methods include important time-based contexts that add security: They happen directly after the user submits their credentials; and the opportunity to approve the push notification expires after a short period.

But in so many instances, what sites request is basically two things you know (a password and a one-time code) to be submitted through the same channel (a web browser). This is usually still better than no multi-factor authentication at all, but as these services show there are now plenty of options of circumventing this protection.

I hope these OTP interception services make clear that you should never provide any information in response to an unsolicited phone call. It doesn’t matter who claims to be calling: If you didn’t initiate the contact, hang up. Don’t put them on hold while you call your bank; the scammers can get around that, too. Just hang up. Then you can call your bank or whoever else you need.

Unfortunately, those most likely to fall for these OTP interception schemes are people who are less experienced with technology. If you’re the resident or family IT geek and have the ability to update or improve the multi-factor authentication profiles for your less tech-savvy friends and loved ones, that would be a fabulous way to show you care — and to help them head off a potential disaster at the hands of one of these bot services.

When was the last time you reviewed your multi-factor settings and options at the various websites entrusted with your most precious personal and financial information? It might be worth paying a visit to 2fa.directory (formerly twofactorauth[.]org) for a checkup.

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