in cybersecurity—an industry with the critical mission of keeping people safe—is the personal and sometimes violent targeting of cybersecurity professionals and their families. In recent weeks, my family and I have been victims of a swatting attack, a dangerous and incredibly distressing tool that cannot be tolerated. I am grateful to the Arlington County Police Department for their swift and professional response, and to the broader law enforcement community for their ongoing commitment to working together to protect our families and communities.”
North Korean threat actor targets cybersecurity researchers.Security researchers at Google and Microsoft have reported an ongoing campaign by a North Korean threat actor targeting cybersecurity researchers, Dark Reading says. According to Google, the campaign leverages multiple social engineering tactics, including establishing Twitter profiles and blog sites that pose as fellow security researchers or recruiters. The attackers also impersonate security professionals from other companies. Microsoft said that the attackers “often introduce themselves as members of a non-existent team, such as the offensive security researchers along with software developers or security peripheral researchers.”
US senator says NSA’s purchase of Americans’ data is unlawful.Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has written to the General Services Administration and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, contending that “the National Security Agency violated privacy protections and civil liberties laws by unlawfully collecting the data of Americans who were not in contact with foreign targets.” Wyden said that the NSA had provided evidence that it acquired Americans’ data from a third party as part of its intelligence-gathering efforts and exceeded its legal authority in doing so. The Wall Street Journal has more on the story.
The CyberWire is a trusted partner and the security industry’s leading voice and content educator, offering timely news, thought leadership, and expert interviews to educate and inform. Our content and research is syndicated to all major news outlets, reaching more than 20 million readers in 50 countries.