Business911 International, Inc.

Cybersecurity: Cybercrime and National Security Authoritative Reports and Resources

Summary
As online attacks grow in volume and sophistication, the United States is expanding its cybersecurity efforts. Cybercriminals
continue to develop new ways to ensnare victims, whereas nation-state hackers compromise companies, government agencies, and
businesses to create espionage networks and steal information. Threats come from both criminals and hostile countries, especially
China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Much is written on this topic, and this CRS report directs the reader to authoritative sources that address many of the most
prominent issues. The annotated descriptions of these sources are listed in reverse chronological order, with an emphasis on
material published in the past several years. This report includes resources and studies from government agencies (federal, state,
local, and international), think tanks, academic institutions, news organizations, and other sources:

Full document: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44408.pdf

NIST Releases Update to Cybersecurity Framework

Credit: Natasha Hanacek/NIST

 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a draft update to the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity—also known as the Cybersecurity Framework. Providing new details on managing cyber supply chain risks, clarifying key terms, and introducing measurement methods for cybersecurity, the updated framework aims to further develop NIST’s voluntary guidance to organizations on reducing cybersecurity risks.

Full article: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/01/nist-releases-update-cybersecurity-framework

Details on TDOS Attack on 911 system in Maricopa County, AZ

Cyber Attack on 9-1-1 System Leads to Quick Arrest An 18-year-old was arrested last week after carrying out a cyberattack on the Maricopa County 9-1-1 system. The man posted a link in Twitter which supposedly directed people to a site called “Meet Desai.” However, when people clicked the link it would continually call 9-1-1 and not let the caller hang up. Law enforcement found him quickly using the GPS on his phone, arrested him in class, and confiscated his electronics. The accused said he was on the trail of bugs and viruses that he could change and manipulate. Once he manipulated this one, he set it to call 1+911. He claims he created this to basically make a name for himself in the programming and hacker world, and with the hopes Apple would pay him for finding bugs. He said during questioning the bug was meant to be “funny” and claims its release was accidental. He now faces three felony counts of computer tampering. The volume of calls could have shut down the 9-1-1 system but didn’t and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Division was able to shut down the application, ending the threat. For now. With a subsection of hackers potentially looking for bugs, programs, and viruses they can either alter or “piggyback” other applications or programs on to, it is anyone’s guess what the next one will look like. Hopefully this particular bug has been patched by now.

Full article: https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2016/10/27/teen-launches-cyberattack-on-911-system-maricopa-county-cybercrime-unit-makes-quick-arrest/

 

BEST PRACTICES CHECKLIST FOR DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACKS AGAINST 9-1-1 CENTERS

https://www.nena.org/news/120618/Best-Practices-Checklist-for-Denial-of-Service-Attacks-Against-9-1-1-Centers.htm

 

Texas A&M University Recognized As Leader In Cyber-Defense

The technology management program in the College of Education and Human Development has received another boost from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Texas A&M was recently designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) for Cyber Defense both in education and research.

“This helps to put the technology management program on the map as a singularly vital contributor to the cyber education and initiatives at Texas A&M. We have the only undergraduate cybersecurity course that’s offered at the university. It’s coupled with digital ethics and that course helped make this whole thing possible,” explained Dr. Trez Jones, clinical assistant professor who also works half-time at the Cybersecurity Center.

Full article: http://today.tamu.edu/2016/06/14/university-recognized-as-leader-in-cyber-defense/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tamuNewsHeadlines+%28www.tamu.edu+News+Headlines%29

FBI Warns of Cyber Threat to Electric Grid

BY: Bill Gertz Follow @BillGertz April 8, 2016 6:10 pm

Three months after a Department of Homeland Security intelligence report downplayed the threat of a cyber attack against the U.S. electrical grid, DHS and the FBI began a nationwide program warning of the dangers faced by U.S. utilities from damaging cyber attacks like the recent hacking against Ukraine’s power grid.

The nationwide campaign by DHS and the FBI began March 31 and includes 12 briefings and online webinars for electrical power infrastructure companies and others involved in security, with sessions in eight U.S. cities, including a session next week in Washington.

The unclassified briefings are titled “Ukraine Cyber Attack: Implications for U.S. Stakeholders,” and are based on work with the Ukrainian government in the aftermath of the Dec. 23 cyber attack against the Ukrainian power infrastructure.

Full article: http://freebeacon.com/issues/fbi-warns-cyber-threat-electric-grid/

Hackers hit fire district, force ransom payment

Officials paid a $750 ransom to the hackers who had taken control and encrypted files on a computer at the fire district; employees are now being trained on Internet safety

Today at 7:39 AM

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By FireRescue1 Staff

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Officials paid a ransom of $750 to hackers who had taken control and encrypted files on a computer at a fire district Jan. 22.

Valley Record reported that the city of Snoqualmie, which provides information technology services to Duvall (Wash.) King County Fire District 45, paid the ransom that was required to unlock a computer on the district's network. It was encrypted on Jan. 7 when an employee clicked a link in a fake email message.

Full article: http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/technology/articles/79184018-Hackers-hit-fire-district-force-ransom-payment/

FCC Task Force Adopts NG 9-1-1 Architecture, Cybersecurity Recommendations

By Kristen Beckman, Managing Editor

Friday, December 11, 2015 | Comments

The FCC’s Task Force on Optimal Public-Safety Answering Point Architecture (TFOPA) procedurally adopted recommendations developed by two of its three working groups Dec. 10.

 

TFOPA is a federal advisory committee created to provide recommendations to the commission about what steps public-safety answering points (PSAPs) can take to optimize security, operations and funding as they migrate to next-generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1). Working group one studied cybersecurity issues, and working group two focused on NG 9-1-1 architecture implementation. Working group three, which studied 9-1-1 fees and resource allocation, released its report with recommendations in October.

Full article: http://mccmag.com/News/NewsDetails/newsID/13736/

Cybersecurity: Fix It or Die?

From unlocking cars and opening garages to hacking a satellite, recent breach demonstrations made a clear point about cyberattacks: They are very real and can be very dangerous. And our current method of "fighting" these attacks is not working.

LARRY KARISNY | August 17, 2015

Full article: http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Can-We-Fix-Cybersecurity.html

 

Securing Tomorrow’s Software

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with the Mitre Corporation, released the Common Weakness Enumeration version 2.0 (or CWE v2) – a dictionary of software weaknesses and their associated mitigation practices developed by the experts from government, industry and academia from across the software security community.

http://blog.dhs.gov/2011/06/securing-tomorrows-software.html

Four Signs of an Easy Victim on Social Networks

What makes cyber criminals target you in a social network scam? Sophos' recent study identifies the signs of a soft target online.  See interesting article from CSO with common sense preventive measures.