Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 98
October Had Some Large Cyber Security Incidents
October revealed two major global cyber security issues, which were Krack (affecting Wi-Fi) and Bad Rabbit (ransomware). Let’s break these two incidents down, and what you can do to stay safe and unaffected.
Krack
Krack (Key Reinstallation Attack) affects all modern Wi-Fi networks that are secured with the WPA2 protocol. While you’re probably…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 97
Operations Security: Hips don’t lie, and neither do loose lips
So, I was chatting with my Twitter buddy @GlobalMarshal the other day (side note: he asked to be referred to as my soulmate, so I’m just leaving that here) and he pointed me to a recent story that was equal parts hilarious, sad, and scary. A NY Times journalist having lunch at a DC restaurant overheard White House lawyers loudly and…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 96
Are You Being Skimmed?
Being Skimmed at The ATM
ATM skimmers that steal card payment and PIN data aren’t a new phenomenon, but the scam is increasing in regularity. A Google News search revealed over 1700 articles about skimmers in the past thirty days, and there are probably thousands out there that haven’t been discovered yet. Some of the skimmers are custom made faceplates that attach over…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 94
The Weaponizing of Social Media
When we want to share our family vacation pics or an amazing dinner we’re about to eat, to catch up on what’s going on with friends and family, to see what’s happening in the news, or have discussions on different topics, where do we go for all that? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and other social media platforms. We use it every day, and for…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 07 – Issue 91
Counseling vs. SE Skills: A Venn Diagram
Image: Courtesy of Amaya Hadnagy
Let’s play a word association game! When I say ‘counselor’, what are the first things that pop into your head? Is it Mr. Mackey? Deanna Troi? Maybe a more general sort of squishy and positive Stuart Smalley (now I’m really showing my age…)? If you’re like most people, you will probably think of someone helpful and…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 06 – Issue 87
How to Stay Safe Traveling in a Global Market
The global economy requires executives and other corporate employees to travel around the world with more frequency. They bounce from one Wi-Fi network, airport and hotel to another, so how can they stay secure when traveling?
Safety begins with proper planning. With the increase in travel comes an increase in opportunities for would-be thieves.…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 06 – Issue 86
Are You Enjoying Your Trip As Much As The Social Engineer Is?
Winter is coming. For most of us that means starting to plan the trips to Grandma’s for turkey dinner, the ski week in Colorado,the next work conference, or maybe sitting on a warm sunny beach enjoying a mai-tai. Whatever your plans, don’t forget that a social engineer may be enjoying your vacation right along with you.…
Social-Engineer Newsletter Vol 06 – Issue 85
Your Old Password Has Been Sold — So What?
Data breaches are a regular occurrence. When we hear reports about one that happened with a social media site, a company, or a product we use, we will quickly change our password to that account.
Reports like these: “Hacker Selling 65 Million Passwords from Tumblr Data Breach”, “Hacker Tries to Sell 427 Million Stolen MySpace Passwords”, “Hackers…