Government Cyber Security

INTERPOL Warns Healthcare About Increasing Ransomware Attacks

2020-04-07 by Michelle Dvorak Leave a Comment

INTERPOL Issues Purple Notice to All Member Countries Due to Increased Ransomware Attacks

INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Threat Response team at its Cyber Fusion Centre posted a notice to healthcare organizations battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice warns hospitals and the healthcare industry that hackers are ramping up ransomware attack attempts. Hackers are attacking hospitals and medical services with ransomware attacks. INTERPOL has issued a Purple Notice alerting police in all its 194 member countries to the heightened ransomware threat.

A Purple Notice provides information on the modus operandi, procedures, or objects relating to the subject of the notice – in this case the ransomware attacks. INTERPOL recommends that all hospitals and healthcare organizations ensure their IT systems , servers, computers, and all internet connected devices like copiers and scanners are updated with the latest security patches.

“As hospitals and medical organizations around the world are working non-stop to preserve the well-being of individuals stricken with the coronavirus, they have become targets for ruthless cybercriminals who are looking to make a profit at the expense of sick patients,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

Although INTERPOL has no law enforcement ability in any area of the globe. However, it can provide support to member nations. There have been numerous email phishing campaigns circulating malware attacks, fraudulent websites, and misinformation circulating about the Coronavirus. Many COVID-19 themed phishing emails of them use logos and wording to give the reader they are World Health Organization (WHO), US Center for Disease Control (CDC), or other local government official communications.

For these cyberattacks INTERPOL is offering technical support including mitigation and protection to member countries.

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What is INTERPOL?

The International Criminal Police Organization more commonly known as ICPO- INTERPOL or INTERPOL that. INTERPOL was founded in 1923 in Vienna, Austria but now is headquartered in Lyon, France. INTERPOL is an international organization and has no law enforcement ability. The organization focuses cybercrime, terrorism, and organized crime. The agency has 194 member nations. The United States became a member of INTERPOL in 1938, right when the Nazis took over.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware attack which involves computer code that takes over a computer, phone, router, server or other internet connected device. Hackers use their malicious computer code, often sent via email, to control and lock a device and it files so the rightful owner cannot access anything. Control is not returned to the owner unless a ransom is paid to the hacker.
Hackers frequently target devices and software that has not been kept patches with the latest security updates from the manufacturer – which are usually free-of-charge.

How Healthcare Organizations Can Defend Against Ransomware

Only download apps from the appropriate official app store or the manufacturer.
Do not download apps from advertisements within games
Only open emails or download software/applications from trusted sources
NEVER open email attachments from someone you don’t know. Neve click on links in emails from unknown senders
Use an antivirus app to secure email from phishing emails and SPAM
Create regular backups of important files and hard drives. Store critical data externally, off the network
Download and install antivirus software to safeguard all devices and emails against phishing emails and ransomware attacks. Be sure it is always running and monitoring the deice it is protecting
Use a unique and difficult-to-guess password for all online systems, accounts, and hardware. Change the regularly and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Use a password manager to create strong passwords and to store them in a secure app.

Michelle Dvorak

Michelle writes about cyber security, data privacy focusing on social media privacy as well as how to protect your IoT devices. She has worked in internet technology for over 20 years and owns METRONY, LLC. Michelle earned a B.S. in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Michelle published a guide to Cyber Security for Business Travelers

www.metrony.com/

Be Wary of US Treasury PPP Loan Scams

2020-04-03 by Michelle Dvorak Leave a Comment

Be Wary of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Scams – Small Businesses Should Be Vigilant for Scams Promising Help Getting Stimulus Money

On Friday, March 27, 2020, the US President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. This legislation contains $376 billion in relief for American individuals and businesses. Parts of that is the $349B Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which intends to help small businesses pay for payroll and retain employees. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the “Treasury and the Small Business Administration expect to have this program up and running by April 3rd so that businesses can go to a participating SBA 7(a) lender, bank or credit union, apply for a loan and be approved on the same day.”

Today I listed in on the National Small Business Town Hall hosted by Inc. Magazine and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how small businesses can apply for a loan. The approximately one-hour town hall live stream had a few thousand questions from business owners trying to save their livelihoods. US Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley and Marilyn Landis, President and CEO of Basic Business Concepts, Inc. and other panelists clarified how the money can be used, who is eligible, and how to apply.

The loans are meant to be a lifeline for small businesses that have had to furloughed workers for lack of work. They are meant to be easy to get with no personal guarantees or collateral required. Payments are deferred for six months and may be forgiven entirely if the business uses the money for payroll or certain expenses.

But there are doubts as to whether the PPP Loans will provide enough relief to save American businesses. The first-come, first-serve nature of the program could leave some small businesses out in the cold with nothing. This opens up an opportunity for hackers and scammers to take advantage of well-meaning business owners who are struggling to take care of their employees.

This would not be the first Economic Impact Payment Scam – the IRS has warned consumers that there may be a number of Scams exploiting stimuls payments to individuals.

On the live stream Landis and Bradley recommend the small businesses owners be vigilant for future PPP Loan scams.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) and the US Treasury are administering this program. Be wary of any other organization working on behalf of the SBA. Go to the Small Business Administration website AmericasSBDC.org for help and information
Any SBA emails would only come from .gov email addresses
No one can expedite your loan application. This should not be needed as the PPP Loan can be approved the same day by the lender. It is intended to be fast and simple.
The PPP Loan application is intentionally simple and is intended for the business owner to complete the application themselves. You don’t need to pay anyone to apply for this program. Although you may want to have your accountant review that.
There is NO fee or charges to apply for a PPP Loan – this includes your bank. If there is a fee, the bank must pay it.
Small businesses should only work with existing trusted individuals and banks
The SBA will not be mailing you to tell you about this program so be wary of any email, phone call, or texts that you may receive offering to help a business apply
Submit applications online. Email is not a secure way to submit sensitive data. Emails can be hacked or intercepted. They are especially risky if you are not using a secure WiFi network or are sharing your WiFi with employees or customers.
Email the SBDC with questions

Go to the Small Business Administration website AmericasSBDC.org /https://americassbdc.org/coronavirus-information/ to locate your local SBDC office. There you’ll also find resources on how to apply and dates of future informational webinars. Business owners can also request counseling. According to Bradley the best way to contact them right now is via email as everyone is working remotely.

What Lenders are Accepting Applications Today?

Banks had only four days to get an online application system running that offered same day approval. Today was the first day the program went live and only traditional SBA 7(a) lenders (about 1800 banks) were ready. The loan system is being rolled out in tiers, leaving many small businesses worried they even won’t be able to apply before money runs out. Some business owner on the call complained that banks who were ready were only accepting current customers applications. Bank of America was reported to be the first bank accepting application, but potential borrowers complained on Twitter that they were turned away.

It is hoped that other financial institution’s program, beyond banks, – like credit unions – would be ready rolling out over the weekend. It is expected that the program will expand to include 1099 contractors and some sort of coverage for business owners who do not get paid by check. If you don’t have wage employees, you are probably not captured in what they have opened up for applications today. This needs clarifications.

What is the SBA?

The U.S. Small Business Administration is a US government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The SBA runs the Office Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program which offers 63 local and regional offices to help small businesses manage their businesses.

Michelle Dvorak

www.metrony.com/

Are You Getting IRS Scam Calls from Area Code 202?

2020-03-27 by Michelle Dvorak Leave a Comment

Did You Get an IRS Scam Calls from Area Code 202

IRS Scam Calls Area Code 202
Beware of IRS Scam Calls from 202 Area Code Washington DC on Caller ID

Thieves often initiate IRS scam call from area code 202 because victims may be tricked by the DC area code. Fraudsters use a variety IRS scam tactics to steal money and sensitive data from people. The prime season for IRS scam calls is from the beginning of each calendar year until income tax season wraps up in mid-April. But IRS scams occur all year long. Each year, scammers refine their tactics so they can get past spam filters, spam call blockers, and antivirus apps that help block their money stealing schemes.

Scammers who call potential victims may claim they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and cite a false name and/or employee badge number to help their believability. With an IRS scam call from area code 202, the scammer may instruct the victim to call back using the same Washington, DC area code (202) phone number shown on Caller ID to “prove” the call is authentic. If they send follow up phishing emails, they may even use the IRS logo to make their IRS scams appear more convincing.

There are a variety of IRS scams that circulate each year. Some are new, but many have been used before and are variations of previous year’s tax scams. The IRS publishes a yearly running list of common scams, known as the IRS Dirty Dozen.

Common IRS scams Include

Phishing emails
Phone Scams including the IRS scam call from area code 202
Return Preparer Fraud
Inflated Refund Claims
Fake Charities

The stories used to coerce taxpayers out of their money can change too. IRS scammers may email or call to scare people into thinking they owe money to the IRS for back taxes. The scammer may then threaten to report them to the police if the they don’t pay immediately. Scammers often try to collect money over the phone using further scare tactics and demand payment right away. The IRS never takes payment over the phone.

In another scenario, the scammer may inform a victim they are owed a refund. The victim may be asked for bank account information to send a direct deposit payment. Personal information may be requested over the phone or in an email and include birthdate, government ID, bank account numbers, address, or other sensitive information.

When a victim questions the identity of the fake IRS agent or the validity of the demand for payment, the scammer may instruct the person to call them back or look for a supposed official email from the IRS. If the victim chooses to call the fake IRS agent back, the scammer may tell them to call back using the number shown on Caller ID. The phone number on Caller ID may be an IRS scam call number from area code 202 (Washington DC) or any area code. Hackers can alter Caller ID technology to make the calling phone number appear to come from any area code they choose.

Regardless of the delivery tactic and story, the goal is to commit identity theft or steal money and from taxpayers.

Will the IRS Ever Contact You by Telephone?

Taxpayers should be especially wary of IRS scam calls from area code 202 or any other phone call from someone who claims to be from the IRS.

The IRS only contacts you by telephone if you contacted them first – by phone, via the IRS website, email, or postal mail. The IRS may also contact you by telephone if they have sent a notice using regular USPS mail first. Hackers and scammers can call from fake phone numbers that trick your CallerID into reporting the phone call originates in Washington, DC.

What Area Code Is 202?

Area code 202 is Washington, DC. Area code 202 was one of the original area codes established by AT&T as part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).

Does the IRS Make Robocalls?

The IRS does not make robocalls. According to IRS website, does not call taxpayers until they have sent a notice via US Postal mail. The IRS does not call to demand or accept payment over the phone including credit card payments. If you do owe taxes, you are not required using a certain form of payment, like debit cards for example. Gift cards are neve an acceptable form of payment and are commonly requested by hackers because they are not traceable.

Robocalls are often used by scammers to dial a large volume of phone numbers in a short period of time. The phone scam may be the first call to test if a phone number is active and answered by someone. If you answer one IRS scam calls, there may be others with increasing scare tactics.

What to Do If You get an IRS Scam Call Area Code 202

If you receive a phone call from the IRS and you’re not sure it’s valid, you can call the IRS customer service line at 1-800-829-1040 to verify it. Never blindly give out any information to anyone who calls you, without verifying that you’re indeed speaking with a credentialed agent of the Internal Revenue Service. When in doubt, hang up and call them back using a phone number you found.

Never give a caller any personal information – especially payment information, birthdate, social security number, address
Never blindly give out any information or payment to anyone over the phone without verifying their identity
If you think you are on a scam call, hang up. Look up the phone number for your IRS office on their official website

Michelle Dvorak

www.metrony.com/

US GSA Warns of COVID-19 Fraud and Price Gouging

2020-03-19 by Max

US General Services Administration (GSA) Warns of COVID-19 Fraud and Price Gouging as Coronavirus Related Scams Increase

The US General Services Administration (GSA) is waning that companies are representing themselves as GSA approved vendors in an attempt to profiteer from Coronavirus related sales. In an email, GSA also stated that companies are attempting to price gauge US government agencies for products related to the outbreak. All government buyers are cautioned to take the time to verify the vendors status and pricing schedule with the GSA Procurement system.

Companies attempting to exploit legitimate COVID-19 concerns to mislead govenrment buyers and consumers into paying exorbitant prices for products associated with outbreak should be reported.

What Does GSA Do?

GSA manages vendors and services for all government agencies to make sure the US Government is not paying prices higher than market value. However, the US Government is notorious for overpaying for purchases.

What Does It Mean to Be GSA Approved?

When a company has GSA approval status that means is it authorized to sell goods and services to United States Government agencies through the U.S. General Services Administration. An approved company may also be described as being “on schedule” meaning the company has a GSA schedule of prices on file. The GSA Schedule is essentially a set of negotiated contracts that government agencies can shop from for standardized pricing.

Supplier status with the US governments procurement system can be verified on the GSA Advantage website. Supplies can also provide a contract number and supplier details which can be verified online at the GSA library vendor database.

Businesses can sell to the public and through the GSA system simultaneously. For example, Home Depot is on the GSA schedule.

What is General Services Administration or GSA?

The GSA acronym stands for the General Services Administration, an agency of the United States government. The General Services Administration is a federal agency of the United States government to qualify and manage procurement of goods and services for federal agencies. GSA also manages government buildings, real estate, and vehicles. US GSA is located in Washington, DC and was established in 1949

Fraudulent activity by companies claiming to be GSA vendors or price gouging by from authorized GSA vendors can be reported to GSA’s National Customer Service Center. Call 800-488-3111 or email [email protected]

COVID-19 Email Scams

There have been numerous online scams related to the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak including malware attacks and phishing scams targeting private citizens and healthcare workers. The GSA fraud is just another series of fraudulent activities. Early phishing emails were sent to citizens across Asia who were seeking information about COVID-19. The content of the phishing emails attempted to trick readers into thinking they were reading official communications from the World Health Organization (WHO.) The scam emails even contained some helpful statistics and details of outbreaks. Other emails positiontoned the content to make it appear that the content was from local authorities. These emails contained malicious attachments which launched malware campaigns if the readers opened the attachments.

More recent email scams have targeted healthcare workers, nursing homes, and hospitals.

COVID-19 Hacks

Hackers have ramped up scam tactics by registering thousands of Coronavirus related website domain names. Although some of these websites may be used for legitimate purposes, it is estimated that about one-third are hacker websites selling malware and stolen information.
One high-profile target, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus tracking map, is a favorite for spoofed domain names.

State sponsored Advanced persistent threat (APT) groups are also jumping by sending Coronavirus themed phasing email to defense industries, embassies, and governments attempting to launch RAT malware.

Max

Max is a Data Privacy Coordinator at a major global law firm and a science fiction author residing in the Philadelphia area. He has been writing for https://www.askcybersecurity.com since early 2017.

partyfacepress.com/

How to File Taxes Online Safely

2020-03-16 by Michelle Dvorak

How to File Taxes Online Safely – Best Practices to File Taxes Online

File taxes online safely. The annual income tax deadline is almost here, and people are usually stressed to get their taxes filed online before the April 15th deadline. You can file Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxes online from the comfort of your own home, but it’s important that you do it safely and securely to protect your private data and the personal information of your family.

Every year the Internal Revenue Service publishes a list of the top tax scams called The Dirty Dozen. Common tax scams include fraudulent deductions, unlicensed income tax preparers, and a variety of phone tax scams. If you follow a few cyber security best practices, you can protect your private, sensitive data.

Is it Safe to eFile Taxes?

Yes, it is safe to eFile taxes. It’s perfectly safe and even sometimes a more secure option to eFile your income taxes. When you have someone prepare your taxes in an office, your paperwork and personal data may be laying around or be accessible to other people who work in that same office. Although there are many reputable tax preparers who take great measures to protect your information, e-filing your taxes may be one of the most secure ways to file your taxes online safely.

Best Practices to File Taxes Online

Here are a few safety measures and cyber security tips to help protect your income tax data online when filing your tax return online.

1. Use security software

Download and use internet security software on all your devices. Every year filing taxes online is an opportunity for hackers to scam people using scam phone calls, spoof websites, phishing emailss and fraudulent apps. Security software helps protect you and your devices from hackers or trying to steal your information and money Use quality security software that will alert you in quarantine phishing emails, malicious attachments you can help protect your phone and your computer from hackers.

Security software also includes malware protection and warns you if you are on a website that is known to be sketchy and fraudulent we’re in control of hackers you need to use malware protection what is kept up-to-date although there are many free malware apps out there sometimes they can be harmful apps themselves disguised as security apps.

Security software will protect your computer from ransomware malware and another form of malicious computer code called info stealer. Any of these malwares can result in identity theft which can take years to fix and cost you money. Protect yourself aginst identity theft.

2. Beware of Free Apps

Although there are free security apps available, often they cannot offer the best protection you can possibly get. Free security apps may not be updated with the latest information on malware and phishing attacks the hackers are deploying. Hackers constantly fine tune their cyberattack tactics. They deploy malicious computer code, spoof websites, and phishing emails to trick victims into clicking links and opening email attachments that can steal all of their private tax data.

Hackers are out to steal your personal information and money. Protect your data, phones, and computers with quality cyber security apps. Like hackers, cyber security protection software must also constantly evolve to keep abreast of the latest cyber security attack malware and tactics. Good quality security software only costs a few dollars a month and can protect all of your family’s devices. If you don’t know which one to pick, check out a few of our reviews.

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3. Secure Your Home Network

One of the safest locations to file your taxes online is from your home network. But that’s only true if your home network is secure and protected. Your home network should have a router that’s fast and uses the latest security protocols. A secure router can help protect your data, including all the personal information that your tax returns contain. Be sure to change your router username and password. Many routers ship from the manufacturer with one standard username and password all of which can be found online.

Most modern routers usually have at least two networks and probably even a guest network enabled. Your home network also needs to be secured with a strong password to stop hackers from getting in. If you want to learn about how to set a strong password, read our post about the most common hacked passwords and guidelines on how to create a strong one that’s hard to guess.

Guests should be confined to using your guest network. Remember anyone using the same WiFi connection can see your internet traffic.

4. Use a VPN

Use a virtual private network (VPN) to protect your data when you file taxes online, send emails, or log into websites. Anyone who is sharing your network, whether it’s at home or work, can intercept your login credentials and personal information. It’s not very hard. A VPN encrypts all the private data coming from your phone or laptop.

Whether you file taxes online or in the mail, the forms contain a lot of personal information about you and your family including birthdates, social security numbers, address, and income. A VPN will help protect your sensitive data. If you want some ideas and a good VPN to use, I use IPVanish and wrote about it here in this post. But you can read a comparison of VPNs in this blog post and see the pros and cons of each along with pricing. If you travel a lot, you might want to consider a VPN with a large selection of servers like NordVPN.

VPNs also come in handy when you’re traveling or if you work remotely, VPNs can be used to protect your data anytime and anywhere for using an internet connection that’s not secure.

5. Never File Taxes Online Using Public WiFi

Never use public Wi-Fi to file your taxes online or for any other personal information for that matter. Public WiFi connections are not secure even if the retail establishment, hotel, or coffee shop gives you a password to use your WiFi connection for the day. No matter where the Wi-Fi connection is, anyone using the same network can intercept and read your data.

You filed file your taxes online on a shared public WiFi connection you’re asking for trouble hackers can monitor public Wi-Fi connections so they can see your tax returns and read all the personal information highly sensitive information contained on your tax forms they may also be able to steal your tax refund bank account numbers, and your identity

6. Use Strong Passwords

Use strong hard-to-guess passwords on every online account. Each of your online accounts needs to have a unique, hard to guess password. That means a password is never used for more than one online account, app, or device. Many people use the same login credentials on one or more online accounts. If a hacker steals one password, they can use it to brute-force attack your other online accounts. For example, if you use the same password on social media as you do for your email you are putting your other accounts at risk. If this is too hard to do, use a password manager to help you remember them.

Hackers get login credentials by gleaning them from public WiFi connections, in malware attacks, or by buying them on the dark web. Recently a few hundred thousand payment cards stolen in the Wawa data breach were put up for sale on a dark web marketplace known as Joker’s Stash.

If a hacker steals the login credentials you use for Facebook or Instagram, they can use it to hack into your email account. After that, hackers can use your email account to reset passwords to more sensitive accounts like your bank or credit cards. If you use that same password for filing your taxes online, a hacker can also steal your social security number, your identity, and possibly your income tax refund

7. Update Software

Update all of your software to protect your pride in your sensitive tax return information. This doesn’t just mean the income tax software you’re using to file your taxes online. It means that you should update all of the apps on your phone and computers to keep your devices and your data safe from hackers.

Often app Developers issue updates and patches to fix security bugs found in their amps and even on Hardware. If you delay updating apps then you leave your device, the apps, and all the private information on your electronic device vulnerable to hackers.

If you use your computer or phone to file your taxes online it’s important that you keep all your apps up to date including your income tax filing software and the operating system of the device itself.

In January, Microsoft announced that it will no longer offer security patches or any support for Windows 7 computers. It’s a good move because Windows 7 computers are so old, they don’t offer the latest security features that newer laptops and computers do. Computers running Windows 10 use come with facial recognition or fingerprint scans to protect the computer and all the private information on it. When you use facial recognition or fingerprint scans to lock your computer or laptop, it protects your income tax data, all of your photos, your private messages, emails, and the content you looked at from hackers or unauthorized users. If you haven’t yet upgraded to Windows 10 computer then consider getting a new machine.

8. Check for encryption

When you have all of your computations done and you finally go to file your taxes online, make sure the website you’re on is encrypted. That means that the website uses HTTPS and has a lock icon showing next to the website URL. Double check that you are indeed on the website you intended to go to – whether you’re filing online using Tax Cut or H&R Block or you’re filing directly on the Internal Revenue Service website itself, protect yourself by confirming the website address and that is using HTTPS at all times.

9. Backup Tax Data

If you file taxes online using a website, then make sure you take a backup of your data. Get a copy of your tax reform forms as a PDF. If you file using an income tax app like tax cut and make a second copy of your income tax return on an external hard drive and save the file created by the income tax software and save your income tax forms and all schedules of PDF documents.

Michelle Dvorak

www.metrony.com/

US Department of Health and Human Services Targeted in Cyberattack

2020-03-16 by Keith Harlock

US Department of Health and Human Services Website Swamped by Foreign Hackers

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Department suffered a cyberattack Sunday. The HHS cyberattack night was meant to cripple HHS IT systems and interfere with the ability to convey information about the Coronavirus, healthcare, and social services. The hackers struck as the US is increasing efforts to mitigate the spread of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19.

This is not the fail issue for HHS IT systems. The agency’s email crashed on February 23 in the middle of the Coronavirus crisis. A test of their email system by the IT team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services caused the outage. Some emails were delayed up to 11 hours.

The latest HHS cyberattack appears to have been carried out by foreign hackers although US Cyber Command has not confirmed that or named the hacking group. It is believed that no data was stolen. Hackers tried to overwhelm HHS servers with a deluge of millions of requests over the course of several hours. Although it is early in the analysis, the attack sounds like it probably was a form of a denial of service (DoS of DDoS) attack. A denial service attack is a volume based cyberattack where hackers flood a service – HTTP, UDP, ICMP – with a large number of requests. As severs responds to the millions of requests from hackers’ bots, they cannot respond to requests from legitimate website users trying to access webpage content.

How Do Denial of Service Attacks Work?

When the servers used by a website to store and send webpages and information requests are bogged down by hackers pummeling it with millions of useless inquires, the servers become overloaded and the website slows down possible to the point of being unusable. Sometime only the homepage works when servers are too busy. Attempts to login to an account result in an error. There is only so much information the website can supply in a given person of time. This makes it difficult or impossible for people trying to legitimately access the website and get information about the Coronavirus COVID-19.

A HHS cyberattack website slowdown caused by hackers is the same problem seen by website users when a website is very, very busy. For example, on Saturday when I was trying to cancel my reservation on JetBlue Airways, I could not log into my online account to view and manage my reservation. The website was simply overwhelmed by ten of thousands of customers trying to deal with canceled travel plans caused by the spread of the Coronavirus. Although this issue is not triggered by hackers, it has the same effect. JetBLue’s – as well as every other airline – servers and probably the call center are overloaded.

NSC Tweet HHS Hack — NSC Tweet HHS Cyberattack

There was also a misinformation social media campaign related to this cyberattack. Last night, the National Security Council tweeted, “Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown. @CDCgov has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19.”

What is the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services?

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is a United States federal agency that administers public social service programs as well as communicates public health and safety information to citizens. HHS has been communicating information to the public about the Coronavirus.
The federal agency administers programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the not-so Affordable Care Act insurance marketplace or (HealthCare.gov)

Keith Harlock

Keith has 30 years of experience managing staff for the planning and design of highway, bridge and transportation-related projects and specialty structures. Keith oversees the development of and authors numerous reports on a variety of topics related to transportation engineering and has worked with several key clients on projects related to infrastructure security. Keith is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New York, currently a State Board member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York and is a licensed commercial pilot with an instrument rating. He resides in Western New York.

www.askcybersecurity.com

Dutch Government Loses 6.9M Donor Records

2020-03-12 by Michelle Dvorak

Dutch Donor Register Lost External Hard Drives Containing Personal Data of More Than 6.9 Million Donor Registrations

The Dutch Donor Register reported that it lost external hard drives containing personal data of more than 6.9 million donor registrations. The lost hard drives contain personal data of millions of Dutch citizens who have elected to donate their organs by completing a donor registration form. The missing data includes registrations completed between February 1998 to June 2010. The Dutch Minister of Health, Wellness, and Sport said the hard drives stored digital copies of donor forms filed with the Dutch Donor Register. The data was also recorded on paper. The hard drives were last accessed in 2016. It was realized the hard drives and the personal data they contain had gone missing when staff at the Dutch Donor Register went to clear out paper and digital copies of older data.

Hugo De Jonge, Minister for Health, Wellness, and Sport notified the Dutch parliament of the incident on 10 March 2020.

The missing information includes personal details like first name, last name, gender, birthdate, address, choice for organ donations, ID numbers, and a copy of the user’s signature. The donor forms do not include copies of Dutch IDs and other official documents. It was not disclosed if the personal data was encrypted or not. Still identity theft is a concern.

Almost half of the Netherlands 174 million citizens are registered as organ donors. Some of the people on the missing hard drives may be deceased.

What Are the Types of Identity Theft?

After hackers steal your personal information, they may steal money from your bank account, charge purchases using your credit card numbers, open new utility accounts, or receive medical treatment using your health insurance. An identity thief may file a fraudulent tax return to receive a tax refund. A thief might get a driver’s license in your name. You may receive a notice from a company stating that your personal information or payment information was compromised in a data breach? You may discover an online account was hacked when you begin to see charged on your credit card or deductions for your bank account.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the types of identity theft are:

Credit Card Fraud
Employment
Tax-Related Fraud
Utilities Fraud
Bank Fraud
Loan or Lease Fraud
Government Documents or Benefits Fraud
Other Identity Theft

Warning Signs of Identity Theft

If you are not using identity theft protection service, then you may want to look into signing up for one. Often identity theft protection can be your first indicator of identity theft of credit card theft. After data breaches, many companies offer limited subscriptions but by the time a data breach is disclosed it may be too late. Warning signs of identity theft include:

Unexplained withdrawals from your bank account
You are not receiving your bills in the mail
You receive bills for utilities or credit cards that you don’t recognize
Your credit card is declined
Debt collectors contact you
Your credit report has new accounts on it or higher credit limits. Learn how you can get a FREE credit report – read this post
Medical providers you don’t use bill you for services you did not receive
Your health plan rejects your legitimate medical claim because the records show you’ve reached your benefits limit.
The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name
Your income tax return cannot be filed electronically because someone else filed it in your name
You receive notice that your information was compromised by a data breach

Michelle Dvorak

www.metrony.com/

Saturday Sitrep: Compliance with the CCPA

2020-01-04 by Max

Saturday Sitrep: Compliance with the CCPA

The California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) is in effect, and now organizations must comply with its requirements. Currently, personal data originating from individuals residing in California (“Consumers”) is the focus of the CCPA. There is a one year hold on enforcement for non-Consumer personal data, but companies should not sleep on that deadline. Complying with the CCPA requires an organization to understand (1) what data it collects, (2) where that data comes from, (3) and how it handles that data throughout its lifecycle with the organization. The first step can be difficult for an organization that hasn’t performed any data flow or data mapping exercises before. Despite the trend towards the free flow of information, it can be difficult for one individual or department in an organization to know every category of information that passes through it. The heads of different functional groups should be queried for what information they routinely handle, and you can form a rough understanding of the data your organization handles from their replies. For the second step, a good place to start is to determine what clients your organization serves, as all corporate client data will be covered under the business-to-business exception for a year. This should allow you to determine what individual clients your organization serves, and you can create your mailing list from this data. All individual Consumers will have to be provided notice of what personal data you collected and what you use it for. Any third-parties that you employ to handle this Consumer data should be contacted about their CCPA compliance and you may have to introduce a CCPA addendum into your agreement with them. The third step will help you create the Consumer notice and vendor addendum, as you’ll be able to provide specifics about any information your organization handles.

Max

Max is a Data Privacy Coordinator at a major global law firm and a science fiction author residing in the Philadelphia area. He has been writing for https://www.askcybersecurity.com since early 2017.

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US Army Bans TikTok App Due to Security Concerns and China Connection

2020-01-02 by Michelle Dvorak

US Army Bans TikTok App for Soldiers Using Military Owned Phones Due to Security Concerns – China Connection

The US Army joined the US Navy in banning service members from using TikTok on any US government owned phone. Security concerns about the use of TikTok center around a Beijing, China based collecting personal data and the locations of on US citizens. The video sharing app TikTok boasts over one billion videos views each day. TikTok is hugely popular with US teenagers and up until recently was used by the US Army to recruit service personnel.

The US Army ordered soldiers to stop using TikTok and uninstall it from all government-owned phones since as of 22 December 2019. The Navy banned the app on 16 December. The military services cannot ban personnel from using TikTok or any app on their personal phones, but advised service members use caution.

TikTok Logo

The Army decision to ban TikTok follows an earlier December security bulletin issued by the US Navy. The cyber security bulletin stated that any government issued mobile devices with TikTok installed on them would be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet.

READ: Get a Free Credit Report for Military Service Members

In 2018, U.S. Army Recruiting Command started using TikTok for recruiting purposes after falling short on recruiting goals. The Army surpassed its recruiting goal for fiscal year 2019 and uses a number of social media apps to connect with Generation Z.

US Government Cyber Security Concerns About TikTok

In November 2019, the US Government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) launched a national security review of TikTok’ s owner, ByteDance Technology. ByteDance acquired California social media app Musical.ly for one billion dollars in 2017. It took lawmakers two years to begin an investigation into potential security concerns. TikTok did not seek clearance from CFIUS before the acquisition. TikTok collects profile information, but states it is stored on servers located in the United States.

TikTok Censorship

However, the company is governed under Chinese laws which requires access to data. It was reported that content unfavorable to the Communist Party of China was censored for users outside of China including content related to the 2019 Hong Kong protests. TikTok has blocked videos and disabled accounts about human rights violations in China, including content about re-education camps and abuses of ethnic and religious minorities.

READ: US Military Supplier Caught Selling Chinese Hardware

On 16 December the US Defense Department identified TikTok as “having potential security risks associated with its use” in a Pentagon generated “Cyber Awareness Message.” The message also “identifies the potential risk associated with using the TikTok app and directs appropriate action for employees to take in order to safeguard their personal information.”

The US Marine Corps and the US Air Force have not issued any guidance or restrictions on the use of TikTok.

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Last year, CFIUS intervened on two other apps connected with Chinese companies. Beijing based Kunlun Tech Co Ltd opted to sell gay dating app Grindr due to CFIUS national security concerns. Ant Financial was forced the terminate plans to buy MoneyGram International Inc over CFIUS data privacy concerns.

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a video-sharing social networking app for iOS, Android, and Fire OS mobile devices. The app was first launched in September 2017 for iPhones and Android phones. It became the most downloaded app for October 2018. Fifty two percent of TikTok downloads are on iPhones.

TikTok has been downloaded about 110 million times in the United States, and 800 million times worldwide. It is available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages.

The creator of TikTok is ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming. TikTok is used to create short videos to share with other app users. TikTok is not available in China. ByteDance also owns Douyin, another video sharing app, that is accessible in China.

Is TikTok Safe?

TikTok admitted that it had suppressed videos by uploaded disabled and LGBTQ as part of an effort to curb cyberbullying. On 27 February 2019, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined ByteDance $5.7 million USD for collecting personally identifiable information (PII) from children under the age of 13 in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. TikTok has been banned for certain types of content in at least five countries.

the app has a kids-only safety mode that blocks children from uploading videos, direct messaging, and commenting on videos. When in kids-only mode, children can only view others’ videos.

TikTok is allowed to use your videos for commercial purposes as stated in their end-user-license-agreement (EULA).

What Is the Point of TikTok?

TikTok is a video sharing app. Users create account and share videos that are up to 60 seconds long each. Many are dance videos with numerous special effects.

Why Do App Developers Want Your Data?

App develops want your data so they can sell it to advertising platforms and use it to develop other apps. It is estimated that some ninety percent of app data is sent back to Alphabet, the parent company of Google. When data is collected from multiple sources, it is possible to construct detailed information about app users. For example, if user profile data is harvested from a dating app and a banking app, then it is possible to deduce the sexuality and income of a bank’s customers. Many apps collect detailed information about a user’s location. This poses security risks for those working in the public sector, military, law enforcement, or government positions.

How Do App Developers Collect Data About Their Users?

Data collected through apps can include anything from profile information – relationship status, age, gender, location, employment, home ownership, and travel habits. Apps may collect information from nearby cellular towers to precisely track location. Intrusive apps may records information about the type of device they are installed, the device ID, what other apps are installed, the contents of messages, contact lists, and photos. Some even have access to calls.

How Do Apps Pose Security Risks?

Apps often pose security risks for military and government employees. For example, in 2018 it was discovered that Fitness Tracker Strava, logged and publicly shared the route of every biking, walking, swimming, rowing, and running workout path taken by users. It also logged the location of indoor workouts even those inside military facilities.

US OPSEC confirmed that Strava did indeed reveal classified military installations on its user heat map. The fitness tracker was also mapping inside sensitive US and overseas military outposts.
The location of every workout was shown on a heat map. Although the intention of sharing was so like-minded fitness users could share workout information, the map posed a huge security risk for active duty service personnel.

Michelle Dvorak

www.metrony.com/

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

2019-10-01 by Michelle Dvorak

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month – A Collaboration Between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM), which is a collaborative effort between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). NCSAM occurs each October to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.

The mission of cybersecurity awareness month is to ensure businesses and individuals stay secure online. Awareness of cyber security includes learning about safe internet usage, learning to recognize scams and phishing emails, using software to protect smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers.

Cyber security awareness and training protects businesses, networks, employees, and individuals.

CISA Logo

CISA has a lot of resources and information to supplement cyber security training programs. Visit the NCSAM 2019 webpage and the NCSAM 2019 Toolkit for ways to participate in National Cybersecurity Awareness month.

Although we should always be concerned about online safety, October is a good time to review cybersecurity policies, data privacy practices, social media account security, and internet safety at home and at work. National Cybersecurity Awareness Month can mean a month of training for employees learning how to identify phishing emails, and improving everyday device security, protecting sensitive while traveling on vacation or for business.

This month will feature a cybersecurity post every day with tips and how to secure electronic devices, personal data, secure credit cards and other payment information at work and at home.

Cybersecurity While Traveling Tips

Traveling for business and holidays can be a time when people are in a hurry to reconnect with loved ones or workplaces. Often, travelers aren’t exactly careful with how and when they use the internet. The temptation of free WiFi connections to save on mobile data charges or to get faster connection speeds, leads many mobile device users to connect to open and unsecured WiFi networks. When travelers login to any account and share sensitive information like email addresses, social media credentials, login into banking or shop online they put themselves at risk for identity theft and other online scams.

When traveling, people should be especially mindful of how they use the internet and what networks they connect their phones and laptops to at hotels, coffee shops, airports, vacation homes or any unfamiliar internet connection.

Five FREE Ways to Protect Your Data While Traveling
Computer Security While Traveling – A Cyber Security Field Guide

Online Privacy

Almost everyone knows about the privacy concerns surrounding Facebook and other social media sites. But do you realize that many apps, games, and banking apps also track you everywhere you go? Google apps including Google Maps, Chrome web browser, and even YouTube track your location so they can sell your aggregate data to advertisers and study user behavior to improve their products.

Facebook Privacy Setting
Facebook Shares Your Phone Number – How to Shut it Off

Social Media Cyber Security

Although it may seem like social media it’s not a high priority privacy concern, it really is. People become lax in their use of social media accounts because they think there’s nothing in them that a hacker can use. But the reality is the information that people share openly on social media is often the answers to common password reset questions. When you give hackers solid data like your hometown, children’s names in tagged photos, parents’ names, pets’ names, where you were married, where you went to school, or announce birthdays you give hackers and scammers who scrape social media data with automated software a good start to stealing from you.

When you connect to unsecured WiFi in coffee shops, stores, airports or other public locations, you can give a hacker login credentials. Even without the proper login information, public posts might give hackers answers to your password reset questions by over sharing which, along with an email address, could be enough information for them to get into your banking accounts.

Things You Should Never Post On Social Media
How to Protect Yourself on Social Media

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IOT) is a term for any internet-connected device that makes our home and business environment easier.

IOT devices include internet connected televisions, lighting systems, and sound systems. IOT devices need to use secured internet connections with strong usernames and passwords to protect them and the network they are connected to. Some IOT televisions can track viewing behaviors and then transmit that data back to manufacturers who sell it to advertisers.

Microsoft Finds Russian Hackers Attacking Corporate IoT Devices

Creating a Strong Password

Each year a study is put out with the most ommonly hacked passwords. If you haven’t seen it, check out this year’s list here.

Often, people use their passwords across multiple accounts including banking and social media. It’s almost impossible nowadays not to get hacked or compromised somehow. Creating a strong password that is unique to each online account or app and enabling multi-factor authentication can help secure credentials and protect your information.

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome
How to View and Edit Stored Passwords in Safari

A How-To Guide for Multi-Factor Authentication

Two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the practice of adding an extra step or more to gain access to any online account, hardware, or app. For example, you can have a social media accounts send a text message with a code to your phone to authenticate logins rather than just using a password. Biometric logins can be used as 2FA or MFA along with some other form of authentication.

How to Enable 2FA – On Google and Apple Devices
How to Turn on Instagram 2FA – Make Your Account More Secure

Cyber Security at Work

Ransomware cyber attacks are an increasing risk for businesses. Enterprise ransomware increased by 12% last year. Corporate websites can give a hacker a lot of information about individuals in a company. Public data about employees supplies helpful contact details but also leaves the company open to scammers and hackers including W-2 fraud and BEC scams. So far, in 2019, over 30 governmental organizations and schools have been the victims of cyber attacks, specifically ransomware attacks. Learn how to identify suspicious behavior and secure your IT system.

City of Baltimore Hacked by Ransomware
Top Five Worst Ransomware Attacks

How to Identify Phishing Emails

Most malware cyber attacks begin with a phishing email or spear phishing email. Learning how to identify a phishing email and adding spam filters to your email reader, like Outlook, can help protect your laptop or smartphone at your home and your work and protect IT systems from hackers.

How Does a Phishing Email Work?
The Mueller Report – Russian Spear Phishing Emails 5 Phishing Email Examples

Identity Theft

Identity theft can start with something simple like a phishing email or an online account. In 2018, new account fraud totaled $3.4 billion in losses, and increase of $3 billion in 2017. Hackers can also steal tax returns, medical information, and social media profiles and eventually steal your identity. Identity fraud often results in credit cards loans and mortgages opened in your name.

What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen
How to Avoid an IRS Tax Scam

Internet Scams

According to the Federal Trade Commission internet scams account for millions of dollars of fraud each year and are on the rise. Internet scams include tax fraud, romance scams, spoof websites, and other online scams. Learn how to identify and report an internet scam.

IRS Warns of 2 New Delinquent Tax Scams How to Avoid Romance Scams

Michelle Dvorak