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From their original design as simple broadcast receivers, today’s televisions have evolved into powerful, internet-connected entertainment hubs. Combining traditional viewing with online capabilities, smart TVs provide instant access to streaming platforms, web browsing, voice assistants, and personalized recommendations.
As our TVs have grown smarter, however, they’ve also become gateways to new privacy and security challenges. In a chilling echo of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, it’s possible that Big Brother, or in this case, Big Hacker, might be surveilling you through your own television.
In 2013, evidence emerged that smart TVs can be just as vulnerable to hacking as home computers, following an investigation by security analysts Aaron Grattafiori and Josh Yavor at iSEC Partners. Working with smart TV manufacturers to address potential vulnerabilities, the analysts presented their findings at the Black Hat network security conference in Las Vegas. Their demonstration highlighted the concerning possibility of smart TVs not only physically surveilling you through the built-in camera but also prying deeper into your personal life by collecting data on your web searches, app usage, and preferences.
Smart TVs can be hacked in several ways, but the gateway that opens your smart TV to these attacks is the IP address, which links with internet-driven apps such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as video streaming services, microphones, and even internal cameras. Because smart TVs often run the same code as computers and smartphones, such as JavaScript or HTML5, they are also susceptible to malware and spyware attacks. These are some of the ways your device can be hacked:
Once a hacker has compromised your smart TV, they can spy on you through several built-in technologies that collect data on your viewing habits, conversations, and online activities.
The key to managing these privacy risks is understanding what data your TV collects and taking control through privacy settings, network restrictions, and informed usage decisions.
Your smart TV data typically flows to multiple parties. It starts with the device manufacturer for product improvements, then to streaming app providers for content recommendations, on to advertising networks for targeted marketing, and analytics companies for usage insights. Recent regulatory guidance emphasizes that you should have clear visibility into these data-sharing relationships through your TV’s privacy policy.
You can limit data collection by disabling Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) in your TV’s privacy settings, turning off personalized advertising, and regularly reviewing app permissions. Consumer protection agencies require smart TV manufacturers to provide opt-out mechanisms for advertising personalization and data sharing with third parties.
Fortunately, you can significantly reduce your smart TV risks with some simple preventive measures:
Most smart TVs don’t fully turn off when you press the power button; they enter standby mode to enable quick startup. In this state, certain components may remain active and continue collecting data. It might maintain network connectivity to receive software updates, keep microphones and voice assistants ready to respond to wake words, or continue ACR that tracks your viewing habits.
To truly disconnect your TV from potential monitoring, you have several options:
It depends on your specific smart TV model and its manufacturing date. Most modern smart TVs manufactured after 2022 do not include built-in cameras. Major manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Sony, and TCL have largely moved away from integrating cameras directly into their television sets due to privacy concerns and limited consumer adoption.
Some premium models and older smart TVs from 2018-2021 may still feature built-in cameras designed typically used for:
If your smart TV does have a camera, you still have control, as most smart TVs with cameras include physical privacy shutters, software controls to disable the camera, or the option to cover the lens. For external USB cameras, simply unplugging it ensures that no one can see you through the smart TV.
To determine if your smart TV has a camera, check the following:
If you discover your smart TV has a camera, you can take control of your privacy by disabling it in your TV’s settings, covering it with tape when not in use, or using any built-in privacy shutters.
Aside from the precautions listed above, there are other ways you can disable your smart TV’s camera:
If the thought of your living room turning into a hacker’s surveillance paradise sends a chill down your spine, you’re not alone. Fortunately, you can take some protective measures that keep your smart TV safe.
One of the best ways to protect yourself is to stay informed about the latest developments in smart TV security. Attend webinars, read articles, and follow experts in the field to stay current with the latest security threats and fixes.
Just as importantly, small but effective digital habits will also fortify your smart TV security: keep your TV’s firmware updated, stick to official app stores, secure your home Wi-Fi with strong encryption, use unique passwords for your devices, limit the use of social media and messaging apps on your TV, and be cautious about what you plug into your TV’s ports.
By following these recommendations, you can continue to relax in your living room and enjoy your digital entertainment experience without compromising your privacy and security.
The post How To Tell If Your Smart TV Spying on You appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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Two-step verification, two-factor authentication, multi-factor authentication…whatever your social media platform calls it, it’s an excellent way to protect your accounts.
There’s a good chance you’re already using multi-factor verification with your other accounts — for your bank, your finances, your credit card, and any number of things. The way it requires an extra one-time code in addition to your login and password makes life far tougher for hackers.
It’s increasingly common to see nowadays, where all manner of online services only allow access to your accounts after you’ve provided a one-time passcode sent to your email or smartphone. That’s where two-step verification comes in. You get sent a code as part of your usual login process (usually a six-digit number), and then you enter that along with your username and password.
Some online services also offer the option to use an authenticator app, which sends the code to a secure app rather than via email or your smartphone. Authenticator apps work much in the same way, yet they offer three unique features:
Google, Microsoft, and others offer authenticator apps if you want to go that route. You can get a good list of options by checking out the “editor’s picks” at your app store or in trusted tech publications.
Whichever form of authentication you use, always keep that secure code to yourself. It’s yours and yours alone. Anyone who asks for that code, say someone masquerading as a customer service rep, is trying to scam you. With that code, and your username/password combo, they can get into your account.
Passwords and two-step verification work hand-in-hand to keep you safer. Yet not any old password will do. You’ll want a strong, unique password. Here’s how that breaks down:
Now, with strong passwords in place, you can get to setting up multi-factor verification on your social media accounts.
When you set up two-factor authentication on Facebook, you’ll be asked to choose one of three security methods:
And here’s a link to the company’s full walkthrough: https://www.facebook.com/help/148233965247823
When you set up two-factor authentication on Instagram, you’ll be asked to choose one of three security methods: an authentication app, text message, or WhatsApp.
And here’s a link to the company’s full walkthrough: https://help.instagram.com/566810106808145
And here’s a link to the company’s full walkthrough: https://faq.whatsapp.com/1920866721452534
And here’s a link to the company’s full walkthrough: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185839?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
1. TapProfileat the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap the Menu button at the top.
3. Tap Settings and Privacy, then Security.
4. Tap 2-step verification and choose at least two verification methods: SMS (text), email, and authenticator app.
5. Tap Turn on to confirm.
And here’s a link to the company’s full walkthrough: https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/personalized-ads-and-data/how-your-phone-number-is-used-on-tiktok
The post How to Protect Your Social Media Passwords with Multi-factor Verification appeared first on McAfee Blog.
There has been an exponential increase in breaches within enterprises despite the carefully constructed and controlled perimeters that exist around applications and data. Once an attacker can access… Read more on Cisco Blogs
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Join the guided tour outside the Security Operations Center, where we’ll discuss real time network traffic of the RSA Conference, as seen in the NetWitness platform. Engineers will be using Cisco S… Read more on Cisco Blogs
Trend Micro Research has developed a go-to resource for all things related to cybercriminal underground hosting and infrastructure. Today we released the second in this three-part series of reports which detail the what, how, and why of cybercriminal hosting (see the first part here).
As part of this report, we dive into the common life cycle of a compromised server from initial compromise to the different stages of monetization preferred by criminals. It’s also important to note that regardless of whether a company’s server is on-premise or cloud-based, criminals don’t care what kind of server they compromise.
To a criminal, any server that is exposed or vulnerable is fair game.
Cloud vs. On-Premise Servers
Cybercriminals don’t care where servers are located. They can leverage the storage space, computation resources, or steal data no matter what type of server they access. Whatever is most exposed will most likely be abused.
As digital transformation continues and potentially picks up to allow for continued remote working, cloud servers are more likely to be exposed. Many enterprise IT teams, unfortunately, are not arranged to provide the same protection for cloud as on-premise servers.
As a side note, we want to emphasize that this scenario applies only to cloud instances replicating the storage or processing power of an on-premise server. Containers or serverless functions won’t fall victim to this same type of compromise. Additionally, if the attacker compromises the cloud account, as opposed to a single running instance, then there is an entirely different attack life cycle as they can spin up computing resources at will. Although this is possible, however, it is not our focus here.
Attack Red Flags
Many IT and security teams might not look for earlier stages of abuse. Before getting hit by ransomware, however, there are other red flags that could alert teams to the breach.
If a server is compromised and used for cryptocurrency mining (also known as cryptomining), this can be one of the biggest red flags for a security team. The discovery of cryptomining malware running on any server should result in the company taking immediate action and initiating an incident response to lock down that server.
This indicator of compromise (IOC) is significant because while cryptomining malware is often seen as less serious compared to other malware types, it is also used as a monetization tactic that can run in the background while server access is being sold for further malicious activity. For example, access could be sold for use as a server for underground hosting. Meanwhile, the data could be exfiltrated and sold as personally identifiable information (PII) or for industrial espionage, or it could be sold for a targeted ransomware attack. It’s possible to think of the presence of cryptomining malware as the proverbial canary in a coal mine: This is the case, at least, for several access-as-a-service (AaaS) criminals who use this as part of their business model.
Attack Life Cycle
Attacks on compromised servers follow a common path:
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The monetization lifecycle of a compromised server
Often, targeted ransomware is the final stage. In most cases, asset categorization reveals data that is valuable to the business but not necessarily valuable for espionage.
A deep understanding of the servers and network allows criminals behind a targeted ransomware attack to hit the company where it hurts the most. These criminals would know the dataset, where they live, whether there are backups of the data, and more. With such a detailed blueprint of the organization in their hands, cybercriminals can lock down critical systems and demand higher ransom, as we saw in our 2020 midyear security roundup report.
In addition, while a ransomware attack would be the visible urgent issue for the defender to solve in such an incident, the same attack could also indicate that something far more serious has likely already taken place: the theft of company data, which should be factored into the company’s response planning. More importantly, it should be noted that once a company finds an IOC for cryptocurrency, stopping the attacker right then and there could save them considerable time and money in the future.
Ultimately, no matter where a company’s data is stored, hybrid cloud security is critical to preventing this life cycle.
The post The Life Cycle of a Compromised (Cloud) Server appeared first on .
Identifying security threats early can be difficult, especially when you’re running multiple security tools across disparate business units and cloud projects. When it comes to protecting cloud-native applications, separating legitimate risks from noise and distractions is often a real challenge.
That’s why forward-thinking organizations look at things a little differently. They want to help their application developers and security operations (SecOps) teams implement unified strategies for optimal protection. This is where a newly expanded partnership from Trend Micro and Snyk can help.
Dependencies create risk
In today’s cloud-native development streams, the insatiable need for faster iterations and time-to-market can impact both downstream and upstream workflows. As a result, code reuse and dependence on third-party libraries has grown, and with it the potential security, compliance and reputational risk organizations are exposing themselves to.
Just how much risk is associated with open source software today? According to Snyk research, vulnerabilities in open source software have increased 2.5x in the past three years. https://info.snyk.io/sooss-report-2020. What’s more, a recent report claimed to have detected a 430% year-on-year increase in attacks targeting open source components, with the end goal of infecting the software supply chain. While open source code is therefore being used to accelerate time-to-market, security teams are often unaware of the scope and impact this can have on their environments.
Managing open source risk
This is why cloud security leader Trend Micro, and Snyk, a specialist in developer-first open source security, have extended their partnership with a new joint solution. It’s designed to help security teams manage the risk of open source vulnerabilities from the moment code is introduced, without interrupting the software delivery process.
This ambitious achievement helps improve security for your operations teams without changing the way your developer teams work. Trend Micro and Snyk are addressing open source risks by simplifying a bottom-up approach to risk mitigation that brings together developer and SecOps teams under one unified solution. It combines state-of-the-art security technology with collaborative features and processes to eliminate the security blind spots that can impact development lifecycles and business outcomes.
Available as part of Trend Micro Cloud One, the new solution being currently co-developed with Snyk will:
This unified solution closes the gap between security teams and developers, providing immediate visibility across modern cloud architectures. Trend Micro and Snyk continue to deliver world class protection that fits the cloud-native development and security requirements of today’s application-focused organizations.
The post Removing Open Source Visibility Challenges for Security Operations Teams appeared first on .
Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we share what you need to know about the cybersecurity news and events that happened over the past few days. This week, read about one of Microsoft’s largest Patch Tuesday updates ever, including fixes for 120 vulnerabilities and two zero-days. Also, learn about Trend Micro’s new integrations with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Read on:
Microsoft Patches 120 Vulnerabilities, Two Zero-Days
This week Microsoft released fixes for 120 vulnerabilities, including two zero-days, in 13 products and services as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday rollout. The August release marks its third-largest Patch Tuesday update, bringing the total number of security fixes for 2020 to 862. “If they maintain this pace, it’s quite possible for them to ship more than 1,300 patches this year,” says Dustin Childs of Trend Micro’s Zero-Day Initiative (ZDI).
Trend Micro has discovered an unusual infection related to Xcode developer projects. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that a developer’s Xcode project at large contained the source malware, which leads to a rabbit hole of malicious payloads. Most notable in our investigation is the discovery of two zero-day exploits: one is used to steal cookies via a flaw in the behavior of Data Vaults, another is used to abuse the development version of Safari.
Top Tips for Home Cybersecurity and Privacy in a Coronavirus-Impacted World: Part 1
We’re all now living in a post-COVID-19 world characterized by uncertainty, mass home working and remote learning. To help you adapt to these new conditions while protecting what matters most, Trend Micro has developed a two-part blog series on ‘the new normal’. Part one identifies the scope and specific cyber-threats of the new normal.
Trend Micro enhances agility and automation in cloud security through integrations with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Through this collaboration, Trend Micro Cloud One offers the broadest platform support and API integration to protect AWS infrastructure whether building with Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances, AWS Lambda, AWS Fargate, containers, Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), or Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) networking.
Shedding Light on Security Considerations in Serverless Cloud Architectures
The big shift to serverless computing is imminent. According to a 2019 survey, 21% of enterprises have already adopted serverless technology, while 39% are considering it. Trend Micro’s new research on serverless computing aims to shed light on the security considerations in serverless environments and help adopters in keeping their serverless deployments as secure as possible.
In One Click: Amazon Alexa Could be Exploited for Theft of Voice History, PII, Skill Tampering
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant could be exploited to hand over user data due to security vulnerabilities in the service’s subdomains. The smart assistant, which is found in devices such as the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot — with over 200 million shipments worldwide — was vulnerable to attackers seeking user personally identifiable information (PII) and voice recordings.
New Attack Lets Hackers Decrypt VoLTE Encryption to Spy on Phone Calls
A team of academic researchers presented a new attack called ‘ReVoLTE,’ that could let remote attackers break the encryption used by VoLTE voice calls and spy on targeted phone calls. The attack doesn’t exploit any flaw in the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) protocol; instead, it leverages weak implementation of the LTE mobile network by most telecommunication providers in practice, allowing an attacker to eavesdrop on the encrypted phone calls made by targeted victims.
An Advanced Group Specializing in Corporate Espionage is on a Hacking Spree
A Russian-speaking hacking group specializing in corporate espionage has carried out 26 campaigns since 2018 in attempts to steal vast amounts of data from the private sector, according to new findings. The hacking group, dubbed RedCurl, stole confidential corporate documents including contracts, financial documents, employee records and legal records, according to research published this week by the security firm Group-IB.
Walgreens Discloses Data Breach Impacting Personal Health Information of More Than 72,000 Customers
The second-largest pharmacy chain in the U.S. recently disclosed a data breach that may have compromised the personal health information (PHI) of more than 72,000 individuals across the United States. According to Walgreens spokesman Jim Cohn, prescription information of customers was stolen during May protests, when around 180 of the company’s 9,277 locations were looted.
Top Tips for Home Cybersecurity and Privacy in a Coronavirus-Impacted World: Part 2
The past few months have seen radical changes to our work and home life under the Coronavirus threat, upending norms and confining millions of American families within just four walls. In this context, it’s not surprising that more of us are spending an increasing portion of our lives online. In the final blog of this two-part series, Trend Micro discusses what you can do to protect your family, your data, and access to your corporate accounts.
What are your thoughts on Trend Micro’s tips to make your home cybersecurity and privacy stronger in the COVID-19-impacted world? Share your thoughts in the comments below or follow me on Twitter to continue the conversation: @JonLClay.
The post This Week in Security News: Microsoft Patches 120 Vulnerabilities, Including Two Zero-Days and Trend Micro Brings DevOps Agility and Automation to Security Operations Through Integration with AWS Solutions appeared first on .
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