Threat Lab

Girl Scouts and OpenText empower future leaders of tomorrow with cyber resilience

The transition to a digital-first world enables us to connect, work and live in a realm where information is available at our fingertips. The children of today will be working in an environment of tomorrow that is shaped by hyperconnectivity. Operating in this...

World Backup Day reminds us all just how precious our data is

Think of all the important files sitting on your computer right now. If your computer crashed tomorrow, would you be able to retrieve your important files? Would your business suffer as a result? As more and more of our daily activities incorporate digital and online...

3 Reasons We Forget Small & Midsized Businesses are Major Targets for Ransomware

The ransomware attacks that make headlines and steer conversations among cybersecurity professionals usually involve major ransoms, huge corporations and notorious hacking groups. Kia Motors, Accenture, Acer, JBS…these companies were some of the largest to be...

How Ransomware Sneaks In

Ransomware has officially made the mainstream. Dramatic headlines announce the latest attacks and news outlets highlight the staggeringly high ransoms businesses pay to retrieve their stolen data. And it’s no wonder why – ransomware attacks are on the rise and the...

An MSP and SMB guide to disaster preparation, recovery and remediation

Introduction It’s important for a business to be prepared with an exercised business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) plan plan before its hit with ransomware so that it can resume operations as quickly as possible. Key steps and solutions should be followed...

Podcast: Cyber resilience in a remote work world

The global pandemic that began to send us packing from our offices in March of last year upended our established way of working overnight. We’re still feeling the effects. Many office workers have yet to return to the office in the volumes they worked in pre-pandemic....

5 Tips to get Better Efficacy out of Your IT Security Stack

If you’re an admin, service provider, security executive, or are otherwise affiliated with the world of IT solutions, then you know that one of the biggest challenges to overcome is efficacy. Especially in terms of cybersecurity, efficacy is something of an amorphous...

How Cryptocurrency and Cybercrime Trends Influence One Another

Typically, when cryptocurrency values change, one would expect to see changes in crypto-related cybercrime. In particular, trends in Bitcoin values tend to be the bellwether you can use to predict how other currencies’ values will shift, and there are usually...

Cyber News Rundown: WhatsApp Vulnerability Could Install Spyware

May 17, 2019 | Threat Lab

WhatsApp Exploited to Install Spyware through Calls

A serious flaw has been discovered in the messaging app WhatsApp that would allow an attacker to install spyware on a victim’s device by manipulating the packets being sent during the call. Further disguising the attack, the malicious software could be installed without the victim answering the call, and with access to the device the attacker could also delete the call log. Fortunately, the Facebook-owned app was quick to respond and quickly released an update for affected versions.

SIM Swapping Group Officially Charged

Nine men in their teens and 20s have been arrested and charged for a SIM-swapping operation that netted the group over $2 million in stolen cryptocurrency. The group operated by illicitly gaining access to phone accounts by having the phone swapped to a SIM card in their control. The group would then fraudulently access cryptocurrency accounts by bypassing 2-factor authentication, since login codes were sent to devices under their control. Three of the group were former telecom employees with access to the systems needed to execute the scam.

Web Trust Seal Injected with Keylogger

A recent announcement revealed that scripts for the “Trust Seals” provided by Best of the Web to highly-rated websites were compromised and redesigned to capture keystrokes from site visitors. While Best of the Web was quick to resolve the issue, at least 100 sites are still linking customers to the compromised seals. This type of supply chain attack has risen in popularity recently. Hackers have been seen injecting payment stealing malware into several large online retailer’s websites since the beginning of the year.

Fast Retailing Data Breach

The online vendor Fast Retailing is currently investigating a data breach that gave attackers full access to nearly half a million customer accounts for two of the brand’s online stores. The attack took place within the last three weeks and targeted payment information with names and addresses for customers of UNIQLO Japan and GU Japan. Fast Retailing has since forced a password reset for all online customers and delivered emails with further information for those affected by the attack.

Data Leak in Linksys Routers

Last week researchers discovered a flaw in over 25,000 Linksys routers that could give attackers access to not only the device’s MAC address, but also device names and other critical settings that could compromise the security of anyone using the router. Additionally, by identifying the device’s IP address, attackers could even use geolocation to gauge the approximate location of the exploited device, all without authentication.

Cloud Services in the Crosshairs of Cybercrime

May 15, 2019 | Threat Lab

It’s a familiar story in tech: new technologies and shifting preferences raise new security challenges. One of the most pressing challenges today involves monitoring and securing all of the applications and data currently undergoing a mass migration to public and private cloud platforms.

Malicious actors are motivated to compromise and control cloud-hosted resources because they can gain access to significant computing power through this attack vector. These resources can then be exploited for a number of criminal money-making schemes, including cryptomining, DDoS extortion, ransomware and phishing campaigns, spam relay, and for issuing botnet command-and-control instructions. For these reasons—and because so much critical and sensitive data is migrating to cloud platforms—it’s essential that talented and well-resourced security teams focus their efforts on cloud security.

The cybersecurity risks associated with cloud infrastructure generally mirror the risks that have been facing businesses online for years: malware, phishing, etc. A common misconception is that compromised cloud services have a less severe impact than more traditional, on-premise compromises. That misunderstanding leads some administrators and operations teams to cut corners when it comes to the security of their cloud infrastructure. In other cases, there is a naïve belief that cloud hosting providers will provide the necessary security for their cloud-hosted services.

Although many of the leading cloud service providers are beginning to build more comprehensive and advanced security offerings into their platforms (often as extra-cost options), cloud-hosted services still require the same level of risk management, ongoing monitoring, upgrades, backups, and maintenance as traditional infrastructure. For example, in a cloud environment, egress filtering is often neglected. But, when egress filtering is invested in, it can foil a number of attacks on its own, particularly when combined with a proven web classification and reputation service. The same is true of management access controls, two-factor authentication, patch management, backups, and SOC monitoring. Web application firewalls, backed by commercial-grade IP reputation services, are another often overlooked layer of protection for cloud services.

Many midsize and large enterprises are starting to look to the cloud for new wide-area network (WAN) options. Again, here lies a great opportunity to enhance the security of your WAN, whilst also achieving the scalability, flexibility, and cost-saving outcomes that are often the primary goals of such projects. When selecting these types of solutions, it’s important to look at the integrated security options offered by vendors.

Haste makes waste

Another danger of the cloud is the ease and speed of deployment. This can lead to rapidly prototyped solutions being brought into service without adequate oversight from security teams. It can also lead to complacency, as the knowledge that a compromised host can be replaced in seconds may lead some to invest less in upfront protection. But it’s critical that all infrastructure components are properly protected and maintained because attacks are now so highly automated that significant damage can be done in a very short period of time. This applies both to the target of the attack itself and in the form of collateral damage, as the compromised servers are used to stage further attacks.

Finally, the utilitarian value of the cloud is also what leads to its higher risk exposure, since users are focused on a particular outcome (e.g. storage) and processing of large volumes of data at high speeds. Their solutions-based focus may not accommodate a comprehensive end-to-end security strategy well. The dynamic pressures of business must be supported by newer and more dynamic approaches to security that ensure the speed of deployment for applications can be matched by automated SecOps deployments and engagements.

Time for action

If you haven’t recently had a review of how you are securing your resources in the cloud, perhaps now is a good time. Consider what’s allowed in and out of all your infrastructure and how you retake control. Ensure that the solutions you are considering have integrated, actionable threat intelligence for another layer of defense in this dynamic threat environment.

Have a question about the next steps for securing your cloud infrastructure? Drop a comment below or reach out to me on Twitter at @zerobiscuit.

Cyber News Rundown: Dharma Diversion

May 10, 2019 | Threat Lab

Dharma Ransomware Employs Diversion Tactics

Researchers recently discovered a new ransomware variant that displays an ESET AV removal screen once launched in order to divert the a victim’s attention from the silent encryption taking place. Initially dropped by an email spam campaign, the payload comes as a password protected zip archive, with the password made available in the body of the email to entice curious readers. In addition to the ESET removal instructions, the archive also contains a traditional ransom demand with instructions for purchasing and transferring Bitcoin.

Binance Crypto-Exchange Hacked

At least 7,000 Bitcoin were illicitly removed from the hot wallet of Binance, an international cryptocurrency exchange, in a single transaction. By compromising the personal API keys and bypassing two-factor authentication, the hackers were able to access the wallet and steal roughly $41 million worth of Bitcoin. The complete details of the breach are still unknown.

Global Malvertiser Sentenced in US

A man operating several fake companies distributing hundreds of millions of malicious ads across the globe has been arrested and is facing charges after his extradition to the U.S. For nearly five years, Mr. Ivanov and his co-conspirators created dozens of malvertising campaigns, usually starting a new one immediately after the previous one was flagged by a legitimate ad network. While this is not the only case of malvertising campaigns causing chaos on the web, it is one of the first to see actual indictments.

Robbinhood Ransomware Shuts Down Two US Cities

Both Baltimore City Hall and the city of Amarillo, Texas, were victims of a variant of Robbinhood ransomware this week. Following the attack, citizens of both cities will be seeing online bill payment options temporarily offline as they work to restore networks that were damaged or disconnected to stop the spread of the infection. This is the second cyber attack to hit both cities within the past year, with Potter County, Texas recovering from a similar attack just a couple weeks ago. Neither city has released more information on the ransom amount or when the attack began.

Freedom Mobile Exposes Payment Credentials

An unencrypted database containing millions of customer records for Freedom Mobile, a Canadian telecom provider, was discovered to be left freely available to the public. While the database was secured in less than a week, the time it was left accessible to criminals is cause for concern. The data contained full payment card information, including essentially everything a criminal would need to commit identity fraud against millions of people. Though Freedom Mobile claims the 15,000 were affected, it calls into question the practices used to store their sensitive data.

Webroot Spotlight: Michael Balloni, Senior Manager of Software Development

May 9, 2019 | Threat Lab

No one can say that Senior Software Manager Michael Balloni isn’t a team player. Because Michael is constantly tasked with tackling multiple advanced technical projects at once, he relies on his top-notch engineering team to prioritize and keep projects moving while he orchestrates the collective.

Loyal to the end, Michael Balloni has seen a promising career as a software developer under the tutelage of Webroot CTO, Hal Lonas. This is the second company he’s worked at with Hal, and he’s found the Webroot culture of innovation and teamwork unparalleled.

What are some projects you are currently working on and how do you prioritize them?

I’m on the DNS team and we’re currently improving the security and scalability of the product. The team strives to provide DNS protection in all networking situations: in the office, home, coffee shop, airport, you name it. With any project, prioritization is key. You have to pick your battles, and work with the product manager to stay informed of business trends and needs. We also have bi-weekly “sprint planning” where our team goes over what we had set out to do in the previous two weeks and decides what to finish it in the next two weeks, and what new work to take on.

How do you promote technical leadership?

Technical leadership involves staying up to date on our industry and technical craft, then sharing that information with the broader team. It also involves staying current on the development of the products and steering in that direction as needed. Most of the time, there’s no need to change direction but sometimes there is, and can be tough to identify. I’ve learned that getting clarification and input should happen before prescribing a fix to what may not be a problem at all.

What is your greatest accomplishment in your career at Webroot so far?

There was a misunderstanding between a development team and their management. Management did not think the development team had a plan to move forward with a pressing need in an area, and created their own plan for getting it across the goal line. Unaware of this, development went ahead and made their own plan for solving the problem. I put together a meeting for development and later met with the product manager from the team’s management. We took everyone’s perspective into account, and both teams proceeded informed and respected from there. It helped me hone my cross-team management skills a lot.

What brought you to Webroot after your last job?

I had fun working with Webroot’s CTO Hal Lonas in the 2000s at a previous company. He’s such a clear-headed individual. He really listens to your ideas and excels at communication. He was able to teach me about prioritizing pretty early on. He taught me to identify if something isn’t going to work early and to know where to focus. We luckily haven’t had many projects where that has happened here, but it’s a good skill to have. There’s a reason he’s a CTO—he’s technical, but also a people person for sure.

How did you get into the technology field?

When I was a little kid I used to work on these electronic kits that would come with wires and springs. It was a circuit board with different electronic pieces like restrictors and capacitors. I would wire them together to make circuits that all did different things. In high school, I would build loudspeakers and amplifiers, I was always attracted to tech in that way.

What is your favorite thing about working at Webroot?

Everybody says it, but it’s the people. Everyone is sharp, hardworking, and friendly. We have a good thing here. It’s an environment of good intentions and backing each other up. Simply put, this is a great place to work!

Check out career opportunities at Webroot here: www.webroot.com/careers

Why Simplified Security Awareness Training Matters for MSPs and SMBs

May 7, 2019 | Threat Lab

In a recent report by the firm 451 Research, 62 percent of SMBs reported having a security awareness training program in place for their employees, with half being “homegrown” training courses. The report also found that most complained their programs were difficult to implement, track, and manage.

Like those weights in the garage you’ve been meaning to lift or the foreign language textbook you’ve been meaning to study, even our most well-intentioned efforts flounder if we’re not willing to put to use the tools that can help us achieve our goals.

So it goes with cybersecurity training. If it’s cumbersome to deploy and manage, or isn’t able to clearly display its benefits, it will be cast aside like so many barbells and Spanish-language dictionaries. But unfortunately, until now, centralized management and streamlined workflows across client sites have eluded the security awareness training industry.

The Importance of Effective Security Awareness Training

The effectiveness of end user cybersecurity training in preventing data breaches and downtime has been demonstrated repeatedly. Webroot’s own research found security awareness training cut clicks on phishing links by 70 percent, when delivered with regularity. And according to the 2018 Data Breach Investigation Report by Verizon, 93 percent of all breaches were the result of social engineering attacks like phishing.

With the average cost of a breach at around $3.62 million, low-overhead and effective solutions should be in high demand. But while 76 percent of MSPs reported using some type of security awareness tool, many still rely on in-house solutions that are siloed from the rest of their cybersecurity monitoring and reporting.

“MSPs should consider security awareness training from vendors with cybersecurity focus and expertise, and who have deep visibility and insights into the changing threat landscape,” says 451 Research Senior Analyst Aaron Sherrill.

“Ideally, training should be integrated into the overall security services delivery platform to provide a unified and cohesive approach for greater efficacy.”

Simple Security Training is Effective Security Training

Security awareness training that integrates with other cybersecurity solutions—like DNS and endpoint protection—is a good first step in making sure the material isn’t brushed aside like other implements of our best intentions.

Global management of security awareness training—the ability to initiate, monitor, and report on the effectiveness of these programs from a single pane of glass across all of your customers —is the next.

When MSPs can save time by say, rolling out a simulated phishing campaign or training course to one, many or allclient’s sites across the globe with only a few clicks, they both save time and money in management overhead, and are more likely to offer it as a service to their clients. Everyone wins.

With a console that delivers intuitive monitoring of click-through rates for phishing campaigns or completion rates for courses like compliance training, across all client sites, management is simplified. And easily exportable phishing and campaign reports help drive home a client’s progress.

“Automation and orchestration are the force multipliers MSPs need to keep up with today’s threats and provide the best service possible to their clients,” says Webroot SVP of Product Strategy and Technology Alliances Chad Bacher.”

So as a growing number of MSPs begin to offer security awareness training as a part of their bundled services, and more small and medium-sized businesses are convinced of its necessity, choosing a product that’s easy to implement and manage becomes key.

Otherwise, the tool that could save a business from a breach becomes just another cob-webbed weight bench waiting for its day.

To learn about security training that’s effective, efficient, and easy to use, read about our new Webroot® Security Awareness Training release.

Cyber News Rundown: FBI Phishing Scam

May 3, 2019 | Threat Lab

“FBI Director” Phishing Campaign

A new email phishing campaign has been making its way around the web that claims to be from “FBI Director Christopher Wray,” who would love to assist with a massive wire transfer to the victim’s bank account. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a quick payday, the $10 million check from Bank of America won’t be arriving anytime soon, unless they are willing to enter more personal information and send it to a Special FBI agent using a Yahoo email address. While most phishing campaigns use scare tactics to scam victims, taking the opposite approach of offering a large payout seems less likely to get results.

Magecart Skimming Script Works on Dozens of Sites

Following the many Magecart attacks of recent years, a new payment skimming script has been found that allows attackers to compromise almost any online checkout page without the need to customize it for the specific site. The script currently works on 57 unique payment card gateways from around the world and begins injecting both the loader and the exfiltration script when the keyword “checkout” is searched for in the address bar.

Scammers Target Google Search Ads

Scammers are now turning towards Google Ads to post fake phone numbers posing to be customer support for popular websites such as eBay and Amazon. These phone scammers will often tell those who call that there is something wrong with their account and ask for a Google Play gift card code before they can help. The ads will look as if they are legitimate which causes confusion to those who call the phony numbers listed.

Citycomp Data Dumped After Blackmail Attempt

Shortly after discovering that their systems had been breached, Citycomp announced they would not be paying a ransom for a large chunk of stolen client data. Unfortunately for Citycomp, the hackers decided to make the data publicly available after not receiving their requested $5,000. Amongst the stolen data is financial and personal information for dozens of companies for which Citycomp provides infrastructure services, though it may only be an initial dump and not the entire collection.

Email Scam Robs Catholic Church of Over $1.7 Million

The Saint Ambrose Catholic Parish in Ohio recently fell victim to email scammers who took nearly $2 million from the church currently undergoing a major renovation. The scammers targeted monthly transactions made between the church and the construction company by providing “updated” bank information for the payments and sending appropriate confirmations for each transfer. The church was only made aware of the breach after the construction company called to inquire about two months of missing payments.

Webroot Culture: Serena Peruzzi Shares Her Side

Apr 26, 2019 | Threat Lab

Today we chat with Web Analyst Manager Serena Peruzzi. Serena constantly filters through the web to analyze content. Sometimes her position requires looking through difficult material, but other times you can find her traveling, organizing company events, and even gardening!

See how Serena helps build Webroot’s company culture in this Employee Spotlight.

How did you get into the technology field?

During my undergrad in Translation and Interpreting 10 years ago, I came to realize how big a role automation and machine translation were going to play in my field. Thus, I decided to beat the trend to the punch and focus my research on Google Translate for my thesis; further on, I completed a master’s degree in Translation Technology, which mixed together traditional translation with state-of-the art localization technologies, and included leveraging on Machine Learning and language pattern recognitions to build automated translation engines. Google Translate pretty much rules the multilingual content scene for the general public, making content in more than 100 languages immediately accessible to the global audience with just one click. Also, a lot of crowdsourced content, for example travel or business reviews on the web, is also localized using machine translation technologies to maximize international reach. Additionally, many large corporations already leverage on customized enterprise machine translation engines to translate manuals and other documentation. There are already technologies allowing to converse in multiple languages in real-time, so there’s virtually no language barriers than cannot be overcome anymore; of course, provided you have an internet connection

What does a week as a Web Analyst Manager look like?

I typically have a few one-on-one calls with all remote Web Analysts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and two team meetings per week, one with the US and one with Sydney. We discuss top issues, upcoming tool updates and feature releases, and use the wisdom of the crowd to find a solution to difficult cases. We use a collaborative Kanban board to track the topics we discuss, so that we can always go back to them or track progress on resolutions. Finally, I work on a number of projects related to training, quality assessments, classification approvals, new implementations, case escalations from the team, and documentation. I also have a few gardening tasks to take care of, keeping the Webroot Threat plants alive is quite an arduous task!

What have you learned / what skills have you built in this role?

Customer care, URL threat analysis, and all aspects of people management are among the key skills I learned in the role. It also helped me keep up my passion for foreign languages, especially Spanish and Japanese, since I need to analyze web content from all over the world.

What is the hardest thing about being a Web Analyst Manager?

Explaining what a Web Analyst does is quite an arduous task, partially because it is a very complex and multi-faceted role involving analyzing large amounts of online content, but also because it involves, to some extent, evaluating content that may be disturbing or violent in nature, and it can be a difficult sell at times.

What is your greatest accomplishment in your career at Webroot so far?

Having helped build a global team of brilliant and enthusiastic minds is perhaps what makes me most proud of being a part of Webroot. The Web Analysts are first and foremost masters of languages and cultures; collectively we speak 12 different languages. The more languages you know, the more confidence you have in analyzing online content from all over the world, bringing different perspectives to the mix. Also, we have another element in common: we all want to make the internet a little safer for our user base. Because of that, building the team has always been an incredibly fun experience. It allows candidates to bring up their unique backgrounds and passions for different cultures and the IT security world in their interviews.

Does your work allow you to travel a lot? Where are some of the coolest places you have travelled?

I’ve travelled to San Diego, Colorado and Sydney with Webroot. While I enjoyed all my trips, I do have a weak spot for Australia. I am a big fan of water sports, and Australia offers the best sceneries for surfing and diving. It also hosts some of the most amazing animals I’ve ever seen. I’ll admit that my encounter with a group of Huntsmen in Sydney, despite being harmless spiders, had me run away fast. But when I first met Quokkas (smiling furry animals), they literally melted my heart

Best career advice you’ve received?

There’s a saying in Ireland which can be used as an antidote when things don’t go your way, “What’s for you won’t pass you.” I felt particularly close to it when I couldn’t attain a role in the past, as it ultimately led me to a different, extremely satisfactory role surrounded by amazing people.

Are you involved in anything at Webroot outside of your day to day work?

Aside from gardening, I’ve given a hand with organizing team-building and social events for Dublin in the past, including Christmas parties, Health Day, mini-golf and bubble football tournaments, and escape room challenges. Since the team is spread across three offices, team events vary based on group size and local amenities. In Ireland, we typically go out for a nice meal once a month, and order in food for celebrations; additionally, there are regular pub sessions with other Webroot teams. We also have office-wide team building activities on a quarterly basis, and/or when we have visitors on-site.

Favorite memory on the job?

St Patrick’s Day in the office, when I was in Support, was also a truly fun day. On our lunch break we went to Temple Bar, the very core of St Patrick’s celebrations, hid amongst the mayhem of thousands of party-goers celebrating, and then pinged the US team to spot us on the live street camera, just like in a game of “Where’s Waldo.”

To learn more about life at Webroot, visit https://www.webroot.com/blog/category/life-at-webroot/.

High Value Cryptocurrency Stolen by Hackers

Apr 26, 2019 | Threat Lab

Hackers Breach Private Keys to Steal Cryptocurrency

A possible coding error allowed hackers to compromise at least 732 unique, improperly secured private keys used in the Ethereum blockchain. By exploiting a vulnerability, hackers have successfully stolen 38,000 Ethereum coins so far, translating to over $54 million in stolen funds, though the current number is likely much higher. While uncommon, such attacks do show that the industry’s security and key-generation standards have plenty of room for improvement.

Prominent Malware Reverse Engineer Faces Jail Time

The malware researcher Marcus Hutchins, who successfully reversed and stopped the WannaCry ransomware attacks in 2017, is facing up to six years of jail time for prior malware creation and distribution. Hutchins’ charges all tie back to his involvement in the creation of Kronos, a widespread banking Trojan that’s caused significant damage around the world.

Data Exposed for Thousands of Rehab Patients

Personally identifiable data belonging to nearly 145,000 patients of a Pennsylvania rehab facility have been found in a publicly available database. After a Shodan search, researchers discovered the database that contained roughly 4.9 million unique documents showing information ranging from names and birthdays to specific medical services provided and billing records, all of which could be used to to steal the identity of these thousands of individuals.

Study Finds Password Security Still Lacking

After this year’s review of password security it may come as no surprise that the top five passwords still in use are simple and have remained at the top for some time. Using a list generated from past data breaches, researchers found the password “123456” was used over 23 million times, with similar variations rounding out the top five. Several popular names, sports teams, and bands like blink182 and Metallica are still in use for hundreds of thousands of accounts. While these passwords may be easy to remember, they are exceedingly simple to guess. Stronger passwords should include multiple words or numbers to increase the complexity.

Bodybuilding Site Breached through Phishing Campaign

The website bodybuilding.com has announced they were the victim of a data breach stemming from an email phishing campaign in July 2018 that could affect many of the site’s clients. Fortunately, the site doesn’t store full payment card data, and the data it does store is only stored at the customer’s request, leaving little data for hackers to actually use. The site also forced a password reset for all users issued a warning about suspicious emails coming from bodybuilding.com, noting they may be part of another phishing campaign.

Antivirus vs. VPN: Do You Need Both?

Apr 25, 2019 | Threat Lab, Webroot Blog

Public concern about online privacy and security is rising, and not without reason. High-profile data breaches make headlines almost daily and tax season predictably increases instances of one of the most common types of identity theft, the fraudulent filings for tax returns known as tax-related identity theft.

As a result, more than half of global internet users are more concerned about their safety than they were a year ago. Over 80% in that same survey, conducted annually by the Center for International Governance Innovation, believe cybercriminals are to blame for their unease.

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Individuals are right to wonder how much of their personally identifiable data (PII) has already leaked onto the dark web. Are their enough pieces of the puzzle to reconstruct their entire online identity?

Questions like these are leading those with a healthy amount of concern to evaluate their options for enhancing their cybersecurity. And one of the most common questions Webroot receives concerns the use of antivirus vs. a VPN.

Here we’ll explain what each does and why they work as compliments to each other. Essentially, antivirus solutions keep malware and other cyber threats at bay from your devices, while VPNs cloak your data by encrypting it on its journey to and from your device and the network it’s communicating with. One works at the device level and the other at the network level.

Why You Need Device-Level Antivirus Security

Antiviruses bear the primary responsibility for keeping your devices free from infection. By definition, malware is any software written for the purpose of doing damage. This is the category of threats attempting to undermine the antivirus (hopefully) installed on your PC, Mac, and yes, even smartphones like Apple and Android devices, too.

In an ever-shifting threat landscape, cybercriminals are constantly tweaking their approached to getting your money and data. Banking Trojans designed specifically for lifting your financial details were among the most common examples we saw last year. Spyware known as keyloggers can surreptitiously surveil your keystrokes and use the data to steal passwords and PII. A new category of malware, known as cryptojackers, can even remotely hijack your computing power for its own purposes.

But the right anti-malware tool guarding your devices can protect against these changing threats. This means that a single errant click or downloaded file doesn’t spell disaster.

“The amazing thing about cloud-based antivirus solutions,” says Webroot threat analyst Tyler Moffit, “is that even if we’ve never seen a threat before, we can categorize it in real time based on the way it behaves. If it’s determined to be malicious on any single device, we can alert our entire network of users almost instantaneously. From detection to protection in only a few minutes.”

Why You Need Network-Level VPN Security

We’ve covered devices, but what about that invisible beam of data traveling between your computer and the network it’s speaking to? That’s where the network-level protection offered by a VPN comes into play.

While convenient, public networks offering “free” WiFi can be a hotbed for criminal activity, precisely because they’re as easy for bad actors to access as they are for you and me. Packet sniffers, for instance, can be benign tools for helping network admins troubleshoot issues. In the wrong hands, however, they can easily be used to monitor network traffic on wireless networks. It’s also fairly easy, given the right technical abilities, for cybercriminals to compromise routers with man-in-the-middle attacks. Using this strategy, they’re able to commandeer routers for the purpose of seeing and copying all traffic traveling between a device and the network they now control.

Even on home WiFi networks, where you might expect the protection of the internet service provider (ISP) you pay monthly, that same ISP may be snooping on your traffic with the intent to sell your data.

With a VPN protecting your connection, though, data including instant messages, login information, social media, and the rest is encrypted. Even were a cybercriminal able to peek at your traffic, it would be unintelligible.

“For things like checking account balances or paying bills online, an encrypted connection should be considered essential,” says Moffit. “Without a VPN, I wouldn’t even consider playing with such sensitive information on public networks.”

How Webroot Can Help

Comprehensive cybersecurity involves protecting both data and devices. Antivirus solutions to protect against known and unknown malware—like the kinds that can ruin a laptop, empty a bank account, or do a cybercriminals bidding from afar—are generally recognized as essential. But for complete protection, it’s best to pair your antivirus with a VPN—one that can shield your data from intrusions like ISP snooping, packet sniffers, and compromised routers.

Click the links for more information about Webroot SecureAnywhere® antivirus solutions and the Webroot® WiFi Security VPN app.

Notice: What Happens on Public Computers, Stays on Public Computers

Apr 24, 2019 | Threat Lab

These are the places your digital tracks can be dug up. With a little sleuthing.

Experts have warned for years of the risks of using public computers such as those found in libraries, hotels, and airline lounges.

Many warnings focused on the potential for hackers to plant keystroke loggers, or intercept data as it flows across the internet. Indeed, in 2014, the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center of the U.S. Secret Service issued an advisory for “owners, managers, and stakeholders in the hospitality industry” concerning data breaches. The text of the advisory claimed, “The attacks were not sophisticated, requiring little technical skill, and did not involve the exploit of vulnerabilities in browsers, operating systems or other software.” A 2014 announcement may seem to be an outdated reference, except that the recent Marriott data breach of over 300 million records was attributed to an attack in…wait for it…2014.)

But spyware and keyloggers aren’t the most common threat to the users of business center and other public computers. Forgetfulness, operating systems, applications, and temporary files are high up on the list. For several years I have searched public computers, mostly at hotels, to see what kinds of information people have left behind. It’s been an interesting passion project, to say the least.

Uncovering a Very Public Digital Paper Trail

The first places I look are the documents, downloads, desktop, and pictures folders. The pictures folder typically yields the least interesting information, usually pictures of groups of drunken people, group gatherings at restaurants, weddings, or cats.

The desktop, document, and occasionally downloads folders are where most documents are inadvertently left behind. Some interesting samples I’ve discovered include a spreadsheet of faculty merit raises at a university in Texas, including the names of professors, their departments, their current salaries, and their projected raises. Another was the assignment of a chief officer to a ship belonging to one of the largest shipping companies in the world. It included the officer’s name, address, phone number, vessel name, date of assignment, and contact information.

I have come across corporate audits and strategic business plans. Recently, I discovered a document called “closing arguments” created by a district attorney. When possible, I contact the owners of the information to help them understand the risks of using public computers for sensitive work. I rarely hear back, however the DA did thank and assure me the document was a training example.

The biggest menace, however, has been the temporary files folders, which include auto-saved documents and spreadsheets, as well as attachments. It is in the Temporary Internet Files folder that I have uncovered complete emails, and even a webpage including a bank statement detailing a large balance, the account holder’s name, sources of income, and the names and addresses of places he had done business. Of all of the temporary files I have discovered, documents belonging to businesses’ employees have been the most unsettling.

If you must, take precautions

There is some good news concerning the safety of public computers. Due to technology changes, I no longer find the contents of emails in the Temporary Internet Files folder. But we’re far from out of the woods. I have found my inbox cached, including pictures within emails and even a PDF that had not yet opened.

^{Although I could not open emails in the temoprary copy of my inbox shown above, subject lines and return email addresses may reveal more information than desired.}

Deleting temporary internet files is a good habit, but there are multiple locations that temporary files are stored. Documents edited on public computers remain of particular concern. Due to auto-save features, it’s possible to open a document on a thumb drive and leave auto-saved documents behind on the computer. Now in normal operating circumstances and with current operating systems and Office applications, this is not likely to happen. But errors like OS and application crashes will leave these copies behind. Microsoft Word and Excel will even proactively offer these auto-saved documents to the next user of these applications

^{The PDF file shown above was left behind when I read an email using my ISP’s webmail interface.}

Other than finding and deleting information left behind, my use of public computers is limited to reading online articles, checking the weather, and performing internet searches. What personal information you are willing to leave behind on a public computer depends on your risk tolerance. But it’s important to note that accessing corporate data on public computers could result in an inadvertent violation of company policies involving confidential data.

Although I still find public computers running Windows XP, there is a growing shift in the hospitality industry to use Kiosk applications. These provide limited functionality combined with locked-down security configurations. Access to the start menu is not possible and functionality is limited to desktop applications. Printing of boarding passes is a common allowed application. Reading web email is sometimes allowed, though I don’t recommend it because it requires entering a password. The risk of password compromise may be low, but the value of practicing quality security habits leads me to advise against it. If you must, consider changing your email password the next time you log onto a private computer.

If you happen to be using a public computer without a Kiosk interface, would you be so kind as to copy this blog, paste it into a Word document, and save it on the public computer to help inform the next user? They may end up paying it forward.

Cyber News Rundown: Phishing Attack on Global IT Outsourcer

Apr 19, 2019 | Threat Lab

Major IT Outsourcer Suffers After Phishing Attack

Global IT services provider Wipro announced they are in the process of investigating a data possibly affecting some of their clients. These types of companies are popular for hackers because, by breaching a single IT service company, they gain access to a far larger pool of victims through compromised credentials belonging to client networks. It’s still unclear how long the hackers had access to the systems, but some reports claim the attack was ongoing for several months.

Age-Verification Hits UK Porn Viewers

The UK has passed a measure that will subject users to age-verifications before being allowed to enter a pornographic website, as part of their ongoing fight to make the UK safer online. This measure was originally introduced as a way to decrease ransomware infections and slow the stream of stolen credentials from paid accounts for higher-traffic sites. The new law has an 88% backing from UK parents and will go into full effect on July 15.

Data Breach Affects Navicent Patients

A recent Navicent Health announcement revealed the email systems of the health care services provider were compromised in July, 2018, possibly affecting over 275,000 patients. While the remainder of their internal systems were untouched, the email server did contain patient data, including social security numbers and billing information. Fortunately, Navicent responded to the breach quickly and began notifying the proper authorities, as well as their client base, in addition to providing identity monitoring services for those whose information was exposed.

Chrome for iOS Bug Redirects Users to Ads

A new bug, found only in the iOS version of Chrome, has exposed up to half a million users to unwanted advertising redirects, sometimes from legitimate websites. The bug works by allowing malicious code to be executed from within page advertisements, which can then overlay onto the device’s screen until clicked. The majority of this campaign’s victims are based in the US and were targeted over a four-day period in early April.

Microsoft Loses Subdomain for Live Tiles

A German researcher recently took control of a subdomain used by Microsoft to assist websites with correctly formatting RSS feeds into a usable XML format for Windows 8 and 10 Live Tiles. Because the subdomain wasn’t registered to Microsoft or their Azure cloud services, and any malicious actor could have compromised the domain, the researcher purchased it and alerted Microsoft of his findings.

A Chat with Kiran Kumar: Webroot Product Director

Apr 13, 2019 | Threat Lab

The process of bringing a cybersecurity product to market can be long and tedious, but Kiran Kumar, Product Director at Webroot, loves to oversee all the moving parts. It keeps him on his toes and immersed in the ever-changing world of security technology.

We sat down to chat with Kumar about his #LifeAtWebroot, heard how he got to where he is today, and why he’s loved every minute of his journey.

Tell us about your role as a Product Director.

I’m the product director for our network portfolio of products. This includes Webroot DNS Protection, FlowScape, and our next-gen security solution. I’m also responsible for the overall solutions platform, the next-gen solution we are working on.

What does a typical week look like for you?

My typical week ranges from working with customers on concept validation or case studies, to presenting at events. I’ll help customers with damage control, provide assurance of the product, or pitch Webroot solutions. I would say that at least 40-50% of my job is working with the engineering team on the next product release. The key is to stay on top of everything and keep my eyes and ears open because it’s the product director’s responsibility to make things happen. You must be able to collect information from different stakeholders, bring it all together, and prioritize. Sometimes no one reports to you, but you still have to bridge the gaps and constantly negotiate, make decisive trade-off decisions, get buy-ins, etc. That’s the key to being a strong product director. I spend time with a lot of people both inside and outside: marketing, sales, sales engineering, customer success, public relations, analyst relations, you name it. It’s a matter of constantly juggling and prioritizing.

What is your favorite part of working as a Product Director?

I enjoy being able to make a difference. Also, the satisfaction of building relationships with all these different groups of people and rallying them to achieve a common goal is really satisfying. You have to take everyone else’s opinion, along with your own, and figure out the best the direction to move in. All of that starts with the product. It’s a key part of every organization. I love seeing all the work that goes into bringing a product to market. The ability to make an impact and visibility into projects is tremendous.

What have you learned in this role?

I think one of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give, and that I’m continuing to work on myself, is that building relationships is absolutely critical to success. You have to use negotiation skills, persuasion tactics, and figure out how to rally the whole troop. I’d say that’s critical in many areas of business. Also, you need to constantly have a sense of curiosity and willingness to challenge yourself. Good enough is not good enough. Ask questions and take ownership of things. One great thing about Webroot is that everyone is open to questions and collaborating to find answers.

What is the hardest thing about being a Product Director?

The most challenging thing about the job is staying levelheaded. Every day you need to be flexible and willing to adapt because a hundred different things will be thrown your way and you need to be prepared to handle it. You can’t be flustered. Another challenge is figuring out how to work quickly. One of the hardest things is working through problems and getting them solved in the time that I want — quickly.

Is this what you expected to be doing in your career?

After graduating from college, I never expected that I would be a product director, but I was at the right place at the right time. I started at a technology consulting company and was placed at a security company. I started doing business analysis, and that’s still a part of my job, but product management is more inclusive of business analysis, product management, market research – everything this position entails. I didn’t like programming as much. I couldn’t sit behind a computer all day – that’s just not my personality. Now I’ve been in the industry about 16 years, and I have to say I have had the best time working at Webroot.

What makes working at Webroot so amazing?

One benefit to being located in our smaller San Diego office, besides the weather, beach, and beer, is I’ve been able to see it grow. We have about 90 people in this office and I know everyone. The people at Webroot are really friendly and helpful, so it’s easy to feel welcomed. The Webroot culture is very open and not hierarchical. Since I’ve been here I’ve been able to talk to anyone, including any executive. I am super passionate about the products I support and the audiences we help – SMB/MSP.

Best career advice you’ve received? How have you seen that advice playing out in your own career?

For someone who’s starting fresh and getting into product management, I would say to be open, be flexible, and constantly seek to challenge yourself. Soak in as much as you can. For people more senior, I would say to continue with relationship building and be mindful of how you can make the biggest impact. This position isn’t about having an MBA and writing up numbers. It is very technology focused and it’s all about being able to adapt and able to provide solutions, not just numbers.

What’s your favorite patio? (Place to go when it’s nice outside, place to get a drink.)

There’s a really nice brewery close to the office called Ballast Point. The team goes there a lot. But my favorite food is Mexican and I love hole-in-the-wall places. There’s one restaurant in the Torrey Pines area called Berto’s that’s awesome. It’s not fancy, but their veggie burrito keeps me coming back.

To learn more about life at Webroot, visit https://www.webroot.com/blog/category/life-at-webroot/.