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Hidden Fortunes and Surprising Overestimations in Cybercrime Revenue
To what extent methodological limitations and incomplete data impact the revenue estimations of cybercriminal groups using the Bitcoin blockchain was largely unknown. A new study challenges existing figures regarding cybercriminals’ Bitcoin earnings to date, revealing the full scale of the financial impact of cybercriminal activity.
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Why Federal Efforts to Protect Schools from Cybersecurity Threats Fall Short
In August 2023, the White House announced a plan to bolster cybersecurity in K-12 schools – and with good reason. Between 2018 and mid-September 2023, there were 386 recorded cyberattacks in the U.S. education sector and cost those schools $35.1 billion. K-12 schools were the primary target. While the steps taken by the White House are positive, as someone who teaches and conducts research about cybersecurity, I don’t believe the proposed measures are enough to protect schools from cyberthreats.
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AI Networks Are More Vulnerable to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Thought
Artificial intelligence tools hold promise for applications ranging from autonomous vehicles to the interpretation of medical images. However, a new study finds these AI tools are more vulnerable than previously thought to targeted attacks that effectively force AI systems to make bad decisions.
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Interference-Free Elections? How Quaint!
There are three major elections taking place in 2024: in Taiwan, the United States, and Russia. So, what are the chances that we’ll see cyber-enabled disruption campaigns targeting each of these polls? Tom Uren writes that in the case of the upcoming U.S. election, it seems inevitable.
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New CPU Vulnerability Makes Virtual Machine Environments Vulnerable
Researchers have identified a security vulnerability that could allow data on virtual machines with AMD processors to fall under the control of attackers.
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Is the Fear of Cyberwar Worse Than Cyberwar Itself?
Unrealistic cyberwar expectations could hold the insurance industry back, and that’s the real economic security problem. The “hyperbolic characterization of cyberwar is likely a bigger problem than the threat of cyberwar itself. The problem is one of economic security,” Tom Johansmeyer writes.
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From ********* to EZacces$! Your Browser Extension Could Grab Your Password and Sensitive Info
When you type a password or credit card number into a website, you expect that your sensitive data will be protected by a system designed to keep it secure. That’s not always the case.
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EPA Cancels Certain Cyber Regulations for Water Utilities
Following growing concerns about the cybersecurity of the U.S. water infrastructure, the EPA announced this week it will no longer require cybersecurity audits of water utility facilities through sanitary surveys.
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Study of Wartime Deepfakes Reveals Their Impact on News Media
Deepfakes are artificially manipulated audio-visual material. A new study, the first empirical analysis of the use of deepfakes in wartime misinformation and propaganda, examined tweets about deepfakes during the Russo-Ukrainian war, demonstrating that deepfakes undermine peoples trust generally in news media.
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New Cyber Algorithm Shuts Down Malicious Robotic Attack
Researchers have designed an algorithm that can intercept a man-in-the-middle (MitM) cyberattack on an unmanned military robot and shut it down in seconds.
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Critical Vulnerabilities Found within Major LLMs
Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Bard have taken the world by storm this year, with companies investing millions to develop these AI tools, and some leading AI chatbots being valued in the billions. Computer scientists have demonstrated that chunks of these LLMs can be copied in less than a week for as little as $50, and the information gained can be used to launch targeted attacks.
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Responsible AI Initiative Seeks to Solve Societal Problems
With a $100 million investment, a new research initiative focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to responsibly use advanced AI technology to tackle societal issues.
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Southeast Asian Casinos Emerge as Major Enablers of Global Cybercrime
A growing number of casinos in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are engaging in large-scale money laundering, facilitating cyberfraud that is costing victims in America and abroad billions of dollars, according to new research by the United Nations.
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Computer Scientists Awarded $3M to Bolster Cybersecurity
A $3 million grant from the DARPA, the research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, aims to leverage reinforcement learning to make computer networks stronger, dynamic and more secure.
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$9.5 Million to Enhance Cybersecurity in Health Care
“Health care systems are highly vulnerable to ransomware attacks, which can cause catastrophic impacts to patient care and pose an existential threat to smaller health systems,” said an expert. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have been awarded $9.5 million for research that aims to protect the United States health care system against hostile cyber threats.
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The long view
Need for National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data, Categorization of Cybercrimes: Report
There is an acute need for the U.S. to address its lack of overall governance and coordination of cybercrime statistics. A new report recommends that relevant federal agencies create or designate a national information clearinghouse to draw information from multiple sources of cybercrime data and establish connections to assist in criminal investigations.