Lizard Squad Ransom Threats: New Name, Same Faux Armada Collective M.O.

Lizard squad

CloudFlare recently wrote about the group of cyber criminals claiming to be be the "Armada Collective." In that article, we stressed that this group had not followed through on any of the ransom threats they had made. Quite simply, this copycat group of cyber criminals had not actually carried out a single DDoS attack—they were only trying to make easy money through fear by using the name of the original “Armada Collective” group from late 2015.

Since we published that article earlier this week, this copycat group claiming to be "Armada Collective" has stopped sending ransom threats to website owners. Extorting companies proves to be challenging when the group’s email actively encourages target companies to the search for the phrase “Armada Collective” on Google. The first search result for this phrase now returns CloudFlare’s article outing this group as a fraud.

Armada Collective Google Search Results

Beginning late Thursday evening (Pacific Standard Time) several CloudFlare customers began to receive threatening emails from a "new" group calling itself the “Lizard Squad”. These emails have a similar modus operandi to the previous ransom emails. This group was threatening DDoS attacks unless a ransom amount was paid to a Bitcoin address before a deadline. Based on discussions Continue reading

New Microsoft beta lets workers build their own apps without coding

Employees that need access to certain business data on the go can now build their own app for it using a tool from Microsoft that went into public beta on Friday.The company has announced that it's opening up its PowerApps app creation service to the world, after a private beta period that began last year. PowerApps allows line of business employees to take data from a variety of sources and create apps that run on phones and tablets without requiring them to do any coding. Developers' time is often constrained, so doing something like creating a mobile expense reporting app might not be a top priority, even if it would save time and money. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

iPhone 7 may immediately be followed by the iPhone 8

Even though Apple last quarter generated $50.6 billion in revenue and $10.5 billion in profits last quarter (more than Google, Microsoft and Facebook combined), analysts came away disappointed. Specifically, analysts expressed concern regarding falling iPhone sales. In fact, this quarter marked the first time in history that Apple experienced a year over year drop in iPhone sales.For the quarter gone by, Apple sold 51.1 million iPhones compared to 61.7 million iPhones during the same quarter a year-ago. With many now worried that we've perhaps reached 'peak iPhone', Apple is now feeling a lot of pressure to really deliver with the iPhone 7. Further, because 'S' cycle refreshes typically focus on internal upgrades and thus don't generate as much excitement, Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz believes that Apple might do away with the iPhone 7s altogether. Instead, the iPhone 7 may swiftly be followed by the iPhone 8 in 2017.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

25% off Petcube Interactive Wi-Fi Pet Camera – Deal Alert

Petcube is an interactive pet camera that lets you watch, talk to and play with your pets from your smartphone when you’re away from home. Access and control the Petcube Camera through our mobile app for iOS or Android and check on the live HD broadcastTo activate a real laser toy on the camera, drag your finger across your phone screen or simply point to the area you would like the laser to go.Engage and join the conversation with thousands of pet lovers across the globe. Share your photos & videos, tips and experiences with fellow pet lovers.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Save $800 on Samsung UN60JS7000 60-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV – Deal Alert

With a regular list price of $2,099, this 38% off deal puts the JS7000 at just $1,297.99. Enjoy an exceptional home theater experience with the Samsung JS7000 60-Inch 4K SUHD Smart TV. The Samsung JS7000 features 4K UHD resolution (3840 x 2160) and Nano-crystal technology for vivid colors, enhanced contrast, and a brighter, more true-to-life picture. The JS7000 Smart TV absorbs ambient light and reduces reflections to minimize glare for a great picture from any angle. With Smart TV and Smart View 2.0, you can easily access and play your favorite content and watch TV on your mobile device. A quad-core processor lets you quickly switch between apps, streaming content, and other media. And with ConnectShare Movie, you can watch videos, play music, and view photos via a USB connection. See the Samsung JS7000 now on Amazon.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Worth Reading: A Systematic Analysis of the Juniper Dual EC Incident

In December 2015, Juniper Networks announced that unknown attackers had added unauthorized code to ScreenOS, the operating system for their NetScreen VPN routers. This code created two vulnerabilities: an authentication bypass that enabled remote administrative access, and a second vulnerability that allowed passive decryption of VPN traffic. Reverse engineering of ScreenOS binaries revealed that the first of these vulnerabilities was a conventional back door in the SSH password checker.

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Worth Reading: A Systematic Analysis of the Juniper Dual EC Incident

In December 2015, Juniper Networks announced that unknown attackers had added unauthorized code to ScreenOS, the operating system for their NetScreen VPN routers. This code created two vulnerabilities: an authentication bypass that enabled remote administrative access, and a second vulnerability that allowed passive decryption of VPN traffic. Reverse engineering of ScreenOS binaries revealed that the first of these vulnerabilities was a conventional back door in the SSH password checker.

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The post Worth Reading: A Systematic Analysis of the Juniper Dual EC Incident appeared first on 'net work.

Intel ready to exit smartphone and tablet markets

Intel could be on the verge of exiting the market for smartphones and standalone tablets, wasting billions of dollars it spent trying to expand in those markets.The company is immediately canceling Atom chips, code-named Sofia and Broxton, for mobile devices, an Intel spokeswoman confirmed.These are the first products on the chopping block as part of Intel's plan to reshape operations after announcing plans this month to cut 12,000 jobs.The news of the chip cuts was first reported by analyst Patrick Moorhead in an article on Forbes' website.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Weasel pops Large Hadron Collider

In a battle between a rodent and a 17-mile-long superconducting machine designed to smash protons, one might expect the rodent to fare poorly. And in this case, it did, though not without the little guy doing some damage of its own.From a BBC report: The Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator at Cern is offline after a short circuit - caused by a weasel.The unfortunate creature did not survive the encounter with a high-voltage transformer at the site near Geneva in Switzerland.The LHC was running when a "severe electrical perturbation" occurred in the early hours of Friday morning.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Weasel pops Large Hadron Collider

In a battle between a rodent and a 17-mile-long superconducting machine designed to smash protons, one might expect the rodent to fare poorly. And in this case, it did, though not without the little guy doing some damage of its own.From a BBC report: The Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator at Cern is offline after a short circuit - caused by a weasel.The unfortunate creature did not survive the encounter with a high-voltage transformer at the site near Geneva in Switzerland.The LHC was running when a "severe electrical perturbation" occurred in the early hours of Friday morning.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network Performance Monitoring is dead

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Step back and imagine the world of technology 10 years ago. YouTube was in its infancy, the iPhone was more than a year away from release, Blackberry was the smartest phone on the market and Twitter was barely making a peep.While the masses are now glued to their iPhones watching cat videos and pontificating 140 characters at a time, the backend infrastructure that supports all of that watching and tweeting—not to mention electronic health records, industrial sensors, e-commerce, and a myriad of other serious activities—has also undergone a massive evolution. Unfortunately, the tools tasked with monitoring and managing the performance, availability, and security of those infrastructures have not kept up with the scale of data or with the speed at which insight is required today.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network Performance Monitoring is dead

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.Step back and imagine the world of technology 10 years ago. YouTube was in its infancy, the iPhone was more than a year away from release, Blackberry was the smartest phone on the market and Twitter was barely making a peep.While the masses are now glued to their iPhones watching cat videos and pontificating 140 characters at a time, the backend infrastructure that supports all of that watching and tweeting—not to mention electronic health records, industrial sensors, e-commerce, and a myriad of other serious activities—has also undergone a massive evolution. Unfortunately, the tools tasked with monitoring and managing the performance, availability, and security of those infrastructures have not kept up with the scale of data or with the speed at which insight is required today.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

How to deal with a manager who hates you

Last week I discussed 15 ways to not get fired from your dream job and I actually got a decent amount of thank you email. One email, however, got me thinking. It was from a guy who was not getting along with his manager -- and man I’ve been there. I had this one manager who was a nightmare and I kind of went a little off the rails myself. Now when I spoke to others who had worked for him, something I should have done before I took the job, I found that not only wasn’t he a good manager, he was harsh to employees who aggressively wanted to advance, particularly if they were women.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FCC wireless auction hits spectrum target, paving way for fast, reliable 5G

Television stations have volunteered to sell off 126MHz of "beach front" wireless spectrum to mobile carriers in an ongoing U.S. Federal Communications Commission auction, potentially bringing higher speeds and more reliable networks to customers.The 126MHz of spectrum was the highest amount anticipated by the FCC in the so-called incentive auction, agency officials said Friday. In most areas of the country, the agency will be able to auction 10 blocks of 10MHz to mobile carriers and other interested bidders.This low-band spectrum, in the 600MHz band, is highly coveted by mobile carriers because it can cover long distances and penetrate walls and other obstacles. Mobile carriers have pushed for more spectrum as their customers' network use keeps growing, and the low-band spectrum will help carriers roll out faster 5G service, supporters say.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FCC wireless auction hits spectrum target, paving way for fast, reliable 5G

Television stations have volunteered to sell off 126MHz of "beach front" wireless spectrum to mobile carriers in an ongoing U.S. Federal Communications Commission auction, potentially bringing higher speeds and more reliable networks to customers.The 126MHz of spectrum was the highest amount anticipated by the FCC in the so-called incentive auction, agency officials said Friday. In most areas of the country, the agency will be able to auction 10 blocks of 10MHz to mobile carriers and other interested bidders.This low-band spectrum, in the 600MHz band, is highly coveted by mobile carriers because it can cover long distances and penetrate walls and other obstacles. Mobile carriers have pushed for more spectrum as their customers' network use keeps growing, and the low-band spectrum will help carriers roll out faster 5G service, supporters say.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

FBI: Ransomware threat at all-time high; how to protect company jewels

The scourge of ransomware hit new highs in 2015 and 2016 is turning out to be no bargain – particularly attacks against businesses as the payoffs are higher, the FBI said this week. Ransomware attacks are not only proliferating, they’re becoming more sophisticated, the FBI stated. +More on Network World: FBI warning puts car hacking on bigger radar screen+ “Several years ago, ransomware was normally delivered through spam e-mails, but because e-mail systems got better at filtering out spam, cyber criminals turned to spear phishing e-mails targeting specific individuals,” the FBI stated. And in newly identified instances of ransomware, some cyber criminals aren’t using e-mails at all. “These criminals have evolved over time and now bypass the need for an individual to click on a link. They do this by seeding legitimate websites with malicious code, taking advantage of unpatched software on end-user computers,” said FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James Trainor in a statement.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

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