3/22/16, Weekly Security News: Cars see threats, App Store Malware, and uncrackable Ransomware

This week, we at Astria Business Solutions found several interesting articles on information security, and on devices you may not expect.

1. Network World, “FBI Warning Puts Car Hacking on BiggerRadar Screen.”

Last week, the FBI issued a warning that modern cars are becoming increasingly susceptible to cyber-attacks, and urged both car makers and owners to become more aware of the risks. Specifically of note were various wireless systems that can potentially be exploited, including Bluetooth systems and keyless entry. These sorts of access points to your car come with some risks, and could be a way for attackers to infect your vehicle and potentially unlock it, or even leave it unable to function. The article above notes many of the key points from the FBI’s warnings and shows some of the suggestions they offer.

2. CSO Online, “Attackers exploit Apple DRM weakness toinfect non-jailbroken iOS devices.”

Apple iPhones seem to have more and more security weaknesses in the recent years, likely due to their popularity. According to CSO’s article, researchers actually found real malware applications on the official App Store last month, apparently able to exploit a weakness in Apple’s DRM checking process. This is also apparently the second time in the past month that harmful applications have been found on Apple’s official App Store, showing that it’s not just a fluke issue. Both of the recent cases have targeted users in China, trying to steal Apple IDs and passwords. Though so far it has only been used overseas, it also serves as a proof-of-concept for potential attacks closer to home.

3. CSO Online, “TeslaCrypt ransomware now impossible tocrack, researchers say."

Our final article is also from CSO Online, and goes back to the topic of Ransomware. While some forms Crypto-Ransomware can potentially be decrypted to unlock your files, one of the more well-known variants, TeslaCrypt, is now considered impossible to decrypt. The Ransomware has been regularly updated by its developers, minimizing its weaknesses, and now in version 3.0.1 is much more difficult to beat. It’s worth noting that the article emphasizes the need to maintain a consistent backup to protect your files, and mentions that network backups are also at risk. As we discussed in our post on protecting yourself from Ransomware, it is important to maintain your backup on an external drive and to only connect that drive for backup purposes.

That’s all for this week, check back next Tuesday for further news from across the web, all here at Astria Horizon. If you want more information on how Astria Business Solutions can assist you in your Information Security goals, visit our website at AstriaBiz.com