Tom Kellerman, head of cybersecurity strategy, VMware Carbon Black
Tom Kellerman of VMware Carbon Black shares his opinions about whether a nation-state was behind the recent ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline and what the U.S. government should do to prevent other cyberattacks. When you look at traditional cybercrime, or this ransomware-as-a-service phenomenon or some of the most regrettable facets of the dark web economy, it is all organized. And it is all protected by nation-states - and typically nation-states that used to be a part of the Soviet bloc, he says.
In a CyberTheory interview with Information Security Media Group, Kellerman discusses:
Chaos means cash for criminals and cybersecurity companies
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The pandemic not only accelerated a shift to digital, it highlighted a rush of cybercriminal sophistication, collaboration and chaotic responses from virtually every major company on the planet.
The SolarWinds hack exposed digital supply chain weaknesses and appears to have accelerated so-called island-hopping techniques that are exceedingly difficult to detect. Moreover, the will and aggressiveness of well-organized cybercriminals has risen to the point where incident responses are met with counterattacks designed both to punish and to extract money from victims via ransomware and other criminal activities involving a double-extortion maneuver.
One upshot is the cybersecurity market remains one of the most enduring and attractive investment sectors for those who can figure out where the market is headed and which firms are best positioned to capitalize.
ISMG Editors’ Panel: The Facebook Breach and More
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annamadeline) • April 16, 2021 Clockwise, from top left: Doug Olenick, Anna Delaney, Mathew Schwartz and Tom Field Four editors at Information Security Media Group discuss important cybersecurity issues, including Facebook’s latest data leak and how adversaries continue to innovate and evolve. The editors - Doug Olenick, news editor; Anna Delaney, director, productions; Mathew Schwartz, executive editor, DataBreachToday and Europe; and Tom Field, senior vice president, editorial - discuss:
Highlights from an interview with Tom Kellermann of VMware Carbon Black on the latest attack trends for modern bank heists;
How the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance shut down its operations for four days after a cyberattack;
Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on February 17, 2021. As policymakers dissect options to combat ransomware, Neuberger could be among the primary voices at the White House. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
On Wednesday â just Wednesday â news stories emerged about an airplane maker, information technology giant and computer game company all having operations disrupted by ransomware. In the last year, such attacks have swept through every sector, affected schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, transportation and governments.
Many argue that policymakers need to do something about the problem. But few solutions have been formally put onto the table. One explanation is that historically, ransomware was not seen as government s problem any more than shoplifting: a crime against businesses that federal law enforcement
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City Manager Al Braithwaite (left), Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri (center) and Mayor Eric Seidel of Oldsmar, Florida, say a hacker infiltrated the city s water treatment network and dangerously increased the level of lye. (Photo: YouTube)
A hacker breached a Florida city s water treatment network on Friday, increasing the amount of lye that would have been added to the water to a dangerous level.
But city officials in Oldsmar, Florida, say they were able to spot the intrusion and quickly reverse the setting before it took effect. Reuters reports that the intruder was able to access the water treatment network software after first gaining access to TeamViewer remote access and control software.