Blackhat, the hacker movie directed by Michael Mann and starring Chris Hemsworth, could spread awareness of digital threats. If it is a learning opportunity, what are the lessons?
The post Blackhat: Lessons from the Michael Mann, Chris Hemsworth movie? appeared first on We Live Security.
This Lizard is out to get your home router.
During Christmas we reported that a hacker group calling themselves the Lizard Squad, took responsibility for ruining the day for Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox users by taking the gaming networks offline. This and previous attacks, which included a bomb threat directed at an American Airlines flight with Sony Entertainment president John Smedley on board, have been revealed to be a marketing campaign to advertise a new product available for rent to anyone who wants to cause a Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack to the target of their choice.
You may not be a hacker, but the power for this service could be coming from your home office! Security blogger, Brian Krebs, whose own site was attacked, found out that the network of infected devices that powers the Product-That-Must-Not-Be-Named (that’s because Lizard Squad gleefully thanked Brian for the publicity on their Twitter account) is made up mostly of compromised home routers. On that same Twitter account, Lizard Squad said that they are using 250-500k infected routers.
These are the devices in everyone’s home that we warned you about in our blog, Your home network is at risk of cybersecurity attacks. Most people neglect the security of these devices by using the default user name and password that comes from the manufacturer out-of-the-box.
Our research determined that nearly 80% of all home routers in use today are thinly protected by common, easily hacked passwords, making routers an easy entry point to the home network for hackers,” said Avast Software’s CEO, Vincent Steckler.
Lizard Squad has just proven that point.
Today’s router security situation is very reminiscent of PCs in the 1990s, with lax attitudes towards security combined with new vulnerabilities being discovered every day creating an easily exploitable environment, “ Steckler said. “The main difference is people have much more personal information stored on their devices today than they did back then. Consumers need strong yet simple-to-use tools that can prevent attacks before they happen.”
Open the Avast user interface, click Scan from the menu on the left, then choose Scan for network threats. Avast will take a look at your router and report back any issues. In most cases, if there is an issue to be addressed, then it will direct you to your router manufacturer’s website.
The Home Network Security Solution is available in free and paid versions of Avast 2015. Get it at www.avast.com.
For more steps you can take to protect your home router, please see our blog post, 12 ways to boost your router’s security.
Earlier this month, as the Sony Entertainment breach was making headlines, Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) was knocked offline due to an alleged hacking attack. On Christmas morning, just as kids everywhere were unwrapping their new PlayStation and Xboxes, the PSN and Microsoft’s Xbox Live network were both disrupted leading to speculation that they were once again hacked. A group calling themselves Lizard Squad claiming responsibility for the attacks via Twitter.
As of now, PlayStation is still offline and PSN is directing users to their @AskPlayStation Twitter account for updates.
Please follow @AskPlayStation to get the latest updates as we work to restore full network functionality.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) December 26, 2014
Xbox Live Status reports that its core services are running, but there is limited access to apps for IGN, Maxim, and MLG.tv.
Related article: Sony PlayStation Network down due to hacker attack
Poor Sony. They are getting it from all directions these days. On Sunday, the PlayStation Network, the online store for games, movies, and TV shows, suffered a hacker attack and was knocked offline. Visitors to the store got a message that said, ‘Page Not Found! It’s not you. It’s the Internet’s fault.’ I just visited the page, and got this same message, so reports that it was up again, were at best, temporary – at least for some of us.
Sony tweeted yesterday that they were investigating.
We are aware that users are having issues connecting to PSN. Thanks for your patience as we investigate.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) December 8, 2014
A group called Lizard Squad, which was also involved in a hack of Xbox Live last week as well as previous attacks on EA Games and Destiny, claimed responsibility for the attack.
PSN Login #offline #LizardSquad — Lizard Squad (@LizardPatrol) December 8, 2014
During the Xbox hack, Lizard Squad promised that attacks would continue until Christmas.
This attack comes on the heels of news recently that Sony Pictures’ corporate network was infiltrated by cybercrooks which resulted in the theft of 100 terabytes of confidential employee data, business documents, and unreleased films. It was speculated that North Korean hackers were behind the attack due to the upcoming release of the movie “The Interview,” which is about an attempted assassination of Kim Jong-Un. The North Korean government denied responsibility for the attack on Sunday. The attack has since been traced to a luxury hotel in Bangkok, and is being investigated.
The two attacks appear to be unrelated.
Avast Software’s security applications for PC, Mac, and Android are trusted by more than 200-million people and businesses. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
There could be many benefits of having a connected household, but connecting your appliances to the internet could also put them at risk of being hacked. We provide some useful tips to make sure all of your connected devices are protected.
The post Should I worry about my connected devices? appeared first on We Live Security.
