Archives: September, 2020

Bob Dolan on the Security Infowatch.com site reports on how optical character recognition (OCR) is being used to enhance “video surveillance and physical security systems,” as, for example, in scanning automobile license plates. “OCR—also commonly called automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) and license number plate recognition (LNPR)—” Dolan advises, “takes […]

What is a “credential stuffing attack”? The question is raised on the KnowBe4 security blog. The answer, from Wikipedia, is “Credential stuffing is a type of cyberattack where stolen account credentials typically consisting of lists of usernames and/or email addresses and the corresponding passwords (often from a data breach) are used to gain unauthorized access […]

Bruce Schneier reports on what he believes to be “the first documented case of a cyberattack causing a fatality”. “A Dusseldorf woman died, Schneier advises, “when a ransomware attack against a hospital forced her to be taken to a different hospital in another city.” “Some local reports suggest the hackers did not intend to attack […]

For security purposes, we need to understand involvement in activist groups in some detail. Erik Kleinsmith on the InPublicSafety site says there are four levels of involvement: Core leadership, activists, support base and sympathetic base. “While a group like BLM or Antifa may have thousands of active and passive members, the smallest subset of their […]

We don’t hear much about it any longer, but the United Nations is observing its 75th anniversary this year, “born out of World War II’s devastation to save succeeding generations from the scourge of conflict,” Associated Press reports. “And as frustrating as its lack of progress often is, especially when it comes to preventing and […]

A Stars and Stripes writer reports on Military.com on conditions at Fort Hood, Texas, after eight Democratic members of Congress said they have many lingering concerns “after touring the base this week and speaking with the soldiers and families who live there.” That’s despite the sign at an entrance to the base that reads “Welcome […]

A culture of building organizational security has lots of dimensions and takes continuing effort,j David Bisson on The State of Security website advises. Referencing the KnowBe4 site: these are the component makings of a security culture: Attitudes: How employees feel towards the organization’s security protocols and issues. Behaviors: Employees’ activities and actions that affect an […]

Becoming familiar with what can compromise a computer security watch is becoming a daunting task. But here from The State of Security site is some possible help – an enumeration of the top 25 most common weaknesses, dubbed a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE). “The CWE Top 25 is a community-developed list of the most dangerous […]

Two-factor authentication – having a layer of security beyond a username and password – can enhance the safety of computer messaging, including the Zoom video-conferencing tool, Graham Cluley on his Hot For Security blog advises. Passwords alone can be deciphered and stolen by determined hackers, especially when they’re used thoughtlessly. “• People often choose weak […]

Wes O’Donnell writes on InHomelandSecurity.com “It’s been said that September 11th, 2001 was our generation’s Pearl Harbor, our defining moment. But that bold and shameful attack against America in 2001 was different from Pearl Harbor in one key aspect: Most casualties on that day were civilians. “It was like a dagger in the heart of […]