CIP Weekly Cyber Security Brief - 31/12/18

CYBER BRIEFING

Almost 1,000 North Korean defectors have had their personal data leaked after a computer at a South Korean resettlement centre was hacked, the unification ministry said.

ISLAMABAD: The investigators probing last October’s online fraudulent transfer of money have claimed that the bank concerned was trying to hide the matter, which could further expose vulnerabilities in the banking sector. A senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) [said] that the hackers based in 44 countries had used the platform of ‘Visa’ money transfer service to siphon off the amount and an international forensic audit expert had been hired by the bank and the international money transfer company to probe the matter.

[UK] The Defence Secretary has reportedly said he has "very deep concerns" about Chinese firm Huawei being involved in upgrading the UK's mobile network. Gavin Williamson's comments - reported by the Times - came after some nations restricted use of the firm's products in 5G networks over security concerns.

Reports of bank account hacking has led to a new warning from Netflix regarding the dangers of 'phishing scams' and 'professional looking fake emails'. In the convincing email, which looks like it comes from the website, users are misled into providing their bank details to the scammers.

[UK] BT has confirmed that equipment made by Huawei is being removed from the heart of a communication system being developed for the UK's police forces and other emergency services.

[UK] Data abuse has "darkened" technology's potential, the EU's Competition Commissioner has warned. In an interview for the BBC's Today programme, Margrethe Vestager criticised the tech giants for misusing data and failing to respect citizens' rights.

Detection systems are now able to be deployed throughout the UK to combat the threat of drones, ministers say. It follows three days of disruption at Gatwick airport [two weeks ago], when drones were sighted near the runway.

Drone "hot spots" in Australia are getting sensors to automatically identify the aircraft and their pilots. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) said it would install the equipment at the nation's airports starting next month.

An RAF Tornado travelling at 517mph (832km/h) came within 22m (72ft) of hitting a drone, a report has revealed. The jet, which was flying in formation 10 miles (16km) north-east of Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk, did not see the remote-controlled aircraft, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The drone pilot, which reported the incident, said there was a high risk of collision.

A hacker has stolen the personal details of over 500,000 San Diego Unified School District staff and students; the district revealed in a breach notice posted on its website on Friday, before the Christmas holiday.

Maxwell Peter who is a known cyber fraudster within the Tamale Metropolis and his colleague Nigerians who were recently arrested by a combined team of security personnel from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), INTERPOL and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) will be extradited to the USA in order to face charges filed in the Western District of Tennessee.

The CIP Weekly Cyber Security Brief is published in partnership with Dilitas, and is gathered from current, open source data supplied through contacts within diplomatic posts, law enforcement agencies & UK intelligence services. For more information about the briefing or CIP please contact info@cybersecip.com.

Threat Levels

The threat to the UK from International Terrorism is SEVERE 
The threat to Great Britain from Irish Republican Terrorism is MODERATE

Threat levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack.

LOW means an attack is unlikely 
MODERATE means an attack is possible, but not likely 
SUBSTANTIAL means an attack is a strong possibility 
SEVERE means an attack is highly likely 
CRITICAL means an attack is expected imminently