Cybercrime is a growing problem for higher education. Between 2020 and 2021, cyberattacks targeting the education sector increased by 75%. In line with other industries, the education sector is also experiencing a dramatic increase in ransomware attacks. According to the 2022 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 30% of data breaches in the industry were attributed to ransomware attacks.

In our last discussion, we explored the evolution of Requirement 1 in the transition from PCI DSS v3.2.1 to v4.0, with a particular emphasis on the move towards ‘network security controls’. As we continue our exploration of the updated PCI DSS v4.0, today’s focus will be on the transformations in Requirement 2.

This is part three of a three-part series written by AT&T Cybersecurity evangelist Theresa Lanowitz. It’s intended to be future-looking, provocative, and encourage discussion. The author wants to assure you that no generative AI was used in any part of this blog.

Read also: Cryptojacker who siphoned nearly $2 million from a major e-commerce entity arrested, “Asia’s best hacker” caught in the Philippines, and more.

99% of the time, whenever we are in some place new, one of the first things we ask is “What’s the Wi-Fi code?” As Wi-Fi has become such an integral part of our lives, we need to rely on a stable internet connection for work, study, or pleasure. A strong, reliable internet source is often found via the wifi router. However, you can still get the best out of your connection by changing to any of the best WiFi routers.

AsyncRAT appears in a new campaign, Water Curupira distributes PikaBot loader malware, and Turkish hackers exploit global MS SQL servers.

A selection of this week’s more interesting vulnerability disclosures and cyber security news. A bit of a pain for some of you I imagine…

DARKGATE is Windows-based malware that is sold on the dark web. DARKGATE is a fully functional backdoor that can steal browser information, drop additional payloads, and steal keystrokes. Kroll previously noted DARKGATE’s distribution via Teams. When the DARKGATE payload runs on a victim system, it creates a randomly named folder within C:\ProgramData that contains encoded files. Within the randomly named folder is a short configuration file and the output of keystrokes logged on the system.

To most people, the process of logging into a Microsoft Windows machine is a simple process of entering a username and a password. However, for a cybersecurity professional, the process is a carefully orchestrated mechanism. Unfortunately, throughout the history of the various Windows operating system versions, criminals have also sought ways to disrupt this process in order to breach a network. The primary target of these attacks is the Security Account Manager (SAM).

Could you imagine our interstate highway system without roadway bridges? I don’t think anyone would argue that bridges are not an essential part of an effective ground transportation network. So it doesn’t surprise me that when I ask people what makes a highway bridge “good,” I get quick responses with pretty consistent answers: guardrails, proper lighting, clear signage, smooth driving surface, lane markings, load capacity, structural integrity, and so on.