GCIS CYBER-SECURITY BRIEFING: Hacked and Hijacked: What to Do if Your E-mail Account Gets Compromised

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Switched

24February2011 8:00pmEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: While there aren't any hard and fast figures on what the number one cause of e-mail infiltration is, the overarching theme usually points to one extremely weak link: user behavior. Despite the many ways an e-mail account can be hacked, the one common element is that you, the owner, essentially allow it.

Every few years, studies show that the one reason spam is still so prevalent is because it actually works -- a percentage of knuckleheads can always be expected to open a spam message, read it, and be tempted by whatever wares or schemes are offered. Of course, many of those e-mails (and sometimes pop-up windows from strangers on IM, Skype and similar apps) are actually phishing attacks that dupe recipients into believing they've been sent a legitimate message from a business or friend. Naive users will then reply with the requested login information.

A fair number of people also think nothing of checking their e-mail on a public computer -- in a library, electronics store or Internet cafe -- and simply neglect to log out. It's a momentary lapse of reason (particularly since we don't recommend checking e-mail on any public computer), and can be the equivalent of walking away from an ATM right after entering your password.

The other gargantuan user misstep is having weak, easily determined passwords, or using the same combination of login e-mail addresses and passwords across different sites. If a hacker breaks into one site, they can quickly try the same logins on all the popular sites -- to potentially devastating effect. But, before you beat yourself up, it's also possible that your login information has been stolen because your PC, or one you've used, has been infected with spyware or some other assorted malware. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Spam Text Message Detonates Suicide Bomber, Prevents Moscow Attack

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Switched

28January2011 1:59pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Russia avoided a potentially devastating suicide bomb attack last month, thanks to one particularly well-timed text message.

According to Russian security sources, the attack was supposed to be carried out by an unnamed woman, believed to be part of a radical Islamist terror group. The woman reportedly planned to strap a bomb to herself, and blow herself up in the middle of a crowded Moscow square on New Year's Eve. Like many other devices used in suicide bomb attacks, the explosives attached to this particular bomber were designed to detonate in response to a text message. The woman was to walk into the square, place herself in a crowded area, and wait for one of her accomplices to send the text that would blow her up. The only problem, though, was that she forgot to turn off her phone. (read full report)