Your vacuum may be a Russian agent: Researchers have unveiled an attack that allows attackers to eavesdrop on homeowners inside their homes, through the LiDAR sensors on their robot vacuums. Researchers have uncovered a new attack that lets bad actors snoop in on homeowners’ private conversations – through their robot vacuums. The vacuums, which utilize smart sensors in order to autonomously operate, have gained traction over the past few years. The attack, called “LidarPhone” by researchers, in particular targets vacuums with LiDAR sensors, as the name suggests. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure distances to or from nearby objects. Read more here.
Next Gen Cold War: Researchers have uncovered a massive hacking campaign that’s using sophisticated tools and techniques to compromise the networks of companies around the world. The hackers, most likely from a well-known group that’s funded by the Chinese government, are outfitted with both off-the-shelf and custom-made tools. One such tool exploits Zerologon, the name given to a Windows server vulnerability, patched in August, that can give attackers instant administrator privileges on vulnerable systems. Read more here.
Take my taxes, please!!!!: The Mount Locker ransomware operation is gearing up for the tax season by specifically targeting TurboTax returns for encryption. Mount Locker is a relatively new ransomware operation that began infecting victims in July 2020. Like other human-operated ransomware gangs, the Mount Locker gang will compromise networks, harvest unencrypted files to be used for blackmail, and then encrypt the devices on the network. Read more here.
