It's 5:05! Daily cybersecurity and open source briefing

Contributors from Around the World

“It’s 5:05!'' is a daily audio news cast highlighting security and open source stories from around the world. We filter for the real cybersecurity and open source stories in the news, so you won't have to. Each day, a global team of journalists contribute stories they found interesting in their daily research from the previous 24 hours. We present them to you in an easy to listen to format, making the resources available at the end of each episode so you can do a deep dive on stories you find of interest. read less
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Episode #286: Edwin Kwan: Discovered Zoom Vulnerability Allows Account Hijacking; Katy Craig: LogoFAIL: New UEFI Vulnerabilities Threaten Device Firmware Security; Hillary Coover: Secure Shopping Strategies: Navigating the Peak Season with Virtual Credit Cards; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Today
Episode #286: Edwin Kwan: Discovered Zoom Vulnerability Allows Account Hijacking; Katy Craig: LogoFAIL: New UEFI Vulnerabilities Threaten Device Firmware Security; Hillary Coover: Secure Shopping Strategies: Navigating the Peak Season with Virtual Credit Cards; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 285+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: December 3rd, 2001. Inventor Dean Kamen unveils the Segway self-balancing battery-powered vehicle on the TV show Good Morning America. The Segway uses computers and motors in its base to keep itself upright while the user is riding it. While the original Segway was not considered a commercial success, it definitely became a familiar icon of personal transportation. Edwin Kwan: Security researchers revealed a vulnerability in Zoom that allowed the unauthorized access of service accounts. The vulnerability enabled hackers to claim a Zoom Room's service account, gaining invisible access to team chat, whiteboards, and other applications.Hillary Coover: As we approach peak shopping season, it's crucial to consider measures to protect yourself from online fraud. One effective tool is the use of virtual credit cards. Here are a few frequently asked questions to get you all set up.Katy Craig: Security researchers have unveiled "LogoFAIL," a set of vulnerabilities in the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), used by various firmware vendors. These flaws, found in firmware image-parsing libraries, pose a significant risk to a wide range of consumer and enterprise devices from major manufacturers.
Episode #285: Edwin Kwan: Apple Releases Emergency Zero-Day Security Updates; Macrel Brown: This Day in Tech History; Katy Craig: AI Guidelines: US and EU Release Secure AI System Development Guidelines; Olimpiu Pop: AI Guidelines: Can governments protect us from AI?; Trac Bannon: AI Guidelines: Can CISA and her partners keep up the pace?
3d ago
Episode #285: Edwin Kwan: Apple Releases Emergency Zero-Day Security Updates; Macrel Brown: This Day in Tech History; Katy Craig: AI Guidelines: US and EU Release Secure AI System Development Guidelines; Olimpiu Pop: AI Guidelines: Can governments protect us from AI?; Trac Bannon: AI Guidelines: Can CISA and her partners keep up the pace?
Free, ungated access to all 285+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: December 1st, 1996. America Online launches a new subscription plan offering their subscribers unlimited dial up internet access for $19.95 a month. Previously, AOL charged $9.95 a month for 5 hours of usage. The new plan brought in over 1 million new customers to AOL within weeks, and daily usage doubled among subscribers, to a whole 32 minutes per day.Edwin Kwan: Apple has urgently released security updates to address two zero day vulnerabilities that were actively being exploited. These vulnerabilities impact iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices.Katy Craig: CISA and the United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre jointly released guidelines for secure AI system development, developed in cooperation with 21 other agencies and ministries from across the world, including all members of the group of seven major industrial economies. Trac Bannon: The CISA AI Roadmap is a comprehensive, whole of agency plan. They've aligned it with the U. S. National AI Strategy. The roadmap has lines of effort to promote the beneficial uses of AI, enhance cybersecurity capabilities, and improve protection of AI systems from cyber based threats. One specific example that I find particularly valuable is the emphasis on secure by design principles in AI adoption.Olimpiu Pop: UK's Cyber Security Agency provided guidelines, and they invite you to act securely while developing your AI system. They mostly refer to general software development practices. Practices that the industry is trying to impose without much success for years now.
Episode #283: Edwin Kwan: Australian Banks Begin Blocking Transfers to Suspect Accounts; Katy Craig: Google’s Cybersecurity Forecast: The Growing Influence of AI; Hillary Coover: Hacker's Haven: Cocaine Infiltration Unveiled in Europe's Biggest Ports; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
5d ago
Episode #283: Edwin Kwan: Australian Banks Begin Blocking Transfers to Suspect Accounts; Katy Craig: Google’s Cybersecurity Forecast: The Growing Influence of AI; Hillary Coover: Hacker's Haven: Cocaine Infiltration Unveiled in Europe's Biggest Ports; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown:  November 29th, 1972. Atari introduces their first product, Pong, which would become the world's first commercially successful video game. Nolan Bushnell installed the game at Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, California on this day. There were 10,000 machines installed within four months. Edwin Kwan: In 2023, Australians suffered over $400 million in losses due to scams. The actual figure is believed to be much higher considering under reporting. Australian banks have yielded to pressure from consumer groups and pledged to enhance efforts against scams by implementing technology to block transfers to suspicious accounts. Hillary Coover: As more and more cocaine is sneaking into Europe, big ports like Rotterdam and Antwerp are facing cybercrime aiding smuggling operations. In a shocking expose, the intricate web of criminal infiltration into Europe's major ports is revealed.Katy Craig: Google's latest cybersecurity forecast presents a concise yet comprehensive look at the emerging cyber landscape for 2024. This report from Google underlines the urgent need for advanced AI-integrated cybersecurity measures to combat these evolving threats and safeguard digital ecosystems in 2024 and beyond.
Episode #282: Ian Garrett: Deprecation of Defender Application Guard for MS Office; Edwin Kwan: Open Source 3D Design Suite Targeted by DDoS; Katy Craig: US and UK: Joint Guidelines for AI System Security; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
6d ago
Episode #282: Ian Garrett: Deprecation of Defender Application Guard for MS Office; Edwin Kwan: Open Source 3D Design Suite Targeted by DDoS; Katy Craig: US and UK: Joint Guidelines for AI System Security; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 28, 1948. Just in time for the Christmas shopping season, 57 units of the first commercial instant camera, the Polaroid Land Camera Model 95, go on sale at the Jordan Marsh Department Store in Boston. Polaroid believed that 57 units would be enough to last through Christmas.Edwin Kwan: Open Source Blender Project is being targeted by Distributed Denial of Service attacks resulting in site outages. The attacks have severely disrupted operations, making it difficult to process legitimate connection requests. Despite continuous efforts by the administrators, attempts to block attackers' IP ranges were unsuccessful.Katy Craig: In a landmark collaboration, the United States and the United Kingdom have jointly issued comprehensive guidelines to strengthen the security and integrity of artificial intelligence, or AI, systems. This crucial document is directed at AI system providers, including those using both in-house and external models and APIs. Ian Garrett: Microsoft has announced the deprecation of Defender Application Guard for Office and the Windows Security Isolation APIs. These tools were integral in securing Microsoft 365 apps by creating a secure sandbox for files from untrusted sources. Microsoft's decision to deprecate Defender Application Guard for Office has significant implications for organizations and IT professionals.
Episode #281: Edwin Kwan: OwnCloud App Suffers Three Critical Vulnerabilities; Katy Craig: AI-Enabled Autonomous Vehicles and Lethal Weapons; Hillary Coover: Debunking the Incognito Shopping Myth; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
1w ago
Episode #281: Edwin Kwan: OwnCloud App Suffers Three Critical Vulnerabilities; Katy Craig: AI-Enabled Autonomous Vehicles and Lethal Weapons; Hillary Coover: Debunking the Incognito Shopping Myth; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 27, 1995. Nearly six months to the day after Bill Gates sent his Internet Tidal Wave memo recognizing the importance of the Internet, and only three months after releasing version 1.0, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 2.0 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.5.Edwin Kwan: Three critical vulnerabilities have been reported to affect OwnCloud, exposing users to potential data breaches. One of these flaws, with a maximum severity score, exposes administrator passwords and mail server credentials. Hillary Coover: Despite the widespread belief that private browsing can secure better prices during online shopping, it turns out that Incognito mode doesn't deliver on this promise. All private browsing modes do is erase your search history from the device and prevent the browser from using cookies to track your activity across sites.Katy Craig: The Pentagon is racing against time and technology in its ambitious Replicator initiative, aiming to deploy thousands of AI-enabled autonomous vehicles by 2026. This strategic push is to keep pace with China's rapid advancements in military technology.
Special Report: POV Friday with Trac Bannon - OpenAI: Should Camelot Be Restored?
Nov 24 2023
Special Report: POV Friday with Trac Bannon - OpenAI: Should Camelot Be Restored?
Hello, this is Trac Bannon reporting from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.The news of San Altman sacking by the OpenAI Board of Directors shook the world on Friday, November 17th. As events unfolded in the following hours and days, the world suffered collective whiplash. While many are asking why the board made that decision, more profound questions are being raised about the balance between innovative leadership and effective governance.The sacking of Altman, coupled with the ChatGPT outage on November 21st, underscores the delicate equilibrium required in leading cutting edge technology organizations. The impact of such high level upheaval on an organization’s workforce can’t be overstated.Morale, trust, and psychological safety matter. In the case of Sam Altman, the mix of political events and operational stability are sending additional shockwaves.Right or wrong, Sam Altman is viewed as a bold visionary pushing the boundaries of AI technology while maintaining a strong ethical compass. His departure from OpenAI could change the company’s direction and shows the difficulty of balancing visionary leadership and governance.It is no secret that Microsoft is the largest corporate investor in OpenAI, sinking over $10 billion and the use of their Azure cloud computing environment.  As the OpenAI drama plays out, Satya Nadella has been the steady hand on the rudder. His simple words speak volumes. Surprises are bad.Consider that industry leaders have consistently warned us of the potential risk of AI on humanity. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Ginni Rometty, Mark Zuckerberg, and the late Stephen Hawking.Nadella immediately stepped in to voice his support for the work of OpenAI, regardless of the configuration… a reference to Microsoft’s offer to hire Altman, Greg Brockman, and 743 of OpenAI’s 770 workers to keep the technology and innovation moving forward, yet contained.Should OpenAI’s Camelot be restored? No, the evidence is clear. The world’s most powerful technology needs a combination of innovation and governance.Sam Altman is currently in discussions to return to OpenAI. Satya has voiced continuing support for OpenAI. The world should collectively hope for a future where AI is both innovative and responsibly governed, benefiting humanity wisely and ethically.Something to noodle on.Full episode available: https://505updates.com/2023-11-24-cybersecurity-and-open-source-headlines/ 🎙️ Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates
Special Report: POV Friday with Olimpiu Pop - OpenAI: What will its future look like?
Nov 24 2023
Special Report: POV Friday with Olimpiu Pop - OpenAI: What will its future look like?
The recent turmoil at OpenAI, stemming from the ousting of CEO Sam Altman, has thrown the AI community into a state of intense discussion and speculation. We have a whole saga that looks more like a new season of HBO's Game of Thrones than a sane tech company that is crafting the future of humanity. The coup backfired and Altman seems to be returning in a more powerful position, just in time for the Thanksgiving turkey. The saga has significant implications for the broader AI industry. ChatGPT's release and OpenAI's innovative strides have triggered a surge in AI investment, with heavyweights like Microsoft investing substantially.What do these events actually underline? Altman's departure underscores the schism in AI development philosophy. On one side are proponents of rapid development and public deployment of AI, represented by Altman, argue that such an approach is essential for stress testing and perfecting the technology. On the other side are advocates of a more cautious approach favoring extensive development and testing in control environments, to ensure AI safety for public use. Concerns over the uncontrollability of hyper intelligent AI software, have been a significant factor in this divide. This issue is particularly acute among tech workers following the effective altruism movement who prioritize benefits to humanity. The question of how to balance commercial success with ethical and safe AI development has become increasingly pertinent. Originally founded as a non profit to ensure ethical AI development, OpenAI's transformation into a for profit entity under Altman's tenure has been a contentious issue. This shift has raised concerns about profit motives potentially overshadowing the company's ethical charter, which aims to prevent harm to humanity or undue concentration of power.More opinions and resources can be found on 505updates.com. Olimpiu Pop, reported from Transylvania, Romania.Full episode available: https://505updates.com/2023-11-24-cybersecurity-and-open-source-headlines/ 🎙️ Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates
Special Report: POV Friday with Shannon Lietz - OpenAI and Microsoft: Win, Lose, or Draw?
Nov 24 2023
Special Report: POV Friday with Shannon Lietz - OpenAI and Microsoft: Win, Lose, or Draw?
Hi, this is Shannon Leitz from San Diego, California. With all the brouhaha going on with Sam Altman and OpenAI, there's a lot to unpack and digest. A few things for all of us. When OpenAI, not yet a year ago, released its ChatGPT to the world, a fabulous capability if you ask me, it was pretty obvious at the time that they were chasing adoption and velocity as a brand new organization entering into the market.I say that because most folks know that there's sort of a chase for go to market. When doing so, I don't know that anybody, maybe Sam Altman could have known, but I don't know that anybody would have predicted 100 million folks adopting ChatGPT as quickly as they did. At the time, there was a clear understanding that resilience was sort of left behind, and the company knew about some of the errors associated with its technology and believed that it could fix it in time.Along the way, we've also seen Microsoft throw in billions of dollars in investment and the world is actually at an awe. From my perspective, analyzing the win, lose, or draw of this situation, it's pretty clear to me that we're at a current place in time where everyone's at a draw. What will happen to our beloved ChatGPT? How will that actually turn out in the end? And add a draw, who stands to win? Who stands to lose in this situation? It's pretty clear that when Microsoft brought on billions of dollars of investment, and OpenAI moved to Azure to be able to support its technology, that the clear winner that's going to come out of this is going to be Microsoft in the end.That means that who loses in this is going to be ultimately OpenAI, its workers, and it's customers. You know, yesterday, only yesterday, even just logging into ChatGPT, there was a huge outage, a spike, if you look at down detector. This tells me that resilience truly is the fuel of a durable company that underpins the technology that we all love and care about deeply.So if you're out there and you're trying to figure out how you're going to deal with this, if your company is born on ChatGPT or OpenAI technology, it's really important to start thinking about how you're going to find a resilient, adoptable, high velocity technology with lower errors. And that ultimately, the ones that are out there right now, that are being born to compete with OpenAI, they probably have a little bit more time, as they well know.This is Shannon Leitz, reporting on the Win, Lose, or Draw.
Special Report: POV Friday with Katy Craig - OpenAI: Sam Altman’s Triumphant Return
Nov 24 2023
Special Report: POV Friday with Katy Craig - OpenAI: Sam Altman’s Triumphant Return
This is Katy Craig in San Diego, California. In an extraordinary twist fit for a Silicon Valley drama. OpenAI's boardroom coup against CEO Sam Altman not only failed, but spectacularly backfired, leading to a reshuffling of the board itself. The recent turmoil at OpenAI, a beacon in the AI industry, laid bare the complexities and power dynamics at play in the high stakes world of technological innovation.The attempt to oust Altman, ostensibly for a lack of transparency, was more than just a disagreement over leadership style. It symbolized a deeper conflict about the direction and speed of AI development. Altman, known for his ambitious, even aggressive, push for rapid AI advancement, found himself at odds with a cautious board.However, this move to sideline him inadvertently galvanized a workforce adamant about their leader's vision, leading to a near rebellion. This employee revolt, a clear indicator of Altman's influence and the high regard in which he is held, forced the board's hand. The result, a stunning reversal of fortune where the board not Altman faced the chopping block. OpenAI's announcement of Altman's return, flanked by a restructured board, is not just a reinstatement of a CEO, it's a resounding endorsement of his approach to AI development. What's particularly intriguing is the role of Microsoft in this saga. The tech giant, a significant financial backer of OpenAI, briefly flirted with the idea of integrating Altman and co-founder, Greg Brockman into its fold.However, as the crisis unfolded, it became clear that Microsoft's interests were best served with Altman at the helm of OpenAI, leading to its tacit support for the board's overhaul. The swift resolution culminating in Altman's return underscores a pivotal shift in corporate governance within tech companies. It's a clear message that visionary leadership, often personified by figures like Altman, cannot be easily sidelined, especially when it resonates so strongly with employees and aligns with key stakeholders interests. As OpenAI charts its course under Altman's renewed leadership, with a board more aligned with his vision, one thing is clear. In the high octane world of AI development, it's not just about the technology, but also about the people who drive it. Altman's return is a testament to his leadership and a cautionary tale for boards that underestimate the power of visionary CEOs and the teams they inspire. This is Katy Craig, stay safe out there. Full episode available: https://505updates.com/2023-11-24-cybersecurity-and-open-source-headlines/ 🎙️ Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates
Episode #280: Edwin Kwan, Australia Shelves Plan To Ban Ransomware Payments; Trac Bannon, OpenAI:Should Camelot Be Restored?; Katy Craig, Sam Altman's Triumphant Return; Shannon Lietz, OpenAI and Microsoft: Win, Lose, or Draw?; Olimpiu Pop, OpenAI Opened the Window to the Future.
Nov 24 2023
Episode #280: Edwin Kwan, Australia Shelves Plan To Ban Ransomware Payments; Trac Bannon, OpenAI:Should Camelot Be Restored?; Katy Craig, Sam Altman's Triumphant Return; Shannon Lietz, OpenAI and Microsoft: Win, Lose, or Draw?; Olimpiu Pop, OpenAI Opened the Window to the Future.
🎙️ Free, ungated access to all 280+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates.Marcel BrownNovember 25, 2002. Digital media software company, Roxio, purchases the assets of the former Napster, including name, logo, domain name, technology portfolio, and other intellectual property. Roxio was the first company to attempt to use the Napster brand for a music service, renaming PressPlay as Napster 2.0.Edwin Kwan The Australian government  has shelved plans to ban ransomware payments to cybercriminal groups for at least two years. The government had put the question to the industry in a consultation on whether it should prohibit the payments of ransoms, extortion demands by cybercriminals by victims of cybercrime and or insurers. And if so, under what circumstances? Trac Bannon The news of San Altman sacking by the OpenAI Board of Directors shook the world on Friday, November 17th. As events unfolded in the following hours and days, the world suffered collective whiplash. While many are asking why the board made that decision, more profound questions are being raised about the balance between innovative leadership and effective governance. Katy CraigThe swift resolution culminating in Altman's return underscores a pivotal shift in corporate governance within tech companies. It's a clear message that visionary leadership, often personified by figures like Altman, cannot be easily sidelined, especially when it resonates so strongly with employees and aligns with key stakeholders interests.Shannon LietzWith all the brouhaha going on with Sam Altman and OpenAI, there's a lot to unpack and digest. When OpenAI, not yet a year ago, released its ChatGPT to the world it was pretty obvious at the time that they were chasing adoption and velocity as a brand new organization entering into the market. But I don't know that anybody would have predicted 100 million folks adopting ChatGPT as quickly as they did. Olimpiu PopThe recent turmoil at OpenAI, stemming from the ousting of CEO Sam Altman, has thrown the AI community into a state of intense discussion and speculation. We have a whole saga that looks more like a new season of HBO's Game of Thrones than a sane tech company that is crafting the future of humanity. Mark Miller From Sourced Network Productions in New York City, It's 5:05 on Friday, November 23rd, 2023. This is your host Mark Miller and its Point of View Friday, where today four of our contributing journalists, give us their take on the OpenAI and Sam Altman circus, which took over the headlines for four days.
Episode #279: Edwin Kwan, Australian Government Releases New Cybersecurity Strategy; Ian Garret, Move Over Phishing, Quishing is the New Scam; Olimpiu Pop, Software Supply Chain Trends - Part 2
Nov 23 2023
Episode #279: Edwin Kwan, Australian Government Releases New Cybersecurity Strategy; Ian Garret, Move Over Phishing, Quishing is the New Scam; Olimpiu Pop, Software Supply Chain Trends - Part 2
🎙️ Free, ungated access to all 235+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. Marcel Brown, St. Louis, MissouriNovember 23rd, 2004. Blizzard Entertainment releases the massively multiplayer online role playing game, World of Warcraft. It quickly became the most popular MMORPG of all time. In the nearly 20 years since its release, World of Warcraft has had 9 major expansion packs, with 3 more expansion packs already planned for the future. Edwin Kwan, Sydney, Australia The Australian government has released its revised cybersecurity strategy for its plan to become a world leader in cyber security by 2030. It seeks to make Australia a hard target for cyber attacks by undermining cybercrime business models and putting Australian businesses and consumers in a stronger position to prepare and respond effectively.Olimpiu Pop, Transylvania, RomaniaThe average Java application uses 148 dependencies, with around 10 releases occurring annually. That means that the developer is not only to make the initial selection of those libraries, but to track an average of 1,500 dependency changes throughout the year. Combine this with the fact that almost 20% of all track projects no further qualify as maintained. Ian Garret, Arlington, VirginiaQuishing, or QR code phishing, has seen a dramatic increase in 2023. This method involves encoding malicious links into QR codes, a technique that is proving both effective for attackers and challenging for defense systems. Let's talk about why it's on the rise, and what CISOs and security teams are doing about it.
Episode #278: Edwin Kwan: Canadian Government Impacted by Third Party Breach; Hillary Coover: COO Attacks Local Hospitals for Business Gain; Olimpiu Pop: Software Supply Chain Report: 245.000 malicious packages deployed; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 22 2023
Episode #278: Edwin Kwan: Canadian Government Impacted by Third Party Breach; Hillary Coover: COO Attacks Local Hospitals for Business Gain; Olimpiu Pop: Software Supply Chain Report: 245.000 malicious packages deployed; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 275+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 22, 2005. Microsoft releases the Xbox 360, the second generation of their popular game console. And on November 22, 2013, exactly 8 years later, Microsoft released the Xbox One, which makes absolutely no sense.Edwin Kwan: Two third party service providers for the Canadian government have suffered breaches resulting in data in the last 24 years being potentially compromised. The servers that were impacted by the breach held data related to current and former Canadian government staff, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police workers.Olimpiu Pop: The software supply chain report was released last month. I read it. I covered it for the InfoQ and then I read parts of it again. There are some key points that still need to be spoken out. It's a before and after the pandemic story. Hillary Coover; We're all familiar with ambulance chasing sales and marketing tactics, but this Cybersecurity Executive took things to a whole new level. In a shocking case, the Chief Operating Officer of an Atlanta based security company, Securalytics, took matters into his own hands by orchestrating cyberattacks on two local hospitals.
Episode #277: Edwin Kwan: Malicious Android Banking Apps Targeting Users in India; Ian Garrett: M&A Deals that Look into the Future of the Cybersecurity Industry; Katy Craig: SEC Sues SolarWinds: Part II; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 21 2023
Episode #277: Edwin Kwan: Malicious Android Banking Apps Targeting Users in India; Ian Garrett: M&A Deals that Look into the Future of the Cybersecurity Industry; Katy Craig: SEC Sues SolarWinds: Part II; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 275+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 21st, 1877. Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a way to record and play back sound. As often happens with many great inventors, Edison stumbled upon this particular invention while working on a way to record telephone communication at his lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey.Edwin Kwan: Security researchers have uncovered a malware campaign to steal sensitive information from Android smartphone users in India. Researchers say that the campaign is using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to lure users into installing a malicious app by impersonating legitimate organizations such as banks, government services, and utilities.Katy Craig: In light of the recent SEC charges against SolarWinds' Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO, Timothy G. Brown, there's a compelling argument for holding company officers accountable for neglecting cybersecurity and failing to report known risks. The charges against Brown for not disclosing significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities before and during the 2020 SUNBURST cyberattack, underline a crucial point: CISOs, like CFOs, must prioritize transparency and honesty in reporting risks.Ian Garrett: We can learn a lot about the state of the cybersecurity industry through the type of mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, that occur. 2023 has been a cautious yet significant year for mergers and acquisitions in the cybersecurity sector. Despite fears of a recession, rising interest rates, and conservative spending trends, the relentless pace of cyberattacks has maintained steady M&A activity.
Episode #276: Edwin Kwan: Australia's First Cyber Security Coordinator Recalled; Katy Craig: SEC Sues SolarWinds for Misleading Investors; Hillary Coover: A New Breed of Cybercrime Targeting Teenage Boys; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 20 2023
Episode #276: Edwin Kwan: Australia's First Cyber Security Coordinator Recalled; Katy Craig: SEC Sues SolarWinds for Misleading Investors; Hillary Coover: A New Breed of Cybercrime Targeting Teenage Boys; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 275+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 19th, 2006. Nintendo releases the Wii game console to compete with the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360. By foregoing raw computing power for increased player interaction, utilizing the innovative motion-sensitive "Wiimote" controller, the Wii defied expectations and became the best selling 7th generation game console. Edwin Kwan: Australia's first cybersecurity coordinator has been recalled to Defence after just four months into the role. The two-star general was working on delivering on the Home Affairs and Cybersecurity Minister's commitment to building a more coordinated approach to preparing for and managing the consequences of cybersecurity incidents.Hillary Coover: A new breed of cybercrime has emerged targeting teen boys. Law enforcement and child protection experts describe a growing wave of online predators targeting teens through a sophisticated nude-photo scam. These new scammers focus mostly on monetary gain.Katy Craig: The US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has charged SolarWinds Corporation and its Chief Information Security Officer, Timothy G. Brown, with misleading investors about significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The SEC's complaint highlights instances where Brown and other employees were aware of, but failed to adequately address vulnerabilities in SolarWinds' systems.
Episode #275: Edwin Kwan: Popular WordPress Plugin Exposes over 600K to Attacks; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History; Katy Craig: EU AI Act; Shannon Lietz: The AI Act; Olimpiu Pop: To Regulate Or Not To Regulate AI in EU
Nov 17 2023
Episode #275: Edwin Kwan: Popular WordPress Plugin Exposes over 600K to Attacks; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History; Katy Craig: EU AI Act; Shannon Lietz: The AI Act; Olimpiu Pop: To Regulate Or Not To Regulate AI in EU
Free, ungated access to all 275+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 17th, 1970. Douglas Engelbart receives a U. S. patent for his XY Position Indicator for a display system, more commonly known as the computer mouse. Engelbart called his device a mouse because the cord looked like a tail. Edwin Kwan: A popular WordPress plugin has been discovered to be vulnerable to a high-severity vulnerability. There are currently more than 600,000 websites that are using the vulnerable version and are potentially exposed to the vulnerability. Katy Craig: As the European Union considers the way ahead for the AI Act, a critical question arises. Should the EU establish a dedicated office to oversee and manage it? The establishment of a dedicated office for AI regulation must find a balance between oversight and innovation, efficiency and flexibility, and harmonization and autonomy. Shannon Lietz: The win on the AI Act is the fact that the EU is going to put some capability behind it. It's such a powerful forward motion for us in terms of the future of what we need for humanity. We've really got to start to establish some of the playing rules for how this becomes beneficial to everyone. Olimpiu Pop: while a delay in the AI Act's implementation may allow for more thorough consideration and balancing of various interests, it also runs the risk of leaving the EU unprepared to address the rapid advancements and potential risks associated with powerful AI technology.
Episode #274: Edwin Kwan: Cyberattack Threatens Australian Christmas; Ian Garrett: $500k Compensation for the Top 25% of Cybersecurity Professionals; Mark Miller: OpenAI Takes a Run at Startups Investments that Use Their Platform; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 16 2023
Episode #274: Edwin Kwan: Cyberattack Threatens Australian Christmas; Ian Garrett: $500k Compensation for the Top 25% of Cybersecurity Professionals; Mark Miller: OpenAI Takes a Run at Startups Investments that Use Their Platform; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 270+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 16, 1982. Steve Jobs writes a letter to Macintosh Labs asking for the rights to use Macintosh as the brand name of Apple's still-in- development computer. Gordon Gao, president of Macintosh Labs, visited Apple headquarters for a product demonstration. However, Macintosh lawyers advised Gao to reject the request.Edwin Kwan: DP World Australia suffered a cyber attack which disrupted its landside freight operations. The attack resulted in around 30,000 shipping containers not being moved and crowding of available storage spaces at the ports.  Ian Garrett: It's no secret that there's a massive shortage in cybersecurity talent, and with any resource that's high in demand with low supply, there are people willing to pay top dollar. For top cybersecurity professionals, companies are now offering substantial packages. Mark Miller: Hold on to your ass, developer, because you aren't a developer on the OpenAI platform. You're an idea generator for OpenAI's next iteration. This is Mark Miller sitting here shaking my head over what transpired last week at OpenAI's first developer conference.
Episode #273: Edwin Kwan: OpenAI Suffered DDOS Attack Resulting in Intermittent Outage; Katy Craig: Citrix Bleed; Hillary Coover: Holiday Shopper Alert: Protect Your Finances from Cyber Grinches!; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 15 2023
Episode #273: Edwin Kwan: OpenAI Suffered DDOS Attack Resulting in Intermittent Outage; Katy Craig: Citrix Bleed; Hillary Coover: Holiday Shopper Alert: Protect Your Finances from Cyber Grinches!; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 270+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 15, 1996. The first version of ICQ, the Internet's first popular instant messaging program, is released by four high school students from Israel. By the end of 1997, ICQ had more than 5 million users, and in mid-1998, AOL purchased the company for $407 million. Edwin Kwan: Users of OpenAI's API, ChatGPT, and Dall-E services were experiencing intermittent outages. They would see messages from their queries saying that " something seems to have gone wrong or we're experiencing exceptionally high demand. Please hang tight as we work on scaling our systems."Hillary Coover: As the festive season approaches, the thrill of holiday shopping is palpable, but so is the excitement for cybercriminals aiming to capitalize on the online shopping surge through scams and data theft. One rising concern demanding attention is the surge in credit card skimming, a threat likely to intensify in the coming weeks.Katy Craig: The Citrix Bleed vulnerability has become the focal point of threat actors' attention, with active exploitation campaigns targeting government, technical, and legal organizations across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The attackers employed a clever technique involving specially crafted HTTP GET requests.
Episode #272: Edwin Kwan: Signal Testing Use of Usernames to Keep Phone Number Private; Ian Garrett: Identity-based Security is the New Perimeter; Hillary Coover: Decoding Tomorrow's Defense: The Rise of Deception Technology in Cybersecurity Strategies; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 14 2023
Episode #272: Edwin Kwan: Signal Testing Use of Usernames to Keep Phone Number Private; Ian Garrett: Identity-based Security is the New Perimeter; Hillary Coover: Decoding Tomorrow's Defense: The Rise of Deception Technology in Cybersecurity Strategies; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 270+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 14, 1971. NASA's Mariner 9 reaches the planet Mars and becomes the first man-made object to orbit another planet. Edwin Kwan: Signal has started testing the use of account usernames to allow users to keep their phone numbers private. Users would be able to turn off phone number discovery in their privacy settings and only allow the username to be the primary way others can contact them.Hillary Coover: Could deception technology be the ultimate strategy for staying ahead of cyber threats? A CSO opinion piece is quickly circulating and predicts that a convergence of IT and cybersecurity trends will make deception technology more accessible by the end of 2025. Ian Garrett: The cybersecurity domain is experiencing a significant paradigm shift. Traditional perimeter defenses like firewalls are making way for a more identity-centric approach. As we move forward, identity will no longer be a siloed discipline, but an integrated, interconnected aspect of cybersecurity infrastructure.
Episode #271: Edwin Kwan: Singapore Marina Bay Sands Suffers Data Breach Impacting 665K Customers; Katy Craig: PHaaS Provider BPL Taken Down; Hillary Coover: Boeing's recent cybersecurity breach; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Nov 13 2023
Episode #271: Edwin Kwan: Singapore Marina Bay Sands Suffers Data Breach Impacting 665K Customers; Katy Craig: PHaaS Provider BPL Taken Down; Hillary Coover: Boeing's recent cybersecurity breach; Marcel Brown: This Day in Tech History
Free, ungated access to all 270+ episodes of “It’s 5:05!” on your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/505-updates. You’re welcome to 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 if your followers will find this of value.The stories we’re covering today.Marcel Brown: November 12, 2000. Bill Gates demonstrates a functional prototype of a tablet PC. Microsoft claims the Tablet PC will represent the next major evolution in PC design and functionality. However, the Tablet PC initiative never really takes off, and it isn't until Apple introduced the iPad in 2010 that tablet computing is widely adopted.Edwin Kwan: Marina Bay Sands in Singapore has disclosed that they suffered a data breach impacting 665,000 customers. It became aware of the security incident on 20th October, 2023, which involved unauthorized third-party access on the 19th and 20th of October. Hillary Coover: Boeing's recent cybersecurity breach reveal vulnerabilities in the aerospace industry? Boeing revealed on Friday that data from its systems was compromised by a malicious ransomware attacker.  Katy Craig: Malaysian police have taken down the notorious Phishing-as-a-Service provider, BulletProftLink, and apprehended eight suspects, including the platform's main administrator.