The True Cost of a Low Cost Router
Jetstream routers sold exclusively at WalMart, and Wavlink routers sold on Amazon and eBay, contain suspicious back doors that could lead to attackers having the ability to remote control the router and anything attached to it. These Jetstream routers are part of Walmart’s new line of affordable WiFi routers. What you should do if you own one already.
Thinking about buying a low cost WiFI router?
Be careful. Jetstream routers sold exclusively at WalMart, and Wavlink routers sold on Amazon and eBay, contain suspicious back doors that could lead to attackers having the ability to remote control the router and anything attached to it. These Jetstream routers are part of Walmart’s new line of affordable WiFi routers.
These routers are easily 1/3rd of the price for comparable performing WiFI routers, but that low price comes with a potential high cost – your security. There are back doors built in, remote code execution vulnerabilities, plus a script built into the firmware to perform a network discovery scan – this functionality isn’t documented. We’re not saying that you will definitely get compromised using these routers, but the pieces are in place for it – pieces which have no value to you, but great value to bad actors. We definitely won’t be buying one of these, and anyone who asks, we will point them to something else.
Both brands are owned by the same company, Winstars Technology. This isn’t a smoking gun by itself, many companies have multiple brands marketed to different channels. The different brand routers appear to be the same of very similar. You should know by now that China requires Chinese companies to store all of their collected data in country, and make it available to the government.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE ONE OF THESE ROUTERS?
Our advice matches what the cybernews researchers say –
get a new router;
change all your online passwords (assume they’ve been compromised) AFTER you get the new router;
and, destroy the current device so someone else isn’t a victim. I’d also be looking for malware on the computers connected to it as well.
DIY Security Awareness Training
As you might imagine, RealTime fields a fair number of questions regarding cybersecurity that range from “How can we be better protected” to “I’m scared that we might be hit like that <insert business name here> was.” As part of answering this real need for our clients, RealTime is now offering an end user training program as part of our Advanced Cybersecurity Services.
By Todd Swartzman
Chief Information Security Officer
As you might imagine, RealTime fields a fair number of questions regarding cybersecurity that range from “How can we be better protected” to “I’m scared that we might be hit like that <insert business name here> was.” As part of answering this real need for our clients, RealTime is now offering an end user training program as part of our Advanced Cybersecurity Services.
But, if you aren’t a client (yet) or you’d just like to try this on your own, you can train some of the basics of cybersecurity awareness just by spending a little time online, especially Youtube. This is not intended to replace formalized training, or make you an expert. What these videos can do is help you address some of the most likely threats that the average person encounters just because they use the internet and email in the course of doing their job. These tips are excellent for anyone who just wants to reduce their risks online.
TOOLKIT FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The Global Cyber Alliance is soon releasing a toolkit for small business to better educate and protect themselves from the most common threats in an easy to understand format. RealTime has access to this content early (it will be available to the public soon) and will post about that once it becomes publicly available. For now, here is a compilation we have put together that anyone can use to be better informed and help protect from common cyber threats we all get exposed to on a daily basis at work and at home.
SECURITY AWARENESS VIDEOS
Our Chief Information Security Officer, Todd Swartzman, has watched all of the videos below and recommends taking the the four minutes or less each needed to watch the them for your DIY education.
The links are current as of August 24th, 2020.
Phishing explained with some education, by SANS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMrBKmUTPE
How to spot a phishing email, report by Fortune Magazine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfnA7UmlZkE – best tip in this video: If the email looks suspicious, it probably is.
If you only watch one video, make it this one – An excellent video spotting phishing scams that is well worth the almost 4 minutes of your time. Loaded with realistic examples and tips - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GwWTjz6txU – best tip: Think before you click.
Office 365 phishing attack types with some examples, this is not a video - https://betanews.com/2019/04/03/office-365-phishing-attacks/ Note that these threats are not unique to Office 365 email – we’ve seen attempts against all web based email systems. Just more confirmation that if something asks you to confirm credentials or enter your logon info to access an attachment – be wary! It’s better to ask questions before you click than after.
RealTime Chief Information Security Officer, Todd Swartzman
TODD’S TIP
“The best single tip that I can provide to help you avoid being hooked by phishing: Microsoft, Google, Apple, Verizon, Bank of America, SSA, IRS, and thousands of legitimate, big, public businesses just like them will NEVER, ever, send an email to you asking you to confirm your password.”
HERE ARE SOME OTHER THREATS WE FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE:
Tech support scam, by USAGov - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGBLjPKSUeU – If you have older parents who use email and the internet, please ask them to watch this video! I have helped too many older, and not so older people, who have been scammed in this way, including my own parents more than once.
Tech support scams can start just as easily with a pop up on the computer telling you something bad happenned that you need to call a number… or else something bad will happen.
Spot a bad URL or Link, by Symantec - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIeS7sJ_Llw
Better passwords, Local CBS news report - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oakITDBYElw
Better password management using a password manager. This post explains LastPass, but all the password manager applications work pretty much the same - https://lifehacker.com/the-beginners-guide-to-setting-up-lastpass-1785424440 One important detail – you want to be sure that whatever application you use has their security act together and stores the passwords properly. 1 Password,
Mobile device security from SANS Security Awareness - https://youtu.be/WEfWFA4xdd4
Wisconsin Republican Party had their cyber security compromised due to Phishing attack
There have been more than 800 attempted phishing attacks for financial gain targeting the Wisconsin Democratic Party this campaign cycle, but none has been successful, said party spokeswoman Courtney Beyer. The Wisconsin Republican Party, however, was not so lucky.
Hackers stole millions from Wisconsin Republican Party
Original Article By Scott Bauer
October 29, 2020
AP News
PHISHING ATTACK STOLE MONEY; NO DATA.
The Wisconsin Republican Party had a suspected phishing incident that couldn’t have come at a worse time. An estimated $2.3 million was stolen by cybercriminals from the party’s reelection fund after at least one staffer interacted with a phishing email, impacting operations just as the races were coming down to the wire. The FBI and local officials are investigating the incident.
There have been more than 800 attempted phishing attacks for financial gain targeting the Wisconsin Democratic Party this campaign cycle, but none has been successful, said party spokeswoman Courtney Beyer. The Wisconsin Republican Party, however, was not so lucky.
Hackers manipulated invoices from four vendors who were being paid for direct mail for Trump’s reelection efforts as well as for pro-Trump material such as hats to be handed out to supporters. Invoices and other documents were altered so when the party paid them, the money went to the hackers instead of the vendors, Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt.
(AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) In this Sept. 17, 2020 file photo President Donald Trump throws a hat to the crowd after speaking at a campaign rally at the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee, Wis. Hackers stole $2.3 million from the Wisconsin Republican Party's account that was being used to help reelect President Donald Trump in the key battleground state, the party's chairman told The Associated Press on Thursday, Oct. 29.
It appears the attack began as a phishing attempt and no data appears to have been stolen, said party spokesman Alec Zimmerman. The party noticed the suspicious activity on Oct. 22 and contacted the FBI on Friday after it was discovered that an invoice was generated that shouldn’t have been there.
The alleged hack was discovered less than two weeks before Election Day, as Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden made their final push to win Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes. Trump won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 and was planning his third visit in seven days on Friday. Biden also planned to campaign in Wisconsin on Friday. Polls have consistently shown a tight race in the state, usually with Biden ahead by single digits and within the margin of error.
REALTIME CYBER SECURITY SOLUTIONS
The most dangerous attack is used to do everything from steal money to deploy malware; more than just compromising data. Our Chief Information Security Officer, Todd Swartzman, can meet with you personally and do a gap assessment on your business to see where you could use extra protection. Learn more now about our Cyber Defense program…
RealTime IT is located in Dothan, Alabama and services the entire Wiregrass area and across the U.S.
Microsoft Foils Russian Ransomware Group Planning Election "Chaos and Mistrust'
Microsoft took legal action on Monday to disrupt a botnet called Trickbot, “one of the world’s most infamous botnets and prolific distributors of ransomware,” which many feared was preparing to cast doubt on the results of the U.S. presidential election.
St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow. Photo by America_rugbier via Flickr
By Nancy Bilyeau | https://thecrimereport.com
Microsoft took legal action on Monday to disrupt a botnet called Trickbot, “one of the world’s most infamous botnets and prolific distributors of ransomware,” which many feared was preparing to cast doubt on the results of the U.S. presidential election.
“Adversaries can use ransomware to infect a computer system used to maintain voter rolls or report on election-night results, seizing those systems at a prescribed hour optimized to sow chaos and distrust,” said Microsoft in a statement.
The company obtained an order from a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia that gave Microsoft control of the Trickbot botnet, a global network it describes as the largest in the world. Botnets are networks of computers secretly infected by malware that can be controlled remotely.
Sneaky Phishing Emails & Credential Harvesting!
Phishing emails seem to be getting harder to spot! Recently, several employees received a phishing email from a legitimate sender!
HOW EASILY CAN YOU BE FOOLED BY AN EMAIL?
Credential harvesting websites are dangerous and sneaky!
Phishing emails seem to be getting harder to spot! Recently, several employees received a phishing email from a legitimate sender! The “senders” Office 365 mailbox was breached the same morning this email was sent.
If you hover over the links in the email asking you to “Click Here” or “More Info”, they would lead you to this page (screenshot is pictured). This is a credential harvesting website that has the intention of trying to get you to fill it out… providing your email credentials!
If you (the recipient) opened this link in Chrome, it would warn you that this may be a deceptive site - but you cannot count on that always being the case with these threats.
The link checker built into email protection didn’t see this as a threat because it came from a known user, and web filters and DNS filter didn’t see a problem either. So, this threat bypassed four layers of protection! Scary!
THE HUMAN FIREWALL SAVED THE DAY!
As always, people are the last line of defense for threats like this one! The employee at this company used reasoning and noted the url (see the top that says “Whackinggrowers.com/CD/out/) was not a Microsoft location and was phishing. This person immediately notified our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) about the email, which was the right thing to do! They saved their business from allowing potential bad actors to steal their information. Humans are the last line of defense for threats like this one! Even though systems are smart and can catch most suspicious emails; our common sense, risk awareness, and responsiveness will ultimately save your company from disaster!