Report : Mohamed Khader NavasSharjah : The Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) has called upon all those in the communication field who have spearheaded impactful campaigns targeting youth to compete in the 10th edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA). The award is offering two specialised Arab categories tailored to recognise outstanding efforts in youth-focused communication, including accelerators and incubators’ support for entrepreneurs and startups, in addition to a third category for talented young individuals who have outstanding initiatives

Dubai : technology. Cybercriminals are actively abusing the names of artists and songs nominated for a Grammy 2020 award, in order to spread malware. Kaspersky protection technologies detected a 39% rise in attacks (attempts to download or run malicious files) under the guise of nominees’ work in 2019, compared to 2018. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Post Malone were attackers’ favorites, with these nominees’ names used most often in 2019 as a disguise for malware.Music has universal appeal – it

Dubai : technology. In 2018 Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) published findings on AppleJeus – an operation aimed at stealing cryptocurrency carried out by prolific threat actor the Lazarus group. Now, new findings show that the operation continues with more careful steps from the infamous threat actor, improved tactics and procedures and the use of Telegram as one of its new attack vectors. Victims in the UK, Poland, Russia and China, including several connected to cryptocurrency business entities,

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky researchers detected a Trojan application that terrorizes users with unsolicited ads and boosts installations of online shopping applications – fooling both users and advertisers. This malicious app visits smartphone app stores, downloads and launches applications and leaves fake reviews on behalf of the user.As winter sales are hitting the stores, both users and brands need to be wary. When choosing shops, users rely heavily on reviews, while retailers increase their promotion and advertising budgets. As it

Dubai : technology. A recent Kaspersky survey has discovered that two-thirds (67%) of industrial organizations do not report cybersecurity incidents to regulators. Though remaining compliant in modern industrial business is a necessity and a driver for investment, there are many factors that influence how companies follow compliance rules. In a world where cybercriminals are using sophisticated attacks to breach industrial companies, robust cybersecurity policies and keeping up with regulations have never been more important. From the General Data Protection Regulation

Dubai : technology. According to statistics  from the Kaspersky IT Security Calculator, budgets at 45% of SMBs and 50% of enterprises are below the average spend  — which is $205k for small and medium and $8m for enterprise businesses. This is even though cybersecurity spending is growing year-on-year with almost 9% growth in 2019, according to Gartner report. Knowing how much money is spent on IT security across the industry allows companies to understand where they are in the market,

Dubai : technology. A recent global study conducted by Kaspersky, highlighting the results in KSA, has found that in a bid to promote self-regulation online, 60% of Saudi parents trust their kids to know when enough is enough. However, 79% of them admit that they themselves spend too much time online and almost three quarters (82%) feel that internet and mobile device usage in general is impeding family life. There is little doubt that digital activities can be addictive, and

Dubai : technology. In 2019, the number of unique malicious objects detected by Kaspersky’s web antivirus solution rose by an eighth, compared to last year — reaching 24,610,126. This growth was mainly influenced by a 187% rise in web skimmer files. Other threats, such as backdoors and banking Trojans detected in-lab, also grew, while the presence of miners dropped by more than a half. These trends have demonstrated a shift in the type of threats used by attackers on the

Dubai : technology.  2019 has been the “year of ransomware attacks on municipalities” according to Kaspersky security experts. This comes after the company’s researchers observed that at least 174 municipal institutions, with more than 3,000 subset organisations, have been targeted by ransomware during the last year. This represents a 60% increase at least, from the figure in 2018. While threat actors’ demands would sometimes reach up to $5,000,000, actual costs and damages sustained during attacks are estimated to be larger.

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky has conducted a survey on software usage and IT security attitudes among Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants, in collaboration with popular Arabic technology news portal – AITnews.With inputs from more than 1,700 Arab respondents across the world, the survey uncovered that 37 per cent always download pirated software and applications, and 20 per cent do this sometimes. More than half (52 per cent) of these Internet users say that they always check and verify the source

Dubai : technology.  In 2020, financially motivated cyberthreat actors may start to target investment apps, online financial data processing systems and upcoming cryptocurrencies, along with providing paid access to banks’ infrastructures and developing new strains of mobile banking malware based on leaked source code. These are the key predictions from Kaspersky on the expected development of the threat landscape in the financial sector. Financial cyberthreats are considered to be some of the most dangerous ones, as the impact they bring

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky’s research of the RevengeHotels campaign aimed at the hospitality sector, has confirmed over 20 hotels in Latin America, Europe and Asia have fallen victim to targeted malware attacks. Even more hotels are potentially affected across the globe. Travelers’ credit card data which is stored in a hotel administration system, including those received from online travel agencies (OTAs), is at risk of being stolen and sold to criminals worldwide.RevengeHotels is a campaign that includes different groups using

Dubai : technology.  Kaspersky researchers have shared their vision on Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) in 2020, pointing out how the landscape of targeted attacks will change in the coming months. The overall trend shows that threats will grow in sophistication and become more targeted, diversifying under the influence of external factors, such as development and propagation of machine learning, technologies for deepfakes development, or tensions around trade routes between Asia and Europe. The predictions were developed based on the changes

Dubai : technology. Today, ten organizations – Avira, Electronic Frontier Foundation, European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, G DATA Cyber Defense, Kaspersky, Malwarebytes, National Network to End Domestic Violence, NortonLifeLock, Operation Safe Escape and WEISSER RING – have launched a global initiative called the Coalition Against Stalkerware.What is stalkerware?Stalkerware programs carry the possibility for intrusion into a person’s private life and are being used as a tool for abuse in cases of domestic violence and stalking.

Dubai : technology. In the third quarter of 2019, the number of DDoS attacks rose by a third compared to the previous period (30 percentage points) and Q3 2018 (32 percentage points) according to statistics gathered from Kaspersky DDoS Protection.This growth was primarily due to a spike in malicious activity in autumn. In fact, 53% of the quarter’s DDoS attacks were carried out in September. The rise is caused by a large number of rather simple types of attack. Nonetheless,

Dubai : technology. Since the start of 2018, Kaspersky researchers have kept a close eye on the META region for Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks and worked on 96 investigative cases across the Middle East.These statistics are drawn from Kaspersky’s APT intelligence reporting service, which is populated by Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis team. The team issues detailed reports on each of the investigations and alerts the security operations team in governments and businesses on the threat actors that concern

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky researchers have reported on a sharp increase in fraudulent activities around e-commerce during an active sales period in Asian countries – Singles’ Day (November 11).  While Singles’ Day originates from China, it is now relevant to users of e-marketplaces all over the world. Pre-holiday promos and sales on global Asian platforms are welcomed internationally, and scammers are now targeting users in different languages.Our researchers detected a spike in financial phishing attacks before the big Singles’ Day

Dubai : technology. Traditional passwords nowadays are a weak point as data leaks happen quite often. More and more companies decide to change the approach and adopt biometrics. However, no one is immune to identity theft and there already have been several actual cases of losing biometric data. To raise awareness on the topic and show that such data requires strong security regulations, Kaspersky distinguished several dangers of unsecured biometric data:  1.    Stranger-danger. In order to set face or touch

Dubai : technology. Everyone nowadays is connected to the Internet and has by now probably settled into some online routines: we all have such habits as checking our e-mails and social media pages first thing in the morning and consider these rituals healthy and harmless. However, some online habits can actually affect our whole life negatively, others only one aspect of it: online security. Kaspersky has distinguished nine habits that can result in data leak or infecting PCs with malware,

Dubai : technology. Business Executives who are keepers of secrets of the company are high-priority targets for cyber espionage. Especially, when traveling, precautionary measures – including those outside the world of IT – are essential, and they must be accompanied by an awareness of operational security (OPSEC). Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company, is increasingly focusing on improving broader IT security awareness, for example by improving the skillset of business travelers on how to protect critical data and fending off attacks

Dubai : technology. The social influence of robots on people and the insecurities this can bring should not be underestimated. Research conducted by Kaspersky and Ghent University has found that robots can effectively extract sensitive information from people who trust them, by persuading them to take unsafe actions. For example, in certain scenarios, the presence of a robot can have a big impact on people’s willingness to give out access to secure buildings.The world is rapidly moving towards increased digitalization

Dubai : technology. Around 56% of Incident Response (IR) requests processed by Kaspersky security experts in 2018 happened after the affected organization experienced an attack that had visible consequences such as unauthorized money transfers, workstations encrypted by ransomware and service unavailability. 44% of requests were processed after detection of an attack during an early stage, saving the client from potentially severe consequences. These are among the main findings of Kaspersky’s latest Incident Response Analytics Report.It is often assumed that incident

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky’s new global research reveals challenges behind limited family conversations on the internet safety 86% of parents in Saudi Arabia are worried about their children’s online safety, according to the latest survey commissioned by Kaspersky and conducted by the market research company Savanta. Nevertheless, on average, parents only spend a total of 22 minutes talking to their children about online security through their entire childhood. More than half (83%) of those surveyed spend less than 30 minutes

Dubai : technology.  Almost two in ten (26.5%) computers used to control smart building automation systems were subject to some kind of malicious attack in the first half of 2019, according to an overview of smart building threats conducted by Kaspersky. This study shows that while it is unclear if such systems were deliberately targeted, they often become a destination for various generic threats. Despite not being sophisticated, many of these threats may pose significant danger to everyday smart building

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky ICS CERT researchers have discovered several vulnerabilities in a popular framework used for developing industrial devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI). These devices are at the heart of almost any automated industrial facility – from critical infrastructure to production processes. The uncovered vulnerabilities potentially allowed an attacker to conduct covert destructive remote and local attacks on the organization where PLCs developed through this vulnerable framework are used. The framework was developed

 Dubai : technology. Around 45% of small businesses have been victims of data breaches in 2019, according to a recent Kaspersky survey . While data breaches threaten small companies with painful consequences, the survey revealed that security measures taken by them to prevent such incidents are often insufficient. Although stories about cybersecurity incidents in companies with under 50 employees rarely make newspaper headlines, a data breach for a smaller company may directly impact their business. As their resources are often

Dubai : technology.  The number of phishing attacks targeting users of Mac computers, iOS-based mobile devices, and the associated web services ecosystem to lure them into fraudulent schemes has reached 1.6 million in the first half of 2019. This figure is around nine percent greater than attacks experienced in the whole of 2018. The growing number of users of popular digital devices is clearly attracting more and more cybercriminals. This is one of key finding of  Kaspersky’s Threats to Mac

Dubai : technology.  Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365 expands protection capabilities from Exchange Online to include Microsoft storage service OneDrive. The product prevents malware from infiltrating OneDrive and spreading across corporate networks. This is achieved through multiple layers of protection empowered with heuristic and behavioral analysis. Businesses create dynamic, digital environments where employees can collaborate, share and store corporate data. Being under constant pressure to work fast and effectively means they may sometimes miss suspicious files or emails containing

Dubai : technology. During what has been a content-rich summer, children have shown significant interest in viral memes about Area 51, according to Kaspersky’s annual summer report into kids’ online safety. Area 51 is commonly believed to be a research facility where the American government is rumored to be studying creatures from outer space. In an attempt to see the aliens, adults even went as far as creating a special Facebook event. “We will all meet up at the Area

Dubai : technology. On September 3rd, a group of Russian athletes with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy started to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, becoming one of the first groups of Russian people with disabilities to do this. ‘Kilimanjaro. I can!’ is a joint project of Kaspersky, Syndrome of Love and Downside Up - two charity foundations aimed at breaking the stereotypes about physical disability associated with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy diagnoses. The project has been launched to show that even

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky experts have uncovered 53,531 malicious or potentially unwanted files disguised as ready-to-use essays and textbooks for schools and universities. From August 2018 to July 2019 they were used in 356,662 attacks on 104,819 users – a 21% decrease, compared to the figures from the previous year. These are among the main findings of Kaspersky’s ‘Back to School report’.While some might find the cost of student books to be quite expensive, they are an inevitable part of

Dubai : technology. Many consumers and businesses stillrely on unsupported or near end-of-life operating systems (OS), according to Kaspersky research. While newer versions of such OS are available, around41% of consumers still use either an unsupported or approaching end of support desktopOS like Windows XP or Windows 7. At the same time,40% of very small businesses (VSBs) and 48% of small, medium-sizedbusinesses (SMBs) and enterprises still rely onthese systems. This situation creates a security risk.In most cases, the end of

Dubai : technology. The use of malware designed to harvest consumers’ digital data – known as password stealers – has seen a significant rise in 2019. According to Kaspersky’s data, the number of users, targeted by the stealers, peaked from less than 600,000 in the first half of 2018 to over 940,000 during the same period in 2019.  Password Stealing Ware (PSW) is a major weapon in the cybercriminals’ toolkit to sabotage users’ privacy. This malicious type of software grabs

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky experts have uncovered new versions of the advanced malicious surveillance tool FinSpy. The new implants work on both iOS and Android devices, can monitor activity on almost all popular messaging services, including encrypted ones, and hide their traces better than before. The tools allow attackers to spy on all device activities and exfiltrate sensitive data such as GPS location, messages, pictures, calls and more.  FinSpy is an extremely effective software tool for targeted surveillance that has

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky is proud to announce its new partnership with the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center – the location in Star City where cosmonauts from all over the world prepare to go to space. As part of this collaboration, the company will hold special training for cosmonauts, as well as IT specialists at the center, to educate them on the current cybersecurity landscape.Space development and exploration is actively driven by advanced technology and it is important

Dubai : technology.  Cybercriminals are taking advantage of growing demand for video games by distributing malware through fake copies of the most popular ones, research by Kaspersky has found. More than 930,000 users were hit by such attacks in the 12 months from early June 2018 to early June 2019. Over a third of the attacks centered on just three games.Video gaming has been around for a while, but the power of the internet has accelerated its growth and evolution.

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky researchers have discovered that the money-stealing mobile malware, Riltok has launched new variants and is extending its targeting from Russia to the rest of the world, starting with Europe, disguising itself as services popular in France, Italy and the United Kingdom. Riltkok was first observed in mid-2018.Riltok is a Banking Trojan. These represent a dangerous threat to smartphone users because they are designed to gain access to the financial accounts and assets of their victims, primarily

Dubai : technology.  Cybercriminals are taking advantage of summer exam pressures by offering black market grade-hacking services and fake qualifications online, and ensuring these opportunities are easy to find with a quick internet search, Kaspersky researchers have found.Reports of young people breaking into school systems to change grades, improve attendance records or disrupt test processes are not new, and nor is the availability of fake certificates and diplomas. Over the years, a thriving underground industry has grown up to facilitate

Dubai : technology.  New Kaspersky’s survey has discovered that a lack of understanding and trust is holding consumers back from using cryptocurrencies. The Kaspersky’s report, ‘Uncharted territory: why consumers are still wary about adopting cryptocurrency’, reveals that whilst (29%) of people in the META region have some knowledge of cryptocurrencies and there is a demand among many to use the technology, just (13%) fully comprehend how they work. The rate in which cryptocurrencies are being adopted by global consumers is

Dubai : technology.  Kaspersky’s recent report ‘the true value of digital privacy: are consumers selling themselves short?’ has revealed that 47% consumers would give up their social media accounts to guarantee their data remains private for the rest of their life. Fears surrounding protecting digital privacy have made consumers more anxious about the use and distribution of their personal information on the internet. The report outlines how and why consumers’ personal information is becoming incredibly valuable to them. Social media

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android has been strengthened with a new feature for combating the evolving malware landscape – Cloud ML for Android. The new feature, based on machine learning technology, ensures immediate proactive detection of advanced and previously unknown malware, to minimize the risks of mobile devices being exposed to cyberattacks. To this end, malicious applications that may have been downloaded on a mobile device are detected before they launch.Over the few last years, mobile threats

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android has been strengthened with a new feature for combating the evolving malware landscape – Cloud ML for Android. The new feature, based on machine learning technology, ensures immediate proactive detection of advanced and previously unknown malware, to minimize the risks of mobile devices being exposed to cyberattacks. To this end, malicious applications that may have been downloaded on a mobile device are detected before they launch.Over the few last years, mobile threats

Dubai : technology. Technology has transformed how we live our lives, but it has come at more than just a financial cost for many of us. A new Kaspersky survey has found that more than a third (35%) of over 55s would struggle with daily technology challenges if it wasn’t for support from their children. Due to this, they are automatically turning to younger family members for all forms of tech support, leading to cries of ‘Can you just… fix

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky experts have detected a two-fold rise in the number of users being attacked with fake system cleaners – fraudulent programs designed to trick users into paying for alleged serious computer issues to be fixed. The number of users hit reached 1,456,219 in the first half of 2019, compared to just 747,322 for the same period in 2018. During this time, some of the attacks have become more sophisticated and dangerous.A slow-working or poorly performing computer is

Dubai : technology. As the saying goes, “data is money”. Sometimes it literally is — for example, when one bumps into a spreadsheet with their colleagues’ salaries in it. In the latest Kaspersky’s survey,almost four-in-ten employees (37%) admitted to accidentally accessing confidential information about their colleagues – such as salary and bonus information. Payroll details are just one example of the sensitive personal data that reside on companies’ servers today. If leaked in publicdue to a lack of security and

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky researchers have uncovereda worrying risein malware designed to steal credentials and moneyfrom users’ bank accounts: in Q1 2019,researchersfound 29,841 files of such malware, up from 18,501 in Q4 2018.Overall, attacks on more than 300,000 users were detected. These are among the main findings ofKaspersky Lab’s IT threat evolution inQ1 2019report.Mobile banking Trojans are one of themostrapidly-developing, flexible and dangerous types of malware. They usually steal funds directly from mobile users’ bank accounts, butsometimes their purpose is

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab researchers tracking the activity of malicious spammers and phishers have uncovered multiple operations during May seeking to exploit people’s desire to secure a good bargain.   Among other things, the researchers found more than 8,000 phishing attacks disguised as offers from popular lodging platforms, as well as several email blasts appearing to come from a legitimate travel brand that signed victims up to paid phone services.  Spam and phishing are among the most effective attack vectors.

Dubai : technology.Kaspersky Lab researchers monitoring the activity of ScarCruft, a skilled, Korean-speaking threat actor have discovered that the group is testing and creating new tools and techniques, and extending both the range and volume of information collected from victims. Among other things, the group has created code able to identify connected Bluetooth devices. The ScarCruft advanced persistent threat (APT) is believed to be state-sponsored and usually targets government entities and companies with links to the Korean peninsula, apparently in

Dubai : technology.Kaspersky Lab experts detected a blast of sophisticated spam emails in the first quarter of 2019, featuring fake job-offers that seemed to come from HR-recruiters in large corporations that traditionally attract a lot of interest from potential employees. However, the emails actually came from spammers and installed money -stealing malware on users’ devices.Spam emails are an often underestimated threat, yet they can spread malware through social engineering methods like deception and psychological manipulation, and claim many victims. To

Dubai : technology.Kaspersky Lab has unveiled the next generation of its endpoint protection with new Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business. The product features Adaptive Anomaly Control, which intelligently perceives and blocks anomalous applications and user behavior, and offers improved protection from miners and network threats. Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business now also provides users with a web-based management console, along with features to help automate administrator tasks — all to give IT security teams greater control across all endpoints in

Dubai : technology.Businesses across the world are struggling to secure their data due to employees not recognizing their responsibility for digital clutter; the proliferation of digital documents and files without thought for managing the security consequences. The global report “Sorting out digital clutter in business” from Kaspersky Lab  found a number of correlations between the creation of digital clutter at work and human habits behind it, such as… organizing a fridge. It revealed that nine out of ten (95%) people

Dubai : technology.Over 37% EMEA businesses suffer from travel and expenses fraud, new research from SAS reveals. Other types of financial crime and errors facing companies from the region include contract bid rigging (over 25%), duplicate invoicing (27%) and frauds committed by employees using company credit cards (22%). Even though frauds are a major issue, businesses struggle to tackle procurement and occupational fraud using outdated manual controls and rule-based software detection.Dubai, United Arab Emirates (May 14, 2019) – Procurement fraud

Dubai : technology.Following the arrest in 2018 of a number of suspected leaders of the notorious Fin7/Carbanak cyber-gang, the group was believed to have disbanded. But Kaspersky Lab researchers have detected a number of new attacks by the same groups using GRIFFON malware. According to the company’s experts, Fin7 might have extended the number of groups operating under its umbrella; increased the sophistication of its methods; and even positioned itself as a legitimate security vendor to recruit professional employees and

   Dubai : technology.   By Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Dell TechnologiesTechnology evolution is not slowing down. While many organizations are struggling to keep up, significant changes in the workplace are beginning to take place today and professionals are feeling the impact. Automation, VR, AR, you name it, it’s happening. With rapid developments across science, technology engineering and communication, technology has brought upon a new Industrial Revolution, or “second

 Dubai : technology.In the first three months of 2019, Kaspersky Lab researchers observed an active landscape of advanced threat operations that was centered mainly on South East Asia, increasingly influenced by geopolitics, and which featured cryptocurrency and commercial spyware attacks as well as a major supply-chain campaign. These and other trends are covered in Kaspersky Lab’s latest quarterly threat intelligence summary.The quarterly APT trends summary is drawn from Kaspersky Lab’s private threat intelligence research, as well as from other sources,

 Dubai : Press Release .Kaspersky Lab has launched new service packages designed for businesses working in the blockchain industry and crypto economy. Token offering (ICO/ STO) projects and cryptocurrency exchanges are now offered tailored services, such as Smart Contract Code Review, Application and Website Security Assessment, Security Awareness trainings, protection against phishing, and Incident Response. In addition to these services, Kaspersky Lab also provides crypto exchanges with fraud and money laundering prevention and targeted attack detection.The blockchain industry and cryptocurrency

Dubai : technology. Today during Kaspersky Lab’s annual Cyber Security Weekend 2019 that took place in Cape Town South Africa. Reuben Paul, a 13 year old, 7th grader known as the “Cyber Ninja”, was able to hack into a drone, exposing the gaping holes in the security measures of millions of every day gadgets and technology devices, that are part of the Internet of Things (IoT). Reuben demonstrated that he could disconnect a user from his drone and then take

Dubai : technology. During Kaspersky Lab’s annual Cyber Security Weekend that took place in Cape Town, South Africa, Kaspersky Lab experts discussed the wide spread growth of mobile payments across the globe and the many cyber risks that surround such technology. Especially the recent SIM swap fraud wave, which have become very common in Africa and the wider region. In South Africa this type of fraud more than double in the last year, according a report of South African Banking

Dubai : technology. The cyber-weapons used by Middle Eastern cyberespionage group, MuddyWater, reveal multiple ‘false flag’ attempts to point the finger of attribution at Chinese, Russian, Turkish and Saudi Arabian threat actors and confuse security researchers and the authorities, according to an in-depth analysis of the cyber-arsenal by Kaspersky Lab. MuddyWater is an advanced threat actor that first surfaced in 2017. In October 2018, Kaspersky Lab reported on a major operation by MuddyWater, targeting governmental and telecom targets entities in

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab has enhanced its APT Intelligence Reports with contextual information related to advanced persistent threat (APT) actors and added mapping to the MITRE ATT&CK threat model for previously discovered attacks. These improvements help security operations teams subscribed to the APT Intelligence Reporting service better understand adversaries’ goals, techniques and capabilities. This allows them to connect incidents with a threat actor, to improve their understanding of the motivation behind a specific attack. Teams will also be able

Dubai : technology. With the amount of personal data shared on the internet continuing to grow, some of us are resigned to think that any attempts to maintain online privacy will be doomed to failure. Kaspersky Lab has recently discovered that (37%) consumers in the META region and (32%) in the UAE do not know how they can fully protect their privacy online. This powerlessness towards digital privacy issues, called privacy fatigue, often leads to oversharing on social networks and

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab’s automated technologies have detected a previously unknown vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. It was exploited by an unidentified criminal group in an attempt to gain full control over a targeted device. The attack was aimed at the core of the system – its kernel – through a backdoor constructed from an essential element of Windows OS. Backdoors are an extremely dangerous type of malware, as they allow threat actors to control infected machines discreetly for malicious

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab has published the results of an investigation into Genesis - an e-shop that is trading over 60,000 stolen and legitimate digital identities, making successful credit card fraud that much easier to conduct. This marketplace as well as other malicious tools involve abusing the machine-learning based anti-fraud approach of ‘digital masks’: a unique, trusted customer profile based on known device and behavior characteristics.Every time we enter our financial, payment and personal information in an online transaction,

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab researchers have uncovered a technically sophisticated cyberespionage framework that has been active since at least 2013 and appears to be unconnected to any known threat actors. The framework, which researchers have named TajMahal, features around 80 malicious modules and includes functionality never before seen in an advanced persistent threat, such as the ability to steal information from printer queues and to grab previously seen files from a USB device the next time it reconnects. Kaspersky

Dubai : technology. Reckless data sharing online for short-term gains is leaving consumers exposed to more than they bargained for, according to new research from Kaspersky Lab . Despite outrage and worry around high profile data sharing scandals, including when Facebook gave Netflix and Spotify the ability to delete users’ private messages , over half of internet users (52%) feel that complete privacy in the modern digital world is impossible. Many are instead choosing to sell-out when it comes to

Dubai : technology. Cybercriminals are actively using new episodes of popular TV shows to distribute malware, research by Kaspersky Lab has found. Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Arrow are the shows receiving the most attention from attackers. These and other findings are published in a new report, ‘Game of Threats: How cybercriminals use popular TV shows to spread malware.’TV shows are one of the most popular and universal types of entertainment, yet with the rise of torrents, online

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab’s anti-phishing system prevented more than 482 million attempts to visit fraudulent web pages during 2018, a two-fold increase on 2017, when 236 million such attempts were blocked.  Annual rises in the number of phishing attacks have been observed for the last few years, yet the figure for 2018 indicates a significant surge in the use and popularity of such attacks. These and other findings are documented in Kaspersky Lab’s new report, Spam and phishing in

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab has uncovered a new advanced persistent threat (APT) campaign that has affected a large number of users through what is known as a supply chain attack. Our research found that threat actors behind Operation ShadowHammer have targeted users of the ASUS Live Update Utility, by injecting a backdoor into it at least between June and November 2018. Kaspersky Lab experts estimate that the attack may have affected more than a million users worldwide.A supply chain

Dubai : technology. Mother’s Day is a day to honor mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.  Naturally, there are plenty of ways to make moms feel special with unique gifts, but sadly there are those that use such special occasions for their own cybercriminal gain. In fact, according to Kaspersky Lab security experts, people are more likely to face a cyber-attack during shopping online for special occasions. Surfing online via smartphones and tablets can help

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab’s automated technologies have detected a new exploited vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, believed to have been used in targeted attacks by at least two threat actors, including the recently discovered SandCat. This is the fourth zero-day exploit to be discovered in the wild by Kaspersky Lab’s Automatic Exploit Prevention technology. Kaspersky Lab reported the vulnerability, allocated CVE-2019-0797 to Microsoft, which has released a patch.Zero-day vulnerabilities are previously unknown software bugs that can be exploited by attackers

Dubai : technology. Kaspersky Lab researchers have seen the number of attacks using malicious mobile software nearly double in just a year. In 2018 there were 116.5 million attacks, compared to 66.4 million in 2017, with a significant increase in unique users being affected. Despite more devices being attacked, the number of malware files has decreased, leading researchers to conclude that the quality of mobile malware has become more impactful and precise. These and other findings are unveiled in Kaspersky

Dubai : technology .In collaboration with other members of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), Kaspersky Lab experts have formulated the Security Maturity Model (SMM) Practitioner’s Guide. This helps IoT operators define the level of security maturity they need to achieve based on their security goals and objectives, as well their appetite for risk.The SMM builds on concepts identified in the IIC Industrial Internet Security Framework published in 2016. The SMM is the first of its kind, discussing the newly established

Dubai : technology .Kaspersky Lab researchers have detected a surge in activity by the RTM Banking Trojan: with the overall number of users attacked in 2018 exceeding 130,000 – an increase from as few as 2376 attacked users in 2017. The pace of attacks appears to be continuing into 2019, with more than 30,000 users attacked during the first month and a half of the year, making RTM one of the most active banking Trojans on the threat landscape.Banking Trojans

Dubai : keyboard  .With the number of available threat intelligence sources continuing to grow, a third of CISOs feel under pressure as they cannot consume cybercrime intelligence easily or effectively. To help large companies overcome this challenge, Kaspersky Lab has launched Kaspersky CyberTrace – a free threat intelligence fusion and analysis tool. It aggregates and evaluates disconnected data feeds to help identify what threats pose a danger to the organization and ensure security teams focus on the right areas.The variety

Dubai : keyboard  .In a competitive marketplace, telcos are at the forefront of a revolution – using customer data as a way to delight those very same customers with a great experience. Shukri Dabaghi, Vice President – Middle East & Eastern Europe, SAS, elaborates on how telcos can not only build their data ‘cake’, but eat it too!Telecommunications operators have been at the forefront of the discussion around changing customer dynamics, characterized by increasing demands, and reduced loyalty. The average

Dubai : keyboard  .According to a 2017 Survey by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, 57% of companies in the UAE and 42% in KSA attributed weaknesses in their IT security strategy to the careless actions of employees.  With staff training seen as an important way to reduce cybersecurity incidents, finding the most efficient approach remains a pain point for many IT departments. To help companies address the issue, Kaspersky Lab has developed an Automated Security Awareness Platform to make it

Dubai : keyboard  .Kaspersky Lab experts have detected a sharp increase inphishing activitiesfrom criminals offering users various romantic goods on the eve of St. Valentine’s Day. The total number of  user attempts to visit fraudulent websites with a romantic theme that were detected and blockedduring the first half of Februarymore than doubled compared to the same time in 2018, a reminder that fraudsters are always looking for an excuse to steal users’ data and money. Phishing is one of the

Dubai : keyboard  . The Kaspersky Lab DDoS Q4 Report covering statistics of the last quarter and the whole of 2018 highlights a 13% decline in the overall number of DDoS attacks when compared with the statistics from the previous year. However, the duration of mixed and HTTP flood attacks is growing, which suggests that malefactors are turning to more sophisticated DDoS attack techniques.  The low cost of DDoS-as-hire makes such attacks one of the most affordable cyberweapons for evil competitors

Dubai : keyboard  .Kaspersky Lab, together with the research agency Opeepl,surveyed 7,740household pet owners from 15 countries around the world*to find out how modern technologies affect pet safety. It turns out that everyfifthpet owner uses some type of digital device to monitor or secure their domestic pet, and for 39%, the use of such devices ended up posing a risk to the pet or its owners.At the end of May, Kaspersky Lab published a report on vulnerabilities in cat and

Dubai : keyboard  .Dell EMC announces new and enhanced capabilities to the Dell EMC Data Domain and Integrated Data Protection Appliance (IDPA) portfolio of backup storage appliances designed to offer organisations real-world flexibility and value with expanded multi-cloud capabilities and improved performance. The enhancements also provide mid-sized organisations and remote offices of larger organisations with more choice and options in obtaining enterprise-level data protection.According to IDC, 92 percent of organisations have adopted a cloud environment with 64 percent adopting a

Dubai : keyboard  .To mark Change Your Password Day, 2019, Kaspersky Lab’s security researchers are advising users that unique, memorable passwords are stronger and more effective than regularly changing account passwords when it comes to keeping data secure online. The researchers have shared some easy steps that people can follow to create their own series of unique passwords. They also recommend installing a password management tool that does the hard work of remembering passwords for you.Passwords are an established method

Dubai : Mobile .Apple has found a fix for a bug that let people eavesdrop on other FaceTime users when the person called did not answer.It said it was planning to release a software update next week to close the loophole.Once the fix is applied, it will also re-enable the Group FaceTime feature shut down when the problem was discovered.The " significant " bug was revealed by Apple news site 9to5mac.A mother and son from Arizona also reportedly told Apple about the

Cairo: Science and Technology.  Kaspersky Lab researchers have detected multiple attempts to infect foreign diplomatic entities in Iran with homebrew spyware. The attacks appear to be using an updated Remexi backdoor. Several legitimate tools were also used during the campaign. The Remexi backdoor is linked to a suspected Farsi-speaking cyberespionage group known as Chafer, previously associated with the cyber-surveillance of individuals in the Middle East. The targeting of embassies could suggest a new focus for the group.The operation highlights how

Cairo: Science and Technology.  Kaspersky Lab has released its latest Corporate Social Responsibility Report – profiling the company’s technological, educational and charitable initiatives. This year’s report explores the work being done to promote gender equality in the technology industry across the globe, and how Kaspersky Lab is encouraging child education about digital security. The report reflects how the company is helping communities grow and contributing to making the world a better, and safer, place.Kaspersky Lab is a proud advocate for

Cairo: Science and Technology.  Cost savings, control, and practicality are most desired smart features among 2,000 global consumers surveyed by the appliance makerJanuary 10, 2019 – A new, global survey from Whirlpool Corporation is helping paint a picture of what our future smart homes will look like. Responses from more than 2,000 homeowners and renters in four different regions of the world show what consumers are craving - smart features that are easy to understand and are a practical and

Something in common: two notorious Russian speaking hacking groups found sharing infrastructure with each otherDubai : Press Release .Kaspersky Lab experts have identifiedan overlap in cyberattacks between two infamous threat actors,GreyEnergy– which is believed to be a successor of BlackEnergy – and theSofacycyberespionage group. Both actors used the same servers at the same time, with, however, a different purpose.BlackEnergyand Sofacyhacking groups are considered to be twoof the majoractors inthe modern cyberthreat landscape. In the past, their activities often led to

Cairo: Science and Technology.  Kaspersky Lab experts have helped to identify and patch seven previously unknown vulnerabilities in the ThingsPro Suite – an industrial IoT platform, designed for industrial control systems (ICS) data acquisition and remote analysis. Some of the vulnerabilities found could potentially allow threat actors to gain highly priviledged access to industrial IoT gateways and execute deadly commands. All vulnerabilities identified were reported to and patched by platform developer Moxa.ThingsPro Suite is an industrial internet of things platform

Cairo: Science and Technology. IT security leaders in businesses across the globe are stuck with their hands behind their backs when it comes to fighting off cybercrime. They lack influence in the boardroom and find it hard to justify the budgets they need; inevitably making their businesses more vulnerable. The phenomenon is one of the findings of a new report from Kaspersky Lab, which has found that 83% Of CISOs now believe cybersecurity breaches to be inevitable, with financially motivated

Dubai : technology . While many of us have heard of, or even fallen victim to, cybercrimes such as data and identity theft, it seems that relatively few know the value of the information stolen from us. A new study from Kaspersky Lab has revealed that while our identity may not be worth a lot in terms of dollars, it is a significant asset to criminals in other ways. The research uncovered an appetite among cybercriminals for data stolen from

Dubai : Society. A new Kaspersky Lab report has shown that Generation Z is the most anxious to date, with the vast majority of young people admitting they are worried about something in their lives, and the majority do not seek professional advice to help them cope with it. In line with its global commitment to turn insecurity into security, Kaspersky Lab has joined forces with digital youth charity The Mix to help young people from around the world embrace

MOSCOW, April 30 (Reuters) .Thousands of people marched through Moscow, throwing paper planes and calling for authorities to unblock the popular Telegram instant messaging app on Monday.Protesters chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin as they launched the planes - a reference to the app's logo. " Putin's regime has declared war on the internet, has declared war on free society... so we have to be here in support of Telegram, " one protester told Reuters.Russia began blocking Telegram on April 16 after the

TOKYO . reuters.Paro the furry seal cries softly while an elderly woman pets it. Pepper, a humanoid, waves while leading a group of senior citizens in exercises. The upright Tree guides a disabled man taking shaky steps, saying in a gentle feminine voice, “right, left, well done!”Robots have the run of Tokyo's Shin-tomi nursing home, which uses 20 different models to care for its residents. The Japanese government hopes it will be a model for harnessing the country's robotics expertise

Jeddah, Keyboard .HTC VIVE™, the leading virtual reality (VR) platform, today announced VIVE Arts, a new multi-million dollar global VR program set to change the way the world creates and engages with the arts. Vive recognizes VR’s potential to share and engage with the world’s most valuable treasures in a new and exciting way, and the company’s latest investment will support the content, creators and institutions that embrace this new medium.Vive has been supporting and investing in the arts and

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept 12 (Reuters) .Apple Inc on Tuesday rolled out its much-anticipated iphone X, a glass and stainless steel device with an edge-to-edge display that Chief Executive Tim Cook called " the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone. " The launch contained few surprises, with leaked details on the phone and other products including an updated Apple Watch proving largely accurate. But the iphone X's $999 price still raised eyebrows, and its Nov. 3 ship date prompted questions about possible supply

By Alamir Kamal Farag from Taipei  You affectionately squeeze the hand of the one you love. A baby intuitively squeezes her mother’s finger. A child squeezes his teddy bear to feel safe at night. Nothing feels as close, connected and personal as the sensation of touch or the warmth of an embrace. And no device is as personal in our lives as our smartphone.    Inspired by the power of touch and the Brilliant U, HTC today unveiled HTC U11, the

by David Goldman. CNN .Donald Trump has called for a shutdown of the Internet in certain areas to stop the spread of terror.In a speech at the U.S.S. Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on Monday, Trump referenced the use by ISIS of social media as a recruitment tool. He recommended a discussion with Bill Gates to shut off parts of the Internet. " We're losing a lot of people because of the Internet, " Trump said. " We have to go see Bill

Cairo: Al Amir Kamal Farag .Weeks have passed since the first anniversary of the death of the general supervisor of excavations and restorations at the Ministry of Antiquities Talal El Kretty, the owner of the unique story in archeology and restoration, as maintained by grandparents more than seven thousand years .With his Egyptian features, his tanned face, simple longing and devotion infinite to the homeland, and his belief that does not rest in the sanctity of maintaining the unique monuments,