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Cyber criminals using DDoS attacks to extort funds from victims are carrying out more attacks despite a $26,000 bounty.
For example, the report shows that attack methods vary significantly from month to month, making it difficult and unsettling for defenders.
“While 50% of attacks in March 2015 used obfuscated code, that trend completely disappeared in April, which means that there is no time to adapt before something new comes along, making detection and analysis difficult because of the extreme swings in attack methods,” said Leonard.
And because credential stealing attacks are among the most common types of attacks targeting financial services, some families of malware are most commonly used against this sector. The most common attacks include Asprox, Vawtrack and the Geodo data credential stealing email worm, which is seen four times more in the banking industry than any other sector.
“Geodo is spread via emails. First it compromises a financial services firm and then uses the email systems of that business to distribute itself. While this is very common in this sector, other attacks are not seen by financial services firms for months at a time, such as Gatak, which has not been seen in this sector for around seven months,” said Leonard.
The fact that attack types are so highly specific to the financial services industry, he said, highlights the need for organisations to understand their own industry sector and the malware families most commonly used, to be as well prepared as possible for at least some of the attacks they are likely to see over and above the baseline attacks common to all sectors.
The report also shows a third of all lure stage attacks target financial services, meaning hackers are spending a large amount of energy targeting this sector with a disproportionate amount of reconnaissance and lures devised to penetrate the organisation – and then go in search of the big payload.
“Many of the attacks targeting financial services could be stopped very early on in the threat lifecycle, but many organisations are focusing on the artifacts of the attack when it hits their endpoints, which means they are investing in things like sandboxing while it is actually the lure stage that most of the attacks could be observed and stopped,” said Leonard.
While all organisations need to maintain focus on the latter stages of attacks, he said they need to make sure the earlier stages of attacks are analysed such that they can gain intelligence and protection capabilities. Intercepting attacks early in the lifecycle can help organisations reduce the volume of baseline attacks hitting their endpoints.
Another top finding of the study is that the financial services industry ranks as one of the highest for targeted “typo squatting” attacks, ranking third among 20 industries.
“Typically attackers registers a domain that is just a character or two different from their target domain, and then uses that domain to send email into the target organisation that at first glance appears to come from within the organisation,” said Leonard.
While this report focuses on the attacks affecting the financial services sector, the report is of relevance to all industry sectors due to what researchers call the “trickle-down effect”.
This means that attacks that are currently popular in the financial services sector could easily migrate or trickle down to other sectors in the coming months, said Leonard, as the malware authors gain success.
In the light of the study’s findings, he said financial services and other firms need to understand the lifecycle of a threat and should be able to perform gap analysis on their existing infrastructure, to identify weak points.
“If they find they are focusing heavily on later stages of attacks – such as communications with command and control or payload analysis – but they are not able to intercept attacks early on, that is putting undue pressure on technologies operating at the later stages of defence. They should invest in earlier stages and take a more proactive approach to understanding how payloads get into their environment, so they are better able to plug the holes,” said Leonard.
“If they are not doing so already they should also plug themselves into the available threat intelligence sharing communities at a national computer emergency response team (Cert) level, an industry-specific group such as FS-ISAC or some other means to understand exactly what is relevant in their industry, so they can move to a more proactive stance,” he said.
Another strategy that a growing number of organisations are using to address cyber security skills shortages to ensure they are not operating in isolation, is to use managed security service providers.
“By outsourcing their security operations centre, organisations can gain knowledge from across multiple companies and multiple industries that can be applied by a managed service provider into their own environment as attacks migrate and change,” said Leonard.
Rufus Wainwright has announced details of his biggest ever UK tour.
The star, who is currently riding high following renewed interest in his third album ’Want One’, will return to the UK in October and November for shows.
Rufus Wainwright is currently in the UK, and played an instore performance at London HMV yesterday (July 20).
Support will come from Martha Wainwright. Tickets are on sale now. For availability, [url=]click here or call the NME Ticketline on 0870 1 663 663.
Paul Ekins, an environmental economist, is Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy and Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources at University College London. He is also a Co-Director of the UK Energy Research Centre. Paul Ekins’ academic work, published in numerous books, articles and scientific papers, focuses on the conditions and policies for achieving an environmentally sustainable economy. He has extensive experience consulting for business, government and international organisations. In 1994 Paul Ekins received a Global 500 Award ‘for outstanding environmental achievement’ from the United Nations Environment Programme. In the UK New Year’s Honours List for 2015 he received an OBE for services to environmental policy.
Less than two weeks after the Jets missed the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, offensive coordinator John Morton's future with the team remains in doubt. The first-time play-caller is under contract for 2018, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he'll have a second chance to run Gang Green's offense, according to sources.
The Daily News reported after the season that the Jets would let Morton join Jon Gruden's coaching staff in Oakland if the opportunity presented itself. The team hasn't changed its mind. The Jets wouldn't stand in the way of a Morton-Gruden reunion if the new Raiders leader offers any position to his former pupil. Gruden announced Greg Olsen as his offensive coordinator Tuesday.
Morton's situation with the Jets, whose offense languished in the bottom third of the league in nearly every meaningful statistical category, remains unresolved.
There have been internal discussions to elevate quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who is regarded by some people on One Jets Drive as the best offensive mind in the building. Bates, however, had given indications as recently as a couple weeks ago that he wasn't interested in the job.
Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was the Jets' top choice to replace Chan Gailey last year, according to sources, before Philly blocked the interview request. DeFilippo, whose stock has soared in the wake of Carson Wentz's break-out season, interviewed for the Bears and Cardinals head coaching vacancies last week. He would be the Jets' top external choice again, according to team sources.Gang Green wouldn't necessarily place any potential OC search on hold until the Eagles finished their playoff run though.
There's a belief, however, that the Jets would prefer to promote from within with Bates. Some people in the organization believe that Bates, who has been a play-caller for the Broncos and Seahawks, prefers to remain in the background. He was an important part of the Jets' weekly game-planning this season with little fanfare.
Others would like Bates to reconsider and welcome a possible promotion. Regardless, the Jets aren't going to force him to take the gig if he's not all-in. (It would make sense to elevate Bates given the team's desire for stability).
Todd Bowles, meanwhile, praised Morton at his season-ending press conference, but admitted that life in the NFL is fluid.
"It's always good to have consistency and continuity, but in the NFL things change all the time," Bowles said on January 1. "You have to be ready. If we keep the same scheme, that's great. If we have to change for whatever reason, we'll go from there."
Morton is respected on One Jets Drive for his work ethic and desire to get better, but there are some fair concerns about whether he's the right man to lead the Jets offense in the next phase of this rebuilding process. Matt Forte openly questioned Morton's pass-happy play-calling in a Week 8 loss to the Falcons on a rainy day. Some people in the organization have privately questioned his play-calling in several other games, including (but not limited to) the season opener in Buffalo and shutout loss in Denver.
Here are the raw numbers: The Jets finished 28th in total yards, 29th in first downs, 23rd in third-down efficiency, 24th in scoring, 24th in passing yards and 19th in rushing yards.
It's fair to consider the overall lack of offensive talent when evaluating Morton's first season. His reputation as a grinder was spot on though. He doesn't cut corners, according to people in the know. Perhaps he deserves another chance to prove himself in 2018.
"I picked him for a reason," Bowles said after the season. "He had some plays this year that were outstanding. He had some games where he called great. He had some games where he himself would tell you he'd like to have back. But, we're happy with John and everything he did this year. Obviously, we have to grow from there, but it takes all the coaches, not just one."
There should be more clarity in the coming days and weeks.
Correction: A previous version of this article misidentified the country where Jerry Umanos was killed. He was killed in Afghanistan, not Pakistan. This version has been corrected.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — An American doctor was shot and killed in eastern Pakistan on Monday, in what appeared to be the latest attack targeting Ahmadi Muslims and other religious minorities here.
Mehdi Ali Qamar, a cardiologist who practices in suburban Columbus, Ohio, had traveled to Pakistan’s Punjab province late last week to volunteer at a local heart clinic and visit relatives, according to Ahmadi community leaders. At around sunrise Monday, he went to an Ahmadi cemetery to visit the graves of several family members.
As he neared the gate, two men on motorcycles shot him 11 times in front his wife and toddler son, officials said. Police had no suspects and did not know the motive for the killing, a spokesman said.
But a photograph of Qamar lying on the ground in a blood-soaked shirt was posted on Twitter, and it made him the latest symbol of the persecution facing members of the Ahmadi sect in Pakistan. Friends and relatives said Qamar, 50, grew up in Pakistan but moved to the United States more than a decade ago to pursue his medical career.
“It is a major crime against humanity that a doctor who came a few days back to serve his country has been killed,” said Saleemuddin, a spokesman for Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, the group that represents Pakistan’s Ahmadi population. The spokesman goes by one name.
The Ahmadi movement was founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who said he was the messiah. The movement has about 10 million followers worldwide, including about 1.5 million in Pakistan. But some Muslims view Ahmadi as heretics, and they face persecution around the world.
In Pakistan, the faith is outlawed. Ahmadis here are not allowed to call themselves Muslims and are not eligible to vote. Members of the sect also routinely face arrest under Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.
In recent years, hardline Sunni clerics have fanned even more prejudice against Ahmadis, leading to growing concerns about their safety.
In 2010, more than 85 people were killed when Taliban militants attacked two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore. Targeted killings against Ahmadis have resulted in more than 200 deaths during the past three decades, according to Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.
Qamar Suleman, a Ahmadi activist in Lahore, said a 60-year-old shop keeper was killed last week while being detained in jail on blasphemy charges in the outskirts of Lahore. A man dressed in a police uniform slipped past the guards and shot him, Suleman said.
The assailant was arrested in that case. But Ahmadi activists say many crimes against them go unpunished. Activists have been calling on Pakistan’s government to do more to protect the community.
Rashid said Qamar was active in the group’s Ohio chapter. Qamar’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as an assistant cardiology professor at Ohio University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine. A university spokeswoman could not immediately confirm Qamar’s employment there.
In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad confirmed Qamar was a U.S. citizen and said it was assisting his family.
Qamar traveled to Pakistan to volunteer at the Tahir Heart Institute, one of Pakistan’s most highly regarded medical clinics. In April, an American doctor who worked at a Christian hospital was also shot and killed in neighboring Afghanistan. That doctor, Jerry Umanos of Chicago, was apparently targeted because he was a Westerner.
Qamar’s killing is part of a broader pattern of violence against religious minorities in Pakistan.
Last fall, 85 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Christian church in Peshawar. Hundreds of members of Pakistan’s Hazara community, who are Shiite Muslims, have also been killed in recent years, including more than two dozen in a bus bombing in January. During the past year, dozens of Shiite professionals have also been assassinated in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.
Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav today attacked Lalu Prasad over his expulsion from RJD, alleging that the party chief only likes sycophants and his focus is on furthering his family's interests.
The controversial leader, however, did not reveal his future course of action though there has been talk of his cosying up to BJP.
"He (Prasad) cannot tolerate critics and self-respecting people like Ranjan Yadav, Ramkripal Yadav and now me. He loves only sycophants and sand mafias," Pappu Yadav told PTI over phone from Begusarai in Bihar after his expulsion.
Former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh has also been making statements in favour of Jitan Ram Manjhi but "I have been singled out", he said.
"Lalu Prasad appears to have given a go-by to the ideology of social justice and is concentrating only on furthering the interests of his family," an angry Pappu Yadav said.
Asked about his future course of action and if he would join hands with Jitan Ram Manjhi who has announced that he will form a separate political party soon, Pappu Yadav said "janata mere bhagay ka faisla karegi (people will decide my fate)."
When told that Manjhi had invited him to work togehter, Pappu Yadav said, "I respect feelings of Manjhi but let people decide my future course of action."
In reply to a question on merger of Janata Parivar and whether it would help Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar in the upcoming Bihar poll, the Madhepura MP said, "The merger is being done to further the interests of children and family and will not find favour among people."
A five-time MP, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was expelled today from RJD for six years for anti-party activities.
He has been attacking the RJD chief over Janata Parivar merger and over his suggestion that his son will take over RJD's reins.
Pappu Yadav's wife Ranjeeta Ranjan is a Congress Lok Sabha member from Supual in Bihar. It would be interesting to see her course of action after her husband's expulsion from RJD, as Congress in all probability will be part of "secular alliance" with Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad which will take on BJP in Bihar poll later this year.
The Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black isn’t just popular with UCF students.
The Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black isn’t just popular with UCF students. Now, it features a UCF alumna as well.
Amanda Stephen, a 2008 graduate of the UCF theatre program, played recurring character Alison Abdullah on the show’s fourth season and plans to return for its fifth.
Stephen enjoyed working with the cast for the show’s fourth season and thinks the actresses have a lot in common, despite their diversity.
Stephen said she enjoyed working with Blair Brown, who played Judy King — a character loosely based on Martha Stewart — in Orange Is the New Black. Brown also played Nina Sharp in Fringe and won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Margrethe Bohr in Copenhagen on Broadway.
Some fans of the show see the Muslim identity of Stephen’s character as another part of the show’s commitment to diversity.
Tabitha Guinot, a senior studying criminal justice and minoring in legal studies, thinks Alison’s inclusion in Orange Is the New Black speaks to a rarely explored aspect of race.
Stephen said she appreciated that the UCF theatre department was flexible enough for her to achieve her goals in college and beyond.
In a public rebuke to President Barack Obama, top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi on Friday swung against legislation aimed at making it easier for the president and his successor to negotiate free trade deals.
The California Democrat said lawmakers should "slow this down" in hopes of getting stronger protections for U.S. workers and the environment in potential trade pacts, including one with Pacific nations.
Pelosi made her position known just prior to separate House votes to reject aid to displaced workers and to give Obama the "fast track" trade negotiating authority he is seeking.
"We need to slow this 'fast track' down," Pelosi said.
Pelosi had been seen as a silent ally to Obama and Republicans running the House in promoting Obama's trade agenda, though she kept her position secret until the end of Friday's debate. She made clear she's open to supporting future trade legislation, noting that she represents a San Francisco district that thrives on trade and grew up in Baltimore, home of a thriving port.
Pelosi voted "no" despite escorting Obama into a closed-door caucus of House Democrats, most of whom opposed the fast-track trade bill, which requires that trade pacts be delivered to Congress for up or down votes, without amendment. The authority is key to getting trade partners to seal agreements since they know Congress can't amend them.
The California Democrat was in a tough spot, torn between loyalty to a president whose agenda she supports and a Democratic caucus strongly tilted against Obama in this instance.
"She's in a really difficult situation," said pro-trade Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. "She doesn't want to see the president fail. At the same time, she understands that there's a lot of folks — labor and other folks, other progressive groups, and some members that feel strongly."
Pelosi said "I've been very prayerful on this."
Pelosi also voted against legislation to aid workers who lose their jobs because of trade deals, not because she opposed it but because its passage was directly linked to advancing the subsequent trade negotiating measure.
KUALA LUMPUR: Local fund buying of Tenaga Nasional and Maybank helped shore up the FBM KLCI on Tuesday though concerns about the fiscal deficit and the US-China trade war curbed investors' risk appetite.
At 5pm, the KLCI was up 2.21 points or 0.13% to 1,685.94. Turnover was 1.96 billion shares valued at RM1.59bil. There were 420 gainers, 358 losers and 391 counters unchanged.
Local institutions were net buyers at RM52.4mil and retail investors at just RM500,000. Foreign funds were net sellers at RM52.9mil.
The Budget 2019 proposals will be unveiled on Friday and investors expect new taxes to bolster the government's finances. Concerns about a bigger than expected fiscal deficit is among one of the downside risks.
On the external front, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed at its lowest in nearly 18 months on Tuesday after a choppy day for regional markets, as tepid investor sentiment outweighed promises of support for mainland markets by China's securities regulator, Reuters reported.
At Bursa, Tenaga rose 20 sen to RM14.30 and pushed the KLCI up 2.04 points, MISC gained 12 sen to RM6.03 while Genting Malaysia added five sen to RM4.46 but Genting Bhd lost seven sen to RM7.18.
Maybank recovered slightly, edging up seven sen to RM9.34 and added 1.38 points to the KLCI, Hong Leong Bank and CIMB fell two sen each to RM20.66 and RM5.58, RHB Bank three sen to RM5.07 and Public Bank four sen to RM24.54.
As for telcos, Maxis fell nine sen to RM5.15 and wiped out 1.26 points while Axiata shed six sen to RM3.38, Digi one sen lower to RM4.19 but Telekom rose one sen to RM2.16.
Crude palm oil for third month delivery fell RM17 to RM2,170 per tonne.
Among the plantations, IOI Corp rose seven sen to RM4.50, KL Kepong eight sen to RM24.94 and PPB Group was flat at RM16.78.
Sime Plantation fell six sen to RM5.12 and Sime Darby four sen higher at RM2.20.
Sungei Bagan proposed to distribute to its shareholders 3.83 million shares of Kluang Rubber Company. Kuchai also announced it proposed to distribute up to 1.97 million Kluang Rubber shares -- which consists of its current holding of 959,522 shares and the 1.017 million shares to be received from the dividend in-specie by Sungei Bagan – to its own shareholders.
US light crude oil fell 47 cents to US$66.57 and Brent was down 66 cents to US$76.68.
Petronas Chemical added four sen to RM9.35, Petronas Dagangan flat at RM26 and Petronas Gas fell 12 sen to RM17.96. Dialog advanced three sen to RM3.33.
F&N, which had come under selling pressure in recent week, rebounded 58 sen to RM33.76. Dutch Lady added 50 sen to RM63.40.
However, Nestle fell RM1.50 to RM143.50 despite its firmer third quarter results, Ajinomoto lost 60 sen to RM17.80 and BAT 20 sen lower at RM31.30.
As for tech stocks, Vitrox lost 26 sen to RM6.95 and KESM 14 sen lower at RM9.86.

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