Debugged Weekly: Jun. 12th-16th
After a short break Debugged Weekly is back! Here are five stories to watch out for.
1. ‘Crash Override’: The Malware That Took Down a Power Grid
Summary: In the winter of 2016, hackers attacked an electric transmission station near Kiev, Ukraine with minimal effect. However, recent evidence found by cybersecurity researchers point to that attack being only a dry run. New findings suggest that an automated mass-scale cyberattack tool is being developed that would be second only to Stuxnet.
Why this matters: A tool with this scalable capability could be used to attack multiple cities at once and is one of only two known examples of hacker-caused blackouts.
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2. The Pentagon Looks to Videos Games for the Future of War
Summary: With over 70 billion dollars in its research and development budget, the Pentagon shifts some of its focus towards the video game industry on producing military tools. The secretive Strategic Capabilities Office is leading the charge in finding out how augmented reality can change the way our forces operate.
Why this matters: As both military technology and video game realism evolve independently, the Pentagon’s efforts in uniting the unlikely duo can potentially transform the future of warfare.
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3. Cybercriminal extradited for multimillion-dollar ‘scareware’ hacking scheme
Summary: A Latvian man accused of participating in a multimillion-dollar “scareware” hack has been extradited from Poland to the United States. Six years after being indicted on charges of wire fraud, computer fraud, and conspiracy, Peteris Sahurovs has made his initial appearance in US federal court on June 12 2017. At one point, Sahurovs was among the top 5 most wanted cybercriminals in the US.
Why this matters: This prominent case has the potential to set a global precedent on the prosecution of international hackers.
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4. Russian intelligence group used spyware on Instagram
Summary: According to recent reports, hackers associated with the Russian government used Instagram to control malware used in attacks. The hackers designed a malicious extension for Firefox that allowed for malware on victim’s PC to communicate with the hackers over the Instagram network.
Why this matters: Although hackers have used social media before, this is the first instance of the use of Instagram which has over 700 million monthly active users.
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5. Germany’s Merkel says digital world needs global rules
Summary: German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for regulations on the digital world similar to those used under the World Trade Organization and among G20 countries. Germany plans to use its position in the G20 to develop a plan on digital policy at an upcoming summit this July in Hamburg.
Why this matters: Merkel’s remarks are among the first major calls for multilateral digital policy plans by a leading nation and push the discussion on government’s role in cyberspace.
