The Security Buzz: February 2, 2018

Industry News

Motorola Solutions announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Avigilon in an all-cash transaction that will enhance Motorola Solutions’ portfolio of communications technologies. Motorola’s acquisition of Avigilon will bring advanced video surveillance and analytics platforms to the rapidly evolving public safety workflow.

Fitness tracking app Strava may have revealed sensitive U.S. military locations and personnel at bases in countries around the world due to its default option to share personal data publicly. The fitness app has three different privacy settings allowing users to either 1) publicly share their activity data for anyone to see; 2) let only certain people see their activity; or 3) make their activity completely private.

In a new study by IBM, consumers weigh in on biometrics, authentication and the future of identity. Some of the top findings from the study included: security is beginning to outweigh convenience, biometrics are becoming mainstream, and millennials are moving beyond passwords.  

Security researchers track two operations by apparent state-sponsored hackers as they prepare for the winter Olympic games. Of the two hacking operations, Operation GoldDragon—the most troubling—targets South Korean Olympics-related organizations. Operation GoldDragon has attempted to plant three distinct spyware tools on target machines.

Super Bowl brings massive security resources to Minneapolis, including plenty of technology—such as motion detectors, closed-circuit cameras and air particle sensors—operating behind the scenes. This Super Bowl will see the largest deployment of federal resources as dozens of other cities send officers to augment staff.

Cyber criminals target U.S. ATMs through “jackpotting”, an attack in which piles of cash spill out of the machines. ATM manufacturer Diebold Nixdorf, warned of the attacks, how they occurred, and listed recommendations and security measures for how to prevent them from occurring.

The Washington Times Special Selections Department salute veterans in the “Cybersecurity 2018: Online Security and Safety in Government, Industry and Civil Society” report. Publications included in the report cover topics in cybersecurity strategy, reducing security risks by protecting enterprise applications, and preparing for innovative technologies.

In the UK, the government has announced that organizations working in critical services like energy, transport, water and health can be fined up $24 million as a “last resort” if they fail to demonstrate that their cyber security systems are equipped adequately against attacks.

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