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Tag: mobile security

  • What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 3/31/25

    What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 3/31/25

    Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

    Featured article analysis

    This weeks feature article analysis is from: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/toll-payment-text-scam-returns-in-massive-phishing-wave/

    This recent E-ZPass smishing campaign highlights several evolving tactics cybercriminals are employing to bypass security measures and exploit user trust. The attackers leverage high-volume, automated messaging systems originating from seemingly random email addresses, a method designed to circumvent standard carrier-based SMS spam filters that primarily target phone numbers. By impersonating official bodies like E-ZPass or the DMV and instilling a false sense of urgency with threats of fines or license suspension, they effectively employ social engineering. A particularly noteworthy technique involves instructing users to reply to the message, cleverly bypassing Apple iMessage’s built-in protection that disables links from unknown senders. This user interaction effectively marks the malicious sender as “known,” activating the phishing link and demonstrating how attackers exploit platform features and user behavior in tandem.

    The sophistication extends beyond the delivery mechanism, with the phishing landing pages themselves designed to appear legitimate and, significantly, often configured to load only on mobile devices, evading desktop-based security analysis. The sheer scale suggests the involvement of organized operations, potentially utilizing Phishing-as-a-Service (PaaS) platforms like the mentioned Lucid or Darcula. These services specialize in abusing modern messaging protocols like iMessage and RCS, which offer end-to-end encryption and different delivery paths, making detection harder and campaign execution cheaper than traditional SMS. This underscores the ongoing challenge for defenders: attacks are becoming more targeted, evasive, and leverage platform-specific features, necessitating continuous user education (don’t click, don’t reply, verify independently) alongside technical defenses and prompt reporting to platforms and authorities like the FBI’s IC3.

    Projects

    • TryHackMe – Networking Core Protocols – Complete
    • TryHackMe – Networking Secure Protocols – In Progress

    Videos

    Articles

  • The State of Mobile Security: Verizon Index Reveals Alarming Trends

    The State of Mobile Security: Verizon Index Reveals Alarming Trends

    Your phone is an extension of yourself, but it’s also a gateway to your personal data. Unfortunately, many of us are leaving our digital doors wide open – and the consequences can be devastating. The latest Verizon Mobile Security Index sheds light on some alarming trends in mobile security, from password pitfalls to app vulnerabilities. In this post, we’ll explore what you need to know about keeping your phone (and yourself) safe online.

    Here is a 15 minute podcast summarizing the report created by NotebookLM.

    Here are the key findings:

    Here is a summary of the findings in the 2024 Verizon Mobile Security Index:

    • Mobile devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) are becoming increasingly important in all industries because they offer new opportunities for efficiency, productivity, and innovation.
    • The widespread adoption of mobile and IoT is expanding the attack surface and increasing security risks. Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in these devices to gain access to sensitive data, disrupt operations, and even cause physical harm.
    • This risk is especially high in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, public sector, healthcare, and manufacturing. Attacks on these sectors can have significant downstream impacts on society.
    • Despite growing awareness of these risks, many organizations are not doing enough to secure their mobile and IoT devices. Many organizations lack comprehensive security policies, centralized oversight, and adequate security investments.
    • There is a disconnect between the perceived and actual state of mobile security. While many respondents express confidence in their mobile defenses, the data suggests that many organizations are vulnerable to attack. For example, a significant number of organizations have experienced security incidents involving mobile or IoT devices.
    • Shadow IT is a growing concern, as employees use their own devices and applications for work without the knowledge or oversight of IT or security teams. This lack of visibility and control increases the risk of security breaches.
    • Organizations need to take mobile and IoT security more seriously. They need to:
      • Develop comprehensive security policies that cover all aspects of mobile and IoT security.
      • Centralize oversight of all mobile and IoT projects.
      • Invest in effective security solutions such as mobile device management (MDM), secure access service edge (SASE), and zero trust security.
      • Educate employees about the risks of mobile and IoT security and how to protect themselves.
    • The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by threat actors is an emerging threat. AI-assisted attacks can be more sophisticated, targeted, and difficult to defend against. Organizations need to be prepared for this new generation of threats.
    • AI can also be used to enhance mobile and IoT security. AI-powered security solutions can help organizations to detect and respond to threats more quickly and effectively.
    • The cybersecurity industry is making progress in developing new technologies and solutions to address the challenges of mobile and IoT security. These advancements will help organizations to better protect their mobile and IoT devices and data.
    • The report highlights the importance of taking a proactive and comprehensive approach to mobile and IoT security. By taking the necessary steps, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with these technologies and reap the many benefits they offer.