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Sophisticated hack attack? Don’t believe the hype.
You wouldn’t believe how sophisticated hacking has become in the past few years.
It has, in fact, gotten so mind-blowingly complex and erudite that this word, sophisticated, is now the only one human beings can really use to describe any single act of computer-security violation.
Actually, no. The word, at best, has almost always been used to cover up egregious screwups of breached companies, and shoddy reporting. Or, when at a loss to understand even the most mundane of hacks. Even high-minded publications step into infosec’s linguistic dung heap and track the word throughout their pieces on whatever latest rehashed cyber-bomb hysteria-of-the-week they’re pushing.
Just recently, the New York Times delivered a missive with no less than three instances of “sophisticated” buried within. This article was based on a report with seven repeat appearances of security’s single-most abused adjective. In what’s now a tradition, the word was misapplied to some stuff that’s considered pretty basic by security professionals, and didn’t escape ridicule on cybersec’s watercooler hangout spot, Twitter.
There is no barrier to developing malware. Even ISIS managed to produce custom malware for a targeted attack! https://t.co/8GfwFAVUp5
— the grugq (@thegrugq) June 1, 2016
Article about commercial spywayre always try to spin it as something with huge barriers to entry. It’s very wrong, they are almost none.
— The mach monster (@osxreverser) May 30, 2016
The truth is, use of the word “sophisticated” in describing hacks and attacks to the public has been anything but. It’s hard to pinpoint when, exactly, the word “sophisticated” became the choice for cybersecurity bullshitters everywhere.
Remember last year’s “most sophisticated ever” attack on the Pentagon? It was, once again, the attack technique prized by Nigerian scammers, the spear-phishing email. Or the series of “highly sophisticated” attacks on Florida Department of Education servers that turned out to just be a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), an external onslaught of traffic that’s simple as pie and purportedly cheap to obtain as a service. Carphone Warehouse also said its 2.4 million customers were victims of a “sophisticated attack” on the company, which turned out to be just an old, basic technique of distracting security with a DDoS while the attackers broke in.
The @CPWTweets hack FAQ is stunning! “This attack was a sophisticated one and is part of the reality of the modern world” .. erm, nope.
— Glenn Pegden (@GlennPegden) August 10, 2015
The tipping point was probably last year, when TalkTalk boss Dido Harding told Sky News the company had been hacked in a “sophisticated and coordinated cyber attack.”
@anthonymusk she says she doesn’t want to discuss the specifics of hack, as matter of investigation. but “highly sophisticated”
— Graham Cluley (@gcluley) December 15, 2015
We then learned the attack was actually so simple a 15-year-old could do it. In fact, a 15-year-old did do it. A teen from Ireland found few barriers in gaining access to TalkTalk servers and personal details of over 160,000 customers.
So the sustained and sophisticated hack of TalkTalk was a kid in Antrim? https://t.co/4MsUBklxYn
— Paul Watson (@paulmwatson) October 30, 2015
If the TalkTalk hack was from a SQL injection..that’s not a sophisticated attack, that’s blatant negligence from the company
— John Oakley (@jonokli) October 24, 2015
But there the word stood, conspicuously naked and unashamed in its use to misdirect attention and deflect ire.
Or maybe we reached peak I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-bullshit with the OPM hack. It was at first characterized by US officials as sophisticated, but later exposed by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology as being the result of bad management and dated tech. “In terms of advanced persistent threats, the OPM breach was not a sophisticated attack” (emphasis mine).
Er, maybe it was the Anthem hack. Our nation’s second-largest health insurer told press that hackers launched a “sophisticated attack” that broke through its security layers. This held water until some of the Anthem customers harmed in the breach filed a lawsuit last year, saying the company didn’t train employees on the basics of not getting suckered by phishing emails.
Waiting the day UK News outlets don’t report a security breach as “a sophisticated hack” & just “incompetent corporation left data exposed”
— Signius (@SigniusNetworks) August 9, 2015
Look, I can see that use of this word reached stupid epidemic proportions in infosec descriptors long ago. But words are important. In security reporting, they have become so powerful that they make their way into, and shape policy. So I could laugh it off as common self-fluffery or PR dumbfuckery, but I’m in a privileged position of happening to know a lot about this stuff.
A lot people don’t. So the people we’re all supposed to be serving, or our customers or constituents are all being done a disservice when you try to pull the wool over their eyes by saying something’s more complex than it really is. When a phishing email is the difference between safety and life-ruining identity theft, all you need to do is say what the damn attack vector is. But, instead, you decided to pretend it was above everyone’s heads.
.@thegrugq cynicalsecurity’s lemma:
“If the tool used has been around for longer than you’ve been without nappies it is not sophisticated”
— Arrigo Triulzi (@cynicalsecurity) November 7, 2015
Maybe I’m being too harsh. I mean, we all long for a certain sophistication in life, so who am I to deny those who just want things to look cooler, smarter, more alluringly clandestine and complicated than they really are?
I can still offer a respite for those of us seeking a little less fertilizer in our infosec news.
Try my helpful tip for filtering out BS cybersecurity articles. Before you start reading, type command F, enter the word “sophisticated,” view the results, and if there’s more than zero, click it away stat, off into the dung heap of your browser’s past.
Sprint poached Verizon’s ‘Can you hear me now?’ guy
Geico has a Gecko, Progressive has Flo and Verizon… doesn’t have the “can you hear me now?” guy any more. That’s because actor Paul Marcarelli has been signed up by Sprint to be the new face of its brand, while mugging off his former employer. In the first of a series of commercials, the former Verizon guys says that his oft-repeated question is now irrelevant because “it’s 2016 and every network is great.” Sprint is using him to push the idea that its coverage is just one percent behind Big Red, so people shouldn’t have to worry about coverage issues.
It’s a big deal for Sprint, which is celebrating its coup with a fresh round of publicity and plenty of tweeting from CEO Marcelo Claure. It is, after all, a rare ray of sunshine for a company that has suffered the most over the last few years. A revitalized T-Mobile stole the firm’s third-place position in the US mobile world, and (parent company) Softbank refused to bankroll further success. Claure was given instructions last year to slash $2 billion from the firm’s budget. It’s led to a war of words with T-Mobile, with Claure famously calling the third-placed company’s Uncarrier marketing as “bullshit.”
1/7 Good evening @Verizon – someone special just joined #TeamSprint & I think you may recognize him… pic.twitter.com/78N36iFT0H
— MarceloClaure (@marceloclaure) June 6, 2016
Mobile networks have spent plenty of time and money to groom faces that’ll help to give their brand an edge in a fiercely competitive market. T-Mobile hired Carly Foulkes in 2010 to be the face of the company until she was dropped in 2013 — ironically, for John Legere to take the spotlight. AT&T, meanwhile, uses Milana Vayntrub to play the character of Lily Adams, a well-meaning store supervisor. Verizon has taken to using the lovable, relatable Ricky Gervais in its own attack ads on Sprint. It’s ironic, given that Verizon already employs the world’s most engaging screen presence — he reviews mobile phones for Engadget.
Via: Verge, Android Central
Source: Sprint
Netflix produces its first original series for India
Netflix only reached India in January, and it knows that it has to cater to local tastes if it wants to earn respect in the country. Accordingly, it just announced that it’s co-producing its first original series for India with the help of Phantom Films. The project will bring author Vikram Chandra’s bestselling novel, the Mumbai-centric thriller Sacred Games, to the streaming service with both on-location filming (only logical, really) and dialogue in both Hindi as well as English. It’s not certain when the production will be ready, but it’ll be available worldwide — it’s an ambassador for India’s creative scene on top of providing culturally relevant entertainment.
Via: Mashable
Source: Netflix
What to expect from Lenovo’s Tech World event this week
Lenovo is pulling out all the stops this year. While it’s no stranger to big launch events, this company is hosting a Tech World keynote on June 9th that promises a little bit of everything, including Motorola’s latest flagship phones and the first commercially available device using Google’s Project Tango mapping technology. But exactly are we going to see? And are there any wild cards in store? We’ve rounded up the leaks and rumors to give you a good idea of what to expect when Lenovo and Moto take the stage in San Francisco this Thursday.
Moto Z
This is the main reason why you’re here, isn’t it? You’re probably wondering how Motorola will follow up the Moto X Pure Edition, especially now that Lenovo is putting more of its mark on the iconic phone brand.
From all indications, the answer is to drop the Moto X name completely… along with some of the things you associate with Motorola’s top-of-the-line smartphone. You might instead see the Moto Z Play and Style, a pair of 5.5-inch devices that would focus on personalization even more than you’ve seen with past Moto phones. You’ll reportedly get modular backplates (MotoMods) that let you change the functionality of the phone — JBL speakers, a projector and even a Hasselblad-branded camera would be just a quick swap away. However, you’d lose the curvy back that made the Moto X so easy to grip, and a fingerprint reader on the front would do away with Motorola’s historically compact front bezels.
If the rumors are accurate, Lenovo would repeat the split between high- and low-end models. The Moto Z Style, like the Moto X Pure/Style, would be the star of the show with its quad HD display, 32GB of storage, 3GB or 4GB of RAM and an 0.2-inch thick body. It’s likely to pack a speedier Snapdragon 820 processor, too. The Moto Z Play, meanwhile, would be for the budget crowd with a 1080p screen and choices of either 16GB of storage and 2GB RAM or 32GB of space and 3GB of RAM. Verizon is expected to have at least one Droid-branded variant, although it’s not clear what you’ll get besides flashier designs (metallic hues may be the main theme) and lots of carrier branding.
Lenovo’s Project Tango phone
In a sense, the other high-end device due at Tech World is no mystery at all: Lenovo already promised to formally launch its Project Tango-powered smartphone at the event. The large (under 6.5 inches) device will revolve around Tango’s signature 3D mapping tech, which should both measure your environment and bring augmented reality worlds to your screen. The exact nature of what you get might be up in the air, however. Lenovo has promised a sub-$500 price, a summer release and a Snapdragon processor, but the finished design and performance haven’t been nailed down. We’d expect at least a few changes to the prototype Tango phone teased back in January.
Don’t expect a RAZR comeback
Sorry to dash your hopes, but one of the biggest stories for Tech World is what isn’t happening. Despite Lenovo and Motorola fueling expectations of a RAZR revival at the show, they warn that they’re “not re-releasing” the iconic clamshell. That video really exists to remind you of Motorola’s ability to change the cellular landscape, apparently.
Not that this comes as a total shock. Outside of Japan and the occasional smart flip phone, the RAZR’s form factor doesn’t have a huge following in 2016. The once ubiquitous name doesn’t mean that much in the 12 years following its launch (even the Droid-branded models didn’t last long), and Lenovo isn’t in a financial position to gamble on cellular nostalgia. The Motorola team may need to sort out its future before it dwells on the past.
Wild cards
What else? Lenovo has promised “freshly minted concepts” from its labs, so you should see some out-there technology that grabs headlines. Whether or not the tech translates to shipping products is another matter, but Lenovo is no stranger to bringing clever ideas to fruition.
Besides that, it’s hard to know what’s coming. We wouldn’t count on smartwatches when the second-generation Moto 360 is less than a year old. Lenovo might use this mid-year media gathering as an opportunity to announce new PCs, although the phone focus makes that seem less probable. The one certainty is that you can’t rule out a surprise or two: Lenovo is fond of pulling rabbits out of its hat.
[Image credits: HellomotoHK, Lenovo, Justin Chin/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Remastered ‘Final Fantasy XII’ comes to PS4 in 2017
Add Final Fantasy XII to the next batch of Square RPGs getting a major facelift. The company announced today that a revamped version, titled Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age, is heading to the PlayStation 4 next year. And before you start worrying, yes Sony has confirmed that it’s headed to North America and Europe in 2017 as well. As usual, you can expect it to run in 1080p and it’ll feature an upgraded music mix. There will also be a revamped job system and some interface tweaks originally seen in the international version of the game.
FFXII was originally released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2, so you could think of this version as a belated anniversary release. The game was one of the last major releases for that console, and it looked surprisingly great considering the PlayStation 3 was right around the corner. Judging from the trailer below, the revamped version should hold up well against today’s RPGs.
Source: Sony
Burger King Game Boy toy turned into real retro handheld
At the turn of the Millennium, Burger King handed out adorable tiny Game Boy Colors with fake Pokémon cartridges. Sixteen years later and a modder, armed with a Raspberry Pi Zero, has turned one of the dummy units into a working console. Paired with a two-inch display from Adafruit and Retropie’s software emulator, the title will play Game Boy Color and Advance titles with its now working buttons. Although, of course, since there’s only A&B, you might struggle with titles that need the shoulder bumpers too. It’s not the first time that we’ve seen Raspberry Pi’s tiny board being used in this way, with a full-size Game Boy being turned into an emulator earlier this year. Given how many broken handhelds are available on eBay, we imagine everyone’s going to devote a weekend to building their own.
Via: Kotaku, Engadget Spanish
Source: Reddit, Imgur
Blizzard deal lets you stream its games on Facebook Live
Blizzard is about to make it much, much easier to share your gaming exploits with the world. The developer has unveiled a deal with Facebook that will let you stream its games directly through Facebook Live — you won’t have to do much to broadcast your latest Overwatch marathon for your friends. There isn’t a firm timeline for when this will be available, but it won’t be limited to Overwatch when it arrives.
Appropriately, the pact introduces Facebook logins to Blizzard’s games. You won’t need to create a distinct Battle.net account, in other words — you can just use your Facebook details to sign up for World of Warcraft or log in to StarCraft II. The integration starts later this month in virtually all of Blizzard’s titles.
Via: Polygon
Source: Activision Blizzard
‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’ pushed back to February 28th, 2017
Did Horizon: Zero Dawn’s 2016 release window seem overly optimistic to you given its open world game mechanics, David-versus-Goliath battles and novel setting? Your concern was well-warranted. Guerrilla Games has delayed the release of the PS4 title to February 28th, 2017. It needs the extra time to live up to its “ambitious vision” for the title. That’s not a gigantic setback, but it’s bound to be disappointing if you were hoping to hunt gigantic robot dinosaurs by the holidays.
Via: Polygon
Source: PlayStation Blog
Uber reduces the chances that drivers will cancel your ride
When you’re hailing an Uber, few things are as frustrating as a driver cancelling your trip — there may be a good reason, but that still leaves you high and dry. You won’t have to deal with those headaches quite so often going forward, thankfully. Uber is introducing a range of driver app and policy changes that should increase the odds of getting a driver who can take your business. To begin with, it’s planning a wider release for a Driver Destinations feature that lets workers only take rides going in their general direction, such as when they’re heading home from their day job. Only a handful of cities (both US and worldwide) have Destinations right now, but it’ll be available in more US cities this week and worldwide “soon.”
There’s more. Later in June, drivers in some cities worldwide will have a “pause” option that stops new requests from coming in. You shouldn’t have drivers cancel on you just because they’re about to have lunch or sign off for the day. Also, they’re more likely to be patient if you take a while to get out the door. Uber is expanding a policy that pays drivers for any wait longer than 2 minutes. That does mean that you’ll pay a bit extra if you’re pokey, but it beats dealing with an annoyed driver or having to hail another car entirely. A dozen US cities will be using this policy later this month.
Via: The Verge
Source: Uber Newsroom
