Threats

Note: Most of my rss feeds on this page are currently broken. Sorry about that. Please consider the “Threats” section under construction for now.

Department of State

The Dept of State has several threat rss feeds, but they aren’t always up.

  • Counterterrorism: Statement by Ministers of the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS/DAESH
    on February 6, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC February 6, 2019 The text of the following statement was released by the Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/DAESH. Begin Text: We, the Ministers, Secretaries General, and Heads of Delegations of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, met in Washington today at the invitation of United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to review the significant progress of the past year against ISIS and to discuss the next stage in the campaign to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. We continue to welcome new members joining the Coalition over the past year, recognizing the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), Guinea, Kenya, Fiji, and The Philippines. Together we remain firmly united in our outrage at ISIS’s atrocities and in our determination to eliminate this global threat and overcome its false, destructive narrative. We reiterate our commitment to the Coalition’s Guiding Principles adopted in […]

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      DHS

      Threat information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the National Terrorism Advisory System and Cybersecurity alerts.

      National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Alerts

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        Cybersecurity

        • AA19-024A: DNS Infrastructure Hijacking Campaign
          by US-CERT on January 24, 2019 at 8:01 pm

          Original release date: January 24, 2019 | Last revised: February 13, 2019Summary The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), part of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is aware of a global Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure hijacking campaign. Using compromised credentials, an attacker can modify the location to which an organization’s domain name resources resolve. This enables the attacker to redirect user traffic to attacker-controlled infrastructure and obtain valid encryption certificates for an organization’s domain names, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks.See the following links for downloadable copies of open-source indicators of compromise (IOCs) from the sources listed in the References section below:IOCs (.csv)IOCs (.stix)Note: these files were last updated February 13, 2019, to remove the following three non-malicious IP […]

        • AA18-337A: SamSam Ransomware
          by US-CERT on December 3, 2018 at 4:18 pm

          Original release date: December 03, 2018Summary The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are issuing this activity alert to inform computer network defenders about SamSam ransomware, also known as MSIL/Samas.A. Specifically, this product shares analysis of vulnerabilities that cyber actors exploited to deploy this ransomware. In addition, this report provides recommendations for prevention and mitigation.The SamSam actors targeted multiple industries, including some within critical infrastructure. Victims were located predominately in the United States, but also internationally. Network-wide infections against organizations are far more likely to garner large ransom payments than infections of individual systems. Organizations that provide essential functions have a critical need to resume operations quickly and are more likely to pay larger ransoms.The actors […]

        • TA18-331A: 3ve – Major Online Ad Fraud Operation
          by US-CERT on November 27, 2018 at 5:09 pm

          Original release date: November 27, 2018Systems Affected Microsoft Windows Overview This joint Technical Alert (TA) is the result of analytic efforts between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). DHS and FBI are releasing this TA to provide information about a major online ad fraud operation—referred to by the U.S. Government as "3ve"—involving the control of over 1.7 million unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses globally, when sampled over a 10-day window. Description Online advertisers desire premium websites on which to publish their ads and large numbers of visitors to view those ads. 3ve created fake versions of both (websites and visitors), and funneled the advertising revenue to cyber criminals. 3ve obtained control over 1.7 million unique IPs by leveraging victim computers infected with Boaxxe/Miuref and Kovter malware, as well as Border […]

        • AA18-284A: Publicly Available Tools Seen in Cyber Incidents Worldwide
          by US-CERT on October 11, 2018 at 3:19 pm

          Original release date: October 11, 2018Summary This report is a collaborative research effort by the cyber security authorities of five nations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[1][2][3][4][5]In it we highlight the use of five publicly available tools, which have been used for malicious purposes in recent cyber incidents around the world. The five tools are:Remote Access Trojan: JBiFrostWebshell: China ChopperCredential Stealer: MimikatzLateral Movement Framework: PowerShell EmpireC2 Obfuscation and Exfiltration: HUC Packet TransmitterTo aid the work of network defenders and systems administrators, we also provide advice on limiting the effectiveness of these tools and detecting their use on a network.The individual tools we cover in this report are limited examples of the types of tools used by threat actors. You should not consider this an exhaustive list when planning your network defense.Tools and techniques for exploiting networks […]

        • TA18-276B: Advanced Persistent Threat Activity Exploiting Managed Service Providers
          by US-CERT on October 3, 2018 at 11:47 am

          Original release date: October 03, 2018Systems Affected Network Systems Overview The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) is aware of ongoing APT actor activity attempting to infiltrate the networks of global managed service providers (MSPs). Since May 2016, APT actors have used various tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for the purposes of cyber espionage and intellectual property theft. APT actors have targeted victims in several U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including Information Technology (IT), Energy, Healthcare and Public Health, Communications, and Critical Manufacturing.This Technical Alert (TA) provides information and guidance to assist MSP customer network and system administrators with the detection of malicious activity on their networks and systems and the mitigation of associated risks. This TA includes an overview of TTPs used by APT actors in MSP network environments, recommended mitigation […]

        • TA18-276A: Using Rigorous Credential Control to Mitigate Trusted Network Exploitation
          by US-CERT on October 3, 2018 at 11:00 am

          Original release date: October 03, 2018Systems Affected Network Systems Overview This technical alert addresses the exploitation of trusted network relationships and the subsequent illicit use of legitimate credentials by Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors. It identifies APT actors' tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and describes the best practices that could be employed to mitigate each of them. The mitigations for each TTP are arranged according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework core functions of Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Description APT actors are using multiple mechanisms to acquire legitimate user credentials to exploit trusted network relationships in order to expand unauthorized access, maintain persistence, and exfiltrate data from targeted organizations. Suggested best practices for administrators to mitigate this threat include auditing credentials, […]

        • TA18-275A: HIDDEN COBRA – FASTCash Campaign
          by US-CERT on October 2, 2018 at 3:45 pm

          Original release date: October 02, 2018 | Last revised: December 21, 2018Systems Affected Retail Payment Systems Overview This joint Technical Alert (TA) is the result of analytic efforts between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Working with U.S. government partners, DHS, Treasury, and FBI identified malware and other indicators of compromise (IOCs) used by the North Korean government in an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cash-out scheme—referred to by the U.S. Government as “FASTCash.” The U.S. Government refers to malicious cyber activity by the North Korean government as HIDDEN COBRA. For more information on HIDDEN COBRA activity, visit https://www.us-cert.gov/hiddencobra.FBI has high confidence that HIDDEN COBRA actors are using the IOCs listed in this report to maintain a presence on victims’ networks to enable network exploitation. […]

        • TA18-201A: Emotet Malware
          by US-CERT on July 20, 2018 at 9:24 pm

          Original release date: July 20, 2018Systems Affected Network Systems Overview Emotet is an advanced, modular banking Trojan that primarily functions as a downloader or dropper of other banking Trojans. Emotet continues to be among the most costly and destructive malware affecting state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, and the private and public sectors.This joint Technical Alert (TA) is the result of Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) analytic efforts, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC). Description Emotet continues to be among the most costly and destructive malware affecting SLTT governments. Its worm-like features result in rapidly spreading network-wide infection, which are difficult to combat. Emotet infections have cost SLTT governments up to $1 million per incident to remediate.Emotet is an […]

        • TA18-149A: HIDDEN COBRA – Joanap Backdoor Trojan and Brambul Server Message Block Worm
          by US-CERT on May 29, 2018 at 12:18 pm

          Original release date: May 29, 2018 | Last revised: May 31, 2018Systems Affected Network systems Overview This joint Technical Alert (TA) is the result of analytic efforts between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Working with U.S. government partners, DHS and FBI identified Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and other indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with two families of malware used by the North Korean government:a remote access tool (RAT), commonly known as Joanap; anda Server Message Block (SMB) worm, commonly known as Brambul.The U.S. Government refers to malicious cyber activity by the North Korean government as HIDDEN COBRA. For more information on HIDDEN COBRA activity, visit https://www.us-cert.gov/hiddencobra.FBI has high confidence that HIDDEN COBRA actors are using the IP addresses—listed in this report’s IOC files—to maintain a presence on victims’ networks and […]

        • TA18-145A: Cyber Actors Target Home and Office Routers and Networked Devices Worldwide
          by US-CERT on May 25, 2018 at 6:22 pm

          Original release date: May 25, 2018 | Last revised: June 07, 2018Systems Affected Small office/home office (SOHO) routersNetworked devicesNetwork-attached storage (NAS) devicesOverview Cybersecurity researchers have identified that foreign cyber actors have compromised hundreds of thousands of home and office routers and other networked devices worldwide [1] [2] [3]. The actors used VPNFilter malware to target small office/home office (SOHO) routers. VPNFilter malware uses modular functionality to collect intelligence, exploit local area network (LAN) devices, and block actor-configurable network traffic. Specific characteristics of VPNFilter have only been observed in the BlackEnergy malware, specifically BlackEnergy versions 2 and 3.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommend that owners of SOHO routers power cycle (reboot) SOHO routers and networked devices to temporarily disrupt the malware.DHS and […]

        DOJ and FBI

        Information from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI focused on federal law enforcement, significant cases in the news, and other alerts.

        FBI Top Stories

        • Our History, Our Service
          on February 15, 2019 at 8:52 am

          This year marks the 100th anniversary of African-American special agents in the FBI, and we honor the countless contributions these agents have made over the last century in making the Bureau stronger and the nation safer. […]

        • Espionage, Cyber Charges Announced
          on February 13, 2019 at 9:47 am

          A former U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist has been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran in an indictment that also charges four Iranians with a cyber campaign targeting U.S. intelligence personnel. […]

        • Cryptocurrency Fraud
          on February 11, 2019 at 7:00 am

          A company founder who drew investors into the emerging market of digital currencies with false claims—ultimately defrauding them of more than $9 million—will be spending time in prison. […]

        • A Brush with the Law
          on February 7, 2019 at 12:31 pm

          A prominent New York gallery owner is spending time behind bars for his role in an elaborate scheme to defraud art dealers and collectors out of millions of dollars. […]

        • Hackers Targeted Universities
          on February 4, 2019 at 1:22 pm

          Through strong partnerships with Georgia Tech and Malaysian authorities, the FBI brought to justice two hackers who stole from personnel at U.S. colleges and universities. […]

        • Stopping Human Trafficking
          on January 31, 2019 at 7:00 am

          January marks National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, but a recent case illustrates how the FBI works with partners year-round to get traffickers off the streets and help victims rebuild their lives. […]

        • Chinese Telecom Firm Indicted
          on January 28, 2019 at 3:17 pm

          Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturing giant Huawei has been charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and theft of trade secrets, among other crimes. […]

        • Pan Am 103 Memorial Service
          on December 21, 2018 at 9:13 am

          On the 30th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, family members and officials gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 270 victims lost in the attack. […]

        • Chinese Hackers Indicted
          on December 20, 2018 at 9:27 am

          Two hackers associated with the Chinese government have been indicted for infiltrating numerous companies around the globe as well as U.S. government agencies. […]

        • Don’t Be a Mule
          on December 17, 2018 at 9:11 am

          Acting as a money mule, or moving illegally acquired funds at the direction of another person, aids the work of criminals and is itself a crime. […]

        • Remembering Pan Am Flight 103
          on December 14, 2018 at 10:30 am

          Thirty years after the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, the FBI and its partners are still actively seeking justice for the 270 victims and their families. […]

        • 2017 NIBRS Crime Data Released
          on December 10, 2018 at 6:37 am

          The FBI released information on more than 6 million criminal offenses submitted to its National Incident-Based Reporting System last year, as law enforcement continues transitioning to the more robust system. […]

        • Ransomware Abettor Sentenced
          on December 6, 2018 at 2:14 pm

          A man who profited from the ransomware known as Reveton, which appropriated the FBI logo to scare victims into paying to unlock computers infected with the malware, will be spending time in prison. […]

        • Card Cloners Caught
          on December 3, 2018 at 11:46 am

          A fraudster and his associates who bought credit card numbers online and used them to buy prepaid gift cards and money orders—stealing thousands of dollars in the process—have been sentenced for their crimes. […]

        • Ransomware Suspects Indicted
          on November 28, 2018 at 9:02 am

          Two Iranian men were indicted in connection with the deployment of the sophisticated and sinister SamSam ransomware that crippled the operations of critical facilities in the U.S. and Canada. […]

        Kidnappings and Missing Persons

        • 2017 NIBRS Crime Data Released
          on February 5, 2019 at 1:20 pm

          The FBI released information on more than 6 million criminal offenses submitted to its National Incident-Based Reporting System last year, as law enforcement continues transitioning to the more robust system. […]

        • FBI Announces Launch of National Use-Of-Force Data Collection
          on December 11, 2018 at 2:13 pm

          The official launch of the National Use-of-Force Data Collection, which offers a comprehensive view of use-of-force incidents, will take place on January 1, 2019. […]

        • National Instant Criminal Background Check System Celebrates 20 Years of Service
          on November 30, 2018 at 9:10 am

          For two decades, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has been ascertaining a person’s eligibility under law to receive or possess a firearm. […]

        • 2017 Hate Crime Statistics Released
          on November 27, 2018 at 4:15 pm

          The number of hate crime incidents reported to the FBI increased about 17 percent in 2017 compared with the previous year, according to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s annual Hate Crime Statistics report. […]

        • N-DEx Helps Sheriff’s Office Locate Two Felons
          on November 7, 2018 at 12:12 pm

          The FBI’s National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System was instrumental in helping the Troup County Sheriff's Office in Georgia locate two wanted felons. […]

        • N-DEx Links Kidnapper to Larger Human Trafficking Case
          on October 23, 2018 at 4:29 pm

          A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Virginia used the FBI’s N-DEx System to help identify an unknown kidnapping suspect who became part of a larger human trafficking investigation. […]

        • 2017 Crime Statistics Released
          on September 26, 2018 at 6:26 am

          Both violent crime and property crime declined in 2017 when compared with 2016 data, according to the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States report. […]

        • Second Installment of LEOKA Released
          on September 11, 2018 at 8:25 am

          The second installment of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2017, was released on on July 30 and includes statistics about officers assaulted in the line of duty. […]

        • N-DEx Helps Catch Tennessee Absconders
          on August 28, 2018 at 6:56 pm

          The FBI’s National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System is instrumental in helping the Tennessee Department of Corrections locate probation and parole absconders. […]

        • Unknown Deceased Subject Identified Thanks to Collaboration Between FBI and DHS
          on August 14, 2018 at 11:16 am

          The CJIS Division’s Special Processing Center (SPC) identified an unknown deceased subject in Ohio after submitting fingerprints to the Department of Homeland Security's IDENT System. […]

        • N-DEx Identifies Suspect in Malicious Wounding Case
          on August 1, 2018 at 12:23 pm

          The FBI’s National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System helped an investigator in West Virginia identify a previously unknown suspect who participated in the violent attack of a woman in a grocery store parking lot. […]

        • Special Processing Center Identifies Victim of 1995 Cold Case
          on July 17, 2018 at 10:46 am

          The CJIS Division’s Special Processing Center used fingerprints to identify the remains of a male victim found in New York City, bringing closure to a cold case that had been open since 1995. […]

        • Questions NIBRS Can Answer
          on May 8, 2018 at 12:29 pm

          The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), a more detailed and comprehensive crime reporting system, is replacing the Summary Reporting System (SRS) on January 1, 2021. […]

        • FBI Directors Rely on UCR Data
          on June 13, 2016 at 7:00 am

          The UCR Program has begun developing methodology to collect and publish data on police-involved shootings and use of force. […]

        • CJIS Link
          on June 2, 2016 at 10:12 am

          The CJIS Link is a publication that tells our partners about new services and system capabilities, as well as relevant changes in policy. […]

        FBI Intelligence