Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on Aug 06, 2020
Each year at our fall General Meeting, M3AAWG honors the legacy and spirit of founding member, J.D. Falk, through our J.D. Falk Award. In the wake of COVID-19 – and the corresponding uptick in cybercrime – members of the anti-abuse community have mobilized faster than ever to safeguard the online ecosystem. At M3AAWG 50, hosted virtually from October 12-15, we’ll present our ninth J.D. Falk award to a member of the anti-abuse community that has embodied Falk’s dedication to protecting end-users in this especially vulnerable time.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on Jun 10, 2020
There is a profound need for digital connectivity
The progenitors of the internet created and used email to facilitate the work that went into building and evolving the shared global resource that in these extraordinary times is connecting the world. That connection is made possible, in part, by the world-wide use of email. Email has proven to be the longest lasting digital communication channel, with the largest user base of any free or paid platform or product. What’s more, email is the first and most foundational source of identity on the internet. However, it is not without its difficulties—the email’s massive reach makes it a ripe target for bad actors seeking to deploy compromises and attacks on a global scale.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on Jun 09, 2020
Author: Alex Brotman, Chair, M3AAWG Data and Identity Protection Special Interest Group
Like a driver’s license confirms your identity, your phone number is used to verify your identity online. Given the widespread use of phone numbers in two-factor authentication and password reset, SIMs are an extremely valuable target for cybercriminals –– and anyone could become a victim. Armed with only a phone number, cybercriminals manipulate their way into accessing personal financial information, cryptocurrency accounts, and even corporate email accounts, exposing sensitive data that could lead to millions in financial damages.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on Jun 01, 2020
Author: Ash Wilson, Co-Chair, M3AAWG IoT Special Interest Group
Gartner forecasts that over 20.4 billion IoT devices will be in use by the end of 2020. These devices, while exciting, present complex security challenges that if produced without proper testing can leave sensitive information exposed to attack. As we continue to introduce new devices to the network, it's imperative that manufacturers and researchers implement testing methodologies that take a holistic view at the IoT device ecosystem to protect the privacy and security of companies and consumers alike.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on May 29, 2020
By Andrew Cockburn, Principal Consulting Engineer, NETSCOUT, and Rich Compton, DDoS Special Interest Group Chair, M3AAWG; Principal Network Security Engineer III, Charter Communications
This is the first installment of M3AAWG’s “State of the Union” series, where members provide updates on prominent, evolving issues and events in the industry.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are used by cybercriminals to shut down networks and websites, and targets can range from a single website to major services. Today, we’re seeing an increase in the sheer amount of DDoS attacks, part of a continuous upward trajectory over the past 30+ years. Further, tactics are rapidly evolving, yet range in sophistication. In turn, experts are constantly working to pinpoint new techniques and mitigate attacks. Generally, once professionals notice or identify a new type of channel or vector, it's a race to patch, resolve, and add mitigations for the new attack vector before its usage becomes widespread.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on May 27, 2020
By Stuart McBride, Head of Threat Intelligence, AdaptiveMobile Security
Cybercriminals frequently use major world events, including natural disasters, international conflicts, and political elections, to manipulate vulnerable targets. The latest scheme is focused on exploiting the public’s fear around COVID-19 and the coinciding economic shutdown through SMS spam attacks. Attackers are primarily using messages that appear like legitimate updates to stimulus and relief payments to entice unsuspecting victims into clicking links or providing information.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on May 26, 2020
The global uncertainty created by COVID-19 has left many individuals and organizations vulnerable to online scams and other cyberattacks, making our work and the work of our members, more important than ever. To facilitate anti-abuse collaboration and the development of security best-practices, while ensuring the health and safety of our members, we’re excited to host our 49th General Meeting from June 8-11, 2020 virtually for the first time ever.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on May 21, 2020
Author: Janet Jones, M3AAWG Board of Directors Vice Chair; Diversity and Inclusion Chair; and Data and Identity Protection Committee Co-Chair
Supporting the development of inclusive leaders and diverse teams is a priority at M3AAWG. Our mission has long been to work together to solve complex cybersecurity anti-abuse challenges, sothe participation from our diverse body of members to reflect the broadest range of experiences is critical to our overall success.
Submitted by M3AAWG Content Manager on May 13, 2020
Author: Amy Cadagin (M3AAWG Executive Director)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was designed to harmonize different data privacy laws across European countries in an effort to protect the privacy and data protection rights of individuals and empower them to better understand and make decisions on who processes their data and in what way.
