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https://bit.ly/459d4HR - 🌐 The US and Japan have issued warnings concerning the infiltration of network devices by Chinese 'BlackTech' hackers. The hackers are reportedly installing custom backdoors in Cisco routers to gain unauthorized access to various corporate networks globally. The joint report from FBI, NSA, CISA, and Japanese NISC and NPA agencies underscores that the group is focusing on international subsidiaries to then pivot to the networks of corporate headquarters. #CyberSecurity #GlobalAlert 🔍 BlackTech, known for its advanced persistent threats and cyber espionage activities, has targeted entities in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong since 2010. Industries under their radar include government, technology, media, and telecommunications among others. The hackers deploy custom malware on network devices to redirect traffic to attacker-controlled servers, ensuring persistence and stealth in their operations. #BlackTech #CyberEspionage 🔐 Concerns are heightened as the malware used is often signed using stolen code-signing certificates, making detection a challenging task. The compromised routers include a broad range, with BlackTech altering firmware to maintain their network presence. This alteration aids in hiding their activities and deactivating logging, further enhancing their concealment while engaging in malicious operations. #NetworkSecurity #MalwareAlert 🖥️ For Cisco routers, specifically, the attackers employ specialized packets to enable and disable an SSH backdoor, evading detection efficiently. They have also been noticed to modify the memory of Cisco devices to bypass certain security functions, allowing them to load firmware pre-installed with backdoors. #CiscoRouters #CyberThreats ⚠️ The advisory recommends stringent monitoring and mitigation strategies. Among the suggestions are monitoring for unauthorized bootloader and firmware downloads, treating SSH traffic with suspicion, and the implementation of multiple security measures including Network Device Integrity (NDI) methodology to detect unauthorized alterations. #CyberSecurityAdvisory #ProtectionMeasures 🛡️ Despite the existing threats, Cisco has assured there's no indication that a vulnerability in its products is being exploited by BlackTech. The emphasis remains on the prompt installation of security patches and the avoidance of public exposure of management consoles for all network devices.

Image Source: The NY Times Pompeo alleged that China had if China took the needful. Pompeo said that had China made a "different set of decisions" at the front end, there would have been more time for the entire world- not just the US- but the entire world to prepare and react to the pandemic that has now spread all across the globe decisions correctly at the front, then there has more time for the whole world -including the US of course, to prepare and react to the pandemic that has been a terror all across the planet. Pompeo said, "We know that in December at least, maybe earlier, the Chinese Communist Party came to understand the threat that was presented. And then we watched their actions " I've talked about some of them " denying information to the world. We then saw that when the United States made the decision when President Trump decided to close off travel between the United States and China, we saw China squawk at that, saying you shouldn't be doing that. Even though they had locked down Wuhan, they had not locked down travel all across the world." Dodging the question of penalizing China, Pompeo left it to Trump to decide soon. "I don't want to get out in front of what President Trump will ultimately decide, but I think we all know in this administration that we have to make sure that something like this can never happen again. That means deterrence. That means setting up processes. The President's already stopped funding to the WHO so that we can evaluate that and figure out which pieces of the WHO might work and which pieces don't so that we can deliver good outcomes and keep Americans safe and make sure this doesn't happen again. Then there'll come a time, there will come a day when we will evaluate what it is needed to be done to convince the Chinese Communist Party that there are real costs - real costs - connected to this kind of misbehavior. We see this all the time inside the United States but around the world too. We have to hold nations accountable. We have to hold nations accountable for the things and actions that they undertake which create risk and, in this case, created an enormous loss of life here in the US. President Trump is committed to doing that. The precise mechanisms that we will choose, I want to make sure that he gets the chance to get fully briefed and make those decisions," he said.     Read the full article