Security Analyst – Jeff Soehner CISSP, GXPN,GPYC,GMOB,GCIH

Never before has the threat of malware been more prevalent and the breach at Italy’s HackingTeam helps make us all aware of this. I recently reviewed some of the analysis from this site ( http://labs.bromium.com/2015/07/10/government-grade-malware-a-look-at-hackingteams-rat/) regarding just how a company had created and sold malware to governments and corporations that was used to spy on all of our computer platforms and phones.

As security researchers we are able to conclude that there are organizations that create and maintain a complete suite of malware known as a RAT (remote access Trojan) that when installed on your windows/mac/Linux computer and/or your Android/Apple/Windows phone can do any one of the following;

• Can be installed on 32/64 bit platforms
• collect saved passwords from all applications
• collect conversations from messaging apps
• capture emails,contacts from mail programs
• record from your microphone, webcam
• save clipboard and key strokes
• forward all websites visitied

They have added some additional features that are really creepy;

• collect nearby WiFi information and harvest locations
• spread via SD cards and usb drives
• spread to Virtual Machine systems via VMware disk images
• evade over 26 different Antivirus programs
• BIOS persistence via UEFI infection

WOW – network security just got a whole lot harder! Seriously if you thought you were safe trolling the Internet from behind your $30 dollar router at home or because you always upgrade your smart phone every couple of years you are in need of a reality check. When users connect to any old free wifi they find in Hotels and restaurants and then connect to home/office networks they are targets for this kind of attack.

Its time to start protecting ourselves from drive by downloads and casual surfing – get yourself a network condom and lets all practice safe Internet!