Verdict lists five of the most popular cybersecurity tweets in Q1 2022 based on data from GlobalData’s technology influencer platform.
Top Tweets are based on the total number of engagements (likes and retweets) received on tweets from over 150 cybersecurity experts tracked by GlobalData’s Technology Influencer Platform during the first quarter (Q1) of 2022.
The most popular tweets on cyber security in Q1 2022: Top 5
1. Briankrebs’ tweet about Avira’s free cryptocurrency mining service
Briankrebs, a freelance investigative journalist, shared an article about Avira Free Security antivirus software users being introduced to crypto mining. A product of software company Avira Operations, the free antivirus has over 80 million users who recently discovered a service called Avira Crypto that allows customers to earn money by mining virtual currency. Avira Operations was acquired in January 2021 by cybersecurity software and services provider NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec), which also owns Norton 360 antivirus and security software.
The Avira Crypto service allows users to use their computer’s idle time to mine Ethereum (ETH) digital currency, the rewards of which are distributed to all members of the mining pool. The article pointed out that Avira was introducing crypto mining for users unfamiliar with cryptocurrency, which comes with its own set of security and privacy challenges.
Username: briankrebs
Twitter username: @briankrebs
Likes: 1,371
Retweets: 1,139
2. Joseph Cox’s tweet about the hackers who hacked into the website of the Russian Institute for Space Research
Joseph Cox, a cybersecurity reporter at a technology website Motherboard, shared an article about hackers breaking into a website linked to the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI). The hackers posted messages on a subdomain of the site and also leaked numerous files from Roscosmos, the coordination center for Russian space activities. The hacking incident follows an upsurge in cyberattacks against Russia due to its military invasion of Ukraine. The impact of the hack appears limited although some people claim it compromised Russian targets, the article notes.
Hackers called v0g3lsec took responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The hackers further claimed that the leaked Roscosmos files included handwritten forms and spreadsheets in Russian and English on lunar missions, as well as other PDF files, the article points out.
Username: Joseph Cox
Twitter username: @josephfcox
Likes: 938
Retweets: 274
3. Tweet by Chris Wysopal about Korean researchers developing a set of attacks against SSDs
Chris Wysopal, co-founder and chief technology officer of software company Veracode, shared an article about researchers at Korea University developing a set of attacks against certain solid-state drives (SSDs) that can implant malware in a location inaccessible to the user or security solutions. The attack patterns target a hidden area on the device called overprovisioning (OP), which is used by SSD manufacturers to improve performance on NAND flash storage systems, the article details.
One of the attacks modeled by the researchers targets an invalid area with unerased information that lies between the SSD space and the over-provisioning (OP) area, the size of which directly depends on the two areas. A hacker can use the firmware manager to change the size of the OP area, resulting in a vulnerable invalid data space, the researchers concluded. In a second attack model, the OP area is used by the hacker as a secret place where users cannot monitor and where a malicious actor can place the malware.
The article pointed out that the research demonstrates how the OP area can be accessed without permission, although such attacks are unlikely to take place currently. Strong defenses must be placed against unauthorized access to the SSD management application, the article adds.
Username: Chris Wysopal
Twitter username: @WeldPond
Likes: 852
Retweets: 344
4. Kim Zetter’s tweet about FBI warnings about using QR codes for malware attacks
Kim Zetter, an investigative journalist, shared an article about the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raising awareness that cybercriminals forge quick response (QR) codes to redirect users to malicious sites capable of steal login credentials and financial information. QR codes are used by businesses to provide contactless access, which have become more common during the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the technology is used by cyber criminals to lure victims to fraudulent websites to steal their personal and financial information, and to insert malware to gain access to the victim’s device and redirect payments for cyber criminal purposes. . The FBI has listed some measures to protect users from scanning QR codes, such as checking the website’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL), preventing app downloads from a QR code, and preventing QR code scanner app downloads, notes the article.
Username: Kim Zetter
Twitter username: @Kim Zetter
Likes: 556
Retweets: 333
5. Tweet by Lorenzo Franceschi Bicchierai about the Chinese cybersecurity company accusing the NSA of being a hacking tool
Lorenzo Franceschi Bicchierai, senior writer at Motherboard, shared an article about Chinese cybersecurity company Pangu Lab accusing the US National Security Agency (NSA) of being behind a decade-old hacking tool . A report prepared by researchers at the company detailed that the malware was first encountered in 2013 during a hack investigation against a key national department. Researchers could not identify the hackers at the time, but leaked NSA data on the world’s leading cyberattack group, the Equation Group, believed to be the NSA, revealed the malware had was created by the NSA.
Cybersecurity experts believe it’s rare, but it’s not the first time a Chinese company has published research on an alleged US intelligence hacking operation. The report also states that Chinese companies and the Chinese government are improving their attribution capabilities, as this will lead to overall geopolitical stability, the article noted.
Username: Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Twitter username: @lorenzofb
Likes: 210 Retweets: 101
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