Day: October 25, 2017

Kaspersky says it briefly possessed classified NSA files

Earlier this month, reports surfaced that classified NSA documents detailing how US agencies defend their cyber networks and how they breach foreign ones were stolen by Russian hackers in 2015. Those reports noted that the files were spotted through Kaspersky security software used by an NSA contractor who had saved the classified documents on a home computer. Well, Kaspersky has now provided some more information about the incident and it has acknowledged that it did in fact have classified NSA materials in its possession, the Associated Press reports. The company’s founder, Eugene Kaspersky, said that in 2014, Kaspersky analysts informed him that their software had plucked some classified files from an NSA contractor’s computer. Kaspersky said it was immediately clear what needed to be done — the materials had to be deleted. And so they were. However, whether the files in question were obtained purposefully or as a result of normal functions of the security software is still up in the air. As Kaspersky tells it, the company was already tracking a team of hackers called the Equation Group, which was later revealed to be part of the NSA. The NSA contractor that exposed the files had run Kaspersky software on his computer after infecting it with a bootleg copy of Microsoft Office and while the software cleaned up the viruses, it was also triggered by the Equation Group materials stored on the contractor’s computer. Those were then sent to Kaspersky headquarters for evaluation and as soon as analysts saw that the files were classified NSA documents, they alerted Eugene Kaspersky and subsequently deleted the files. Releasing this information is part of Kaspersky Lab’s recent push towards transparency as mistrust in the US has mounted over the past few months. Best Buy pulled Kaspersky software from its shelves last month and the US government banned the software in all federal agencies. Earlier this year, the FBI was reportedly discouraging private companies from using Kaspersky products, which have been a focus in government investigations of late and an interest of both the Senate and House of Representatives . Earlier this week, in order to regain some trust, Kaspersky announced that it would allow its source code to be reviewed by third parties and would open three “transparency centers” around the world. Jake Williams, a cybersecurity expert and former NSA analyst, told the AP that because Kaspersky was trying to woo US government clients at the time, it made sense that it would have chosen to delete the files. “It makes sense that they pulled those up and looked at the classification marking and then deleted them, ” he said. “I can see where it’s so toxic you may not want it on your systems.” However, he added the fact that an NSA employee put classified material on an already compromised home computer was “absolutely wild.” Source: Associated Press

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Kaspersky says it briefly possessed classified NSA files

Slack screen sharing will let your coworkers control your computer

Virtual-office app Slack is adding one of its most requested features : screen sharing. And more than just simply letting a coworker look at what’s on your display, you can grant control so that they can add a few lines of code, or values to a cell in a spread sheet. Everyone will have their own cursor for typing and clicking around, which almost makes it sound like Slack is turning your screen into a Google Doc. All thanks to the magic of the internet. Not into relinquishing full control of your machine? Your call participants can still interact, but they’ll be limited to drawing on things. Still, that’s pretty cool. Facebook recently added screen sharing to its Workplace desktop app, so Slack is just a touch late to this party. However, Workplace is still in a limited beta and doesn’t quite have the user base that Slack does. There’s also that whole deal where Slack is basically becoming the last work chat app you’ll need. What with it adding integrations and features that used to require myriad logins to various disparate services like Join.Me for sharing a screen with multiple remote people, and all. That’s to say nothing of how consistently easy it is to use the new collaboration tools. If you’re just using the app to chat with friends on a private channel, the new functionality won’t be available to you; a post on Medium says that you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to access it. Source: Slack HQ (Medium)

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Slack screen sharing will let your coworkers control your computer

New CRISPR tool alters RNA for wider gene editing applications

The CRISPR gene editing technique can be used for all sorts of amazing things by targeting your DNA. Scientists are using it in experimental therapies for ALS and Huntington’s disease , ways to let those with celiac disease process gluten proteins and possibly assist in more successful birth rates . Now, according to a paper published in Science , researchers have found a way to target and edit RNA, a different genetic molecule that has implications in many degenerative disorders like ALS. Apparently, edits with this new tool (CRISPR-Cas13) can be safer as they don’t result in permanent changes to your genetic makeup like other DNA-based CRISPR techniques can. This system, called REPAIR, works more efficiently in human cells, as well. RNA is implicated in various diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myotonic dystrophy and Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), so fixing it could show positive results in treating these types of disorders. “REPAIR presents a promising RNA editing platform with broad applicability for research, therapeutics, and biotechnology, ” wrote the researchers. Via: The Verge Source: Science

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New CRISPR tool alters RNA for wider gene editing applications

The history of the web in 20 seconds

Webflow’s history of the web is a Bayeaux Tapestry of obsolete virtues and current vices, a superimposition of new and old bad things. It’s a clever and very 2017 way to market a web design app that lets normal people keep making worthwhile mistakes on the web — a gateway to free expression — as it becomes increasingly technical and forbidding. I’m startled by how comfortingly, reliably minimal the very early stuff was. Even the lurid GIF explosion in late 1990s! Simple technology made even a terrible mess accessible.

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The history of the web in 20 seconds

Worker who snuck NSA malware home had his PC backdoored, Kaspersky says

Enlarge (credit: Kaspersky Lab) An NSA worker who reportedly snuck classified materials out of the agency stored them on a home computer that was later infected by a malicious backdoor that allowed third-parties to remotely access the machine, officials with Moscow-based antivirus provider Kaspersky Lab said. The NSA worker—described in some published reports as a contractor and in others as an employee—installed the backdoor after Kaspersky AV had first detected never-before-seen NSA malware samples on his computer. The backdoor was part of a pirated software package that the worker downloaded and installed. To run the pirated software, he first had to disable the AV program on his computer. After being infected, the worker re-enabled the AV program and scanned his computer multiple times, resulting in Kaspersky developing detections for new and unknown variants of the NSA malware. The NSA worker’s computer ran a home version of Kaspersky AV that had enabled a voluntary service known as Kaspersky Security Network . When turned on, KSN automatically uploads new and previously unknown malware to company Kaspersky Lab servers. The setting eventually caused the previously undetected NSA malware to be uploaded to Kaspersky Lab servers, where it was then reviewed by a company analyst. Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Worker who snuck NSA malware home had his PC backdoored, Kaspersky says