@BushidoToken Threat Intel

  A “dead drop” is a well-known espionage tactic of passing items or information between two parties using secret locations. The two parties never meet and any sign of communication is concealed. This tactic is commonly used by intelligence officers to interact with their assets in the field to avoid any suspicious meetings or either caught talking to each other. For decades, intelligence agencies have used dead drops. Two infamous double agents from the CIA and FBI - Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen respectively - both used dead drops to supply information to their handlers from the Soviet Union. Cyber adversaries have also come to adapt this technique into their espionage campaigns. However, instead of a human source, state-backed computer network operations (CNOs) have leveraged legitimate services for covert communications or so-called “dead drop resolvers”.  In October 2019, ESET Research disclosed a report on Operation Ghost Dukes which detailed the activities of an APT...

For my last blog of 2020, I wanted to share a short checklist for users and researchers to keep themselves secure on the internet. Many attackers cast a wide net and many of those that fail the basics get caught. Hopefully this guide will help those on the path to Operational Security (OPSEC): Social Media: Set social media accounts (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok) to private. Avoid using your real name when creating accounts. Avoid using identifiable personal pictures for profile pictures and cover pictures. Leave bio details blank and avoid sharing identifiable information. Do not check-in to locations or share your location for social media posts. Have a vetted list of friends/contacts that you permit to view your social media content.  Finally, personnel who work in cleared positions may often ask family members not to share pictures of you and prevent tagging.  Personal Security (PERSEC): Use more than one email account - ideally one for critical services like ...