Articles of interest from the week of June 10, 2019

FBI Warning: The Lock Icon Doesn’t Mean That Website Is Safe

Having HTTPS and a TLS certificate doesn’t mean the site isn’t a platform for scammers and thieves. (By Aaron Boyd, Nextgov)

Dark Web Becomes a Haven for Targeted Hits

New research, conducted by Dr. Mike McGuire of the University of Surrey, shows four in 10 Dark Web vendors are selling targeted hacking services aimed at FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 businesses. Among the information and services McGuire found on the Dark Web, access to corporate networks is sold openly, with 60% of vendors approached by researchers offering access to more than 10 business networks. (By Curtis Franklin Jr., DarkReading)

A History of Ransomware Attacks: The Biggest and Worst Ransomware Attacks of All Time

In this article, we examine the history of ransomware from its first documented attack in 1989 to the present day. We discuss in detail some of the most significant ransomware attacks and variants. Finally, we take a look at where ransomware is headed in 2018 and beyond. (By Juliana De Groot, DigitalGuardian)

Breaking Down Five 2018 Breaches — And What They Mean For Security In 2019

Big hacks and data leaks are nothing new, but this year has seen a surge in reported breaches. The reason for this might be simple: After the EU general update to data protection regulation (GDPR) came into place in May, firms are more likely to report attacks. (By Kate O’Flaherty, Forbes)

Three Key Decisions Cybersecurity Leaders Need to Make

A chief information security officer’s success rides on how they address a few crucial issues, like when to stop an IT project in the name of cybersecurity and whether the staff they hire is accountable and trustworthy. (By Dan Lohrmann, Government Technology)