Jeremy Kirk

Managing Editor, Security and Technology, ISMG

Kirk is a veteran journalist who has reported from more than a dozen countries. Based in Sydney, he is Managing Editor for Security and Technology for Information Security Media Group. Prior to ISMG, he worked from London and Sydney covering computer security and privacy for International Data Group. Further back, he covered military affairs from Seoul, South Korea, and general assignment news for his hometown paper in Illinois.

Eight US Cities See Payment Card Data Stolen

Jeremy Kirk • September 20, 2019

Click2Gov municipal payment portals for eight U.S. cities were compromised after an apparent vulnerability in the software. More than 20,000 stolen payment card records have turned up in underground markets, says Gemini Advisory.

Lumin PDF Leak Exposed Data on 24 Million Users

Jeremy Kirk • September 18, 2019

Ignoring a breach disclosure can have ugly consequences. Case in point: Lumin PDF, a PDF editing tool, which saw data for much of its user base - about 24.3 million - published in an online forum late Monday. Data breach expert Troy Hunt says it's sign of the dysfunction in the breach disclosure process.

Mainframe Security Challenges: An Encroaching Perimeter

Jeremy Kirk • September 17, 2019

Even with the uptake of cloud services, many large enterprises still hold data on mainframes, says Philip MacLochlainn of IBM. But the diversity of computing environments around mainframes is rapidly changing, which increases the risk of data breaches, he explains.

US Sanctions 3 North Korean Hacking Groups

Jeremy Kirk • September 16, 2019

As part of the U.S. government's continuing efforts to highlight the North Korean government's cyberattacks, the U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned three alleged North Korean hacking groups that have been blamed for the WannaCry ransomware, online bank heists and destructive malware attacks.

Tips on Countering Insider Threat Risks

Jeremy Kirk • September 13, 2019

Insider threats are difficult to counter. What happens when an employee goes rogue, and how do you catch them? Charles Carmakal of Mandiant, who says his firm is dealing with more insider threat investigations, shares tips for better defenses.

Business Email Compromise Crackdown: 281 Suspects Busted

Jeremy Kirk • September 11, 2019

A global law enforcement operation has resulted in the arrest of 281 suspects allegedly involved in business email compromise scams. The announcement comes on the same day as the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center says that losses from BEC scams have hit $26 billion and are continuing to rise.

Email Servers: Exim Flaw Leaves Millions at Risk of Hacking

Jeremy Kirk • September 10, 2019

Email server alert: Linux and Unix administrators should immediately patch a remotely exploitable flaw in Exim, one of the world's most-used message transfer agents, security experts warn. Attackers could abuse the flaw to deliver ransomware, spy on or spoof emails and possibly also take down cloud services.

Apple Accuses Google of 'Stoking Fear' With iOS Bug Report

Jeremy Kirk • September 9, 2019

Apple is criticizing recent Google research that describes an expansive iPhone hacking campaign, accusing Google of "stoking fear" among users of its products. Google says it stands by its blog post, which focused on technical findings.

iPhone Hacks May Be Linked to Broader China Spying

Jeremy Kirk • September 4, 2019

An extraordinary iPhone hacking campaign revealed by Google last week may be linked to other Android spying campaigns focused on websites related to the Uyghurs, a Chinese Muslim minority group, and the East Turkistan region of China, according to new research from Volexity.

Foxit Software Breach Exposes Account Data

Jeremy Kirk • September 2, 2019

Foxit Software, the developer of popular PDF and document software, says user accounts were compromised in a breach. The company, which has 560 million users, isn't saying how the breach occurred, how many accounts were affected or for how long.

Breach Saga: Bulgarian Tax Agency Fined; Pen Testers Charged

Jeremy Kirk • August 30, 2019

Bulgaria's Personal Data Protection Commission has fined the nation's tax agency $2.9 million for failing to stop a breach that leaked tax records for nearly all of the country's citizens. Meanwhile, prosecutors have filed related criminal charges against employees of a penetration testing company.