A “highly operational, destructive, and sophisticated nation-state activity group” with ties to North Korea has been weaponizing open source software in their social engineering campaigns aimed at companies around the world since June 2022.
Microsoft’s threat intelligence teams, alongside LinkedIn Threat Prevention and Defense, attributed the intrusions with high confidence to Zinc, a threat group affiliated with Lazarus which is also tracked under the name Labyrinth Chollima.
Attacks targeted employees in organizations across multiple industries, including media, defense and aerospace, and IT services in the U.S., the U.K., India, and Russia.
The tech giant said it observed Zinc leveraging a “wide range of open-source software including PuTTY, KiTTY, TightVNC, Sumatra PDF Reader, and muPDF/Subliminal Recording software installer for these attacks.”
According to CrowdStrike, Zinc “has been active since 2009 in operations aimed at collecting political, military, and economic intelligence on North Korea’s foreign adversaries and conducting currency generation campaigns.”
The latest findings dovetail with a recent report from Google-owned Mandiant, which uncovered the adversary’s use of PuTTY via fraudulent job lures shared with potential targets on LinkedIn as part of a campaign dubbed Operation Dream Job.
This involves establishing initial connections with individuals by posing as recruitment professionals as a trust-building exercise, before moving the conversation to WhatsApp, where a tailored lure document or seemingly benign software is shared, effectively activating the infection sequence.
A successful compromise is followed by the threat actor moving laterally across the network and exfiltrating collected information of interest by deploying a backdoor called ZetaNile (aka BLINDINGCAN OR AIRDRY).
But in a bid to evade security defenses and avoid raising red flags, the implant is downloaded only when the victim uses the SSH clients to connect to a specific IP address through the credentials specified in a separate text file.
Likewise, attacks employing the trojanized version of TightVNC Viewer are configured to install the backdoor only when the user selects a particular remote host from the options provided.
“Zinc attacks appear to be motivated by traditional cyberespionage, theft of personal and corporate data, financial gain, and corporate network destruction,” the company said.
“Zinc attacks bear many hallmarks of state-sponsored activities, such as heightened operational security, sophisticated malware that evolves over time, and politically motivated targeting.”
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Every business will generate valuable documents that should be stored effectively for reference purposes. It doesn’t matter the size of the business; there shall always be new files to be stored after some time. These documents include the compliance files from the government or client files that show the transaction details that have taken place during a specific period.
With technological evolution, document management has been digitized, unlike in the past when filing cabinets typically line the walls of the post offices. Below are tips on document management for small businesses.
Digitize documents
The advancing technology has paved the way for the creation of different document management systems. That means that you can easily convert your documents into digital format and store them effectively. To achieve a better document management system, you will need to import most of your records into a centralized system to quickly and safely retrieve the documents.
Upon receiving records, you can quickly scan them and send them directly to the centralized system for storage purposes. If possible, you can assign one of the employees the duty to carry out these activities. You can even use PDF to Word converter online for online documentation processes. PDF is best in terms of retaining quality, editability and file size for the purpose of transferring so knowing how to convert Word to PDF is an important aspect of documentation.
Use efficient security means
Nowadays, cases of data breaches have become rampant in different institutions. That’s why the issue of security should be on the top list to ensure that your digital storage system is protected from fraudsters. When handling document management tasks, you should be mindful of every step that you are taking.
The digital storage system contains all critical documents, not limited to the sensitive ones used for marketing and transaction purposes. Make sure that you look for the data management systems configured with firewalls, SSL technologies and active directory authentication.
The system should also be able to provide a comprehensive and non editable record of all documents that are to be stored.
Customize access to your small business documents, especially when multiple departments are using the same folder.
Make use of collaboration features
After digitizing your documents and storing them in a centralized system, you will need to adopt collaboration tools to help you work with your team together within the document software. That means that the selected team members should be able to access the documents quickly without creating a contradictory edit on the files. The systems used should be able to allow multiple access and track all versions of the contents that were stored.
If a single edit is performed on one of the documents, you should get notified or get a notification of authorization access before the edits the document. Collaboration tools are essential for the teams that are frequently revisiting and reworking the business documents of your business.
Choose the best storage option
There are widely two options that you can use to store the documents of your small business. You may choose to use either cloud storage or use the device storage with an added portable external storage depending on the capacity of the files to be stored.
Storing your documents on your devices gives you great control over them, and they all fall under the umbrella of your security measures put in place. On the other hand, cloud storage of documents removes the burden of maintaining the storage system at a generally lower cost.
It’s tough for documents to get lost when stored on cloud based-systems but don’t forget that you trust a third party to manage the data. That creates an additional vulnerability to your documents as you never know whether the third party will sell your data to other investors on the market.
Organize your documents
Organization of the different files of documents is essential for easy retrieval of the documents. Just as you wouldn’t have to search in multiple cabinets for a single document, ensure that you don’t pore over files of the disorganized digital archive.
Make use of folders to organize the documents into named digital folders that are easily retrieved. In that way, you won’t have to be overwhelmed by multiple disorganized folders. Make sure that you have a valid nomenclature standard for arranging your files in different folders logically.
You can also divide your documents into different types or categories of folders depending on the purpose of each document. If possible, you can use the house subcategories to store documents that are almost related under the same category.
Conclusion
Having a well-secured document management system plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of the business data. It will also declutter your office and make sure that all your files are secure online. Also, it solves the risk of lack of accountability for the lost files in a paper-run world.
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Key milestone in GE HealthCare’s journey to becoming standalone public company leading precision health innovation; marks continued progress on GE’s plans to form three companies
GE Form 10 Highlights (Graphic: GE)
GE Form 10 Highlights (Graphic: GE)
GE Form 10 Financial Supplement
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GE (NYSE:GE) today announced the filing of the Form 10 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for the planned spin-off of its Healthcare division, to be called GE HealthCare.
A copy of the Form 10 is available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and can also be viewed on www.ge.com/investor-relations/sec-filings. Downloadable historical financial and pro forma financial information can also be accessed as an attachment to this press release as well as at https://www.ge.com/investor-relations/spinoff-resources.
GE Chairman and CEO and GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., said, “GE HealthCare is an established leader in large, growing markets with a global franchise that is positioned to deliver patient, customer, and shareholder value. As a result of its planned spin-off, GE HealthCare will have greater focus and flexibility to serve its customers and invest in growth, and this filing is an important step on that journey.”
GE HealthCare CEO Peter Arduini said, “This is a milestone day for the GE HealthCare team, who is dedicated to our mission to create a world where healthcare has no limits. We believe we have a clear path to deliver precision innovation for our customers and their patients while accelerating growth and optimizing our business as a standalone company.”
Highlights from Form 10
The Form 10 includes detailed information about GE HealthCare, including an overview of its business and strategy, historical financial information, and competitive advantages, among other details. Key information detailed in the Form 10 demonstrates how GE HealthCare expects to:
GE HealthCare will be organized into four business segments aligned with the industries it serves:
Additional Information
As previously announced, GE plans to form three independent, investment grade, industry-leading companies focused on the critical growth sectors of aviation, healthcare, and energy.
GE HealthCare will become a pure-play global healthcare leader following its planned spin-off, which GE continues to expect to complete in the first week of 2023 subject to final approval from the GE Board of Directors and other customary conditions. GE HealthCare will list on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “GEHC.” In September, GE announced GE HealthCare’s first Board of Directors, which will bring a strong mix of expertise, industry experience, and diverse perspectives to the company.
As shared in November 2021, GE HealthCare plans to issue debt securities, the proceeds of which are expected to be used to pay down outstanding GE debt over time.
The planned spin-off of GE HealthCare is intended to be tax-free for GE and GE shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To effect the separation, GE plans to distribute at least 80.1% of GE HealthCare’s common stock to GE’s shareholders. Shareholders do not need to take any action to receive the shares of GE HealthCare to which they will be entitled. GE expects to retain a stake of 19.9 percent in GE HealthCare.
As previously announced, GE HealthCare will host an investor day on Thursday, December 8, 2022, in New York, NY. GE HealthCare’s management team will present its growth strategies and financial outlook, as well as a showcase of its innovative solutions.
Investors, media, and the general public are invited to learn more about the pending spin-off at https://www.ge.com/investor-relations/spinoff-resources. Future updates to the Form 10 will be filed with the SEC and may be viewed at www.sec.gov as filings under GE HealthCare’s current name, GE Healthcare Holding LLC. The Form 10 filed on October 11, 2022, is subject to change and will be made final prior to the effective date.
*GE’s existing energy portfolio of businesses, including Renewable Energy, Power, Digital, and Energy Financial Services, will sit together under the brand name GE Vernova.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this document, we sometimes use information derived from consolidated financial data but not presented in our financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Certain of these data are considered “non-GAAP financial measures” under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. These non-GAAP financial measures supplement our GAAP disclosures and should not be considered an alternative to the GAAP measure. The reasons we use these non-GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in GE Healthcare Holding LLC’s Form 10 registration statement, which is available on the SEC’s website www.sec.gov.
Forward-looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements – that is, statements related to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For details on the uncertainties that may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements, including (1) our success in executing and completing asset dispositions or other transactions, including our planned spin-offs of GE HealthCare and GE Vernova, and sales of our equity ownership positions in Baker Hughes and AerCap, the timing of closing for such transactions, the ability to satisfy closing conditions, and the expected proceeds, consideration and benefits to GE; (2) changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility, including impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, risk of recession, inflation, supply chain constraints or disruptions, rising interest rates, the value of securities and other financial assets (including our equity ownership positions in Baker Hughes and AerCap, and expected equity interest in GE HealthCare after its spin-off), oil, natural gas and other commodity prices and exchange rates, and the impact of such changes and volatility on our business operations, financial results and financial position and (3) our de-leveraging and capital allocation plans, including with respect to actions to reduce our indebtedness, the capital structures of the three public companies that we plan to form from our businesses, the timing and amount of dividends, share repurchases, organic investments, and other priorities, see https://www.ge.com/investor-relations/important-forward-looking-statement-information, as well as our SEC filings. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) rises to the challenge of building a world that works. For more than 130 years, GE has invented the future of industry, and today the company’s dedicated team, leading technology, and global reach and capabilities help the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. GE’s people are diverse and dedicated, operating with the highest level of integrity and focus to fulfill GE’s mission and deliver for its customers. www.ge.com
GE Investors
Steve Winoker
617.443.3400
swinoker@ge.com
GE HealthCare Investors
Carolynne Borders
631.662.4317
carolynne.borders@ge.com
GE Media
Mary Kate Mullaney
202.304.6514
marykate.nevin@ge.com
GE HealthCare Media
Jennifer Fox
414.530.3027
jennifer.r.fox@ge.com
GE Investors
Steve Winoker
617.443.3400
swinoker@ge.com
GE HealthCare Investors
Carolynne Borders
631.662.4317
carolynne.borders@ge.com
GE Media
Mary Kate Mullaney
202.304.6514
marykate.nevin@ge.com
GE HealthCare Media
Jennifer Fox
414.530.3027
jennifer.r.fox@ge.com
There are numerous tools aimed at helping IT professionals operate more efficiently and deliver the most effective results possible. With the right solutions in place, IT pros gain a better understanding of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, which allows them to prioritize their objectives more strategically. In turn, this propels the broader organization toward its goals and creates new opportunities for growth.
When implemented correctly, the following tools help IT professionals operate at peak performance:
Project management software is a must-have in an IT professional’s toolkit. These applications help delegate tasks strategically across the team and improve resource utilization, so each project is completed within the specified time and budget constraints. Project management software also provides better workflow visibility, which makes it easier to identify and fix bottlenecks and potential blockers.
Some of the top IT project management tools include Jira, Asana, and ClickUp.
Information technology and asset management (ITAM) software helps businesses account for all the IT devices in the organization. ITAM tools help manage the lifecycle of all devices in a company, from the time they are deployed to the time they should be replaced. In addition, ITAM software tracks the current versions of all software and firmware installed on a device. IT professionals wanting to install a new software package will use the ITAM tool to make sure they have the correct system requirements applied to their device first.
EZOffice Inventory and Freshservice are competing ITAM products.
Document management software allows IT professionals to organize digital copies of printed files as well as electronic documents such as PDFs and spreadsheets. There are many advantages of using a document management system, including:
Two document management software applications are Adobe Document Cloud and eFileCabinet.
Vulnerability management software proactively and continuously scans an organization’s entire system to identify vulnerabilities across the network, endpoints, and workloads. Then, the software works to patch each vulnerability as quickly as possible, so it doesn’t leave the door open for a future cyberattack. Vulnerability management uses a four-step process to identify and act on discovered vulnerabilities:
Two of the top vulnerability management solutions are Tenable.io and InsightVM.
Help desk software tracks all incoming IT requests from employees and customers alike. Most solutions provide self-service capabilities for basic needs like password resets and simple how-to guides, which allows IT staff to focus on higher priorities and more complex issues. Help desk software also helps IT teams provide status updates to ensure everyone’s expectations are aligned.
Help desk functionality is often embedded within a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) tool, but some standalone help desk solutions like Zendesk and HelpDesk.com also exist for more basic needs.
Though the exact solutions vary according to each business’s unique needs, most IT teams use some combination of the software categories on this list. Each tool serves to make the IT professional’s job easier while simultaneously producing more impactful results. From the business’s perspective, this added efficiency can create huge opportunities for long-term growth. The right IT tools help individual team members succeed, thereby creating an upward trajectory for the organization as a whole.
Read next: How to Do a Software Evaluation
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