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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ransomware attackers are targeting children's phones to extort big companies.</li><li>As companies improve defenses, attackers are becoming more creative, security experts say.</li></ul>It's 10 p.m., do you know where your children's phones are?They could be getting SIM swapped.As corporations amp up their cyber defenses, malicious hackers are getting more creative, reports Mandiant, a leading cybersecurity firm and Google subsidiary. Hackers are even going so far as to target the children of corporate executives in the hopes of holding personal information ransom — an <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ransomware-payments-increase-500-in-the-last-year-finds-sophos-state-of-ransomware-report-1033305236">attack known as ransomware</a>.Ransomware attacks typically come from malicious actors who hack into companies or other entities to steal data, which they then hold until the victim agrees to pay a fee. The attacks leave the victims unable to access the stolen data, which can cripple the institution until the ransom is paid.The attacks have become more common in the United States in recent years, most famously when a Russian hacker took down <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-america-cybersecurity-biden-coalition-hack-2021-5">a 5,000-mile gas pipeline</a> on the East Coast in 2021.In February, ransomware attackers targeted Chain Healthcare, the payment management arm of healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group, causing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/infamous-hacker-gang-pharmacy-prescription-backlogs-2024-2">backlogs in prescription insurance claims</a>.Ransomware can be introduced to a company's databases through even the smallest slip by an employee, like clicking a link in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/phishing-scams-in-your-inbox-waiting-to-steal-your-money-2023-4">phishing email</a>. But as companies have gotten better at keeping criminals out, the crooks have gotten more creative, Mandiant CTO Charles Carmakal says.Speaking at the RSA Conference in San Francisco — an annual gathering of cybersecurity experts — earlier this week, Carmakal said some of the attackers have "no rules of engagement," even targeting executive's kids, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/07/ransomware_evolves_from_mere_extortion/">according to The Register</a>, a tech news publication."We saw situations where threat actors essentially SIM swap the phones of children of executives — and start making phone calls to executives — from the phone numbers of their children," Carmakal said, according to the outlet.SIM swapping is when criminals gain remote access to your cellphone's SIM card and then route control of incoming and outgoing calls and messages to their own phone.Carmakal said the ransomware hackers use different methods of getting access to cellphones, including, in some cases, simply spoofing a fake caller ID."Think about the psychological dilemma that the executive goes through — seeing a phone call from the children, picking up the phone, and hearing that it's somebody else's voice?" Carmakal said.Carmakal said these kinds of scams put an extra burden on the executive, who has to choose between protecting customers and their own employees and their families."That's a pretty scary shift," he said.In a December <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioqFpNVJCgA">Google Cloud security forecast</a>, Carmakal said Google expected to see an uptick this year in younger malicious actors using newer techniques for cyber crimes, like social engineering through text messages.The best way to protect yourself from ransomware is to avoid visiting suspicious websites, never open file attachments from someone you don't know, and be wary of links on social media, <a target="_blank" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/protect-your-pc-from-ransomware-08ed68a7-939f-726c-7e84-a72ba92c01c3">Microsoft says</a>.

Hackers are now targeting the children of corporate executives in elaborate ransomware attacks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Lean In and McKinsey report found that fewer women than men in entry-level jobs were promoted to manager.</li><li>Lean In's CEO said fixing the "broken rung" would mean more women representation in the work pipeline.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-women-careers-jobs-pandemic-flexibility-gender-equality-2023-7">Women</a>'s largest obstacle to career advancement is reaching the next rung on the ladder. A new study found that women are less likely than men to move up and become managers.That's according to the ninth annual "<a href="https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women in the Workplace</a>" report by McKinsey &amp; Company and Lean In, which collected information on gender at work in 2022 from 276 organizations employing over 10 million people. The report found that "for every 100 men <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-get-promotion-raise-ask-pitch-boss-career-coach-tips-2023-2">promoted</a> from entry level to manager, 87 women were promoted.""While we have this laser focus typically on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/glass-ceiling">glass ceiling</a>, what we need is a laser focus on the broken rung," Alexis Krivkovich, a senior partner for McKinsey, told Insider. "Because the very first step up to manager still after all these years is the most inequitable."Rachel Thomas, CEO of Lean In, told Insider that fixing the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sheryl-sandberg-mckinsey-research-on-broken-rung-for-black-women-2020-8">broken rung</a> would mean more women managers, directors, and upward momentum in the talent pipeline."While companies are increasing women's representation at the top, doing so without addressing the broken rung offers only a temporary stopgap," the report stated. "Because of the gender disparity in early promotions, men end up holding 60% of manager-level positions in a typical company, while women occupy 40%."Looking further up the ladder, women occupy only 36% of senior manager or director roles and 28% of C-suite positions at the companies analyzed in the study.Krivkovich said that for women of color, the number who are promoted from entry-level to manager level relative to every 100 men "is even worse."The broken rung doesn't have to be a never-ending problem. Thomas and Krivkovich agreed there are ways to remove the hurdles for women looking to climb professionally.For example, employers can remind managers and those conducting promotions about potential biases they may have ahead of promotion cycles, Thomas said. Companies should look at the women being promoted, the promotion outcomes, and "those metrics by race and gender so that women of color are not inadvertently overlooked" for advancement opportunities."One really simple thing they can do is ask evaluators to explain their rationale," Thomas said. "We know from research that when you have to explain why you rated someone a certain way or why you gave input on their performance that you did, that it really allows you to step back and think critically about your own evaluation and de-bias yourself."Thomas also said given the "broken rung is more broken for women of color," there should also be "a laser focus on women of color, making sure that there are career development and mentorship and sponsorship programs designed specifically to address the distinct bias and barriers they're facing."

Women face a 'broken rung' early on in the corporate ladder and are missing out on their first big promotions

<ul><li>According to <a href="https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach/threat-intelligence/">IBM's X-Force Threat Intelligence Index</a> 2021 research, the energy industry has risen from 9th position in 2019 to 3rd spot in 2020 among industries most frequently facing cyber-attacks.</li><li>In May 2021, the <keyword id="1968507" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="colonial-pipeline" source="Orion">Colonial Pipeline</keyword> was the target of a ransomware assault. It infected the pipeline's digital systems, causing it to go offline for several days.</li><li><keyword id="310851" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="colonial" source="Orion">Colonial</keyword> Pipeline paid DarkSide a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/19/22443933/colonial-pipeline-ransom-4-million-hack-gas-shortage">$4.4 million (USD)</a> ransom for the decryption keys to open their systems.</li></ul> The Colonial Pipeline is among the US's largest and most important oil pipelines. In May 2021, it was the target of a ransomware assault. It infected the pipeline's digital systems, causing it to go offline for several days. Consumers and airlines on the <keyword id="127185" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="east-coast" source="Orion">East Coast</keyword> were affected by the shutdown. Because the pipeline transports oil from refineries to industrial markets, the intrusion was declared a national security danger. Experts confirmed that the attackers gained access to the Colonial Pipeline network through an unsecured password for a VPN account. Many businesses utilize a virtual private network (VPN) to enable secure, encrypted, remote access to their corporate network. So, the risk is huge and needs attention! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The lessons learned" comment="subhead" text="The lessons learned">The lessons learned</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="1. OT and IT network convergence creates additional risk." comment="subhead" text="1. OT and IT network convergence creates additional risk.">1. OT and IT network convergence creates additional risk.</cmsannotation> Colonial's decision to shut down its whole pipeline system – for the first time in its history – was based on a lack of knowledge about who was attacking, what their motivations were, or how the attack may harm its operational technology (OT) infrastructure. The lack of complete insight into OT network operations and integrations resulted in a considerably more serious problem than a "simple" compromise of back-office systems. Maintaining a separation between OT and information technology (IT) networks, except where absolutely necessary, and rigorously controlling and monitoring them can help to reduce risk. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="2. A successful breach breeds other hacking efforts" comment="subhead" text="2. A successful breach breeds other hacking efforts">2. A successful breach breeds other hacking efforts</cmsannotation> The attack on the Colonial Pipeline had repercussions, as phishing attacks on other energy companies rose shortly after the incident. One effort sent a notice to <keyword id="10387" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="microsoft" source="Orion">Microsoft</keyword> 365 subscribers ostensibly from their IT help desk, urging them to install a ransomware system update to escape the same fate as Colonial Pipeline. Of course, the download was designed to infect the target computers with malware. In other cases, spear-phishing assaults and robo-filled "Contact Us" forms containing phony threats purporting to be from DarkSide became more common, primarily targeting the energy and food sectors. In many incidents, the alleged threat actor claims to have successfully penetrated the target's network, obtaining access to critical data that will be made public unless a ransom of 100 bitcoins is paid. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="3. Successful breaches carry a variety of costs" comment="subhead" text="3. Successful breaches carry a variety of costs">3. Successful breaches carry a variety of costs</cmsannotation> Colonial Pipeline is famous for paying DarkSide a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/19/22443933/colonial-pipeline-ransom-4-million-hack-gas-shortage">$4.4 million (USD)</a> ransom for the decryption keys to open their systems. Despite the fact that DarkSide expressed regret and the <keyword id="6355946" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="fbi" source="Orion">FBI</keyword> recovered 63.7 bitcoins out of 75 given out, the threat actors got off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in extorted monies. But that's just the beginning. Colonial Pipeline had to rebuild its billing systems for weeks before they could again start the billing for oil distribution. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="4. The importance of system monitoring" comment="subhead" text="4. The importance of system monitoring"> 4. The importance of system monitoring</cmsannotation> Before releasing their ransom demands, the hackers initiated their attack in the wee morning of May 7, exfiltrating <a href="https://www.trendmicro.com/en_in/research/21/e/what-we-know-about-darkside-ransomware-and-the-us-pipeline-attac.html">100GB of data</a> and encrypting back-office systems. The first breach, however, was alleged to have occurred on April 29 and over a week earlier. This follows a common threat actor pattern of gaining access to the system, then conducting stealth reconnaissance while building the basis for a large-scale attack. SIEM (security information and event management) solutions, when combined with threat intelligence, identification, and monitoring, can assist in detecting unusual activity that may indicate the beginning stages of an assault before the real trouble begins. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="5. The importance of IT governance" comment="subhead" text="5. The importance of IT governance">5. The importance of IT governance</cmsannotation> Not only was the breach made possible by this out-of-date but still functional section of the network, but access was also allowed by a single user ID/password combination, according to reports. Access to the IT infrastructure of the <keyword id="6356955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states" source="Orion">United States</keyword>' largest refined oil pipeline system does not need multi-factor authentication (<keyword id="186410" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mfa" source="Orion">MFA</keyword>). Colonial shut down the traditional VPN after the intrusion and added additional layers of security as a result. The organization's danger surface and risk of a data breach would have been lowered in the first place if formal, established procedures for dismantling and closing down access points, outmoded equipment, and networks had been in place. MFA should be regarded as a baseline need for remote access. The danger to the oil and gas industry, as well as the entire energy sector, is serious and growing. The threat actors vary from sophisticated, government-sponsored attackers attempting to inflict societal and financial havoc to smaller hacktivist groups seeking to protest energy projects or advancements. According to <a href="https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach/threat-intelligence/">IBM's X-Force Threat Intelligence Index</a> 2021 research, the energy industry has risen from 9th position in 2019 to 3rd spot in 2020 among industries most frequently attacked by cyber-attacks. According to the analysis, the energy sector would experience the second-highest rate of data theft of any sector in 2020, accounting for more than one-fifth of all breaches. So, it's a must to seriously incorporate these lessons!

Business lessons learned from the Colonial Pipeline attack

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US national security advisor on Tuesday described the Nord Stream leaks as "apparent sabotage."</li><li>He tweeted that the US was supporting efforts to investigate the leaks.</li></ul>The US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, used the phrase "apparent sabotage" Tuesday to describe leaks in key pipelines connecting Russia and Europe, and he underscored US efforts to aid in the investigation into the incidents."I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines," Sullivan tweeted Tuesday night. "The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe's energy security."The leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea on Monday, the <a href="https://ens.dk/en/press/leak-north-stream-2-baltic-sea">Danish Energy Agency</a> wrote in an announcement. "The Danish Maritime Authority has released a navigational warning and established a prohibitive no sail zone around the area," the agency added.A press representative for the Swedish Maritime Authority told Insider the agency was informed about one leak on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. Later the same day, it learned of two separate leaks on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline northeast of Bornholm.Sullivan's comments echo similar statements from Germany, where government officials are said to believe the pipelines were sabotaged.<a href="https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/druckabfall-in-beiden-leitungen-gemeldet-nord-stream-pipelines-moglicherweise-durch-anschlage-beschadigt-8687140.html">Der Tagesspiegel</a>, a newspaper in Germany, reported a government source as saying: "We can't imagine a scenario that isn't a targeted attack. Everything speaks against a coincidence." A representative for Germany's economy ministry told Insider it "doesn't participate in speculation." Germany's energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, said in an email it was working to clarify the situation.Later Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said it was "difficult to imagine" the damage was accidental.On Tuesday, the Kremlin also said it couldn't rule out sabotage, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kremlin-sabotage-cannot-be-ruled-out-reason-nord-stream-damage-2022-09-27/#:~:text=MOSCOW%2C%20Sept%2027%20(Reuters),pipelines%20in%20the%20Baltic%20Sea.">Reuters</a>.Following the incident, governments around the region issued warnings to ships to not sail within 5 nautical miles of the leaks.The Danish Navy sent an Absalon-class frigate to the site of the leaks for monitoring purposes and to warn ships to stay away, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation <a href="https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/efter-gaslaekager-forsvaret-sender-fregat-til-omraadet">reported</a> Tuesday. A German government official told Insider a no-fly zone was in operation over the affected area.The incidents on the Nord Stream pipelines could exacerbate Europe's energy crisis this winter, given that Russia typically supplies about 40% of Europe's natural gas, most of which is transported via pipelines.Russia <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europes-alternatives-if-russia-shuts-off-gas-supply-2022-09-02/">exported</a> about 155 billion cubic meters of the fuel to Europe in 2021 — and more than one-third came from the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europe-edge-nord-stream-russian-gas-link-set-planned-shut-down-2022-07-10/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nord Stream 1 pipeline,</a> per Reuters.The Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom turned off its gas <a href="https://twitter.com/GazpromEN/status/1565759390782742529">supply to Europe via Nord Stream 1</a> in September, citing technical reasons.The <a href="https://www.nord-stream.com/the-project/pipeline/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nord Stream 2</a> natural-gas pipeline, which runs parallel to Nord Stream 1, has never been operational because <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/germany-axes-controversial-nord-stream-pipeline-putin-sent-troops-ukraine-2022-2?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Germany</a> shelved the project in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine. Construction on the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline was completed in September 2021.

The US is supporting efforts to investigate the 'apparent sabotage' of the Nord Stream pipelines, national security advisor says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Enbridge, which owns the <keyword id="12453832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pipeline" source="Orion">pipeline</keyword>, says tribal surveys confirmed it's pathway through treaty areas.</li><li>Indigenous activists say their choice was taken away and have protested it planned expansion.</li></ul>Fasting, prayer, and rallies at water crossings is how Dawn Goodwin, a matriarch and member of the White Earth Nation recalls weathering through the first few days of demonstrations against the <keyword id="12453833" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="line-3" source="Orion">Line 3</keyword> pipeline expansion in Minnesota last November. "One of our elders started a spiritual fire. Others went fasting so we knew we needed to be there," Goodwin told Insider. Goodwin says it was very difficult to stand out there daily watching the drilling and digging take place. "I never liked the word 'raping' mother earth but there is no other word for it after going through everything we've been through." It's no secret that tribal nations across the country have a long affinity for protecting the earth and living off the land without disturbing it, activists say. And that's where the growing conflict between <keyword id="12125934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="indigenous-communities" source="Orion">Indigenous communities</keyword> and the building of corporate underground oil-pipelines threatening their way of life comes in.Jim Doyle, a Macalester College professor, calculated in his report <a href="https://mn350.org/giant-step-backward/">"A Giant Step Backward,"</a> that the Line 3 pipeline, which transports oil from from Canada's oil sands region to Minnesota's western edge of Lake Superior, would be equivalent to firing up 50 new coal-fired power plants or 38 million vehicles. Over the last year, Indigenous activists have held countless demonstrations to get the pipeline shutdown. They tell Insider that the pollution is too high of a cost for their family and communities future, and are vowing to put a stop to the Line 3 continued repairs and construction. <h2>Enbridge says they had to replace the line because it was cracked</h2><div type="image" title="Enbridge Line 3" height="2688" width="3583" msid="87473166" hostid="261"></div>The Line 3 crude oil pipeline, owned by Canadian-based energy company Enbridge Inc., was first created in 1968. By 2019, Enbridge reported the 1,097-mile pipeline was cracked and required extensive maintenance. Repair of the roughly 340-mile corridor was greenlit by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The new pathway avoids the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe reservation and was completed in October 2021, but that hasn't stopped Indigenous activists from protesting the pipeline's existence.A report by<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/05/line-3-pipeline-enbridge-paid-police-arrest-protesters"> The Guardian</a> earlier this month uncovered that Enbridge had reimbursed local police nearly $2.5 million for arresting and surveilling protestors, part of the utility commission's agreement for the project permit. Their protest throughout the summer drew hundreds daily. Winona LaDuke, Executive Director at Honor the Earth, and member of the White Earth Nation, says this report is extremely concerning considering she was one of the more than 900 protestors arrested over the summer. LaDuke is still advocating for the pipeline to be shut down. "This is a very bad and dangerous threat to civil society and democratic governance,"<a href="https://www.echopress.com/opinion/columns/7141268-LaDuke-Letter-from-the-Wadena-County-Jail?fbclid=IwAR12R_fM4Asbp1LhmtOajX5oy9cvRc_G1eTs1R0y7wN-dL8v3hrqwmoeiyQ"> LaDuke</a> told Insider. <div type="image" title="Map of line 3 line in Minnesota showing the line pass through the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior" height="1160" width="1200" msid="87473169" hostid="261"></div><h2>Enbridge says Minnesota Court of Appeals said the route was in respect of tribal sovereignty</h2>The Anishinaabe people, also referred to as Ojibwe and Chippewa peoples, signed numerous treaties with the US government, most notably relinquishing 10 million acres of Minnesota's northern lake country to the federal government in 1855.But the tribe members reserved the right to hunt, fish, gather and hold ceremonies on the land. The Justice Department did not respond to Insider's inquiries on activists' concerns about possible treaty violations.Enbridge, however, told Insider that the Minnesota Court of Appeals says that the route selected was "reasonable" in respect to tribal sovereignty. "Both [the Leech Lake and Fond du Lac tribes] have written in support of project permits," a spokesperson responded via email. <h2>Indigenous activists say their choice was taken away</h2><div type="image" title="Jane Fonda attending a demonstration in June 2021 for Enbridge Line 3 pipeline" height="3424" width="4566" msid="87473171" hostid="261"></div>But, LaDuke and Goodwin say Enbridge's conduct throughout the process has been infuriating. Activists say their community was robbed of the choice to say no to a new corridor when Enbridge reached an agreement with a different tribe - the<a href="https://www.startribune.com/enbridge-deal-making-over-line-3-divides-ojibwe-bands-in-minnesota/600028769/"> Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa</a> - to run the pipeline directly through its reservation."The (tribal) commissioners publicly said that they felt like Enbridge had 'put a gun to their head,' this was certainly a gun to the head of the Anishinaabe," LaDuke said. Enbridge, which already has five other pipelines that run through that reservation, maintains it did consult tribes via a resource survey. Enbridge also received approval by the state of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to pump out more than 5 billion gallons of water - more than 10 times the amount initially requested by the company.LaDuke, Goodwin, and Moneen Nasmith, an attorney representing their tribal nation in a federal lawsuit said that decision will have lasting impacts on tribes ability to garner food and water for years to come. <div type="image" title="Activist Winona Laduke during protest of Line 3 pipeline" height="4079" width="5440" msid="87473172" hostid="261"></div><h2>Lawsuit against the federal government for violations of the Clean Water Act and Environmental Protection Act </h2>When Enbridge expanded Line 3 it ruptured an aquifer, leaking at least 24 million gallons of groundwater. The company did not clean it up before the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-canada-minnesota-aquifers-38f6ea00c05514773f06340ada762083">October 15</a> deadline Minnesota National Resources reported this month. The MDNR is also investigating two other sites where the company may have caused additional groundwater damage. Enbridge tells Insider they are fully cooperating with the investigation and are "diligently implementing the steps required." The Clean Water Act fends off water pollution. Nasmith, who represents several tribes in similar federal lawsuits, says the Federal government did not do the analysis required under the Clean Water Act, Environmental Policy Act and treaty rights to protect the land and resources the tribes rely on."What the government actually did was say, 'oh some fish might die,' and then that's it," Nasmith said. "We say 'if fish die, what does that mean for the tribes who rely on those fish to survive as part of their cultural practices?'" There have been<a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/minn-appeals-tribal-courts-greenlight-wild-rice-lawsuit-re-line-3-2021-09-14/"> many</a> state and<a href="https://lawstreetmedia.com/news/agriculture/minnesota-appeals-dismissal-of-federal-suit-about-enbridge-line-3-pipeline/"> federal</a> lawsuits brought<a href="https://www.treehugger.com/pipeline-3-lawsuit-protest-5192908"> against</a> the government by the four impacted tribal nations. This case is being litigated while President Joe Biden continues to publicly pledge his support for an aggressive climate agenda. In January, the president canceled the permit granting construction of the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, which would have transported crude oil from western Canada to Nebraska. Since then, however, Biden has<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/climate/line-3-pipeline-biden.html"> defended</a> the expansion of Line 3. He also hasn't offered official comment on Michigan's <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/line-five-environment-great-lakes-1.6120882">legal battle to shut down</a> Enbridge's leaking Line 5 pipeline, which flows from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario.<h2>Activists hope oil spills in affluent communities forces officials to see the urgency to act</h2><div type="image" title="Enbridge Line 3 protest in Minnesota June 2021" height="3361" width="4481" msid="87473174" hostid="261"></div>LaDuke says she hopes that after the recent pipeline oil spills in places including Orange County California, where more<a href="https://qz.com/2068507/a-big-oil-spill-near-california-is-threatening-huntington-beach/"> white affluent</a> communities were impacted, officials will understand the urgency of halting underground oil-pipeline construction. Traditionally pipelines are built through <a href="https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-pipelines-fuel-climate-injustice">minority communities</a>, and spills are also more prone to happening in poor-marginalized communities. LaDuke says that's why the spill in California is so unique because the primary impacted communities do not fit the standard demographic. She says affluent people elect and hold power so now that they are impacted this could be the catalyst to push them to act. Either way, she says her tribe along with many others will continue to fight and hold demonstrations locally and in Washington to get to the pipeline shutdown because their livelihoods depend on it. "Affluence speaks to -- and elects -- power," LaDuke said. "The planet's been issued a CODE RED in the latest UN climate report. Is there anything more severe than a CODE RED?!"

Tribal nations are fighting a pipeline expansion putting livelihoods at risk. Why they say their voices were silenced.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>German officials reportedly believe the Nord Stream Russia-Europe natural-gas pipelines were sabotaged.</li><li>The operator of the pipelines said Tuesday they'd suffered "unprecedented" damage in a single day.</li></ul>German officials reportedly believe the crucial Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe have been sabotaged.<a href="https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/druckabfall-in-beiden-leitungen-gemeldet-nord-stream-pipelines-moglicherweise-durch-anschlage-beschadigt-8687140.html">Der Tagesspiegel</a>, a newspaper in Germany, where the pipelines land from Russia, reported a government source as saying: "We can't imagine a scenario that isn't a targeted attack. Everything speaks against a coincidence."The Danish Navy has sent an Absalon-class frigate to site of the leaks for monitoring purposes and to warn ships to stay away, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation <a href="https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/efter-gaslaekager-forsvaret-sender-fregat-til-omraadet">reported</a>. A no-fly zone is in operation over the affected area, a German government official told Insider.The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipeline systems are the largest for transporting natural-gas from Russia to Europe. Each system consists of two pipelines.Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the newer Nord Stream 2 system, which at the time was filled with natural-gas but wasn't operational, was suspended. And as the war has dragged on, Russia has gradually crimped supply through Nord Stream 1, which was fully-operational before the invasion.The Danish Energy Agency <a href="https://ens.dk/en/press/leak-north-stream-2-baltic-sea">said</a> Monday it had discovered a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/nord-stream-pipeline-leaking-pressure-drop-europe-energy-crisis-2022-9">leak</a> in the Nord Stream 2 system near Bornholm, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Maritime Authority <a href="https://www-o.sjofartsverket.se/en/Maritime-services/Maritime-Traffic-Information/Navigational-Warnings/031350-UTC-JAN/">said</a> leaks had been detected in both Nord Steam 1 and Nord Stream 2 near Bornholm.On Tuesday, Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipelines, said: "The destruction that happened within one day at three lines of the Nord Stream pipeline system is unprecedented."Jakob Hanke Vela, a Germany-based reporter for Politico, <a href="https://twitter.com/HankeVela/status/1574541749321715722?s=20&amp;t=oL3hw_Xi7_vhQ3Lvpwm3QQ">tweeted</a>: "Accident highly unlikely, officials in Berlin believe both pipelines have been attacked."<a href="https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/energie/plus241276421/Massiver-Druckabfall-Pipeline-Nord-Stream-2-teilweise-zerstoert.html">Die Welt</a>, another German publication, reported that the timing of the damage suggested sabotage, and was unlikely to be an accident.Later Tuesday, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said the situation was "extraordinary" and it was "difficult to imagine" the damage was accidental.Also later Tuesday, the Kremlin said it couldn't rule out sabotage, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/kremlin-sabotage-cannot-be-ruled-out-reason-nord-stream-damage-2022-09-27/#:~:text=MOSCOW%2C%20Sept%2027%20(Reuters),pipelines%20in%20the%20Baltic%20Sea.">Reuters</a>.A spokesperson for Germany's economy ministry told Insider it "doesn't participate in speculation." Germany's energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, said in an email it was in the process of clarifying the situation."It seems extremely improbable that the leaks on two different pipelines happen at the same time," Mate usz Kubiak, energy analyst at the Warsaw-based Esper is consultancy, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/gas-leak-detected-near-nord-stream-2/">told Politico</a>. "Therefore I think we should assume that it was intentional to create these leaks." Kubiak added that he didn't think it made sense for Ukraine or the West to sabotage the pipelines, per Politico.Klaus Müller, president of Germany's Federal Network Agency, wrote in a <a href="https://twitter.com/Klaus_Mueller/status/1574491691045863458?s=20&amp;t=nZbo0VYTGDrsEyljxy6ETw">Twitter post</a> Monday the situation was "tense" but Germany and the European Union were no longer dependent on Nord Stream 1.Since Russia halted gas supplies to Europe in early September, no gas has flowed through Nord Stream 1, the Federal Network Agency said. It added that storage levels in Germany were rising and were around 91% at the time of writing.This is a developing story and will be updated.

German officials reportedly believe the crucial Nord Stream natural-gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe were sabotaged near a Danish island

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A number of prominent cyberattacks on US institutions have made headlines so far in 2021.</li><li>Hackers targeted a major gas provider in April and the world's largest meat producer in May.</li><li>Sometimes, experts say, hackers are after ransom, but in other cases intended to steal information.</li></ul>A slew of cyberattacks against US agencies, institutions, and companies have dominated headlines so far this year, and cybersecurity experts say that these types of damaging attacks are on the rise and can have impacts that "spillover" across supply chains.Cybercriminals, believed to be tied to Russia, in May targeted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/colonial-pipeline">Colonial Pipeline</a>, the operator of the largest fuel pipeline in the US. When the hackers, from a ransomware group called DarkSide, infiltrated its system, the company quickly shuttered the pipeline to prevent the ransomware from spreading.The shutdown caused <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-will-colonial-pipeline-gas-shortages-end-2021-5">gasoline shortages and price hikes for about a week across the East Coast</a>, leading governors in several states to declare states of emergency.At the end of May, <keyword id="362428" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="JBS">JBS</keyword> USA, the world's largest meat supplier, announced it too had been the victim of an attack by cybercriminals. The company temporarily suspended operations at around 10of its global plants due to the attack, according to a report from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-31/meat-is-latest-cyber-victim-as-hackers-hit-top-supplier-jbs?sref=UTbvKgk5">Bloomberg</a>.<h2>Cyberattacks can be categorized in three ways, Tyler Moore, a professor of cybersecurity and information at the University of Tulsa, told Insider.</h2>These include the headline-making attacks where criminals exploit systems seeking ransom, such as the attacks on JBS and <keyword id="1968507" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Colonial-Pipeline">Colonial Pipeline</keyword>.Another type, he said, is an espionage attack where foreign criminals breach a system intending to steal information.There's also a third and more common type category called "email compromise," where a hacker targets a business or organization using an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-phishing">email phishing scam</a>. Business email compromise scams cost US companies a combined $1.8 billion last year, according to a <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf">March 2021 report from IC3, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center</a>. There were 791,730 complaints of suspected internet crime in 2020, about 300,000 more than were reported in 2019.In total, these cyberattacks resulted in a loss of more than $4 billion in the US last year, according to the report. In the past, Moore said ransomware hackers often targeted smaller institutions, like local hospitals. These localized attacks rarely garnered national attention, he said.<h2>The growing threat is not just the initial hack but the "spillover harm" it causes, Moore said.</h2>The more recent attacks, like those on Colonial Pipeline and JBS, are cause for concern because they create problems on a larger scale, he said. And, he added, these companies and their systems have long been vulnerable to these types of attacks. "It becomes more of sentient threat - more of a threat that we're aware of," Moore said of the recent ransomware hacks."They're not trying to necessarily shut down a pipeline," Moore added of ransomware hackers. "They're just trying to make money through ransomware, but they're still having this effect of disrupting our critical infrastructures."DarkSide claimed it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-hack-darkside-says-will-introduce-moderation-future-targets-2021-5">didn't mean to cause any disruption to society</a>. The ransomware group later <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ransomware-firm-darkside-shutting-down-colonial-hack-2021-5">claimed it would be disbanding following the incident</a>."We're seeing more of this spillover harm," Moore added. "We're seeing this harm that spreads far beyond what the original attack was trying to do. And that, that seems to be a growing concern.""These companies have technology supply chains and different pieces of those supply chains are being attacked, which can cause widespread damage across many other companies," Moore said. Ransomware attackers have also evolved. Historically, victims of a ransomware attack could avoid paying the ransom if they maintained regular system backups and restored their systems to them after they had been compromised.Now, hackers expect this and will download data and threaten to release it publicly if the ransom is not paid, Moore added.In the case of Colonial Pipeline, the company quickly paid the hackers $4.4 million in ransom. Officials at the Department of Justice said this week they were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-attack-hack-ransom-recovery-us-doj-2021-6">able to recover most of the $4.4 million paid to the hackers.</a><h2>This year alone, cybercriminals have taken out large and small targets</h2>It's not just a perception or an increase in coverage - cyberattacks in the US are both growing and evolving, experts said."There was a big increase in ransomware attacks in 2020 that continued in 2021," said Allan Liska, who works on the computer security incident response (CSIRT) at the cybersecurity company Recorded Future."What I think we're starting to see is ransomware attacks that have more of an impact on a broad swath of consumers," he added.<ul><li>New York City officials confirmed this week they were investigating a hack on its Law Department. According to a report from the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-law-department-computer-system-lockout-20210607-oliytonlbvfmfglqblfgygckwi-story.html">New York Daily News</a>, the breach left lawyers unable to access documents and may have made put employee's personnel information at risk.</li><li>Earlier in June, at least three US television stations owned by Cox Media Group were hit with a reported <keyword id="6361937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cyberattack">cyberattack</keyword>, according to a report from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/tv-news-stations-become-apparent-target-next-cyberattack-n1269662">NBC News</a>. Cox Media Group did not return Insider's request for comment. </li><li>Hackers last month breached computer systems in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, prompting officials to quickly shut them down, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nj-state-wire-tulsa-technology-hacking-111af9fe22aa50f62e4c27670be67220">the Associated Press</a>. City residents were left unable to use online systems to pay their water bills. A spokesperson for the city of Tulsa said the hack was stopped before any information could be leaked, according to the AP.</li><li>In April, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the New York state agency that operates public transit in New York City was targeted by cybercriminals. Officials said hackers did little damage to its systems and did not access train controls, according to a report from <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-hacked-in-april-cyberattack-employee-customer-info-was-not-compromised/3086785/">NBC New York</a>. </li><li>And in March, at least 30,000 victims that included small businesses and local governments were hacked by an organization that is thought to have ties to China. The hackers exploited four vulnerabilities with Microsoft's Exchange Server email software, according to <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/03/at-least-30000-u-s-organizations-newly-hacked-via-holes-in-microsofts-email-software/">Krebs on Security</a>.</li></ul>"That was an attack where they were not trying to disrupt anything, but the purpose really was to gain access to information," Moore said of the March attack."Essentially, you've got the internal corporate email of many, many companies," he added. "This is something that is very valuable to a nation-state adversary like China."Cyberattacks entered a new era with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-hack-explained-government-agencies-cyber-security-2020-12">the attack on the information technology firm SolarWinds,</a> which was first reported late last year. The breach impacted private companies like cybersecurity firm FireEye and the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury Department, as Insider previously reported.Top US officials say they believe the SolarWinds hackers were foreign actors from Russia.This type of cybercrime almost always originates from outside the US, experts said. "When we say Russia, China or, Iran - all of which have had ransomware actors operate out of their borders - we're generally talking about financially motivated actors that are not necessarily working for the government. But they operate with a tacet approval from the government," Liska said in regard to ransom seekers, like those from DarkSide.<h2>There are reasons for Americans to be concerned about future attacks, Liska said. But there's also room for optimism.</h2>But he added his fears had been assuaged slightly due to recent actions from the US government."The Biden administration has had a very aggressive response to these ransomware attacks. And a lot of ransomware actors are rethinking who they want to target," Liska said. Biden in April <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-administration-issues-new-sanctions-russia-2021-4">slapped sanctions on Russia following its accused involvement in the SolarWinds attack</a>. "The Biden administration has been clear that the United States desires a relationship with Russia that is stable and predictable," the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/15/fact-sheet-imposing-costs-for-harmful-foreign-activities-by-the-russian-government/">said</a> in April. "We do not think that we need to continue on a negative trajectory. However, we have also been clear - publicly and privately - that we will defend our national interests and impose costs for Russian Government actions that seek to harm us."The Department of Justice also, in April, established the Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force to investigate ransomware hackers. Paul M. Abbate, the deputy director of the FBI, said the agency currently has more than 100 investigations into operations like DarkSide, Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-attack-hack-ransom-recovery-us-doj-2021-6">previously reported</a>.FBI Director Christopher Wray this month told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-director-compares-ransomware-challenge-to-9-11-11622799003">The Wall Street Journal</a> there were "a lot of parallels" between the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the current state of cyberattacks in the US."Part of the persona of these ransomware actors is they're bold and audacious," Liska said. "They issue press releases talking about their exploits and how they're not afraid of anybody and they'll go after anybody. It's really easy to do that until the president calls you out by name." Liska said it wouldn't be impossible for cybercriminals to target something like the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/explainer-why-the-power-grid-failed-in-texas-and-beyond-2021-2">power grid</a> or water treatment facilities (the latter happened in Florida <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hacker-tried-to-poison-water-supply-in-oldsmar-florida-2021-2">earlier this year).</a> But with growing scrutiny from the US government, criminals might be less likely to set their sights on big targets, he said."There are still a lot of different ways that ransomware actors can disrupt everyone's lives without necessarily taking the power grid offline," Liska said. "We need to invest more heavily in our critical infrastructure," he added.

Major cyberattacks have rocked the US, and there are 'a lot of different ways that ransomware actors can disrupt everyone's lives,' experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Federal officials say they've recovered majority of the $4.4 million ransom <keyword id="1968507" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Colonial-Pipeline">Colonial Pipeline</keyword> paid.</li><li>The cyberattack in May led to massive supply disruptions across the southeastern US.</li><li>Recovery of ransom payments is extremely rare.</li></ul>US law enforcement has recovered "a majority" of Colonial Pipeline's $4.4 million ransom payment to the Darkside hacker group, Department of Justice officials announced on Monday.In a press conference, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said the company cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigations to track most of the 75 bitcoins to a cryptocurrency wallet used by the hackers."The sophisticated use of technology to hold businesses and even whole cities hostage for profit is a decidedly 21st century challenge - but the old adage of 'follow the money' still applies," Monaco said.Darkside was believed to be based in Russia, but the group effectively disappeared after the attack that led to gasoline shortages across the southeastern US."Today, we turned the tables on Darkside," Monaco added.Court filings said the government tracked 63.7 bitcoins, now worth about $2.2 million as the value of the currency has fallen substantially since early May.Joseph Blount, Colonial Pipeline's CEO, previously <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/colonial-pipeline-ceo-tells-why-he-paid-hackers-a-4-4-million-ransom-11621435636">told The Wall Street Journal</a> that he authorized the payment because his team was not sure how bad the attack was or how long it would take to recover."I know that's a highly controversial decision," he said. "I didn't make it lightly. I will admit that I wasn't comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this."<keyword id="6362094" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ransomware">Ransomware</keyword> attacks have increased in number and severity, and most payments are never recovered. This is the first digital-asset seizure conducted by the DOJ's the recently launched Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force.Paul M. Abbate, the deputy director of the FBI, said the bureau has more than 100 investigations underway into operations such as Darkside, and that his office is working with more than 90 ransomware victims across a range of critical infrastructure sectors.Monaco and Abbate underscored the importance of Colonial's swift and thorough reporting of the attack, which allowed their task force to recover the payments. Cybersecurity experts Insider has spoken with say that ransom attacks often go unreported because victims are reluctant to add further legal or public relations drama to the incident."Today I want to emphasize to leaders of corporations and communities alike -- the threat of severe ransomware attacks poses a clear and present danger to your organization, to your company, your customers, your shareholders, and your long-term success," Monaco said. "Invest the resources now."

US authorities have recovered a 'majority' of the ransom Colonial Pipeline paid to reopen its critical fuel route

Good morning, this is Jason Ma and today's edition highlights the outlook for corporate financial results as the US dollar rises. The worsening prospects for the global economy point to continued strength for the greenback. The International Monetary Fund predicted Tuesday that growth worldwide will slow to 2.7% in 2023 from 3.2% in 2022. "As the global economy is headed for stormy waters, financial turmoil may well erupt, prompting investors to seek the protection of safe-haven investments, such as US Treasuries, and pushing the dollar even higher," the IMF warned.Here's what a strong dollar means for stocks as earnings season heats up. If this was forwarded to you, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-opening-bell">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a href="https://www.insider.com/app">here.</a><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/3q-earnings-strong-dollar-sales-beats-revenue-profit-economy-markets-2022-10"></a>1. Don't set your hopes too high for quarterly sales, according to Goldman Sachs analysts, who said in a note that the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/3q-earnings-strong-dollar-sales-beats-revenue-profit-economy-markets-2022-10">strong dollar will weigh on S&amp;P 500 companies</a>, which are often multinational corporations with significant international exposure. The dollar has been among the best-performing assets of 2022, largely on the back of aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And in the third quarter, the trade-weighted US dollar rose by 9% from a year ago, Goldman said, warning that fewer S&amp;P 500 firms will beat consensus sales forecasts."The move in FX means most firms will announce 3Q results in regular terms but will undoubtedly emphasize their performance on a 'constant currency' basis," according to the note.And for companies that do a lot of business in Japan, the weak yen will likely remain a headwind. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/japans-prime-minister-kishida-boj-loose-monetary-policy-yen-ft-2022-10">Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he supports the Bank of Japan's loose monetary policy</a> despite the yen sliding to a two-decade low against the US dollar. In an <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e1525dc4-39f4-48f0-b8bb-fc462fe06676">interview with the Financial Times</a>, the premier also dismissed speculation he would cut short BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's tenure.While most central banks are raising interest rates to combat high inflation, the Bank of Japan has kept interest rates in negative territory and has maintained a cap on its 10-year yield via bond purchases to fight deflation. And while a strong dollar helps keep prices of imports down, inflation in the US remains near four-decade highs, and Thursday's consumer price index report could deliver another blow to the S&amp;P 500, according to JPMorgan. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-thursday-cpi-inflation-reading-threatens-big-decline-2022-10">If the reading tops 8.3%, then expect the stock market to sell off by 5%, the bank's trading desk said</a>. But readings below 8.1% could spark some big gains for the stock market. What do you think? How has the strong dollar affected your portfolio? Email <a href="mailto:jma@insider.com">jma@insider.com</a>. In other news:<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/fed-pivot-interest-rate-hikes-inflation-credit-labor-market-unemployment-2022-10"></a><div type="image" title="Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell" height="683" width="910" msid="94811397" hostid="261" sizebytes="25748"></div>2. US stock futures rise early Wednesday, as the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/pound-rallies-report-boe-ready-to-extend-emergency-bond-buys-2022-10">pound rallied from a two-week low</a> after the Bank of England reportedly signaled it's ready to keep buying bonds. Meanwhile, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/european-energy-crisis-poland-investigates-leak-in-key-oil-pipeline-2022-10">Poland is investigating a leak in a key pipeline</a> carrying crude oil from Russia to Europe. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/premarket">Here are the latest market moves.</a>3. Earnings on deck: PepsiCo, Wipro Ltd. and more are all <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">reporting. </a>4. After a summer rally, stocks have tumbled to new year-to-date lows and are now the cheapest they've been since the pandemic began, said Morningstar. But most near-term headwinds that might compress earnings have already been priced into the market. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-investing-strategy-cheap-undervalued-inflation-recession-fed-morningstar-2022-10">Here are the firm's top 33 most undervalued stock picks going into the fourth quarter of 2022</a>.5. DoorDash, Lyft and Uber all fell Tuesday after the Labor Department unveiled a proposal on how companies classify workers. The proposed rule would base the determination of whether to classify a worker as a contractor or employee on a broad assessment, such as if the gig work is an "integral" part of a company's business. That could ease the way to reclassifying drivers from independent contractors to full-scale employees, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/uber-stock-lyft-doordash-biden-administration-gig-worker-full-employee-2022-10">entailing additional costs and requirements</a>.6. The Fed needs more than a plunging market to end its aggressive current rate hike policy, <a href="https://www.ndr.com/">Ned Davis Research</a> said in a note. Instead, the Fed likely needs one of three things to happen: evidence that inflation is headed lower, softness in the labor market, or an inability for companies to get funding. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/fed-pivot-interest-rate-hikes-inflation-credit-labor-market-unemployment-2022-10">Until then, it's premature for investors to call a peak in bond yields.</a>7. Vladimir Putin's plan to weaponize Russian gas supplies against Europe has failed, according to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who said the EU now sources just 9% of its gas from Russia, down from 46% before the war. And with China not rushing to build more gas pipelines to make up for Russia's lost sales, "<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/europe-energy-crisis-gas-supply-from-russia-ukraine-shortage-2022-10">the only losers from this gas blackmail are Putin and his enablers</a>," he wrote in a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/be331b8e-3a24-4941-b6d0-aa3041f789cf">Financial Times column</a>.8. The Columbia Dividend Income Fund has topped 94% of competing funds in the past 15 years. Portfolio manager Mike Barclay shared his fund's strategy and his secrets to success. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-invest-inflation-dividend-stocks-income-yield-strategy-barclay-2022-10">Focus on dividend stocks with two specific qualities instead of prioritizing high yields, he said</a>.9. Some on Wall Street think earnings estimates remain too high as the Fed tightens. But Bank of America says there are still opportunities for investors this earnings season. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stocks-to-buy-where-to-invest-beat-earnings-season-q3-2022-10">Here are 13 stocks the bank thinks will beat earnings estimates in the third quarter</a>.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/us-dollar-index"></a><div type="image" title="US Dollar Index" height="1244" width="1544" msid="94811400" hostid="261" sizebytes="33512"></div>10. The US Dollar Index has been rallying over the past week after coming down from 20-year highs. The recent moves track those of the 10-year US Treasury yield, which slid last month after the Bank of England announced emergency gilt purchases. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/us-dollar-index">Take a look at the greenback's relentless advance of the past year and a half</a>.Keep up with the latest markets news throughout your day by checking out <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/therefresh">The Refresh from Insider</a>, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/therefresh">Listen here.</a> Curated by Jason Ma in Los Angeles. Feedback or tips? Email jma@insider.com. Edited by Max Adams (<a href="https://twitter.com/maxradams">@maxradams</a>) in New York and Hallam Bullock (<a href="https://twitter.com/hallam_bullock">@hallam_bullock</a>) in London.

Here's the outlook for corporate financial results as the worsening global economy is poised to lift the US dollar higher

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The recent SolarWinds and <keyword id="1968507" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Colonial-Pipeline">Colonial Pipeline</keyword> hacks were caused by achingly bad security practices. </li><li>To prevent a real catastrophe, American companies need to revamp their IT systems.</li><li>For some companies, this can be a big hurdle, but the potential alternative makes it well worth the effort. </li><li>Michael Abboud is founder and CEO of <a href="https://tetherview.com/">TetherView</a>, a leading Private Cloud provider.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. </li></ul>Right now, the people in charge of very important pieces of our national infrastructure are bearing an uncomfortable resemblance to a room full of preschoolers wandering around with sharp, pointy scissors. The SolarWinds breach earlier this year, considered <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/solarwinds-largest-cyberattack-ever-microsoft-president-brad-smith/">the largest in the world to date</a>, is said to have resulted from an intern using an incredibly simple and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/26/politics/solarwinds123-password-intern/index.html">easily guessable password:</a> "solarwinds123". The hackers didn't have to do any "hacking" to execute their breach. They just walked in the metaphorical front door and sat in the living room for 18 months without anybody knowing they were there.Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/us/politics/pipeline-hack-darkside.html">Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident</a>, which abruptly stoppered the flow of fuel through one of the country's most important arteries, didn't happen because the hackers got access to the systems that actually control the pipeline. Instead, the hackers simply targeted the company's business systems, which had wide open connections to the control systems.This begs the question: Why on earth were traditional business technologies like email or sales tools on the same network as operational technologies like valve controls, temperature sensors, and mixers? As someone who works in <keyword id="6361948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cybersecurity">cybersecurity</keyword>, there is no reason for those two worlds to co-mingle, particularly when business systems like email are just one wrong click away from being compromised.These two companies, while particularly notable for their blunders, are hardly alone with their cavalier approach to security. A hack of a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/11/us/florida-water-plant-hack/index.html">Florida water treatment facility</a> earlier this year can be traced to achingly bad security practices like sharing a single password across all computers for remote access. In fact, walk into almost any municipal power authority, water authority, or sewage authority, and the fact that a 10-year-old could likely paralyze half of the systems across the country using very unsophisticated and untrained techniques will probably be greeted with a shrug. If you've detected a pattern here, it's that, due to poor security practices, many of these companies are their own worst enemies.Companies need to address their own failures to better protect themselves against attacks. <h2>Minimizing harm</h2>The weakest link in any network is the users. It doesn't matter how smart they are, how cybersecurity-aware they are, or how well-trained they are. People are still the weakest link and represent the biggest threat to the organization. Imagine a busy manager rushing from meeting to meeting who gets an email saying "voicemail received" and quickly decides to click on it, unaware that it is a phishing attack trying to steal their login credentials. Work is often hectic and chaotic; these things can happen all too easily.The only way to fully prevent "the weak link" from causing serious self-harm is to turn off the internet entirely and not allow people to use tools like email - but that's not exactly a practical approach for the 21st century.Instead, companies should focus on a few key areas to reduce their IT footprint and minimize harm. For starters, operational technologies, such as the software that controls a fuel pipeline, and business systems, such as email or marketing software, should be segregated or "siloed."Any cross communication between the two should be highly controlled and monitored. Virtual desktops, which allow users to access multiple systems or desktops at one time without commingling data, help build these silos and ensure that there's no communication with the local network that is not authorized. A single sign-on process that incorporates multi-factor authentication, allowing a person to sign in once and access several independent software systems - such as Teams, Zoom, and Outlook - with a single log-in, can dramatically reduce the possibility of a successful breach. Also, in a world of "bring your own devices," proper mobile device management - for instance, turning on security features to prevent certain employees from using their devices to print documents on their personal computers - can lessen the risk associated with smartphones and tablets. Employing <a href="https://www.cio.com/article/2378779/7-enterprise-mobile-security-best-practices.html">best practices</a> for device management should include making sure that only <a href="https://www.csoonline.com/article/3562429/whitelisting-explained-how-it-works-and-where-it-fits-in-a-security-program.html">whitelisted devices</a> can access the corporate infrastructure.<h2>No more delaying</h2>These are practical, straightforward recommendations. So, why aren't more organizations following them? Frankly, because it's harder than it looks. If you're starting from scratch, it's easier to put these measures in place than if you have a lot of legacy IT investments to navigate. But even if you're starting with a blank slate, you still need to make sure that everything is properly integrated, configured, and maintained. There is no easy button here. Many companies will look at what's required to beef up their security and file it under "we'll tackle this another day." Additionally, Americans tend to have a very short memory, which means that events like SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline will soon be out of sight and out of mind. But that would be exactly the wrong lesson to take from these events. The companies in charge of our nation's infrastructure have tripped and stumbled and gotten a few serious scares. Now is the time to take the most aggressive measures to protect their systems before there is a real catastrophe.Michael Abboud is Founder and CEO of <a href="https://tetherview.com/">TetherView</a>, a leading Private Cloud provider.

American companies resemble a bunch of preschoolers running with pointy scissors when it comes to cybersecurity

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Germany axed the Nord Stream II pipeline deal after Russia moved forces into Ukraine.</li><li>Putin ordered Russian forces into pro-Kremlin areas of eastern Ukraine on Monday.</li></ul>Germany on Tuesday scrapped plans for <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/explainer--whats-russias-nord-stream-2-pipeline-to-europe-11013800">the Nord Stream II pipeline</a> after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine.During <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M336Nqyw8JM">an address on the Ukraine crisis Tuesday</a>, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he decided to "reassess" the certification, a necessary approval for it to start moving gas from Russia to countries in Europe."In light of the most recent developments, we must reassess the situation in particular regarding Nord Stream II," he said. "The situation has fundamentally changed."It was the first significant economic consequence for Russia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-orders-russia-troops-to-ukraine-major-escalation-2022-2">after its escalation of the conflict in Ukraine</a>. The US, EU, and UK also promised economic sanctions would be announced later Tuesday.Reports from eastern Ukraine on Monday <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-russian-military-tanks-move-donbas-seen-donetsk-putin-invade-2022-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">showed Russian tanks moving</a> into the rebel-held areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, which seemed to fulfill Putin's command for a "peacekeeping" mission there.Scholz said Tuesday that Germany would find ways to meet its energy needs without the Nord Stream II.The pipeline provides a route between Russian gas-production sites and mainland Europe. Earlier pipes went through Ukraine. Work was completed in September, though it could not begin piping gas without certification from Germany.The pipeline, mostly owned by the Russian gas corporation Gazprom, cost 10 billion euros ($11.5 billion) and was meant transport 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year.Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, <a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1496094461721550854?t=F2pDKNe_LxDZujvvOCFiVA&amp;s=19">praised Scholz in a tweet Tuesday</a>, saying: "True leadership means tough decisions in difficult times."<div type="image" title="Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline" height="1000" width="2000" msid="89751166" hostid="261"></div>The US said last month the pipeline would not open if Russia invaded Ukraine."We will work with Germany to ensure it does not move forward," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nord-stream-2-will-not-move-forward-if-russia-invades-ukraine-state-dept-2022-01-27/">Ned Price, a State Department spokesperson, said at the time</a>.The US has long been concerned about the project. Its officials worried that infrastructure between Russia and Europe would deepen countries' dependence on Russia for energy and make European nations less likely to challenge Russia. During the Trump administration, the US sanctioned a number of Russian companies working on the pipeline. Those restraints <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-waiving-sanctions-nord-stream-2-pipeline-ceo-company-report-2021-5">were lifted in May</a>, though US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken continued to call the project "a bad deal — for Germany, for Ukraine, and for our Central and Eastern European allies and partners."

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