A social-engineering-centric data collection initiative to study phishing

Phishers nowadays rely on a variety of channels, ranging from old-fashioned emails to instant messages, social networks, and the phone system (with both calls and text messages), with the goal of reaching more victims. As a consequence, modern phishing became a multi-faceted, even more pervasive threat that is inherently more difficult to study than traditional, email-based phishing. This short paper describes the status of a data collection system we are developing to capture different aspects of phishing campaigns, with a particular focus on the emerging use of the voice channel. The general approach is to record inbound calls received on decoy phone lines, place outbound calls to the same caller identifiers (when available) and also to telephone numbers obtained from different sources. Specifically, our system analyzes instant messages (e.g., automated social engineering attempts) and suspicious emails (e.g., spam, phishing), and extracts telephone numbers, URLs and popular words from the content. In addition, users can voluntarily submit voice phishing (vishing) attempts through a public website. Extracted telephone numbers, URLs and popular words will be correlated to recognize campaigns by means of cross-channel relationships between messages

BitIodine: Extracting Intelligence from the Bitcoin Network

Abstract. Bitcoin, the famous peer-to-peer, decentralized electronic currency system, allows users to benefit from pseudonymity, by generating an arbitrary number of aliases (or addresses) to move funds. However, the complete history of all transactions ever performed, called “blockchain”, is public and replicated on each node. The data it contains is difficult to analyze manually, but can yield a high number of relevant information. In this paper we present a modular framework, BitIodine, which parses the blockchain, clusters addresses that are likely to belong to a same user or group of users, classifies such users and labels them, and finally visualizes complex information extracted from the Bitcoin network. BitIodine labels users (semi-)automatically with information on their identity and actions which is automatically scraped from openly available information sources. BitIodine also supports manual investigation by finding paths and reverse paths between addresses or users. We tested BitIodine on several real-world use cases, identified an address likely to belong to the encrypted Silk Road cold wallet, or investigated the CryptoLocker ransomware and accurately quantified the number of ransoms paid, as well as information about the victims. We release an early prototype of BitIodine as a library for building more complex Bitcoin forensic analysis tools

A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials with degarelix versus gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for advanced prostate cancer

Our aim was to systematically evaluate the benefits of degarelix as antagonist versus agonists of gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (PC). This comparison was performed either in terms of biochemical or oncological or safety profiles. To this end we, carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.We selected only studies directly and prospectively analyzing the two treatments in the same population (randomized phase III studies). We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analyses process for reporting studies.After we eliminated studies according to the exclusion criteria, 9 publications were considered relevant to this review. These articles described 5 clinical trials that were eligible for inclusion. The follow-up duration in all trials did not exceed 364 days. This meta-analysis and review comprised a total of 1719 men, 1061 randomized to degarelix versus 658 to GnRH agonists treatment for advanced PC. Oncological results were evaluated only in 1 trial (CS21:408 cases) and they were not the primary endpoints of the study. Treatment emerging adverse events were reported in 61.4% and 58.8% of patients in the degarelix and GnRH agonists group, respectively (odds ratio, OR = 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI: 0.78-1.77, P > 0.1). Treatment related severe cardiovascular side effects were reported (trial CS21-30-35) in 1.6% and 3.6% of patients in the degarelix and GnRH agonists group, respectively (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.26-1.14, P > 0.1).Our analysis evidences relevant limitations in particular for the comparative evaluation of the efficacy and the oncological results related to degarelix

Conservazione e gestione della naturalità negli ecosistemi marino-costieri. Il trapianto delle praterie di Posidonia oceanica

Dal 1980 ad oggi, ogni 30 minuti, si è persa un’area ricoperta di fanerogame marine equivalente ad 1 campo di calcio cioè, nel tempo di gioco di una partita, 3 campi di fanerogame marine scompaiono”. Nell’area mediterranea, le praterie di Posidonia oceanica, uno degli ecosistemi marini di maggior pregio, sono oggi in forte regressione, principalmente a causa delle diverse pressioni antropiche che insistono sulla fascia costiera. Accanto alle numerose azioni di protezione, si è ultimamente sviluppata l’idea di tutelare le praterie anche mediante interventi di trapianto, in grado sia di accelerare la lenta colonizzazione della prateria sia di favorire il ripristino dell’ecosistema degradato. Nel lavoro “Il trapianto delle praterie di Posidonia oceanica”, ISPRA presenta una rassegna delle informazioni ad oggi disponibili su tale tematica, derivanti sia dall’analisi critica della letteratura scientifica esistente e degli aspetti normativi vigenti, sia da specifiche esperienze tecniche maturate in alcuni casi studio. Tale manuale può inoltre costituire un valido strumento di supporto per tecnici e amministratori coinvolti nella gestione della fascia costiera e nella tutela degli ecosistemi ivi presenti