Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 December 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft, as Fifth of UK Businesses Fallen Victim To Cyber Attack in Past Year

A survey of more than 1,200 UK businesses of all sizes across multiple industries conducted by Aviva found that a fifth of UK businesses were victims to cyber attacks in the past year. The report found that businesses were 67% more likely to have experienced a cyber incident than a physical theft and five times more likely to have experienced a cyber attack than a fire.

When it came to the fallout from a cyber attack, 31% of businesses experienced operational disruption and 20% admit to not being confident in knowing what to do should this happen. This lack of confidence rises to more than a quarter (27%) for small businesses, who appear to be the most vulnerable to such a risk. Financially, the average incident was found to cost £21,000, however this figure is likely to be more given the further implications that result from a cyber attack.

Sources: [Insurance Age] [theHRD] [Infosecurity Magazine]

Russia Hacking: 'FSB in Years-Long Cyber Attacks on UK', Says UK Government

The UK government has accused Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the KGB, of conducting a prolonged cyber hacking campaign since at least 2015, targeting politicians, journalists, academics, and others through sophisticated attacks that included the creation of false accounts. This accusation, part of a coordinated effort with the US, aims to disrupt FSB operations and raise awareness ahead of major elections. This comes as a recent report by Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 found that the Russia-linked APT28 group, also known as “Forest Blizzard” or “Fancybear,” has exploited a Microsoft Outlook vulnerability to target European NATO members. Active since 2007 and linked to the Russian military, APT28's recent campaigns have focused on government, energy, transportation, and NGOs in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. These incidents highlight the critical need for enhanced cyber security measures and international cooperation to counter sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, ensuring the security of sensitive sectors and the integrity of global democratic processes.

Sources: [BBC News] [ Security Affairs]

NCSC CTO: Cyber Security is Essential, Not Optional

Ollie Whitehouse, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the UK’s NCSC has argued in a recent keynote that extra security features should not be a premium feature, highlighting the importance of vendors adopting a secure-by-design method, rather than implementing security upcharges where vendors charge extra for users to secure their product.

The speech also noted that organisations should utilise the tools that are already available to them, on top of maintaining a focus on user awareness.

Sources:  [Infosecurity Magazine] [Dark Reading]

69% of Organisations Paid Ransoms, contributing to Inflation as Firms Increase Costs

According to a survey, 75% of respondents reported being targeted by ransomware in the past year, and of those, 69% paid the ransom. 54% of those who paid the ransom, suffered financial ramifications of $100,000 or more. It is unclear whether the research includes further implications such as regulatory fines, loss of work, reputational damage, and cost of down-time.

A separate study found that ransomware attacks costs are directly contributing to rising inflation in the UK, as businesses face an average increase of 17% to their costs following an attack. Cumulatively, 68% of the companies represented in the survey reported they had increased prices by at least 11% as a direct result of suffering an attack. In addition, of those falling victim to ransomware, 70% believed their business would have to close if they suffered another attack. When it came to the time lost to dealing with ransomware, companies took an average of two months to recover from an attack and 16% took between three and six months.

Sources: [ITPro] [Beta News] [Security Magazine]

75% of Sports Related Passwords are Reused Across Accounts

According to a recent Bitwarden report, 33% of Americans have used a sports-themed password. This figure rose to 49% for those ages 18-34. Of those, 75% admitted to using it across multiple accounts. Password re-use a common issue globally: by re-using passwords, users are multiplying the likelihood of being breached by an attacker. Additionally, this can crossover to the corporate environment, where users’ personal breached credentials can be utilised to get into their corporate account.

Sources:  [Security Magazine] [Help Net Security]

Ransomware in 2024: Anticipated Impact, Targets, and Landscape Shift

As ransomware continues to rise, we can expect groups to evolve their attacks, operating on a larger scale for bigger profits, especially following large-scale supply chain attacks in the past 12 months. Ransomware has solidified its position as the predominant security threat in 2023, with a record number of victims. A recent report highlighted a 46% increase in cyber extortion and ransomware attacks compared to previous years. This trend shows ransomware evolving into a profitable microcosm, akin to a startup ecosystem, with more groups emerging as disruptors and newcomers. In response, organisations are increasingly turning to services that lend-out cryptocurrency, a frequent ransomware payment method. With changing tactics and the formation of new groups, it's crucial for leaders to prepare their 2024 security strategies now, ensuring they have a robust plan in place to counter ransomware threats to their organisations.

Sources: [Barrons] [Help Net Security] [Computer Weekly]

Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High

The world is experiencing a significant rise in data breaches, reaching a record high with more than 360 million individuals affected in the first eight months of 2023 in the US alone, according to a joint report from Apple and an MIT researcher. This alarming increase includes a notable surge in ransomware attacks, which have escalated by nearly 70% compared to 2022. The healthcare sector is particularly vulnerable, with 60% of organisations reporting ransomware attacks in 2023, an increase from 34% in 2021. The largest health data breach this year impacted 11 million people at HCA Healthcare. A critical factor in these breaches is the exploitation of third-party vendors, as seen in attacks on Progress Software's MOVEit and Fortra's GoAnywhere applications. These incidents highlight the urgent need for organisations to prioritise data security, especially in managing relationships with vendors, to protect sensitive information and mitigate the growing threat of cyber attacks.

Source: [Info Risk Today]

Nuclear Hack Creates Rising Fears of Cyber Vulnerability in Critical Infrastructure

News of one of the UK’s most high profile nuclear power stations, Sellafield, being hacked, with fears that highly sensitive information has been accessible for years, has led to new calls for the UK to tighten up security of its vital infrastructure. Rather worryingly, The Guardian have added that it discovered that authorities were unaware of its first compromise, but it has been detected as far back as 2015.

Sources: [Emerging Risks]

Thousands of House Purchases Frozen by Cyber Attack; Will They Complete Before Christmas?

Conveyancing firms across the UK faced significant disruption when they discovered blank screens on their computers due to a problem originating from CTS, a cloud hosting provider widely used for legal applications. This unexpected issue led many within these affected firms to hastily purchase new laptops to regain partial access to emails and documents, but their case management systems remained largely inaccessible. Firms had to devise manual workarounds to keep transactions moving, amidst concerns about the safety of client data and funds. While most firms have found ways to progress with exchanges and completions, the reliance on cumbersome manual processes and limited access to client data and financial systems has more than doubled the workload. This situation raises several questions about the preparedness and resilience of paperless (or paper-light) office environments, the adequacy of backup systems, and potential compensation for those inconvenienced. The immediate focus, however, is on collaborative efforts to ensure as many clients as possible can move into their new homes before Christmas.

Source: [Property Industry Eye]

US Government Agency Was Hacked Thanks to 'End of Life' Software

The US Cyber security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently issued a warning about two cyber attacks on an undisclosed federal agency, exploiting a vulnerability in outdated Adobe ColdFusion software. This software, now end-of-life, no longer receives updates, leaving the agency vulnerable and unable to apply security patches. The attacks, which occurred in June and July, appeared to be reconnaissance efforts to map the agency's network, with no evidence of malware installation or data exfiltration. However, it's unclear if the same hackers were behind both incidents. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint detected and limited the hackers' activities. This situation underscores the significant risks associated with running end-of-life software, highlighting the need for organisations to update or replace such software to protect against potential cyber threats.

Source:[ TechCrunch]

Digital Transformation, Security Implications, and their Effects on The Modern Workplace

The vast majority of digital transformation projects will have implications for your cyber security, yet too often this is overlooked with the focus on delivery of the project or the functionality it will bring. Thinking about security after the fact is not only more expensive and less efficient, but can also mean dangerous gaps remaining open in the meantime. In this era, where remote work and public network access are prevalent, the lack of a robust cyber security framework significantly undermines the digital transformation process. Continuous employee education on digital threats and proactive cyber security measures are not just add-ons but essential components of a successful digital transformation. As businesses move towards 2024, integrating advanced cyber security practices is as crucial as adopting new technologies for a truly effective and secure digital transformation.

Source:[ Forbes]

Third Party Breaches Shake up Energy Sector, with 90% Suffering from Third-Party Breach

With 90% of the largest energy companies globally experiencing a third-party breach in the past 12 months, it is no wonder the sector is shaken. In the US, 100% of the top 10 US energy providers suffered a breach and in total, 98% of the organisations in the research used at least one third party vendor that had experienced a breach in the last two years.

Third-party breaches are a concern for any organisation. It is important to know who has access to your organisation’s data, and what security controls they have in place to protect it. Organisations can benefit from firstly identifying who has their information and then conducting supply chain risk assessments to understand what information is held and how it is protected.

Sources: [Help Net Security]

Report Reveals Sorry State of Cyber Security at UK Football Clubs

A new report reveals a concerning lack of cyber resilience within UK football clubs, extending from the Premier League downwards. The industry, increasingly targeted by cyber attacks, suffers from a disconnect between the perceived and actual risk levels. Key findings include a general lack of cyber maturity, outdated approaches to cyber security, and a scarcity of dedicated IT and cyber security roles, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). Despite significant financial investments in players, there's reluctance from club boards to allocate sufficient resources for cyber security. The report underscores the need for comprehensive training, increased awareness of security risks across all levels of club operations, and the hiring of dedicated cyber security professionals. This situation calls for an industry-wide standard for cyber security budgets, scaled according to the club's size and turnover, to adequately address these emerging digital threats.

Source: [Computer Weekly]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• A fifth of UK businesses victims of cyber attacks in past year - Insurance Age

• Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NCSC's Ollie Whitehouse on Why Cyber Security is Essential, Not Optional - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Digital Transformation And Its Effects On The Modern Workplace (forbes.com)

• UK Cyber CTO: Vendors' Security Failings Are Rampant (darkreading.com)

• Record-breaking 2023 highlights constant cyber threat (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Cyber security is a Team Sport (darkreading.com)

• 2024 will see wave after wave of cyber attacks | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• Doing More With Less: Cyber Security Tools And Budget Efficiency (forbes.com)

• Why Invest? Building a Case for Increasing Cyber Security Budgets | UpGuard

• SolarWinds lawsuit by SEC puts CISOs in the hot seat | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• CISOs are getting more help after cyber attacks, but often it isn't helping | TechRadar

• Maximizing cyber security on a budget - Help Net Security

• Cyber and remote working: How Covid moved the cursor | Computer Weekly

• Why effective cyber security is more important than ever for European family offices | Campden FB

• Liability Fears Damaging CISO Role, Says Former Uber CISO - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Building cyber-resilience: Security, compliance, governance, and privacy - Digital Journal

• Massive Consolidated Lawsuit Blazes Trail for Hacking Litigation (bloomberglaw.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• 69% of organisations facing ransomware attacks paid the ransom | Security Magazine

• 2023 may have seen highest ransomware ‘body count’ yet | Computer Weekly

• Cyber attacks surge in 2023, as millions fall victim to ransomware: Report (yahoo.com)

• Ransomware attack costs are driving up inflation in the UK | ITPro

• Ransomware ramped up against private sector in November | TechTarget

• BlackCat threatens to directly extort vendor's customers • The Register

• New wave of ransomware attacks plague US critical infrastructure post-Thanksgiving (axios.com)

• How Ransomware Gangs Are Fueling a New Cyber Security Arms Race - Barron's (barrons.com)

• Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High (inforisktoday.com)

• Expert warns of Turtle macOS ransomware (securityaffairs.com)

• Microsoft Warns of Malvertising Scheme Spreading CACTUS Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Linux version of Qilin ransomware focuses on VMware ESXi (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 75% of the Industrial Sector Experienced a Ransomware Attack in the Past Year, Claroty Study Finds (prnewswire.com)

• LockBit Remains Top Global Ransomware Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Wanted: top three most prolific ransomware gangs revealed! (techinformed.com)

• BlackSuit ransomware - what you need to know | Tripwire

• Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware, Data Breaches Inundate OT & Industrial Sector (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Staples Confirms System Outage Was Due to Cyber Attack, Raising the Possibility of a Data Breach | Console and Associates, P.C. - JDSupra

• 60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register

• 'Thousands' affected by cyber attack on conveyancing platform (thenegotiator.co.uk)

• News focus: Cyber-attack on law firm IT provider CTS hits conveyancing firms – what lessons need to be learned? | Law Gazette

• Hackers extorting fintech unicorn Tipalti, threaten to leak data of clients Roblox an | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• What it means — CitrixBleed ransomware group woes grow as over 60 credit unions, hospitals, financial services and more breached in US. | by Kevin Beaumont | Dec, 2023 | DoublePulsar

• Western Isles Council 'counting cost' of November's cyber attack - BBC News

• Austal USA Investigates Cyber Attack Claimed by Ransomware Group (darkreading.com)

• Nissan Restoring Systems After Cyber Attack - SecurityWeek

• Almost 440K individuals affected by cyber attack on Proliance Surgeons (WA) | HealthLeaders Media

• Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Cyber criminals are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT to craft more convincing phishing attacks, alarming cyber security experts | TechRadar

• Black Friday phishing attacks, and other cyber security news | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Cyber Criminals Escalate Microsoft Office Attacks By 53% in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US aerospace firm downed by spearphishing attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Booking.com users angry at firm's response to hacks - BBC News

• Hershey warns of data breach following phishing attack (therecord.media)

• This huge Russian phishing campaign is hitting targets across the world | TechRadar

• Disney+ Cyber Scheme Exposes New Impersonation Attack Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns - BBC News

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber criminals are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT to craft more convincing phishing attacks, alarming cyber security experts | TechRadar

• ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns - BBC News

• Artificial Intelligence: How It Can Target Your Firm’s Cyber Security Defences - Above the Law

• Bank of England Will Review the Risks That AI Poses to UK Financial Stability - SecurityWeek

• How do security leaders view AI and cyber risk insurance? • Foundry (foundryco.com)

• Exploring the impact of generative AI in the 2024 presidential election - Help Net Security

• Put guardrails around AI use to protect your org, but be open to changes - Help Net Security

• Major Organisations Using 'Hugging Face' AI Tools Put at Risk by Leaked API Tokens - SecurityWeek

• 2024 cyber security outlook: The rise of AI voice chatbots and prompt engineering innovations - Help Net Security

• Proliferation of AI-driven Attacks Anticipated in 2024 (itsecuritywire.com)

• Artificial Intelligence: How It Can Target Your Firm’s Cyber Security Defences - Above the Law

• Researchers automated jailbreaking of LLMs with other LLMs - Help Net Security

Malware

• Fake WordPress security advisory pushes backdoor plugin (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Convicted for Creating TrickBot Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Critical 'LogoFAIL' Bugs Offer Secure Boot Bypass for Millions of PCs (darkreading.com)

• Kaspersky malware report for Q3 2023 | Securelist

• PC malware statistics, Q3 2023 | Securelist

• Agent Racoon Backdoor Targets Organisations in Middle East, Africa, and US (thehackernews.com)

• Mac users are being targeted again with dangerous malware - here's what to know | TechRadar

• Russian hacker pleads guilty to Trickbot malware conspiracy (bitdefender.com)

• Trojan-Proxy Threat Expands Across macOS, Android and Windows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Stealthy 'Krasue' Linux Trojan Targeting Telecom Firms in Thailand (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers switch from email attacks to downloads (therecord.com)

• Microsoft Warns of COLDRIVER's Evolving Evading and Credential-Stealing Tactics (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• Android users warned about new threat after one victim loses $280K - PhoneArena

• Mobile malware statistics, Q3 2023 | Securelist

• December Android updates fix critical zero-click RCE flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 94 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android with December 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek

• Top mobile password managers could be exposing user details | TechRadar

• Apple Commissions Data Breach Study to Highlight Need for End-to-End Encryption - SecurityWeek

• Russian Hackers’ Lawsuit Reveals Weaknesses In Apple’s iOS 16 (forbes.com)

• Hackers have found a sneaky new way to spy on iPhone users — here’s how | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• SpyLoan Android malware on Google Play downloaded 12 million times (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trojan-Proxy Threat Expands Across macOS, Android and Windows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Vulns in Android WebView, Password Managers Can Leak User Credentials (darkreading.com)

• New Bluetooth Flaw Let Hackers Take Over Android, Linux, macOS, and iOS Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Apple and some Linux distros are open to Bluetooth attack • The Register

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• ENISA published ENISA Threat Landscape for DoS Attacks (securityaffairs.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• EU gets tough on cyber threat with sweeping security agreement (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Customizing Cyber Security For Critical Infrastructure In Smart Cities (forbes.com)

• The importance of Cyber Secure EV Charging stations – making the connection more secure (csl-group.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• 23andMe to Book Up to $2M in Cyber Security Breach Expenses - MarketWatch

• After hack, 23andMe gives users 30 days to opt out of class-action waiver | Ars Technica

• 23andMe updates user agreement to prevent data breach lawsuits (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9 million users | TechCrunch

• 23andMe: Data Breach Was a Credential-Stuffing Attack (darkreading.com)

• Data breach debacle hits yet another UK public sector org • The Register

• Fortune-telling website WeMystic exposes 13M+ user records (securityaffairs.com)

• Ninety Percent of Energy Companies Suffer Supplier Data Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Blue Shield of California customer data stolen in cyber attack | Tacoma News Tribune (thenewstribune.com)

• Hackers Claim to Have Stolen Data From Naval Shipyard Austal USA (maritime-executive.com)

• Hershey warns of data breach following phishing attack (therecord.media)

• Nissan is investigating cyber attack and potential data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• GST Invoice Billing Inventory exposes sensitive data to threat actors (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware, Data Breaches Inundate OT & Industrial Sector (darkreading.com)

• Millions of patient scans and health records spilling online thanks to decades-old protocol bug | TechCrunch

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Record-breaking 2023 highlights constant cyber threat (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Police Arrests 1000 Suspected Money Mules - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Online crime risks are doubling: Are cyber criminal groups starting to merge? - Digital Journal

• Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Platypus exploiters walk free after claiming to be ‘ethical hackers’ (cointelegraph.com)

• Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Hacking the Human Mind: Exploiting Vulnerabilities in the 'First Line of Cyber Defence' (thehackernews.com)

Insurance

• Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How do security leaders view AI and cyber risk insurance? • Foundry (foundryco.com)

• Brokers urged to deliver cyber threat message (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Hot Topics to Consider for 2024 D&O Questionnaires | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner - JDSupra

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Third-party breaches shake the foundations of the energy sector - Help Net Security

• Thousands of house purchases frozen by cyber attack and so will they complete before Christmas? - Property Industry Eye

• Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High (inforisktoday.com)

• 60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register

• How TUI Group Strengthened its Third-Party Risk Management - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Tipalti investigates claims of data stolen in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What it means — CitrixBleed ransomware group woes grow as over 60 credit unions, hospitals, financial services and more breached in US. | by Kevin Beaumont | Dec, 2023 | DoublePulsar

• Major Organisations Using 'Hugging Face' AI Tools Put at Risk by Leaked API Tokens - SecurityWeek

• BlackCat threatens to directly extort vendor's customers • The Register

Cloud/SaaS

• 60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register

• Make a Fresh Start for 2024: Clean Out Your User Inventory to Reduce SaaS Risk (thehackernews.com)

• Alert: Threat Actors Can Leverage AWS STS to Infiltrate Cloud Accounts (thehackernews.com)

• More oversight needed for cloud in banking, say regulators - Tech Monitor

• How can SMBs protect against fraud in the cloud? | ITPro

Encryption

• Cracking Weak Cryptography Before Quantum Computing Does (darkreading.com)

• HSBC tests protecting FX trading from quantum computer attacks (yahoo.com)

• Apple Commissions Data Breach Study to Highlight Need for End-to-End Encryption - SecurityWeek

Linux and Open Source

• New Bluetooth Flaw Let Hackers Take Over Android, Linux, macOS, and iOS Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Apple and some Linux distros are open to Bluetooth attack • The Register

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• 75% of sports-related passwords are reused across accounts | Security Magazine

• New Relic admits attack on staging systems, user accounts • The Register

• After hack, 23andMe gives users 30 days to opt out of class-action waiver | Ars Technica

• 23andMe: Data Breach Was a Credential-Stuffing Attack (darkreading.com)

• Vulns in Android WebView, Password Managers Can Leak User Credentials (darkreading.com)

• Top mobile password managers could be exposing user details | TechRadar

Malvertising

• Microsoft Warns of Malvertising Scheme Spreading CACTUS Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Are companies falling behind on cyber security awareness training? | CTV News

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Deutsche Wohnen Ruling Set to Drive Up GDPR Fines - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU gets tough on cyber threat with sweeping security agreement (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• SEC Cyber Security Rules Go Live in Days. Companies Still Aren't Sure What to Expect | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• More oversight needed for cloud in banking, say regulators - Tech Monitor

• Bank of England Will Review the Risks That AI Poses to UK Financial Stability - SecurityWeek

• SolarWinds lawsuit by SEC puts CISOs in the hot seat | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• NIST Cyber Security Framework Update – Adding the Sixth Pillar - ClearanceJobs

Data Protection

• Deutsche Wohnen Ruling Set to Drive Up GDPR Fines - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Alert fatigue puts pressure on security and development teams - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Convicted for Creating TrickBot Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Interpol Arrests Smuggler With New Biometric Screening Database (darkreading.com)

• Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Exploring the impact of generative AI in the 2024 presidential election - Help Net Security

• Russian AI-generated propaganda struggles to find an audience  | CyberScoop

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Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Deputy Prime Minister speech on cyber operations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Establishing New Rules for Cyber Warfare (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Security: The Fifth Battlefield (forbes.com)

• 10 Of The Most Advanced Cyber Warfare Tools (slashgear.com)

Nation State Actors

China

• Sellafield nuclear site 'hit by cyber attacks from Russian and Chinese hackers' - Tech Monitor

• Sellafield nuclear site under ‘robust scrutiny’ over cyber security fears (telegraph.co.uk)

• UK government denies China/Russia nuke plant hack claim • The Register

Russia

• Russia hacking: 'FSB in years-long cyber attacks on UK', says government - BBC News

• NCSC exposes Russian cyber attacks on UK political processes | Computer Weekly

• UK names FSB unit behind hack-and-leak campaigns, summons Russian ambassador (therecord.media)

• 2 Russian intel officers charged with hacking into US and British government agencies (nbcnews.com)

• Russian hackers have plenty of data left to leak - and the timing could be a serious problem | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• Russia's APT8 exploited Outlook 0day to target EU NATO members (securityaffairs.com)

• Fancy Bear goes phishing in US, European high-value networks • The Register

• This huge Russian phishing campaign is hitting targets across the world | TechRadar

• Russian hacker pleads guilty to Trickbot malware conspiracy (bitdefender.com)

• Microsoft Warns of COLDRIVER's Evolving Evading and Credential-Stealing Tactics (thehackernews.com)

• Russian hackers accused of targeting US intelligence community with spear phishing campaign - CBS News

• Russian Hackers’ Lawsuit Reveals Weaknesses In Apple’s iOS 16 (forbes.com)

• Microsoft Warns of Kremlin-Backed APT28 Exploiting Critical Outlook Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

Iran

• Breaches by Iran-Affiliated Hackers Spanned Multiple US States, Federal Agencies Say - SecurityWeek

• US, Israel Warn of Iranian-Linked Cyber Attacks on Water Systems - Bloomberg

• Iranian hackers attempt to damage critical infrastructure through Israeli Unitronics | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

North Korea

• North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• S.Korea, US, Japan hold 1st trilateral working-level talks on N.Korea's cyber threats | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

• North Korean hackers stole anti-aircraft system data from South Korean firm (therecord.media)

• $10 million up for grabs in fight against North Korean hackers (bitdefender.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• CISA says US government agency was hacked thanks to ‘end of life’ software | TechCrunch

• CISA's Goldstein wants to ditch 'patch faster, fix faster' model | CyberScoop

• Key drivers of software security for financial services - Help Net Security

• 20 years of Patch Tuesday: it’s time to look outside the Windows when fixing vulnerabilities | CSO Online

Vulnerabilities

• 20,000 Microsoft Exchange servers have reached end-of-life and are vulnerable to attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Sticking With Windows 10 Instead Of Upgrading? Get Ready To Pay For Security Updates (slashgear.com)

• Quick: Update iPhones and Macs – WebKit security hole found • The Register

• VMware Patches Critical Authentication Bypass Bug | Decipher (duo.com)

• Critical 'LogoFAIL' Bugs Offer Secure Boot Bypass for Millions of PCs (darkreading.com)

• Notepad++ Input Validation Flaw Leads Search Path Vulnerability (cybersecuritynews.com)

• December Android updates fix critical zero-click RCE flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 94 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android With December 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek

• Adobe ColdFusion flaw exploited in US government agency attacks (stackdiary.com)

• Chrome 120 launches with security updates, password sharing and automatic Safety Checks - gHacks Tech News

• Atlassian reveals four fresh critical flaws • The Register

• Qualcomm Releases Details on Chip Vulnerabilities Exploited in Targeted Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Dangerous vulnerability in fleet management software seemingly ignored by vendor | CyberScoop

• Future Intel, AMD and Arm CPUs Vulnerable to New 'SLAM' Attack: Researchers - SecurityWeek

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Tools and Controls

• Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to recover systems in the event of a cyber attack | Computer Weekly

• Five tips for recovering | Professional Security

• How Financial Institutions Can Navigate the ‘Operational Resilience' imperative (finextra.com)

• 78% of CISOs Concerned About AppSec Manageability - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to solve 2 MFA challenges: SIM swapping and MFA fatigue | TechTarget

• Why you should create a physical security standard for your company (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Why Invest? Building a Case for Increasing Cyber Security Budgets | UpGuard

• Comparing SOAR and XDR for MSSPs | MSSP Alert

• The reality behind bypassing EDR attempts | TechTarget

• New 'Pool Party' Process Injection Techniques Undetected by EDR Solutions - SecurityWeek

• Best 10 Best Cyber Attack Maps - 2024 (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Maximizing cyber security on a budget - Help Net Security

• Modern Attack Surface Management for CISOs (trendmicro.com)

• Brokers urged to deliver cyber threat message (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Proactive, not reactive: the path to ensuring operational resilience in cyber security | CSO Online

• Cyber Security: How to Demonstrate Resilience and Hygiene - Techopedia

• Cyber Security Insurance: Once Optional, Now Essential (informationweek.com)

• When Should You Replace A Cyber Security Vendor? (forbes.com)

• Are companies falling behind on cyber security awareness training? | CTV News

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Other News

• NATO’s Flagship Cyber Exercise Concludes In Estonia – Eurasia Review

• Ofcom publishes UK age verification proposals • The Register

• Microsoft Hires New CISO in Major Security Shakeup - SecurityWeek

• US aerospace companies are facing dangerous new cyber attacks | TechRadar

• Cyber security: MEPs back plans to increase cooperation against threats | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)

• Report reveals sorry state of cyber security at UK football clubs | Computer Weekly

• Porn Age Checks Threaten Security and Privacy, Report Warns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 2023’s Dark Horse Cyber Story: Critical Infrastructure Attacks (govtech.com)

• Nuclear hack creates rising fears of cyber vulnerability in critical services (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Mayor of London funds cyber crime service | UKAuthority

• The World Depends on 60-Year-Old Code No One Knows Anymore | PCMag

• Public sector has misplaced confidence in cyber security (securitybrief.co.nz)

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

·         OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 29 September 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Ransomware Groups Are Shifting Their Focus Away from Larger Targets

Ransomware groups are once again prioritising attacks on smaller organisations as they look to target those with less mature security capabilities. Analysis from Trend Micro has shown that ransomware groups such as Lockbit, Cl0p and Black Cat are slowing down attacks against “big game” targets, such as multinationals, and are focusing their attention on smaller organisations. It was found that the overall ransomware attack victim numbers increased by 47% from H2 2022.

Organisations “of up to 200 employees”, those within the small-to-medium-sized range, accounted for the majority (575) of attacks using LockBit’s ransomware across H1 2023. Similar trends were observed with rivals in the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) space. Nearly half (45%) of Black Cat victims were in the same size range. There are many underlying factors in the recent surge of attacks on smaller organisations, however one big cause is the economic factor and the perception that smaller organisations are not going to be as well protected.

Sources: [Techcentral] [Helpnet Security]

Cover-ups Still the Norm as Half of Cyber Attacks go Unreported

A report found that 48% of organisations that experience critical cyber incidents and disasters such as ransomware attacks do not report it to the appropriate authorities, and 41% do not even disclose cyber attacks to their boards. Alarmingly, 32% simply “forgot” and 22% self-reported that there wasn’t a system in place to report it. In the UK, failure to report a breach within 72 hours could make a company eligible for a fine up to €10 million or 2% of annual global turnover if deemed a lower-level infringement, and up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover for higher-level infringements.

The lack of reporting also has a knock-on effect: a significant number of cyber attacks go un-reported and therefore this skews statistics, meaning the current numbers of known cyber attacks are likely much lower than the actual figure.

Sources: [Computer Weekly] [InfoSecurity Magazine]

Reported Cyber Security Breaches Increase Threefold for Financial Services Firms

New research shows that cyber security breaches for UK financial service firms have increased threefold from 187 attacks (2021-2022) to 640 attacks (2022-2023). This comes as the pensions sector reported the biggest jump in breaches rising from 6 to 246 in the same period, a concerning large increase of 4,000%. These patterns are not only relevant to the UK however, with separate reports highlighting an 119% increase in attacks on financial sector cyber attacks globally from 2022 to 2023.

Trustees can be liable for failures in managing cyber risk, so any business looking to protect itself from the impact of a cyber attack should invest in understanding its cyber footprint, the risks it poses, and have the right policies/procedures in place.

Sources: [CIR Magazine] [PensionsAge] [CityAM] [TechRadar]

Attacks on SME’s Surged in The First Half of 2023

According to Kaspersky, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) dealt with more attacks during the first half of the year compared to the same time the year previous. Worryingly, a separate report found that over three quarters of SME leaders could not confidently identify a cyber incident at work and 50% of respondents felt they were unable to identify the difference between a phishing email and real email.

An outcome of the study was the identification of a need for effective user training. SMEs do not have the budget to have a wide range of tools, however they can strengthen their users’ security practices.  Black Arrow enables SMEs to strengthen their people controls through bespoke and affordable education and awareness training for all levels of the organisation.

Sources: [Inquirer] [HelpNet Security] [Insurance Times]

The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security

The average tenure of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is said to sit between 18 to 24 months; research highlights the reasons including the strain of the role, the perceived lack of leadership support, and the attraction of more money from a different employer. There is often a gap while the replacement is recruited, during which there is nobody looking after the organisation’s security.

In some cases, organisations may look to outsource by using the services of a virtual CISO (vCISO) with cost savings and greater stability and flexibility. The Black Arrow vCISO team are experienced world-class specialists, providing independent, impartial and objective expertise across the wide range of essential CISO skills with significant advantages compared to an internal resource.

Source: [Security Week]

Bermuda Struggles to Recover from Ransomware Attack

The Bermudan Government this week suffered what they referred to as a significant cyber incident. Workers were cut off from email and telephone systems, with affected departments resorting to manual processes and issuing of paper based cheques. The Government was unable to make payroll payments, and parcels could not be sent from the Island’s Post Offices. It is noted that while not all systems were affected, the government took everything offline out of precaution. It is believed that some other regional governments have also been impacted.

The attack has been attributed to Russia or Russian-based actors, but attribution in cases like this can be difficult. It should be noted that, if involvement from Russia were confirmed, both Russian state actors and Russian based cyber criminals work closely in a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties. Using cyber crime groups as fronts provides nation state actors with a level of deniability, while also allowing them to direct the operation and benefit from it. Equally, cyber crime groups get to do their thing with the blessing, whether tacit or explicit, of the national authorities in their country. In general, countries where this happens (such as Russia, North Korea and China) have no interest in cooperating with Western authorities, so the cyber criminals essentially work with impunity.

Sources: [Duo] [GovInfo Security] [Bleeping Computer]

Businesses Remain Unprepared Despite Cyber Threats Remaining a Top Concern

A report found cyber threats continue to rank among the top three business concerns for a wide spectrum of companies. Despite it being such a concern, a significant percentage of businesses admitted to not conducting cyber assessments for vendors (57%) or customers’ assets (56%), having an incident response plan (50%), or implementing multifactor authentication for remote access (44%). Phishing scams were of particular concern, with companies reporting a notable increase in incidents, jumping from 14% to 27% over the past year.

Cyber attacks are a certainly a sobering reality, with nearly 23% of survey participants disclosing that their company had fallen victim to a cyber attack and 49% of these incidents occurred within the past year.

Source: [Reinsurance News]

Business Leaders More Anxious About Ransomware Than Recession as Victims from Single Attack Surpasses 2,000 Organisations

According to a recent study, half of business leaders are more worried about falling victim to a ransomware attack than macroeconomic hardship. Over 60% of businesses who had suffered a ransomware attack reported concerns about the prospect of a second ransomware attack, and 71% of leaders admitted their businesses wouldn’t be able to withstand it. 56% said they had increased hiring costs, nearly half experienced increased customer complaints, and 47% reported team stress. This comes as the tally of victims from the MOVEit attack alone surpasses 2,000 organisations. To make matters worse, the FBI has described dual ransomware attacks taking place, with the second attack less than 48 hours after the first.

Source: [Tech Informed] [Helpnet Security] [Helpnet Security] [BleepComputer]

Hotel Hackers Redirect Guests to Fake Booking[.]com Site in Major Phishing Campaign

Booking.com users have become the focus of a new, large-scale phishing campaign that involved hackers taking control of the hotel’s Booking[.]com account. Once in control, the attackers were then able to utilise personal information and craft messages, tailored to victims.

With many organisations using sites such as Booking[.]com, it is imperative that staff are trained effectively, to reduce the risk of them falling victim to a phishing campaign.

Sources: [BleepingComputer] [Inforsecurity Magazine]

Cyber Leaders Worry That AI Will Overwhelm Cyber Defences

A survey of 250 leaders found that 85% worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences while almost two thirds (61%) have already seen an increase in cyber attack complexity due to AI. Overall 80% view AI as the single biggest cyber threat their business faces, and seven out of 10 are investing in more resilient measures to improve their detection and response protocols.

AI can certainly be overwhelming, but with the right expertise, organisations can navigate their way to improving their AI defences. Black Arrow’s expert team helps your leadership to understand and manage AI-based risks, and safely adopt artificial intelligence in your organisation.

Source: [Management Issues]

Boards Still Lack Cyber Security Expertise

A study by the US National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the Internet Security Alliance (ISA) found that just 12% of S&P 500 companies have board directors with relevant cyber credentials, showing that there is still a lack of expertise at the board level. Boards can improve their expertise by engaging with training that is tailored to leadership. Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to demonstrate governance of their cyber security, by owning their cyber security strategy and leveraging their existing internal and external resources to build resilience against a cyber security incident. Source: [Wallstreet Journal]

4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident

In the event of a cyber incident, there are a number of problems that emerge, but some you may not be aware of. These may include investigations by auditors, a freeze on payments by banks, and uncertainty about notifying third parties including customers. Your insurance provide may also launch a review of the cyber security controls that you had in place before the incident, to determine the payout.

Ideally, you will never have to face a cyber incident, but it can happen and it’s best to ensure you are well placed to deal with it, by understanding what needs to be done and how to respond. Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident; this can include an Incident Response Plan and an educational tabletop exercise for the leadership team that highlights the proportionate controls to help the organisation prevent and mitigate an incident.

Source: [Dark Reading]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security - Security Week

• Boards Still Lack Cyber Security Expertise - WSJ

• Cyber leaders worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences (management-issues.com)

• It's time to safeguard the financial sector: Navigate employee turnover to defend against escalating cyber attacks (betanews.com)

• Businesses Unprepared for Cyber Attacks Despite Steady Concern (insurancejournal.com)

• Cyber criminals are targeting the financial sector more than ever | TechRadar

• The hidden costs of neglecting cyber security for small businesses - Help Net Security

• Majority of UK SME c-suites lacking awareness of cyber risks | Insurance Times

• Business leaders most anxious about ransomware attacks (techinformed.com)

• Cyber security incident response: Your company's ICU (channelweb.co.uk)

• Cover-ups still the norm in the wake of a cyber incident | Computer Weekly

• Many firms aren't reporting breaches to the proper authorities | TechRadar

• Half of Cyber-Attacks Go Unreported - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISOs are struggling to get cyber security budgets: Report | CSO Online

• CISOs are spending more on cyber security - but it might not be enough | TechRadar

• Cyber threats remain top concern for businesses in 2023: Travelers Risk Index - Reinsurance News

• Despite rising insider risk costs, budgets are being wasted in the wrong places - Help Net Security

• The Hot Seat: CISO Accountability in a New Era of SEC Regulation (darkreading.com)

• Proactive Security: What It Means for Enterprise Security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• Essential guide to cyber security compliance | Intruder

• 4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident (darkreading.com)

• Moving From Qualitative to Quantitative Cyber Risk Modeling - Security Week

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware soars as enterprises struggle to respond - Verdict

• Ransomware groups are once again targeting smaller businesses for more lucrative payouts - TechCentral.ie

• Ransomware groups are shifting their focus away from larger targets - Help Net Security

• Business leaders most anxious about ransomware attacks (techinformed.com)

• Why is Ransomware Such a Prevalent Threat and Popular Tool for Attackers? | MSSP Alert

• ShadowSyndicate: A New Cyber Crime Group Linked to 7 Ransomware Families (thehackernews.com)

• The Group Claiming To Have Hacked Sony Is Using GDPR As A Weapon For Demanding Ransoms | Techdirt

• FBI: Dual ransomware attack victims now get hit within 48 hours (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cl0p's MOVEit attack tally surpasses 2,000 victim organisations - Help Net Security

• MOVEit cyber attack is pause for concern | Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. - JDSupra

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• 'Power, influence, notoriety': The Gen-Z hackers who struck MGM and Caesars - The Japan Times

• Amidst MGM, Caesar's Incidents, Attackers Focus on Luxury Hotels (darkreading.com)

• Youth hacking ring at the center of cyber crime spree | CyberScoop

• Current ransomware defencs efforts are not working - Help Net Security

• VMware users anxious about costs and ransomware threats - Help Net Security

• MSP shares details of Kaseya VSA ransomware attack, recovery | TechTarget

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• Study Reveals Conti Affiliates Money Laundering Practices (inforisktoday.com)

• Akira Ransomware Mutates to Target Linux Systems, Adds TTPs (darkreading.com)

• Trend Micro Report Reveals Increase of LockBit Ransomware Attacks in US (thedefensepost.com)

• Hospital Ransomware Attacks Go Beyond Health Care Data (securityintelligence.com)

• Patient Care at Risk as Hospitals Increasingly on Frontlines of Ransomware Attacks | The Epoch Times

• Ransomware a threat to the trucking industry - FreightWaves

Ransomware Victims

• Bermuda Struggles to Recover From Cyber Attack (govinfosecurity.com)

• Cl0p's MOVEit attack tally surpasses 2,000 victim organisations - Help Net Security

• Amidst MGM, Caesar's Incidents, Attackers Focus on Luxury Hotels (darkreading.com)

• MGM, Caesars Cyber Attack Responses Required Brutal Choices (darkreading.com)

• Russian ransomware LockBit threatens to leak internal data from The Weather Network on dark web - The Globe and Mail

• City of Dallas has set a budget of $8.5 million to mitigate the May Royal ransomware attack. (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware Group Claims to Have Breached 'All of Sony Systems' (vgchartz.com)

• 900 US Schools Impacted by MOVEit Hack at National Student Clearinghouse - Security Week

• Youth hacking ring at the center of cyber crime spree | CyberScoop

• MGM Resorts and Caesars face class action lawsuits over September cyber attacks By Investing.com

• UK logistics firm blames ransomware attack for insolvency, 730 redundancies (therecord.media)

• Ransomed.vc Group Hits NTT Docomo After Sony Breach Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware group demands $51 million from Johnson Controls after cyber attack (bitdefender.com)

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• Alphv group claims the hack of Clarion, a global manufacturer of audio and video equipment for cars (securityaffairs.com)

• Leekes cyber attack? NoEscape ransomware gang claims breach (techmonitor.ai)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• This devious phishing scam makes it look like dodgy emails are actually safe | TechRadar

• Booking.com Customers Targeted in Major Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Use of QR codes in email phishing | Securelist

• How Does Modern Phishing Work? | HackerNoon

• New AtlasCross hackers use American Red Cross as phishing lure (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Trick Outlook Into Showing Fake AV Scan | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Nigerian man pleads guilty to attempted $6 million BEC email heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BEC Attacks Increase By 279% in Healthcare - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Rise in cyber criminals leveraging voice phishing and OTP theft for data breaches: Report | Tech News (hindustantimes.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber leaders worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences (management-issues.com)

• No 10 worried AI could be used to create advanced weapons that escape human control | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• The Biggest AI Trends in Cyber Security - CNET

• Google is working to keep Bard chats out of Search • The Register

• Nuclear Brinkmanship in AI-Enabled Warfare: A Dangerous Algorithmic Game of Chicken - War on the Rocks

• New working group to probe AI risks and applications | CyberScoop

• A Primer On Artificial Intelligence And Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• How should organisations navigate the risks and opportunities of AI? - Help Net Security

Malware

• Malware attacks on SMEs surged in H1 | Inquirer Business

• Gozi strikes again, targeting banks, cryptocurrency and more (securityintelligence.com)

• 'Culturestreak' Malware Lurks Inside GitLab Python Package (darkreading.com)

• Deadglyph: New Advanced Backdoor with Distinctive Malware Tactics (thehackernews.com)

• New variant of BBTok Trojan targets users of +40 banks in LATAM (securityaffairs.com)

• A powerful new malware backdoor is targeting governments across the world | TechRadar

• Researchers uncover thriving market for malware targeting IoT devices - The Hindu

• ZenRAT Malware Uncovered in Bitwarden Impersonation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Mobile

• Spyware: Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online: report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• China-Linked EvilBamboo Targets Mobiles - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• iOS 17 update secretly changed your privacy settings; here's how to set them back (bitdefender.com)

• Dangerous XenomorphAndroid malware is stealing from 100 banking apps — protect yourself now | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Predator Spyware Delivered to iOS, Android Devices via Zero-Days, MitM Attacks - Security Week

• Russian Firm Willing to Pay $20 Million for iPhone, Android Zero-Day Exploits (pcmag.com)

Botnets

• Bot Swarm: Attacks From Middle East & Africa Are Notably Up (darkreading.com)

• New variant of BBTok Trojan targets users of +40 banks in LATAM (securityaffairs.com)

• Asian banks are a favorite target of cyber cooks, and malicious bots their preferred tool | ZDNET

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Over 700 Dark Web Ads Offer DDoS Attacks Via IoT in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Internet of Things – IoT

• If You Have An Amazon Alexa Device, You Need To Check This Security Update List (slashgear.com)

• Researchers uncover thriving market for malware targeting IoT devices - The Hindu

• Where Linux is in your home, and how to protect Linux devices from hacking | Kaspersky official blog

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Billions of usernames and passwords leaked online — how to see if you’re affected | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• ICO sees breach reports from FS firms triple - CIR Magazine

• UK pension schemes reveal 4,000% rise in cyber security breaches - Pensions Age Magazine

• Reported cyber security breaches increase threefold for financial services firms (cityam.com)

• British charities warn supporters their personal data has been breached • Graham Cluley

• Air Canada discloses data breach of employee and 'certain records' (bleepingcomputer.com)

• National Student Clearinghouse data breach impacts 890 schools (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BORN Ontario child registry data breach affects 3.4 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 900 US Schools Impacted by MOVEit Hack at National Student Clearinghouse - Security Week

• Regulator Warns Breaches Can Cost Lives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hospital alert as 24,000 letters meant for GPs lost in computer error - Mirror Online

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• 'Power, influence, notoriety': The Gen-Z hackers who struck MGM and Caesars - The Japan Times

• Asian banks are a favourite target of cyber cooks, and malicious bots their preferred tool | ZDNET

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• NFT Hype Collapse Means 95% of The Digital Assets Are Now 'Worthless' | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Gozi strikes again, targeting banks, cryptocurrency and more (securityintelligence.com)

• Yet another hack hits NFT marketplace OpenSea - SiliconANGLE

• Crooks stole $200 million worth of assets from Mixin Network (securityaffairs.com)

• Bitcoin scammer who was snared by victims sentenced - BBC News

• Security researcher stopped at US border for investigating crypto scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• 75% who didn't report cyber attack to leadership, felt guilty about it | Security Magazine

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

• Despite rising insider risk costs, budgets are being wasted in the wrong places - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Hotel hackers redirect guests to fake Booking.com to steal cards (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Beware: fraud and smishing scams targeting students | Bournemouth University

• Yet another hack hits NFT marketplace OpenSea - SiliconANGLE

• Crooks stole $200 million worth of assets from Mixin Network (securityaffairs.com)

• Fraud prevention forces scammers to up their game - Help Net Security

• Why young people are more prone to online scams than boomers are (news5cleveland.com)

• Bitcoin scammer who was snared by victims sentenced - BBC News

• Security researcher warns of chilling effect after feds search phone at airport | TechCrunch

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Study Reveals Conti Affiliates Money Laundering Practices (inforisktoday.com)

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

Insurance

• Exploring Cyber Insurance and its Intersection with Property Coverage | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

• Half of organisations with cyber insurance implemented additional security measures to qualify for the policy or reduce its cost - IT Security Guru

Dark Web

• Over 700 Dark Web Ads Offer DDoS Attacks Via IoT in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• How the Okta Cross-Tenant Impersonation Attacks Succeeded (darkreading.com)

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• 3 phases of the third-party risk management lifecycle | TechTarget

Cloud/SaaS

• Guide: SaaS Offboarding Checklist - Help Net Security

Containers

• Kubernetes attacks in 2023: What it means for the future - Help Net Security

Encryption

• The UK just passed an online safety law that could make people less safe (theconversation.com)

• Regulators Are 'Hurting Their Own Country' in Seeking Encryption Backdoors: Nym CEO - Decrypt

Open Source

• Where Linux is in your home, and how to protect Linux devices from hacking | Kaspersky official blog

• Akira Ransomware Mutates to Target Linux Systems, Adds TTPs (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Why Shouldn’t You Use the Same Password Everywhere Online (makeuseof.com)

• Are You Willing to Pay the High Cost of Compromised Credentials? (thehackernews.com)

Biometrics

• The multi-national push to ban facial recognition in public spaces | Biometric Update

Social Media

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• X scraps tool to report electoral fake news - researchers - BBC News

Malvertising

• Spyware: Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online: report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

Travel

• Security researcher stopped at US border for investigating crypto scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Regulator Warns Breaches Can Cost Lives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• The Group Claiming To Have Hacked Sony Is Using GDPR As A Weapon For Demanding Ransoms | Techdirt

• The UK just passed an online safety law that could make people less safe (theconversation.com)

• Are we about to lose the last pillar of our digital security? | Euronews

• New working group to probe AI risks and applications | CyberScoop

• SEC Gives Finality on Cyber Security Disclosures for Public Companies | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP - JDSupra

• Why California's Delete Act matters for the whole country - Help Net Security

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• MITRE ATT&CK project leader on why the framework remains vital for cyber security pros - Help Net Security

• Why It’s Wrong To Judge SIEM Success Only Against The ATT&CK Framework (forbes.com)

• Urgent actions for protecting utilities against cyber-attack: Navigating NIS 2 - Utility Week

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security - Security Week

• Demand for cyber security staff trebled since 2019 | Business Post

• Cyber security and staffing issues key risks for companies | Accountancy Daily

• Cyber security skills employers are desperate to find in 2023 - Help Net Security

• Preventing security professionals from ‘quietly quitting’ due to alert fatigue (securitybrief.co.nz)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Nigerian man pleads guilty to attempted $6 million BEC email heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Western District of Washington | French cyber criminal pleads guilty to fraud and aggravated identity theft for hacking private information | United States Department of Justice

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• X scraps tool to report electoral fake news - researchers - BBC News

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Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

Russia

• Russia’s APT29 intensifies espionage operations | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian hacking operations target Ukrainian law enforcement | CyberScoop

• Cyber-Attacks on Ukraine Surge 123%, But Success Rates Plummet - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Government of Bermuda blames Russian threat actors for the cyber attack (securityaffairs.com)

• Bermuda probes major cyber attack as officials slowly bring operations back online (thestar.com)

• Ukraine war: Cyber Attack in Crimea after Black Sea fleet HQ hit | News UK Video News | Sky News

• Russian hackers trying to steal evidence of Moscow’s war crimes in Ukraine - cyber chief (ukrinform.net)

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• Examining the Activities of the Turla APT Group (trendmicro.com)

• Scottish Tory MSP has website hacked by 'hostile Russian group' | The National

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• Russian Firm Willing to Pay $20 Million for iPhone, Android Zero-Day Exploits (pcmag.com)

• Cyber Attack on Russian Air Booking System Sparks Flight Delays - The Moscow Times

China

• China's BlackTech Hacking Group Exploited Cisco Routers to Target US and Japanese Companies (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese hackers stole 60,000 emails from US State Department in Microsoft hack, Senate staffer says (databreaches.net)

• Taiwan is bracing for Chinese cyber attacks, White House official says - POLITICO

• China-Linked EvilBamboo Targets Mobiles - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese Gov Hackers Caught Hiding in Cisco Router Firmware - Security Week

• Budworm: APT Group Uses Updated Custom Tool in Attacks on Government and Telecoms Org | Symantec Enterprise Blogs (security.com)

• China’s national security minister lists top digital threats • The Register

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• Sophisticated APT Clusters Target Southeast Asia - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Why Zero Days Are Set for Highest Year on Record - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Another Chrome security issue is exploited in the wild (and affecting all Chromium-based browsers) - gHacks Tech News

• Google assigns new maximum rated CVE to libwebp bug exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco Warns of IOS Software Zero-Day Exploitation Attempts - Security Week

• Researchers Release Details of New RCE Exploit Chain for SharePoint (darkreading.com)

• High-Severity Flaws Uncovered in Atlassian Products and ISC BIND Server (thehackernews.com)

• GPUs from all major suppliers are vulnerable to new pixel-stealing attack | Ars Technica

• Firefox 118 Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Hackers actively exploiting Openfire flaw to encrypt servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• China's BlackTech Hacking Group Exploited Cisco Routers to Target US and Japanese Companies (thehackernews.com)

• macOS 14 Sonoma Patches 60 Vulnerabilities - Security Week

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Tools and Controls

• Cyber security incident response: Your company's ICU (channelweb.co.uk)

• CISOs are spending more on cyber security - but it might not be enough | TechRadar

• 4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident (darkreading.com)

• Half of organisations with cyber insurance implemented additional security measures to qualify for the policy or reduce its cost - IT Security Guru

• The 5 most dangerous Wi-Fi attacks, and how to fight them | PCWorld

• The Biggest AI Trends in Cyber Security - CNET

• How SOAR helps improve MTTD and MTTR metrics | TechTarget

• What Is a Network Security Assessment and Why You Need It | MSSP Alert

• Why You Should Phish In Your Own Pond (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The pitfalls of neglecting security ownership at the design stage - Help Net Security

• Guide: SaaS Offboarding Checklist - Help Net Security

• A Primer On Artificial Intelligence And Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

• Proactive Security: What It Means for Enterprise Security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• Looking Beyond the Hype Cycle of AI/ML in Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• The Dark Side of Browser Isolation – and the Next Generation Browser Security Technologies (thehackernews.com)

• Moving From Qualitative to Quantitative Cyber Risk Modelling - SecurityWeek

• Cyber security budgets show moderate growth - Help Net Security

• Evaluating Security Outsourcing in the Wake of Recent High-Profile Cyber Attacks: Info-Tech Research Group Publishes New Resource (prnewswire.com)

• Exploring Cyber Insurance and its Intersection with Property Coverage | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

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Other News

• Cyber criminals are targeting the financial sector more than ever | TechRadar

• The hidden costs of neglecting cyber security for small businesses - Help Net Security

• SMBs face growing cyber security threats, but basic measures can lower risks | ZDNET

• Why aviation needs to prioritise cyber security – Airport World (airport-world.com)

• The key threats facing ICS/OT environments (betanews.com)

• Are Fire Departments Prepared for a Cyber Attack? | HackerNoon

• Fintechs must brace for rising cyber security challenges | Mint (livemint.com)

• Space Force chief says commercial satellites may need defending | Ars Technica

• UK Cyber Security Council CEO reflects on a year of progress | CSO Online

• Google Loophole Lets Drug Dealers Hijack Nearly Any Website to Sell Narcotics (businessinsider.com)

• Cyber Hygiene: A First Line of  Against Evolving Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Attacks hit military, Parliament websites as India hacker group targets Canada (cheknews.ca)

• KnowBe4 Finds US. Healthcare a Top Target For Cyber Attacks (prnewswire.com)

• US Government Shutdown Could Bench 80% of CISA Staff - SecurityWeek

• Recommendations for Managing Cyber Security Threats in the Manufacturing Sector | Foley & Lardner LLP - JDSupra

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

·         OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 16 June 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Hacker Gang Clop Deploys Extortion Tactics Against Global Companies

The Russian-speaking gang of hackers that compromised UK groups such as British Airways and the BBC has claimed it has siphoned off sensitive data from more institutions including US-based investment firms, European manufacturers and US universities. Eight other companies this week made it onto Clop’s list on the dark web. That adds to the news last week that UK groups, including Walgreens-owned Boots, informed employees that their data had been compromised. The issue also targeted customers of Zellis, a UK-based payroll provider that about half of the companies on the FTSE 100 use.

The hacking group is pushing for contact with the companies on the list, according to a post on Clop’s dark web site, as the gang demands a ransom that cyber security experts and negotiators said could be as much as several million dollars.

https://www.ft.com/content/c1db9c5c-cdf1-48bc-8e6b-2c2444b66dc9

• Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally

Business email compromise (BEC) continues to evolve on the back of sophisticated targeting and social engineering, costing businesses worldwide more than $50 billion in the last 10 years - a figure that reflected a growth in business losses to BEC of 17% year-over-year in 2022, according to the FBI.

Security professionals attribute BEC's continued dominance in the cyber threat landscape to several reasons. A key one is that attackers have become increasingly savvy in how to socially-engineer messages so that they appear authentic to users, which is the key to being successful at this scam. And with the increase in availability of artificial intelligence, the continued success of BEC means these attacks are here to stay. Organisations will be forced to respond with even stronger security measures, security experts say.

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/social-engineering-drives-bec-losses-to-50b-globally

• Creating A Cyber Conscious Culture—It Must Be Driven from the Top

Businesses are facing more frequent and sophisticated cyber threats and they must continuously learn new ways to protect their revenues, reputation and maintain regulatory compliance. With hybrid and remote working blurring traditional security perimeters and expanding the attack surface, the high volumes of sensitive information held by organisations are at increased risk of cyber attacks.

The increase had led to cyber elevating to the board level; after all the board is responsible for cyber security. It doesn’t stop there however, as everyone in an organisation has responsibility for upholding cyber security. The board must aim to create a cyber-conscious culture, where users are aware of their role in cyber security. One important way such a culture can be achieved is through providing regular education and training to all users.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/06/12/creating-a-cyber-conscious-culture-it-must-be-driven-from-the-top/sh=6a0bb36426cc

• Artificial Intelligence is Coming to Windows: Are Your Security Policy Settings Ready?

What’s in your Windows security policy? Do you review your settings on an annual basis or more often? Do you provide education and training regarding the topics in the policy? Does it get revised when the impact of an incident showcases that an internal policy violation led to the root cause of the issue? And, importantly, do you have a security policy that includes your firm’s overall policies around the increasing race towards artificial intelligence, which is seemingly in nearly every application released these days?

From word processing documents to the upcoming enhancements to Windows 11, which will include AI prompting in the Explorer platform, organisations should review how they want their employees to treat customer data or other confidential information when using AI platforms. Many will want to build limits and guidelines into their security plans that specify what is allowed to be entered into platforms and websites that may store or share the information online. However, confidential information should not be included in any application that doesn’t have clearly defined protections around the handling of such data. The bottom line is that AI is coming to your network and your desktop sooner than you think. Build your policies now and review your processes to determine if you are ready for it today.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3698517/artificial-intelligence-is-coming-to-windows-are-your-security-policy-settings-ready.html

• Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs

Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting an organisation’s employees, figuring to trick an untrained staffer to click on a malicious link that starts a malware attack, Fortinet said in a newly released study of security awareness and training.

More than 80% of organisations faced malware, phishing and password attacks last year, which were mainly targeted at users. This underscores that employees can be an organisation’s weakest point or one of its most powerful defences.

Fortinet’s research revealed that more than 90% of the survey’s respondents believe that increased employee cyber security awareness would help decrease the occurrence of cyber attacks. As organisations face increasing cyber risks, employees serving as an organisation’s first line of defence in protecting their organisation from cyber crime becomes of paramount importance.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/cyber-crooks-targeting-employees-organizations-fight-back-with-training-programs/

• Massive Phishing Campaign Uses 6,000 Sites to Impersonate 100 Brands

A widespread brand impersonation campaign targeting over a hundred popular apparel, footwear, and clothing brands has been underway since June 2022, tricking people into entering their account credentials and financial information on fake websites. The brands impersonated by the phony sites include Nike, Puma, Asics, Vans, Adidas, Columbia, Superdry, Converse, Casio, Timberland, Salomon, Crocs, Sketchers, The North Face and others.

A recent report found the campaign relies on at least 3,000 domains and roughly 6,000 sites, including inactive ones. The campaign had a significant activity spike between January and February 2023, adding 300 new fake sites monthly. The domain names follow a pattern of using the brand name together with a city or country, followed by a generic TLD such as ".com." Additionally, any details entered on the checkout pages, most notably the credit card details, may be stored by the website operators and resold to cyber criminals.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/massive-phishing-campaign-uses-6-000-sites-to-impersonate-100-brands/

• Over One in Ten Brits are Willing to Engage in ‘Illegal or Illicit’ Online Behaviour

A recent study found that 11% of Brits were tempted to engage in ‘illegal or illicit online behaviour’ in order to help manage the fallout from the cost of living crisis. This statistic becomes even more concerning when focused on younger people, with almost a quarter of 25–35 year old respondents (23%) willing to consider illegal or illicit online activity. Of those willing to engage in this kind of behaviour, 56% suggested it was because they are desperate and struggling to get by, and need to find alternative means of supporting their families.

Nearly half (47%) of UK business leaders believe their organisation has been at a greater risk of attack since the start of the cost-of-living crisis. Against this backdrop, many SME business leaders are understandably worried about the impact on employees. Of those who think their organisation is more exposed to attack, 38% believe it’s due to malicious insiders and 35% to overworked and distracted staff making mistakes. Organisations not doing so already, should look to incorporate insider threat into their security plans. Insider threat should focus on areas such as regular education and monitoring and detection.

The report found that 44% of respondents have also noticed an uptick in online scams hitting their inboxes since the cost of living crisis began in late 2021/early 2022. Another worrying finding is that this uptick is proving devastatingly effective for scammers: over one in ten (13%) of UK respondents have already been scammed since the cost of living crisis began. This rises to a quarter (26%) of respondents in the 18-25 age range, reflecting a hyper-online lifestyle and culture that scammers can work to exploit effectively.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/06/15/it-security-guru-study-shows-over-one-in-ten-brits-are-willing-to-engage-in-illegal-or-illicit-online-behaviour-as-the-cost-of-living-crisis-worsens 

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/costofliving-crisis-drives-insider/

• Microsoft Office 365 Phishing Reveals Signs of Much Larger BEC Campaign

Recently, Microsoft discovered multi-stage adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attacks against banking and financial services organisations. The attackers are successfully phishing employees’ accounts with fake Office 365 domains. This allows them to bypass authentication, exfiltrate data and send further phishing emails against other employees and several targeted external organisations. In some cases, threat actors have registered their own device to the employee’s account, to evade MFA defences and achieve persistent access.

https://securityaffairs.com/147327/hacking/aitm-bec-attacks.html

https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/adversary-in-middle-attack-campaign.html

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3699122/microsoft-office-365-aitm-phishing-reveals-signs-of-much-larger-bec-campaign.html

• Europol Warns of Metaverse and AI Terror Threat

New and emerging technologies like conversational AI, deepfakes and the metaverse could be utilised by terrorists and extremists to radicalise and recruit converts to their cause, Europol has warned. The report stated that the online environment lowers the bar for entering the world of terrorism and extremism, broadens the range of people that can become exposed to radicalisation and increases the unpredictability of terrorism and extremism.

Europol also pointed to the potential use of deepfakes, augmented reality and conversational AI to enhance the efficiency of terrorist propaganda. Both these technologies and internet of things (IoT) tools can also be deployed in more practical tasks such as the remote operation of vehicles and weapons used in attacks or setting up virtual training camps. Digital currencies are also playing a role in helping to finance such groups while maintaining the anonymity of those contributing the funding, Europol said.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/europol-warns-metaverse-and-ai/

• What is AI, and is it Dangerous?

Recently, we saw the release of the first piece of EU regulation on AI. This comes after a significant rise in the usage of tools such as ChatGPT. Such tools allow for even those with limited technical ability to perform sophisticated actions. In fact, usage has risen 44% over the last three months alone, according to a report.

Rather worryingly, there is a lack of governance on the usage of AI, and this extends to how AI is used within your own organisation. Whilst the usage can greatly improve actions performed within an organisation, the report found that 6% of employees using AI had pasted sensitive company data into an AI tool. Would your organisation know if this happened, and how damaging could it be to your organisation if this data was to be leaked? Continuous monitoring, risk analysis and real-time governance can help aid an organisation in having an overview of the usage of AI.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65855333

https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/new-research-6-of-employees-paste.html

• Cyber Liability Insurance Vs. Data Breach Insurance: What's the Difference?

With an ever-increasing number of cyber security threats and attacks, companies are becoming motivated to protect their businesses and customer data both technically and financially. Finding the right insurance has become a key part of the security equation.

Companies looking to protect themselves have most likely heard the terms “cyber liability insurance” and “data breach insurance.” Put simply, cyber liability insurance refers to coverage for third-party claims asserted against a company stemming from a network security event or data breach. Data breach insurance, on the other hand, refers to coverage for first-party losses incurred by the insured organisation that has suffered a loss of data.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3698297/cyber-liability-insurance-vs-data-breach-insurance-whats-the-difference.html

• Exploring the Dark Web: Hitmen for Hire and the Realities of Online Activities

The dark web makes up a significant portion of the internet. Access can be gained through special browser, TOR, also known as the onion Router. The service bounces around IP addresses, constantly changing to protect the anonymity of the user.

This dark web contains an array of activities and sites, which include hitmen for hire, drugs for sale, and stolen credit card databases amongst others. Sometimes these aren’t real however, and are actually a trap to steal money from users on the basis that these users are unlikely to report it to law enforcement when the victim was trying to break the law in the first place. What we do know however, is that the dark web contains a plethora of information, and this could include data from your organisation.

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2023/06/07/exploring-the-dark-web-hitman-for-hire-and-the-realities-of-online-activities/

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Creating A Cyber-Conscious Culture—It Must Be Driven From The Top (forbes.com)

• Most businesses vulnerable to attacks on the cyber battlefield - The Globe and Mail

• 10 Important Security Tasks You Shouldn't Skip (darkreading.com)

• Just 14% of CISOs possess desired traits for cyber security-expert board positions: Report  | VentureBeat

• Enhancing security team capabilities in tough economic times - Help Net Security

• Ignoring digital transformation is more dangerous than a recession - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)

• How the modern CIO grapples with legacy IT | CIO

• Cyber debt levels reach tipping point - Help Net Security

• Over Half of Security Leaders Lack Confidence in Protecting App Secrets, Study Reveals (thehackernews.com)

• Lax security measures, sophisticated hackers reason for rise in cyber breaches (ewn.co.za)

• Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert

• Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online

• Red teaming can be the ground truth for CISOs and execs - Help Net Security

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• CL0P Ransomware Gang Hits Multiple Governments, Businesses in Wide-Scale Attack - MSSP Alert

• Ransomware gang lists first victims of MOVEit mass-hacks, including US banks and universities | TechCrunch

• Cyber extortion hits all-time high - Help Net Security

• How Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intel Can Help Prevent Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• Researchers Report First Instance of Automated SaaS Ransomware Extortion (darkreading.com)

• Why Critical Infrastructure Remains a Ransomware Target (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)

• CISA: LockBit ransomware extorted $91 million in 1,700 US attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft links data wiping attacks to new Russian GRU hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Warns of New Russian State-Sponsored Hacker Group with Destructive Intent (thehackernews.com)

• To Fight Cyber Extortion and Ransomware, Shift Left (trendmicro.com)

• Ransomware Hackers and Scammers Utilizing Cloud Mining to Launder Cryptocurrency (thehackernews.com)

• Russian ransomware hacker extorted tens of millions, says DOJ (cnbc.com)

• Ransomware review: June 2023 (malwarebytes.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register

• Confidential data downloaded from UK regulator Ofcom in cyber attack (therecord.media)

• Oil and gas giant Shell confirms it was impacted by Clop ransomware attacks (therecord.media)TfL warns 13,000 staff that it was raided by Russian hackers (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russian hackers steal data on thousands of Ulez drivers (telegraph.co.uk)

• JBS’s cyber security was poor prior to 2021 ransomware attack, homeland security records show | Successful Farming (agriculture.com)

• An Illinois hospital links closure to ransomware attack (nbcnews.com)

• US energy department, other agencies hit in global hacking spree | Reuters

• iTWire - Financial services firm FIIG hit by cyber attack, ALPHV claims credit

• The University of Manchester hit by cyber security breach after detecting 'unauthorised activity' - Manchester Evening News

• Xplain data breach also impacted national Swiss railway FSS - Security Affairs

• Rhysida ransomware leaks documents stolen from Chilean Army (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Microsoft Office 365 AitM phishing reveals signs of much larger BEC campaign | CSO Online

• Adversary-in-the-Middle Attack Campaign Hits Dozens of Global Organisations (thehackernews.com)

• Younger, more extroverted, and more agreeable individuals are more vulnerable to email phishing scams (psypost.org)

• Log4J exploits may rise further as Microsoft continues war on phishing | ITPro

• Popular Apparel, Clothing Brands Being Used in Massive Phishing Scam (darkreading.com)

• Massive phishing campaign uses 6,000 sites to impersonate 100 brands (bleepingcomputer.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Microsoft Uncovers Banking AitM Phishing and BEC Attacks Targeting Financial Giants (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft warns of multi-stage AiTM phishing and BEC attacks - Security Affairs

• Analysis: Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally (darkreading.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Analysis: Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• New Research: 6% of Employees Paste Sensitive Data into GenAI tools as ChatGPT (thehackernews.com)

• Artificial intelligence is coming to Windows: Are your security policy settings ready? | CSO Online

• Europol Warns of Metaverse and AI Terror Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How Europe is Leading the World in the Push to Regulate AI - SecurityWeek

• AI is moving too fast to regulate, security minister warns (telegraph.co.uk)

• AI to render humans 'second most intelligent creations' | ITWeb

• LLM meets Malware: Starting the Era of Autonomous Threat - Security Affairs

• What is AI, is it dangerous and what jobs are at risk? - BBC News

• The perils of open-source AI | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Calculations Suggest It'll Be Impossible to Control a Super-Intelligent AI : ScienceAlert

2FA/MFA

• Multi-Factor Authentication Usage Nearly Doubles Since 2020, New Okta Report Finds - MSSP Alert

• Small organisations outpace large enterprises in MFA adoption - Help Net Security

Malware

• New SPECTRALVIPER Backdoor Targeting Vietnamese Public Companies (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber criminals Using Powerful BatCloak Engine to Make Malware Fully Undetectable (thehackernews.com)

• New Loader Delivering Spyware via Image Steals Cryptocurrency Info (darkreading.com)

• Pirated Windows 10 ISOs install clipper malware via EFI partitions (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fake zero-day PoC exploits on GitHub push Windows, Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gozi banking malware “IT chief” finally jailed after more than 10 years – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• LLM meets Malware: Starting the Era of Autonomous Threat - Security Affairs

• New ‘Shampoo’ Chromeloader malware pushed via fake warez sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian hackers use PowerShell USB malware to drop backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fake Security Researcher Accounts Pushing Malware Disguised as Zero-Day Exploits - SecurityWeek

• Vidar Malware Using New Tactics to Evade Detection and Anonymize Activities (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• How Popular Messaging Tools Instill a False Sense of Security (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Microsoft’s Azure portal down following new claims of DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DOS Attacks Dominate, but System Intrusions Cause Most Pain (darkreading.com)

• Swiss government warns of ongoing DDoS attacks, data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)

• IoT Botnet DDoS Attacks Threaten Global Telecom Networks, Nokia (hackread.com)

• 10 Different Types of DDoS Attacks and How to Prevent Them (geekflare.com)

• Exclusive: Inside FXStreet's DDoS Attack (financemagnates.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Why attackers love to target IoT devices | VentureBeat

• IoT Botnet DDoS Attacks Threaten Global Telecom Networks, Nokia (hackread.com)

• How secure is your vehicle with digital key technology? - Help Net Security

• Flipper Zero “Smoking” A Smart Meter Is A Bad Look For Hardware Hackers | Hackaday

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Another huge US medical data breach confirmed after Fortra mass-hack | TechCrunch

• HSE hit by second 'international scale criminal' cyber attack as they monitor dark web for stolen data - Irish Mirror Online

• New Research: 6% of Employees Paste Sensitive Data into GenAI tools as ChatGPT (thehackernews.com)

• Top 10 cyber security findings from Verizon's 2023 data breach report | VentureBeat

• Xplain data breach also impacted national Swiss railway FSS - Security Affairs

• Examining the long-term effects of data privacy violations - Help Net Security

• A Massive Vaccine Database Leak Exposes IDs of Millions of Indians | WIRED

• Swiss Fear Government Data Stolen in Cyber attack - SecurityWeek

• Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register

• Have I Been Pwned warns of new Zacks data breach impacting 8 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• The Complexities of Hacking: Exploring the thin line between cyber crime and ethical hacking | Euronews

• When It Comes to Cyber crime, the Medium Makes Us Vulnerable - Centre for International Governance Innovation (cigionline.org)

• Cyber criminals return to business as usual in a post-pandemic world - Help Net Security

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Hackers steal $3 million by impersonating crypto news journalists (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Beware: 1,000+ Fake Cryptocurrency Sites Trap Users in Bogus Rewards Scheme (thehackernews.com)

• New Loader Delivering Spyware via Image Steals Cryptocurrency Info (darkreading.com)

• Cryptocurrency Attacks Quadrupled as Cyber criminals Cash In (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware Hackers and Scammers Utilizing Cloud Mining to Launder Cryptocurrency (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert

• Top 10 Risky Behaviours of Employees - IT Security Guru

• Insider Threat Vs Outsider Threat: Which Is Worse? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Study shows over one in ten Brits are willing to engage in ‘illegal or illicit’ online behaviour as the Cost of Living crisis worsens - IT Security Guru

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Yet more direct calling fiends fined by UK's data watchdog • The Register

• Cost-of-Living Crisis Drives Insider Threat Concerns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• New Study Takes a Deep Dive Into Lookalike Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insurance

• After Important Cyber Insurance Victory for Policyholders, Focus Turns to Insurers' Proposed Changes to War Exclusions | HUB | K&L Gates (klgates.com)

• Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)

• The insurance industry cyber crime report: recent attacks on insurance businesses | Insurance Business America (insurancebusinessmag.com)

• Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online

Dark Web

• Exploring the Dark Web: Hitman for Hire and the Realities of Online Activities - ClearanceJobs

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• New Supply Chain Attack Exploits Abandoned S3 Buckets to Distribute Malicious Binaries (thehackernews.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• SaaS Ransomware Attack Hit Sharepoint Online Without Using a Compromised Endpoint - SecurityWeek

• New MOVEit Transfer critical flaws found after security audit, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Seven steps for using zero trust to protect your multicloud • The Register

• New cloud security guidance: it's all about the config - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft keeps quiet on talk of possible Azure DDoS attack • The Register

• New Supply Chain Attack Exploits Abandoned S3 Buckets to Distribute Malicious Binaries (thehackernews.com)

Encryption

• Hackers can steal cryptographic keys by video-recording power LEDs 60 feet away | Ars Technica

Open Source

• Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fake zero-day PoC exploits on GitHub push Windows, Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Thoughts on scheduled password changes (don’t call them rotations!) – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Microsoft misused our dark web data, says security vendor • The Register

• RDP honeypot targeted 3.5 million times in brute-force attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Want to be hacked? Just make these password mistakes | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Top 10 Risky Behaviours of Employees - IT Security Guru

• Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert

Digital Transformation

• Ignoring digital transformation is more dangerous than a recession - Help Net Security

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• AI is moving too fast to regulate, security minister warns (telegraph.co.uk)

• Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register

• Confidential data downloaded from UK regulator Ofcom in cyber attack (therecord.media)

• Yet more direct calling fiends fined by UK's data watchdog • The Register

• How Europe is Leading the World in the Push to Regulate AI - SecurityWeek

• Feds extend deadline for software security attestations • The Register

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• 3 ways we've made the CIS Controls more automation-friendly - Help Net Security

• Use PCI DSS Checklist with Automation (trendmicro.com)

Data Protection

• UK and US Agree Deal to Facilitate Personal Data Flows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• #InfosecurityEurope: Cyber Leaders’ Plea to Tackle the Industry’s Mental Health Crisis - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Gozi banking malware “IT chief” finally jailed after more than 10 years – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• LockBit Affiliate Arrested, as Extortion Totals Reach $91M Since 2020 (darkreading.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Examining the long-term effects of data privacy violations - Help Net Security

• FBI: FISA Section 702 'absolutely critical' • The Register

• Strava heatmap feature can be abused to find home addresses (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Intelligence Has Admitted Amassed Data on 'Nearly Everyone' (gizmodo.com)

• Feds Say Facial Recognition IDed Bosnian War Criminal Miljkovic (gizmodo.com)

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Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Putin’s little cyber helpers turn their sights on the UK (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russia-Ukraine war sending shockwaves into cyber-ecosystem • The Register

• Ukrainian hackers take down service provider for Russian banks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Pro-Ukraine Cyber Anarchy Squad claims the hack of the Russian telecom provider Infotel JSC - Security Affairs

• 'Stealth Soldier' Attacks Target Libyan Government Entities With Surveillance Malware (darkreading.com)

• RomCom Threat Actor Targets Ukrainian Politicians, US Healthcare (darkreading.com)

• Pro-Russian hackers step up attacks against Swiss targets, authorities say | Reuters

• Russian hackers steal data on thousands of Ulez drivers (telegraph.co.uk)

• Microsoft links data wiping attacks to new Russian GRU hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian hackers use PowerShell USB malware to drop backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Pro-Russian Hackers Target Website of Europe’s Largest Port in Rotterdam - Bloomberg

• Russia-linked APT Gamaredon update TTPs in recent attacks against Ukraine - Security Affairs

• Microsoft Warns of New Russian State-Sponsored Hacker Group with Destructive Intent (thehackernews.com)

• New Report Reveals Shuckworm's Long-Running Intrusions on Ukrainian Organisations (thehackernews.com)

• Russia-backed hackers unleash new USB-based malware on Ukraine’s military | Ars Technica

• Microsoft Names Russian Threat Actor "Cadet Blizzard" - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors

• Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Iran's 'quantum processor' turned out to be a $600 dev board | PC Gamer

• China-based threat actors target UIDAI, AIIMS, ICMR: Govt advisory (moneycontrol.com)

• Subsea cables: how the US is pushing China out of the internet’s plumbing

• China's cyber now aimed at infrastructure, warns CISA boss

• Cyber security: Americans should prepare for cyber sabotage from Chinese hackers, US official warns - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Ukraine information sharing a model for countering China, top cyber official says | CyberScoop

• Chinese Threat Actor Abused ESXi Zero-Day to Pilfer Files From Guest VMs (darkreading.com)

• North Korea created evil twin of South Korea's Naver.com • The Register

• Behind the Scenes Unveiling the Hidden Workings of Earth Preta (trendmicro.com)

• Gloucester: Russian hackers behind cyber-attack on council - BBC News

• Critical Barracuda ESG Zero-Day Linked to Novel Chinese APT (darkreading.com)

• Barracuda ESG Zero-Day Vulnerability (CVE-2023-2868) Exploited Globally by Aggressive and Skilled Actor, Suspected Links to China | Mandiant

• Russian ransomware hacker extorted tens of millions, says DOJ (cnbc.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Why Detecting Behaviors Beats Zero-Days | Blumira

Vulnerabilities

• Third Flaw Uncovered in MOVEit Transfer App Amidst Cl0p Ransomware Mass Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Bitwarden update corrects password manager access vulnerability on Windows - gHacks Tech News

• Fortinet: Patched Critical Flaw May Have Been Exploited (darkreading.com)

• Bitwarden update corrects password manager access vulnerability on Windows - gHacks Tech News

• CISA orders federal agencies to secure Internet-exposed network devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft June 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 78 flaws, 38 RCE bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Log4J exploits may rise further as Microsoft continues war on phishing | ITPro

• Severe Vulnerabilities Reported in Microsoft Azure Bastion and Container Registry (thehackernews.com)

• New Critical Google Chrome Payments Security Issue Confirmed (forbes.com)

• Critical Security Vulnerability Discovered in WooCommerce Stripe Gateway Plugin (thehackernews.com)

• VMware fixes critical flaws in Aria Operations for Networks (CVE-2023-20887) - Help Net Security

• Barracuda ESG Zero-Day Vulnerability (CVE-2023-2868) Exploited Globally by Aggressive and Skilled Actor, Suspected Links to China | Mandiant

• US energy department, other agencies hit in global hacking spree | Reuters

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Tools and Controls

• The Complexities of Hacking: Exploring the thin line between cyber crime and ethical hacking | Euronews

• Use of Multifactor Authentication (MFA) Nearly Doubles Since 2020, Okta Secure Sign-in Trends Reports Finds (darkreading.com)

• Ignoring digital transformation is more dangerous than a recession - Help Net Security

• Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert

• Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online

• Red teaming can be the ground truth for CISOs and execs - Help Net Security

• How Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intel Can Help Prevent Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• Secure Sign-in Trends Report | Okta

• What is Dark Web Monitoring and How Does It Work? | Trend Micro News

• New cloud security guidance: it's all about the config - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Why Now? The Rise of Attack Surface Management (thehackernews.com)

• Why Detecting Behaviours Beats Zero-Days | Blumira

• What Is Red Teaming and How Does It Work? (howtogeek.com)

• Exploring the All-Time Best Book for Ethical Hacking – Codelivly

• Beyond MFA: 3 steps to improve security and reduce customer authentication friction - Help Net Security

• Enhancing security team capabilities in tough economic times - Help Net Security

• Small organisations outpace large enterprises in MFA adoption - Help Net Security

• Cyber debt levels reach tipping point - Help Net Security

• MSSQL makes up 93% of all activity on honeypots tracking 10 databases | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Attack Surface Management Strategies (trendmicro.com)

• 5 best practices to ensure the security of third-party APIs | CSO Online

• Multi-Factor Authentication Usage Nearly Doubles Since 2020, New Okta Report Finds - MSSP Alert

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Secure Sign-in Trends Report | Okta

• Top 10 cyber security findings from Verizon's 2023 data breach report | VentureBeat

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Other News

• #InfosecurityEurope: What TechUK's New Plan Means for Cyber security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• A Tech Plan to "Build a Better Britain" - IT Security Guru

• German National Security Strategy leaves out cyber counter-attacks – EURACTIV.com

• Moving the Cyber Industry Forward Requires a Novel Approach (darkreading.com)

• (ISC)² and CIISec Release Guide to Inclusive Language in Cyber security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 March 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts and Cyber Incident Response Plans

A recent report conducted by security provider Huntress found some worrying results regarding SMBs lack of dedicated cyber experts and lack of cyber incident response plans. Some of the reports key findings were 24% of SMBs suffering a cyber attack or unsure if they had suffered a cyber attack in the last 12 months, 61% of SMBs not having a dedicated cyber security expert and 47% having no incident response plan. The report found that SMBs struggled to implement basic training and only 9% of employees adhered to security best practices, potentially due to the previously mentioned training struggles. The report highlights a clear need for SMBs to increase their cyber resilience and conduct effective user education and awareness training.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/majority-of-smbs-lack-dedicated-cyber-experts-incident-response-plan/

• Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should be a Top Cyber Security Priority

Nearly 60% of all data breaches are initiated via third-party vendors and this is often hard to detect. The ever-increasing use of third party services has led to the average organisation sharing sensitive data with 583 third parties, a worrying number of attack vectors. Due to the impact a third party breach can have on an organisation it is imperative that organisations assess and risk manage their supply chains to increase the organisations cyber resilience.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/controlling-third-party-data-risk-should-be-a-top-cybersecurity-priority-

• IT Security Spending to Reach Nearly $300 Billion by 2026

Worldwide spending on security is forecast to be $219 billion in 2023, an increase of 12.1% compared to 2022. This figure is expected to continually rise, reaching nearly $300 billion by 2026. In Europe, it is predicted that the biggest portion of spending will still be represented by services, which will be increasingly leveraged by organisations with limited cyber security experience. Additionally the finance sector, which will have to constantly ensure regulatory adherence, is predicted to be the largest spending sector. Organisations should perform due diligence and ensure that they are using reputable services.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/20/it-security-spending-2026/

• 2023 Cyber Security Maturity Report Reveals Organisational Unpreparedness for Cyber Attacks

In 2022 alone cyber attacks increased by 38%, highlighting the need for organisations to have a high level of cyber maturity; despite this, a recent cyber security maturity report ranked UK organisations as 12th  globally. Some of the findings from the report included that 32% of organisations were found to have weak passwords and 23% had weak authentication systems.

https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/2023-cybersecurity-maturity-report.html

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently released their rules on cyber security risk management, strategy governance and incident disclosure by public companies. As part of the rules, the public disclosure of board directors’ cyber risk biographies is mandated. Worryingly, recent research has found that there is a drastic gap in cyber expertise at the board director level, with 90% of companies not having a single director with cyber security expertise. Board directors are able to address this issue by retaining outside expert advisors, upskilling board members or hiring new cyber security board directors. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/03/20/board-cyber-shortage-dont-get-caught-swimming-naked/?sh=6ea732895af8

• Should your Organisation be Worried about Insider Threats?

Cyber crime is predicted to reach $10.5 trillion worth, making it a lucrative business venture for opportunist criminals. One of the threats companies face is insider threat; this is where the threat comes from within the organisation. Insider threat can include third-party vendors, business partners and others with access to an organisations systems and networks. The threat an insider poses is commonly thought of as malicious but it can also be negligent, where insiders haven’t received proper user education and awareness training. Worryingly, insider threat is rising and research has shown a significant amount of under-reporting; over 70% of insider attacks never reach the headlines. As such, it is difficult for organisations to gauge the risk of insider threats.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/17/should-your-organization-be-worried-about-insider-threats/

• UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022

According to recent research, attacker-reported ransomware incidents increased by 17% annually in the UK last year and 2023 is showing signs of a continual rise. With this continual rise, it is important for organisations to assess and build upon their cyber resilience.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-ransomware-incident-surge-17/

• Financial Industry Hit by Rising Ransomware Attacks and BEC

According to a recent report by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) ransomware remained the biggest concern for the financial industry with an increase in attacks due to ransomware-as-a-service. Furthermore, FS-ISAC found a 300% increase in the number of business email compromise attacks from 2021 to 2022. Artificial intelligence was identified as an upcoming area of concern due to its ability to obfuscate detection.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-21/banks-financial-industry-buffeted-by-rising-ransomware-attacks?

• 55 zero-day Flaws Exploited Last Year Show the Importance of Security Risk Management

According to a report from intelligence provider Mandiant 55 zero-days were exploited in 2022 and 13 of those were used in cyber espionage attacks. Of the espionage attacks, 7 related to Chinese threat actors and 2 related to Russian threat actors. The report found that effective security management and patching remained the best protections for organisations.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3691609/55-zero-day-flaws-exploited-last-year-show-the-importance-of-security-risk-management.html#tk.rss_news

• Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack

Security experts recently identified a single business email compromise attack which amounted to $36.4m. The attack in question contained an invoice, payment instructions, a forged letterhead and even cc’d a legitimate and well known company. The attacker also changed “.com” to “.cam” to imitate a domain. The total cost of BEC based on reported incidents is around $2.7 billion and this is excluding unreported incidents. Organisations should ensure that staff are adequately trained in identifying and reporting such attacks.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/security-researchers-spot-36m-bec/

• New Victims Come Forward After Mass Ransomware Attack

Russia-linked Ransomware gang “Clop” has claimed a mass hack of 130 organisations via the vendor GoAnywhere, with more victims coming forward. Clop adds names of victims to its dark web site, which is used to extort companies further by threatening to publish the stolen files unless a ransom is paid.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/22/fortra-goanywhere-ransomware-attack/

• Ransomware Gangs’ Harassment of Victims is Increasing

Analysis by Palo Alto Networks found that harassment was a factor in 20% of ransomware cases, a significant jump from less than 1% in mid 2021. The harassment campaign by threat attackers is intended to make sure that ransom payments are met. This adds to the stress that organisations already face with ransomware incidents.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-gangs-harassment-victims-increasing/

• Wartime Hacktivism is Spilling Over into the Financial Services Industry

The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) has identified that financial firms in countries that Russia considers hostile have been singled out for attacks and these attacks are going to continue if the Russia and Ukraine war persists.

https://www.scmagazine.com/analysis/risk-management/report-wartime-hacktivism-is-spilling-over-into-the-financial-services-industry

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• LockBit 3.0 Ransomware: Inside the Cyberthreat That's Costing Millions (thehackernews.com)

• UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Banks, Financial Sector Hit By Rising Ransomware Attacks - Bloomberg

• BianLian ransomware crew swaps encryption for extortion • The Register

• New victims come forward after mass-ransomware attack | TechCrunch

• Ransomware Gangs' Harassment of Victims Is Increasing (techrepublic.com)

• LockBit ransomware gang now also claims City of Oakland breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Free decryptor released for Conti-based ransomware following data leak | Tripwire

• New 'Trigona' Ransomware Targets US, Europe, Australia - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware Strongly Influencing SOC Modernization Strategies, Cybereason Research Shows - MSSP Alert

• US govt agencies released an alert on the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware- Security Affairs

• Security News This Week: Ring Is in a Standoff With Hackers | WIRED UK

• CISA kicks off ransomware vulnerability pilot to help spot ransomware-exploitable flaws | CSO Online

• Clop ransomware claims Saks Fifth Avenue, retailer says mock data stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Shed Light on CatB Ransomware's Evasion Techniques (thehackernews.com)

• Why CISOs Are Looking to Lateral Security to Mitigate Ransomware | CIO

• Dole discloses employee data breach after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Attacks Double in Europe's Transport Sector - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Prevent Ransomware with Cyber security Monitoring (trendmicro.com)

• Getting Ahead of the Ransomware Epidemic: CISA’s Pre-Ransomware Notifications Help Organisations Stop Attacks Before Damage Occurs | CISA

• Ferrari in a spin as crims steal customer data • The Register

• Play ransomware gang hit Dutch shipping firm Royal Dirkzwager- Security Affairs

• Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• City of Toronto confirms data theft, Clop claims responsibility (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• 7 guidelines for identifying and mitigating AI-enabled phishing campaigns | CSO Online

• Just 1% of Dot-Org Domains Are Fully DMARC Protected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Vishing Campaign Targets Social Security Administration - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat actors are experimenting with QR codes - Help Net Security

• Over 2400 Fake Pages Found Targeting Job Seekers in Middle East, Africa - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

2FA/MFA

• Massive Phishing Campaign Bypasses MFA and Mimics Microsoft Office (techrepublic.com)

• How Cyber-Criminals are Circumventing Multifactor Authentication - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Emotet malware now distributed in Microsoft OneNote files to evade defences (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)

• RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch

• Mispadu Banking Trojan Targets Latin America: 90,000+ Credentials Stolen (thehackernews.com)

• Custom 'Naplistener' Malware a Nightmare for Network-Based Detection (darkreading.com)

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

• ScarCruft's Evolving Arsenal: Researchers Reveal New Malware Distribution Techniques (thehackernews.com)

• Python info-stealing malware uses Unicode to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Nexus: A New Rising Android Banking Trojan Targeting 450 Financial Apps (thehackernews.com)

• The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack

• Android apps are spying on you — with no easy way to stop them | Digital Trends

• Your Samsung phone may have a big security flaw – here's how to stay safe | TechRadar

• UK emergency alert system launched to warn of life-threatening events - with test set for next month | UK News | Sky News

• Google Pixel phones had a serious data leakage bug – here’s what to do! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• How to keep your phone safe from the scary Exynos modem vulnerability (androidpolice.com)

Botnets

• New GoLang-Based HinataBot Exploiting Router and Server Flaws for DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• New ‘HinataBot’ botnet could launch massive 3.3 Tbps DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• KillNet Group Uses DDoS Attacks Against Azure-Based Healthcare Apps - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Mirai Hackers Use Golang to Create a Bigger, Badder DDoS Botnet (darkreading.com)

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register

• Google sounds alarm on Samsung modem bugs in Android devices • The Register

• EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

• Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Latitude customers are furious: some have had data hacked before through Medibank and Optus - ABC News

• Data breaches cost businesses nearly $6M on average: Mastercard | CTV News

• Healthcare provider ILS warns 4.2 million people of data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• NBA is warning fans of a data breach after a third-party newsletter service hack- Security Affairs

• Lowe’s Market chain leaves client data up for grabs- Security Affairs

• Ferrari discloses data breach after receiving ransom demand (bleepingcomputer.com)

• South Korea fines McDonalds for data leak from raw SMB share • The Register

• A million at risk from user data leak at Korean beauty platform PowderRoom- Security Affairs

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• New York Man Arrested for Running BreachForums Cyber crime Website - SecurityWeek

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Fireblocks Discloses Critical Vulnerability in BitGo Ethereum Wallets - Decrypt

• General Bytes Bitcoin ATMs hacked using zero-day, $1.5M stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Should Your Organisation Be Worried About Insider Threats? - IT Security Guru

• Top 5 Insider Threats to Look Out For in 2023- Security Affairs

• Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed (theconversation.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

• ‘My bank did not stop £6,500 payment to holiday scammers despite my pleas’ | Scams | The Guardian

• The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack

• Hackers inject credit card stealers into payment processing modules (bleepingcomputer.com)

Deepfakes

• Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed (theconversation.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

Insurance

• SMBs don't see need for cyber insurance since they won't experience security incidents | ZDNET

• Cyber insurance carriers expanding role in incident response | TechTarget

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should Be a Top Cyber security Priority (darkreading.com)

• Companies vulnerable to cyber-attack via suppliers - research | RNZ News

• Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security

• MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Why Business Software Buyers Are Demanding Baked-in Security - MSSP Alert

Cloud/SaaS

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• Bitcoin ATM maker shuts cloud service after user hot wallets compromised (cointelegraph.com)

• The cloud backlash has begun: Why big data is pulling compute back on premises | TechCrunch

• Shouldering the Increasingly Heavy Cloud Shared-Responsibility Model (darkreading.com)

• 4 cloud API security best practices | TechTarget

• 8 cloud detection and response use cases | TechTarget

• How to Transfer Data Securely When Moving to the Cloud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The hidden danger to zero trust: Excessive cloud permissions • Graham Cluley

• New CISA tool detects hacking activity in Microsoft cloud services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 4 Tips for Better AWS Cloud Workload Security (trendmicro.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Bridging the cyber security readiness gap in a hybrid world - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security

• Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)

• CISA, NSA push identity and access management framework as risks grow | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

API

• 4 cloud API security best practices | TechTarget

Open Source

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

• Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Okta Post-Exploitation Method Exposes User Passwords (darkreading.com)

Social Media

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register

• TikTok CEO plans rigorous defences in Congress against claims the app is a US security threat | CyberScoop

• Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop

• Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)

• ICO Reprimands Metropolitan Police for Data Snafu - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com

• India’s infosec reporting rules observed by just 15 orgs • The Register

• Why Organisations Need To Go Beyond Federal Cyber security Compliance Standards (forbes.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• How CISOs Can Work With the CFO to Get the Best Security Budget (darkreading.com)

• CIOs Build New Bonds With CISOs - WSJ

• How to best allocate IT and cyber security budgets in 2023 - Help Net Security

• IT security spending to reach nearly $300 billion by 2026 - Help Net Security

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)

• How Your Cyber security Strategy Enables Better Business (trendmicro.com)

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• How Can CISOs Connect With the Board of Directors? (darkreading.com)

• Achieving The Five Levels Of Information Security Governance (forbes.com)

• Enhance security while lowering IT overhead in times of recession - Help Net Security

• Why organisations shouldn't fold to cyber criminal requests - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Meta Proposes Revamped Approach to Online Kill Chain Frameworks (darkreading.com)

• MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• Use of Meta tracking tools found to breach EU rules on data transfers | TechCrunch

• ICO Reprimands Metropolitan Police for Data Snafu - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• How training and recognition can reduce cyber security stress and burnout | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New York Man Arrested for Running BreachForums Cyber crime Website - SecurityWeek

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register

• Use of Meta tracking tools found to breach EU rules on data transfers | TechCrunch

• How to protect online privacy in the age of pixel trackers - Help Net Security

• Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)

• French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register

Artificial Intelligence

• EU's AI regulation vote looms. We’re still not sure how unrestrained AI should be | Euronews

• ChatGPT Leaves Governments Scrambling for AI Regulations - Bloomberg

• ‘We are a little bit scared’: OpenAI CEO warns of risks of artificial intelligence | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

• We need to create guardrails for AI | Financial Times (ft.com)

• GPT-4 devises plan to ‘escape’ by gaining control of a user's computer | Mint (livemint.com)

• Mastercard strengthens customer security with new AI ‘Cyber Shield’ | Mastercard Newsroom

• The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security

• 7 guidelines for identifying and mitigating AI-enabled phishing campaigns | CSO Online

• AI news latest: Google lets people talk to ‘Bard’ bot as ChatGPT taken offline after it goes haywire | The Independent

• Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security

• Mozilla launches a new startup focused on ‘trustworthy’ AI | TechCrunch

• French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register

---

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Financial cyber threats heightened by ideologically motivated hacktivism amidst geopolitical tension | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek

• Pro-Russian Winter Vivern APT Targets Governments and Telecom Firm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Palantir: NHS trusts ordered to share patient data with US ‘spy-tech’ firm | openDemocracy

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

• Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register

• Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register

• Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert

• Facebook Security Exec Seaford Hacked by Greek Predator Spyware (gizmodo.com)

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)

• Hacker tied to DC Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop

• Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register

• Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register

• North Korean hackers using Chrome extensions to steal Gmail emails (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fact or fiction, hacktivists' claims of industrial sabotage in Russia or Ukraine get attention online | CyberScoop

• Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop

• China-Aligned "Operation Tainted Love" Targets Middle East Telecom Providers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors

• Financial cyber threats heightened by ideologically motivated hacktivism amidst geopolitical tension | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek

• Pro-Russian Winter Vivern APT Targets Governments and Telecom Firm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Huawei Has Replaced Thousands of US-Banned Parts With Chinese Versions: Founder - SecurityWeek

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

• Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register

• TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register

• Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch

• Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register

• Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert

• New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)

• Hacker tied to D.C. Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop

• Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register

• Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

• Fact or fiction, hacktivists' claims of industrial sabotage in Russia or Ukraine get attention online | CyberScoop

• The pressing threat of Chinese-made drones flying above US critical infrastructure  | CyberScoop

• Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop

• China-Aligned "Operation Tainted Love" Targets Middle East Telecom Providers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian hacktivists deploy new AresLoader malware via decoy installers | CSO Online

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Vulnerability Management

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Move, Patch, Get Out the Way: 2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace | Mandiant

• From Ransomware to Cyber Espionage: 55 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Weaponized in 2022 (thehackernews.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 10 Vulnerabilities Types to Focus On This Year (darkreading.com)

• Vulnerability vs. Risk: How MSSPs Can Prioritize Remediating Cyber security Vulnerabilities - MSSP Alert

• What Is the Microsoft Print Spooler Vulnerability? - ReHack

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

• Windows 11, Tesla, Ubuntu, and macOS hacked at Pwn2Own 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

• Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability Could Be 2023's 'It' Bug (darkreading.com)

• CVE-2023-23397 Outlook exploit: "A proliferation event" (thestack.technology)

• Patch CVE-2023-23397 Immediately: What You Need To Know and Do (trendmicro.com)

• Cisco fixed severe vulnerabilities in its IOS and IOS XE software- Security Affairs

• Exploit released for Veeam bug allowing cleartext credential theft (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts published PoC exploit code for Veeam Backup & Replication bug- Security Affairs

• WordPress force patching WooCommerce plugin with 500K installs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Windows 11 bug warns Local Security Authority protection is off (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bitwarden addresses autofill issue that could be exploited to steal logins - gHacks Tech News

• Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft’s blunders with new Windows 10 update are causing serious headaches | TechRadar

• Microsoft: Defender update behind Windows LSA protection warnings (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ZenGo uncovers 'red pill attack' vulnerability in popular Web3 apps (cointelegraph.com)

• Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Patch Tuesday -> Exploit Wednesday: Pwning Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (afd.sys) in 24 Hours (securityintelligence.com)

• If your Netgear Orbi router isn’t patched, you’ll want to change that pronto | Ars Technica

• Attackers Are Probing for Zero-Day Vulns in Edge Infrastructure Products (darkreading.com)

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

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Tools and Controls

• Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security

• Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts, Incident Response Plan - MSSP Alert

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• Why CISOs Should Prioritize Extended Detection & Response (XDR) - VMware Security Blog - VMware

• The Ethics of Network and Security Monitoring (darkreading.com)

• Fighting VPN criminalization should be Big Tech’s top priority, activists say | Ars Technica

• Just 1% of Dot-Org Domains Are Fully DMARC Protected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How network perimeters secure enterprise networks | TechTarget

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• State of Cybersecurity for Mid-Sized Businesses in 2023 | Huntress

• Move, Patch, Get Out the Way: 2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace | Mandiant

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Other News

• Web Fingerprinting gets frighteningly good: sees through VPNs and Incognito Mode - gHacks Tech News

• Journalist plugs in unknown USB drive mailed to him—it exploded in his face | Ars Technica

• What Is Shoulder Surfing? How Does It Affect Cyber security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Inside the DEA Tool Hackers Allegedly Used to Extort Targets (vice.com)

• Top ways attackers are targeting your endpoints - Help Net Security

• What Is a Dirty IP Address and How Does It Affect Your Security? (makeuseof.com)

• 5 rules to make security user-friendly - Help Net Security

• Techno-nationalism explained: What you need to know (techtarget.com)

• How Emerging Trends in Virtual Reality Impact Cyber security - IT Security Guru

• Pipeline Cyber security Rules Show the Need for Public-Private Partnerships (darkreading.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 17 March 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Almost Half of IT Leaders Consider Security as an Afterthought

A recent industry report found that security is an afterthought for almost half of UK IT leaders, despite 92% of respondents agreeing that security risks had risen in the last five years. Additionally, 48% of respondents felt that the rapid development of new tools had caused challenges around security. The concept of security as an afterthought is worrying when considering that 39% of UK businesses identified a cyber attack within the past 12 months.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/14/almost-half-of-it-leaders-consider-security-as-an-afterthought-research-reveals

• Over $10bn Lost to Online Frauds, with Pig Butchering and Investment Scams Accounting for $3B, Overtaking BEC – FBI Report Says

According to the latest FBI crime report pig butchering now accounts for $3 billion of the $10 billion total lost to online fraud. Pig butchering is a rising investment scam that uses the promise of romance and the lure of making easy cryptocurrency profit against its unsuspecting targets. The concept of pig butchering is to “fatten up” the victim, with small returns on cryptocurrency and personal interactions, often with an element of romance; eventually, the victim is lured into making a larger investment with the scammer. In addition to pig butchering, other investment scams are growing in provenance and are set to overtake Business Email Compromise (BEC) as a major earner for cyber criminals.

https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/pig-butchering-investment-scams-3b-cybercrime-threat-overtaking-bec

• Over 721 Million Passwords were Leaked in 2022

A report published this week discovered 721.5 million exposed credentials online in 2022. Additionally, the report identified 72% of users reusing previously compromised passwords. The study also uncovered 8.6 billion personally identifiable information assets, including 67 million credit card numbers which were publicly available.

https://www.neowin.net/news/study-over-721-million-passwords-were-leaked-in-2022/

• How Much of a Cyber Security Risk are Suppliers?

When your business is digitally connected to a service provider, you need to understand how a cyber security attack on their business can affect yours. You can have all the right measures in place to manage your own cyber risks, but this doesn’t matter if there are undiscovered vulnerabilities in your supply chain. Organisations need to audit the cyber security of suppliers at several stages of their relationship; you may benefit from specialist cyber security support if you can’t do this in-house. Ask hard questions and consider advising your suppliers that if their cyber security is not enough then you may take your business elsewhere. Many businesses now require suppliers to be certified to schemes such as ISO 27001; demonstrating your security posture to your customers is an important ticket to trade.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-much-of-a-cybersecurity-risk-are-my-suppliers-mqbwcf7p2

• 90% of £5m+ Businesses Hit by Cyber Attacks

A study from Forbes found that 57% of small and medium-sized enterprises had suffered an online attack. Businesses with an annual turnover in excess of £5 million were even more likely to experience a cyber crime with the figure rising to nearly 90% of firms of this size suffering a cyber attack. To make matters worse, the study found that a significant proportion of British businesses are without any form of protection against online attacks.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/13/nine-in-10-5m-businesses-hit-by-cyber-attacks/

• Rushed Cloud Migrations Result in Escalating Technical Debt

A cloud service provider found 83% of CIO’s are feeling pressured to stretch their budgets even further than before. 72% of CIOs admitted that they are behind in their digital transformation because of technical debt and 38% believed the accumulation of this debt is largely because of rushed cloud migrations. Respondents believed these rushed migrations caused for miscalculations in the cloud budget, which resulted in significant overspend.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/16/managing-cloud-costs/

• Microsoft: 17 European Nations Targeted by Russia in 2023 as Espionage Ramping Up

According to an intelligence report from Microsoft, Russia has been ramping up its cyber espionage operations and this now includes 17 European nations. Of all 74 countries targeted, the UK ranked third, after the US and Poland.

https://www.securityweek.com/microsoft-17-european-nations-targeted-by-russia-in-2023-as-espionage-ramping-up/

• Microsoft Warns of Large-Scale Use of Phishing Kits

Microsoft have found that phishing kits are being purchased and used to perform millions of phishing emails every day. In their report, Microsoft found the availability of purchasing such phishing kits was part of the industrialisation of the cyber criminal economy and lowered the barrier of entry for cyber crime. Microsoft identified phishing kits which had the capability to bypass multi factor authentication selling for as little as $300. The emergence of AI is only going to compound this.

https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/microsoft-warns-of-large-scale-use-of.html

• BEC Volumes Double on Phishing Surge

The number of Business Email Compromise (BEC) incidents doubled last year according to security provider Secureworks. In their report, they found that the main initial access vectors for BEC were phishing and systems with known vulnerabilities, with each accounting for a third of initial accesses.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/bec-volumes-double-on-phishing/

• The Risk of Pasting Confidential Company Data in ChatGPT

Researchers analysed the use of artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT and found that 4.9% of employees have provided company data to the tool; ChatGPT builds its knowledge on this and in turn, this knowledge is shared publicly. The risk is serious, with employees putting their organisation at risk of leaking sensitive and confidential information. The research found that 0.9% of employees are responsible for 80% of leaks caused by pasting company data into ChatGPT and this number is expected to rise.

https://securityaffairs.com/143394/security/company-data-chatgpt-risks.html

• Ransomware Attacks have Entered a Heinous New Phase

With an increasing amount of victims refusing to pay, cyber criminal gangs are now resorting to new techniques; this includes the recent release of stolen naked photos of cancer patients and sensitive student records. Where encryption and a demand for payment were previously the de facto method for cyber criminals, this has now shifted to pure exfiltration. In a report, the FBI highlighted evolving and increasingly aggressive extortion behaviour, with actors increasingly threatening to release stolen data.

https://www.wired.com/story/ransomware-tactics-cancer-photos-student-records/

• MI5 Launches New Agency to Tackle State-Backed Attacks

British intelligence agency MI5 have announced the creation of the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), created as part of a major review of government defences. The NPSA is to operate out of MI5 and absorb and extend the responsibilities for the protection of national infrastructure. The NPSA will work with existing agencies such as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Counter Terrorism Security Office (CTSO) to provide defensive advice to UK organisations.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/mi5-new-agency-tackle-statebacked/

• Why Cyber Awareness Training is an Ongoing Process

A survey conducted by Hornetsecurity found that 80% of respondents believed remote working introduced extra cyber security risks and 75% were aware that personal devices are used to access sensitive data, fuelling the need for employees to be cyber aware. Where IT security training is only undertaken once, for example in block training, it is likely that participants will have forgotten a lot of the content after as little as a week; this means that for organisations to get the most out of training, they need to conduct frequent awareness training. By conducting frequent training there is more chance of trainees retaining the training content and allowing the organisation to shape a culture of cyber security.

https://www.hornetsecurity.com/en/security-information/why-cyber-awareness-training-is-an-ongoing-process/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• BianLian Ransomware Pivots From Encryption to Pure Data-Theft Extortion (darkreading.com)

• The changing face of ransomware attacks (pandasecurity.com)

• Rise of Ransomware Attacks Main Focus for SOCs, research finds - IT Security Guru

• 'Vile' Gang Duo Breaches Police Database, Impersonates Officers in Extortion Gambit (darkreading.com)

• FBI: Ransomware hit 860 critical infrastructure orgs in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft fixes Windows zero-day exploited in ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Clop ransomware gang begins extorting GoAnywhere zero-day victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Staples-owned Essendant facing multi-day "outage," orders frozen (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA now warns critical infrastructure of ransomware-vulnerable devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LockBit Ransomware gang claims to have stolen SpaceX confidential data from Maximum Industries- - Security Affairs

• Dissecting the malicious arsenal of the Makop ransomware gang- - Security Affairs

• The Prolificacy of LockBit Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Blackbaud agrees to pay $3m to settle SEC ransomware probe • The Register

• CatB Ransomware | File Locker Sharpens Its Claws to Steal Data with MSDTC Service DLL Hijacking - SentinelOne

• Ransomware Gang Claims It Hacked Amazon's Ring (gizmodo.com)

• 5 Reasons MSSP Clients Need Strong AppSec Strategies to Thwart Ransomware - MSSP Alert

• Dish customers kept in the dark as ransomware fallout continues | TechCrunch

• Cancer patient sues hospital over stolen naked photos • The Register

• ChipMixer platform seized for laundering ransomware payments, drug sales (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lawyers suspect Arnold Clark hackers have now leaked 45GB of personal data on dark web – Car Dealer Magazine

• Kaspersky Updates Decryption Tool for Conti Ransomware - MSSP Alert

• Conti-based ransomware ‘MeowCorp’ gets free decryptor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Universities and colleges cope silently with ransomware attacks | CSO Online

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Top 50 most impersonated brands in phishing attacks and new tools you can use to protect your employees from them (cloudflare.com)

• Microsoft Warns of Large-Scale Use of Phishing Kits to Send Millions of Emails Daily (thehackernews.com)

• Software for sale is fueling a torrent of phishing attacks that bypass MFA | Ars Technica

• Cyber criminals Devising More Tactics For Phishing Attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• 6 reasons why your anti-phishing strategy isn’t working | CSO Online

• Cyberthreat On New Email By Exotic Lily (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Botnet that knows your name and quotes your email is back with new tricks | Ars Technica

• Analysts Spot a Wave of SVB-Related Cyber Fraud Striking the Business Sector (darkreading.com)

• How two-step phishing attacks evade detection and what you can do about it - Help Net Security

• Humans Still More Effective Than ChatGPT at Phishing - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Pig Butchering & Investment Scams: The $3B Cyber crime Threat Overtaking BEC (darkreading.com)

• Organizations need to re-examine their approach to BEC protection - Help Net Security

• BEC Volumes Double on Phishing Surge - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

2FA/MFA

• When Partial Protection is Zero Protection: The MFA Blind Spots No One Talks About (thehackernews.com)

• Outlook app to get built-in Microsoft 365 MFA on Android, iOS (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Software for sale is fuelling a torrent of phishing attacks that bypass MFA | Ars Technica

Malware

• SpyCloud Report: Malware Infections the Most Prolific & Persistent Threat to Businesses | Business Wire

• Microsoft OneNote to get enhanced security after recent malware abuse (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Version of Prometei Botnet Infects Over 10,000 Systems Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Malware Targets People Looking to Pirate Oscar-Nominated Films (darkreading.com)

• Law enforcement seized the website selling the NetWire RAT- - Security Affairs

• BATLOADER Malware Uses Google Ads to Deliver Vidar Stealer and Ursnif Payloads (thehackernews.com)

• KamiKakaBot Malware Used in Latest Dark Pink APT Attacks on Southeast Asian Targets (thehackernews.com)

• Warning: AI-generated YouTube Video Tutorials Spreading Infostealer Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Emotet attempts to sell access after infiltrating high-value networks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• What is Zeus Trojan Malware? - CrowdStrike

• Emotet, QSnatch Malware Dominate Malicious DNS Traffic (darkreading.com)

• Winter Vivern APT hackers use fake antivirus scans to install malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese and Russian Hackers Using SILKLOADER Malware to Evade Detection (thehackernews.com)

• New malware sample of defunct TeamTNT threat group raises concerns | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Adobe Acrobat Sign abused to push Redline info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Tracking the global spread of malware - Help Net Security

Mobile

• Xenomorph Android malware now steals data from 400 banks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• GoatRAT Android Banking Trojan Targets Mobile Automated Payment System (darkreading.com)

• WhatsApp Tells UK Government It’s Still Not Willing To Undermine Its Encryption | Techdirt

• Convincing Twitter 'quote tweet' phone scam targets bank customers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Warns Samsung and Pixel Phone Owners About 18 Dire Exploits - CNET

• FakeCalls Android malware returns with new ways to hide on phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• New Version of Prometei Botnet Infects Over 10,000 Systems Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Botnet that knows your name and quotes your email is back with new tricks | Ars Technica

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Record Breaking DDoS Attack - 158.2 Million Packets Per Second (gbhackers.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Researchers Uncover Over a Dozen Security Flaws in Akuvox E11 Smart Intercom (thehackernews.com)

• Tesla App Lets Man Accidentally Steal Model 3 That Wasn't His (gizmodo.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Negative Impacts of Data Loss and How to Avoid Them - MSSP Alert

• Mental health provider Cerebral alerts 3.1M people of data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BMW exposes data of clients in Italy, experts warn- - Security Affairs

• Acronis states that only one customer's account was compromised- - Security Affairs

• Security giant Rubrik says hackers used Fortra zero-day to steal internal data | TechCrunch

• Key aerospace player leaks sensitive data | Cybernews

• Hundreds of thousands of customer records stolen from lender Latitude in cyber-attack | Business | The Guardian

• 'Vile' Gang Duo Breaches Police Database, Impersonates Officers in Extortion Gambit (darkreading.com)

• LA Housing Authority Suffers Year-Long Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hacker selling data allegedly stolen in US Marshals Service hack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cryptojacking Group TeamTNT Suspected of Using Decoy Miner to Conceal Data Exfiltration (thehackernews.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber crime Losses Exceeded $10 Billion in 2022: FBI - SecurityWeek

• Nine In 10 £5m+ Businesses Hit By Cyber Attacks - IT Security Guru

• CISA: Federal civilian agency hacked by nation-state and criminal hacking groups | CyberScoop

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• FBI Warns of Crypto-Stealing Play-to-Earn Games - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Massive vulnerabilities revealed at Dogecoin, Litecoin, Zcash | Fortune Crypto

• UK Crypto Firm Loses $200m in Cyber-Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• One of the darkweb’s largest cryptocurrency laundromats washed out | Europol (europa.eu)

• UK Bank Limits Crypto Payments to Smother Fraud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Phishing Campaigns Use SVB Collapse to Harvest Crypto - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cryptojacking Group TeamTNT Suspected of Using Decoy Miner to Conceal Data Exfiltration (thehackernews.com)

• CrowdStrike discovered the first-ever Dero crypto mining campaign- - Security Affairs

• Claim: FTX leaders helped themselves to $3.2B in cash • The Register

• Feds charge exiled Chinese billionaire over crypto fraud • The Register

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Future-Proofing Your Business Against Insider Threats (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams Are Now a $3 Billion Threat | WIRED

• Cyber crime Losses Exceeded $10 Billion in 2022: FBI - SecurityWeek

• Investment Fraud is Now Biggest Cyber crime Earner - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Nine In 10 £5m+ Businesses Hit By Cyber Attacks - IT Security Guru

• ChatGPT fraud is on the rise: Here's what to watch out for | ZDNET

• Analysts Spot a Wave of SVB-Related Cyber Fraud Striking the Business Sector (darkreading.com)

• The SVB demise is a fraudster's paradise, so take precautions - Help Net Security

• Fighting financial fraud through fusion centers - Help Net Security

• UK Crypto Firm Loses $200m in Cyber-Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK Bank Limits Crypto Payments to Smother Fraud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Convincing Twitter 'quote tweet' phone scam targets bank customers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Claim: FTX leaders helped themselves to $3.2B in cash • The Register

• Feds charge exiled Chinese billionaire over crypto fraud • The Register

Impersonation Attacks

• 'Vile' Gang Duo Breaches Police Database, Impersonates Officers in Extortion Gambit (darkreading.com)

Deepfakes

• Deepfakes, Synthetic Media: How Digital Propaganda Undermines Trust (darkreading.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• One of the darkweb’s largest cryptocurrency laundromats washed out | Europol (europa.eu)

• Russia’s Cyber security Companies Shrug Off Sanctions - CEPA

Dark Web

• One of the darkweb’s largest cryptocurrency laundromats washed out | Europol (europa.eu)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Top 10 operational risks: focus on third-party risk - Risk.net

• How much of a cyber security risk are my suppliers? (thetimes.co.uk)

Software Supply Chain

• We can't wait for SBOMs to be demanded by regulation - Help Net Security

• Best practices for securing the software application supply chain - Help Net Security

• Addressing Software Supply Chain Security - DevOps.com

Cloud/SaaS

• Rushed cloud migrations result in escalating technical debt - Help Net Security

• CrowdStrike report shows identities under siege, cloud data theft up | VentureBeat

• How to Apply NIST Principles to SaaS in 2023 (thehackernews.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Orgs Have a Long Way to Go in Securing Remote Workforce (darkreading.com)

Attack Surface Management

• Access Control Gap in Microsoft Active Directory Widens Enterprise Attack Surface (darkreading.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Access Control Gap in Microsoft Active Directory Widens Enterprise Attack Surface (darkreading.com)

• Navigating the future of digital identity - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Google Proposes Reducing TLS Cert Life Span to 90 Days (darkreading.com)

• WhatsApp Tells UK Government It’s Still Not Willing To Undermine Its Encryption | Techdirt

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Poor Passwords Still Weakest Link Hackers Seek, Report Reveals - MSSP Alert

• Study: Over 721 million passwords were leaked in 2022 - Neowin

• Understanding password behavior key to developing stronger cyber security protocols - Help Net Security

Social Media

• UK bans TikTok from government mobile phones | TikTok | The Guardian

• Spies, lies and influenced children: What TikTok must overcome to show us it can be trusted (telegraph.co.uk)

• Convincing Twitter 'quote tweet' phone scam targets bank customers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malvertising

• BATLOADER Malware Uses Google Ads to Deliver Vidar Stealer and Ursnif Payloads (thehackernews.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Forgetting Curve according to Dr Ebbinghaus: Why cyber awareness training is an ongoing process - Hornetsecurity

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• UK's New Privacy Bill Could Mean More Work for Firms - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• SEC Charges Software Company Blackbaud Inc. for Misleading Disclosures About Ransomware Attack That Impacted Charitable Donors (databreaches.net)

• When and how to report a breach to the SEC | CSO Online

• WhatsApp Tells UK Government It’s Still Not Willing To Undermine Its Encryption | Techdirt

• The US cyber security strategy won’t address today’s threats with regulation alone | CyberScoop

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Make Sure Your Cyber security Budget Stays Flexible (darkreading.com)

• Getting cyber security right requires a change of mindset | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

• UK's New Privacy Bill Could Mean More Work for Firms - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 6 principles for building engaged security governance | TechTarget

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• How to Apply NIST Principles to SaaS in 2023 (thehackernews.com)

• Meet Data Privacy Mandates With Cyber security Frameworks (darkreading.com)

Data Protection

• Consumers Believe Vendors Don't Adequately Protect Their Personal Data, Report Finds - MSSP Alert

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• International authorities bring NetWire's malware infrastructure to a standstill | TechSpot

• One of the darkweb’s largest cryptocurrency laundromats washed out | Europol (europa.eu)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• German states rethink reliance on Palantir technology | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Consumers Believe Vendors Don't Adequately Protect Their Personal Data, Report Finds - MSSP Alert

• Meet Data Privacy Mandates With Cyber security Frameworks (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Warning: AI-generated YouTube Video Tutorials Spreading Infostealer Malware (thehackernews.com)

• How to stop AI waging war on humans (thetimes.co.uk)

• ChatGPT and the Growing Threat of Bring Your Own AI to the SOC - SecurityWeek

• How Businesses Can Get Ready for AI-Powered Security Threats (darkreading.com)

• Humans Still More Effective Than ChatGPT at Phishing - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK spy agency warns of security threat from ChatGPT and rival chatbots | Metro News

• Why red team exercises for AI should be on a CISO's radar | CSO Online

• GPT-4 Can’t Stop Helping Hackers Make Cyber criminal Tools (forbes.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Deepfakes, Synthetic Media: How Digital Propaganda Undermines Trust (darkreading.com)

• Russia disinformation looks to US far right to weaken Ukraine support | Russia | The Guardian

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Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Microsoft: Russian hackers may be readying new wave of destructive attacks | CyberScoop

• UK bans TikTok from government mobile phones | TikTok | The Guardian

• Microsoft: 17 European Nations Targeted by Russia in 2023 as Espionage Ramping Up - SecurityWeek

• UK’s Royal Navy, Ukraine Jointly Repel Simulated, Russian Cyber attack on National Infrastructure - MSSP Alert

• Russians told to rush to nuclear bomb shelters after hackers take over state media (telegraph.co.uk)

• Remcos Trojan Linked to Cyber Espionage Operations Against Ukrainian Government - MSSP Alert

• YoroTrooper cyber spies target CIS energy orgs, EU embassies (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China sought control of telecoms to spy on Micronesia • The Register

• Russia disinformation looks to US far right to weaken Ukraine support | Russia | The Guardian

• This Is the New Leader of Russia's Infamous Sandworm Hacking Unit | WIRED

• Russia’s Cyber security Companies Shrug Off Sanctions - CEPA

• Polish intelligence dismantled a network of Russian spies- Security Affairs

• Microsoft sheds light on a year of Russian hybrid warfare in Ukraine- Security Affairs

• Wave of Stealthy China Cyber attacks Hits US., Private Networks, Google Says - WSJ

• Russian hackers plotting another cyber attack against Ukraine - Microsoft (ukrinform.net)

• Here's how Chinese spies exploited a critical Fortinet bug • The Register

Nation State Actors

• MI5 Launches New Agency to Tackle State-Backed Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK bans TikTok from government mobile phones | TikTok | The Guardian

• North Korean hackers used polished LinkedIn profiles to target security researchers | CyberScoop

• A new Chinese era: security and control | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Russians told to rush to nuclear bomb shelters after hackers take over state media (telegraph.co.uk)

• Attacks on SonicWall appliances linked to Chinese campaign: Mandiant | CSO Online

• Remcos Trojan Linked to Cyber Espionage Operations Against Ukrainian Government - MSSP Alert

• The slow Tick‑ing time bomb: Tick APT group compromise of a DLP software developer in East Asia | WeLiveSecurity

• Microsoft fixes Outlook zero-day used by Russian hackers since April 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China sought control of telecoms to spy on Micronesia • The Register

• CISA: Federal civilian agency hacked by nation-state and criminal hacking groups | CyberScoop

• APT29 abuses EU information exchange systems in recent attacks- Security Affairs

• Chinese and Russian Hackers Using SILKLOADER Malware to Evade Detection (thehackernews.com)

• Russia disinformation looks to US far right to weaken Ukraine support | Russia | The Guardian

• This Is the New Leader of Russia's Infamous Sandworm Hacking Unit | WIRED

• Russia’s Cyber security Companies Shrug Off Sanctions - CEPA

• Microsoft sheds light on a year of Russian hybrid warfare in Ukraine- Security Affairs

• Wave of Stealthy China Cyber attacks Hits US., Private Networks, Google Says - WSJ

• Russian hackers plotting another cyber attack against Ukraine - Microsoft (ukrinform.net)

• Here's how Chinese spies exploited a critical Fortinet bug • The Register

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Vulnerabilities

• Critical Microsoft Outlook/365 bug CVE-2023-23397 under attack (thestack.technology)

• Critical Microsoft Outlook bug PoC shows how easy it is to exploit (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft fixes Outlook zero-day used by Russian hackers since April 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft and Fortinet fix bugs under active exploit • The Register

• CISA warns of actively exploited Plex bug after LastPass breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco fixed CVE-2023-20049 DoS flaw affecting enterprise routers- Security Affairs

• Massive vulnerabilities revealed at Dogecoin, Litecoin, Zcash | Fortune Crypto

• SAP releases security updates fixing five critical vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adobe Warns of ‘Very Limited Attacks’ Exploiting ColdFusion Zero-Day - SecurityWeek

• Microsoft fixes Windows zero-day exploited in ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft March 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 2 zero-days, 83 flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Firefox 111 patches 11 holes, but not 1 zero-day among them… – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Microsoft Pins Outlook Zero-Day Attacks on Russian Actor, Offers Detection Script - SecurityWeek

• Cyber attackers Continue Assault Against Fortinet Devices (darkreading.com)

• Security firm Rubrik is latest to be felled by GoAnywhere vulnerability | Ars Technica

• Google Warns Samsung and Pixel Phone Owners About 18 Dire Exploits - CNET

• Microsoft shares script to fix WinRE BitLocker bypass flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Here's how Chinese spies exploited a critical Fortinet bug • The Register

• Bitwarden's password manager browser extension has a known exploit it hasn't addressed in five years | TechSpot

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Tools and Controls

• Make Sure Your Cyber security Budget Stays Flexible (darkreading.com)

• What Is a Stateful Inspection Firewall? Ultimate Guide (enterprisestorageforum.com)

• When Partial Protection is Zero Protection: The MFA Blind Spots No One Talks About (thehackernews.com)

• Set up PowerShell script block logging for added security | TechTarget

• Brazil seizing Flipper Zero shipments to prevent use in crime (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Outlook app to get built-in Microsoft 365 MFA on Android, iOS (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 5 Reasons MSSP Clients Need Strong AppSec Strategies to Thwart Ransomware - MSSP Alert

• 5 Steps to Effective Cloud Detection and Response  - The New Stack

• Virtual patching: Cut time to patch from 250 days to (helpnetsecurity.com)

• ChatGPT may be a bigger cyber security risk than an actual benefit (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Change Is Coming to the Network Detection and Response (NDR) Market (darkreading.com)

• Rise of Ransomware Attacks Main Focus for SOCs, research finds - IT Security Guru

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Other News

• CASPER attack steals data using air-gapped computer's internal speaker (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US govt web server attacked by 'multiple' criminal gangs • The Register

• Security firm Rubrik is latest to be felled by GoAnywhere vulnerability | Ars Technica

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

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You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 10 March 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber threat intelligence experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Business Email Compromise Attacks Can Take Just Hours

Microsoft’s security intelligence team found that Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are moving rapidly, with some taking mere minutes. Microsoft found the whole process, from signing in using compromised credentials to registering typo squatting domains and hijacking an email thread, took threat actors only a couple of hours. Such a rapid attack leaves minimal time for organisations to identify and take preventative action. This is worrying when considering the cost of BEC is predicted to more than tens of billions.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-business-email-compromise-attacks-can-take-just-hours/

Research Reveals ‘Password’ is Still the Most Common Term used by Hackers to Breach Enterprise Networks

In a report of over 800 million breached passwords, vendor Specops identified some worrying results. Some of the key findings from the report include 88% of passwords used in successful attacks consisting of 12 characters or less and the most common base terms used in passwords involving ‘password’, ‘admin’, ‘welcome’ and ‘p@ssw0rd’. The report found that 83% of the compromised passwords satisfied both the length and complexity requirements of cyber security compliance standards such as NIST, GDPR, HIPAA and Cyber Essentials.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/08/research-reveals-password-still-the-most-common-term-used-by-hackers-to-breach-enterprise-networks/

Just 10% of Firms Can Resolve Cloud Threats in an Hour

Two-thirds (39%) of global organisations reported a surge in breaches over the past year, with IT complexity increasing and detection and response capabilities worsening, according to Palo Alto Networks. It found that as enterprises move more of their data and workloads to the cloud, they’re finding it increasingly difficult to discover and remediate incidents quickly. Over two-fifths (42%) reported an increase in mean time to remediate, while 90% said they are unable to detect, contain and resolve cyber-threats within an hour. Nearly a third (30%) reported a major increase in intrusion attempts and unplanned downtime. Part of the challenge appears to be the complexity of their cloud security environments – partly caused by tool bloat.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/10-firms-resolve-cloud-threats-hour/

MSPs in the Crosshairs of Ransomware Gangs

Many attacks have heightened attention around third-party risk and the security obligations of MSPs in meeting multiple customers’ IT needs. Attacks such as the ones on RackSpace and LastPass show that some ransomware actors are now intentionally targeting MSPs to access sensitive customer data. It is now believed that some advanced persistent threat (APT) groups could be stepping up their attacks on MSP’s in order to gain sensitive customer data.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/msps-in-the-crosshairs-of-ransomware-gangs/

Stolen Credentials Increasingly Empower the Cyber Crime Underground

Threat Intelligence provider Flashpoint found that last year threat actors exposed or stole 22.62 billion credentials and personal records, which often make their way to underground forums and cyber criminal markets. This follows a significant increase in market activity; just last year Flashpoint recorded 190 new illicit markets emerge and the continual rise in attacks focused on stealing credentials only further empowers cyber crime underground.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3690409/stolen-credentials-increasingly-empower-the-cybercrime-underground.html#tk.rss_news

It’s Time to Assess the Potential Dangers of an Increasingly Connected World

As global conflicts continue, cyber has become the fifth front of warfare. The world is approaching 50 billion connected devices, controlling everything from our traffic lights to our nuclear arsenal and we have already seen large-scale cyber attacks. Adding to this, a multitude of infrastructure runs on services ran by a handful of companies; Palo Alto Networks, Cisco and Fortinet control more than 50% of the market for security appliances. As such, an attack on one of these companies could cause a huge ripple effect on their customers.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/it-s-time-to-assess-the-potential-dangers-of-an-increasingly-connected-world-

Mounting Cyber Threats Mean Financial Firms Urgently Need Better Safeguards

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 64% of banks and supervisory authorities do not mandate testing and exercising cyber security and 54% lack dedicated a cyber incident reporting regime. This increases the risk of experiencing a cyber attack. Regularly testing and exercising security will aid any organisation in its cyber resilience.

https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2023/03/02/mounting-cyber-threats-mean-financial-firms-urgently-need-better-safeguards

Insider Threat: Developers Leaked 10m Credentials Including Passwords in 2022

Security provider GitGuardian found that the rate at which developers leaked critical software secrets jumped by 0.5 to reach 5.5 out of every 1,000 commits to GitHub repositories; overall, this amounted to at least 10 million instances of secrets leaking to a public repository. Generic passwords accounted for the majority of leaked secrets (56%) and more than a third (38%) of leaks involved API keys, random number generator seeds and other sensitive strings. These leaks can have worrying consequences for organisations.

https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/inside-threat-developers-leaked-10m-credentials-passwords-2022

Cyber Threat Detections Surges 55% In 2022

Security Provider Trend Micro has said that it stopped 146 billion cyber threats in 2022, a 55% increase on the previous year and evidence of the increase of attacks ramping up. Trend Micro also found a 242% increase in the number of blocked malicious files and an 86% increase in backdoor malware detections with the latter showing an increase in attackers gaining initial access. Furthermore, the number of critical vulnerabilities in 2022 doubled compared to the previous year. Trend Micro noted that this is all likely due to an ever expanding attack surface of organisations.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyberthreat-detections-surge-55/

European Central Bank Tells Banks to Run Cyber Stress Tests after Rise in Hacker Attacks

The European Central Bank (ECB) will ask all major lenders in the Eurozone to detail by next year, how they would respond to and recover from a successful cyber attack. The ECB is in the process of designing a scenario involving a theoretical breach of the financial system’s cyber defences, which will be sent to all of the 111 banks it assesses to see how they would react. The stress test stems from the increasing amount of cyber attacks. If cyber has shown us anything, it’s that anyone can be a target and performing a stress test would help any organisation prepare for the worst.

https://www.ft.com/content/f03d68a4-fdb9-4312-bda3-3157d369a4a6

Employees Are Feeding Sensitive Business Data to ChatGPT

1 in 20 employees have put sensitive corporate data into popular AI tool ChatGPT, raising concerns that this could result in massive leaks of proprietary information. In some cases, this has involved employees cutting and pasting strategic documents and asking ChatGPT to make a PowerPoint.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/employees-feeding-sensitive-business-data-chatgpt-raising-security-fears

Is Ransomware Declining? Not So Fast Experts Say

Security provider CrowdStrike have explained that the perceived decline in ransomware reflects the abilities of threat actors to adapt, splinter and regroup against defensive measures. CrowdStrike expand on this, stating that whilst ransom payments dipped slightly in 2022, there was an uprise in data extortion and ransomware as a service (RaaS).

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/365532201/Is-ransomware-declining-Not-so-fast-experts-say

Preventing Corporate Data Breaches Starts with Remembering that Leaks have Real Victims

The impact a data breach can have on an individual is devastating and ultimately there’s not much an individual can do themselves if the organisation that holds their data isn’t taking the right steps. To best protect themselves and their clients’ data, organisations should look to have appropriate defence in depth controls, including effective asset management, an open security culture, close monitoring of access, utilising strong authentication and maintaining an awareness of the ever changing threat landscape.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/07/preventing-corporate-data-breaches/

Faced With Likelihood of Ransomware Attacks, Businesses Still Choosing to Pay Up

In a recent report Proofpoint found that globally 76% of organisations experienced ransomware attempts, with 64% eventually infected. Amongst those that had a cyber insurance policy, 82% of insurers stepped up to pay the ransom either in full or partially. The report found that with the rise in number and sophistication of attacks it is more important than ever for proper security training and awareness in organisations.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/faced-with-likelihood-of-ransomware-attacks-businesses-still-choosing-to-pay-up/

Experts See Growing Need for Cyber Security Workers as One in Six Jobs go Unfilled

A report by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) found that 1 in 6 cyber security jobs are unfulfilled and this is only expected to grow in the coming years. The ICTC stated that “This is not just about education or government funding, but about companies willing to provide hands-on training and experience to the next generation of cyber security experts”.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-experts-see-growing-need-for-cybersecurity-workers-as-one-in-six-jobs/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Faced with likelihood of ransomware attacks, businesses still choosing to pay up | ZDNET

• MSPs in the Crosshairs of Ransomware Gangs - MSSP Alert

• Is ransomware declining? Not so fast, experts say | TechTarget

• FBI and CISA warn of increasing Royal ransomware attack risks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• City of Oakland Faces Major Data Leak - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Indigo Books Refuses LockBit Ransomware Demand (darkreading.com)

• Anatomy of a Ransomware Attack

• Core Members of DoppelPaymer Ransomware Gang Targeted in Germany and Ukraine (thehackernews.com)

• Ransom House ransomware attack hit Hospital Clinic de Barcelona- - Security Affairs

• Security Patch Management Strengthens Ransomware Defence (trendmicro.com)

• Ransomware's Favorite Target: Critical Infrastructure and Its Industrial Control Systems (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware review: March 2023 (malwarebytes.com)

• Ransomware gang posts video of data stolen from Minneapolis schools (bleepingcomputer.com)

• IceFire ransomware now encrypts both Linux and Windows systems (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Examining Ransomware Payments From a Data-Science Lens (trendmicro.com)

• DND: Black & McDonald reported ransomware attack | CTV News

• Cyble — BlackSnake Ransomware Emerges from Chaos Ransomware's Shadow

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• AI is taking phishing attacks to a whole new level of sophistication - Help Net Security

• Catches of the Month: Phishing Scams for March 2023 - IT Governance UK Blog

• Emotet starts post-break phishing campaign • The Register

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Microsoft: Business email compromise attacks can take just hours (bleepingcomputer.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Experts Warn of "SMS Pumping" Fraud Epidemic - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Vishing attacks increasing, but AI's role still unclear | TechTarget

• Defeating the Deepfake Danger - SecurityWeek

• Does Your Help Desk Know Who's Calling? (thehackernews.com)

2FA/MFA

• NCSC: Twitter Users Should Find MFA Alternatives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• DrayTek VPN routers hacked with new malware to steal data, evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malicious PyPI package signals direction of cyber crime • The Register

• How to prevent Microsoft OneNote files from infecting Windows with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Snake Keylogger Malware Removal Guide (makeuseof.com)

• Stealthy UEFI malware bypassing Secure Boot enabled by unpatchable Windows flaw | Ars Technica

• New malware infects business routers for data theft, surveillance (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Old Windows ‘Mock Folders’ UAC bypass used to drop malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Emotet malware attacks return after three-month break (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AI-Powered 'BlackMamba' Keylogging Attack Evades Modern EDR Security (darkreading.com)

• New ScrubCrypt Crypter Used in Cryptojacking Attacks Targeting Oracle WebLogic (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers Exploiting Remote Desktop Software Flaws to Deploy PlugX Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Custom Chinese Malware Found on SonicWall Appliance - SecurityWeek

• Remcos Trojan Returns to Most Wanted Malware List After Ukraine Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• FBI and international cops catch a NetWire RAT • The Register

Mobile

• Transparent Tribe Hackers Distribute CapraRAT via Trojanized Messaging Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Officials Targeted with Romance Scams and Android Trojan - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google One expands security features to all plans with dark web report, VPN access - Help Net Security

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Akamai mitigated a record-breaking DDoS that peaked 900Gbps- Security Affairs

Internet of Things – IoT

• TPM 2.0 Library Vulnerabilities May Affect Billions of IoT Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese Hikvision cameras ‘that pose security threat’ used on King’s Sandringham estate (thetimes.co.uk)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Preventing corporate data breaches starts with remembering that leaks have real victims - Help Net Security

• The LastPass Hack Somehow Gets Worse | WIRED

• LastPass Hack: Engineer's Failure to Update Plex Software Led to Massive Data Breach (thehackernews.com)

• Credential Stuffing attack on Chick-fil-A impacted +71K users- Security Affairs

• Popular fintech apps expose valuable, exploitable secrets - Help Net Security

• PayPal Sued Over Data Breach that Impacted 35,000 users (hackread.com)

• Acer Data Breach? Hacker Claims to Sell 160GB Trove of Stolen Data (hackread.com)

• Brazilian Conglomerate Suffers 3TB Data Breach: Report - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Data breach exposed millions of Verizon customers' account info (androidpolice.com)

• Congress’ Social Security Numbers Leaked in DC Health Link Hack (gizmodo.com)

• Data protection vendor Acronis admits to data leak • The Register

• AT&T confirms 9m wireless accounts exposed by third part • The Register

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• At Least 30% of "Cyber-Criminals" Are Women: Report - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber crime site shows off with a free leak of 2 million stolen card numbers - The Record from Recorded Future News

• BidenCash leaks 2.1M stolen credit/debit cards- Security Affairs

• Malicious PyPI package signals direction of cyber crime • The Register

• Where are the women in cyber security? • The Register

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• FTX Confirms $9 Billion in Customer Funds Vanished (gizmodo.com)

• Russia-Ukraine war: How both sides of the conflict have used crypto to win (cointelegraph.com)

• New ScrubCrypt Crypter Used in Cryptojacking Attacks Targeting Oracle WebLogic (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• 6 Ways To Go Beyond Awareness And Foster A Real Culture Of Cyber security (forbes.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Scams Security Pros Almost Fell For (darkreading.com)

• FTX Confirms $9 Billion in Customer Funds Vanished (gizmodo.com)

• Experts Warn of "SMS Pumping" Fraud Epidemic - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Scammers using voice-cloning A.I. to mimic relatives | Fortune

• Alleged security breach leaves millions of dollars missing from Flutterwave accounts | TechCrunch

• UK Government Plans Skills Boost for Public Sector Fraud Fight - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Officials Targeted with Romance Scams and Android Trojan - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Rise In ChatGPT Scams Reported By Fraudsters (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Deepfakes

• From Disinformation to Deep Fakes: How Threat Actors Manipulate Reality (thehackernews.com)

• Defeating the Deepfake Danger - SecurityWeek

Insurance

• Talking Cyber Insurance With Munich Re - SecurityWeek

Dark Web

• Cyber crime site shows off with a free leak of 2 million stolen card numbers - The Record from Recorded Future News

• Google One expands security features to all plans with dark web report, VPN access - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Snap CISO talks risky supply chain security business • The Register

• SolarWinds IR lead: supply-chain attacks 'getting bigger' • The Register

• AT&T confirms 9m wireless accounts exposed by third part • The Register

Software Supply Chain

• SBOMs become a security staple for the software supply chain • The Register

Cloud/SaaS

• Just 10% of Firms Can Resolve Cloud Threats in an Hour - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Experts Reveal Google Cloud Platform's Blind Spot for Data Exfiltration Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers are quickly learning how to target cloud systems (axios.com)

• Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model, Critical Step to Ensure Cloud Security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Attack Surface Management

• 5 Reasons You Should Care About Unmanaged Assets (darkreading.com)

Asset Management

• 5 Reasons You Should Care About Unmanaged Assets (darkreading.com)

Encryption

• New TPM 2.0 flaws could let hackers steal cryptographic keys (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Steganography Breakthrough Enables “Perfectly Secure” Digital Communications (scitechdaily.com)

API

• API Security for UK companies - IT Security Guru

• Attackers exploit APIs faster than ever before - Help Net Security

Open Source

• IceFire ransomware now encrypts both Linux and Windows systems (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Research Reveals 'Password' Still the Most Common Term Used by Hackers to Breach Enterprise Networks - IT Security Guru

• Stolen credentials increasingly empower the cyber crime underground | CSO Online

• The LastPass Hack Somehow Gets Worse | WIRED

• Credential Stuffing attack on Chick-fil-A impacted +71K users- Security Affairs

• The Role of Verifiable Credentials In Preventing Account Compromise (darkreading.com)

• Securing ways to share workplace passwords • The Register

• Young government workers show poor password management habits - Help Net Security

Social Media

• NCSC: Twitter Users Should Find MFA Alternatives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• TikTok unveils new European data security regime | Reuters

Training, Education and Awareness

• 6 Ways To Go Beyond Awareness And Foster A Real Culture Of Cyber security (forbes.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Biden Administration's Cyber security Strategy Takes Aim at Hackers (gizmodo.com)

• Government Claims New UK GDPR Will Save Firms Billions - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Inadequate patches and advisories increase cyber risk - Help Net Security

• Why do Businesses Need to Focus More on Cyber security (hackread.com)

• Flashpoint: Threat vectors converging, increasing damage | TechTarget

• How to achieve and shore up cyber resilience in a recession - Help Net Security

• The cyber security landscape in the era of economic instability – Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Open letter demands OWASP overhaul, warns of mass project exodus | CSO Online

• PCI Compliance Requirements Guide (trendmicro.com)

• NIST Retooling Cyber security Framework to Reflect Changing Cyber scape – MSSP Alert

Data Protection

• Government Claims New UK GDPR Will Save Firms Billions – Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Experts see growing need for cyber security workers as one in six jobs go unfilled – The Globe and Mail

• How to Jump-Start Your Cyber security Career (darkreading.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Core Members of DoppelPaymer Ransomware Gang Targeted in Germany and Ukraine (thehackernews.com)

• FBI and international cops catch a NetWire RAT • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Secret Service and ICE break the law with fake phone towers • The Register

• Thought you'd opted out of online tracking? Think again • The Register

Artificial Intelligence

• AI is taking phishing attacks to a whole new level of sophistication - Help Net Security

• Employees Are Feeding Sensitive Business Data to ChatGPT (darkreading.com)

• You can poison AI datasets for just $60, a new study shows (fastcompany.com)

• Microsoft and MITRE developed a tool to prepare security teams for attacks on ML systems - Help Net Security

• Thousands scammed by AI voices mimicking loved ones in emergencies | Ars Technica

• Vishing attacks increasing, but AI's role still unclear | TechTarget

• AI-Powered 'BlackMamba' Keylogging Attack Evades Modern EDR Security (darkreading.com)

• Criminals will use ChatGPT to unleash wave of fraud, warns Darktrace (telegraph.co.uk)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• From Disinformation to Deep Fakes: How Threat Actors Manipulate Reality (thehackernews.com)

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Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare? | Computer Weekly

• New Backdoor MQsTTang Attributed to Mustang Panda Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pegasus spyware used to spy on a Polish mayor- Security Affairs

• Russia-Ukraine war: How both sides of the conflict have used crypto to win (cointelegraph.com)

• Sharp Panda targets government entities in Southeast Asia- Security Affairs

• Russia’s Cyber Tactics in Ukraine Shift to Focus on Espionage - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Managed Service Provider Identifies Potential Chinese Spy Ring - MSSP Alert

• Chinese cyber spies target unpatched SonicWall gear • The Register

• What is Cyberwarfare? | Definition from TechTarget

Nation State Actors

• What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare? | Computer Weekly

• New Backdoor MQsTTang Attributed to Mustang Panda Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russia Bans Messengers, Including WhatsApp, Telegram, And More (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Russia-Ukraine war: How both sides of the conflict have used crypto to win (cointelegraph.com)

• Chinese Hikvision cameras ‘that pose security threat’ used on King’s Sandringham estate (thetimes.co.uk)

• China-aligned APT is exploring new technology stacks for malicious tools - Help Net Security

• Sharp Panda targets government entities in Southeast Asia- Security Affairs

• Lazarus Group Exploits Zero-Day Vulnerability to Hack South Korean Financial Entity (thehackernews.com)

• Russia’s Cyber Tactics in Ukraine Shift to Focus on Espionage - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Managed Service Provider Identifies Potential Chinese Spy Ring - MSSP Alert

• Chinese firm got Covid contract despite trying to hack NHS data, minister says | Politics | The Guardian

• Chinese cyber spies target unpatched SonicWall gear • The Register

• TikTok unveils new European data security regime | Reuters

• Lazarus group infiltrated South Korean finance firm twice last year | CSO Online

• Remcos Trojan Returns to Most Wanted Malware List After Ukraine Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Chinese regulatory body expected to streamline data governance rules | CSO Online

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Vulnerability Management

• Inadequate patches and advisories increase cyber risk - Help Net Security

• Build Cyber Resiliency With These Security Threat-Mitigation Considerations

• Zero Day Threat Protection for Your Network (trendmicro.com)

• 557 CVEs Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog in 2022 - SecurityWeek

• Machine Learning Improves Prediction of Exploited Vulnerabilities (darkreading.com)

• Security Patch Management Strengthens Ransomware Defense (trendmicro.com)

• VulnCheck: CISA's KEV missing 42 vulnerabilities from 2022 | TechTarget

Vulnerabilities

• TPM 2.0 Library Vulnerabilities May Affect Billions of IoT Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Researchers discover 'kill switch' in Starlink terminals - Security - iTnews

• PoC exploit for recently patched Microsoft Word RCE is public (CVE-2023-21716) - Help Net Security

• CISA's KEV Catalog Updated with 3 New Flaws Threatening IT Management Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Exploitation of Critical Vulnerability in End-of-Life VMware Product Ongoing - SecurityWeek

• Fortinet warns of new critical unauthenticated RCE vulnerability (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Adobe Experience Manager affecting multiple companies… | by Fat Selimi | Feb, 2023 | InfoSec Write-ups (infosecwriteups.com)

• Chinese cyber spies target unpatched SonicWall gear • The Register

• Chrome 111 Patches 40 Vulnerabilities - SecurityWeek

• Bitwarden flaw can let hackers steal passwords using iframes (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Veeam warns to install patches to fix a bug in Backup & Replication- Security Affairs

• Hackers Exploiting Remote Desktop Software Flaws to Deploy PlugX Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Vulnerability Exposes Cisco Enterprise Routers to Disruptive Attacks - SecurityWeek

• Jenkins Server Vulnerabilities Chained for Remote Code Execution  - SecurityWeek

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Tools and Controls

• The LastPass Hack Somehow Gets Worse | WIRED

• 3 Ways Security Teams Can Use IP Data Context (darkreading.com)

• Two-Thirds of European Firms Have Started Zero Trust - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• What is zero trust? A model for more effective security | CSO Online

• Too Many SOAR Vendors are Failing MSSPs - MSSP Alert

• Why enterprise SecOps strategies must include XDR and MDR | TechTarget

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Other News

• Biden Administration's Cyber security Strategy Takes Aim at Hackers (gizmodo.com)

• Tracking device technology: A double-edged sword for CISOs | CSO Online

• From Disinformation to Deep Fakes: How Threat Actors Manipulate Reality (thehackernews.com)

• What CISOs need to understand about document signing - Help Net Security

• Thousands of websites hacked as part of redirection campaign- Security Affairs

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 February 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Business Leaders Need a Hands-on Approach to Stop Cyber Crime, Says Spy Chief

Business leaders must not see cyber crime as “just a technical issue” that can be left up to IT departments, said Lindy Cameron, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).  Ms Cameron later commented that “In the world of cyber security, the new year has brought with it some sadly familiar themes - a continuation of cyber incidents affecting organisations large and small as well as the British public”.

Along with this, came the urge for business leaders to step up their efforts in combating cyber crime by taking an active interest and educating themselves on the subject.  When commenting upon board members’ level of understanding, Ms Cameron said “I’d also encourage board members to develop a basic understanding of cyber security, which can help when seeking assurances from IT teams about the resilience of an organisation - in a similar way that leaders have a certain level of understanding of finance to assess financial health”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/28/business-leaders-need-hands-on-approach-stop-cyber-crime-says/

• Rising ‘Firebrick Ostrich’ BEC Group Launches Industrial Scale Cyber Attacks

Business email compromise (BEC) has become one of the most popular methods of financially motivated hacking. And over the past year, one group in particular has demonstrated just how quick, easy, and lucrative it really is.

"Firebrick Ostrich" is a threat actor that's been performing BEC at a near-industrial scale. Since April 2021, the group has carried out more than 350 BEC campaigns, impersonating 151 organisations and utilising 212 malicious domains in the process. This volume of attacks is made possible by the group's wholesale gunslinging approach. Firebrick Ostrich doesn't discriminate much when it comes to targets, or gather exceptional intelligence in order to craft the perfect phishing bait. It throws darts at a wall because, evidently, when it comes to BEC at scale, that's enough.

BEC is attractive to bad actors due to the lower barriers to entry than malware, less risk, faster scaling opportunities, and way more profit potential to higher echelons than other methods of attack. These factors may explain why such attacks are absolutely the emerging trend, potentially even leaving even ransomware in the dust. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of these groups out there.

https://www.darkreading.com/remote-workforce/rising-firebrick-ostrich-bec-group-launches-industrial-scale-cyberattacks

• The Corporate World is Losing its Grip on Cyber Risk

Lloyd's of London’s insurance market prides itself on being able to put a price on anything, from Tina Turner’s legs or Bruce Springsteen’s vocal cords, to the risk that a bounty hunter might claim the reward from Cutty Sark Whisky in the 1970s for capturing the Loch Ness monster.

But from the end of March, there will be something it won’t price: systemic cyber risk, or the type of major, catastrophic disruption caused by state-backed cyber warfare. In one sense, this isn’t surprising. Insurance policies typically exclude acts of war. Russia’s NotPetya attack on Ukraine in 2017 showed how state-backed cyber assaults can surpass traditional definitions of armed conflict and overspill their sovereign target to hit global businesses. It caused an estimated $10bn in damages and years of wrangling between companies like pharma group Merck and snack maker Mondelez and their insurers.

But the move is prompting broader questions about the growing pains in this corner of the insurance world. “Cyber insurance isn’t working anywhere at the moment as a public good for society,” says Ciaran Martin, former head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre. “It has a huge role to play in improving defences in a market-based economy and it has been a huge disappointment in that sense so far.”

The Lloyd’s move is designed, say insurers, to clarify rather than restrict coverage. Whether it succeeds is another matter: this is a murky world, where cyber crime groups operate with impunity in certain jurisdictions.

https://www.ft.com/content/78bfdf29-1e20-4c12-a348-06e98d5ae906

• Microsoft Reveals Over 100 Threat Actors are Deploying Ransomware in Attacks

Microsoft revealed this week that its security teams are tracking over 100 threat actors deploying ransomware during attacks. In all, the company says it monitors over 50 unique ransomware families, with some of the most prominent ransomware payloads in recent campaigns including Lockbit, BlackCat (aka ALPHV), Play, Vice Society, Black Basta, and Royal.

Microsoft said that defence strategies should focus less on payloads themselves but more on the chain of activities that lead to their deployment, since ransomware gangs are still targeting servers and devices not yet patched against common or recently addressed vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, while new ransomware families launch all the time, most threat actors utilise the same tactics when breaching and spreading through networks, making the effort of detecting such behaviour even more helpful in thwarting their attacks.

Attackers are increasingly relying on tactics beyond phishing to conduct their attacks, with threat actors for example capitalising on recently patched Exchange Server vulnerabilities to hack vulnerable servers and deploy Cuba and Play ransomware.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-over-100-threat-actors-deploy-ransomware-in-attacks/

• Ransomware Conversations: Why the CFO is Pivotal to Discussing and Preparing for Risk

With the amount of cyber attacks in all industries, organisations are beginning to grasp the significance of cyber risk and how it is integral to protecting and maintaining an efficient business. In fact, the first half of 2022 alone saw 236.1 million cases of ransomware.

Whilst the expectation for responsibility has typically fallen on Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are just as vital in managing cyber risk, which is now inherently also business risk.  The CFO plays an important part in determining whether cyber security incidents will become material and affect the business more seriously. Their insight is critical across many areas which include ransomware, cyber insurance, regulatory compliance and budget management.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/02/02/ransomware-conversations-why-the-cfo-is-pivotal-to-discussing-and-preparing-for-risk

• Greater Incident Complexity, a Shift in How Threat Actors Use Stolen Data Will Drive the Cyber Threat Landscape in 2023

Insurance provider Beazley released their Cyber Services Snapshot Report which claims the cyber security landscape will be influenced by greater complexity and the way threat actors use stolen data. The report also found that as a category, fraudulent instruction experienced a growth as a cause of loss in 2022, up 13% year-over year. 

In response to vulnerabilities such as fraudulent instructions, the report suggests organisations must get smarter about educating users to spot things such as spoofed emails or domain names. The report also cautions organisations to watch for social engineering, spear phishing, bypassing of multi-factor authentication (MFA), targeting of managed service providers (MSP) and the compromise of cloud environments as areas of vulnerability.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/greater-incident-complexity-a-shift-in-the-way-threat-actors-use-stolen-data-and-a-rise-in-us-class-actions-will-drive-the-cyber-threat-landscape-in-2023-according-to-beazley-report

• The Threat from Within: 71% of Business Leaders Surveyed Think Next Cyber Security Breach Will Come from the Inside

A survey conducted by IT provider EisnerAmper found that 71% of business executives worry about accidental internal staff error as one of the top threats facing their organisation and 23% of these worried about malicious intent by an employee. In comparison, 75% of business executives had concerns about external hackers. The survey also asked about current safety measures, with 51% responding that they were “somewhat prepared”. Despite this, only 50% of respondents reported conducting regular cyber security training. 

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/the-threat-from-within-71-of-business-leaders-surveyed-think-next-cybersecurity-breach-will-come-from-the-inside

• 98% of Organisations Have a Supply Chain Relationship That Has Been Breached

A report from SecurityScorecard found that 98% of organisations have a relationship with at least one third party that has experienced a breach in the last two years, while more than 50% have an indirect relationship with more than 200 fourth parties that have been breached. Of course, this is keeping in mind that not all organisations disclose or even know they have been breached.

https://www.securityweek.com/98-of-firms-have-a-supply-chain-relationship-that-has-been-breached-analysis/

• New Survey Reveals 40% of Companies Experienced a Data Leak in the Past Year

Software provider SysKit has published a report on the effects of digital transformation on IT administrators and the current governance landscape. The report found that 40% of organisations experienced a data leak in the previous year. A data leak can have severe consequences on an organisation's efficiency and the impact can lead to large fines, downtime, and loss of business-critical certifications and customers.

In addition, the Survey found that the biggest challenge for IT administrators was a lack of understanding from superiors, huge workloads and misalignment of IT and business strategies.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/new-survey-reveals-40-of-companies-experienced-a-data-leak-in-the-past-year

• Russian Hackers Launch Cyber Attack on Germany in Leopard Tank Retaliation

The websites of key German administrations, including companies and airports, have been targeted by cyber attacks, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) stated.

The BSI commented they had been informed of DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks “currently in progress against targets in Germany". This was followed by the statement that “Individual targets in the financial sector” and federal government sites were also attacked, with some websites becoming temporarily unavailable.  It is believed that this is due to the approved deployment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with Russian hacker site Killnet taking credit.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/01/26/russian-hackers-launch-cyberattack-on-germany-in-leopard-retaliation

• Financial Services Targeted in 28% of UK Cyber Attacks Last Year

Based on data from security provider Imperva, security researchers have identified that over a quarter (28%) of all cyber attacks in the UK hit the financial services and insurance (FSI) industry in the last 12 months. The data also found that Application Programme Interface (API) attacks, malicious automated software and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks were the most challenging for the industry. In addition, the data found that roughly 40% of all account takeover attempts were targeted at the FSI industry.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/quarter-cyber-attacks-uk-financial/

• Phishing Attacks are Getting Scarily Sophisticated. Here’s What to Watch Out For

Hackers are going to great lengths, including mimicking real people and creating and updating fake social media profiles, to trick victims into clicking phishing links and handing over usernames and passwords. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns that these phishing attacks are targeting a range of sectors.

The NCSC has also released mitigation advice to help organisations and individuals protect themselves online. The mitigation advice included the use of strong passwords, separate to other accounts; enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA); and applying the latest security updates.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/phishing-attacks-are-getting-scarily-sophisticated-heres-what-to-watch-out-for/

• City of London on High Alert After Ransomware Attack

A suspected ransomware attack on a key supplier of trading software to the City of London this week appears to have disrupted activity in the derivatives market. The company impacted, Ion Cleared Derivatives, is investigating. It is reported that 42 clients were impacted by the attack.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/city-of-london-high-alert/

• JD Sports Warns of 10 Million Customers Put at Risk in Cyber Attack

Sportswear retailer JD Sports said it was the victim of a cyber attack that exposed the data of 10 million customers, in the latest spate of hacks on UK companies.

JD Sports explained that the attack involved unauthorised access to a system that contained “the name, billing address, delivery address, phone number, order details and the final four digits of payment cards”. The data related to customers’ orders made between November 2018 and October 2020, with outdoor gear companies Millets and Blacks also impacted. A full review with cyber security and external specialists is underway.

https://www.ft.com/content/afe00f2f-afcd-478f-9e4d-1cf9c943fa79

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• City Of London Traders Hit By Russia-Linked Cyber Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• New Nevada Ransomware targets Windows and VMware ESXi systems (bleepingcomputer.com)

• City of London on High Alert After Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware conversations: Why the CFO is pivotal to discussing and preparing for risk - IT Security Guru

• US puts a $10m bounty on Hive while Russia shuts down access • The Register

• Copycat Criminals mimicking Lockbit gang in northern Europe security affairs

• Ransom-what? Learning from Hacked Hackers (secureworld.io)

• Most criminal cryptocurrency is funneled through just 5 exchanges | Ars Technica

• Council leader 'put her foot down' and refused to pay multi-million pound ransom demand from hackers - Teesside Live (gazettelive.co.uk)

• 6 Ransomware Trends & Evolutions For 2023 (trendmicro.com)

• Cyber Attack Hits Derivatives Unit of Trading Software Firm ION - Bloomberg

• Regulators weigh in on ION attack as LockBit takes credit • The Register

• New Mimic Ransomware Abuses Windows Search Engine (cyber securitynews.com)

• Stratford University discloses ransomware attack — but which ransomware attack? (databreaches.net)

• Schools don't pay, but ransomware attacks still increasing | TechTarget

• Poser Hackers Impersonate LockBit in SMB Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• Risk & Repeat: The FBI's Hive ransomware takedown | TechTarget

• Nevada Ransomware Has Released Upgraded Locker security affairs

• LockBit Green ransomware variant borrows code from Conti one security affairs

• Arnold Clark customer data stolen in attack claimed by Play ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware attacks on public sector persist in January | TechTarget

• Ransomware attack on data firm ION could take days to fix -sources | Reuters

• APT groups use ransomware TTPs as cover for intelligence gathering and sabotage | CSO Online

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing attacks are getting scarily sophisticated. Here's what to watch out for | ZDNET

• BEC Group Uses Open Source Tactics in Hundreds of Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Rising ‘Firebrick Ostrich’ BEC Group Launches Industrial-Scale Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• Porsche halts NFT launch, phishing sites fill the void (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Phishers Trick Microsoft Into Granting Them 'Verified' Cloud Partner Status (darkreading.com)

• DocuSign Brand Impersonation Attack Bypasses Security Measures, Targets Over 10,000 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• BEC Group Uses Open Source Tactics in Hundreds of Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Rising ‘Firebrick Ostrich’ BEC Group Launches Industrial-Scale Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• New 'Pig Butchering' Scam in West Africa Impersonates US Financial Advisors - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Long Con Impersonates Financial Advisers to Target Victims (darkreading.com)

2FA/MFA

• Facebook Bug Allows 2FA Bypass Via Instagram (darkreading.com)

Malware

• How Can Disrupting DNS Communications Thwart a Malware Attack? (darkreading.com)

• Hackers use new IceBreaker malware to breach gaming companies (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Threat: Stealthy HeadCrab Malware Compromised Over 1,200 Redis Servers (thehackernews.com)

• PoS malware can block contactless payments to steal credit cards (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts Uncover the Identity of Mastermind Behind Golden Chickens Malware Service (thehackernews.com)

• New APT34 Malware Targets The Middle East (trendmicro.com)

• HeadCrab malware targets Redis to mine cryptocurrency | TechTarget

• Malvertising attacks are distributing .NET malware loaders • The Register

• Hackers weaponize Microsoft Visual Studio add-ins to push malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Google Fi data breach let hackers carry out SIM swap attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Over 1,800 Android phishing forms for sale on cyber crime market (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mobile phone fraud: 'They stole £22,500 using my banking app' - BBC News

Botnets

• New Threat: Stealthy HeadCrab Malware Compromised Over 1,200 Redis Servers (thehackernews.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Killnet Attackers DDoS US and Dutch Hospitals - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New DDoS-as-a-Service platform used in recent attacks on hospitals (bleepingcomputer.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• IoT, connected devices biggest contributors to expanding application attack surface | CSO Online

• European IoT Manufacturers Lag in Vulnerability Disclosure (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• Realtek Vulnerability Under Attack: Over 134 Million Attempts to Hack IoT Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Anker finally comes clean about its Eufy security cameras - The Verge

Data Breaches/Leaks

• JD Sports warns data of 10mn customers put at risk in cyber attack | Financial Times (ft.com)

• New Survey Reveals 40% of Companies Experienced a Data Leak in the Past Year (darkreading.com)

• Planet Ice hacked! 240,000 skating fans' details stolen (bitdefender.com)

• If a locked filing cabinet is stolen along with its key, can you still say it’s locked? GoTo thinks you can • Graham Cluley

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber crime job ads on the dark web pay up to $20k per month (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Most criminal cryptocurrency is funneled through just 5 exchanges | Ars Technica

• How $6 Can Buy Hacked Social Media & Streaming Accounts From the Dark Web, Whizcase Study Reveals (darkreading.com)

• Cyber crime Ecosystem Spawns Lucrative Underground Gig Economy (darkreading.com)

• Cyber crime job ads on the dark web pay up to $20k per month (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Developers, Attackers Top List of Most In Demand Dark Web Jobs, Kaspersky Reports - MSSP Alert

• Report on hackers' salaries shows poor wages for developers • The Register

• 6 Examples of the Evolution of a Scam Site (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Insights 2023: Criminal Gangs - SecurityWeek

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• ‘Everything is fake’: how global crime gangs are using UK shell companies in multi-million pound crypto scams | Organised crime | The Guardian

• Most criminal cryptocurrency is funneled through just 5 exchanges | Ars Technica

• FBI: North Korea’s Lazarus Group behind $100m crypto attack • The Register

• Oxford student jailed for £2m crypto theft after PhD blunder | News | The Times

• Porsche halts NFT launch, phishing sites fill the void (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crypto theft: North Korea-linked hackers stole $1.7b in 2022 - BBC News

• HeadCrab malware targets Redis to mine cryptocurrency | TechTarget

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Insider attacks becoming more frequent, more difficult to detect - Help Net Security

• The Threat from Within: 71% of Business Leaders Surveyed Think Next Cyber security Breach Will Come from the Inside (darkreading.com)

• Are Your Employees Thinking Critically About Their Online Behaviours? (darkreading.com)

• The next cyber threat may come from within - Help Net Security

• Insider threats: The cyber risks lurking in the dark (betanews.com)

• Executives Worry Equally About Insider Cyber Errors, Outsider Threats: How MSSPs Can Help - MSSP Alert

• Former Ubiquiti dev pleads guilty to data theft, extortion • The Register

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• ‘Everything is fake’: how global crime gangs are using UK shell companies in multi-million pound crypto scams | Organised crime | The Guardian

• New 'Pig Butchering' Scam in West Africa Impersonates US Financial Advisors - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• FBI: North Korea’s Lazarus Group behind $100m crypto attack • The Register

• Oxford student jailed for £2m crypto theft after PhD blunder | News | The Times

• Porsche halts NFT launch, phishing sites fill the void (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian Millionaire on Trial in Hack, Insider Trade Scheme - SecurityWeek

• 6 Examples of the Evolution of a Scam Site (darkreading.com)

• Mobile phone fraud: 'They stole £22,500 using my banking app' - BBC News

• Crypto theft: North Korea-linked hackers stole $1.7b in 2022 - BBC News

• Romance fraud losses rose 91% during the pandemic, claims UK's TSB bank | Tripwire

• Romance Fraudsters Have Stolen £65m From Brits Since 2020 (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• DocuSign Brand Impersonation Attack Bypasses Security Measures, Targets Over 10,000 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why CISOs Should Care About Brand Impersonation Scam Sites (darkreading.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• As the anti-money laundering perimeter expands, who needs to be compliant, and how? - Help Net Security

Insurance

• 4 Cyber Insurance Requirement Predictions for 2023 (trendmicro.com)

Dark Web

• There’s a Wild Scramble for Control of the Dark Web Taking Place in Russia (vice.com)

• How $6 Can Buy Hacked Social Media & Streaming Accounts From the Dark Web, Whizcase Study Reveals (darkreading.com)

• Cyber crime job ads on the dark web pay up to $20k per month (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Developers, Attackers Top List of Most In Demand Dark Web Jobs, Kaspersky Reports - MSSP Alert

• Report on hackers' salaries shows poor wages for developers • The Register

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• 98% of Firms Have a Supply Chain Relationship That Has Been Breached: Analysis - SecurityWeek

• Almost all Organisations are Working with Recently Breached Vendors - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 50% of organisations have indirect relationships with 200+ breached fourth-party vendors - Help Net Security

• Cyber attack Impact “Catastrophic” for Third Parties, New Study Finds MSSPs at Risk? - MSSP Alert

• New “MITRE ATT&CK-like” framework outlines software supply chain attack TTPs | CSO Online

• CISA to Open Supply Chain Risk Management Office (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Insights 2023 | Supply Chain Security - SecurityWeek

Cloud/SaaS

• Misconfiguration and vulnerabilities biggest risks in cloud security: Report | CSO Online

• Hybrid cloud storage security challenges - Help Net Security

• Short-staffed SOCs struggle to gain visibility into cloud activities - Help Net Security

Containers

• Researchers Claim High-Risk Vulnerabilities Found in 87% of All Container Images - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Encryption

• Serious Security: The Samba logon bug caused by outdated crypto – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Encryption Explained: At Rest, In Transit & End-To-End Encryption | Splunk

• Cyber Insights 2023 | Quantum Computing and the Coming Cryptopocalypse - SecurityWeek

API

• The emergence of trinity attacks on APIs - Help Net Security

• API management (APIM): What It Is and Where It’s Going security affairs

Open Source

• Microsoft upgrades Defender to lock down Linux devices • The Register

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Bitwarden Password Manager users are being targeted by phishing ads on Google- gHacks Tech News

• KeePass disputes vulnerability allowing stealthy password theft (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Inside TikTok’s proposal to address US national security concerns | CyberScoop

• Facebook Bug Allows 2FA Bypass Via Instagram (darkreading.com)

Malvertising

• Malvertising attacks are distributing .NET malware loaders • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• Are Your Employees Thinking Critically About Their Online Behaviours? (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Regulators weigh in on ION attack as LockBit takes credit • The Register

• New UN cyber crime convention has a long way to go in a tight timeframe | CSO Online

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Business leaders need hands-on approach to stop cyber crime, says spy chief (telegraph.co.uk)

• New Survey Reveals 40% of Companies Experienced a Data Leak in the Past Year (darkreading.com)

• Financial Services Targeted in 28% of UK Cyber-Attacks Last Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 70% of CIOs anticipate their involvement in cyber security to increase - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Budgets Are Going Up. So Why Aren't Breaches Going Down? (thehackernews.com)

• Ransomware conversations: Why the CFO is pivotal to discussing and preparing for risk - IT Security Guru

• You Don't Know Where Your Secrets Are (thehackernews.com)

• Inability to prevent bad things from happening seen as the worst part of a security job - Help Net Security

• The corporate world is losing its grip on cyber risk | Financial Times (ft.com)

• IT and Security Professionals Spend an Average of 4,300 Hours Annually Achieving or Maintaining Compliance (darkreading.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Inability to prevent bad things from happening seen as the worst part of a security job - Help Net Security

• Thriving Dark Web Trade in Fake Security Certifications - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Effect of Cyber security Layoffs on Cyber security Recruitment - SecurityWeek

• Economic headwinds could deepen the cyber security skills shortage | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• 7 Ways Hive Ransomware Gang Caused Chaos Before FBI Hacked It (gizmodo.com)

• US puts a $10m bounty on Hive while Russia shuts down access • The Register

• Hacker accused of having stolen personal data of all Austrians security affairs

• Alleged ShinyHunters gang member in US court • The Register

• Risk & Repeat: The FBI's Hive ransomware takedown | TechTarget

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• On Data Privacy Day, Organisations Fail Data Privacy Expectations (darkreading.com)

• Hacker accused of having stolen personal data of all Austrians security affairs

• Enterprises Need to Do More to Assure Consumers About Privacy (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Foreign states already using ChatGPT maliciously, UK IT leaders believe | CSO Online

• OpenAI releases tool to detect AI-written text (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Reality check: Is ChatGPT really the next big cyber security threat? | CyberScoop

• Cyber Insights 2023: Artificial Intelligence - SecurityWeek

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Google deletes 50,000 pro-China fake-news vids and blogs • The Register

• Google: Influence Operator Dragonbridge Floods Social Media in Sprawling Cyber Campaign (darkreading.com)

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Iranian APT Leaks Data From Saudi Arabia Government Under New Persona - SecurityWeek

• Ukraine Links Media Centre Attack to Russian Intelligence (govinfosecurity.com)

• Latvia confirms phishing attack on Ministry of Defence, linking it to Russian hacking group - The Record from Recorded Future News

• British Cyber Agency Warns of Russian and Iranian Hackers Targeting Key Industries (thehackernews.com)

• Russia-Linked APT29 Uses New Malware in Embassy Attacks - SecurityWeek

• Russia's Sandworm APT Launches Swarm of Wiper Attacks in Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• Russia-linked Hackers Launch DDoS Attacks on Germany and US. Hospitals, Threaten Canada - MSSP Alert

• Latvia says Russian hackers tried to phish its Ministry of Defence (bitdefender.com)

• Inside Killnet: Pro-Russia Hacktivist Group's Support and Influence Grows (darkreading.com)

• New APT34 Malware Targets The Middle East (trendmicro.com)

• Lazarus Group Attack Identified After Operational Security Fail - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Crypto theft: North Korea-linked hackers stole $1.7b in 2022 - BBC News

• North Korean hackers stole research data in two-month-long breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• APT groups use ransomware TTPs as cover for intelligence gathering and sabotage | CSO Online

• Cyber Insights 2023: The Geopolitical Effect - SecurityWeek

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russian Nuisance Hacking Group KillNet Targets Germany (govinfosecurity.com)

• Russian hackers launch cyber attack on Germany in Leopard retaliation | Euronews

• Ukraine Links Media Centre Attack to Russian Intelligence (govinfosecurity.com)

• Latvia confirms phishing attack on Ministry of Defence, linking it to Russian hacking group - The Record from Recorded Future News

• A Link to News Site Meduza Can (Technically) Land You in Russian Prison | WIRED

• British Cyber Agency Warns of Russian and Iranian Hackers Targeting Key Industries (thehackernews.com)

• Russia-Linked APT29 Uses New Malware in Embassy Attacks - SecurityWeek

• Russia's Sandworm APT Launches Swarm of Wiper Attacks in Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• Russia-linked Hackers Launch DDoS Attacks on Germany and US. Hospitals, Threaten Canada - MSSP Alert

• Latvia says Russian hackers tried to phish its Ministry of Defence (bitdefender.com)

• Killnet Attackers DDoS US and Dutch Hospitals - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• IT Army of Ukraine gained access to 1.5GB archive from Gazprom security affairs

• There’s a Wild Scramble for Control of the Dark Web Taking Place in Russia (vice.com)

• Inside Killnet: Pro-Russia Hacktivist Group's Support and Influence Grows (darkreading.com)

Nation State Actors – China

• Google deletes 50,000 pro-China fake-news vids and blogs • The Register

• Google: Influence Operator Dragonbridge Floods Social Media in Sprawling Cyber Campaign (darkreading.com)

• TikTok CEO to testify before US. Congress over security concerns | Reuters

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• FBI: North Korea’s Lazarus Group behind $100m crypto attack • The Register

• Lazarus Group Attack Identified After Operational Security Fail - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Crypto theft: North Korea-linked hackers stole $1.7b in 2022 - BBC News

• North Korean hackers stole research data in two-month-long breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iranian APT Leaks Data From Saudi Arabia Government Under New Persona - SecurityWeek

• British Cyber Agency Warns of Russian and Iranian Hackers Targeting Key Industries (thehackernews.com)

Nation State Actors – Misc

• Foreign states already using ChatGPT maliciously, UK IT leaders believe | CSO Online

• New APT34 Malware Targets The Middle East (trendmicro.com)

• APT groups use ransomware TTPs as cover for intelligence gathering and sabotage | CSO Online

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Vulnerability Management

• The future of vulnerability management and patch compliance - Help Net Security

• What is the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System)? (techtarget.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Researchers to release VMware vRealize Log RCE exploit, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Patch management is crucial to protect Exchange servers, Microsoft warns security affairs

• Realtek Vulnerability Under Attack: Over 134 Million Attempts to Hack IoT Devices (thehackernews.com)

• QNAP Fixes Critical Vulnerability in NAS Devices with Latest Security Updates (thehackernews.com)

• Over 29,000 QNAP devices unpatched against new critical flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Firmware Flaws Could Spell 'Lights Out' for Servers (darkreading.com)

• Why you might not be done with your January Microsoft security patches | CSO Online

• Researcher drops Lexmark RCE zero-day rather than sell vuln ‘for peanuts’ | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• HPE, NetApp warn of critical open-source bug | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• High-severity bug in F5 BIG-IP can lead to code execution and DoS security affairs

• Cisco fixes bug allowing backdoor persistence between reboots (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Atlassian's Jira Software Found Vulnerable to Critical Authentication Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• CISA Alert: Oracle E-Business Suite and SugarCRM Vulnerabilities Under Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Threat activity increasing around Fortinet VPN vulnerability | TechTarget

• Remote code execution exploit chain available for VMware vRealize Log Insight | CSO Online

Tools and Controls

• Gartner report shows zero trust isn’t a silver bullet | VentureBeat

Other News

• We can't rely on goodwill to protect our critical infrastructure - Help Net Security

• Playing Military Sim War Thunder May Get You Classed as a National Security Risk

• Cyber attacks in space: How safe are our satellites? | Metro News

• Threat Actors Use ClickFunnels to Bypass Security Services - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Massive Microsoft 365 outage caused by WAN router IP change (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 27 January 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Supply Chain Attacks Caused More Data Compromises Than Malware

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, data compromises steadily increased in the second half of 2022 and cyber attacks remained the primary source of data breaches.

The number of data breaches resulting from supply chain attacks exceeded malware related compromises in 2022 by 40%. According to the report, more than 10 million people were impacted by supply chain attacks targeting 1,743 entities. By comparison, 70 malware-based cyber attacks affected 4.3 million people.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/26/data-compromises-2022/

• What Makes Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Vulnerable to BEC Attacks

According to the United States’ FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report, business email compromise (BEC) accounted for almost a third of the country’s $6.9 billion in cyber losses that year – around $2.4 billion. In surprisingly sharp contrast, ransomware attacks accounted for only $50 million of those losses.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are especially vulnerable to this form of attack and BEC’s contribution to annual cyber losses not only makes sense but is also likely underreported.

In stark contrast to highly disruptive ransomware attacks, BEC is subversive and is neither technically complicated nor expensive to deploy. In the case of large organisations, the financial fallout of BEC is almost negligible. That’s not the case for small and medium-sized businesses, which often lack the means to absorb similar financial losses.

BEC’s simplicity gives more credence for attackers to target smaller organisations, and because of that, it’s doubly essential for SMBs to be vigilant.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/25/what-makes-small-medium-sized-businesses-vulnerable-bec-attacks-video/

• Understanding Your Attack Surface Makes It Easier to Prioritise Technologies and Systems

It has been observed that attackers will attempt to start exploiting vulnerabilities within the first fifteen minutes of their disclosure. As the time to patch gets shorter, organisations need to be more pragmatic when it comes to remediating vulnerabilities, particularly when it comes to prioritisation.

Attack surfaces constantly evolve and change as new applications are developed, old systems are decommissioned, and new assets are registered. Also, more and more organisations are moving towards cloud-hosted infrastructure, which changes the risk and responsibility for securing those assets. Therefore, it is essential to carry out continuous or regular assessments to understand what systems are at risk, instead of just taking a point-in-time snapshot of how the attack surface looks at that moment.

The first step would be to map “traditional” asset types – those easily associated with an organisation and easy to monitor, such as domains and IP addresses. Ownership of these assets can be easily identified through available information (e.g., WHOIS data). The less traditional asset types (such as GitHub repositories) aren’t directly owned by the organisation but can also provide high-value targets or information for attackers.

It’s also important to understand which technologies are in use to make sound judgements based on the vulnerabilities relevant to the organisation. For example, out of one hundred vulnerabilities released within one month only 20% might affect the organisation’s technologies.

Once organisations have a good understanding of which assets might be at risk, context and prioritisation can be applied to the vulnerabilities affecting those assets. Threat intelligence can be utilised to determine which vulnerabilities are already being exploited in the wild.

What is then the correct answer for this conundrum? The answer is that there is no answer! Instead, organisations should consider a mindset shift and look towards preventing issues whilst adopting a defence-in-depth approach; focus on minimising impact and risk by prioritising assets that matter the most and reducing time spent on addressing those that don’t. This can be achieved by understanding your organisation’s attack surface and prioritising issues based on context and relevance.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/24/understanding-your-attack-surface/

• Cyber Security Pros Sound Alarm Over Insider Threats

Gurucul, a security information and event management (SIEM) solution provider, and Cyber security Insiders, a 600,000-plus member online community for information security professionals, found in their annual 2023 Insider Threat Report that only 3% of respondents surveyed are not concerned with insider risk.

Among all potential insiders, cyber security professionals are most concerned about IT users and admins with far-reaching access privileges (60%). This is followed by third-party contractors (such as MSPs and MSSPs) and service providers (57%), regular employees (55%), and privileged business users (53%).

The research also found that more than half of organisations in the study had been victimised by an insider threat in the past year. According to the data, 75% of the respondents believe they are moderately to extremely vulnerable to insider threats, an 8% spike from last year. That coincided with a similar percentage who said attacks have become more frequent, with 60% experiencing at least one attack and 25% getting hit by more than six attacks.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/research-report-cybersecurity-pros-sound-alarm-over-insider-threats/

• Ransomware Attack Hit KFC and Pizza Hut Stores in the UK

Nearly 300 fast food restaurants, including branches of KFC and Pizza Hut, were forced to close following a ransomware attack against parent company Yum! Brands. In a statement dated 18 January 2023, Yum! confirmed that unnamed ransomware had impacted some of its IT infrastructure, and that data had been exfiltrated by hackers from its servers. However, although an investigation into the security breach continues, the company said that it had seen no evidence that customer details had been exposed.

What has not yet been made public, and may not even be known to those investigating the breach, is how long hackers might have had access to the company's IT infrastructure, and how they might have been able to gain access to what should have been a secure system. Yum! has also not shared whether it has received a ransom demand from its attackers, and if it did how much ransom was demanded, and whether it would be prepared to negotiate with its extortionists.

https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/ransomware-attack-hit-kfc-and-pizza-hut-stores-in-the-uk/

• Forthcoming SEC Rules Will Trigger ‘Tectonic Shift’ in How Corporate Boards Treat Cyber Security

Under rules first proposed in 2022 but expected to be finalised as soon as April 2023, publicly traded companies in the US that determine a cyber incident has become “material”, meaning it could have a significant impact on the business, must disclose details to the SEC and investors within four business days. That requirement would also apply “when a series of previously undisclosed, individually immaterial cyber security incidents has become material in the aggregate.

The SEC’s rules will also require the boards of those companies to disclose significant information on their security governance, such as how and when it exercises oversight on cyber risks. That info includes identifying who on the board (or which subcommittee) is responsible for cyber security and their relevant expertise. Required disclosures will also include how often and by which processes board members are informed and discuss cyber risk. The former cyber adviser to the SEC commented that “The problem we have with the current cyber security ecosystem is that it’s very focused on technical mitigation measures and does not contemplate these business, operational, [or] financial factors.”

Whilst this only impacts US firms, we can expect other jurisdictions to follow suit.

https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2023/01/20/forthcoming-sec-rules-will-trigger-tectonic-shift-in-how-corporate-boards-treat-cybersecurity

• Why CISOs Make Great Board Members

Cyber security-related risk is a top concern, so boards need to know they have the proper oversight in place. The past three years created a perfect storm situation with lasting consequences for how we think about cyber security, and as a result cyber security technologies and teams have shifted from being viewed as a cost centre to a business enabler.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 40% of companies will have a dedicated cyber security committee. Who is better suited than a CISO to lead that conversation? Cyber security-related risk is a top concern, so boards need to know they have the proper oversight in place. CISOs can provide advice on moving forward with digital change initiatives and help companies prepare for the future. They can explain the organisation’s risk posture, including exposure related to geopolitical conflict as well as to new business initiatives and emerging threats, and what can be done to mitigate risk.

Lastly, the role of the CISO has evolved from being a risk metrics presenter to a translator of risk to the business. Therefore, the expertise CISOs have developed in recent years in how to explain risk to the board makes them valuable contributors to these conversations. They can elevate the discussion to ensure deep understanding of the trade-offs between growth and risk, enable more informed decision-making, and serve as guardrails for total business alignment.

https://www.securityweek.com/why-cisos-make-great-board-members/

• View From Davos: The Changing Economics of Cyber Crime

Cyber crime is a risk created by humans, driven by the economic conditions of high profit and easy opportunity. Ransomware is the most recent monetisation of these motives and opportunities, and it has evolved from simple malware to advanced exploits and double or triple extortion models.

The motive for cyber crime is clear: to steal money, but the digital nature of cyber crime makes the opportunity uniquely attractive, due to the following:

·       Cryptocurrency makes online extortion, trading illicit goods and services, and laundering fraudulent funds highly anonymous and usually beyond the reach of financial regulators or inspection

·       There isn't enough fear of getting caught for cyber crime.

·       With the explosion in spending on digital transformation, data is the new gold and it is incredibly easy to steal, due to lapses in basic hygiene like encrypting data-at-rest and in-transit or limiting access to only authorised users.

·       Paying extortion through extensive cyber insurance policies only feeds the ransomware epidemic by incentivising further crime, as noted by the FBI.

Fighting cyber crime is a team sport, and to succeed, we must adopt this framework of cyber resilience that integrates the technical, policy, behavioural, and economic elements necessary to manage the reality of ever-growing cyber crime as a predictable and manageable cyber risk.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/view-from-davos-the-changing-economics-of-cybercrime

• Cloud Based Networks Under Increasing Attack, Report Finds

As enterprises around the world continue to move to the cloud, cyber criminals are following right behind them. There was a 48 percent year-over-year jump in 2022 in cyber attacks on cloud-based networks, and it comes at a time when 98 percent of global organisations use cloud services, according to Check Point. The increases in cyber attacks were experienced in various regions, including Asia (with a 60 percent jump), Europe (50 percent), and North America (28 percent) according to a report by Checkpoint last week.

Check Point explained that "The rise in attacks on the cloud was driven both by an overall increase in cyber attacks globally (38 percent overall in 2022, compared to 48 percent in the cloud) and also by the fact that it holds much more data and incorporates infrastructure and services from large amounts of potential victims, so when exploited the attacks could have a larger impact,". Later, Checkpoint highlighted that human error is a significant factor in the vulnerability of cloud-based networks.

The report highlighted the need for defence capabilities in the cloud to improve. According to Check Point, this means adopting zero-trust cloud network security controls, incorporating security and compliance earlier in the development lifecycle, avoiding misconfigurations, and using tools such as an intrusion detection and prevention systems and next-generation web application firewalls. As  commented by Check Point “it is still up to the network and security admins to make sure all their infrastructure is not vulnerable.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/20/cloud_networks_under_attack/

• GoTo Admits: Customer Cloud Backups Stolen Together with Decryption Key

On 2022-11-30, GoTo informed customers that it had suffered “a security incident”, summarising the situation as follows:

“Based on the investigation to date, we have detected unusual activity within our development environment and third-party cloud storage service. The third-party cloud storage service is currently shared by both GoTo and its affiliate, LastPass.”

Two months later, GoTo has come back with an update, and the news isn’t great:

“[A] threat actor exfiltrated encrypted backups from a third-party cloud storage service related to the following products: Central, Pro, join.me, Hamachi, and RemotelyAnywhere. We also have evidence that a threat actor exfiltrated an encryption key for a portion of the encrypted backups. The affected information, which varies by product, may include account usernames, salted and hashed passwords, a portion of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) settings, as well as some product settings and licensing information.”

The company also noted that although MFA settings for some Rescue and GoToMyPC customers were stolen, their encrypted databases were not.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2023/01/25/goto-admits-customer-cloud-backups-stolen-together-with-decryption-key/

• State-Linked Hackers in Russia and Iran are Targeting UK Groups, NCSC Warns

Russian and Iranian state-linked hackers are increasingly targeting British politicians, journalists and researchers with sophisticated campaigns aimed at gaining access to a person’s email, Britain’s online security agency warned on Thursday. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an alert about two groups from Russia and Iran, warning those in government, defence, thinktanks and the media against clicking on malicious links from people posing as conference hosts, journalists or even colleagues.

Both groups have been active for some years, but it is understood they have recently stepped up their activities in the UK as the war in Ukraine continues, as well as operating in the US and other NATO countries.

The hackers typically seek to gain confidence of a target by impersonating somebody likely to make contact with them, such as by falsely impersonating a journalist, and ultimately luring them to click on a malicious link, sometimes over the course of several emails and other online interactions.

NCSC encourages people to use strong email passwords. One technique is to use three random words, and not replicate it as a login credential on other websites. It recommends people use two-factor authentication, using a mobile phone as part of the log on process, ideally by using a special authenticator app.

The cyber agency also advises people exercise particular caution when receiving plausible sounding messages from strangers who rely on Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook or other webmail accounts, sometimes impersonating “known contacts” of the target culled from social media.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/26/state-linked-hackers-in-russia-and-iran-are-targeting-uk-groups-ncsc-warns

• 3.7 Million Customers’ Data of Hilton Hotels Put Up For Sale

A member of a hacker forum going by the name IntelBroker, has offered a database allegedly containing the personal information of 3.7 million people participating in the Hilton Hotels Honors program. According to the actor, the data in question includes personally identifying information such as name, address and Honors IDs. According to the Hilton Hotel, no guest login credentials, contacts, or financial information have been leaked.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/3-7-millions-customers-data-hilton-hotel-up-for-sale/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Rebranded Ransomware Crews Spike Number of Hijacking Incidents in Q4 2022 - MSSP Alert

• The Unrelenting Menace of the LockBit Ransomware Gang | WIRED

• Ransomware access brokers use Google ads to breach your network (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FBI hacked into Hive ransomware gang, disrupted operations | TechTarget

• "Workarounds" Helped Royal Mail Resume Shipping After Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware victims are refusing to pay, tanking attackers’ profits | Ars Technica

• Vice Society Ransomware Group Targets Manufacturing Companies (trendmicro.com)

• New Mimic ransomware abuses ‘Everything’ Windows search tool (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BlackCat Ransomware gang stole secret military data from industrial explosives manufacturer - Security Affairs

• Contractor error led to Baltimore schools ransomware attack | TechTarget

• LAUSD says Vice Society ransomware gang stole contractors’ SSNs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Riot Games receives ransom demand from hackers, refuses to pay (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• State-linked hackers in Russia and Iran are targeting UK groups, NCSC warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• ChatGPT is a bigger threat to cyber security than most realize - Help Net Security

• Phishers Use Blank Images to Disguise Malicious Attachments - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers often use this clever trick to take you to phishing sites — can you spot it? | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Yahoo Most Faked Brand Name in Phishing Attempts by Threat Actors in Q4 2022 - MSSP Alert

• Yahoo Overtakes DHL As Most Impersonated Brand in Q4 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ChatGPT could boost phishing scams | TechTarget

• SEABORGIUM and TA453 continue their respective... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Bitwarden password vaults targeted in Google ads phishing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New 'Blank Image' attack hides phishing scripts in SVG files (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers now use Microsoft OneNote attachments to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• What makes small and medium-sized businesses vulnerable to BEC attacks - Help Net Security

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Social Engineering Tactics are Changing. Awareness Training Must Change Too.| CSA (cloudsecurityalliance.org)

Malware                                                                                   

• BlackBerry: Threat Actors Launch A Unique Malware Sample Every Minute - MSSP Alert

• Linux malware hit a new high in 2022 | TechRadar

• Phishers Use Blank Images to Disguise Malicious Attachments - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Consumers Face Greater Risks from Malware but Many are Unprepared and Vulnerable - MSSP Alert

• New 'Blank Image' attack hides phishing scripts in SVG files (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ChatGPT Could Create Polymorphic Malware Wave, Researchers Warn (darkreading.com)

• Hackers now use Microsoft OneNote attachments to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ChatGPT Can Write Polymorphic Malware to Infect Your Computer (gizmodo.com)

• Microsoft plans to kill malware delivery via Excel XLL add-ins (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers use Golang source code interpreter to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Deploy Open-Source Tool Sliver C2, Replacing Cobalt Strike, Metasploit - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Emotet Malware Makes a Comeback with New Evasion Techniques (thehackernews.com)

• 'DragonSpark' Malware: East Asian Cyber Attackers Create an OSS Frankenstein (darkreading.com)

• Malware exploited critical Realtek SDK bug in millions of attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ‘DragonSpark’ threat actor leverages open-source RAT, other Chinese-language tools | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Mobile

• Massive Ad Fraud Scheme Targeted Over 11 Million Devices with 1,700 Spoofed Apps (thehackernews.com)

• New 'Hook' Android malware lets hackers remotely control your phone (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Pair of Galaxy App Store Bugs Offer Cyber Attackers Mobile Device Access (darkreading.com)

• Google to phase out legacy apps with Android 14 to improve security - GSMArena.com news

Botnets

• How Does a Botnet Attack Work? - Cyber Defense Magazine

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Why a hybrid approach can help mitigate DDoS attacks | SC Media

• Russia’s largest ISP says 2022 broke all DDoS attack records (bleepingcomputer.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Nice smart device – how long does it get software updates? • The Register

• Why British homes are at risk from ‘Trojan Horse’ smart devices (telegraph.co.uk)

• Why most IoT cyber security strategies give zero hope for zero trust - Help Net Security

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Companies impacted by Mailchimp breach warn their customers - Security Affairs

• LastPass owner GoTo says hackers stole customers’ backups | TechCrunch

• GoTo admits: Customer cloud backups stolen together with decryption key – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• GoTo warns customers of crypto key and backup heist • The Register

• 3.7 Million Customers Data Of Hilton Hotels Put Up For Sale (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• QUT confirms personal data of thousands of staff compromised in cyber attack - ABC News

• Riot Games hacked, now it faces problems to release content - Security Affairs

• ICE releases asylum seekers after exposing their data • The Register

• Hacker Gets Hands on No-Fly List of Alleged Terrorist Suspects (gizmodo.com)

• Risk & Repeat: Breaking down the LastPass breach | TechTarget

• After data breach put their lives at risk, US releases 3000 immigrants seeking asylum (bitdefender.com)

• TSA No-Fly List Snafu Highlights Risk of Keeping Sensitive Data in Dev Environments (darkreading.com)

• T-Mobile Cyber Attack Spurs Law Firm Investigation - MSSP Alert

• Risk & Repeat: Another T-Mobile data breach disclosed | TechTarget

• Entire US "No Fly List" Exposed Online Via Unsecured Server (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Near-Record Year for US Data Breaches in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Zacks data breach impacted hundreds of thousands of customers - Security Affairs

• French rugby club Stade Français leaks source code - Security Affairs

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• View from Davos: The Changing Economics of Cyber crime (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Inside the crypto ‘prisons’ scamming Britons out of their life savings (telegraph.co.uk)

• FBI Confirms Lazarus Group Was Behind $100m Harmony Hack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers Take Over Robinhood Twitter Account To Promote Scam - Decrypt

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Research Report: Cyber Security Pros Sound Alarm Over Insider Threats - MSSP Alert

• Hunting Insider Threats on the Dark Web (darkreading.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Inside the crypto ‘prisons’ scamming Britons out of their life savings (telegraph.co.uk)

• P-to-P fraud most concerning cyber threat in 2023: CSI | CSO Online

• Lloyds Bank Warns of 80% Surge in Advance Fee Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dark Web Posts Advertising Counterfeit Cash Surge 90% - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers Take Over Robinhood Twitter Account To Promote Scam - Decrypt

Insurance

• Regulator Stress Test Highlights Cyber Insurance Concerns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 4 tips to find cyber insurance coverage in 2023 | TechTarget

• Insurers in talks on adding state-backed cyber to UK reinsurance scheme | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Cyber Security Posture & Insurance Outlook with Advisen (trendmicro.com)

Dark Web

• Hunting Insider Threats on the Dark Web (darkreading.com)

• Dark Web Posts Advertising Counterfeit Cash Surge 90% - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Attacking The Supply Chain: Developer (trendmicro.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Report: Cloud-based networks under growing attack • The Register

• Chinese 8220 Gang Aims For Public Clouds And Vulnerable Apps (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Microsoft Azure-Based Kerberos Attacks Crack Open Cloud Accounts (darkreading.com)

Attack Surface Management

• Understanding your attack surface makes it easier to prioritize technologies and systems - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Bitwarden responds to encryption design flaw criticism | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

API

• 9 API security tools on the frontlines of cyber security | CSO Online

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Bitwarden password vaults targeted in Google ads phishing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Popular password managers auto-filled credentials on untrusted websites | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• Bitwarden responds to encryption design flaw criticism | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• Password Dependency: How to Break the Cycle - SecurityWeek

Social Media

• The metaverse brings a new breed of threats to challenge privacy and security gatekeepers | CSO Online

Malvertising

• Massive Ad Fraud Scheme Targeted Over 11 Million Devices with 1,700 Spoofed Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Ad Fraud Scheme Tops 12 Billion Daily Bid Requests - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google Ads invites being abused to push spam, adult sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware access brokers use Google ads to breach your network (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Over 4,500 WordPress Sites Hacked to Redirect Visitors to Sketchy Ad Pages (thehackernews.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Social Engineering Tactics are Changing. Awareness Training Must Too.| CSA (cloudsecurityalliance.org)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Ireland’s data protection watchdog fines WhatsApp €5.5m • The Register

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Forthcoming SEC rules will trigger ‘tectonic shift’ in how corporate boards treat cyber security (itbrew.com)

• Just Half of Firms Have Sufficient Cyber Security Budget - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• View from Davos: The Changing Economics of Cyber Crime (darkreading.com)

• Why CISOs Make Great Board Members - SecurityWeek

• Awareness Training Must Change | CSA (cloudsecurityalliance.org)

• Despite Slowing Economy, Demand for Cyber Security Workers Remains Strong (darkreading.com)

• Organisations Must Brace for Privacy Impacts This Year (darkreading.com)

• The Business Imperative of Cyber Information Sharing for Our Collective Defence | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Data Protection

• Ireland’s data protection watchdog fines WhatsApp €5.5m • The Register

• ICO Offers Data Protection Advice to SMBs - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Why CISOs Make Great Board Members - SecurityWeek

• Davos Debrief: Critical Shortage of Cyber Security Talent Requires Action on Several Fronts, CompTIA Executive Says (darkreading.com)

• Despite Slowing Economy, Demand for Cyber Security Workers Remains Strong (darkreading.com)

• 8 cyber security roles to consider | TechTarget

• How To Safeguard Your Business From Cyber Security Stress And Prevent IT Burnout (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Can't Fill Open Positions? Rewrite Your Minimum Requirements (darkreading.com)

• Veterans bring high-value, real-life experience as potential cyber security employees | CSO Online

• US is Short Nearly 530,000 Skilled Cyber Security Workers, IT Layoffs Not Slowing Demand - MSSP Alert

• Dozens of Cyber Security Companies Announced Layoffs in Past Year - SecurityWeek

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• FBI hacked into Hive ransomware gang, disrupted operations | TechTarget

• Dutchman Detained for Dealing Details of Tens of Millions of People (darkreading.com)

• Dutch suspect locked up for alleged personal data megathefts – Naked Security (sophos.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Organisations Must Brace for Privacy Impacts This Year (darkreading.com)

• The metaverse brings a new breed of threats to challenge privacy and security gatekeepers | CSO Online

• Scientists use Wi-Fi routers to see humans through walls | ZDNET

• Most consumers would share anonymised personal data to improve AI products - Help Net Security

Artificial Intelligence

• ChatGPT is a bigger threat to cyber security than most realize - Help Net Security

• Learning to Lie: AI Tools Adept at Creating Disinformation - SecurityWeek

• Rogue AI ‘could kill everyone’ | News | The Times

• ChatGPT could boost phishing scams | TechTarget

• FBI Chief Says He's 'Deeply concerned' by China's AI Program | SecurityWeek.Com

• ChatGPT Can Write Polymorphic Malware to Infect Your Computer (gizmodo.com)

• Chat Cyber Security: AI Promises a Lot, but Can It Deliver? (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Learning to Lie: AI Tools Adept at Creating Disinformation - SecurityWeek

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• State-linked hackers in Russia and Iran are targeting UK groups, NCSC warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• UK authorities warn of phishing from Iran, Russia • The Register

• Armis State of Cyberwarfare and Trends Report - IT Security Guru

• North Korean Hackers Turn to Credential Harvesting in Latest Wave of Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• SEABORGIUM and TA453 continue their respective... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Gamaredon Group Launches Cyber Attacks Against Ukraine Using Telegram (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese 8220 Gang Aims For Public Clouds And Vulnerable Apps (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• FBI Chief Says He's 'Deeply concerned' by China's AI Program | SecurityWeek.Com

• “Pegasus” lifts the lid on a sophisticated piece of spyware | The Economist

• North Korean Group TA444 Shows 'Startup' Culture, Tries Numerous Infection Methods - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korea-linked TA444 turns to credential harvesting activity - Security Affairs

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• State-linked hackers in Russia and Iran are targeting UK groups, NCSC warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• UK authorities warn of phishing from Iran, Russia • The Register

• SEABORGIUM and TA453 continue their respective... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Gamaredon Group Launches Cyber Attacks Against Ukraine Using Telegram (thehackernews.com)

• Russia’s largest ISP says 2022 broke all DDoS attack records (bleepingcomputer.com)

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese 8220 Gang Aims For Public Clouds And Vulnerable Apps (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• FBI Chief Says He's 'Deeply concerned' by China's AI Program | SecurityWeek.Com

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korean Hackers Turn to Credential Harvesting in Latest Wave of Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• FBI Confirms Lazarus Group Was Behind $100m Harmony Hack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korean Group TA444 Shows 'Startup' Culture, Tries Numerous Infection Methods - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korea-linked TA444 turns to credential harvesting activity - Security Affairs

Nation State Actors – Iran

• State-linked hackers in Russia and Iran are targeting UK groups, NCSC warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• UK authorities warn of phishing from Iran, Russia • The Register

• SEABORGIUM and TA453 continue their respective... - NCSC.GOV.UK

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Vulnerability Management

• Extent of reported CVEs overwhelms critical infrastructure asset owners - Help Net Security

• Security Navigator Research: Some Vulnerabilities Date Back to the Last Millennium (thehackernews.com)

• Log4j Vulnerabilities Are Here to Stay — Are You Prepared? (darkreading.com)

• Trained developers get rid of more vulnerabilities than code scanning tools - Help Net Security

• New Open Source OT Security Tool Helps Address Impact of Upcoming Microsoft Patch  - SecurityWeek

• Halo Security unveils KEV feature to improve attack surface visibility - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Crims can still exploit this NSA-discovered Microsoft bug • The Register

• 75k WordPress sites impacted by critical online course plugin flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Security Navigator Research: Some Vulnerabilities Date Back to the Last Millennium (thehackernews.com)

• Log4j Vulnerabilities Are Here to Stay — Are You Prepared? (darkreading.com)

• Chrome 109 update addresses six security vulnerabilities - Security Affairs

• Microsoft urges admins to patch on-premises Exchange servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Drupal Patches Vulnerabilities Leading to Information Disclosure | SecurityWeek.Com

• Critical Vulnerabilities Patched in OpenText Enterprise Content Management System | SecurityWeek.Com

• Around 19,500 end-of-life Cisco routers exposed to hack - Security Affairs

• In-the-Wild Exploitation of Recent ManageEngine Vulnerability Commences | SecurityWeek.Com

• Apple patches are out – old iPhones get an old zero-day fix at last! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Apple Patches WebKit Code Execution in iPhones, MacBooks - SecurityWeek

• VMware Releases Patches for Critical vRealize Log Insight Software Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Crooks are already exploiting this bug in old iPhones • The Register

• Logfile nightmare deepens thanks to critical VMware flaws • The Register

• Malware exploited critical Realtek SDK bug in millions of attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Realtek SDK flaw CVE-2021-35394 actively exploited in the wild- Security Affairs

• Lexmark warns of RCE bug affecting 100 printer models, PoC released (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crims can still exploit this NSA-discovered Microsoft bug • The Register

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Tools and Controls

• Is Once-Yearly Pen Testing Enough for Your Organisation? (thehackernews.com)

• Just Half of Firms Have Sufficient Cyber Security Budget - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• LastPass owner GoTo says hackers stole customers’ backups | TechCrunch

• Bitwarden password vaults targeted in Google ads phishing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bitwarden responds to encryption design flaw criticism | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• Understanding your attack surface makes it easier to prioritize technologies and systems - Help Net Security

• Companies Struggle With Zero Trust as Attackers Adapt to Get Around It (darkreading.com)

• Federal Agencies Infested by Cyber Attackers via Legit Remote Management Systems (darkreading.com)

• Why a hybrid approach can help mitigate DDoS attacks | SC Media

• CISA Warns Against Malicious Use of Legitimate RMM Software - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Gartner Predicts 10% of Large Enterprises Will Have a Mature and Measurable Zero-Trust Program in Place by 2026 (darkreading.com)

• Steps To Planning And Implementation Of Endpoint Protection (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

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Other News

• Hackers can make computers destroy their own chips with electricity | New Scientist

• Scientists use Wi-Fi routers to see humans through walls | ZDNET

• Microsoft 365 outage takes down Teams, Exchange Online, Outlook (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lessons Learned from the Windows Remote Desktop Honeypot Report (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 20 January 2023

Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Experts at Davos 2023 Call for a Global Response to the Gathering 'Cyber Storm'

As economic and geopolitical instability spills into the new year, experts predict that 2023 will be a consequential year for cyber security. The developments, they say, will include an expanded threat landscape and increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.

"There's a gathering cyber storm," Sadie Creese, a Professor of Cyber Security at the University of Oxford, said during an interview at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland. "This storm is brewing, and it's really hard to anticipate just how bad that will be."

Already, cyber attacks such as phishing, ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are on the rise. Cloudflare, a major US cyber security firm that provides protection services for over 30% of Fortune 500 companies, found that DDoS attacks—which entail overwhelming a server with a flood of traffic to disrupt a network or webpage—increased last year by 79% year-over-year.

"There's been an enormous amount of insecurity around the world," Matthew Prince, the CEO of Cloudflare, stated during the Annual Meeting. "I think 2023 is going to be a busy year in terms of cyber attacks."

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/cybersecurity-storm-2023-experts-davos23/

• Cost of Data Breaches to Global Businesses at Five-Year High

Research from business insurer Hiscox shows that the cost of dealing with cyber events for businesses has more than tripled since 2018. The study, which collated data from the organisation’s previous five annual Cyber Readiness reports, has revealed that:

• Since 2018 the median IT budgets for cyber security more than tripled.

• Between 2020 and 2022 cyber-attacks increased by over a quarter.

• Businesses are increasing their cyber security budgets year-on-year.

In the Hiscox 2022 Cyber Readiness report, the financial toll of cyber incidents, including data breaches, was estimated to be $16,950 (£15,265) on average. As the cost of cyber crime grew, so did organisations’ cyber security budgets – average spending on cyber security tripled from 2018 to 2022, rocketing from $1,470,196 (£1,323,973) to $5,235,162 (£4,714,482).

Hiscox has also revealed that half of all companies surveyed suffered at least one cyber attack in 2022, up 11% from 2020. Financial Services, as well as Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) sectors even reported a minimum of one attack for three consecutive years. Financial Services firms, however, seemed to be hit the hardest, with 66% reporting being impacted by cyber attacks in 2021-2022.

Cyber risk has risen to the same strategic level as traditional financial and operational risks, thanks to a growing realisation by businesses that the impact can be just as severe.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/01/18/cost-of-data-breaches-to-global-businesses-at-five-year-high/

• European Data Protection Authorities Issue Record €2.92 Billion in GDPR Fines, an Increase of 168%

European data regulators issued a record €2.92 billion in fines last year, a 168% increase from 2021. That’s according to the latest GDPR and Data Breach survey from international law firm DLA Piper, which covers all 27 Member States of the European Union, plus the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This year’s biggest fine of €405 million was imposed by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) against Meta Platforms Ireland Limited relating to Instagram for alleged failures to protect children’s personal data. The Irish DPC also fined Meta €265 million for failing to comply with the GDPR obligation for Data Protection by Design and Default. Both fines are currently under appeal.

Despite the overall increase in fines since January 28, 2022, the fine of €746 million that Luxembourg authorities levied against Amazon last year remains the biggest to be issued by an EU-based data regulator to date (though the retail giant is still believed to be appealing).

The report also revealed a notable increase in focus by supervisory authorities on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), while the volume of data breaches reported to regulators decreased slightly against the previous year’s total.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3685789/european-data-protection-authorities-issue-record-2-92-billion-in-gdpr-fines.html#tk.rss_news

• PayPal Accounts Breached in Large-Scale Credential Stuffing Attack

PayPal is sending out data breach notifications to thousands of users who had their accounts accessed through credential stuffing attacks that exposed some personal data.

Credential stuffing are attacks where hackers attempt to access an account by trying out username and password pairs sourced from data leaks on various websites. This type of attack relies on an automated approach with bots running lists of credentials to "stuff" into login portals for various services. Credential stuffing targets users that employ the same password for multiple online accounts, which is known as "password recycling."

PayPal explains that the credential stuffing attack occurred between December 6 and December 8, 2022. The company detected and mitigated it at the time but also started an internal investigation to find out how the hackers obtained access to the accounts. By December 20, 2022, PayPal concluded its investigation, confirming that unauthorised third parties logged into the accounts with valid credentials. The electronic payments platform claims that this was not due to a breach on its systems and has no evidence that the user credentials were obtained directly from them.

According to the data breach reporting from PayPal, 34,942 of its users have been impacted by the incident. During the two days, hackers had access to account holders' full names, dates of birth, postal addresses, social security numbers, and individual tax identification numbers. Transaction histories, connected credit or debit card details, and PayPal invoicing data are also accessible on PayPal accounts.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/paypal-accounts-breached-in-large-scale-credential-stuffing-attack/

• Royal Mail Boss to Face MPs’ Questions Over Russian Ransomware Attack

Royal Mail’s chief executive faced questions from MPs last week over the Russia-linked ransomware attack that caused international deliveries to grind to a halt.

Simon Thompson, chief executive of Royal Mail, was asked about the recent cyber attack when he appeared before the Commons Business Select Committee to discuss Royal Mail’s response to the cyber attack at the evidence session on Tuesday Jan 17.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Royal Mail has been subject to a cyber incident that is affecting our international export service. We are focused on restoring this service as soon as we are able.”

Royal Mail was forced to suspend all outbound international post after machines used for printing customs dockets were disabled by the Russia-linked Lockbit cyber crime gang. Lockbit’s attackers used ransomware, malicious software that scrambles vital computer files before the gang demands payment to unlock them again. The software also took over printers at Royal Mail’s international sorting offices and caused ransom notes to “spout” from them, according to reports.

Cyber security industry sources cautioned that while Lockbit is known to be Russian in origin, it is not known whether a stolen copy of the gang’s signature ransomware had been deployed by rival hackers.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/01/13/royal-mail-boss-face-mps-questions-russian-ransomware-attack/

• Third-Party Risk Management: Why 2023 Could be the Perfect Time to Overhaul your TPRM Program

Ensuring risk caused by third parties does not occur to your organisation is becoming increasingly difficult. Every business outsources some aspects of its operations, and ensuring these external entities are a strength and not a weakness isn’t always a straightforward process.

In the coming years we’ll see organisations dedicate more time and resources to developing detailed standards and assessments for potential third-party vendors. Not only will this help to mitigate risk within their supply chain network, it will also provide better security.

As demand for third-party risk management (TPRM) grows, there are key reasons why we believe 2023 could be pivotal for the future of your organisation’s TPRM program, cyber risk being principal amongst them.

Forrester predicted that 60% of security incidents in 2022 would stem from third parties. In 2021 there was a 300% increase in supply chain attacks, a trend that has continued to increase over the past 12 months also. For example, Japanese car manufacturer Toyota was forced to completely shut down its operations due to a security breach with a third-party plastics supplier.

It’s not only the frequency of third-party attacks that has increased, but also the methods that cyber criminals are using are becoming increasingly sophisticated. For example, the SolarWinds cyber breach in 2020 was so advanced that Microsoft estimated it took over a thousand engineers to stop the impact of the attack.

As the sophistication and frequency of supply chain attacks increases, the impact they have on businesses reputations and valuations is also becoming apparent. There is a need for organisations to conduct thorough due diligence of the third parties they choose to work with, otherwise the consequences could be disastrous.

Remember always that cyber security should be a non-negotiable feature of all business transactions.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/third-party-risk-management-why-2023-could-be-the-perfect-time-to-overhaul-your-tprm-program/

• EU Cyber Resilience Regulation Could Translate into Millions in Fines

The EU Commission’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is intended to close the digital fragmentation problem surrounding devices and systems with network connections – from printers and routers to smart household appliances and industrial control systems. Industrial networks and critical infrastructures require special protection.

According to the European Union, there is currently a ransomware attack every eleven seconds. In the last few weeks alone, among others, a leading German children’s food manufacturer and a global Tier1 automotive supplier headquartered in Germany were hit, with the latter becoming the victim of a massive ransomware attack. Such an attack even led to insolvency at the German manufacturer Prophete in January 2023. To press manufacturers, distributors and importers into action, they face significant penalties if security vulnerabilities in devices are discovered and not properly reported and closed.

“The pressure on the industry – manufacturers, distributors and importers – is growing immensely. The EU will implement this regulation without compromise, even though there are still some work packages to be done, for example regarding local country authorities,” says Jan Wendenburg, CEO, ONEKEY.

The financial fines for affected manufacturers and distributors are therefore severe: up to 15 million euros or 2.5 percent of global annual revenues in the past fiscal year – the larger number counts. “This makes it absolutely clear: there will be substantial penalties on manufacturers if the requirements are not implemented,” Wendenburg continues.

Manufacturers, distributors and importers are required to notify ENISA – the European Union’s cyber security agency – within 24 hours if a security vulnerability in one of their products is exploited. Exceeding the notification deadlines is already subject to sanctions.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/19/eu-cyber-resilience-regulation-fines/

• Russian Hackers Try to Bypass ChatGPT's Restrictions for Malicious Purposes

Russian cyber-criminals have been observed on dark web forums trying to bypass OpenAI’s API restrictions to gain access to the ChatGPT chatbot for nefarious purposes.

Various individuals have been observed, for instance, discussing how to use stolen payment cards to pay for upgraded users on OpenAI (thus circumventing the limitations of free accounts). Others have created blog posts on how to bypass the geo controls of OpenAI, and others still have created tutorials explaining how to use semi-legal online SMS services to register to ChatGPT.

“Generally, there are a lot of tutorials in Russian semi-legal online SMS services on how to use it to register to ChatGPT, and we have examples that it is already being used,” wrote Check Point Research (CPR). “It is not extremely difficult to bypass OpenAI’s restricting measures for specific countries to access ChatGPT,” said Check Point. “Right now, we are seeing Russian hackers already discussing and checking how to get past the geofencing to use ChatGPT for their malicious purposes.”

They added that they believe these hackers are most likely trying to implement and test ChatGPT in their day-to-day criminal operations. “Cyber-criminals are growing more and more interested in ChatGPT because the AI technology behind it can make a hacker more cost-efficient,” they explained.

Case in point, just last week, Check Point Research published a separate advisory highlighting how threat actors had already created malicious tools using ChatGPT. These included infostealers, multi-layer encryption tools and dark web marketplace scripts.

More generally, the cyber security firm is not the only one believing ChatGPT could democratise cyber crime, with various experts warning that the AI bot could be used by potential cyber-criminals to teach them how to create attacks and even write ransomware.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/russian-hackers-to-bypass-chatgpt/

• New Report Reveals CISOs Rising Influence

Cyber security firm Coalfire this week unveiled its second annual State of CISO Influence report, which explores the expanding influence of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and other security leaders.

The report revealed that the CISO role is maturing quickly, and the position is experiencing more equity in the boardroom. In the last year alone, there was a 10-point uptick in CISOs doing monthly reporting to the board. These positive outcomes likely stem from the increasingly metrics-driven reporting CISOs provide, where data is more effectively leveraged to connect security outcomes to business objectives.

An especially promising development in this year's report is how security teams are being looped into corporate projects. Of the security leaders surveyed, 78% say they are consulted early in project development when business objectives are first identified, and two-thirds are now making presentations to the highest levels of enterprise authority. 56% of CISOs present security metrics to their CEOs, up from 43% in 2021.

Cloud migration was universally identified as one of those top business objectives. The move to the cloud saddles CISOs with many challenges. The top priorities listed by CISOs include dealing with an expanding attack surface, staffing, and new compliance requirements — all within constrained budgets. In fact, 43% of security leaders said their budgets remained static or were reduced following business migration to the cloud.

Given these challenges, leading CISOs are transforming their approaches. To address multiple cloud compliance requirements, security leaders are focusing on the most onerous set of rules and creating separate environments for different requirements. Risk assessments were identified as the key tool used to secure funding for these and other cyber initiatives and to set top priorities.

"Costs and risks are up, while at the same time, cyber budgets are trending flat or down," said Colefire. "Cyber security has historically been lower in priority for organisations, but we are witnessing a big shift in enterprise cyber expectations. CISOs are rising to meet those expectations, speaking to the business, and as a result, solidifying their role in the C-suite."

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/new-coalfire-report-reveals-cisos-rising-influence

• ChatGPT and its Perilous Use as a "Force Multiplier" for Cyber Attacks

As a form of OpenAI technology, ChatGPT has the ability to mimic natural language and human interaction with remarkable efficiency. However, from a cyber security perspective, this also means it can be used in a variety of ways to lower the bar for threat actors.

One key method is the ability for ChatGPT to draft cunning phishing emails en masse. By feeding ChatGPT with minimal information, it can create content and entire emails that will lure unsuspecting victims to provide their passwords. With the right API setup, thousands of unique, tailored, and sophisticated phishing emails can be sent almost simultaneously.

Another interesting capability of ChatGPT is the ability to write malicious code. While OpenAI has put some controls in place to prevent ChatGPT from creating malware, it is possible to convince ChatGPT to create ransomware and other forms of malware as code that can be copied and pasted into an integrated development environment (IDE) and used to compile actual malware. ChatGPT can also be used to identify vulnerabilities in code segments and reverse engineer applications.

ChatGPT will expedite a trend that is already wreaking havoc across sectors – lowering the bar for less sophisticated threat actors, enabling them to conduct attacks while evading security controls and bypassing advanced detection mechanisms. And currently, there is not much that organisations can do about it. ChatGPT represents a technological marvel that will usher in a new era, not just for the cyber security space.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sj0lfp11oi

• Mailchimp Discloses a New Security Breach, the Second One in 6 Months

The popular email marketing and newsletter platform Mailchimp was hacked twice in the past six months. The news of a new security breach was confirmed by the company; the incident exposed the data of 133 customers.

Threat actors targeted the company’s employees and contractors to gain access to an internal support and account admin tool.

“On January 11, the Mailchimp Security team identified an unauthorised actor accessing one of our tools used by Mailchimp customer-facing teams for customer support and account administration. The unauthorised actor conducted a social engineering attack on Mailchimp employees and contractors, and obtained access to select Mailchimp accounts using employee credentials compromised in that attack.” reads the notice published by the company. “Based on our investigation to date, this targeted incident has been limited to 133 Mailchimp accounts.”

The malicious activity was discovered on January 11, 2023; in response to the intrusion the company temporarily suspended access for impacted accounts. The company also notified the primary contacts for all affected accounts less than 24 hours after the initial discovery.

https://securityaffairs.com/140997/data-breach/mailchimp-security-breach.html

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Yum Brands says nearly 300 restaurants in UK impacted due to cyber attack | Reuters

• Royal Mail boss to face MPs’ questions over Russian ransomware attack (telegraph.co.uk)

• What is LockBit ransomware and how does it operate? | Royal Mail | The Guardian

• How cyber-attack on Royal Mail has left firms in limbo - BBC News

• Royal Mail restarts limited overseas post after cyber-attack - BBC News

• How Royal Mail’s hacker became the world’s most prolific ransomware group | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Ransomware Trends In Q4 2022: Key Findings And Recommendations (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Microsoft: Cuba ransomware hacking Exchange servers via OWASSRF flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft retracts its report on Mac ransomware (techrepublic.com)

• Royal Mail operations hub in Mallusk hit by ‘cyber attack’ as printer spurts out ransom demands - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

• Ransomware Dips During 2022: Are Cyber attacks Slowing or Just a Blip? - MSSP Alert

• Up to 1,000 ships affected by DNV ransomware attack - Splash247

• Avast releases free BianLian ransomware decryptor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vice Society ransomware leaks University of Duisburg-Essen’s data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware attack cuts 1,000 ships off from on-shore servers • The Register

• Royal Mail promises ‘workarounds’ to restore services after ransomware attack | Computer Weekly

• Cyber-crime gangs' earnings slide as victims refuse to pay - BBC News

• Ransomware gang steals data from KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut brand owner (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• How AI chatbot ChatGPT changes the phishing game | CSO Online

• The big risk in the most-popular, and aging, big tech email programs (cnbc.com)

• Why encrypting emails isn't as simple as it sounds - Help Net Security

• Is it your bank or a scam? How to deal with phishing attacks | Economy and Business | EL PAÍS English Edition

• Fake DHL emails allow hackers to breach Microsoft 365 accounts (msn.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Techniques that attackers use to trick victims into visiting malicious content - Help Net Security

• Mailchimp slips up again, suffers security breach after falling on social engineering banana skin • Graham Cluley

• As Social Engineering Tactics Change, So Must Your Security Training (darkreading.com)

2FA/MFA

• CircleCI's hack caused by malware stealing engineer's 2FA-backed session (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The Importance of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - MSSP Alert

Malware

• Qbot Overtakes Emotet in December 2022's Most Wanted Malware List - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• IcedID Malware Strikes Again: Active Directory Domain Compromised in Under 24 Hours (thehackernews.com)

• New Backdoor Created Using Leaked CIA's Hive Malware Discovered in the Wild (thehackernews.com)

• CircleCI Confirms Data Breach Was Caused By Infostealer on Employee Laptop - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Experts spotted a backdoor that borrows code from CIA's Hive malware - Security Affairs

• ChatGPT Creates Polymorphic Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Attackers Crafted Custom Malware for Fortinet Zero-Day (darkreading.com)

• New Chinese Malware Spotted Exploiting Recent Fortinet Firewall Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Malicious ‘Lolip0p’ PyPi packages install info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers exploit Cacti critical bug to install malware, open reverse shells (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers can use GitHub Codespaces to host and deliver malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Batloader Malware Abuses Legitimate Tools Uses Obfuscated JavaScript Files in Q4 2022 Attacks (trendmicro.com)

• Hackers turn to Google search ads to push info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to spot a cyberbot – five tips to keep your device safe (theconversation.com)

Mobile

• New 'Hook' Android malware lets hackers remotely control your phone (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Roaming Mantis’ Android malware adds DNS changer to hack WiFi routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• How to spot a cyberbot – five tips to keep your device safe (theconversation.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Russian hacktivists NoName057 offer cash for DDoS attacks (techmonitor.ai)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Smart appliances could stop working after two years, says Which? - BBC News

Data Breaches/Leaks

• 6,000+ Customer Accounts Breached, NortonLifeLock Alert Users (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• 1.7 TB of data from digital intelligence firm Cellebrite leaked online - Security Affairs

• CircleCI Confirms Data Breach Was Caused By Infostealer on Employee Laptop - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• LastPass faces mounting criticism over recent breach | TechTarget

• Mailchimp Suffers Another Security Breach Compromising Some Customers' Information (thehackernews.com)

• Mailchimp discloses a new incident, the second one in 6 months - Security Affairs

• Timeline of the latest LastPass data breaches | CSO Online

• PayPal Breach Exposed PII of Nearly 35K Accounts (darkreading.com)

• T-Mobile US says hacker accessed personal data of 37 million customers • TechCrunch

• Twitter says leaked emails not hacked from its systems - BBC News

• Hacked! My Twitter user data is out on the dark web -- now what? | ZDNET

• Twitter sued over data leak that it denied was caused by a flaw | Business

• Nissan North America data breach caused by vendor-exposed database (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 18k Nissan Customers Affected by Data Breach at Third-Party Software Developer | SecurityWeek.Com

• Third-party administrator hack leads to theft of patient data for over 251K | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Russia's Ukraine War Drives 62% Slump in Stolen Cards - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Europol arrested cryptocurrency scammers that stole millions from victims - Security Affairs

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto exchanges freeze accounts tied to North Korea • The Register

• Europol arrested cryptocurrency scammers that stole millions from victims - Security Affairs

• FTX Says $415 Million Of Its Crypto Assets Was Hacked (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Google Ads-delivered malware drains NFT influencer’s entire crypto wallet (cointelegraph.com)

• Bitcoin is a ‘hyped-up fraud’, says JP Morgan chief (telegraph.co.uk)

• International Arrests Over 'Criminal' Crypto Exchange | SecurityWeek.Com

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• A $175 Million Dollar Blunder: How A 30-Year-Old Entrepreneur Allegedly Defrauded JP Morgan With 4 Million Fake Email Accounts | Celebrity Net Worth

• Opinion: These online scams to steal your money will shock you -- even if you think you've seen them all - MarketWatch

• Young people warned not to be exploited as ‘money mules’ for UK criminal gangs | Crime | The Guardian

• Hacker stole credit cards from Canada alcohol retailer LCBO - Security Affairs

• Europol arrested cryptocurrency scammers that stole millions from victims - Security Affairs

• New York man defrauded thousands using credit cards sold on dark web (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FTX Says $415 Million Of Its Crypto Assets Was Hacked (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The US Has a Massive Money Transfer Surveillance Apparatus (gizmodo.com)

• The threat of location spoofing and fraud - Help Net Security

• HUMAN Security Stops VASTFLUX Digital Ad Fraud Operation - MSSP Alert

• International Arrests Over 'Criminal' Crypto Exchange | SecurityWeek.Com

Insurance

• Millions of Insurance Customers Compromised Via Supplier - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Dark Web

• Russia's Ukraine War Drives 62% Slump in Stolen Cards - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New York man defrauded thousands using credit cards sold on dark web (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Illegal Solaris darknet market hijacked by competitor Kraken (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• CircleCI, LastPass, Okta, and Slack: Cyber attackers Pivot to Target Core Enterprise Tools (darkreading.com)

• Third-Party Risk Management: Why 2023 Could Be The Perfect Time To Overhaul Your TPRM Program (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• The Dangers of Default Cloud Configurations (darkreading.com)

• Report: Cloud-based networks under growing attack • The Register

• Data Security in Multicloud: Limit Access, Increase Visibility (darkreading.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Training, endpoint management reduce remote working cyber security risks - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Vulnerabilities in cryptographic libraries found through modern fuzzing - Help Net Security

• teiss - Cyber Threats - Managing the treat from quantum computers

• Threats Of Quantum: The Solution Lies In Quantum Cryptography (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why encrypting emails isn't as simple as it sounds - Help Net Security

• TLS Connection Cryptographic Protocol Vulnerabilities (trendmicro.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Compromise of employee device, credentials led to CircleCI breach | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• PayPal accounts breached in large-scale credential stuffing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Timeline of the latest LastPass data breaches | CSO Online

• NortonLifeLock: threat actors breached Norton Password Manager accounts - Security Affairs

Social Media

• Twitter says leaked emails not hacked from its systems - BBC News

• Hacked! My Twitter user data is out on the dark web -- now what? | ZDNET

• French CNIL fined Tiktok $5.4 Million for violating cookie laws - Security Affairs

Malvertising

• Hackers turn to Google search ads to push info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Ads-delivered malware drains NFT influencer’s entire crypto wallet (cointelegraph.com)

• HUMAN Security Stops VASTFLUX Digital Ad Fraud Operation - MSSP Alert

Training, Education and Awareness

• Training, endpoint management reduce remote working cyber security risks - Help Net Security

• As Social Engineering Tactics Change, So Must Your Security Training (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• GDPR Fines Surge 168% in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• European data protection authorities issue record €2.92 billion in GDPR fines | CSO Online

• State of data privacy laws in 2023 | TechTarget

• How data protection is evolving in a digital world - Help Net Security

• EU cyber resilience regulation could translate into millions in fines - Help Net Security

• UN Hearing On Proposed Cyber Crime Treaty: Legal Measures To Tackle Cyber Crimes (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Online safety bill: Attempt to jail tech bosses ‘could backfire’ | News | The Times

• Culture secretary examines plans to punish tech bosses over online harms | Financial Times (ft.com)

• French CNIL fined Tiktok $5.4 Million for violating cookie laws - Security Affairs

• State legislators aren't waiting for Congress to regulate children's online privacy - CyberScoop

• How Would the FTC Rule on Noncompetes Affect Data Security? (darkreading.com)

• The US Has a Massive Money Transfer Surveillance Apparatus (gizmodo.com)

• What are International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Export Administration Regulations? (techtarget.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Technology is a fragile machine that seems to power everything | Android Central

• Third-Party Risk Management: Why 2023 Could Be The Perfect Time To Overhaul Your TPRM Program (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Training, endpoint management reduce remote working cyber security risks - Help Net Security

• New Coalfire Report Reveals CISOs Rising Influence (darkreading.com)

• Cost of data breaches to global businesses at five-year high- IT Security Guru

• Experts at Davos 2023 sound the alarm on cyber security | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Why Mean Time to Repair Is Not Always A Useful Security Metric (darkreading.com)

• Why are there so many cyber attacks lately? An explainer on the rising trend | Globalnews.ca

• How To Build A Network Of Security Champions In Your Organisation (forbes.com)

• EU cyber resilience regulation could translate into millions in fines - Help Net Security

• What is Business Attack Surface Management? (trendmicro.com)

• How to build a cyber-resilience culture in the enterprise | TechTarget

• Why Businesses Need to Think Like Hackers This Year (darkreading.com)

• How to prioritize resilience in the face of cyber-attacks | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• #WEF23: Geopolitical Instability Means a Cyber “Catastrophe” is Imminent - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber-attack contributes to major Harrogate district firm posting £4.1m loss - The Stray Ferret

Data Protection

• GDPR Fines Surge 168% in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• European data protection authorities issue record €2.92 billion in GDPR fines | CSO Online

• How data protection is evolving in a digital world - Help Net Security

• State legislators aren't waiting for Congress to regulate children's online privacy - CyberScoop

• European Businesses Admit Major Privacy Skills Gap - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• New Coalfire Report Reveals CISOs Rising Influence (darkreading.com)

• IT Burnout may be Putting Your Organisation at Risk (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Sophos Joins List of Cyber security Companies Cutting Staff | SecurityWeek.Com

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Europol arrested cryptocurrency scammers that stole millions from victims - Security Affairs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• AI and privacy: Experts worry users may have already ‘traded a lot’ for services - National | Globalnews.ca

• State of data privacy laws in 2023 | TechTarget

• How data privacy and automation offer both challenges and opportunities in a fintech future | Kyndryl: The Heart of Progress | The Guardian

• UK supermarket uses facial recognition tech to track shoppers - Coda Story

• State legislators aren't waiting for Congress to regulate children's online privacy - CyberScoop

• European Businesses Admit Major Privacy Skills Gap - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Russian Hackers Try to Bypass ChatGPT's Restrictions For Malicious Purposes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How AI chatbot ChatGPT changes the phishing game | CSO Online

• ChatGPT Opens New Opportunities for Cyber criminals: 5 Ways for Organisations to Get Ready (darkreading.com)

• ChatGPT and its perilous use as a "Force Multiplier" for cyber attacks | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• AI and privacy: Experts worry users may have already ‘traded a lot’ for services - National | Globalnews.ca

• Potential threats and sinister implications of ChatGPT - Help Net Security

• Criminals seek OpenAI guardrail bypass, use ChatGPT for evil • The Register

• ChatGPT Creates Polymorphic Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Is ChatGPT a cyber security threat? | TechCrunch

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Over Four Billion People Affected By Internet Censorship in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Russian Hackers Try to Bypass ChatGPT's Restrictions For Malicious Purposes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Putin’s Russian cyber attacks could target UK’s infrastructure | News | The Times

• From phishing scams to propaganda: How Russia, rogue nations utilize cyber capabilities against the US | Fox News

• Industrial espionage: How China sneaks out America's technology secrets - BBC News

• Russia's Ukraine War Drives 62% Slump in Stolen Cards - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ukraine blames Russia for most of over 2,000 cyber attacks in 2022 | Reuters

• Cyber  attacks have tripled in past year, says Ukraine’s cyber security agency | Ukraine | The Guardian

• Pro-Russian Hacktivist Group Targets Czech Presidential Election - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Beware: Tainted VPNs Being Used to Spread EyeSpy Surveillanceware (thehackernews.com)

• Is Elon Musk’s Starlink winning the war for Ukraine? | World | The Sunday Times (thetimes.co.uk)

• Pro-Russia Hacktivist Group NoName057(16) Strikes Again (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Earth Bogle Group Targets Middle East With NjRAT, Geopolitical Lures - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian hacktivists NoName057 offer cash for DDoS attacks (techmonitor.ai)

• Chinese APT Group Vixen Panda Targets Iranian Government Entities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ukraine links data-wiping attack on news agency to Russian hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian hackers target Ukrainian press briefing about cyber attacks (axios.com)

• Chinese hackers targeted Iranian government entities for months: Report | CSO Online

• Myanmar Acquired Spyware From Israeli Cyber-intelligence Firm Cognyte, New Docs Reveal - National Security & Cyber - Haaretz.com

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russian Hackers Try to Bypass ChatGPT's Restrictions For Malicious Purposes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Putin’s Russian cyber attacks could target UK’s infrastructure | News | The Times

• From phishing scams to propaganda: How Russia, rogue nations utilize cyber capabilities against the US | Fox News

• Russia's Ukraine War Drives 62% Slump in Stolen Cards - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ukraine blames Russia for most of over 2,000 cyber attacks in 2022 | Reuters

• Cyber attacks have tripled in past year, says Ukraine’s cyber security agency | Ukraine | The Guardian

• Pro-Russian Hacktivist Group Targets Czech Presidential Election - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Is Elon Musk’s Starlink winning the war for Ukraine? | World | The Sunday Times (thetimes.co.uk)

• Pro-Russia Hacktivist Group NoName057(16) Strikes Again (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Russian hacktivists NoName057 offer cash for DDoS attacks (techmonitor.ai)

• Ukraine links data-wiping attack on news agency to Russian hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian hackers target Ukrainian press briefing about cyber attacks (axios.com)

• Russians say they can download software from Intel again • The Register

• Nation State Actors – China

• Industrial espionage: How China sneaks out America's technology secrets - BBC News

• Attackers Crafted Custom Malware for Fortinet Zero-Day (darkreading.com)

• New Chinese Malware Spotted Exploiting Recent Fortinet Firewall Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• China wants 30 percent CAGR for its infosec industry • The Register

• Chinese APT Group Vixen Panda Targets Iranian Government Entities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese hackers targeted Iranian government entities for months: Report | CSO Online

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• Crypto exchanges freeze accounts tied to North Korea • The Register

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Chinese APT Group Vixen Panda Targets Iranian Government Entities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese hackers targeted Iranian government entities for months: Report | CSO Online

Nation State Actors – Misc

• Earth Bogle Group Targets Middle East With NjRAT, Geopolitical Lures - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• The Top 10 Vulnerabilities of 2022: Mastering Vulnerability Management - Security Boulevard

• Why you don’t have to fix every vulnerability | CSO Online

• 3 Lessons Learned in Vulnerability Management (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Cisco won’t fix critical flaw in small business routers • The Register

• Unpatched Zoho ManageEngine Products Under Active Cyber attack (darkreading.com)

• Oracle's First Security Update for 2023 Includes 327 New Patches | SecurityWeek.Com

• Why it's time to review your on-premises Microsoft Exchange patch status | CSO Online

• Attackers Crafted Custom Malware for Fortinet Zero-Day (darkreading.com)

• New Chinese Malware Spotted Exploiting Recent Fortinet Firewall Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Cacti Servers Under Attack as Majority Fail to Patch Critical Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• PoC exploits released for critical bugs in popular WordPress plugins (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vulnerabilities in cryptographic libraries found through modern fuzzing - Help Net Security

• Microsoft: Exchange Server 2013 reaches end of support in 90 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AMD Revealed 31 Vulnerabilities Within Its Processor Lines, Ryzen & EPYC CPUs Included (wccftech.com)

• Hackers are using this old trick to dodge security protections | ZDNET

• Attackers deploy sophisticated Linux implant on Fortinet network security devices | CSO Online

• Researchers to release PoC exploit for critical Zoho RCE bug, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MSI accidentally breaks Secure Boot for hundreds of motherboards (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Git security vulnerabilities announced | The GitHub Blog

• Microsoft fixes SSRF vulnerabilities found in Azure services | TechTarget

• Over 4,000 Sophos Firewall devices vulnerable to RCE attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mozilla Releases Security Updates for Firefox | CISA

• Critical Security Vulnerabilities Discovered in Netcomm and TP-Link Routers (thehackernews.com)

• Exploited Control Web Panel Flaw Added to CISA 'Must-Patch' List | SecurityWeek.Com

• Two critical flaws discovered in Git system - Security Affairs

• Vendors Actively Bypass Security Patch for Year-Old Magento Vulnerability | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cisco Patches High-Severity SQL Injection Vulnerability in Unified CM | SecurityWeek.Com

• CVE-2022-47966: Rapid7 Observed Exploitation of Critical ManageEngine Vulnerability | Rapid7 Blog

• Critical Microsoft Azure RCE flaw impacted multiple services - Security Affairs

• New Microsoft Azure Vulnerability Uncovered — EmojiDeploy for RCE Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Cross-site forgery bug would facilitate remote code execution in Microsoft Azure services | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

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Tools and Controls

• Training, endpoint management reduce remote working cyber security risks - Help Net Security

• Why encrypting emails isn't as simple as it sounds - Help Net Security

• As Social Engineering Tactics Change, So Must Your Security Training (darkreading.com)

• Zero trust network access for Desktop as a Service - Help Net Security

• How to prioritize resilience in the face of cyber-attacks | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

·       OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.

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