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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 15 March 2024
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 15 March 2024:
-Mind The Gap - Mimecast Report Finds Humans Are Biggest Security Flaw
-Three-Quarters of Cyber Victim Are SMBs - Why SMBs are Becoming More Vulnerable
-Cyber Security Skills Gap and Lack of Boardroom Engagement Invite Hacker Havoc
-UK Government’s Ransomware Failings Leave Country ‘Exposed and Unprepared’
-Data Breaches up 72% to New Record High: Cyber Security Incidents Rank as #1 Global Business Threat in 2024
-Finance Sector Facing Huge Number of Cyber Attacks That Could Leave It On its Knees, Highlights the Need to Build a Robust Security Culture
-Microsoft Confirms Russian Hackers Stole Source Code, Some Customer Secrets
-Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards
-Navigating Cyber Security in The Era of Mergers
-Phishing Tactics Evolve as Sophisticated Vishing and Image-based Phishing Take World by Storm
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
Mind The Gap: Mimecast Report Finds Humans Are Biggest Security Flaw
A global report from Mimecast has found that 74% of all cyber breaches are caused by human factors, including errors, misuse of access privileges or social engineering. Email remains the primary attack vector for cyber threats. Further, 67% of respondents expect AI-driven attacks to soon be the norm and 69% believe their company will be harmed by an attack.
No matter the size, sector or budget of an organisation, people remain a consistent risk factor. Even with strong technology controls, people can still be the risk that brings down the organisation. It is therefore important for organisations to integrate people into their cyber security investments. This should include awareness and education training, and fostering a cyber secure culture in the organisation.
Sources: [IT Security Guru] [Beta News] [Verdict]
Three-Quarters of Cyber Victim Are SMBs: Why SMBs are Becoming More Vulnerable
According to a recent Sophos report, over three-quarters of cyber incidents impacted smaller businesses in 2023, with ransomware having the largest impact. The research also found that in 90% of attacks, data or credential theft was involved and in 43%, data theft was the main focus.
The report found significant usage of initial access brokers; these are attackers whose speciality is to break into computer networks and sell ready-to-go access to other attackers. In fact, the report found that almost half of all malware detected in SMBs were malicious programs used to steal sensitive data and login credentials. Unfortunately, many SMBs struggle to keep up due to a lack of resources and budget; instead, they must be able to prioritise their cyber security efforts to get the most return on investment.
Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Help Net Security] [TechRadar] [Nairametrics] [TechTarget]
Cyber Security Skills Gap and Lack of Boardroom Engagement Invite Hacker Havoc
The Ipsos report on Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2023 sheds light on the persistent challenges faced in recruiting, training, and retaining cyber security professionals across various domains. With approximately 739,000 businesses lacking basic cyber skills and 487,000 facing advanced skills gaps, the demand for trained professionals is escalating. The shortage of incident response skills highlights the need for comprehensive education and training programs. Senior management and board-level executives must also be equipped with the knowledge to manage incidents effectively, emphasising reporting, seeking external assistance, and maintaining a no-blame culture. Understanding cyber risks at the business level is crucial, as cyber crime has evolved into a well-organised industry with distinct roles and profit-sharing mechanisms among cyber criminal groups. Conducting tabletop incident response exercises can effectively prepare senior leadership for cyber incidents, ensuring a proactive and coordinated response to mitigate risks and safeguard organisational resilience.
Source: [TechRadar]
UK Government’s Ransomware Failings Leave Country ‘Exposed and Unprepared’
The recent response from the British government to warnings about the looming ransomware threat has sparked criticism, with accusations of adopting an "ostrich strategy" by downplaying the severity of the national cyber threat. Despite alarming assessments from the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) regarding the high risk of a catastrophic ransomware attack, the government's formal response has been met with scepticism. Key recommendations, such as reallocating responsibility for tackling ransomware away from the Home Office, were rejected, with the government arguing that its existing regulations and the current National Cyber Strategy were sufficient. This argument has raised concerns about the government's preparedness and resource allocation. With ransomware attacks escalating in the UK, the Committee underscores the urgency for a proactive national security response to mitigate the potentially devastating impacts on the economy and national security.
Source: [The Record Media]
Data Breaches up 72% to New Record High: Cyber Security Incidents Rank as #1 Global Business Threat in 2024
Research conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) found that 2023 set an all time high in data breaches, 72% more than the prior year. Separately, the Allianz Risk Barometer identified cyber incidents as the biggest global business threat for 2024, ranking above regulatory concerns, climate change and a shortage of skilled workers. It is crucial that the severity of this risk is reflected in the actions taken by organisations, who must effectively govern and implement their cyber security strategy.
Sources: [JDSupra]
Finance Sector Facing Huge Number of Cyber Attacks That Could Leave It On its Knees, Highlights the Need to Build a Robust Security Culture
Cyber security has become a pressing issue on financial institutions due to the rise in cyber attacks, as highlighted by the February attack on Bank of America via a third-party service. The involvement of the LockBit ransomware group underlines the persistent nature of these threats, particularly targeting the financial sector. These attacks disrupt services and undermine trust in the financial system, necessitating robust cyber security frameworks. The new US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring immediate disclosure of cyber security incidents presents both benefits and challenges, calling for clear guidelines and industry-wide collaboration. BlackBerry’s Global Threat Intelligence Report revealed a staggering million attacks globally in just 120 days last year. These attacks, often using commodity malware, make up almost two-thirds of all industry-related incidents. The 27% increase in novel malware samples highlights the need for improved defences. These findings emphasise the need for AI-driven detection and defence strategies. While critical infrastructure remains a primary focus, commercial enterprises must remain vigilant, with a third of threats targeting various sectors, emphasising the pervasive nature of cyber threats across industries.
Source:[ SC Media] [TechRadar]
Microsoft Confirms Russian Hackers Stole Source Code, Some Customer Secrets
In a recent revelation, Microsoft disclosed that the Kremlin-backed threat group known as Midnight Blizzard successfully accessed some of Microsoft’s source code repositories and internal systems following a hack in January 2024. The breach, believed to have originally occurred in November 2023, exploited a legacy test account lacking multi-factor authentication by employing a password spray attack. Microsoft assured no compromise to customer-facing systems but warned of ongoing attempts by Midnight Blizzard to exploit stolen corporate email data. The extent of the breach remains under investigation, with concerns raised over the potential accumulation of attack vectors by the threat actor. The incident underscores the escalating sophistication of nation-state cyber threats and prompts a re-evaluation of security measures, highlighting the imperative for robust defences against such adversaries.
Source: [The Hacker News]
Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards
Board members are increasingly held accountable for their organisation's cyber posture, facing personal liability for lapses. To gain insight and demonstrate proactive leadership, independent cyber security audits have become indispensable. These audits not only aid in regulatory compliance but also uncover blind spots in the organisation's security measures. Recent regulations, such as by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) underscore the imperative for robust cyber security oversight at the board level. The audit process involves defining the scope, conducting assessments, validating findings through simulations, and presenting comprehensive reports to leadership. By embracing cyber security audits, boards can fulfil their duty of overseeing and enhancing the organisation's cyber resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Source: [Bloomberg Law]
Navigating Cyber Security in The Era of Mergers
In today's landscape of frequent mergers and acquisitions (M&A), organisations grapple with the challenge of aligning cyber security measures across subsidiaries, posing a risk to overall security. According to an IBM survey, over one in three executives attribute data breaches to M&A activity during integration. This complexity arises as security teams may lack insight into subsidiary infrastructure, hindering risk assessment and mitigation efforts. Historical incidents like the NotPetya attack on Merck and the Talk Talk hack highlight vulnerabilities post-acquisition, emphasising the need for a proactive approach to subsidiary cyber security. To address these challenges, organisations must conduct comprehensive risk assessments, standardise security protocols, foster collaboration, and consider unified security platforms. By proactively addressing visibility gaps and implementing standardised protocols, organisations can fortify their defences against evolving cyber threats amidst M&A activities.
Source: [Forbes]
Phishing Tactics Evolve as Sophisticated Vishing and Image-based Phishing Take World by Storm
According to a recent report, 76% of organisations were compromised by QR-code phishing in the last 12 months. Along with this, there has also been a rise in the number of sophisticated vishing attacks, with recent attacks costing organisations millions. The introduction of artificial intelligence has only added fuel to this fire already impacting security controls such as call-back procedures. With the tactics of phishing evolving, organisations need to ensure they are up-to-date and that employees are trained effectively to mitigate the risk of these.
Sources: [Help Net Security] [Dark Reading]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Cyber Security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar
Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)
Navigating Cyber Security In The Era Of Mergers (forbes.com)
SMEs invest in tech opportunities but risk missing security safeguards (betanews.com)
Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar
The CISO Role Is Changing. Can CISOs Themselves Keep Up? (darkreading.com)
Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)
How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behavior and improve workforce resilience | ITPro
Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard
MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Sophos: Remote ransomware attacks on SMBs increasing | TechTarget
UK government’s ransomware failings leave country ‘exposed and unprepared’ (therecord.media)
Understanding the multi-tiered impact of ransomware. (thecyberwire.com)
Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [March 2024] (therecord.media)
The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape - Help Net Security
UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)
Businesses leaving their Kubernetes containers exposed to ransomware | TechRadar
StopCrypt: Most widely distributed ransomware now evades detection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Member of LockBit ransomware group sentenced to 4 years in prison | Ars Technica
Ransomware Victims
British Library’s legacy IT blamed for lengthy rebuild • The Register
British Library shares lessons from cyber attack | UKAuthority
Stanford University failed to detect intruders for 4 months • The Register
Stanford says data from 27,000 people leaked in September ransomware attack (therecord.media)
Law Firm Sues MSP Over Black Basta Ransomware Attack | MSSP Alert
Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register
Cancer Clinics Face Cash Crunch After Hack Rocks US Health Care (claimsjournal.com)
Nissan confirms ransomware attack exposed data of 100,000 people (bleepingcomputer.com)
Equilend warns employees their data was stolen by ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Phishing Threats Rise as Malicious Actors Target Messaging Platforms - Security Boulevard
MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)
What is phishing? Examples, types, and techniques | CSO Online
Other Social Engineering
Sophisticated Vishing Campaigns Take World by Storm (darkreading.com)
Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar
Artificial Intelligence
AI Poses Extinction-Level Risk, State-Funded Report Says | TIME
Cyber crime underworld has removed all the guardrails on AI frontier
Critical ChatGPT Plug-in Vulnerabilities Expose Sensitive Data (darkreading.com)
Cyber attackers are threatening businesses with AI, says Microsoft (qz.com)
Intelligence officials warn pace of innovation in AI threatens US | CyberScoop
How advances in AI are impacting business cyber security - Help Net Security
NCSC Blog - AI and cyber security: what you need to know (techuk.org)
4 types of prompt injection attacks and how they work | TechTarget
Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget
How to craft a generative AI security policy that works | TechTarget
2FA/MFA
Malware
Keyloggers, spyware, and stealers dominate SMB malware detections - Help Net Security
SMBs are being hit with more malware attacks than ever, and many can't keep up | TechRadar
Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers exploit WordPress plugin flaw to infect 3,300 sites with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Botnets: The uninvited guests that just won’t leave | CSO Online
Hackers using Weaponized PDF Files to Deliver Remcos RAT (cybersecuritynews.com)
RedLine malware top credential stealer of last 6 months | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Windows SmartScreen Bypass Flaw Exploited to Drop DarkGate RAT (darkreading.com)
Mobile
Blog: Why Hackers Love Phones - Keep your Eye on the Device - Security Boulevard
SIM swappers hijacking phone numbers in eSIM attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
PixPirate Android malware uses new tactic to hide on phones (bleepingcomputer.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
French government sites disrupted by très grande DDOS • The Register
Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)
RIA: Estonia's state institutions hit by largest cyber attack to date | News | ERR
DDoS attacks reach critical levels in 14 seconds | Security Magazine
Internet of Things – IoT
Internet of Risks: Cyber Security Risk in the Internet of Things | UpGuard
Unpatched Sceiner Smart Lock Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers to Open Doors - Security Week
Heated Seats? Advanced Telematics? Software-Defined Cars Drive Risk (darkreading.com)
Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register
Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)
MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Data Breaches up 72% From Record High: Cyber Incident Readiness Must be Top of Mind | Epiq - JDSupra
Jersey regulator's data breach leaks names and addresses - BBC News
Over 15,000 hacked Roku accounts sold for 50¢ each to buy hardware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Okta denies it was hacked again after data appears on hacking site | TechRadar
Over 12 million auth secrets and keys leaked on GitHub in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)
French unemployment agency data breach impacts 43 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: Standards of Proof (darkreading.com)
How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: What to Look For (darkreading.com)
Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)
Bitcoin Fog mixer operator convicted for laundering $400 million (bleepingcomputer.com)
US Seizes $1.4 Million in Cryptocurrency From Tech Scammers - Security Week
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insider threats can damage even the most secure organisations - Help Net Security
Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar
Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget
How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro
Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard
How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur
Insurance
Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)
UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register
Industry: Act Now To Secure the Solutions You Offer the Military | AFCEA International
Cloud/SaaS
EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch
Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)
How Not to Become the Target of the Next Microsoft Hack (darkreading.com)
Cloud Account Attacks Surged 16-Fold in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget
Encryption
Linux and Open Source
How to Ensure Open Source Packages Are Not Landmines (darkreading.com)
Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Russian Hackers Are Weaponizing Stolen Microsoft Passwords (claimsjournal.com)
Overcoming the threat of account takeover fraud (securitybrief.co.nz)
LastPass suffers worldwide outage causing site 404 error - 9to5Mac
Social Media
Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)
Meta sues “brazenly disloyal” former exec over stolen confidential docs | Ars Technica
TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)
Training, Education and Awareness
Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar
How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Everything you need to know about the EU's Cyber Solidarity Act | ITPro
The New Hacker Playbook: Weaponizing the SEC’s Cyber Disclosure Rules | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra
Models, Frameworks and Standards
4 Security Tips From PCI DSS 4.0 Anyone Can Use (darkreading.com)
Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Backup and Recovery
Data Protection
EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch
How do you lot feel about Pay or OK model, ICO asks Brits • The Register
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Half of firms struggling to hire cyber security experts (securitybrief.co.nz)
UK Council's Vision: Set High Standards in Cyber Security (govinfosecurity.com)
How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur
Cyber security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar
Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)
How To Overcome The Machismo Problem In Cyber Security (forbes.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Nation State Actors
China
TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)
Lithuania security services warn of China's espionage against the country (securityaffairs.com)
Chinese Cyber Crime: Discretion Is the Better Part of Valor (databreachtoday.co.uk)
Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register
Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)
Russia
Microsoft says Russian hackers stole source code after spying on its executives - The Verge
Microsoft says Russian hackers breached its systems, accessed source code (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft: Russians are using stolen information to breach company’s systems (therecord.media)
Microsoft says it hasn't been able to evict Russian state hackers | AP News
Kremlin accuses US of plotting election-day cyber attack • The Register
Major operation under way to identify source of Russian attack that 'jammed signals' on... - LBC
First-ever South Korean national detained for espionage in Russia (securityaffairs.com)
Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)
North Korea
Vulnerability Management
How to Streamline the Vulnerability Management Life Cycle - Security Boulevard
Researchers expose Microsoft SCCM misconfigs usable in cyber attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Vulnerability management, its impact and threat modeling methodologies (securityintelligence.com)
Vulnerabilities
Adobe Patches Critical Flaws in Enterprise Products - Security Week
Major CPU, Software Vendors Impacted by New GhostRace Attack - Security Week
Critical Fortinet flaw may impact 150,000 exposed devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fortinet Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA
SAP Patches Critical Command Injection Vulnerabilities - Security Week
Cisco addressed severe flaws in its Secure Client (securityaffairs.com)
5M WordPress Websites At Risk Amid LiteSpeed Plugin Flaw - Security Boulevard
New cyber crime crew Magnet Goblin caught exploiting Ivanti • The Register
Stealth Bomber: Atlassian Confluence Exploits Drop Web Shells In-Memory (darkreading.com)
Threat actors breached two crucial systems of the US CISA (securityaffairs.com)
Researchers found multiple flaws in ChatGPT plugins (securityaffairs.com)
Exploited Building Access System Vulnerability Patched 5 Years After Disclosure - Security Week
Tools and Controls
Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)
NSA's Zero-Trust Guidelines Focus on Segmentation (darkreading.com)
Expert Cyber Security Strategies For Protecting Remote Businesses (forbes.com)
Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)
Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)
How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro
Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget
Immutability: A boost to your security backup (betanews.com)
MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense
How teams can improve incident recovery time to minimize damages - Help Net Security
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Finance sector facing huge amount of cyber attacks that could leave it on its knees | TechRadar
French state services hit by cyber attacks of 'unprecedented intensity' (france24.com)
Better Safe Than Sorry: Making Cyber Security a Priority | HealthLeaders Media
How Dangerous Is the Cyber Attack Risk to Transportation? (securityintelligence.com)
Pi Day: How Hackers Slice Through Security Solutions - Security Boulevard
78% of MSPs state cyber security is a prominent IT challenge | Security Magazine
No, 'Leave the World Behind' and 'Civil War' Aren’t Happening Before Your Eyes | WIRED
Maritime cyber security: threats and challenges - Port Technology International
What resources do small utilities need to defend against cyber attacks? | CyberScoop
10 free cyber security guides you might have missed - Help Net Security
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 08 March 2024
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 08 March 2024:
-FBI Reports Cyber Crime Losses Reached $12.5 billion in 2023, Ransomware Losses Surged by 74%, Average Ransomw Demand Reaching $600k
-Capita Plans £100 Million in Cost Cuts as it Continues to Grapple With 2023 Cyber Attack, Resulting in Significant Job Losses
-Employment Law Firm Sues IT Company Over Ransomware Attack
-Stolen Passwords are a Hacker Goldmine
-Phishing Attacks Up 40 Percent in 2023; Attackers Leverage Social Engineering for Greater Success
-Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked
-Rising Cyber Security Risks: Insider Threat Main Concern Among Mid-Market Firms
-Security Risks Plague SMEs in Shift to Remote Working
-After Collecting $22 Million, Ransomware Group Stages FBI Takedown
-Cyber Attacks Remain Chief Concern for Businesses
-Two New Ransomware Groups Join Forces to Launch Joint Attacks
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
FBI Reports Cyber Crime Losses Reached $12.5 billion in 2023, Ransomware Losses Surged by 74%, Average Ransom Demand Reaching $600k
An FBI report into the cost of cyber crime has found that estimated losses in the US alone reached $12.5 billion in 2023. Ransomware accounted for $59.6 million, a 74% increase from the previous year’s report. Of note, the FBI report only deals with complaints made to the FBI; it therefore excludes other countries, and relies on the US organisations to identify that they have been impacted. It is therefore likely that the figure in the US, let alone globally, is significantly higher.
Sources: [Security Boulevard] [Security Week] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Tripwire] [Security Affairs]
Capita Plans £100 Million in Cost Cuts as it Continues to Grapple With 2023 Cyber Attack, Resulting in Significant Job Losses
In the aftermath of a significant cyber attack in 2023, Capita faces a steep financial hurdle with reported losses amounting to £106.6 million. Originally forecasted at £25 million, the revised figure underscores the substantial impact of the breach. Capita’s response strategy, including significant investments in recovery and cyber security bolstering, emphasises the escalating costs associated with data breaches. CEO Adolfo Hernandez announced plans for a substantial cost reduction of over £100 million, indicating the critical need for efficiency improvements to mitigate the financial strain. Capita’s experience serves as a potent reminder of the critical importance of robust cyber resilience strategies. These strategies are not just about preventing attacks, but also about mitigating the potentially devastating financial consequences should a breach occur.
Source: [ITPro]
Employment Law Firm Sues IT Company Over Ransomware Attack
A law firm in California has sued an IT solutions company, saying that after hiring the company to install a network system and server, the law firm suffered a ransomware attack. The law firm found that not long after the network was installed, they were unable to access their data, and when they had gone to retrieve a cloud backup, they had found this was already deleted, forcing them to pay the ransom to get their data back. The law firm is accusing the IT company of negligence and breach of contract and is seeking damages of at least $1 million.
Source: [Law360]
Stolen Passwords are a Hacker Goldmine
Passwords are not only crucial for organisational security, but they also come with significant costs and vulnerabilities. From the time spent by service desks on resets, to the expense of security incidents and breaches, the financial toll is substantial. Weak or reused passwords heighten the vulnerability, with breaches involving stolen credentials costing an average of $4.45 million. Cyber threats are evolving, with hackers increasingly favouring stolen user accounts over traditional malware. This shift, underscored by a notable 71% increase in attacks leveraging valid login credentials in 2023 as reported by CrowdStrike and IBM, highlights the repercussions of compromised credentials. Embracing technologies like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO), along with employee education, can bolster security while alleviating financial strains. Robust identity management and zero-trust security frameworks are essential to mitigate risks further, especially in the face of rising cloud intrusions. Proactive investments in password security software such as password managers can help streamline operations and enhance overall organisational resilience against these evolving threats.
Sources: [Bleeping Computer] [Axios]
Phishing Attacks Up 40 Percent in 2023; Attackers Leverage Social Engineering for Greater Success
Kaspersky recently released their annual spam and phishing report in which they identified over 709 million attempts to access phishing and scam websites, a 40% increase from the previous year. It should be noted that this number is just related to Kaspersky’s identification; the figure is likely far greater. With reports identifying that 90% of phishing involves social engineering, it is important to understand how it is leveraged.
Phishing attacks generally include an element of trust; for example, a bad actor impersonating a reputable brand or providing details about an individual that makes the attack more credible. Often, social engineering will rely on human characteristics, such as urgency, emotion and habit to try to manipulate the target to perform particular actions. Whilst the tools may change, the basis is the same; a successful phish requires user interaction. To mitigate the impact of phishing in corporate environments, organisations must stay informed about the latest adversarial activity and prioritise security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and providing employee awareness and education training that goes beyond ticking boxes.
Sources: [Beta News] [CSO Online] [Security Boulevard] [DarkReading]
Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked
A survey of over 10,000 business leaders across various industries has found that a number of business leaders know little when it comes to their organisation’s cyber security landscape, with 1 in 10, “unsure” and unable to provide a definitive answer as to whether their organisation has had a data breach in 2023. The report highlights that there are a number of leadership positions that are not receiving sufficient information about their organisation’s data security situation.
Receiving regular reports with metrics about the organisation’s cyber security posture is key to organisations achieving and maintaining a solid level of governance, something that is required in various standards and regulations.
Source: [Tech.Co]
Rising Cyber Security Risks: Insider Threat Main Concern Among Mid-Market Firms
According to the 2023 CyberArk Identity Security Threat Landscape Report, insider threats are on the rise, with 68% of organisations reporting an increased frequency in the past year. These threats, considered one of the top concerns over the next 12 months, stem from within an organisation where authorised employees exploit their access to steal or leak sensitive data. Factors such as flexible working, an increase in job transitions, workforce reductions, third-party relationships, economic uncertainties, and employee stress levels further compound these challenges. Negligence, accounting for 62% of insider incidents, plays a significant role; these threats aren’t always malicious but can also be negligent or accidental. As these threats evolve, the potential consequences, including revenue loss and reputational damage, are becoming more apparent to business leaders. To mitigate risks, companies must prioritise improving identity security, particularly in controlling privileged access, and embrace a Zero Trust approach. This ensures full visibility and control over access to sensitive data, safeguarding critical assets and enhancing cyber resilience in an increasingly volatile landscape. Other key identified threats include AI-related risks, ransomware, deep fakes, and malware.
Sources: [TechRadar] [Comms Business]
C-Suite Executives: An Attacker’s Dream?
Cyber criminals are increasingly focusing on high-value targets, particularly C-suite executives who hold extensive organisational access. These executives, often overlooked in security practices and training, have become vulnerable links. The cyber security landscape of 2023 saw significant advancements but also revealed vulnerabilities, exacerbated by global conflicts and strategic cyber attacks. Cyber actors are now targeting entities with high return potential, with ransomware attackers tailoring their strikes to maximise revenues, often from smaller organisations. Interestingly, while automation is on the rise, cyber criminals are opting for a human touch, with human operatives often behind attacks. A report last year showed a nearly 30% spike in fraud specifically targeting senior executives, highlighting the vulnerability of the C-suite. This emphasises the need for robust cyber resilience strategies to safeguard these high-value targets.
Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]
Security Risks Plague SMEs in Shift to Remote Working
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working surged, offering businesses newfound flexibility and cost efficiencies. However, this paradigm shift comes with its own set of security challenges, particularly impacting startups and small businesses. The inherent flexibility of remote work exposes companies to risks like unauthorised access, IP theft, and malware. These threats are especially potent for SMEs, jeopardising their financial stability and reputation. Robust security measures include VPNs, enforcing regular software updates, and employee training to mitigate these risks. By embracing these strategies, SMEs can navigate the remote work landscape securely, unlocking its benefits while safeguarding against potential threats.
Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]
After Collecting $22 Million, Ransomware Group Stages FBI Takedown
The ransomware group responsible for facilitating a huge attack against a US prescription drug company for $22 million has gone dark, days after receiving the payment and standing accused of scamming their own affiliate out of their share of the gains. Days after the payment was made, AlphV’s public website started displaying a message saying it had been seized by the FBI as part of an international law enforcement action. Ransomware researchers have since said that it has not actually been seized, but appears to be a ploy to exit scam affiliates of the ransomware group. This proves the old adage that there really is no honour among thieves.
Source: [Ars Technica]
Cyber Attacks Remain Chief Concern for Businesses
A recent report has underscored the growing concern among UK corporate businesses regarding cyber attacks as the primary fraud threat in the upcoming year, with 73% of respondents expressing worry. As businesses grapple with the shift to hybrid and remote work models, ensuring robust counter-fraud measures and internal controls is imperative to safeguarding workforces regardless of location. This situation emphasises the critical importance of investing in employee training to combat evolving fraud threats. It highlights the far-reaching consequences that fraud can have on organisations and underscores the necessity of fostering an anti-fraud culture across all levels of the enterprise.
Source: [TheHRDirector]
Two New Ransomware Groups Join Forces to Launch Joint Attacks
Two ransomware groups, Ghostsec and Stormous, have joined forces to conduct double extortion ransomware attacks on various businesses across multiple countries. As part of this, their new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) program, STMX_GhostLocker, provides various options for their affiliates. GhostSec is already part of a coalition called the five families, involving 4 other entities. The group ventured into RaaS last year, offering services for as little as $269.99 per month.
Source: [The Hacker News]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week
1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)
Cyber attacks remain chief concern for businesses | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)
What Cyber Security Chiefs Need From Their CEOs (darkreading.com)
Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)
The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly
NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com
CISOs Tackle Compliance With Cyber Guidelines (informationweek.com)
Are C-suite executives cyber security's weakest link? (securitybrief.co.nz
30 years of the CISO role – how things have changed since Steve Katz | CSO Online
How to create an efficient governance control program - Help Net Security
Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)
Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security
Research finds that cyber security leaders are taking on multiple roles | Security Magazine
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360
Report: Average Initial Ransomware Demand in 2023 Reached $600K - Security Boulevard
What’s Fueling the Ransomware Epidemic? | Symantec Enterprise Blogs (security.com)
Banning ransomware payments back on the agenda | Computer Weekly
BlackCat Goes Dark After Ripping Off Change Healthcare Ransom (darkreading.com)
Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The Register
US cyber and law enforcement agencies warn of Phobos ransomware attacks (securityaffairs.com)
Experts echo calls for ransomware ban as LockBit rallies • The Register
Government urged to ban ransom payments to cyber criminals (computing.co.uk)
Ransomware spikes against critical infrastructure, says FBI • The Register
Major shifts in identity, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threat trends - Help Net Security
Government was third-largest ransomware target last year: FBI - Defense One
JetBrains TeamCity under attack by ransomware thugs • The Register
Ransomware Victims
A Deep Dive into the 2024 Prudential and LoanDepot Breaches - Security Boulevard
Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360
After collecting $22 million, AlphV ransomware group stages FBI takedown | Ars Technica
Change Healthcare hack cripples payment systems across health providers - The Washington Post
Hackers Behind the Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack Just Received a $22 Million Payment | WIRED
Capita raises threat of further job cuts under plans to save another £100m | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)
UnitedHealth's cyber attack should be a 'wake-up call' for healthcare (yahoo.com)
Security leaders weigh in on the recent UnitedHealth cyber attack | Security Magazine
Canada's anti-money laundering agency offline after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The RegisterFidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week
Duvel says it has "more than enough" beer after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Thousands of Dutch passports stolen in ransomware attacks available on dark web | NL Times
Corporate Greed Made the Change Healthcare Cyber attack Worse (nymag.com)
Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)
Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register
Action needed to avoid repeat of Southern Water cyber attack - Utility Week
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)
How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online
Cyber Criminals Spoof US Government Organisations in BEC, Phishing Attacks - Security Week
Annual State of Email Security by the Numbers - Security Boulevard
New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)
Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)
AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent
95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security
Other Social Engineering
How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online
New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)
The Rise of Social Engineering Fraud in Business Email Compromise (darkreading.com)
Artificial Intelligence
Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)
AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security
Don't Give Your Business Data to AI Companies (darkreading.com)
Act now to stop WordPress and Tumblr selling your content to AI firms • Graham Cluley
GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)
Political deepfakes are spreading like wildfire thanks to GenAI | TechCrunch
AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent
95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security
Immediate AI risks and tomorrow's dangers - Help Net Security
Defence: Leonardo CEO says stupidity poses a bigger threat than AI (cnbc.com)
2FA/MFA
Malware
No “Apple magic” as 11% of macOS detections last year came from malware | Malwarebytes
Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update
GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)
Watch Out for Spoofed Zoom, Skype, Google Meet Sites Delivering Malware (thehackernews.com)
Linux variant of BIFROSE RAT uses deceptive domain strategies (securityaffairs.com)
New Linux malware found targeting mobile networks across the world | TechRadar
ScreenConnect flaws exploited to drop new ToddleShark malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register
North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)
Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week
AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent
New WogRAT malware abuses online notepad service to store malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)
Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)
Mobile
Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)
Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update
Apple warns of increased iPhone security risks | Computerworld
Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week
CISA Adds Android Pixel and Sunhillo Sureline Bugs to Its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
The Importance of Cyber security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon
Phone hacking is a real danger. How to keep your data, location secure (usatoday.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Internet of Things – IoT
Someone is hacking 3D printers to warn owners of a security flaw (bitdefender.com)
Popular doorbell camera brands contain security flaws, making them easy to hack: Report | The Hill
NCSC flags up cyber security for connected places | UKAuthority
The Importance of Cyber Security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon
Flipper Zero WiFi phishing attack can unlock and steal Tesla cars (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
The State Of Cyber Security (Part One): Why Are There Still So Many Data Breaches? (forbes.com)
A leaky database spilled 2FA codes for the world’s tech giants | TechCrunch#
American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week
AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security
4 Instructive Postmortems on Data Downtime and Loss (thehackernews.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week
$12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire
Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)
Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
$12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire
Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)
New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)
Crypto fraud in 2023: How can security teams fight (securityintelligence.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Comms Business - Insider threat main concern among mid-market firms
Current workforce trends feed into rising cyber security risks | TechRadar
Army Vet Spills National Secrets to Fake Ukrainian Girlfriend (darkreading.com)
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360
Capita plans £100 million in cost cuts as it continues to grapple with 2023 cyber attack | ITPro
First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)
American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)
Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Cloud/SaaS
10 Essential Processes for Reducing the Top 11 Cloud Risks (darkreading.com)
Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Linux and Open Source
Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro
Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week
Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Hacked WordPress sites use visitors' browsers to hack other sites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)
Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register
Stolen passwords are a hacker goldmine now, CrowdStrike and IBM find (axios.com)
Passwords are Costing Your Organisation Money - How to Minimize Those Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)
US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register
Social Media
Google and Meta users see their 2FA security codes leaked online - Root-Nation.com
“Technical Issue” Takes Facebook Offline, Offers No Cyber Security Reassurance | MSSP Alert
Facebook and Instagram Overrun by Account Hackers, States Warn (bloomberglaw.com)
Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)
Meta Abandons Hacking Victims, Draining Law Enforcement Resources, Officials Say | WIRED
US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register
Training, Education and Awareness
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
EU council welcomes cyber solidarity act agreement (verdict.co.uk)
The modern CISO's guide to navigating new SEC cyber regulations (betanews.com)
Five Unintended Consequences of the New SEC Cyber Security Disclosure Rule - Security Boulevard
Navigating regulation challenges for protecting sensitive healthcare data - Help Net Security
Models, Frameworks and Standards
NIST Cyber Security Framework 2.0: 4 Steps to Get Started (darkreading.com)
NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
11 Top Cyber Security Certifications to Consider In 2024 (datamation.com)
Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)
A cyber criminal is sentenced, will it make a difference? - Help Net Security
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty of Conspiracy in BEC Operation (darkreading.com)
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Nation State Actors
China
Chinese nation state actors to ramp up cyber espionage attempts in 2024 - IT Security Guru
We’re Slowly Learning About China’s Extensive Hacking Network | Mind Matters
Taiwan's Biggest Telco Breached by Suspected Chinese Hackers (darkreading.com)
Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register
A New Wave of Cyber Attacks: Five Actions to Take Now | IndustryWeek
Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Russia
The Five Bears: Russia's Offensive Cyber Capabilities (greydynamics.com)
A Silent World War – Russia’s Cyberwar Against the West (kyivpost.com)
Germany Urged to Tighten Security After Russia Leaked Classified Information - Bloomberg
Germany to investigate Russia’s interception of military talks on Ukraine | Germany | The Guardian
Valuable Russian Military Documents Exposed: Report (newsweek.com)
Russian Hackers Target Ukraine Via A Disinformation Campaign - Security Boulevard
North Korea
Lazarus Group observed exploiting an admin-to-kernel Windows zero-day | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)
North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
North Korea hacks two South Korean chip firms to steal engineering data (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence
Vulnerability Management
Firms Still Threatened by Old Vulnerabilities (govinfosecurity.com)
Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro
Organisations are knowingly releasing vulnerable applications - Help Net Security
Enhancing security through proactive patch management - Help Net Security
Vulnerabilities
Five Eyes alliance warns of attacks exploiting known Ivanti Gateway flaws (securityaffairs.com)
ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)
Hackers exploited Windows 0-day for 6 months after Microsoft knew of it | Ars Technica
Urgent: Apple Issues Critical Updates for Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws (thehackernews.com)
VMware Issues Security Patches for ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Flaws (thehackernews.com)
VMWare Urges Users to Uninstall EAP Immediately - Security Boulevard
Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in VPN Product - Security Week
Critical TeamCity flaw now widely exploited to create admin accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Critical TeamCity Bugs Endanger Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)
Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week
CISA Warns of Pixel Phone Vulnerability Exploitation - Security Week
Tools and Controls
Why cyber maturity assessment should become standard practice - Help Net Security
1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)
The Ultimate Guide to Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response (TDIR) (govinfosecurity.com)
The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly
What Is A Cyber Incident Response Policy? - Security Boulevard
Cyber Criminals Using Novel DNS Hijacking Technique for Investment Scams (thehackernews.com)
Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)
Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security
Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)
The critical role of DNS in cyber security and digital thriving | TechRadar
What is Advanced Threat Protection and How to Use It in Your Business - Security Boulevard
How To Close The DevSecOps Cyber Security Skills Gap And Boost Security (forbes.com)
Reports Published in the Last Week
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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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 19 January 2024
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 19 January 2024:
-World Economic Forum and UN Warn of Growing ‘Cyber Insecurity’ Amid Heightened Threat Landscape
-Cyber Attacks Reveal Fragility of Financial Markets as Attacks on Financial Services Sector Surge
-Researcher Uncovers One of The Biggest Password Dumps in Recent History
-Email Nightmare: 94% of Firms Hit by Phishing Attacks in 2023
-75% of Organisations Hit by Ransomware in 2023
-The Dangers of Quadruple Blow Ransomware Attacks
-Human Error and Insiders Expose Millions in UK Law Firm Data Breaches
-It’s a New Year and a Good Time for a Cyber Security Checkup
-Applying the Tyson Principle to Cyber Security: Why Attack Simulations are Key to Avoiding Disaster
-Cyber Threats Top Global Business Risk Concern for 2024
-Generative AI has CEOs Worried About Cyber Security, PwC Survey Says
-With Attacks on the Upswing, Cyber Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise Too
-Digital Resilience – a Step Up from Cyber Security
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
World Economic Forum and UN Warn of Growing ‘Cyber Insecurity’ Amid Heightened Threat Landscape
The World Economic Forum (WEF) and the United Nations (UN) have highlighted “cyber insecurity” as one of the most critical challenges facing organisations worldwide. A recent report reveals that over 80% of surveyed organisations feel more exposed to cyber crime than in the previous year, leading to calls for increased collaboration across sectors and borders to enhance business resilience. The study shows a growing gap in cyber resilience between organisations, with small and medium-sized enterprises facing declines of 30% in cyber resilience. Moreover, the cyber skills shortage continues to widen, with only 15% of organisations optimistic about improvements in cyber education and skills.
The report also underscores the impact of generative AI on cyber security, emphasising the need for ongoing innovation in digital security efforts. According to a separate report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there has been a significant uptick in the use of large language model-based chatbots, deepfake technology, and automation tools in cyber fraud operations. These technologies pose a significant threat to the formal banking industry and require focused attention from authorities to counter their impact. The convergence of these trends underscores the urgency and complexity of the cyber security landscape.
Sources: [ITPro] [The Debrief]
Cyber Attacks Reveal Fragility of Financial Markets as Attacks on Financial Services Sector Surge
The financial sector is facing an increased risk from cyber attacks, with cyber security now being listed as the top systemic risk according to a Bank of England survey. Cyber attacks rose by 64% in 2023, with a shift towards AI-facilitated ransomware attacks and Vendor Email Compromise (VEC), which rose 137%, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks, which rose by 71%, both of which exploit human error and pose a severe threat to the industry.
However, there is a lack of readiness by financial organisations to manage cyber attacks due to sophisticated attacks, talent shortages, and insufficient cyber defence investments. Ransomware incidents reported to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority doubled in 2023, making up 31% of cyber incidents, up from 11% in 2022. The financial sector remains a prime target for cyber criminals, especially ransomware groups.
Sources: [ITPro] [Law Society] [Security Brief] [Financial Times] [Infosecurity Magazine]
Researcher Uncovers One of The Biggest Password Dumps in Recent History
Researchers have found that nearly 71 million unique stolen credentials for logging into websites such as Facebook, Roblox, eBay, Coinbase and Yahoo have been circulating on the Internet for at least four months. The massive amount of data was posted to a well-known underground market that brokers sales of compromised credentials.
Whilst there is a large number of re-used passwords in the data dump, it appears to contain roughly 25 million new passwords and 70 million unique email addresses. This serves as a crucial reminder about properly securing accounts, such as not reusing passwords, using a password manager and securing accounts with multi factor authentication.
Source: [Ars Technica]
Email Nightmare: 94% of Firms Hit by Phishing Attacks in 2023
Email security remained at the forefront of cyber related issues for decision-makers, with over nine in ten (94%) having to deal with a phishing attack, according to email security provider Egress. The top three phishing techniques used in 2023 were malicious URLs, malware or ransomware attachments, and attacks sent from compromised accounts. 96% of targeted organisations were negatively impacted by these attacks, up 10% from the previous year.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
75% of Organisations Hit by Ransomware in 2023
A recent report found that 75% of participants suffered at least one ransomware attack last year, and 26% were hit four or more times. The report noted that of the 25% who claimed to not have been hit, some could have been a victim but may not have the facilities to detect and therefore be aware as such. Ransomware remains a security threat and no organisation is immune.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
The Dangers of Quadruple Blow Ransomware Attacks
With the introduction of new regulatory requirements like NIS 2.0 and changes to US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) statutes, organisations are now mandated to promptly report cyber incidents, sometimes with deadlines as tight as four days. However, attackers are evolving their tactics to exploit these regulations. They add a new level of coercion by threatening to report non-compliant organisations to the regulator, thereby increasing the pressure on their victims. This was first seen last year as a ransomware gang AlphV reported one of its victims, MeridianLink, to the SEC for failing to report a successful cyber attack.
This coercive strategy places immense pressure on companies, especially as they grapple with data encryption, data exfiltration, and public exposure threats. In response to these evolving threats and regulatory pressures, organisations must invest in cyber resilience. This enables them to effectively respond to attacks, communicate with regulators, and recover services promptly, ultimately fortifying their defences against future threats.
Source: [TechRadar]
Human Error and Insiders Expose Millions in UK Law Firm Data Breaches
UK law firms are falling victim to data breaches primarily because of insiders and human error, according to an analysis of data from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). According to research, 60% of data breaches in the UK legal sector where the result of insider actions. In total, breaches led to the exposure of information of 4.2 million people. Often, even those organisations that implement measures to prevent breaches will still miss insider risk. Insider risk is not always malicious; it can also be negligence or due to a lack of knowledge, and it is important to protect against it.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
It’s a New Year and a Good Time for a Cyber Security Checkup
2023 brought a slew of high-profile vulnerabilities and data breaches impacting various sectors, including healthcare, government, and education. Notable incidents included ransomware attacks, such as the MOVEit, GoAnywhere, and casino operator breaches, along with the exploitation of unpatched legacy vulnerabilities like Log4j and Microsoft Exchange. Furthermore, new regulatory requirements from the likes of the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and state security and privacy laws, added to the complexity. As we enter 2024, it is crucial for organisations, regardless of size, to reassess their cyber security strategies, incorporating lessons learned and adapting to new requirements. Comprehensive cyber security programs encompass people, operations and technology, addressing the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
Black Arrow can help with comprehensive and impartial assessments including gap analyses and security testing. These provide you with the objective assurance you need to understand whether your controls are providing you with your intended security and risk management.
Source: [JDSupra]
Applying the Tyson Principle to Cyber Security: Why Attack Simulations are Key to Avoiding Disaster
Mike Tyson’s famous adage “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face," is something we too often see in the world of security. When it comes to cyber security, preparedness is not just a luxury but a necessity. Far too often, unrealistic expectations in cyber defences create a false sense of security, leading to dire consequences when the reality of an attack hits. No-one wants to be testing their defences and implementing their response plan for the first time during a real incident.
In comes the benefit of incident and attack simulations: a reality check of your defences in a safe environment. Regular tabletop war-gaming exercises that simulate the fall out of an attack for senior leadership, can help to build muscle memory for when something does happen. They make sure everyone knows what to do, and crucially also not to do, when such an event happens for real. A deeper exercise would be a simulated attack that can be systematic and controlled, to mimic a real attacker and then adapted as attackers change their tactics, techniques, and procedures. From simulations, organisations can assess how their defences performed, applying insights and measuring and refining their defences for the event of a real attack.
Source: [The Hacker News]
Cyber Threats Top Global Business Risk Concern for 2024
Cyber related incidents, including ransomware attacks, data breaches and IT disruptions are the biggest concern for companies globally in 2024, according to a recent report by Allianz. The report highlights that these risks are a concern for businesses of all sizes, but the resilience gap between large and small companies is widening, “as risk awareness among larger organisations has grown since the pandemic with a notable drive to upgrade resilience.” Smaller businesses lack the time and resources that larger organisations have available, and as such need to carefully select and prioritise their resilience efforts.
Source: [Insurance Journal]
Generative AI has CEOs Worried About Cyber Security, PwC Survey Says
A recent PwC global survey found that when it comes to generative AI risks, 64% of CEOs said they are most concerned about its impact on cyber security, with over half of the total interviewed stating concerns about generative AI spreading misinformation in their company. When we think of generative AI, we often worry about outside risk and the impact it can have for attackers, but the risk can also be internal, with things such as accidental disclosure by employees to unregulated generative AI. There is a necessity for organisations to govern the usage of AI in their corporate environment, to prevent such risks.
Source: [Quartz]
With Attacks on the Upswing, Cyber Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise Too
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, the cyber insurance market is experiencing significant changes that will impact businesses in the coming months with experts predicting that cyber insurance costs are on the verge of an upward trend. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work and the cloud disrupted the cyber insurance market, leading to rising costs and reduced coverage options. In 2022, a temporary respite saw lower premiums, but 2023 has seen a resurgence in attacker activity, making it a challenging year for insurers. Cyber insurance remains a critical component of risk management, with the industry expected to continue growing despite higher rates. For businesses, understanding the evolving landscape of cyber insurance and ensuring adequate coverage is crucial in the face of escalating cyber threats.
Source: [Dark Reading]
Digital Resilience: a Step Up from Cyber Security
In today's digital landscape, the focus on digital resilience is paramount for organisations. While cyber security has garnered attention, digital resilience is the new frontier. Digital resilience involves an organisation's ability to maintain, adapt, and recover technology-dependent operations. As we increasingly rely on digital technology and the internet of things, understanding the critical role of technology in core business processes is vital. It goes beyond cyber security, encompassing change management, business resilience, operational risk, and competitiveness. Digital resilience means being ready to adopt new technology and swiftly recover from disruptions. Recognising its value and managing it at the senior level is crucial for long-term success in our rapidly evolving digital world. Moreover, amid a rising number of cyber attacks, addressing the statistic that only 18% of UK businesses provided cyber security training to employees last year is essential. Bridging this knowledge gap through cyber hygiene, a culture of cyber security, and robust safety measures will strengthen an organisation's cyber resilience against evolving threats.
Black Arrow supports organisations of all sizes in designing and delivering proportionate user education and awareness programmes, including in-person and online training as well as simulated phishing campaigns. Our programmes help secure employee engagement and build a cyber security culture to protect the organisation.
Sources: [CSO Online] [Financial Times]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
World Economic Forum warns of growing ‘cyber insecurity’ amid heightened threat landscape | ITPro
Cyber Threats Top Global Business Risk Concern for 2024: Allianz (insurancejournal.com)
Geopolitical tensions combined with technology will drive new security risks - Help Net Security
Improving Supply Chain Security, Resiliency (informationweek.com)
Generative AI has CEOs worried about cyber security, PwC survey says (qz.com)
As hacks worsen, SEC turns up the heat on CISOs | TechCrunch
It’s a New Year and a Good Time for a Cyber Security Checkup | Clark Hill PLC - JDSupra
Over 90 percent of organisations set to increase data protection spending (betanews.com)
Financial organisations remain in cyber criminals' crosshairs (emergingrisks.co.uk)
With Attacks on the Upswing, Cyber Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise Too (darkreading.com)
Digital resilience – a step up from cyber security | CSO Online
How to Recover After Failing a Cyber Security Audit - Security Boulevard
Businesses Lack Confidence Overcome Cyber Attacks | Silicon UK
Cyber incident response impaired by stress | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Security considerations during layoffs: Advice from an MSSP - Help Net Security
Effective Incident Response Relies on Internal and External Partnerships (darkreading.com)
InfoSec 101: Why Data Loss Prevention is Important to Enterprise Defence (darkreading.com)
How to improve cyber resilience across your workforce (ft.com)
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
75% of Organisations Hit by Ransomware in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Underwriters concerned about ransomware and supply-chain attacks: Woodruff Sawyer - Reinsurance News
Akira ransomware attackers are wiping NAS and tape backups - Help Net Security
Medusa Ransomware on the Rise: From Data Leaks to Multi-Extortion (thehackernews.com)
3 Ransomware Group Newcomers to Watch in 2024 (thehackernews.com)
Ransomware causes mental, physical trauma to security pros • The Register
The dangers of quadruple blow ransomware attacks | TechRadar
Ransomware: To Pay or Not to Pay — What the Experts Say | MSSP Alert
Poorly secured PostgreSQL, MySQL servers targeted by ransomware bot - Help Net Security
TeamViewer abused to breach networks in new ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware negotiation: When cyber security meets crisis management - Help Net Security
Ransomware Victims
Ransomware gang targets nonprofit providing clean water to world’s poorest (therecord.media)
Capita hits back as pension holders look to sue over Russian-linked cyber attack (yahoo.com)
British Library to share learning from cyber attack - Museums Association
British Library starts restoring services online after hack - BBC News
British cosmetics firm Lush confirms cyber attack (therecord.media)
Delay to Manx Care dental services after cyber attack - BBC News
Email threats to patients escalate after Fred Hutch cyber attack | The Seattle Times
Majorca city Calvià extorted for $11M in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
A key part of Foxconn has been hit by the Lockbit ransomware | TechRadar
Kansas State University cyber attack disrupts IT network and services (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Microsoft warns of new spearphishing attack targeting workers at top companies | TechRadar
US Secret Service court documents reveal new tactics in antivirus renewal phishing scam | TechRadar
Threat Actors Team Up for Post-Holiday Phishing Email Surge (darkreading.com)
Flipping the BEC funnel: Phishing in the age of GenAI - Help Net Security
US court docs expose fake antivirus renewal phishing tactics (bleepingcomputer.com)
Email threats to patients escalate after Fred Hutch cyber attack | The Seattle Times
Shipping-Themed Emails: Not Just for The Holidays - Security Boulevard
Artificial Intelligence
AI driven cyber threats loom over business in the year ahead says report (emergingrisks.co.uk)
How cyber criminals are using AI to attack targets faster - Insurance Post (postonline.co.uk)
Adversaries exploit trends, target popular GenAI apps - Help Net Security
The Dual Role AI Plays in Cyber Security: How to Stay Ahead (bleepingcomputer.com)
Flipping the BEC funnel: Phishing in the age of GenAI - Help Net Security
If you don’t already have a generative AI security policy, there’s no time to lose | CSO Online
2FA/MFA
Senators want to know why the SEC’s X account wasn’t secured with MFA (engadget.com)
Out with the old and in with the improved: MFA needs a revamp - Help Net Security
MFA Spamming and Fatigue: When Security Measures Go Wrong (thehackernews.com)
Malware
GitLab Releases Updates to Address Critical Vulnerabilities (darkreading.com)
Updated Atomic Stealer malware emerges | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Data-theft malware exploits Windows Defender SmartScreen • The Register
MacOS info-stealers quickly evolve to evade XProtect detection (bleepingcomputer.com)Balada Injector continues to infect thousands of WordPress sites (securityaffairs.com)
5 malware mistakes most people make while traveling and trying to charge (nypost.com)
Remcos RAT Spreading Through Adult Games in New Attack Wave (thehackernews.com)
Botnet activity surges as criminals get braver - can your business stand strong? | TechRadar
JinxLoader Malware: Next-Stage Payload Threats Revealed - Security Boulevard
$80M in Crypto Disappears Into Drainer-as-a-Service Malware Hell (darkreading.com)
Bigpanzi botnet infects 170,000 Android TV boxes with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Stealthy New macOS Backdoor Hides on Chinese Websites (darkreading.com)
Securing Public Sector Against IoT Malware in 2024 - Security Boulevard
Mobile
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Internet of Things – IoT
Bigpanzi botnet infects 170,000 Android TV boxes with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Modernising print security for today’s working world | TechRadar
Securing Public Sector Against IoT Malware in 2024 - Security Boulevard
Data Breaches/Leaks
Insufficient cyber security caused PSNI data breach (iapp.org)
Cyber Attack On Insurer Compromised Over 64K, Suit Says - Law360
Email threats to patients escalate after Fred Hutch cyber attack | The Seattle Times
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Just ten groups were responsible for nearly half of all cyber attacks last year | TechRadar
Threat Actors Team Up for Post-Holiday Phishing Email Surge (darkreading.com)
GitLab Releases Updates to Address Critical Vulnerabilities (darkreading.com)
Stupid Human Tricks: Top 10 Cyber Crime Cases of 2023 - Security Boulevard
Illegal online casinos spread crypto-crime across Asia • The Register
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Hacker spins up 1 million virtual servers to illegally mine crypto (bleepingcomputer.com)
Illegal online casinos spread crypto-crime across Asia • The Register
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insurance
Underwriters concerned about ransomware and supply-chain attacks: Woodruff Sawyer - Reinsurance News
Munich Re secures cyber war exclusions at 1.1 as wording tension dissipates | Insurance Insider
With Attacks on the Upswing, Cyber Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise Too (darkreading.com)
Re-writing the underwriting story: How to navigate the complexities of modern risks (allianz.com)
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Underwriters concerned about ransomware and supply-chain attacks: Woodruff Sawyer - Reinsurance News
Capita hits back as pension holders look to sue over Russian-linked cyber attack (yahoo.com)
Improving Supply Chain Security, Resiliency (informationweek.com)
Cloud/SaaS
Insurance website's buggy API leaked Office 365 password • The Register
As Enterprise Cloud Grows, So Do Challenges (darkreading.com)
3 ways to combat rising OAuth SaaS attacks - Help Net Security
FBI: Beware of cloud-credential thieves building botnets • The Register
Weaponised AWS SES Accounts Anchor Massive Stealth Attack (darkreading.com)
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Researcher uncovers one of the biggest password dumps in recent history | Ars Technica
Insurance website's buggy API leaked Office 365 password • The Register
FBI: Beware of cloud-credential thieves building botnets • The Register
Social Media
Malvertising
Training, Education and Awareness
The right strategy for effective cyber security awareness - Help Net Security
Before starting your 2024 security awareness program, ask these 10 questions - Security Boulevard
How to improve cyber resilience across your workforce (ft.com)
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
As hacks worsen, SEC turns up the heat on CISOs | TechCrunch
IT consultant in Germany fined for exposing shoddy security • The Register
Data regulator fines HelloFresh £140K for sending 80M+ spams • The Register
A Look at UK Domain and IP Address Seizures in the Criminal Justice Bill - ISPreview UK
Why the US Needs Comprehensive Cyber Security Legislation - Security Boulevard
Home improvement marketers dial up trouble from regulator • The Register
Models, Frameworks and Standards
10 cyber security frameworks you need to know about - Help Net Security
NIST Offers Guidance on Measuring and Improving Your Company’s Cyber Security Program | NIST
Backup and Recovery
Data Protection
Over 90 percent of organisations set to increase data protection spending (betanews.com)
Data regulator fines HelloFresh £140K for sending 80M+ spams • The Register
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Ransomware causes mental, physical trauma to security pros • The Register
Protecting the protectors: combating stress in the cyber security industry | The Independent
Best practices to mitigate alert fatigue - Help Net Security
Universities not delivering the right skills for cyber security (betanews.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
World Economic Forum warns of growing ‘cyber insecurity’ amid heightened threat landscape | ITPro
Geopolitical tensions combined with technology will drive new security risks - Help Net Security
Munich Re secures cyber war exclusions at 1.1 as wording tension dissipates | Insurance Insider
Nation State Actors
China
End-of-life Cisco routers targeted by China’s Volt Typhoon group (therecord.media)
Stealthy New macOS Backdoor Hides on Chinese Websites (darkreading.com)
Feds warn China-made drones pose risk to US critical infrastructure | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Russia
Pro-Russia group hit Swiss govt sites after Zelensky visit in Davos (securityaffairs.com)
Cyber Attack on Ukraine’s largest telecom provider will cost it about $100 million (therecord.media)
Russia finds way around sanctions on battlefield tech: report – POLITICO
Moscow imports a third of battlefield tech from western companies (ft.com)
Prolific Russian hacking unit using custom backdoor for the first time | CyberScoop
Iran
Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
CISA: Critical SharePoint vuln is under active exploitation • The Register
Ivanti Connect Secure zero-days now under mass exploitation (bleepingcomputer.com)
Juniper warns of critical RCE bug in its firewalls and switches (bleepingcomputer.com)
Over 178,000 SonicWall next-generation firewalls (NGFW) online exposed to hack (securityaffairs.com)
VMware Urges Customers to Patch Critical Aria Automation Vulnerability - SecurityWeek
Zero-Day Alert: Update Chrome Now to Fix New Actively Exploited Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
Two more Citrix NetScaler bugs exploited in the wild • The Register
Atlassian warns of critical RCE flaw in older Confluence versions (bleepingcomputer.com)
End-of-life Cisco routers targeted by China’s Volt Typhoon group (therecord.media)
Windows 10 security update requires some major changes - experts only need apply | TechRadar
GitLab Patches Critical Password Reset Vulnerability - SecurityWeek
Balada Injector continues to infect thousands of WordPress sites (securityaffairs.com)
Vulnerabilities Expose PAX Payment Terminals to Hacking - SecurityWeek
Government, Military Targeted as Widespread Exploitation of Ivanti Zero-Days Begins - SecurityWeek
Most older iPhones, Macs, and iPads are vulnerable to GPU flaw (appleinsider.com)
New UEFI vulnerabilities send firmware devs across an entire ecosystem scrambling | Ars Technica
Opera MyFlaw Bug Could Let Hackers Run ANY File on Your Mac or Windows (thehackernews.com)
Tools and Controls
Akira ransomware attackers are wiping NAS and tape backups - Help Net Security
Underwriters concerned about ransomware and supply-chain attacks: Woodruff Sawyer - Reinsurance News
Munich Re secures cyber war exclusions at 1.1 as wording tension dissipates | Insurance Insider
How to improve your organisation's cyber hygiene score | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
With Attacks on the Upswing, Cyber Insurance Premiums Poised to Rise Too (darkreading.com)
Digital resilience – a step up from cyber security | CSO Online
If you don’t already have a generative AI security policy, there’s no time to lose | CSO Online
Key elements for a successful cyber risk management strategy - Help Net Security
Preventing insider access from leaking to malicious actors - Help Net Security
Over 90 percent of organisations set to increase data protection spending (betanews.com)
As Enterprise Cloud Grows, So Do Challenges (darkreading.com)
Best practices to mitigate alert fatigue - Help Net Security
Modernising print security for today’s working world | TechRadar
MFA Spamming and Fatigue: When Security Measures Go Wrong (thehackernews.com)
Cyber incident response impaired by stress | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Effective Incident Response Relies on Internal and External Partnerships (darkreading.com)
InfoSec 101: Why Data Loss Prevention is Important to Enterprise Defence (darkreading.com)
Digital nomads amplify identity fraud risks - Help Net Security
Out with the old and in with the improved: MFA needs a revamp - Help Net Security
The right strategy for effective cyber security awareness - Help Net Security
SOC-as-a-Service: The Five Must-Have Features - Security Boulevard
Other News
What’s on the Smartest Cyber Security Minds for 2024? (cybereason.com)
How news organisations became a prime target for cyber attacks (pressgazette.co.uk)
UK doubles spending on overseas cyber security projects (ft.com)
Huge boost for global security with almost £1 billion government investment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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 Advisory 17 January 2024 – Citrix and Ivanti Vulnerabilities Under Active Exploitation - Atlassian, Oracle, SonicWall, and VMware also Address Security Flaws
Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 17 January 2024 – Citrix and Ivanti Vulnerabilities Under Active Exploitation - Atlassian, Oracle, SonicWall, and VMware Also Address Security Flaws
This week Atlassian, Citrix, Ivanti, Oracle, SonicWall and VMware have addressed multiple vulnerabilities across their product range. Included in the vulnerabilities addressed are two actively exploited 0-days, impacting Ivanti and Citrix products. At the time of writing, over 1700 Ivanti devices have been compromised and over 15,000 devices remain exposed.
Executive Summary
This week Atlassian, Citrix, Ivanti, Oracle, SonicWall and VMware have addressed multiple vulnerabilities across their product range. Included in the vulnerabilities addressed are two actively exploited 0-days, impacting Ivanti and Citrix products. At the time of writing, over 1700 Ivanti devices have been compromised and over 15,000 devices remain exposed.
Atlassian
CVE-2023-22527 - This exploit is a template injection vulnerability which if successfully exploited, allows an unauthenticated attacker to perform remote code execution on an affected instance.
Impacted Versions:
This vulnerability affects versions 8.0.x, 8.1.x, 8.2.x, 8.3.x, 8.4.x, and 8.5.0-8.5.3.
What can I do?
Atlassian has released patches for the affected products, and it is advised to patch immediately. The listed Fixed Versions are no longer the most up-to-date and do not protect your instance from other non-critical vulnerabilities as outlined in Atlassian’s January Security Bulletin.
Citrix NetScaler
CVE-2023-6548 – Allows authenticated (low privileged user) remote code execution on Management interface. Requires access to NSIP, CLIP or SNIP with management interface.
CVE-2023-6549 - If exploited allows an attacker to perform a denial of service attack. Appliance must be configured as a gateway or AAA virtual server.
Impacted Versions:
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 14.1 before 14.1-12.35
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 13.1 before 13.1-51.15
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 13.0 before 13.0-92.21
NetScaler ADC 13.1-FIPS before 13.1-37.176
NetScaler ADC 12.1-FIPS before 12.1-55.302
NetScaler ADC 12.1-NDcPP before 12.1-55.302
NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway version 12.1 (currently end-of-life)
What can I do?
Citrix have released patches for the impacted products. Citrix have reported that this is being actively exploited and seen in the wild so it is advised that the patches are applied immediately.
Ivanti
CVE-2023-46805 - This is an authentication bypass which enables an attacker to access restricted resources by circumventing control checks.
CVE-2024-21887 - This is a command injection that lets authenticated admins execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable appliances.
Impacted Versions:
These vulnerabilities impact all supported versions, 9.x and 22.x
What can I do?
Ivanti have released mitigation files which can be found below, it is advised to install immediately. Patches are being developed however they are being staggered with the first patches being released on January 22nd and the final patches released on February the 19th.
Oracle
In their first Critical Patch Update of 2024, Oracle hae released 389 security patches, addressing 200 vulnerabilities. Financial Services Applications were the most impacted, with 71 new security patches. Oracle have urged all customers to apply the patches as soon as possible, warning that it periodically receives reports of in-the-wild exploitation of issues for which it has released fixes.
SonicWall
CVE-2022-22274 - This is a buffer overflow which if exploited successfully allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially result in a code execution in the firewall.
CVE-2023-0656 - This is a buffer overflow which if exploited successfully allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to cause a denial of service attack which could cause the impacted firewall to crash.
What can I do?
SonicWall have released patches for affected products and it is advised to update to the latest available version.
VMware
CVE-2023-34063 – The affected products contain a missing access control vulnerability, which if successfully exploited, this vulnerability may lead to unauthorised access to remote organisations and workflows.
VMware Aria Automation (8.11.x, 8.12.x, 8.13.x, and 8.14.x)
VMware Cloud Foundation (4.x and 5.x)
What can I do?
VMware have released patches which can be found in the Security Advisory. It is advised to update as soon as possible. There are no current workarounds.
Further Information
Atlassian
Further details on the Atlassian vulnerabilities can be found here:
https://confluence.atlassian.com/security/security-bulletin-january-16-2024-1333335615.html
Citrix NetScaler
Further details on the Citrix NetScaler vulnerabilities can be found here:
Ivanti
Further details on the Ivanti vulnerabilities can be found here:
Oracle
Further details on the Oracle vulnerabilities can be found here:
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2024.html
SonicWall
Further details on the SonicWall vulnerabilities can be found here:
https://bishopfox.com/blog/its-2024-and-over-178-000-sonicwall-firewalls-are-publicly-exploitable
VMware
Further details on the VMware vulnerability can be found here:
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2024-0001.html
https://core.vmware.com/resource/vmsa-2024-0001-questions-answers
Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.
#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 17 November 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 17 November 2023:
-Cyber Resilience Requires Maturity, Persistence & Board Engagement
-Security is a Process, Not a Tool
-46% of SMBs and Enterprises Have Experienced a Ransomware Attack
-Cyber Threat Intelligence: Getting on the Front Foot Against Adversaries
-67% of Workers Put Businesses at Risk by Downloading Applications and Software Without Permission
-The Persistent Menace: Understanding And Combating Ransomware, as New Ransomware Groups Account for Quarter of All Leaks in 2023
-Financial Services still Stubbornly Vulnerable to Cyber Disruption
-Worlds Biggest Bank Hit by Ransomware, Workers Forced to Trade With USB Sticks
-NCSC Warns UK Over Significant Threat to Critical Infrastructure
-Ransomware Gang Files SEC Complaint Over Victim’s Undisclosed Breach
-Businesses are Losing Huge Chunks of Their Revenue to Cyber Attacks
-Phishing Emails Are More Believable Than Ever. Here's What to Do About It.
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 Resilience Requires Maturity, Persistence & Board Engagement
Cyber resilience is more important than ever, particularly with the added dimensions of deepening geopolitical threats and risks coming from new technology like AI. In cyber security, it is commonly accepted that it is a matter of when, not if, an organisation will experience an attack. It is imperative to ensure there is an ability across the organisation to bounce back.
Source: [Dark Reading]
Security is a Process, not a Tool
The cyber security industry is constantly seeing tools that claim to make organisations 100% secure, despite this never being achievable. A recent report found 55% of all security tools are not put into operation or are not actively managed. Additionally, the report found that 33% of all security incidents are identifiably traced to process errors. The findings are further evidence that cyber security is more than just technology tools: it requires a mindset that aligns controls across people, operations and technology.
Source: [Dark Reading]
46% of SMBs and Enterprises Have Experienced a Ransomware Attack
A recent report found that 46% of small and medium businesses (SMBs) and enterprises have experienced ransomware attacks. In addition, 90% of SMBs and 87% of enterprises are extremely or somewhat concerned about ransomware attacks, and 64% of SMBs and 70% of enterprises don’t believe in paying a ransom.
Despite the fact that nearly 50% of the firms have suffered ransomware, too many businesses still seem to think this is something that will not happen to them and is something only other businesses need to worry about.
Source: [Security Magazine] [IT Business]
Cyber Threat Intelligence: Getting on the Front Foot Against Adversaries
In the realm of cyber security, threat intelligence (TI) is a crucial yet often underused asset for countering sophisticated cyber attacks. TI involves gathering, analysing, and contextualising information about potential cyber threats, including advanced ones, thus enabling organisations to identify, assess, and mitigate cyber risks effectively. The TI market, expected to exceed $44 billion by 2033, offers four main types: Strategic, Tactical, Technical, and Operational.
Each type serves different organisational needs, from informing senior leadership to aiding security operations teams. When thinking about TI, organisations should focus on completeness, accuracy, relevance, timeliness, scalability, vendor reputation, and integration capabilities. The rapidly evolving nature of TI demands a careful, long-term approach to choosing the right services, considering an organisation's maturity and specific needs. Effective TI not only aids in countering immediate threats but also builds long-term resilience. With 80% of the top 2000 global companies projected to increase their TI investment in 2024, it's crucial for organisations to find a trusted vendor to ensure their cyber security success.
Black Arrow conducts daily threat intelligence analyses from trusted specialist sources, and interprets the TI in the context of our client organisations to support them in proactively addressing risks. In addition to our weekly Threat Briefing and subscription email, we offer tailored briefings for organisations in various sectors and geographies.
Source: [welivesecurity]
67% of Workers Put Businesses at Risk by Downloading Applications and Software Without Permission
New research has found that 67% of UK employees are endangering their business by downloading applications and software without the knowledge of IT or security teams.
Other key findings included 39% of respondent organisations lacked total visibility of applications and software on company owned assets, and 77% lacked visibility over employee owned assets connected to the corporate environment. Of total respondents, 69% acknowledged their organisations required better policies and procedures in order to deal with security vulnerabilities, with 39% of total respondents feeling challenged by UK and other jurisdictions’ increasingly complicated regulations and governance requirements.
Black Arrow help organisations of all sizes to design and deliver comprehensive asset visibility programmes that lay the foundation for proportionate and credible cyber security controls to protect the organisation. We enable organisations to adhere to regulatory and governance requirements, by providing expert cyber security resources on a flexible basis for technical, governance and transformational positions.
Sources: [Tech Radar] [the HR Director]
The Persistent Menace: Understanding and Combating Ransomware, as New Ransomware Groups Account for Quarter of All Leaks in 2023
In 2023, the landscape of cyber threats, particularly ransomware, has significantly evolved, remaining a primary concern for businesses.
This change has been further facilitated by the emergence of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) and the increased sophistication of phishing attacks, supported by advancements in AI. This has led at least in part to almost half (29) of the ransomware groups tracked by WithSecure in 2023 having begun operations this year. These groups accounted for 25% of data leaks in this period, helping to drive a 50% year-on-year increase in data leaks.
Businesses face not only the immediate costs of ransom demands but also indirect impacts such as operational downtime and damage to reputation. Key trends include the exploitation of basic security vulnerabilities, the role of access brokers in facilitating attacks, and innovative evasion techniques used by ransomware groups. Ransomware is not going away, and organisations need to ensure they are prepared given the realistic probability of an attack.
Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident such as ransomware; 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.
Sources: [Forbes] [Infosecurity Magazine] [ITPro]
Financial Services Still Stubbornly Vulnerable to Cyber Disruption
A recent report found the UK financial system remains stubbornly vulnerable to disruption caused by cyber and IT-related incidents, and that regulated firms are not acting quickly enough to affect required changes designed to ensure firms’ systems are resilient against significant operational shocks.
According to the UK FCA’s records, the total number of cyber incidents reported between January 2018 to May 2023 was 4,192. In general terms, incidents are reportable where they are of a certain level of materiality; for instance, where there has been a “significant failure in the firm's systems or controls.
Source: [FTAdviser]
World’s Biggest Bank Hit by Ransomware; Workers Forced to Trade with USB Sticks
The US subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) experienced a ransomware attack earlier this month, which reportedly forced the bank (ICBC Financial Services) to handle trades through messengers carrying USB thumb drives. This attack has sent shockwaves through financial services and banking and has prompted an increase in vigilance within the financial sector. The US Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) has urged financial services organisations to ensure their systems are protected and vulnerabilities are immediately resolved.
Sources: [SC Media] [Bit Defender]
NCSC Warns UK Over Significant Threat to Critical Infrastructure
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has once again sounded its concern over the rising threat level to the nation's critical national infrastructure (CNI), with its annual review admitting the level of cyber security resilience in the UK’s most critical areas is not in a satisfactory place.
The NCSC stated that CNI in the UK faces an “enduring and significant” threat from state-aligned threat actors aggressively ramping up activity, and the UK must therefore work more closely with allies and industry in countering “epoch-defining” cyber challenges.
They noted a 64% increase on last year’s voluntary report figures; to note, this refers to organisations voluntarily self-reporting suffering a cyber incident.
For wider context, the Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine began a month and a half before the invasion. In 2022 Ukraine’s national incident response team dealt with 2,194 cyber incidents, followed by another 2,054 attacks in the first 10 months of this year and Ukraine’s defence chief warns that Russia will soon attack companies that provide services to Ukraine as part of their larger cyber efforts.
This comes as Russian hackers were linked to what is being described as the largest ever cyber attack on Danish critical infrastructure. The attack involved 22 companies associated with the operation of Denmark’s energy sector.
Sources: [Computer Weekly] [The Register] [The Record Media] [The Irish Times] [The Hacker News]
Ransomware Gang Files SEC Complaint Over Victim’s Undisclosed Breach
The ALPHV ransomware group, also known as BlackCat, has taken extortion to a new level by filing a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint against one of their alleged victims, MeridianLink, for not complying with the four-day rule to disclose a cyber attack. The ransomware group said it compromised the digital lending solutions provider on November 7 and told the SEC the victim suffered a “significant breach and did not disclose it as required in Form 8-k”. While many ransomware and extortion gangs have threatened to report breaches and data theft to the SEC, this may be the first public confirmation that they have done so. Previously, ransomware actors exerted pressure on victims by contacting customers to let them know of the intrusion. Sometimes, they would also try to intimidate the victim by contacting them directly over the phone.
Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Bleeping Computer]
Businesses are Losing Huge Chunks of Their Revenue to Cyber Attacks
A new report has found that businesses are paying a huge price for not properly securing their digital assets. The report found that businesses on average suffered 46 attacks (successful and unsuccessful) over the last year, resulting in the loss of 9% of their annual income. Cyber attacks are hurting their businesses in other ways such as network outages (34%), data loss (29%), web apps going offline (24%) and customer account compromises (22%).
Firms are reevaluating their cyber security approaches, with 76% planning increased spending despite concerns about current investment efficiency, as 35% feel they've overspent and only 55% of tools are fully utilised. A significant talent gap is also a challenge, with 30% attributing recent issues to a shortage of skilled personnel, and 33% expecting this trend to continue. Nearly half are seeking to address this by boosting recruitment budgets. Additionally, 51% of respondents are focusing on investing in Generative AI tools for cyber security in the next two years.
Source: [TechRadar]
Phishing Emails Are More Believable Than Ever. Here's What to Do About It.
Phishing is not new. This social engineering tactic has existed in the attack toolbox for decades, with threat actors posing as trusted contacts and then targeting unsuspecting victims through email or text messages to steal sensitive data. According to a recent report by Fortinet, phishing is the top tactic (56%) malicious actors use to infiltrate a network and launch ransomware successfully. With the turn of AI-driven content tools, cyber criminals are using them to make their phishing emails and texts appear more realistic than ever before.
It is crucial to focus on employee education to protect organisations. Customised training programs are essential. Security awareness training is fundamental in creating a cyber-aware culture, keeping employees informed about current security threats and meeting compliance requirements.
Black Arrow supports organisations of all sizes in designing and delivering proportionate user education and awareness programmes, including in-person and online training as well as simulated phishing campaigns. Our programmes help secure employee engagement and build a cyber security culture to protect the organisation.
Source: [CSO Online]
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Governance, Risk and Compliance
29% of organisations cite data loss as top security breach result | Security Magazine
Financial services still 'stubbornly vulnerable' to cyber disruption - FTAdviser
Cyber Resilience Requires Maturity, Persistence & Board Engagement (darkreading.com)
Businesses are losing huge chunks of their revenue to cyber attacks | TechRadar
6% of companies have not had a digital risk cyber attack since 2020 | Security Magazine
Cyber threat intelligence: Getting on the front foot against adversaries (welivesecurity.com)
Should cyber security overconfidence be on your threat radar? | TechRadar
Insiders and outsiders: Why cyber security strategies need to look all ways - Digital Journal
Navigating the complex role of the CISO under SEC disclosure rules (betanews.com)
Every Business Owner Should Be Thinking About Improving Online Security | Inc.com
The Role of Cyber Wellness in Safeguarding Businesses - IT Security Guru
The cultural shift that’s needed to see greater ROI in cyber | Federal News Network
Business urged to increase cyber resilience as 2024 set to deliver new threats (emergingrisks.co.uk)
How to withstand the onslaught of cyber security threats - Help Net Security
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Financial services still 'stubbornly vulnerable' to cyber disruption - FTAdviser
Law practices and government agencies experience the largest ransomware spikes - Digital Journal
Orgs still losing logs, powerless to speedy ransomware • The Register
Ransomware gang files SEC complaint over victim’s undisclosed breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
46% of SMBs and enterprises have experienced a ransomware attack | Security Magazine
Many organisations don’t believe they are targets of ransomware gangs: OpenText | IT Business
LockBit ransomware exploits Citrix Bleed in attacks, 10K servers exposed (bleepingcomputer.com)
The Persistent Menace: Understanding And Combating Ransomware (forbes.com)
Phishing emails are more believable than ever. Here’s what to do about it. | CSO Online
Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [November 2023] (therecord.media)
Nuclear and Oil & Gas are Major Targets of Ransomware Groups in 2024 (securityaffairs.com)
Ransomware Gang LockBit Revises Its Tactics as Payouts Slip (bloomberglaw.com)
Fast-acting cyber gangs increasingly disabling telemetry logs | Computer Weekly
Uncovering the ransomware threat from global supply chains | ITPro
Business leaders need help in getting off the ransomware merry-go-round (thetimes.co.uk)
Hackers Could Exploit Google Workspace and Cloud Platform for Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
BlackCat affiliate seen using malvertising to spread ransomware | Computer Weekly
The Rise of Ransomware in Healthcare: What IT Leaders Need to Know (bleepingcomputer.com)
What Do You Do When You’re Hit by Russian Ransomware? - Bloomberg
Success eludes the International Counter Ransomware Initiative - Help Net Security
New Ransomware Group Emerges with Hive's Source Code and Infrastructure (thehackernews.com)
How to combat ransomware in the face of tight security staffing | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Ransomware attacks: Cyber criminals tout their ‘honesty’ in negotiating ransoms (afr.com)
New approaches to fighting ransomware are emerging | Mimecast
FBI 'Knows Identities' Of MGM, Caesars Hacking Gang | Silicon UK
FBI and CISA warn of opportunistic Rhysida ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
FBI pumping 'significant' resources into Scattered Spider • The Register
New BiBi-Windows Wiper Targets Windows Systems in Pro-Hamas Attacks (thehackernews.com)
It ain’t what you store, it’s the way you restore it. • The Register
Ransomware Victims
Ransomware gang files SEC complaint over victim’s undisclosed breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
How a cyber attack crippled the world's largest bank for hours | Euronews
ICBC -- China's biggest bank -- paid ransom: Lockbit hackers (nypost.com)
FBI: Royal ransomware asked 350 victims to pay $275 million (bleepingcomputer.com)
Rackspace Ransomware Costs Soar to Nearly $12M (darkreading.com)
Tri-City Medical Center cyber attack impacting patient care (10news.com)
Maine govt notifies 1.3 million people of MOVEit data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
LockBit leaks Boeing files after failed ransom negotiations • The Register
'CitrixBleed' Linked to Ransomware Hit on China's State-Owned Bank (darkreading.com)
World's biggest bank hit by ransomware, forced to trade via USB stick (bitdefender.com)
Mortgage giant Mr. Cooper says customer data exposed in breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
British Library’s Halloween cyber scare was ransomware | Computer Weekly
Royal Mail ransomware recovery to cost at least $12 million • The Register
9 million patients had data stolen after US medical transcription firm hacked | TechCrunch
Clorox CISO flushes self after multimillion-dollar attack • The Register
Toyota confirms breach after Medusa ransomware threatens to leak data (bleepingcomputer.com)
Government doesn't know details behind cyber hack that shut down port operator DP World - ABC News
Lorenz ransomware gang hit Texas-based Cogdell Memorial Hospital (securityaffairs.com)
Dragos Says No Evidence of Breach After Ransomware Gang Claims Hack via Third Party - Security Week
Long Beach, California turns off IT systems after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Stellantis production affected by cyber attack at auto supplier - The Columbian
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Phishing emails are more believable than ever. Here’s what to do about it. | CSO Online
From Scanning to Scamming: The Rise of QR Codes in Phishing - VMRay
Zero-Day Flaw in Zimbra Email Software Exploited by Four Hacker Groups (thehackernews.com)
APTs Swarm Zimbra Zero-Day to Steal Government Info Worldwide (darkreading.com)
FBI Warns: Five Weeks In, Gaza Email Scams Still Thriving (darkreading.com)
Police takes down BulletProftLink large-scale phishing provider (bleepingcomputer.com)
Artificial Intelligence
UK told of significant threat as state actors seek to use AI attack systems (emergingrisks.co.uk)
UK NCSC Warns Of Threat To Critical Infrastructure | Silicon UK
AI disinformation campaigns pose major threat to 2024 elections - Help Net Security
Microsoft blocks internal access to ChatGPT over security • The Register
This new ChatGPT-powered infostealer is targeting cloud platforms | TechRadar
The US and 30 Other Nations Agree to Set Guardrails for Military AI | WIRED
Mitigating Deepfake Threats in the Corporate World | MSSP Alert
A Closer Look at ChatGPT's Role in Automated Malware Creation (trendmicro.com)
Organisations Rush to Use Generative AI Tools Despite Risks (globenewswire.com)
How scammers' use of AI is affecting fintech investment | PaymentsSource | American Banker
Malware
This new ChatGPT-powered infostealer is targeting cloud platforms | TechRadar
Infostealers and the high value of stolen data - Help Net Security
Malware was downloaded over 600 million times in 2023 from the Google Play Store - PhoneArena
This fake Windows news site is spreading malware via hacked Google ads | TechRadar
A Closer Look at ChatGPT's Role in Automated Malware Creation (trendmicro.com)
Russian-Moldovan National Admits to Infecting 23,000 Devices with Botnet Malware (occrp.org)
Children’s tablet has malware and exposes kids’ data, researcher finds | TechCrunch
Ducktail Malware Targets the Fashion Industry (darkreading.com)
Mobile
Malware was downloaded over 600 million times in 2023 from the Google Play Store - PhoneArena
Temu Sued in Class Action for Risking User Data to Chinese Government Control | Law.com
Children’s tablet has malware and exposes kids’ data, researcher finds | TechCrunch
How to spot a fake data blocker that could hack your computer in seconds | ZDNET
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Misconfigured Docker API endpoints allow attackers to deliver DDoS botnet agent | CSO Online
How DDoS attacks are taking down even the largest tech companies (bleepingcomputer.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
How to protect your organisation from IoT malware | TechTarget
Defending Against Attacks on Vulnerable IoT Devices (darkreading.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Infostealers and the high value of stolen data - Help Net Security
29% of organisations cite data loss as top security breach result | Security Magazine
McLaren Health Care revealed that a data breach impacted 2.2 million people (securityaffairs.com)
Hacker Leaks 800,000 Scraped Chess.com User Records (hackread.com)
Hacker Leaks 35 Million Scraped LinkedIn User Records (hackread.com)
Fourth time unlucky: Okta hit by new cyber attack - Digital Journal
Maine govt notifies 1.3 million people of MOVEit data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
The real cost of healthcare cyber security breaches - Help Net Security
Mortgage giant Mr. Cooper says customer data exposed in breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Pharmacy provider Truepill data breach hits 2.3 million customers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Samsung warns some customers their data may have been stolen by hackers | TechRadar
Hackers Claim Major Data Breach at Smart WiFi Provider Plume (hackread.com)
Vietnam Post exposes 1.2TB of data, including email addresses (securityaffairs.com)
Morgan Stanley fined over computers with personal data (cnbc.com)
Samsung says hackers accessed customer data during year-long breach | TechCrunch
A Spy Agency Leaked People's Data Online—Then the Data Was Stolen | WIRED
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Russian admits building now-dismantled IPStorm proxy botnet • The Register
Australian Intelligence Report Identifies China as Major Backer of Cyber Crime (voanews.com)
'AlphaLock' Hackers Launch 'Pen-Testing Training' Group (darkreading.com)
Cyber crime Victims Can Turn to New Nonprofit, Intelligence for Good | MSSP Alert
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Ethereum hacked to steal millions from users across the world | TechRadar
Fraudsters make $50,000 a day by spoofing crypto researchers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insiders and outsiders: Why cyber security strategies need to look all ways - Digital Journal
The Role of Cyber Wellness in Safeguarding Businesses - IT Security Guru
3 Ways Behavioural Economics Obstructs Cyber security (darkreading.com)
Insurance
Bridging the Gap: The Vital Role of Skilled Brokers in Cyber Insurance
Aon president warns insurers against ‘walking away’ from major risks (ft.com)
Cyber insurance market attractive despite ransomware uptick: JP Morgan - Reinsurance News
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Uncovering the ransomware threat from global supply chains | ITPro
How top CISOs are transforming third-party risk management | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Cloud/SaaS
This new ChatGPT-powered infostealer is targeting cloud platforms | TechRadar
Hackers Could Exploit Google Workspace and Cloud Platform for Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Traditional cloud security isn't up to the task - Help Net Security
Transforming cyber security from reactive to proactive with attack path analysis - Help Net Security
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
The new frontier in online security: Quantum-safe cryptography (techxplore.com)
In a first, cryptographic keys protecting SSH connections stolen in new attack | Ars Technica
TETRA encryption algorithms entering the public domain • The Register
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
70% of passwords can be cracked in less than a second, shows NordPass study (business-standard.com)
Google Workspace security flaws could see hackers easily snaffle your password | TechRadar
Stop using weak passwords for streaming services - it's riskier than you think | ZDNET
The worst passwords of 2023 are also the most common, "123456" comes in first | TechSpot
Social Media
Meta and YouTube face criminal surveillance complaints • The Register
How Much Your Social Media Profile Data Is Worth on the Dark Web (makeuseof.com)
Malvertising
BlackCat affiliate seen using malvertising to spread ransomware | Computer Weekly
This fake Windows news site is spreading malware via hacked Google ads | TechRadar
Training, Education and Awareness
Phishing emails are more believable than ever. Here’s what to do about it. | CSO Online
The Role of Cyber Wellness in Safeguarding Businesses - IT Security Guru
3 Ways Behavioural Economics Obstructs Cyber security (darkreading.com)
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
EU Tightens Cyber security Requirements for Critical Infrastructure and Services (darkreading.com)
Meta and YouTube face criminal surveillance complaints • The Register
SEC Suit Ushers in New Era of Cyber Enforcement (darkreading.com)
Make Changes to be Ready for the New SEC Cyber security Disclosure Rule (darkreading.com)
Navigating the complex role of the CISO under SEC disclosure rules (betanews.com)
Clorox CISO flushes self after multimillion-dollar attack • The Register
Morgan Stanley fined over computers with personal data (cnbc.com)
White House is ‘working on version 2.0’ of cyber implementation plan | CyberScoop
Models, Frameworks and Standards
What You Need to Know About NIST CSF 2.0 | Accelerynt, Inc. - JDSupra
Modelling organisations' defensive mechanisms with MITRE D3FEND - Help Net Security
Backup and Recovery
Data Protection
Web browsing data collected in more detail than previously known, report finds (ft.com)
Online ad auction data harms national security – claim • The Register
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
The challenges and opportunities of working in cyber security | TechRadar
How US SEC legal actions put CISOs at risk and what to do about it | CSO Online
Is ‘overwork’ culture a problem for cyber security professionals? (siliconrepublic.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Serbian pleads guilty to running ‘Monopoly’ dark web drug market (securityaffairs.com)
Russian admits building now-dismantled IPStorm proxy botnet • The Register
European Police Take Down $9m Vishing Gang - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Russian-Moldovan National Admits to Infecting 23,000 Devices with Botnet Malware (occrp.org)
Private Investigator Aviram Azar Gets Almost 7 Years for Hedge Fund Hacking Ring - Bloomberg
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
NCSC Annual Review on 'state-aligned actors' | Professional Security
Zero-Days in Edge Devices Become China's Cyber Warfare Tactic of Choice (darkreading.com)
Cyber espionage operation on embassies linked to Russia’s Cozy Bear hackers (therecord.media)
New NATO cyber forum to support collective response to cyber attacks – EURACTIV.com
Nation State Actors
China
China's Lending Giant Paid Ransom To Russia-Linked Group After It Got Hacked Last Week - Benzinga
ICBC/ransomware: China’s cyber security industry moves out of the shadows
Cyber attack shines light on role of China’s largest lender in US Treasury market (ft.com)
Australian Intelligence Report Identifies China as Major Backer of Cyber Crime (voanews.com)
Zero-Days in Edge Devices Become China's Cyber Warfare Tactic of Choice (darkreading.com)
Labour warns against watering down of UK’s takeover screening powers
Russia
China's Lending Giant Paid Ransom To Russia-Linked Group After It Got Hacked Last Week - Benzinga
Cyber attack shines light on role of China’s largest lender in US Treasury market (ft.com)
Danish Energy Attacks Portend Targeting More Critical Infrastructure (darkreading.com)
Could Russia’s Ukraine Cyber attacks Clue Global Threat? | MSSP Alert
EU Formalizes Cyber security Support For Ukraine - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Meet the Unique New "Hacking" Group: AlphaLock (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cyber espionage operation on embassies linked to Russia’s Cozy Bear hackers (therecord.media)
What Do You Do When You’re Hit by Russian Ransomware? - Bloomberg
Ukraine at D+670: GRU may be expanding its targeting. (thecyberwire.com)
Iran
North Korea
Microsoft Warns of Fake Skills Assessment Portals Targeting IT Job Seekers (thehackernews.com)
Novel social engineering attack infrastructure established by BlueNoroff | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence
Vulnerabilities
'CitrixBleed' Linked to Ransomware Hit on China's State-Owned Bank (darkreading.com)
LockBit ransomware exploits Citrix Bleed in attacks, 10K servers exposed (bleepingcomputer.com)
Zero-Day Flaw in Zimbra Email Software Exploited by Four Hacker Groups (thehackernews.com)
APTs Swarm Zimbra Zero-Day to Steal Government Info Worldwide (darkreading.com)
CISA warns of actively exploited Juniper pre-auth RCE exploit chain (bleepingcomputer.com)
WP Fastest Cache plugin bug exposes 600K WordPress sites to attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft November 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 5 zero-days, 58 flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft fixes critical Azure CLI flaw that leaked credentials in logs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Adobe Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA
ICS Patch Tuesday: 90 Vulnerabilities Addressed by Siemens and Schneider Electric - Security Week
Chipmaker Patch Tuesday: Intel, AMD Address Over 130 Vulnerabilities - Security Week
Fortinet Releases Security Updates for FortiClient and FortiGate | CISA
Urgent: VMware Warns of Unpatched Critical Cloud Director Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
New PoC Exploit for Apache ActiveMQ Flaw Could Let Attackers Fly Under the Radar (thehackernews.com)
SAP Patches Critical Vulnerability in Business One Product - Security Week
Critical flaw fixed in SAP Business One product (securityaffairs.com)
Citrix Releases Security Updates for Citrix Hypervisor | CISA
Fortinet warns of critical command injection bug in FortiSIEM (bleepingcomputer.com)
An email vulnerability let hackers steal data from governments around the world (engadget.com)
Experts Uncover DarkCasino: New Emerging APT Threat Exploiting WinRAR Flaw (thehackernews.com)
Some AMD EPYC server CPUs have a serious security flaw, so patch now | TechRadr
Microsoft Extends Windows Server 2012 ESUs Until 2026 (petri.com)
Tools and Controls
Building resilience to shield your digital transformation from cyber threats - Help Net Security
Against the Clock: Cyber Incident Response Plan (trendmicro.com)
Fast-acting cyber gangs increasingly disabling telemetry logs | Computer Weekly
Cyber threat intelligence: Getting on the front foot against adversaries (welivesecurity.com)
The New 80/20 Rule for SecOps: Customize Where it Matters, Automate the Rest (thehackernews.com)
Phishing emails are more believable than ever. Here’s what to do about it. | CSO Online
Web Application Attacks | Types of Web Application Attacks | Mimecast
Traditional cloud security isn't up to the task - Help Net Security
National security at risk from web browsing data collection, report finds (ft.com)Zero-Days in Edge Devices Become China's Cyber Warfare Tactic of Choice (darkreading.com)
The cultural shift that’s needed to see greater ROI in cyber | Federal News Network
NCSC backs use of security.txt for cyber resilience | UKAuthority
New approaches to fighting ransomware are emerging | Mimecast
Telemetry gaps leave networks vulnerable as attackers move faster - Help Net Security
The new imperative in API security strategy - Help Net Security
How to Automate the Hardest Parts of Employee Offboarding (thehackernews.com)
Steps CISOs Should Take Before, During & After a Cyber attack (darkreading.com)
Threat Intel: To Share or Not to Share is Not the Question - Security Week
As perimeter defences fall, the identify-first approach steps into the breach | CSO Online
The Role of Cyber Wellness in Safeguarding Businesses - IT Security Guru
OODA Loop - A Model for Cyber security Threat Sharing: Embracing the USA PATRIOT Act & FinCEN
How to speak the board's language with cyber security ROI so it makes sense | Fierce Electronics
Three Ways Generative AI Can Bolster Cyber security | NVIDIA Blogs
Hackers breach healthcare orgs via ScreenConnect remote access (bleepingcomputer.com)
Kubernetes adoption creates new cyber security challenges - Help Net Security
Aon president warns insurers against ‘walking away’ from major risks (ft.com)
CISOs vs. developers: A battle over security priorities - Help Net Security
Hundreds of websites cloned to run ads for Chinese gambling • The Register
AI helps leaders optimize costs and mitigate risks - Help Net Security
It ain’t what you store, it’s the way you restore it. • The Register
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
'Alarming': big gaps in organisations' cyber security | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
National security at risk from web browsing data collection, report finds (ft.com)
CISOs vs. developers: A battle over security priorities - Help Net Security
Collaborative strategies are key to enhanced ICS security - Help Net Security
Web Application Attacks | Types of Web Application Attacks | Mimecast
Telemetry gaps leave networks vulnerable as attackers move faster - Help Net Security
Cyber crime Victims Can Turn to New Nonprofit, Intelligence for Good | MSSP Alert
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.
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· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
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· Energy & Utilities
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· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
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· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
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· 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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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 10 November 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 10 November 2023:
-Boardroom Woes on Ransomware Intensify as Organisations Face an Average of 86 Ransomware-linked Events Annually
-Many SMBs Have No Real Way to Deal with Cyber Threats, Leaving Them Vulnerable
-Cyber Attacks Top Global Risk – 2023 Aon Survey
-To Improve Cyber Defences, Practice for Disaster
-Meet Your New Cyber Security Auditor: Your Insurer
-Allen and Overy Suffer Ransomware Attack
-Shadow IT Remains a Top Threat, as Shown by Attack on Okta
-Ransomware, AI, and Social Engineering All Set to Be 2024's Biggest Security Threats
-Cyber Governance: Growing Expectations for Information Security Oversight and Accountability
-Generative AI Will Level Up Cyber Attacks, According to New Google Report
-Public Wi-Fi Remains a Huge Risk, is Your Organisation Prepared?
-88% of Security Leaders Think Their Organisation Is Falling Short Addressing Cyber Security
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
Boardroom Woes on Ransomware Intensify as Organisations Face an Average of 86 Ransomware-linked Events Annually
A recent report by Akamai Technologies has found that organisations experienced an average of 86 ransomware-linked events in the past 12 months (successful or not), double the number of annual attacks from 2 years ago.
The most common issues impacting organisations after a ransomware attack were network downtime (44%), data loss (42%) and brand/reputation damage (39%).
Ransomware attackers have increasingly employed tactics like double and triple extortion. These methods combine encryption, data exfiltration, and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to extort money. While these strategies are not new, their prevalence has significantly increased in recent times.
With 81% of companies experiencing ransomware attacks in the previous 12 months this is increasingly something that company Boards are concerned about, not only the organisation’s ability to stop a ransomware attack in the first place, but also the organisation’s ability to recover when an attack happens.
Sources: [TechTarget] [PRNewsWire] [Security Magazine] [InsuranceJournal] [Financial Times]
Many SMBs Have No Real Way to Deal with Cyber Threats, Leaving Them Vulnerable
A recent report found that of nearly 6,000 small and medium-sized business (SMB) IT professionals surveyed across Europe, a third of those based in the UK have no cyber security in place to protect assets such as their own printers, with 16% suffering a printer breach alone in the past. Despite this, less than a quarter educated their employees about printer (23%) IT security. With hybrid working seen as a security concern for 38% of SMEs, and potentially leading to more remote use of these devices, surprisingly just 4 in 10 (41%) cover hybrid working as part of their current security training.
Black Arrow supports organisations of all sizes in designing and delivering proportionate user education and awareness programmes, including in-person and online training as well as simulated phishing campaigns. Our programmes help secure employee engagement and build a cyber security culture to protect the organisation.
Sources: [TechRadar] [The Recycler]
Cyber Attacks Top Global Risk – 2023 Aon Survey
Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey identified cyber attacks and data breaches as the leading business risk worldwide, followed by business interruption. Aon warned that deficits in talent or specialised skills may exacerbate cyber risks in particular.
Supply chain disruptions were ranked as another area of concern, with risks associated with supply chain failure hitting a 14-year high in the survey. However, less than 40% of organisations have conducted supplier resilience assessments. which contributes to cyber risk when organisations hand data to suppliers without considering whether their suppliers keep that data safe.
Source: [Investing]
To Improve Cyber Defences, Practice for Disaster
If you aren’t already running incident simulations in your organisation, it’s time to start. Such simulations allow employees to understand their roles and responsibilities, as well as providing a great opportunity to educate. Cyber attacks are a matter of when, not if, and no-one wants to be improvising their security response in the event of a real cyber incident.
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]
Meet Your New Cyber Security Auditor: Your Insurer
In the dynamic world of cyber security, cyber insurers are emerging as key players, reshaping the landscape with ever more stringent requirements. With ransomware attacks becoming more complex, cyber insurance premiums have surged by 50%, challenging Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to demonstrate their organisation's cyber defence capabilities. Insurers, using detailed risk assessments, are influencing cyber security strategies, compelling organisations to adapt and meet higher standards.
CISOs are now tasked with ensuring their security measures are comprehensive and transparent, as insurers scrutinise everything from multifactor authentication to Active Directory policies. Accurate self-assessment is critical, as any misrepresentation can lead to denied coverage or legal repercussions. In this competitive market, organisations must showcase their cyber maturity, particularly in high-risk industries, to secure coverage. The evolving cyber insurance landscape demands a clear understanding of risk factors and continuous improvement in cyber defence strategies, ultimately aiming to enhance overall protection against cyber threats.
Source: [Dark Reading]
Allen and Overy Suffer Ransomware Attack
Allen & Overy, the “magic circle” law firm, has suffered a cyber attack on its systems, making it the latest large corporation to fall victim to a ransomware hack. A&O confirmed the incident after the infamous ransomware gang LockBit posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, claiming to have breached the legal giant and threatening to publish data from the firm’s files on 28 November.
Earlier this year, the UK National Cyber Security Centre reported that law firms of all sizes were at risk from cyber attackers because of the sensitive client information they routinely handle. The importance of reputation to the business also made law firms attractive targets for extortion.
Sources: [Financial Times] [Law Gazette]
Shadow IT Remains a Top Threat, as Shown by Attack on Okta
Shadow IT refers to IT resources used by employees or end users that don’t have IT approval or oversight. This was the case in the recent Okta attack in which an Okta employee signed into their personal Google account on a company-owned device. It is believed that the employee’s personal Google account had been compromised, and unfortunately since the employee had configured it in a way to save credentials of Okta accounts, the attacker now also had these credentials. The result? 134 downstream customers impacted.
Source: [Computer Weekly]
Ransomware, AI, and Social Engineering All Set to Be 2024's Biggest Security Threats
Ransomware attacks surged to record highs in 2023 and are expected to escalate further, especially with key 2024 elections approaching, ZeroFox Intelligence's 2024 Key Forecasts report indicates. This trend is driven by evolving cyber threats, including sophisticated social engineering and AI-generated synthetic media, aimed at spreading misinformation and targeting electoral processes.
ZeroFox also highlights a concerning shift towards physical damages from cyber attacks, with critical sectors like finance, energy, and healthcare being vulnerable due to outdated security infrastructures. These sectors are likely targets for nation-state and state-sponsored attacks amidst global geopolitical tensions. To counter these threats, the report suggests enhanced security measures, including encrypted cloud backups, vigilant network monitoring, and a zero-trust cyber security approach to safeguard against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
Source: [TechRadar]
Cyber Governance: Growing Expectations for Information Security Oversight and Accountability
In today's interconnected digital economy, cyber security is a critical governance issue for businesses, necessitating effective oversight and strategic planning. The SEC's new rules, effective July 2023, require public companies to transparently disclose their cyber security strategies and report significant incidents, highlighting the increasing importance of cyber security in corporate governance. This regulatory development aims to improve transparency and accountability in managing cyber risks.
Corporations are responding by emphasising detailed cyber security disclosures, employee training programmes, and board-level expertise in information security. As the landscape of cyber threats evolves, timely and comprehensive reporting of breaches becomes more crucial, aligning with both regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations for robust cyber security governance.
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: [Harvard]
Generative AI Will Level Up Cyber Attacks, According to New Google Report
Google's Cloud Cyber Security Forecast 2024 report reveals a growing trend of using generative AI in cyber attacks. The technology, particularly large language models (LLMs), is enhancing phishing and social engineering tactics by producing content that appears more legitimate, making it difficult to spot errors typically associated with such attacks. This advancement allows attackers to mimic natural language effectively and create authentic-looking fake news, phone calls, and deepfake videos, potentially eroding public trust in online information.
On the flip side, the report highlights the potential of AI as a powerful tool for cyber defence. Cyber security professionals can leverage AI for rapid data synthesis, efficient threat detection, and swift response actions. As defenders direct AI development with specific security objectives, its capabilities are expected to significantly bolster cyber security measures in the near future.
Source: [ZDNET]
Public Wi-Fi Remains a Huge Risk, is Your Organisation Prepared?
New research found that half of UK participants believed they are most at risk of a cyber attack when using public Wi-Fi, which is Wi-Fi that anyone, including an attacker, can connect to. However, in contrast to concerns, the report found that 41% will use unsecured Wi-Fi if given the opportunity. Further, 53% of participants would enter or access sensitive information whilst connected to an unsecured public Wi-Fi network; this includes bring your own devices (BYOD) that have access to corporate data.
Source: [TechRadar]
88% of Security Leaders Think Their Organisation Is Falling Short in Addressing Cyber Security
A recent study by Foundry reveals a trend towards AI-driven security measures and increased reliance on cyber insurance among organisations. Key priorities for security leaders include preparedness for incidents, data protection, and enhancing IT and cloud data security. Despite this, 88% of security leaders feel their organisations are inadequate in addressing cyber security risks, mainly due to budget limitations, talent scarcity, and challenges in stakeholder communication.
To improve the situation, more top security executives are having regular engagements with the board of directors (85% this year compared to 82% in 2022), aiding in better cyber security initiatives. Security budgets are expected to remain stable or increase, with investments focused on authentication, data analytics, and cloud security, complemented by cyber insurance. AI's role is expanding in threat detection, malware identification, and automated responses, showcasing its growing importance in evolving security landscapes.
Source: [Foundry]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Exec security habits are shockingly bad compared to average workers | ITPro
To Improve Cyber Defences, Practice for Disaster (darkreading.com)
Cyber attacks top global risks, talent retention surges in Aon 2023 survey By Investing.com
Meet Your New Cyber security Auditor: Your Insurer (darkreading.com)
Use business technology? You’re on the cyber security frontline - Digital Journal
No, Okta, senior management, not an errant employee, caused you to get hacked | Ars Technica
Securing data at the intersection of the CISO and CDO - Help Net Security
UK warned cyber security teams buckling under complexity of threats (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Enhancing security: The crucial role of incident response plans | Computer Weekly
Most cyber security investments aren't used to their full advantage - Help Net Security
Improving cyber resilience to prevent devastating cyber attacks | TechRadar
The roadblocks to preventive cyber security success - Help Net Security
SolarWinds fires back at SEC over fraud charges | TechTarget
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Organisations face an average of 86 ransomware attacks annually | Security Magazine
Ransomware, Extortion Claims See ‘Worrying Resurgence,’ Says Allianz (insurancejournal.com)
The 3 key stages of ransomware attacks and useful indicators of compromise - Help Net Security
Ransomware, AI, and social engineering all set to be 2024's biggest security threats | TechRadar
The ransomware warning sign we should all have on our radar | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Critical Confluence flaw exploited in ransomware attacks (securityaffairs.com)
Russian-speaking threat actor "farnetwork" linked to 5 ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsegmentation proves its worth in ransomware defence - Help Net Security
Ransomware Mastermind Uncovered After Oversharing on Dark Web (darkreading.com)
Ransomware gang behind MOVEit attacks are targeting new zero-day, Microsoft says (therecord.media)
Ransomware Readiness Assessments: One Size Doesn't Fit All (darkreading.com)
TellYouThePass ransomware joins Apache ActiveMQ RCE attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
FBI: Ransomware gangs hack casinos via 3rd party gaming vendors (bleepingcomputer.com)
Healthcare Struggles with Impact of Ransomware Attacks | MSSP Alert
Iranian APT Targets Israeli Education, Tech Sectors With New Wipers - SecurityWeek
Ransomware Victims
Allen & Overy data hit by hackers in ransomware attack (ft.com)
ICBC hit by ransomware impacting global trades • The Register
Cyber attack takes down one of the largest mortgage lenders in the US | TechRadar
American Airlines Pilot Union Recovering After Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek
Marina Bay Sands Becomes Latest Hospitality Cyber Victim (darkreading.com)
Scottish council's computer systems suffer cyber attack | The National
Dolly.com pays ransom, attackers release data anyway (securityaffairs.com)
Women sue plastic surgery after hack saw their naked photos posted online (bitdefender.com)
TransForm says ransomware data breach affects 267,000 patients (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Artificial Intelligence
Ransomware, AI, and social engineering all set to be 2024's biggest security threats | TechRadar
Companies have good reasons to be concerned about generative AI - Help Net Security
Virtual Kidnapping: AI Tools Are Enabling IRL Extortion Scams (darkreading.com)
Offensive and Defensive AI: Let's Chat(GPT) About It (thehackernews.com)
Here's what to know about elections, cyber security and AI | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Microsoft, Meta detail plans to fight election deception • The Register
Watch out: Generative AI will level up cyber attacks, according to new Google report | ZDNET
Data protection demands AI-specific security strategies - Help Net Security
Exploring the global shift towards AI-specific legislation - Help Net Security
2FA/MFA
Microsoft Authenticator is now blocking suspicious MFA phone notifications by default - Neowin
Microsoft unhappy with MFA uptake, starts auto-deploying it • The Register
Suspicious Microsoft Authenticator requests don't trigger notifications anymore - gHacks Tech News
23andMe data theft prompts DNA testing companies to switch on 2FA by default | TechCrunch
Malware
Gootloader Aims Malicious, Custom Bot Army at Enterprise Networks (darkreading.com)
48 Malicious npm Packages Found Deploying Reverse Shells on Developer Systems (thehackernews.com)
StripedFly Malware Operated Unnoticed for 5 Years, Infecting 1 Million Devices (thehackernews.com)
This new macOS malware could leave you severely short-changed | TechRadar
Even Google Calendar isn't safe from hackers any more | TechRadar
Hacked proxy service has already infected 10,000 systems worldwide with malware | TechRadar
Evasive Jupyter Infostealer Campaign Showcases Dangerous Variant (darkreading.com)
Beware of BlueNoroff: Mac users targeted with new malware variant - 9to5Mac
How to Outsmart Malware Attacks That Can Fool Antivirus Protection (darkreading.com)
Malicious Python packages spread BlazeStealer malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Mobile
Google Play Store Introduces 'Independent Security Review' Badge for Apps (thehackernews.com)
Apple 'Find My' network can be abused to steal keylogged passwords (bleepingcomputer.com)
Samsung monthly updates: November 2023 security patch fixes 65 security flaws - SamMobile
37 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android With November 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek
Android 14’s storage disaster gets patched, but your data might be gone | Ars Technica
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
OpenAI confirms DDoS attacks behind ongoing ChatGPT outages (bleepingcomputer.com)
Suspected DDoS attack impacts AP news site | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Cloudflare website downed by DDoS attack claimed by Anonymous Sudan (bleepingcomputer.com)
OpenAI Battles Service Disruption Linked to Russian Hackers - Decrypt
DDoS attack leads to significant disruption in ChatGPT services (securityaffairs.com)
Russian state-owned Sberbank hit by 1 million RPS DDoS attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
Data Breaches/Leaks
2023 Microsoft Data Breach Statistics: A Comprehensive Overview (techreport.com)
No, Okta, senior management, not an errant employee, caused you to get hacked | Ars Technica
Okta Hack Blamed on Employee Using Personal Google Account on Company Laptop - SecurityWeek
Shadow IT use at Okta behind series of damaging breaches | Computer Weekly
Okta breach affected 134 customers, company admits • The Register
Another top casino has been hit with a massive data breach | TechRadar
Marina Bay Sands Discloses Data Breach Impacting 665k Customers - SecurityWeek
Hilb fears email crooks stole 81K people's financial data • The Register
23andMe data theft prompts DNA testing companies to switch on 2FA by default | TechCrunch
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Dutch hacker jailed for extortion, selling stolen data on RaidForums (bleepingcomputer.com)
How cyber criminals adapt and thrive amidst changing consumer trends - Help Net Security
Ransomware Mastermind Uncovered After Oversharing on Dark Web (darkreading.com)
Operation Monopoly: Dubai Police bust cyberfraud, arrest 43 | Crime – Gulf News
Unraveling cyber crime network's underground operations (crime-research.org)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
The 10 Biggest Crypto Hacks and Scams of 2023 (makeuseof.com)
Monero Project admits thieves stole $437k in mystery breach • The Register
Insurance
Meet Your New Cyber security Auditor: Your Insurer (darkreading.com)
Hiscox cyber threat ranking reveals UK's most vulnerable industries (reward-strategy.com)
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Cloud/SaaS
The perils of over-reliance on single cloud providers - Help Net Security
Secure Cloud Infrastructure from New Cyber Threats (trendmicro.com)
Hackers exploit Looney Tunables Linux bug, steal cloud creds (bleepingcomputer.com)
What We Can Learn from Major Cloud Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)
Encryption
UK NCSC issues new guidance on post-quantum cryptography migration | CSO Online
Outdated cryptographic protocols put vast amounts of network traffic at risk - Help Net Security
Tech groups fear new powers will allow UK to block encryption (ft.com)
Linux and Open Source
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
How global password practices are changing - Help Net Security
Apple 'Find My' network can be abused to steal keylogged passwords (bleepingcomputer.com)
LEGO urges fans to change passwords after cyber attack - Dexerto
Global breached accounts down 76% in Q3, study finds (techinformed.com)
Malvertising
Training, Education and Awareness
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
EU Tries To Slip In New Powers To Intercept Encrypted Web Traffic Without Anyone Noticing | Techdirt
Telecom vendors sound alarm over EU Cyber Resilience Act - Telecoms.com
Europe is trading security for digital sovereignty | CyberScoop
Steps to Follow to Comply With the SEC Cyber security Disclosure Rule (darkreading.com)
Vendors caution on risks of EU cyber security law - Mobile World Live
Tech groups fear new powers will allow UK to block encryption (ft.com)
King’s Speech 'missed opportunity' to update cyber laws | Professional Security
UK wants prior notice from Big Tech of security rollouts • The Register
Exploring the global shift towards AI-specific legislation - Help Net Security
SolarWinds fires back at SEC over fraud charges | TechTarget
SolarWinds: SEC lacks 'competence' to regulate cyber security • The Register
Models, Frameworks and Standards
MITRE partners with Microsoft to address generative AI security risks - Help Net Security
The plan for the inevitable cyber attack: Get the gist of NIST | Computer Weekly
NIST releases revised cyber requirements for controlled unclassified information - Nextgov/FCW
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
UK warned cyber security teams buckling under complexity of threats (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Cyber security pros are putting everyone at risk by working too much | TechRadar
A third of cyber security pros report crumbling work-life balance | ITPro
CISOs Beware: SEC's SolarWinds Action Shows They're Scapegoating Us (darkreading.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Dutch hacker jailed for extortion, selling stolen data on RaidForums (bleepingcomputer.com)
Operation Monopoly: Dubai Police bust cyberfraud, arrest 43 | Crime – Gulf News
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Israeli SMBs Warned to Cut External Comms to Reduce Risks (inforisktoday.com)
As war continues, Israeli government wants more cyber control | Ctech (calcalistech.com)
The new ‘Geneva code’ for hackers on the cyber battlefield | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)
Nation State Actors
Russia
Sandworm Cyber attackers Down Ukrainian Power Grid During Missile Strikes (darkreading.com)
Russian-speaking threat actor "farnetwork" linked to 5 ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware gang behind MOVEit attacks are targeting new zero-day, Microsoft says (therecord.media)
OpenAI Battles Service Disruption Linked to Russian Hackers - Decrypt
US Treasury Sanctions Russian Money Launderer in Cyber crime Crackdown (thehackernews.com)
Russian state-owned Sberbank hit by 1 million RPS DDoS attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Iran
Iranian APT Targets Israeli Education, Tech Sectors With New Wipers - SecurityWeek
Imperial Kitten APT Claws at Israeli Industry with Multiyear Spy Effort (darkreading.com)
North Korea
Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
New Microsoft Exchange zero-days allow RCE, data theft attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Atlassian Bug Escalated to 10, All Unpatched Instances Vulnerable (darkreading.com)
Critical Confluence flaw exploited in ransomware attacks (securityaffairs.com)
Cloudflare, Google and AWS Disclose HTTP/2 Zero-Day Vulnerability (infoq.com)
Microsoft 365 apps have a lot of new security vulnerabilities - here's what we know | TechRadar
Critical Vulnerabilities Expose Veeam ONE Software to Code Execution - SecurityWeek
Microsoft is killing off three Windows services because of security concerns (betanews.com)
37 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android With November 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek
TellYouThePass ransomware joins Apache ActiveMQ RCE attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Android 14’s storage disaster gets patched, but your data might be gone | Ars Technica
Tools and Controls
To Improve Cyber Defences, Practice for Disaster (darkreading.com)
Meet Your New Cyber security Auditor: Your Insurer (darkreading.com)
Start with Passwords When Incorporating the 5 Pillars of Zero Trust | EdTech Magazine
How global password practices are changing - Help Net Security
Is Cyber security A Line Or A Circle? The Shape Of Incident Response (forbes.com)
The roadblocks to preventive cyber security success - Help Net Security
Microsegmentation proves its worth in ransomware defence - Help Net Security
Microsoft Authenticator is now blocking suspicious MFA phone notifications by default - Neowin
Microsoft unhappy with MFA uptake, starts auto-deploying it • The Register
Suspicious Microsoft Authenticator requests don't trigger notifications anymore - gHacks Tech News
23andMe data theft prompts DNA testing companies to switch on 2FA by default | TechCrunch
Offensive and Defensive AI: Let's Chat(GPT) About It (thehackernews.com)
Enhancing security: The crucial role of incident response plans | Computer Weekly
Most cyber security investments aren't used to their full advantage - Help Net Security
Improving cyber resilience to prevent devastating cyber attacks | TechRadar
Data protection demands AI-specific security strategies - Help Net Security
7 free cyber threat maps showing attack intensity and frequency - Help Net Security
What is threat detection and response (TDR)? (techtarget.com)
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
US calls for unity against cyber-threats to finance (globalcapital.com)
Royal Mail jeopardizes users with open redirect flaw (securityaffairs.com)
Cyber attacks 'constantly happening' - warning from intelligence expert (securitybrief.co.nz)
Startling Cyber security Statistics for 2023 You Need to Know (techreport.com)S
Study: Companies aren't keeping up with cybersecurity needs (iapp.org)
How to avoid cyber security nightmares (networkingplus.co.uk)
Forecasting the future without falling for the hype | TechRadar
Elevate Your School’s Security Posture as 2024 Approaches | EdTech Magazine
Optus loses court bid to keep report into cause of cyber-attack secret (yahoo.com)
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 Advisory 09 November 2023 – Critical Atlassian Vulnerability Actively Exploited
Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 09 November 2023 – Critical Atlassian Confluence Vulnerability Actively Exploited
Executive summary
Atlassian has published a security advisory warning users of an active exploitation of a critical vulnerability in all versions of Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server, which could allow an unauthenticated attacker to perform actions with administrative functions. The vulnerability has been added to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
What’s the risk to me or my business?
There is a risk that organisations operating a vulnerable version are leaving themselves at risk of allowing an unauthenticated attacker to reset confluence and create an administrator account. Atlassian has stated that exploitation can lead to a full loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability. This vulnerability affects all versions of Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server.
What can I do?
Black Arrow recommends following Atlassian’s advice and applying updates immediately, which can be found in their advisory linked below. Atlassian have stated that publicly accessible Confluence Data Center and Server versions in particular, are at critical risk of exploitation.
In the event that you are unable to apply the updates, mitigations have been provided by Atlassian, however updates should be applied as soon as possible. The fixed versions of Confluence Data Center and Server are as follows:
7.19.16
8.3.4
8.4.4
8.5.3
8.6.1
Technical Summary
CVE-2023-22518- An improper authorisation vulnerability in Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server.
Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.
Further information can be found here:
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22518
#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 November 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 03 November 2023:
-Surviving a Ransomware Attack Begins by Acknowledging it’s Inevitable
-Are You and Your Clients Soft Targets?
-Cyber Attacks Cause Revenue Losses in 42% of Small Businesses
-Executives May be The Biggest Risk to Your Business
-Organisations Can Only Stop 57 Percent of Cyber Attacks
-Many Businesses Remain Unprepared for AI as Phishing Attacks Rise 1,265% Since Launch of ChatGPT
-Business Email Compromise is Most Common Entry Point for Cyber Attack
-US Regulator Charges Firm and its CISO For Fraud and Cyber Security Failures
-Companies Scramble to Integrate Immediate Recovery into Ransomware Plans
-Your End-Users are Reusing Passwords, That’s a Big Problem
-Cyber Workforce Demand is Outpacing Supply
-What the Boardroom Is Missing: CISOs
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.
Surviving a Ransomware Attack Begins by Acknowledging it’s Inevitable
The best defence against a ransomware attack is assuming it will happen before it does. Research by Visa Inc found that ransomware continues to rapidly rise. One of the main factors is the use of AI services to mass produce highly personalised and plausible emails. The second is the proliferation of highly professional do-it-yourself ransomware kits, which frequently come with 24/7 tech support. These two factors drastically lower the skill level required for cyber criminals to successfully pull off an attack.
Another new ransomware trend is “dual ransomware attacks”. This is where criminals carry out two or more attacks in close proximity of each other, ranging between 48 hours to a maximum of 10 days. With an 80% chance of re-attack, small and medium sized businesses in hard-hit industries including healthcare and manufacturing are primary targets; organisations must be extra vigilant as the holidays approach because this is when cyber criminals are most likely to attack.
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: [Venture Beat] [SC Media] [Help Net Security] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Help Net Security] [Tech Crunch]
Are You and Your Clients Soft Targets?
Cyber attacks are not a matter of "if" but "when," and the question you need to ask yourself is, ‘Are you a soft target?’. A soft target is a network or organisation that is relatively unprotected or vulnerable to cyber attacks.
You may feel confident in your ability to recover from an attack, but if you've never thoroughly tested your backup and recovery procedures, and when the time comes you find that it does not work, the result will leave you more likely to pay a ransom in an encryption based ransomware scenario. Reliance on legacy antivirus, which often fails to detect modern threats, can also render your network a soft target. Additionally, the absence of a rigorous vulnerability scanning and patching process leaves vulnerabilities undiscovered, and attackers are quick to exploit them. If you rely solely on prevention measures like firewalls and endpoint protection platforms, you are making yourself an appealing soft target for cyber criminals.
No organisation is entirely immune to cyber attacks. The key to defending you and your client's information effectively is to anticipate attacks, understand your security posture, recognise potential adversaries, and recover correctly in the event of an attack.
Source: [MSSP Alert]
Cyber Attacks Cause Revenue Losses in 42% of Small Businesses
Small businesses may be discouraged from investing in preventive cyber security measures due to the expense involved and the mistaken belief that only larger companies are the target of cyber crimes. However, according to a recent report nearly 8 in 10 small business leaders admit they are anxious about the safety of their company’s sensitive data and information. The report found that employee and customer data continue to be the most impacted categories of information in data breaches with 42% of small businesses losing revenue due to a cyber event.
The widespread use of internet-connected devices has given rise to a substantial surge in threat actors targeting small and medium-sized businesses, with malware, phishing and botnets being the most common threats. Daily malware activity has doubled year over year, and peaks in holiday seasons.
Sources: [Help Net Security] [Security Magazine] [Help Net Security] [JDSupra]
Executives May be The Biggest Risk to Your Business as One in Five Share Work Passwords Outside the Company
According to a recent report, nearly half (49%) of C-level executives have requested to bypass one or more security measures in the past year, highlighting a concerning disparity between what business leaders say about cyber and what they do. The research reported one in five sharing their work password with someone outside the company, 77% using easy-to-remember passwords including birth dates, and a third admitting to accessing unauthorised files and data with nearly two-thirds having the ability to edit those files/data.
Additionally, the C-suite was found to be more than three times as likely than regular users to share work devices with unauthorised users. An essential approach to reducing the risks is a tailored training programme that enables all users, including the C-suite, to understand the objective of security controls and the risks caused by bypassing them. Black Arrow offers bespoke training to all roles within the organisation as well as upskilling tailored to those at the board level.
Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Tech Radar] [Security Magazine] [Help Net Security]
Organisations Can Only Stop 57 Percent of Cyber Attacks
According to a report from Tenable, over the last two years, the average organisation's cyber security program was prepared to preventatively defend against, or block, just 57 percent of the cyber attacks it encountered. The report found that 58% of respondents focus almost entirely on fighting successful attacks rather than working to prevent them in the first place. This is put down largely to a struggle to obtain an accurate picture of their attack surface. When it came to risks, 75% viewed cloud infrastructure as the greatest source of exposure risk in their organisation.
Source: [Beta News]
Many Businesses Remain Unprepared for AI as Phishing Attacks Rise 1,265% Since Launch of ChatGPT
Generative AI has revolutionised many aspects of life, offering new opportunities that have also greatly benefited malicious actors. A report has found that since the launch of ChatGPT, phishing attacks have increased by 1,265%. A separate report found that many businesses remain unprepared for the impact of AI, with just 16% of respondents satisfied in their organisation’s understanding of these AI tools.
Sources: [Decrypt] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Emerging Risks]
Business Email Compromise is Most Common Entry Point for Cyber Attack
According to cyber insurance provider Hiscox, almost half of UK businesses have experienced a cyber attack in the last year, an increase of 9% from the previous year. Business email compromise was recorded as the most common point of entry, mentioned by 35% of companies who suffered an attack.
The report found that 20% of attacked organisations received a ransomware demand, slightly up from 19% the previous year. The proportion paying the ransom fell from 66% to 63%, but the median ransom rose 13%.
Sources: [Hiscox] [Digital Journal]
US Regulator Charges Firm and its CISO For Fraud and Cyber Security Failures
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced plans to charge a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with fraud for their role in allegedly lying to investors, overstating cyber security practices, and understating or failing to disclose known risks. A key piece of evidence presented by the SEC involved a presentation that was shared with the CISO, detailing a lack of security in the CISO employer’s setup. The presentation highlighted how exploitation could lead to major reputational and financial loss.
The case represents a larger shift in the dynamics and corporate reporting of security issues and within this, lies the professionalism of the CISO role. It is likely that this incident could become the start of something larger.
Sources: [The Record] [Security Week ] [Forbes]
Companies Scramble to Integrate Immediate Recovery into Ransomware Plans
A survey found that 66% of companies are reevaluating their data protection and cyber resilience strategies. Despite this, 35% are not prioritising recovery and only half (56.6%) focused on both recovery and prevention.
Whilst it is important to prevent attacks, nothing is 100% secure and organisations need to ensure that their ransomware plans include recovery as a part of this. If, or when, you experience an attack, you will not want to improvise your recovery.
Source: [Help Net Security]
Your End-Users are Reusing Passwords: That’s a Big Problem
Password reuse is a difficult vulnerability for IT teams to get full visibility over. The danger is often hidden until it turns up in the form of hackers using compromised credentials as an initial access vector. A recent survey revealed that 53% of people admit to reusing passwords, making it easier for attackers to gain access to multiple applications with a single compromised password.
While it is difficult for organisations to maintain visibility over who is reusing passwords, especially if employees are reusing passwords outside of the organisation, there are still ways to combat this. Implementing tools that can check for compromised passwords, using multi-factor authentication and ensuring all employees carry out cyber security and awareness training are a few methods to help combat password re-use.
Source: [Bleeping Computer]
Cyber Workforce Demand is Outpacing Supply
A study by ISC2 stated that we would need to double the cyber workforce to adequately protect organisations and their critical assets. The study found that the gap between the demand and supply grew 12.6%. For organisations, this can mean a struggle in hiring cyber expertise.
To address the challenge of attracting and retaining quality senior security professionals, Black Arrow offers a fractional CISO service that gives flexible access to a whole team of specialists with wide expertise, experience and backgrounds in technology, governance and transformation, for less than the cost of hiring one individual.
Source: [Cyber Scoop]
What the Boardroom Is Missing: CISOs
According to a new study only 12% of S&P 500 companies have board directors with relevant cyber credentials, highlighting a major gap in expertise needed to keep organisations secure. As most organisations shift to digital and cloud-first strategies, businesses of all shapes and sizes must protect their assets. Unfortunately, there's a considerable gap between security leaders and the board directors responsible for managing businesses. A recent Harvard Business Review survey revealed just 47% regularly interact with their company's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). That's a severe knowledge gap for a company's security and business leaders.
Introducing CISOs to the boardroom is not just about compliance, it's also about ensuring transparency and accountability. CISOs are already building security programs from the ground up. They provide business compliance, hire the right people, and find the right technology to supplement their team's efforts. Security posture is critical to an enterprise's future success, and having a CISO on the board that speaks the language can help a board understand if their business is making suitable security investments.
Source: [Dark Reading]
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Governance, Risk and Compliance
SEC Charges SolarWinds and Its CISO With Fraud and Cyber security Failures - SecurityWeek
SolarWinds Is A Game Changer - You Cannot Sugarcoat Cyber security (forbes.com)
Part of an executive team? You might be the biggest security risk to your business | TechRadar
One in five executives have shared work passwords outside the company | Security Magazine
Organisations can only stop 57 percent of cyber attacks (betanews.com)
Cyber attacks cause revenue losses in 42% of small businesses - Help Net Security
Huge Cyber security Industry Survey Reveals Concerns Over Cuts Amid New Threats - The Messenger
'Are we adversary aligned?' is the new 'Are we secure?' (betanews.com)
Cyber security habits and behaviours executives need to be aware of - Help Net Security
The hidden costs of data breaches for small businesses - Help Net Security
Cyber workforce demand is outpacing supply, survey finds | CyberScoop
How Do We Truly Make Security 'Everyone's Responsibility'? (darkreading.com)
Why lack of training can put cyber security at risk [Q&A] (betanews.com)
Threat Prevention Begins With IT & Security Team Collaboration (darkreading.com)
The CISO’s toolkit must include political capital within the C-suite | CSO Online
CISO Skills in a Changing Security Market: Are You Prepared? (darkreading.com)
Why there’s no one-size-fits all solution to security maturity | TechRadar
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Ransom Groups Threaten Physical Violence as Social Engineering Tactic (darkreading.com)
Companies scramble to integrate immediate recovery into ransomware plans - Help Net Security
Surviving a ransomware attack begins by acknowledging it's inevitable | VentureBeat
Do government sanctions against ransomware groups work? | TechCrunch
Why rookie hackers are capitalizing on ransomware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Experts Reconsider Banning Ransom Payments as Ransomware Attacks Surge (pymnts.com)
Why ransomware victims can’t stop paying off hackers | TechCrunch
Key Learnings from “Big Game” Ransomware Campaigns - SecurityWeek
New Hunters International ransomware possible rebrand of Hive (bleepingcomputer.com)
SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now (404media.co)
One of the most dangerous ransomware kits around might have just gotten a rebrand | TechRadar
Ransomware attacks set to break records in 2023 - Help Net Security
HelloKitty Ransomware Group Exploiting Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
Ransomware Victims
Boeing Confirms Cyber Attack, System Compromise (darkreading.com)
CCleaner says hackers stole users’ personal data during MOVEit mass-hack | TechCrunch
Stanford University investigating security incident • The Register
Massive ransomware attack hinders services in 70 German municipalities (therecord.media)
Medical research exec hit in SIM-swap attack by Alphv gang • The Register
Caesars Hackers Accessed Customer Data; Costs to Be Determined (bloomberglaw.com)
Mortgage and loan giant Mr. Cooper blames cyber attack for ongoing outage | TechCrunch
Ransomware attack shuts down Central Florida radiology imager sites (wmfe.org)
British, Toronto Libraries Struggle After Cyber Incidents (darkreading.com)
Ace Hardware says 1,202 devices were hit during cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Artificial Intelligence
Email Phishing Attacks Up 1,265% Since ChatGPT Launched: SlashNext - Decrypt
AI poses new cyber threats with many businesses unprepared (emergingrisks.co.uk)
AI is making cyber attacks even smarter and more dangerous | TechRadar
Biden Issues Executive Order on Safe, Secure AI - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Enterprise AI applications are threatening security | TechRadar
What Lurks in the Dark: Taking Aim at Shadow AI (darkreading.com)
ChatGPT, Bard, lack effective defences against fraudsters, Which? warns | Computer Weekly
Huge Cyber security Industry Survey Reveals Concerns Over Cuts Amid New Threats - The Messenger
Malware
Over a million Windows and Linux systems infected by this tricky new malware | TechRadar
DUCKTAIL Malware employs LinkedIn messages Execute Attacks (gbhackers.com)
Daily malware activity doubled year over year for small businesses | Security Magazine
Iranian Group Tortoiseshell Launches New Wave of IMAPLoader Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Malvertising via Dynamic Search Ads delivers malware bonanza (malwarebytes.com)
Windows PCs are being targeted with a nasty new malware - here's what you need to know | TechRadar
Pro-Hamas Hacktivists Targeting Israeli Entities with Wiper Malware (thehackernews.com)
These Seemingly Innocent Search Terms Could Lead Kids to Malware-Filled Websites (pcmag.com)
Malware 'Meal Kits' Serve Up No-Fuss RAT Attacks (darkreading.com)
Arid Viper Camouflages Malware in Knockoff Dating App (darkreading.com)
Ghostpulse Malware Targets Windows PCs With Fake App Installers (pcmag.com)
Latest RAT attack surge bypasses Microsoft's XLL block • The Register
Mozi malware botnet goes dark after mysterious use of kill-switch (bleepingcomputer.com)
Iranian Cyber Spies Use 'LionTail' Malware in Latest Attacks - SecurityWeek
Turla Updates Kazuar Backdoor with Advanced Anti-Analysis to Evade Detection (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
16 more infected Android apps you need to delete ASAP (bgr.com)
iOS 17.1 finally fixes a three-year-old Private Wi-Fi Address security hole | Macworld
Android 14’s user-profile data bug seems indistinguishable from ransomware | Ars Technica
New banking scams delivered instantly via WhatsApp - F-Secure Blog
Security Expert: Apple's Lockdown Mode Still Defeats Commercial Spyware | PCMag
Google One data breach: Dark web report at your hand - gHacks Tech News
SIM swapping crypto crook jailed, ordered to pay $945,833 • The Register
SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now (404media.co)
Israel Calls In Hackers And Spyware Companies To Break Into Abductees’ Phones (forbes.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
DDoS attacks are getting bigger and more powerful, and that's a really bad thing | TechRadar
Why Does "Anonymous" Launch DDoS Cyber Attacks? (makeuseof.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
IoT's convenience comes with cyber security challenges - Help Net Security
RCE exploit for Wyze Cam v3 publicly released, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
CCleaner says hackers stole users’ personal data during MOVEit mass-hack | TechCrunch
Okta discloses a data breach after a third-party vendor was hacked (securityaffairs.com)
ServiceNow Data Exposure: A Wake-Up Call for Companies (thehackernews.com)
LastPass breach linked to theft of $4.4 million in crypto (bleepingcomputer.com)
Public exposure of data breaches is becoming inevitable – Help Net Security
Browser extensions could capture passwords and sensitive info as plain text (techxplore.com)
Seiged Sec Breach Top Israeli Telecom, Leak Customers Data (dailydot.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
‘Prolific Puma’ Hacker Gives Cyber criminals Access to .us Domains (darkreading.com)
Two Russians indicted for hacking JFK taxi dispatch system • The Register
How cyber criminals adapt and thrive amidst changing consumer trends – Help Net Security
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Crypto thief steals $4.4M in a day as toll rises from LastPass breach (cointelegraph.com)
UK's National Crime Agency Establishes Crypto Investigative Team (mpost.io)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insurance
Supply Chain and Third Parties
N. Korean Lazarus Group Targets Software Vendor Using Known Flaws (thehackernews.com)
North Korean Hackers Are Trying to Stage Another Supply Chain Hack (pcmag.com)
Okta discloses a data breach after a third-party vendor was hacked (securityaffairs.com)
Cloud/SaaS
Within 5 Minutes, Hackers Were Able to Get AWS Credentials From GitHub (cyber securitynews.com)
Cryptojackers steal AWS credentials from GitHub in 5 minutes • The Register
Microsoft is Getting Serious About Security. Again. - Thurrott.com
Microsoft is overhauling its software security after major Azure cloud attacks - The Verge
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Your end-users are reusing passwords – that’s a big problem (bleepingcomputer.com)
One in five executives have shared work passwords outside the company | Security Magazine
Within 5 Minutes, Hackers Were Able to Get AWS Credentials From GitHub (cybersecuritynews.com)
Browser extensions could capture passwords and sensitive info as plain text (techxplore.com)
Social Media
DUCKTAIL Malware employs LinkedIn messages Execute Attacks (gbhackers.com)
Russian hacking tool floods social networks with bots, researchers say (therecord.media)
Malvertising
Training, Education and Awareness
Finding the right approach to security awareness - Help Net Security
Why lack of training can put cyber security at risk [Q&A] (betanews.com)
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
FTC orders non-bank financial firms to report breaches in 30 days (bleepingcomputer.com)
SEC Charges SolarWinds and Its CISO With Fraud and Cyber security Failures - SecurityWeek
Why The SEC Cyber Security Disclosure Rules Will Improve Cybersecurity (forbes.com)
The UK Online Safety Bill Becomes Law, What Does It Mean? | Hackaday
Biden Issues Executive Order on Safe, Secure AI - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Setting the standard for cyber security across the EU | Business Post
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Top 12 IT security frameworks and standards explained | TechTarget
MITRE Releases ATT&CK v14 With Improvements to Detections, ICS, Mobile - SecurityWeek
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
UK cyber skills gap grows 29% despite record hiring (computing.co.uk)
Cyber workforce demand is outpacing supply, survey finds | CyberScoop
Cyber security workforce shortages: 67% report people deficits - Help Net Security
CISO Skills in a Changing Security Market: Are You Prepared? (darkreading.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare/Cyber Espionage
Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Hacktivist Activity Related to Gaza Conflict Dwindles (darkreading.com)
New BiBi-Linux wiper malware targets Israeli orgs in destructive attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Israel Calls In Hackers And Spyware Companies To Break Into Abductees’ Phones (forbes.com)
China
Spies and Lies: China’s Cyber Espionage Is on an Unprecedented Level | Mind Matters
Microsoft upgrades security for signing keys in wake of Chinese breach | CyberScoop
Russia
Boeing. ‘Sensitive Data’ Reportedly Stolen by Ransomware Group Linked to Russia - The Messenger
Russian hacking tool floods social networks with bots, researchers say (therecord.media)
FSB arrests Russian hackers working for Ukrainian cyber forces (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russia to launch its own version of VirusTotal due to US snooping fears (therecord.media)
A Ukrainian Company Shares Lessons in Wartime Resilience (darkreading.com)
Two Russians indicted for hacking JFK taxi dispatch system • The Register
Iran
Iranian Group Tortoiseshell Launches New Wave of IMAPLoader Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Iranian Cyber Spies Use 'LionTail' Malware in Latest Attacks - SecurityWeek
New Iranian state-sponsored hacking campaign uncovered - SiliconANGLE
FBI Director Warns of Increased Iranian Attacks (darkreading.com)
Iran's MuddyWater Targets Israel in New Spear-Phishing Cyber Campaign (thehackernews.com)
'Scarred Manticore' Unleashes the Most Advanced Iranian Cyber Espionage Yet (darkreading.com)
North Korea
Vulnerability Management
Lazarus Group Looking for Unpatched Software Vulnerabilities (databreachtoday.co.uk)
CVSS 4.0 keys-in on threat intelligence metrics and OT, ICS and IoT | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Vulnerability management metrics: How to measure success - Help Net Security
From Windows 9x to 11: Tracing Microsoft's security evolution - Help Net Security
It's Cheap to Exploit Software — and That's a Major Security Problem (darkreading.com)
Vulnerabilities
Exploit released for critical Cisco IOS XE flaw, many hosts still hacked (bleepingcomputer.com)
F5 fixes BIG-IP auth bypass allowing remote code execution attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers use Citrix Bleed flaw in attacks on govt networks worldwide (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco Patches 27 Vulnerabilities in Network Security Products - SecurityWeek
Atlassian warns users: patch critical Confluence flaw ASAP • The Register
Researchers Find 34 Windows Drivers Vulnerable to Full Device Takeover (thehackernews.com)
Urgent: New Security Flaws Discovered in NGINX Ingress Controller for Kubernetes (thehackernews.com)
D-LINK SQL Injection Vulnerability Let Attacker Escalate Privileges (gbhackers.com)
3,000 Apache ActiveMQ servers vulnerable to RCE attacks exposed online (bleepingcomputer.com)
More Than 100 Vulns in Microsoft 365 Tied to SketchUp 3D Library (darkreading.com)
No patches yet for Apple iLeakage side-channel attack | TechTarget
HelloKitty Ransomware Group Exploiting Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
iOS 17.1 finally fixes a three-year-old Private Wi-Fi Address security hole | Macworld
Tools and Controls
Companies scramble to integrate immediate recovery into ransomware plans - Help Net Security
Vulnerability management metrics: How to measure success - Help Net Security
6 steps to accelerate cyber security incident response | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Ethical hackers are helping more and more business stay safe | TechRadar
Getting Smart With Cyber security: AI Can Help the Good Guys, Too (darkreading.com)
Massive cyber crime URL shortening service uncovered via DNS data (bleepingcomputer.com)
Huge Cyber security Industry Survey Reveals Concerns Over Cuts Amid New Threats - The Messenger
Defence in depth: Layering your security coverage (securityintelligence.com)
Finding the right approach to security awareness - Help Net Security
Mainframes are around to stay, it’s time to protect them - Help Net Security
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Four Under-The-Radar Security Risks That Can Endanger Your Business (forbes.com)
ING CISO says data sharing is key to financial cyber security (finextra.com)
Threat Prevention Begins With IT & Security Team Collaboration (darkreading.com)
F5 Labs Report Reveals Rise in Malicious Automation | The Fintech Times
Microsoft Vows to Revamp Security Products After Repeated Hacks - Bloomberg
Microsoft launches Secure Future Initiative to bolster security | TechTarget
The 5 Cs of effective cyber defence: Beyond traditional technical skills | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
9 Innovative Ways to Boost Security Hygiene for Cyber Awareness Month (darkreading.com)
How governments can keep data secure in a digital age - New Statesman
Cyber security insights for secure manufacturing - Aerospace Manufacturing and Design
Demystifying the top five OT security myths | Computer Weekly
20 scary cyber security facts and figures for a haunting Halloween (welivesecurity.com)
Construction among industries most at risk from cyber attacks, insurer warns | News | Building
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 23 September 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 September 2022:
-Cyber Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls
-Survey Shows CISOs Losing Confidence in Ability to Stop Ransomware Attacks
-MFA Fatigue: Hackers’ New Favourite Tactic In High-Profile Breaches
-Credential Stuffing Accounts For One-third Of Global Login Attempts, Okta Finds
-Ransomware Operators Might Be Dropping File Encryption In Favour Of Corrupting Files
-Revolut Hack Exposes Data Of 50,000 Users, Fuels New Phishing Wave
-Researchers Say Insider Threats Play A Larger Role In Security Incidents
-SMBs vs. Large Enterprises: Not All Compromises Are Created Equal
-Cyber Attack Costs for Businesses up by 80%
-Morgan Stanley Fined $35m By SEC For Data Security Lapse, Sold Devices Full of Customer PII
-Eyeglass Reflections Can Leak Information During Video Calls
-Uber Says It Was Likely Hacked by Teenage Hacker Gang LAPSUS$
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 Insurers Clamp Down on Clients' Self-Attestation of Security Controls
After one company suffered a breach that could have been headed off by the MFA it claimed to have, insurers are looking to confirm claimed cyber security measures.
A voided lawsuit from a cyber insurance carrier claiming its customer misled it on its insurance application could potentially pave the way to change how underwriters evaluate self-attestation claims on insurance applications.
The case — Travelers Property Casualty Company of America v. International Control Services Inc. (ICS) — hinged on ICS claiming it had multifactor authentication (MFA) in place when the electronics manufacturer applied for a policy. In May the company experienced a ransomware attack. Forensics investigators determined there was no MFA in place, so Travelers asserted it should not be liable for the claim. The case was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois on July 6 and at the end of August, the litigants agreed to void the contract, ending ICS's efforts to have its insurer cover its losses.
This case was unusual in that Travelers maintained the misrepresentation "materially affected the acceptance of the risk and/or the hazard assumed by Travelers" in the court filing. Taking a client to court is a departure from other similar cases where an insurance company simply denied the claim.
Sean O'Brien of Yale Law School notes that security should be proactive, stopping possible breaches before they occur rather than simply responding to each successful attack. The insurance industry is likely to become more and more pernickety as cyber security claims rise, defending their bottom line and avoiding reimbursement wherever possible. This has always been the role of insurance adjusters, of course, and their business is in many ways adversarial to your organisation's interests after the dust settles from a cyber attack.
That said, organisations should not expect a payout for poor cyber security policies and practices, he notes.
Survey Shows CISOs Losing Confidence in Ability to Stop Ransomware Attacks
Despite an 86% surge in budget resources to defend against ransomware, 90% of organisations were impacted by attacks last year, a survey reveals.
An annual survey of CISOs from Canada, the UK, and US reveals that security teams are starting to lose hope that they can defend against the next ransomware attack. The survey was conducted by SpyCloud, and it showed that although budgets to protect against cyber attacks have swelled by 86%, a full 90% of organisations surveyed said they had been impacted by a ransomware over the past year.
More organisations have implemented 'Plan B' measures this year, from opening cryptocurrency accounts to purchasing ransomware insurance. These findings suggest that organisations realise threats are slipping through their defences and a ransomware attack is inevitable.
The survey did show some bright spots on the cyber security front — nearly three-quarters of those organisations surveyed are using multifactor authentication (MFA), with an increase from 44% to 73% year-over-year. The report added that respondents said they are focused on stopping credential-stealing malware, particularly on unmanaged network devices.
MFA Fatigue: Hackers’ New Favourite Tactic in High-Profile Breaches
Hackers are more frequently using social engineering attacks to gain access to corporate credentials and breach large networks. One component of these attacks that is becoming more popular with the rise of multi-factor authentication is a technique called MFA Fatigue.
When breaching corporate networks, hackers commonly use stolen employee login credentials to access VPNs and the internal network. The reality is that obtaining corporate credentials is far from difficult for threat actors, who can use various methods, including phishing attacks, malware, leaked credentials from data breaches, or purchasing them on dark web marketplaces.
To counter this, enterprises have increasingly adopted multi-factor authentication to prevent users from logging into a network without first entering an additional form of verification. This additional information can be a one-time passcode, a prompt asking you to verify the login attempt, or the use of hardware security keys.
While threat actors can use numerous methods to bypass multi-factor authentication, most revolve around stealing cookies through malware or man-in-the-middle phishing attack frameworks. However, a social engineering technique called 'MFA Fatigue' is growing more popular with threat actors as it does not require malware or phishing infrastructure and has proven to be successful in attacks.
An MFA Fatigue attack is when a threat actor runs a script that attempts to log in with stolen credentials over and over, causing what feels like an endless stream of MFA push requests to be sent to the account's owner's mobile device. The goal is to keep this up, day and night, to break down the target's cyber security posture and inflict a sense of "fatigue" regarding these MFA prompts.
Credential Stuffing Accounts for One-third Of Global Login Attempts
Okta’s global State of Secure Identity Report has found that credential stuffing is the top threat against customer accounts, outpacing legitimate login traffic in some countries. The report presents trends, examples and observations unearthed from the billions of authentications on Okta’s Auth0 platform.
Credential stuffing is when attacks take advantage of the practice of password reuse. It begins with a stolen login or password pair, then threat actors use these credentials across other common sites, using automated tooling used to “stuff” credential pairs into login forms. When an account holder reuses the same (or similar) passwords on multiple sites, it creates a domino effect in which a single credential pair can be used to breach multiple applications.
Across all industries globally, Okta found there were almost 10 billion credential stuffing attempts in the first 90 days of 2022, which amounts to 34% of authentication traffic.
Ransomware Operators Might Be Dropping File Encryption in Favour of Corrupting Files
Corrupting files is faster, cheaper, and less likely to be stopped by endpoint protection tools than encrypting them.
A recent attack that involved a threat actor believed to be an affiliate of the BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation was found to use a data exfiltration tool dubbed Exmatter. Exmatter is a tool that allows attackers to scan the victim computer's drives for files with certain extensions and then upload them to an attacker-controlled server in a unique directory created for every victim. The tool supports several exfiltration methods including FTP, SFTP, and webDAV.
The way the Eraser function works is that it loads two random files from the list into memory and then copies a random chunk from the second file to the beginning of the first file overwriting its original contents. This doesn't technically erase the file but rather corrupts it. The researchers believe this feature is still being developed because the command that calls the Eraser function is not yet fully implemented and the function’s code still has some inefficiencies. Since the selected data chunk is random, it can sometimes be very small, which makes some files more recoverable than others.
Why destroy files by overwriting them with random data instead of deploying ransomware to encrypt them? At a first glance these seem like similar file manipulation operations. Encrypting a file involves overwriting it, one block at a time, with random-looking data (the ciphertext). However, there are ways to detect these encryption operations when done in great succession and many endpoint security programs can now detect when a process exhibits this behaviour and can stop it. Meanwhile, the kind of file overwriting that Exmatter does is much more subtle.
The act of using legitimate file data from the victim machine to corrupt other files may be a technique to avoid heuristic-based detection for ransomware and wipers, as copying file data from one file to another is much more plausibly benign functionality compared to sequentially overwriting files with random data or encrypting them.
Another reason is that encrypting files is a more intensive task that takes a longer time. It's also much harder and costly to implement file encryption programs, which ransomware essentially are, without bugs or flaws that researchers could exploit to reverse the encryption. There have been many cases over the years where researchers found weaknesses in ransomware encryption implementations and were able to release decryptors. This has happened to BlackMatter, the Ransomwware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation with which the Exmatter tool has been originally associated.
With data exfiltration now the norm among threat actors, developing stable, secure, and fast ransomware to encrypt files is a redundant and costly endeavour compared to corrupting files and using the exfiltrated copies as the means of data recovery.
It remains to be seen if this is the start of a trend where ransomware affiliates switch to data destruction instead of encryption, ensuring the only copy is in their possession, or if it's just an isolated incident where BlackMatter/BlackCat affiliates want to avoid mistakes of the past. However, data theft and extortion attacks that involve destruction are not new and have been widespread in the cloud database space. Attackers have hit unprotected S3 buckets, MongoDB databases, Redis instances, and ElasticSearch indexes for years, deleting their contents and leaving behind ransom notes so it wouldn't be a surprise to see this move to on-premises systems as well.
Revolut Hack Exposes Data Of 50,000 Users, Fuels New Phishing Wave
Revolut has suffered a cyber attack that gave an unauthorised third party access to personal information of tens of thousands of clients. The incident occurred over a week ago, on Sunday night, and has been described as "highly targeted."
Founded in 2015, Revolut is a financial technology company that has seen a rapid growth, now offering banking, money management, and investment services to customers all over the world. In a statement a company spokesperson said that an unauthorised party had access "for a short period of time" to details of only a 0.16% of its customers.
"We immediately identified and isolated the attack to effectively limit its impact and have contacted those customers affected. Customers who have not received an email have not been impacted" , Revolut said.
According to the breach disclosure to the State Data Protection Inspectorate in Lithuania, where Revolut has a banking license, 50,150 customers have been impacted. Based on the information from Revolut, the agency said that the number of affected customers in the European Economic Area is 20,687, and just 379 Lithuanian citizens are potentially impacted by this incident.
Details on how the threat actor gained access to the database have not been disclosed but it appears that the attacker relied on social engineering. The Lithuanian data protection agency notes that the likely exposed information includes:
Email addresses
Full names
Postal addresses
Phone numbers
Limited payment card data
Account data
However, in a message to an affected customer, Revolut says that the type of compromised personal data varies for different customers. Card details, PINs, or passwords were not accessed.
Researchers Say Insider Threats Play a Larger Role In Security Incidents
Insider threats are becoming an increasingly common part of the attack chain, with malicious insiders and unwitting assets playing critical roles in incidents over the past year, according to Cisco Talos research.
In a blog post, Cisco Talos researchers said organisations can mitigate these types of risks via education, user-access control, and ensuring proper processes and procedures are in place when and if employees leave the organisation.
There are a variety of reasons a user may choose to become a malicious insider, and unfortunately many of them are occurring today. The most obvious being financial distress, where a user has a lot of debt and selling the ability to infect their employer can be a tempting avenue. There have been examples of users trying to sell access into employer networks for more than a decade, having spotted them on dark web forums. The current climate, with the economy tilting toward recession, is ripe for this type of abuse.
The cyber crime underground remains a hot spot for insider threat recruitment efforts because of the relative anonymity, accessibility, and low barrier of entry it affords. Malicious actors use forums and instant messaging platforms to advertise their insider services or, vice versa, to recruit accomplices for specific schemes that require insider access or knowledge.
By far, the most popular motivation for insider threats is financial gain. There are plenty of examples of financially-motivated threat actors seeking employees at companies to provide data and access to sell in the underground or leverage against the organisation or its customers. There have also been instances where individuals turn to underground forums and instant messaging platforms claiming to be employees at notable organisations to sell company information.
SMBs vs. Large Enterprises: Not All Compromises Are Created Equal
Attackers view smaller organisations as having fewer security protocols in place, therefore requiring less effort to compromise. Lumu has found that compromise is significantly different for small businesses than for medium-sized and large enterprises.
There is no silver bullet for organisations to protect themselves from compromise, but there are critical steps to take to understand your potential exposure and make sure that your cyber security protocols are aligned accordingly.
Compromise often stay undetected for long periods of time – 201 days on average with compromise detection and containment taking approximately 271 days. It’s critical for smaller businesses to know they are more susceptible and to get ahead of the curve with safeguards.
Results from the Lumu Ransomware Assessment show a few reasons why attacks continue to stay undetected for such long periods of time:
· 58% of organisations aren’t monitoring roaming devices, which is concerning with a workforce that has embraced remote working
· 72% of organisations either don’t or only partially monitor the use of network resources and traffic, which is problematic given that most compromises tend to originate from within the network
· Crypto-mining doesn’t appear to be a concern for the majority of organisations as 76% either do not know or only partially know how to identify it; however, this is a commonly used technique for cyber criminals
Additionally, threat data unveils attack techniques used and how they vary based on the size of the organisation.
Small businesses are primarily targeted by malware attacks (60%) and are also at greater risk of Malware, Command and Control, and Crypto-Mining. Medium-sized businesses and large enterprises don’t see as much malware and are more susceptible to Domain Generated Algorithms (DGA). This type of attack allows adversaries to dynamically identify a destination domain for command and control traffic rather than relying on a list of static IP addresses or domains.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/09/22/smaller-organizations-security-protocols/
Cyber Attack Costs for Businesses up by 80%
In seven out of eight countries, cyber attacks are now seen as the biggest risk to business — outranking COVID-19, economic turmoil, skills shortages, and other issues. The "Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2022," which assesses how prepared businesses are to fight back against cyber incidents and breaches, polled more than 5,000 corporate cyber security professionals in the US, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands. These experts had some enlightening things to say.
According to the report, IT pros are more worried about cyber attacks (46%) than the pandemic (43%) or skills shortages (38%). And the data prove it. The survey indicates that in the past 12 months, US businesses weathered a 7% increase in cyber attacks. Approximately half of all US businesses (47%) suffered an attack in the past year.
Remote work has caused many smaller organisations to use cloud solutions instead of utilizing in-house IT services. However, with more cloud applications and APIs in use, the attack surface has broadened, too, making these organisations more vulnerable to cyber crime.
Although the proportion of staff working remotely almost halved in the past year — from 62% of the workforce in 2021 to 39% in 2022 — overall IT expenditures doubled, from $11.5 million in 2021 to $24.2 million this year. "Despite 61% of survey respondents now being back in the office, businesses are still experiencing a hangover from the pandemic," Hiscox said in a statement. "Remote working provided a year-long Christmas for cyber criminals, and we can see the results of their cyber-feast in the increased frequency and cost of attacks. As we move into a new era of hybrid working, we all have an increased responsibility to continue learning, and managing our own cyber security."
It may come as no surprise that as more organisations evolve and scale their digital business models, the median cost of an attack has surged — from $10,000 last year to $18,000 in 2022. The US is bearing the brunt of generally higher cyber attack costs, with 40% of attack victims incurring costs of $25,000 or higher. The most common vulnerability — i.e., the entry point for cyber criminals — was a cloud-based corporate server.
However, in terms of attack costs, the report reveals major regional disparities. While one organisation in the UK suffered total attack costs of $6.7 million, the hardest-hit firms in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands paid out more than $5 million. In turn, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain all experienced stable or lower median costs.
https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/cyberattack-costs-for-us-businesses-up-by-80-
Morgan Stanley Fined $35m By SEC For Data Security Lapse, Sold Devices Full of Customer PII
American financial services giant Morgan Stanley agreed to pay the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a $35m penalty on Tuesday over data security lapses.
According to the SEC's complaint, the firm would have allowed roughly 1000 unencrypted hard drives (HDDs) and about 8000 backup tapes from decommissioned data centres to be resold on auction sites without first being wiped.
The improper disposal of the devices reportedly started in 2016 and per the SEC complaint, was part of an "extensive failure" that exposed 15 million customers' data.
In fact, instead of destroying the hard drives or employing an internal IT team to erase them, Morgan Stanley would have contracted an unnamed third–party moving company with allegedly no experience in decommissioning storage media to take care of the hardware.
The moving company initially subcontracted an IT firm to wipe the drives, but their business relationship went sour, so the mover started selling the storage devices to another firm that auctioned them online without erasing them.
"This is an astonishing security mistake by one of the world's most prestigious banks, who would be expected to have well–established procedures in system life cycle management," Jordan Schroeder, managing CISO at Barrier Networks, told Infosecurity Magazine.
"Not only does the situation mean that the bank put customer data at risk, but it also demonstrates the organisation was not following an expected policy which explained the secure disposing of IT equipment."
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/morgan-stanley-pay-dollar35m-sec/
Eyeglass Reflections Can Leak Information During Video Calls
A group of academic researchers have devised a method of reconstructing text exposed via participants’ eyeglasses and other reflective objects during video conferences.
Zoom and other video conferencing tools, which have been widely adopted over the past couple of years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, may be used by attackers to leak information unintentionally reflected in objects such as eyeglasses, the researchers say.
Using mathematical modelling and human subjects experiments, this research explores the extent to which emerging webcams might leak recognizable textual and graphical information gleaming from eyeglass reflections captured by webcams.
Dubbed ‘webcam peeking attack’, a threat model devised by academics shows that it is possible to obtain an accuracy of over 75% when reconstructing and recognizing text with heights as small as 10 mm, captured by a 720p webcam.
According to the academics, attackers can also rely on webcam peeking to identify the websites that the victims are using. Moreover, they believe that 4k webcams will allow attackers to easily reconstruct most header texts on popular websites.
To mitigate the risk posed by webcam peeking attacks, the researchers propose both near- and long-term mitigations, including the use of software that can blur the eyeglass areas of the video stream. Some video conferencing solutions already offer blurring capabilities, albeit not fine-tuned.
https://www.securityweek.com/eyeglass-reflections-can-leak-information-during-video-calls
Uber Says It Was Likely Hacked by Teenage Hacker Gang LAPSUS$
Uber has published additional information about how it was hacked, claiming that it was targeted by LAPSUS$, a cyber criminal gang with a hefty track record that is thought to be composed largely of teenagers.
Last week, someone broke into Uber’s network and used the access to cause all sorts of chaos. The culprit, who claims to be 18 years old, managed to spam company staff with vulgar Slack messages, post a picture of a penis on the company’s internal websites, and leak images of Uber’s internal environment to the web. Now, the ride-share giant has released a statement providing details on its ordeal.
In its update, the company has clarified how it was hacked, largely confirming an account made by the hacker themself. Uber says that the hacker exploited the login credentials of a company contractor to initially gain access to the network. The hacker may have originally bought access to those credentials via the dark web, Uber says. The hacker then used them to make multiple login attempts to the contractor’s account. The login attempts prompted a slew of multi-factor authentication requests for the contractor, who ultimately authenticated one of them. The hacker has previously claimed that it conducted a social engineering scheme to convince the contractor to authenticate the login attempt.
Security experts have called this an “MFA fatigue” attack. This increasingly common intrusion tactic seeks to overwhelm a victim with authentication push requests until they validate the hacker’s illegitimate login attempt.
Most interestingly, Uber has also claimed that whoever was behind this hacking episode is affiliated with the cyber crime gang “LAPSUS$.” It’s not totally clear how Uber knows that.
https://gizmodo.com/uber-says-it-was-hacked-by-teenage-hacker-gang-lapsus-1849554679
Threats
Ransomware and Extortion
Microsoft SQL servers hacked in TargetCompany ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BlackCat ransomware’s data exfiltration tool gets an upgrade (bleepingcomputer.com)
SpyCloud Report: 90% of Companies Affected by Ransomware in 2022 - MSSP Alert
Netflix-style Ransomware Makes Your Organisation’s Data The Prize In A (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
LockBit ransomware builder leaked online by “angry developer” (bleepingcomputer.com)
How to Prevent Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) Attacks (trendmicro.com)
The Risk of Ransomware Supply Chain Attacks (trendmicro.com)
Europol and Bitdefender Release Free Decryptor for LockerGoga Ransomware (thehackernews.com)
Vice Society Demands Ransom From LAUSD Two Weeks After Hack (gizmodo.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Microsoft: Exchange servers hacked via OAuth apps for phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)
LinkedIn Smart Links abused in evasive email phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BBC Warns Of Cost-of-living Phishing, Expert Weighs In (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Microsoft 365 phishing attacks impersonate US govt agencies (bleepingcomputer.com)
How DKIM records reduce email spoofing, phishing and spam (techtarget.com)
Security alert: new phishing campaign targets GitHub users | The GitHub Blog
American Airlines learned it was breached from phishing targets (bleepingcomputer.com)
Email-based threats: A pain point for organisations - Help Net Security
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Malware
IT giants warn of ongoing Chromeloader malware campaigns - Security Affairs
Fake sites fool Zoom users into downloading deadly code • The Register
Malicious NPM package discovered in supply chain attack (techtarget.com)
How botnet attacks work and how to defend against them (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
This dangerous Android spyware could affect millions of devices | TechRadar
Banking Users Faced With Rewards Phishing Scam - IT Security Guru
Malicious Apps With Millions of Downloads Found in Apple App Store, Google Play (darkreading.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Cyber Attack Steals Passenger Data From Portuguese Airline | SecurityWeek.Com
American Airlines discloses data breach after employee email compromise (bleepingcomputer.com)
Significant cyber attack hits Australian telco Optus • The Register
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
London Police Arrested 17-Year-Old Hacker Suspected of Uber and GTA 6 Breaches (thehackernews.com)
Ukraine dismantles hacker gang that stole 30 million accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cambodian authorities crack down on cyber slavery • The Register
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Cryptocurrency world's Wintermute loses $160m in cyber-heist • The Register
South Korean prosecutors ask Interpol to issue red notice for Do Kwon | Financial Times (ft.com)
"Fake crypto millionaire" charged with alleged $1.7M cryptomining scam (bitdefender.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Multi-million dollar credit card fraud operation uncovered (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft Warns of Large-Scale Click Fraud Campaign Targeting Gamers (thehackernews.com)
Cyber crime cost American seniors $3 billion last year, a 62% jump (usatoday.com)
Insurance
Cyber Security Insurance Trends: Key Takeaways for MSPs - MSSP Alert
D&O insurance not yet a priority despite criminal trial of Uber’s former CISO | CSO Online
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Denial of Service DoS/DDoS
DDoS and bot attacks in 2022: Business sectors at risk and how to defend (bleepingcomputer.com)
Record DDoS Attack with 25.3 Billion Requests Abused HTTP/2 Multiplexing (thehackernews.com)
Imperva mitigated long-lasting, 25.3 billion request DDoS attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cloud/SaaS
Encryption
API
Open Source
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Pressure mounts against Europol over data privacy • The Register
San Francisco cops can use private cameras for surveillance • The Register
Parental Controls and Child Safety
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
5 Data Privacy Laws That Could Affect Your Business (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
France and Germany fall foul of EU data retention rules • The Register
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Russia Makes Veiled Threat to Destroy SpaceX's Starlink (pcmag.com)
Researchers Uncover New Metador APT Targeting Telcos, ISPs, and Universities (thehackernews.com)
Russian Sandworm hackers pose as Ukrainian telcos to drop malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Anonymous claims hacked website of Russian Ministry of Defence - Security Affairs
Pro-Ukraine Hacktivists Claim to Have Hacked Notorious Russian Mercenary Group (vice.com)
European Spyware Investigators Criticize Israel and Poland | SecurityWeek.Com
Hackathon finds dozens of Ukrainian refugees trafficked online | Ars Technica
Researchers Uncover Mysterious 'Metador' Cyber-Espionage Group (darkreading.com)
This dangerous Android spyware could affect millions of devices | TechRadar
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Inside Russia’s Vast Surveillance State: ‘They Are Watching’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Russian Cyberspies Targeting Ukraine Pose as Telecoms Providers | SecurityWeek.Com
Nation State Actors – China
Nation State Actors – Iran
FBI: Iranian hackers lurked in Albania’s govt network for 14 months (bleepingcomputer.com)
NATO's Team in Albania to Help on Iran-Alleged Cyber Attack | SecurityWeek.Com
Nation State Actors – Misc
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
Hackers Actively Exploiting New Sophos Firewall RCE Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
CISA adds Zoho ManageEngine flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogue - Security Affairs
AttachMe: a critical flaw affects Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) - Security Affairs
BIND Updates Patch High-Severity Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
15-year-old Python flaw found in 'over 350,000' projects • The Register
CISA warns of critical ManageEngine RCE bug used in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Critical Magento vulnerability targeted in new surge of attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Why Even Big Tech Companies Keep Getting Hacked—and What They Plan to Do About It - WSJ
20/20 visibility is paramount to network security - Help Net Security
Domain shadowing becoming more popular among cyber criminals (bleepingcomputer.com)
Multi-factor authentication fatigue attacks are on the rise: How to defend against them | CSO Online
What's behind the different names for cyber hacker groups (axios.com)
IT services group Wipro fires 300 employees moonlighting for competitors | TechCrunch
How can organisations benefit from full-stack observability? - Help Net Security
Firing Your Entire Cyber Security Team? Are You Sure? (thehackernews.com)
Cyber criminals launching more MFA bypass attacks (techtarget.com)
Microsoft (MSFT) Says Managers Shouldn’t Spy on Staff to Ensure They’re Working - Bloomberg
A third of enterprises globally don’t prioritize digital trust: ISACA | CSO Online
How Malware Hides in Images and What You Can Do About It (gizmodo.com)
International cooperation is key to fighting threat actors and cyber crime | CSO Online
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 05 August 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 August 2022
-Average Cost of Data Breaches Hits Record High of $4.35 Million: IBM
-Researchers Warns of Large-Scale Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) Attacks Targeting Enterprise Users
-UK NHS Suffers Outage After Cyber Attack on Managed Service Provider
-A Third of Organisations Experience a Ransomware Attack Once a Week
-Ransomware Products, Services Ads on Dark Web Show Clues to Danger
-Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, How Malware Tricks Users and Antivirus
-Microsoft Accounts Targeted with New MFA-Bypassing Phishing Kit
-Cyber Attack Prevention Is Cost-Effective, So Why Aren’t Businesses Investing to Protect?
-Securing Your Move to the Hybrid Cloud
-Lessons from the Russian Cyber Warfare Attacks
-Four Sneaky Attacker Evasion Techniques You Should Know About
-Zero-Day Defence: Tips for Defusing the Threat
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
Average Cost of Data Breaches Hits Record High of $4.35 Million: IBM
The global average cost of data breaches reached an all-time high of $4.35 million in 2022 compared with $4.24 million in 2021, according to a new IBM Security report. About 60% of the breached organisations raised product and services prices due to the breaches.
The annual report, conducted by Ponemon Institute and analysed and sponsored by IBM Security, is based on the analysis of real-world data breaches experienced by 550 organisations globally between March 2021 and March 2022.
According to the report, about 83% of the organisations have experienced more than one breach in their lifetime, with nearly half of the costs reported to be incurred more than a year after the breach.
The report revealed that ransomware and destructive attacks represented 28% of breaches among the critical infrastructure organisations studied, indicating that threat actors are specifically targeting the sector to disrupt global supply chains. The critical infrastructure sector includes financial services, industrial, transportation, and healthcare companies.
Researchers Warns of Large-Scale Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) Attacks Targeting Enterprise Users
A new, large-scale phishing campaign has been observed using adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) techniques to get around security protections and compromise enterprise email accounts.
It uses a technique capable of bypassing multi-factor authentication. The campaign is specifically designed to reach end users in enterprises that use Microsoft's email services.
Prominent targets include fintech, lending, insurance, energy, manufacturing, and federal credit union verticals located in the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
This is not the first time such a phishing attack has come to light. Last month, Microsoft disclosed that over 10,000 organisations had been targeted since September 2021 by means of AitM techniques to breach accounts secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
The ongoing campaign, effective June 2022, commences with an invoice-themed email sent to targets containing an HTML attachment, which includes a phishing URL embedded within it.
https://thehackernews.com/2022/08/researchers-warns-of-large-scale-aitm.html
UK NHS Suffers Outage After Cyber Attack on Managed Service Provider
The UK National Health Service (NHS) 111 emergency services were affected by a significant and ongoing outage triggered by a cyber attack that hit the systems of British managed service provider (MSP) Advanced.
Advanced's Adastra client patient management solution, which is used by 85% of NHS 111 services, was hit by a major outage together with several other services provided by the MSP, according to a status page.
"There was a major outage of a computer system that is used to refer patients from NHS 111 Wales to out-of-hours GP providers," the Welsh Ambulance Services said. "This system is used by Local Health Boards to coordinate these services for patients. The ongoing outage is significant and has been far-reaching, impacting each of the four nations in the UK."
The UK public was advised to access the NHS 111 emergency services using the online platform until the incident is resolved.
While no details were provided regarding the nature of the cyber attack, based on the wording, it is likely that this was a ransomware or data extortion attack.
A Third of Organisations Experience a Ransomware Attack Once a Week
Ransomware attacks show no sign of slowing. According to new research published by Menlo Security, a third of organisations experience a ransomware attack at least once a week, with one in 10 experiencing them more than once a day.
The research, conducted among 500+ IT security decision makers at US and UK organisations with more than 1,000 employees, highlights the impact this is having on security professionals’ own wellbeing. When asked what keeps them awake at night, 41% of respondents say they worry about ransomware attacks evolving beyond their team’s knowledge and skillset, while 39% worry about them evolving beyond their company’s security capabilities.
Their biggest concern, however, is the risk of employees ignoring corporate security advice and clicking on links or attachments containing malware (46%). Respondents worry more about this than they do their own job security, with just a quarter (26%) of respondents worried about losing their job.
According to the report, around half of organisations (61% US and 44% UK) have been the victim of a successful ransomware attack in the last 18 months, with customers and prospects the most likely entry point for an attack.
Partners/suppliers and employees/contractors are also seen as serious security risks, although one in 10 admit they are unable to identify how the attacks got in. The top three ransomware attack vectors are email (54%), web browsers via a desktop or laptop (49%) and mobile devices (39%).
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/08/04/organizations-experience-ransomware-attack/
Ransomware Products and Services Ads on Dark Web Show Clues to Danger
Why is ransomware’s destructive potential so daunting? Some clues are in the “for sale” ads. In an examination of some 35 million dark web URLs, a provider of machine identity management and a forensic specialist found some 475 web pages peddling sophisticated ransomware products and services with a number of high profile crews hawking ransomware-as-a-service.
The work is a joint effort between the Salt Lake City-based Venafi and Forensic Pathways, which took place between November 2021 and March 2022. Researchers used Forensic’s Dark Search Engine to carry out the investigation.
Here are some of the research findings:
87% of the ransomware found on the dark web has been delivered via malicious macros to infect targeted systems.
30 different “brands” of ransomware were identified within marketplace listings and forum discussions.
Many strains of ransomware being sold — such as Babuk, GoldenEye, Darkside/BlackCat, Egregor, HiddenTear and WannaCry — have been successfully used in high-profile attacks.
Ransomware strains used in high-profile attacks command a higher price for associated services. For example, the most expensive listing was $1,262 for a customised version of Darkside ransomware, which was used in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack.
Source code listings for well-known ransomware generally command higher price points. For example, Babuk source code is listed for $950 and Paradise source code is selling for $593.
Ransomware Sold for as Little as $1: In addition to a variety of ransomware at various price points, a wide range of services and tools that help make it easier for attackers with minimal technical skills to launch ransomware attacks are for sale on the dark web, Venafi said. Services with the greatest number of listings include those offering source code, build services, custom development services and ransomware packages that include step-by-step tutorials.
Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing: How Malware Tricks Users and Antivirus
One of the primary methods used by malware distributors to infect devices is by deceiving people into downloading and running malicious files, and to achieve this deception, malware authors are using a variety of tricks.
Some of these tricks include masquerading malware executables as legitimate applications, signing them with valid certificates, or compromising trustworthy sites to use them as distribution points.
According to VirusTotal, a security platform for scanning uploaded files for malware, some of these tricks are happening on a much larger scale than initially thought.
The platform has compiled a report presenting stats from January 2021 until July 2022, based on the submission of two million files daily, illustrating trends in how malware is distributed.
Abusing legitimate domains: Distributing malware through legitimate, popular, and high-ranking websites allows threat actors to evade IP-based blocklists, enjoy high availability, and provide a greater level of trust.
Using stolen code-signing certificates: Signing malware samples with valid certificates stolen from companies is a reliable way to evade AV detection and security warnings on the host. Of all the malicious samples uploaded to VirusTotal between January 2021 and April 2022, over a million were signed, and 87% used a valid certificate.
Disguised as popular software: Masquerading a malware executable as a legitimate, popular application has seen an upward trend in 2022. Victims download these files thinking they’re getting the applications they need, but upon running the installers, they infect their systems with malware. The most mimicked applications are Skype, Adobe Acrobat, VLC, and 7zip.
Lacing legitimate installers - Finally, there’s the trick of hiding malware inside legitimate application installers and running the infection process in the background while the real apps execute in the foreground. Based on VirusTotal stats, this practice also appears to be on the rise this year, using Google Chrome, Malwarebytes, Windows Updates, Zoom, Brave, Firefox, ProtonVPN, and Telegram as lures.
Microsoft Accounts Targeted with New MFA-Bypassing Phishing Kit
A new large-scale phishing campaign targeting credentials for Microsoft email services use a custom proxy-based phishing kit to bypass multi-factor authentication.
Researchers believe the campaign's goal is to breach corporate accounts to conduct BEC (business email compromise) attacks, diverting payments to bank accounts under their control using falsified documents.
The phishing campaign's targets include fin-tech, lending, accounting, insurance, and Federal Credit Union organisations in the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
The campaign was discovered by Zscaler's ThreatLabz researchers, who report that the operation is still ongoing, and the phishing actors register new phishing domains almost daily.
Starting in June 2022, Zscaler's analysts noticed a spike in sophisticated phishing attempts against specific sectors and users of Microsoft email services.
Some of the newly registered domains used in the campaign are typo-squatted versions of legitimate domains.
Notably, many phishing emails originated from the accounts of executives working in these organisations, whom the threat actors most likely compromised earlier.
Cyber Attack Prevention Is Cost-Effective, So Why Aren’t Businesses Investing to Protect?
Cyber attacks like ransomware, BEC scams and data breaches are some of the key issues businesses are facing today, but despite the number of high-profile incidents, many boardrooms are reluctant to free up budget to invest in the cyber security measures necessary to avoid becoming the next victim.
In a Help Net Security interview, Former Pentagon Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Reiber, VP Cyber security Strategy and Policy, AttackIQ, discusses how now, more than ever, companies need to protect themselves from cyber threat actors. He offers insight for CISOs, from talking to the Board to proper budget allocation.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/08/01/cyberattack-prevention-investing/
Securing Your Move to the Hybrid Cloud
The combination of private and public cloud infrastructure, which most organisations are already using, poses unique security challenges. There are many reasons why organisations adopt the public cloud, from enabling rapid growth without the burden of capacity planning to leveraging flexibility and agility in delivering customer-centric services. However, this use can leave companies open to threats.
Since regulatory requirements or other preferences dictate that certain applications remain on private (on-prem) infrastructure, many organisations choose to maintain a mix of private and public infrastructure. Additionally, organisations typically use multiple cloud providers simultaneously or preserve the option to move between providers. However, this hybrid approach presents unique and diverse security challenges. Different cloud providers and private cloud platforms may offer similar capabilities but different ways of implementing security controls, along with disparate management tools.
The question then becomes: How can an organisation maintain consistent governance, policy enforcement and controls across different clouds? And how can it ensure that it maintains its security posture when moving between them? Fortunately, there are steps professionals can take to ensure that applications are continuously secure, starting from the early stages of development and extending throughout the lifecycle.
https://threatpost.com/secure-move-cloud/180335/
Lessons from the Russian Cyber Warfare Attacks
Cyber warfare tactics may not involve tanks and bombs, but they often go hand-in-hand with real combat.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a prime example. Before Russian troops crossed the border, Russian hackers had already taken down Ukrainian government websites. And after the conflict started, the hacktivist group Anonymous turned the tables by hacking Russian media to shut down propaganda about the war.
In these unprecedented times of targeted attacks against governments and financial institutions, every organisation should be on heightened alert about protecting their critical infrastructure and digital attack surface.
With the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a backdrop, two Trend Micro security experts recently discussed cyber warfare techniques and how they’re an important reminder for every business to proactively manage cyber risk.
https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/ciso/22/h/russian-cyber-warfare-attacks.html
Four Sneaky Attacker Evasion Techniques You Should Know About
Remember those portrayals of hackers in the 80s and 90s where you just knew when you got pwned? A blue screen of death, a scary message, a back-and-forth text exchange with a hacker—if you got pwned in a movie in the 80s and 90s, you knew it right off the bat.
What a shame that today’s hackers have learned to be quiet when infiltrating an environment. Sure, “loud” attacks like ransomware still exist, but threat actors have learned that if they keep themselves hidden, they can usually do far more damage. For hackers, a little stealth can go a long way. Some attack tactics are inherently quiet, making them arguably more dangerous as they can be harder to detect. Here are four of these attack tactics you should know about.
Trusted Application Abuse: Attackers know that many people have applications that they inherently trust, making those trusted applications the perfect launchpad for cyber attacks. Threat actors know that defenders and the tools they use are often on the hunt for new malware presenting itself in environments. What isn’t so easy to detect is when the malware masquerades under legitimate applications.
Trusted Infrastructure Abuse: Much like trusted application abuse, trusted infrastructure abuse is the act of using legitimate, publicly hosted services and toolsets (such as Dropbox or Google Drive) as part of the attack infrastructure. Threat actors know that people tend to trust Dropbox and Google Drive. As a result, this makes these tools a prime means for threat actors to carry out malicious activity. Threat actors often find trusted infrastructure abuse easy because these services aren’t usually blocked at an enterprise’s gateway. In turn, outbound communications can hide in plain sight.
Obfuscation: Although cyber security has more than its fair share of tedious acronyms, the good news is that many terms can be broken down by their generic dictionary definitions. According to dictionary.com, this is what obfuscate means: “To make something unclear, obscure or difficult to understand.” And that’s exactly what it means in cyber security: finding ways to conceal malicious behaviour. In turn, this makes it more difficult for analysts and the tools they use to flag suspicious or malicious activity.
Persistence: Imagine writing up documentation using your computer, something you may well do in your role. You’ve spent a ton of time doing the research required, finding the right sources and compiling all your information into a document. Now, imagine not hitting save on that document and losing it as soon as you reboot your computer. Sound like a nightmare—or perhaps a real anxiety-inducing experience you’ve been through before? Threat actors agree. And that’s why they establish persistence. They don’t want all of their hard work to get into your systems in the first place to be in vain just because you restart your computer. They establish persistence to make sure they can still hang around even after you reboot.
Zero-Day Defence: Tips for Defusing the Threat
Because they leave so little time to patch and defuse, zero-day threats require a proactive, multi-layered approach based on zero trust.
The recent Atlassian Confluence remote code execution bug is just the latest example of zero-day threats targeting critical vulnerabilities within major infrastructure providers. The specific threat, an Object-Graph Navigation Language (OGNL) injection, has been around for years but took on new significance given the scope of the Atlassian exploit. And OGNL attacks are on the rise.
Once bad actors find such a vulnerability, proof-of-concept exploits start knocking at the door, seeking unauthenticated access to create new admin accounts, execute remote commands, and take over servers. In the Atlassian case, Akamai's threat research team identified that the number of unique IP addresses attempting these exploits grew to more than 200 within just 24 hours.
Defending against these exploits becomes a race against time worthy of a 007 movie. The clock is ticking and you don't have much time to implement a patch and "defuse" the threat before it's too late. But first you need to know that an exploit is underway. That requires a proactive, multi-layered approach to online security based on zero trust.
What do these layers look like? There are a number of different practices that security teams — and their third-party Web application and infrastructure partners — should be aware of.
https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/zero-day-defense-tips-for-defusing-the-threat
Threats
Ransomware
Reported ransomware attacks are just the tip of the iceberg. That's a problem for everyone | ZDNet
Initial Access Brokers - Key to Rise In Ransomware Attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Ransomware gangs are hitting roadblocks, but aren't stopping (yet) - Help Net Security
LockBit Ransomware Abuses Windows Defender for Payload Loading | SecurityWeek.Com
German Chambers of Industry and Commerce hit by 'massive' cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware Task Force releases SMB blueprint for defence and mitigation (scmagazine.com)
German semiconductor giant Semikron says hackers encrypted its network | TechCrunch
Ransomware Hit on European Pipeline & Energy Supplier Encevo Linked to BlackCat (darkreading.com)
Luxembourg Energy Company Hit by Ransomware | SecurityWeek.Com
Spanish research agency still recovering after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Countdown Clock Puts Pressure on Phishing Targets - Infosecurity Magazine
The most impersonated brand in phishing attacks? Microsoft - Help Net Security
Open Redirect Flaw Snags Amex, Snapchat User Data | Threatpost
A new malware threat is spying on users' Gmail inbox — do this before you're next | Laptop Mag
Massive New Phishing Campaign Targets Microsoft Email Service Users (darkreading.com)
North Korean Hackers Use Browser Extension to Spy on Gmail and AOL Accounts - Infosecurity Magazine
Other Social Engineering; SMishing, Vishing, etc
Malware
VirusTotal Reveals Most Impersonated Software in Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Gootkit Loader Resurfaces with Updated Tactic to Compromise Targeted Computers (thehackernews.com)
Woody RAT: A new feature-rich malware spotted in the wild | Malwarebytes Labs
New IoT RapperBot Malware Targeting Linux Servers via SSH Brute-Forcing Attack (thehackernews.com)
New Linux malware brute-forces SSH servers to breach networks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Attackers cause Discord discord with malicious npm packages • The Register
Gootkit AaaS malware is still active and uses updated tactics - Security Affairs
Mobile
Facebook finds new Android malware used by APT hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Google Patches Critical Android Bluetooth Flaw in August Security Bulletin - Infosecurity Magazine
Banking trojan finds new routes to accounts by infiltrating Google Play Store (scmagazine.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Nearly $200 Million Stolen from Cryptocurrency Bridge Nomad | SecurityWeek.Com
Crypto firm that promised security loses $200 million in 'frenzied free-for-all' hack | PC Gamer
Nomad to crooks: Keep 10% as a bounty, return the rest • The Register
Cyber attackers Drain Nearly $6M From Solana Crypto Wallets (darkreading.com)
Man robbed of $800,000 in cryptocurrency sues Google • The Register
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
UK Branded Europe’s “Capital of Card Fraud” - Infosecurity Magazine
Huge network of 11,000 fake investment sites targets Europe (bleepingcomputer.com)
Online payment fraud losses accelerate at an alarming rate - Help Net Security
COMMENT: 'Hi Mum, Hi Dad' Scams On The Rise - Britons Already (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Increase in Fake Tickets Being Sold by Cyber criminals on Social Media - IT Security Guru
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Dark Web
A Ransomware Explosion Fosters Thriving Dark Web Ecosystem (darkreading.com)
The popularity of Dark Utilities 'C2-as-a-Service' rapidly increases - Security Affairs
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Cyber attackers Increasingly Target Cloud IAM as a Weak Link (darkreading.com)
What Worries Security Teams About the Cloud? (darkreading.com)
Who Has Control: The SaaS App Admin Paradox (thehackernews.com)
Enterprises face a multitude of barriers to securing diverse cloud environments - Help Net Security
Open Source
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Hackers stole passwords for accessing 140,000 payment terminals | TechCrunch
Credential Canaries Create Minefield for Attackers (darkreading.com)
5 reasons why businesses should never use consumer-grade password managers | TechRadar
Social Media
Hackers Exploit Twitter Vulnerability to Exposes 5.4 Million Accounts (thehackernews.com)
Parliament shuts down TikTok account over China data security concerns (telegraph.co.uk)
Over 3,200 Apps Leak Twitter API Keys, Some Allowing Account Hijacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Increase in Fake Tickets Being Sold by Cyber criminals on Social Media - IT Security Guru
Privacy
Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Most companies are unprepared for CCPA and GDPR compliance - Help Net Security
Data privacy: Collect what you need, protect what you collect | CSO Online
India scraps data protection law, promises better successor • The Register
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Ukraine takes down 1,000,000 bots used for disinformation (bleepingcomputer.com)
Nancy Pelosi ties Chinese cyber-attacks to Taiwan visit • The Register
Spanish Research Center Suffers Cyber attack Linked to Russia | SecurityWeek.Com
Russian organisations attacked with new Woody RAT malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Greek intelligence spied on journalist with a surveillance spyware - Security Affairs
Rare Pegasus screenshots depict NSO Group's spyware capabilities | AppleInsider
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Nation State Actors – China
Chinese hackers use new Cobalt Strike-like attack framework (bleepingcomputer.com)
Massive China-Linked Disinformation Campaign Taps PR Firm for Help (darkreading.com)
Parliament shuts down TikTok account over China data security concerns (telegraph.co.uk)
Global network of fake news sites push Chinese propaganda, researchers find - CyberScoop
Taiwanese military reports DDoS in wake of US Speaker visit • The Register
Nation State Actors – North Korea
Nation State Actors – Iran
Nation State Actors – Misc APT
Vulnerabilities
VMware urges admins to patch critical auth bypass bug immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)
Critical RCE Bug in DrayTek Routers Opens SMBs to Zero-Click Attacks (darkreading.com)
Cisco fixes critical remote code execution bug in VPN routers (bleepingcomputer.com)
F5 Fixes 21 Vulnerabilities With Quarterly Security Patches | SecurityWeek.Com
High-Severity Bug in Kaspersky VPN Client Opens Door to PC Takeover (darkreading.com)
Slack Resets Passwords After a Bug Exposed Hashed Passwords for Some Users (thehackernews.com)
VMware Releases Patches for Several New Flaws Affecting Multiple Products (thehackernews.com)
Hackers are actively exploiting password-stealing flaw in Zimbra (bleepingcomputer.com)
Google fixed Critical Remote Code Execution flaw in Android - Security Affairs
CISA adds Zimbra bug to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogue - Security Affairs
Warning! Critical flaws found in US Emergency Alert System • The Register
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
Other News
APIs attacked in 94% of companies in past year - IT Security Guru
Over 60% of Organisations Expose SSH to the Internet - Infosecurity Magazine
How IT and security teams can work together to improve endpoint security - Microsoft Security Blog
Burnout and attrition impact tech teams sustaining modern digital systems - Help Net Security
Machine learning creates a new attack surface requiring specialized defences - Help Net Security
Cyber security lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic (techtarget.com)
10 enterprise database security best practices (techtarget.com)
Resolving Availability vs. Security, a Constant Conflict in IT (thehackernews.com)
Tips to prevent RDP and other remote attacks on Microsoft networks | CSO Online
The Myth of Protection Online — and What Comes Next (darkreading.com)
The Importance of Data Security in the Enterprise (techtarget.com)
How IT Teams Can Use 'Harm Reduction' for Better Cyber security Outcomes (darkreading.com)
Businesses lack visibility into run-time threats against mobile apps and APIs - Help Net Security
Browser synchronization abuse: Bookmarks as a covert data exfiltration channel - Help Net Security
Threats emanating from digital ecosystems can be a blind spot for businesses - Help Net Security
Busting the Myths of Hardware Based Security - Security Affairs
New Traffic Light Protocol standard released after five years (bleepingcomputer.com)
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 22 July 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 22 July 2022
-Insurer Refuses to Pay Out After Victim Misrepresented Their Cyber Controls
-5 Cyber Security Questions CFOs Should Ask CISOs
-The Biggest Cyber Attacks in 2022 So Far — and it’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
-Malware-as-a-Service Creating New Cyber Crime Ecosystem
-The Rise and Continuing Popularity of LinkedIn-Themed Phishing
-Microsoft Teams Default Settings Leave Organisations Open to Cyber Attacks
-Top 10 Cyber Security Attacks of Last Decade Show What is to Come
-Software Supply Chain Concerns Reach C-Suite
-EU Warns of Russian Cyber Attack Spillover, Escalation Risks
-Critical Flaws in GPS Tracker Enable “Disastrous” and “Life-Threatening” Hacks
-Russian Hackers Behind Solarwinds Breach Continue to Scour US And European Organisations for Intel, Researchers Say
-The Next Big Security Threat Is Staring Us in The Face. Tackling It Is Going to Be Tough
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
Insurer Refuses to Pay Out After Victim Misrepresented Their Cyber Controls
In what may be one of the first court filings of its kind, insurer Travelers is asking a district court for a ruling to rescind a policy because the insured allegedly misrepresented its use of multifactor authentication (MFA) – a condition to get cyber coverage.
According to a July filing, Travelers said it would not have issued a cyber insurance policy in April to electronics manufacturing services company International Control Services (ICS) if the insurer knew the company was not using MFA as it said. Additionally, Travelers wants no part of any losses, costs, or claims from ICS – including from a May ransomware attack ICS suffered.
Travelers alleged ICS submitted a cyber policy application signed by its CEO and “a person responsible for the applicant’s network and information security” that the company used MFA for administrative or privileged access. However, following the May ransomware event, Travelers first learned during an investigation that the insured was not using the security control to protect its server and “only used MFA to protect its firewall, and did not use MFA to protect any other digital assets.”
Therefore, statements ICS made in the application were “misrepresentations, omissions, concealment of facts, and incorrect statements” – all of which “materially affected the acceptance of the risk and/or the hazard assumed by Travelers,” the insurer alleged in the filing.
ICS also was the victim of a ransomware attack in December 2020 when hackers gained access using the username and password of an ICS administrator, Travelers said. ICS told the insurer of the attack during the application process and said it improved the company’s cyber security.
Travelers said it wants the court to declare the insurance contract null and void, rescind the policy, and declare it has no duty to indemnify or defend ICS for any claim.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2022/07/12/675516.htm#
5 Cyber Security Questions CFOs Should Ask CISOs
Armed with the answers, chief financial officers can play an essential role in reducing cyber risk.
Even in a shrinking economy, organisations are likely to maintain their level of cyber security spend. But that doesn’t mean in the current economic climate of burgeoning costs and a possible recession they won’t take a magnifying glass to how they are spending the money budgeted to defend systems and data. Indeed, at many companies, cyber security spending isn’t targeting the most significant dangers, according to experts — as evidenced by the large number of successful ransomware attacks and data breaches.
Without a comprehensive understanding of the security landscape and what the organisation needs to do to protect itself, how can CFOs make the right decisions when it comes to investments in cyber security technology and other resources? They can’t.
So, CFOs need to ensure they have a timely grasp of the security issues their organisation faces. That requires turning to the most knowledgeable people in the organisation: chief information security officers (CISOs) and other security leaders on the IT front lines.
Here are five questions CFOs should be asking their CISOs about the security of their companies.
How secure are we as an organisation?
What are the main security threats or risks in our industry?
How do we ensure that the cyber security team and the CISO are involved in business development?
What are the risks and potential costs of not implementing a cyber control?
Do employees understand information security and are they implementing security protocols successfully?
The Biggest Cyber Attacks in 2022 So Far — and it’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
For those in the cyber resilience realm, it’s no surprise that there’s a continued uptick in cyber attacks. Hackers are hacking, thieves are thieving and ransomers are — you guessed it — ransoming. In other words, cyber crime is absolutely a growth industry.
As we cross into the second half of this year, let’s look at some of the most significant attacks so far:
Blockchain schmockchain. Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com’s two-factor-identification (2FA) system was compromised as thieves made off with approximately $30 million.
Still the one they run to. Microsoft’s ubiquity makes it a constant target. Earlier this year, the hacking collective Lapsus$ compromised Cortana and Bing, among other Microsoft products, posting source code online.
Not necessarily the news. News Corp. journalist emails and documents were accessed at properties including the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and the New York Post in a hack tied to China.
Uncharitable ways. The Red Cross was the target of an attack earlier this year, with more than half a million “highly vulnerable” records of Red Cross assistance recipients compromised.
Victim of success. North Korea’s Lazarus Group made off with $600 million in cryptocurrencies after blockchain gaming platform Ronin relaxed some of its security protocols so its servers could better handle its growing popularity.
We can hear you now. State-sponsored hackers in China have breached global telecom powerhouses worldwide this year, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Politics, the art of the possible. Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo was breached twice this year as hacktivists exposed the records of donors to Canada’s Freedom Convoy.
Disgruntled revenge. Businesspeople everywhere were reminded of the risks associated with departing personnel when fintech powerhouse Block announced that a former employee accessed sensitive customer information, impacting eight million customers.
Unhealthy habits. Two million sensitive customer records were exposed when hackers breached Shields Health Care’s network.
They even stole the rewards points. General Motors revealed that hackers used a credentials stuffing attack to access personal information on an undisclosed number of car owners. They even stole gift-card-redeemable customer reward points.
For every breach or attack that generates headlines, millions of others that we never hear about put businesses at risk regularly. The Anti-Phishing Working Group just released data for the first quarter of this year, and the trend isn’t good. Recorded phishing attacks are at an all-time high (more than a million in just the first quarter) and were accelerating as the quarter closed, with March 2022 setting a new record for single-month attacks.
Malware-as-a-Service Creating New Cyber Crime Ecosystem
This week HP released their report The Evolution of Cybercrime: Why the Dark Web is Supercharging the Threat Landscape and How to Fight Back, exploring how cyber-criminals are increasingly operating in a quasi-professional manner, with malware and ransomware attacks being offered on a ‘software-as-a-service’ basis.
The report’s findings showed how cyber crime is being supercharged through “plug and play” malware kits that are easier than ever to launch attacks. Additionally, cyber syndicates are now collaborating with amateur attackers to target businesses, putting the online world and its users at risk.
The report’s methodology saw HP’s Wolf Security threat team work in tandem with dark-web investigation firm Forensic Pathways to scrape and analyse over 35 million cyber criminal marketplaces and forum posts between February and March 2022, with the investigation helping to gain a deeper understanding of how cyber criminals operate, gain trust, and build reputation. Its key findings include:
Malware is cheap and readily available: Over three-quarters (76%) of malware advertisements listed, and 91% of exploits (i.e. code that gives attackers control over systems by taking advantage of software bugs), retail for under $10.
Trust and reputation are ironically essential parts of cyber-criminal commerce: Over three-quarters (77%) of cyber criminal marketplaces analysed require a vendor bond – a license to sell – which can cost up to $3000. Of these, 92% have a third-party dispute resolution service.
Popular software is giving cyber criminals a foot in the door: Kits that exploit vulnerabilities in niche systems command the highest prices (typically ranging from $1,000-$4,000), while zero day vulnerabilities are retailing at 10s of thousands of pounds on dark web markets.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malware-service-cybercrime/
The Rise and Continuing Popularity of LinkedIn-Themed Phishing
Phishing emails impersonating LinkedIn continue to make the bulk of all brand phishing attempts. According to Check Point, 45% of all email phishing attempts in Q2 2022 imitated the style of communication of the professional social media platform, with the goal of directing targets to a spoofed LinkedIn login page and collecting their account credentials.
The phishers are generally trying to pique the targets’ interest with fake messages claiming that they “have appeared in X searches this week”, that a new message is waiting for them, or that another user would like to do business with them, and are obviously taking advantage of the fact that a record number of individuals are switching or are considering quitting their job and are looking for a new one.
To compare: In Q4 2021, LinkedIn-themed phishing attempts were just 8 percent of the total brand phishing attacks flagged by Check Point. Also, according to Vade Secure, in 2021 the number of LinkedIn-themed phishing pages linked from unique phishing emails was considerably lower than those impersonating other social networks (Facebook, WhatsApp).
Other brands that phishers loved to impersonate during Q2 2022 are (unsurprisingly) Microsoft (13%), DHL (12%) and Amazon (9%).
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/21/linkedin-phishing/
Microsoft Teams Default Settings Leave Organisations Open to Cyber Attacks
Relying on default settings on Microsoft Teams leaves organisations and users open to threats from external domains, and misconfigurations can prove perilous to high-value targets.
Microsoft Teams has over 270 million active monthly users, with government institutions using the software in the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, and other countries at varying levels.
Cyber security researchers have discovered that relying on default MS Teams settings can leave firms and high-value users vulnerable to social engineering attacks. Attackers could create group chats, masquerade as seniors within the target organisation and observe whether users are online.
Attackers could, rather convincingly, impersonate high-ranking officials and possibly strike up conversations, fooling victims into believing they’re discussing sensitive topics with a superior. Skilled attackers could do a lot of harm with this capability.
https://cybernews.com/security/microsoft-teams-settings-leave-govt-officials-open-to-cyberattacks/
Top 10 Cyber Security Attacks of Last Decade Show What is to Come
Past is prologue, wrote William Shakespeare in his play “The Tempest,” meaning that the present can often be determined by what has come before. So it is with cyber security, serving as the basis of which is Trustwave’s “Decade Retrospective: The State of Vulnerabilities” over the last 10 years.
Threat actors frequently revisit well-known and previously patched vulnerabilities to take advantage of continuing poor cyber security hygiene. “If one does not know what has recently taken place it leaves you vulnerable to another attack,” Trustwave said in its report that identifies and examines the “watershed moments” that shaped cyber security between 2011 and 2021.
With a backdrop of the number of security incidents and vulnerabilities increasing in volume and sophistication, here are Trustwave’s top 10 network vulnerabilities in no particular order that defined the decade and “won’t be forgotten.”
SolarWinds hack and FireEye breach, Detected: December 8, 2020 (FireEye)
EternalBlue Exploit, Detected: April 14, 2017
Heartbleed, Detected: March 21, 2014
Shellshock, Remote Code Execution in BASH, Detected: September 12, 2014
Apache Struts Remote Command Injection & Equifax Breach, Detected: March 6, 2017
Chipocalypse, Speculative Execution Vulnerabilities Meltdown & Spectre
BlueKeep, Remote Desktop as an Access Vector, Detected: January, 2018
Drupalgeddon Series, CMS Vulnerabilities, Detected: January, 2018
Microsoft Windows OLE Vulnerability, Sandworm Exploit, Detected: September 3, 2014
Ripple20 Vulnerabilities, Growing IoT landscape, Detected: June 16, 2020
Software Supply Chain Concerns Reach C-Suite
Major supply chain attacks have had a significant impact on software security awareness and decision-making, with more investment planned for monitoring attack surfaces.
Organisations are waking up to the need to establish better software supply chain risk management policies and are taking action to address the escalating threats and vulnerabilities targeting this expanding attack surface.
These were among the findings of a CyberRisk Alliance-conducted survey of 300 respondents from both software-buying and software-producing companies.
Most survey respondents (52%) said they are "very" or "extremely" concerned about software supply chain risks, and 84% of respondents said their organisation is likely to allocate at least 5% of their AppSec budgets to manage software supply chain risk.
Software buyers are planning to invest in procurement program metrics and reporting, application pen-testing, and software build of materials (SBOM) design and implementation, according to the findings.
Meanwhile, software developers said they plan to invest in secure code review as well as SBOM design and implementation.
https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/software-supply-chain-concerns-reach-c-suite
EU Warns of Russian Cyber Attack Spillover, Escalation Risks
The Council of the European Union (EU) said that Russian hackers and hacker groups increasingly attacking "essential" organisations worldwide could lead to spillover risks and potential escalation.
"This increase in malicious cyber activities, in the context of the war against Ukraine, creates unacceptable risks of spillover effects, misinterpretation and possible escalation," the High Representative on behalf of the EU said.
"The latest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against several EU Member States and partners claimed by pro-Russian hacker groups are yet another example of the heightened and tense cyber threat landscape that EU and its Member States have observed."
In this context, the EU reminded Russia that all United Nations member states must adhere to the UN's Framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace to ensure international security and peace.
The EU urged all states to take any actions required to stop malicious cyber activities conducted from their territory.
The EU's statement follows a February joint warning from CISA and the FBI that wiper malware attacks targeting Ukraine could spill over to targets from other countries.
Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) said in late March that it observed phishing attacks orchestrated by the Russian COLDRIVER hacking group against NATO and European military entities.
In May, the US, UK, and EU accused Russia of coordinating a massive cyber attack that hit the KA-SAT consumer-oriented satellite broadband service in Ukraine on February 24 with AcidRain data destroying malware, approximately one hour before Russia invaded Ukraine.
A Microsoft report from June also confirms the EU's observation of an increase in Russian malicious cyber activities. The company's president said that threat groups linked to Russian intelligence agencies (including the GRU, SVR, and FSB) stepped up cyber attacks against government entities in countries allied with Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
In related news, in July 2021, President Joe Biden warned that cyber attacks leading to severe security breaches could lead to a "real shooting war," a statement issued a month after NATO said that cyber attacks could be compared to "armed attacks" in some circumstances.
Critical Flaws in GPS Tracker Enable “Disastrous” and “Life-Threatening” Hacks
A security firm and the US government are advising the public to immediately stop using a popular GPS tracking device or to at least minimise exposure to it, citing a host of vulnerabilities that make it possible for hackers to remotely disable cars while they’re moving, track location histories, disarm alarms, and cut off fuel.
An assessment from security firm BitSight found six vulnerabilities in the Micodus MV720, a GPS tracker that sells for about $20 and is widely available. The researchers who performed the assessment believe the same critical vulnerabilities are present in other Micodus tracker models. The China-based manufacturer says 1.5 million of its tracking devices are deployed across 420,000 customers. BitSight found the device in use in 169 countries, with customers including governments, militaries, law enforcement agencies, and aerospace, shipping, and manufacturing companies.
BitSight discovered what it said were six “severe” vulnerabilities in the device that allow for a host of possible attacks. One flaw is the use of unencrypted HTTP communications that makes it possible for remote hackers to conduct adversary-in-the-middle attacks that intercept or change requests sent between the mobile application and supporting servers. Other vulnerabilities include a flawed authentication mechanism in the mobile app that can allow attackers to access the hardcoded key for locking down the trackers and the ability to use a custom IP address that makes it possible for hackers to monitor and control all communications to and from the device.
Russian Hackers Behind Solarwinds Breach Continue to Scour US And European Organisations for Intel, Researchers Say
The Russian hackers behind a sweeping 2020 breach of US government networks have in recent months continued to hack US organisations to collect intelligence while also targeting an unnamed European government that is a NATO member.
The new findings show how relentless the hacking group — which US officials have linked with Russia's foreign intelligence service — is in its pursuit of intelligence held by the US and its allies, and how adept the hackers are at targeting widely used cloud-computing technologies.
The hacking efforts come as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to fray US-Russia relations and drive intelligence collection efforts from both governments.
In recent months, the hacking group has compromised the networks of US-based organisations that have data of interest to the Russian government.
In separate activity revealed Tuesday, US cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks said that the Russian hacking group had been using popular services like Dropbox and Google Drive to try to deliver malicious software to the embassies of an unnamed European government in Portugal and Brazil in May and June.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/19/politics/russia-solarwinds-hackers/index.html
The Next Big Security Threat Is Staring Us in The Face. Tackling It Is Going to Be Tough
If the ongoing fight against ransomware wasn't keeping security teams busy, along with the challenges of securing the ever-expanding galaxy of Internet of Things devices, or cloud computing, then there's a new challenge on the horizon – protecting against the coming wave of digital imposters or deepfakes.
A deepfake video uses artificial intelligence and deep-learning techniques to produce fake images of people or events.
One recent example is when the mayor of Berlin thought he was having an online meeting with former boxing champion and current mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. But the mayor of Berlin grew suspicious when 'Klitschko' started saying some very out of character things relating to the invasion of Ukraine, and when the call was interrupted the mayor's office contacted the Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin – to discover that, whoever they were talking to, it wasn't the real Klitschko.
It's a sign that deepfakes are getting more advanced and quickly. Previous instances of deepfake videos that have gone viral often have tell-tale signs that something isn't real, such as unconvincing edits or odd movements, but the developments in deepfake technology mean it isn't difficult to imagine it being exploited by cyber criminals, particularly when it comes to stealing money.
While ransomware might generate more headlines, business email compromise (BEC) is the costliest form of cyber crime today. The FBI estimates that it costs businesses billions of dollars every year. The most common form of BEC attack involves cyber criminals exploiting emails, hacking into accounts belonging to bosses – or cleverly spoofing their email accounts – and asking staff to authorise large financial transactions, which can often amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The emails claim that the money needs to be sent urgently, maybe as part of a secret business deal that can't be disclosed to anyone. It's a classic social-engineering trick designed to force the victim into transferring money quickly and without asking for confirmation from anyone else who could reveal it's a fake request. By the time anyone might be suspicious, the cyber criminals have taken the money, likely closed the bank account they used for the transfer – and run.
BEC attacks are successful, but many people might remain suspicious of an email from their boss that comes out the blue and they could avoid falling victim by speaking to someone to confirm that it's not real. But if cyber criminals could use a deepfake to make the request, it could be much more difficult for victims to deny the request, because they believe they're actually speaking to their boss on camera.
Many companies publicly list their board of directors and senior management on their website. Often, these high-level business executives will have spoken at events or in the media, so it's possible to find footage of them speaking. By using AI-powered deep-learning techniques, cyber criminals could exploit this public information to create a deepfake of a senior-level executive, exploit email vulnerabilities to request a video call with an employee, and then ask them to make the transaction. If the victim believes they're speaking to their CEO or boss, they're unlikely to deny the request.
Threats
Ransomware
Post-Breakup, Conti Ransomware Members Remain Dangerous (darkreading.com)
The Kronos Ransomware Attack: What You Need to Know So Your Business Isn't Next (darkreading.com)
New Luna ransomware encrypts Windows, Linux, and ESXi systems (bleepingcomputer.com)
Digital security giant Entrust breached by ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)
Protecting Against Kubernetes-Borne Ransomware (darkreading.com)
Knauf cyber attack: Black Basta ransomware gang claims responsibility (techmonitor.ai)
New Redeemer ransomware version promoted on hacker forums (bleepingcomputer.com)
Kaspersky report on Luna and Black Basta ransomware | Securelist
New Cross-Platform 'Luna' Ransomware Only Offered to Russian Affiliates | SecurityWeek.Com
Conti’s Reign of Chaos: Costa Rica in the Crosshairs | Threatpost
Researchers uncover potential ransomware network with U.S. connections - CyberScoop
How Conti ransomware hacked and encrypted the Costa Rican government (bleepingcomputer.com)
A small Canadian town is being extorted by a global ransomware gang - The Verge
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Phishing Bonanza: Social-Engineering Savvy Skyrockets as Malicious Actors Cash In (darkreading.com)
Outlook users report suspicious activity from Microsoft IPs • The Register
PayPal Used to Send Malicious “Double Spear” Invoices - Infosecurity Magazine
LinkedIn remains the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Google Calendar provides new way to block invitation phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering
Malware
Hacking group '8220' grows cloud botnet to more than 30,000 hosts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Buy ‘plug-n-play’ malware for the price of a pint of beer (computerweekly.com)
New ‘Lightning Framework’ Linux malware installs rootkits, backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
Google pulls malware-infected apps, 3 million users at risk • The Register
Roaming Mantis hits Android and iOS users in malware, phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BYOD
Data Breaches/Leaks
Neopets data breach exposes personal data of 69 million members (bleepingcomputer.com)
Verified Twitter Vulnerability Exposes Data from 5.4 Million Accounts | RestorePrivacy
Mixed Messages as Neopets Scrambles to Respond to Mega Breach - Infosecurity Magazine
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cyber crime escalates as barriers to entry crumble | CSO Online
Understanding the Evolution of Cyber Crime to Predict its Future | SecurityWeek.Com
The growth in targeted, sophisticated cyber attacks troubles top FBI cyber official - CyberScoop
'AIG' Threat Group Launches with Unique Business Model (darkreading.com)
US DOJ report warns of escalating cyber crime, 'blended' threats (techtarget.com)
Chaotic LAPSUS$ Group Goes Quiet, but Threat Likely Persists (darkreading.com)
Last member of Gozi malware troika arrives in US for criminal trial – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Romanian hacker faces US trial over virus-for-hire service - The Verge
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
This Cloud Botnet Has Hijacked 30,000 Systems to Mine Cryptocurrencies (thehackernews.com)
Hackers Use Evilnum Malware to Target Cryptocurrency and Commodities Platforms (thehackernews.com)
Singapore distances itself from local crypto companies • The Register
FBI Warns Fake Crypto Apps are Bilking Investors of Millions | Threatpost
Ex-Coinbase manager charged in crypto insider trading case • The Register
FBI Warns of Fake Cryptocurrency Apps Stealing Millions from Investors (thehackernews.com)
My Big Coin founder guilty of $6m crypto-fraud • The Register
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
AML/CFT/Sanctions
UK Regulator Issues Record Fines as Financial Crime Surges - Infosecurity Magazine
Broker Fined £2m for Financial Crime Control Failings - Infosecurity Magazine
Insurance
82% of global insurers expect the rise in cyber insurance premiums to continue - Help Net Security
Will Your Cyber Insurance Premiums Protect You in Times of War? (darkreading.com)
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Software Supply Chain
Improving Software Supply Chain Cyber Security (trendmicro.com)
Why SBOMs aren't the silver bullet they're portrayed as - Help Net Security
Breaking down CIS's new software supply chain security guidance | CSO Online
Cloud/SaaS
60% of IT leaders are not confident about their secure cloud access - Help Net Security
Public Cloud Customers Admit Security Challenges - Infosecurity Magazine
The New Weak Link in SaaS Security: Devices (thehackernews.com)
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Open Source
Open source security needs automation as usage climbs amongst organisations | ZDNet
New ‘Lightning Framework’ Linux malware installs rootkits, backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
The US military wants to understand the most important software on earth | MIT Technology Review
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
The importance of secure passwords can't be emphasized enough - Help Net Security
3rd Party Services Are Falling Short on Password Security (bleepingcomputer.com)
Okta Exposes Passwords in Clear Text for Possible Theft (darkreading.com)
Enforcing Password History in Your Windows AD to Curb Password Reuse (bleepingcomputer.com)
Social Media
LinkedIn remains the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hacker selling Twitter account data of 5.4 million users for $30k (bleepingcomputer.com)
TikTok Engaging in Excessive Data Collection - Infosecurity Magazine
Privacy
Parental Controls and Child Safety
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
UK Regulator Issues Record Fines as Financial Crime Surges - Infosecurity Magazine
Legal Experts Concerned Over New UK Digital Reform Bill - Infosecurity Magazine
Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens (darkreading.com)
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
EU warns of risks of spillover effects associated with ongoing war - Security Affairs
US Cyber Command IDs new malware strains targeting Ukraine • The Register
Russian hackers use fake DDoS app to infect pro-Ukrainian activists (bleepingcomputer.com)
Experts Uncover New CloudMensis Spyware Targeting Apple macOS Users (thehackernews.com)
Hackers attempt to infiltrate Ukrainian tech company with backdoor malware, Talos says - CyberScoop
Will Your Cyber-Insurance Premiums Protect You in Times of War? (darkreading.com)
Hackers Target Ukrainian Software Company Using GoMet Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
Copycat DoS App Created by Russian Hackers to Target Ukraine - IT Security Guru
Albanian government websites go dark after cyber attack • The Register
Mysterious, Cloud-Enabled macOS Spyware Blows Onto the Scene (darkreading.com)
Belgium claims China-linked APT groups hit its ministries - Security Affairs
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Google, EU Warn of Malicious Russian Cyber Activity | SecurityWeek.Com
Google warns Kremlin-backed goons pose as pro-Ukraine app • The Register
Russia Released a Ukrainian App for Hacking Russia That Was Actually Malware (vice.com)
Cloaked Ursa (APT29) Hackers Use Trusted Online Storage Services (paloaltonetworks.com)
Russian SVR hackers use Google Drive, Dropbox to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russia, Iran discuss broad tech collaboration • The Register
Half of Russian spies in Europe expelled since Ukraine invasion, says MI6 chief | MI6 | The Guardian
Nation State Actors – China
Belgium says Chinese APT gangs attacked its government • The Register
Government blocks Chinese tech deal on national security grounds | Business News | Sky News
Nation State Actors – North Korea
Nation State Actors – Iran
Nation State Actors – Misc APT
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
Chrome 103 Update Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
Critical Bugs Threaten to Crack Atlassian Confluence Workspaces Wide Open (darkreading.com)
WordPress Page Builder Plug-in Under Attack, Can't Be Patched (darkreading.com)
SonicWall: Patch critical SQL injection bug immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco fixes bug that lets attackers execute commands as root (bleepingcomputer.com)
Atlassian reveals critical flaws across its product line • The Register
Netwrix Auditor Vulnerability Can Facilitate Attacks on Enterprises | SecurityWeek.Com
Azure's Security Vulnerabilities Are Out of Control - Last Week in AWS Blog
Oracle Releases 349 New Security Patches With July 2022 CPU | SecurityWeek.Com
0-day used to infect Chrome users could pose threat to Edge and Safari users, too | Ars Technica
Juniper Networks Patches Over 200 Third-Party Component Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
Google Chrome Zero-Day Weaponized to Spy on Journalists (darkreading.com)
Apple Ships Urgent Security Patches for macOS, iOS | SecurityWeek.Com
Juniper Releases Patches for Critical Flaws in Junos OS and Contrail Networking (thehackernews.com)
Code Execution and Other Vulnerabilities Patched in Drupal | SecurityWeek.Com
Atlassian Rolls Out Security Patch for Critical Confluence Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
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
Other News
Hackers for Hire: Adversaries Employ 'Cyber Mercenaries' | Threatpost
Companies around the globe still not implementing MFA - Help Net Security
Global Firms Fear the Worst Over Risk Management Failures - Infosecurity Magazine
Humans are becoming the primary security risk for organisations around the world - Help Net Security
What threats and challenges are CISOs and CROs most focused on? - Help Net Security
What InfoSec Pros Can Teach the Organisation About ESG (darkreading.com)
SATAn Turns Hard Drive Cable Into Antenna To Defeat Air-Gapped Security | Hackaday
Lack of staff and resources drives smaller teams to outsource security - Help Net Security
Office macro security: on-again-off-again feature now BACK ON AGAIN! – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Removing the blind spots that allow lateral movement - Help Net Security
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 June 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 17 June 2022
-How Organisations Can Protect Themselves in The Emerging Risk Landscape
-Phishing Reaches All-Time High in Early 2022
-Ransomware Attacks Are Surging, with More Dangerous Hybrid Attacks to Come. Is Your Cyber Security Up to Date?
-The Challenges of Managing Increased Complexity As Hybrid IT Accelerates
-72% Of Middle Market Companies Expect to Experience a Cyber Attack
-Malware's Destruction Trajectory and How to Defeat It
-Which Stolen Data Are Ransomware Gangs Most Likely to Disclose?
-Threat Actors Becoming More Creative Exploiting the Human Factor
-66% Of Organisations Store 21%-60% Of Their Sensitive Data in The Cloud
-Travel-related Cyber Crime Takes Off as Industry Rebounds
-How Should You Think About Security When Considering Digital Transformation Projects?
-Internet Explorer Now Retired but Still an Attacker Target
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
How Organisations Can Protect Themselves in The Emerging Risk Landscape
ThoughtLab’s 2022 cyber security benchmarking study ‘Cyber Security Solutions for a Riskier World’ revealed that the pandemic has brought cyber security to a critical inflection point. The number of material breaches that respondents suffered rose 20.5% from 2020 to 2021, and cyber security budgets as a percentage of firms’ total revenue jumped 51%, from 0.53% to 0.80%.
During that time, cyber security has become a strategic business imperative, requiring CEOs and their management teams to work together to meet the higher expectations of regulators, shareholders, and the board.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/13/cybersecurity-strategic-business-imperative-video/
Phishing Reaches All-Time High in Early 2022
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Phishing Activity Trends Report reveals that in the first quarter of 2022 there were 1,025,968 total phishing attacks—the worst quarter for phishing observed to date. This quarter was the first time the three-month total has exceeded one million. There were 384,291 attacks in March 2022, which was a record monthly total.
In the first quarter of 2022, OpSec Security reported that phishing attacks against the financial sector, which includes banks, remained the largest set of attacks, accounting for 23.6 percent of all phishing. Attacks against webmail and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers remained prevalent as well, while attacks against retail/ecommerce sites fell from 17.3 to 14.6 percent after the holiday shopping season.
Phishing against social media services rose markedly, from 8.5 percent of all attacks in 4Q2021 to 12.5 percent in 1Q2022. Phishing against cryptocurrency targets—such as cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers—inched up from 6.5 in the previous quarter to 6.6 percent of attacks.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/15/2022-total-phishing-attacks/
Ransomware Attacks Are Surging, with More Dangerous Hybrid Attacks to Come. Is Your Cyber Security Up to Date?
Time to reassess your cyber security strategies. Again.
Ransomware attacks on businesses have increased by one-third in the past year, according to a recent report by the Boston-based cyber security company Cybereason.
Most (73 percent of businesses) were hit by at least one ransomware attack in the past year, and 68 percent of businesses that paid a ransom were hit again in less than a month for a higher ransom, according to the survey, which polled 1,456 cyber security professionals at global companies with 700 or more employees.
These attacks have big implications: Thirty-seven percent of companies were forced to lay off employees after paying ransoms, and 33 percent were forced to temporarily suspend business.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, cyber security experts have insisted businesses improve their lines of defence to protect against an increased risk of ransomware attacks from Russia. Ransomware attacks have also increased since the start of the pandemic--the rise of remote work increased vulnerability for many businesses, which hackers have taken advantage of, a 2020 FBI memo noted. So, enterprises of all sizes are at risk from many more points of attack.
https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/ransomware-attacks-increasing-cyber-security-advice.html
The Challenges of Managing Increased Complexity as Hybrid IT Accelerates
SolarWinds released the findings of its ninth annual IT Trends Report which examines the acceleration of digital transformation efforts and its impact on IT departments. The report found the acceleration of hybrid IT has increased network complexity for most organisations and caused several worrisome challenges for IT professionals.
Hybrid and remote work have amplified the impact of distributed and complex IT environments. Running workloads and applications across both cloud and on-premises infrastructure can be challenging, and many organisations are increasingly experiencing—and ultimately hindered by—these pain points.
As more and more mission-critical workloads move to connected cloud architectures that span public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, enterprises recognise they need to invest in the tools that will help them ensure consistent policies and performance across all platforms and end users. However, they simultaneously face challenges such as budget, time constraints, and barriers to implementing observability as a strategy to keep pace with hybrid IT realities.
However professionals feel less confident in their organisation’s ability to manage IT. While 54% of respondents state they leverage monitoring strategies to manage this complexity, 49% revealed they lack visibility into the majority of their organisation’s apps and infrastructure. This lack of visibility impacts their ability to conduct anomaly detection, easy root-cause analysis, and other critical processes to ensure the availability, performance, and security of business-critical applications.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/hybrid-it-acceleration-challenges/
72% Of Middle Market Companies Expect to Experience a Cyber Attack
Middle market companies face an increasingly volatile cyber security environment, with threats coming from more directions than ever before and more skilled criminals targeting the segment, according to an RSM US and US Chamber of Commerce report.
However, there is good news as the number of breaches reported in the last year among middle market companies slightly decreased with protections becoming more available and executives understanding the consequences related to potential incidents. Twenty-two percent of middle market leaders claimed that their company experienced a data breach in the last year, representing a drop from 28% in last year’s survey, suggesting that even with enhanced protections in place and the decrease in attacks, companies cannot afford to let their guard down.
The middle market encountered a roller coaster of risks in the last year, from lingering threats related to the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty.
The small drop in reported breaches is encouraging, and largely attributed to middle market companies beginning to implement better identity and access management controls. Yet, even with the decline in reported attacks, companies recognise the risks posed by the current dynamic threat environment, with 72% of executives anticipating that unauthorised users will attempt to access data or systems in 2022, a sharp rise from 64% last year and the highest number since RSM began tracking data in 2015.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/middle-market-companies-cybersecurity/
Malware's Destruction Trajectory and How to Defeat It
Malware and targeted attacks on operating systems and firmware have become increasingly destructive in nature, and these more nefarious attack methods are rising in prevalence. And just to add insult to injury, there are more of them. Today’s attacks are hitting more often, and they are hitting harder.
In the first three decades of its existence, malware was primarily restricted to mischief and attempts by virus creators to discover if their creations would work. But now the threat landscape has changed from simple vandalism to lucrative cyber crime and state-sponsored attacks.
Wiper malware, in particular, has gained traction in recent months. The FortiGuard Labs research team has seen at least seven different malware attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure or Ukrainian companies so far this year. The primary reason for using Wiper malware is its sheer destructiveness – the intent is to cripple infrastructure. What does the increased presence of Wiper malware strains indicate? And what do security leaders need to know and do to keep their organisation safe? Read more…
https://www.securityweek.com/malwares-destruction-trajectory-and-how-defeat-it
Which Stolen Data Are Ransomware Gangs Most Likely to Disclose?
If your organisation gets hit by a ransomware gang that has also managed to steal company data before hitting the “encrypt” button, which types of data are more likely to end up being disclosed as you debate internally on whether you should pay the ransomware gang off?
Rapid7 analysed 161 data disclosures performed by ransomware gangs using the double extortion approach between April 2020 and February 2022, and found that:
The most commonly leaked data is financial (63%), followed by customer/patient data (48%)
Files containing intellectual property (e.g., trade secrets, research data, etc.) are rarely disclosed (12%) by ransomware gangs, but if the organisation is part of the pharmaceutical industry, the risk of IP data being disclosed is considerably higher (43%), “likely due to the high value placed on research and development within this industry.”
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/17/ransomware-data-disclosed/
Threat Actors Becoming More Creative Exploiting the Human Factor
Threat actors exhibited "ceaseless creativity" last year when attacking the Achilles heel of every organisation—its human capital—according to Proofpoint's annual The Human Factor 2022 report. The report, released June 2, draws on a multi-trillion datapoint graph created from the company's deployments to identify the latest attack trends by malicious players.
"Last year, attackers demonstrated just how unscrupulous they really are, making protecting people from cyber threats an ongoing—and often eye-opening—challenge for organisations,” Proofpoint said in a statement.
The combination of remote work and the blurring of work and personal life on smartphones have influenced attacker techniques, the report notes. During the year, SMS phishing, or smishing, attempts more than doubled in the United States, while in the UK, 50% of phishing lures focused on delivery notifications. An expectation that more people were likely working from home even drove good, old-fashioned voice scams, with more than 100,000 telephone attacks a day being launched by cyber criminals.
66% Of Organisations Store 21%-60% Of Their Sensitive Data in The Cloud
A Thales report, conducted by 451 Research, reveals that 45% of businesses have experienced a cloud-based data breach or failed audit in the past 12 months, up 5% from the previous year, raising even greater concerns regarding the protection of sensitive data from cyber criminals.
Globally, cloud adoption and notably multicloud adoption, remains on the rise. In 2021, organisations worldwide were using an average amount of 110 software as a service (SaaS) applications, compared with just eight in 2015, showcasing a startlingly rapid increase.
With increasing complexity of multicloud environments comes an even greater need for robust cyber security. When asked what percentage of their sensitive data is stored in the cloud, 66% said between 21-60%. However, only 25% said they could fully classify all data.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/cloud-based-data-breach-video/
Travel-related Cyber Crime Takes Off as Industry Rebounds
An upsurge in the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic grabs the attention of cyber criminals to scam the tourists.
Researchers are warning a post-COVID upsurge in travel has painted a bullseye on the travel industry and has spurred related cyber crimes.
Criminal activity includes an uptick in adversaries targeting the theft of airline mileage reward points, website credentials for travel websites and travel-related databases breaches, according to a report by Intel 471.
The impact of the attacks are hacked accounts stripped of value. But also, researchers say the consequences of recent attacks can also include flight delays and cancelations as airlines grapple with mitigating hacks.
https://threatpost.com/travel-related-cybercrime-takes-off/179962/
How Should You Think About Security When Considering Digital Transformation Projects?
Digital transformation helps businesses keep operating and stay competitive. Here are the ways to think about security so that businesses reap the benefits without taking on associated risks.
Multiple factors contribute to the sheer number of digital transformation projects underway today: the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), expanding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, the sudden shift to a remote workforce prompted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid rate of cloud migration. Digital transformation is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in order to survive and thrive in today’s business world.
CISOs and their security teams need to think about security in the digital age from both an internal and an external perspective. For the former, security teams should introduce and adopt digital enablers to transform the information security organisation. Digital enablers include the cloud, IoT, AI/machine learning (ML), and automation to transform the information security organisation.
For the latter, they should address potential risks as new digital enablers are introduced by the business to drive growth.
Here are five specific areas security teams should prioritise to achieve security-first digital transformation:
Security operations modernisation
Developer-centric security
Cloud strategy and execution
Connected devices
Big data and analytics
As important as it is to keep the business operating and competitive, organisations must transform securely. Keeping security at the forefront gives the business the benefits of digital transformation without the associated risks.
Internet Explorer Now Retired but Still an Attacker Target
Microsoft's official end-of-support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on June 15 relegated to history a browser that's been around for almost 27 years. Even so, IE still likely will provide a juicy target for attackers.
That's because some organisations are still using Internet Explorer (IE) despite Microsoft's long-known plans to deprecate the technology. Microsoft meanwhile has retained the MSHTML (aka Trident) IE browser engine as part of Windows 11 until 2029, allowing organisations to run in IE mode while they transition to the Microsoft Edge browser. In other words, IE isn't dead just yet, nor are threats to it.
Though IE has a negligible share of the browser market worldwide these days (0.52%), many enterprises still run it or have legacy applications tied to IE. This appears to be the case in countries such as Japan and Korea. Stories in Nikkei Asia and Japan Times this week quoted a survey by Keyman's Net showing that nearly 49% of 350 Japanese companies surveyed are still using IE. Another report in South Korea's MBN pointed to several large organisations still running IE.
Threats
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks are increasing with more dangerous hybrids ahead | CSO Online
Why do organisations need to prioritize ransomware preparedness? - Help Net Security
Ransomware and Phishing Remain IT's Biggest Concerns (darkreading.com)
The attacker’s toolkit: Ransomware-as-a-service | VentureBeat
Ransomware gang publishes stolen victim data on the public Internet - Help Net Security
Researchers Discover Way to Attack SharePoint and OneDrive Files with Ransomware | SecurityWeek.Com
ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang starts publishing victims' data on the clear web - Security Affairs
Ransomware gang creates site for employees to search for their stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft: Exchange servers hacked to deploy BlackCat ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Conti's Attack Against Costa Rica Sparks a New Ransomware Era | WIRED UK
Hello XD ransomware now drops a backdoor while encrypting (bleepingcomputer.com)
Alphv ransomware gang ups pressure with new extortion scheme (techtarget.com)
Costa Rica Chaos a Warning That Ransomware Threat Remains | SecurityWeek.Com
DeadBolt ransomware takes another shot at QNAP storage • The Register
The many lives of BlackCat ransomware - Microsoft Security Blog
Atlassian Confluence Flaw Being Used to Deploy Ransomware and Crypto Miners (thehackernews.com)
BlackCat Ransomware affiliates target unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers - Security Affairs
Ransomware gangs target Japan as a feeding ground | Financial Times (ft.com)
Africa's biggest supermarket hit by ransomware attacks | TechRadar
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
NakedPages Phishing Toolkit is Now Available on Cyber crime Forums - Infosecurity Magazine
New phishing attack infects devices with Cobalt Strike (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering
How social engineering attacks are evolving beyond email - Help Net Security
2,000 People Arrested Worldwide for Social Engineering Schemes | SecurityWeek.Com
Heineken giving away free beer for Father's Day? It's a WhatsApp scam (bitdefender.com)
Malware
Businesses are leaving bot attacks unchallenged for almost four months - Help Net Security
New Syslogk Linux rootkit uses magic packets to trigger backdoor (bleepingcomputer.com)
Linux Malware Deemed ‘Nearly Impossible’ to Detect | Threatpost
Authorities Shut Down Russian RSOCKS Botnet That Hacked Millions of Devices (thehackernews.com)
Akamai Warns Of "Panchan" Linux Botnet That Leverages Golang Concurrency, Systemd - Phoronix
Websites Hosting Fake Cracks Spread Updated CopperStealer Malware (trendmicro.com)
Mobile
Over a billion Google Play Store app downloads could be infected by malware | TechRadar
Android malware on the Google Play Store gets 2 million downloads (bleepingcomputer.com)
MaliBot: A New Android Banking Trojan Spotted in the Wild (thehackernews.com)
Chinese Hackers Distribute Backdoored Web3 Wallets for iOS and Android Users (thehackernews.com)
Android Spyware 'Hermit' Discovered in Targeted Attacks (darkreading.com)
Internet of Things - IoT
Anker Eufy smart home hubs exposed to RCE attacks by critical flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)
Researcher Shows How Tesla Key Card Feature Can Be Abused to Steal Cars | SecurityWeek.Com
Data Breaches/Leaks
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cyber Criminals Smuggle Ukrainian Men Across Border - Infosecurity Magazine
iCloud hacker gets 9 years in prison for stealing nude photos (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
INTERPOL raids hundreds of scammy call centers in sweep - CyberScoop
Fraud trends and scam tactics consumers should be aware of - Help Net Security
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Denial of Service DoS/DDoS
A tiny botnet launched the largest DDoS attack on record | ZDNet
DDoS Subscription Service Operator Gets 2 Years in Prison (darkreading.com)
Cloud/SaaS
Increased cloud complexity needs stronger cyber security - Help Net Security
Beware the 'Secret Agent' Cloud Middleware (darkreading.com)
SaaS security: How to avoid “death by 1000 apps” - Help Net Security
Quantifying the SaaS Supply Chain and Its Risks (darkreading.com)
83% of IT pros are using either hybrid or multi-cloud - Help Net Security
Privacy
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
24+ Billion Credentials Circulating on the Dark Web in 2022 — So Far (darkreading.com)
Strong passwords still a priority strategy for enterprises - Help Net Security
The future is passwordless. What's slowing it down? - Help Net Security
Brute-Force Attacks: How to Defend Against Them - MSSP Alert
Staffing Firm Robert Half Says Hackers Targeted Over 1,000 Customer Accounts | SecurityWeek.Com
Travel
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Privacy Watchdog Set to Keep Millions in Fines for Legal Costs - Infosecurity Magazine
Canada wants companies to report cyber attacks and hacking incidents | Reuters
A closer look at the US SEC Cyber Security Disclosure rule - Help Net Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Sophisticated Android Spyware 'Hermit' Used by Governments | SecurityWeek.Com
Chinese 'Gallium' Hackers Using New PingPull Malware in Cyberespionage Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Vladimir Putin forced by cyber attack in Russia to delay keynote speech | The Independent
Iranian hacking campaign that included former US ambassador exposed - CyberScoop
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Russian hackers start targeting Ukraine with Follina exploits (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mixed results for Russia's aggressive Ukraine information war, experts say - CyberScoop
Nation State Actors – China
Nation State Actors – Iran
Vulnerabilities
Microsoft fixes Follina and 55 other CVEs - Help Net Security
Details of Twice-Patched Windows RDP Vulnerability Disclosed | SecurityWeek.Com
New Hertzbleed side-channel attack affects Intel, AMD CPUs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Time to throw out those older, vulnerable Cisco SMB routers • The Register
Critical Citrix Bugs Impact All ADM Servers, Agents (darkreading.com)
Time to update: Google patches seven Chrome browser bugs, four rated 'high' risk | ZDNet
Why Log4j Is Still The Problem When The Patch Is Released 6 Months Ago? – Information Security Buzz
Atlassian Confluence Flaw Being Used to Deploy Ransomware and Crypto Miners (thehackernews.com)
Sophos Firewall zero-day bug exploited weeks before fix (bleepingcomputer.com)
Researchers Disclose Rooting Backdoor in Mitel IP Phones for Businesses (thehackernews.com)
How to mitigate Active Directory attacks that use the KrbRelayUp toolset | CSO Online
Hertzbleed disclosure raises questions for Intel (techtarget.com)
Critical Atlassian Confluence flaw remains under attack (techtarget.com)
Hackers exploit three-year-old Telerik flaws to deploy Cobalt Strike (bleepingcomputer.com)
Zimbra bug allows stealing email logins with no user interaction (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft takes months to fix critical Azure Synapse bug (techtarget.com)
PACMAN, a new attack technique against Apple M1 CPUs - Security Affairs
Critical Code Execution Vulnerability Patched in Splunk Enterprise | SecurityWeek.Com
High-Severity RCE Vulnerability Reported in Popular Fastjson Library (thehackernews.com)
This Security Exploit Could Have Major PS5 And PS4 Implications (slashgear.com)
Sector Specific
Financial Services Sector
Telecoms
Government
Health/Medical/Pharma Sector
Ransomware Risk in Healthcare Endangers Patients | Threatpost
Kaiser Permanente Says Data Breach Hit 69,000 Patients (gizmodo.com)
Transport and Aviation
CNI, OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA
Tackling 5 Challenges Facing Critical National Infrastructure Today (darkreading.com)
State of OT Security in 2022: Big Survey Key Insights (trendmicro.com)
Over a Dozen Flaws Found in Siemens' Industrial Network Management System (thehackernews.com)
Eight ICS Zero Days Could Open Doors for Hackers - Infosecurity Magazine
Web3
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Why We Need Security Knowledge and Not Just Threat Intel (darkreading.com)
Once is never enough: The need for continuous penetration testing - Help Net Security
CISOs Gain False Confidence in the Calm After the Storm of the Pandemic (darkreading.com)
9 ways hackers will use machine learning to launch attacks | CSO Online
API security warrants its own specific solution - Help Net Security
Cyber Security Courses Ramp Up Amid Shortage of Professionals | SecurityWeek.Com
How Russian sanctions may be helping US cyber security (techtarget.com)
UK Security Practitioners Lack The Confidence To Stop Attacks – Information Security Buzz
How Can Security Partnerships Help to Mitigate the Increasing Cyber Threat? (darkreading.com)
45% of cyber security pros are considering quitting the industry due to stress - Help Net Security
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 June 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 June 2022
-Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices and Sinking Coverage
-Ransomware Attacks Still The #1 Threat to Businesses and Organisations
-Third of UK Firms Have Experienced a Security Breach Since 2020
-There Is No Good Digital Transformation Without Cyber Security
-Ransomware Gang Now Hacks Corporate Websites to Show Ransom Notes
-Attackers Are Leveraging Follina, a Critical Microsoft Windows Vulnerability Affecting Nearly All Versions of Windows and Windows Server. What Can You Do?
-Ransomware Attacks Need Less Than Four Days to Encrypt Systems
-57% Of All Digital Crimes In 2021 Were Scams
-Intelligence Is Key to Strategic Business Decisions
-How Cyber Criminals Are Targeting Executives at Home and Their Families
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
Turbulent Cyber Insurance Market Sees Rising Prices And Sinking Coverage
As insurers and brokers reckon with unexpected losses, they're charging more for policies and setting higher requirements.
Chaos reigns in the cyber insurance market. Brokers and cyber insurance carriers — the companies that actually offer the policies — are tightening requirements on what applicants need to do to obtain policies due to losses the insurers have suffered from ransomware coverage. During the past year, premiums grew 18% in the first quarter of 2021 and were up 34% in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to Jess Burn, senior analyst at Forrester.
Organisations often find they cannot obtain cyber insurance, are not being renewed for coverage they already have, or are faced with soaring prices and shrinking coverage. Despite the value many organisations put on cyber insurance — in some cases, they're required to carry it to comply with regulations — obtaining such policies is getting more difficult.
While raising premiums, some insurers are reducing coverage. If an organisation bought $10 million worth of coverage for a given price in 2021, for example, renewing that policy in 2022 might see the coverage amount fall to $3 million and the premiums for that lower coverage rise. This phenomenon is due, in part, to insurers trying to strike the right balance of customers' risk profile versus their risk-mitigation efforts.
Ransomware Attacks Still The #1 Threat To Businesses And Organisations
In 2021, ransomware attacks continued to be one of the most prominent threats targeting businesses and organisations worldwide.
High-profile attacks disrupted operations of companies in various sectors.
For example, the Colonial Pipeline attack interrupted critical infrastructure, the JBS Foods attack influenced food processing, and the CNA breach disrupted the insurance industry.
Following the attacks, pressure of law enforcement on ransomware gangs intensified, though simultaneously these threat actors continued to evolve.
They are not only becoming more technologically sophisticated but are also extensively leveraging the growing cyber crime ecosystem looking to find new partners, services and tools for their operations.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/30/ransomware-trends-video/
Third Of UK Firms Have Experienced A Security Breach Since 2020
Cyber threats are behind soaring fraud and economic crime in the UK, where rates are now second only globally to South Africa, according to PwC.
The consulting giant’s latest Global Economic Crime Survey revealed that nearly two-thirds (64%) of UK businesses experienced fraud, corruption or other economic/financial crime during the past 24 months, a significant increase on the 56% recorded in 2020, and 50% in 2018.
It’s also much higher than the 2022 global average of 46%, PwC said.
Cyber crime was the most commonly reported fraud type, although figures here dropped from 42% in 2020 to 32% in 2022. Included for the first time in the report, supply chain incidents accounted for 19%.
Most (51%) reported fraud cases in the UK were traced back to external parties, versus just 43% globally. The top three culprits were cited as customers, hackers and vendors/suppliers.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/third-uk-security-breach-2020/
There Is No Good Digital Transformation Without Cyber Security
Network engineers and CIOs agree that cyber security issues represent the biggest risk for organisations that fail to put networks at the heart of digital transformation plans. According to research commissioned by Opengear, 53% of network engineers and 52% of CIOs polled in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Australia rank cyber security among the list of their biggest risks.
The concerns are fuelled by an escalating number of cyber attacks. In fact, 61% of CIOs report an increase in cyber security attacks/breaches from 2020-21 compared to the preceding two years. For digital transformation of networking, 70% of network engineers say security is the most important focus area, and 31% say network security is their biggest networking priority.
Digital transformation is a priority, but cyber security risk remains. CIOs also understand the importance of the issues. 51% of network engineers say their CIOs have consulted them on investments to deliver digital transformation plans, the highest priority in the survey.
What’s more, 41% of CIOs rank cyber security among their organisation’s most important investment priorities over the next year, with 35% stating it is among the biggest over the next five years. In both cases, cyber security ranks higher than any other factor.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/31/digital-transformation-cybersecurity-risk/
Ransomware Gang Now Hacks Corporate Websites To Show Ransom Notes
A ransomware gang is taking extortion to a new level by publicly hacking corporate websites to publicly display ransom notes.
This new extortion strategy is being conducted by Industrial Spy, a data extortion gang that recently began using ransomware. As part of their attacks, Industrial Spy will breach networks, steal data, and deploy ransomware on devices. The threat actors then threaten to sell the stolen data on their Tor marketplace if a ransom is not paid.
When ransomware gangs extort a victim, they typically give them a short window, usually a few weeks, to negotiate and pay a ransom before they start leaking data.
During this negotiation process, the threat actors promise to keep the attack secret, provide a decryption key, and delete all data if a ransom is paid.
After this period, the threat actors will use various methods to increase pressure, including DDoS attacks on corporate websites, emailing customers and business partners, and calling executives with threats.
These tactics are all done privately or with minimal exposure on their data leak sites, which are usually only visited by cyber security researchers and the media.
However, this is the first time we have seen a ransomware gang defacing a website to very publicly display a ransom note.
Attackers Are Leveraging Follina, A Critical Microsoft Windows Vulnerability Affecting Nearly All Versions of Windows and Windows Server. What Can You Do?
As the world is waiting for Microsoft to push out a patch for CVE-2022-30190, aka “Follina”, attackers around the world are exploiting the vulnerability in a variety of campaigns.
Microsoft has described CVE-2022-30190 as a Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) remote code execution vulnerability, confirmed it affects an overwhelming majority of Windows and Windows Server versions, and advised on a workaround to be implemented until a patch is ready.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/03/patch-cve-2022-30190/
Ransomware Attacks Need Less Than Four Days To Encrypt Systems
The duration of ransomware attacks in 2021 averaged 92.5 hours, measured from initial network access to payload deployment. In 2020, ransomware actors spent an average of 230 hours to complete their attacks and 1637.6 hours in 2019.
This change reflects a more streamlined approach that developed gradually over the years to make large-scale operations more profitable.
At the same time, improvements in incident response and threat detection have forced threat actors to move quicker, to leave defenders with a smaller reaction margin.
The data was collected by researchers at IBM's X-Force team from incidents analysed in 2021. They also noticed a closer collaboration between initial access brokers and ransomware operators.
Previously, network access brokers might wait for multiple days or even weeks before they found a buyer for their network access.
In addition, some ransomware gangs now have direct control over the initial infection vector, an example being Conti taking over the TrickBot malware operation.
Malware that breaches corporate networks is quickly leveraged to enable post-exploitation stages of the attack, sometimes completing its objectives in mere minutes.
57% Of All Digital Crimes In 2021Were Scams
Group-IB shares its analysis of the landscape of the most widespread cyber threat in the world: scams. Accounting for 57% of all financially motivated cyber crime, the scam industry is becoming more structured and involves more and more parties divided into hierarchical groups.
The number of such groups jumped to a record high of 390, which is 3.5 times more than last year, when the maximum number of active groups was close to 110. Due to SaaS (Scam-as-a-Service), in 2021 the number of cyber criminals in one scam gang increased 10 times compared to 2020 and now reaches 100.
Traffic has become the circulatory system of scam projects: researchers emphasise that the number of websites used for purchasing and providing “grey” and illegal traffic and that lure victims into fraudulent schemes has increased by 1.5 times. Scammers are going into 2022 on a new level of scam attack automation: no more non-targeted users. Scammers are now attracting specific groups of victims to increase conversion rates. Social media are more often becoming the first point of contact between scammers and their potential victims.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/31/scams-widespread-cyber-threat/
Intelligence Is Key To Strategic Business Decisions
Businesses have a growing need for greater relevance in the intelligence they use to inform critical decision-making. Currently just 18% of professionals responsible for security, risk, or compliance in their organisation feel that the intelligence they receive is “very specific and focused on their business”, a S-RM research reveals.
6 in 10 respondents also say the intelligence they receive takes too much time to analyse, meaning it does not always result in better informed decision making. This was the top reason behind dissatisfaction with external intelligence, identified by over 200 professionals working at companies with revenues of over $250 million.
The second most likely reason was that information was not tailored to business needs (47%), followed by too much information (35%).
Growing demand for the use of strategic intelligence has been prompted by increasing cyber (51%) and regulatory concerns (50%). And while these two factors have been climbing the boardroom agenda for years, geopolitical uncertainty has made the need to respond to these developments more acute. In particular, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has created a complex sanctions regime for businesses to operate.
Additionally, navigating the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a key challenge for businesses in the past three years, with 40% citing this as a catalyst in driving a growing need for strategic intelligence.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/03/intelligence-decision-making/
How Cyber Criminals Are Targeting Executives At Home And Their Families
Top executives and their families are increasingly being targeted on their personal devices and home networks, as sophisticated threat actors look for new ways to bypass corporate security and get direct access to highly sensitive data.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/01/cybercriminals-targeting-executives-video/
Threats
Ransomware
Cyber criminals Expand Attack Radius and Ransomware Pain Points | Threatpost
FBI, CISA warn: Don't get caught in Karakurt's web • The Register
Conti ransomware targeted Intel firmware for stealthy attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
YourCyanide Ransomware Propagates With PasteBin, Discord, Microsoft Links (darkreading.com)
Conti Leaks Reveal Ransomware Gang's Interest in Firmware-based Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Evil Corp switches to LockBit ransomware to evade sanctions (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware attack sends New Jersey county back to 1977 • The Register
Ransomware roundup: System-locking malware dominates headlines | CSO Online
What if ransomware evolved to hit IoT in the enterprise? • The Register
How Costa Rica found itself at war over ransomware | CSO Online
Experts warn of ransomware attacks on government orgs of small states - Security Affairs
Foxconn confirms ransomware attack disrupted production in Mexico (bleepingcomputer.com)
Why Ransomware Timeline Shrinks By 94%? – Information Security Buzz
Hundreds of Elasticsearch databases targeted in ransom attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Watch out for phishing emails that inject spyware trio • The Register
Telegram’s blogging platform abused in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering
Vishing attacks: What they are and how organisations can protect themselves - Help Net Security
Beware the Smish! Home delivery scams with a professional feel… – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Malware
New XLoader Botnet Version Using Probability Theory to Hide its C&C Servers (thehackernews.com)
LuoYu APT delivers WinDealer malware via man-on-the-side attacks - Security Affairs
EnemyBot malware adds enterprise flaws to exploit arsenal • The Register
Researchers Uncover Malware Controlling Thousands of Sites in Parrot TDS Network (thehackernews.com)
Logic bombs explained: Definition, examples, and prevention | CSO Online
Mobile
Top 10 Android banking trojans target apps with 1 billion downloads (bleepingcomputer.com)
WhatsApp accounts hijacked by call forwarding | Malwarebytes Labs
SideWinder Hackers Use Fake Android VPN Apps to Target Pakistani Entities (thehackernews.com)
SMSFactory Android malware sneakily subscribes to premium services (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishers Having a Field Day on WhatsApp, Telegraph (darkreading.com)
Apple blocked 1.6 millions apps from defrauding users in 2021 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
FBI warns of Ukrainian charities impersonated to steal donations (bleepingcomputer.com)
Euro Cops Bust $47m Money Laundering Operation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Three Nigerian Users of Agent Tesla RAT Arrested | SecurityWeek.Com
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs
Americans report losing over $1 billion to cryptocurrency scams (bleepingcomputer.com)
Clipminer malware gang stole $1.7M by hijacking crypto payments (bleepingcomputer.com)
Bored Ape Yacht Club, Otherside NFTs stolen in Discord server hack (bleepingcomputer.com)
WatchDog hacking group launches new Docker cryptojacking campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
$39.5 billion lost to phone scams in last year - Help Net Security
Britain's biggest bank issues 'urgent warning' over new scam (telegraph.co.uk)
Scams account for most of all financially motivated cyber crime - Help Net Security
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Denial of Service DoS/DDoS
Open Source
Linux malware is on the rise—6 types of attacks to look for | CSO Online
The Open Source Software Security Mobilization Plan: Takeaways for security leaders | CSO Online
Privacy
Vodafone plans carrier-level user tracking for targeted ads (bleepingcomputer.com)
Europe's hope to scan devices for unlawful files criticized • The Register
Passwords & Credential Stuffing
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Spyware, Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
NSA general confirms US offensive cyber ops in Ukraine war • The Register
Deadly Secret: Electronic Warfare Shapes Russia-Ukraine War | SecurityWeek.Com
Anonymous: Operation Russia after 100 days of war - Security Affairs
Chinese LuoYu hackers deploy cyber-espionage malware via app updates (bleepingcomputer.com)
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Nation State Actors – China
China-linked TA413 group actively exploits Microsoft Follina Zero-Day flawSecurity Affairs
Chinese state media propaganda found in 88% of Google, Bing news searches - CyberScoop
Chinese LuoYu Hackers Using Man-on-the-Side Attacks to Deploy WinDealer Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
How Beijing’s surveillance cameras crept into Britain’s corridors of power (telegraph.co.uk)
Nation State Actors – North Korea
Nation State Actors – Iran
Nation State Actors – Misc APT
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
CISA adds 75 vulnerabilities to catalogue in 3 days- IT Security Guru
Fighting Follina: Application Vulnerabilities and Detection Possibilities (darkreading.com)
Yet another zero-day (sort of) in Windows “search URL” handling – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Actively Exploited Atlassian Zero-Day Bug Allows Full System Takeover (darkreading.com)
Microsoft Azure vulnerabilities pose new cloud security risk - Protocol
GitLab Issues Security Patch for Critical Account Takeover Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
New Unpatched Horde Webmail Bug Lets Hackers Take Over Server by Sending Email (thehackernews.com)
Sector Specific
Financial Services Sector
Government
Health/Medical/Pharma Sector
Twice as Many Healthcare Organisations Now Pay Ransom - Infosecurity Magazine
Novartis says no sensitive data was compromised in cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Costa Rica’s public health agency hit by Hive ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Transport and Aviation
CNI, OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA
Food and Agriculture
Web3
Other News
How Failing to Prioritize Cyber Security can Hurt Your Company (analyticsinsight.net)
Bad news: The cyber security skills crisis is about to get even worse | ZDNet
Nearly Three-Quarters of Firms Suffer Downtime from DNS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine
CIOs and network engineers rank cyber security among the biggest risks - Help Net Security
How USB Drives Can Be a Danger to Your Computer (howtogeek.com)
Australian digital driver's licenses hackable in minutes • The Register
Over 3.6 million MySQL servers found exposed on the Internet (bleepingcomputer.com)
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 10 September 2021
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 10 September 2021
-91% Of IT Teams Have Felt 'Forced' To Trade Security For Business Operations
-Ransomware Attacks Increased Exponentially In 2021
-One In Three Suspect Phishing Emails Reported By Employees Really Are Malicious
-Hackers Shift From Malware To Credential Hijacking
-Attacker Breakout Time Now Less Than 30 Minutes
-Hackers Leak VPN Account Passwords From 87,000 Fortinet FortiGate Devices
-The Impact Of Ransomware On Cyber Insurance Driving The Need For Broader Cyber Security Knowledge
-Hackers Exploit Camera Vulnerabilities To Spy On Parents
-39% Of All Internet Traffic Is From Bad Bots
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
91% Of IT Teams Have Felt 'Forced' To Trade Security For Business Operations
A new survey suggests that most IT staff have felt pressured to ignore security concerns in favour of business operations. On Thursday, a new study report was released, which combines data from an online YouGov survey targeting office workers that adopted WFH and global research conducted with IT decision-makers. In total, 91% of those surveyed said that they have felt "pressured" to compromise security due to the need for business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 76% of respondents said that security had taken a backseat, and furthermore, 83% believe that working from home has created a "ticking time bomb" for corporate security incidents. https://www.zdnet.com/article/91-of-it-teams-have-felt-forced-to-trade-security-for-business-operations/
Ransomware Attacks Increased Exponentially In 2021
The growing threat of ransomware has been highlighted by NCC Group's Research Intelligence and Fusion Team (RIFT) analysis. Between January-March 2021 and April-June 2021, the number of ransomware assaults studied by the team climbed by 288%, indicating that enterprises are still facing waves of digital extortion in the form of targeted ransomware. https://www.ehackingnews.com/2021/09/ransomware-attacks-increased.html
Phishing Attacks: One In Three Suspect Emails Reported By Employees Really Are Malicious
All the time spent ticking boxes in cyber security training sessions seems to be paying off after all: according to a new report, about a third of emails reported by employees really are malicious or highly suspect, demonstrating the effectiveness of the well-established maxim "Think before you click". Researchers analysed over 200,000 emails that were flagged by employees from organisations across the globe in the first half of 2021 and found that 33% of the reports could be classified as phishing. https://www.zdnet.com/article/phishing-attacks-one-in-three-suspect-emails-reported-by-employees-really-are-malicious/
Hackers Shift From Malware To Credential Hijacking
Adversaries are relying less on malware to conduct attacks that are consequently more difficult to detect, according to an annual report conducted by researchers. “According to data from our customer base indexed by Threat Graph, 68% of detections from the last three months were not malware-based,” reads the report released Wednesday. “Attackers are increasingly attempting to accomplish their objectives without writing malware to the endpoint, using legitimate credentials and built-in tools (living off the land)—which are deliberate efforts to evade detection by traditional antivirus products.” https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2021/09/report-hackers-shift-malware-credential-hacking/185209/
Attacker Breakout Time Now Less Than 30 Minutes
The average time it takes threat actors to move from initial access to lateral movement has fallen by 67% over the past year, putting extra pressure on security operations (SecOps) teams, according to researchers. The findings come from researchers own investigations with customers across around 248,000 unique global endpoints. For incidents where this “breakout time” could be derived over the past year, it averaged just 1 hour 32 minutes. However, in over a third (36%) of intrusions, adversaries managed to move laterally to additional hosts in under 30 minutes. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/attacker-breakout-time-now-less/
Hackers Leak VPN Account Passwords From 87,000 Fortinet FortiGate Devices
Network security solutions provider Fortinet confirmed that a malicious actor had unauthorizedly disclosed VPN login names and passwords associated with 87,000 FortiGate SSL-VPN devices. "These credentials were obtained from systems that remained unpatched at the time of the actor's scan. While they may have since been patched, if the passwords were not reset, they remain vulnerable," the company said in a statement on Wednesday. https://thehackernews.com/2021/09/hackers-leak-vpn-account-passwords-from.html
53% Find It Difficult To Prevent An Insider Attack During Data Aggregation
Recent data from researchers found that 53% of companies find it impossible or very difficult to prevent an insider attack when data is being aggregated, a key indicator of intent of an attack. The vast majority of security threats follow a pattern or sequence of activity leading up to an attack, and insider threats are no exception. To fully understand any insider incident, visibility into the entire kill chain of an attack is imperative to preventing the exfiltration of critical data. https://venturebeat.com/2021/09/02/53-find-it-difficult-to-prevent-an-insider-attack-during-data-aggregation/
The Impact Of Ransomware On Cyber Insurance Driving The Need For Broader Cyber Security Knowledge
Not only have ransomware attacks spiked, the amount of ransom demanded has grown exponentially—to somewhere between $50 and $70 million dollars. Cyber Insurers can’t cover “whatever amount the hacker demands”—so major policies lost money. Insurers have responded by raising premiums, restricting coverage, or even getting out of the cyber-insurance game altogether in vulnerable markets. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/09/10/cyber-insurance-ransomware/
Hackers Exploit Camera Vulnerabilities To Spy On Parents
Various zero day vulnerabilities in home baby monitor could be compromised that lets threat actors hack into camera feed and put malicious codes like malware. The security issues were found in the IoT gadgets, made by China based developer Victure, that were found by researchers. In a security report, researchers revealed about the stack-based buffer flaw present in ONVIF server Victure PC420 component camera that allows hackers to plant remote codes on the victim device. When compromised, hacker can discover cameras (not owned by them) and command devices to broadcast camera feeds to third party and exploit the camera firmware. https://www.ehackingnews.com/2021/09/hackers-exploit-camera-vulnerabilities.html
39% Of All Internet Traffic Is From Bad Bots
Automated traffic takes up 64% of internet traffic – and whilst just 25% of automated traffic was made up by good bots, such as search engine crawlers and social network bots, 39% of all traffic was from bad bots, a Barracuda report reveals.
These bad bots include both basic web scrapers and attack scripts, as well as advanced persistent bots. These advanced bots try their best to evade standard defences and attempt to perform their malicious activities under the radar. The report revealed that the most common of these persistent bots were ones that went after e-commerce applications and login portals. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/09/07/bad-bots-internet-traffic/
Threats
Ransomware
BEC
Phishing
Other Social Engineering
Malware
Traffic Exchange Networks Distributing Malware Disguised As Cracked Software
New Malware Uses Novel Fileless Technique To Evade Detection
Mobile
IOT
Vulnerabilities
Zoho ManageEngine Password Manager Zero-Day Gets A Fix, Amid Attacks
New CPU Side-Channel Attack Takes Aim At Chrome’s Site Isolation Feature
Microsoft, CISA Urge Mitigations For Zero-Day RCE Flaw In Windows
Atlassian CISO Defends Company's Confluence Vulnerability Response, Urges Patching
PoC Released For GhostScript Vulnerability That Exposed Airbnb, Dropbox
New 0-Day Attack Targeting Windows Users With Microsoft Office Documents
Cisco Patches Critical Authentication Bug With Public Exploit
Data Breaches/Leaks
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptojacking
Insider Threats
DoS/DDoS
Nation State Actors
Cloud
Privacy
Other News
OWASP Shakes Up Web App Threat Categories With Release Of Draft Top 10
A Zero-Trust Future: Why Cyber Security Should Be Prioritized For The Hybrid Working World
Microsoft Has A $20 Billion Hacking Plan, But Cyber Security Has A Big Spending Problem
Misbehaving Microsoft Teams Ad Brings Down The Entire Windows 11 Desktop
This Seemingly Normal Lightning Cable Will Leak Everything You Type
HSE Cyber Attack: Irish Health Service Still Recovering Months After Hack
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 weekly ‘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 September 2021
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 September 2021
-Ransomware Attacks Soar 288% in H1 2021
-Ransomware Costs Expected To Reach $265 Billion By 2031
-Brute Force Email Attacks and Account Takeover Attempts Rise 671%, Reaching Unprecedented Levels, Causing Financial And Reputational Damage
-Investigation Into Hacked "Map" Of UK Gun Owners
-Eight US Financial Services Firms Given Six-Figure Fines Over BEC Data Breaches
-Ransomware Has Been A ‘Game Changer’ For Cyber Insurance
-WhatsApp hit with $267 million GDPR fine for bungling user privacy disclosure
-Microsoft Warns About Open Redirect Phishing Campaign
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 Attacks Soar 288% in First Half of 2021
The number of ransomware attacks surged by 288% between the first and second quarters of 2021 as double extortion attempts grew, according to the latest data.
Nearly a quarter (22%) of data leaks in the second quarter came from the Conti ransomware group, who typically gain initial network access to victim organisations via phishing emails.
It’s an unfortunate fact that no organisation in any sector is safe from ransomware today.
Targets range from IT companies and suppliers to financial institutions and critical national infrastructure providers, with ransomware-as-a-service increasingly being sold by ransomware gangs in a subscription model. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-attacks-soar-half-2021/
Ransomware Costs Expected To Reach $265 Billion By 2031
Think ransomware is expensive now? It’s not predicted to get any cheaper over the next decade. Ransoms could cost victims a collective total of $265 billion by 2031. The estimate is based on the prediction that the price tag will increase 30% every year over the next 10 years. https://securityintelligence.com/news/ransomware-costs-expected-265-billion-2031/
Brute Force Email Attacks and Account Takeover Attempts Rise 671%, Reaching Unprecedented Levels, Causing Financial And Reputational Damage
A new Email Threat Report for Q3 2021 examines the escalating adverse impact of socially-engineered and never-seen-before email attacks, and other advanced email threats—both financial and reputational—to organisations worldwide. The report surveyed advanced email attacks across eight major industry sectors, including retail and consumer goods, manufacturing, technology, energy and infrastructure services, medical, media and television, finance, and hospitality.
The report also finds 61% of organisations experienced a vendor email compromise/supply chain attack in Q2 2021.
Key report findings include:
32.5% of all companies were targeted by brute force attacks in early June 2021
137 account takeovers occurred per 100,000 mailboxes for members of the C-suite
61% of organisations experienced a vendor email compromise attack this quarter
22% more business email compromise attacks since Q4 2020
60% chance of a successful account takeover each week for organisations with 50,000+ employees
73% of all advanced threats were credential phishing attacks
80% probability of attack every week for retail and consumer goods, technology, and media and television companies
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/brute-force-email-attacks-account-120100299.html
Investigation Into Hacked "Map" Of UK Gun Owners
Gun-selling site Guntrader announced a data breach affecting more than 100,000 customers in July. This week, reports emerged that an animal rights activist blog had published the information. The group had formatted the data so it could be easily imported into mapping software to show individual homes. The National Crime Agency, which has been investigating the data breach and its fallout, said it "is aware that information has been published online as a result of a recent data breach which impacted Guntrader". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58413847
Eight US Financial Services Firms Given Six-Figure Fines Over BEC Data Breaches
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has sanctioned multiple financial services firms for cyber security failures that led to the compromise of corporate email accounts and the personal data of thousands of individuals. The case was brought after the unauthorised takeover of cloud-based email accounts at Seattle-based KMS Financial Services, and subsidiaries of California-headquartered Cetera Financial Group and Iowa-based Cambridge Investment Group. https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/eight-us-financial-services-firms-given-six-figure-fines-over-bec-data-breaches
Ransomware Has Been A ‘Game Changer’ For Cyber Insurance
Ransomware attacks accounted for nearly one quarter of all cyber incidents globally last year, according to a software company. The researchers “think of December 2019 as the tipping point for when we started to see ransomware take hold”. The U.S. was hit by a barrage of ransomware attacks in 2019 that impacted at least 966 government agencies, educational establishments, and healthcare providers at a potential cost in excess of $7.5 billion. All of this has a massive knock-on affect for the Insurance firms. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2021/08/30/628672.htm
Getting Ahead Of A Major Blind Spot For CISOs: Third-Party Risk
For many CISOs and security leaders, it was not long ago that their remit focused on the networks and digital ecosystems for their organisation alone. In today’s digital world, those days are a thing of the past with a growing number of businesses relying on third-party vendors to scale, save time and outsource expertise to stay ahead. With this change, new security risks affiliated with third-party vendors are more prevalent than ever before. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/09/01/getting-ahead-of-a-major-blind-spot-for-cisos-third-party-risk/
WhatsApp Hit With $267 Million GDPR Fine For Bungling User Privacy Disclosure
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Facebook-owned messenger WhatsApp for $225 million for failing to provide users enough information about the data it shared with other Facebook companies.
The fine is the largest penalty that the Irish regulator has waged since the European Union data protection law, the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, went into effect in 2018. https://www.cyberscoop.com/whatsapp-hit-with-267-million-gdpr-fine-for-bungling-user-privacy-disclosure/
Microsoft Warns About Open Redirect Phishing Campaign
Microsoft’s Security Intelligence team is warning over phishing campaigns using open redirector links, links crafted to subvert normal inspection efforts. Smart users know to hover over links to see where they're going to lead, but these links are prepared for that type of user and display a safe destination designed to lure targets into a false sense of security. Click the link and you'll be redirected to a domain that appears legit (such as a Microsoft 365 login page, for example) and sets the stage for you to voluntarily hand over credentials to bad actors without even realising it until it's too late. https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-warns-about-open-redirect-phishing-campaign
Previous Employees With Access To Corporate Data Remain A Threat To Businesses
Offboarding employees securely is a key problem for business leaders, with 40% concerned that employees who leave a company retain knowledge of passwords that grant access to corporate data. This is according to a report, which found few organisations are implementing access management solutions that work with all applications, meaning most lack the ability to revoke access to all corporate data as soon as an employee leaves. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/09/02/previous-employees-access-data/
BEC Scammers Seek Native English Speakers On Underground
Looking for work? Speak fluent English? Capable of convincingly portraying a professional – as in, somebody a highly ranked corporate leader would talk to? If you lack scruples and disregard those pesky things called “laws,” it could be your lucky day: Cyber Crooks are putting up help-wanted ads, looking for native English speakers to carry out the social-engineering elements of business email compromise (BEC) attacks. https://threatpost.com/bec-scammers-native-english-speakers/169092/
Half Of Businesses Can't Spot These Signs Of Insider Cyber Security Threats
Most businesses are struggling to identify and detect early indicators that could suggest an insider is plotting to steal data or carry out other cyber attacks. Research suggests that over half of companies find it impossible or very difficult to prevent insider attacks. These businesses are missing indicators that something might be wrong. Those include unusual amounts of files being opened, attempts to use USB devices, staff purposefully circumventing security controls, masking their online activities, or moving and saving files to unusual locations. All these and more might suggest that a user is planning malicious activity, including the theft of company data. https://www.zdnet.com/article/half-of-businesses-cant-spot-these-signs-of-insider-cybersecurity-threats/
Threats
Ransomware
Conti Ransomware Now Hacking Exchange Servers With ProxyShell Exploits
LockFile Ransomware Bypasses Protection Using Intermittent File Encryption
FBI, CISA: Ransomware Attack Risk Increases On Holidays, Weekends
LockBit Jumps Its Own Countdown, Publishes Bangkok Air Files
Phishing
Malware
Cyber Attackers Are Now Quietly Selling Off Their Victim's Internet Bandwidth
Cyber Criminal Sells Tool To Hide Malware In AMD, NVIDIA GPUS
Cyber Criminals Abusing Internet-Sharing Services To Monetise Malware Campaigns
Mobile
Snowden Slams Apple CSAM: Warns iPad, iPhone, Mac Users Worldwide
Kaspersky Lab Has Reported About Android Viruses Designed To Steal Money Automatically
Dangerous Android Malware Is Spreading — Beware Of Text Message Scam
Vulnerabilities
New BrakTooth Flaws Leave Millions Of Bluetooth-Enabled Devices Vulnerable
Meltdown-Like Vulnerability Disclosed For AMD Zen+ And Zen 2 Processors
NPM Package With 3 Million Weekly Downloads Had A Severe Vulnerability
Cisco Patches Critical Authentication Bug With Public Exploit
QNAP Working On Patches For OpenSSL Flaws Affecting Its NAS Devices
This Top TP-Link Router Ships With Some Serious Security Flaws
Data Breaches/Leaks
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Dark Web
DoS/DDoS
OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA
Cloud
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 weekly ‘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 August 2021
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 27 August 2021
-Cyber Crime Losses Triple To £1.3bn In 1h 2021
-New Ransomware Wake-Up Call
-22% Of Cyber Security Incidents In H1 2021 Were Ransomware Attacks
-Key Email Threats And The High Cost Of Business Email Compromise
-Microsoft Warns Thousands Of Cloud Customers Of Exposed Databases
-58% Of IT Leaders Worried Their Business Could Become A Target Of Rising Nation State Attacks
-Cyber Insurance Market Encounters ‘Crisis Moment’ As Ransomware Costs Pile Up
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 Crime Losses Triple To £1.3bn In H1 2021
Individuals and organisations lost three times more money to cyber crime and fraud in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2020, as incidents soared, according to new figures. The report revealed that between January 1 and July 31 2020, victims lost £414.7m to cyber crime and fraud. However, the figure surged to £1.3bn for the same period in 2021. This can be partly explained by the huge increase in cases from last year to this. In the first half of 2020, there were just 39,160 reported to Action Fraud, versus 289,437 in the first six months of 2021. https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybercrime-losses-triple-to-13bn/
Ransomware On A Rampage; A New Wake-Up Call
The ransomware rampage is continuing at pace and continues to create significant cyber security challenges. The use of ransomware by hackers to leverage exploits and extract financial benefits is not new. Ransomware has been around for over 2 decades, (early use of basic ransomware malware was used in the late 1980s) but as of late, it has become a trending and more dangerous cybersecurity threat. The inter-connectivity of digital commerce and expanding attack surfaces have enhanced the utility of ransomware as cyber weapon of choice for bad actors. Like bank robbers, cyber criminals go where the money is accessible. And it is now easier for them to reap benefits from extortion. Hackers can now demand cryptocurrencies payments or pre-paid cards that can be anonymously transacted. Those means of digital payments are difficult to trace by law enforcement. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckbrooks/2021/08/21/ransomware-on-a-rampage-a-new-wake-up-call/?sh=64a622362e81
22% Of Cyber Security Incidents In H1 2021 Were Ransomware Attacks
A report uncovered the number and nature of UK cyber security breaches reported to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2020 and 2021. So far in 2021 phishing was to blame for most incidents, accounting for 40% of all cyber security cases reported to the ICO, slightly down from 44% the year before. However, ransomware is surging, up from 11% of all reported incidents in the first half of 2020 to 22% in 2021. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/08/25/cybersecurity-incidents-h1-2021/
Ransomware: These Four Rising Gangs Could Be Your Next Major Cyber Security Threat
In recent months some significant ransomware operators have seemingly disappeared. But that doesn't mean that ransomware is any less of a problem, quite the opposite – new groups are emerging to fill the gaps and are often worse than the gangs that went before them. Cyber security researchers have detailed four upcoming families of ransomware discovered during investigations – and under the right circumstances, any of them could become the next big ransomware threat. One of these is LockBit 2.0, a ransomware-as-a-service operation that has existed since September 2019 but has gained major traction over the course of this summer. Those behind it revamped their dark web operations in June – when they launched the 2.0 version of LockBit – and aggressive advertising has drawn attention from cyber criminals. https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-these-four-rising-threats-could-be-the-next-major-cybersecurity-risk-facing-your-business/
Key Email Threats And The High Cost Of Business Email Compromise
Researchers published the results of a study analysing over 31 million threats across multiple organisations and industries, with new findings and warnings issued by technical experts that every organisation should be aware of. A key aspect to preventing attacks is having a deep understanding of cyber actor patterns and continuously monitoring and deconstructing campaigns to anticipate future ones. Phishing can be a profitable business model, and most breaches begin with a phishing email. What appears to be an innocent email from a trusted vendor or internal department can lead to firm-wide shutdowns, loss of crucial data, and millions in financial costs. As detailed in the report, threats ranging from ransomware, credential harvesters to difficult-to-discover but costly Business Email Compromise (BEC) targeted inboxes, could have resulted in over $354 million in direct losses had they been successful. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/08/23/key-email-threats/
Microsoft Warns Thousands Of Cloud Customers Of Exposed Databases
Microsoft on Thursday warned thousands of its cloud computing customers, including some of the world's largest companies, that intruders could have the ability to read, change or even delete their main databases, according to a copy of the email and a cyber security researcher. The vulnerability is in Microsoft Azure's flagship Cosmos DB database. A research team at security a company discovered it was able to access keys that control access to databases held by thousands of companies. https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-microsoft-warns-thousands-cloud-customers-exposed-databases-emails-2021-08-26/
58% Of IT Leaders Worried Their Business Could Become A Target Of Rising Nation State Attacks
Researchers released the findings of a global survey of 1,100 IT decision makers (ITDMs), examining their concerns around rising nation state attacks. 72% of respondents said they worry that nation state tools, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) could filter through to the dark net and be used to attack their business. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/08/23/rising-nation-state-attacks/
Cyber Insurance Market Encounters ‘Crisis Moment’ As Ransomware Costs Pile Up
It’s a sure sign of trouble when leading insurance industry executives are worried about their own prices going up. Ransomware now accounts for 75% of all cyber insurance claims, up from 55% in 2016, according to the credit ratings agency. The percentage increase in claims is outpacing that of premiums, said a June report which concluded that “the prospects for the cyber insurance market are grim.” Fitch Ratings in April found that the ratio of losses to premiums earned was at 73% last year, jeopardizing the profitability of the industry. https://www.cyberscoop.com/cyber-insurance-ransomware-crisis/
Security Teams Report Rise In Cyber Risk
Do you feel like you are gaining in your ability to protect your data and your network? If you are like 80% of respondents to the a recent report, you expect to experience a data breach that compromises customer data in the next 12 months. The report surveyed more than 3,600 businesses of all sizes and industries across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America for their thoughts on cyber risk. Despite an increased focus on security due to high-profile ransomware and other attacks in the past year, respondents reported a rise in risk due to inadequate security processes like backing up key assets. https://www.csoonline.com/article/3629477/security-teams-report-rise-in-cyber-risk.html
WARNING: Microsoft Exchange Under Attack With ProxyShell Flaws
The U.S. Cyber security and Infrastructure Security Agency is warning of active exploitation attempts that leverage the latest line of "ProxyShell" Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities that were patched earlier this May, including deploying LockFile ransomware on compromised systems. The vulnerabilities enable adversaries to bypass ACL controls, elevate privileges on the Exchange PowerShell backend, effectively permitting the attacker to perform unauthenticated, remote code execution. While the former two were addressed by Microsoft on April 13, a patch for CVE-2021-31207 was shipped as part of the Windows maker's May Patch Tuesday updates. https://thehackernews.com/2021/08/microsoft-exchange-under-attack-with.html
Threats
Ransomware
70% of Cyber Pros Believe Cyber Insurance is Exacerbating Ransomware
Nigerian Threat Actors Solicit Employees To Deploy Ransomware for Cut Of Profits
New Ransomware Called LockFile Targets Microsoft Exchange Servers
Researchers Find New Evidence Linking Diavol Ransomware To TrickBot Gang
FBI Sends Its First-Ever Alert About A ‘Ransomware Affiliate’
Phishing
That Email Asking For Proof Of Vaccination Might Be A Phishing Scam
Phishing Could Have Cost Businesses $354m In Potential Direct Losses
Other Social Engineering
Scammers Impersonate Europol Chief In An Effort To Defraud Belgians
Man Admits Impersonating Apple Support Staff To Steal 620,000 Photos From iCloud Accounts
Malware
New SideWalk Backdoor Targets U.S.-Based Computer Retail Business
Mozi Botnet Gains The Ability To Tamper With Its Victims’ Traffic
Shadowpad Malware Is Becoming A Favourite Choice Of Chinese Espionage Groups
Mobile
IOT
Mirai-Style Iot Botnet Is Now Scanning For Router-Pwning Critical Vuln In Realtek Kit
IoT Market To Reach $1.5 Trillion By 2027, Security Top Priority
Hackers Could Increase Medication Doses Through Infusion Pump Flaws
Vulnerabilities
VMware Issues Patches To Fix New Flaws Affecting Multiple Products
Critical Flaw Discovered In Cisco APIC for Switches — Patch Released
CISA Warns Admins To Urgently Patch Exchange ProxyShell Bugs
Data Breaches/Leaks
Guernsey Data Authority Imposed Sanctions On 11 Firms For Breaches Last Year
Data Leak Exposed 38 Million Records, Including COVID-19 Vaccination Statuses
Nokia Subsidiary Discloses Data Breach After Conti Ransomware Attack
T-Mobile Breach Hits 53 Million Customers As Probe Finds Wider Impact
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptojacking
Insider Threats
DoS/DDoS
OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA
Nation State Actors
Cloud
Privacy
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 weekly ‘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.