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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 March 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 March 2023:
-Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts and Cyber Incident Response Plans
-Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should Be a Top Cyber Security Priority
-IT Security Spending to Reach Nearly $300 Billion by 2026
-2023 Cyber Security Maturity Report Reveals Organisational Unpreparedness for Cyber Attacks
-Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked
-Should Your Organisation Be Worried About Insider Threats?
-UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022
-Financial Industry Hit by Rising Ransomware Attacks and BEC
-55 zero-day Flaws Exploited Last Year Show the Importance of Security Risk Management
-Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack
-New Victims Come Forward After Mass Ransomware Attack
-Ransomware Gangs’ Harassment of Victims is Increasing
-Wartime Hacktivism is Spilling Over Into the Financial Services Industry
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts and Cyber Incident Response Plans
A recent report conducted by security provider Huntress found some worrying results regarding SMBs lack of dedicated cyber experts and lack of cyber incident response plans. Some of the reports key findings were 24% of SMBs suffering a cyber attack or unsure if they had suffered a cyber attack in the last 12 months, 61% of SMBs not having a dedicated cyber security expert and 47% having no incident response plan. The report found that SMBs struggled to implement basic training and only 9% of employees adhered to security best practices, potentially due to the previously mentioned training struggles. The report highlights a clear need for SMBs to increase their cyber resilience and conduct effective user education and awareness training.
Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should be a Top Cyber Security Priority
Nearly 60% of all data breaches are initiated via third-party vendors and this is often hard to detect. The ever-increasing use of third party services has led to the average organisation sharing sensitive data with 583 third parties, a worrying number of attack vectors. Due to the impact a third party breach can have on an organisation it is imperative that organisations assess and risk manage their supply chains to increase the organisations cyber resilience.
IT Security Spending to Reach Nearly $300 Billion by 2026
Worldwide spending on security is forecast to be $219 billion in 2023, an increase of 12.1% compared to 2022. This figure is expected to continually rise, reaching nearly $300 billion by 2026. In Europe, it is predicted that the biggest portion of spending will still be represented by services, which will be increasingly leveraged by organisations with limited cyber security experience. Additionally the finance sector, which will have to constantly ensure regulatory adherence, is predicted to be the largest spending sector. Organisations should perform due diligence and ensure that they are using reputable services.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/20/it-security-spending-2026/
2023 Cyber Security Maturity Report Reveals Organisational Unpreparedness for Cyber Attacks
In 2022 alone cyber attacks increased by 38%, highlighting the need for organisations to have a high level of cyber maturity; despite this, a recent cyber security maturity report ranked UK organisations as 12th globally. Some of the findings from the report included that 32% of organisations were found to have weak passwords and 23% had weak authentication systems.
https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/2023-cybersecurity-maturity-report.html
Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked
The Securities and Exchange Commission recently released their rules on cyber security risk management, strategy governance and incident disclosure by public companies. As part of the rules, the public disclosure of board directors’ cyber risk biographies is mandated. Worryingly, recent research has found that there is a drastic gap in cyber expertise at the board director level, with 90% of companies not having a single director with cyber security expertise. Board directors are able to address this issue by retaining outside expert advisors, upskilling board members or hiring new cyber security board directors.
Should your Organisation be Worried about Insider Threats?
Cyber crime is predicted to reach $10.5 trillion worth, making it a lucrative business venture for opportunist criminals. One of the threats companies face is insider threat; this is where the threat comes from within the organisation. Insider threat can include third-party vendors, business partners and others with access to an organisations systems and networks. The threat an insider poses is commonly thought of as malicious but it can also be negligent, where insiders haven’t received proper user education and awareness training. Worryingly, insider threat is rising and research has shown a significant amount of under-reporting; over 70% of insider attacks never reach the headlines. As such, it is difficult for organisations to gauge the risk of insider threats.
https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/17/should-your-organization-be-worried-about-insider-threats/
UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022
According to recent research, attacker-reported ransomware incidents increased by 17% annually in the UK last year and 2023 is showing signs of a continual rise. With this continual rise, it is important for organisations to assess and build upon their cyber resilience.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-ransomware-incident-surge-17/
Financial Industry Hit by Rising Ransomware Attacks and BEC
According to a recent report by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) ransomware remained the biggest concern for the financial industry with an increase in attacks due to ransomware-as-a-service. Furthermore, FS-ISAC found a 300% increase in the number of business email compromise attacks from 2021 to 2022. Artificial intelligence was identified as an upcoming area of concern due to its ability to obfuscate detection.
55 zero-day Flaws Exploited Last Year Show the Importance of Security Risk Management
According to a report from intelligence provider Mandiant 55 zero-days were exploited in 2022 and 13 of those were used in cyber espionage attacks. Of the espionage attacks, 7 related to Chinese threat actors and 2 related to Russian threat actors. The report found that effective security management and patching remained the best protections for organisations.
Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack
Security experts recently identified a single business email compromise attack which amounted to $36.4m. The attack in question contained an invoice, payment instructions, a forged letterhead and even cc’d a legitimate and well known company. The attacker also changed “.com” to “.cam” to imitate a domain. The total cost of BEC based on reported incidents is around $2.7 billion and this is excluding unreported incidents. Organisations should ensure that staff are adequately trained in identifying and reporting such attacks.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/security-researchers-spot-36m-bec/
New Victims Come Forward After Mass Ransomware Attack
Russia-linked Ransomware gang “Clop” has claimed a mass hack of 130 organisations via the vendor GoAnywhere, with more victims coming forward. Clop adds names of victims to its dark web site, which is used to extort companies further by threatening to publish the stolen files unless a ransom is paid.
https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/22/fortra-goanywhere-ransomware-attack/
Ransomware Gangs’ Harassment of Victims is Increasing
Analysis by Palo Alto Networks found that harassment was a factor in 20% of ransomware cases, a significant jump from less than 1% in mid 2021. The harassment campaign by threat attackers is intended to make sure that ransom payments are met. This adds to the stress that organisations already face with ransomware incidents.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-gangs-harassment-victims-increasing/
Wartime Hacktivism is Spilling Over into the Financial Services Industry
The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) has identified that financial firms in countries that Russia considers hostile have been singled out for attacks and these attacks are going to continue if the Russia and Ukraine war persists.
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
LockBit 3.0 Ransomware: Inside the Cyberthreat That's Costing Millions (thehackernews.com)
UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Banks, Financial Sector Hit By Rising Ransomware Attacks - Bloomberg
BianLian ransomware crew swaps encryption for extortion • The Register
New victims come forward after mass-ransomware attack | TechCrunch
Ransomware Gangs' Harassment of Victims Is Increasing (techrepublic.com)
LockBit ransomware gang now also claims City of Oakland breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Free decryptor released for Conti-based ransomware following data leak | Tripwire
New 'Trigona' Ransomware Targets US, Europe, Australia - SecurityWeek
Ransomware Strongly Influencing SOC Modernization Strategies, Cybereason Research Shows - MSSP Alert
US govt agencies released an alert on the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware- Security Affairs
Security News This Week: Ring Is in a Standoff With Hackers | WIRED UK
CISA kicks off ransomware vulnerability pilot to help spot ransomware-exploitable flaws | CSO Online
Clop ransomware claims Saks Fifth Avenue, retailer says mock data stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)
Researchers Shed Light on CatB Ransomware's Evasion Techniques (thehackernews.com)
Why CISOs Are Looking to Lateral Security to Mitigate Ransomware | CIO
Dole discloses employee data breach after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Prevent Ransomware with Cyber security Monitoring (trendmicro.com)
Ferrari in a spin as crims steal customer data • The Register
Play ransomware gang hit Dutch shipping firm Royal Dirkzwager- Security Affairs
Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
City of Toronto confirms data theft, Clop claims responsibility (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
2FA/MFA
Malware
Emotet malware now distributed in Microsoft OneNote files to evade defences (bleepingcomputer.com)
ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)
RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch
Mispadu Banking Trojan Targets Latin America: 90,000+ Credentials Stolen (thehackernews.com)
Custom 'Naplistener' Malware a Nightmare for Network-Based Detection (darkreading.com)
New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)
Python info-stealing malware uses Unicode to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
Nexus: A New Rising Android Banking Trojan Targeting 450 Financial Apps (thehackernews.com)
The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack
Android apps are spying on you — with no easy way to stop them | Digital Trends
Your Samsung phone may have a big security flaw – here's how to stay safe | TechRadar
How to keep your phone safe from the scary Exynos modem vulnerability (androidpolice.com)
Botnets
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
New ‘HinataBot’ botnet could launch massive 3.3 Tbps DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mirai Hackers Use Golang to Create a Bigger, Badder DDoS Botnet (darkreading.com)
New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register
Google sounds alarm on Samsung modem bugs in Android devices • The Register
EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com
Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)
Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data breaches cost businesses nearly $6M on average: Mastercard | CTV News
Healthcare provider ILS warns 4.2 million people of data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
NBA is warning fans of a data breach after a third-party newsletter service hack- Security Affairs
Lowe’s Market chain leaves client data up for grabs- Security Affairs
Ferrari discloses data breach after receiving ransom demand (bleepingcomputer.com)
South Korea fines McDonalds for data leak from raw SMB share • The Register
A million at risk from user data leak at Korean beauty platform PowderRoom- Security Affairs
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Fireblocks Discloses Critical Vulnerability in BitGo Ethereum Wallets - Decrypt
General Bytes Bitcoin ATMs hacked using zero-day, $1.5M stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)
Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Should Your Organisation Be Worried About Insider Threats? - IT Security Guru
Top 5 Insider Threats to Look Out For in 2023- Security Affairs
Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security
‘My bank did not stop £6,500 payment to holiday scammers despite my pleas’ | Scams | The Guardian
The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack
Hackers inject credit card stealers into payment processing modules (bleepingcomputer.com)
Deepfakes
Insurance
SMBs don't see need for cyber insurance since they won't experience security incidents | ZDNET
Cyber insurance carriers expanding role in incident response | TechTarget
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should Be a Top Cyber security Priority (darkreading.com)
Companies vulnerable to cyber-attack via suppliers - research | RNZ News
Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security
MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat
Bitcoin ATM maker shuts cloud service after user hot wallets compromised (cointelegraph.com)
The cloud backlash has begun: Why big data is pulling compute back on premises | TechCrunch
Shouldering the Increasingly Heavy Cloud Shared-Responsibility Model (darkreading.com)
The hidden danger to zero trust: Excessive cloud permissions • Graham Cluley
New CISA tool detects hacking activity in Microsoft cloud services (bleepingcomputer.com)
4 Tips for Better AWS Cloud Workload Security (trendmicro.com)
Hybrid/Remote Working
Identity and Access Management
How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat
The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security
Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)
CISA, NSA push identity and access management framework as risks grow | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
API
Open Source
New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)
Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Social Media
BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register
TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register
Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop
Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)
Training, Education and Awareness
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)
EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com
India’s infosec reporting rules observed by just 15 orgs • The Register
Why Organisations Need To Go Beyond Federal Cyber security Compliance Standards (forbes.com)
Governance, Risk and Compliance
How CISOs Can Work With the CFO to Get the Best Security Budget (darkreading.com)
How to best allocate IT and cyber security budgets in 2023 - Help Net Security
IT security spending to reach nearly $300 billion by 2026 - Help Net Security
Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)
How Your Cyber security Strategy Enables Better Business (trendmicro.com)
55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online
How Can CISOs Connect With the Board of Directors? (darkreading.com)
Achieving The Five Levels Of Information Security Governance (forbes.com)
Enhance security while lowering IT overhead in times of recession - Help Net Security
Why organisations shouldn't fold to cyber criminal requests - Help Net Security
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Meta Proposes Revamped Approach to Online Kill Chain Frameworks (darkreading.com)
MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)
Backup and Recovery
Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security
Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
New York Man Arrested for Running BreachForums Cyber crime Website - SecurityWeek
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register
Use of Meta tracking tools found to breach EU rules on data transfers | TechCrunch
How to protect online privacy in the age of pixel trackers - Help Net Security
Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)
French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register
Artificial Intelligence
EU's AI regulation vote looms. We’re still not sure how unrestrained AI should be | Euronews
ChatGPT Leaves Governments Scrambling for AI Regulations - Bloomberg
ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)
Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security
We need to create guardrails for AI | Financial Times (ft.com)
GPT-4 devises plan to ‘escape’ by gaining control of a user's computer | Mint (livemint.com)
Mastercard strengthens customer security with new AI ‘Cyber Shield’ | Mastercard Newsroom
The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security
7 guidelines for identifying and mitigating AI-enabled phishing campaigns | CSO Online
Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security
Mozilla launches a new startup focused on ‘trustworthy’ AI | TechCrunch
French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek
Palantir: NHS trusts ordered to share patient data with US ‘spy-tech’ firm | openDemocracy
Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)
Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register
Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register
Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert
Facebook Security Exec Seaford Hacked by Greek Predator Spyware (gizmodo.com)
BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register
New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)
Hacker tied to DC Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop
Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register
Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register
North Korean hackers using Chrome extensions to steal Gmail emails (bleepingcomputer.com)
Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop
Nation State Actors
New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek
Huawei Has Replaced Thousands of US-Banned Parts With Chinese Versions: Founder - SecurityWeek
Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)
Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register
TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register
Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop
BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register
Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch
Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register
Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert
New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)
Hacker tied to D.C. Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop
Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register
Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register
The pressing threat of Chinese-made drones flying above US critical infrastructure | CyberScoop
Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop
Russian hacktivists deploy new AresLoader malware via decoy installers | CSO Online
Vulnerability Management
55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online
Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Move, Patch, Get Out the Way: 2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace | Mandiant
10 Vulnerabilities Types to Focus On This Year (darkreading.com)
Windows 11, Tesla, Ubuntu, and macOS hacked at Pwn2Own 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security
Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)
Vulnerabilities
Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability Could Be 2023's 'It' Bug (darkreading.com)
CVE-2023-23397 Outlook exploit: "A proliferation event" (thestack.technology)
Patch CVE-2023-23397 Immediately: What You Need To Know and Do (trendmicro.com)
Cisco fixed severe vulnerabilities in its IOS and IOS XE software- Security Affairs
Exploit released for Veeam bug allowing cleartext credential theft (bleepingcomputer.com)
Experts published PoC exploit code for Veeam Backup & Replication bug- Security Affairs
WordPress force patching WooCommerce plugin with 500K installs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Windows 11 bug warns Local Security Authority protection is off (bleepingcomputer.com)
Bitwarden addresses autofill issue that could be exploited to steal logins - gHacks Tech News
Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft’s blunders with new Windows 10 update are causing serious headaches | TechRadar
Microsoft: Defender update behind Windows LSA protection warnings (bleepingcomputer.com)
ZenGo uncovers 'red pill attack' vulnerability in popular Web3 apps (cointelegraph.com)
Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)
If your Netgear Orbi router isn’t patched, you’ll want to change that pronto | Ars Technica
Attackers Are Probing for Zero-Day Vulns in Edge Infrastructure Products (darkreading.com)
Tools and Controls
Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security
Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts, Incident Response Plan - MSSP Alert
55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online
Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)
How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat
Why CISOs Should Prioritize Extended Detection & Response (XDR) - VMware Security Blog - VMware
The Ethics of Network and Security Monitoring (darkreading.com)
Fighting VPN criminalization should be Big Tech’s top priority, activists say | Ars Technica
How network perimeters secure enterprise networks | TechTarget
Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security
Other News
Web Fingerprinting gets frighteningly good: sees through VPNs and Incognito Mode - gHacks Tech News
Journalist plugs in unknown USB drive mailed to him—it exploded in his face | Ars Technica
What Is Shoulder Surfing? How Does It Affect Cyber security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Inside the DEA Tool Hackers Allegedly Used to Extort Targets (vice.com)
Top ways attackers are targeting your endpoints - Help Net Security
What Is a Dirty IP Address and How Does It Affect Your Security? (makeuseof.com)
Techno-nationalism explained: What you need to know (techtarget.com)
How Emerging Trends in Virtual Reality Impact Cyber security - IT Security Guru
Pipeline Cyber security Rules Show the Need for Public-Private Partnerships (darkreading.com)
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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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 06 January 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 06 January 2023:
-Cyber War in Ukraine, Ransomware Fears Drive Surge in Demand for Threat Intelligence Tools
-Cyber Premiums Holding Firms to Ransom
-Ransomware Ecosystem Becoming More Diverse For 2023
-Attackers Evolve Strategies to Outmanoeuvre Security Teams
-Building a Security-First Culture: The Key to Cyber Success
-Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogue
-First LastPass, Now Slack and CircleCI. The Hacks Go On (and will likely worsen)
-Data of 235 Million Twitter Users Leaked Online
-16 Car Makers, including BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota, and Their Vehicles Hacked via Telematics, APIs, Infrastructure
-Ransomware Gang Apologizes, Gives SickKids Hospital Free Decryptor
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 War in Ukraine, Ransomware Fears Drive 2022 Surge in Demand for Threat Intelligence Tools
Amid the heightened fear of ransomware in 2022, threat intelligence emerged as a core requirement of doing business in a world gone mad.
A sizable amount of interest in the historically tech-centric discipline was fuelled in part by fear of cyber attacks tied to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In one example, the Ukrainian government warned the world that the Russian military was planning for multi-pronged attacks targeting the energy sector. Other nation-state cyber attack operations also contributed to the demand, including one June 2022 incident were Iran’s Cobalt Mirage exploited PowerShell vulnerabilities to launch ransomware attacks.
And of course, headlines of data breaches tied to vulnerabilities that organisations did not even know existed within their networks caught the attention not just of security teams, but the C-Suite and corporate board. A misconfigured Microsoft server, for example, wound up exposing years of sensitive data for tens of thousands of its customers, including personally identifiable information, user data, product and project details and intellectual property.
Indeed, according to 183 security pros surveyed by CyberRisk Alliance Business Intelligence in June 2022, threat intelligence has become critical in arming their security operations centres (SOCs) and incident response teams with operational data to help them make timely, informed decisions to prevent system downtime, thwart the theft of confidential data, and protect intellectual property.
Threat intelligence has emerged as a useful tool for educating executives. Many also credited threat intelligence for helping them protect their company and customer data — and potentially saving their organisation's reputation.
Cyber Premiums Holding Firms to Ransom
Soaring premiums for cyber security insurance are leaving businesses struggling to pay other bills, a key industry player has warned.
Mactavish, which buys insurance policies on behalf of companies, said that more than half of big businesses that had bought cyber security insurance had been forced to make cuts elsewhere to pay for it.
In a survey of 200 companies with a turnover above £10 million, Mactavish found that businesses were reducing office costs and staff bonuses and were cutting other types of insurance to meet the higher payments.
Last month Marsh, an insurance broker, revealed that costs for cyber insurance had increased by an average of 66 per cent in the third quarter compared with last year.
Meanwhile, the risk to businesses from hackers continues to rise. A government report on digital threats, published this month, showed the proportion of businesses experiencing cyber security incidents at least monthly had increased from 53 per cent to 60 per cent in the past year. Uber, Cisco and InterContinental Hotels Group were among high-profile targets this year.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cyber-safety-premiums-hold-firms-to-ransom-tnrsz3vs2
Ransomware Ecosystem Becoming More Diverse for 2023
The ransomware ecosystem has changed significantly in 2022, with attackers shifting from large groups that dominated the landscape toward smaller ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations in search of more flexibility and drawing less attention from law enforcement. This democratisation of ransomware is bad news for organisations because it also brought in a diversification of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), more indicators of compromise (IOCs) to track, and potentially more hurdles to jump through when trying to negotiate or pay ransoms.
Since 2019 the ransomware landscape has been dominated by big and professionalised ransomware operations that constantly made the news headlines and even looked for media attention to gain legitimacy with potential victims. We've seen ransomware groups with spokespeople who offered interviews to journalists or issued "press releases" on Twitter and their data leak websites in response to big breaches.
The DarkSide attack against Colonial Pipeline that led to a major fuel supply disruption along the US East Coast in 2021 highlighted the risk that ransomware attacks can have against critical infrastructure and led to increased efforts to combat this threat at the highest levels of government. This heightened attention from law enforcement made the owners of underground cyber crime forums reconsider their relationship with ransomware groups, with some forums banning the advertising of such threats. DarkSide ceased operations soon thereafter and was followed later in the year by REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, whose creators were indicted and one was even arrested. REvil was one of the most successful ransomware groups since 2019.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 quickly put a strain on the relationship between many ransomware groups who had members and affiliates in both Russia and Ukraine, or other former USSR countries. Some groups, such as Conti, rushed to take sides in the war, threatening to attack Western infrastructure in support of Russia. This was a departure from the usual business-like apolitical approach in which ransomware gangs had run their operations and drew criticism from other competing groups.
This was also followed by a leak of internal communications that exposed many of Conti's operational secrets and caused uneasiness with its affiliates. Following a major attack against the Costa Rican government the US State Department put up a reward of $10 million for information related to the identity or location of Conti's leaders, which likely contributed to the group's decision to shut down operations in May.
Conti's disappearance led to a drop in ransomware activity for a couple of months, but it didn't last long as the void was quickly filled by other groups, some of them newly set up and suspected to be the creation of former members of Conti, REvil and other groups that ceased operations over the past two years.
Attackers Evolve Strategies to Outmanoeuvre Security Teams
Attackers are expected to broaden their targeting strategy beyond regulated verticals such as financial services and healthcare. Large corporations (41%) will be the top targeted sector for cyber attacks in 2023, favoured over financial institutions (36%), government (14%), healthcare (9%), and education (8%), according to cyber security solution provider Titaniam.
The fast pace of change has introduced new vulnerabilities into corporate networks, making them an increasingly attractive target for cyber attackers. To compete in the digital marketplace, large companies are adopting more cloud services, aggregating data, pushing code into production faster, and connecting applications and systems via APIs.
As a result, misconfigured services, unprotected databases, little-tested applications, and unknown and unsecured APIs abound, all of which can be exploited by attackers.
The top four threats in 2022 were malware (30%), ransomware and extortion (27%), insider threats (26%), and phishing (17%).
The study found that enterprises expected malware (40%) to be their biggest challenge in 2023, followed by insider threats (26%), ransomware and related extortion (21%), and phishing (16%).
Malware, however, has more enterprises worried for 2023 than it did for 2022. It is important to note that these threats can overlap, where insiders can have a hand in ransomware attacks, phishing can be a source of malware, etc.
Attackers are evolving their strategies to surprise and outmanoeuvre security teams, which have hardened ransomware defences and improved phishing detection. They’re using new malware, such as loaders, infostealers, and wipers to accelerate attacks, steal sensitive data and create mayhem.
They’re also buying and stealing employee credentials to walk in through the front door of corporate networks.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/04/attackers-evolve-strategies-outmaneuver-security-teams/
Building a Security-First Culture: The Key to Cyber Success
Everyone has heard a car alarm go off in the middle of the night, but how often does that notification actually lead to action? Most people will hear the alarm, glance in its direction and then hope the owner will quickly remedy the situation.
Cars alarms often fail because they go off too often, leading to apathy and annoyance instead of being a cause for emergency. For many, cyber security has also become this way. While we see an increase in the noise surrounding the need for organisations to improve the security skillset and knowledge base of employees, there continues to be little proactive action on this front. Most organisations only provide employees with elementary-grade security training, often during their initial onboarding process or as part of a standard training requirement.
At the same time, many organisations also make the grave mistake of leaving all of their security responsibilities and obligations in the hands of IT and security teams. Time and time again, this approach has proven to be highly ineffective, especially as cyber criminals refine their social engineering tactics and target user accounts to execute their attacks.
Alarmingly, recent research found that 30% of employees do not think that they play a role in maintaining their company’s cyber security posture. The same report also revealed that only 39% of employees say they are likely to report a security incident.
As traditional boundaries of access disintegrate and more employees obtain permissions to sensitive company data and systems to carry out their tasks, business leaders must change the mindset of their employees when it comes to the role they play in keeping the organisation safe from cyber crime. The key is developing an integrated cyber security strategy that incorporates all aspects—including all stakeholders—of the organisation. This should be a strategy that breaks down departmental barriers and creates a culture of security responsibility where every team member plays a part.
Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogue
Back in November 2021, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalogue to help federal agencies and critical infrastructure organisations identify and remediate vulnerabilities that are actively being exploited. CISA added 548 new vulnerabilities to the catalogue across 58 updates from January to end of November 2022, according to cyber security solution provider Grey Noise in its first-ever "GreyNoise Mass Exploits Report."
Including the approximately 300 vulnerabilities added in November and December 2021, CISA listed approximately 850 vulnerabilities in the first year of the catalogue's existence.
Actively exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and Apple products accounted for over half of the updates to the KEV catalogue in 2022, Grey Noise found. Seventy-seven percent of the updates to the KEV catalogue were older vulnerabilities dating back to before 2022. Many of these vulnerabilities have been around for two decades.
Several of the vulnerabilities in the KEV catalogue are from products that have already entered end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-service-life (EOSL), according to an analysis by a team from cyber security solution provider Cyber Security Works. Even though Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 are EOSL products, the KEV catalogue lists 127 Server 2008 vulnerabilities and 117 Windows 7 vulnerabilities.
Even though the catalogue was originally intended for critical infrastructure and public-sector organisations, it has become the authoritative source on which vulnerabilities are – or have been – exploited by attackers. This is key because the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) assigned Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifiers for over 12,000 vulnerabilities in 2022, and it would be unwieldy for enterprise defenders to assess every single one to identify the ones relevant to their environments. Enterprise teams can use the catalogue's curated list of CVEs under active attack to create their priority lists.
First LastPass, Now Slack and CircleCI. The Hacks Go On (and will likely worsen)
In the past week, the world has learned of serious breaches hitting chat service Slack and software testing and delivery company CircleCI, though giving the companies' opaque wording—“security issue” and “security incident,” respectively—you'd be forgiven for thinking these events were minor.
The compromises—in Slack’s case, the theft of employee token credentials and for CircleCI, the possible exposure of all customer secrets it stores—come two weeks after password manager LastPass disclosed its own security failure: the theft of customers’ password vaults containing sensitive data in both encrypted and clear text form. It’s not clear if all three breaches are related, but that’s certainly a possibility.
The most concerning of the two new breaches is the one hitting CircleCI. The company reported a “security incident” that prompted it to advise customers to rotate “all secrets” they store on the service. The alert also informed customers that it had invalidated their Project API tokens, an event requiring them to go through the hassle of replacing them.
CircleCI says it’s used by more than 1 million developers in support of 30,000 organisations and runs nearly 1 million daily jobs. The potential exposure of all those secrets—which could be login credentials, access tokens, and who knows what else—could prove disastrous for the security of the entire Internet.
It’s possible that some or all of these breaches are related. The Internet relies on a massive ecosystem of content delivery networks, authentication services, software development tool makers, and other companies. Threat actors frequently hack one company and use the data or access they obtain to breach that company's customers or partners. That was the case with the August breach of security provider Twilio. The same threat actor targeted 136 other companies. Something similar played out in the last days of 2020 when hackers compromised Solar Winds, gained control of its software build system, and used it to infect roughly 40 Solar Winds customers.
For now, people should brace themselves for additional disclosures from companies they rely on. Checking internal system logs for suspicious entries, turning on multifactor authentication, and patching network systems are always good ideas, but given the current events, those precautions should be expedited. It’s also worth checking logs for any contact with the IP address 54.145.167.181, which one security practitioner said was connected to the CircleCI breach.
Data of 235 Million Twitter Users Leaked Online
A data leak containing email addresses for 235 million Twitter users has been published on a popular hacker forum. Many experts have immediately analysed it and confirmed the authenticity of many of the entries in the huge leaked archive.
In January 2022, a report claimed the discovery of a vulnerability that can be exploited by an attacker to find a Twitter account by the associated phone number/email, even if the user has opted to prevent this in the privacy options. The vulnerability was exploited by multiple threat actors to scrape Twitter user profiles containing both private (phone numbers and email addresses) and public data, and was present within the social media platforms application programming interface (API) from June 2021 until January 2022.
At the end of July 2022, a threat actor leaked data of 5.4 million Twitter accounts that were obtained by exploiting the forementioned, now-fixed vulnerability in the popular social media platform. The scraped data was then put up for sale on various online cyber crime marketplaces. In August, Twitter confirmed that the data breach was caused by a now-patched zero-day flaw.
In December another Twitter data leak made the headlines, a threat actor obtained data of 400,000,000 Twitter users and attempted to sell it. The seller claimed the database is private, and he provided a sample of 1,000 accounts as proof of claims which included the private information of prominent users such as Donald Trump JR, Brian Krebs, and many more. The seller, who is a member of a popular data breach forum, claimed the data was scraped via a vulnerability. The database includes emails and phone numbers of celebrities, politicians, companies, normal users, and a lot of special usernames.
https://securityaffairs.com/140352/data-breach/twitter-data-leak-235m-users.html
16 Car Makers, including BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota, and Their Vehicles Hacked via Telematics, APIs, and Infrastructure
A group of seven security researchers have discovered numerous vulnerabilities in vehicles from 16 car makers, including bugs that allowed them to control car functions and start or stop the engine.
Multiple other security defects, the researchers say, allowed them to access a car maker’s internal applications and systems, leading to the exposure of personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to customers and employees, and account takeover, among others. The hacks targeted telematic systems, automotive APIs, and infrastructure.
Impacted car models include Acura, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, and Toyota. The vulnerabilities were identified over the course of 2022. Car manufacturers were informed about the security holes and they released patches.
According to the researchers, they were able to send commands to Acura, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Infiniti, Nissan, and Porsche vehicles.
Using only the VIN (vehicle identification number), which is typically visible on the windshield, the researchers were able to start/stop the engine, remotely lock/unlock the vehicle, flash headlights, honk vehicles, and retrieve the precise location of Acura, Honda, Kia, Infiniti, and Nissan cars.
They could also lock users out of remote vehicle management and could change car ownership.
https://www.securityweek.com/16-car-makers-and-their-vehicles-hacked-telematics-apis-infrastructure
Ransomware Gang Apologises, and Gives SickKids Hospital Free Decrypter
The LockBit ransomware gang has released a free decrypter for the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), saying one of its members violated rules by attacking the healthcare organisation. SickKids is a teaching and research hospital in Toronto that focuses on providing healthcare to sick children.
On December 18th, the hospital suffered a ransomware attack that impacted internal and corporate systems, hospital phone lines, and the website. While the attack only encrypted a few systems, SickKids stated that the incident caused delays in receiving lab and imaging results and resulted in longer patient wait times.
On December 29th, SickKids announced that it had restored 50% of its priority systems, including those causing diagnostic or treatment delays. Two days after SickKids' latest announcement, the LockBit ransomware gang apologised for the attack on the hospital and released a decrypter for free.
“We formally apologise for the attack on sikkids.ca and give back the decrypter for free, the partner who attacked this hospital violated our rules, is blocked and is no longer in our affiliate programme," stated the ransomware gang.
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Rackspace: Ransomware Attack Bypassed ProxyNotShell Mitigations (darkreading.com)
Rackspace: Customer email data accessed in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware gang cloned victim’s website to leak stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)
Rackspace identifies hacking group responsible for early December ransomware attack | TPR
Ransomware ecosystem becoming more diverse for 2023 | CSO Online
Rackspace Sunsets Email Service Downed in Ransomware Attack (darkreading.com)
December ransomware disclosures reveal high-profile victims | TechTarget
The Guardian ransomware attack hits week two as staff WFH • The Register
Unraveling the techniques of Mac ransomware - Microsoft Security Blog
Bitdefender releases free MegaCortex ransomware decryptor (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware Research: More than 200 US Infrastructure Organisations Attacked in 2022 - MSSP Alert
Ransomware impacts over 200 govt, edu, healthcare orgs in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Guardian ransomware attack: Staff told work from home to 23 Jan (pressgazette.co.uk)
Rail giant Wabtec discloses data breach after Lockbit ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Christmas Eve 'cyber attack' forced Arnold Clark's network down | STV News
Royal ransomware claims attack on Queensland University of Technology (bleepingcomputer.com)
LockBit: Sorry for SickKids, but not housing authority • The Register
Canadian mining firm shuts down mill after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Data of 235 million Twitter users leaked online - Security Affairs
Is NHS The Most Impersonated UK Government "Brand"? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)
Ongoing Flipper Zero phishing attacks target infosec community (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Malware
Raspberry Robin Worm Evolves to Attack Financial and Insurance Sectors in Europe (thehackernews.com)
Hackers abuse Windows error reporting tool to deploy malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
New SHC-compiled Linux malware installs cryptominers, DDoS bots (bleepingcomputer.com)
Bluebottle hackers used signed Windows driver in attacks on banks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Dridex Returns, Targets MacOS Using New Entry Method (trendmicro.com)
New Linux malware uses 30 plugin exploits to backdoor WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)
PyTorch discloses malicious dependency chain compromise over holidays (bleepingcomputer.com)
WordPress Sites Under Attack from Newly Found Linux Trojan (darkreading.com)
Blind Eagle Hackers Return with Refined Tools and Sophisticated Infection Chain (thehackernews.com)
Raspberry Robin Worm Hatches a Highly Complex Upgrade (darkreading.com)
The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Internet of Things – IoT
Data Breaches/Leaks
Data of over 200 million Deezer users stolen, leaks on hacking forum • Graham Cluley
Five Guys Data Breach Puts HR Data Under a Heat Lamp (darkreading.com)
Analysis Of Top 10 Countries Mostly Targeted By Data Breaches (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
I bought a $15 router at Goodwill — and found a millionaire's dirty secrets (nypost.com)
Critical flaws found in Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, and other carmakers - Security Affairs
Toyota, Mercedes, BMW API flaws exposed owners’ personal info (bleepingcomputer.com)
Threat actors stole Slack private source code repositories - Security Affairs
Data of over 200 million Deezer users stolen, leaks on hacking forum • Graham Cluley
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Threat Actors Evade Detection Through Geofencing & Fingerprinting (darkreading.com)
Attackers create 130K fake accounts to abuse limited-time cloud computing resources | CSO Online
Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call Centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Software engineer busted after being inspired by Office Space scam | PC Gamer
Are Meta and Twitter Ushering in a New Age of Insider Threats? (darkreading.com)
Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Avast: Expect Cyber crime "Scamdemic" to Continue in 2023 - MSSP Alert
Software engineer busted after being inspired by Office Space scam | PC Gamer
US regulators warn banks over cryptocurrency risks - BBC News
RedZei Chinese Scammers Targeting Chinese Students in the UK (thehackernews.com)
Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call Centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Impersonation Attacks
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Insurance
Cyber safety premiums holding firms to ransom | Business | The Times
How can businesses decrease cyber insurance premiums while maintaining coverage? - Help Net Security
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Encryption
API
Car companies massively exposed to web vulnerabilities | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)
16 Car Makers and Their Vehicles Hacked via Telematics, APIs, Infrastructure | SecurityWeek.Com
What Are Some Ways to Make APIs More Secure? (darkreading.com)
Critical flaws found in Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, and other carmakers - Security Affairs
Open Source
New SHC-compiled Linux malware installs cryptominers, DDoS bots (bleepingcomputer.com)
New Linux malware uses 30 plugin exploits to backdoor WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Social Media
Data of 235 million Twitter users leaked online - Security Affairs
The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)
Are Meta and Twitter Ushering in a New Age of Insider Threats? (darkreading.com)
Meta fined €390m over use of data for targeted ads - BBC News
More Political Storms for TikTok After US Government Ban | SecurityWeek.Com
Parental Controls and Child Safety
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Cyber safety premiums holding firms to ransom | Business | The Times
Attackers never let a critical vulnerability go to waste - Help Net Security
Attackers evolve strategies to outmanoeuvre security teams - Help Net Security
How to start planning for disaster recovery - Help Net Security
Building A Security-First Culture: The Key To Cyber Success (forbes.com)
Data backup is no longer just about operational fallback - Help Net Security
Threat Actors Evade Detection Through Geofencing & Fingerprinting (darkreading.com)
How can businesses decrease cyber insurance premiums while maintaining coverage? - Help Net Security
Secure Disposal
Backup and Recovery
Data Protection
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times
Meta fined €390m over use of data for targeted ads - BBC News
Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT: An Easy Cyber crime Target For Cyber attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
OpenAI's ChatGPT previews how AI can help hackers breach more networks (axios.com)
NATO tests AI’s ability to protect critical infrastructure against cyber attacks | CSO Online
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
War and Geopolitical Conflict: The New Battleground for DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)
Cyber attacks against governments jumped 95% in last half of 2022, CloudSek says | CSO Online
It's time to focus on information warfare's hard questions (cyberscoop.com)
National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times
Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register
Pro-Russia cyber attacks aim at destabilizing Poland - Security Affairs
Poland warns of attacks by Russia-linked Ghostwriter hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Nation State Actors – China
National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times
Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register
Nation State Actors – Iran
Nation State Actors – Misc
Vulnerability Management
Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of KEV Catalog (darkreading.com)
Attackers never let a critical vulnerability go to waste - Help Net Security
Vulnerabilities
Over 60,000 Exchange servers vulnerable to ProxyNotShell attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of KEV Catalog (darkreading.com)
Rackspace: Ransomware Attack Bypassed ProxyNotShell Mitigations (darkreading.com)
Zoho urges admins to patch severe ManageEngine bug immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)
Android's First Security Updates for 2023 Patch 60 Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
Fortinet and Zoho Urge Customers to Patch Enterprise Software Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)
Qualcomm, Lenovo flag multiple high impact firmware vulnerabilities | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Netgear Wi-Fi routers need to be patched immediately | TechRadar
Other News
The cyber security industry will undergo significant changes in 2023 - Help Net Security
SecurityAffairs Top 10 cybersecurity posts of 2022 - Security Affairs
BleepingComputer's most popular cybersecurity stories of 2022
WordPress Security: 22 Ways To Protect Your Website (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Cyber attacks against governments jumped 95% in last half of 2022, CloudSek says | 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 May 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 May 2022
-Cyber Scams Cost Victims $6.9b-Plus Worldwide in 2021
-Bad Actors Are Maximizing Remote Everything
-New Hacker Group Pursuing Corporate Employees Focused on Mergers and Acquisitions
-FBI: Business Email Compromise: The $43 Billion Scam
-Disgruntled Employees Cashing in On Confidential Information Over Dark Web
-Google Sees More APTs Using Ukraine War-Related Themes
-Cryptocurrency Regulators Are Scrambling to Catch Up with Hackers Who Are Swiping Billions
-Tackling the Threats Posed by Shadow IT
-Hackers Used the Log4j Flaw to Gain Access Before Moving Across a Company's Network, Say Security Researchers
-This Sneaky Hacking Group Hid Inside Networks For 18 Months Without Being Detected
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 Scams Cost Victims $6.9b-Plus Worldwide in 2021
Cyber-scams cost victims around the globe at least $6.9 billion last year, according to the FBI's latest Internet Crime Report.
Since 2017, the bureau's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received an average of 552,000 complaints per year. This includes reports of extortion, identity theft, phishing, fraud, and a slew of other nefarious schemes that cost victims no less than $18.7 billion in losses over the five-year period.
Unsurprisingly, the volume of these crimes — and related costs — have grown every year; 2021 set records for the total number of complaints (847,376) as well as losses exceeding $6.9 billion, a jump from the $4.2 billion reported a year earlier.
As with earlier years, phishing attacks were by far the most commonly reported crimes, with 323,972 last year. A subset of this category, business email compromise (BEC), is proving very lucrative and cost victims almost $2.4 billion from 19,954 victims, according to the Feds.
BEC involves a cyber criminal compromising a legitimate email account, and then tricking a business or individual into transferring funds, sending employees' personal data, or unlocking cryptocurrency wallets. The fraudster then steals the cash, drains the crypto wallet and/or sells employees' identities and credentials on the dark web.
https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/05/fbi_cyber_scams/
Bad Actors Are Maximising Remote Everything
The rise of remote work and learning opened new opportunities for many people – as we’ve seen by the number of people who have moved to new places or adapted to “workcations.” Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the same opportunities – just in a different way. Evaluating the prevalence of malware variants by region reveals a sustained interest by cyber adversaries in maximising the remote work and learning attack vector.
As hybrid work and learning become embedded paradigms in our culture, there are fewer layers of protection between malware and would-be victims. And bad actors are gaining access to more tools to help them pull off their nefarious deeds – like exploit kits. At the same time, the attack surface has rapidly expanded and continues to do so.
That means enterprises must take a work-from-anywhere approach to their security. They need to deploy solutions capable of following, enabling and protecting users no matter where they are located. They need security on the endpoint (EDR) combined with zero trust network access (ZTNA) approaches.
https://threatpost.com/bad-actors-remote-everything/179458/
This Sneaky Hacking Group Hid Inside Networks For 18 Months Without Being Detected
A previously undisclosed cyber-espionage group is using clever techniques to breach corporate networks and steal information related to mergers, acquisitions and other large financial transactions – and they've been able to remain undetected by victims for periods of more than 18 months.
Detailed by cyber security researchers at Mandiant, who've named it UNC3524, the hacking operation has been active since at least December 2019 and uses a range of advanced methods to infiltrate and maintain persistence on compromised networks that set it apart from most other hacking groups. These methods include the ability to immediately re-infect environments after access is removed. It's currently unknown how initial access is achieved.
One of the reasons UNC3524 is so successful at maintaining persistence on networks for such a long time is because it installs backdoors on applications and services that don't support security tools, such as anti-virus or endpoint protection.
FBI: Business Email Compromise: The $43 Billion Scam
According to the FBI, business email compromise (BEC) and email account compromise (EAC) losses have surpassed $43 billion globally. BEC/EAC is a sophisticated scam that targets both businesses and individuals who perform legitimate transfer-of-funds requests.
The BEC/EAC scam continues to grow and evolve, targeting small local businesses to larger corporations, and personal transactions. Between July 2019 and December 2021, there was a 65% increase in identified global exposed losses, meaning the dollar loss that includes both actual and attempted loss in United States dollars.
The following information was derived from filings with financial institutions between June 2016 and December 2021:
Domestic and international incidents: 241,206
Domestic and international exposed dollar loss: $43,312,749,946
The following BEC/EAC statistics were reported in victim complaints to the IC3 between October 2013 and December 2021:
Total US victims: 116,401
Total US exposed dollar loss: $14,762,978,290
Total non-US victims: 5,260
Total non-US exposed dollar loss: $1,277,131,099
Disgruntled Employees Cashing in On Confidential Information Over Dark Web
Disgruntled employees are making hundreds of thousands of dollars by leaking confidential information over a new platform on the so-called dark web, cyber researchers have said.
Hidden in a part of the internet that is only accessible using special software, the Industrial Spy platform promises huge payouts to staff willing to hand over "dirty secrets" to competitors, according to experts at intelligence business Cyberint.
Industrial Spy currently has data on twelve companies from a range of industries available to people who sign up, Cyberint said.
The platform recently managed to sell two tranches of company data for $400,000 (£318,236) and $750,000 each.
An individual has advertised the platform to potential purchasers of the data on the dark web.
The post said: "With our information you could refuse partnership with an unscrupulous partner, reveal dirty secrets of your competitors and earn millions of dollars using insider information."
Cyber criminals have long approached employees individually and offered a bribe to release sensitive information such as internal data and passwords to access computer systems.
But this new platform allows employees to act on their own initiative to steal data and sell it online.
Google Sees More APTs Using Ukraine War-Related Themes
Researchers at Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) say the number of advanced threat actors using Ukraine war-related themes in cyber attacks went up in April with a surge in malware attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
According to Google, known state-backed APT groups from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, along with various unattributed groups have been using war-related themes in phishing and malware distribution campaigns.
Looking at the cyber attacks that target Eastern Europe, however, a new Google report notes there hasn't been a significant change from the normal levels of activity, despite the increased adoption of lures related to the Ukraine war.
https://www.securityweek.com/google-sees-more-apts-using-ukraine-war-related-themes
Cryptocurrency Regulators Are Scrambling to Catch Up with Hackers Who Are Swiping Billions
Just four months in, 2022 has been a banner year for hackers, and fraudsters targeting the industry have swindled more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency investors, according to separate estimates by cryptocurrency analysis firm Immunefi.
The rise in fraud has put US regulators on the offensive. The US Securities and Exchange Commission, which has positioned itself as the industry’s main regulator and enforcer, announced on Tuesday that it was going to double its staff working to resources to combat the rise in fraud.
“Crypto markets have exploded in recent years, with retail investors bearing the brunt of abuses in this space. Meanwhile, cyber-related threats continue to pose existential risks to our financial markets and participants,” Gurbir Grewal, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement said in a statement. “The bolstered Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit will be at the forefront of protecting investors and ensuring fair and orderly markets in the face of these critical challenges.”
https://www.cyberscoop.com/cryptocurrency-sec-cybersecurity-bitcoin-regulation-enforcement/
Tackling the Threats Posed by Shadow IT
While remote technologies have allowed businesses to shift their workforces online, this flexibility has created a swathe of challenges for IT teams who must provide a robust security framework for their organisation – encompassing all the personnel and devices within their remit. In addition to the ever-increasing number of personal devices, corporate devices and programs, more and more applications are moving to the cloud as workloads become increasingly distributed across public clouds and software-as-a-service (SaaS).
This means IT teams are even harder pressed to secure and manage the complex environments they operate in. The unsanctioned use of corporate IT systems, devices, and software – known as shadow IT – has increased significantly during the shift to remote work, and recent research found almost one in seven (68%) are concerned about information security because of employees following shadow IT practices.
Shadow IT can allow hackers to steal employee and customer identities, company intellectual property, and cause companies to fail compliance audits. It can also open the door to enterprises accidentally breaking laws and exposes organisations to data exfiltration, malware, and phishing.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/05/shadow-it-risk/
Hackers Used the Log4j Flaw to Gain Access Before Moving Across a Company's Network, Say Security Researchers
State-backed hacking groups are some of the most advanced cyber attack operations in the world - but criminals don't need to rely on them if they can exploit unpatched cyber security flaws.
A North Korean hacking and cyber espionage operation breached the network of an engineering firm linked to military and energy organisations by exploiting a cyber security vulnerability in Log4j.
First detailed in December, the vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) allows attackers to remotely execute code and gain access to systems that use Log4j, a widely used Java logging library.
The ubiquitous nature of Log4j meant cyber security agencies urged organisations globally to apply security updates as quickly as possible, but months on from disclosure, many are still vulnerable to the flaw.
According to cyber security researchers at Symantec, one of those companies that was still vulnerable was an undisclosed engineering firm that works in the energy and military sectors. That vulnerability resulted in the company being breached when attackers exploited the gap on a public-facing VMware View server in February this year. From there, attackers were able to move around the network and compromise at least 18 computers.
New Hacker Group Pursuing Corporate Employees Focused on Mergers and Acquisitions
[Explanatory note from Black Arrow: When a group of cyber attackers is identified by the cyber security community, it is given a code name usually composed of letters and digits. These groups are also sometimes referred to as APTs., or Advanced Persistent Threats, because the groups are highly skilled and are persistent in their attacks; they are often supported by their state government].
A newly discovered suspected espionage threat actor has been targeting employees focusing on mergers and acquisitions as well as large corporate transactions to facilitate bulk email collection from victim environments.
Mandiant is tracking the activity cluster under the uncategorised moniker UNC3524, citing a lack of evidence linking it to an existing group. However, some of the intrusions are said to mirror techniques used by different Russia-based hacking crews like APT28 and APT29.
"The high level of operational security, low malware footprint, adept evasive skills, and a large Internet of Things (IoT) device botnet set this group apart and emphasise the 'advanced' in Advanced Persistent Threat," the threat intelligence firm said in a report.
The initial access route is unknown but upon gaining a foothold, attack chains involving UNC3524 culminate in the deployment of a novel backdoor called QUIETEXIT for persistent remote access for as long as 18 months without getting detected in some cases.
https://thehackernews.com/2022/05/new-hacker-group-pursuing-corporate.html
Threats
Ransomware
US DoS Offers a Reward of Up To $15M For Info on Conti Ransomware Gang - Security Affairs
Trend Micro Discovers AvosLocker Can Disable Antivirus Software (techtarget.com)
Experts Analyse Conti and Hive Ransomware Gangs' Chats with Their Victims (thehackernews.com)
New Ransomware Strains Linked to North Korean Govt Hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)
REvil Revival: Are Ransomware Gangs Ever Really Gone? (darkreading.com)
What We've Learned in the 12 Months Since the Colonial Pipeline Attack (darkreading.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Google SMTP Relay Service Abused for Sending Phishing Emails (bleepingcomputer.com)
US DoD Scammed Out of $23M in Phishing Attack on Jet-Fuel Vendors (darkreading.com)
1000s of Phishing Emails Sent from NHS Inboxes - IT Security Guru
Malware
This New Fileless Malware Hides Shellcode in Windows Event Logs (thehackernews.com)
Raspberry Robin Spreads Via Removable USB Devices - Security Affairs
Hackers Using PrivateLoader PPI Service to Distribute New NetDooka Malware (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
IoT
Unpatched DNS Bug Affects Millions of Routers and IoT Devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
What Should I Know About Defending IoT Attack Surfaces? (darkreading.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs
Crypto Hackers Stole More Than $370 Million In April Alone (vice.com)
Ferrari Subdomain Hijacked to Push Fake Ferrari NFT Collection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Supply Chain
Open Source
Open-Source Security: It's Too Easy to Upload 'Devastating' Malicious Packages, Warns Google | ZDNet
How Linux Became the New Bullseye for Bad Guys | SecurityWeek.Com
Passwords & Credential Stuffing
Good End User Passwords Begin with A Well-Enforced Password Policy - Help Net Security
55% of People Rely on Their Memory To Manage Passwords - Help Net Security
A Third of Americans Use Easy-to-Guess Pet Passwords (darkreading.com)
Spyware, Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Mandiant CEO: False-flag Ops a Red Line For Nation-States • The Register
Anonymous and Ukraine IT Army Continue to Target Russian Entities - Security Affairs
Pro-Ukraine Hackers Use Docker Images to DDoS Russian Sites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russia Hammered by Pro-Ukrainian Hackers Following Invasion | Ars Technica
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Russia-Linked APT29 Targets Diplomatic and Government Organisations - Security Affairs
Russian Ransomware Group Claims Attack on Bulgarian Refugee Agency - CyberScoop
Russia Cyber Attacks Raise Questions About Hacking Red Lines - Bloomberg
Putin Threatens Supply Chains with Counter-Sanction Order • The Register
Russian Hackers Targeting Diplomatic Entities in Europe, Americas, and Asia (thehackernews.com)
China-linked APT Curious Gorge Targeted Russian Govt Agencies - Security Affairs
Russia-Ukraine War Prompts Security Best Practices Refresher (techtarget.com)
Nation State Actors – China
China-Linked Winnti APT Group Silently Stole Trade Secrets for Years: Report | SecurityWeek.Com
State-Backed Chinese Hackers Target Russia - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Chinese "Override Panda" Hackers Resurface With New Espionage Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Experts Uncover New Espionage Attacks by Chinese 'Mustang Panda' Hackers (thehackernews.com)
China Not Happy With South Korea Joining NATO Cyber Defense Center | SecurityWeek.Com
Nation State Actors – North Korea
Security Researchers: Here's How the Lazarus Hackers Start Their Attacks | ZDNet
VHD Ransomware Variant Linked to North Korean Cyber Army (darkreading.com)
Nation State Actors – Misc
Vulnerabilities
CISA Adds Five Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalogue | CISA
Aruba and Avaya Network Switches Are Vulnerable to RCE Attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco Issues Patches for 3 New Flaws Affecting Enterprise NFVIS Software (thehackernews.com)
F5 Warns of a New Critical BIG-IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
May 2022 Patch Tuesday Forecast: Look Beyond Just Application and OS Updates - Help Net Security
Critical Cisco VM-Escape Bug Threatens Host Takeover (darkreading.com)
Researchers Disclose Years-Old Vulnerabilities in Avast and AVG Antivirus (thehackernews.com)
QNAP Releases Firmware Patches for 9 New Flaws Affecting NAS Devices (thehackernews.com)
Critical RCE Bug Reported in dotCMS Content Management Software (thehackernews.com)
Sector Specific
Financial Services Sector
Telecoms
Health/Medical/Pharma Sector
Education and Academia
Other News
Car Rental Company Sixt Hit by a Cyber Attack that Caused Disruptions - Security Affairs
White House Says To Prepare For Cryptography-Cracking Quantum Computers - Information Security Buzz
CMS-Based Sites Under Attack: The Latest Threats and Trends - Help Net Security
Mozilla Finds Mental Health Apps Fail 'Spectacularly' at User Security, Data Policies | ZDNet
UK to Place Security Requirements on App Developers and Store Operators - Infosecurity Magazine
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