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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

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Ransomware Victims

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

Artificial Intelligence

Malware

Mobile

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Insurance

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Cloud/SaaS

Identity and Access Management

Encryption

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Malvertising

Training, Education and Awareness

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Models, Frameworks and Standards

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

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

China

Russia

Iran

North Korea


Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities



Reports Published in the Last Week

Cyber Readiness Report 2023 UK - Hiscox



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.

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Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 13 October 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 13 October 2023:

-Small Businesses Hit by Frequent Cyber Attacks as 90% of CISOs Faced at least One Attack Last Year

-The Most Effective Cyber Attacks Never Touch Your Organisation's Firewall, HR’s Role in Defending the Organisation

-Ransomware Infection Times Fall from 5 Days to 5 Hours

-80% of Security Leaders See AI as the Biggest Threat to Business

-Is Your Board Cyber-Ready?

-Cyber Security Should Be a Business Priority for CEOs

-The Looming Threat of a Single Phishing Click to Your Business

-40% of Organisations Leave Ransomware to IT

-Auditors Growing Concern About Cyber Security

-The Cyber Villains Are Getting Bolder: Businesses Need to Up Their Game

-Preparing for the Unexpected: A Proactive Approach to Operational Resilience

-Staggering Losses to Social Media and Social Engineering Since 21, as Victims Take $2.7 Billion Hit in US Alone

-Organisations Grapple with Detection and Response Despite Rising Security Budgets

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

Small Businesses Hit by Frequent Cyber Attacks, as 90% of CISOs of Larger Firms Faced at least One Attack Last Year

A survey by Payroll provider Sage found that nearly 48% of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have experienced at least one cyber incident in the past year; of note, this is only based on SMEs self-reporting, and requires SMEs to have both the ability to detect an incident and to have actually identified an incident and then self-report it. The survey found that cyber security was a priority with 68% of respondents reporting that they would use a more expensive security control if it demonstrated better security.

In a separate report by Splunk, it was found that 90% of CISOs reported experiencing at least one disruptive attack in the past year. The difference in numbers could be because organisations who have a CISO are more likely to have tools in place to detect an incident.

Regardless, cyber criminals are showing that any size of organisation can be a victim of a cyber incident and in some cases, smaller organisations may not have the necessary budget and controls to prevent an attack.

Sources: [Security Magazine] [Insurance Times] [Infosecurity Magazine]

The Most Effective Cyber Attacks Never Touch Your Organisation’s Firewall, and HR’s Role in Defending the Organisation

In 2022, total spending on cyber security technologies increased to 71.1 billion USD, illustrating just how much effort goes into protecting companies, their data, and their customers. Regardless of all this spending, there remains a popular attack which can bypass this all: social engineering. Attackers know how much technology protection is placed in organisations, so they often try to bypass this and go straight through the employees.

Cyber security will never work if organisations do not go beyond IT; it is a business-wide issue and requires the engagement and input from across the business, including functions like Human Resources. Having effectively trained employees is a crucial part of creating a culture of security within an organisation, and this starts with HR. Employees will often have training as part of their onboarding and then regular training to ensure competencies; as part of HR’s role, this should include commissioning training on cyber security that is delivered by cyber security experts that understand what attackers are doing.

Source: [News Week] [Beta News]

Ransomware Infection Times Fall from 5 Days to 5 Hours

The amount of time it takes an attacker to infect a system with ransomware has fallen drastically over the last 12 months according to a recent report. The median dwell time (the time that an attacker spends in a victim’s network before being detected) was 5.5 days in 2021, reducing to 4.5 days in 2022, and this year it fell to less than 24 hours with, in 10% of cases, the time taken to deploy ransomware being within 5 hours. As threat actors continue to leverage Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) to execute attacks, dwell times will continue to decrease and the number of attacks will increase.

This coincides with a recent survey by Hornetsecurity that revealed that almost 60% of businesses are concerned about ransomware attacks. 92% of businesses are reported to be aware of ransomware’s potential negative impact, but just 54% of respondents say their leadership is actively involved in conversations and decision making to help prevent attacks.

The report highlights that ransomware is still at large, with the first half of 2023 seeing more ransomware victims than in the whole of 2022. Having good cyber security protection and hygiene is the key to ongoing success. Organisations cannot afford to become victims. Ongoing security awareness training and multi-layered ransomware protection are critical to help avoid insurmountable losses.

Sources: [Cision] [PC Mag] [Security Magazine]

80% of Security Leaders See AI as the Biggest Threat to Business

A report has found that a large majority of security leaders (80%) believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the biggest cyber threat to their business, and that the risks of AI outweigh the many advantages.

In a separate report, 58% agreed that AI is increasing the number of cyber attacks. The benefits of AI were also recognised however, with 73% reporting AI to be an increasingly important tool for security operations.

With AI finding itself both sides of the coin, it is important for organisations to effectively implement their AI solutions, so that they can improve their security whilst reducing the risk that AI presents to their organisation.

Sources: [Diginomica] [Infosecurity Magazine]

Is Your Board Cyber-Ready?

With the recent US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements entering effect, and the impending Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) requirements for Europe, there is yet another layer added to the complicated issues of managing cyber security risks. However, it is clear that strong corporate governance equips companies to address them efficiently and accurately.

Governance starts with the board, as it is responsible for the oversight of the organisation’s cyber security programs. For a board to do this effectively, the leadership team must be able to understand cyber security; yet despite this, a study found that only 12% of boards had a cyber expert. Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to gain a strong practical understanding of the fundamentals of cyber security risk management, and to demonstrate governance in implementing their cyber security strategy by leveraging their existing internal and external resources.

Sources: [Harvard.edu] [JDSupra]

Cyber Security Should Be a Business Priority for CEOs

A recent report found that despite 96% of CEOs saying that cyber security is critical to organisational growth and stability, 74% of CEOs are concerned about their organisation’s ability to avert or minimise damage arising from a cyber attack. The report also highlighted that 60% of CEOs don’t incorporate cyber security into their business strategies, products or services from the beginning. 44% believe that cyber security requires episodic intervention rather than ongoing attention.

Adding to this reactive stance is the incorrect assumption by 54% of CEOs that the cost of implementing cyber security is higher than the cost of suffering a cyber attack, despite history showing otherwise. For instance, the report notes that a global shipping and logistics company breach resulted in a 20% drop in business volume, with losses hitting $300 million. In addition, despite 90% of CEOs saying cyber security is a differentiating factor for their products or services to help them build customer trust, only 15% have dedicated board meetings to discuss cyber security issues. This disconnect might be explained by the fact that 91% of CEOs said cyber security is a technical function that is the responsibility of the CIO or CISO.

Source: [HelpNet Security]

The Looming Threat of a Single Phishing Click to Your Business

A single click could be all it takes to get the ball rolling and allow an attacker entry into your organisation. From there, the possibilities are endless. Phishing impacts any employee within the organisation with an email account, phone number or access to the web.

Organisations can mitigate this risk however, by conducting training and awareness programmes, aimed at improving employees’ abilities to identify, report and avoid falling victim to phishing incidents. Such training should be held regularly to maintain their knowledge as well as adapting to the ever-changing landscape of cyber crime. 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: [CMS-lawnow]

40% of Organisations Leave Ransomware to IT

A report found that 93% of respondents said they believe ransomware protection is “very” to “extremely” important in terms of IT priorities for their organisation, yet only 54% reported that the leadership were actively involved in conversations and decision-making around ransomware attacks, and 40% of total respondents were happy to leave the IT team to deal with ransomware attacks.

By only involving the IT team and excluding the leadership, organisations are at risk of not addressing regulatory requirements, or failing to manage such cyber incidents within a business context. This would also suggest a lack of an effective Incident Response Plan to ensure that considerations such as legal, communications, customers, employees and other stakeholders are not forgotten. 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: [MSSP Alert]

Auditors’ Growing Concern About Cyber Security

The majority of chief audit executives and information technology audit leaders consider cyber security to be a top risk over the next year. The survey found that found that nearly 75% of respondents, and an even higher percentage (82%) of technology audit leaders, consider cyber security to be a high-risk area over the next 12 months.

Source: [Accounting Today]

Preparing for the Unexpected: A Proactive Approach to Operational Resilience

Recent insights highlight a pressing need: ensuring operational resilience in financial firms. As the financial sector remains a prime target for cyber threats, the increasing interconnectedness presents evolving challenges. While cyber security aims to defend against attacks, operational resilience ensures the continuity of operations even when incidents occur.

Notably, the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) stresses preparedness, providing a framework for the industry. Although business continuity practices exist, operational resilience offers a more proactive stance, ensuring system reliability that is crucial for global financial trust. Achieving this requires a comprehensive risk assessment, laying the groundwork for a resilient strategy tailored to a firm’s unique position in the financial landscape.

Source: [Dark Reading]

Staggering Losses to Social Media and Social Engineering Since 2021, as Victims Take $2.7 Billion Hit in US Alone

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that Americans alone, have lost $2.7 billion to social media and social engineering scams since 2021. The losses were incurred through websites, phone calls and email.

It is important for organisations to consider that such scams could very well find themselves in the corporate environment. Already, there has been a significant rise in attacks on employees through LinkedIn. As such, it is important for organisations to provide education and awareness training to users.

Sources: [Bleeping Computer] [Infosecurity Magazine]

Organisations Grapple with Detection and Response Despite Rising Security Budgets

A study by EY found that only a fifth of cyber security leaders today are confident about their organisation’s cyber security approach, with only half trusting the training they provide in-house. CISO respondents reported an average annual spend of $35 million on cyber security, with the median cost of a breach jumping 12% to $2.5 million. The leaders said they anticipate the cost per breach to reach $4 million by the end of the year.

The report found that the biggest internal challenges to the organisation's cyber security approach were "too many potential attack surfaces" at 52%, and "difficulty balancing security and innovation speed" at 50%. The study also noted big discrepancies between the CISOs and other C-suite leaders when it came to their organisation's cyber security preparedness. While 60% of CISOs were confident about the C-suite integration of cyber security into key business decisions, only over half of other C-suite officers believed they were effective. There was also a significant gap (12%) between their satisfaction with the overall cyber security preparedness.

Source: [CSO Online]


Governance, Risk and Compliance


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Ransomware Victims

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

BEC – Business Email Compromise

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

Artificial Intelligence

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Botnets

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

Deepfakes

AML/CFT/Sanctions

Insurance

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software Supply Chain

Cloud/SaaS

Identity and Access Management

Encryption

API

Open Source and Linux

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Parental Controls and Child Safety

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Models, Frameworks and Standards

Data Protection

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda


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

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

Russia

China

Iran

North Korea


Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities



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.

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.

Read More
Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 02 June 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 02 June 2023:

-How to Keep Cyber Attacks from Tanking Your Balance Sheet

-Company Size Doesn’t Matter When It Comes to Cyber Attacks

-‘Exceptional’ Cyber Attacks Now Normal, says BT Security Chief

-How State-Sponsored/Advanced Persistent Threat Groups (APTs) Target SMBs

-Phishing Campaigns Thrive as Evasive Tactics Outsmart Conventional Detection

-Don't be Polite When you Get a Text from a Wrong Number

-Capita Cyber Attack: 90 Downstream Organisations Reported Data Breaches

-Travel-Themed Phishing, BEC Campaigns Get Smarter as Summer Season Arrives

-Organisations Spend 100 Hours Battling Post-Delivery Email Threats

-Ransomware Gangs Adopting Business-like Practices to Boost Profits

-The Sobering Truth About Ransomware—For The 80% Who Paid Up

-The Great CISO Resignation: Why Security Leaders are Quitting in Droves

-When is it Time for a Cyber Hygiene Audit?

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 to Keep Cyber Attacks from Tanking Your Balance Sheet

According to a recent Forrester report, last year saw 1 billion records exposed in the top 35 breaches, $2.6 billion stolen in the top nine cryptocurrency breaches, and $2.7 billion in fines levied to the top 35 violators.

The average cost of a data breach reached $4.35 million in 2022, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report for that year, which represents a 2.6% increase over the prior year, and a 12.7% increase from 2020. For ransomware, a report found the average payment in 2021 was approximately $1.85 million, more than double the $760,000 figure from 2020. These are just direct costs; indirect costs are far greater and can include lost business, lost customers, reputational loss and regulatory fines.

When it comes to managing cyber risk, corporate boards should look to understand cyber security as a strategic business enabler, understand the impacts, align risk-management with business needs, ensure the organisation supports cyber security, incorporate cyber security expertise into governance and encourage systemic resilience.

https://hbr.org/2023/06/how-to-keep-cyberattacks-from-tanking-your-balance-sheet

  • Company Size Doesn’t Matter When It Comes to Cyber Attacks

65% of large organisations suffered a cyber attack within the last 12 months, which is similar to the results among companies of all sizes (68%), according to a recent report. The most common security incidents were the same for all companies; these were phishing, ransomware and user account compromise, also known as business email compromise (BEC).

Smaller companies often underestimate their risk, with the reasoning that cyber criminals want the biggest targets as they will likely have more intellectual property, however all businesses have valuable data and are therefore a target. Additionally, smaller organisations can sometimes be seen as a way into larger organisations that use their services.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/05/29/larger-organizations-cyberattacks/

  • ‘Exceptional’ Cyber Attacks Now Normal, says BT Security Chief

The threat of cyber attacks is growing at an “unprecedented” pace, according to the chief security officer at multinational teleco BT, Howard Watson, but it is not just large organisations such as BT who will be impacted by this increase.

Watson highlighted that the increase in sophisticated technology poses the biggest threat in the long run: “Technological advancement, as ever, is a double-edged sword in security. Quantum and AI have great potential for benefits in the right hands, or to cause massive damage in the wrong hands. But we know that cyber criminals will utilise these technologies, so we have to be able to respond in kind.”  Adding to this, the chief security officer highlighted that events that were previously considered as ‘exceptional’ need to be assessed and planned for as a probability, rather than a possibility.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/exceptional-cyberattacks-now-normal-says-bt-security-chief-nd2kfp3gc

  • How State-Sponsored/Advanced Persistent Threat Groups (APTs) Target SMBs

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are not exempt from being targeted by advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, according to Proofpoint researchers who collected data from over 200,000 SMB customers. Proofpoint identified a rise in phishing campaigns originating from such state-sponsored APT groups, who are highly skilled and typically state-sponsored groups with distinct strategic goals. These goals range from espionage and intellectual property theft to destructive attacks, state-sponsored financial theft, and disinformation campaigns.

Unfortunately, SMBs often lack adequate cyber security measures, making them vulnerable to all kinds of cyber threats. APT actors exploit this weakness by targeting SMBs as a stepping stone towards achieving their larger goals.

Alongside phishing campaigns, it was identified that APTs are increasingly targeting regional outsourced IT providers/Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to mount supply chain attacks. By compromising regional MSPs within geographies that align with the strategic collection requirements of APT actors, threat actors can gain access to multiple SMBs to extract sensitive information or execute further attacks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/05/31/apt-targeting-smbs/

  • Phishing Campaigns Thrive as Evasive Tactics Outsmart Conventional Detection

According to research, 2022 saw a 25% increase in the use of phishing kits. These phishing kits are a set of tools that enable cyber criminals to effortlessly create and maintain large scale sophisticated phishing campaigns. It is this sophistication that allows cyber criminals to circumnavigate conventional detections; in fact, the research found a 40% increase in the use of anti-bot technologies designed to prevent automated scanners from identifying content as phishing.

In some cases (11% of observed phishing kits) malicious links would not be detected when tested by anti-phishing controls because those controls do not use the exact device parameters, geolocation and referrer of the intended target victim’s profile; therefore the malicious link is allowed to be delivered to the intended target.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/01/advanced-detection-evasion-techniques/

  • Don't be Polite When you Get a Text from a Wrong Number

You should immediately be suspicious of any text you get from a number not in your contacts, even if it may be innocent looking. Your first reaction may be to be polite and let them know they have the wrong number, but this person is a stranger. Strangely, despite teaching our children not to talk to strangers, many are comfortable with divulging information to them. Although letting them know they made a mistake seems harmless, responding opens you up to being scammed and you’ve just let them know you’re a real person. Every bit of helpful information you provide has the potential to be leveraged by an attacker.

https://www.kens5.com/article/money/consumer/wrong-number-text-messages/273-c94cd68b-6117-4add-bf16-e010f7e16726

  • Capita Cyber Attack: 90 Downstream Organisations Reported Data Breaches

90 organisations have reported breaches of personal information held by Capita after the outsourcing group had suffered a cyber attack, according to Britain’s data watchdog. The attack on Capita, which occurred in March, is still impacting businesses, with the UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) making enquiries. Organisations must notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach.

The impact of the attack, and its knock-on effect, highlights the need for organisations to consider their third party security, no matter the size of the third party they use.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/30/capita-cyber-attack-data-breaches-ico

  • Travel-Themed Phishing, BEC Campaigns Get Smarter as Summer Season Arrives

A recent survey from McAfee found that nearly a third (30%) of adults have fallen victim or know someone who has fallen victim to an online scam when bargain hunting for travel deals during the summer season, with a full two-thirds of victims losing up to $1,000.

This has extended to the corporate environment, with threat actors impersonating the HR department and exploiting the trust users place in their employers, a report has found. The attack leverages regular HR procedures associated with holiday requests and taps into the anticipation and excitement surrounding the summer travel season, to capitalise on exploiting the user.

https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/travel-themed-phishing-bec-campaigns-smarter-summer-season

  • Organisations Spend 100 Hours Battling Post-Delivery Email Threats

Nearly every victim of a spear-phishing attack in the last 12 months saw impacts on their organisation, including malware infections, stolen data, and reputational damage, according to Barracuda Networks. The research shows that cyber criminals continue to barrage organisations with targeted email attacks, and many companies are struggling to keep up.

While spear-phishing attacks are low-volume, they are widespread and highly successful compared to other types of email attacks. On average, organisations take nearly 100 hours to identify, respond to, and remediate a post-deliver email threat: 43 hours to detect the attack and 56 hours to respond and remediate after the attack is detected.

Users at companies with more than a 50% remote workforce report higher levels of suspicious emails: 12 per day on average, compared to 9 per day for those with less than a 50% remote workforce. Companies with more than a 50% remote workforce also reported that it takes longer to both detect and respond to email security incidents: 55 hours to detect and 63 hours to respond and mitigate, compared to an average of 36 hours and 51 hours respectively for organisations with fewer remote workers.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/05/30/2023-spear-phishing-trends/

  • Ransomware Gangs Adopting Business-like Practices to Boost Profits

Ransomware gangs are using a variety of business-like practices to boost profits, making it more difficult for defenders to differentiate various groups, a new report by WithSecure has surmised. This move towards mirroring legitimate businesses practices means that tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) are blurring.

The underground marketplace now includes entities including ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups, Initial Access Brokers (IAB), crypter-as-a-service (CaaS), cryptojackers, malware-as-a-service (MaaS) groups and nation-state actors. This allows nation-states to use tools available on the underground market to gain access to networks and systems without being detected. Ultimately, this trend towards professionalisation makes the expertise and resources to attack organisations accessible to lesser-skilled or poorly resourced threat actors.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-gangs-business-practices/

  • The Sobering Truth about Ransomware—for the 80% Who Paid Up

Newly published research of 1,200 organisations impacted by ransomware reveals a sobering truth that awaits many of those who decide to pay the ransom. According to research, 80% of the organisations surveyed decided to pay the demanded ransom in order to both end the ongoing cyber attack and recover otherwise lost data. This is despite 41% of those organisations having a “do not pay” policy in place, which only goes to reinforce the cold hard fact that cyber crime isn’t an easy landscape to navigate. This is something that’s especially true when your business is facing the real-world impact of dealing with a ransomware attack.

Of the 960 organisations that paid a ransom, 201 of them (21%) were still unable to recover their lost data. The same number also reported that ransomware attacks were now excluded from their insurance policies. Of those organisations with cyber insurance cover, 74% reported a rise in premiums. Another report, published by Sophos, revealed that 32% of those surveyed opted to pay the ransom but a shocking 92% failed to recover all their data and 29% were unable to recover more than half of the encrypted data.

Some groups have switched to stealing sensitive customer or corporate data instead, with the ransom demanded in return for them not selling it to the highest bidder or publishing it online. Many groups combine the two for a double extortion ransomware attack.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2023/05/30/the-sobering-truth-about-ransomware-for-the-80-percent-who-paid-up 

  • The Great CISO Resignation: Why Security Leaders are Quitting in Droves

With the rise in AI tools such as ChatGPT broadening an attacker’s arsenal, this places greater and greater pressure on security leaders who are already dealing with shrinking budgets, skeleton crew staff and a conglomeration of security tools and protocols — so much so that they are increasingly quitting. A recent report found that nearly a third (32%) of CISOs in the US and UK were considering leaving their current organisation and 9 out of 10 reported themselves as “moderately” or “tremendously” stressed.

This so-called Great CISO Resignation is concerning, because what happens when there’s nobody guarding the gate and rallying the troops?

https://www.sdxcentral.com/articles/analysis/the-great-ciso-resignation-why-security-leaders-are-quitting-in-droves/2023/05/

  • When is it Time for a Cyber Hygiene Audit?

Effective cyber hygiene practices limit threats against your systems, devices and users, preventing breaches that could compromise sensitive business information, database information, and personal data. But cyber hygiene isn’t a static or one-off process. It requires routine execution and, occasionally, a full audit. This audit typically covers a range of aspects including encryption, documentation, authentication, patches, security and ongoing cyber hygiene.

Good cyber hygiene is a necessary part of maintaining IT security. Setting up processes and procedures within your organisation’s regular operating procedures is an effective way to maintain cyber hygiene. Although the responsibilities may differ by position, everyone in the organisation plays a role.

An audit provides important information on where and where you need to improve. It also provides a baseline for measuring improvement and effectiveness. The key to success is to integrate hygiene into routine process starting top down from policies into every part of the business and making use of third party experts to help aid in the process.

https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/devops/23/e/cyber-hygiene-audit-best-practices.html



Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Ransomware Victims

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

Artificial Intelligence

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Botnets

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

AML/CFT/Sanctions

Insurance

Dark Web

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software Supply Chain

Cloud/SaaS

Hybrid/Remote Working

Shadow IT

Identity and Access Management

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Malvertising

Training, Education and Awareness

Travel

Parental Controls and Child Safety

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Models, Frameworks and Standards

Data Protection

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda




Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities





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.

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Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 May 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 May 2023:

- Boards Need Better Conversations About Cyber Security

- Uber’s Ex-Security Chief Sentenced for Security Breach

- Global Cyber Attacks Rise by 7% in Q1 2023

- Three-Quarters of Firms Predict Breach in Coming Year

- The Costly Threat That Many Businesses Fail to Address

- European Data at Risk with Tick-box GDPR Compliance and High Cyber Attack Volumes

- Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence for Business Security

- Hackers Are Finding Ways to Evade Latest Cyber Security Tools

- Study Shows a 27% Spike in Publicly Known Ransomware Victims

- Data Loss Costs Are Going Up – and Not Just for Those Who Choose to Pay Thieves

- Give NotPetya-hit Merck that $1.4B, Appeals Court Tells Insurers

- 4 Ways Leaders Should Re-evaluate Their Cyber Security's Focus

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

  • Boards Need Better Conversations About Cyber Security

In a survey by Harvard Business Review, 65% of directors believed their organisations were at risk of a cyber attack within the next 12 months, and almost half believed they were unprepared to cope with such an attack. Boards that struggle with their role in providing oversight for cyber security create a security problem for their organisations. By not focusing on resilience, boards fail their companies and their stakeholders.

Regarding board interactions with CISOs, just 69% of responding board members see eye-to-eye with their chief information security officers (CISOs). Fewer than half (47%) of members serve on boards that interact with their CISOs regularly, and almost a third of them only see their CISOs at board presentations. This is worrying, as this leaves little time for leaders to have a meaningful dialogue about cyber security.

As a result, boards need to discuss their organisations’ cyber security-induced risks and evaluate plans to manage those risks frequently; the CISO should be involved in this. With the right conversations about keeping the organisation resilient, they can take the next step to provide adequate cyber security oversight. To bring more cyber security into the board room, board members may need to gain expertise, whether through frequent training or development programmes.

https://hbr.org/2023/05/boards-are-having-the-wrong-conversations-about-cybersecurity

  • Uber’s Ex-Security Chief Sentenced for Security Breach

Earlier this week, Uber’s former head of cyber security, Joseph Sullivan, faced several years of prison time for covering up a massive security breach at the ride-hailing company seven years ago. When it actually came to sentencing he managed to avoid jail but received three years of probation and 200 hours of community service, despite pleas from the prosecution to throw him in jail.

The case highlights the seriousness of covering up a security breach, as at one point the ex-security chief was looking at 24-30 months of jail time. With increasing regulations and focus on cyber security, it is unlikely that this is a one-off incident.

https://gizmodo.com/uber-security-joe-sullivan-sentenced-prison-data-breach-1850403347

  • Global Cyber Attacks Rise by 7% in Q1 2023

Weekly cyber attacks have increased worldwide by 7% in Q1 2023 compared to the same period last year, with each firm facing an average of 1,248 attacks per week according to Check Point’s latest research. The report highlights a number of sophisticated campaigns including using ChatGPT for code generation to help less-skilled threat actors effortlessly launch cyber attacks.

The Check Point report also shows that 1 in 31 organisations worldwide experienced a ransomware attack weekly over the first quarter of 2023. To defend against such threats, the security researchers recommended a series of cyber safety tips, such as keeping computers and servers up-to-date, conducting regular cyber awareness training and utilising better threat prevention tools, among others.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/global-cyber-attacks-rise-7-q1-2023/

  • Three-Quarters of Firms Predict a Breach in the Coming Year

Most global organisations anticipate suffering a data breach or cyber attack in the next 12 months. Trend Micro’s six-monthly Cyber Risk Index (CRI) was compiled from interviews with 3,729 global organisations.

While results of the index score move in a positive direction showing organisations are taking steps to improve cyber preparedness, most responding organisations are pessimistic about the year ahead.

Respondents pointed to both negligent insiders and mobile users, and a lack of trained staff, as a key cause of concern going forward. Alongside cloud infrastructure and virtual computing environments, these comprised the top five infrastructure risks.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/threequarters-firms-predict-breach/

  • The Costly Threat That Many Businesses Fail to Address

Insider attacks such as fraud, sabotage, and data theft plague 71% of businesses, according to a recent report. The report found companies that allow excessive data access are much more likely to suffer insider attacks. However, only 57% of companies limit data appropriately while 31% allow employees access to more data than necessary and 12% allow employees access to all company data.

Alarmingly, of the companies that have experienced insider attacks, one in three (34%) report that the attack involved an employee with privileged access. Data theft was the most common type of insider attack, reported by 38% of businesses.

Insider attacks can damage businesses’ reputations, finances, and competitiveness, and therefore companies should take a proactive approach in preventing these incidents.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/05/02/insider-attacks-damage/

  • European Data at Risk with Tick-box GDPR Compliance and High Cyber Attack Volumes

Recent research revealed that European IT and security leaders may be dangerously over-confident in their ability to avoid cyber attacks and mitigate the risk of serious data compromise. The findings reveal that most organisations have suffered a serious cyber attack in the last two years, with over half of respondents saying their company suffered an attack 1 to 3 times in this time period. Worryingly, 20% of respondents claim to have been attacked 4 to 6 times. Only 18% managed to avoid an attack altogether.

Worryingly, three-quarters (76%) of those interviewed admit they’re taking a tick-box approach to GDPR compliance, which involves doing the bare minimum on data privacy and security. Although most (97%) have a contingency plan in place should they get breached, a quarter (26%) have not tested it.

Around two-thirds of respondents say their organisation considers customer (66%) and financial data (63%) to be “risky.” But the figure drops to 60% for employee data, and even further for intellectual property (45%) and health data (28%). Alarmingly, health-related data is classified as a special category data by GDPR, meaning it requires more protection.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/05/03/european-data-at-risk-with-tick-box-gdpr-compliance-and-high-cyberattack-volumes

  • Understanding Cyber Threat Intelligence for Business Security

Cyber threat intelligence is not a solution itself, but a crucial component of any mature security programme, enabling organisations to gain insights into the motives, targets and behaviours of threat actors. As such, it is crucial for businesses looking to protect themselves from the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

Some of the benefits of effective cyber threat intelligence to a business include early threat detection, improved response, regulation compliance, competitive advantage and cost savings. It is important to highlight that an organisation does not need to come up with their own cyber threat intelligence initiative, it can instead be purchased as a service.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/05/04/understanding-cyber-threat-intelligence-for-business-security

  • Hackers Are Finding Ways to Evade Latest Cyber Security Tools

As hacking has gotten more destructive and pervasive, new defensive tools continue to be developed. One such tool is called endpoint detection and response (EDR) software, it’s designed to spot early signs of malicious activity on laptops, servers and other devices known as “endpoints” on a computer network — and block them before intruders can steal data or lock the machines.

Experts however, claim hackers have developed workarounds for some forms of the technology, allowing them to slip past products that have become the gold standard for protecting critical systems. Security software is not enough on its own, it is just one of the layers of defence that organisations should employ as part of their cyber resilience; there is no silver bullet.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hackers-finding-ways-evade-latest-131600565.html

  • Study Shows a 27% Spike in Publicly Known Ransomware Victims

A report released this week highlights a 27% increase in publicly known ransomware victims in the first quarter of the year. Some of the report’s key findings include the fact that manufacturing, technology, education, banking, finance, and healthcare organisations are the largest to be exposed to ransomware.

The report identified an increase in the use of “double extortion” as an attack model. This method is where ransomware groups not only encrypt files but also exfiltrate data. The top five most active ransomware threat actors are LockBit, Clop, AlphV, Royal and BianLian.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-news/guidepoint-study-shows-a-27-spike-in-public-ransomware-victims/

  • Data Loss Costs Are Going Up – and Not Just for Those Who Choose to Pay Thieves

A recent report found while the number of ransomware incidents that firms responded to dipped in early 2022, it came roaring back toward the end of the year and into early 2023. With this came higher ransom demands and, eventually, payments. The largest ransom demand last year was more than $90 million, with the largest payment exceeding $8 million. Both were larger than in 2021 (more than $60 million and $5.5 million respectively).

Ransomware groups are upping their attacks all the time and you don’t want to be an easy target.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/02/data_breach_costs_rise/

  • Give NotPetya-hit Merck that $1.4B, Appeals Court Tells Insurers

In a significant ruling this week a court in the US found that pharmaceutical company Merck's insurers can't use an "act of war" clause to deny the pharmaceutical giant an enormous payout to clean up its NotPetya infection from 2017. The ruling will also undoubtedly affect the language used in underwriting policies, especially when it comes to risks such as ransomware and cyber warfare.

https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/03/merck_14bn_insurance_payout_upheld/

  • 4 Ways Leaders Should Re-evaluate Their Cyber Security's Focus

The technology industry has long been building walls around structured data and communications—with little consideration of how employees use that information. Outlined below are four 4 ways leaders can better protect raw data.

  • Recognise that priorities have evolved.

  • Understand that security burdens have changed.

  • Understand why, despite best efforts, criminals are still successful.

  • Evaluate the ways in which you are protecting your most vulnerable data.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/05/02/4-ways-leaders-should-reevaluate-their-cybersecuritys-focus/


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

Malware

Mobile

Botnets

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

AML/CFT/Sanctions

Dark Web

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Cloud/SaaS

Hybrid/Remote Working

Attack Surface Management

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Malvertising

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Governance, Risk and Compliance

Secure Disposal

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

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


Nation State Actors



Tools and Controls



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.

Read More
Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 April 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 April 2023:

-March 2023 Broke Ransomware Attack Records with a 91% Increase from the Previous Month

-Organisations Overwhelmed with Cyber Security Alerts, Threats and Attack Surfaces

-One in Three Businesses Faced Cyber Attacks Last Year

-Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cybersecurity Efforts Should Be Merged

-Tight Budgets and Burnout Push Enterprises to Outsource Cyber Security

-Complex 8 Character Passwords Can Be Cracked in as Little as 5 Minutes

-83% of Organizations Paid Up in Ransomware Attacks

-Security is a Revenue Booster, Not a Cost Centre

-EX-CEO Gets Prison Sentence for Bad Security

-Warning From UK Cyber Agency for a New ‘Class’ of Russian Hackers

-KnowBe4 Q1 Phishing Report Reveals IT and Online Services Emails Drive Dangerous Attack Trend

-Outsourcing Group Capita Admits Customer Data May Have Been Breached During Cyber-Attack

-Outdated Cyber Security Practices Leave Door Open for Criminals

-Quantifying cyber risk vital for business survival

-Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets

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

  • March 2023 Broke Ransomware Attack Records with a 91% Increase from the Previous Month

March 2023 was the most prolific month recorded by cyber security analysts in recent years, measuring 459 attacks, an increase of 91% from the previous month and 62% compared to March 2022. According to NCC Group, which compiled the report based on statistics derived from its observations, the reason last month broke all ransomware attack records was CVE-2023-0669. This is a vulnerability in Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT secure file transfer tool that the Clop ransomware gang exploited as a zero-day to steal data from 130 companies within ten days.

Regarding the location of last month's victims, almost half of all attacks (221) breached entities in North America. Europe followed with 126 episodes, and Asia came third with 59 ransomware attacks.

The recorded activity spike in March 2023 highlights the importance of applying security updates as soon as possible, mitigating potentially unknown security gaps like zero days by implementing additional measures and monitoring network traffic and logs for suspicious activity.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/march-2023-broke-ransomware-attack-records-with-459-incidents/

  • Organisations Overwhelmed with Cyber Security Alerts, Threats and Attack Surfaces

Many organisations are struggling to manage key security projects while being overwhelmed with volumes of alerts, increasing cyber threats and growing attack surfaces, a new report has said. Compounding that problem is a tendency by an organisation’s top brass to miss hidden risks associated with digital transformation projects and compliance regulations, leading to a false sense of confidence in their awareness of these vulnerabilities.

The study comprised IT professionals from the manufacturing, government, healthcare, financial services, retail and telecommunications industries. Five of the biggest challenges they face include:

  • Keeping up with threat intelligence (70%)

  • Allocating cyber security resources and budget (47%)

  • Visibility into all assets connected to the network (44%)

  • Compliance and regulation (39%)

  • Convergence of IT and OT (32%)

The report also focused on breaches within organisations, finding that 64% had suffered a breach or ransomware attack in the last five years; 43% said it had been caused by employee phishing.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-news/organizations-overwhelmed-with-cybersecurity-alerts-threats-and-attack-surfaces-armis-study-shows/

  • One in Three Businesses Faced Cyber Attacks Last Year

Nearly a third of businesses and a quarter of charities have said they were the subject of cyber attacks or breaches last year, new data has shown. Figures collected for the UK Government by polling company Ipsos show a similar proportion of larger and medium-sized companies and high-income charities faced attacks or breaches last year as in 2021.

Overall, 32% of businesses said they had been subject to attacks or breaches over a 12-month period, with 24% of charities saying the same. Meanwhile, about one in ten businesses (11%) and 8% of charities said they had been the victims of cyber crime – which is defined more narrowly – over the 12-month period. This rose to a quarter (26%) of medium-sized businesses, 37% of large businesses and 25% of high-income charities. The UK Government estimated there had been 2.4 million instances of cyber crime against UK businesses, costing an average of £15,300 per victim.

https://www.aol.co.uk/news/one-three-businesses-faced-cyber-105751822.html

  • Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber Security Efforts Should Be Merged

Across early-stage startups and mature public companies alike, organisations are increasingly moving to a convergence of fraud prevention, identity and access management (IdAM), and cyber security. To improve an organisation's overall security posture, business, IT, and fraud leaders must realise that their areas shouldn't be treated as separate line items. Ultimately, these three disciplines serve the same purpose — protecting the business — and they must converge. This is a simple statement, but complex in practice, due mainly to the array of people, strategies, and tooling that today's organisations have built.

The convergence of these three functions comes at a seminal moment, as global threats are heightened due to several factors: geopolitical tensions like the war on Ukraine, the economic downturn, and a never-ending barrage of sophisticated attacks on businesses and consumers. At the same time, companies are facing slowing revenues, rising inflation, and increased pressure from investors, causing layoffs and budget reductions in the name of optimisation. Cutting back in the wrong areas, however, increases risk.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/why-your-anti-fraud-identity-cybersecurity-efforts-should-be-merged

  • Tight Budgets and Burnout Push Enterprises to Outsource Cyber Security

With cyber security teams struggling to manage the remediation process and monitor for vulnerabilities, organisations are at a higher risk for security breaches, according to cyber security penetration test provider Cobalt. As enterprises prioritise efficiencies, security leaders increasingly turn to third-party vendors to alleviate the pressures of consistent testing and to fill in talent gaps.

Cobalt’s recent report found:

  • Budget cuts and layoffs plague security teams: 63% of US cyber security professionals had their department’s budget cut in 2023.

  • Cyber security professionals deprioritise responsibilities to stay afloat: 79% of US cyber security professionals admit to deprioritising responsibilities leading to a backlog of unaddressed vulnerabilities.

  • Inaccurate security configurations cause vulnerabilities: 40% of US respondents found the most security vulnerabilities were related to server security misconfigurations.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/04/19/cybersecurity-professionals-responsibilities/

  • Complex 8 Character Passwords Can Be Cracked in as Little as 5 Minutes

Recently, security vendor Hive released their findings on the time it takes to brute force a password in 2023. This year’s study included the emergence of AI tools. The vendor found that a complex 8 character password could be cracked in as little as 5 minutes. This number rose to 226 years when 12 characters were used and 1 million years when 14 characters were used. A complex password involves the use of numbers, upper and lower case letters and symbols.

Last year, the study found the same 8 and 12 character passwords would have taken 39 minutes and 3,000 years, showing the significant drop in the time it takes to brute force a password. The study highlights the importance for organisations to be aware of their password security and the need for consistent review and updates to the policy.

https://www.hivesystems.io/blog/are-your-passwords-in-the-green

  • 83% of Organisations Paid Up in Ransomware Attacks

A report this week found that 83% of victim organisations paid a ransom at least once. The report found that while entities like the FBI and CISA argue against paying ransoms, many organisations decide to eat the upfront cost of paying a ransom, costing an average of $925,162, rather than enduring the further operational disruption and data loss.

Organisations are giving ransomware attackers leverage over their data by failing to address vulnerabilities created by unpatched software, unmanaged devices and shadow IT. For instance, 77% of IT decision makers argue that outdated cyber security practices have contributed to at least half of security incidents. Over time, these unaddressed vulnerabilities multiply, giving threat actors more potential entry points to exploit and greater leverage to force companies into paying up.

https://venturebeat.com/security/83-of-organizations-paid-up-in-ransomware-attacks/

  • Security is a Revenue Booster, Not a Cost Centre

Security has historically been seen as a cost centre, which has led to it being given as little money as possible. Many CISOs, CSOs, and CROs fed into that image by primarily talking in terms of disaster avoidance, such as data breaches hurting the enterprise and ransomware potentially shutting it down. But what if security presented itself instead as a way to boost revenue and increase market share? That could easily shift those financial discussions into something much more comfortable.

For example, Apple touted its investments into the secure enclave to claim that it offers users better privacy. Specifically, the company argued that it couldn't reveal information to federal authorities because the enclave was just that secure. Apple turned that into a powerful competitive argument against rival Android creator Google, which makes much of its revenue by monetising users' data.

In another scenario, bank regulations require financial institutions to reimburse customers who are victimised by fraudsters, but they carve out an exception for wire fraud. Imagine if a bank realises that covering all fraud — even though it is not required to do so — could be a powerful differentiator that would boost its market share by supporting customers better than competitors do.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/security-is-a-revenue-booster-not-a-cost-center

  • Ex-CEO Gets Prison Sentence for Bad Security

A clinic was recently subject to a cyber attack and even though the clinic was itself the victim, the ex-CEO of the clinic faced criminal charges, too. It would appear that the CEO was aware of the clinic’s failure to employ data security precautions and was aware of this for up to two years before the attack took place.

Worse still, the CEO allegedly knew about the problems because the clinic suffered breaches in 2018 and 2019, and failed to report them; presumably hoping that no traceable cyber crimes would arise as a result, and thus that the company would never get caught out. However, modern breach disclosure and data protection regulations, such as GDPR in Europe, make it clear that data breaches can’t simply be “swept under the carpet” any more, and must be promptly disclosed for the greater good of all.

The former CEO has now been convicted and given a prison sentence, reminding business leaders that merely promising to look after other people’s personal data is not enough. Paying lip service alone to cyber security is insufficient, to the point that you can end up being treated as both a cyber crime victim and a perpetrator at the same time.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2023/04/18/ex-ceo-of-breached-pyschotherapy-clinic-gets-prison-sentence-for-bad-data-security/

  • Warning From UK Cyber Agency for a New ‘Class’ of Russian Hackers

There is a new ‘class’ of Russian hackers, the UK cyber-agency NCSC warns. Due to an increased danger of attacks by state-aligned Russian hackers, the NCSC is encouraging all businesses to put the recommended protection measures into place. The NCSC alert states, “during the past 18 months, a new kind of Russian hacker has developed.” These state-aligned organisations frequently support Russia’s incursion and are driven more by ideology than money. These hacktivist organisations typically concentrate their harmful online activity on launching DDoS (distributed denial of service) assaults against vital infrastructure, including airports, the legislature, and official websites. The NCSC has released a special guide with a list of steps businesses should take when facing serious cyber threats. System patching, access control confirmation, functional defences, logging, and monitoring, reviewing backups, incident plans, and third-party access management are important steps.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/warning-uk-cyberagency-russian-hackers/

  • KnowBe4 Q1 Phishing Report Reveals IT and Online Services Emails Drive Dangerous Attack Trend

KnowBe4 announced the results of its Q1 2023 top-clicked phishing report, and the results included the top email subjects clicked on in phishing tests.

The report found that phishing tactics are changing with the increasing trend of cyber criminals using email subjects related to IT and online services such as password change requirements, Zoom meeting invitations, security alerts and more. These are effective because they would impact an end users’ daily workday and subsequent tasks to be completed.

71% of the most effective phishing lures related to HR (including leave, dress code, expenses, pay and performance) or tax, and these types of emails continue to be very effective.

Emails that are disguised as coming from an internal source such as the IT department or HR are especially dangerous because they appear to come from a more trusted, familiar place where an employee would not necessarily question it or be as sceptical. Building up an organisation’s human firewall by fostering a strong security culture is essential to outsmart bad actors.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/04/19/knowbe4-q1-phishing-report-reveals-it-and-online-services-emails-drive-dangerous-attack-trend/

  • Outsourcing Group Capita Admits Customer Data May Have Been Breached During Cyber Attack

Capita, which runs crucial services for the UK NHS, Government, Military and Financial Services, has for the first time admitted that hackers accessed potential customer, staff and supplier data during a cyber attack last month. The company said its investigation into the attack – which caused major IT outages for clients – found that hackers infiltrated its systems around 22 March, meaning they had around nine days before Capita “interrupted” the breach on 31 March.

While Capita has admitted that data was breached during the incident, it raises the possibility that public sector information was accessed by hackers. Capita, which employs more than 50,000 people in Britain, is one of the government’s most important suppliers and holds £6.5bn-worth of public sector contracts. Capita stopped short of disclosing how many customers were potentially affected by the breach, and is still notifying anyone whose data might be at risk.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/20/capita-admits-customer-data-may-have-been-breached-during-cyber-attack

  • Outdated Cyber Security Practices Leave Door Open for Criminals

A recent report found that as organisations increasingly find themselves under attack, they are drowning in cyber security debt – unaddressed security vulnerabilities like unpatched software, unmanaged devices, shadow IT, and insecure network protocols that act as access points for bad actors. The report found a worrying 98% of respondents are running one or more insecure network protocols and 47% had critical devices exposed to the internet. Despite these concerning figures, fewer than one-third said they have immediate plans to address any of the outdated security practices that put their organisations at risk.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/04/20/outdated-cybersecurity-practices/

  • Quantifying Cyber Risk Vital for Business Survival

Organisations are starting to wake up to the fact that the impact of ransomware and other cyber attacks cause long term issues. The financial implications are far reaching and creating barriers for companies to continue operations after these attacks. As such, quantifying cyber risk is business-specific, and organisations must assess what type of loss they may face, which includes revenue, remediation, legal settlement, or otherwise.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/04/19/cyber-attacks-financial-impact/

  • Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets

Over half of corporate network devices sold second-hand still contain sensitive company data, according to a new study. The study involved the purchase of recycled routers, finding that 56% contained one or more credentials as well as enough information to identify the previous owner.

Some of the analysed data included customer data, credentials, connection details for applications and authentication keys. In some cases, the data allowed for the location of remote offices and operators, which could be used in subsequent exploitation efforts.

In a number of cases the researchers were able to determine with high confidence — based on the data still present on the devices — who their previous owner was. The list included a multinational tech company and a telecoms firm, both with more than 10,000 employees and over $1 billion in revenue.

The study informed organisations who had owned the routers. Unfortunately, when contacted, some of the organisations failed to respond or acknowledge the findings.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/recycled-network-exposing/


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

BEC – Business Email Compromise

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Botnets

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

AML/CFT/Sanctions

Insurance

Dark Web

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software Supply Chain

Cloud/SaaS

Attack Surface Management

Shadow IT

Identity and Access Management

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Governance, Risk and Compliance

Secure Disposal

Backup and Recovery

Data Protection

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda


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

Nation State Actors





 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.

Read More
Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 March 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Briefing 03 March 2023:

-It’s Time to Evaluate Your Security Education Plan Amongst the Rise in Social Engineering Attacks

-Mobile Users are More Susceptible to Phishing Attacks

-Phishing as a Service Stimulates Cyber Crime

-Attacker Breakout Time Drops to Just 84 Minutes

-Attackers are Developing and Deploying Exploits Faster Than Ever

-Old Vulnerabilities are Haunting Organisations and Aiding Attackers

-Scams Drive Nearly $9bn Fraud Surge in 2022

-Economic Pressure are Increasing Cyber Security Risks and a Recession Would Only Further This

-Cyber Security in This Era of Polycrisis

-Russian Ransomware Projects Rebranded to Avoid Western Sanctions

-Ransomware Attacks Ravaged Big Names in February

-Firms Who Pay Ransom Subsidise New Attacks

-How the Ukraine War Opened a Fault Line in Cyber Crime

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

  • It’s Time to Evaluate Your Security Education Plan with the Rise in Social Engineering Attacks

Security provider Purplesec found 98% of attacks in 2022 involved an element of social engineering. Social engineering attacks can take many forms including phishing, smishing, vishing and quishing and it’s vital to educate your organisation on how to best prepare for these. Education plans should focusing on educating all levels of users, including those at the top. These plans should also be tested to allow organisations to assess where they are at and identify where they can improve.

https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/as-social-engineering-attacks-skyrocket-evaluate-your-security-education-plan

  • Mobile Users are More Susceptible to Phishing Attacks

A report conducted by mobile security provider Lookout focused on the impact of mobile phishing. Some of the key findings from the report included that more than 50% of personal devices were exposed to a mobile phishing attack every quarter, the percentage of users falling for multiple mobile phishing links increasing and an increased targeting of highly regulated industries such as insurance, banking and financial services. It is likely that this has resulted from the increase in relaxed bring your own device (BYOD) policies.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/mobile-users-more-susceptible-to-phishing-attacks-than-two-years-ago/

  • Phishing as a Service Stimulates Cyber Crime

Phishing attacks are at an all-time high and the usage of Phishing as a Service (PaaS) opens this attack technique to virtually anyone. The sale of “phishing kits” and usage of artificial intelligence has further increased the availability of this attack technique. In response, organisations should look to improve their email security, cloud security and education programs for employees.

https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/ciso/23/c/phishing-as-a-service-phaas.html

  • Attacker Breakout Time Drops to Just 84 Minutes

The average time it takes for a threat actor to move laterally from a compromised host within an organisation dropped 14% between 2012 and 2022 down to 84 minutes, according to a report by security provider Crowdstrike. With the reduction in time it takes a threat actor to move across systems, organisations have even less time to enact their incident response plans and contain breaches effectively, putting further pressure on the incident response team. By responding quickly, organisations can minimise the cost and damage of a breach. The report from Crowdstrike found that organisations were facing increasing difficulty in detecting suspicious activity as attackers are choosing to use valid organisation credentials rather than malware, to gain access to an organisation’s systems.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/attacker-breakout-time-drops-just/

  • Attackers are Developing and Deploying Exploits Faster Than Ever

A report from security provider Rapid7 found that over 56% of vulnerabilities were exploited within seven days of public disclosure. Worryingly, the median time for exploitation in 2022 was just one day. The finding from the report highlights the need for organisations to not only conduct threat intelligence to be aware of vulnerabilities but to also look to employ patches where possible in a timely manner.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/03/attackers-developing-deploying-exploits/

  • Old Vulnerabilities are Haunting Organisations and Aiding Attackers

Known vulnerabilities, vulnerabilities for which patches have already been made available, are one of the primary attack vectors for threat actors. Vulnerability management vendor Tenable found that the top exploited vulnerabilities were originally disclosed as far back as 2017 and organisations that had not applied these patches were at increased risks of attack.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/03/known-exploitable-vulnerabilities/

  • Scams Drive Nearly $9bn Fraud Surge in 2022

Americans lost $8.8 billion to fraud last year, with imposter scams responsible for $2.8 billion of that amount, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Losses to business imposters were particularly damaging, climbing to $660 million from the previous year. Interestingly, the FTC found that younger people reported losing money to fraud the most often.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/investment-scams-drive-9bn-in/

  • Economic Pressure are Increasing Cyber Security Risks and a Recession Would Only Further This

The World Economic Forum’s recent report found that 93% of cyber security leaders and 86% of business leaders think it is moderately or very likely that global geopolitical instability will lead to a catastrophic cyber event in the next two years. Reinforcing this, a report from (ISC)² found that 80% of business executives believe a weakening economy will increase cyber threats and a recession will only amplify this.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3689008/economic-pressures-are-increasing-cybersecurity-risks-a-recession-would-amp-them-up-more.html

  • Cyber Security in this Era of Polycrisis

A year since Russia invaded Ukraine, the geopolitical context is increasingly tense and volatile. The world faces several major crises in what has been coined a 'polycrisis,' a cluster of global shocks with compounding effects. This, along with increasing geopolitical tensions causes a rise in risk from cyber attacks. In fact, the European Union Agency for Cyber Security (ENISA) recently issued an alert regarding actors conducting malicious cyber activities against businesses and governments in the European Union and findings from Google show a 300% increase in state-sponsored cyber attacks targeting users in NATO countries.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/cybersecurity-in-an-era-of-polycrisis/

  • Russian Ransomware Projects Rebranded to Avoid Western Sanctions

Research provider TRM labs found that some major Russian-linked ransomware crime gangs have rebranded their activities in 2022 to avoid sanctions. To strengthen their anonymity, two major ransomware crime gangs LockBit and Conti restructured their activities. Conti is reported to have restructured into three smaller groups named Black Besta, BlackByte, Karakurt. LockBit on the other hand launched LockBit 3.0, which is focused on monetary gain. Additionally, the report found that Russian-speaking darknet markets had amassed over $130 million in sales.

https://cryptopotato.com/russian-ransomware-projects-rebranded-to-avoid-western-sanctions-report/

  • Ransomware Attacks Ravaged Big Names in February

Despite the apparent slight drop in ransomware activity last month, several high profile targets of various industries were hit; this ranges from the likes of the US Marshal Service, retailer WH Smith, satellite provider Dish and many more. These attacks reinforce the concept that any organisation can be a victim, regardless of industry.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/365532056/Ransomware-attacks-ravaged-big-names-in-February

  • Firms Who Pay Ransoms Subsidise New Attacks

A report from security provider Trend Micro found that whilst only a relatively small number of ransomware victims pay their extorters, those that do pay are effectively funding 6-10 new attacks. The report also found that attackers are aware of which industries and countries pay ransoms more often, so organisations belonging to those industries and countries may find themselves an even more attractive target.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/firms-pay-ransom-subsidise-10/

  • How the Ukraine War Opened a Fault Line in Cyber Crime

A report from threat intelligence provider Recorded Future has highlighted the impact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had on cyber. Recorded Future explain how a number of threat actor groups fled during the war and in addition to differing political views between groups, there has been a disruption to the cyber environment. In fact, Recorded Future found that Russian-language dark web marketplaces have taken a major hit and the prediction is that the epicentre of cyber crime may shift to English-speaking dark web forums, shops and marketplaces.

https://www.darkreading.com/analytics/ukraine-war-fault-line-cybercrime-forever


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

BEC – Business Email Compromise

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

AML/CFT/Sanctions

Insurance

Dark Web

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software Supply Chain

Cloud/SaaS

Containers

Hybrid/Remote Working

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Training, Education and Awareness

Parental Controls and Child Safety

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Governance, Risk and Compliance

Models, Frameworks and Standards

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

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

Nation State Actors





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.

Read More
Black Arrow Admin Black Arrow Admin

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 February 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Briefing 24 February 2023:

-Employees Bypass Cyber Security Guidance to Achieve Business Objectives

-Three Quarters of Businesses Braced for Serious Email Attack this Year

-The Cost of Living Crisis is Triggering a Wave of Workplace Crime

-Fighting Ransomware with Cyber Security Audits

-Record Levels of Fraud Impacting 90% of Payment Compliance Teams

-CISOs Struggle with Stress and Limited Resources

-Cyber Threats and Regulations Mount for Financial Industry

-HardBit Ransomware Wants Insurance Details to Set the Perfect Price

-Social Engineering is Becoming Increasingly Sophisticated

-A Fifth of Brits Have Fallen Victim to Online Scammers

-Cyber Attacks Hit Data Centres to Steal Information From Companies

-Phishing Fears Ramp Up on Email, Collaboration Platforms

-The War in Ukraine has Shaken up the Cyber Criminal Eco-system

-Police Bust €41m Email Scam Gang

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

  • Employees Bypass Cyber Security Guidance to Achieve Business Objectives

Researcher Gartner predicts that by 2025, lack of talent or human failure will be responsible for over half of significant cyber incidents. In a survey conducted by Gartner it was found that 69% of employees had bypassed their organisations cyber security guidance in the previous 12 months and 74% said they would bypass cyber security guidance if it helped them or their team achieve a business objective.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/02/24/bypass-cybersecurity-guidance/

  • Three Quarters of Businesses Braced for Serious Email Attack this Year

According to a survey conducted by security provider Vanson Bourne, 76% of cyber security professionals predict that an email related attack will have serious consequences for their organisation in the coming year. The survey found that 82% of companies reported a higher volume of email in 2022 compared with 2021 and 2020 and 74% had said email-based threats had risen over the last 12 months. In addition, a worrying 91% had seen attempts to steal or use their email domain in an attack.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3688573/three-quarters-of-businesses-braced-for-serious-email-attack-this-year.html#tk.rss_news

  • The Cost of Living Crisis is Triggering a Wave of Workplace Crime

Almost 6,000 people were caught stealing from their employer in 2022 according to insurance provider Zurich with the firms facing an average loss of £140,000.  Zurich have said “As cost of living pressures mount, employee theft has significantly increased, suggesting some workers could be turning to desperate measures to make ends meet”.

https://news.sky.com/story/the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-triggering-a-wave-of-workplace-crime-heres-how-12817082

  • Fighting Ransomware with Cyber Security Audits

With the ever increasing number of devices and distributed environments, it’s easy for organisations to lose track of open IP addresses, administrator accounts and infrastructure configurations; all of this creates an increase in opportunities for threat actors to deploy ransomware. By conducting audits of IT assets, organisations can identify the data they hold and reduce the risk of forgotten devices. The need for auditing of an organisations assets is reinforced where a survey conducted by research provider Enterprise Strategy Group found that nearly 70% of respondents had suffered at least one exploit that started with an unknown, unmanaged, or poorly managed Internet-facing IT asset.

https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/ciso/23/b/cybersecurity-audit.html

  • Record Levels of Fraud Impacting 90% of Payment Compliance Teams

New research from research provider VIXIO has found that 90% of payment company compliance teams are frequently overwhelmed and increased fraud was a particular concern for teams in the UK.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/02/17/overwhelm-impacts-90-of-payment-compliance-teams-as-they-combat-record-levels-of-fraud/

  • CISOs Struggle with Stress and Limited Resources

A survey from security provider Cynet has found that 94% of CISOs report being stressed at work, with 65% admitting that this work stress has compromised their ability to protect their organisation. Furthermore, the survey found all respondents said they needed additional resources to adequately cope with current cyber challenges. Amongst some of the key findings were 77% of CISOs believing that a lack of resources had led to important security initiatives falling to the wayside.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/02/23/cisos-work-related-stress/

  • Cyber Threats and Regulations Mount for Financial Industry

Nation-state adversaries, new reporting regulations, and a fast-paced threat landscape mean that financial services and technology firms need to bolster their security posture. For example, last year a report conducted by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) and security provider Akamai found that distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) attacks rose 73% more for European financial institutions compared to the previous year. This combination of attacks is followed by an increase in regulations such as the requirement to report breaches to the European Authorities to satisfy the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Such increase has caused financial institutions to bolster their security, with a survey conducted by security provider Contrast finding 72% of financial organisations plan to increase their investment in the security of their applications and 64% mandated cyber security requirements for their vendors.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/cyberthreats-regulations-mount-for-financial-industry

  • HardBit Ransomware Wants Insurance Details to Set the Perfect Price

Operators of a ransomware threat known as Hardbit are trying to negotiate ransom payments so that they would be covered by victim’s insurance companies. Typically, the threat actor tries to convince the victim that it is in their interest to disclose their insurance details so that the threat actor can adjust their demands so that insurance would cover it.

 https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hardbit-ransomware-wants-insurance-details-to-set-the-perfect-price/ 

  • Social Engineering is Becoming Increasingly Sophisticated

The rapid development of deepfake technology is providing an increase in the sophistication of social engineering attacks. Deepfake technology refers to products created through artificial intelligence, which could allow an individual to impersonate another with likeness and voice during a video conversation. The accessibility of such technology has allowed threat actors to conduct more sophisticated campaigns, including the replication of the voice of a company executive.

https://securityaffairs.com/142487/hacking/social-engineering-increasingly-sophisticated.html

  • A Fifth of Brits Have Fallen Victim to Online Scammers

Security founder F-Secure have found that a fifth of Brits had fallen victim to digital scammers in the past, yet a quarter had no security controls to protect themselves. When providing a reason for the lack of security, 60% said they found cyber security too complex. This is worrying for organisations who need to ensure these low levels of security awareness are not displayed in the corporate environment.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fifth-brits-have-victim-online/

  • Cyber Attacks Hit Data Centres to Steal Information from Companies

Cyber attacks targeting multiple data centres globally have resulted in the exfiltration of information relating to companies who used them. In addition, attackers have been seen to publish access credentials relating to these attacks on the dark web. This malicious activity reinforces the need for organisations to be aware of and properly manage their supply chain.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3688909/cyberattacks-hit-data-centers-to-steal-information-from-global-companies.html#tk.rss_news  

  • Phishing Fears Ramp Up on Email, Collaboration Platforms

Three quarters of organisations are expecting a serious impact from an email-based attack and with the rapid growth and expansion of collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, it’s expected that these will also be used as a vector for threat actors. Combined with the emergence of Chat-GPT, the landscape provides an increasing amount of opportunities for threat actors.

https://www.darkreading.com/remote-workforce/phishing-fears-ramp-up-on-e-mail-collaboration-platforms

  • The War in Ukraine has Shaken up the Cyber Criminal Eco-System

One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the war continues -- including an ever-evolving digital component that has implications for the future of cyber security around the world. Among other things, the war in Ukraine has upended the Eastern European cyber criminal ecosystem, according to cyber security experts from Google, shaking up the way ransomware attacks are playing out. Google later explained that “Lines are blurring between financially motivated and government-backed attackers in Eastern Europe”.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-war-in-ukraine-has-shaken-up-the-cybercriminal-ecosystem-google-says/

  • Police Bust €41m Email Scam Gang

A coordinated police operation spanning multiple countries led to the dismantling of a criminal network which was responsible for tens of millions in Business Email Compromise (BEC) losses. In one of the attacks the gang used social engineering to target the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a real estate developer, defrauding them of 38 million euros.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/police-bust-41m-bec-gang/


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

BEC – Business Email Compromise

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

Insurance

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software Supply Chain

Cloud/SaaS

Containers

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Malvertising

Training, Education and Awareness

Parental Controls and Child Safety

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Governance, Risk and Compliance

Data Protection

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

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

Nation State Actors


Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities




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.

Read More
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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 December 2022

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 December 2022:

-LastPass Users: Your Info and Password Vault Data are Now in Hackers’ Hands

-Ransomware Attacks Increased 41% In November

-The Risk of Escalation from Cyber Attacks Has Never Been Greater

-FBI Recommends Ad Blockers as Cyber Criminals Impersonate Brands in Search Engine Ads

-North Korea-Linked Hackers Stole $626 Million in Virtual Assets in 2022

-UK Security Agency Wants Fresh Approach to Combat Phishing

-GodFather Android malware targets 400 banks, crypto exchanges

-Companies Overwhelmed by Available Tech Solutions

-Nine in 10 Third-party Contractors, Freelancers Use Personal, Unmanaged Devices Likely to be Infected

-UK Privacy Regulator Names and Shames Breached Firms

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

  • LastPass Admits Attackers have an Encrypted Copy of Customers’ Password Vaults 

Password locker LastPass has warned customers that the August 2022 attack on its systems saw unknown parties copy encrypted files that contain the passwords to their accounts.

In a December 22nd update to its advice about the incident, LastPass brings customers up to date by explaining that in the August 2022 attack “some source code and technical information were stolen from our development environment and used to target another employee, obtaining credentials and keys which were used to access and decrypt some storage volumes within the cloud-based storage service.” Those creds allowed the attacker to copy information “that contained basic customer account information and related metadata including company names, end-user names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service.”

The update reveals that the attacker also copied “customer vault” data, the file LastPass uses to let customers record their passwords. That file “is stored in a proprietary binary format that contains both unencrypted data, such as website URLs, as well as fully-encrypted sensitive fields such as website usernames and passwords, secure notes, and form-filled data.” The passwords are encrypted with “256-bit AES encryption and can only be decrypted with a unique encryption key derived from each user’s master password”.

LastPass’ advice is that even though attackers have that file, customers who use its default settings have nothing to do as a result of this update as “it would take millions of years to guess your master password using generally-available password-cracking technology.” One of those default settings is not to re-use the master password that is required to log into LastPass. The outfit suggests you make it a complex credential and use that password for just one thing: accessing LastPass.

LastPass therefore offered the following advice to individual and business users: If your master password does not make use of the defaults above, then it would significantly reduce the number of attempts needed to guess it correctly. In this case, as an extra security measure, you should consider minimising risk by changing passwords of websites you have stored.

LastPass’s update concludes with news it decommissioned the systems breached in August 2022 and has built new infrastructure that adds extra protections.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/23/lastpass_attack_update/

  • Ransomware Attacks Increased 41% In November

Ransomware attacks rose 41% last month as groups shifted among the top spots and increasingly leveraged DDoS attacks, according to new research from NCC Group.

A common thread of NCC Group's November Threat Pulse was a "month full of surprises," particularly related to unexpected shifts in threat actor behaviour. The Cuba ransomware gang resurged with its highest number of attacks recorded by NCC Group. Royal replaced LockBit 3.0 as the most active strain, a first since September of last year.

These factors and more contributed to the significant jump in November attacks, which rose from 188 in October to 265.

"For 2022, this increase represents the most reported incidents in one month since that of April, when there were 289 incidents, and is also the largest month-on-month increase since June-July's marginally larger increase of 47%," NCC Group wrote in the report.

Operators behind Royal ransomware, a strain that emerged earlier this year that operates without affiliates and utilises intermittent encryption to evade detection, surpassed LockBit 3.0 for the number one spot, accounting for 16% of hack and leak incidents last month.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/252528505/NCC-Group-Ransomware-attacks-increased-41-in-November

  • The Risk of Escalation from Cyber Attacks Has Never Been Greater

In 2022, an American dressed in his pyjamas took down North Korea’s Internet from his living room. Fortunately, there was no reprisal against the United States. But Kim Jong Un and his generals must have weighed retaliation and asked themselves whether the so-called independent hacker was a front for a planned and official American attack.

In 2023, the world might not get so lucky. There will almost certainly be a major cyber attack. It could shut down Taiwan’s airports and trains, paralyse British military computers, or swing a US election. This is terrifying, because each time this happens, there is a small risk that the aggrieved side will respond aggressively, maybe at the wrong party, and (worst of all) even if it carries the risk of nuclear escalation.

This is because cyber weapons are different from conventional ones. They are cheaper to design and wield. That means great powers, middle powers, and pariah states can all develop and use them.

More important, missiles come with a return address, but virtual attacks do not. Suppose in 2023, in the coldest weeks of winter, a virus shuts down American or European oil pipelines. It has all the markings of a Russian attack, but intelligence experts warn it could be a Chinese assault in disguise. Others see hints of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. No one knows for sure. Presidents Biden and Macron have to decide whether to retaliate at all, and if so, against whom … Russia? China? Iran? It's a gamble, and they could get unlucky.

Neither country wants to start a conventional war with one another, let alone a nuclear one. Conflict is so ruinous that most enemies prefer to loathe one another in peace. During the Cold War, the prospect of mutual destruction was a huge deterrent to any great power war. There were almost no circumstances in which it made sense to initiate an attack. But cyber warfare changes that conventional strategic calculus. The attribution problem introduces an immense amount of uncertainty, complicating the decision our leaders have to make.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/the-risk-of-escalation-from-cyberattacks-has-never-been-greater/

  • FBI Recommends Ad Blockers as Cyber Criminals Impersonate Brands in Search Engine Ads

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) this week raised the alarm on cyber criminals impersonating brands in advertisements that appear in search engine results. The agency has advised consumers to use ad blockers to protect themselves from such threats.

The attackers register domains similar to those of legitimate businesses or services, and use those domains to purchase ads from search engine advertisement services, the FBI says in an alert. These nefarious ads are displayed at the top of the web page when the user searches for that business or service, and the user might mistake them for an actual search result.

Links included in these ads take users to pages that are identical to the official web pages of the impersonated businesses, the FBI explains. If the user searches for an application, they are taken to a fake web page that uses the real name of the program the user searches for, and which contains a link to download software that is, in fact, malware.

“These advertisements have also been used to impersonate websites involved in finances, particularly cryptocurrency exchange platforms,” the FBI notes. Seemingly legitimate exchange platforms, the malicious sites prompt users to provide their login and financial information, which the cyber criminals then use to steal the victim’s funds.

“While search engine advertisements are not malicious in nature, it is important to practice caution when accessing a web page through an advertised link,” the FBI says.

Businesses are advised to use domain protection services to be notified of domain spoofing, and to educate users about spoofed websites and on how to find legitimate downloads for the company’s software.

Users are advised to check URLs to make sure they access authentic websites, to type a business’ URL into the browser instead of searching for that business, and to use ad blockers when performing internet searches. Ad blockers can have a negative impact on the revenues of online businesses and advertisers, but they can be good for online security, and even the NSA and CIA are reportedly using them.

https://www.securityweek.com/fbi-recommends-ad-blockers-cybercriminals-impersonate-brands-search-engine-ads

  • North Korea-Linked Hackers Stole $626 Million in Virtual Assets in 2022

South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, estimated that North Korea-linked threat actors have stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets in the past five years.

According to the spy agency, more than half the crypto assets (about 800 billion won ($626 million)) have been stolen this year alone, reported the Associated Press. The Government of Pyongyang focuses on crypto hacking to fund its military program following harsh UN sanctions.

“South Korea’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said North Korea’s capacity to steal digital assets is considered among the best in the world because of the country’s focus on cyber crimes since UN economic sanctions were toughened in 2017 in response to its nuclear and missile tests.” reported the AP agency. North Korea cannot export its products due to the UN sanctions imposed in 2016 and 1017, and the impact on its economy is dramatic.

The NIS added that more than 100 billion won ($78 million) of the total stolen funds came from South Korea. Cyber security and intelligence experts believe that attacks aimed at the cryptocurrency industry will continue to increase next year. National Intelligence Service experts believe that North Korea-linked APT groups will focus on the theft of South Korean technologies and confidential information on South Korean foreign policy and national security.

Data published by the National Intelligence Service agency confirms a report published by South Korean media outlet Chosun early this year that revealed North Korean threat actors have stolen around $1.7 billion (2 trillion won) worth of cryptocurrency from multiple exchanges during the past five years.

https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/139909/intelligence/north-korea-cryptocurrency-theft.html

  • UK Security Agency Wants Fresh Approach to Combat Phishing

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has called for a defence-in-depth approach to help mitigate the impact of phishing, combining technical controls with a strong reporting culture.

Writing in the agency’s blog, technical director and principal architect, “Dave C,” argued that many of the well-established tenets of anti-phishing advice simply don’t work. For example, advising users not to click on links in unsolicited emails is not helpful when many need to do exactly that as part of their job.

This is often combined with a culture where users are afraid to report that they’ve accidentally clicked, which can delay incident response, he said. It’s not the user’s responsibility to spot a phish – rather, it’s their organisation’s responsibility to protect them from such threats, Dave C argued.

As such, they should build layered technical defences, consisting of email scanning and DMARC/SPF policies to prevent phishing emails from arriving into inboxes. Then, organisations should consider the following to prevent code from executing:

  • Allow-listing for executables

  • Registry settings changes to ensure dangerous scripting or file types are opened in Notepad and not executed

  • Disabling the mounting of .iso files on user endpoints

  • Making sure macro settings are locked down

  • Enabling attack surface reduction rules

  • Ensuring third-party software is up to date

  • Keeping up to date about current threats

Additionally, organisations should take steps such as DNS filtering to block suspicious connections and endpoint detection and response (EDR) to monitor for suspicious behaviour, the NCSC advised.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-security-agency-combat-phishing/

  • GodFather Android malware targets 400 banks, crypto exchanges

An Android banking malware named 'Godfather' has been targeting users in 16 countries, attempting to steal account credentials for over 400 online banking sites and cryptocurrency exchanges.

The malware generates login screens overlaid on top of the banking and crypto exchange apps' login forms when victims attempt to log into the site, tricking the user into entering their credentials on well-crafted HTML phishing pages.

The Godfather trojan was discovered by Group-IB analysts, who believe it is the successor of Anubis, a once widely-used banking trojan that gradually fell out of use due to its inability to bypass newer Android defences. ThreatFabric first discovered Godfather in March 2021, but it has undergone massive code upgrades and improvements since then.

Also, Cyble published a report yesterday highlighting a rise in the activity of Godfather, pushing an app that mimics a popular music tool in Turkey, downloaded 10 million times via Google Play. Group-IB has found a limited distribution of the malware in apps on the Google Play Store; however, the main distribution channels haven't been discovered, so the initial infection method is largely unknown.

Almost half of all apps targeted by Godfather, 215, are banking apps, and most of them are in the United States (49), Turkey (31), Spain (30), Canada (22), France (20), Germany (19), and the UK (17).

Apart from banking apps, Godfather targets 110 cryptocurrency exchange platforms and 94 cryptocurrency wallet apps.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/godfather-android-malware-targets-400-banks-crypto-exchanges/

  • Companies Overwhelmed by Available Tech Solutions

92% of executives reported challenges in acquiring new tech solutions, highlighting the complexities that go into the decision-making process, according to GlobalDots.

Moreover, some 34% of respondents said the overwhelming amount of options was a challenge when deciding on the right solutions, and 33% admitted the time needed to conduct research was another challenge in deciding.

Organisations of all varieties rely on technology more than ever before. The constant adoption of innovation is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity to stay on par in today’s fast-paced and competitive digital landscape. In this environment, IT and security leaders are coming under increased pressure to show ROIs from their investment in technology while balancing operational excellence with business innovation. Due to current market realities, IT teams are short-staffed and suffering from a lack of time and expertise, making navigating these challenges even more difficult.

The report investigated how organisations went about finding support for their purchasing decisions. Conferences, exhibitions, and online events served as companies’ top source of information for making purchasing decisions, at 52%. Third-party solutions, such as value-added resellers and consultancies, came in second place at 48%.

54% are already using third parties to purchase, implement, or support their solutions, highlighting the value that dedicated experts with in-depth knowledge of every solution across a wide range of IT fields provide.

We are living in an age of abundance when it comes to tech solutions for organisations, and this makes researching and purchasing the right solutions for your organisation extremely challenging.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/20/tech-purchasing-decisions/

  • Nine in 10 Third-party Contractors, Freelancers Use Personal, Unmanaged Devices Likely to be Infected

Talon Cyber Security surveyed 258 third-party providers to better understand the state of third-party working conditions, including work models, types of devices and security technologies used, potentially risky actions taken, and how security and IT tools impact productivity.

Looking at recent high-profile breaches, third parties have consistently been at the epicenter, so they took a step back with their research to better understand the potential root causes. The findings paint a picture of a third-party work landscape where individuals are consistently working from personal, unmanaged devices, conducting risky activities, and having their productivity impacted by legacy security and IT solutions.

Here’s what Talon discovered:

  • Most third parties (89%) work from personal, unmanaged devices, where organisations lack visibility and cannot enforce the enterprise’s security posture on. Talon pointed to a Microsoft data point that estimated users are 71% more likely to be infected on an unmanaged device.

  • With third parties working from personal devices, they tend to carry out personal, potentially risky tasks. Respondents note that at least on occasion, they have used their devices to:

    • Browse the internet for personal needs (76%)

    • Indulge in online shopping (71%)

    • Check personal email (75%)

    • Save weak passwords in the web browser (61%)

    • Play games (53%)

    • Allow family members to browse (36%)

    • Share passwords with co-workers (24%)

  • Legacy apps such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions are prominent, with 45% of respondents using such technologies while working for organisations.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/nine-in-10-third-party-contractors-freelancers-use-personal-unmanaged-devices-likely-to-be-infected/

  • UK Privacy Regulator Names and Shames Breached Firms

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has taken the unusual step of publishing details of personal data breaches, complaints and civil investigations on its website, according to legal experts.

The data, available from Q4 2021 onwards, includes the organisation’s name and sector, the relevant legislation and the type of issues involved, the date of completion and the outcome.

Given the significance of this development, it’s surprising that the ICO has (1) chosen to release it with limited fanfare, and (2) buried the data sets on its website. Indeed, it seems to have flown almost entirely under the radar.

Understanding whether their breach or complaint will be publicised by European regulators is one of – if not the – main concern that organisations have when working through an incident, and the answer has usually been no. That is particularly the understanding or assumption where the breach or complaint is closed without regulatory enforcement. Now, at least in the UK, the era of relative anonymity looks to be over.

Despite the lack of fanfare around the announcement, this naming and shaming approach could make the ICO one of the more aggressive privacy regulators in Europe. In the future, claimant firms in class action lawsuits may adopt “US-style practices” of scanning the ICO database to find evidence of repeat offending or possible new cases.

The news comes even as data reveals the value of ICO fines issued in the past year tripled from the previous 12 months. In the year ending October 31 2022, the regulator issued fines worth £15.2m, up from £4.8m the previous year. The sharp increase in the value of fines shows the ICO’s increasing willingness selectively to crack down on businesses – particularly those that the ICO perceives has not taken adequate measures to protect customer and employee data.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-privacy-regulator-names-and/


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

BEC – Business Email Compromise

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

2FA/MFA

Malware

Mobile

Botnets

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

BYOD

Internet of Things – IoT

Data Breaches/Leaks

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Cloud/SaaS

Hybrid/Remote Working

Attack Surface Management

Encryption

API

Open Source

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

Social Media

Malvertising

Parental Controls and Child Safety

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Governance, Risk and Compliance

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

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



Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities

Tools and Controls

Reports Published in the Last Week

Other News


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.

Read More