Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 November 2023

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

The Human Element- Cyber Security’s Great Challenge

According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, 74% of all breaches involved a human element. It is important for organisations to understand that it is not simply malicious employees or employees falling for social engineering attacks; it includes things such as negligent, or intentional but not malicious actions. In fact, a recent separate report by Kaspersky found that 26% of incidents over the past two years involved the result of intentional security protocol violations; in comparison, external hacking attempts made up 20%.

Further, Kaspersky found 25% of incidents occurred due to neglecting system software or application updates, followed by 22% resulting from deliberate use of weak passwords or failing to change them promptly, and 18% from staff visiting unsecured websites. One potential cause for these incidents is a lack of training on why such protocols need to be followed.

Black Arrow provides live in person and online instructor lead cyber security training including Cyber Risk and Governance Workshops for Senior Leadership, and Awareness, Behaviour and Culture Training for employees and contractors.

Sources [Beta News] [ Infosecurity Magazine] [The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)]

Good Cyber Hygiene is a Strategic Imperative for SMEs, Report Shows

Small or large, no company is immune to a cyber attack and therefore good cyber hygiene is an imperative for all. Whilst large firms may already have more mature defences in place, smaller firms are definitely catching on to this, with 47% of respondents to a recent survey stating they were more worried about their organisation’s security posture now than compared to six months ago.

The survey found that ransomware (35%), software vulnerability exploits (28%) and using the same password across different applications (25%) were amongst the largest concerns. Interestingly, in a separate report, 44% of incidents were found to lack any element of malware, indicating that attackers are moving beyond traditional methods. The same report found 65% of cases included remote monitoring and management tools as the vector for initial access, something a number of organisations do not secure.

Business email compromise (BEC) attacks are also a key concern for businesses of all sizes but can be especially damaging to smaller organisations for whom the financial loss can be devastating.

Sources [Computer Weekly]  [Beta News] [Beta News]

Despite Increasing Ransomware Attacks, Some Companies are in Denial

A recent study has highlighted a contradiction in the way organisations perceive ransomware threats. Although many do not consider themselves likely targets, they are, nevertheless, bolstering their security measures, expanding their teams, and fortifying cyber defences, acknowledging the risks despite their assumed invulnerability.

Simultaneously, ransomware tactics are undergoing significant changes. The past three quarters have seen a marked increase in double-extortion attacks, with data leaks from these incidents rising by 50% compared to the previous year. This trend is predominantly driven by a few active groups, some newly emerged this year, amplifying the threat landscape.

In a tactical shift, the ransomware group ALPHV, also known as Blackcat, has lodged a formal complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against a victim for failing to comply with new disclosure regulations. Meanwhile, LockBit, infamous for attacks on high-profile targets, is modifying its extortion tactics due to lower-than-anticipated ransom returns. These developments point to an evolving and adaptive ransomware environment.

Sources: [Dark Reading] [SC Media] [Insurance Journal] [MSSP Alert] [Security Brief]

A Single Supply Chain Related Ransomware Incident Spurred UK Decision Makers to Spend Big on Cyber as Latest Victim Count exceeds 2.6K Organisations and 77M People

It is reported that 2,620 organisations and more than 77 million individuals have been impacted to date by the MOVEit supply chain ransomware attack, with millions in the past week alone having received notifications that their information had either been accessed, leaked, or both.

In a survey involving directors of UK companies with over 500 seats that had suffered a ransomware or extortion attack in the past 18 months, it was found that 24% had become significantly more anxious about ransomware attacks as a direct result of the MOVEit breach, and 66% were slightly more anxious. This anxiety translated into action, with 42% of respondents investing more into backup and recovery, and 29% tweaking existing cyber strategies. 29% had taken the decision to amend their existing cyber strategies. Staff training was also found to rise, with 42% looking to spend on skills development and 40% upping their investment in training.

Sources: [The Register] [Computer Weekly]

The True Cost of a Ransomware Attack

While the demand is often financial, the impact and reach of ransomware goes far beyond the ransomware demand. Alongside the financial impact, comes the reputational impact, loss of customers, resources in returning to business as normal and time lost in recovery. For some companies, it can take months to return to where they were before and for others, it marks the end of their organisation.

For an attacker, it doesn’t matter. Their goal is not limited by the size or sector of an organisation and it is therefore imperative that every organisation is prepared for the event of an incident. Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident; this can include an Incident Response Plan and an educational tabletop exercise for the leadership team that highlights the proportionate controls to help the organisation prevent and mitigate an incident.

Source: [ITPro]

Largest Study of Its Kind Shows Outdated Password Practices Are Putting Millions at Risk

A recent study has exposed serious flaws in passwords on the internet, revealing that three out of four popular websites are compromising user security by not meeting basic password standards. The study examined 20,000 websites, finding many allowed simple passwords, didn’t block common ones and adhered to outdated complexity requirements. It was found that over half the websites accept passwords of six characters or fewer, with 75% not requiring the advised minimum of eight characters, and 30% not supporting spaces or special characters. The study showcases the gap in security measures implementation across the web and emphasises the importance of ongoing improvement in web security standards.

The problem is further exacerbated by employees using work email for non-work approved websites and reusing the same passwords, meaning any breach of a compromised site hands the user’s credentials to an attacker. Further, many organisations are not even aware this is going on.

Source: [TechXplore]

Cyber Security Investment Involves More Than Just Technology

C-suite business leaders and senior IT professionals within large organisations, found that the top five cyber security investment areas were technologies (49%), threat intelligence (46%), risk assessment (42%), cyber insurance (42%), and third-party risk management (40%). Fewer organisations highlighted technology as good value for money in 2023 (49%) than in 2022 (58%). suggesting an awareness that technology investments go hand-in-hand with investing in governance and personnel to effectively enable and manage the technology.

Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to demonstrate governance of their cyber security by owning their cyber security strategy and leveraging their existing internal and external resources to build resilience against a cyber security incident.

Source: [Dark Reading]

Questions Leaders Must Ask Themselves on Security Culture

In today's corporate landscape, there's a growing emphasis on the human aspect of cyber security, with Stanford University research indicating that about 88% of data breaches result from employee errors. Companies are now focusing on enhancing security awareness through marketing campaigns and integrating cyber security performance into job reviews. This shift acknowledges that as technological defences evolve, cyber attackers increasingly exploit human vulnerabilities, as evidenced by major ransomware incidents like those impacting Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods.

Developing a strong security culture is essential, by complementing robust policies with ingraining security-minded beliefs and behaviours in employees. Key to this is the role of leadership in embedding and continuously assessing this culture. This involves evaluating training effectiveness, reporting mechanisms, proactive security approaches, and the impact of security initiatives, while also considering the complexity of human behaviour and the example set by top management. Emphasising these aspects is crucial for maintaining a secure and resilient organisational environment, and in so doing protecting an organisation's reputation and financial integrity.

Source: [AT&T]

There’s a Crossover Between Organised Crime, Financial Crime, and Nation-State Crime

The convergence of organised crime, financial crime, and nation-state crime is a growing concern in today’s interconnected world. This crossover, driven by the digital revolution, globalisation, economic factors, and state fragility, is reshaping the global criminal landscape. Organised crime syndicates, traditionally involved in activities like drug trafficking and extortion, are now branching out into financial crimes, offering higher profits with lower risks.

Financial crime, once the domain of individual fraudsters and white-collar criminals, has become a lucrative venture for organised crime groups. They exploit the global financial system to launder proceeds of crime, finance their operations, and evade law enforcement. Nation-state crime, involving state-sponsored or state-condoned criminal activities, often overlaps with organised and financial crime. Some governments turn a blind eye to these activities, while others actively support them for political, economic, or strategic reasons.

Sources: [The Currency]

Cyber Attack on British Library Highlights Lack of UK Resilience

A recent ransomware attack on the British Library has spotlighted the vulnerabilities in the UK's public sector IT infrastructure, amid rising state-backed cyber attacks. This major incident, which caused a significant technical outage at the library, underscores the concerns of cyber intelligence experts about the government's inadequate investment in cyber resilience in critical areas like education, healthcare, and local government. The hacking group Rhysida, targeting essential infrastructure, claimed responsibility and auctioned stolen data, including British Library employees’ passports, for 20 bitcoin (approximately £600,000).

The attack on the British Library, a key public service institution, highlights the escalating threat of ransomware attacks and their potential exploitation by state actors. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has reported a significant increase in cyber attacks in 2023, with incidents more than doubling compared to the previous year. In response, the UK government, which had already allocated £2.6bn for cyber security improvements and IT system updates, is actively assessing the situation with the support of the National Protective Security Authority.

Source: [FT]

Organisations Rethink Cyber Security Investments to Meet NIS2 and DORA Directive Requirements

The European Union (EU) is seeking to improve cyber resilience across all member states by bringing in two new regulations: the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which focuses on financial services companies, and its counterpart the Network and Information Systems Directive (NIS2). The effects of the two regulations are likely to be wider reaching, bringing in more stringent processes and controls and redefining service provision to organisations.

With NIS2 coming into effect in October 2024, the mandatory directive will have teeth, with strict penalties for non-compliance for both the business and senior board personnel, who can be held directly accountable and prevented from holding similar positions in the future. It also aims to increase intelligence sharing between member states and enhance supply chain security. This latter measure will see the directive have a global impact.

Many organisations supplying services to firms that fall under DORA and NIS2 will themselves be subject to the full force of the regulations, with many of these suppliers, including IT providers, unaware that this will have far reaching ramifications for them and their ability to continue to provide these services.

Sources: [Help Net Security] [Help Net Security]

The Cyber Security Lawsuit Boards are Talking About

For the last month, an under-the-radar lawsuit has privately been a hot topic of conversation in boardrooms and corporate security departments alike. The lawsuit involved the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accusing SolarWinds and their CISO of fraud. SolarWinds, like many organisations, had disclosed some facts, however what was reported was not sufficient to satisfy the regulator. The lawsuit is the first in which the SEC has charged a company with intentional fraud related to cyber security disclosures and it paints a picture for the wider movement of the cyber landscape. Whilst the SEC is US based you can expect regulatory counterparts in other jurisdictions globally to follow suit.

Source: [The New York Times]

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Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Why boards must prioritize cyber security expertise - Help Net Security4 data loss examples keeping backup admins up at night | TechTarget

• Accelerating Security Risk Management (trendmicro.com)

• Companies step up investment in ransomware protection (betanews.com)

• CISOs can marry security and business success - Help Net Security

• 7 must-ask questions for leaders on security culture (att.com)

• The human element -- cyber security's greatest challenge (betanews.com)

• Employee Policy Violations Cause 26% of Cyber Incidents - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why good cyber hygiene is a strategic imperative for UK SMEs (betanews.com)

• MOVEit incident spurred UK decision makers to spend big on cyber | Computer Weekly

• Cyber security Investment Involves More Than Just Technology (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Weaponize SEC Disclosure Rules Against Corporate Targets (darkreading.com)

• Corporate Boards Mulling Effects of SEC Cyber Enforcement and CISO Exposure, and Possibly Hacker Complaints to SEC | Jackson Lewis P.C. - JDSupra

• The Cyber security Lawsuit That Boards Are Talking About - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• Only 9% of IT budgets are dedicated to security - Help Net Security

• Inflation, cyber risks the biggest worry for firms | Nation

• Organisations rethink cyber security investments to meet NIS Directive requirements - Help Net Security

• “There's a crossover between organised crime, financial crime, and nation-state crime” - The Currency :The Currency

• Why transparency and accountability are important in cyber security | Computer Weekly

• ‘I employ a lot of hackers’: how a stock exchange chief deters cyber attacks | Cyberwar | The Guardian

• SolarWinds lawsuit puts corporate security chiefs on high alert By Investing.com

• Humans Are Notoriously Bad at Assessing Risk - SecurityWeek

• The role experience plays in risk mitigation (betanews.com)

• Internal audit leaders are wary of key tech investments - Help Net Security

• Maximize Cyber security Returns: 5 Key Steps to Enhancing ROI (darkreading.com)

• Over Half of Organisations Are at Risk of Cyber attack Due to Exhausted and Stressed Staff - IT Security Guru

• Stressed staff put enterprises at risk of cyber attack (betanews.com)

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• 2023 ransomware statistics: Number of double-extortion attacks skyrocket | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• More than money: The true cost of a ransomware attack | ITPro

• Despite Increasing Ransomware Attacks, Some Companies In Denial | MSSP Alert

• Ransomware attacks doubIe in two years says Akamai Technologies report (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Hackers Weaponize SEC Disclosure Rules Against Corporate Targets (darkreading.com)

• Logs missing in 42% cyber attacks; small business most vulnerable: Report (business-standard.com)

• Companies step up investment in ransomware protection (betanews.com)

• Understanding the Ransomware Attack Fallout on China’s ICBC (informationweek.com)

• Ransomware Gang LockBit Revises Its Tactics to Get More Blackmail Money (insurancejournal.com)

• The shifting sands of the war against cyber extortion - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Crews Develop GenAI Tools for Cyber attacks | MSSP Alert

• Play Ransomware Goes Commercial - Now Offered as a Service to Cyber criminals (thehackernews.com)

• Scattered Spider Hops Nimbly from Cloud to On-Prem in Complex Attack (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware groups rack up victims among corporate America | CyberScoop

• Scattered Spider Casino Hackers Evade Arrest in Plain Sight (darkreading.com)

• Paying ransom for data stolen in cyber attack bankrolls further crime, experts caution | CBC Radio

• UK signs joint statement against ransomware payments - “New norm” or status quo? - Lexology

• Capita to axe up to 900 jobs as it battles to recover from Russian cyber attack (telegraph.co.uk)

• Schools Look to Improve Cyber security, but Many Vulnerable to Ransomware (insurancejournal.com)

• 4 Ways Fintech Companies Can Protect Themselves from Ransomware (financemagnates.com)

• A cyber attack on a UK accounting firm wound up leaking US patient data. Now what? (databreaches.net)

• Cyber security should not be a gamble: Latest data breach hits major casino - Digital Journal

Ransomware Victims

• Royal Mail spent £10 million recovering from LockBit breach - Tech Monitor

• British Library staff passports leaked online as hackers demand £600,000 (telegraph.co.uk)

• Hackers Weaponize SEC Disclosure Rules Against Corporate Targets (darkreading.com)

• Understanding the Ransomware Attack Fallout on China’s ICBC (informationweek.com)

• ICBC partners wary to resume trading with bank after cyber attack - Bloomberg News - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

• ‘Sex life data’ stolen from UK government among record number of ransomware attacks (therecord.media)

• MOVEit victim count latest: 2.6K+ orgs, 77M+ people • The Register

• Allen & Overy Given 5 Days to Meet Hackers’ Demands: Expert Q&A | Law.com International

• London & Zurich ransomware attack causes customer chaos • The Register

• CitrixBleed Vulnerability Exploitation Suspected in Toyota Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• Lockbit Gang Behind ICBC Attack Hacks Into Chicago Trading Company - Bloomberg

• Russian hackers claim attack on Ukraine fighter jet supplier (telegraph.co.uk)

• Rhysida claims it hacked the British Library - Tech Monitor

• Clorox Scapegoats Cyber Chief, Rewards Board After Crisis (forbes.com)

• Fortune 500 insurance and mortgage firm FNF shuts down network following cyber attack | TechRadar

• Yamaha Motor confirms ransomware attack on Philippines subsidiary (bleepingcomputer.com)

• St Helens Council suspected cyber attack caused significant disruption - BBC News

• Western Isles Council backup systems 'inaccessible' following cyber attack | STV News

• Auto parts giant AutoZone warns of MOVEit data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BlackCat claims attack on Fidelity National Financial • The Register

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing Simulations Boost Cyber Awareness and Defences | Mimecast

• How to combat AI-produced phishing attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• More Than 50% of Online Retailers Not Blocking Fraudulent Emails | MSSP Alert

• How Multi-Stage Phishing Attacks Exploit QRs, CAPTCHAs, and Steganography (thehackernews.com)

• DarkGate and PikaBot Malware Resurrect QakBot's Tactics in New Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Bloomberg Twitter account hijacked to send users to phishing malware | TechRadar

• The Most Common Indicators of a Phishing Attempt (With Screenshots) | HackerNoon

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber threats reached a new high this year, with AI playing a major role | TechRadar

• How to combat AI-produced phishing attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• IT Pros Worry That Generative AI Will Be a Major Driver of Cyber security Threats (darkreading.com)

• Smaller businesses embrace GenAI, overlook security measures - Help Net Security

• AI Solutions Are the New Shadow IT (thehackernews.com)

• The Good, The Bad And The Reality: The Impact Of AI On Cyber security (forbes.com)

• Ransomware Crews Develop GenAI Tools for Cyber attacks | MSSP Alert

• Over a Dozen Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found in AI/ML Tools - SecurityWeek

• AI threats prompt Virgin Money to invest $250 million in cyber security (proactiveinvestors.com.au)

• OII | Large Language Models pose risk to science with false answers, says Oxford study

Malware

• 5 Of The Most Common Ways Malware Is Spread (And How To Stay Protected) (slashgear.com)

• Report finds malware is no longer the biggest cyberthreat to smaller businesses - SiliconANGLE

• Over half of SME cyber incidents now ‘malware-free’ | Computer Weekly

• Bloomberg Twitter account hijacked to send users to phishing malware | TechRadar

• Mirai malware infects routers and cameras for new botnet • The Register

• InfectedSlurs Botnet Spreads Mirai via Zero-Days | Akamai

• This devious malware will let hackers restore deleted cookies and hijack your Google account | TechRadar

• MySQL servers hit by DDoS malware botnet | TechRadar

• 27 Malicious PyPI Packages with Thousands of Downloads Found Targeting IT Experts (thehackernews.com)

• Beware: Malicious Google Ads Trick WinSCP Users into Installing Malware (thehackernews.com)

• DarkGate and PikaBot Malware Resurrect QakBot's Tactics in New Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Gamaredon's LittleDrifter USB malware spreads beyond Ukraine (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malware Uses Trigonometry to Track Mouse Strokes (darkreading.com)

• Atomic Stealer Malware is tricking Mac users with fake browser updates - gHacks Tech News

• USB worm unleashed by Russian state hackers spreads worldwide | Ars Technica

• DarkGate and Pikabot malware emerge as Qakbot’s successors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How Ducktail steals Facebook accounts | Kaspersky official blog

• Cyber criminals turn to ready-made bots for quick attacks - Help Net Security

• 3 Ways to Stop Unauthorized Code From Running in Your Network (darkreading.com)

• Konni Campaign Deploys Advanced RAT With UAC Bypass Capabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New botnet malware exploits two zero-days to infect NVRs and routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• FCC Tightens Telco Rules to Combat SIM-Swapping - SecurityWeek

• Inside Apple’s Secretive War to Protect iPhones from Hacking • iPhone in Canada Blog

• Cyber criminals Are Targeting App Beta-Testing, and This Is What to Look Out For (makeuseof.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• NoEscape gang continues to use DDoS to pressure reluctant victims to negotiate (databreaches.net)

• MySQL servers hit by DDoS malware botnet | TechRadar

Internet of Things – IoT

• Mirai malware infects routers and cameras for new botnet • The Register

• InfectedSlurs Botnet Spreads Mirai via Zero-Days | Akamai

Data Breaches/Leaks

• 4 data loss examples keeping backup admins up at night | TechTarget

• Morgan Stanley Fined $6.5 Million for Exposing Customer Information - SecurityWeek

• Secretary Fined For Accessing Scores of Patient Records - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Canadian government discloses data breach after contractor hacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Cyber security Lab Suffers Major Data Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Sabre Insurance hit by cyber attack | Insurance Times

• Hacktivists breach US nuclear research lab, steal employee data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Welltok data breach exposes data of 8.5 million US patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber attackers leaked data of 27,000 NYC Bar Association membersers (therecord.media)

• Enterprise software provider TmaxSoft leaks 2TB of data (securityaffairs.com)

• A cyber attack on a UK accounting firm wound up leaking US patient data. Now what? (databreaches.net)

• Sumo Logic says customer data untouched during breach • The Register

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• “There's a crossover between organised crime, financial crime, and nation-state crime” - The Currency :The Currency

• Indian Hack-for-Hire Group Targeted US, China, and More for Over 10 Years (thehackernews.com)

• Shadowy Hack-for-Hire Group Behind Sprawling Web of Global Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• A Hacker Faked His Own Death–Then Claimed To Have Sold Marriott Customer Data To Russians, FBI Says (forbes.com)

• Police Professional | Five-year plan launched to tackle fraud, economic and cyber crime

• Outsmarting cyber criminals is becoming a hard thing to do - Help Net Security

• Cyber security firm executive pleads guilty to hacking hospitals (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• US cyber cops trace and return nearly $9M stolen by scammers • The Register

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• The human element -- cyber security's greatest challenge (betanews.com)

• Employee Policy Violations Cause 26% of Cyber Incidents - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• cyber security: Security violations by employees as harmful as hacking: Report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Secretary Fined For Accessing Scores of Patient Records - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Microsoft: Lazarus hackers breach CyberLink in supply chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• North Korean Supply Chain Threat is Booming, UK and South Korea Warn - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Three Questions To Ask Third-Party Vendors About Cyber security Risk (forbes.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Scattered Spider Hops Nimbly from Cloud to On-Prem in Complex Attack (darkreading.com)

• Navigating the complexities of cyber security in a SaaS-dominated era (securitybrief.co.nz)

Encryption

• Some unbreakable RSA encryption keys are accidentally leaking online | New Scientist

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Largest study of its kind shows outdated password practices are putting millions at risk (techxplore.com)

• Your password hygiene remains atrocious, says NordPass • The Register

• US Teen Pleads Guilty to Credential Stuffing Attack on Fantasy Sports Website - SecurityWeek

Social Media

• How Ducktail steals Facebook accounts | Kaspersky official blog

Malvertising

• Beware: Malicious Google Ads Trick WinSCP Users into Installing Malware (thehackernews.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• The 7 Deadly Sins of Security Awareness Training (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Hackers Weaponize SEC Disclosure Rules Against Corporate Targets (darkreading.com)

• The Cyber security Lawsuit That Boards Are Talking About - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• SolarWinds lawsuit puts corporate security chiefs on high alert By Investing.com

• What CISOs Need to Know About Materiality | Mimecast

• Morgan Stanley Fined $6.5 Million for Exposing Customer Information - SecurityWeek

• Does claiming you were hacked when you had really just screwed up violate the FTC Act? (databreaches.net)

• Secretive White House Surveillance Program Gives Cops Access to Trillions of US Phone Records | WIRED

• UK watchdog threatens enforcement action over ad cookies • The Register

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• NIS2 and its global ramifications - Help Net Security

• Organisations rethink cyber security investments to meet NIS Directive requirements - Help Net Security

• DORA Set to Drive Significant Change in Sell-Side Third Party Risk Management | Financial IT

• Understanding the UK government’s new cyber security regime, GovAssure - IT Security Guru

Data Protection

• 1 in 5 executives question their own data protection programs - Help Net Security

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Over Half of Organisations Are at Risk of Cyber attack Due to Exhausted and Stressed Staff - IT Security Guru

• Half of Cyber security Professionals Kept Awake By Workload Worries - IT Security Guru

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Wirecard hacker sentenced to 80 months in prison (ft.com)

• US Teen Pleads Guilty to Credential Stuffing Attack on Fantasy Sports Website - SecurityWeek

• Europol Launches OSINT Taskforce to Hunt For Russian War Crimes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• A Hacker Faked His Own Death–Then Claimed To Have Sold Marriott Customer Data To Russians, FBI Says (forbes.com)

• Scattered Spider Casino Hackers Evade Arrest in Plain Sight (darkreading.com)

• US cyber cops trace and return nearly $9M stolen by scammers • The Register

• Police Professional | Five-year plan launched to tackle fraud, economic and cyber crime

• Cyber security firm executive pleads guilty to hacking hospitals (bleepingcomputer.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• "We are getting very good at identifying a Russian campaign," Microsoft weighs in on disinformation and national security at recent events | Windows Central

• AI Helps Uncover Russian State-Sponsored Disinformation in Hungary (darkreading.com)

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Why cyber war readiness is critical for democracies - Help Net Security

• Fog of War | How the Ukraine Conflict Transformed the Cyber Threat Landscape (inforisktoday.com)

Nation State Actors

China

• Understanding the Ransomware Attack Fallout on China’s ICBC (informationweek.com)

• ICBC partners wary to resume trading with bank after cyber attack - Bloomberg News - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

• Mustang Panda Hackers Targets Philippines Government Amid South China Sea Tensions (thehackernews.com)

Russia

• USB worm unleashed by Russian state hackers spreads worldwide | Ars Technica

• Almost 4,000 cyber attacks on Ukraine detected – US Treasury Department | Ukrainska Pravda

• "We are getting very good at identifying a Russian campaign," Microsoft weighs in on disinformation and national security at recent events | Windows Central

• Russian hackers use Ngrok feature and WinRAR exploit to attack embassies (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian hackers claim attack on Ukraine fighter jet supplier (telegraph.co.uk)

• Potential cyberespionage campaign against Ukraine involves Remcos tool | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Embezzlement Scandal Consumes a Top Ukrainian Cyber Official, Jolting Relationship With US - The Messenger

• Konni Campaign Deploys Advanced RAT With UAC Bypass Capabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Europol Launches OSINT Taskforce to Hunt For Russian War Crimes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Reveals that Russia’s Civil Aviation Industry Is on the Brink of Collapse | Defence Express (defence-ua.com)

Iran

• Possible Iranian Group Behind 'Flood' of New Cyber attacks in Israel - Bloomberg

• Cyber attacks on Israel intensify as the war against Hamas rages: Check Point | CSO Online

North Korea

• Microsoft: Lazarus hackers breach CyberLink in supply chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• North Korean Supply Chain Threat is Booming, UK and South Korea Warn - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hacking Employers and Seeking Employment: Two Job-Related Campaigns Bear Hallmarks of North Korean Threat Actors (paloaltonetworks.com)

• DPRK Hackers Masquerade as Tech Recruiters, Job Seekers (darkreading.com)

• Hackers pose as officials to steal secrets and cryptocurrency for North Korea (bitdefender.com)

Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence

• Cyber attacks on Israel intensify as the war against Hamas rages: Check Point | CSO Online

Vulnerability Management

• Reflecting on 20 years of Patch Tuesday | MSRC Blog | Microsoft Security Response Center

Vulnerabilities

• MOVEit victim count latest: 2.6K+ orgs, 77M+ people • The Register

• Citrix Bleed WFH Hack and Exploit: News on Data Loss Flaw - Bloomberg

• Citrix warns admins to kill NetScaler user sessions to block hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Exploiting Windows SmartScreen Zero-day Vulnerability (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Security researchers bypass Windows Hello fingerprint authentication - gHacks Tech News

• CISA warns of actively exploited Windows, Sophos, and Oracle bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Sophos Web Appliance vulnerability exploited in the wild (CVE-2023-1671) - Help Net Security

• Over a Dozen Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found in AI/ML Tools - SecurityWeek

• A critical OS command injection flaw affects Fortinet FortiSIEM (securityaffairs.com)

• Russian hackers use Ngrok feature and WinRAR exploit to attack embassies (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adobe Releases Security Updates for ColdFusion | CISA

• Splunk RCE Vulnerability Let Attackers Upload Malicious File (cybersecuritynews.com)

Tools and Controls

• Only 9% of IT budgets are dedicated to security - Help Net Security

• Accelerating Security Risk Management (trendmicro.com)

• MOVEit incident spurred UK decision makers to spend big on cyber | Computer Weekly

• Phishing Simulations Boost Cyber Awareness and Defences | Mimecast

• Logs missing in 42% cyber attacks; small business most vulnerable: Report (business-standard.com)

• Cyber attack on British Library raises concerns over lack of UK resilience (ft.com)

• Companies step up investment in ransomware protection (betanews.com)

• Organisations rethink cyber security investments to meet NIS Directive requirements - Help Net Security

• DORA Set to Drive Significant Change in Sell-Side Third Party Risk Management | Financial IT

• The role experience plays in risk mitigation (betanews.com)

• The 7 Deadly Sins of Security Awareness Training (darkreading.com)

• Identity And Access Management: 18 Important Trends And Considerations

• The Good, The Bad And The Reality: The Impact Of AI On Cyber security (forbes.com)

• MFA under fire, attackers undermine trust in security measures - Help Net Security

• AI threats prompt Virgin Money to invest $250 million in cyber security (proactiveinvestors.com.au)

• New Flaws in Fingerprint Sensors Let Attackers Bypass Windows Hello Login (thehackernews.com)

• Security researchers bypass Windows Hello fingerprint authentication - gHacks Tech News

• Detection & Response That Scales: A 4-Pronged Approach (darkreading.com)

• Maximize Cyber security Returns: 5 Key Steps to Enhancing ROI (darkreading.com)

• 6 Steps to Accelerate Cyber security Incident Response (thehackernews.com)

• The CISO view: Navigating the promise and pitfalls of cyber security automation (betanews.com)

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Other News

• Why Defenders Should Embrace a Hacker Mindset (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers are taking over planes’ GPS — experts are lost on how to fix it (nypost.com)

• UK proposes 'super-complaints' to help keep internet safe • The Register

• Consumers plan to be more consistent with their security in 2024 - Help Net Security

• Security trends public sector leaders are watching | CyberScoop

• Even gas pumps aren't safe from cyber attacks at the moment | TechRadar

• Scottish cyber security organisation calls for greater awareness of rising threat - Business Insider

• Cyber security: New plan to tackle ‘fastest-growing threat’ confronting Australia | The West Australian

• The US government wants to offer better cyber security to major infrastructure firms | TechRadar

• This devious malware will let hackers restore deleted cookies and hijack your Google account | TechRadar

• Australia’s cyber security strategy focuses on protecting small businesses and critical infrastructure | CSO Online

• Cyber security at EU institutions: European Parliament adopt proposed Cyber security Regulation and EU institutions organise cyber security exercise | Practical Law (thomsonreuters.com)

• The retail sector is under threat from… Gmail, WhatsApp and Google Drive? | TechRadar

• Sekoia: Latest in the Financial Sector Cyber Threat Landscape (techrepublic.com)

• Shields Ready: Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience

• Crimeware and financial cyberthreat predictions for 2024 | Securelist

• Terrorism, cyber attacks main Paris 2024 threats as security plan finalised | Reuters

• Read again: Decoding cyber security, safeguarding educational institutions | Edexec

• What direction for the EU Cyber security Competence Centre? – EURACTIV.com

• Unveiling the Most Common Cyber Threats in Retail – International Supermarket News

• Mideast Oil & Gas Facilities Could Face Cyber Related Energy Disruptions (darkreading.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 20 October 2023

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Cyber Insecurity: Many Businesses Scared They May be Hit by a Cyber Attack at Any Moment

A report from the Commvault and the International Data Corporation (IDC) found that 61% of respondents believe that a data loss within the next 12 months is "likely" or "highly likely" to occur due to increasingly sophisticated attacks. Unfortunately, most businesses do not have an unlimited budget; cyber security related spending must therefore be effective, taking an informed risk based approach to prioritise the biggest threats to businesses. To understand these threats, businesses must know the current threat landscape and how that relates to their business specifically. In order to be able to apply any threat intelligence, organisations must first ascertain what they need to protect through a documented asset register; after all you cannot protect something you do not know exists.

Sources: [PR Newswire] [TechRadar]

Cyber Security Investments Show Mature Business Mindset

Companies need to start embracing cyber security as a business enabler, rather than being viewed as a pure cost or as a regulatory burden. Good cyber security is a strong indicator of a mature business mindset, giving customers, employees, and suppliers confidence that you are running a mature, responsible operation that takes the value of its data and IP very seriously. With the perception of customers changing to be more security-based, having a high level of cyber security can establish trust and therefore distinguish a business in the marketplace.

Source: [Insider Media] [Compare the Cloud]

SMBs Struggle to Keep Pace as Cyber Threats Reach All Time High

Research conducted by Sage has found UK small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are particularly struggling with cyber security preparedness, with 57% asking for more support with education and training and 45% not understanding what security is needed for their business. The report found that globally, 70% of SMBs highlighted cyber threats as a major concern, with 51% struggling to keep on top of new threats and 48% experiencing a cyber incident in the past year.

SMBs globally, found that their struggle related to making sure employees know what is expected of them in protecting the organisation (45%), providing education and awareness training (44%) and cost (43%).

Source: (IT Security Guru)

Phishing Attacks Hit Record Highs in Q2 2023, with Emails from HR still the Most Effective Lure

Research has found in the third quarter of this year, phishing attacks soared by 173% compared with the previous three months, and malware was up 110% over the same period, with 233.9 million malicious emails detected. Banks and financial services organisations remained a top target, with a 121% rise in phishing attacks.

In a separate report, human resource topics were found to account for more than half of the top-clicked phishing email subjects. This included emails that related to a change in dress code and updates on annual leave. It’s important for organisations to take this into account when training employees.

Sources: [SiliconANGLE1] [Beta News] [SiliconANGLE2] [TechRadar] [Security Brief]

Cyber Attacks Are a Matter of When, Not If; The Best Time to Deal with Them Is Before They Happen

Another week brings more companies added to the list of victims of cyber attacks. Just this week, UK based social care provider CareTech’s childcare subsidiary Cambian was criticised for keeping a cyber attack quiet, with individuals who had data stolen having to chase Cambian for details.

Cyber attacks happen, and companies need to admit when they have happened and inform relevant people. Honesty and clarity are key. After an attack, there are a number of things going on at once such as finding out what has happened, identifying stolen or encrypted data, fulfilling legal and regulatory requirements and communicating both internally and externally. Unfortunately, many companies do not expect to be attacked and therefore do not have anything in place to respond to an attack. In addition to having the necessary defences in place, organisations must be prepared for the event of an attack. This can be outlined in an incident response plan (IRP).

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.

Sources: [Euronews] [The Times] [AI-CIO]

Lloyd's Of London Warns of Worst-Case-Scenario Cyber Attack

In recent modelling by a Lloyds of London researcher, a worst-case-scenario was found to have the potential to cause $3.5 trillion of economic damage within 5 years. While this may seem implausible, with the increased number of cyber attacks, especially to the financial sector, this figure is not as incredulous as it may seem.

The FBI has also stated that the average annual cost of cyber crime worldwide is expected to soar from $8.4 trillion in 2022 to more than $23 trillion in 2027.

Sources: [Reinsurance News] [ABS-CBN News] [The Motley Fool] [City AM]

20,000 Britons Approached by Chinese Agents on LinkedIn, Says MI5 Head

An estimated 20,000 Britons have been approached by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn in the hope of stealing industrial or technological secrets, the head of MI5 stated ahead of the Five Eyes agencies summit. This summit is a meeting of the heads of security from the Five Eyes nations – UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The summit discussed how industrial espionage was happening at “real scale”, with 10,000 UK businesses being at risk, particularly in artificial intelligence, quantum computing or synthetic biology where China was trying to gain a march.

A 'secure innovation' guideline has been released to assist small to medium-sized enterprises, especially tech start-ups, in bolstering their defences against threats from foreign states, criminals, and competitors. This guideline offers basic security advice on areas like investments, supply chains, IT networks, and cloud computing to safeguard emerging technologies.

Sources: [Computer Weekly] [Tech Monitor] [Guardian]

Ransomware - All it Takes is One Employee Mistake, As Criminals are Aiming Third-Party Vendors

According to a report, human error is the root cause of more than 80% of all cyber breaches. The solution in this case, is for organisations to provide effective training to employees to reduce the risk of such an error happening. However, this does not have any impact on third parties that the  organisations use. A separate report found that nearly a third of ransomware claims involved a third-party vendor as a point of failure.

Whilst organisations often focus on improving their own cyber security, third parties can become an easily overlooked area. You don’t want to invest a significant amount into your organisation’s cyber security, only for it to fail due to a third party. This is why it is important for organisations to have an effective way of measuring supply chain risk, to ensure that they know what data their third parties have access to and what is being done by the third parties to protect it.

Black Arrow have helped many clients carry out third party risk assessments on a large number of suppliers and this can be done as a standalone offering or as part of a fractional CISO engagement.

Sources: [Security Affairs] [Claims Journal]

39% of Individuals Use the Same Password for Multiple Accounts

According to a recent survey by Yubico, 80% of respondents are concerned about the security of their online accounts. Additionally, 39% admitted to using the same passwords for multiple accounts. The report found that Boomer-generation users are the least likely to reuse passwords at 20%. In comparison, Millennials are twice as likely to reuse passwords for multiple accounts at 47%. This survey highlights that whilst younger generations may be more tech savvy, having grown up with this technology, it also brings with it a more relaxed and complacent attitude when it comes to cyber security hygiene.

Source: [Security Magazine]

Why Fourth-Party Risk Management Is a Must-Have

Most organisations today are acutely aware of the risks that third-party relationships pose, and many employ some form of third-party risk management to understand and monitor these alliances. Another danger also needs to be borne in mind: the threats organisations face from their third parties’ third parties. These ‘fourth parties’, the vendors of an organisation's vendor, are becoming an increasing concern among regulators, particularly those in the banking and financial services sector. Attackers exploit fourth parties just the same as they do third parties to indirectly target an organisation. As a result, these fourth parties greatly increase an IT environment's attack surface.

Fourth parties pose reputational, operational and regulatory risks, and with new regulations such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) in Europe coming into place, organisations need to implement a comprehensive third-party risk management program that extends to cover fourth-party risk management. This is the only way to ensure fourth parties are vetted appropriately.

Source: [Tech Target]

AI Adoption Surges but Security Awareness Lags Behind

A new survey found that security is reportedly not the primary concern for organisations when using tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard. Respondents are more worried about inaccurate responses than the exposure of customer and employee personally identifiable information (PII), disclosure of trade secrets (33%) and financial loss (25%). Basic security practices are lacking, however, with 82% of respondents confident in their security stacks but less than half investing in technology to monitor generative AI use, exposing them to data loss risks. Only 46% have established security policies for data sharing.

Organisations need to rigorously assess and control how large language models (LLMs) handle data, ensuring alignment with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. This involves employing strong encryption, consent mechanisms and data anonymisation techniques, and ensuring control over how the organisation’s data is used, alongside regular audits and updates to ensure data handling practices remain compliant.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

UK Watchdog Fines Equifax £11 Million For Role in Cyber Breach

Britain's financial watchdog has fined the consumer credit rating body Equifax £11 million ($13.4 million) for its role in "one of the largest" cyber security breaches in history. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) stated that "The cyber attack and unauthorised access to data was entirely preventable", identifying that the UK arm of Equifax did not find out data had been accessed until six  weeks after their parent company discover the hack.

Source: [Reuters]

Why Boards Must Understand and Govern Cyber Security Risk

The boardroom is a critical control in every company’s system of cyber security risk management. An ineffective approach to cyber security governance creates an overall system of cyber security that is weaker than it needs to be. Boards have typically viewed cyber security as something that it left to IT and have not been able to challenge or interpret the reports that they receive, if any, from their IT departments or IT providers. Governing bodies such as the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) have identified this and have started bringing in regulations that force the board of directors to fully understand digital cyber security risk and have a more vital role as part of the system.
Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to demonstrate governance of their cyber security, by owning their cyber security strategy and leveraging their existing internal and external resources to build resilience against a cyber security incident.

Source: [Forbes]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber Insecurity: Report Finds Majority of Enterprises Expect an Imminent Cyber Attack (prnewswire.com)

• Cyber Crime Costs Soar to $8 Trillion, Spotlighting the Critical Need for Cyber security Experts (globenewswire.com)

• Many cyber bosses just aren't confident in their company's defences | TechRadar

• SMBs seek help as cyber threats reach an all-time high - Help Net Security

• SMBs seek cyber training, support as attack risk surges | CIO Dive

• The real impact of the cyber security poverty line on small organisations - Help Net Security

• Cyber security investments show mature business mindset, says IT expert | Insider Media

• Is Cyber security Finally Becoming a Business Enabler? - Compare the Cloud

• The best time to deal with cyber attacks is before they happen (thetimes.co.uk)

• ‘A matter of when not if’: Why is it crucial for businesses to protect themselves from cyber attacks? | Euronews

• Preparations Are Key to Weathering Cyber security Incidents | Chief Investment Officer (ai-cio.com)

• Over 70% of firms hit by cyber attack in last 12 months (rte.ie)

• The future of cyber security regulation: what to look out for with NIS2 | TechRadar

• Getting ready for NIS2 with strong identity controls | ITPro

• Lloyd’s systemic risk scenario reveals potential cyber attack losses of $3.5tn (insuranceinsider.com)

• Well-informed employees act as 1st line of defence against cyber threats: Cisco’s Samir Mishra (techcircle.in)

• 10 Ways Boards Are Setting Their Companies Up For Cyber security Failure (forbes.com)

• NIST Cyber security Framework for Small Businesses: Key Benefits (smallbiztrends.com)

• AI and the Imperative to Take Cyber security Precautions (inforisktoday.com)

• Cyber attacks to cost $23 trillion in 2027: US official | ABS-CBN News

• How Cyber security Provides the Green Light for Business Innovation (govinfosecurity.com)

• Essential cyber hygiene: Making cyber defence cost effective - Help Net Security

• New CISO research sets out priorities, challenges and tips for success in a challenging landscape post - BSS

• The Need for a Cyber security-Centric Business Culture (darkreading.com)

• The double-edged sword of heightened regulation for financial services - Help Net Security

• Report: Cyber attacks No. 1 cause of downtime and data loss | Security Magazine

• Will CISOs Become Personally Liable for Breach Response? (inforisktoday.com)

• Keeping control in complex regulatory environments - Help Net Security

• Generative AI an Emerging Risk as CISOs Shift Cyber Resilience Strategies (informationweek.com)

• 7 risk mitigation strategies to protect business operations | TechTarget

• How to go from collecting risk data to actually reducing risk? - Help Net Security

• SEC’s New Cyber Disclosure Rule: Challenges, Consequences, And Compliance | K2 Integrity - JDSupra

• Regulations are still necessary to compel adoption of cyber security measures | ZDNET

• October Is Cyber security Awareness Month – It’s a Good Time to Update Your Training Program | Clark Hill PLC - JDSupra

• How do we measure cyber risk? | ITPro

• Ready For Cyber Readiness - Any Time Now (forbes.com)

• CISOs and board members are finding a common language - Help Net Security

• IT Disaster Recovery Best Practices: Preparing For The Worst (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• When And How To Hire A vCISO For Your Company's Cyber security Program (forbes.com)

• 18 Factors And Metrics To Show The Value Of Cyber security Initiatives (forbes.com)

• Improve your cyber threat understanding with geopolitical context | CSO Online

• Cyber Insecurity, AI and the Rise of the CISO | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware Attacks Double: Are Companies Prepared for 2024's Cyber Threats? (thehackernews.com)

• Ransomware realities in 2023: one employee mistake can cost a company millions (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware Criminals Aiming at Third-Party Vendors in Hunt for ‘Big Game’ (claimsjournal.com)

• Colonial Pipeline attributes ransomware claims to ‘unrelated’ third-party data breach (therecord.media)

• Feds: Beware AvosLocker Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure (darkreading.com)

• Giant health insurer struck by ransomware didn't have antivirus protection (malwarebytes.com)

• CISA shares vulnerabilities, misconfigs used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What Are the Legal Implications of Paying Ransomware Demands? | HackerNoon

• Healthcare Sector Warned About New Ransomware Group NoEscape - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New trend in ransomware: Anonymity (betanews.com)

• 63% of organisations restore data after a ransomware attack | Security Magazine

• Hacker Group GhostSec Unveils New Generation Ransomware Implant - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Black Basta ransomware is out and about, again. (thecyberwire.com)

• Ukrainian activists hack Trigona ransomware gang, wipe servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Elastic Global Threat Report 2023 Reveals Dominance of Ransomware | Business Wire

• Scammers are targeting plastic surgery clinics with extortion scams | TechRadar

• BlackCat ransomware uses new ‘Munchkin’ Linux VM in stealthy attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Law enforcement operation seized Ragnar Locker group's infrastructure (securityaffairs.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Lockbit ransomware gang demanded an 80 million ransom to CDW (securityaffairs.com)

• Alphv gang stole 5TB of data from Morrison Community Hospital (securityaffairs.com)

• Colonial Pipeline attributes ransomware claims to ‘unrelated’ third-party data breach (therecord.media)

• Kansas Supreme Court Probes Potential Ransomware Attack (govinfosecurity.com)

• KwikTrip all but says IT outage was caused by a cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Some people whose personal data stolen in HWL Ebsworth hack not told for six months | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• Another small firm suffers a serious ransomware attack: Cadre Services gets mauled by AlphV (databreaches.net)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• More than 95 per cent of phishing attacks target the banking and finance sectors (bizhub.vn)

• Phishing attacks hit record high in third quarter, with malware not far behind - SiliconANGLE

• VIPRE finds 233.9 million malicious emails detected in Q3 2023 (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Make sure that email from HR is legit - it could be another phishing scam | TechRadar

• Human resources emails remain top phishing targets - SiliconANGLE

• CISA, NSA, FBI publish phishing guidance | TechTarget

• Generative AI's impact on phishing attacks | TechRadar

• Rising AI-Fueled Phishing Drives Demand for Password Alternatives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Phishing: What’s in a Name? | CISA

• D-Link Confirms Data Breach: Employee Falls Victim to Phishing Attack (thehackernews.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• AI and the Imperative to Take Cyber security Precautions (inforisktoday.com)

• AI Adoption Surges But Security Awareness Lags Behind - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Generative AI an Emerging Risk as CISOs Shift Cyber Resilience Strategies (informationweek.com)

• Exploring the Realm of Malicious Generative AI: A New Digital Security Challenge (thehackernews.com)

• AI-generated cyber attacks pose new risk to key UK infrastructure, experts warn | The Independent

• North Korea has got its hands on AI - and is testing its ability to commit cyberwarfare | TechRadar

• Research: GPT-4 Jailbreak Easily Defeats Safety Guardrails

• Generative AI is scaring CISOs – but adoption isn’t slowing down | CSO Online

• Generative AI's impact on phishing attacks | TechRadar

• Rising AI-Fueled Phishing Drives Demand for Password Alternatives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber criminals register .AI domains of trusted brands for malicious activity | CSO Online

• The impact of artificial intelligence on cyber offence and defence | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

2FA/MFA

• Google Authenticator synchronization raises MFA concerns | TechTarget

Malware

• Phishing attacks hit record high in third quarter, with malware not far behind - SiliconANGLE

• Valve upgrades Steam's security after several games are hacked and filled with malware | Rock Paper Shotgun

• DarkGate malware spreads through compromised Skype accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BLOODALCHEMY provides backdoor to ASEAN secrets • The Register

• Discord still a hotbed of malware activity — Now APTs join the fun (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers warn of increased malware delivery via fake browser updates - Help Net Security

• The forgotten malvertising campaign (malwarebytes.com)

• Malicious Notepad++ Google ads evade detection for months (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lazarus Group Targeting Defence Experts with Fake Interviews via Trojanized VNC Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Google-hosted malvertising leads to fake Keepass site that looks genuine | Ars Technica

• Russian Hackers Bypass EDR to Deliver Weaponized TeamViewer (gbhackers.com)

• Beware - that Google Chrome update alert might actually just be malware | TechRadar

Mobile

• SpyNote: Beware of This Android Trojan that Records Audio and Phone Calls (thehackernews.com)

• The top 9 mobile security threats and how you can avoid them | ZDNET

• Hackers exploit security flaw to target iOS 17 iPhones with 'notification attack' | Macworld

• Google Play Protect adds real-time scanning to fight Android malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fake 'RedAlert' rocket alert app for Israel installs Android spyware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS Attacks in 2024: Distributed DoS Explained | Splunk

Internet of Things – IoT

• Inadequate IoT protection can be a costly mistake - Help Net Security

• Israelis told to secure their home security cameras against hackers • Graham Cluley

• Logistics Matters - Alert: How hackers use printers to gain access

• Microsoft HoloLens for the military: Hacker attacks on VR headset may cause physical pain - NotebookCheck.net News

Data Breaches/Leaks

• UK watchdog fines Equifax $13.4 million for role in cyber breach | Reuters

• Casio discloses data breach impacting customers in 149 countries (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 530K people's info stolen from cloud PC gaming's Shadow • The Register

• Colonial Pipeline was hacked. No, wait, Accenture was hacked. No, wait….. untangling claims. (2) (databreaches.net)

• D-Link Confirms Data Breach: Employee Falls Victim to Phishing Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers stole a million people's DNA. But what will they do with it? | Tech News | Metro News

• 23AndMe Hacker Leaks New Tranche of Stolen Data (darkreading.com)

• Healthcare breach costs soar requiring new thinking for safeguarding data (securityintelligence.com)

• Lost and Stolen Devices: A Gateway to Data Breaches and Leaks - SecurityWeek

• Twitter glitch allows CIA informant channel to be hijacked - BBC News

• Care provider under fire over response to cyber attack (thetimes.co.uk)

• Some people whose personal data stolen in HWL Ebsworth hack not told for six months | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• ServiceNow leak: thousands of companies at risk | Cybernews

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber attacks -- where they come from and the tactics they use (betanews.com)

• Cyber criminals register .AI domains of trusted brands for malicious activity | CSO Online

• Highest percentage of cyber crime activity originates in Russia (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Single Sign On and the Cyber crime Ecosystem (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• US authorities monitor China-linked Bitcoin miners amid national security concerns: Report (cointelegraph.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Well-informed employees act as 1st line of defence against cyber threats: Cisco’s Samir Mishra (techcircle.in)

• Employees leaving businesses open to cyber attack – QBE research - CIR Magazine

• Why disaffected employees are your greatest cyber security risk | Federal News Network

• Ex-Navy IT head gets 5 years for selling people’s data on darkweb (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insurance

• Lloyd’s systemic risk scenario reveals potential cyber attack losses of $3.5tn (insuranceinsider.com)

• How MOVEit Is Likely to Shift Cyber Insurance Calculus (darkreading.com)

• Cyber insurance represents ‘small proportion’ of potential economic losses from major attack | Insurance Times

• How Data Changes the Cyber Insurance Market Outlook (darkreading.com)

• What to Look for in Cyber Insurance Coverage | Proofpoint US

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Colonial Pipeline attributes ransomware claims to ‘unrelated’ third-party data breach (therecord.media)

• Why fourth-party risk management is a must-have | TechTarget

Identity and Access Management

• Fighting off cyber attacks? Make sure user credentials aren’t compromised (bleepingcomputer.com)

Encryption

• Microsoft to Phase Out NTLM in Favor of Kerberos for Stronger Authentication (thehackernews.com)

Linux and Open Source

• Open To Attack: The Risks Of Open-Source Software Attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Can open source be saved from the EU's Cyber Resilience Act? • The Register

• Report Finds Few Open Source Projects are Actively Maintained - Slashdot

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• IT Admins Are Just as Guilty For Weak Password Use- IT Security Guru

• Over 40,000 admin portal accounts use 'admin' as a password (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 39% of individuals use the same password for multiple accounts | Security Magazine

• Fighting off cyber attacks? Make sure user credentials aren’t compromised (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Passkeys Are Cool, But They Aren't Enterprise-Ready (darkreading.com)

• A worrying amount of corporate IDs still aren't properly protected | TechRadar

• Rising AI-Fueled Phishing Drives Demand for Password Alternatives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Social Media

• Hamas Hijacked Victims’ Social Media Accounts to Spread Terror - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• Twitter glitch allows CIA informant channel to be hijacked - BBC News

Malvertising

• The forgotten malvertising campaign (malwarebytes.com)

• Malicious Notepad++ Google ads evade detection for months (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Guide to detecting and disrupting fake ads | Netcraft

• Google-hosted malvertising leads to fake Keepass site that looks genuine | Ars Technica

• Clever malvertising attack uses Punycode to look like KeePass's official website (malwarebytes.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Well-informed employees act as 1st line of defence against cyber threats: Cisco’s Samir Mishra (techcircle.in)

• SMBs seek cyber training, support as attack risk surges | CIO Dive

• October Is Cyber security Awareness Month – It’s a Good Time to Update Your Training Program | Clark Hill PLC - JDSupra

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• UK watchdog fines Equifax $13.4 million for role in cyber breach | Reuters

• A Third of Organisations Not Ready to Comply with NIS2 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• One year left for companies to implement NIS2 cyber security directive (wbj.pl)

• The future of cyber security regulation: what to look out for with NIS2 | TechRadar

• NIS2: Why organisations need a unified cyber security standard | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

• Can open source be saved from the EU's Cyber Resilience Act? • The Register

• Security Pros Warn That EU's Vulnerability Disclosure Rule Is Risky (darkreading.com)

• SEC stepping up cyber security efforts | Inquirer Business

• The double-edged sword of heightened regulation for financial services - Help Net Security

• Top US Cyber Agency Pushing Toward First Hack Reporting Rule (bloomberglaw.com)

• Keeping control in complex regulatory environments - Help Net Security

• UN cyber crime treaty: A menace in the making – EURACTIV.com

• SEC’s New Cyber Disclosure Rule: Challenges, Consequences, And Compliance | K2 Integrity - JDSupra

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• A Third of Organisations Not Ready to Comply with NIS2 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• One year left for companies to implement NIS2 cyber security directive (wbj.pl)

• The future of cyber security regulation: what to look out for with NIS2 | TechRadar

• NIST Cyber security Framework for Small Businesses: Key Benefits (smallbiztrends.com)

• NIS2: Why organisations need a unified cyber security standard | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Principles for ransomware-resistant cloud backups - NCSC.GOV.UK

• 63% of organisations restore data after a ransomware attack | Security Magazine

Data Protection

• Care provider under fire over response to cyber attack (thetimes.co.uk)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Over half of cyber security pros say they want to switch jobs (betanews.com)

• Compelling Reasons Why You Should Study Cyber Security - Minutehack

• Your guide to landing a job in cyber security (fastcompany.com)

• New Cyber security Salary Report Guides Hiring in an $8 Trillion Cyber Crime Landscape (prnewswire.com)

• One in five CISOs miss out on pay raise - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Law enforcement operation seized Ragnar Locker group's infrastructure (securityaffairs.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Gaza Conflict Paves Way for Pro-Hamas Information Operations (darkreading.com)

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

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• ‘Only a matter of time’ before cyber attacks are viewed as acts of war: Ex-NSA chief

• Five Eyes Warn Deep Tech Start-Ups Against Nation-State Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Five Eyes issues five tips on thwarting nation state threats | Computer Weekly

• APT trends report Q3 2023 | Securelist

• Discord: A Playground for Nation-State Hackers Targeting Critical Infrastructure (thehackernews.com)

• TetrisPhantom: Cyber Espionage via Secure USBs Targets APAC Governments (thehackernews.com)

• Pro-Russian Hackers Exploiting Recent WinRAR Vulnerability in New Campaign (thehackernews.com)

• The evolution of deception tactics from traditional to cyber warfare - Help Net Security

• Exclusive: Ukraine says joint mission with US derailed Moscow’s cyber attacks (therecord.media)

• Government officials debate effectiveness of multilateral relations in cyber security | ZDNET

• Defence leaders recognise need to adapt to win in ‘information battlespace’ | BAE Systems

Geopolitical Threats/Activity

• How Cyber attacks Could Affect the Israel-Hamas War (govinfosecurity.com)

• Growing Concern Over Role of Hacktivism in Israel-Hamas Conflict - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Israelis told to secure their home security cameras against hackers • Graham Cluley

• Gaza Conflict Paves Way for Pro-Hamas Information Operations (darkreading.com)

• Pro-Israeli Hacktivist Group Predatory Sparrow Reappears (darkreading.com)

• AI-Powered Israeli 'Cyber Dome' Defence Operation Comes to Life (darkreading.com)

• Fake 'RedAlert' rocket alert app for Israel installs Android spyware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mideast War Has Cyber Implications | Newsmax.com

• Hamas Hijacked Victims’ Social Media Accounts to Spread Terror - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• Pro-Iranian Hacktivists Set Sights on Israeli Industrial Control Systems (darkreading.com)

China

• Mandia: China replaces Russia as top cyber threat | CyberScoop

• FBI boss slams ‘unprecedented’ Chinese cyberespionage and IP theft   | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Five Eyes Warn Of Chinese Cyber Espionage | Silicon UK

• Five Eyes warn of growing threat of IP 'theft' by China's hackers (techmonitor.ai)

• 20,000 Britons approached by Chinese agents on LinkedIn, says MI5 head | MI5 | The Guardian

• Researchers Unveil ToddyCat's New Set of Tools for Data Exfiltration (thehackernews.com)

• US authorities monitor China-linked Bitcoin miners amid national security concerns: Report (cointelegraph.com)

• BLOODALCHEMY provides backdoor to ASEAN secrets • The Register

• TetrisPhantom: Cyber Espionage via Secure USBs Targets APAC Governments (thehackernews.com)

• Huawei wants to know why EU labelled it high security risk • The Register

• Google TAG Detects State-Backed Threat Actors Exploiting WinRAR Flaw (thehackernews.com)

Russia

• Mandia: China replaces Russia as top cyber threat | CyberScoop

• Russia-based Wizard Spider is Top Threat Group: Netskope Report | MSSP Alert

• Pro-Russian Hackers Exploiting Recent WinRAR Vulnerability in New Campaign (thehackernews.com)

• Russian Sandworm hackers breached 11 Ukrainian telcos since May (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Exclusive: Ukraine says joint mission with US derailed Moscow’s cyber attacks (therecord.media)

• Russian Hackers Bypass EDR to Deliver Weaponized TeamViewer (gbhackers.com)

• Russian Hackers Target Romanian Media - Valahia.News

• Highest percentage of cyber crime activity originates in Russia (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Five Eyes Warn Deep Tech Start-Ups Against Nation-State Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Iran

• Iranian hackers lurked in Middle Eastern govt network for 8 months (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hamas-linked app offers window into cyber infrastructure, possible links to Iran | CyberScoop

North Korea

• North Korea has got its hands on AI - and is testing its ability to commit cyberwarfare | TechRadar

• Lazarus Group Targeting Defence Experts with Fake Interviews via Trojanized VNC Apps (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean hackers exploit critical TeamCity flaw to breach networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FBI: Thousands of Remote IT Workers Sent Wages to North Korea to Help Fund Weapons Program - SecurityWeek

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Vulnerability Management

• Vulnerability Scanning: How Often Should I Scan? (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Needs to Get Serious About Its Windows 10 Upgrade Problem (pcmag.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Number of Cisco Devices Hacked via Unpatched Vulnerability Increases to 40,000 - SecurityWeek

• Cisco working on fix for critical IOS XE zero-day | TechTarget

• Oracle Patches 185 Vulnerabilities With October 2023 CPU - SecurityWeek

• Critical Citrix NetScaler Flaw Exploited to Target from Government, Tech Firms (thehackernews.com)

• You Need to Update WinRAR, Right Now (gizmodo.com)

• Juniper Networks Patches Over 30 Vulnerabilities in Junos OS - SecurityWeek

• Hackers exploit critical flaw in WordPress Royal Elementor plugin (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical Vulnerabilities Uncovered in Open Source CasaOS Cloud Software (thehackernews.com)

• Zoom, Investors Reach $150 Million Deal Over Security Flaws Suit (bloomberglaw.com)

• Pro-Russian Hackers Exploiting Recent WinRAR Vulnerability in New Campaign (thehackernews.com)

• ServiceNow leak: thousands of companies at risk | Cybernews

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Tools and Controls

• Well-informed employees act as 1st line of defence against cyber threats

• SMBs seek cyber training, support as attack risk surges | CIO Dive

• Vulnerability Scanning: How Often Should I Scan? (thehackernews.com)

• Essential cyber hygiene: Making cyber defence cost effective - Help Net Security

• Preparations Are Key to Weathering Cyber security Incidents | Chief Investment Officer (ai-cio.com)

• Improve your cyber threat understanding with geopolitical context | CSO Online

• Why Zero Trust Is the Cloud Security Imperative (darkreading.com)

• 3 Essential Steps to Strengthen SaaS Security (darkreading.com)

• Cyber expert calls for renewed focus on zero-trust and recovery as threat actors scale-up - SiliconANGLE

• How hackers use printers to gain access

• Google Authenticator synchronization raises MFA concerns | TechTarget

• Cyber insurance represents ‘small proportion’ of potential economic losses from major attack | Insurance Times

• Email Security Best Practices for Phishing Prevention (trendmicro.com)

• The impact of artificial intelligence on cyber offence and defence | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

• What to Look for in Cyber Insurance Coverage | Proofpoint US

• Reinforcing cyber security: The network's role to prevent, detect, and respond to attacks - Help Net Security

• How to go from collecting risk data to actually reducing risk? - Help Net Security

• October Is Cyber security Awareness Month – It’s a Good Time to Update Your Training Program | Clark Hill PLC - JDSupra

• How do we measure cyber risk? | ITPro

• Generative AI an Emerging Risk as CISOs Shift Cyber Resilience Strategies (informationweek.com)

• OSINT isn't immediate ground truth--it's the result of analysis. (thecyberwire.com)

• How Data Changes the Cyber Insurance Market Outlook (darkreading.com)

• What is Structured Threat Information eXpression (STIX)? (techtarget.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Trustwave SpiderLabs Research: Cyber security in the Financial Services Sector

• APT trends report Q3 2023 | Securelist

• New CISO research sets out priorities, challenges and tips for success in a challenging landscape post - BSS

• ENISA THREAT LANDSCAPE REPORT 2023 REPORT IS OUT! (securityaffairs.com)

• Elastic Global Threat Report 2023 Reveals Dominance of Ransomware | Business Wire

• The CISO Report | Splunk

• VIPRE Security Group’s Q3 2023 Email Threat Report Reveals PDFs, Callback Phishing and Malware Via Google Drive Growing in Popularity Among Criminals - VIPRE

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Other News

• SMBs Struggle to Keep Pace with Cyber Security Threats - IT Security Guru

• Many SMBs really don't know exactly what security tools they need | TechRadar

• Hackers Hit The IT Industry: 12 Companies Targeted In 2023 | CRN

• What the Hollywood Writers Strike Resolution Means for Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• Progress gets SEC subpoena over MOVEit breach – and more! • The Register

• 51% of Financial Services Firms Reporting Breaches are From US: Trustwave Threat Landscape Report | The Fintech Times

• Cyber attacks on healthcare organisations affect patient care - Help Net Security

• Zoom, Investors Reach $150 Million Deal Over Security Flaws Suit (bloomberglaw.com)

• Thinking about the phrase 'cyber security' | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

• Cyber risk report says shipping remains ‘easy target’, paying an average $3.2m In cyber attacks (shipmanagement idcinternational.com)

• Space industry group turns up volume on satellite vulnerabilities - SpaceNews

• 5 Tips for Improving Security in Public Sector (govinfosecurity.com)

• Marketers Must Make Cyber security A Priority Every Day (forbes.com)

• UK at risk of massive security breach from national HMRC IT meltdown | The Independent

• UK warns nuclear power plant operator of cyber security failings (therecord.media)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 02 June 2023

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• 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

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Company size doesn't matter when it comes to cyber attacks - Help Net Security

• How to Keep Cyber attacks from Tanking Your Balance Sheet (hbr.org)

• When is it Time for a Cyber Hygiene Audit? (trendmicro.com)

• The great CISO resignation: Why security leaders are quitting in droves - SDxCentral

• ‘Exceptional’ cyber attacks now normal, says BT security chief (thetimes.co.uk)

• HowTo: Improve Your Cyber Resilience - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The strategic importance of digital trust for modern businesses - Help Net Security

• Vendors: Threat actor taxonomies are confusing but essential | TechTarget

• Experts Not Willing To Wager A Candy Bar On Their Security (forbes.com)

• Breaking Enterprise Silos and Improving Protection – Security Week

• Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: 17 Consequences And Complications (forbes.com)

• Insider risk management: Where your program resides shapes its focus | CSO Online

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Attackers leave organisations with no recovery option - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Gangs Adopting Business-like Practices to Boost Profits - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Sobering Truth About Ransomware—For The 80% Who Paid Up (forbes.com)

• Rogue IT security worker failed to cover his tracks | Tripwire

• Organisations Worldwide Targeted in Rapidly Evolving Buhti Ransomware Operation – Security Week

• The Week in Ransomware - May 26th 2023 - Cities Under Attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyble — Obsidian ORB Ransomware Demands Gift Cards as Payment

• AceCryptor: Cyber criminals' Powerful Weapon, Detected in 240K+ Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• BlackCat (ALPHV) Ransomware Levels Up for Stealth, Speed and Exfiltration (securityintelligence.com)

• BlackCat claims the hack of the Casepoint legal technology platform used by US agencies - Security Affairs

• Investigating BlackSuit Ransomware’s Similarities to Royal (trendmicro.com)

• Fighting ransomware: Perspectives from cyber security professionals - Help Net Security

Ransomware Victims

• New York county still dealing with ransomware 8 months later • The Register

• ABB confirms data stolen in Black Basta ransomware attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• SAS Airlines hit by $3 million ransom demand following DDoS attacks (bitdefender.com)

• Industrial Giant ABB Confirms Ransomware Attack, Data Theft – Security Week

• MCNA Dental data breach impacts 8.9 million people after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care ransomware attack hits 2.5 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyble — Bl00dy Ransomware Targets Indian University: Actively Exploiting PaperCut Vulnerability

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing campaigns thrive as evasive tactics outsmart conventional detection - Help Net Security

• Organisations spend 100 hours battling post-delivery email threats - Help Net Security

• Phishing remained the top identity abuser in 2022: IDSA report | CSO Online

• DocuSign-themed email leads to script-based infection

• New phishing technique poses as a browser-based file archiver | CSO Online

• Nigerian Cyber crime Ring's Phishing Tactics Exposed - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Sustained 'Red Deer' Phishing Attacks Impersonate Israel Post, Drop RATs (darkreading.com)

• North Korean phishing gang stole rocket tech info • The Register

Artificial Intelligence

• AI is 'a nuclear bomb and the entire world has already got it,' Palantir ethics expert warns (yahoo.com)

• Artificial intelligence is similar extinction risk as nuclear war and pandemics, say experts | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• AI: War crimes evidence erased by social media platforms - BBC News

• Artificial Intelligence's Risks and Rewards in Cyber security (analyticsinsight.net)

• ChatGPT Plugins Open Security Holes From PDFs, Websites and More | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• What not to share with ChatGPT if you use it for work | Mashable

• Is ChatGPT a cyber security disaster? We asked the experts | Digital Trends

• Generative AI: The new attack vector for trust and safety - Help Net Security

• What are the concerns around AI and are some of the warnings 'baloney'? | Science & Tech News | Sky News

2FA/MFA

• PyPI announces mandatory use of 2FA for all software publishers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• QBot malware abuses Windows WordPad EXE to infect devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Stealthy Bandit Stealer Targeting Web Browsers and Cryptocurrency Wallets (thehackernews.com)

• Raspberry Pi Malware Infects Using Default Username and Password | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Tracking down a trojan: An inside look at threat hunting in a corporate network (malwarebytes.com)

• RomCom malware spread via Google Ads for ChatGPT, GIMP, more (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DogeRAT Malware Impersonates BFSI, Entertainment, E-commerce Apps - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stealthy SeroXen RAT malware increasingly used to target gamers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Terminator antivirus killer is a vulnerable Windows driver in disguise (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Top macOS Malware Threats: Here Are 6 to Watch (darkreading.com)

• PyPI malware ramps up the threat to the code repository • The Register

• Evasive QBot Malware Leverages Short-lived Residential IPs for Dynamic Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber criminals use legitimate websites to obfuscate malicious payloads - Help Net Security

• North Korean ScarCruft Hackers Exploit LNK Files to Spread RokRAT (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• Don't be polite when you get a text from a wrong number | kens5.com

• Predator Android Spyware: Researchers Uncover New Data Theft Capabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Android threat: 'Guerrilla' virus sneakily snuck onto 8.9m phones (citizen.co.za)

• Operation Triangulation: previously undetected malware targets iOS devices - Security Affairs

• Russian government accuses Apple of colluding with NSA in iPhone spy operation | CyberScoop

• Android apps with spyware installed 421 million times from Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• Active Mirai Botnet Variant Exploiting Zyxel Devices for DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Threatening botnets can be created with little code experience… – Unified Networking (unifiedguru.com)

• What Are Botnet Attacks & Explained Prevention Techniques | EC-Council (eccouncil.org)

• CAPTCHA-Breaking Services with Human Solvers Helping Cyber criminals Defeat Security (thehackernews.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• SAS Airlines hit by $3 million ransom demand following DDoS attacks (bitdefender.com)

• Active Mirai Botnet Variant Exploiting Zyxel Devices for DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Active Mirai Botnet Variant Exploiting Zyxel Devices for DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Home routers helped Chinese hackers breach US Navy networks (mybroadband.co.za)

• How Safe Is Your Wearable Device? (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Win $105,000 for Reporting Critical Security Flaws in Sonos One Speakers (thehackernews.com)

• Solar panels vulnerable to hackers, concern for network security - DutchNews.nl

• Amazon to Pay $31m After FTC's Security and Privacy Allegations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Tesla Whistleblower Leaks 100GB of Data, Revealing Safety Complaints (darkreading.com)

• Dutch watchdog looking into alleged Tesla data breach | Reuters

• NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent | Health | The Guardian

• The root causes of API incidents and data breaches - Help Net Security

• Pentagon Leaks Emphasise the Need for a Trusted Workforce (darkreading.com)

• Retailer Database Error Leaks Over One Million Customer Records - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Yet Another Toyota Cloud Data Breach Jeopardises Thousands of Customers (darkreading.com)

• Hacking forum hacked, user database leaked online • Graham Cluley

• Risk & Repeat: A troubling trend of poor breach disclosures | TechTarget

• New MOVEit Transfer zero-day mass-exploited in data theft attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Workforce platform Prosperix leaks drivers licenses and medical records - Security Affairs

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Types of Cyber Crime: A Comprehensive Guide to Uncover and Prevent Digital Attacks - Security Boulevard

• US intelligence research agency examines cyber psychology to outwit criminal hackers | CyberScoop

• What is the Cyber Crime Atlas? How it can help disrupt cyber crime | CSO Online

• New hacking forum leaks data of 478,000 RaidForums members (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hacking forum hacked, user database leaked online • Graham Cluley

• Tricks of the trade: How a cyber crime ring operated a multi‑level fraud scheme | WeLiveSecurity

• 3 signs your kids may be hackers and what to do about it | Euronews

• “I was a teenage hacker”: Two child hackers share their stories | Euronews

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• New Stealthy Bandit Stealer Targeting Web Browsers and Cryptocurrency Wallets (thehackernews.com)

• Hacked DJ's Twitter account costs cryptocurrency investors $170,000 (bitdefender.com)

• Cyber criminals Targeting Apache NiFi Instances for Cryptocurrency Mining (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Report: ‘massive’ Tesla leak reveals data breaches, thousands of safety complaints | Tesla | The Guardian

• Rogue IT security worker failed to cover his tracks | Tripwire

• Pentagon Leaks Emphasise the Need for a Trusted Workforce (darkreading.com)

• Insider risk management: Where your program resides shapes its focus | CSO Online

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Don't be polite when you get a text from a wrong number | kens5.comTricks of the trade: How a cyber crime ring operated a multi‑level fraud scheme | WeLiveSecurity

• HMRC in New Tax Credits Scam Warning - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• US sanctions orgs behind North Korea’s ‘illicit’ IT worker army (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insurance

• Why You Need Cyber Insurance and How to Obtain It - Arctic Wolf

• Cyber Insurance: A Growth Market for Insurers With Some Caveats (carriermanagement.com)

Dark Web

• The Dark Web: Exploring the Hidden Internet | TechSpot

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita cyber attack: 90 organisations report data breaches | Capita | The Guardian

• Cyber Actors Impact Daily Life in Attacks on Critical Infrastructure, Supply Chains, Report Says - MSSP Alert

Software Supply Chain

• CISO-approved strategies for software supply chain security - Help Net Security

• Where SBOMs Stand Today (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• One of Microsoft Azure's top tools has a serious security flaw | TechRadar

• Top public cloud security concerns for the media and entertainment industry - Help Net Security

• Disaster recovery in the cloud | InfoWorld

• Cloud Security: Don’t Confuse Vendor and Tool Consolidation - The New Stack

• Why organisations should adopt a cloud cyber security framework - Help Net Security

• Can Cloud Services Encourage Better Login Security? Netflix's Accidental Model (darkreading.com)

• Google Drive Deficiency Allows Attackers to Exfiltrate Workspace Data Without a Trace (darkreading.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Navigating cyber security in the age of remote work - Help Net Security

Shadow IT

• The shadow IT fight — 2023 style | Computerworld

Identity and Access Management

• Digital nomads drive changes in identity verification - Help Net Security

Encryption

• After 28 years, SSLv2 is still not gone from the internet... but we're getting there

API

• The root causes of API incidents and data breaches - Help Net Security

Open Source

• 2 Lenses for Examining the Safety of Open Source Software (darkreading.com)

• EU’s Proposed Cyber Resilience Act Raises Concerns for Open Source and Cyber security | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Raspberry Pi Malware Infects Using Default Username and Password | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Swiss real estate agency Neho fails to put a password on its systems - Security Affairs

• Can Cloud Services Encourage Better Login Security? Netflix's Accidental Model (darkreading.com)

Social Media

• NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent | Health | The Guardian

• Twitter pulls out of voluntary EU disinformation code - BBC News

• AI: War crimes evidence erased by social media platforms - BBC News

Malvertising

• RomCom malware spread via Google Ads for ChatGPT, GIMP, more (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Building an Effective Cyber security Training Program (hbr.org)

Travel

• Travel-Themed Phishing, BEC Campaigns Get Smarter as Summer Season Arrives (darkreading.com)

• US court finds that border phone searches need a warrant • The Register

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• 3 signs your kids may be hackers and what to do about it | Euronews

• “I was a teenage hacker”: Two child hackers share their stories | Euronews

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• OneMain pays $4.5M after ignored security flaws caused data breaches | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Amazon to Pay $31m After FTC's Security and Privacy Allegations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Netflix warns it may remove content from UK catalogue over government media bill | The Independent

• EU’s Proposed Cyber Resilience Act Raises Concerns for Open Source and Cyber security | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Why organisations should adopt a cloud cyber security framework - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• OneMain pays $4.5M after ignored security flaws caused data breaches | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Ways to Help Cyber security's Essential Workers Avoid Burnout (darkreading.com)

• Managing mental health in cyber security - Help Net Security

• ISACA pledges to help grow cyber security workforce in Europe | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• US intelligence research agency examines cyber psychology to outwit criminal hackers | CyberScoop

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• The answer to the FBI's advanced persistent threat • The Register

• Amazon to Pay $31m After FTC's Security and Privacy Allegations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• How giant pieces of spyware are shaping our views and our world | Evening Standard

• Twitter pulls out of voluntary EU disinformation code - BBC News

• The 2024 race promises to be 'very, very active' in terms of foreign and domestic meddling, says former CISA chief | CyberScoop

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

• Ukraine war blurs lines between cyber crims and state hacks • The Register

• Pegasus Spyware Is Detected in a War Zone for the First Time | WIRED

• Chinese State-Backed Cyber Operatives Threaten Critical Infrastructure in Espionage Campaign - MSSP Alert

• Russian government accuses Apple of colluding with NSA in iPhone spy operation | CyberScoop

• How giant pieces of spyware are shaping our views and our world | Evening Standard

• Predator may have more spyware capabilities than we know • The Register

• Cyber Army! US Mulls Creating A New Military Unit That Can 'Track & Whack' Chinese, Russian Aggression (eurasiantimes.com)

• Cyberweapon manufacturers plot to stay on the right side of US | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Suspected Russia-trained spy whale reappears off Sweden’s coast | Sweden | The Guardian

• Pentagon Cyber Policy Cites Learnings from Ukraine War - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI: War crimes evidence erased by social media platforms - BBC News

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Nation State Actors

• How APTs target SMBs - Help Net Security

• Chinese hackers seeking ways to cripple infrastructure 'likely to have targeted UK operators' (inews.co.uk)

• China hacking Guam: Can the US stop foreign cyber attacks? | The Week

• Russian government accuses Apple of colluding with NSA in iPhone spy operation | CyberScoop

• US sanctions orgs behind North Korea’s ‘illicit’ IT worker army (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Home routers helped Chinese hackers breach US Navy networks (mybroadband.co.za)

• Investigation Launched After London City Airport Website Hacked (simpleflying.com)

• Taiwan rushes to prevent China from cutting off internet and phones | The Japan Times

• North Korea says spy satellite launch crashed into sea - BBC News

• Pentagon Cyber Policy Cites Learnings from Ukraine War - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dark Pink hackers continue to target govt and military organisations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The next Chinese tech threat is already here | The Spectator

• North Korean phishing gang stole rocket tech info • The Register

• North Korea's Kimsuky Group Mimics Key Figures in Targeted Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean ScarCruft Hackers Exploit LNK Files to Spread RokRAT (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: 17 Consequences And Complications (forbes.com)

• Implementing Risk-Based Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation (thehackernews.com)

• 3 Challenges in Building a Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) Program and How to Beat Them (thehackernews.com)

• Focus Security Efforts on Choke Points, Not Visibility (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• New MOVEit Transfer zero-day mass-exploited in data theft attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zero-day vulnerability in MoveIt Transfer under attack | TechTarget

• Alert: Hackers Exploit Barracuda Email Security Gateway 0-Day Flaw for 7 Months (thehackernews.com)

• Chrome 114 Released With 18 Security Fixes – Security Week

• WordPress plugin ‘Gravity Forms’ vulnerable to PHP object injection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• WordPress force installs critical Jetpack patch on 5 million sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft finds macOS bug that lets hackers bypass SIP root restrictions (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zyxel patches vulnerability in NAS devices (CVE-2023-27988) - Help Net Security

• Critical Firmware Vulnerability in Gigabyte Systems Exposes ~7 Million Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Millions of Gigabyte Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor | WIRED

• Barracuda Email Security Gateway under active attack • The Register

• MacOS 'Migraine' Bug: Big Headache for Device System Integrity (darkreading.com)

• FTC accuses Amazon of nightmare IoT security fails • The Register

• Critical Vulnerabilities Found in Faronics Education Software – Security Week

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Tools and Controls

• HowTo: Improve Your Cyber Resilience - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• When is it Time for a Cyber Hygiene Audit? (trendmicro.com)

• The strategic importance of digital trust for modern businesses - Help Net Security

• Vendors: Threat actor taxonomies are confusing but essential | TechTarget

• 6 Steps to Effectively Threat Hunting: Safeguard Critical Assets and Fight Cyber crime (thehackernews.com)

• Artificial Intelligence's Risks and Rewards in Cyber security (analyticsinsight.net)

• Digital nomads drive changes in identity verification - Help Net Security

• Tracking down a trojan: An inside look at threat hunting in a corporate network (malwarebytes.com)

• The Top 10 endpoint security challenges and how to overcome them | VentureBeat

• Why You Need Cyber Insurance and How to Obtain It - Arctic Wolf

• Disaster recovery in the cloud | InfoWorld

• Cloud Security: Don’t Confuse Vendor and Tool Consolidation - The New Stack

• Disaster recovery challenges enterprise CISOs face - Help Net Security

• Implementing Risk-Based Vulnerability Discovery and Remediation (thehackernews.com)

• Research Reveals UK Firms Plan to Embrace New Era of Digital Identity- IT Security Guru

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Global Threat Intelligence Report April (blackberry.com)

• Top Cyber attacks Revealed in New Threat Intelligence Report (darkreading.com)

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Other News

• Undetected Attacks Against Middle East Targets Conducted Since 2020 (darkreading.com)

• 8 best practices for securing your Mac from hackers in 2023 (techrepublic.com)

• Hot Pixels attack checks CPU temp, power changes to steal data (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 April 2023

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• 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/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• 83% of organisations paid up in ransomware attacks  | VentureBeat

• March 2023 broke ransomware attack records with 459 incidents (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers start abusing Action1 RMM in ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vice Society ransomware uses new PowerShell data theft tool in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• RTM Locker: Emerging Cyber crime Group Targeting Businesses with Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Western Digital Hackers Demand 8-Figure Ransom Payment for Data (darkreading.com)

• UK Education Sector Suffered Most from Ransomware in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NCR was the victim of BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware gang - Security Affairs

• Darktrace Denies Getting Hacked After Ransomware Group Names Company on Leak Site - SecurityWeek

• LockBit ransomware encryptors found targeting Mac devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Abuse victims' data stolen in ransomware attack (rte.ie)

• Hackers publish sensitive employee data stolen during CommScope ransomware attack | TechCrunch

• Vice Society is using custom PowerShell tool for data exfiltrationSecurity Affairs

• Black Basta claims it's selling off stolen Capita data • The Register

• An Analysis of the BabLock Ransomware (trendmicro.com)

• Ransomware reinfection and its impact on businesses - Help Net Security

• Microsoft SQL servers hacked to deploy Trigona ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Play ransomware gang uses custom Shadow Volume Copy data-theft tool (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware gangs abuse Process Explorer driver to kill security software (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Medusa ransomware crew boasts of Microsoft code leak • The Register

• New Ransomware Attack Hits Health Insurer Point32Health (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing Attacks Surge as Threat Actors Leverage New AI Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Qbot campaign delivers malware by hijacking business emails | CSO Online

• KnowBe4 Q1 Phishing Report reveals IT and online services emails drive dangerous attack trend - IT Security Guru

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• Phishing FAQ: How to Spot Scams and Stop Them in Their Tracks - CNET

• UK government employees receive average of 2,246 malicious emails per year - IT Security Guru

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• US charges three men with six million dollar business email compromise plot | Tripwire

2FA/MFA

• How to Prevent 2 Common Attacks on MFA (darkreading.com)

Malware

• Ex-Conti and FIN7 Actors Collaborate with New Domino Backdoor (securityintelligence.com)

• New Chameleon banking trojan is stealing account info — what you need to know | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• US, UK warn of govt hackers using custom malware on Cisco routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New QBot campaign delivered hijacking business correspondenceSecurity Affairs

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Hackers Storing Malware in Google Drive as Encrypted ZIP Files (gbhackers.com)

• Raspberry Robin Adopts Unique Evasion Techniques - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MacStealer - newly-discovered malware steals passwords and exfiltrates data from infected Macs • Graham Cluley

• 'AuKill' Malware Hunts & Kills EDR Processes (darkreading.com)

• What Are Computer Worms And How To Prevent Them (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Mobile

• Android malware infiltrates 60 Google Play apps with 100M installs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

• NSO Group is Back in Business With 3 New iOS Zero-Click Exploits (darkreading.com)

• Conversational Attacks Fastest Growing Mobile Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Global Spyware Attacks Spotted Against Both New & Old iPhones (darkreading.com)

Botnets

• 'Zaraza' Bot Targets Google Chrome to Extract Login Credentials (darkreading.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Military helicopter crash blamed on missing software patch • The Register

• Why xIoT Devices Are Cyberattackers' Gateway Drug for Lateral Movement (darkreading.com)

• Hikvision: Chinese surveillance tech giant denies leaked Pentagon spy claim - BBC News

• The Car Thieves Using Tech Disguised Inside Old Nokia Phones and Bluetooth Speakers (vice.com)

• Popular Fitness Apps Leak Location Data Even When Users Set Privacy Zones (darkreading.com)

• Five Eye nations release new guidance on smart city cyber security | CSO Online

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Ex-CEO of breached psychotherapy clinic gets prison sentence for bad data security – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Kodi Confirms Data Breach: 400K User Records and Private Messages Stolen (thehackernews.com)

• Volvo retailer leaks sensitive files - Security Affairs

• Rheinmetall suffers cyber attack, military business unaffected, spokesperson says | Reuters

• Jack Teixeira's charges in full: 'Top secret' access, leak searches and the Espionage Act - BBC News

• Online Gaming Chats Have Long Been Spy Risk for US Military - SecurityWeek

• Cyber attack on Insurance Information Bureau of India; data at risk - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Air Force Unit in Document Leaks Case Loses Intel Mission - SecurityWeek

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Inside look at cyber criminal organisations: Why size matters | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

• Standardized data collection methods can help fight cyber crime | TechTarget

• Why Cyber criminals Love The Rust Programming Language (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• On the hunt for the businessmen behind a billion-dollar scam - BBC News

• Hundred Finance loses $7 million in Optimism hack (cointelegraph.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Human-Centered Approach Can Reduce Cyber security Failures, Gartner Predicts - MSSP Alert

• HR Magazine - UK government plans to make businesses liable for employee fraud

• Top risks and best practices for securely offboarding employees | CSO Online

• Critical Infrastructure Firms Concerned Over Insider Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to Strengthen your Insider Threat Security - IT Security Guru

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Pre-pandemic techniques are fueling record fraud rates - Help Net Security

• HR Magazine - UK government plans to make businesses liable for employee fraud

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• Police disrupts $98M online fraud ring with 33,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trial and error in Kuwait | CyberScoop

• US extradites Nigerian charged in $6m email fraud scam • The Register

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• Three charged over banking fraud for hire website | Computer Weekly

• On the hunt for the businessmen behind a billion-dollar scam - BBC News

• Hundred Finance loses $7 million in Optimism hack (cointelegraph.com)

• Dennis Kozlowski and the Infamous $6,000 Shower Curtain | Entrepreneur

• FTC orders payments firm to pay $650k over tech support scam • The Register

• Conversational Attacks Fastest Growing Mobile Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Fraudsters impersonating genuine providers cost £177.6m in 2022, UK Finance data suggests | Business News | Sky News

• Scammers using social media to dupe people into becoming money mules - Help Net Security

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Police Crack Comms to Bust Money Laundering Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insurance

• Bank of America warns Lloyd’s over state-backed cyber attack exclusion | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Cyber insurance Backstop: Can the Industry Survive Without One? - SecurityWeek

• Cyber insurer launches InsurSec solution to help SMBs improve security, risk management | CSO Online

Dark Web

• Stolen ChatGPT premium accounts up for sale on the dark web | CSO Online

• How 'Operation Cookie Monster' took down a major dark web market | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita PLC falls on reports cyber attack was worse than admitted (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• 3CX Software Supply Chain Compromise Initiated by a Prior Software Supply Chain Compromise; Suspected North Korean Actor Responsible | Mandiant

• Capita admits customer, supplier or colleague data may have been accessed by hackers | Business News | Sky News

• Lazarus APT group employed Linux Malware in recent attacks-Security Affairs

• Hackers start abusing Action1 RMM in ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Software Supply Chain

• CISA Introduces Secure-by-design and Secure-by-default Development Principles – Security Week

Cloud/SaaS

• Cloud Security Alerts Take Six Days to Resolve - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Linux kernel logic allowed Spectre attack on major cloud • The Register

• Western Digital Hackers Demand 8-Figure Ransom Payment for Data (darkreading.com)

• Is there really a march from the public cloud back on-prem? | TechCrunch

• Uncovering (and Understanding) the Hidden Risks of SaaS Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers Storing Malware in Google Drive as Encrypted ZIP Files (gbhackers.com)

• Microsoft 365 outage blocks access to web apps and services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts disclosed 2 critical flaws in Alibaba cloud database services Security Affairs

Attack Surface Management

• Recycled Core Routers Expose Sensitive Corporate Network Info (darkreading.com)

Shadow IT

• The staying power of shadow IT, and how to combat risks related to it - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• The Attacks that can Target your Windows Active Directory (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The biggest data security blind spot: Authorization - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Crime agencies condemn Facebook and Instagram encryption plans | Meta | The Guardian

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

API

• Triple-digit Increase in API and App Attacks on Tech and Retail - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• There's Been a 400% Increase in Unique API Attackers - The New Stack

Open Source

• Linux kernel logic allowed Spectre attack on major cloud • The Register

• Security beyond software: The open source hardware security evolution - Help Net Security

• Report: Most IT Teams Can't Fix Open Source Software Security - DevOps.com

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• How Long It Would Take A Hacker To Brute Force Your Password In 2023, Ranked | Digg

Social Media

• LinkedIn deploys new secure identity verification for all members | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Crime agencies condemn Facebook and Instagram encryption plans | Meta | The Guardian

• Scammers using social media to dupe people into becoming money mules - Help Net Security

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• EU privacy regulators to create task force to investigate ChatGPT | Computerworld

• What Business Needs to Know About the New U.S. Cybersecurity Strategy (hbr.org)

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• As Consumer Privacy Evolves, Here's How You Can Stay Ahead of Regulations (darkreading.com)

• Brit cops rapped over app that recorded 200k phone calls • The Register

• Three Effective Ways For Boards To Prepare For Imminent SEC Cyber Rules (forbes.com)

• US imposes $300m penalty over hard disk drive exports to Huawei - BBC News

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Security Is a Revenue Booster, Not a Cost Centre (darkreading.com)

• Tight budgets and burnout push enterprises to outsource cyber security - Help Net Security

• Ex-CEO of breached psychotherapy clinic gets prison sentence for bad data security – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• 'One in three firms faced cyber attacks last year' (aol.co.uk)

• Skills shortage puts Europe’s cyber resilience to the test – EURACTIV.com

• Quantifying cyber risk vital for business survival - Help Net Security

• Wargaming an effective data breach playbook - Help Net Security

• Outdated cyber security practices leave door open for criminals - Help Net Security

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• Gartner Top Strategic Cyber security Trends 2023

• 3 Flaws, 1 War Dominated Cyber-Threat Landscape in 2022 (darkreading.com)

• Lack of Breach Info on Notices Surges in Q1 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ex-CIO must pay £81k over Total Shambles Bank migration • The Register

• Economic uncertainty drives upskilling as a key strategy for organisations - Help Net Security

• Top risks and best practices for securely offboarding employees | CSO Online

• How companies are struggling to build and run effective cyber security programs - Help Net Security

• Three Effective Ways For Boards To Prepare For Imminent SEC Cyber Rules (forbes.com)

• Small Business Interest in Cyber-Hygiene Wanes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Secure Disposal

• Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Enterprises Exposed to Hacker Attacks Due to Failure to Wipe Discarded Routers - SecurityWeek

Backup and Recovery

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• Government reprimanded for serious breaches of data protection law - Jersey Evening Post

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• Brit cops rapped over app that recorded 200k phone calls • The Register

• ChatGPT's Data Protection Blind Spots and How Security Teams Can Solve Them (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Skills shortage puts Europe’s cyber resilience to the test – EURACTIV.com

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Ex-CEO of hacked therapy clinic sentenced for failing to protect patients' session notes (bitdefender.com)

• Police disrupts $98M online fraud ring with 33,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US extradites Nigerian charged in $6m email fraud scam • The Register

• How 'Operation Cookie Monster' took down a major dark web market | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Three charged over banking fraud for hire website | Computer Weekly

• Police Crack Comms to Bust Money Laundering Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• What the Recent Collapse of SVB Means for Privacy (darkreading.com)

• As Consumer Privacy Evolves, Here's How You Can Stay Ahead of Regulations (darkreading.com)

• Popular Fitness Apps Leak Location Data Even When Users Set Privacy Zones (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Phishing Attacks Surge as Threat Actors Leverage New AI Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• Stolen ChatGPT premium accounts up for sale on the dark web | CSO Online

• Pen testing amid the rise of AI-powered threat actors | TechTarget

• EU privacy regulators to create task force to investigate ChatGPT | Computerworld

• Cyber crims hop geofences, clamor for stolen ChatGPT accounts • The Register

• AI-created malware sends shockwaves through cybersecurity world | Fox News

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Tech Insight: Dangers of Using Large Language Models Before They Are Baked (darkreading.com)

• ChatGPT-Related Malicious URLs on the Rise - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ChatGPT's Data Protection Blind Spots and How Security Teams Can Solve Them (thehackernews.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

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

• Russian hackers targeting UK more frequently (thetimes.co.uk)

• UK NCSC warns of new class of Russian cyber adversary threatening critical infrastructure | CSO Online

• Russian hackers want to ‘disrupt or destroy’ UK infrastructure, minister warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Jack Teixeira's charges in full: 'Top secret' access, leak searches and the Espionage Act - BBC News

• Russian SolarWinds Culprits Launch Fresh Barrage of Espionage Cyberattacks (darkreading.com)

• Meet the hacker armies on Ukraine's cyber front line - BBC News

• Offensive cyber company QuaDream shutting down amidst spyware accusations | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• Genius hackers help Russia’s neighbors thwart cyber incursions | Cybernews

• NSO Group is Back in Business With 3 New iOS Zero-Click Exploits (darkreading.com)

• UK, US sound the alarm on Russians exploiting Cisco flaws • The Register

• Microsoft: Iranian hackers behind retaliatory cyber attacks on US orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

• Heightened threat of state-aligned groups against western... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft shifts to a new threat actor naming taxonomy - Microsoft Security Blog

• How cyber support to Ukraine can build its democratic future | CyberScoop

• Google TAG Warns of Russian Hackers Conducting Phishing Attacks in Ukraine (thehackernews.com)

• Blind Eagle Cyber Espionage Group Strikes Again: New Attack Chain Uncovered (thehackernews.com)

• Britain sounds alarm on spyware, mercenary hacking market | Reuters

• Global Spyware Attacks Spotted Against Both New & Old iPhones (darkreading.com)

• The UK will need more than words in this cyber war | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Google: Ukraine targeted by 60% of Russian phishing attacks in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

Nation State Actors

• BT holds China-Taiwan war game to stress test supply chains | Financial Times (ft.com)

• 3CX Supply Chain Attack Tied to Financial Trading App Breach (darkreading.com)

• UK security chief’s alert over threat from China (thetimes.co.uk)

• Russia accuses NATO of launching 5,000 cyberattacks since 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Uncovers APT41's Use of Open Source GC2 Tool to Target Media and Job Sites (thehackernews.com)

• APT41 Taps Google Red Teaming Tool in Targeted Info-Stealing Attacks (darkreading.com)

• China starts ‘surgical’ retaliation against foreign companies after US-led tech blockade | Financial Times

• Iranian-Russian cooperation on hack attacks may challenge Israeli cyber supremacy | The Times of Israel

• US charges 44 members of alleged Chinese troll army • The Register

• Hikvision: Chinese surveillance tech giant denies leaked Pentagon spy claim - BBC News

• Iranian Hackers Using SimpleHelp Remote Support Software for Persistent Access (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft: Iranian hackers behind retaliatory cyber attacks on US orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Heightened threat of state-aligned groups against western... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft shifts to a new threat actor naming taxonomy - Microsoft Security Blog

• Nation-state threat actor Mint Sandstorm refines tradecraft to attack high-value targets - Microsoft Security Blog

• MuddyWater Uses SimpleHelp to Target Critical Infrastructure Firms - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Killnet Boss Exposes Rival Leader in Kremlin Hacktivist Beef (darkreading.com)

• Iranian Nation-State Actor "Mint Sandstorm" Weaponizes N-day Flaws - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Iranian Government-Backed Hackers Targeting U.S. Energy and Transit Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Lazarus Group Adds Linux Malware to Arsenal in Operation Dream Job (thehackernews.com)

• US imposes $300m penalty over hard disk drive exports to Huawei - BBC News

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Vulnerability Management

• Military helicopter crash blamed on missing software patch • The Register

• Google Outlines Initiatives to Fortify Vulnerability Management - MSSP Alert

• Beyond CVEs: The Key to Mitigating High-Risk Security Exposures (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• UK, US sound the alarm on Russians exploiting Cisco flaws • The Register

• Thousands at risk from critical RCE bug in legacy MS service | Computer Weekly

• CISA: Patch Bug Exploited by Chinese E-commerce App - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Critical Flaws in vm2 JavaScript Library Can Lead to Remote Code Execution (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers actively exploit critical RCE bug in PaperCut servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google patches another actively exploited Chrome zero-day (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts disclosed 2 critical flaws in Alibaba cloud database services - Security Affairs

• VMware Patches Pre-Auth Code Execution Flaw in Logging Product - SecurityWeek

• Cisco and VMware Release Security Updates to Patch Critical Flaws in their Products (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Defender update causes Windows Hardware Stack Protection mess (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Tools and Controls

• CISA Asks Manufacturers to Prioritize Cybersecurity in Product Design - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pen testing amid the rise of AI-powered threat actors | TechTarget

• 7 countries unite to push for secure-by-design development | CSO Online

• Wargaming an effective data breach playbook - Help Net Security

• Where There's No Code, There's No SDLC (darkreading.com)

• Cloud Security Alerts Take Six Days to Resolve - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DFIR via XDR: How to expedite your investigations with a DFIRent approach (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft opens up Defender with file hash, URL search • The Register

• Beyond CVEs: The Key to Mitigating High-Risk Security Exposures (darkreading.com)

• How to build a cybersecurity deception program | TechTarget

• Enterprises Exposed to Hacker Attacks Due to Failure to Wipe Discarded Routers - SecurityWeek

• Threat Posed by 'Irresponsible' Use of Commercial Hacking Tools Increasing, NCSC Warns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

• Generative AI in SecOps and how to prepare | TechTarget

• AI defenders ready to foil AI-armed attackers • The Register

• Newer Authentication Tech a Priority for 2023 (darkreading.com)

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Other News

• Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Misconfiguration leaves thousands of servers vulnerable to attack, researchers find | CyberScoop

• Fortra shares findings on GoAnywhere MFT zero-day attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to defend against TCP port 445 and other SMB exploits | TechTarget

• Criminal Records Service still disrupted 4 weeks after hack - BBC News

• Attackers use abandoned WordPress plugin to backdoor websites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyberspace Solarium Commission says space systems should be considered critical infrastructure | CyberScoop

• UK Strengthens Cyber security Audits for Government Agencies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU launches Cyber Solidarity Act to respond to large-scale attacks – EURACTIV.com

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 Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 07 April 2023

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• 15 Million Public-Facing Services Vulnerable to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Over 15 million publicly facing services are susceptible to at least one of the 896 vulnerabilities listed in CISA's KEV (known exploitable vulnerabilities) catalogue. The findings are particularly worrying because the examined vulnerabilities are known and highlighted in CISA's KEV catalogue as actively exploited by hackers, so any delays in their patching maintain a large attack surface, giving threat actors numerous potential targets.

Over half of those 7 million instances were vulnerable to one of the 137 CVEs concerning Microsoft Windows, making this component a top priority for defenders and an excellent target for attackers. Almost half of those are over five years old, so roughly 800,000 machines have not applied security updates for a significant period of time.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/15-million-public-facing-services-vulnerable-to-cisa-kev-flaws/

• New Research Highlights Increased Security Risks Posed by Remote Working and BYOD

New research has highlighted the increased threats associated with remote work and bring your own device (BYOD) policies faced by organisations. The results of the survey show that with remote and hybrid working, personal and work tasks blur together and the boundaries between the two have become more porous. The data shows that 32% of remote and hybrid workers use apps or software not approved by IT and 92% of remote employees perform work tasks on their personal tablet or smartphone devices. These devices, apps and software, along with the corporate data being accessed, are not visible to IT, thereby dramatically increasing an organisation’s risk posture.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/04/03/new-research-highlights-increased-security-risks-posed-by-remote-working-and-bring-your-own-device-policies/

• Lack of Security Employees Makes SMBs Sitting Ducks for Cyber Attacks

Cyber security is a growing concern among all businesses but lack of security expertise in SMBs is leaving smaller firms open to attack. Cyber threats are more real and prevalent than ever before and the risk to businesses includes not only exposure of customer data and a decrease in trust, but also losses in revenue.

54% of small businesses say they are more concerned about cyber security now than one year ago yet 38% of SMBs said they had zero employees dedicated to security as part of their role, and 42% had just one employee working on security. Even without a traditional security role, there should be someone responsible for making security decisions in every organisation.

A lack of time to focus on security and keeping up with changing threats are amongst the biggest challenges for businesses.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/04/04/smbs-security-posture/

• IT and Security Pros Pressured to Keep Quiet About Data Breaches

It is not possible to stop every bad thing from happening. Alarmingly, when something does go wrong IT/security professionals are being told to keep a breach confidential, even when they knew it should be reported. More than 42% of IT/security professionals reporting this happening to them, and a worrying 30% said they have kept a breach confidential.

At 71%, IT/security professionals in the US were the most likely to say they have been told to keep quiet followed by the UK at 44%.

52% of global organisations have experienced a data breach or data leak in the last 12 months. The US led at 75% (or 23% higher than average) followed by the UK at 51.4%.

Infosec professionals are increasingly worried about their company facing legal action due to a breach being handled incorrectly.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/04/06/pressure-keeping-breaches-confidential/

• Phishing Emails are Seeing a Huge Rise, So Stay on Your Guard

Phishing attacks are up 5x year-on-year, researchers say. A report from Cofense analysed data received from 35 million people across the world, finding there has been a 569% increase in phishing attacks to 2022 and 478% increase to credential phishing. With the increased frequency, intensity and sophistication of these threats small and medium-sized businesses should be particularly wary of phishing and other forms of email-borne cyber attacks as their numbers have grown explosively over the last year, experts have warned. Organisations should keep eyes open for Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks as this type continues to be one of the top crimes for the eighth year in a row.

https://www.techradar.com/news/phishing-emails-are-seeing-a-huge-rise-so-stay-on-your-guard

• Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket as Threat Actors Double Down on Global Attacks

New studies have found that ransomware exploits are increasing, and a large percentage of victims are being hit multiple times. The NCC Group noted that there were 240 ransomware attacks in February 2023, a 45% increase from the record-high number of attacks in January. North America accounted for 47% of the global ransomware attacks, with Europe following (23%). Another report found that of all organisations hit by ransomware in the last 12 months, 28% were reported to be hit twice or more. Of the organisations breached, 69% reported phishing as the initial access vector.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/nccgroup-ransomware-attacks-up-february/

• MSPs a Favoured Target of Supply Chain and Infrastructure Attacks

With the backdrop of increasing cyber attacks on supply chains, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are increasingly being favoured by attackers due to their pivotal role in the supply chain and access to the organisations they are serving.

When measured by sector, MSPs are the hardest hit by hackers in supply chain attacks.

ConnectWise’s cyber research unit analysed some 440,000 incidents that impacted MSPs and their clients and found that Lockbit led among the most prolific ransomware hijackers targeting MSPs, (42% of all ransomware attacks) followed by Cl0p at 11%. Whilst numerous other ransomware gangs also directly targeted MSPs in 2022.

Third party risk assessments should be carried out for all organisations in your supply chain and this is especially true of MSPs and external IT providers given the level of access they have into your systems and data.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/msps-a-favored-target-of-supply-chain-and-infrastructure-attacks-connectwise-reports/

• Fake Ransomware Gang Targets Organisations with Empty Data Leak Threats

Fake extortionists are piggybacking on data breaches and ransomware incidents, threatening companies with publishing or selling allegedly stolen data unless they get paid. Sometimes the actors add the menace of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack if the message recipient does not comply with the instructions in the messages. It is possible that victims are selected from publicly available sources, such as the initial attacker’s data leak site, social media, news reports, or company disclosures; in some cases a fake extortionist could learn about ransomware victims that have yet to disclose the cyber attack, making it more likely for victims to believe them.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-ransomware-gang-targets-us-orgs-with-empty-data-leak-threats/

• GCHQ Updates Security Guidance for Boards

The UK’s leading cyber security agency GCHQ, has urged the country’s business leaders to “get to grips” with cyber risk after releasing an updated toolkit to help them do so. GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said its updated Cyber Security Board Toolkit is designed to boost the confidence of senior execs when discussing security with key stakeholders from the organisation.

Given the potentially serious impact breaches can have on business operations and growth, the agency wants boards to treat cyber risk with the same urgency as other business risks in areas such as financial and legal.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/gchq-updates-security-guidance/

• More than 60% of Organisations have been Hit with Unplanned Downtime on a Monthly Basis

A recent report found that 52% of organisations had suffered a data breach in the past two years, an increase from 49% in 2022. In addition, 62% of organisations reported that business critical applications suffered from unplanned downtime due to a cyber security incident on at least a monthly basis, an increase from 54% in 2022. Other key findings include downtime costing roughly 2.7% of annual revenue, 39% of organisations believing cyber security incidents directly harmed their competitive position and 31% noting that it had reduced shareholder revenue. As a result of the impact, 95% of organisations reported that they had planned to increase their security budget over the next 2 years.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/splunk-details-increase-in-data-breaches-downtime-due-to-cybersecurity-issues/

• For Cyber Crime Gangs, Professionalisation Comes With “Corporate” Headaches

Today’s largest cyber crime gangs are operating like large enterprises, with $50 million dollars in annual revenue and around 80% of operating expenses going towards wages. Researchers have found that small, medium and especially large cyber crime gangs are operating just like their legitimate counterparts, from their managerial structure to employee benefits. The research highlights a worrying level of sophistication within cyber crime gangs; we are no longer dealing with the lone attacker in a dark room, but in some cases an enterprise with clear objectives.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/cybercrime-professionalization-gangs-corporate-headaches

• UK’s Offensive Hacking Unit Takes on Military Opponents and Terrorist Groups

Britain’s newly created offensive hacking unit, the National Cyber Force (NCF), has said it is engaged daily in operations to disrupt terrorist groups and military opponents of the UK. Operational details remain unclear, however the NCF says it is engaged in techniques to “undermine the tradecraft” of Russian, Chinese and other state-sponsored hackers and in “technical disruption” against terrorist groups, for example to prevent the dissemination of online propaganda. This news comes after the recent leak of files for Moscow, which had tasked an IT company to develop cyber warfare tools aimed at taking down infrastructure networks and scouring the internet for vulnerabilities.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/03/uks-offensive-hacking-unit-takes-on-military-opponents-and-terrorist-groups

• Man Kills Himself After an AI Chatbot 'Encouraged' Him to Sacrifice Himself to Stop Climate Change

A man reportedly took his own life following a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Reports found that the chatbot had fed the mans worries about climate change, which had worsened his anxiety and later led to suicidal thoughts. The AI chatbot failed to dissuade the man from committing suicide and had in fact encouraged him to act on the thoughts and join the AI chatbot so “they could live together, as one person, in paradise”. This is despite the efforts made to limit these kind of events.

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/31/man-ends-his-life-after-an-ai-chatbot-encouraged-him-to-sacrifice-himself-to-stop-climate-

• Hackers Exploit WordPress Plugin Flaw That Gives Full Control of Millions of Sites

Hackers are actively exploiting a critical vulnerability in a widely used WordPress plugin that gives them the ability to take complete control of millions of sites, researchers said. The vulnerability is in Elementor Pro, a premium plugin running on more than 12 million sites powered by WordPress.  Despite the vulnerability being fixed, many have not installed the patch. Worryingly, this is a common theme in cyber; many organisations remain vulnerable due to them not having an efficient patching process and as a result, a number of the most exploited vulnerabilities have available patches.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/03/hackers-exploit-wordpress-plugin-flaw-that-gives-full-control-of-millions-of-sites/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware attacks up sharply in February (techrepublic.com)

• Fake ransomware gang targets U.S. orgs with empty data leak threats (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Money Message ransomware demands million dollar ransoms (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Rorschach – A New Sophisticated and Fast Ransomware - Check Point Research

• ALPHV ransomware exploits Veritas Backup Exec bugs for initial access (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LockBit leaks data stolen from South Korean National Tax Service-Security Affairs

• UK outsourcing services provider Capita suffered a cyber incident-Security Affairs

• March ransomware disclosures spike behind Clop attacks | TechTarget

• Protect Your Company: Ransomware Prevention Made Easy (thehackernews.com)

• Dish Faces Investor Lawsuit Over Ransomware Attack, Downgrades From Equity Analysts | Next TV

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Scammers Are Using ChatGPT to Write Emails That Aren't Riddled With Typos (futurism.com)

• Phishing emails are seeing a huge rise, so stay on your guard | TechRadar

• Cyber Police of Ukraine arrested members of a gang that defrauded EU citizens of $4.33M-Security Affairs

• YouTube warns of email scam from seemingly authentic account | Science & Tech News | Sky News

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Cyber Police of Ukraine arrested members of a gang that defrauded EU citizens of $4.33M-Security Affairs

2FA/MFA

• Hackers steal crypto assets by defeating 2FA with rogue browser extension | CSO Online

Malware

• WinRAR SFX archives can run PowerShell without being detected (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malware and machine learning: A match made in hell - Help Net Security

• Arid Viper Hacking Group Using Upgraded Malware in Middle East Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Flood of malicious packages results in NPM registry DoS - Help Net Security

• Hackers Using Self-Extracting Archives Exploit for Stealthy Backdoor Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Researcher Tricks ChatGPT into Building Undetectable Steganography Malware (darkreading.com)

• Typhon info-stealing malware devs upgrade evasion capabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Tax preparation and e-file service eFile.com compromised to serve malware-Security Affairs

• The hidden picture of malware attack trends - Help Net Security

Mobile

• Google publishes April Android Security Bulletin, but Pixel updates are once again missing (androidpolice.com)

• Android's April 2023 Updates Patch Critical Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities - SecurityWeek

BYOD

• New Research Highlights Increased Security Risks Posed by Remote Working and BYOD - IT Security Guru

Internet of Things – IoT

• Hackers can open Nexx garage doors remotely, and there's no fix (bleepingcomputer.com)

• HP to patch critical bug in LaserJet printers within 90 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Splunk Details Increase in Data Breaches, Downtime Due to Cyber security Issues - MSSP Alert

• Nearly 5 million hit in massive loan data breach — see if you’re affected | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Data Breach Strikes Western Digital (darkreading.com)

• Uber driver info stolen in yet another third-party breach • The Register

• High-cost lender TMX Finance data breach affects nearly 5 million customers | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• ChatGPT linked to alleged leak of confidential information at Samsung (interestingengineering.com)

• Law Firm for Uber Loses Drivers' Data to Hackers in Yet Another Breach (darkreading.com)

• Marketplace 600K Records Leaked By Database Snafu (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Hacker claims breach of US immigration services | Cybernews

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• For Cyber Crime Gangs, Professionalization & ‘Corporate’ Headaches (darkreading.com)

• Fight Mercenaries with these Cyber security Principles (trendmicro.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• DoJ Recovers $112M in Crypto Stolen With Romance Scams (darkreading.com)

• Hackers steal crypto assets by defeating 2FA with rogue browser extension | CSO Online

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Re-evaluating immature and ineffective insider risk management programs - Help Net Security

• Employees are as likely as cyber-criminals to cause cyber-incidents | The Independent

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• The staggering cost of identity fraud for financial services - Help Net Security

• New dark web market STYX focuses on financial fraud services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What CISOs Can Do to Build Trust & Fight Fraud in the Metaverse (darkreading.com)

• Feds seize $112m in currency tied to 'pig-butchering scams • The Register

• Stop online counterfeiters dead in their tracks - Help Net Security

Deepfakes

• Misinformation, mistakes and the Pope in a puffer: what rapidly evolving AI can – and can’t – do | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• Welcome to the era of viral AI generated 'news' images | CNN Business

Insurance

• Experts Urge Empathy, Thoughtfulness for Insurers in Challenging Cyber Landscape (insurancejournal.com)

Dark Web

• New dark web market STYX focuses on financial fraud services (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• MSPs a Favoured Target of Supply Chain and Infrastructure Attacks, ConnectWise Reports - MSSP Alert

• APT group Winter Vivern exploits Zimbra webmail flaw to target government entities | CSO Online

• Risk & Repeat: Inside the 3CX supply chain attack | TechTarget

• 10-year-old Windows bug with 'opt-in' fix exploited in 3CX attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Automation, Cyber security, Integration Top the List of Priorities for MSPs in 2023 - MSSP Alert

• Capita: Cyber attack caused pre-weekend outage • The Register

• Western Digital Hit By Network Security Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Log4j bug abused in new 'proxyjacking' attacks to resell bandwidth, abuse enterprise cloud | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Google Drive does a surprise rollout of file limits, locking out some users | Ars Technica

• Modular "AlienFox" Toolkit Used to Steal Cloud Service Credentials - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Capita: Cyber attack caused pre-weekend outage • The Register

• Shadow data slipping past security teams - Help Net Security

• Think Before You Share the Link: SaaS in the Real World (thehackernews.com)

• Western Digital Hit By Network Security Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• New Research Highlights Increased Security Risks Posed by Remote Working and BYOD - IT Security Guru

• Unapproved Apps Used By 32% of Remote Workers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Shadow IT

• Shadow data slipping past security teams - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• "It's The Service Accounts, Stupid": Why Do PAM Deployments Take (almost) Forever To Complete? (thehackernews.com)

• The high cost of insecure authentication methods - Help Net Security

• 3 Fronts in the Battle for Digital Identity (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Takedown of notorious hacker marketplace selling your identity to criminals | Europol (europa.eu)

• Stolen credential warehouse Genesis Market seized by FBI • The Register

Social Media

• TikTok to Comply With US Law, Protect User Data From China - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• TikTok fined £12.7m for illegally processing children’s data | TikTok | The Guardian

• Twitter's recommendation algorithm opens platform to manipulation, bot attacks, researcher finds | CyberScoop

• TikTok bans explained: Everything you need to know (techtarget.com)

• YouTube warns of email scam from seemingly authentic account | Science & Tech News | Sky News

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• TikTok fined £12.7m for illegally processing children’s data | TikTok | The Guardian

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• TikTok fined £12.7m for illegally processing children’s data | TikTok | The Guardian

• UK data regulator issues warning over generative AI data protection concerns | CSO Online

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• 42% of IT leaders told to maintain breach confidentiality | TechTarget

• GCHQ Updates Security Guidance for Boards - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Splunk Details Increase in Data Breaches, Downtime Due to  Issues - MSSP Alert

• 5 strategies to manage  risks in mergers and acquisitions | CSO Online

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• What is PCI DSS 12 requirements? | Definition from TechTarget

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Ex-GCHQ chief criticises Treasury for advertising head of cyber security job with £50k salary (telegraph.co.uk)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Cyber Police of Ukraine arrested members of a gang that defrauded EU citizens of $4.33M-Security Affairs

• Stolen credential warehouse Genesis Market seized by FBI • The Register

• Spain's most dangerous and elusive hacker now in police custody (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Genesis Market: Popular cyber crime website shut down by police - BBC News

• FBI obtained detailed database exposing 60,000 users of the cyber crime bazaar Genesis Market | CyberScoop

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• NYPD ignored 93 percent of surveillance law rules • The Register

Artificial Intelligence

• Welcome to the era of viral AI generated 'news' images | CNN Business

• Misinformation, mistakes and the Pope in a puffer: what rapidly evolving AI can – and can’t – do | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• Scammers Are Using ChatGPT to Write Emails That Aren't Riddled With Typos (futurism.com)

• ChatGPT, the AI Revolution, and the Security, Privacy and Ethical Implications - SecurityWeek

• ChatGPT banned in Italy | The Independent

• Man ends his life after an AI chatbot 'encouraged' him to sacrifice himself to stop climate change | Euronews

• Malware and machine learning: A match made in hell - Help Net Security

• ChatGPT linked to alleged leak of confidential information at Samsung (interestingengineering.com)

• UK data regulator issues warning over generative AI data protection concerns | CSO Online

• Researcher Tricks ChatGPT into Building Undetectable Steganography Malware (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Misinformation, mistakes and the Pope in a puffer: what rapidly evolving AI can – and can’t – do | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• ChatGPT could increase 'threat vector' for cyber attacks and misinformation, experts warn: 'Deepfake generator' | Fox Business

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

• UK’s offensive hacking unit takes on military opponents and terrorist groups | Cyberwar | The Guardian

• Russian pro-war military blogger killed in blast at St Petersburg cafe | Russia | The Guardian

• China opens national security probe into Micron products • The Register

• CISA adds bugs exploited by commercial surveillance spyware to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog-Security Affairs

• Vulkan Playbook Leak Exposes Russia's Plans for Worldwide Cyberwar (darkreading.com)

• Chinese 'spy balloon' that flew over US gathered intelligence from sensitive military sites, officials say | US News | Sky News

• UK Discloses Offensive Cyber Capabilities Principles - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Britain’s cyberwarfare chief reveals his identity | The Economist

Nation State Actors

• APT group Winter Vivern exploits Zimbra webmail flaw to target government entities | CSO Online

• UK’s offensive hacking unit takes on military opponents and terrorist groups | Cyberwar | The Guardian

• Vodafone warned of ‘profound national security questions’ over merger with Chinese-owned Three (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russian pro-war military blogger killed in blast at St Petersburg cafe | Russia | The Guardian

• China opens national security probe into Micron products • The Register

• Report: Chinese State-Sponsored Hacking Group Highly Active - SecurityWeek

• Vulkan Playbook Leak Exposes Russia's Plans for Worldwide Cyberwar (darkreading.com)

• Chinese 'spy balloon' that flew over US gathered intelligence from sensitive military sites, officials say | US News | Sky News

• The other Chinese apps taking the US and UK by storm - BBC News

• TikTok to Comply With US Law, Protect User Data From China - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China probes Micron for cyber security risks, urges Japan to stay out of US chip export curbs  | TechCrunch

• Google TAG Alerts Of ARCHIPELAGO Cyber attacks Linked To North Korea (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• 15 million public-facing services vulnerable to CISA KEV flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 10-year-old Windows bug with 'opt-in' fix exploited in 3CX attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Millions still exposed despite available fixes - Help Net Security

• Microsoft to admins: Auto-review your Autopatch alerts • The Register

Vulnerabilities

• Log4j bug abused in new 'proxyjacking' attacks to resell bandwidth, abuse enterprise cloud | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hackers exploit WordPress plugin flaw that gives full control of millions of sites | Ars Technica

• CISA adds bugs exploited by commercial surveillance spyware to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog-Security Affairs

• HP to patch critical bug in LaserJet printers within 90 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Prevent and detect Adobe ColdFusion exploitation (CVE-2023-26360, CVE-2023-26359) - Help Net Security

• Chrome 112 Patches 16 Security Flaws - SecurityWeek

• QNAP Zero-Days Leave 80K Devices Vulnerable to Cyber attack (darkreading.com)

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Tools and Controls

• How can organisations bridge the gap between DR and cyber security? - Help Net Security

• Let’s pump the brakes on the rush to incorporate AI into cyber security | CSO Online

• The high cost of insecure authentication methods - Help Net Security

• How AI is transforming cyber security for better and worse - Help Net Security

• 3 Fronts in the Battle for Digital Identity (darkreading.com)

• What RASP Should Have Been (darkreading.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Bitdefender 2023 Cybersecurity Assessment | Bitdefender

• Annual Report: Leading Anti-Phishing Solutions | Cofense

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Other News Misc/Other Misc attacks

• Maintaining Data Integrity With Growing Cyber security Concerns (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Keeper Security April Fools - IT Security Guru

• Travel visa delays after UK’s crime records office hit by cyber ‘incident’ | Evening Standard

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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