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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 December 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 08 December 2023:
-Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft, as Fifth of UK Businesses Fallen Victim To Cyber Attack in Past Year
-Russia Hacking: 'FSB in Years-Long Cyber Attacks on UK', Says Government
-NCSC CTO Cyber Security is Essential, Not Optional
-69% of Organisations Paid Ransoms, contributing to Inflation as Firms Increase Costs
-75% of Sports Related Passwords are Reused Across Accounts
-Ransomware in 2024: Anticipated Impact, Targets, and Landscape Shift
-Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High
-Nuclear Hack Creates Rising Fears of Cyber Vulnerability in Critical Infrastructure
-Thousands of House Purchases Frozen by Cyber Attack; Will They Complete Before Christmas?
-US Government Agency Was Hacked Thanks to 'End of Life' Software
-Digital Transformation, Security Implications, and their Effects on The Modern Workplace
-Third Party Breaches Shake up Energy Sector, with 90% Suffering from Third-Party Breach
-Report Reveals Sorry State of Cyber Security at UK Football Clubs
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft, as Fifth of UK Businesses Fallen Victim To Cyber Attack in Past Year
A survey of more than 1,200 UK businesses of all sizes across multiple industries conducted by Aviva found that a fifth of UK businesses were victims to cyber attacks in the past year. The report found that businesses were 67% more likely to have experienced a cyber incident than a physical theft and five times more likely to have experienced a cyber attack than a fire.
When it came to the fallout from a cyber attack, 31% of businesses experienced operational disruption and 20% admit to not being confident in knowing what to do should this happen. This lack of confidence rises to more than a quarter (27%) for small businesses, who appear to be the most vulnerable to such a risk. Financially, the average incident was found to cost £21,000, however this figure is likely to be more given the further implications that result from a cyber attack.
Sources: [Insurance Age] [theHRD] [Infosecurity Magazine]
Russia Hacking: 'FSB in Years-Long Cyber Attacks on UK', Says UK Government
The UK government has accused Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the KGB, of conducting a prolonged cyber hacking campaign since at least 2015, targeting politicians, journalists, academics, and others through sophisticated attacks that included the creation of false accounts. This accusation, part of a coordinated effort with the US, aims to disrupt FSB operations and raise awareness ahead of major elections. This comes as a recent report by Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 found that the Russia-linked APT28 group, also known as “Forest Blizzard” or “Fancybear,” has exploited a Microsoft Outlook vulnerability to target European NATO members. Active since 2007 and linked to the Russian military, APT28's recent campaigns have focused on government, energy, transportation, and NGOs in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. These incidents highlight the critical need for enhanced cyber security measures and international cooperation to counter sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, ensuring the security of sensitive sectors and the integrity of global democratic processes.
Sources: [BBC News] [ Security Affairs]
NCSC CTO: Cyber Security is Essential, Not Optional
Ollie Whitehouse, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the UK’s NCSC has argued in a recent keynote that extra security features should not be a premium feature, highlighting the importance of vendors adopting a secure-by-design method, rather than implementing security upcharges where vendors charge extra for users to secure their product.
The speech also noted that organisations should utilise the tools that are already available to them, on top of maintaining a focus on user awareness.
Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Dark Reading]
69% of Organisations Paid Ransoms, contributing to Inflation as Firms Increase Costs
According to a survey, 75% of respondents reported being targeted by ransomware in the past year, and of those, 69% paid the ransom. 54% of those who paid the ransom, suffered financial ramifications of $100,000 or more. It is unclear whether the research includes further implications such as regulatory fines, loss of work, reputational damage, and cost of down-time.
A separate study found that ransomware attacks costs are directly contributing to rising inflation in the UK, as businesses face an average increase of 17% to their costs following an attack. Cumulatively, 68% of the companies represented in the survey reported they had increased prices by at least 11% as a direct result of suffering an attack. In addition, of those falling victim to ransomware, 70% believed their business would have to close if they suffered another attack. When it came to the time lost to dealing with ransomware, companies took an average of two months to recover from an attack and 16% took between three and six months.
Sources: [ITPro] [Beta News] [Security Magazine]
75% of Sports Related Passwords are Reused Across Accounts
According to a recent Bitwarden report, 33% of Americans have used a sports-themed password. This figure rose to 49% for those ages 18-34. Of those, 75% admitted to using it across multiple accounts. Password re-use a common issue globally: by re-using passwords, users are multiplying the likelihood of being breached by an attacker. Additionally, this can crossover to the corporate environment, where users’ personal breached credentials can be utilised to get into their corporate account.
Sources: [Security Magazine] [Help Net Security]
Ransomware in 2024: Anticipated Impact, Targets, and Landscape Shift
As ransomware continues to rise, we can expect groups to evolve their attacks, operating on a larger scale for bigger profits, especially following large-scale supply chain attacks in the past 12 months. Ransomware has solidified its position as the predominant security threat in 2023, with a record number of victims. A recent report highlighted a 46% increase in cyber extortion and ransomware attacks compared to previous years. This trend shows ransomware evolving into a profitable microcosm, akin to a startup ecosystem, with more groups emerging as disruptors and newcomers. In response, organisations are increasingly turning to services that lend-out cryptocurrency, a frequent ransomware payment method. With changing tactics and the formation of new groups, it's crucial for leaders to prepare their 2024 security strategies now, ensuring they have a robust plan in place to counter ransomware threats to their organisations.
Sources: [Barrons] [Help Net Security] [Computer Weekly]
Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High
The world is experiencing a significant rise in data breaches, reaching a record high with more than 360 million individuals affected in the first eight months of 2023 in the US alone, according to a joint report from Apple and an MIT researcher. This alarming increase includes a notable surge in ransomware attacks, which have escalated by nearly 70% compared to 2022. The healthcare sector is particularly vulnerable, with 60% of organisations reporting ransomware attacks in 2023, an increase from 34% in 2021. The largest health data breach this year impacted 11 million people at HCA Healthcare. A critical factor in these breaches is the exploitation of third-party vendors, as seen in attacks on Progress Software's MOVEit and Fortra's GoAnywhere applications. These incidents highlight the urgent need for organisations to prioritise data security, especially in managing relationships with vendors, to protect sensitive information and mitigate the growing threat of cyber attacks.
Source: [Info Risk Today]
Nuclear Hack Creates Rising Fears of Cyber Vulnerability in Critical Infrastructure
News of one of the UK’s most high profile nuclear power stations, Sellafield, being hacked, with fears that highly sensitive information has been accessible for years, has led to new calls for the UK to tighten up security of its vital infrastructure. Rather worryingly, The Guardian have added that it discovered that authorities were unaware of its first compromise, but it has been detected as far back as 2015.
Sources: [Emerging Risks]
Thousands of House Purchases Frozen by Cyber Attack; Will They Complete Before Christmas?
Conveyancing firms across the UK faced significant disruption when they discovered blank screens on their computers due to a problem originating from CTS, a cloud hosting provider widely used for legal applications. This unexpected issue led many within these affected firms to hastily purchase new laptops to regain partial access to emails and documents, but their case management systems remained largely inaccessible. Firms had to devise manual workarounds to keep transactions moving, amidst concerns about the safety of client data and funds. While most firms have found ways to progress with exchanges and completions, the reliance on cumbersome manual processes and limited access to client data and financial systems has more than doubled the workload. This situation raises several questions about the preparedness and resilience of paperless (or paper-light) office environments, the adequacy of backup systems, and potential compensation for those inconvenienced. The immediate focus, however, is on collaborative efforts to ensure as many clients as possible can move into their new homes before Christmas.
Source: [Property Industry Eye]
US Government Agency Was Hacked Thanks to 'End of Life' Software
The US Cyber security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently issued a warning about two cyber attacks on an undisclosed federal agency, exploiting a vulnerability in outdated Adobe ColdFusion software. This software, now end-of-life, no longer receives updates, leaving the agency vulnerable and unable to apply security patches. The attacks, which occurred in June and July, appeared to be reconnaissance efforts to map the agency's network, with no evidence of malware installation or data exfiltration. However, it's unclear if the same hackers were behind both incidents. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint detected and limited the hackers' activities. This situation underscores the significant risks associated with running end-of-life software, highlighting the need for organisations to update or replace such software to protect against potential cyber threats.
Source:[ TechCrunch]
Digital Transformation, Security Implications, and their Effects on The Modern Workplace
The vast majority of digital transformation projects will have implications for your cyber security, yet too often this is overlooked with the focus on delivery of the project or the functionality it will bring. Thinking about security after the fact is not only more expensive and less efficient, but can also mean dangerous gaps remaining open in the meantime. In this era, where remote work and public network access are prevalent, the lack of a robust cyber security framework significantly undermines the digital transformation process. Continuous employee education on digital threats and proactive cyber security measures are not just add-ons but essential components of a successful digital transformation. As businesses move towards 2024, integrating advanced cyber security practices is as crucial as adopting new technologies for a truly effective and secure digital transformation.
Source:[ Forbes]
Third Party Breaches Shake up Energy Sector, with 90% Suffering from Third-Party Breach
With 90% of the largest energy companies globally experiencing a third-party breach in the past 12 months, it is no wonder the sector is shaken. In the US, 100% of the top 10 US energy providers suffered a breach and in total, 98% of the organisations in the research used at least one third party vendor that had experienced a breach in the last two years.
Third-party breaches are a concern for any organisation. It is important to know who has access to your organisation’s data, and what security controls they have in place to protect it. Organisations can benefit from firstly identifying who has their information and then conducting supply chain risk assessments to understand what information is held and how it is protected.
Sources: [Help Net Security]
Report Reveals Sorry State of Cyber Security at UK Football Clubs
A new report reveals a concerning lack of cyber resilience within UK football clubs, extending from the Premier League downwards. The industry, increasingly targeted by cyber attacks, suffers from a disconnect between the perceived and actual risk levels. Key findings include a general lack of cyber maturity, outdated approaches to cyber security, and a scarcity of dedicated IT and cyber security roles, including Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). Despite significant financial investments in players, there's reluctance from club boards to allocate sufficient resources for cyber security. The report underscores the need for comprehensive training, increased awareness of security risks across all levels of club operations, and the hiring of dedicated cyber security professionals. This situation calls for an industry-wide standard for cyber security budgets, scaled according to the club's size and turnover, to adequately address these emerging digital threats.
Source: [Computer Weekly]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
A fifth of UK businesses victims of cyber attacks in past year - Insurance Age
Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Digital Transformation And Its Effects On The Modern Workplace (forbes.com)
UK Cyber CTO: Vendors' Security Failings Are Rampant (darkreading.com)
Record-breaking 2023 highlights constant cyber threat (emergingrisks.co.uk)
2024 will see wave after wave of cyber attacks | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)
Doing More With Less: Cyber Security Tools And Budget Efficiency (forbes.com)
Why Invest? Building a Case for Increasing Cyber Security Budgets | UpGuard
SolarWinds lawsuit by SEC puts CISOs in the hot seat | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
CISOs are getting more help after cyber attacks, but often it isn't helping | TechRadar
Cyber and remote working: How Covid moved the cursor | Computer Weekly
Why effective cyber security is more important than ever for European family offices | Campden FB
Building cyber-resilience: Security, compliance, governance, and privacy - Digital Journal
Massive Consolidated Lawsuit Blazes Trail for Hacking Litigation (bloomberglaw.com)
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
69% of organisations facing ransomware attacks paid the ransom | Security Magazine
2023 may have seen highest ransomware ‘body count’ yet | Computer Weekly
Cyber attacks surge in 2023, as millions fall victim to ransomware: Report (yahoo.com)
Ransomware attack costs are driving up inflation in the UK | ITPro
Ransomware ramped up against private sector in November | TechTarget
BlackCat threatens to directly extort vendor's customers • The Register
New wave of ransomware attacks plague US critical infrastructure post-Thanksgiving (axios.com)
How Ransomware Gangs Are Fueling a New Cyber Security Arms Race - Barron's (barrons.com)
Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High (inforisktoday.com)
Expert warns of Turtle macOS ransomware (securityaffairs.com)
Microsoft Warns of Malvertising Scheme Spreading CACTUS Ransomware (thehackernews.com)
Linux version of Qilin ransomware focuses on VMware ESXi (bleepingcomputer.com)
LockBit Remains Top Global Ransomware Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Wanted: top three most prolific ransomware gangs revealed! (techinformed.com)
Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware, Data Breaches Inundate OT & Industrial Sector (darkreading.com)
Ransomware Victims
60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register
'Thousands' affected by cyber attack on conveyancing platform (thenegotiator.co.uk)
Western Isles Council 'counting cost' of November's cyber attack - BBC News
Austal USA Investigates Cyber Attack Claimed by Ransomware Group (darkreading.com)
Almost 440K individuals affected by cyber attack on Proliance Surgeons (WA) | HealthLeaders Media
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Black Friday phishing attacks, and other cyber security news | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
US aerospace firm downed by spearphishing attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Booking.com users angry at firm's response to hacks - BBC News
Hershey warns of data breach following phishing attack (therecord.media)
This huge Russian phishing campaign is hitting targets across the world | TechRadar
ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns - BBC News
Artificial Intelligence
ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns - BBC News
Artificial Intelligence: How It Can Target Your Firm’s Cyber Security Defences - Above the Law
Bank of England Will Review the Risks That AI Poses to UK Financial Stability - SecurityWeek
How do security leaders view AI and cyber risk insurance? • Foundry (foundryco.com)
Exploring the impact of generative AI in the 2024 presidential election - Help Net Security
Put guardrails around AI use to protect your org, but be open to changes - Help Net Security
Major Organisations Using 'Hugging Face' AI Tools Put at Risk by Leaked API Tokens - SecurityWeek
Proliferation of AI-driven Attacks Anticipated in 2024 (itsecuritywire.com)
Artificial Intelligence: How It Can Target Your Firm’s Cyber Security Defences - Above the Law
Researchers automated jailbreaking of LLMs with other LLMs - Help Net Security
Malware
Fake WordPress security advisory pushes backdoor plugin (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Convicted for Creating TrickBot Malware (thehackernews.com)
Critical 'LogoFAIL' Bugs Offer Secure Boot Bypass for Millions of PCs (darkreading.com)
Agent Racoon Backdoor Targets Organisations in Middle East, Africa, and US (thehackernews.com)
Mac users are being targeted again with dangerous malware - here's what to know | TechRadar
Russian hacker pleads guilty to Trickbot malware conspiracy (bitdefender.com)
New Stealthy 'Krasue' Linux Trojan Targeting Telecom Firms in Thailand (thehackernews.com)
Hackers switch from email attacks to downloads (therecord.com)
Microsoft Warns of COLDRIVER's Evolving Evading and Credential-Stealing Tactics (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
Android users warned about new threat after one victim loses $280K - PhoneArena
December Android updates fix critical zero-click RCE flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)
94 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android with December 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek
Top mobile password managers could be exposing user details | TechRadar
Apple Commissions Data Breach Study to Highlight Need for End-to-End Encryption - SecurityWeek
Russian Hackers’ Lawsuit Reveals Weaknesses In Apple’s iOS 16 (forbes.com)
SpyLoan Android malware on Google Play downloaded 12 million times (bleepingcomputer.com)
Vulns in Android WebView, Password Managers Can Leak User Credentials (darkreading.com)
New Bluetooth Flaw Let Hackers Take Over Android, Linux, macOS, and iOS Devices (thehackernews.com)
Apple and some Linux distros are open to Bluetooth attack • The Register
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Internet of Things – IoT
EU gets tough on cyber threat with sweeping security agreement (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Customizing Cyber Security For Critical Infrastructure In Smart Cities (forbes.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
23andMe to Book Up to $2M in Cyber Security Breach Expenses - MarketWatch
After hack, 23andMe gives users 30 days to opt out of class-action waiver | Ars Technica
23andMe updates user agreement to prevent data breach lawsuits (bleepingcomputer.com)
23andMe confirms hackers stole ancestry data on 6.9 million users | TechCrunch
23andMe: Data Breach Was a Credential-Stuffing Attack (darkreading.com)
Data breach debacle hits yet another UK public sector org • The Register
Fortune-telling website WeMystic exposes 13M+ user records (securityaffairs.com)
Hackers Claim to Have Stolen Data From Naval Shipyard Austal USA (maritime-executive.com)
Hershey warns of data breach following phishing attack (therecord.media)
Nissan is investigating cyber attack and potential data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
GST Invoice Billing Inventory exposes sensitive data to threat actors (securityaffairs.com)
Ransomware, Data Breaches Inundate OT & Industrial Sector (darkreading.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Record-breaking 2023 highlights constant cyber threat (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Police Arrests 1000 Suspected Money Mules - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Online crime risks are doubling: Are cyber criminal groups starting to merge? - Digital Journal
Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Platypus exploiters walk free after claiming to be ‘ethical hackers’ (cointelegraph.com)
Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insurance
Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
How do security leaders view AI and cyber risk insurance? • Foundry (foundryco.com)
Brokers urged to deliver cyber threat message (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Hot Topics to Consider for 2024 D&O Questionnaires | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner - JDSupra
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Third-party breaches shake the foundations of the energy sector - Help Net Security
Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High (inforisktoday.com)
60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register
Tipalti investigates claims of data stolen in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Major Organisations Using 'Hugging Face' AI Tools Put at Risk by Leaked API Tokens - SecurityWeek
BlackCat threatens to directly extort vendor's customers • The Register
Cloud/SaaS
60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register
Make a Fresh Start for 2024: Clean Out Your User Inventory to Reduce SaaS Risk (thehackernews.com)
Alert: Threat Actors Can Leverage AWS STS to Infiltrate Cloud Accounts (thehackernews.com)
More oversight needed for cloud in banking, say regulators - Tech Monitor
Encryption
Cracking Weak Cryptography Before Quantum Computing Does (darkreading.com)
HSBC tests protecting FX trading from quantum computer attacks (yahoo.com)
Apple Commissions Data Breach Study to Highlight Need for End-to-End Encryption - SecurityWeek
Linux and Open Source
New Bluetooth Flaw Let Hackers Take Over Android, Linux, macOS, and iOS Devices (thehackernews.com)
Apple and some Linux distros are open to Bluetooth attack • The Register
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
75% of sports-related passwords are reused across accounts | Security Magazine
New Relic admits attack on staging systems, user accounts • The Register
After hack, 23andMe gives users 30 days to opt out of class-action waiver | Ars Technica
23andMe: Data Breach Was a Credential-Stuffing Attack (darkreading.com)
Vulns in Android WebView, Password Managers Can Leak User Credentials (darkreading.com)
Top mobile password managers could be exposing user details | TechRadar
Malvertising
Training, Education and Awareness
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
EU gets tough on cyber threat with sweeping security agreement (emergingrisks.co.uk)
More oversight needed for cloud in banking, say regulators - Tech Monitor
Bank of England Will Review the Risks That AI Poses to UK Financial Stability - SecurityWeek
SolarWinds lawsuit by SEC puts CISOs in the hot seat | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Convicted for Creating TrickBot Malware (thehackernews.com)
Interpol Arrests Smuggler With New Biometric Screening Database (darkreading.com)
Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Nation State Actors
China
Sellafield nuclear site 'hit by cyber attacks from Russian and Chinese hackers' - Tech Monitor
Sellafield nuclear site under ‘robust scrutiny’ over cyber security fears (telegraph.co.uk)
UK government denies China/Russia nuke plant hack claim • The Register
Russia
Russia hacking: 'FSB in years-long cyber attacks on UK', says government - BBC News
NCSC exposes Russian cyber attacks on UK political processes | Computer Weekly
UK names FSB unit behind hack-and-leak campaigns, summons Russian ambassador (therecord.media)
2 Russian intel officers charged with hacking into US and British government agencies (nbcnews.com)
Russia's APT8 exploited Outlook 0day to target EU NATO members (securityaffairs.com)
Fancy Bear goes phishing in US, European high-value networks • The Register
This huge Russian phishing campaign is hitting targets across the world | TechRadar
Russian hacker pleads guilty to Trickbot malware conspiracy (bitdefender.com)
Microsoft Warns of COLDRIVER's Evolving Evading and Credential-Stealing Tactics (thehackernews.com)
Russian Hackers’ Lawsuit Reveals Weaknesses In Apple’s iOS 16 (forbes.com)
Iran
Breaches by Iran-Affiliated Hackers Spanned Multiple US States, Federal Agencies Say - SecurityWeek
US, Israel Warn of Iranian-Linked Cyber Attacks on Water Systems - Bloomberg
North Korea
Vulnerability Management
CISA says US government agency was hacked thanks to ‘end of life’ software | TechCrunch
CISA's Goldstein wants to ditch 'patch faster, fix faster' model | CyberScoop
Key drivers of software security for financial services - Help Net Security
Vulnerabilities
Sticking With Windows 10 Instead Of Upgrading? Get Ready To Pay For Security Updates (slashgear.com)
Quick: Update iPhones and Macs – WebKit security hole found • The Register
VMware Patches Critical Authentication Bypass Bug | Decipher (duo.com)
Critical 'LogoFAIL' Bugs Offer Secure Boot Bypass for Millions of PCs (darkreading.com)
Notepad++ Input Validation Flaw Leads Search Path Vulnerability (cybersecuritynews.com)
December Android updates fix critical zero-click RCE flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)
94 Vulnerabilities Patched in Android With December 2023 Security Updates - SecurityWeek
Adobe ColdFusion flaw exploited in US government agency attacks (stackdiary.com)
Qualcomm Releases Details on Chip Vulnerabilities Exploited in Targeted Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Dangerous vulnerability in fleet management software seemingly ignored by vendor | CyberScoop
Future Intel, AMD and Arm CPUs Vulnerable to New 'SLAM' Attack: Researchers - SecurityWeek
Tools and Controls
Cyber Attacks More Likely Than Fire or Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
How to recover systems in the event of a cyber attack | Computer Weekly
How Financial Institutions Can Navigate the ‘Operational Resilience' imperative (finextra.com)
How to solve 2 MFA challenges: SIM swapping and MFA fatigue | TechTarget
Why you should create a physical security standard for your company (securitybrief.co.nz)
Why Invest? Building a Case for Increasing Cyber Security Budgets | UpGuard
New 'Pool Party' Process Injection Techniques Undetected by EDR Solutions - SecurityWeek
Best 10 Best Cyber Attack Maps - 2024 (cybersecuritynews.com)
Brokers urged to deliver cyber threat message (emergingrisks.co.uk)
Proactive, not reactive: the path to ensuring operational resilience in cyber security | CSO Online
Cyber Security: How to Demonstrate Resilience and Hygiene - Techopedia
Cyber Security Insurance: Once Optional, Now Essential (informationweek.com)
When Should You Replace A Cyber Security Vendor? (forbes.com)
Are companies falling behind on cyber security awareness training? | CTV News
Other News
NATO’s Flagship Cyber Exercise Concludes In Estonia – Eurasia Review
Ofcom publishes UK age verification proposals • The Register
Microsoft Hires New CISO in Major Security Shakeup - SecurityWeek
US aerospace companies are facing dangerous new cyber attacks | TechRadar
Report reveals sorry state of cyber security at UK football clubs | Computer Weekly
2023’s Dark Horse Cyber Story: Critical Infrastructure Attacks (govtech.com)
Nuclear hack creates rising fears of cyber vulnerability in critical services (emergingrisks.co.uk)
The World Depends on 60-Year-Old Code No One Knows Anymore | PCMag
Public sector has misplaced confidence in cyber security (securitybrief.co.nz)
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 07 July 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 07 July 2023:
-Cyber Attacks Against Mobile Devices Growing Fast
-One Third of Security Breaches Go Unnoticed by Security Professionals
-Cyber Security Experts Have Become Targets for Board Seats
-Phishing Attack Prevention as Email Attacks Surge Over 450%
-Outsmarting Business Email Compromise Scammers
-Small Organisations Face Security Threats on a Limited Budget
-Cloud Security: Sometimes the Risks May Outweigh the Rewards
-Cl0p's MOVEit Campaign Represents a New Era in Cyber Attacks
-75% of Consumers Prepared to Ditch Brands Hit by Ransomware
-Scammers Using AI Voice Technology to Commit Crimes
-What are the Causes of Data Loss and What it the Impact on Your Organisation?
-Ransomware Affiliates, Triple Extortion, and the Dark Web Ecosystem
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Cyber Attacks Against Mobile Devices Growing Fast
A rise in mobile-powered businesses is creating vulnerability gaps that are being exploited by cyber criminals and nation-states, according to a new report. 43% of all compromised devices were fully exploited, not just jailbroken or rooted, which is an increase of 187% year-over-year. The report found that the average user is 6 to 10 times more likely to fall for an SMS phishing attack than an email based attack.
It was also found that there was a 138% increase in critical Android vulnerabilities discovered in 2022, while Apple iOS accounted for 80% of the zero-day vulnerabilities actively being exploited in the wild. With malware increasingly spreading through legitimate channels, such as official marketplaces and ads in popular apps. This is true for both scam apps and dangerous mobile banking malware. For organisations, no matter if they are corporate-owned or part of a BYOD strategy, the need to implement appropriate security controls, and educate end-users about potential threats, is critical.
https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/mobile-cyberattacks-soar-andoird-users
One Third of Security Breaches Go Unnoticed by Security Professionals
While surface-level confidence around hybrid cloud security is high, with 94% of global respondents stating their security tools and processes provide them with complete visibility and insights into their IT infrastructure, the reality is nearly one third of security breaches are not spotted by IT and security professionals, according to a recent report.
The report highlighted that 50% of IT and security leaders lack confidence when it comes to knowing where their most sensitive data is stored and how it is secured. The issue is that 31% of breaches are being identified later down the line, rather than pre-emptively using security and observability tools either by data appearing on the dark web, files becoming inaccessible, or users experiencing slow application performance (likely due to DoS or inflight exfiltration). This number rises to 48% in the US, and 52% in Australia.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/03/hybrid-cloud-security-breaches/
Cyber Security Experts Have Become Targets for Board Seats
The need for strong cyber security programs is a vital part of doing business today, and a good reflection of that is adding security executives to Boards. The trend is for chief information security officers (CISOs) to be elevated to the board of directors, as risk and regulatory compliance become more visible in an organisation, many of the initiatives and controls will be security related, addressing those controls usually falls to the CISO.
The research also showed that 90% of public companies lack even one qualified cyber expert, showing a significant cyber board supply-demand gap. With only 15% of CISOs have broader traits required for board level positions, such as a holistic understanding of the business, a global perspective and ability to navigate a range of stakeholders, with another 33% having a subset of those necessary traits.
CISOs are hard to come by and few have the requisite Board level experience. To fill this gap Black Arrow provide a virtual CISO (vCISO) where you get a whole team of highly skilled and experienced professionals for less than you would pay for one permanent resource, and firms can also take advantage of Black Arrow’s Cyber NED, incorporating Board, Governance, Finance, HR and Risk experience with specialist cyber expertise and experience.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/03/cybersecurity-experts-have-become-targets-for-board-seats.html
Phishing Attack Prevention as Email Attacks Surge Over 450%
A Recent report found that email attacks had surged 464% this year compared to the previous year as phishing attacks remain amongst the most used tactics by attackers due to their high success rate and the ease in which they can be conducted. For preventing such attacks, the following principles will help mitigate: not clicking on unknown links, not trusting unknown sites, enabling multi-factor authentication, hardly disclosing personal information and having increased phishing awareness.
In an organisation, such awareness and principles can be highlighted and continually reinforced through having an effective awareness training programme. This in turn, will help to create a cyber aware culture and reduce the risk of someone in the organisation falling victim to phishing.
https://cybersecuritynews.com/phishing-attack-prevention-checklist/
Outsmarting Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scammers
Last year the FBI registered over 21,000 complaints about business email fraud, with adjusted losses of over $2.7 billion. Today this line of attack shows no sign of slowing down. Business email compromise (BEC) techniques are increasingly sophisticated and cyber crime-as-a-service (CaaS) along with AI have lowered the barrier to entry for threat actors.
There are six key elements which can help to mitigate the impact of BEC, these are; inbox protection, strong authentication, secure emails, zero-trust control, secure payment processes and education. Putting the brakes on this con game takes the entire organisation, from the C-suite and IT, compliance, and risk management teams to every business unit. Awareness, backed by policy and technology, is the crucial factor in a consistently strong defence.
https://www.darkreading.com/microsoft/6-steps-to-outsmarting-business-email-compromise-scammers
Small Organisations Face Security Threats on a Limited Budget
Small organisations face the same security threats as larger organisations overall but have less resources to address them. The most common security incidents faced are phishing, ransomware, and user account compromise also known as business email compromise (BEC). However, smaller organisations usually have fewer resources and experience with which to address security threats. Indeed, lack of budget is their top security challenge, reported by one in two small companies.
The lack of budget won’t stop a threat actor from attacking however, and so small organisations need to be able to effectively identify, prioritise and mitigate against security incidents. This may require small organisations outsourcing some of their cyber strategy, to allow them access to expertise.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/05/small-organizations-security-threats/
Cloud Security: Sometimes the Risks May Outweigh the Rewards
Threat actors are well-aware of the vulnerabilities in the cloud infrastructure. IT teams and decision-leadersmakers must have a clear understanding of the types of cloud services and the associated risk of cyber attacks associated. Around two in five (39%) businesses experienced a data breach in their cloud environment in 2022, a rise of 4% compared with 2021, a new report has found. The leading cause of cloud data breaches was human error, at 55%, according to the report. This was significantly above the next highest factor identified by respondents (21%), which was exploitation of vulnerabilities.
Other issues can arise from the cloud as it gives organisations the opportunity to create large amounts of infrastructure quickly and easily, which leaves it exposed to the possibility of substandard security configurations being applied to it. Due to the ease of use of cloud services, companies might become negligent in terms of their security.
https://cyber-reports.com/2023/07/03/cloud-security-sometimes-the-risks-may-outweigh-the-rewards/
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/human-error-cloud-data-breaches/
Cl0p's MOVEit Campaign Represents a New Era in Cyber Attacks
A number of organisations impacted by the mass hacks exploiting a security flaw in the MOVEit file transfer tool, including energy giant Shell and US-based First Merchants Bank, have confirmed that hackers accessed sensitive data. The ransomware group shows an evolution of its tactics with the MOVEit zero-day, potentially ushering in a new normal when it comes to extortion supply chain cyber attacks, experts say.
From what the industry has seen in recent Cl0p breaches, GoAnywhere, MFT and MOVEit, they have not executed ransomware to encrypt data within the target environments. The operations have strictly been exfiltrating data and using that stolen information for later blackmail and extortion. The MOVEit vulnerability isn't an easy or straightforward one, it required extensive research into the MOVEit platform to discover, understand, and exploit this vulnerability. The skill set required to uncover and exploit this vulnerability isn't easily learned and is hard to come by in the industry. This operation isn't something Cl0p ransomware group usually does, which is another clue leading to suspect Cl0p acquired the MOVEit zero-day vulnerability rather than developing it from scratch. Something future groups may decide to adopt.
https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/c10p-moveit-campaign-new-era-cyberattacks
75% of Consumers Prepared to Ditch Brands Hit by Ransomware
As 40% of consumers harbour scepticism regarding organisations’ data protection capabilities, 75% would shift to alternate companies following a ransomware attack a recent report found. Furthermore, consumers request increased data protection from vendors, with 55% favouring companies with comprehensive data protection measures such as reliable backup and recovery, password protection, and identity and access management strategies.
While 37% of Gen Z prefers an apology from companies experiencing a ransomware attack, ranking 12% higher than monetary compensation, Baby Boomers are less forgiving. 74% of them agree their trust in the vendor is irreparably damaged after suffering more than one ransomware attack, compared to only 34% of Gen Z.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/05/consumers-data-protection-request/
Scammers Using AI Voice Technology to Commit Crimes
The usage of platforms like Cash App, Zelle, and Venmo for peer-to-peer payments has experienced a significant surge, with scams increasing by over 58%. Additionally, there has been a corresponding rise of 44% in scams stemming from the theft of personal documents according to a recent report.
The report also highlights the rise of AI voice scams as a significant trend in 2023. AI voice technology enables scammers to create remarkably realistic voices and convincingly imitate family members, friends and other trusted individuals. With just a short voice clip usually taken from social media, a scammer can clone a loved one’s voice and call a victim pretending to be that person. The scammer deceives the victim into thinking their loved one is in distress to get them to send money, provide personal information or perform other actions. AI voice technology has gotten to the point where a mother can’t tell the difference between her child’s voice and a machine, and scammers have pounced on this to commit crimes.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/07/ai-voice-cloning-scams/
What are the Causes of Data Loss and What it the Impact on Your Organisation?
In today’s digital age, data has become the lifeblood of organisations, driving critical decision-making, improving operational efficiency, and allowing for smoother innovation. Simply put, businesses heavily rely on data. In an era where data has become the cornerstone of business operations, the loss of vital information can result in severe setbacks and irreparable damage. Whether it’s due to accidental deletion, hardware failure, cyber-attacks, or natural disasters, the loss of valuable data can have devastating impacts on an organisation.
It's imperative that businesses understand different types of data (structured, unstructured, semi-structured, metadata) and deploy tailored protection strategies. A significant 26% of companies suffered data loss in 2022, underlining the need for robust data security measures like regular backups, cyber security protocols, employee training, and data encryption. Effective data loss prevention can shield organisations from severe impacts like intellectual property theft, operation disruption, and legal repercussions.
https://securityaffairs.com/148086/security/impacts-of-data-loss.html
Ransomware Affiliates, Triple Extortion, and the Dark Web Ecosystem
Many people associate the dark web with drugs, crime, and leaked credentials, but in recent years the dark web has emerged as a complex and interdependent cyber crime ecosystem, exemplified by the increasingly complex methods used to extort companies.
One of the more recent trends we see is that groups are now setting up infrastructure, in some cases outsourcing actual infection (and in some cases negotiation) to “affiliates” who effectively act as contractors to the Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) group and split the profits at the end of a successful attacks. The world of cyber crime is ever-evolving and it is no easy task to stay on top of the changing landscape.
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Cyber Security experts have become targets for board seats (cnbc.com)
The Impacts of Data Loss on Your Organisation -Security Affairs
One third of security breaches go unnoticed by security professionals - Help Net Security
Small organisations face security threats on a limited budget - Help Net Security
How to cultivate a culture of continuous cyber Security improvement - Help Net Security
CISOs Find 'Business as Usual' Shows the Harsh Realities of Cyber-Risk (darkreading.com)
Mitigate Top 5 Common Cyber Security Vulnerabilities (trendmicro.com)
Cyber Security's Future Hinges on Stronger Public-Private Partnerships (darkreading.com)
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
75% of consumers prepared to ditch brands hit by ransomware - Help Net Security
More than 16 million people and counting have had data exposed in MOVEit breaches (therecord.media)
Cl0p's MOVEit Campaign Represents a New Era in Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)
Encryption-less ransomware: Warning issued over emerging attack method for threat actors | ITPro
Malvertising: A stealthy precursor to infostealers and ransomware attacks (malwarebytes.com)
8Base ransomware group leaks data of 67 victim organisations - Help Net Security
Cyber Security Awareness Training to Fight Ransomware (trendmicro.com)
Ransomware Affiliates, Triple Extortion, and the Dark Web Ecosystem (bleepingcomputer.com)
BlackCat Operators Distributing Ransomware Disguised as WinSCP via Malvertising (thehackernews.com)
Seven ways to prepare for double extortion ransomware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
The rise in cyber extortion attacks and its impact on business security - Help Net Security
University of California sues Lloyd’s of London in cyber insurance dispute | CSO Online
Ransomware Criminals Are Dumping Kids' Private Files Online After School Hacks - SecurityWeek
Ransomware accounts for 54% of cyber threats in the health sector- Security Affairs
Avast released a free decryptor for Windows version of Akira ransomware- Security Affairs
FIS Global Data Breach: Cyber Attack On FIS Global Follows MOVEit Mayhem (thecyberexpress.com)
How ransomware impacts the healthcare industry - Help Net Security
June saw flurry of ransomware attacks on education sector | TechTarget
Decryption tool for Akira ransomware available for free | Tripwire
Japanese Port of Nagoya Resumes Operations After 2-Day Russian Ransomware Attack - MSSP Alert
Ransomware Victims
Shell Confirms MOVEit-Related Breach After Ransomware Group Leaks Data - SecurityWeek
Dublin airport staff’s pay and benefits compromised in cyber attack (thetimes.co.uk)
Japan’s largest port stops operations after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russians may have hacked NHS trust with 2.5 million patients (telegraph.co.uk)
More than 16 million people and counting have had data exposed in MOVEit breaches (therecord.media)
8Base ransomware group leaks data of 67 victim organisations - Help Net Security
Dublin airport staff’s pay and benefits compromised in cyber attack (thetimes.co.uk)
FIS Global Data Breach: Cyber Attack On FIS Global Follows MOVEit Mayhem (thecyberexpress.com)
MOVEit Hacks Ensnare US Department of Health and Human Services - Bloomberg
UCLA among victims of worldwide cyber attack – NBC Los Angeles
BlackCat Hacking Gang Says It Stole Data from UK's Barts Health NHS Trust - Bloomberg
Chipmaker TSMC says supplier targeted in cyber Attack | Reuters
MOVEit hack impacts US financial services provider for academics | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Email Cyber Attacks Spiked Nearly 500% in First Half of 2023, Acronis Reports - MSSP Alert
Phishing Attack Prevention Checklist - A Detailed Guide (cybersecuritynews.com)
African Nations Face Escalating Phishing & Compromised Password Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Quishing on the rise: How to prevent QR code phishing | TechTarget
Why cyberpsychology is such an important part of effective cyber Security | CSO Online
Artificial Intelligence
Microsoft, OpenAI sued for ChatGPT 'privacy violations' • The Register
Cyber Criminals can break voice authentication with 99% success rate - Help Net Security
Dutch counterterrorism agency says Generative AI is posing new cyber threats | NL Times
AI-generated attack vectors cyber Security should watch for (fastcompany.com)
OpenAI Pauses ChatGPT's 'Browse With Bing' as Users Bypass Paywalls (gizmodo.com)
Promoting responsible AI: Balancing innovation and regulation - Help Net Security
GPT-4 is great at infuriating telemarketing scammers • The Register
3 Reasons SaaS Security is the Imperative First Step to Ensuring Secure AI Usage (thehackernews.com)
Malware
Microsoft Teams Exploit Tool Auto-Delivers Malware (darkreading.com)
Experts detected a new variant of RUSTBUCKET macOS malware- Security Affairs
Iranian Hackers' Sophisticated Malware Targets Windows and macOS Users (thehackernews.com)
CISA: Truebot malware infecting networks in US, Canada | TechTarget
Mockingjay - A New Injection Technique to Bypass EDR (cybersecuritynews.com)
Malvertising: A stealthy precursor to infostealers and ransomware attacks (malwarebytes.com)
Mobile
Android Security Updates Patch 3 Exploited Vulnerabilities - SecurityWeek
Mobile Cyber Attacks Soar, Especially Against Android Users (darkreading.com)
Android users at risk as banking trojan targets more apps | Fox News
Cyber Attacks Against Mobile Devices Growing Fast - MSSP Alert
We can’t trust the Government to protect your privacy, says boss of Signal (telegraph.co.uk)
Apps with 1.5M installs on Google Play send your data to China (bleepingcomputer.com)
Botnets
Twitter's bot spam keeps getting worse — it's about porn this time (bleepingcomputer.com)
Botnets Send Exploits Within Days to Weeks After Published PoC (darkreading.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
CISA issues DDoS warning after attacks hit multiple US orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian Hacktivist Platform 'DDoSia' Grows Exponentially (darkreading.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
FIS Global Data Breach: Cyber Attack On FIS Global Follows MOVEit Mayhem (thecyberexpress.com)
Microsoft denies data breach, theft of 30 million customer accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Capita’s own pension scheme suffered data breach in March hack | Financial Times (ft.com)Russians may have hacked NHS trust with 2.5 million patients (telegraph.co.uk)
Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches in Review: June 2023 - IT Governance Blog En
The Impacts of Data Loss on Your Organisation- Security Affairs
Nickelodeon investigates breach after leak of 'decades old’ data (bleepingcomputer.com)
OpenAI lawsuit reignites privacy debate over data scraping | CyberScoop
28,000 Impacted by Data Breach at Pepsi Bottling Ventures - SecurityWeek
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Meduza Stealer targets tens of crypto wallers and pwd managers- Security Affairs
$7.8 Billion Lost to Crypto Ponzi Schemes in 2022: Report (cryptopotato.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Google Searches for 'USPS Package Tracking' Leads to Banking Theft (darkreading.com)
Support from British businesses crucial in removing over... - NCSC.GOV.UK
GPT-4 is great at infuriating telemarketing scammers • The Register
Ex-Amazon manager who stole $9m+ gets 16 years in prison • The Register
$7.8 Billion Lost to Crypto Ponzi Schemes in 2022: Report (cryptopotato.com)
Deepfakes
Scammers using AI voice technology to commit crimes - Help Net Security
Cyber Criminals can break voice authentication with 99% success rate - Help Net Security
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Insurance
University of California sues Lloyd’s of London in cyber insurance dispute | CSO Online
Find A Cyber Insurance Policy That Fits Your Small Business Budget (forbes.com)
Cyber insurance rates drop 10% in June, report says | Reuters
How Pen Testing can Soften the Blow on Rising Costs of Cyber Insurance (thehackernews.com)
How Cyber Insurance Can Help Relieve The Costs Of A Cyber Attack (forbes.com)
Dark Web
Ransomware Affiliates, Triple Extortion, and the Dark Web Ecosystem (bleepingcomputer.com)
Deep Web vs Dark Web: What’s the Difference? - Keeper (keepersecurity.com)
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Microsoft Teams Exploit Tool Auto-Delivers Malware (darkreading.com)
Japan rebukes Fujitsu for cloud security fails • The Register
IT leaders believe hybrid cloud solutions are the future of IT - Help Net Security
Microsoft investigates Outlook.com bug breaking email search (bleepingcomputer.com)
11 best practices for securing data in the cloud | Microsoft Security Blog
3 Reasons SaaS Security is the Imperative First Step to Ensuring Secure AI Usage (thehackernews.com)
Attack Surface Management
Encryption
Cyber Criminals Hijacking Vulnerable SSH Servers in New Proxyjacking Campaign (thehackernews.com)
Apple, Civil Liberty Groups Condemn UK Online Safety Bill - SecurityWeek
API
Open Source
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
High school changes every student’s password to ‘Ch@ngeme!’ | TechCrunch
Evasive Meduza Stealer Targets 19 Password Managers and 76 Crypto Wallets (thehackernews.com)
Social Media
Twitter's bot spam keeps getting worse — it's about porn this time (bleepingcomputer.com)
EU Court Deals Blow to Meta in German Data Case - SecurityWeek
Privacy Woes Hold Up Global Instagram Threads Launch (darkreading.com)
Malvertising
Training, Education and Awareness
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Apple, Civil Liberty Groups Condemn UK Online Safety Bill - SecurityWeek
EU Court Deals Blow to Meta in German Data Case - SecurityWeek
Promoting responsible AI: Balancing innovation and regulation - Help Net Security
European companies slam the EU’s incoming AI regulations in open letter - The Verge
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Crack the Code: How to Secure Your Dream Cyber Security Career - IT Security Guru
3 Ways to Build a More Skilled Cyber Security Workforce (darkreading.com)
Make Diversity the 'How,' Not the 'What,' of Cyber Security Success (darkreading.com)
CISO Speaks: Resilience and Avoiding Burnout - IT Security Guru
Top 5 Free Online Cyber Security Courses in 2023 (analyticsinsight.net)
ISACA joins ECSO to strengthen cyber Security and digital skills in Europe - Help Net Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Russia
Russians may have hacked NHS trust with 2.5 million patients (telegraph.co.uk)
Satellite system used by Russian military is hacked - The Washington Post
Russian Hacktivist Platform 'DDoSia' Grows Exponentially (darkreading.com)
Russian railway site allegedly taken down by Ukrainian hackers (therecord.media)
China
US authorities warn on China’s new counter-espionage la' • The Register
Chinese Threat Actors Targeting Europe in SmugX Campaign - Check Point Research
Chinese threat actor attacks diplomats across Europe • The Register
Apps with 1.5M installs on Google Play send your data to China (bleepingcomputer.com)
Iran
Iran-Linked APT35 Targets Israeli Media With Upgraded Spear-Phishing Tools (darkreading.com)
Iranian Hackers' Sophisticated Malware Targets Windows and macOS Users (thehackernews.com)
North Korea
Experts detected a new variant of RUSTBUCKET macOS malware- Security Affairs
North Korean satellite had no military utility for spying • The Register
Misc/Other/Unknown
Vulnerability Management
Botnets Send Exploits Within Days to Weeks After Published PoC (darkreading.com)
Mitigate Top 5 Common Cyber Security Vulnerabilities (trendmicro.com)
Vulnerabilities
300,000+ Fortinet firewalls vulnerable to critical FortiOS RCE bug (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft puts out Outlook fire, downplays Teams flaw • The Register
WordPress plugin lets users become admins – Patch early, patch often! – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Cyber Criminals Hijacking Vulnerable SSH Servers in New Proxyjacking Campaign (thehackernews.com)
Firefox 115 Patches High-Severity Use-After-Free Vulnerabilities - SecurityWeek
Microsoft fixes bug behind Windows LSA protection warnings, again (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco warns of bug that lets attackers break traffic encryption (bleepingcomputer.com)
StackRot Linux Kernel Bug Has Exploit Code on the Way (darkreading.com)
Tools and Controls
Cyber Security Awareness Training to Fight Ransomware (trendmicro.com)
Attack surface visibility a top CISO priority amid growing attacks: Report | CSO Online
VMware, Other Tech Giants Announce Push for Confidential Computing Standards - SecurityWeek
Small organisations face security threats on a limited budget - Help Net Security
11 best practices for securing data in the cloud | Microsoft Security Blog
How Pen Testing can Soften the Blow on Rising Costs of Cyber Insurance (thehackernews.com)
How Cyber Insurance Can Help Relieve The Costs Of A Cyber Attack (forbes.com)
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Foreign spies hacked government 20 years ago (thetimes.co.uk)
GCHQ Reveals Details of State-Backed Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Police investigate stolen exam papers after cyber attack (schoolsweek.co.uk)
VMware, Other Tech Giants Announce Push for Confidential Computing Standards - SecurityWeek
Why Schools are Low-Hanging Fruit for Cyber Criminals - IT Security Guru
Hacks targeting British exam boards raise fears of students cheating (therecord.media)
Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches in Review: June 2023 - IT Governance Blog En
Is your browser betraying you? Emerging threats in 2023 - Help Net Security
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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