Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 May 2024

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

Human Error and AI Tops Cyber Threats as 70% of CISOs Worry About Risk

According to a survey of 1,600 CISOs, 70% worry about the risk of a material cyber attack over the next 12 months. Additionally, nearly 31% believe an attack is very likely, compared to 25% in 2023.  Amongst the largest concerns were human error, with 75% of CISOs identifying it as their most significant cyber vulnerability, up from 60% in 2023. Furthermore, 80% anticipate that human risk and employee negligence in particular will be major cyber security issues in the next two years.  Additionally, artificial intelligence was identified as an emerging concern for 54% of CISOs.

Sources: [The Register] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Cryptopolitan]

The State of Cyber Security: AI and Geopolitics Mean a Bigger Threat Than Ever

A recent report by Check Point reveals that global organisations faced an average of 1,158 weekly cyber attacks in 2023, an increase from 2022. In the UK, 50% of businesses experienced cyber attacks in the past year, with medium and large-sized businesses more affected at 70% and 74%, respectively. A ClubCISO survey found 62% of CISOs believe organisations are ill-equipped for AI-driven attacks, yet 77% haven't increased cyber security spending.

Additionally, a British Foreign Policy Group (BFPG) article highlights cyber threats from geopolitical tensions, with a recent attack on the Ministry of Defence exposing HR and payroll data. The National Cyber Security Centre attributes such attacks to state-affiliated actors like China and Russia. Despite efforts to establish international cyber norms, enforcement remains challenging. Businesses must recognise that cyber security is now deeply intertwined with geopolitics, affecting strategic partnerships and procurement.

Sources: [Verdict] [BFPG]

Threat Research Highlights Growing Mobile Security Risks

A recent report by a cloud security vendor focusing on the mobile threat landscape found that in the first quarter of 2024, the number of phishing, malicious, denylisted and offensive links delivered to their customers’ mobile devices tripled compared to Q1 2023. The report, which bases its data on 220 million devices, 325 million apps and billions of web items, found that the most common misconfiguration in mobiles was out of date operating systems (37%). When it came to the prevalence of attacks, 75% of organisations reported experiencing mobile phishing attempts targeting their employees.

This comes as a representative from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year that there had been “numerous incidents of successful, unauthorised attempts” to steal location data, monitor voice and text messages, and deliver spyware.

Sources: [Economist] [Business Wire]

Family Offices Become Prime Targets for Cyber Hacks and Ransomware

A recent Dentons survey reveals that nearly 80% of family offices perceive a dramatic increase in cyber attack threats, with a quarter experiencing an attack in 2023, up from 17% in 2020. Despite their wealth, family offices often lack the staff and technology to manage these risks effectively. Less than a third report well-developed cyber risk management processes, and only 29% believe their cyber training programs are sufficient. This gap between awareness and action highlights the need for family offices to prioritise comprehensive cyber security measures, including better training, updated policies, and secure communication practices.

Source: [CNBC]

Ransomware Fallout: 94% Experience Downtime, 40% Face Work Stoppage

According to a report by cyber security provider Arctic Wolf, within the last 12 months 48% of organisations identified evidence of a successful breach within their environment and 70% of organisations were the targets of attempted Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks, with 29% of these targets becoming victims of one or more successful BEC occurrences.

In its survey, the company says “45% of the organizations we spoke with admitted to being the victim of a ransomware attack within the last 12 months”,  an increase from the prior year. Of those impacted by ransomware, 86% of attacks including successful data exfiltration and 94% of those impacted by a ransom event experienced a significant downtime and delays. 40% of victims stated they experienced a period of total work stoppage due to ransomware.

Source: [Help Net Security]

Employee Discontent: Insider Threat No. 1

Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) must integrate human factors into insider risk management (IRM), not just rely on detection technologies. IRM must consider factors such as those raised by recent research where only half of US workers are very satisfied with their jobs, and 28% feel their employers don't care about them. CISOs themselves are affected by job satisfaction; the 2024 IANS/Artico report shows three out of four CISOs are ready to leave their roles. DTEX Systems found 77% of malicious insiders concealed their activities, emphasising the importance of human engagement and feedback in mitigating risks.

Source: [CSO]

Report Reveals 341% Rise in Advanced Phishing Attacks

A recent report has revealed malicious emails increased by 341% over the past 6 months. This included a 217% increase in credential harvesting phishing attacks and a 29% increase in Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks. The report highlighted the impact of artificial intelligence, noting that since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, there has been a 4,151% surge in malicious phishing messages.

Source: [Security Magazine] [ Infosecurity Magazine]

Ransomware and GenAI Raise Security Challenges, Driving Cyber Investment

A recent study by Infosecurity Europe reveals that nearly 40% of cyber security leaders are increasing investments to combat the growing threats of ransomware and AI-generated attacks. A separate survey found 94% of organisations have or plan to implement generative AI use policies, and a third strictly forbid AI tech in their environment. This data highlights the ongoing effort to balance AI benefits with security risks, indicating that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for formalising AI adoption and usage policies.

Source: [Security Boulevard] [Infosecurity Magazine]

New Rules Prompt 93% of Organisations to Rethink Cyber Security Plans

A recent report reveals that 93% of organisations have re-evaluated their cyber security strategies due to new regulations, with 58% reconsidering their entire approach. The survey, which included 500 cyber security decision-makers from the US and UK, found that 92% reported increased security budgets, with 36% seeing rises of 20-49% and 23% experiencing over 50% increases. Despite this, only 40% feel confident in their resources to comply with regulations, and just one-third believe they can meet all requirements, highlighting significant gaps in preparedness.

Source: [security magazine]

HR and IT Related Phishing Scams Still Most Popular According to KnowBe4’s Latest Phishing Report

A recent KnowBe4 report reveals that HR-related phishing emails account for 42% of top-clicked phishing attempts, followed by IT-related emails at 30%. These phishing tactics exploit employees' trust and evoke immediate responses by mimicking legitimate business communications about dress code changes, tax updates, and training notifications. The report also highlights that nearly a third of users are vulnerable to phishing, emphasising the need for robust security awareness training. A well-trained workforce is essential in defending against increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks that leverage AI and emotional manipulation.

Source: [IT Security Guru]

80% of Exposures from Misconfigurations, as 15 Vendors Account for 62% of Global Attack Surface

A recent XM Cyber report highlights a significant gap in cyber security focus with identity and credential misconfigurations accounting for 80% of security exposures. The study, based on hundreds of thousands of attack path assessments, found that 62% of the global attack surface is concentrated in just 15 vendors. Furthermore, 41% of organisations had at least one compromised device, and 11% experienced ransomware incidents. The report underscores the need for a shift from patching all vulnerabilities to addressing high-impact exposures, especially those around identity management and critical asset protection.

Sources: [Security Magazine] [The Hacker News]

UK to Propose Mandatory Reporting for Ransomware Attacks and Licensing Regime for all Payments

A forthcoming proposal in Britain aims to overhaul the response to ransomware by mandating victims to report incidents and obtain a license before making extortion payments. This initiative, part of a public consultation, includes a ban on ransom payments for critical national infrastructure to deter attacks. The National Cyber Security Centre has highlighted concerns over underreporting, with a 2023 increase in ransomware-related data breaches. The plan’s success hinges on replacing the delayed Action Fraud reporting platform. This proposal marks a significant step in global ransomware policy, with Britain leading international efforts against cyber criminals.

Source: [The Record Media]

UK’s Legal Sector Needs to Improve its Cyber Security, Says Experts

One in ten UK data breaches in 2023 occurred in the legal sector, highlighting that UK law firms are attractive targets for cyber criminals. A recent analysis of the UK’s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) data found that the legal sector is one of the worst performing sectors for data breaches, with nearly 86 per cent of the incidents within the legal sector involving breaches of personal identifiable information, including instances also affecting sensitive economic and financial data.

Sources [CITY AM]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• 70% of CISOs Expect Cyber Attacks in Next Year, Report Finds - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK's legal sector needs to improve its cyber security, say experts (cityam.com)

• How to stay on top of evolving cyber security legislation | RSM UK

• New rules prompt 93% of organisations to rethink cyber security plans | Security Magazine

• Ransomware and AI-Powered Hacks Drive Cyber Investment - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• One CISO Can’t Fill Your Board’s Cyber Security Gaps (mit.edu)

• Security Compliance 101: What It Is and How to Master It - Security Boulevard

• Family offices become prime targets for cyber hacks and ransomware (cnbc.com)

• Worried about job security, cyber teams hide security incidents - Help Net Security

• Law firms warn global risks on the rise (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Financial companies must have data breach incident plans, SEC says | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Businesses must overcome security communication roadblocks – Channel EYE

• Why Culture is the Bedrock of Cyber Security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 10 Leadership Challenges For An AI World (forbes.com)

• IT Security Leaders Are Failing to Close a Boardroom Credibility Gap (prnewswire.com)

• Effective GRC programs rely on team collaboration - Help Net Security

• Are AI and Cyber Security the New Driving Forces Behind Mergers and Acquisitions in the Coming Years? - The Global Treasurerputty

• Understanding cyber risks beyond data breaches - Help Net Security

• De-risking the business - how to evolve your approach to security | TechRadar

• IT and security data is siloed in most organisations (betanews.com)

• Can Cyber Security Be a Unifying Factor in Digital Trade Negotiations? (darkreading.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Family offices become prime targets for cyber hacks and ransomware (cnbc.com)

• Ransomware fallout: 94% experience downtime, 40% face work stoppage - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Attacks Evolve as Average Ransom Demand Tops $1.26 Million - Security Boulevard

• UK to propose mandatory reporting for ransomware attacks and licensing regime for all payments (therecord.media)

• Ransomware gang targets Windows admins via PuTTy, WinSCP malvertising (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals shift tactics to pressure more victims into paying ransoms - Help Net Security

• Unpatched vulnerabilities making bad ransomware outcomes worse: What you need to know | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber Attacks Over Work Email Most Used; Ransomware Hits Victims Hard: Artic Wolf (insurancejournal.com)

• This wiper malware takes data destruction to a whole new level | TechRadar

• A Surge in Ransomware: Insights from Our 2024 Cyber Threat Report | Huntress

• New ransomware group abusing BitLocker | Securelist

• Ransomware, BEC, GenAI Raise Security Challenges - Security Boulevard

• LockBit takedown taking toll as gang plummets down rankings • The Register

• First LockBit, now BreachForums: Are cops winning the war? • The Register

• 2024 sees continued increase in ransomware activity - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Attacks Exploit VMware ESXi Vulnerabilities in Alarming Pattern (thehackernews.com)

• What role does an initial access broker play in the RaaS model? | TechTarget

• Casino cyber attacks put a bullseye on Scattered Spider • The Register

• Ransomware innovation slowdown a product of crims' success • The Register

Ransomware Victims

• National Records of Scotland reveals its data stolen in 'distressing' NHS health board cyber attack (scotsman.com)

• OmniVision Says Personal Information Stolen in Ransomware Attack - Security Week

• Blackbasta group claims to have hacked Atlas, one of the largest US oil distributors (securityaffairs.com)

• LockBit says they stole data in London Drugs ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• HR and IT related phishing scams still most popular according to KnowBe4’s latest Phishing Report - IT Security Guru

• Report Reveals 341% Rise in Advanced Phishing Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Grandoreiro Banking Trojan Resurfaces, Targeting Over 1,500 Banks Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Phishing statistics that will make you think twice before clicking - Help Net Security

• Cyber Attacks Over Work Email Most Used; Ransomware Hits Victims Hard: Artic Wolf (insurancejournal.com)

• Q1 2024 Global Phishing Report (knowbe4.com)

• Phishing, BEC, and Beyond: Tackling the Top Cyber Threats to UK Banks (prnewswire.co.uk)

• Two-stage Dropbox spear phishing | Kaspersky official blog

• Latrodectus Malware Loader Emerges as IcedID's Successor in Phishing Campaigns (thehackernews.com)

• Only 60 percent of brands can protect their customers from digital impersonation (betanews.com)

• A phish by any other name should still not be clicked – Computerworld

• Active Chinese Cyber espionage Campaign Rifling Email Servers (inforisktoday.com)

• YouTube has become a significant channel for cyber crime - Help Net Security

BEC

• The last six months shows a 341% increase in malicious emails | Security Magazine

• Phishing, BEC, and Beyond: Tackling the Top Cyber Threats to UK Banks (prnewswire.co.uk)

• Ransomware, BEC, GenAI Raise Security Challenges - Security Boulevard

• 10 Years in Prison for $4.5 million BEC Scammer Who Bought Ferrari to Launder Money | Tripwire

Other Social Engineering

• ‘Unblockable’ HMRC scam message on iPhones sparks warning (yahoo.com)

• Cyber criminals Exploit Cloud Storage For SMS Phishing Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• The state of cyber security: AI and geopolitics mean a bigger threat than ever - Verdict

• Three Questions Every Leader Needs To Ask About AI Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• Ransomware, BEC, GenAI Raise Security Challenges - Security Boulevard

• Beware – Your Customer Chatbot is Almost Certainly Insecure: Report - Security Week

• Human Error and AI Tops Cyber Security Threats in CISO Survey | Cryptopolitan

• Consumers continue to overestimate their ability to spot deepfakes - Help Net Security

• CIO’s 2024 Checklist: Generative AI, Digital Transformation And More (forbes.com)

• Are AI and Cyber Security the New Driving Forces Behind Mergers and Acquisitions in the Coming Years? - The Global Treasurer

• Deepfakes Rank As the Second Most Common Cyber Security Incident for US Businesses (darkreading.com)

• Data regulator looking into Microsoft’s AI Recall feature | The Independent

• New Microsoft Recall feature is a 'security nightmare' and could make Copilot+ PCs a top target for cyber criminals | ITPro

• Why We Need to Get a Handle on AI - Security Week

• CISOs pursuing AI readiness should start by updating the org’s email security policy - Help Net Security

• 10 Leadership Challenges For An AI World (forbes.com)

• US Intelligence Agencies’ Embrace of Generative AI Is at Once Wary and Urgent - Security Week

• User Outcry as Slack Scrapes Customer Data for AI Model Training - Security Week

• Balancing generative AI cyber security risks and rewards | TechTarget

• AI Is The Past, Present And Future Of Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• US AI Experts Targeted in SugarGh0st RAT Campaign (darkreading.com)

• The ‘dead internet theory’ makes eerie claims about an AI-run web. The truth is more sinister (theconversation.com)

• Transparency is sorely lacking amid growing AI interest | ZDNET

• UK Government in £8.5m Bid to Tackle AI Cyber Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

2FA/MFA

• Microsoft to Mandate Multi-Factor Authentication for All Azure Users (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Here's why you should get a YubiKey (xda-developers.com)

• Zero-Day Attacks and Supply Chain Compromises Surge, MFA Remains Underutilized: Rapid7 Report - Security Week

Malware

• Grandoreiro Banking Trojan Resurfaces, Targeting Over 1,500 Banks Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Ukraine blackouts caused by malware attacks warn against evolving cyber security threats to the physical world (techxplore.com)

• 400K Linux Servers Recruited by Resurrected Ebury Botnet (darkreading.com)

• Another nasty Mac malware is spoofing legitimate software to target macOS users | TechRadar

• Foxit PDF Reader Flaw Exploited by Hackers to Deliver Diverse Malware Arsenal (thehackernews.com)

• What Does Malware Look Like? Check Out These Real-World Examples (pcmag.com)

• Cyber Criminals Exploit GitHub and FileZilla to Deliver Malware Cocktail (thehackernews.com)

• Dangerous nostalgia: Taking Windows XP online will result in auto-installed viruses in a matter of minutes | TechSpot

• Malware Delivery via Cloud Services Exploits Unicode Trick to Deceive Users (thehackernews.com)

• MS Exchange Server Flaws Exploited to Deploy Keylogger in Targeted Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Keylogger Embedded Microsoft Exchange Server Steals Login Credentials (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Latrodectus Malware Loader Emerges as IcedID's Successor in Phishing Campaigns (thehackernews.com)

• Researchers spot cryptojacking attack that disables endpoint protections | Ars Technica

• US AI Experts Targeted in SugarGh0st RAT Campaign (darkreading.com)

• New BiBi Wiper version also destroys the disk partition table (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Novel EDR-Killing 'GhostEngine' Malware Is Built for Stealth (darkreading.com)

• Malicious actors are cat-phishing targets in order to spread malware | Security Magazine

Mobile

• It is dangerously easy to hack the world’s phones (economist.com)

• How often should you turn off your phone? Here's what the NSA says | PCWorld

• New Android Banking Trojan Mimics Google Play Update App - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korea-linked Kimsuky APT attack targets victims via Messenger (securityaffairs.com)

• US Official Warns a Cell Network Flaw Is Being Exploited for Spying | WIRED

• How to recognise if the security of your work device has been breached (siliconrepublic.com)

• Vultur Malware Mimic As Mobile Antivirus Steals Login Credentials (cybersecuritynews.com)

• ‘Unblockable’ HMRC scam message on iPhones sparks warning (yahoo.com)

• Lookout Threat Research Highlights Growing Mobile Security Risks | Business Wire

Internet of Things – IoT

• Teslas Can Still Be Stolen With a Cheap Radio Hack—Despite New Keyless Tech | WIRED

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Aon reveals cyber attack/data breach as top risk for financial institutions - Reinsurance News

• PSNI Faces £750,000 Data Breach Fine After Spreadsheet Leak - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NYSE parent fined $10M for breach reporting failure • The Register

• Were The Ashley Madison Hackers Ever Caught? (screenrant.com)

• 2.4 Million Impacted by WebTPA Data Breach - Security Week

• National Records of Scotland reveals its data stolen in 'distressing' NHS health board cyber attack (scotsman.com)

• 49 Million Customers Impacted by API Security Flaw - Security Boulevard

• Army personnel fear for their jobs after huge MoD cyber attack | The Independent

• Criminal record database of millions of Americans dumped online | Malwarebytes

• Optus denies claims of ‘cloaking’ Deloitte cyber attack report findings - Lawyers Weekly

• Record breaking number of data breaches reported | Bailiwick Express

• 400,000 Impacted by CentroMed Data Breach - Security Week

• 55,000 Impacted by Cyber Attack on California School Association  - Security Week

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Were The Ashley Madison Hackers Ever Caught? (screenrant.com)

• HP Catches Cyber Criminals 'Cat-Phishing' Users (darkreading.com)

• Cyber crime on the rise as account takeovers become leading method (investmentnews.com)

• Moroccan cyber crime group impersonates nonprofits and abuses cloud services to rake in gift card cash | CyberScoop

• YouTube has become a significant channel for cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Ransomware innovation slowdown a product of crims' success • The Register

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Kinsing Hacker Group Exploits More Flaws to Expand Botnet for Cryptojacking (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese Nationals Arrested for Laundering $73 Million in Pig Butchering Crypto Scam (thehackernews.com)

• Researchers spot cryptojacking attack that disables endpoint protections | Ars Technica

• Dutch police tracked a crypto theft to one of world’s worst botnets (thenextweb.com)

• He Trained Cops to Fight Crypto Crime—and Allegedly Ran a $100M Dark-Web Drug Market | WIRED

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Human Error and AI Tops Cyber Security Threats in CISO Survey | Cryptopolitan

• Employee discontent: Insider threat No. 1 | CSO Online

• Can we fix the human error problem in cyber security? (siliconrepublic.com)

Insurance

• Cyber insurance Company Offers MDR to MSPs | MSSP Alert

• Should You Buy Cyber Insurance in 2024? Pros & Cons (techopedia.com)

• Cyber insurance trends: reshaping the industry - SiliconANGLE

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Implementing Third-Party Risk Management Workflows | UpGuard

• Managing third-party risk with cyber security | RSM UK

• Zero-Day Attacks and Supply Chain Compromises Surge, MFA Remains Underutilized: Rapid7 Report - Security Week

• JAVS courtroom recording software backdoored in supply chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Critical Bug Allows DoS, RCE, Data Leaks in All Major Cloud Platforms (darkreading.com)

• Veeam 2024 Cloud Protection Trends Report Provides New Insight into Cloud‑Powered Data Protection Strategies | Business Wire

• Security concerns impeding cloud migration | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Malware Delivery via Cloud Services Exploits Unicode Trick to Deceive Users (thehackernews.com)

• Are Your SaaS Backups as Secure as Your Production Data? (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber Criminals Exploit Cloud Storage For SMS Phishing Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Report: Organisations Are Scrambling to Overhaul Their Identity Security Frameworks Amidst Surge in Recent Attacks (globenewswire.com)

• 77 percent of organisations suffer cyber attacks due to identity issues (betanews.com)

Encryption

• Yet more ransomware uses BitLocker to encrypt victims' files • The Register

Linux and Open Source

• The economic model that made the internet, and the hack that almost broke it : Planet Money : NPR

• 400K Linux Servers Recruited by Resurrected Ebury Botnet (darkreading.com)

• Are all Linux vendor kernels insecure? A new study says yes, but there's a fix | ZDNET

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Cyber crime on the rise as account takeovers become leading method (investmentnews.com)

Social Media

• YouTube has become a significant channel for cyber crime - Help Net Security

• How Secure Is The Metaverse? (A Look At Cyber Threats And Defences) (forbes.com)

• Russia’s DoppelGänger Campaign Manipulates Social Media - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malvertising

• Ransomware gang targets Windows admins via PuTTy, WinSCP malvertising (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The mystery of the targeted ad and the library patron • The Register

• Windows admins targeted with clever malvertising scam | TechRadar

Training, Education and Awareness

• Three Psychological Theories to Ensure Cyber Security Training Sticks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• PSNI Faces £750,000 Data Breach Fine After Spreadsheet Leak - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NYSE parent fined $10M for breach reporting failure • The Register

• Intercontinental Exchange Will Pay $10 Million to Resolve SEC Cyber Probe (wsj.com)

• UK considering mandatory reporting for ransomware attacks (computing.co.uk)

• How to stay on top of evolving cyber security legislation | RSM UK

• SEC requires financial institutions to notify customers of breaches within 30 days - Help Net Security

• Security Compliance 101: What It Is and How to Master It - Security Boulevard

• Singapore updates cyber security law to expand regulatory oversight | ZDNET

• Avoiding Cyber Security Incident Overdisclosure:  Helpful Guidance | Mayer Brown Free Writings + Perspectives - JDSupra

• Counting Down to the EU NIS2 Directive - Security Boulevard

• The Dawn of DORA: Building a Resilient Financial Infrastructure (finextra.com)

• What American Enterprises Can Learn From Europe's GDPR Mistakes (darkreading.com)

• Preparing Your Organisation for Upcoming Cyber Security Deadlines (darkreading.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Are Your SaaS Backups as Secure as Your Production Data? (thehackernews.com)

Data Protection

• 87% of medical practice data is digital | Security Magazine

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The IT skills shortage situation is not expected to get any better - Help Net Security

• UK Government ramps up efforts to bridge cyber security skills gap (holyrood.com)

• IT Essentials: Sun, stress and security (computing.co.uk)

• Persistent Burnout Is Still a Crisis in Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• 5 Ways SMBs Can Bridge the Cyber Security Skills Gap | Mimecast

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Dutch police tracked a crypto theft to one of world’s worst botnets (thenextweb.com)

• Chinese Nationals Arrested for Laundering $73 Million in Pig Butchering Crypto Scam (thehackernews.com)

• Police caught circumventing city bans on face recognition • The Register

• 10 Years in Prison for $4.5 million BEC Scammer Who Bought Ferrari to Launder Money | Tripwire

• LockBit takedown taking toll as gang plummets down rankings • The Register

• He Trained Cops to Fight Crypto Crime—and Allegedly Ran a $100M Dark-Web Drug Market | WIRED

• Casino cyber attacks put a bullseye on Scattered Spider • The Register

• First LockBit, now BreachForums: Are cops winning the war? • The Register

• No time to take eye of the ball despite recent cyber success – report (emergingrisks.co.uk)

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• World War War III May Already Have Started—in the Shadows (reason.com)

• Britons should have three days' worth of tinned food and water, government says | Politics News | Sky News

• The Balance of Power in Cyber Space – What it Means for UK Business - British Foreign Policy Group (bfpg.co.uk)

• The state of cyber security: AI and geopolitics mean a bigger threat than ever - Verdict

Nation State Actors

China

• The Security Interviews: What is the real cyber threat from China? | Computer Weekly

• UK not heeding warning over China threat, says ex-cyber security chief (yahoo.com)

• Newly Detected Chinese Group Targeting Military, Government Entities - Security Week

• Escalating Chinese cyber threats drive US efforts to secure critical infrastructure | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Inside Operation Diplomatic Specter: Chinese APT Group's Stealthy Tactics Exposed (thehackernews.com)

• Spies, trade and tech: China’s relationship with Britain (economist.com)

• Chinese, Iranian, and Russian gangs are attacking the U.S's drinking water and officials are alarmed | Fortune

• Google, Meta warned that undersea internet cables at risk for Chinese espionage: report (nypost.com)

• UK military in data breach - and other cyber security news | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Researchers Warn of Chinese-Aligned Hackers Targeting South China Sea Countries (thehackernews.com)

• Active Chinese Cyberespionage Campaign Rifling Email Servers (inforisktoday.com)

• State hackers turn to massive ORB proxy networks to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Frontiers, Old Tactics: Chinese Espionage Group Targets Africa & Caribbean Govts (thehackernews.com)

• Stronger critical infrastructure defence aimed by Army Cyber Command | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Chinese Nationals Arrested for Laundering $73 Million in Pig Butchering Crypto Scam (thehackernews.com)

• Former Royal Marine charged with spying for China found dead (thetimes.co.uk)

Russia

• Ukraine blackouts caused by malware attacks warn against evolving cyber security threats to the physical world (techxplore.com)

• Chinese, Iranian, and Russian gangs are attacking the U.S's drinking water and officials are alarmed | Fortune

• Russia’s DoppelGänger Campaign Manipulates Social Media - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US says Russia likely launched space weapon - BBC News

• New Star Wars Plan: Pentagon Rushes to Counter Threats in Orbit - The New York Times

• British man, 64, charged with assisting Russian intelligence service | The Independent

Iran

• Chinese, Iranian, and Russian gangs are attacking the U.S's drinking water and officials are alarmed | Fortune

• Iranian MOIS-Linked Hackers Behind Destructive Attacks on Albania and Israel (thehackernews.com)

North Korea

• North Korea-linked Kimsuky APT attack targets victims via Messenger (securityaffairs.com)

• US Official Warns a Cell Network Flaw Is Being Exploited for Spying | WIRED

• North Korea-linked IT workers infiltrated hundreds of US firms (securityaffairs.com)

• High-ranking military officials' e-mail hacked, possibly by N. Korea (koreaherald.com)

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

• The state of cyber security: AI and geopolitics mean a bigger threat than ever - Verdict

• Government tells Britons to stockpile as part of emergency planning

• Spyware found on US hotel check-in computers | TechCrunch

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Vulnerability Management

• New XM Cyber Research: 80% of Exposures from Misconfigurations, Less Than 1% from CVEs (thehackernews.com)

• Unpatched vulnerabilities making bad ransomware outcomes worse: What you need to know | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Over 60% of Network Security Appliance Flaws Exploited as Zero Days - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 93% of vulnerabilities unanalysed by NVD since February | TechTarget

• Zero-Day Attacks and Supply Chain Compromises Surge, MFA Remains Underutilized: Rapid7 Report - Security Week

• How AI-driven patching could transform cyber security | TechTarget

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Edge gets fixes for five more security vulnerabilities - Neowin

• Over 60% of Network Security Appliance Flaws Exploited as Zero Days - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Critical Bug Allows DoS, RCE, Data Leaks in All Major Cloud Platforms (darkreading.com)

• Veeam warns of critical Backup Enterprise Manager auth bypass bug (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Has Yet to Patch 7 Pwn2Own Zero-Days (darkreading.com)

• Critical Flaw in AI Python Package Can Lead to System and Data Compromise - Security Week

• This devious Wi-Fi security flaw could let hackers eavesdrop on your network with ease | TechRadar

• Foxit PDF Reader Flaw Exploited by Hackers to Deliver Diverse Malware Arsenal (thehackernews.com)

• Intel's Max Severity Flaw Affects AI Model Compressor Users (govinfosecurity.com)

• 15 QNAP NAS bugs and one PoC disclosed, update ASAP! (CVE-2024-27130) - Help Net Security

• Keylogger Embedded Microsoft Exchange Server Steals Login Credentials (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Chrome 125 Update Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Ivanti Patches Critical Code Execution Vulnerabilities in Endpoint Manager - Security Week

• Unauthenticated RCE Vulnerability in Fortinet FortiSIEM: PoC Published (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Ransomware Attacks Exploit VMware ESXi Vulnerabilities in Alarming Pattern (thehackernews.com)

• VMware Abused in Recent MITRE Hack for Persistence, Evasion - Security Week

• High-severity GitLab flaw lets attackers take over accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Warns of Actively Exploited Apache Flink Security Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

Tools and Controls

• Network Outages Hit 59% of Multi-Site Businesses Monthly - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New rules prompt 93% of organisations to rethink cyber security plans | Security Magazine

• Ransomware and AI-Powered Hacks Drive Cyber Investment - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft to Mandate Multi-Factor Authentication for All Azure Users (cybersecuritynews.com)

• What is a Third-Party Risk Assessment in Cyber Security? | UpGuard

• Should You Buy Cyber Insurance in 2024? Pros & Cons (techopedia.com)

• The Critical Role Of Web Filtering To Secure A Modern Workplace (forbes.com)

• We put too much faith in our web browsers, here's why we shouldn't (xda-developers.com)

• Windows 11 to Deprecate NTLM, Add AI-Powered App Controls and Security Defences (thehackernews.com)

• Google says Microsoft can’t be trusted after email security blunders | ITPro

• CISOs pursuing AI readiness should start by updating the org’s email security policy - Help Net Security

• Fighting identity fraud? Here's why we need better tech - Help Net Security

• Report: Organisations Are Scrambling to Overhaul Their Identity Security Frameworks Amidst Surge in Recent Attacks (globenewswire.com)

• 77 percent of organisations suffer cyber attacks due to identity issues (betanews.com)

• Researchers spot cryptojacking attack that disables endpoint protections | Ars Technica

• Microsoft's latest Windows 11 security features aim to make it 'more secure out of the box' | ZDNET

• Are Your SaaS Backups as Secure as Your Production Data? (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber insurance trends: reshaping the industry - SiliconANGLE

• The Evolution of Security Operations Centres in the Past Decade | Information Security Buzz

• Incident response: a useful guide - Tech Monitor

• Here's why you should get a YubiKey (xda-developers.com)

• Mastercard Doubles Speed of Fraud Detection with Generative AI - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• When to Automate and When Not to Automate Security - Security Boulevard

• Critical Capabilities of Cyber Security Risk Assessment Tools (cybersaint.io)

• How AI-driven patching could transform cyber security | TechTarget

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• 2024 Cloud Protection Trends (veeam.com)

• Arctic Wolf Labs 2024 Threat Report | Arctic Wolf

• Q1 2024 Global Phishing Report (knowbe4.com)

• 2024 Cyber Threat Report | Huntress

• 2024 Q1 Mobile Landscape Threat Report (lookout.com)

• State of Cyber Security Trends Report 2024 | Ivanti

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Other News

• Aon reveals cyber attack/data breach as top risk for financial institutions - Reinsurance News

• 15 companies account for 62% of global attack surface | Security Magazine

• Google Deletes $125 Billion UniSuper Pension Fund Account; Impacts Over Half a Million Australians - Goodreturns

• Cyber attacks are soaring—treat them as an 'act of war', health care exec warns | Fortune Well

• If the Lights Went Out: Exploring a Power Grid Failure (greydynamics.com)

• Wars in Ukraine and Gaza raise UK infrastructure cyber threat level | New Civil Engineer

• Malware power threat real and growing – researchers (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Microsoft’s President to Testify to House Panel on Cyber Security (bloomberglaw.com)

• Microsoft outage affects Bing, Copilot, DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT internet search (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 5 Ways SMBs Can Bridge the Cyber Security Skills Gap | Mimecast

• Why cyber security is front and centre for rail - Railway Technology (railway-technology.com)

• Mitigating cyber security risks in the technology sector | TechRadar

• New EU tool to counter hybrid threats - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland - Gov.pl website (www.gov.pl)

• Cyber attacks on construction firms jump, new report finds | News | Building

• FUD: How Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt can ruin your security program - Security Boulevard

• Cyber Security in the legal sector | Law Gazette

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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 12 April 2024

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

UK Cyber Breaches Survey Finds Business Falling Short on Cyber, as Half Suffer Breach and Many Fail to Report

Half of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach last year, according to a survey by the UK Government. The figure could be much higher however, as the survey found only 34% report breaches externally.

It is said that a cyber incident is a matter of when, not if. Nonetheless, 78% of organisations lack a dedicated response plan outlining actions to be taken in the event of a cyber incident and only 11% review their immediate suppliers for risks. To improve cyber resilience, there needs to be a paradigm shift.

Sources: [Computer Weekly] [Computing] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Info Risk Today]

Cyber Attacks Cost Financial Firms $12bn Says IMF

A recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report has highlighted significant financial losses in the financial services sector, totalling $12 billion over the last two decades due to cyber attacks, with losses accelerating post-pandemic. The number of incidents and the scale of extreme losses have sharply increased, prompting the IMF to urge enhanced cross-border cooperation to uphold the stability of the global financial system.

The report underscores the critical threat that cyber attacks pose to financial stability, particularly for banks in advanced economies which are more exposed to such risks. With major institutions like JP Morgan facing up to 45 billion cyber threats daily, the IMF emphasises the need for international collaboration to effectively manage and mitigate these risks.

Source: [Finextra]

The Cyber Attack Stopped by a Microsoft Engineer Was Scarier Than We Realise

A critical security breach was narrowly avoided when a Microsoft developer detected suspicious activity in XZ Utils, an open-source library crucial to internet infrastructure. This discovery revealed that a new developer had implanted a sophisticated backdoor in the software, potentially giving unauthorised access to millions of servers worldwide. This incident has intensified scrutiny on the vulnerabilities of open-source software, which is largely maintained by unpaid or underfunded volunteers and serves as a backbone for the internet economy. The situation has prompted discussions among government officials and cyber security experts about enhancing the protection of open-source environments. This close call, described by some as a moment of "unreasonable luck," underscores the pressing need for sustainable support and rigorous security measures in the open-source community.

Source: [Inc.com]

UK Government Urged to Get on ‘Front Foot’ with Ransomware Instead of ‘Absorbing the Punches’

Amidst a rising tide of ransomware attacks affecting wide range of UK services, officials in Westminster are being pressured to enhance funding for operations aimed at disrupting ransomware gangs. The current strategy focuses on bolstering organisational cyber security and recovery preparedness, a stance under the second pillar of the UK's National Cyber Strategy known as resilience. However, this approach has not curbed the frequency of incidents, which have steadily increased over the past five years, impacting sectors including the NHS and local governments. In contrast to the proactive disruption efforts seen in the US, the UK has yet to allocate new funds for such measures, despite successful disruptions like the recent takedown of the LockBit gang by the US National Crime Agency, which underscored the potential benefits of increased resources for cyber crime disruption.

Source: [The Record Media]

74% of Employees Falling Victim to Phishing Attacks Hit with Disciplinary Actions

The Egress 'Email Threat Landscape 2024' report reveals a surge in phishing attacks, with 94% of companies falling victim to this type of crime in this past year alone, leading to increasingly complex cyber security challenges. According to the report, 96% of these companies suffered significant repercussions, including operational disruption and data breaches, with common attack vectors being malicious URLs, and malware or ransomware attachments.

The human cost is also notable, with 74 per cent of employees involved in attacks having faced disciplinary actions, dismissals, or voluntary departures, underscoring the severity of the issue and the heightened vigilance among companies in addressing the phishing threat. Financial losses primarily stem from customer churn, which accounts for nearly half of the total impact. Amidst rising attacks through compromised third-party accounts, Egress advocates for stronger monitoring and defence strategies to protect critical data and reduce organisational and individual hardships.

Source: [The Fintech Times]

Why Are Many Businesses Turning to Third-Party Security Partners?

In 2023, 71% of organisations reported being impacted by a cyber security skills shortage, leading many to scale back their cyber security initiatives amid escalating threats. To bridge the gap, businesses are increasingly turning to third-party security partnerships, reflecting a shift towards outsourcing crucial cyber security operations to handle complex challenges more efficiently. This approach is driven by the need to fill technical and resource gaps in the face of a severe workforce shortfall, with an estimated 600,000 unfilled security positions in the US alone. Moreover, these strategic partnerships allow organisations to leverage external expertise for scalable and effective security solutions, alleviating the burden of staying updated with the rapidly evolving threat landscape.

Source: [Help Net Security]

74% of Businesses with up to 500 Employees are Concerned About Cyber Security as Attacks Rise

According to a recent poll by the US Chamber of Commerce, 60% of small businesses expressed concerns about threats, with 58% concerned about a supply chain breakdown. The highest concern came from businesses with 20-500 employees (74%). Despite such concern, only 49% had trained staff on cyber security. When it came to the impact of a cyber event, 27% of respondents say they are one disaster or threat away from shutting down their business.

Sources: [Malwcv arebytes][Marketplace] [US Chamber]

LastPass: Hackers Targeted Employee in Failed Deepfake CEO Call

LastPass recently reported a thwarted voice phishing attack targeting one of its employees using deepfake audio technology to impersonate CEO Karim Toubba. The attack, conducted via WhatsApp, was identified by the employee as suspicious due to the unusual communication channel and clear signs of social engineering, such as forced urgency. Despite the failure of this particular attempt, LastPass has shared the incident publicly to highlight the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes in executive impersonation schemes. This incident underscores a broader trend, as indicated by alerts from both the US Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, pointing to an increase in sophisticated cyber attacks employing deepfake technology for fraud, social engineering, and potential influence operations.

Source: [Bleepingcomputer]

Most Cyber Criminal Threats are Concentrated in Just a Few Countries

Oxford researchers have developed the world's first cyber crime index to identify global hotspots of cyber criminal activity, ranking countries based on the prevalence and sophistication of cyber threats. The index reveals that a significant portion of cyber threats is concentrated in a few countries, with Russia and Ukraine positioned at the top, with the USA and the UK also ranking prominently. The results indicate that countries like China, Russia, Ukraine, the US, Romania, and Nigeria are among the top hubs for activities ranging from technical services to money laundering. This tool aims to refine the focus for cyber crime research and prevention efforts, although the study acknowledges the need for a broader and more representative sample of expert opinions to enhance the accuracy and applicability of the findings. The index underscores that while cyber crime may appear globally fluid, it has pronounced local concentrations.

Sources: [ThisisOxfordshire] [Phys Org]

Why Incident Response is the Best Cyber Security ROI

The Microsoft Incident Response Reference Guide predicts that most organisations will encounter one or more major security incidents where attackers gain administrative control over crucial IT systems and data. While complete prevention of cyber attacks may not be feasible, prompt and effective incident response is essential to mitigate damage and protect reputations. However, many organisations may not be adequately budgeting for incident response, and the recent UK Government report found that 78% of organisations do not have formalised incident response plans, risking prolonged recovery and increased costs. Cyber crime damages hit $23b in 2023, but the true costs of incidents includes non-financial damage such as reputational harm. If a cyber incident is a matter of when, not if, then a prepared incident response plan is the best cyber security ROI.

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: [CSO Online]

Ransomware Attacks are the Canaries in the Cyber Coal Mine

A recent report has found that ransomware attacks were up 110% compared to the prior month, stating that unreported attacks were up to 6 times higher. The report found that tactics are increasingly using data extortion, with 92% of attacks utilising this method.

Sources: [Silicon Republic] [The Hill]

Cyber Security is Crucial, but What is Risk and How do You Assess it?

Cyber security is an increasingly sophisticated game of cat and mouse, where the landscape is constantly shifting. Your cyber risk is the probability of negative impacts stemming from a cyber incident, but how do you assess risk?

One thing to understand is that there are a multitude of risks: risks from phishing, risks from insiders, risks from network attacks, risks of supply chain compromise, and of course, nation states. To understand risk, an organisation must first identify the information that it needs to protect, to avoid only learning of the information asset’s existence from a successful attacker. Once all assets are identified, then organisations should conduct risk assessments to identify threats and an evaluation the potential damage that can be done.

Sources: [Security Boulevard] [International Banker]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber attacks cost financial firms $12bn says IMF (finextra.com)

• UK business falling short on cybersecurity warns government report (computing.co.uk)

• Half of UK Businesses Hit by Cyber Incident in Past Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 60% of small businesses are concerned about cyber security threats | Malwarebytes

• Cyber attacks on small businesses are on the rise - Marketplace

• What is cyber security risk & how to assess - Security Boulevard

• Cyber Security Regulations Aren’t Static—Your Practices Can’t Be Either (forbes.com)

• Why Cyber Security Is More Crucial Today Than Ever Before (internationalbanker.com)

• Large cyber attack could cause 'cyber run' or market sell-offs, warns IMF - FStech Financial Sector Technology

• Why are many businesses turning to third-party security partners? - Help Net Security

• CISO Perspectives on Complying with Cyber Security Regulations (thehackernews.com)

• Why incident response is the best cyber security ROI | CSO Online

• Why Intelligence Sharing Is Vital to Building a Robust Collective Cyber Defence Program -  Security Week

• Privacy Versus Cyber – What is the Bigger Risk? | Jackson Lewis P.C. - JDSupra

• Large businesses struggle to tackle cyber threats (betanews.com)

• Resilience And Antifragility Are The Best Strategies For 2024 (forbes.com)

• The state of secrets security: 7 action items for better managing risk - Security Boulevard

• Board Oversight and Cyber Breach Response: What Involvement Strikes the Right Balance? | Alston & Bird - JDSupra

• Compliance & Cyber Security – Working and Worrying Together About the Intersection of People and Technology | NAVEX - JDSupra

• Former Uber CSO Joe Sullivan and lessons learned from the infamous 2016 Uber breach | CSO Online

• Why cyberpsychology is such an important part of effective cyber security | CSO Online

• Cyber Security in the Evolving Threat Landscape (securityaffairs.com)

• How CISOs can make themselves ready to serve on the board | CSO Online

• CISOs Need A Data-Driven Approach To Offensive Security (forbes.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware surged 110pc last month, report claims (siliconrepublic.com)

• UK government urged to get on ‘forward foot’ with ransomware instead of ‘absorbing the punches’ (therecord.media)

• Ransomware attacks are the canaries in the cyber coal mine | The Hill

• Ransomware gang’s new extortion trick? Calling the front desk | TechCrunch

• Frameworks, Guidelines & Bounties Alone Won't Defeat Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware group maturity should influence ransom payment decision - Help Net Security

• Proactive and Reactive Ransomware Protection Strategies - Security Boulevard

• How can the energy sector bolster its resilience to ransomware attacks? - Help Net Security

• CL0P's Ransomware Rampage - Security Measures for 2024 (thehackernews.com)

• Should You Pay a Ransomware Attacker? - Security Boulevard

• LockBit struggles to maintain relevance amid rise of impersonators and new ransomware groups - SiliconANGLE

• DragonForce Ransomware - What You Need To Know | Tripwire

• LockBit copycat DarkVault spurs rebranding rumour | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ransomware payouts hit all-time high, but that’s not the whole story (securityintelligence.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Vet chain CVS hit by cyber attack | Evening Standard

• Second ransomware gang says it’s extorting Change Healthcare • The Register

• Targus says it is facing major cyber attack, global operations hit | TechRadar

• Optics giant Hoya hit with $10 million ransomware demand (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Panera Bread week-long IT outage caused by ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Attackers Using Obfuscation Tools to Deliver Multi-Stage Malware via Invoice Phishing (thehackernews.com)

• 74% of Employees Falling Victim to Phishing Attacks Hit With Disciplinary Actions; Egress Reveals | The Fintech Times

• Honeytrap sext scandal MP William Wragg will keep Tory whip (thetimes.co.uk)

• How malicious email campaigns continue to slip through the cracks - Help Net Security

• TA547 Phishing Attack Hits German Firms with Rhadamanthys Stealer (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber Criminals Invade Inboxes: What Small Businesses Can Do (pymnts.com)

• Phishing Detection and Response: What You Need to Know - Security Boulevard

Other Social Engineering

• Cyber Criminals Target Victims Using Social Engineering Techniques (ic3.gov)

• Honeytrap sext scandal MP William Wragg will keep Tory whip (thetimes.co.uk)

• LastPass: Hackers targeted employee in failed deepfake CEO call (bleepingcomputer.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• UK Warned Of AI Misinformation Targeting 2024 Polls, Nation-State Hackers Raise Stakes - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) - Benzinga

• China is using generative AI to carry out influence operations (securityaffairs.com)

• What Lies Ahead for Cyber Security in the Era of Generative AI? - IT Security Guru

• AI risks under the auditor's lens more than ever - Help Net Security

• Speed of AI development is outpacing risk assessment | Ars Technica

• AI and GDPR: How is AI being regulated? | TechTarget

• Malicious PowerShell script pushing malware looks AI-written (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LastPass: Hackers targeted employee in failed deepfake CEO call (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AI-as-a-Service Providers Vulnerable to PrivEsc and Cross-Tenant Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• How Artificial Intelligence Is Fuelling Incel Communities (yahoo.com)

2FA/MFA

• How Hackers Can Hijack 2FA Calls with Sneaky Call Forwarding (404media.co)

Malware

• Attackers Using Obfuscation Tools to Deliver Multi-Stage Malware via Invoice Phishing (thehackernews.com)

• From PDFs to Payload: Bogus Adobe Acrobat Reader Installers Distribute Byakugan Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Urgent Security Alert! Hackers Hijacked Notepad++ Plugin (gbhackers.com)

• 1.2 million people fooled by fake MidJourney Facebook page used to spread malware — don’t fall for this | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Sophisticated Latrodectus Malware Linked to 2017 Strain (inforisktoday.com)

• Critical Flaws Leave 92,000 D-Link NAS Devices Vulnerable to Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Famous YouTube Channels Hacked to Distribute Infostealers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Bing ad posing as NordVPN aims to spread SecTopRAT malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• ScrubCrypt used to drop VenomRAT along with many malicious plugins (securityaffairs.com)

• Hackers Use Malware to Hunt Software Vulnerabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Unit 42: Malware-initiated scanning attacks on the rise | TechTarget

• RUBYCARP hackers linked to 10-year-old cryptomining botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Raspberry Robin Returns: New Malware Campaign Spreading Through WSF Files (thehackernews.com)

• Malicious PowerShell script pushing malware looks AI-written (bleepingcomputer.com)

• TA547 Phishing Attack Hits German Firms with Rhadamanthys Stealer (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• Our phones are under threat more than ever — but many of us still don't have mobile security protection | TechRadar

• Apple Warns of iPhone "Mercenary Attack" Across 92 Countries (cnet.com)

• The next wave of mobile threats - Help Net Security

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• How Nation-State DDoS Attacks Impact Us All (darkreading.com)

• DDoS Protection Needs Detective and Preventive Controls (darkreading.com)

• French cities knocked offline by 'large-scale cyber attack' • The Register

Internet of Things – IoT

• Amazon Removes a Feature From Fire TVs Over Security Concerns | Cord Cutters News

• Over 90,000 LG Smart TVs may be exposed to remote attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• EV Charging Stations Still Riddled With Cyber Security Vulnerabilities (darkreading.com)

• UK town halls given green light to use Chinese CCTV — despite Westminster ban – POLITICO

• Hotel check-in terminal leaks rafts of guests' room codes • The Register

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Many of the world's biggest companies reported data breaches last year | TechRadar

• US Data Breach Reports Surge 90% Annually in Q1 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 37% of publicly shared files expose personal information - Help Net Security

• Acuity confirms hackers stole non-sensitive govt data from GitHub repos (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Home Depot confirms third-party data breach exposed employee info (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AT&T now says data breach impacted 51 million customers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DOJ data on 340,000 individuals stolen in consulting firm hack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Taxi software vendor exposes personal details of nearly 300K • The Register

• Employee credentials leaked in Microsoft security lapse (techmonitor.ai)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Russia ranked biggest cyber crime threat to rest of the world | Tech News | Metro News

• Oxford research uncovers world cyber crime hotspots | thisisoxfordshire

• Cyber crooks poison GitHub search to fool developers | Computer Weekly

• Zambia Busts 77 People in China-Backed Cyber Crime Op (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Google sues crypto investment app makers over alleged massive "pig butchering" scam (bitdefender.com)

• Fugitive CEO at the center of 2022 crypto crash found liable for fraud | Cryptocurrencies | The Guardian

• Hackers deploy crypto drainers on thousands of WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• RUBYCARP hackers linked to 10-year-old cryptomining botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• 74% of Employees Falling Victim to Phishing Attacks Hit With Disciplinary Actions; Egress Reveals | The Fintech Times

• Microsoft employees exposed internal passwords in security lapse | TechCrunch

• Insider Threats Surge Amid Growing Foreign Interference - Security Boulevard

Insurance

• US insurers using drones to deny home insurance policies • The Register

• Cyber Insurance: Sexy? No. Important? Critically yes. - Security Boulevard

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Why a near-miss cyber attack put US officials and the tech industry on edge - The Japan Times

• DOJ data on 340,000 individuals stolen in consulting firm hack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Combatting Supply Chain Cyber Threats: Safeguarding Data and Protecting Digital Supply Chains | Foley & Lardner LLP - JDSupra

Encryption

• How cryptographers finally cracked one of the Zodiac Killer’s hardest codes | Popular Science (popsci.com)

Linux and Open Source

• The Cyber Attack Stopped by a Microsoft Engineer Was Scarier Than We Realize | Inc.com

• Supply chain attack sends shockwaves through open-source community | CyberScoop

• German state ditches Microsoft for Linux and LibreOffice | ZDNET

• Open source foundations unite on common standards for EU’s Cyber Resilience Act | TechCrunch

• Who’s the bigger cyber security risk – Microsoft or open source? (reason.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Reusing passwords: The hidden cost of convenience (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft employees exposed internal passwords in security lapse | TechCrunch

• CISA says Sisense hack impacts critical infrastructure orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• A TikTok Whistleblower Got DC’s Attention. Do His Claims Add Up? | WIRED

• 1.2 million people fooled by fake MidJourney Facebook page used to spread malware — don’t fall for this | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Famous YouTube Channels Hacked to Distribute Infostealers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Cyber Security Regulations Aren’t Static—Your Practices Can’t Be Either (forbes.com)

• Open source foundations unite on common standards for EU’s Cyber Resilience Act | TechCrunch

• Understanding CISA’s New Draft Rules for Cyber Attack Reporting | Morgan Lewis - Tech & Sourcing - JDSupra

• Spy Law Needs Fixing Now to Stop Overreach—Not a Backdoor Boost (bloomberglaw.com)

• AI and GDPR: How is AI being regulated? | TechTarget

• CISA: 300,000+ Small Entities Covered By Proposed Cyber Reporting Regs | MSSP Alert

• CISO Perspectives on Complying with Cyber Security Regulations (thehackernews.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• HIPAA Fundamentals for Providers | Tucker Arensberg, P.C. - JDSupra

• Process and Control Today | NIS2 – cyber security directive from the EU. Get ready! (pandct.com)

• DORA Compliance Checklist | UpGuard

Backup and Recovery

• Seven ways to be sure you can restore from backup | Computer Weekly

Data Protection

• 37% of publicly shared files expose personal information - Help Net Security

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Want to make cyber security much stronger? Become a mentor | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Zambia Busts 77 People in China-Backed Cyber Crime Op (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• UK Warned Of AI Misinformation Targeting 2024 Polls, Nation-State Hackers Raise Stakes - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) - Benzinga

• State-backed cyber attacks, AI deepfakes: Top UK election cyber risks (cnbc.com)

• China is using generative AI to carry out influence operations (securityaffairs.com)

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

Nation State Actors

• How Nation-State DDoS Attacks Impact Us All (darkreading.com)

• Foreign Interference Drives Record Surge in IP Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

China

• A TikTok Whistleblower Got DC’s Attention. Do His Claims Add Up? | WIRED

• Chinese Groups Deploy New TTPs to Exploit Ivanti Vulnerabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China is using generative AI to carry out influence operations (securityaffairs.com)

• Zambia Busts 77 People in China-Backed Cyber Crime Op (darkreading.com)

• Honeytrap sext scandal MP William Wragg will keep Tory whip (thetimes.co.uk)

• How China is Hacking America (newsweek.com)

• UK town halls given green light to use Chinese CCTV — despite Westminster ban – POLITICO

• China flooding Britain with fake stamps in act of 'economic warfare' (telegraph.co.uk)

Russia

• Germany to launch cyber military branch to combat Russian threats (therecord.media)

• US says Russian hackers stole federal government emails during Microsoft cyber attack | TechCrunch

• Macron: Russia will target Paris Olympics (insidethegames.biz)

• Cyber attack on TV channel BabyTV: Toddlers suddenly exposed to Russian propaganda | NL Times

• Czechia explains how Russia is trying to arrange sabotage on European railways | European Pravda (eurointegration.com.ua)

• Cyber security in 2023: Estonia's year of advanced threats (e-estonia.com)

• Oxford research uncovers world cyber crime hotspots | thisisoxfordshire

• Most cyber criminal threats are concentrated in just a few countries, new index shows (phys.org)

• Extensive Russian criminal record leak conducted by hacktivist group | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

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

• Top Israeli spy chief exposes his true identity in online security lapse | Israel | The Guardian

• Extensive Russian criminal record leak conducted by hacktivist group | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Apple Updates Spyware Alert System to Warn Victims of Mercenary Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Apple mercenary spyware attack: Exclusive: Apple warns users of "mercenary spyware" attack; India, 91 other countries impacted - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Apple Warns of iPhone "Mercenary Attack" Across 92 Countries (cnet.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Zero-Day Attacks on the Rise: Google Reports 50% Increase in 2023 - Security Boulevard

• How exposure management elevates cyber resilience - Help Net Security

• Company Offering $30 Million for Android, iOS, Browser Zero-Day Exploits -  Security Week

• Hackers Use Malware to Hunt Software Vulnerabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Unit 42: Malware-initiated scanning attacks on the rise | TechTarget

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Fixes 149 Flaws in Huge April Patch Release, Zero-Days Included (thehackernews.com)

• Patch Tuesday: Code Execution Flaws in Multiple Adobe Software Products -  Security Week

• Chinese Groups Deploy New TTPs to Exploit Ivanti Vulnerabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• SAP's April 2024 Updates Patch High-Severity Vulnerabilities -  Security Week

• Microsoft Plugs Gaping Hole in Azure Kubernetes Service Confidential Containers -  Security Week

• Two new bugs can bypass detection and steal SharePoint data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New SharePoint flaws help hackers evade detection when stealing files (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Claiming of Working Windows 0-Day LPE Exploit (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Microsoft fixes five security vulnerabilities in Edge 123 - Neowin

• Cisco Warns of Vulnerability in Discontinued Small Business Routers -  Security Week

• Urgent Security Alert! Hackers Hijacked Notepad++ Plugin (gbhackers.com)

• +16K Ivanti VPN gateways still vulnerable to RCE CVE-2024-21894 (securityaffairs.com)

• Over 92,000 exposed D-Link NAS devices have a backdoor account (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Company Offering $30 Million for Android, iOS, Browser Zero-Day Exploits -  Security Week

• Critical 'BatBadBut' Rust Vulnerability Exposes Windows Systems to Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Intel and Lenovo servers impacted by 6-year-old BMC flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical Flaws Leave 92,000 D-Link NAS Devices Vulnerable to Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Fortinet Patches Critical RCE Vulnerability in FortiClientLinux -  Security Week

• Researchers Resurrect Spectre v2 Attack Against Intel CPUs -  Security Week

• AI-as-a-Service Providers Vulnerable to PrivEsc and Cross-Tenant Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Severe Vulnerabilities Discovered in Software to Protect Internet Routing (prleap.com)

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Tools and Controls

• Seven ways to be sure you can restore from backup | Computer Weekly

• Why incident response is the best cyber security ROI | CSO Online

• Why Intelligence Sharing Is Vital to Building a Robust Collective Cyber Defence Program -  Security Week

• Improving Dark Web Investigations with Threat Intelligence | Recorded Future

• What Lies Ahead for Cyber Security in the Era of Generative AI? - IT Security Guru

• What is cyber security risk & how to assess - Security Boulevard

• Your Guide to Threat Detection and Response - Security Boulevard

• Report finds 90% of cyber attacks in 2023 exploited RDP (securitybrief.co.nz)

• How exposure management elevates cyber resilience - Help Net Security

• Phishing Detection and Response: What You Need to Know - Security Boulevard

• The state of secrets security: 7 action items for better managing risk - Security Boulevard

• How Red Team Exercises Increases Your Cyber Health | Trend Micro (US)

• How Google’s 90-day TLS certificate validity proposal will affect enterprises - Help Net Security

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Cyber security breaches survey 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Other News

• Third of charities experienced a cyber breach last year, government reports (civilsociety.co.uk)

• Hackers Exploit Magento Bug to Steal Payment Data from E-commerce Websites (thehackernews.com)

• OODA Loop - The Water Sector Is Being Threatened.  That Should Worry Everyone

• Anticipated Cyber Threats During the 2024 Olympics & How to Proactively Secure Your Business - Security Boulevard

• France Bracing for Cyber Attacks During Summer Olympics - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• Risk & Repeat: Cyber Safety Review Board takes Microsoft to task | TechTarget

• The Baltimore Bridge Collapse Is a Warning | Proceedings - April 2024 Vol. 150/4/1,454 (usni.org)

• Report finds 90% of cyber attacks in 2023 exploited RDP (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Scandal and cyber security in Westminster | Crooked Media

• Financial sector cyber security at the helm of investor protection | Mint (livemint.com)

• US Health Dept warns hospitals of hackers targeting IT help desks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Only 1% Singapore companies are “mature” in cyber threat readiness but 99% plan to increase their cyber security budget in the next 12 months - Singapore News (theindependent.sg)

• Former Uber CSO Joe Sullivan and lessons learned from the infamous 2016 Uber breach | CSO Online

• Software-Defined Vehicle Fleets Face a Twisty Road on Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• Independent Pharmacies Must Prioritize Cyber Security (drugtopics.com)

• Devious 'man in the middle' hacks on the rise: How to stay safe | PCWorld

• Top 10 Attacker Techniques: What do They Mean for MSSPs? | MSSP Alert

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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 15 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Mind The Gap: Mimecast Report Finds Humans Are Biggest Security Flaw

A global report from Mimecast has found that 74% of all cyber breaches are caused by human factors, including errors, misuse of access privileges or social engineering. Email remains the primary attack vector for cyber threats. Further, 67% of respondents expect AI-driven attacks to soon be the norm and 69% believe their company will be harmed by an attack.

No matter the size, sector or budget of an organisation, people remain a consistent risk factor. Even with strong technology controls, people can still be the risk that brings down the organisation. It is therefore important for organisations to integrate people into their cyber security investments. This should include awareness and education training, and fostering a cyber secure culture in the organisation.

Sources: [IT Security Guru] [Beta News] [Verdict]

Three-Quarters of Cyber Victim Are SMBs: Why SMBs are Becoming More Vulnerable

According to a recent Sophos report, over three-quarters of cyber incidents impacted smaller businesses in 2023, with ransomware having the largest impact. The research also found that in 90% of attacks, data or credential theft was involved and in 43%, data theft was the main focus.

The report found significant usage of initial access brokers; these are attackers whose speciality is to break into computer networks and sell ready-to-go access to other attackers. In fact, the report found that almost half of all malware detected in SMBs were malicious programs used to steal sensitive data and login credentials. Unfortunately, many SMBs struggle to keep up due to a lack of resources and budget; instead, they must be able to prioritise their cyber security efforts to get the most return on investment.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine]  [Help Net Security] [TechRadar] [Nairametrics] [TechTarget]

Cyber Security Skills Gap and Lack of Boardroom Engagement Invite Hacker Havoc

The Ipsos report on Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2023 sheds light on the persistent challenges faced in recruiting, training, and retaining cyber security professionals across various domains. With approximately 739,000 businesses lacking basic cyber skills and 487,000 facing advanced skills gaps, the demand for trained professionals is escalating. The shortage of incident response skills highlights the need for comprehensive education and training programs. Senior management and board-level executives must also be equipped with the knowledge to manage incidents effectively, emphasising reporting, seeking external assistance, and maintaining a no-blame culture. Understanding cyber risks at the business level is crucial, as cyber crime has evolved into a well-organised industry with distinct roles and profit-sharing mechanisms among cyber criminal groups. Conducting tabletop incident response exercises can effectively prepare senior leadership for cyber incidents, ensuring a proactive and coordinated response to mitigate risks and safeguard organisational resilience.

Source: [TechRadar]

UK Government’s Ransomware Failings Leave Country ‘Exposed and Unprepared’

The recent response from the British government to warnings about the looming ransomware threat has sparked criticism, with accusations of adopting an "ostrich strategy" by downplaying the severity of the national cyber threat. Despite alarming assessments from the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) regarding the high risk of a catastrophic ransomware attack, the government's formal response has been met with scepticism. Key recommendations, such as reallocating responsibility for tackling ransomware away from the Home Office, were rejected, with the government arguing that its existing regulations and the current National Cyber Strategy were sufficient. This argument has raised concerns about the government's preparedness and resource allocation. With ransomware attacks escalating in the UK, the Committee underscores the urgency for a proactive national security response to mitigate the potentially devastating impacts on the economy and national security.

Source: [The Record Media]

Data Breaches up 72% to New Record High: Cyber Security Incidents Rank as #1 Global Business Threat in 2024

Research conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) found that 2023 set an all time high in data breaches, 72% more than the prior year. Separately, the Allianz Risk Barometer identified cyber incidents as the biggest global business threat for 2024, ranking above regulatory concerns, climate change and a shortage of skilled workers. It is crucial that the severity of this risk is reflected in the actions taken by organisations, who must effectively govern and implement their cyber security strategy.

Sources: [JDSupra]

Finance Sector Facing Huge Number of Cyber Attacks That Could Leave It On its Knees, Highlights the Need to Build a Robust Security Culture

Cyber security has become a pressing issue on financial institutions due to the rise in cyber attacks, as highlighted by the February attack on Bank of America via a third-party service. The involvement of the LockBit ransomware group underlines the persistent nature of these threats, particularly targeting the financial sector. These attacks disrupt services and undermine trust in the financial system, necessitating robust cyber security frameworks. The new US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring immediate disclosure of cyber security incidents presents both benefits and challenges, calling for clear guidelines and industry-wide collaboration. BlackBerry’s Global Threat Intelligence Report revealed a staggering million attacks globally in just 120 days last year. These attacks, often using commodity malware, make up almost two-thirds of all industry-related incidents. The 27% increase in novel malware samples highlights the need for improved defences. These findings emphasise the need for AI-driven detection and defence strategies. While critical infrastructure remains a primary focus, commercial enterprises must remain vigilant, with a third of threats targeting various sectors, emphasising the pervasive nature of cyber threats across industries.

Source:[ SC Media] [TechRadar]

Microsoft Confirms Russian Hackers Stole Source Code, Some Customer Secrets

In a recent revelation, Microsoft disclosed that the Kremlin-backed threat group known as Midnight Blizzard successfully accessed some of Microsoft’s source code repositories and internal systems following a hack in January 2024. The breach, believed to have originally occurred in November 2023, exploited a legacy test account lacking multi-factor authentication by employing a password spray attack. Microsoft assured no compromise to customer-facing systems but warned of ongoing attempts by Midnight Blizzard to exploit stolen corporate email data. The extent of the breach remains under investigation, with concerns raised over the potential accumulation of attack vectors by the threat actor. The incident underscores the escalating sophistication of nation-state cyber threats and prompts a re-evaluation of security measures, highlighting the imperative for robust defences against such adversaries.

Source: [The Hacker News]

Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards

Board members are increasingly held accountable for their organisation's cyber posture, facing personal liability for lapses. To gain insight and demonstrate proactive leadership, independent cyber security audits have become indispensable. These audits not only aid in regulatory compliance but also uncover blind spots in the organisation's security measures. Recent regulations, such as by  the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) underscore the imperative for robust cyber security oversight at the board level. The audit process involves defining the scope, conducting assessments, validating findings through simulations, and presenting comprehensive reports to leadership. By embracing cyber security audits, boards can fulfil their duty of overseeing and enhancing the organisation's cyber resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Source: [Bloomberg Law]

Navigating Cyber Security in The Era of Mergers

In today's landscape of frequent mergers and acquisitions (M&A), organisations grapple with the challenge of aligning cyber security measures across subsidiaries, posing a risk to overall security. According to an IBM survey, over one in three executives attribute data breaches to M&A activity during integration. This complexity arises as security teams may lack insight into subsidiary infrastructure, hindering risk assessment and mitigation efforts. Historical incidents like the NotPetya attack on Merck and the Talk Talk hack highlight vulnerabilities post-acquisition, emphasising the need for a proactive approach to subsidiary cyber security. To address these challenges, organisations must conduct comprehensive risk assessments, standardise security protocols, foster collaboration, and consider unified security platforms. By proactively addressing visibility gaps and implementing standardised protocols, organisations can fortify their defences against evolving cyber threats amidst M&A activities.

Source: [Forbes]

Phishing Tactics Evolve as Sophisticated Vishing and Image-based Phishing Take World by Storm

According to a recent report, 76% of organisations were compromised by QR-code phishing in the last 12 months. Along with this, there has also been a rise in the number of sophisticated vishing attacks, with recent attacks costing organisations millions. The introduction of artificial intelligence has only added fuel to this fire already impacting security controls such as call-back procedures. With the tactics of phishing evolving, organisations need to ensure they are up-to-date and that employees are trained effectively to mitigate the risk of these.

Sources: [Help Net Security] [Dark Reading]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber Security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar

• Three-Quarters of Cyber Incident Victims Are Small Businesses - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)

• Still on Top: Cyber Security Incidents Ranked #1 Global Business Threat in 2024 | Dinsmore & Shohl LLP - JDSupra

• Navigating Cyber Security In The Era Of Mergers (forbes.com)

• SMEs invest in tech opportunities but risk missing security safeguards (betanews.com)

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• The CISO Role Is Changing. Can CISOs Themselves Keep Up? (darkreading.com)

• New Risk for Weary CISOs: Becoming the Scapegoat After Cyber Criminals Strike | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behavior and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard

• More Critical Than Ever: Cyber Risk "Tabletop Exercises" in the AI Infused Workplace | Epstein Becker & Green - JDSupra

• OODA Loop - How To Properly Cut Your Cyber Security Budget

• MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Sophos: Remote ransomware attacks on SMBs increasing | TechTarget

• UK government’s ransomware failings leave country ‘exposed and unprepared’ (therecord.media)

• Prescribing Security: Why Healthcare Companies Should Take Note of Recent Ransomware Attack | Dinsmore & Shohl LLP - JDSupra

• BianLian Threat Actor Shifts Focus to Extortion-Only Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Understanding the multi-tiered impact of ransomware. (thecyberwire.com)

• Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [March 2024] (therecord.media)

• Cyber attack costing hospitals millions - The Boston Globe

• British authorities have never detected a breach of ransomware sanctions — but is that good or bad news? (therecord.media)

• The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape - Help Net Security

• UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)

• Businesses leaving their Kubernetes containers exposed to ransomware | TechRadar

• StopCrypt: Most widely distributed ransomware now evades detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Member of LockBit ransomware group sentenced to 4 years in prison | Ars Technica

Ransomware Victims

• British Library’s legacy IT blamed for lengthy rebuild • The Register

• British Library shares lessons from cyber attack | UKAuthority

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stanford University failed to detect intruders for 4 months • The Register

• Stanford says data from 27,000 people leaked in September ransomware attack (therecord.media)

• Law Firm Sues MSP Over Black Basta Ransomware Attack | MSSP Alert

• Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register

• Switzerland’s cyber security experts still can’t Xplain how federal documents made it to the dark web | TechRadar

• Cancer Clinics Face Cash Crunch After Hack Rocks US Health Care (claimsjournal.com)

• Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages (voanews.com)

• UnitedHealth Sets Timeline to Restore Change Healthcare Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Belgian village whose brewery was hit by cyber attack faces another on its coffee roastery (therecord.media)

• Nissan confirms ransomware attack exposed data of 100,000 people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Child protection among critical services affected by cyber attack on English council (therecord.media)

• Equilend warns employees their data was stolen by ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Image-based phishing tactics evolve - Help Net Security

• Phishing Threats Rise as Malicious Actors Target Messaging Platforms - Security Boulevard

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What is phishing? Examples, types, and techniques | CSO Online

• New email standards: what you need to know | TechRadar

Other Social Engineering

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Sophisticated Vishing Campaigns Take World by Storm (darkreading.com)

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Weakest links in an age of novel threats | ITPro

Artificial Intelligence

• AI Poses Extinction-Level Risk, State-Funded Report Says | TIME

• Cyber crime underworld has removed all the guardrails on AI frontier

• Critical ChatGPT Plug-in Vulnerabilities Expose Sensitive Data (darkreading.com)

• Security Flaws within ChatGPT Ecosystem Allowed Access to Accounts On Third-Party Websites and Sensitive Data - Security Boulevard

• Cyber attackers are threatening businesses with AI, says Microsoft (qz.com)

• Intelligence officials warn pace of innovation in AI threatens US | CyberScoop

• How advances in AI are impacting business cyber security - Help Net Security

• NCSC Blog - AI and cyber security: what you need to know (techuk.org)

• Are Global Companies Equipped to Tackle Emerging AI-Driven Cyber Threats? New Study Reveals Insights | Cryptopolitan

• 4 types of prompt injection attacks and how they work | TechTarget

• How data poisoning attacks work | TechTarget

• Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget

• How to craft a generative AI security policy that works | TechTarget

2FA/MFA

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Keyloggers, spyware, and stealers dominate SMB malware detections - Help Net Security

• SMBs are being hit with more malware attacks than ever, and many can't keep up | TechRadar

• Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers exploit WordPress plugin flaw to infect 3,300 sites with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Botnets: The uninvited guests that just won’t leave | CSO Online

• Hackers using Weaponized PDF Files to Deliver Remcos RAT (cybersecuritynews.com)

• RedLine malware top credential stealer of last 6 months | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Windows SmartScreen Bypass Flaw Exploited to Drop DarkGate RAT (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Blog: Why Hackers Love Phones - Keep your Eye on the Device - Security Boulevard

• SIM swappers hijacking phone numbers in eSIM attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• PixPirate Android malware uses new tactic to hide on phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• French government sites disrupted by très grande DDOS • The Register

• Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)

• RIA: Estonia's state institutions hit by largest cyber attack to date | News | ERR

• The Growing Threat of Application-Layer DDoS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DDoS attacks reach critical levels in 14 seconds | Security Magazine

Internet of Things – IoT

• Internet of Risks: Cyber Security Risk in the Internet of Things | UpGuard

• Unpatched Sceiner Smart Lock Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers to Open Doors - Security Week

• The S in IoT stands for security • The Register

• Heated Seats? Advanced Telematics? Software-Defined Cars Drive Risk (darkreading.com)

• Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register

• Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)

• MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Data Breaches up 72% From Record High: Cyber Incident Readiness Must be Top of Mind | Epiq - JDSupra

• Jersey regulator's data breach leaks names and addresses - BBC News

• Over 15,000 hacked Roku accounts sold for 50¢ each to buy hardware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Okta denies it was hacked again after data appears on hacking site | TechRadar

• Over 12 million auth secrets and keys leaked on GitHub in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• French unemployment agency data breach impacts 43 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 23andMe sparks rethink about safeguarding data: on-premises vs. hybrid cloud strategies - IT Security Guru

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: Standards of Proof (darkreading.com)

• How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: What to Look For (darkreading.com)

• Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)

• Bitcoin Fog mixer operator convicted for laundering $400 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Seizes $1.4 Million in Cryptocurrency From Tech Scammers - Security Week

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Insider threats can damage even the most secure organisations - Help Net Security

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget

• Meta Sues Former VP After Defection to AI Startup - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US Army intelligence analyst charged with selling classified military information to China - BBC News

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard

• How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur

Insurance

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register

• Switzerland’s cyber security experts still can’t Xplain how federal documents made it to the dark web | TechRadar

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Industry: Act Now To Secure the Solutions You Offer the Military | AFCEA International

Cloud/SaaS

• NSA Launches Top 10 Cloud Security Mitigation Strategies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch

• Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)

• How Not to Become the Target of the Next Microsoft Hack (darkreading.com)

• Cloud Account Attacks Surged 16-Fold in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• 23andMe sparks rethink about safeguarding data: on-premises vs. hybrid cloud strategies - IT Security Guru

• Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget

Encryption

• Building The Defence Sector's Quantum Threat Resilience (forbes.com)

• Are private conversations truly private? A cyber security expert explains how end-to-end encryption protects you (theconversation.com)

Linux and Open Source

• How to Ensure Open Source Packages Are Not Landmines (darkreading.com)

• Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Russian Hackers Are Weaponizing Stolen Microsoft Passwords (claimsjournal.com)

• Overcoming the threat of account takeover fraud (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat actors leverage document publishing sites for ongoing credential and session token theft (talosintelligence.com)

• LastPass suffers worldwide outage causing site 404 error - 9to5Mac

Social Media

• Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)

• Meta sues “brazenly disloyal” former exec over stolen confidential docs | Ars Technica

• TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Staff training far more cost-effective than going through a cyber compromise – Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Calgary Herald

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Weakest links in an age of novel threats | ITPro

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Everything you need to know about the EU's Cyber Solidarity Act | ITPro

• Cyber Security: European Parliament adopts Cyber Resilience Act at first reading | Practical Law (thomsonreuters.com)

• Ready for DORA? It applies to you! (cms-lawnow.com)

• The New Hacker Playbook: Weaponizing the SEC’s Cyber Disclosure Rules | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• 4 Security Tips From PCI DSS 4.0 Anyone Can Use (darkreading.com)

• Ready for DORA? It applies to you! (cms-lawnow.com)

• Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Immutability: A boost to your security backup (betanews.com)

Data Protection

• EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch

• How do you lot feel about Pay or OK model, ICO asks Brits • The Register

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Half of firms struggling to hire cyber security experts (securitybrief.co.nz)

• UK Council's Vision: Set High Standards in Cyber Security (govinfosecurity.com)

• How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur

• Cyber security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar

• Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)

• How To Overcome The Machismo Problem In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape - Help Net Security

• Member of LockBit ransomware group sentenced to 4 years in prison | Ars Technica

• WEF effort to disrupt cyber crime moves into operations phase • The Register

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

Nation State Actors

China

• TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)

• Five Eyes publish report on Volt Typhoon. Volt Typhoon targets emergency management services in the US. (thecyberwire.com)

• Chinese company at the centre of Biden's US port crane order denies it's a security threat | Fortune Asia

• Lithuania security services warn of China's espionage against the country (securityaffairs.com)

• Chinese Cyber Crime: Discretion Is the Better Part of Valor (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• US Army intelligence analyst charged with selling classified military information to China - BBC News

• Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register

• Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)

Russia

• Microsoft says Russian hackers stole source code after spying on its executives - The Verge

• Microsoft says Russian hackers breached its systems, accessed source code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft: Russians are using stolen information to breach company’s systems (therecord.media)

• Microsoft says it hasn't been able to evict Russian state hackers | AP News

• Why Cyber Attacks on Ukrainians Aren’t Working the Way Russia Expected - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

• Kremlin accuses US of plotting election-day cyber attack • The Register

• Major operation under way to identify source of Russian attack that 'jammed signals' on... - LBC

• First-ever South Korean national detained for espionage in Russia (securityaffairs.com)

• Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• Japan Blames North Korea for PyPI Supply Chain Cyber Attack (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• How to Streamline the Vulnerability Management Life Cycle - Security Boulevard

• Researchers expose Microsoft SCCM misconfigs usable in cyber attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Former CISA Dir. Krebs on cyber threats: Microsoft and others are 'hanging on by a thread' right now (cnbc.com)

• Vulnerability management, its impact and threat modeling methodologies (securityintelligence.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft's March Updates Fix 61 Vulnerabilities, Including Critical Hyper-V Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Adobe Patches Critical Flaws in Enterprise Products - Security Week

• Major CPU, Software Vendors Impacted by New GhostRace Attack - Security Week

• Critical Fortinet flaw may impact 150,000 exposed devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fortinet Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA

• SAP Patches Critical Command Injection Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Cisco addressed severe flaws in its Secure Client (securityaffairs.com)

• 5M WordPress Websites At Risk Amid LiteSpeed Plugin Flaw - Security Boulevard

• New cyber crime crew Magnet Goblin caught exploiting Ivanti • The Register

• Stealth Bomber: Atlassian Confluence Exploits Drop Web Shells In-Memory (darkreading.com)

• CISA confirms compromise of its Ivanti systems | TechTarget

• Threat actors breached two crucial systems of the US CISA (securityaffairs.com)

• Researchers found multiple flaws in ChatGPT plugins (securityaffairs.com)

• QNAP warns its NAS devices are facing a critical security flaw — but a patch is available, so update now | TechRadar

• Exploited Building Access System Vulnerability Patched 5 Years After Disclosure - Security Week

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Tools and Controls

• Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)

• NSA's Zero-Trust Guidelines Focus on Segmentation (darkreading.com)

• NSA Launches Top 10 Cloud Security Mitigation Strategies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Expert Cyber Security Strategies For Protecting Remote Businesses (forbes.com)

• Staff training far more cost-effective than going through a cyber compromise – Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Calgary Herald

• Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)

• 10 cloud security tips every IT leader should know | ITPro

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• More Critical Than Ever: Cyber Risk "Tabletop Exercises" in the AI Infused Workplace | Epstein Becker & Green - JDSupra

• Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget

• Immutability: A boost to your security backup (betanews.com)

• MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense

• How teams can improve incident recovery time to minimize damages - Help Net Security

• New email standards: what you need to know | TechRadar

• Creating Security Through Randomness (darkreading.com)

• AI and the future of corporate security - Help Net Security

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• The State of Email & Collaboration Security 2024 | Mimecast

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Other News

• The rise of cyber attacks on financial institutions highlight the need to build a security culture   | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Finance sector facing huge amount of cyber attacks that could leave it on its knees | TechRadar

• French state services hit by cyber attacks of 'unprecedented intensity' (france24.com)

• US Intelligence Predicts Upcoming Cyber Threats for 2024 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Better Safe Than Sorry: Making Cyber Security a Priority | HealthLeaders Media

• How Dangerous Is the Cyber Attack Risk to Transportation? (securityintelligence.com)

• Pi Day: How Hackers Slice Through Security Solutions - Security Boulevard

• 78% of MSPs state cyber security is a prominent IT challenge | Security Magazine

• No, 'Leave the World Behind' and 'Civil War' Aren’t Happening Before Your Eyes | WIRED

• Maritime cyber security: threats and challenges - Port Technology International

• What resources do small utilities need to defend against cyber attacks? | CyberScoop

• 10 free cyber security guides you might have missed - Help Net Security

• Using the wrong font could be a major security problem — and possibly not for the reason you might think | TechRadar

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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 08 December 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 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]

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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)

• NCSC's Ollie Whitehouse on Why Cyber Security is Essential, Not Optional - 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)

• Cyber security is a Team Sport (darkreading.com)

• 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

• Maximizing cyber security on a budget - Help Net Security

• 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

• Liability Fears Damaging CISO Role, Says Former Uber CISO - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Building cyber-resilience: Security, compliance, governance, and privacy - Digital Journal

• Massive Consolidated Lawsuit Blazes Trail for Hacking Litigation (bloomberglaw.com)

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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)

• 75% of the Industrial Sector Experienced a Ransomware Attack in the Past Year, Claroty Study Finds (prnewswire.com)

• LockBit Remains Top Global Ransomware Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Wanted: top three most prolific ransomware gangs revealed! (techinformed.com)

• BlackSuit ransomware - what you need to know | Tripwire

• Russian pleads guilty to running crypto-exchange used by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware, Data Breaches Inundate OT & Industrial Sector (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Staples Confirms System Outage Was Due to Cyber Attack, Raising the Possibility of a Data Breach | Console and Associates, P.C. - JDSupra

• 60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register

• 'Thousands' affected by cyber attack on conveyancing platform (thenegotiator.co.uk)

• News focus: Cyber-attack on law firm IT provider CTS hits conveyancing firms – what lessons need to be learned? | Law Gazette

• Hackers extorting fintech unicorn Tipalti, threaten to leak data of clients Roblox an | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• What it means — CitrixBleed ransomware group woes grow as over 60 credit unions, hospitals, financial services and more breached in US. | by Kevin Beaumont | Dec, 2023 | DoublePulsar

• Western Isles Council 'counting cost' of November's cyber attack - BBC News

• Austal USA Investigates Cyber Attack Claimed by Ransomware Group (darkreading.com)

• Nissan Restoring Systems After Cyber Attack - SecurityWeek

• Almost 440K individuals affected by cyber attack on Proliance Surgeons (WA) | HealthLeaders Media

• Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Cyber criminals are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT to craft more convincing phishing attacks, alarming cyber security experts | TechRadar

• Black Friday phishing attacks, and other cyber security news | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Cyber Criminals Escalate Microsoft Office Attacks By 53% in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 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

• Disney+ Cyber Scheme Exposes New Impersonation Attack Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns - BBC News

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber criminals are exploiting AI tools like ChatGPT to craft more convincing phishing attacks, alarming cyber security experts | TechRadar

• 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

• 2024 cyber security outlook: The rise of AI voice chatbots and prompt engineering innovations - Help Net Security

• 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)

• Kaspersky malware report for Q3 2023 | Securelist

• PC malware statistics, Q3 2023 | Securelist

• 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)

• Trojan-Proxy Threat Expands Across macOS, Android and Windows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.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

• Mobile malware statistics, Q3 2023 | Securelist

• 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)

• Hackers have found a sneaky new way to spy on iPhone users — here’s how | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• SpyLoan Android malware on Google Play downloaded 12 million times (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trojan-Proxy Threat Expands Across macOS, Android and Windows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.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

• ENISA published ENISA Threat Landscape for DoS Attacks (securityaffairs.com)

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)

• The importance of Cyber Secure EV Charging stations – making the connection more secure (csl-group.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)

• Ninety Percent of Energy Companies Suffer Supplier Data Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Blue Shield of California customer data stolen in cyber attack | Tacoma News Tribune (thenewstribune.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)

• Millions of patient scans and health records spilling online thanks to decades-old protocol bug | TechCrunch

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

• Hacking the Human Mind: Exploiting Vulnerabilities in the 'First Line of Cyber Defence' (thehackernews.com)

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

• Thousands of house purchases frozen by cyber attack and so will they complete before Christmas? - Property Industry Eye

• Ransomware, Vendor Hacks Push Breach Number to Record High (inforisktoday.com)

• 60 US credit unions offline after cloud ransomware infection • The Register

• How TUI Group Strengthened its Third-Party Risk Management - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Tipalti investigates claims of data stolen in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What it means — CitrixBleed ransomware group woes grow as over 60 credit unions, hospitals, financial services and more breached in US. | by Kevin Beaumont | Dec, 2023 | DoublePulsar

• 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

• How can SMBs protect against fraud in the cloud? | ITPro

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

• Microsoft Warns of Malvertising Scheme Spreading CACTUS Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Are companies falling behind on cyber security awareness training? | CTV News

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Deutsche Wohnen Ruling Set to Drive Up GDPR Fines - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU gets tough on cyber threat with sweeping security agreement (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• SEC Cyber Security Rules Go Live in Days. Companies Still Aren't Sure What to Expect | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• 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

• NIST Cyber Security Framework Update – Adding the Sixth Pillar - ClearanceJobs

Data Protection

• Deutsche Wohnen Ruling Set to Drive Up GDPR Fines - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Alert fatigue puts pressure on security and development teams - Help Net 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

• Exploring the impact of generative AI in the 2024 presidential election - Help Net Security

• Russian AI-generated propaganda struggles to find an audience  | CyberScoop

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Deputy Prime Minister speech on cyber operations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Establishing New Rules for Cyber Warfare (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Security: The Fifth Battlefield (forbes.com)

• 10 Of The Most Advanced Cyber Warfare Tools (slashgear.com)

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)

• Russian hackers have plenty of data left to leak - and the timing could be a serious problem | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• 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 accused of targeting US intelligence community with spear phishing campaign - CBS News

• Russian Hackers’ Lawsuit Reveals Weaknesses In Apple’s iOS 16 (forbes.com)

• Microsoft Warns of Kremlin-Backed APT28 Exploiting Critical Outlook Vulnerability (thehackernews.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

• Iranian hackers attempt to damage critical infrastructure through Israeli Unitronics | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

North Korea

• North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• S.Korea, US, Japan hold 1st trilateral working-level talks on N.Korea's cyber threats | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

• North Korean hackers stole anti-aircraft system data from South Korean firm (therecord.media)

• $10 million up for grabs in fight against North Korean hackers (bitdefender.com)

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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

• 20 years of Patch Tuesday: it’s time to look outside the Windows when fixing vulnerabilities | CSO Online

Vulnerabilities

• 20,000 Microsoft Exchange servers have reached end-of-life and are vulnerable to attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 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)

• Chrome 120 launches with security updates, password sharing and automatic Safety Checks - gHacks Tech News

• Atlassian reveals four fresh critical flaws • The Register

• 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

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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

• Five tips for recovering | Professional Security

• How Financial Institutions Can Navigate the ‘Operational Resilience' imperative (finextra.com)

• 78% of CISOs Concerned About AppSec Manageability - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.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

• Comparing SOAR and XDR for MSSPs | MSSP Alert

• The reality behind bypassing EDR attempts | TechTarget

• New 'Pool Party' Process Injection Techniques Undetected by EDR Solutions - SecurityWeek

• Best 10 Best Cyber Attack Maps - 2024 (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Maximizing cyber security on a budget - Help Net Security

• Modern Attack Surface Management for CISOs (trendmicro.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

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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

• Cyber security: MEPs back plans to increase cooperation against threats | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)

• Report reveals sorry state of cyber security at UK football clubs | Computer Weekly

• Porn Age Checks Threaten Security and Privacy, Report Warns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 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)

• Mayor of London funds cyber crime service | UKAuthority

• 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

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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 28th July 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

• Half of UK Businesses Struggle to Fill Cyber Security Skills Gap

Half of UK businesses have a cyber security skills gap that they are struggling to fill amid a challenging labour market, according to data published by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which found that there were more than 160,000 cyber security job postings in the last year – a 30% increase on the previous period. In all, the UK requires an additional 11,200 people with suitable cyber skills to meet the demands of the market, the report estimates.

In a separate report, it was found that a lack of executive understanding and an ever-widening talent gap is placing an unsustainable burden on security teams to prevent business-ending breaches. When asked how long it takes to fill a cyber security role, 82% of organisations report it takes three months or longer, with 34% reporting it takes seven months or more. These challenges have led one-third (33%) of organisations to believe they will never have a fully-staffed security team with the proper skills.

With such a gap, some organisations have turned to outsourcing cyber security roles, such as chief information security officers (CISOs), leading to a rise in virtual CISOs (vCISO). With outsourcing, organisations can ensure that they are easily able to pick up and use cyber security experts, greatly reducing the delay were they to hire. Black Arrow supports clients as their vCISO with specialist experience in cyber security risk management in a business context.

https://www.uktech.news/cybersecurity/uk-cybersecurity-skills-gap-20230725

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/26/security-teams-executive-burden/

• Deloitte Joins Fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY as Victims Exceed 500

The global auditing and accounting firm Deloitte appeared alongside a further 55 MOVEit victims that were recently named by the Cl0p ransomware gang, making them the third Big Four accounting firm to be affected and amongst over 500 organisations in total with that number expected to continue to increase.

Research by Kroll has also uncovered a new exfiltration method used by Cl0p in their the MOVEit attacks, highlighting constant efforts by the ransomware gang. Worryingly, it has been reported that Cl0p have made between $75-100 million from ransom payments and it is expected this, along with the victim count, will rise.

https://cybernews.com/security/deloitte-big-four-moveit-pwc-ey-clop/

https://www.kroll.com/en/insights/publications/cyber/moveit-vulnerability-investigations-uncover-additional-exfiltration-method

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/clop-could-make-100m-moveit/

• Why Cyber Security Should Be Part of Your ESG Strategy

Organisations need to consider cyber security risks in their overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy amid growing cyber threats and regulatory scrutiny. The ESG programme is, in many ways, a form of risk management to mitigate the risks to businesses, societies and the environment, all of which can be impacted by cyber security. The investment community has been singling out cyber security as one of the major risks that ESG programmes will need to address due to the potential financial losses, reputational damage and business continuity risks posed by a growing number of cyber attacks and data breaches.

Various ESG reporting frameworks have emerged in recent years to provide organisations with guidelines on how they can operate ethically and sustainably, along with metrics that they can use to measure their progress. There are also specific IT security standards and frameworks, including ISO 27001 and government guidelines. Some regulators have gone as far as mandating the adoption of baseline security standards by critical infrastructure operators and firms in industries like financial services, but that does not mean organisations outside of regulated sectors are less pressured to shore up their cyber security posture.

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366545432/Why-cyber-security-should-be-part-of-your-ESG-strategy

• Lawyers Take Frontline Role in Business Response to Cyber Attacks

Cyber security risk has shot to the top of general counsels’ agendas as the sophistication and frequency of attacks has grown. According to security company Sophos’s State of Ransomware 2023 report, 44% of UK businesses surveyed said they had been hit with ransomware in the past year. Of those affected, 33% said their data was encrypted and stolen and a further 6% said that their data was not encrypted but they experienced extortion.

In-house lawyers have a key role around the boardroom table when dealing with a breach including war-gaming and discussing cases in which a company will pay a ransom. The advent of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation in Europe, and equivalents elsewhere, demands that businesses hit by a data breach notify a regulator, and the individuals whose data was stolen, or both, depending on certain factors. This has led to far greater exposure of cyber incidents which companies previously could have tried to deal with privately.

https://www.ft.com/content/2af44ae8-78fc-4393-88c3-0d784a850331

• Organisations Face Record $4.5M Per Data Breach Incident

In a recent report conducted by IBM, the average cost per data breach for US business in 2023 jumped to $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years. In the UK, the average cost was found to be £3.4 million, rising to £5.3 million for financial services. It is likely that the cost per breach will maintain a continual rise, with organisations struggling to crack down on cyber crime, something threat groups like Cl0p are taking advantage of.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/orgs-record-4.5m-data-breach-incident

https://uk.newsroom.ibm.com/24-07-2023-IBM-Security-Report-Cost-of-a-Data-Breach-for-UK-Businesses-Averages-3-4m

• Cryptojacking Soars as Cyber Attacks Diversify

According to a recent report, a variety of attacks have increased globally, including cryptojacking (399%), IoT malware (37%) and encrypted threats (22%). This reflects the increase in actors who are changing their methods of attacks. The report found that we can expect more state-sponsored activity targeting a broader set of victims in 2023, including SMBs, government entities and enterprises.

Cryptojacking, sometimes referred to as malicious cryptomining, is where an attacker will use a victim’s device to mine cryptocurrency, giving the attacker free money at the expense of your device, network health and electricity.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/27/cryptojacking-attacks-rise/

• Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket in 2023

Ransomware attacks surged by 74% in Q2 2023 compared to the first three months of the year, a new report has found. The significant increase in ransomware over April, May and June 2023 suggests that attackers are regrouping. In July 2023, the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis found that in the first half of 2023, ransomware attackers extorted $176m more than the same period in 2022, reversing a brief downward trend in 2022.

The report also observed an uptick in “pure extortion attacks,” with cyber criminals increasingly relying on the threat of data leaks rather than encrypting data to extort victims. Such schemes may not trigger any ransomware detection capability but could potentially be picked up by a robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-attacks-skyrocket-q2/

• Blocking Access to ChatGPT is a Short-Term Solution to Mitigate AI Risk

Despite the mass adoption of generative AI, most companies don’t know how to assess its security, exposing them to risks and disadvantages if they don’t change their approach. A report found that for every 10,000 enterprise users, an enterprise organisation is experiencing approximately 183 incidents of sensitive data being posted to ChatGPT per month. Worryingly, despite the security issues, only 45% have an enterprise-wide strategy to ensure a secure, aligned deployment of AI across the entire organisation.

Blocking access to AI related content and AI applications is a short term solution to mitigate risk, but comes at the expense of the potential benefits that AI apps offer to supplement corporate innovation and employee productivity. The data shows that in financial services and healthcare nearly 1 in 5 organisations have implemented a blanket ban on employee use of ChatGPT, while in the technology sector, only 1 in 20 organisations have done likewise.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/28/chatgpt-exposure/

https://www.techradar.com/pro/lots-of-sensitive-data-is-still-being-posted-to-chatgpt

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/25/generative-ai-strategy/

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends on It (Because it Does)

Data breaches can be incredibly costly. Be it lawsuits, regulatory fines, or a fall in stock price, the financial consequences of a breach can bring even the largest organisation to its knees. However, in the face of economic damage, it’s too easy to overlook the vast reputational impacts that often do more harm to a business. After all, it’s relatively easy to recoup monetary losses, less so to regain customer trust.

It’s important to remember that reputational damage isn’t limited to consumer perceptions. Stakeholder, shareholder, and potential buyer perception is also something that needs to be considered. By having effective defence in depth controls including robust data loss prevention (DLP) solutions in place, organisations can reduce the risk of a breach from happening.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/protect-your-data-like-your-reputation-depends-on-it-because-it-does/

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved with Cyber Insurance Negotiation

Generally negotiating cyber insurance policies falls to the general counsel, chief financial officer, or chief operations officer. Having the chief information security officer (CISO) at the table when negotiating with insurance brokers or carriers is a best practice for ensuring the insurers understand not only which security controls are in place, but why the controls are configured the way they are and the organisation's strategy. That said, often best practices are ignored for reasons of expediency and lack of acceptance by other C-suite executives.

Sometimes being the CISO can be a no-win position. According to a recent survey more than half of all CISOs report to a technical corporate officer rather than the business side of the organisation. This lack of recognition by the board can diminish the CISO's ability to deliver business-imperative insights and recommendations, leaving operations to have a more commanding influence on the board than cyber security. Too often the CISO gets the responsibility to protect the company without the authority and budget to accomplish their task.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/why-cisos-should-get-involved-with-cyber-insurance-negotiation

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber Security Experts, SEC Says

A recent report has found that only five Fortune 100 companies currently list a security professional in the executive leadership pages of their websites. This is largely unchanged from five of the Fortune 100 in 2018. One likely reason why a great many companies still don’t include their security leaders within their highest echelons is that these employees do not report directly to the company’s CEO, board of directors, or chief risk officer.

The chief security officer (CSO) or chief information security officer (CISO) position traditionally has reported to an executive in a technical role, such as the chief technology officer (CTO) or chief information officer (CIO). But workforce experts say placing the CISO/CSO on unequal footing with the organisation’s top leaders makes it more likely that cyber security and risk concerns will take a backseat to initiatives designed to increase productivity and generally grow the business.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently implemented new regulations necessitating publicly traded companies to report cyber attacks within four business days, once they're deemed material incidents. While the SEC is not presently advocating for the need to validate a board cyber security expert's credentials, it continues to insist that cyber security expertise within management be duly reported to them. The increased disclosure should help companies compare practices and may spur improvements in cyber defences, but meeting the new disclosure standards could be a bigger challenge for smaller companies with limited resources.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/companies-must-have-corporate-cybersecurity-experts-sec-says

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/sec-now-requires-companies-to-disclose-cyberattacks-in-4-days/

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/07/few-fortune-100-firms-list-security-pros-in-their-executive-ranks/

• Over 400,000 Corporate Credentials Stolen by Info-stealing Malware

Information stealers are malware that steal data stored in applications such as web browsers, email clients, instant messengers, cryptocurrency wallets, file transfer protocol (FTP) clients, and gaming services. The stolen information is packaged into archives called 'logs,' which are then uploaded back to the threat actor for use in attacks or sold on cyber crime marketplaces. Worryingly, employees use personal devices for work or access personal stuff from work computers, and this may result in many info-stealer infections stealing business credentials and authentication cookies. A report has found there are over 400,000 corporate credentials stolen, from applications such as Salesforce, Google Cloud and AWS. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the number containing OpenAI credentials; this is alarming as where AI is used without governance, the credentials may leak things such as internal business strategies and source code.

With such an array of valuable information for an attacker, it is no wonder incidents involving info stealers doubled in Q1 2023. Organisations can best protect themselves by utilising password managers, enforcing multi-factor authentication and having strict usage controls. Additionally, user awareness training can help avoid common infection channels such as malicious websites and adverts.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/over-400-000-corporate-credentials-stolen-by-info-stealing-malware/

https://www.scmagazine.com/news/infostealer-incidents-more-than-doubled-in-q1-2023

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Data Breaches Cost Businesses $4.5M on Average (darkreading.com)

• Deciphering The IBM Cost Of A Data Breach Report: A Statistical Perspective For Business Leaders (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation (darkreading.com)

• SEC now requires companies to disclose cyber attacks in 4 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber security Experts, SEC Says (darkreading.com)

• Companies encounter months-long delays in filling critical security positions - Help Net Security

• Why Today's CISOs Must Embrace Change (darkreading.com)

• Enterprises should layer-up security to avoid legal repercussions - Help Net Security

• Aligning Risk Appetite, Tolerance, And Thresholds With Business Planning: A Comprehensive Guide To Enterprise Risk Management (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Explaining risk maturity models and how they work | TechTarget

• Why cyber security should be part of your ESG strategy | Computer Weekly

• The old “trust but verify” adage should be the motto for every CISO | CSO Online

• Companies are rushing into generative AI without a cohesive, secure strategy - Help Net Security

• Few Fortune 100 Firms List Security Pros in Their Executive Ranks – Krebs on Security

• The critical cyber security backup plan too many companies are ignoring (cnbc.com)

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends On It (Because It Does) (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why Computer Security Advice Is More Confusing Than It Should Be (darkreading.com)

• Why whistleblowers in cyber security are important and need support | CSO Online

• The challenge of managing unlimited threats in a limited budget: cyber security experts comment | CSO Online

• 4 Cyber security Budget Management Tips (trendmicro.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Clop now leaks data stolen in MOVEit attacks on clearweb sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MOVEit Vulnerability Investigations Uncover Additional Exfiltration Method (kroll.com)

• Clop Could Make $100m from MOVEit Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The tail of the MOVEit hack may be longer than we realize | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Millions of people's healthcare files accessed by Clop gang • The Register

• Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket in Q2 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Local Governments Targeted for Ransomware – How to Prevent Falling Victim (thehackernews.com)

• New Nitrogen malware pushed via Google Ads for ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Dozens of Organisations Targeted by Akira Ransomware - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware Spotlight: Play - Security News (trendmicro.com)

• The FBI's Cynthia Kaiser on how the bureau fights ransomware | CyberScoop

• Risk & Repeat: Are data extortion attacks ransomware? | TechTarget

• ALPHV ransomware adds data leak API in new extortion strategy (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Education Sector Has Highest Ransomware Victim Count - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware: Sophos says most universities pay | Times Higher Education (THE)

Ransomware Victims

• PwC has data leaked on the clear web - Cyber Security Connect

• Deloitte joins fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY | Cybernews

• DHL investigating MOVEit breach as number of victims surpasses 20 million (therecord.media)

• Up to 11 Million People Hit by MOVEit Hack at Government Services Firm Maximus - SecurityWeek

• Millions of people's healthcare files accessed by Clop gang • The Register

• Tampa General Hospital Says Patient Information Stolen in Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• Another Cl0p victim goes public | Cybernews

• Yamaha confirms cyber attack after multiple ransomware gangs claim attacks (therecord.media)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Chinese Hackers Breached Ambassador’s Email - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Stolen Microsoft key may have opened up more than inboxes • The Register

• KnowBe4 Phishing Test Results Reveal Half of Top Malicious Email Subjects Are HR Related (darkreading.com)

• The Email Threat Landscape, Q1 2023: Key Takeaways (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How to avoid LinkedIn phishing attacks in the enterprise | TechTarget

• Windows 11 just got a big upgrade to protect you from phishing attacks — here’s how it works | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Critical Infrastructure Workers More Likely to Detect and Report Phishing and Malicious Emails, Study Finds - MSSP Alert

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Repeatable VEC Attacks Target Critical Infrastructure - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• The Dark Side of AI (darkreading.com)

• Blocking access to ChatGPT is a short term solution to mitigate risk - Help Net Security

• UN Security Council to hold first talks on AI risks | Reuters

• Companies are rushing into generative AI without a cohesive, secure strategy - Help Net Security

• ChatGPT, Other Generative AI Apps Prone to Compromise, Manipulation (darkreading.com)

• Lots of sensitive data is still being posted to ChatGPT | TechRadar

• Dark Web Markets Offer New FraudGPT AI Tool - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Top FBI officials warn of 'unparalleled' threat from China and AI | CyberScoop

• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Generative AI - SecurityWeek

• OpenAI, Meta and other tech firms sign onto White House AI commitments | FedScoop

• Intel's deepfake detector tested on real and fake videos - BBC News

• Are AI-Engineered Threats FUD or Reality? (darkreading.com)

• How is the Dark Web Reacting to the AI Revolution? (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• Over 400,000 corporate credentials stolen by info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Infostealer incidents more than doubled in Q1 2023 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• The Alarming Rise of Infostealers: How to Detect this Silent Threat (thehackernews.com)

• Decoy Dog: New Breed of Malware Posing Serious Threats to Enterprise Networks (thehackernews.com)

• Rust-based malware used to hack both Windows and Linux servers - Neowin

• Rust-based Realst Infostealer Targeting Apple macOS Users' Cryptocurrency Wallets (thehackernews.com)

• Lazarus hackers hijack Microsoft IIS servers to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FIN8 is rewriting its backdoor malware to avoid detection | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Nitrogen malware pushed via Google Ads for ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New P2PInfect worm malware targets Linux and Windows Redis servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• HotRat: New Variant of AsyncRAT Malware Spreading Through Pirated Software (thehackernews.com)

• Who and What is Behind the Malware Proxy Service SocksEscort? – Krebs on Security

Mobile

• Chinese-backed Hacking Group Launches Two Bugs Targeting Android Devices - MSSP Alert

• Spyhide stalkerware is spying on tens of thousands of phones | TechCrunch

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

Botnets

• Hackers Target Apache Tomcat Servers for Mirai Botnet and Crypto Mining (thehackernews.com)

• Multiple DDoS Botnets Exploiting Recent Zyxel Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Critical UK Infrastructures in the crosshairs of DDoS attacks (link11.com)

• Zyxel users still getting hacked by DDoS botnet emerge as public nuisance No. 1 | Ars Technica

• Anonymous Sudan DDoS strikes dominate attacks by KillNet collective | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

BYOD

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

Internet of Things – IoT

• Peloton Bugs Expose Enterprise Networks to IoT Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft previews  Defender for IoT firmware analysis service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Axis Door Controller Vulnerability Exposes Facilities to Physical, Cyber Threats - SecurityWeek

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Deciphering The IBM Cost Of A Data Breach Report: A Statistical Perspective For Business Leaders (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Capita breach class action nears 1,000 sign-ups • The Register

• VirusTotal: We're sorry for mistake that exposed 5,000 users • The Register

• Deloitte joins fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY | Cybernews

• NATO investigating apparent breach of unclassified information sharing platform | CyberScoop

• Tampa General Hospital Data Breach Impacts 1.2 Million Patients - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Australian Home Affairs cyber survey exposed personal data of participating firms | Data and computer security | The Guardian

• Data Breach Costs Hit Record High but Fall For Some - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hacker Claims to Have Stolen Sensitive Medical Records from Egypt's Ministry of Health - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Nice Suzuki, sport: shame dealer left your data up for grabs - Security Affairs

• Johns Hopkins hit with class action lawsuit connected to data breach - CBS Baltimore (cbsnews.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• The New Summer Vacation Necessity: Cyber Hygiene (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Cryptojacking soars as cyber attacks increase, diversify - Help Net Security

• Hackers Target Apache Tomcat Servers for Mirai Botnet and Crypto Mining (thehackernews.com)

• Cryptojacking: Understanding and defending against cloud compute resource abuse | Microsoft Security Blog

• Lazarus hackers linked to $60 million Alphapo cryptocurrency heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Realst macOS malware steals your cryptocurrency wallets (bleepingcomputer.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Dark Web Markets Offer New FraudGPT AI Tool - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Consumers demand more from businesses when it comes to security - Help Net Security

• CISOs gear up to combat the rising threat of B2B fraud - Help Net Security

• Booz Allen Pays $377m to Settle Government Fraud Case - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MPs launch inquiry into prosecution of Norton Motorcycles pension fraud | Crime | The Guardian

Insurance

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation (darkreading.com)

• Brave New World of Cyber Insurance Meets Old-World Contract Principles | New Jersey Law Journal

Dark Web

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How is the Dark Web Reacting to the AI Revolution? (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita breach class action nears 1,000 sign-ups • The Register

• DHL investigating MOVEit breach as number of victims surpasses 20 million (therecord.media)

• The tail of the MOVEit hack may be longer than we realize | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Up to 11 Million People Hit by MOVEit Hack at Government Services Firm Maximus - SecurityWeek

• Banking Sector Targeted in Open-Source Software Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Strengthening the weakest links in the digital supply chain - Help Net Security

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Supply Chain Attack Hits NHS Ambulance Trusts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Two ambulance services in UK lost access to patient records after a cyber attack on software provider - Security Affairs

Cloud/SaaS

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Microsoft 365 Breach Risk Widens to Millions of Azure AD Apps (darkreading.com)

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Wiz Says 62% of AWS Environments Exposed to Zenbleed Exploitation - SecurityWeek

• The 4 Keys to Building Cloud Security Programs That Can Actually Shift Left (thehackernews.com)

• Ubuntu Linux Cloud Workloads Face Rampant Root Take Takeovers (darkreading.com)

Shadow IT

• NCSC Publishes New Guidance on Shadow IT - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Encryption

• The UK Government Is Very Close To Eroding Encryption Worldwide  | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

• Apple could opt to stop iMessage and FaceTime services due to the government's surveillance demands - Security Affairs

• Hacking police radios: 30-year-old crypto flaws in the spotlight – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Researchers Find ‘Backdoor’ in Encrypted Police and Military Radios (vice.com)

API

• Reining in API sprawl | TechCrunch

• ALPHV ransomware adds data leak API in new extortion strategy (bleepingcomputer.com)

Open Source

• New OpenSSH Vulnerability Exposes Linux Systems to Remote Command Injection (thehackernews.com)

• Rust-based malware used to hack both Windows and Linux servers - Neowin

• Banking Sector Targeted in Open-Source Software Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• New P2PInfect worm malware targets Linux and Windows Redis servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ubuntu Linux Cloud Workloads Face Rampant Root Take Takeovers (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• CISA: Most cyber attacks on gov’ts, critical infrastructure involve valid credentials (therecord.media)

Social Media

• How to avoid LinkedIn phishing attacks in the enterprise | TechTarget

• Stanford researchers find Mastodon has a massive child abuse material problem - The Verge

Training, Education and Awareness

• Why are computer security guidelines so confusing? - Help Net Security

Travel

• The New Summer Vacation Necessity: Cyber Hygiene (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Stanford researchers find Mastodon has a massive child abuse material problem - The Verge

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• SEC now requires companies to disclose cyber attacks in 4 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber security Experts, SEC Says (darkreading.com)

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple could opt to stop iMessage and FaceTime services due to the government's surveillance demands - Security Affairs

• OpenAI, Meta and other tech firms sign onto White House AI commitments | FedScoop

• EU Agrees On Common Position For Cyber Resilience Act To Enhance Security Of Digital Products (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Data Protection

• More US States are ramping up data privacy laws in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends On It (Because It Does) (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Companies encounter months-long delays in filling critical security positions - Help Net Security

• UK Government Report Finds Cyber security Skills Gap Stagnant - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Bridging the cyber security skills gap through cyber range training - Help Net Security

• Overcoming the cyber security talent shortage with upskilling initiatives - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• The FBI's Cynthia Kaiser on how the bureau fights ransomware | CyberScoop

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• More US States are ramping up data privacy laws in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Need to Prove They Can Be Trusted with Technology (hbr.org)

• Ryanair Hit With Lawsuit Over Use of Facial Recognition Technology (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• China Propaganda Spreads via US News Sites, Freelancers, Times Square (darkreading.com)

• Russia ‘using disinformation’ to imply Sweden supported Qur’an burnings | Sweden | The Guardian

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

Russia

• Anonymous Sudan DDoS strikes dominate attacks by KillNet collective | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian court jails cyber security executive for 14 years in treason case | Reuters

• Russia ‘using disinformation’ to imply Sweden supported Qur’an burnings | Sweden | The Guardian

• 69% of Russian gamers are pirating after Ukraine invasion pushback | Ars Technica

China

• Top FBI officials warn of 'unparalleled' threat from China and AI | CyberScoop

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Stolen Microsoft key may have opened up more than inboxes • The Register

• Chinese Hackers Breached Ambassador’s Email - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Chinese groups accused of hacking the US and others | Reuters

• Industrial Organisations in Eastern Europe Targeted by Chinese Cyber spies - SecurityWeek

• Chinese-backed Hacking Group Launches Two Bugs Targeting Android Devices - MSSP Alert

• China Propaganda Spreads via US News Sites, Freelancers, Times Square (darkreading.com)

• China-backed hackers suspected in NetScaler RCE attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• US Senator Wyden Accuses Microsoft of ‘Cyber security Negligence’ - SecurityWeek

• China’s Wuhan Earthquake Center Suffers Cyber Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

North Korea

• North Korean Cyber spies Target GitHub Developers (darkreading.com)

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• GitHub warns of Lazarus hackers targeting devs with malicious projects (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lazarus hackers hijack Microsoft IIS servers to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lazarus hackers linked to $60 million Alphapo cryptocurrency heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• APT “Mysterious Elephant” Emerges in Q2 2023, Kaspersky Reports - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Misc/Other/Unknown

• Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): Detection and Mitigation (blueteamresources.in)

• Part 1: Historic To 2022 – The APT And Logical Threats (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Google: 41 zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in 2022 | TechTarget

• CVSS 4.0 Is Here, But Prioritizing Patches Still a Hard Problem (darkreading.com)

• Want to live dangerously? Try running Windows XP in 2023 • The Register

• A step-by-step guide for patching software vulnerabilities - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Over 20,000 Citrix Appliances Vulnerable to New Exploit - SecurityWeek

• A flaw in OpenSSH forwarded ssh-agent allows remote code execution-Security Affairs

• Apple fixes new zero-day used in attacks against iPhones, Macs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Shadowserver reported that +15K Citrix servers are likely vulnerable to attacks exploiting the flaw CVE-2023-3519 - Security Affairs

• NetScaler RCE bug abused to pilfer critical infrastructure Active Directory data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ivanti patches MobileIron zero-day bug exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zyxel users still getting hacked by DDoS botnet emerge as public nuisance No. 1 | Ars Technica

• Apache OpenMeetings Wide Open to Account Takeover, Code Execution (darkreading.com)

• Super Admin elevation bug puts 900,000 MikroTik devices at risk (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Norwegian government IT systems hacked using zero-day flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• VMware fixes bug exposing CF API admin credentials in audit logs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Major Security Flaw Discovered in Metabase BI Software – Urgent Update Required (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber security Agencies Warn Against IDOR Bugs Exploited for Data Breaches (thehackernews.com)

• Critical Zero-Days in Atera Windows Installers Expose Users to Privilege Escalation Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Atlassian RCE Bugs Plague Confluence, Bamboo (darkreading.com)

• Zenbleed attack leaks sensitive data from AMD Zen2 processors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft shares fix for some Outlook hyperlinks not opening (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical Flaws Found in Microsoft Message Queuing Service - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China-backed hackers suspected in NetScaler RCE attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Study reveals silent Python package security fixes • The Register

• Windows 10 KB5028244 update released with 19 fixes, improved security (bleepingcomputer.com)

• VMware Patches Vulnerability Exposing Admin Credentials - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Wiz Says 62% of AWS Environments Exposed to Zenbleed Exploitation - SecurityWeek

• Multiple DDoS Botnets Exploiting Recent Zyxel Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

• Zimbra patches zero-day vulnerability exploited in XSS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• WordPress Ninja Forms plugin flaw lets hackers steal submitted data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Two flaws in Linux Ubuntu affect 40% of Ubuntu users - Security Affairs

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Tools and Controls

• Aligning Risk Appetite, Tolerance, And Thresholds With Business Planning: A Comprehensive Guide To Enterprise Risk Management (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why cyber security should be part of your ESG strategy | Computer Weekly

• Lawyers take frontline role in business response to cyber attacks | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Explaining risk maturity models and how they work | TechTarget

• Microsoft enhances Windows 11 Phishing Protection with new features (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Shadow Coding Is An Intoxicating Shortcut—And A Security Landmine (forbes.com)

• Zero trust rated as highly effective by businesses worldwide - Help Net Security

• 50% of Zero Trust Programs Risk Failure According to PlainID Survey (darkreading.com)

• Google Chrome to offer 'Link Previews' when hovering over links (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why are computer security guidelines so confusing? - Help Net Security

• Threat Intelligence Is Growing — Here's How SOCs Can Keep Up (darkreading.com)

• The challenge of managing unlimited threats in a limited budget: cyber security experts comment | CSO Online

• Shaping the future of digital identity - Help Net Security

• How to Put the Sec in DevSecOps (darkreading.com)

• Designing a Security Strategy for Defending Multicloud Architectures (darkreading.com)

• How Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR helps triage, investigate, and respond to cyberthreats | Microsoft Security Blog

• Converging networking and security with SASE - Help Net Security

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

• KnowBe4 Phishing Test Results Reveal Half of Top Malicious Email Subjects Are HR Related (darkreading.com)

• Windows 11 just got a big upgrade to protect you from phishing attacks — here’s how it works | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Artificial Intelligence Continues To Revolutionize Cyber security (forbes.com)

• Key factors for effective security automation - Help Net Security

• Microsoft previews Defender for IoT firmware analysis service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The 4 Keys to Building Cloud Security Programs That Can Actually Shift Left (thehackernews.com)

• CISOs consider zero trust a hot security ticket - Help Net Security

• How a Cyber Security Platform Addresses the 3 “S” (trendmicro.com)

• 4 Cyber security Budget Management Tips (trendmicro.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• The Email Threat Landscape, Q1 2023: Key Takeaways (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cost of a data breach 2023 | IBM

• Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) | Europol (europa.eu)

• Q1 Report: Email Threat Trends Discover Q1 trends and stay ahead of email based threats. - VIPRE

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Other News

• Maritime Cyber attack Database Launched by Dutch University - SecurityWeek

• Google’s new security pilot program will ban employee Internet access | Ars Technica

• Inspiring secure coding: Strategies to encourage developers' continuous improvement - Help Net Security

• macOS Under Attack: Examining the Growing Threat and User Perspectives (thehackernews.com)

• Why whistleblowers in cyber security are important and need support | CSO Online

• Cyber crime as a Public Health Crisis (darkreading.com)

• 7 in 10 MSPs Name Data Security and Network Security As Their Top IT Priorities for 2023 (darkreading.com)

• TETRA Radio Code Encryption Has a Flaw: A Backdoor | WIRED

• World's most internetty firm tries life off the net • The Register

• Exam board cyber attack investigation: Teenager arrested (schoolsweek.co.uk)

• Companies Need to Prove They Can Be Trusted with Technology (hbr.org)

• Heart monitor manufacturer hit by cyber attack, takes systems offline (bitdefender.com)

• How do companies protect customer data? | TechTarget

• Cyber security Agencies Warn Against IDOR Bugs Exploited for Data Breaches (thehackernews.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 23rd 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

• Cyber Security Industry Still Fighting to Recruit and Retain Talent

Cyber security teams are struggling to find the right talent, with the right skills, and to retain experienced employees. The situation is only likely to worsen, as inflation and a tight labour market push up wages. Universities produce graduates with a strong focus on technical knowledge, but not always the broader skills they need to operate in a business environment. This includes the lack of communications skills, understanding of how businesses operate and even emotional intelligence. One solution is to outsource to a corporate cyber security provider or outsource to infill shortages whilst trying to recruit permanent staff.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybersecurity-industry-recruit/

• How the MOVEit Breach Shows Hackers' Interest in Corporate File Transfer Tools

The world of managed file transfer (MFT) software has become a lucrative target for ransom-seeking hackers, with significant breaches including those of Accellion Inc's File Transfer Appliance in 2021 and Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT earlier this year. These MFT programs, corporate versions of popular file sharing programs like Dropbox or WeTransfer, are highly desirable to hackers for the sensitive data they often transfer between organisations and partners. The recent mass compromise tied to Progress Software Corp's MOVEit transfer product has prompted governments and companies worldwide to scramble in response.

Hackers are shifting their tactics, with an increasing focus on MFT programs which typically face the open internet, making them more vulnerable to breaches. Once inside these file transfer points, hackers have direct access to a wealth of data. In addition, there's a noticeable shift from ransomware groups encrypting a company's network and demanding payment to unscramble it, to a simpler tactic of pure extortion by threatening to leak the data.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/how-moveit-breach-shows-hackers-interest-corporate-file-transfer-tools-2023-06-16/

• Attackers Discovering Exposed Cloud Assets within Minutes

The shift to cloud services, increased remote work, and reliance on third-parties has led to widespread use of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. This has also opened avenues for attackers to exploit weak security configurations and identities. Over the past year, attackers have intercepted authorisation tokens, bypassed multifactor authentication, and exploited misconfigured systems, targeting critical applications like GitHub, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and Okta. A study revealed alarmingly fast rates of breach discovery and compromise of exposed cloud assets, with assets being discovered within as little as two minutes for some and others within an hour.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/366542352/Attackers-discovering-exposed-cloud-assets-within-minutes

https://www.darkreading.com/dr-tech/growing-saas-usage-means-larger-attack-surface

• Majority of Users Neglect Best Password Practices

The latest Password Management Report by Keeper Security has shed light on the concerning state of password security practices. The survey found that only 25% of respondents used solid and unique passwords. In comparison, 34% admitted to using repeat variations of passwords, and 30% still relied on simple and easily guessable passwords. The survey also found that 44% of individuals who claimed to have well-managed passwords still admitted to using repeated variations, while 20% acknowledged having had at least one password involved in a data breach or available on the dark web. The document also revealed that 35% of respondents feel overwhelmed when it comes to improving their cyber security. Furthermore, 10% admitted to neglecting password management altogether. More generally, Keeper Security said the survey’s findings highlight a significant gap between perception and reality regarding password security.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/users-neglect-best-password/

• One in Three Workers Susceptible to Phishing

More than one in three workers in the UK and Ireland are susceptible to falling for phishing attacks, according to the new 2023 Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report by KnowBe4. The study found that 35% of users who had received no security training were prone to clicking on suspicious links or engaging in fraudulent actions. Regular training and continual reinforcement can get this figure down but even with training very few organisations ever get click rates down to zero, and you only need one person to click to cause potentially devastating consequences.

Globally, ransomware was responsible for 24% of all data breaches in 2023, with human error accounting for 74% of these incidents. Phishing attacks can often lead to significant reputational damage, financial loss and disruption to business operations.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/one-in-three-phishing/

• Ransomware Misconceptions Abound, to the Benefit of Attackers

There is a common ransomware misperception that there's no capability to fight this all too common hostage taking of business data. This is not true. Proactive organisations are increasingly making more strategic use of threat intelligence to prevent or disrupt attacks.

Ransomware has evolved into a massive, often state-sponsored, industry where operators buy, develop, and resell ransomware code, infiltrate networks, and collect ransoms. The perception that a speedy response is critical to prevent data encryption and loss is outdated; attackers now focus on data exfiltration, using ransomware as a distraction. They often target smaller organisations that are linked to larger ones through supply chains, using them as stepping stones. It is important to use in-depth defence measures, including email security to prevent phishing and efficient detection and response systems to identify and recover from changes.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/ransomware-misconceptions-abound-to-the-benefit-of-attackers

• Threat Actors Scale and Commoditise Uncommon Tools and Techniques

Proofpoint’s 2023 Human Factor report highlights significant developments in the cyber attack landscape in 2022. Following two years of pandemic-induced disruption, cyber criminals returned to their usual operations, honing their social engineering skills and commoditising once sophisticated attack techniques. There was a noticeable increase in brute-force and targeted attacks on cloud tenants, conversational smishing attacks, and multifactor authentication (MFA) bypasses. Microsoft 365 formed a large part of organisations' attack surfaces and faced broad abuse, from Office macros to OneNote documents.

Despite some advances in security controls, threat actors continue to innovate and scale their bypasses. Techniques like MFA bypass and telephone-oriented attack delivery are now commonplace. Attackers consistently exploit people, who remain the most critical variable in the attack chain.

https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/newsroom/press-releases/proofpoints-2023-human-factor-report-threat-actors-scale-and-commoditise

• Goodbyes are Difficult, IT Offboarding Processes Make Them Harder

A recent survey found that 68% of organisations recognise the offboarding process as a major cyber security risk, but only 36% have adequate controls in place to secure data access when employees depart. The study revealed that 60% of organisations have discovered former employees still had access to corporate applications after leaving, and 52% have had security incidents linked to former employees. Interestingly, IT professionals are not always alerted when employees leave, leading to access not being revoked and IT assets being mishandled 34% of the time.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/19/it-offboarding-processes/

• Security Budget Hikes are Missing the Mark, CISOs Say

Misguided expectations on security spend are causing problems for CISOs despite notable budget increases. A recent report found that while most CISOs are experiencing noteworthy increases in security funding, impractical expectations of budget holders are leading to significant amounts being spent on what’s hitting the headlines instead of strategic, business-centric investment in security defences. This lack of understanding shows that a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that information security receives the attention it deserves, especially in the boardroom.

The report found that just 9% of CISOs said information security is always in the top three priorities on the boardroom’s meeting agenda, and less than a quarter (22%) of CISOs are actively participating in business strategy and decision-making processes. Talking to the board about cyber security in a way that is productive can be a significant challenge for CISOs, and failing to do so effectively can result in confusion, disillusionment, and a lack of cohesion among directors, the security function, and the rest of the organisation.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3700073/security-budget-hikes-are-missing-the-mark-cisos-say.html

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/22/average-cybersecurity-budget-increase/

• Understanding Cyber Resilience: Building a Holistic Approach to Cyber Security

In today’s interconnected world, the threat of cyber attacks is a constant concern for organisations of all sizes and across all industries. Cyber resilience entails not only making it difficult for attackers to infiltrate your systems but also ensuring that your organisation can bounce back quickly and continue operations successfully.

Cyber resilience offers a holistic approach to cyber security, emphasising the ability to withstand and recover from cyber attacks. By adopting the right mindset, leveraging advanced technology, addressing cyber hygiene, and measuring key metrics, organisations can enhance their cyber resilience. Additionally, collaboration within industries and proactive board engagement are crucial for effective risk management. As cyber threats continue to evolve, organisations must prioritise cyber resilience as an ongoing journey, continuously adapting and refining their strategies to stay ahead of malicious actors.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/understanding-cyber-resilience-building-a-holistic-approach-to-cybersecurity/

• Emerging Ransomware Group 8Base Releasing Confidential Data from SMBs Globally

A ransomware group that operated under the radar for over a year has come to light in recent weeks, thanks to a series of business data leaks on the Dark Web. Since at least April 2022, 8base has been conducting double-extortion attacks against small and midsized businesses (SMBs). It all came to a head in May, when the group dumped data belonging to 67 organisations on the cyber underground.

Not much is known yet about the group's tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), likely due to the low profile of their victims. The victims span science and technology, manufacturing, retail, construction, healthcare, and more, with victims from as far afield as India, Peru, Madagascar and Brazil, amongst others.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/emerging-ransomware-8base-doxxes-smbs-globally

• Financial Firms to Build Resilience in Face of Growing Cyber-Threats

Cyber resilience is now a key component of operational resilience for the UK’s financial markets, according to a Bank of England official. Cyber attacks have increased by 38% in 2022, and the range of firms and organisations being impacted seems to grow broader and broader.

Regulators want to see how financial firms will cope with an attack, and its impact on the wider financial services ecosystem. Similar work is being done at an international level by the G7, which has its own cyber expert group. In the UK, the main tools for improving resilience are threat intelligence sharing, better coordination between firms, regulators, the Bank and the Treasury, and penetration testing including CBEST. Financial services firms should have scenario specific playbooks, to set out how to contain intruders and stop them spreading to clients and counterparties. In the past, simulation exercises have been used to model terrorist incidents and pandemics and they are now being used to model cyber attacks.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/financial-firms-to-build-resilience/

• Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber Security Expertise at Board Level

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to introduce a rule requiring demonstration of cyber security expertise at the board level for public companies. A recent study found that currently up to 90% of companies in the Russell 3000 lack even a single director with the necessary cyber expertise. The simplest and speediest solution would be to promote the existing CISO, provided they have the appropriate qualities and experience, to the board but that would require transplanting a focused operational executive into a strategic business advisory role. A credible alternative is to bring in a cyber focused Non-Executive Director with the appropriate skills and experience.

https://www.securityweek.com/fulfilling-expected-sec-requirements-for-cybersecurity-expertise-at-board-level/

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Why assessing third parties for security risk is still an unsolved problem | CSO Online

• How DORA Will Force Financial Firms to Adopt Cyber Resilience - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Navigating the Complex World of Cyber security Compliance - MSSP Alert

• Security budget hikes are missing the mark, CISOs say | CSO Online

• Understanding Cyber Resilience: Building A Holistic Approach To Cyber security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How to Weather the Coming Cyber security Storm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Certifications are no guarantee of security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Increased spending doesn't translate to improved cyber security posture - Help Net Security

• Placing People & Realism at the Center of Your Cyber security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• CISOs’ New Stressors Brought on by Digitalization: Report - SecurityWeek

• Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber security Expertise at Board Level - SecurityWeek

• Decrypting Cyber Risk Quantification (trendmicro.com)

• From details to big picture: how to improve security effectiveness | CIO

• IT Staff Increasingly Saddled with Data Protection Compliance (darkreading.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Explainer: How MOVEit breach shows hackers' interest in corporate file transfer tools | Reuters

• Embattled consulting firm PwC swept up in global cyber breach of file service MOVEit by cyber crime group C10p (afr.com)

• Ransomware Misconceptions Abound, to the Benefit of Attackers (darkreading.com)

• US Offers $10m Reward For MOVEit Attackers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Data leak at Australian law firm spooks government, business • The Register

• Moveit hack: attack on BBC and BA offers glimpse into the future of cyber crime (theconversation.com)

• Fresh Ransomware Gangs Emerge As Market Leaders Decline (darkreading.com)

• Emerging Ransomware Group 8Base Doxxes SMBs Globally (darkreading.com)

• A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs

• Rorschach Ransomware: What You Need to Know (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware is only getting faster: Six steps to a stronger defence (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware gang preys on cancer centers, triggers alert | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ransomware attacks pose communications dilemmas for local governments | CSO Online

• LockBit Developing Ransomware for Apple M1 Chips, Embedded Systems (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Victims

• MOVEit victim list | KonBriefing.com

• PwC and EY impacted by MOVEit cyber attack (cshub.com)

• Australian Government Says Its Data Was Stolen in Law Firm Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• Hackers threaten to release photos of Beverly Hills plastic surgery patients (bitdefender.com)

• Norton Parent Says Employee Data Stolen in MOVEit Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• BlackCat gang threatens to leak plastic surgery photos • The Register

• Reddit confirms BlackCat ransomware gang stole its data • The Register

• Adur and Worthing Councils investigating after contractor data breach | The Argus

• Iowa’s largest school district confirms ransomware attack, data theft (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers warn University of Manchester students’ of imminent data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MOVEit cyber attack: US Energy Department gets two ransom notices as MOVEit hack claims more victims - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• USDA is investigating a 'possible data breach' related to global Russian cyber criminal hack | CNN

• Avast, Norton Parent Latest Victim of MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (darkreading.com)

• MOVEit Vulnerability Breaches Targeted Fed Agencies (trendmicro.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• One in Three UK&I Workers Susceptible to Phishing - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber crime: what does psychology have to do with phishing? – podcast | Science | The Guardian

• Hackers Will Be Quick to Bypass Gmail's Blue Check Verification System (darkreading.com)

• UPS discloses data breach after exposed customer info used in SMS phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Insurance companies neglect basic email security - Help Net Security

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• The Simplest Social Engineering Hack Of Them All | Hackaday

• Attackers Create Synthetic Security Researchers to Steal IP (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Civil servants told not to share state secrets with ChatGPT, leaked guidance reveals (telegraph.co.uk)

• How generative AI is creating new classes of security threats | VentureBeat

• Over 100,000 Stolen ChatGPT Account Credentials Sold on Dark Web Marketplaces (thehackernews.com)

• ‘With hackers adopting AI, it’s a cat-and-mouse game’ | Mint (livemint.com)

• ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security

• Biden Discusses Risks and Promises of Artificial Intelligence With Tech Leaders in San Francisco - SecurityWeek

• The next wave of cyber threats: Defending your company against cyber criminals empowered by generative AI | VentureBeat

• Google Tells Employees to Stay Away from Its Bard Chatbot (gizmodo.com)

Malware

• Experts Uncover Year-Long Cyber Attack on IT Firm Utilising Custom Malware RDStealer (thehackernews.com)

• Attacker seizes abandoned S3 bucket to launch malicious payloads | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hackers use fake OnlyFans pics to drop info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Discover New Sophisticated Toolkit Targeting Apple macOS Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Mysterious Mystic Stealer Spreads Like Wildfire in Mere Months (darkreading.com)

• Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• To kill BlackLotus malware, patching is a good start, but... • The Register

• Microsoft Teams bug allows malware delivery from external accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• APT37 hackers deploy new FadeStealer eavesdropping malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ScarCruft Hackers Exploit Ably Service for Stealthy Wiretapping Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese Hacker Group 'Flea' Targets American Ministries with Graphican Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• USB Drives Spread Spyware as China's Mustang Panda APT Goes Global (darkreading.com)

• NSA shares tips on blocking BlackLotus UEFI malware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese malware accidentally infects networked storage • The Register

• ChamelDoH: New Linux Backdoor Utilising DNS-over-HTTPS Tunneling for Covert CnC (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• New Version of Android GravityRAT Spyware Targets WhatsApp Backups - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• SMS delivery reports can be used to infer recipient's location (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple fixes zero-days used to deploy Triangulation spyware via iMessage (bleepingcomputer.com)

• This Android app with over 50,000 installs steals your files and microphone recordings — what to do | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Android spyware camouflaged as VPN, chat apps on Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• Romanian cyber crime gang Diicot builds DDoS botnet with Mirai variant | CSO Online

• New Condi malware builds DDoS botnet out of TP-Link AX21 routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mirai botnet targets 22 flaws in D-Link, Zyxel, Netgear devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Police crack down on DDoS-for-hire service active since 2013 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers behind Microsoft outage most likely Russian-backed group aiming to ‘drive division’ in the west | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• European Investment Bank hit by cyber attack after Russian hackers vow to bring down financial system (telegraph.co.uk)

• New Condi malware builds DDoS botnet out of TP-Link AX21 routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zeeland port website hit by DDOS attack, possibly by Russian hackers | NL Times

• From Cryptojacking to DDoS Attacks: Diicot Expands Tactics with Cayosin Botnet (thehackernews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Thousands left vulnerable after severe weakness is discovered in home security system's mobile app | TechSpot

• Romanian cyber crime gang Diicot builds DDoS botnet with Mirai variant | CSO Online

• Smart Pet Feeders Expose Personal Data - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security for embedded devices is ignored by too many companies, expert says | Fierce Electronics

• Our cities are becoming increasingly automated—and we’re not ready (fastcompany.com)

• US Military Personnel Receiving Unsolicited, Suspicious Smartwatches - SecurityWeek

• Mirai botnet targets 22 flaws in D-Link, Zyxel, Netgear devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Data leak at Australian law firm spooks government, business • The Register

• Australian Government Says Its Data Was Stolen in Law Firm Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• 3CX data exposed, third-party to blame - Security Affairs

• Mondelez says crooks stole staff data in security breach • The Register

• UPS discloses data breach after exposed customer info used in SMS phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Reddit hackers threaten to leak data stolen in February breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Australia Inc roiled by raft of cyber attacks since late 2022 - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• SSD missing from SAP datacenter turns up on eBay • The Register

• Millions of UK University Credentials Found on Dark Web - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Smart Pet Feeders Expose Personal Data - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers warn University of Manchester students’ of imminent data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Darknet Parliament is now a thing | Cybernews

• Crypto and Cyber Security: A Complex Relationship (analyticsinsight.net)

• Moveit hack: attack on BBC and BA offers glimpse into the future of cyber crime (theconversation.com)

• Cyber attackers Got More Creative Post-Pandemic, Proofpoint Study Finds - MSSP Alert

• The Great Exodus to Telegram: A Tour of the New Cyber crime Underground (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber crime Doesn't Take a Vacation (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto and Cyber Security: A Complex Relationship (analyticsinsight.net)

• Blockchain security: Everything you should know for safe use | TechTarget

• From Cryptojacking to DDoS Attacks: Diicot Expands Tactics with Cayosin Botnet (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Cost-of-Living Crisis increasing chances of Insider threats - IT Security Guru

• Preventing breaches through cyber awareness: How every federal employee contributes to cyber security | Federal News Network

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Influencers in firing line as France tackles scams - BBC News

• Keep Job Scams From Hurting Your Organisation (darkreading.com)

• Job Seekers, Look Out for Job Scams (darkreading.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• Attackers Create Synthetic Security Researchers to Steal IP (darkreading.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• EU agrees new sanctions against Russia, targeting Chinese companies suspected of circumvention | Euronews

Dark Web

• Darknet Parliament is now a thing | Cybernews

• Over 100,000 Stolen ChatGPT Account Credentials Sold on Dark Web Marketplaces (thehackernews.com)

• Millions of UK University Credentials Found on Dark Web - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita faces first legal Letter of Claim over mega breach • The Register

• Why assessing third parties for security risk is still an unsolved problem | CSO Online

• 3CX data exposed, third-party to blame - Security Affairs

• Mondelez says crooks stole staff data in security breach • The Register

• Untangling the web of supply chain security with Tony Turner - Help Net Security

Software Supply Chain

• CISA SBOM standards efforts stymied by confusion, inertia | TechTarget

Cloud/SaaS

• Growing SaaS Usage Means Larger Attack Surface (darkreading.com)

• Explainer: How MOVEit breach shows hackers' interest in corporate file transfer tools | Reuters

• A new threat to financial stability lurks in the cloud | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Cloud CISO Perspectives: Early June 2023 | Google Cloud Blog

• Hackers behind Microsoft outage most likely Russian-backed group aiming to ‘drive division’ in the west | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• Western Digital Blocks Unpatched Devices From Cloud Services - SecurityWeek

• Attacker seizes abandoned S3 bucket to launch malicious payloads | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Attackers discovering exposed cloud assets within minutes | TechTarget

• Cloud-native security hinges on open source - Help Net Security

• Hybrid Microsoft network/cloud legacy settings may impact your future security posture | CSO Online

• US cyber ambassador says China can win on AI, cloud • The Register

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Home working puts confidential data at risk, GCHQ warns law firms (telegraph.co.uk)

Shadow IT

• Ending the ‘forever war’ against shadow IT | CIO

Identity and Access Management

• The future of passwords and authentication - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Intel to start shipping a quantum processor | Ars Technica

• Quantum hacking alert: Critical vulnerabilities found in quantum key distribution (techxplore.com)

• The US Navy, NATO, and NASA are using a shady Chinese company’s encryption chips | Ars Technica

• Physics - Long-Range Quantum Cryptography Gets Simpler (aps.org)

API

• Why API Security Could Be the Next Big Thing in Cyber - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Open Source

• Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Beware bad passwords as attackers co-opt Linux servers into cyber crime – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Cloud-native security hinges on open source - Help Net Security

• ChamelDoH: New Linux Backdoor Utilising DNS-over-HTTPS Tunneling for Covert CnC (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Majority of Users Neglect Best Password Practices: Keeper Security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Forging a Path to Account Takeover: Copy Password Reset Link Vulnerability worth $$$$. | by Manav Bankatwala | Jun, 2023 | InfoSec Write-ups (infosecwriteups.com)

• The future of passwords and authentication - Help Net Security

• These are the most hacked passwords. Is yours on the list? | ZDNET

• Beware bad passwords as attackers co-opt Linux servers into cyber crime – Naked Security (sophos.com)

Social Media

• Influencers in firing line as France tackles scams - BBC News

• Reddit hackers threaten to leak data stolen in February breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Preventing breaches through cyber awareness: How every federal employee contributes to cyber security | Federal News Network

• Security Training Fail Impacting Digital Transformation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security Training Needs to Nudge, Not Nag - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Digital Transformation

• Security Training Fail Impacting Digital Transformation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security

• Bill allowing CISA to assist foreign governments passes Senate committee | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber security Expertise at Board Level - SecurityWeek

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• The significance of CIS Control mapping in the 2023 Verizon DBIR - Help Net Security

• What is PCI Compliance? 12 Requirements and More Explained | Definition from TechTarget

Secure Disposal

• SSD missing from SAP datacenter turns up on eBay • The Register

Data Protection

• ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security

• Consumer Data: The Risk and Reward for Manufacturing Companies (darkreading.com)

• IT Staff Increasingly Saddled with Data Protection Compliance (darkreading.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 8 notable entry-level cyber security career and skills initiatives in 2023 | CSO Online

• UK military is struggling to recruit tech experts, says report | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Certifications are no guarantee of security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Quintessential Toolkit: Five Essential Skills For Advancing In The Cyber security Realm (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cyber security Industry Still Fighting to Recruit and Retain Talent - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• It’s Time to Think Creatively to Combat Skills Shortages - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google announces $20 million investment for cyber clinics | CyberScoop

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Police crack down on DDoS-for-hire service active since 2013 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Megaupload duo will go to prison at last, but Kim Dotcom fights on… – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• SMS delivery reports can be used to infer recipient's location (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Military Personnel Receiving Unsolicited, Suspicious Smartwatches - SecurityWeek

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

• Killnet Threatens Imminent SWIFT, World Banking Attacks (darkreading.com)

• A Newly Named Group of GRU Hackers is Wreaking Havoc in Ukraine | WIRED

• Hackers behind Microsoft outage most likely Russian-backed group aiming to ‘drive division’ in the west | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• UK Pledges Millions in Cyber-Defence Aid to Ukraine - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• European Investment Bank hit by cyber attack after Russian hackers vow to bring down financial system (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russia sent its reserve team to wipe Ukrainian hard drives • The Register

• Russian APT Group Caught Hacking Roundcube Email Servers - SecurityWeek

• Hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan a ‘bear in wolf’s clothing’ | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian APT28 hackers breach Ukrainian govt email servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Strategies for staying ahead of modern cyber warfare - CyberTalk

• German intelligence services point to increased hybrid security threats – EURACTIV.com

Nation State Actors

• Microsoft Pins Early June DDoS Attacks on Russian-linked Cyber Crew - MSSP Alert

• US DOJ Launches Cyber Unit to Prosecute Nation-State Threat Actors - SecurityWeek

• Cooperation or Competition? China’s Security Industry Sees the US, Not AI, as the Bigger Threat - SecurityWeek

• US Military Personnel Receiving Unsolicited, Suspicious Smartwatches - SecurityWeek

• USB Drives Spread Spyware as China's Mustang Panda APT Goes Global (darkreading.com)

• CISA orders govt agencies to patch bugs exploited by Russian hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Cyber Ambassador says China can win on AI, cloud • The Register

• Cadet Blizzard emerges as a novel and distinct Russian threat actor | Microsoft Security Blog

• State-Backed Hackers Employ Advanced Methods to Target Middle Eastern and African Governments (thehackernews.com)

• The Israeli weapons and spyware falling into the hands of despots | Financial Times (ft.com)

• The US Navy, NATO, and NASA are using a shady Chinese company’s encryption chips | Ars Technica

• Zeeland port website hit by DDOS attack, possibly by Russian hackers | NL Times

• A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs

• Hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan a ‘bear in wolf’s clothing’ | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• APT37 hackers deploy new FadeStealer eavesdropping malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ScarCruft Hackers Exploit Ably Service for Stealthy Wiretapping Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• 20-Year-Old Chinese APT15 Finds New Life in Foreign Ministry Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Chinese Hacker Group 'Flea' Targets American Ministries with Graphican Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean APT targets defectors, activists with infostealer malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• RedEyes Group Targets Individuals with Wiretapping Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US Justice Department Launches New National Security Cyber Section - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China-sponsored APT group targets government ministries in the Americas | CSO Online

• Chinese malware accidentally infects networked storage • The Register

• Trellix Detects Leading Threat Actor Countries Behind Nation-State Activity - MSSP Alert

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Vulnerability Management

• Guess what happened to this US agency that didn't patch? • The Register

• EU Council mulls pan-European platform to handle cyber vulnerabilities – EURACTIV.com

• The Benefits of Red Zone Threat Intelligence - SecurityWeek

Vulnerabilities

• VMware warns of critical vRealize flaw exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Teams Vulnerability: The GIFShell Attack (latesthackingnews.com)

• Zero-Day Alert: Apple Releases Patches for Actively Exploited Flaws in iOS, macOS, and Safari (thehackernews.com)

• Patch Now: Cisco AnyConnect Bug Exploit Released in the Wild (darkreading.com)

• Zyxel addressed critical flaw CVE-2023-27992 in NAS Devices - Security Affairs

• Microsoft Teams bug allows malware delivery from external accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chrome and Its Vulnerabilities - Is the Web Browser Safe to Use? - SecurityWeek

• Critical WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities Impact Thousands of Sites - SecurityWeek

• SMB Edge Devices Walloped With Asus, Zyxel Patch Warnings (darkreading.com)

• VMware fixes vCenter Server bugs allowing code execution, auth bypass (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Azure AD 'Log in With Microsoft' Authentication Bypass Affects Thousands (darkreading.com)

• Western Digital Blocks Unpatched Devices From Cloud Services - SecurityWeek

• Risk & Repeat: Mandiant sheds light on Barracuda ESG attacks | TechTarget

• ASUS warns router customers: Patch now, or block all inbound requests – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Firmware Backdoor Discovered in Gigabyte Motherboards, Hundreds of Models Affected - CPO Magazine

• Apple fixes zero-days used to deploy Triangulation spyware via iMessage (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A (cautionary) tale of two patched bugs, both under exploit • The Register

• Millions of GitHub repos likely vulnerable to RepoJacking, researchers say (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Windows 11 KB5027231 also breaks Chrome for Cisco, WatchGuard EDR users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gaps in Azure Service Fabric’s Security Call for User Vigilance (trendmicro.com)

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Tools and Controls

• Getting Over the DNS Security Awareness Gap (darkreading.com)

• Zscaler CEO: Firewalls Are Going The Way Of The Mainframe | CRN

• The future of passwords and authentication - Help Net Security

• Understanding Cyber Resilience: Building A Holistic Approach To Cyber security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Increased spending doesn't translate to improved cyber security posture - Help Net Security

• Placing People & Realism at the Center of Your Cyber security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• Security investments that help companies navigate the macroeconomic climate - Help Net Security

• The Benefits of Red Zone Threat Intelligence - SecurityWeek

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Proofpoint’s 2023 Human Factor Report: Threat Actors Scale and Commoditise Uncommon Tools and Techniques | Proofpoint UK

• Trellix Detects Leading Threat Actor Countries Behind Nation-State Activity - MSSP Alert

• The Threat Report: June 2023 | Trellix

• Navigating The Cyber Threat Landscape: Key Insights From Trellix ARC's Q1 2023 Report (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

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Other News

• Boris Johnson’s notebooks cause national security alarm (thetimes.co.uk)

• ‘It could be taken down by an enthusiastic child’: Whitehall wide open to cyber attack, warn campaigners | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• Keep it, Tweak it, Trash it – What to do with Aging Tech in an Era of Consolidation - SecurityWeek

• Cyber attacks on OT, ICS Lay Groundwork for Kinetic Warfare (darkreading.com)

• Why CISOs should be concerned about space-based attacks | CSO Online

• Legal firms urged to strengthen cyber defences with latest... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• 6 Attack Surfaces You Must Protect (darkreading.com)

• GCHQ’s top hacker James Babbage quits to join NCA in blow to UK cyber force (telegraph.co.uk)

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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 24 March 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

• Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts and Cyber Incident Response Plans

A recent report conducted by security provider Huntress found some worrying results regarding SMBs lack of dedicated cyber experts and lack of cyber incident response plans. Some of the reports key findings were 24% of SMBs suffering a cyber attack or unsure if they had suffered a cyber attack in the last 12 months, 61% of SMBs not having a dedicated cyber security expert and 47% having no incident response plan. The report found that SMBs struggled to implement basic training and only 9% of employees adhered to security best practices, potentially due to the previously mentioned training struggles. The report highlights a clear need for SMBs to increase their cyber resilience and conduct effective user education and awareness training.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/majority-of-smbs-lack-dedicated-cyber-experts-incident-response-plan/

• Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should be a Top Cyber Security Priority

Nearly 60% of all data breaches are initiated via third-party vendors and this is often hard to detect. The ever-increasing use of third party services has led to the average organisation sharing sensitive data with 583 third parties, a worrying number of attack vectors. Due to the impact a third party breach can have on an organisation it is imperative that organisations assess and risk manage their supply chains to increase the organisations cyber resilience.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/controlling-third-party-data-risk-should-be-a-top-cybersecurity-priority-

• IT Security Spending to Reach Nearly $300 Billion by 2026

Worldwide spending on security is forecast to be $219 billion in 2023, an increase of 12.1% compared to 2022. This figure is expected to continually rise, reaching nearly $300 billion by 2026. In Europe, it is predicted that the biggest portion of spending will still be represented by services, which will be increasingly leveraged by organisations with limited cyber security experience. Additionally the finance sector, which will have to constantly ensure regulatory adherence, is predicted to be the largest spending sector. Organisations should perform due diligence and ensure that they are using reputable services.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/03/20/it-security-spending-2026/

• 2023 Cyber Security Maturity Report Reveals Organisational Unpreparedness for Cyber Attacks

In 2022 alone cyber attacks increased by 38%, highlighting the need for organisations to have a high level of cyber maturity; despite this, a recent cyber security maturity report ranked UK organisations as 12th  globally. Some of the findings from the report included that 32% of organisations were found to have weak passwords and 23% had weak authentication systems.

https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/2023-cybersecurity-maturity-report.html

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently released their rules on cyber security risk management, strategy governance and incident disclosure by public companies. As part of the rules, the public disclosure of board directors’ cyber risk biographies is mandated. Worryingly, recent research has found that there is a drastic gap in cyber expertise at the board director level, with 90% of companies not having a single director with cyber security expertise. Board directors are able to address this issue by retaining outside expert advisors, upskilling board members or hiring new cyber security board directors. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/03/20/board-cyber-shortage-dont-get-caught-swimming-naked/?sh=6ea732895af8

• Should your Organisation be Worried about Insider Threats?

Cyber crime is predicted to reach $10.5 trillion worth, making it a lucrative business venture for opportunist criminals. One of the threats companies face is insider threat; this is where the threat comes from within the organisation. Insider threat can include third-party vendors, business partners and others with access to an organisations systems and networks. The threat an insider poses is commonly thought of as malicious but it can also be negligent, where insiders haven’t received proper user education and awareness training. Worryingly, insider threat is rising and research has shown a significant amount of under-reporting; over 70% of insider attacks never reach the headlines. As such, it is difficult for organisations to gauge the risk of insider threats.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/03/17/should-your-organization-be-worried-about-insider-threats/

• UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022

According to recent research, attacker-reported ransomware incidents increased by 17% annually in the UK last year and 2023 is showing signs of a continual rise. With this continual rise, it is important for organisations to assess and build upon their cyber resilience.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-ransomware-incident-surge-17/

• Financial Industry Hit by Rising Ransomware Attacks and BEC

According to a recent report by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) ransomware remained the biggest concern for the financial industry with an increase in attacks due to ransomware-as-a-service. Furthermore, FS-ISAC found a 300% increase in the number of business email compromise attacks from 2021 to 2022. Artificial intelligence was identified as an upcoming area of concern due to its ability to obfuscate detection.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-21/banks-financial-industry-buffeted-by-rising-ransomware-attacks?

• 55 zero-day Flaws Exploited Last Year Show the Importance of Security Risk Management

According to a report from intelligence provider Mandiant 55 zero-days were exploited in 2022 and 13 of those were used in cyber espionage attacks. Of the espionage attacks, 7 related to Chinese threat actors and 2 related to Russian threat actors. The report found that effective security management and patching remained the best protections for organisations.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3691609/55-zero-day-flaws-exploited-last-year-show-the-importance-of-security-risk-management.html#tk.rss_news

• Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack

Security experts recently identified a single business email compromise attack which amounted to $36.4m. The attack in question contained an invoice, payment instructions, a forged letterhead and even cc’d a legitimate and well known company. The attacker also changed “.com” to “.cam” to imitate a domain. The total cost of BEC based on reported incidents is around $2.7 billion and this is excluding unreported incidents. Organisations should ensure that staff are adequately trained in identifying and reporting such attacks.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/security-researchers-spot-36m-bec/

• New Victims Come Forward After Mass Ransomware Attack

Russia-linked Ransomware gang “Clop” has claimed a mass hack of 130 organisations via the vendor GoAnywhere, with more victims coming forward. Clop adds names of victims to its dark web site, which is used to extort companies further by threatening to publish the stolen files unless a ransom is paid.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/22/fortra-goanywhere-ransomware-attack/

• Ransomware Gangs’ Harassment of Victims is Increasing

Analysis by Palo Alto Networks found that harassment was a factor in 20% of ransomware cases, a significant jump from less than 1% in mid 2021. The harassment campaign by threat attackers is intended to make sure that ransom payments are met. This adds to the stress that organisations already face with ransomware incidents.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-gangs-harassment-victims-increasing/

• Wartime Hacktivism is Spilling Over into the Financial Services Industry

The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) has identified that financial firms in countries that Russia considers hostile have been singled out for attacks and these attacks are going to continue if the Russia and Ukraine war persists.

https://www.scmagazine.com/analysis/risk-management/report-wartime-hacktivism-is-spilling-over-into-the-financial-services-industry

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• LockBit 3.0 Ransomware: Inside the Cyberthreat That's Costing Millions (thehackernews.com)

• UK Ransomware Incident Volumes Surge 17% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Banks, Financial Sector Hit By Rising Ransomware Attacks - Bloomberg

• BianLian ransomware crew swaps encryption for extortion • The Register

• New victims come forward after mass-ransomware attack | TechCrunch

• Ransomware Gangs' Harassment of Victims Is Increasing (techrepublic.com)

• LockBit ransomware gang now also claims City of Oakland breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Free decryptor released for Conti-based ransomware following data leak | Tripwire

• New 'Trigona' Ransomware Targets US, Europe, Australia - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware Strongly Influencing SOC Modernization Strategies, Cybereason Research Shows - MSSP Alert

• US govt agencies released an alert on the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware- Security Affairs

• Security News This Week: Ring Is in a Standoff With Hackers | WIRED UK

• CISA kicks off ransomware vulnerability pilot to help spot ransomware-exploitable flaws | CSO Online

• Clop ransomware claims Saks Fifth Avenue, retailer says mock data stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Shed Light on CatB Ransomware's Evasion Techniques (thehackernews.com)

• Why CISOs Are Looking to Lateral Security to Mitigate Ransomware | CIO

• Dole discloses employee data breach after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Attacks Double in Europe's Transport Sector - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Prevent Ransomware with Cyber security Monitoring (trendmicro.com)

• Getting Ahead of the Ransomware Epidemic: CISA’s Pre-Ransomware Notifications Help Organisations Stop Attacks Before Damage Occurs | CISA

• Ferrari in a spin as crims steal customer data • The Register

• Play ransomware gang hit Dutch shipping firm Royal Dirkzwager- Security Affairs

• Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• City of Toronto confirms data theft, Clop claims responsibility (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• 7 guidelines for identifying and mitigating AI-enabled phishing campaigns | CSO Online

• Just 1% of Dot-Org Domains Are Fully DMARC Protected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Security Researchers Spot $36m BEC Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Vishing Campaign Targets Social Security Administration - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat actors are experimenting with QR codes - Help Net Security

• Over 2400 Fake Pages Found Targeting Job Seekers in Middle East, Africa - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

2FA/MFA

• Massive Phishing Campaign Bypasses MFA and Mimics Microsoft Office (techrepublic.com)

• How Cyber-Criminals are Circumventing Multifactor Authentication - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Emotet malware now distributed in Microsoft OneNote files to evade defences (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)

• RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch

• Mispadu Banking Trojan Targets Latin America: 90,000+ Credentials Stolen (thehackernews.com)

• Custom 'Naplistener' Malware a Nightmare for Network-Based Detection (darkreading.com)

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

• ScarCruft's Evolving Arsenal: Researchers Reveal New Malware Distribution Techniques (thehackernews.com)

• Python info-stealing malware uses Unicode to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Nexus: A New Rising Android Banking Trojan Targeting 450 Financial Apps (thehackernews.com)

• The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack

• Android apps are spying on you — with no easy way to stop them | Digital Trends

• Your Samsung phone may have a big security flaw – here's how to stay safe | TechRadar

• UK emergency alert system launched to warn of life-threatening events - with test set for next month | UK News | Sky News

• Google Pixel phones had a serious data leakage bug – here’s what to do! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• How to keep your phone safe from the scary Exynos modem vulnerability (androidpolice.com)

Botnets

• New GoLang-Based HinataBot Exploiting Router and Server Flaws for DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• New ‘HinataBot’ botnet could launch massive 3.3 Tbps DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• KillNet Group Uses DDoS Attacks Against Azure-Based Healthcare Apps - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Mirai Hackers Use Golang to Create a Bigger, Badder DDoS Botnet (darkreading.com)

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register

• Google sounds alarm on Samsung modem bugs in Android devices • The Register

• EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

• Hitachi Energy confirms data breach after Clop GoAnywhere attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Latitude customers are furious: some have had data hacked before through Medibank and Optus - ABC News

• Data breaches cost businesses nearly $6M on average: Mastercard | CTV News

• Healthcare provider ILS warns 4.2 million people of data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• NBA is warning fans of a data breach after a third-party newsletter service hack- Security Affairs

• Lowe’s Market chain leaves client data up for grabs- Security Affairs

• Ferrari discloses data breach after receiving ransom demand (bleepingcomputer.com)

• South Korea fines McDonalds for data leak from raw SMB share • The Register

• A million at risk from user data leak at Korean beauty platform PowderRoom- Security Affairs

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• New York Man Arrested for Running BreachForums Cyber crime Website - SecurityWeek

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Fireblocks Discloses Critical Vulnerability in BitGo Ethereum Wallets - Decrypt

• General Bytes Bitcoin ATMs hacked using zero-day, $1.5M stolen (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Should Your Organisation Be Worried About Insider Threats? - IT Security Guru

• Top 5 Insider Threats to Look Out For in 2023- Security Affairs

• Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed (theconversation.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

• ‘My bank did not stop £6,500 payment to holiday scammers despite my pleas’ | Scams | The Guardian

• The FBI Warns SIM Swapping Attacks Are Rising. What's That? - ReHack

• Hackers inject credit card stealers into payment processing modules (bleepingcomputer.com)

Deepfakes

• Voice deepfakes are calling – here's what they are and how to avoid getting scammed (theconversation.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

Insurance

• SMBs don't see need for cyber insurance since they won't experience security incidents | ZDNET

• Cyber insurance carriers expanding role in incident response | TechTarget

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Controlling Third-Party Data Risk Should Be a Top Cyber security Priority (darkreading.com)

• Companies vulnerable to cyber-attack via suppliers - research | RNZ News

• Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security

• MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Why Business Software Buyers Are Demanding Baked-in Security - MSSP Alert

Cloud/SaaS

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• Bitcoin ATM maker shuts cloud service after user hot wallets compromised (cointelegraph.com)

• The cloud backlash has begun: Why big data is pulling compute back on premises | TechCrunch

• Shouldering the Increasingly Heavy Cloud Shared-Responsibility Model (darkreading.com)

• 4 cloud API security best practices | TechTarget

• 8 cloud detection and response use cases | TechTarget

• How to Transfer Data Securely When Moving to the Cloud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The hidden danger to zero trust: Excessive cloud permissions • Graham Cluley

• New CISA tool detects hacking activity in Microsoft cloud services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 4 Tips for Better AWS Cloud Workload Security (trendmicro.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Bridging the cyber security readiness gap in a hybrid world - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security

• Preventing Insider Threats in Your Active Directory (thehackernews.com)

• CISA, NSA push identity and access management framework as risks grow | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

API

• 4 cloud API security best practices | TechTarget

Open Source

• New ShellBot DDoS Malware Variants Targeting Poorly Managed Linux Servers (thehackernews.com)

• Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Okta Post-Exploitation Method Exposes User Passwords (darkreading.com)

Social Media

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register

• TikTok CEO plans rigorous defences in Congress against claims the app is a US security threat | CyberScoop

• Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop

• Linus Tech Tips' YouTube Channel has been hacked by Crypto Scammers | OC3D News (overclock3d.net)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)

• ICO Reprimands Metropolitan Police for Data Snafu - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU Council extends product lifetime, clarifies scope in cyber security law – EURACTIV.com

• India’s infosec reporting rules observed by just 15 orgs • The Register

• Why Organisations Need To Go Beyond Federal Cyber security Compliance Standards (forbes.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• How CISOs Can Work With the CFO to Get the Best Security Budget (darkreading.com)

• CIOs Build New Bonds With CISOs - WSJ

• How to best allocate IT and cyber security budgets in 2023 - Help Net Security

• IT security spending to reach nearly $300 billion by 2026 - Help Net Security

• Board Cyber Shortage: Don’t Get Caught Swimming Naked (forbes.com)

• How Your Cyber security Strategy Enables Better Business (trendmicro.com)

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• How Can CISOs Connect With the Board of Directors? (darkreading.com)

• Achieving The Five Levels Of Information Security Governance (forbes.com)

• Enhance security while lowering IT overhead in times of recession - Help Net Security

• Why organisations shouldn't fold to cyber criminal requests - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Meta Proposes Revamped Approach to Online Kill Chain Frameworks (darkreading.com)

• MITRE Rolls Out Supply Chain Security Prototype (darkreading.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• Use of Meta tracking tools found to breach EU rules on data transfers | TechCrunch

• ICO Reprimands Metropolitan Police for Data Snafu - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• How training and recognition can reduce cyber security stress and burnout | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• RAT developer arrested for infecting 10,000 PCs with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New York Man Arrested for Running BreachForums Cyber crime Website - SecurityWeek

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Eufy security cam 'stored unique ID' of everyone filmed • The Register

• Use of Meta tracking tools found to breach EU rules on data transfers | TechCrunch

• How to protect online privacy in the age of pixel trackers - Help Net Security

• Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)

• French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register

Artificial Intelligence

• EU's AI regulation vote looms. We’re still not sure how unrestrained AI should be | Euronews

• ChatGPT Leaves Governments Scrambling for AI Regulations - Bloomberg

• ‘We are a little bit scared’: OpenAI CEO warns of risks of artificial intelligence | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• ChatGPT Polymorphic Malware Bypasses Endpoint Detection Filters (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Detecting face morphing: A simple guide to countering complex identity fraud - Help Net Security

• We need to create guardrails for AI | Financial Times (ft.com)

• GPT-4 devises plan to ‘escape’ by gaining control of a user's computer | Mint (livemint.com)

• Mastercard strengthens customer security with new AI ‘Cyber Shield’ | Mastercard Newsroom

• The impact of AI on the future of ID verification - Help Net Security

• 7 guidelines for identifying and mitigating AI-enabled phishing campaigns | CSO Online

• AI news latest: Google lets people talk to ‘Bard’ bot as ChatGPT taken offline after it goes haywire | The Independent

• Why you should treat ChatGPT like any other vendor service - Help Net Security

• Mozilla launches a new startup focused on ‘trustworthy’ AI | TechCrunch

• French govt clears AI facial scans for Paris Olympics • The Register

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

• Financial cyber threats heightened by ideologically motivated hacktivism amidst geopolitical tension | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek

• Pro-Russian Winter Vivern APT Targets Governments and Telecom Firm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Palantir: NHS trusts ordered to share patient data with US ‘spy-tech’ firm | openDemocracy

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

• Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register

• Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register

• Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert

• Facebook Security Exec Seaford Hacked by Greek Predator Spyware (gizmodo.com)

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)

• Hacker tied to DC Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop

• Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register

• Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register

• North Korean hackers using Chrome extensions to steal Gmail emails (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fact or fiction, hacktivists' claims of industrial sabotage in Russia or Ukraine get attention online | CyberScoop

• Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop

• China-Aligned "Operation Tainted Love" Targets Middle East Telecom Providers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors

• Financial cyber threats heightened by ideologically motivated hacktivism amidst geopolitical tension | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Espionage Group 'YoroTrooper' Targeting Entities in European, CIS Countries - SecurityWeek

• Pro-Russian Winter Vivern APT Targets Governments and Telecom Firm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Huawei Has Replaced Thousands of US-Banned Parts With Chinese Versions: Founder - SecurityWeek

• Tesco to ditch Chinese-made CCTV cameras over security and human rights fears (telegraph.co.uk)

• Purported Chinese warships interfering with passenger planes • The Register

• TikTok cannot be considered a private company: report • The Register

• Five brutal hours for TikTok: CEO raked over coals amid privacy, security concerns | CyberScoop

• BBC presses staff to uninstall TikTok from corporate kit • The Register

• Google flags apps made by popular Chinese e-commerce giant as malware | TechCrunch

• Putin to staffers: throw out your iPhones over security • The Register

• Russia-backed Iridium Hackers Set to Launch Attacks on Ukrainian Government Sites - MSSP Alert

• New 'Bad Magic' Cyber Threat Disrupt Ukraine's Key Sectors Amid War (thehackernews.com)

• Hacker tied to D.C. Health Link breach says attack 'born out of Russian patriotism' | CyberScoop

• Unknown actors target orgs in Russia-occupied Ukraine • The Register

• Xi, Putin, declare intent to rule the world of AI, infosec • The Register

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

• Fact or fiction, hacktivists' claims of industrial sabotage in Russia or Ukraine get attention online | CyberScoop

• The pressing threat of Chinese-made drones flying above US critical infrastructure  | CyberScoop

• Stealthy hacks show advancements in China's cyberespionage operations, researchers say | CyberScoop

• China-Aligned "Operation Tainted Love" Targets Middle East Telecom Providers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian hacktivists deploy new AresLoader malware via decoy installers | CSO Online

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Vulnerability Management

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Move, Patch, Get Out the Way: 2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace | Mandiant

• From Ransomware to Cyber Espionage: 55 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Weaponized in 2022 (thehackernews.com)

• Threat actors linked to nation-states exploited zero-days the most in 2022 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 10 Vulnerabilities Types to Focus On This Year (darkreading.com)

• Vulnerability vs. Risk: How MSSPs Can Prioritize Remediating Cyber security Vulnerabilities - MSSP Alert

• What Is the Microsoft Print Spooler Vulnerability? - ReHack

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

• Windows 11, Tesla, Ubuntu, and macOS hacked at Pwn2Own 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

• Open Source Vulnerabilities Still Pose a Big Challenge for Security Teams (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability Could Be 2023's 'It' Bug (darkreading.com)

• CVE-2023-23397 Outlook exploit: "A proliferation event" (thestack.technology)

• Patch CVE-2023-23397 Immediately: What You Need To Know and Do (trendmicro.com)

• Cisco fixed severe vulnerabilities in its IOS and IOS XE software- Security Affairs

• Exploit released for Veeam bug allowing cleartext credential theft (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts published PoC exploit code for Veeam Backup & Replication bug- Security Affairs

• WordPress force patching WooCommerce plugin with 500K installs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Windows 11 bug warns Local Security Authority protection is off (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bitwarden addresses autofill issue that could be exploited to steal logins - gHacks Tech News

• Hackers mostly targeted Microsoft, Google, Apple zero-days in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft’s blunders with new Windows 10 update are causing serious headaches | TechRadar

• Microsoft: Defender update behind Windows LSA protection warnings (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ZenGo uncovers 'red pill attack' vulnerability in popular Web3 apps (cointelegraph.com)

• Windows 11 Snipping Tool privacy bug exposes cropped image content (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Patch Tuesday -> Exploit Wednesday: Pwning Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (afd.sys) in 24 Hours (securityintelligence.com)

• If your Netgear Orbi router isn’t patched, you’ll want to change that pronto | Ars Technica

• Attackers Are Probing for Zero-Day Vulns in Edge Infrastructure Products (darkreading.com)

• Chinese-linked hackers deployed the most zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, researchers say | CyberScoop

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Tools and Controls

• Data backup, security alerts, and encryption viewed as top security features - Help Net Security

• Majority of SMBs Lack Dedicated Cyber Experts, Incident Response Plan - MSSP Alert

• 55 zero-day flaws exploited last year show the importance of security risk management | CSO Online

• Complacency of staff to blame for data breaches (thesundaily.my)

• How access management helps protect identities in the cloud | VentureBeat

• Why CISOs Should Prioritize Extended Detection & Response (XDR) - VMware Security Blog - VMware

• The Ethics of Network and Security Monitoring (darkreading.com)

• Fighting VPN criminalization should be Big Tech’s top priority, activists say | Ars Technica

• Just 1% of Dot-Org Domains Are Fully DMARC Protected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How network perimeters secure enterprise networks | TechTarget

• Top 5 security risks for enterprise storage, backup devices - Help Net Security

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• State of Cybersecurity for Mid-Sized Businesses in 2023 | Huntress

• Move, Patch, Get Out the Way: 2022 Zero-Day Exploitation Continues at an Elevated Pace | Mandiant

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Other News

• Web Fingerprinting gets frighteningly good: sees through VPNs and Incognito Mode - gHacks Tech News

• Journalist plugs in unknown USB drive mailed to him—it exploded in his face | Ars Technica

• What Is Shoulder Surfing? How Does It Affect Cyber security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Inside the DEA Tool Hackers Allegedly Used to Extort Targets (vice.com)

• Top ways attackers are targeting your endpoints - Help Net Security

• What Is a Dirty IP Address and How Does It Affect Your Security? (makeuseof.com)

• 5 rules to make security user-friendly - Help Net Security

• Techno-nationalism explained: What you need to know (techtarget.com)

• How Emerging Trends in Virtual Reality Impact Cyber security - IT Security Guru

• Pipeline Cyber security Rules Show the Need for Public-Private Partnerships (darkreading.com)

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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 17 February 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

• High Risk Users May be Few, but the Threat They Pose is Huge

High risk users represent approximately 10% of the worker population according to research provider, Elevate Security research. The research found that high risk users were responsible for 41% of all simulated phishing clicks, 30% of all real-world phishing clicks, 54% of all secure-browsing incidents and 42% of all malware events. This is worrying, considering the rise in sophisticated targeted phishing campaigns.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/02/16/high-risk-behavior/

• The Cost of Cyber Security Insurance is Soaring so Firms Need to Take Prevention More Seriously

State-backed cyber attacks are on the rise, but they are not raising the level of alarm that they should in the corporate world. Unfortunately, this is not a productive way of thinking. Come the end of March, insurance provider Lloyds will no longer cover damage from cyber attacks carried out by state or state-backed groups. In the worst cases, this reduced insurance coverage could exacerbate the trend of companies taking a passive approach toward state-backed attacks as they feel there is now really nothing they can do to protect themselves. The uncertainty however, could be the motivation for companies to take the threat of state-backed attacks more seriously.

https://fortune.com/2023/02/15/cost-cybersecurity-insurance-soaring-state-backed-attacks-cover-shmulik-yehezkel/

• Cyber Attacks Worldwide Increased to an All-Time Record-Breaking High, Report Shows

According to a report by security provider Check Point, cyber attacks rose 38% in 2022 compared to the previous year. Some of the key trends in the report included an increase in the number of cloud-based networking attacks, with a 48% rise and non-state affiliated hacktivist groups becoming more organised and effective than ever before. Additionally, ransomware is becoming more difficult to attribute and track and extra focus should be placed on exfiltration detection.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/cyberattacks-worldwide-increased-to-an-all-time-high-check-point-research-reveals/

• Most Organisations Make Cyber Security Decisions Without Insights

A report by security provider Mandiant found some worrying results when it came to organisational understanding of threat actors. Some of the key findings include, 79% of respondents stating that most of their cyber security decisions are made without insight into the treat actors targeting them, 79% believing their organisation could focus more time and energy on identifying critical security trends, 67% believing senior leadership teams underestimate the cyber threats posed to their organisation and finally, 47% of respondents felt that they could not prove to senior leadership that their organisation has a highly effective cyber security program.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/mandiant-report-most-organizations-make-cybersecurity-decisions-without-insights/

• Ransomware Attackers Finding New Ways to Weaponise Old Vulnerabilities

Ransomware attackers are finding new ways to exploit organisations’ security weaknesses by weaponising old vulnerabilities.  A report by security provider Cyber Security Works had found that 76% of the vulnerabilities currently being exploited were first discovered between 2010-2019.

https://venturebeat.com/security/ransomware-attackers-finding-new-ways-to-weaponize-old-vulnerabilities/

• Are Executives Fluent in IT Security Speak? 5 Reasons Why the Communication Gap is Wider Than You Think

Using data from two different reports conducted by security provider Kaspersky, the combined data showed some worrying results. Some of the results include 98% of respondents revealing they faced at least one IT security miscommunication that regularly leads to bad consequences, 62% of managers revealing miscommunication led to at least one cyber security incident, 42% of business leaders wanting their IT security team to better communicate and 34% of C-level executives struggle to speak about adopting new security solutions.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/are-c-suite-executives-fluent-in-it-security-speak-five-reasons-why-the-communication-gap-is-wider-than-you-think/

• Business Email Compromise Groups Target Firms with Multilingual Impersonation Attacks

Security providers Abnormal Security have identified two Business Email Compromise (BEC) groups “Midnight Hedgehog” and “Mandarin Capybara” which are conducting impersonation attacks in at least 13 different languages. Like many payment fraud attacks, finance managers or other executives are often targeted. In a separate report by Abnormal Security, it was found that business email compromise (BEC) attacks increased by more than 81% during 2022.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/bec-groups-multilingual/

• EU Countries Told to Step up Defence Against State Hackers

European states have raced to protect their energy infrastructure from physical attacks but the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) said more needed to be done against cyber warfare against financial institutions and the telecommunications networks and power grids they rely on. "The war in Ukraine, the broader geopolitical landscape and the increasing use of cyber attacks have significantly heightened the cyber threat environment," the ESRB said in a report. In addition, the ESRB highlight an increased risk of cyber attacks on the EU financial system, suggesting that stress tests and impact analyses should be carried out to identify weaknesses and measure resilience.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-countries-told-step-up-defence-against-state-hackers-2023-02-14/

• Cyber Criminals Exploit Fear and Urgency to Trick Consumers

Threats using social engineering to steal money, such as refund and invoice fraud and tech support scams, increased during Q4 of 2022 according to a report by software provider Avast. “At the end of 2022, we have seen an increase in human-centred threats, such as scams tricking people into thinking their computer is infected, or that they have been charged for goods they didn’t order. It’s human nature to react to urgency, fear and try to regain control of issues, and that’s where cyber criminals succeed” Avast commented.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/02/13/cybercriminals-exploit-fear-urgency-trick-consumers/

• How to Manage Third Party and Supply Chain Cyber Security Risks that are Too Costly to Ignore

Many organisations have experienced that “after the breach” feeling — the moment they realise they have to tell customers their personal information may have been compromised because one of the organisations’ vendors had a data breach. Such situations involve spending significant amount of money and time to fix a problem caused by a third party. An organisation’s ability to handle third-party cyber risk proactively depends on its risk management strategies.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/10/why-third-party-cybersecurity-risks-are-too-costly-to-ignore/

• Russian Spear Phishing Campaign Escalates Efforts Towards Critical UK, US and European Targets

Following the advisory from the NCSC, it is clear that Russian state-sponsored hackers have become increasingly sophisticated at launching phishing attacks against critical targets in the UK, US and Europe over the last 12 months. The attacks included the creation of fake personas, supported by social media accounts, fake profiles and academic papers, to lure targets into replying to sophisticated phishing emails. In some cases, the bad actor may never leverage the account to send emails from and only use it to make decisions based on intelligence collection.

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/365531158/Russian-spear-phishing-campaign-escalates-efforts-toward-critical-UK-US-and-European-targets

• 5 Biggest Risks of Using Third Party Managed Service Providers

As business processes become more complex, companies are turning to third parties to boost their ability to provide critical services from cloud storage to data management to security. It’s often more efficient and less expensive to contract out work. But it does present risks. 5 of the biggest risks to be considered are: indirect cyber attacks, financial risks from incident costs, reputational damage, geopolitical risk and regulatory compliance risk.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3687812/5-major-risks-third-party-services-may-bring-along-with-them.html#tk.rss_news

• Cyber Crime as a Service: A Subscription Based Model in the Wrong Hands

Arguably nothing in tech has changes the landscape more than ‘as a Service’ offerings, the subscription-based IT service delivery model, in fact, the ‘as a Service’ offering has made its way into the cyber crime landscape. And cyber crime, for its part, has evolved beyond a nefarious hobby; today it’s a means of earning for cyber criminals. Organised cyber crime services are available for hire, particularly to those lacking resources and hacking expertise but willing to buy their way into cyber criminal activities. Underground cyber crime markets have thus emerged, selling cyber attack tools and services ranging from malware injection to botnet tools, Denial of Service and targeted spyware services.

https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/learn/cybercrime-as-a-service.html

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware attackers finding new ways to weaponize old vulnerabilities | VentureBeat

• US, UK slap sanctions on Russians linked to Conti and more • The Register

• Threat Analysis: VMware ESXi Attacks Soared in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Clop ransomware claims it breached 130 orgs using GoAnywhere zero-day (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Members of Russian cyber crime network unmasked by US and UK authorities - The Verge

• December ransomware attack leads to massive data breach from California health network - The Record from Recorded Future News

• Over 500 ESXiArgs Ransomware infections in one day in Europe-Security Affairs

• New ESXi ransomware strain spreads, foils decryption tools | TechTarget

• Russian Government evaluates the immunity to hackers acting in the interests of Russia-Security Affairs

• North Korea Using Healthcare Ransomware To Fund More Hacking (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• DPRK fund malicious cyber activities with ransomware attacks on critical Infrastructure-Security Affairs

• US Warns Critical Sectors Against North Korean Ransomware Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cisco Talos spots new MortalKombat ransomware attacks | TechTarget

• Ion: after the hack, the clean-up - Risk.net

• Hackers Target Israel’s Technion Demanding Huge Sum In Bitcoin - I24NEWS

• City of Oakland systems offline after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MTU cyber breach: Probe after ransomware attacks 'like a murder investigation' (irishexaminer.com)

• MTU data appears on dark web after cyber attack – The Irish Times

• Oakland City Services Struggle to Recover From Ransomware Attack (darkreading.com)

• LockBit spree hits three large companies (techmonitor.ai)

• Ransomware gang uses new zero-day to steal data on 1 million patients | TechCrunch

• City of Oakland issued state of emergency after ransomware attack-Security Affairs

• Glasgow Arnold Clark customers at risk after major cyber attack | HeraldScotland

• LockBit and Royal Mail Ransomware Negotiation Leaked - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• No relief in sight for ransomware attacks on hospitals | TechTarget

• Burton Snowboards cancels online orders after 'cyber incident' (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Dallas Central Appraisal District paid $170,000 to ransomware attackers (bitdefender.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets | Computer Weekly

• NameCheap's email hacked to send Metamask, DHL phishing emails (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals target fans of The Last of Us with recent malware and phishing scams - IT Security GuruCyber

• Venmo Phishing Abusing LinkedIn "slink"

• Spain, US dismantle phishing gang that stole $5 million in a year (bleepingcomputer.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• BEC Groups Target Firms With Multilingual Impersonation Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

2FA/MFA

• Reddit Hack Shows Limits of MFA, Strengths of Security Training (darkreading.com)

Malware

• Experts Warn of Surge in Multipurpose Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Malicious Npm Package Uses Typosquatting, Downloads Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft OneNote Abuse for Malware Delivery Surges - Security Week

• New TA886 group targets companies with Screenshotter malware-Security Affairs

• Novel phishing campaign takes screenshots ahead of payload delivery | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Great, hackers are now using ChatGPT to generate malware | Digital Trends

• Devs targeted by W4SP Stealer malware in malicious PyPi packages (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals target fans of The Last of Us with recent malware and phishing scams - IT Security Guru

• Researchers Uncover 700+ Malicious Open Source Packages - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pepsi distributor blames info-stealing malware for breach • The Register

• Malware that can do anything and everything is on the rise - Help Net Security

• Lokibot, AgentTesla Grow in January 2023's Most Wanted Malware List - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New stealthy 'Beep' malware focuses heavily on evading detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Thousands of WordPress sites have been infected by a mystery malware | TechRadar

• Beep: New Evasive Malware That Can Escape Under The Radar (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Hackers start using Havoc post-exploitation framework in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Targeting US and German Firms Monitor Victims' Desktops with Screenshotter (thehackernews.com)

• Malware authors leverage more attack techniques that enable lateral movement | CSO Online

Mobile

• RedEyes hackers use new malware to steal data from Windows, phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• Mirai V3G4 botnet exploits 13 flaws to target IoT devices-Security Affairs

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Cloudflare blocks record-breaking 71 million RPS DDoS attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 87% of largest DDoS attacks in Q4 targeted telecoms: Lumen (fiercetelecom.com)

• The Tor network hit by wave of DDoS attacks for at least 7 months-Security Affairs

Internet of Things – IoT

• Digital burglaries: The threat from your smart home devices | Fox News

• Mirai V3G4 botnet exploits 13 flaws to target IoT devices-Security Affairs

• New Mirai malware variant infects Linux devices to build DDoS botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches

• MP’s laptop and iPad stolen from pub in 'worrying' security breach | Metro News

• Reddit was hit with a phishing attack. How it responded is a lesson for everyone | ZDNET

• Reddit Hack Shows Limits of MFA, Strengths of Security Training (darkreading.com)

• 4 misconceptions about data exfiltration | VentureBeat

• Highmark data breach affecting about 300,000 members exposed personal information to hackers – WPXI

• Gulp! Pepsi hack sees personal information stolen by data-stealing malware (bitdefender.com)

• Nearly 50 million Americans impacted by health data breaches in 2022 (chiefhealthcareexecutive.com)

• My Password Manager was Hacked! How to Prevent a Catastrophe (bleepingcomputer.com)

• After apparent hack, data from Australian tech giant Atlassian dumped online | CyberScoop

• Atlassian: Leaked Data Stolen via Third-Party App (darkreading.com)

• Health info for 1 million patients stolen using critical GoAnywhere vulnerability | Ars Technica

• Scandinavian Airlines says cyber attack caused passenger data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Russian Government evaluates the immunity to hackers acting in the interests of Russia-Security Affairs

• Cyber crime as a Service: A Subscription-based Model in The Wrong Hands | Splunk

• A Hacker’s Mind — how the elites exploit the system | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Dark Web Revenue Down Dramatically After Hydra's Demise (darkreading.com)

• Russian hacker convicted of $90 million hack-to-trade charges (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Enigma, Vector, and TgToxic: The New Threats to Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• Lazarus hackers use new mixer to hide $100 million in stolen crypto (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 451 PyPI packages install Chrome extensions to steal crypto (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DeFi exploits and access control hacks cost crypto investors billions in 2022: Report (cointelegraph.com)

• Using the blockchain to prevent data breaches | VentureBeat

• SideWinder APT Spotted Stealing Crypto (darkreading.com)

• Quarter of Crypto Tokens in 2022 Linked to Pump-and-Dump - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• A former Credit Suisse employee leaked employees' historic bonus data (efinancialcareers.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Russian IT biz owner made $90M from stolen financial info • The Register

• Refund and Invoice Scams Surge in Q4 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MoneyGram Fraud Victims Get $115m in Compensation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'Pig butchering' scams on the rise, luring victims with promises of relationships and riches | CyberScoop

• Cyber security Experts Warn Against Valentine's Day Romance Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian Hackers Disrupt NATO Earthquake Relief Operations (darkreading.com)

• Romance scam targets security researcher, hilarity ensues • The Register

• 10 signs that scammers have you in their sights | WeLiveSecurity

• Hackers Leverage PayPal to Send Malicious Invoices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• US, UK slap sanctions on Russians linked to Conti and more • The Register

Insurance

• The cost of cyber security insurance is soaring–and state-backed attacks will be harder to cover. It’s time for companies to take threats more seriously | Fortune

Dark Web

• Dark Web Revenue Down Dramatically After Hydra's Demise (darkreading.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• How to manage third-party cyber security risks that are too costly to ignore | TechCrunch

• 5 biggest risks of using third-party services providers | CSO Online

Cloud/SaaS

• Reimagining zero trust for modern SaaS - Help Net Security

• Cloud security: Where do CSP and client responsibilities begin and end? | VentureBeat

• Application and cloud security is a shared responsibility - Help Net Security

Attack Surface Management

• To thwart cyber attacks, enterprises must have visibility of their assets: Sophos CEO - The Hindu BusinessLine

Open Source

• Researchers Uncover 700+ Malicious Open Source Packages - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Configuration Issues in SaltStack IT Tool Put Enterprises at Risk (darkreading.com)

• Solving open-source security — from Alpha to Omega | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Mirai malware variant infects Linux devices to build DDoS botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Eek! You Can Steal Passwords From This Password Manager Using the Notepad App | PCMag

• Eurostar forces 'password resets' — then fails and locks users out (bleepingcomputer.com)

• My Password Manager was Hacked! How to Prevent a Catastrophe (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Metaverse Adds New Dimensions to Web 3.0 Cyber security | TechRepublic

• Hard drugs actively sold on Twitter in plain sight. Twitter says it doesn’t breach its safety policies • Graham Cluley

• Elon Musk Seems to Think His Own Employees Are Shadowbanning Him (gizmodo.com)

• Venmo Phishing Abusing LinkedIn "slink"

Malvertising

• AdSense fraud campaign relies on 10,890 sites that were infected since September 2022-Security Affairs

Training, Education and Awareness

• High-risk users may be few, but the threat they pose is huge - Help Net Security

• Reddit Hack Shows Limits of MFA, Strengths of Security Training (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• 5th State of CCPA, CPRA, and GDPR Compliance Report Shows More Than 90% of Companies Are Not Compliant (darkreading.com)

• The Online Safety Bill: An attack on encryption (element.io)

• As regulations skyrocket, is compliance even possible anymore? - Help Net Security

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Security buyers lack insight into threats, attackers, report finds | Computer Weekly

• Cyber attacks Worldwide Increased to an All-Time High, Check Point Research Reveals - MSSP Alert

• The cost of cyber security insurance is soaring–and state-backed attacks will be harder to cover. It’s time for companies to take threats more seriously | Fortune

• Are C-Suite Executives Fluent in IT Security Speak? Five Reasons Why the Communication Gap is Wider Than You Think - MSSP Alert

• Actionable intelligence is the key to better security outcomes - Help Net Security

• To thwart cyber attacks, enterprises must have visibility of their assets: Sophos CEO - The Hindu BusinessLineT

• Majority of Firms Make Cyber security Decisions Without Attacker Insight - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 5 Ways Security and Compliance Can Break Down Silos to Save Money and Meet Increased Regulations - MSSP Alert

• Build Cyber Resiliency With These Security Threat-Mitigation Considerations (darkreading.com)

• 5th State of CCPA, CPRA, and GDPR Compliance Report Shows More Than 90% of Companies Are Not Compliant (darkreading.com)

• Evolving cyber attacks, alert fatigue creating DFIR burnout, regulatory risk | CSO Online

• Simplify to Survive: How Organisations Can Navigate Cyber-Risk (darkreading.com)Simplify to Survive: How Organisations Can Navigate Cyber-Risk (darkreading.com)

• As regulations skyrocket, is compliance even possible anymore? - Help Net Security

• Storage security for compliance and cyberwar in 2023 • The Register

Backup and Recovery

• A CISOs Practical Guide to Storage and Backup Ransomware Resiliency (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Get hired in cyber security: Expert tips for job seekers - Help Net Security

• 3 Ways CISOs Can Lead Effectively and Avoid Burnout (darkreading.com)

• Cyber security Jobs Remain Secure Despite Recession Fears (darkreading.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Members of Russian cyber crime network unmasked by US and UK authorities - The Verge

• Spain, US dismantle phishing gang that stole $5 million in a year (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• The FBI’s most controversial surveillance tool is under threat | Ars Technica

Artificial Intelligence

• Russian hackers are trying to break into ChatGPT, says Check Point | ZDNET

• Cyber criminals Bypass ChatGPT Restrictions to Generate Malicious Content - Check Point Software

• Great, hackers are now using ChatGPT to generate malware | Digital Trends

• Eric Schmidt Is Building the Perfect AI War-Fighting Machine | WIRED

• A.I. in the military could be a game changer in warfare | Fortune US issues declaration on responsible use of AI in the military | Reuters

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections | Technology | The Guardian

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

• Russian Government evaluates the immunity to hackers acting in the interests of Russia-Security Affairs

• Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets | Computer Weekly

• EU countries told to step up defence against state hackers | Reuters

• Britain must ‘wake up’ to China security challenges, ex-MI6 head says | The Independent

• Hacks, leaks and wipers: Google analyses a year of Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine | Cyber scoop

• Google: Russia continues to set cyber sights on NATO nations | TechTarget

• US shoots down ‘high-altitude object’ above Alaska | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Military Organizations in Pakistan Targeted With Sophisticated Espionage Tool - security Week

• SpaceX curbed Ukraine's use of Starlink terminals - Militarnyi

• US shoots down ‘octagonal’ flying object near military sites in Michigan | US news | The Guardian

• Six companies join US entity list after Chinese spy balloon • The Register

• How Alan Turing still casts his genius in the age of cyberwar | Metro News

• US warns its citizens in Russia to get out immediately over security fears | Euronews

• Unidentified airborne objects: A trio of new intrusions leaves America's leaders grasping for explanations | CNN Politics

• Russian Hackers Disrupt NATO Earthquake Relief Operations (darkreading.com)

• ‘Significant’ debris from China spy balloon retrieved, says US military | US national security | The Guardian

• Use of Chinese cameras by College of Policing is risk to national security, says commissioner (telegraph.co.uk)

• Ukraine’s use of SpaceX satellites risks starting World War Three, says Elon Musk (telegraph.co.uk)

• Eric Schmidt Is Building the Perfect AI War-Fighting Machine | WIRED

• Albanian gangs set up hundreds of spy cameras to keep ahead of police | Financial Times (ft.com)

• A.I. in the military could be a game changer in warfare | Fortune

• Chinese cameras leave British police vulnerable to spying, says watchdog | Espionage | The Guardian

• China-based cyber espionage actor seen targeting South America | CSO Online

• What Happened to #OpRussia? (darkreading.com)

• The Lessons From Cyberwar, Cyber-in-War and Ukraine  - security Week

• Storage security for compliance and cyberwar in 2023 • The Register

Nation State Actors

• Russian Government evaluates the immunity to hackers acting in the interests of Russia-Security Affairs

• Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets | Computer Weekly

• EU countries told to step up defence against state hackers | Reuters

• Britain must ‘wake up’ to China security challenges, ex-MI6 head says | The Independent

• Hacks, leaks and wipers: Google analyses a year of Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine | CyberScoop

• Google: Russia continues to set cyber sights on NATO nations | TechTarget

• Military Organizations in Pakistan Targeted With Sophisticated Espionage Tool - Security Week

• MagicWeb Mystery Highlights Nobelium Attacker's Sophistication (darkreading.com)

• Russian hackers are trying to break into ChatGPT, says Check Point | ZDNET

• North Korean Hackers Are Attacking US Hospitals | WIRED

• Six companies join US entity list after Chinese spy balloon • The Register

• Lazarus hackers use new mixer to hide $100 million in stolen crypto (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Unidentified airborne objects: A trio of new intrusions leaves America's leaders grasping for explanations | CNN Politics

• Russian Hackers Disrupt NATO Earthquake Relief Operations (darkreading.com)

• Group-IB Blocks Attack By Chinese Tonto Team Hackers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese ship accused of using ‘military-grade laser’ against Philippine vessel | Philippines | The Guardian

• Chinese Hackers Targeting South American Diplomatic Entities with ShadowPad (thehackernews.com)

• Use of Chinese cameras by College of Policing is risk to national security, says commissioner (telegraph.co.uk)

• Ukraine’s use of SpaceX satellites risks starting World War Three, says Elon Musk (telegraph.co.uk)

• Chinese cameras leave British police vulnerable to spying, says watchdog | Espionage | The Guardian

• China-based cyber espionage actor seen targeting South America | CSO Online

• What Happened to #OpRussia? (darkreading.com)

• UK Policing Riddled with Chinese CCTV Cameras - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• A new operating system has been released in Russia! (gizchina.com)

• SideWinder APT Spotted Stealing Crypto (darkreading.com)

• Researchers Link SideWinder Group to Dozens of Targeted Attacks in Multiple Countries (thehackernews.com)

• SideWinder APT Attacks Regional Targets in New Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Ransomware attackers finding new ways to weaponize old vulnerabilities | VentureBeat

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Patch Tuesday: 36 RCE bugs, 3 zero-days, 75 CVEs – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Citrix Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in Windows, Linux Apps - Security Week

• Adobe Plugs Critical Security Holes in Illustrator, After Effects Software - Security Week

• Apple releases new fix for iPhone zero-day exploited by hackers | TechCrunch

• Intel issues patches for SGX vulnerabilities • The Register

• Firefox Updates Patch 10 High-Severity Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Critical RCE Vulnerability Discovered in ClamAV Open-Source Antivirus Software (thehackernews.com)

• CISA Warns of Active Attacks Exploiting Fortra MFT, TerraMaster NAS, and Intel Driver Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft says Intel driver bug crashes apps on Windows PCs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Serious Security: GnuTLS follows OpenSSL, fixes timing attack bug – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Splunk Enterprise Updates Patch High-Severity Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Dozens of Vulnerabilities Patched in Intel Products - Security Week

• High-severity DLP flaw impacts Trellix for Windows | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Critical Vulnerability Patched in Cisco Security Products - Security Week

• Health info for 1 million patients stolen using critical GoAnywhere vulnerability | Ars Technica

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Tools and Controls

• A CISOs Practical Guide to Storage and Backup Ransomware Resiliency (thehackernews.com)

• SOAR vs. SIEM: What's the difference? | TechTarget

• PAM is failing - IT Security Guru

• Combining identity and security strategies to mitigate risks - Help Net Security

• Defending against attacks on Azure AD: Goodbye firewall, hello identity protection | CSO Online

• Regular Pen Testing Is Key to Resolving Conflict Between SecOps and DevOps (thehackernews.com)

• Attack surface management (ASM) is not limited to the surface - Help Net Security

• How to filter Security log events for signs of trouble | TechTarget

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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.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 15 July 2022

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

• 10,000 Organisations Targeted by Phishing Attack That Bypasses Multi-Factor Authentication

Microsoft has shared details of a widespread phishing campaign that not only attempted to steal the passwords of targeted organisations, but was also capable of circumventing multi-factor authentication (MFA) defences.

The attackers used AiTM (Attacker-in-The-Middle) reverse-proxy sites to pose as Office 365 login pages which requested MFA codes, and then use them to log into the genuine site.

According to Microsoft’s detailed report on the campaign, once hackers had broken into email inboxes via the use of stolen passwords and session cookies, they would exploit their access to launch Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks on other targets.

By creating rules on victims’ email accounts, the attackers are able to then ensure that they maintain access to incoming email even if a victim later changes their password.

The global pandemic, and the resulting increase in staff working from home, has helped fuel a rise in the adoption of multi-factor authentication.

Cyber criminals, however, haven’t thrown in the towel when faced with MFA-protected accounts. Accounts with MFA are certainly less trivial to break into than accounts which haven’t hardened their security, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.

Reverse-proxy phishing kits like Modlishka, for instance, impersonate a login page, and ask unsuspecting users to enter their login credentials and MFA code. That collected data is then passed to the genuine website – granting the cyber criminal access to the site.

As more and more people recognise the benefits of MFA, we can expect a rise in the number of cyber criminals investing effort into bypassing MFA.

Microsoft’s advice is that organisations should complement MFA with additional technology and best practices.

https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/featured/10000-organisations-targeted-by-phishing-attack-that-bypasses-multi-factor-authentication/

• Businesses Are Adding More Endpoints, But Can’t Manage Them All

Most enterprises struggle to maintain visibility and control of their endpoint devices, leading to increased security breaches and impaired ability to ward off outside attacks, according to a survey conducted by Ponemon Institute.

Findings show that the average enterprise now manages approximately 135,000 endpoint devices. Despite $4,252,500 of annual budget spent on endpoint protection, an average of 48 percent of devices – or 64,800 per enterprise – are at risk because they are no longer detected by the organisation’s IT department or the endpoints’ operating systems have become outdated.

Additionally, 63 percent of respondents find that the lack of visibility into their endpoints is the most significant barrier to achieving a strong security posture.

IT organisations are facing unprecedented rates of distribution point sprawl, which has grown rapidly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 61 percent of respondents say distribution points have increased in the last two years, and the average endpoint has as many as 7 agents installed for remote management, further adding to management complexity.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/14/businesses-are-adding-more-endpoints/

• Ransomware Activity Resurges in Q2

Ransomware activity rose by a fifth in the last quarter, according to a report from security firm Digital Shadows.

The company, which monitors almost 90 data leak sites on the dark web, observed ransomware groups name 705 victims in Q2 2022, representing a 21% increase over last quarter’s 582. This was a resurgence in activity following a 25.3% decline quarter-on-quarter during Q1.

The LockBit ransomware group overtook Conti in victim numbers as Conti ceased operations following the leak of internal chat logs. Conti had reached almost 900 victims during its operations, but LockBit is now closing in on 1,000 after a 13% growth in activity during the quarter.

LockBit also continued to innovate, releasing version 3 of its ransomware with new features, including support for payments using the Zcash cryptocurrency. It also launched a reward program for any information on high-value targets, along with a data leak site that allows anyone to purchase victim data.

At around 230, Lockbit’s quarterly victim numbers far exceeded any other group in Q2. It was accountable for almost a third of all postings to leak sites in Q2. Conti, which had limped along for several weeks after its own data leak, managed just over 50. In third place was Alphv, which grew 118% during the quarter. Basta came in fourth.

Some other smaller groups are also growing rapidly, according to the report. Vice Society, in fifth place this quarter, doubled its activity.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-activity-resurges-q2/

• One-Third of Users Without Security Awareness Training Click on Phishing URLs

Phishing attacks just won't die, and new data underscores their effectiveness among users who have not been provided security awareness training.

According to data pulled from security awareness training provider KnowBe4's clients, 32.4% of users will fall for a phish — clicking on a link or following a phony request — if those users have not had any official training. The disconnect is worse in some industry sectors, including consulting, energy and utilities, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals, where half of all untrained users fall for phishing attacks.

The data was pulled from 23.4 million simulated phishing tests conducted at more than 30,000 organisations, encompassing some 9.5 million users. According to KnowBe4, 90 days after monthly or more training, the number of phishing test fails dropped to around 17.6%, and to 5% after one year of regular awareness training.

https://www.darkreading.com/remote-workforce/one-third-of-users-click-on-phishing

• Ransomware Scourge Drives Price Hikes in Cyber Insurance

Cyber security insurance costs are rising, and insurers are likely to demand more direct access to organisational metrics and measures to make more accurate risk assessments.

The rising cost of ransomware attacks is helping push significant premium increases in cyber insurance policies in the UK and US, new data shows.

With the average payouts across the past two years averaging more than $3.5 million in the US, a growing number of cyber security insurers want direct access to customer security metrics and measures. This would help prove the status of security controls, according to a Panaseer report on the state of the cyber insurance industry.

However, insurance firms are struggling to accurately understand a customer's security posture, which is in turn affecting price increases.

Panaseer notes that 82% of insurers surveyed said they expect the rise in premiums to continue. The increasing cost of ransomware is putting premiums up, and the increase in the number of attacks, as well as the number of successful attacks, means insurance is getting harder to get and is getting more expensive.

Meanwhile, 87% of insurers surveyed say they want a more consistent approach to analysing cyber-risk. Fundamentally, insurers need better information in order to price the risk — questionnaires aren't going to cut it. Having real live data coming from a customer about their security posture is what's going to be required for them to accurately price risk, in the same way that telematics did for car insurance.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/ransomware-scourge-drives-price-hikes-in-cyber-insurance

• Conventional Cyber Security Approaches Are Falling Short

Traditional security approaches that rely on reactive, detect-and-respond measures and tedious manual processes can’t keep pace with the volume, variety, and velocity of current threats, according to Skybox Security. As a result, 27% of all executives and 40% of CSOs say their organisations are not well prepared for today’s rapidly shifting threat landscape.

On average, organisations experienced 15% more cyber security incidents in 2021 than in 2020. In addition, “material breaches”— defined as “those generating a large loss, compromising many records, or having a significant impact on business operations” — jumped 24.5%.

The top four causes of the most significant breaches reported by the affected organisations were:

• Human error

• Misconfigurations

• Poor maintenance/lack of cyber hygiene

• Unknown assets.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/14/conventional-cybersecurity-approaches/

• Virtual CISOs Are the Best Defence Against Accelerating Cyber-Risks

The cyber security challenges that companies are facing today are vast, multidimensional, and rapidly changing. Exacerbating the issue is the relentless evolution of threat actors and their ability to outmanoeuvre security controls effortlessly.

As technology races forward, companies without a full-time CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) are struggling to keep pace. For many, finding, attracting, retaining, and affording the level of skills and experience needed is out of reach or simply unrealistic. Enter the virtual CISO (vCISO). These on-demand experts provide security insights to companies on an ongoing basis and help ensure that security teams have the resources they need to be successful.

Typically, an engagement with a vCISO is long lasting, but in a fractional delivery model. This is very different from a project-oriented approach that requires a massive investment and results in a stack of deliverables for the internal team to implement and maintain. A vCISO not only helps to form the approach, define the action plan, and set the road map but, importantly, stays engaged throughout the implementation and well into the ongoing management phases.

The best vCISO engagements are long-term contracts. Typically, there's an upfront effort where the vCISO is more engaged in the first few months to establish an understanding, develop a road map, and create a rhythm with the team. Then, their support drops into a regular pace which can range from two to three days per week or five to ten days per month.

https://www.darkreading.com/careers-and-people/virtual-cisos-are-the-best-defense-against-accelerating-cyber-risks

• Firms Not Planning for Supply Chain Threats

Enterprises are failing to plan properly for supply chain risks and cyber security threats from the wider digital ecosystem, a leading technology consultancy has warned.

According to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), firms put the risks posed by ecosystem partners at the bottom of a list of 10 key threats. CISOs and chief risk officers believed that financial systems, customer databases and R&D were the systems most likely to be targeted. Supply chain and distribution was placed in ninth.

The report, based on a survey of larger firms with annual revenues of $1bn or more, found that only 16% of chief risk officers believed the digital ecosystem was a concern when it comes to cyber risks, and only 14% said those ecosystems were a priority for board level discussions.

The research also found that a small number of enterprises fail to focus on cyber risk, with one in six boards discussing it only “occasionally, as necessary or never.” TCS found, though, that organisations with above-average profit and revenue growth were more likely to put cyber security on the agenda at board meetings.

TCS also found that enterprises view the cloud as a more secure environment than conventional data centres and on-premises systems. Additionally, the research highlighted ongoing concerns about skills and the need to attract and retain talented security staff. Firms where senior leaders focus on cyber security are more likely to be able to close the skills gap, according to the study.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/planning-supply-chain-threats/

• Data Breach Lawsuit: Will IT Service Provider Capgemini Owe Damages?

IT service provider and consulting firm Capgemini is facing a lawsuit related to a June 2020 data breach. The plaintiff — gaming company Razer — is seeking $7 million in damages. A trial in Singapore’s High Court regarding the dispute is underway, according to Vulcan Post.

Razer claims it has suffered approximately $6.85 million in profit losses from its online website due to the data breach. Razer is pursuing damages for an unquantified sum for profit losses from the rejection of its digital bank license application.

The Razer data breach occurred due to an issue with an IT system. It may have exposed the personal information of about 100,000 Razer customers.

The Razer data breach may have occurred due to a misconfigured Elasticsearch cluster. It also was exposed to the public and indexed by public search engines and took more than three weeks to fix.

Experts from Razer and Capgemini agreed that the data breach was caused by a security misconfiguration. However, Razer now claims that a Capgemini employee recommended the IT system that led to the breach and is therefore responsible for the incident.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-breaches-and-attacks/data-breach-lawsuit-gaming-company-razer-sues-capgemini-for-7-million/

• Security Culture: Fear of Cyber Warfare Driving Initiatives

KnowBe4, the provider of security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, has conducted a survey during Infosecurity Europe, which evaluated the opinions of nearly 200 security professionals towards security culture, or more specifically: the ideas, customs and social behaviours of an organisation that influence their security practices.

The research found the threat of cyber warfare (30%) or experiencing a data breach or cyber attack (30%) were the two biggest reasons why security professionals wanted to improve security culture at their organisations. Given the current invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the resulting cyber security warnings announced by many of the world’s leading governments, improving current cyber security efforts has continued to be a top priority for many.

The study also revealed just over two thirds (67%) answered that a strong security culture would very likely reduce the risk of security incidents, with the majority (85%) directing their efforts into both improving security awareness training and communicating values expected from employees regarding security.

However, there are many obstacles when attempting to create a strong security culture, with the main issue being a lack of budget (26%) which was followed security professionals facing indifference from fellow employees (24%) and a lack of senior management support (16%).

Interestingly, just under three quarters (73%) admitted to putting an increased effort into measuring employees understanding of security – this still leaves a considerable gap of 27% that do not, something many security professionals will want to consider closing. Thankfully, 38% agree this aspect of security culture would be an area they want to improve in their organisation. When witnessing a colleague display poor security practises, 67% of UK security experts would prefer to tell the individual discreetly, while just under a third (31%) would send the member of staff training material to review. Only 18% would report the individual to the security team.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2022/07/11/security-culture-fear-of-cyber-warfare-driving-initiatives/

• Cryptocurrency 'Mixers' See Record Transactions from Sanctioned Actors

Use of so-called cryptocurrency “mixers,” which combine various types of assets to mask their origin, peaked at a 30-day average of nearly $52 million worth of digital currency in April, representing an unprecedented volume of funds moving through those services, researchers at cryptocurrency research firm Chainalysis found.

A near two-fold increase in funds sent from illicit addresses has accelerated the increase, indicating that the technology that can obfuscate the currency continues to be highly attractive to cyber criminals.

Cryptocurrency mixers work by taking an individual’s cryptocurrency and combining it with a larger pool before returning units equivalent to the original amount minus a service fee to the original account. As a result, it makes it harder for law enforcement and cryptocurrency analysts to trace the currency.

Mixers aren’t solely used by criminals, but they are extremely popular with them. 10% of all funds from illicit wallets are sent to mixers, while mixers received less than 0.5% of the share of other sources of funds tracked by the firm, including decentralised finance projects.

The bulk of illicit funds transferred to mixers came from sanctioned actors, primarily Russian dark net market Hydra and more recently the Lazarus Group, a group of North Korean state-backed hackers. International law enforcement took out Hydra, which had been responsible for 80% of dark web transactions involving cryptocurrency, in May. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control followed with sanctions on more than 100 of its cryptocurrency addresses.

The use of mixers by North Korea state-backed hackers, and a popular mixer they employed to launder funds, made up the rest of the transfers.

https://www.cyberscoop.com/cryptocurrency-mixers-see-record-transactions-from-sanctioned-actors/

• Online Payment Fraud Expected to Cost $343B Over Next 5 Years

Despite ratcheted-up efforts to prevent account takeover, fraudsters are cashing in on a range of online payment fraud schemes, which researchers predict will cost retail organisations more than $343 billion over the next five years.

Physical good purchases are loss leaders, making up 49% of online payment fraud, driven in large part by developing markets with little address verification, according to a new Juniper Research report.

Fundamentally, no two online transactions are the same, so the way transactions are secured cannot follow a one-size-fits-all solution. Payment fraud detection and prevention vendors must build a multitude of verification capabilities, and intelligently orchestrate different solutions depending on circumstances, in order to correctly protect both merchants and users.

https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/online-payment-fraud-expected-to-cost-343b-over-5-years

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Threats

Ransomware

• Largest ransom pay-outs by cyber-insurers averaged £3.2 million in the past two years – Intelligent CISO

• Risk & Repeat: Ransomware in 2022 so far (techtarget.com)

• Paying ransomware crooks won’t reduce your legal risk, warns regulator – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Ransomware Attacks Reign Supreme in 2022 - MSSP Alert

• BlackCat (aka ALPHV) ransomware is increasing stakes up to $2.5 million in demands - Help Net Security

• New Lilith ransomware emerges with extortion site, lists first victim (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts warn of the new 0mega ransomware operation - Security Affairs

• Organisations Warned of New Lilith, RedAlert, 0mega Ransomware | SecurityWeek.Com

• Microsoft links H0ly Gh0st ransomware operation to North Korean hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Feds Issue Warning for North Korean-backed Ransomware Hijackers - MSSP Alert

• Ransomware gang now lets you search their stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Rise in ransomware drives IT leaders to implement data encryption - Help Net Security

• BlackCat Ransomware Group Deploys Brute Ratel Pen Testing Kit - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Bandai Namco confirms hack after ALPHV ransomware data leak threat (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 1.9m patients' medical data exposed in PFC ransomware attack • The Register

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Email scams are getting more personal – they even fool cyber security experts (theconversation.com)

• New Phishing Attacks Shame, Scare Victims into Surrendering Twitter, Discord Credentials (darkreading.com)

• Hackers impersonate cyber security firms in callback phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• $8 million stolen in large-scale Uniswap airdrop phishing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Almost a third of untrained users will click a phishing link - KnowBe4 research - IT Security Guru

• PayPal phishing kit added to hacked WordPress sites for full ID theft (bleepingcomputer.com)

Other Social Engineering

• Rise In Smishing Scams, Why And How To Protect? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How Hackers Create Fake Personas for Social Engineering (darkreading.com)

• How attackers abuse Quickbooks to send phone scam emails - Help Net Security

Malware

• Criminals are now posing as security companies to trick you into installing malware | TechRadar

Mobile

• New Android malware on Google Play installed 3 million times (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The weaponizing of smartphone location data on the battlefield - Help Net Security

Internet of Things – IoT

• Honda Admits Hackers Could Unlock Car Doors, Start Engines | SecurityWeek.Com

• Watch This $80,000 Tesla Model Y Get Hacked With $20 Hardware - autoevolution

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Fewer Individuals Fall Victim to Data Breaches as Attackers Switch to Business in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• A look inside Russian cyber crime syndicate TrickBot reveals an organised, potent adversary - CyberScoop

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto Scams Soar Despite Crash (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cryptocurrency flowing into “mixers” hits an all-time high. Wanna guess why? | Ars Technica

• Falling Cryptocurrency Market Stalling Cyber Crime Activity - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers stole $620 million from Axie Infinity via fake job interviews (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Joshua Schulte Convicted of Leaking CIA 'Vault 7' to Wikileaks (gizmodo.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• New Phishing Kit Hijacks WordPress Sites for PayPal Scam (darkreading.com)

Insurance

• Cyber Insurers Looking for New Risk Assessment Models - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How War Impacts Cyber Insurance | Threatpost4

• The cyber insurance market has a critical infrastructure problem - CyberScoop

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• 3 Golden Rules of Modern Third-Party Risk Management (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• Mantis, the tiny shrimp that launched 3,000 DDoS attacks • The Register

Identity and Access Management

• Report: Financial Institutions Overly Complacent About Current Authentication Methods (darkreading.com)

• Access Permissions: Manual Reviews Less Effective than Automation, Netwrix Study Finds - MSSP Alert

Encryption

• What to do now about tomorrow’s code-cracking computers | The Economist

Social Media

• Facebook 2FA scammers return – this time in just 21 minutes – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Disneyland Social Media Hacked - IT Security Guru

Training, Education and Awareness

• Accessible Cyber security Awareness Training Reduces Your Risk of Cyber Attack (darkreading.com)

Privacy

• New Cache Side Channel Attack Can De-Anonymize Targeted Online Users (thehackernews.com)

• Amazon handed Ring video to police without warrant, consent • The Register

• TikTok Chief Security Officer Steps Down Amid Concerns About Privacy (businessinsider.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Proposed SEC Rules Require More Transparency About Cyber-Risk (darkreading.com)

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

• Ukraine's Cyber Agency Reports Q2 Cyber-Attack Surge - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber espionage groups increasingly target journalists and media organisations | CSO Online

• Sandworm APT Trolls Researchers on Its Trail as It Targets Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• The Man at the Centre of the New Cyber World War - POLITICO

• How War Impacts Cyber Insurance | Threatpost

• Lithuanian Energy Firm Disrupted by DDOS Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security vendor splits to address Russia’s war in Ukraine • The Register

• Apple previews Lockdown Mode, a new extreme security feature | ZDNet

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• ‘Nobody is holding them back’ — North Korean cyber-attack threat rises (cointelegraph.com)

• North Korean threat actor targets small and midsize businesses with H0lyGh0st ransomware - Microsoft Security Blog

Nation State Actors – Misc APT

• APT groups target journalists and media organisations since 2021 - Security Affairs

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Vulnerability Management

• Rethinking Vulnerability Management in a Heightened Threat Landscape | Threatpost

• Using shields up to secure credentials and mitigate vulnerabilities (scmagazine.com)

• The enemy of vulnerability management? Unrealistic expectations - Help Net Security

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Vulnerabilities

• DHS warns: Expect Log4j risks for 'a decade or longer' • The Register

• Microsoft's Patch Tuesday fixes one bug under active exploit • The Register

• Multiple Vulnerabilities in Adobe Products Could Allow for Arbitrary Code Execution (cisecurity.org)

• CISA orders agencies to patch new Windows zero-day used in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Flaw in Netwrix Auditor application allows arbitrary code execution - Security Affairs

• Elastix VoIP systems hacked in massive campaign to install PHP web shells (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Targeting VoIP Servers by Exploiting Digium Phone Software (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Teams security vulnerability left users open to XSS via flawed stickers feature | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• Anvil Mobile Hit By New Exploit - DNS Hijacking. (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Microsoft Issues Fixes for 84 Vulnerabilities: Here's What to Patch Now (darkreading.com)

• Patch these Juniper Networks bugs, CISA says • The Register

• Buggy WordPress plugin allows complete site takeover • The Register

• VMware patches vCenter Server flaw disclosed in November (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vulnerabilities that could allow undetectable infections affect 70 Lenovo laptop models | Ars Technica

• AMD, Intel chips vulnerable to 'Retbleed' Spectre variant • The Register

• Microsoft fixes dozens of Azure Site Recovery privilege escalation bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft releases PoC exploit for macOS sandbox escape vulnerability (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AWS squashes authentication bugs in Kubernetes service • The Register

• Lenovo fixes trio of UEFI vulnerabilities • The Register

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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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Reports Published in the Last Week

State of Authentication in the Finance Industry 2022 | HYPR

Online Payment Fraud Market Report 2022-27: Size, Share, Trends (juniperresearch.com)

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Other News

5 key considerations for your 2023 cyber security budget planning | CSO Online

What Are the Risks of Employees Going on a 'Hybrid Holiday'? (darkreading.com)

New ‘Luna Moth’ hackers breach orgs via fake subscription renewals (bleepingcomputer.com)

Experian accounts could still be at risk from hackers | TechRadar

Cyber security skills surpass cloud skills as this year's training priority, if professionals can find the time | ZDNet

Average American Accesses Suspicious Sites 6.5 Times a Day - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Mergers and acquisitions are a strong zero-trust use case • The Register

Recruitment agency Morgan Hunt confirms 'cyber incident' • The Register

New Exploit Attacks UK Routers and Runs Up Mobile Data Bills - ISPreview UK

How Attackers Could Dupe Developers into Downloading Malicious Code From GitHub (darkreading.com)

CEO of Dozens of Companies Charged in Scheme to Traffic An Estimated $1bn in Fake Cisco Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Data breaches explained: Types, examples, and impact | CSO Online

President of European Central Bank Christine Lagarde targeted by hackers - Security Affairs

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 17 June 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• How Organisations Can Protect Themselves in The Emerging Risk Landscape

ThoughtLab’s 2022 cyber security benchmarking study ‘Cyber Security Solutions for a Riskier World’ revealed that the pandemic has brought cyber security to a critical inflection point. The number of material breaches that respondents suffered rose 20.5% from 2020 to 2021, and cyber security budgets as a percentage of firms’ total revenue jumped 51%, from 0.53% to 0.80%.

During that time, cyber security has become a strategic business imperative, requiring CEOs and their management teams to work together to meet the higher expectations of regulators, shareholders, and the board.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/13/cybersecurity-strategic-business-imperative-video/

• Phishing Reaches All-Time High in Early 2022

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) Phishing Activity Trends Report reveals that in the first quarter of 2022 there were 1,025,968 total phishing attacks—the worst quarter for phishing observed to date. This quarter was the first time the three-month total has exceeded one million. There were 384,291 attacks in March 2022, which was a record monthly total.

In the first quarter of 2022, OpSec Security reported that phishing attacks against the financial sector, which includes banks, remained the largest set of attacks, accounting for 23.6 percent of all phishing. Attacks against webmail and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers remained prevalent as well, while attacks against retail/ecommerce sites fell from 17.3 to 14.6 percent after the holiday shopping season.

Phishing against social media services rose markedly, from 8.5 percent of all attacks in 4Q2021 to 12.5 percent in 1Q2022. Phishing against cryptocurrency targets—such as cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers—inched up from 6.5 in the previous quarter to 6.6 percent of attacks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/15/2022-total-phishing-attacks/

• Ransomware Attacks Are Surging, with More Dangerous Hybrid Attacks to Come. Is Your Cyber Security Up to Date?

Time to reassess your cyber security strategies. Again.

Ransomware attacks on businesses have increased by one-third in the past year, according to a recent report by the Boston-based cyber security company Cybereason. 

Most (73 percent of businesses) were hit by at least one ransomware attack in the past year, and 68 percent of businesses that paid a ransom were hit again in less than a month for a higher ransom, according to the survey, which polled 1,456 cyber security professionals at global companies with 700 or more employees.

These attacks have big implications: Thirty-seven percent of companies were forced to lay off employees after paying ransoms, and 33 percent were forced to temporarily suspend business.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, cyber security experts have insisted businesses improve their lines of defence to protect against an increased risk of ransomware attacks from Russia. ​Ransomware attacks have also increased since the start of the pandemic--the rise of remote work increased vulnerability for many businesses, which hackers have taken advantage of, a 2020 FBI memo noted. So, enterprises of all sizes are at risk from many more points of attack.

https://www.inc.com/rebecca-deczynski/ransomware-attacks-increasing-cyber-security-advice.html

• The Challenges of Managing Increased Complexity as Hybrid IT Accelerates

SolarWinds released the findings of its ninth annual IT Trends Report which examines the acceleration of digital transformation efforts and its impact on IT departments. The report found the acceleration of hybrid IT has increased network complexity for most organisations and caused several worrisome challenges for IT professionals.

Hybrid and remote work have amplified the impact of distributed and complex IT environments. Running workloads and applications across both cloud and on-premises infrastructure can be challenging, and many organisations are increasingly experiencing—and ultimately hindered by—these pain points.

As more and more mission-critical workloads move to connected cloud architectures that span public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments, enterprises recognise they need to invest in the tools that will help them ensure consistent policies and performance across all platforms and end users. However, they simultaneously face challenges such as budget, time constraints, and barriers to implementing observability as a strategy to keep pace with hybrid IT realities.

However professionals feel less confident in their organisation’s ability to manage IT. While 54% of respondents state they leverage monitoring strategies to manage this complexity, 49% revealed they lack visibility into the majority of their organisation’s apps and infrastructure. This lack of visibility impacts their ability to conduct anomaly detection, easy root-cause analysis, and other critical processes to ensure the availability, performance, and security of business-critical applications.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/hybrid-it-acceleration-challenges/

• 72% Of Middle Market Companies Expect to Experience a Cyber Attack

Middle market companies face an increasingly volatile cyber security environment, with threats coming from more directions than ever before and more skilled criminals targeting the segment, according to an RSM US and US Chamber of Commerce report.

However, there is good news as the number of breaches reported in the last year among middle market companies slightly decreased with protections becoming more available and executives understanding the consequences related to potential incidents. Twenty-two percent of middle market leaders claimed that their company experienced a data breach in the last year, representing a drop from 28% in last year’s survey, suggesting that even with enhanced protections in place and the decrease in attacks, companies cannot afford to let their guard down.

The middle market encountered a roller coaster of risks in the last year, from lingering threats related to the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty.

The small drop in reported breaches is encouraging, and largely attributed to middle market companies beginning to implement better identity and access management controls. Yet, even with the decline in reported attacks, companies recognise the risks posed by the current dynamic threat environment, with 72% of executives anticipating that unauthorised users will attempt to access data or systems in 2022, a sharp rise from 64% last year and the highest number since RSM began tracking data in 2015.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/middle-market-companies-cybersecurity/

• Malware's Destruction Trajectory and How to Defeat It

Malware and targeted attacks on operating systems and firmware have become increasingly destructive in nature, and these more nefarious attack methods are rising in prevalence. And just to add insult to injury, there are more of them. Today’s attacks are hitting more often, and they are hitting harder.

In the first three decades of its existence, malware was primarily restricted to mischief and attempts by virus creators to discover if their creations would work. But now the threat landscape has changed from simple vandalism to lucrative cyber crime and state-sponsored attacks.

Wiper malware, in particular, has gained traction in recent months. The FortiGuard Labs research team has seen at least seven different malware attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure or Ukrainian companies so far this year. The primary reason for using Wiper malware is its sheer destructiveness – the intent is to cripple infrastructure. What does the increased presence of Wiper malware strains indicate? And what do security leaders need to know and do to keep their organisation safe? Read more…

https://www.securityweek.com/malwares-destruction-trajectory-and-how-defeat-it

• Which Stolen Data Are Ransomware Gangs Most Likely to Disclose?

If your organisation gets hit by a ransomware gang that has also managed to steal company data before hitting the “encrypt” button, which types of data are more likely to end up being disclosed as you debate internally on whether you should pay the ransomware gang off?

Rapid7 analysed 161 data disclosures performed by ransomware gangs using the double extortion approach between April 2020 and February 2022, and found that:

• The most commonly leaked data is financial (63%), followed by customer/patient data (48%)

• Files containing intellectual property (e.g., trade secrets, research data, etc.) are rarely disclosed (12%) by ransomware gangs, but if the organisation is part of the pharmaceutical industry, the risk of IP data being disclosed is considerably higher (43%), “likely due to the high value placed on research and development within this industry.”

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/17/ransomware-data-disclosed/

• Threat Actors Becoming More Creative Exploiting the Human Factor

Threat actors exhibited "ceaseless creativity" last year when attacking the Achilles heel of every organisation—its human capital—according to Proofpoint's annual The Human Factor 2022 report. The report, released June 2, draws on a multi-trillion datapoint graph created from the company's deployments to identify the latest attack trends by malicious players.

"Last year, attackers demonstrated just how unscrupulous they really are, making protecting people from cyber threats an ongoing—and often eye-opening—challenge for organisations,” Proofpoint said in a statement.

The combination of remote work and the blurring of work and personal life on smartphones have influenced attacker techniques, the report notes. During the year, SMS phishing, or smishing, attempts more than doubled in the United States, while in the UK, 50% of phishing lures focused on delivery notifications. An expectation that more people were likely working from home even drove good, old-fashioned voice scams, with more than 100,000 telephone attacks a day being launched by cyber criminals.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3663478/threat-actors-becoming-more-creative-exploiting-the-human-factor.html#tk.rss_news

• 66% Of Organisations Store 21%-60% Of Their Sensitive Data in The Cloud

A Thales report, conducted by 451 Research, reveals that 45% of businesses have experienced a cloud-based data breach or failed audit in the past 12 months, up 5% from the previous year, raising even greater concerns regarding the protection of sensitive data from cyber criminals.

Globally, cloud adoption and notably multicloud adoption, remains on the rise. In 2021, organisations worldwide were using an average amount of 110 software as a service (SaaS) applications, compared with just eight in 2015, showcasing a startlingly rapid increase.

With increasing complexity of multicloud environments comes an even greater need for robust cyber security. When asked what percentage of their sensitive data is stored in the cloud, 66% said between 21-60%. However, only 25% said they could fully classify all data.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/06/16/cloud-based-data-breach-video/

• Travel-related Cyber Crime Takes Off as Industry Rebounds

An upsurge in the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic grabs the attention of cyber criminals to scam the tourists.

Researchers are warning a post-COVID upsurge in travel has painted a bullseye on the travel industry and has spurred related cyber crimes.

Criminal activity includes an uptick in adversaries targeting the theft of airline mileage reward points, website credentials for travel websites and travel-related databases breaches, according to a report by Intel 471.

The impact of the attacks are hacked accounts stripped of value. But also, researchers say the consequences of recent attacks can also include flight delays and cancelations as airlines grapple with mitigating hacks.

https://threatpost.com/travel-related-cybercrime-takes-off/179962/

• How Should You Think About Security When Considering Digital Transformation Projects?

Digital transformation helps businesses keep operating and stay competitive. Here are the ways to think about security so that businesses reap the benefits without taking on associated risks.

Multiple factors contribute to the sheer number of digital transformation projects underway today: the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), expanding artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, the sudden shift to a remote workforce prompted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid rate of cloud migration. Digital transformation is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in order to survive and thrive in today’s business world.

CISOs and their security teams need to think about security in the digital age from both an internal and an external perspective. For the former, security teams should introduce and adopt digital enablers to transform the information security organisation. Digital enablers include the cloud, IoT, AI/machine learning (ML), and automation to transform the information security organisation.

For the latter, they should address potential risks as new digital enablers are introduced by the business to drive growth.

Here are five specific areas security teams should prioritise to achieve security-first digital transformation:

1. Security operations modernisation

2. Developer-centric security

3. Cloud strategy and execution

4. Connected devices

5. Big data and analytics

As important as it is to keep the business operating and competitive, organisations must transform securely. Keeping security at the forefront gives the business the benefits of digital transformation without the associated risks.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-ask-the-experts/how-should-i-think-about-security-when-considering-digital-transformation-projects-

• Internet Explorer Now Retired but Still an Attacker Target

Microsoft's official end-of-support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on June 15 relegated to history a browser that's been around for almost 27 years. Even so, IE still likely will provide a juicy target for attackers.

That's because some organisations are still using Internet Explorer (IE) despite Microsoft's long-known plans to deprecate the technology. Microsoft meanwhile has retained the MSHTML (aka Trident) IE browser engine as part of Windows 11 until 2029, allowing organisations to run in IE mode while they transition to the Microsoft Edge browser. In other words, IE isn't dead just yet, nor are threats to it.

Though IE has a negligible share of the browser market worldwide these days (0.52%), many enterprises still run it or have legacy applications tied to IE. This appears to be the case in countries such as Japan and Korea. Stories in Nikkei Asia and Japan Times this week quoted a survey by Keyman's Net showing that nearly 49% of 350 Japanese companies surveyed are still using IE. Another report in South Korea's MBN pointed to several large organisations still running IE.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/internet-explorer-will-likely-remain-an-attacker-target-for-some-time

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Threats

Ransomware

• Ransomware attacks are increasing with more dangerous hybrids ahead | CSO Online

• Why do organisations need to prioritize ransomware preparedness? - Help Net Security

• Ransomware and Phishing Remain IT's Biggest Concerns (darkreading.com)

• The attacker’s toolkit: Ransomware-as-a-service | VentureBeat

• Ransomware gang publishes stolen victim data on the public Internet - Help Net Security

• Researchers Discover Way to Attack SharePoint and OneDrive Files with Ransomware | SecurityWeek.Com

• ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang starts publishing victims' data on the clear web - Security Affairs

• Ransomware gang creates site for employees to search for their stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft: Exchange servers hacked to deploy BlackCat ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Conti's Attack Against Costa Rica Sparks a New Ransomware Era | WIRED UK

• Hello XD ransomware now drops a backdoor while encrypting (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Alphv ransomware gang ups pressure with new extortion scheme (techtarget.com)

• Costa Rica Chaos a Warning That Ransomware Threat Remains | SecurityWeek.Com

• DeadBolt ransomware takes another shot at QNAP storage • The Register

• The many lives of BlackCat ransomware - Microsoft Security Blog

• Atlassian Confluence Flaw Being Used to Deploy Ransomware and Crypto Miners (thehackernews.com)

• BlackCat Ransomware affiliates target unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers - Security Affairs

• Ransomware gangs target Japan as a feeding ground | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Africa's biggest supermarket hit by ransomware attacks | TechRadar

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• NakedPages Phishing Toolkit is Now Available on Cyber crime Forums - Infosecurity Magazine

• New phishing attack infects devices with Cobalt Strike (bleepingcomputer.com)

Other Social Engineering

• How social engineering attacks are evolving beyond email - Help Net Security

• 2,000 People Arrested Worldwide for Social Engineering Schemes | SecurityWeek.Com

• Facebook Messenger Scam Duped Millions | Threatpost

• Heineken giving away free beer for Father's Day? It's a WhatsApp scam (bitdefender.com)

Malware

• Businesses are leaving bot attacks unchallenged for almost four months - Help Net Security

• New Syslogk Linux rootkit uses magic packets to trigger backdoor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Linux Malware Deemed ‘Nearly Impossible’ to Detect | Threatpost

• Authorities Shut Down Russian RSOCKS Botnet That Hacked Millions of Devices (thehackernews.com)

• PSA: Beware of Clipboard Malware | NiceHash

• New Emotet Variant Stealing Users’ Credit Card Information From Google Chrome – Information Security Buzz

• Akamai Warns Of "Panchan" Linux Botnet That Leverages Golang Concurrency, Systemd - Phoronix

• Websites Hosting Fake Cracks Spread Updated CopperStealer Malware (trendmicro.com)

Mobile

• Over a billion Google Play Store app downloads could be infected by malware | TechRadar

• Android malware on the Google Play Store gets 2 million downloads (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MaliBot: A New Android Banking Trojan Spotted in the Wild (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber security Researchers Find Several Google Play Store Apps Stealing Users Data - Infosecurity Magazine

• Chinese Hackers Distribute Backdoored Web3 Wallets for iOS and Android Users (thehackernews.com)

• Android Spyware 'Hermit' Discovered in Targeted Attacks (darkreading.com)

Internet of Things - IoT

• Anker Eufy smart home hubs exposed to RCE attacks by critical flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researcher Shows How Tesla Key Card Feature Can Be Abused to Steal Cars | SecurityWeek.Com

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Unsecured Elasticsearch server leaks a million records • The Register

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber Criminals Smuggle Ukrainian Men Across Border - Infosecurity Magazine

• iCloud hacker gets 9 years in prison for stealing nude photos (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs

• Atlassian Confluence Flaw Being Used to Deploy Ransomware and Crypto Miners (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• At Second Trial, Ex-CIA Employee Defends Himself in Big Leak | SecurityWeek.Com

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) Fraud Alert as Account Takeovers Surge - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• INTERPOL raids hundreds of scammy call centers in sweep - CyberScoop

• Fraud trends and scam tactics consumers should be aware of - Help Net Security

Dark Web

• 24 Billion Usernames And Passwords Found On The Dark Web – Information Security Buzz

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• How confident are IT pros in the security of their organisation's supply chain? - Help Net Security

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• A tiny botnet launched the largest DDoS attack on record | ZDNet

• Cloudflare Saw Record-Breaking DDoS Attack Peaking at 26 Million Request Per Second (thehackernews.com)

• DDoS Subscription Service Operator Gets 2 Years in Prison (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Increased cloud complexity needs stronger cyber security - Help Net Security

• Beware the 'Secret Agent' Cloud Middleware (darkreading.com)

• SaaS security: How to avoid “death by 1000 apps” - Help Net Security

• Quantifying the SaaS Supply Chain and Its Risks (darkreading.com)

• 83% of IT pros are using either hybrid or multi-cloud - Help Net Security

Privacy

• Location data poses risks to individuals, organisations | CSO Online

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• 24+ Billion Credentials Circulating on the Dark Web in 2022 — So Far (darkreading.com)

• Strong passwords still a priority strategy for enterprises - Help Net Security

• The future is passwordless. What's slowing it down? - Help Net Security

• Brute-Force Attacks: How to Defend Against Them - MSSP Alert

• Staffing Firm Robert Half Says Hackers Targeted Over 1,000 Customer Accounts | SecurityWeek.Com

Travel

• Cyber Criminals Capitalizing on Resurgence in Travel (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Privacy Watchdog Set to Keep Millions in Fines for Legal Costs - Infosecurity Magazine

• Canada wants companies to report cyber attacks and hacking incidents | Reuters

• A closer look at the US SEC Cyber Security Disclosure rule - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Interpol anti-fraud op leads to 2,000 arrests, $50m seized • The Register

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

• Chinese Threat Actor Employs Fake Removable Devices as Lures in Cyber-Espionage Campaign (darkreading.com)

• Sophisticated Android Spyware 'Hermit' Used by Governments | SecurityWeek.Com

• Chinese 'Gallium' Hackers Using New PingPull Malware in Cyberespionage Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Vladimir Putin forced by cyber attack in Russia to delay keynote speech | The Independent

• Iranian hacking campaign that included former US ambassador exposed - CyberScoop

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russia Reportedly Warns of "Direct Military Clash" if Cyber-Attacks on its Infrastructure Continue - IT Security Guru

• Russian hackers start targeting Ukraine with Follina exploits (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mixed results for Russia's aggressive Ukraine information war, experts say - CyberScoop

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese Gallium hackers backdoor finance, govt orgs using new PingPull malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China-linked APT Flew Under Radar for Decade | Threatpost

• Chinese APT exploited Sophos Firewall Zero-Day before it was fixed - Security Affairs

Nation State Actors – Iran

• New Iranian Spear-Phishing Campaign Hijacks Email Conversations- IT Security Guru

• State-Sponsored Phishing Attack Targeted Israeli Military Officials | Threatpost

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Vulnerability Management

• Only 10% of vulnerabilities are remediated each month - Help Net Security

• Vulnerability management mistakes CISOs still make | CSO Online

• Mind the gap: How to ensure your vulnerability detection methods are up to scratch - Help Net Security

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Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft fixes Follina and 55 other CVEs - Help Net Security

• Details of Twice-Patched Windows RDP Vulnerability Disclosed | SecurityWeek.Com

• New Hertzbleed side-channel attack affects Intel, AMD CPUs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Time to throw out those older, vulnerable Cisco SMB routers • The Register

• Critical Citrix Bugs Impact All ADM Servers, Agents (darkreading.com)

• Time to update: Google patches seven Chrome browser bugs, four rated 'high' risk | ZDNet

• Critical Flaw in Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager Lets Attackers Bypass Authentication (thehackernews.com)

• Cisco fixed a critical Bypass Authentication flaw in Cisco ESA and Secure Email and Web Manager- Security Affairs

• Why Log4j Is Still The Problem When The Patch Is Released 6 Months Ago? – Information Security Buzz

• Atlassian Confluence Flaw Being Used to Deploy Ransomware and Crypto Miners (thehackernews.com)

• Sophos Firewall zero-day bug exploited weeks before fix (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Disclose Rooting Backdoor in Mitel IP Phones for Businesses (thehackernews.com)

• NinjaForms WordPress plugin, actively exploited in wild, receives forced security update • Graham Cluley

• How to mitigate Active Directory attacks that use the KrbRelayUp toolset | CSO Online

• Hertzbleed disclosure raises questions for Intel (techtarget.com)

• Critical Atlassian Confluence flaw remains under attack (techtarget.com)

• Hackers exploit three-year-old Telerik flaws to deploy Cobalt Strike (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Technical Details Released for 'SynLapse' RCE Vulnerability Reported in Microsoft Azure (thehackernews.com)

• Zimbra bug allows stealing email logins with no user interaction (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft takes months to fix critical Azure Synapse bug (techtarget.com)

• PACMAN, a new attack technique against Apple M1 CPUs - Security Affairs

• Critical Code Execution Vulnerability Patched in Splunk Enterprise | SecurityWeek.Com

• High-Severity RCE Vulnerability Reported in Popular Fastjson Library (thehackernews.com)

• This Security Exploit Could Have Major PS5 And PS4 Implications (slashgear.com)

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Sector Specific

Financial Services Sector

• Chinese GALLIUM Expands Targeting Across Telecommunications, Government and Finance Sectors With New PingPull Tool (paloaltonetworks.com)

Telecoms

• Chinese GALLIUM Expands Targeting Across Telecommunications, Government and Finance Sectors With New PingPull Tool (paloaltonetworks.com)

Government

• Chinese GALLIUM Expands Targeting Across Telecommunications, Government and Finance Sectors With New PingPull Tool (paloaltonetworks.com)

Health/Medical/Pharma Sector

• Ransomware Risk in Healthcare Endangers Patients | Threatpost

• Kaiser Permanente Says Data Breach Hit 69,000 Patients (gizmodo.com)

Transport and Aviation

• Cyber Criminals Capitalizing on Resurgence in Travel (darkreading.com)

CNI, OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA

• Tackling 5 Challenges Facing Critical National Infrastructure Today (darkreading.com)

• State of OT Security in 2022: Big Survey Key Insights (trendmicro.com)

• Over a Dozen Flaws Found in Siemens' Industrial Network Management System (thehackernews.com)

• Eight ICS Zero Days Could Open Doors for Hackers - Infosecurity Magazine

Web3

• Web3 and IAM: Marching toward disruption | CSO Online

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Voice of the CISO 2022 | Proofpoint

• 3 Big Takeaways From the Verizon DBIR 2022 (darkreading.com)

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• Other News

• Why We Need Security Knowledge and Not Just Threat Intel (darkreading.com)

• Once is never enough: The need for continuous penetration testing - Help Net Security

• CISOs Gain False Confidence in the Calm After the Storm of the Pandemic (darkreading.com)

• 9 ways hackers will use machine learning to launch attacks | CSO Online

• API security warrants its own specific solution - Help Net Security

• Cyber Security Courses Ramp Up Amid Shortage of Professionals | SecurityWeek.Com

• How Russian sanctions may be helping US cyber security (techtarget.com)

• UK Security Practitioners Lack The Confidence To Stop Attacks – Information Security Buzz

• How Can Security Partnerships Help to Mitigate the Increasing Cyber Threat? (darkreading.com)

• 45% of cyber security pros are considering quitting the industry due to stress - Help Net Security

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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 13 May 2022

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

• UK, US Intelligence Agencies Warn Managed Service Providers, including External IT Providers, Are Now Prime Targets for Cyber Attacks

The Five Eyes coalition of international cyber security authorities, this week issued an advisory to warn managed service providers (MSPs), including external IT providers, of an escalating threat of attack from both everyday cyber criminals and state-sponsored threat actors.

MSPs provide or operate information and communications technology services.

With input from cyber security leaders from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, the NSA provided recommendations to help bolster their cyber defences, including:

• Finding and disabling dormant accounts.

• Implementing and enforcing multifactor authentication on accounts.

• Ensuring contracts clearly map out who owns and is responsible for securing data.

Malicious actors are targeting MSPs to break into their customers' networks and deploy ransomware, steal data, and spy on them, the Five Eyes authorities have formally warned in a joint security alert.

"The UK, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and US cyber security authorities expect malicious cyber actors — including state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) groups — to step up their targeting of MSPs in their efforts to exploit provider-customer network trust relationships," the alert warned.

These types of supply-chain or "island-hopping" attacks can prove very lucrative for cyber criminals because once they break into an MSP, they gain access to all of the customers' networks and data being managed, and in turn commit computer crimes and fraud against those customers' customers.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/nsa-warns-managed-service-providers-are-now-prime-targets-for-cyberattacks

• Wannacry – 5 Years On, 68% Of Enterprises Are Still at Risk

5 years on from one of the world’s most damaging ransomware attacks, research from network detection and response leader ExtraHop has found that 68% of enterprises are still running insecure protocol that were exploited by the North Korean ransomware.

The events of 12 May 2017 live on in cyber security lore. WannaCry revealed just how extensive the damage caused by ransomware can be if deployed in large scale – from downtime to ransom paid to reputational damage. Yet despite the danger, huge numbers of organisations are still running SMBv1, the protocol exploited in the WannaCry attacks that has been publicly deprecated since 2014.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/expert-comments/wannacry-5-years-on-68-of-enterprises-are-still-at-risk/

• You Can’t Eliminate Cyber Attacks, So Focus on Reducing the Blast Radius

Given it is impossible to prevent all cyber attacks, many organisations should look to reduce the size of the company’s attack surface and the limit the “blast radius” of a potential attack.

There is a danger that the biggest risk concerning cyber attacks is that we’re becoming desensitised to them. After all, businesses experience a ransomware attack every 11 seconds—the majority of which the public never hears about. Faced with this reality, it may seem like efforts to safeguard the enterprise are futile. But that’s all the more reason to strengthen your resolve—and switch up your cyber defence strategy.

The core of this strategy should be the concept of “reducing the blast radius” of an attack, and since you can’t completely eliminate cyber attacks, you need to take steps to contain the impact.

This strategy should contain basic blocking and also consider things such as Zero Trust for remote access, traffic inspection, software-based micro-segmentation and other practical measures to reduce your attack surface.

https://threatpost.com/cyberattacks-blast-radius/179612/

• Just In Time? Bosses Are Finally Waking Up to The Cyber Security Threat

Boardrooms have a reputation for not paying much attention to cyber security, but it could be that executives are finally keen to take more interest in securing the systems and networks their businesses rely on.

Senior figures from American, British and Australian cyber security agencies have said that business execs are now more aware of cyber threats and are actively engaging with their chief information security officer (CISO) and information security teams.

Chief execs are starting to ask their CISOs the right questions, rather than leaving them to it because they don't have to understand complex technology. It does feel like a much more engaging strategic conversation, but there can still be a disconnect between knowing what needs to happen, then actually budgeting for and implementing a cyber security strategy.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/just-in-time-bosses-are-finally-waking-up-to-the-cybersecurity-threat/

• Most Organisations Hit by Ransomware Would Pay Up If Hit Again

Almost nine in 10 organisations that have suffered a ransomware attack would choose to pay the ransom if hit again, according to a new report, compared with two-thirds of those that have not experienced an attack.

The findings come from a report titled "How business executives perceive ransomware threat" by security company Kaspersky, which states that ransomware has become an ever-present threat, with 64 percent of companies surveyed already having suffered an attack, but more worryingly, that executives seem to believe that paying the ransom is a reliable way of addressing the issue.

The report is based on research involving 900 respondents across North America, South America, Africa, Russia, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The respondents were in senior non-IT management roles at companies between 50 and 1,000 employees.

Kaspersky claims that in 88 percent of organisations that have had to deal with a ransomware incident, business leaders said they would choose to pay the money if faced with another attack. In contrast, among those that have not so far suffered a ransomware attack, only 67 percent would be willing to pay, and they would be less inclined to do so immediately.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/13/organizations_pay_ransomware/

• 31,000 FTSE 100 Logins Found on Dark Web

Researchers with Outpost24 are reporting over 31,000 corporate credentials for many of the UK’s leading FTSE 100 firms on the dark web. These are the 100 biggest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange by market capitalisation. The researchers used their threat monitoring and auditing tool Blueliv to search dark web sites for the breached credentials.

Key findings from stolen and leaked credentials study:

• The majority (81%) of the companies within the FTSE 100 had at least one credential compromised and exposed on the dark web

• 31,135 total stolen and leaked credentials detected for FTSE 100 companies, with 38% disclosed on the underground in the past 12 months

• Nearly half (42%) of FTSE 100 companies have more than 500 compromised credentials exposed on the dark web

• Up to 20% of credentials are stolen via malware infection and stealers

• 11% disclosed in the last 3 months (21% in the last 6 months and over 68% have been exposed for over 12 months)

• Over 60% of stolen credentials came from 3 industries – IT/Telecom (23%), Energy and Utility (22%) and Finance (21%)

• IT/Telecoms industry is the most at risk with the highest total amount (7,303) and average stolen credentials per company (730), they are most affected by malware infection and have the most amount of stolen credentials disclosed in the last 3 months

• On average, healthcare has the highest number of stolen credentials per company (485) from data breach as they found themselves increasingly in the cyber criminals’ crosshairs since the pandemic.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/expert-comments/31000-ftse-100-logins-found-on-dark-web/

• Ransomware: How Executives Should Prepare Given the Current Threat Landscape

As the number of ransomware attacks continue to increase, the response at C-level must be swift and decisive.

Top executives are increasingly dreading the phone call from their fellow employee notifying them that their company has been hit by a cyber attack. Nearly every week in 2021 and early 2022, a prominent organisation has been in the media spotlight as their public relations team struggles to explain how they were attacked and how they can regain consumer confidence. A recent survey showed that 37 percent of organisations surveyed had been affected by ransomware attacks in the last year.

Worse, the days when executive leadership teams could fully delegate responsibility to a CISO are over. Regardless of reality, surveys have shown that about 40 percent of the public perception of fault for a ransomware attack lands squarely on the CEO’s shoulders, and that 36 percent of attacks result in the loss of C-level talent. While executive involvement in the security program does not guarantee a successful defence, it does give the executive leadership team (ELT) a degree of ownership of the final product, as well as the ability to speak confidently and knowledgeably to the public.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-how-executives-should-prepare-given-the-current-threat-landscape/

• What Your Cyber Insurance Application Form Can Tell You About Ransomware Readiness

The annual cyber insurance application form shows what the carriers think you should be doing to best prevent and recover from ransomware attacks. Pay attention.

If it’s the time of year for you to fill out the annual cyber insurance policy application, you will see how the focus for insurance firms is changing. Each year you can get an insight into what insurance vendors are using to rate the risks and threats to your business and what they are stressing firms should have in place as best practice or what they are expecting you should have in place as a baseline set of controls. Not having them in place could affect insurance rates, whether you are able to get cyber coverage at all, or crucially whether they would pay out in the event of you having to make a claim.

This year you might find more questions specifically around ransomware prevention techniques and protections, from Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) to Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), and email filtering protections to the robustness of your backups.

Make sure to review your cyber insurance policy and its related questionnaire. And ask whether you are doing everything you can to protect your firm and tailoring your actions to align with what your insurance provider has deemed as a best practice.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3659831/what-your-cyber-insurance-application-form-can-tell-you-about-ransomware-readiness.html#tk.rss_news

• NCSC Shut Down 2.7 Million Scams in 2021

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) removed 2.7 million online scams last year, it was revealed this week, four times as many scams compared to 2020.

The announcement comes as the security agency shared the most recent data from its Active Cyber Defence initiative at the CYBERUK summit earlier in the week.

According to the NCSC, neutralised scams included fake celebrity endorsements and spoof extortion emails.

It has also been revealed that fraud campaigns used common themes, with NHS vaccines and vaccine passports being particularly popular.

Some cyber criminals even posed as NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron – victims received an email claiming the NCSC had prevented £5m of their money from being stolen, and were urged to supply personal information to retrieve the funds.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2022/05/10/ncsc-shut-down-2-7-million-scams-in-2021/

• Security Threats Targeting Remote Workers

Remote work offers great benefits, like reduced commute time, increased freedom, and more time to spend with loved ones. But there can be security downsides if sufficient controls are not in place to protect remote workers against the digital threats that come with working via unsecured connections.

Being on a home network lacks the layered network security of the company environment. Remote work itself is not new, but the dramatic shift to working from home over the past two years means there are more security-naive people who are not in the office.

Not all security threats are the fault of technology. Much of it also comes from human error.

Remote work greatly exacerbates human-activated risk, and people are working in more distracting environments where they may have to answer the door for deliveries or might multitask with household chores. That means mistakes are more likely to happen, like sending an email to the wrong recipient or falling for a malicious email attack.

Recent research by Egress found that 77% of IT leaders said they have seen an increase in security compromises since going remote two years ago.

https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/top-6-security-threats-targeting-remote-workers

• Password Reuse Is Rampant Among Employees in All Sectors

SpyCloud published an annual analysis of identity exposure among employees of Fortune 1000 companies in key sectors such as technology, finance, retail and telecommunications.

Drawing on a database of over 200 billion recaptured assets, researchers identified over 687 million exposed credentials and PII tied to Fortune 1000 employees, a 26% increase from last year’s analysis.

Analysis of this data showed a 64% password reuse rate, widespread use of easy-to-guess passwords, and a spike in malware-infected devices –– all sources of cyber risk for both employers and consumers who rely on businesses to safeguard their personal data. With remote work blurring the lines between work and personal device use, a larger attack surface compounds the risk of cyber attacks proliferating beyond compromised employee and consumer identities to penetrate corporate networks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/11/fortune-1000-identity-exposure/

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Threats

Ransomware

• Costa Rica Shows the Damage Ransomware Can Do to a Country - The Washington Post

• Ransomware-as-a-Service: Understanding The Cyber Crime Gig Economy And How To Protect Yourself - Microsoft Security Blog

• Ransomware Works Fast, You Need to Be Faster To Counter It - Help Net Security

• A Closer Look At Today’s Ransomware Attack Landscape - MSSP Alert

• Ransomware Is a National Security Threat, So Please Tell Us About Attacks, Says Government | ZDNet

• 5 Years That Altered the Ransomware Landscape (darkreading.com)

• Colonial Pipeline Faces Nearly $1m Fine After Ransomware • The Register

• These Ransomware Attackers Sent Their Ransom Note to The Victim's Printer | ZDNet

• New Malware Samples Indicate Return of REvil Ransomware | SecurityWeek.Com

• How to Avoid Falling Victim to PayOrGrief's Next Rebrand (darkreading.com)

• Examining the Black Basta Ransomware’s Infection Routine (trendmicro.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Novel Phishing Trick Uses Weird Links to Bypass Spam Filters | Threatpost

• New Email Security Tool Launched to Help Organisations Check Their Defences - NCSC.GOV.UK

• TA578 Using Thread-Hijacked Emails to Push ISO Files For Bumblebee Malware - SANS Internet Storm Center

Malware

• Novel ‘Nerbian’ Trojan Uses Advanced Anti-Detection Tricks | Threatpost

• Low-rent Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Worries Researchers | Threatpost

• Eternity Malware Kit Offers Stealer, Miner, Worm, Ransomware Tools (bleepingcomputer.com)

• It costs $7 to Rent DCRat Malware to Backdoor Your Network • The Register

• Shopping For Malware: $260 Gets You a Password Stealer... • The Register

• Microsoft: Sysrv Botnet Targets Windows, Linux Servers with New Exploits (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Drive Emerges as Top App For Malware Downloads - Help Net Security

• Stealthy Linux Implant BPFdoor Compromised Organizations Globally For Years | CSO Online

• Malware Builder Leverages Discord Webhooks | Threatpost

• Malware Attacks Getting More Regional, Claims Netskope • The Register

• 5-Buck DCRat Malware Foretells a Worrying Cyber Future (darkreading.com)

• Threat Actors Use Telegram to Spread ‘Eternity’ Malware-as-a-Service | Threatpost

• German Automakers Targeted in Year-Long Malware Campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• PII Of 21M SuperVPN, GeckoVPN Users Leaked On Telegram - Information Security Buzz

• Victims of Horizon Actuarial Data Breach Exceed 1M (techtarget.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Crypto Robber Who Lured Victims Via Snapchat and Stole £34,000 Jailed (bleepingcomputer.com)

• NCSC Shut Down 2.7 Million Scams in 2021- IT Security Guru

• Crook Jailed for Selling Stolen Credentials On Dark Web • The Register

• UK Government Hackers Destroyed Hundreds of Thousands of Stolen Credit Card Details Held By Criminals | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• US Agrees to International Electronic Cyber Crime Evidence Swap (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs

• NFT Scams, Toxic ‘Mines’ And Lost Life Savings: The Cryptocurrency Dream Is Fading Fast | David A Banks | The Guardian

• NFTs Emerge as the Next Enterprise Attack Vector (darkreading.com)

• Fake Binance NFT Mystery Box Bots Steal Victim's Crypto Wallets (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Possible $1 Billion Crypto Ponzi Scheme Probed by Tax Investigators - Bloomberg

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Angry IT Admin Wipes Employer’s Databases, Gets 7 Years in Prison (bleepingcomputer.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• How Can Your Business Defend Itself Against Fraud-as-a-Service? (darkreading.com)

• Scammers Impersonate Britain’s Top Cyber Crime Chief in Fake £5m Heist (telegraph.co.uk)

• Caramel Credit Card Stealing Service Is Growing in Popularity (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Are Exploiting WordPress Themes, Plugins to Hawk Scams (gizmodo.com)

• Thousands of WordPress Sites Hacked to Redirect Visitors to Scam Sites (thehackernews.com)

Insurance

• Multi-Factor Authentication: A Key to Cyber Risk Insurance Coverage (tripwire.com)

• How Cyber Liability Insurance Can Help Protect Your Business Reputation - MSSP Alert

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Five Eyes Urges Organisations to Secure Supply Chains - IT Security Guru

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• Why Are DDoS Attacks So Easy to Launch and So Hard to Defend Against? - Help Net Security

Cloud

• The SaaS-to-SaaS Supply Chain Is a Wild, Wild Mess - Help Net Security

Open Source

• Tech Giants Pledge Multimillion Down Payment to Secure Open Source | Cybersecurity Dive

Travel

• Historic Hotel Stay, Complementary Emotet Exposure included (bleepingcomputer.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Europe Proposes Tackling Child Abuse by Killing Encryption • The Register

Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking

• Another ex-eBay Exec Pleads Guilty to Cyber Stalking Critics • The Register

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• India’s Battle with Pegasus Tells a Bigger Tale Of Tech Laws • The Register

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

• Wars Start in Cyberspace Well Before Shots Are Fired • The Register

• #CYBERUK22: Cyber Trends from the Russia-Ukraine War - Infosecurity Magazine

• US Pledges to Help Ukraine Keep the Internet and Lights On (darkreading.com)

• Cyber-Espionage Attack Drops Post-Exploit Malware Framework on Microsoft Exchange Servers (darkreading.com)

• Chinese CCTV Cameras On Our Streets Have Hidden Microphones That Could Be Spying on You (telegraph.co.uk)

• Spain’s Spy Chief Sacked Over Pegasus Scandal - Infosecurity Magazine

• OpRussia Update: Anonymous Breached Other Organizations - Security Affairs

• Pro-Russian Hacktivists Target Italy Government Websites - Security Affairs

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russian Hackers Targeting Opponents Of Ukraine Invasion, Warns GCHQ Chief | Hacking | The Guardian

• Western Intelligence Blames Russia for Europe-Wide Cyber Attack - Infosecurity Magazine

• State Department Says Russian Cyber War Against Ukraine Began in January | The Independent

• Ukraine War: Don’t Underestimate Russia Cyber-Threat, Warns US - BBC News

Nation State Actors – China

• Experts Uncovered a New Wave Of Attacks Conducted By Mustang Panda - Security Affairs

• China-Backed Winnti Hackers Attacked Manufacturers Globally, Cybereason Alleges - MSSP Alert

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iranian Hackers Leveraging BitLocker and DiskCryptor in Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Iran-Linked OilRig APT Caught Using New Backdoor | SecurityWeek.Com

• Iran-linked COBALT MIRAGE Group Uses Ransomware in Its Operations - Security Affairs

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Vulnerability Management

• US Cyber Boss Wants Software Patches to Be Like Car Recalls • The Register

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Vulnerabilities

• Critical F5 BIG-IP Vulnerability Exploited to Wipe Devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Patch Tuesday updates for May 2022 fixes 3 zero-days, 1 under active attack - Security Affairs

• Adobe Warns of 'Critical' Security Flaws in Enterprise Products | SecurityWeek.Com

• Log4Shell Exploit Threatens Enterprise Data Lakes, AI Poisoning (darkreading.com)

• Intel Emits Raft of Firmware Patches For Security Flaws • The Register

• Actively Exploited Zero-Day Bug Patched by Microsoft | Threatpost

• Hundreds of Thousands of Konica Printers Vulnerable to Hacking via Physical Access | SecurityWeek.Com

• HP Fixes Bug Letting Attackers Overwrite Firmware in Over 200 Models (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zyxel Fixes Firewall Flaws That Could Lead to Hacked Networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Releases Fixes for Azure Flaw Allowing RCE Attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Find Flaws in Word, PDF Script Handling • The Register

• SonicWall Releases Patches for New Flaws Affecting SSLVPN SMA1000 Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft: May Windows Updates Cause AD Authentication Failures (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Sector Specific

Health/Medical/Pharma Sector

• Ransomware Group Strikes Second US Health Care System in The Last Two Months - CyberScoop

• Is That Health App Safe to Use? A New Framework Aims To Provide An Answer - Help Net Security

Manufacturing

• German Automakers Targeted in Year-Long Malware Campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China-Backed Winnti Hackers Attacked Manufacturers Globally, Cybereason Alleges - MSSP Alert

Education and Academia

• A US College Is Shutting Down for Good Following A Ransomware Attack (yahoo.com)

• Fraudulent 'Bot-driven' College Enrolment up 50%, New Study Finds (darkreading.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• How Business Executives Perceive Ransomware Threat | Kaspersky official blog

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Other News

• An Offensive Mindset Is Crucial for Effective Cyber Defence - Help Net Security

• Zero-Click Attacks Explained, And Why They Are So Dangerous | CSO Online

• Britain Must Upgrade Cyber Defences ‘Or Be Hit By 9/11-Style Attack’ (telegraph.co.uk)

• Everything We Learned From the LAPSUS$ Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Threat Actors Are Stealing Data Now to Decrypt When Quantum Computing Comes (darkreading.com)

• Prepare for What You Wish For: More CISOs on Boards | SecurityWeek.Com

• Ready, IAM, Fire: How Weak Identity and Access Management (IAM) Makes You a Target (darkreading.com)

• How Privileged Access Management (PAM) Must Evolve - MSSP Alert

• Secure Your CMS-Based Websites Against Pervasive Attacks - Help Net Security

• Threats To Hardware Security Are Growing - Help Net Security

• Government’s “Whole of Society” Cyber Strategy Takes Shape - Infosecurity Magazine

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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 11 March 2022

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

Sharp Rise in SMB Cyber Attacks by Russia and China

SaaS Alerts, a cloud security company, unveiled the findings of its latest report which analysed approximately 136 million security events across 2,100 small and medium businesses (SMBs) globally and identified cyber trends negatively impacting businesses.

The findings of the report take into account security events occurring across more than 120,000 user accounts during the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2021 and shows that the vast majority of attacks on top SaaS platforms such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack and Dropbox are originating from Russia and China. The data set is statistically significant and enables solution providers managing a portfolio of SaaS applications with pertinent data and trends to support defensive IT security re-alignments as required.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/03/09/saas-security-events-smbs/

We're Seeing An 800% Increase in Cyber Attacks, Says One Managed Service Provider

Revenge and inflation are believed to be key drivers behind an 800 percent increase in cyber attacks seen by a single managed services provider since the days before the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month.

The attacks are coming not only from groups inside of Russia but also from elsewhere within the region as well from Russia allies like North Korea and Iran, historically sources of global cyber-threats.

The MSP serves about 2,400 companies around the world, most of them small businesses and midsize enterprises and most in North America. The MSP said it has seen the spike in cyber attacks throughout its customer base.

The sharp rise has been attributed to pro-Russian cyber criminal groups linked to nation states lashing out at countries – first Ukraine and then Western countries – angry at the sanctions being levelled against Russia. At the same time, the sharp inflation that is spreading around the world is also hitting hackers, who need to make money to keep up with rising costs.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/11/russia-invasion-cyber-war-rages/

Internet Warfare: How the Russians Could Paralyse Britain

The collapse of critical national infrastructure is a science fiction staple. Fifty years ago, actively switching off a country’s water and power networks would have required huge physical damage to power stations and the sources of those services. Today, however, many of the tools we use every day are connected to the internet.

All of those things now have remote access — and therefore, all of them could be vulnerable.

Ukraine has been blitzed by cyber attacks since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and they have increased in the lead-up to the invasion. As Russia marched into Ukraine, British officials were concerned about “spillover” from any cyber offensives targeted thousands of miles away.

In today’s interconnected digital world, the reality is that distance from the conflict zone makes no difference.

As the West fears a cyber-reprisal, what would a successful attack look like in Britain — and how likely is a complete “network failure”?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russia-cyberattack-uk-what-would-happen-l3dt98dmb

Just 3% Of Employees Cause 92% Of Malware Events

A small group of employees is typically responsible for most of the digital risk in an organisation, according to new research.

The report, from cybersecurity company Elevate Security and cyber security research organisation Cyentia, also found that those putting their companies at risk from phishing, malware, and insecure browsing are often repeat offenders.

The research found that 4% of employees clicked 80% of phishing links, and 3% were responsible for 92% of malware events.

Four in five employees have never clicked on a phishing email, according to the research. In fact, it asserts that half of them never see one, highlighting the need to focus anti-phishing efforts on at-risk workers.

The malware that phishing and other attack vectors deliver also affects a small group of employees. The research found that 96% of users have never suffered from a malware event. Most malware events revolve around the 3% of users who suffered from two malware events or more, reinforcing the notion that security awareness messages just aren't getting through to some.

https://www.itpro.co.uk/security/malware/366011/just-3-of-employees-cause-92-of-malware-events

70% Of Breached Passwords Are Still in Use

A new report examines trends related to exposed data. Researchers identified 1.7 billion exposed credentials, a 15% increase from 2020, and 13.8 billion recaptured Personally Identifiable Information (PII) records obtained from breaches in 2021.

Through its analysis of this data, it was found that despite increasingly sophisticated and targeted cyber attacks, consumers continue to engage in poor cyber practices regarding passwords, including the use of similar passwords for multiple accounts, weak or common passwords and passwords containing easy-to-guess words or phrases connected to pop culture.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/03/08/exposed-data-trends/

Organisations Taking Nearly Two Months to Remediate Critical Risk Vulnerabilities

Edgescan announces the findings of a report which offers a comprehensive view of the state of vulnerability management globally. This year’s report takes a more granular look at the trends by industry, and provides details on which of the known, patchable vulnerabilities are currently being exploited by threat actors.

The report reveals that organisations are still taking nearly two months to remediate critical risk vulnerabilities, with the average mean time to remediate (MTTR) across the full stack set at 60 days.

High rates of “known” (i.e. patchable) vulnerabilities which have working exploits in the wild, used by known nation state and cybercriminal groups are not uncommon.

Crucially, 57% of all observed vulnerabilities are more than two years old, with as many as 17% being more than five years old. These are all vulnerabilities that have working exploits in the wild, used by known nation state and cybercriminal groups. Edgescan also observed a concerning 1.5% of known, unpatched vulnerabilities that are over 20 years old, dating back to 1999.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/03/10/state-of-vulnerability-management/

Android Malware Escobar Steals Your Google Authenticator MFA Codes

The Aberebot Android banking trojan has returned under the name 'Escobar' with new features, including stealing Google Authenticator multi-factor authentication codes.

The new features in the latest Aberebot version also include taking control of the infected Android devices using VNC, recording audio, and taking photos, while also expanding the set of targeted apps for credential theft.

The main goal of the trojan is to steal enough information to allow the threat actors to take over victims' bank accounts, siphon available balances, and perform unauthorised transactions.

Like most banking trojans, Escobar displays overlay login forms to hijack user interactions with e-banking apps and websites and steal credentials from victims.

The malware also packs several other features that make it potent against any Android version, even if the overlay injections are blocked in some manner.

The authors have expanded the set of targeted banks and financial institutions to a whopping 190 entities from 18 countries in the latest version.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/android-malware-escobar-steals-your-google-authenticator-mfa-codes/

Smartphone Malware Is on The Rise - Here's How to Stay Safe

The volume of malware attacks targeting mobile devices has skyrocketed so far this year, cyber security researchers are saying.

A new report from security company Proofpoint claims that the number of detected mobile malware attacks has spiked 500% in the first few months of 2022, with peaks at the beginning and end of February.

Much of this malware aims to steal usernames and passwords from mobile banking applications, Proofpoint says. But some strains are even more sinister, recording audio and video from infected devices, tracking the victim's location, or exfiltrating and deleting data.

https://www.techradar.com/nz/news/smartphone-malware-is-coming-for-more-and-more-of-us

Russia May Use Ransomware Payouts to Avoid Sanctions’ Financial Harm

FinCEN warns financial institutions to be wary of unusual cryptocurrency payments or illegal transactions Russia may use to ease financial hurt from Ukraine-linked sanctions.

Russia may ramp up ransomware attacks against the United States as a way to ease the financial hurt it’s under due to sanctions, U.S. federal authorities are warning. Those sanctions have been levied against the nation and Vladimir Putin’s government due to its invasion of Ukraine.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a FinCEN Alert (PDF) on Wednesday advising all financial institutions to remain vigilant against potential efforts to evade the expansive sanctions and other U.S.-imposed restrictions related to the current conflict. One way this may be done is to move cryptocurrency funds through ransomware payments collected after Russian state-sponsored actors carry out cyberattacks.

“In the face of mounting economic pressure on Russia, it is vitally important for financial institutions to be vigilant about potential Russian sanctions evasion, including by both state actors and oligarchs,” said FinCEN Acting Director Him Das in a press statement.

https://threatpost.com/russia-ransomware-payouts-avoid-sanctions/178854/

How An 8-Character Password Could Be Cracked in Less Than an Hour

Security experts keep advising us to create strong and complex passwords to protect our online accounts and data from savvy cybercriminals. And “complex” typically means using lowercase and uppercase characters, numbers and even special symbols. But complexity by itself can still open your password to cracking if it doesn’t contain enough characters, according to research by security firm Hive Systems.

As described in a recent report, Hive found that an 8-character complex password could be cracked in just 39 minutes if the attacker were to take advantage of the latest graphics processing technology. A seven-character complex password could be cracked in 31 seconds, while one with six or fewer characters could be cracked instantly. Shorter passwords with only one or two character types, such as only numbers or lowercase letters, or only numbers and letters, would take just minutes to crack.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-an-8-character-password-could-be-cracked-in-less-than-an-hour/

Cyber Insurance and Business Risk: How the Relationship Is Changing Reinsurance & Policy Guidance

Cyber insurance is a significant industry and growing fast — according to GlobalData, it was worth $7 billion in gross written premiums in 2020. The cyber-insurance market is expected to reach $20.6 billion by 2025. Over the past few years, the cyber-insurance market was competitive, so premiums were low and policies were comprehensive. Over the past year, that has changed — the volume of claims has gone up and led to more payouts, which affected the insurance companies' profitability.

The recent Log4j issue will affect how insurance and reinsurance companies write their policies in future. Already, we're seeing discussions about Log4j-related issues being excluded from reinsurance policies in 2022, as many policies came up for renewal on Dec. 31, 2021. This will affect the policies that insurance companies can offer to their customers.

What does this mean for IT security teams? For practitioners, it will make their work more important than before, as preventing possible issues would be more valuable to the business. Carrying out standard security practices like asset inventory and vulnerability management will be needed, while examining software bills of materials for those same issues will help on the software supply chain security side. These practices will also need to be highly automated, as business must be able to gain accurate insights within hours, not months, to deal with future threats while reducing the cost impact.

For those responsible for wider business risk, these developments around cyber insurance will present a more significant problem. Cyber-insurance policies will still be available — and necessary where needed — but the policies themselves will cover less ground. While the past few years had pretty wide-ranging policies that would pay out on a range of issues, future policies will deliver less coverage.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/cyber-insurance-and-business-risk-how-the-relationship-is-changing-reinsurance-policy-guidance-

Security Teams Prep Too Slowly for Cyber Attacks

Attackers typically take days or weeks to exploit new vulnerabilities, but defenders are slow to learn about critical issues and take action, requiring 96 days on average to learn to identify and block current cyber threats, according to a new report analysing training and crisis scenarios.

The report, Cyber Workforce Benchmark 2022, found that cybersecurity professionals are much more likely to focus on vulnerabilities that have garnered media attention, such as Log4j, than more understated issues, and that different industries develop their security capabilities at widely different rates. Security professionals in some of the most crucial industries, such as transport and critical infrastructure, are twice as slow to learn skills compare to their colleagues in the leisure, entertainment, and retail sectors.

The amount of time it takes for security professionals to get up to speed on new threats matters. CISA says that patches should be applied within 15 days, sooner than that if the vulnerability is being exploited, says Kevin Breen, director of cyber threat research at Immersive Labs.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/security-teams-prep-too-slowly-for-cyberattacks

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Threats

Ransomware

• Inside Conti leaks: The Panama Papers of Ransomware - The Record by Recorded Future

• Leaks of Conti Ransomware Group Paint Picture of a Surprisingly Normal Tech Start-Up... Sort Of - Check Point Research

• Oh, The Irony! Conti Ransomware Gang, Which Leaked Ransomware Victims’ Data, Has Its Own Data Leaked (grahamcluley.com)

• CISA Added 98 Domains To The Joint Alert Related To Conti Ransomware Gang - Security Affairs

• Ragnar Locker Ransomware - What You Need To Know (tripwire.com)

• Conti Ransomware Group Spent Millions In 2021 - IT Security Guru

• Ragnar Locker Ransomware Hits Critical Infrastructure • The Register

• Ukrainian Man Arrested for Alleged Role in Ransomware Attack on Kaseya, Others (darkreading.com)

• FBI: Ransomware Gang Breached 52 US Critical Infrastructure Orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Alleged REvil Ransomware Hacker Extradited And Arraigned In Texas | CSO Online

• Bridgestone Americas Confirms Ransomware Attack, LockBit Leaks Data (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email

• How Phishing Email Are Evading Email Security - MSSP Alert

• Watch Out For This Phishing Attack That Hijacks Your Email Chats To Spread Malware | ZDNet

• The Most Impersonated Brands In Phishing Attacks - Help Net Security

Malware

• Nvidia's Stolen Data Is Being Used To Disguise Malware As GPU Drivers | PC Gamer

• Qakbot Botnet Sprouts Fangs, Injects Malware into Email Threads | Threatpost

• Emotet Botnet Is Rapidly Growing, +130K Bots Spread Across 179 Countries - Security Affairs

• Raccoon Stealer Crawls Into Telegram | Threatpost

• All About the Bots: What Botnet Trends Portend for Security Pros | SecurityWeek.Com

Mobile

• Smartphone malware is on the rise, here's what to watch out for | ZDNet

• Samsung Confirms Hackers Stole Galaxy Devices Source Code (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber Criminals Are Posing As Ukraine Fundraisers To Steal Cryptocurrency - CyberScoop

• Cyber Criminals Compromise Users With Malware Disguised As Pro-Ukraine Cyber Tools - Cisco Talos Intelligence Group

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking

• Russians Liquidating Crypto In The UAE As They Seek Safe Havens | Reuters

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Consumers Worried About Digital Banking Security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Shipping Fraud Quickly Emerging As One Of The Top Fraud Types - Help Net Security

Insurance

• The Cyber Insurance Market Needs More Money (hbr.org)

Supply Chain

• Major Tech Firms Launch Security First Initiative To Combat Third-Party Data Breaches - Help Net Security

DoS/DDoS

• Mitel VoIP Systems Used In Staggering DDoS Attacks • The Register

• In-The-Wild DDoS Attack Can Be Launched From A Single Packet To Create Terabytes Of Traffic | ZDNet

• Malware Posing as Russia DDoS Tool Bites Pro-Ukraine Hackers | Threatpost

• The Fight Against the Hydra: New DDoS Report from Link11 (darkreading.com)

• Imperva Thwarts 2.5 Million RPS Ransom DDoS Extortion Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Still Too Many Parents Don't Monitor Their Children's Online Activity - Help Net Security

Spyware, Espionage & Cyber Warfare

• ‘We are not ready’: a Cyber Expert on US Vulnerability to a Russian Attack | Cyberwar | The Guardian

• China-Aligned APT Renews Cyber Attack On European Diplomats, As War Rages | CSO Online

• European Lawmakers Launch Investigation Into Use Of Pegasus Spyware By EU States | TechCrunch

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors - Russia

• Jump In Cyber Attacks Since Start Of Ukraine Invasion (rte.ie)

• Will Russian Oil Ban Spur Increased Cyber-Attacks (trendmicro.com)

• Russia to Create Its Own Security Certificate Authority, Alarming Experts - CyberScoop

• Russian APTs Furiously Phish Ukraine – Google | Threatpost

• Russia Mulls Legalizing Software Piracy As It’s Cut Off From Western Tech | Ars Technica

• Ukrainian IT Army Hijacked by Infostealing Malware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google: Russian Hackers Target Ukrainians, European Allies via Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• French Bank Denies Access to Russian Workforce - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New RURansom Wiper Targets Russia (trendmicro.com)

• Anonymous & its Affiliates Hacked 90% of Russian Misconfigured Databases (hackread.com)

• Anonymous Claims to Have Leaked Over 360,000 Files From Russian Federal Agency - Infosecurity Magazine

Nation State Actors - China

• Chinese Phishing Actors Consistently Targeting EU Diplomats (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Comment: Chinese Spies Hacked A Livestock App To Breach US State Networks - Information Security Buzz

• Chinese APT41 Hackers Broke into at Least 6 U.S. State Governments: Mandiant (thehackernews.com)

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• Targeted APT Activity: BABYSHARK Is Out for Blood - MSSP Alert

Nation State Actors - Iran

• Iranian Hackers Targeting Turkey and Arabian Peninsula in New Malware Campaign (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerabilities

• Linux Has Been Bitten By Its Most High-Severity Vulnerability In Years | Ars Technica

• High Rates Of Known, Exploitable Vulnerabilities Still Found In The Wild, Report Reveals - IT Security Guru

• Microsoft Addresses 3 Zero-Days & 3 Critical Bugs for March Patch Tuesday | Threatpost

• New Exploit Bypasses Existing Spectre-V2 Mitigations in Intel, AMD, Arm CPUs (thehackernews.com)

• Google Attempts to Explain Surge in Chrome Zero-Day Exploitation | SecurityWeek.Com

• “Dirty Pipe” Linux Kernel Bug Lets Anyone Write To Any File – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Microsoft Azure Flaw Allowed Unauthorized Account Access • The Register

• Intel, AMD, Arm Warn Of New Speculative Execution CPU Bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adobe Patches 'Critical' Security Flaws in Illustrator, After Effects | SecurityWeek.Com

• Up to 30% of WordPress Plugin Bugs Don't Get Patched - IT Security Guru

• Within Hours of the Log4j Flaw Being Revealed, These Hackers Were Using It | ZDNet

• Critical Firefox Zero-Day Bugs Allow RCE, Sandbox Escape | Threatpost

• Microsoft Warns of Spoofing Vulnerability in Defender for Endpoint | SecurityWeek.Com

• Microsoft Fixes Critical Azure Bug That Exposed Customer Data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Disclose New Spectre V2 Vulnerabilities (techtarget.com)

• Critical Bugs Could Let Attackers Remotely Hack, Damage APC Smart-UPS Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Over 40% of Log4j Downloads Are Vulnerable Versions of the Software (darkreading.com)

• HP Patches 16 UEFI Firmware Bugs Allowing Stealthy Malware Infections (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical RCE Bugs Found in Pascom Cloud Phone System Used by Businesses (thehackernews.com)

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Sector Specific

Health/Medical/Pharma Sector

• Medical and IoT Devices From More Than 100 Vendors Vulnerable to Attack (darkreading.com)

• Oklahoma Hospital Data Breach Impacts 92,000 People - Infosecurity Magazine

Transport and Aviation

• Finnish Govt Agency Warns Of Unusual Aircraft GPS Interference (bleepingcomputer.com)

Automotive

• Small Business Owners Worried About The Cyber Security Of Their Commercial Vehicles - Help Net Security

CNI, OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA

• ICS Vulnerability Disclosures Surge 110% Over The Last Four Years - Help Net Security

• New Security Threats Target Industrial Control And OT Environments - CyberScoop

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• 2022 Vulnerability Statistics Report - Edgescan

• Pinpoint the Origins of Workforce Risk - Elevate Security

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Other News

• Why You Should Be Using CISA's Catalog of Exploited Vulns (darkreading.com)

• How Attackers Sidestep The Cyber Kill Chain | CSO Online

• How to Combat the No. 1 Cause of Security Breaches: Complexity (darkreading.com)

• Every Business Is A Cyber Security Business - Help Net Security

• Operationalising a “Think Like The Enemy” Strategy | CSO Online

• SpaceX Shifts Resources To Cyber Security To Address Starlink Jamming - SpaceNews

• Report: Cyber Security Teams Need Nearly 100 Days To Develop Threat Defenses | VentureBeat

• 6 Potential Enterprise Security Risks With NFC Technology (techtarget.com)

• BBC Targeted With 383,278 Spam, Phishing And Malware Attacks Every Day - Help Net Security

• Ubisoft Says It Experienced A ‘Cyber Security Incident’, And The Purported Nvidia Hackers Are Taking Credit - The Verge

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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 19 November 2021

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.

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Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Insurers Run From Ransomware Cover As Losses Mount

Insurers have halved the amount of cyber cover they provide to customers after the pandemic and home-working drove a surge in ransomware attacks that left them smarting from hefty payouts.

Faced with increased demand, major European and US insurers and syndicates operating in the Lloyd's of London market have been able to charge higher premium rates to cover ransoms, the repair of hacked networks, business interruption losses and even PR fees to mend reputational damage.

But the increase in ransomware attacks and the growing sophistication of attackers have made insurers wary. Insurers say some attackers may even check whether potential victims have policies that would make them more likely to pay out.

"Insurers are changing their appetites, limits, coverage and pricing," Caspar Stops, head of cyber at insurance firm Optio, said. "Limits have halved – where people were offering 10 million pounds ($13.50 million), nearly everyone has reduced to five."

Lloyd's of London, which has around a fifth of the global cyber market, has discouraged its 100-odd syndicate members from taking on cyber business next year, industry sources say on condition of anonymity. Lloyd's declined to comment.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/insurers-run-ransomware-cover-losses-mount-2021-11-19/

The Ransomware Threat Is Getting Worse. But Businesses Still Aren't Taking It Seriously

Ransomware is the most significant cybersecurity threat facing the country today, but many businesses still aren't taking the threat as seriously as they should be, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned.

In its newly published annual review, the NCSC – the cybersecurity arm of intelligence agency GCHQ – details the incidents and threats the UK has faced during the past 12 months, including cyberattacks against the health service and vaccine developers during the coronavirus pandemic, state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaigns, phishing scams and more.

But, because of the likely impact a successful attack could have on essential services or critical national infrastructure, it's ransomware that is viewed as the most dangerous cyber threat – and one that more leadership teams need to think about.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-ransomware-threat-is-getting-worse-but-businesses-still-arent-taking-it-seriously/

Ransomware Is Now A Giant Black Hole That Is Sucking In All Other Forms Of Cyber Crime

File-encrypting malware is where the money is -- and that's changing the whole online crime ecosystem.

Ransomware is so lucrative for the gangs involved that other parts of the cybercrime ecosystem are being repurposed into a system for delivering potential victims.

"The gravitational force of ransomware's black hole is pulling in other cyberthreats to form one massive, interconnected ransomware delivery system -- with significant implications for IT security," said security company Sophos in a report.

Ransomware is considered by many experts to be most pressing security risk facing businesses -- and its extremely lucrative for the gangs involved, with ransom payouts increasing significantly.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-is-now-a-giant-black-hole-that-is-sucking-in-all-other-forms-of-cybercrime/

52% Of SMBs Have Experienced A Cyber Attack In The Last Year

The consequences of a breach have never been more severe, with global cybercrime collectively totalling $16.4 billion each day, a Devolutions survey reveals.

A recent study by IBM revealed that organizations with fewer than 500 employees had an average data breach cost of $2.98 million per incident in 2021. As has been reported, approximately 60% of SMBs go out of business within six months of getting hacked.

Smaller companies are not exempt from cyberattacks; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Yet many of the tools and resources that larger companies have at their disposal to protect them from cyber attacks are not befitting for smaller companies. There is a gap in the market.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/19/smbs-cyberattack/

Ransomware Phishing Emails Sneak Through SEGs

Secure email gateway (SEG) protections aren’t necessarily enough to stop phishing emails from delivering ransomware to employees, especially if the cybercrooks are using legitimate cloud services to host malicious pages.

Researchers are raising the alarm over a phishing email kicking off a Halloween-themed MICROP ransomware offensive, which they observed making its way to a target’s inbox despite its being secured by an SEG.

https://threatpost.com/ransomware-phishing-emails-segs/176470/

Reality Check: Your Security Hygiene Is Worse Than You Think It Is

Sevco Security published a report which explores the gap between perceptions and realities of security hygiene and asset management. Leveraging findings from ESG’s “Security Hygiene and Posture Management Survey,” Sevco’s report addresses five unfounded perceptions that many security teams assume to be true and the realities that unveil alarming security risks.

The report reveals that the perception of good security hygiene often leads to gaps in asset inventory that leave organizations open to security incidents. One such gap is the assumption that organizations have an accurate understanding of asset inventory. The reality is that on average, organizations discover 20-30% previously unknown devices once various inventory sources have been analysed and reconciled.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/18/perception-good-security-hygiene/

The Covid-19 Crisis Has Fueled The Increase Of Cyber Crime In All Its Forms

The accelerated digitalization related to the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the development of a number of cyber threats, according to the new edition of Europol’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment.

Criminals have been quick to abuse the current circumstances to increase profits, spreading their tentacles to various areas and exposing vulnerabilities, connected to systems, hospitals or individuals.

While ransomware groups have taken advantage of widespread teleworking, scammers have abused COVID-19 fears and the fruitless search for cures online to defraud victims or gain access to their bank accounts. The increase of online shopping in general has attracted more fraudsters. With children spending a lot more time online, especially during lockdowns, grooming and dissemination of self-produced explicit material have increased significantly.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/18/covid-19-cybercrime/

Ransomware Attacks Are Getting More Complex And Even Harder To Prevent

Ransomware attackers are probing known common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) for weaknesses and quickly capitalizing on them, launching attacks faster than vendor teams can patch them. Unfortunately, ransomware attackers are also making attacks more complex, costly, and challenging to identify and stop, acting on potential targets’ weaknesses faster than enterprises can react.

Two recent research studies — Ivanti’s latest ransomware report, conducted with Cyber Security Works and Cyware, and a second study by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Cyware — show there’s a widening gap between how quickly enterprises can identify a ransomware threat versus the quickness of a cyberattack. Both studies provide a stark assessment of how far behind enterprises are on identifying and stopping ransomware attacks.

https://venturebeat.com/2021/11/13/ransomware-attacks-are-getting-more-complex-and-even-harder-to-prevent/

Most Ransomware Attacks Rely On Exploiting Older, Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Ransomware attackers exploited a dozen new vulnerabilities in campaigns in Q3 2021, bringing the total number of vulnerabilities associated with ransomware to 278, claims a new report.

Compiled by cybersecurity vendor Ivanti, the report reveals that ransomware groups are continuing to grow in sophistication, boldness, and volume, with numbers up across the board since Q2 2021.

It tracked a 4.5% increase in CVEs associated with ransomware in Q3 2021, along with a similar increase in actively exploited and trending vulnerabilities, along with a 3.4% increase in ransomware families, as compared to Q2 2021.

https://www.techradar.com/news/most-ransomware-attacks-rely-on-exploiting-older-unpatched-vulnerabilities

Out-Of-Hours Ransomware Attacks Have A Greater Impact On Revenue

Ransomware attacks at weekends and holidays are throwing victims into disarray, according to a study released by security company Cybereason.

The report, “Organizations at Risk: Ransomware Attackers Don’t Take Holidays,” surveyed security professionals whose organizations suffered a ransomware attack during a holiday or weekend in the last 12 months. It found 86% of them reported missing holiday or weekend activities with friends and family when responding to these attacks.

Of those surveyed, 60% take longer to assess the scope of an attack that happened over the weekend or on a holiday. Half said out-of-hours attacks led to a slower response overall.

One problem was assembling the right team, with just over a third reporting difficulties in getting the necessary people together. When those people do clock in unexpectedly, they might not be fully fit for duty. In fact, 70% were intoxicated when called in to address the attack, the report added.

https://www.itpro.co.uk/security/ransomware/361591/out-of-hours-ransomware-attacks-have-a-greater-impact-on-revenue

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Threats

Ransomware

• UK Fighting Hacking Epidemic As Russian Ransomware Attacks Increase | Cybercrime | The Guardian

• Ransomware Gangs Are Now Rich Enough To Buy Zero-Day Flaws, Say Researchers | ZDNet

• Russian Ransomware Gangs Start Collaborating With Chinese Hackers (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• Exchange Exploit Leads to Domain Wide Ransomware (thedfirreport.com)

• Threat Actors Offer Millions For Zero-Days, Developers Talk Of Exploit-As-A-Service (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• New Memento Ransomware Switches To Winrar After Failing At Encryption (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• ProxyShell, QBot, and Conti Ransomware Combined in a Series of Cyber Attacks - Truesec

• Fake Ransomware Warnings Hit Wordpress Sites: How To Stay Safe - Malwarebytes Labs

• MosesStaff Locks Up Targets, with No Ransom Demand, No Decryption | Threatpost

BEC - Business Email Compromise

• Microsoft Exchange Server Flaws Now Exploited for BEC Attacks (darkreading.com)

Phishing

• Here Are The New Emotet Spam Campaigns Hitting Mailboxes Worldwide (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

Malware

• Emotet Malware Is Back And Rebuilding Its Botnet Via TrickBot (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• New Mac Malware Raises More Questions About Apple's Security Patching - Malwarebytes Labs

Mobile

• New Banking Trojan SharkBot Makes Waves Across Europe, US | ZDNet

• Android Malware BrazKing Returns As A Stealthier Banking Trojan (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• Android Malware That Spies On Your Phone Identified With 23 Apps. (livemint.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Intel Vulnerabilities: Bios Bugs Put Cars, Laptops, Devices at Risk to Hackers - MSSP Alert

• Microsoft Informs Users of High-Severity Vulnerability in Azure AD | SecurityWeek.Com

• New Secret-Spilling Hole In Intel CPUs Sends Company Patching (Again) | Ars Technica

• Netgear Fixes Code Execution Flaw In Many SOHO Devices - Security Affairs

• Six Million Sky Routers Exposed To Takeover Attacks For 17 Months (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• WordPress Template Plugin Vulnerability Hits +1 Million Sites (searchenginejournal.com)

• 10,000+ Websites And Apps Are Vulnerable To Magecart - Help Net Security

• Linux Has A Serious Security Problem That Once Again Enables DNS Cache Poisoning | Ars Technica

• Vulnerabilities In NPM Allowed Threat Actors To Publish New Version Of Any Package | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• Eighteen High Severity Vulnerabilities Remediated In AMD's Radeon Graphics Driver Packages | TechSpot

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Robinhood Says Hackers Also Got Thousands Of Phone Numbers - The Verge

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Russian Cyber Crime Forums Throw Doors Open to Chinese-Speakers - Infosecurity Magazine

• A Canadian Teen Was Arrested in a $36.5M SIM-Swap Heist | WIRED

Cryptocurrency/Cryptojacking

• Cyber Criminals Increasingly Employ Crypto-Mixers to Launder Stolen Profits (darkreading.com)

• Chinese Communist Party Official Expelled For Mining Crypto • The Register

Supply Chain

• New Type of Supply Chain Attack Could Put Popular Admin Tools at Risk (intezer.com)

• Hackers Are Threatening The Global Supply Chain | OilPrice.com

DoS/DDoS

• Cloudflare Fends Off A Multi-Vector DDoS Attack - NotebookCheck.net

Nation State Actors

• Cyber War’s Global Players—It’s Not Always Russia Or China | CSO Online

• FBI Warns Of APT Group Exploiting FatPipe VPN Zero-Day Since May (Bleepingcomputer.com)

• Iranian Targeting Of IT Sector On The Rise - Microsoft Security Blog

• Iranians Charged in Cyber Attacks Against US 2020 Election | Threatpost

• Microsoft Warns about 6 Iranian Hacking Groups Turning to Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

Cloud

• Cyber Criminals Target Alibaba Cloud for Cryptomining, Malware | Threatpost

• Cloud Compliance: Falling Out Of It Could Spell Doom - Help Net Security

Financial Services Sector

• US Regulators Order Banks To Report Cyberattacks Within 36 Hours (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

Health Sector

• Healthcare Organisations At Risk: The Attack Surface Is Expanding - Help Net Security

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• NCSC Annual Review 2021 - NCSC.GOV.UK

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Other News

• Why Are You Still Using QWERTY? 2021's Most Common Passwords Revealed | ZDNet

• Shrinking Cyber Budgets Are Leaving Businesses At Risk - Help Net Security

• Trend Micro: 90% of IT Decision Makers Believe Organisations Compromise on Cyber Security in Favour of Other Goals (darkreading.com)

• FBI Probes Cyber-Attack Emails Sent From Internal Server - BBC News

• Corporate Espionage Specialists RedCurl Return With Improved Tools - Cyberscoop

• 76% Of Gamers Were Financially Affected By A Cyber Attack, Losing $700+ On Average - Help Net Security

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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 weekly ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 12 November 2021

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.

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Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Covid Impact Heightens Risk Of Cyber Security Breaches

CYBER SECURITY breaches are the biggest staff-related risk as Covid-19 and recruitment difficulties continue to impact workplaces, according to a survey of Channel Island employers.

Seven out of ten senior HR professionals and business leaders saw a cyber security breach as the greatest staff-related risk for a regulated financial services business – way ahead of employees leaving (16%) and employees working from home (10%). Some 57% of employers said Covid-19 had changed their policies, procedures and systems ‘moderately’, with 29.5% reporting ‘significant’ changes, according to the research undertaken at a virtual employment conference organised by Walkers last month.

https://guernseypress.com/news/2021/11/12/covid-impact-heightens-risk-of-cyber-security-breaches/

81% of Organisations Experienced Increased Cyber Threats During COVID-19

More than four in five (81%) organisations experienced increased cyber-threats during the COVD-19 pandemic, according to a new study by McAfee and FireEye.

The global survey of 1451 IT and line of business decision-makers found that close to half (43%) have suffered from downtime due to a cyber concern. This resulted in costs of $100,000 for some organisations.

Despite the increased threat landscape and the fact that over half (57%) of organisations saw a rise in online/web activity, 24% of respondents revealed they have had their technology and security budgets reduced over this period.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/81-orgs-cyber-threats-covid19/

Phishing Attacks Grow 31.5% Over 2020, Social Media Attacks Continue To Climb

Phishing remains the dominant attack vector for bad actors, growing 31.5 percent over 2020, according to a PhishLabs report. Notably, attacks in September 2021 were more than twice as high as the previous year.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/11/phishing-attacks-grow-2020/

Threat from Organised Cyber Crime Syndicates Is Rising

Europol reports that criminal groups are undermining the EU’s economy and its society, offering everything from murder-for-hire to kidnapping, torture and mutilation.

From encrypting communications to fencing ill-gotten gains on underground sites, organised crime is cashing in on the digital revolution.

The latest organised crime threat assessment from Europol issues a dire warning about the corrosive effect the rising influence of criminal syndicates is having on both the economy and society of the European Union. And it’s all happening online.

https://threatpost.com/organised-cybercrime-syndicates-europol/176326/

Ransomware Gangs Are Using These 'Ruthless' Tactics As They Aim For Bigger Payouts

More sophisticated ransomware attacks are on the way as cyber criminals tailor campaigns to raise the chances of a ransom payment.

Ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated as cyber criminals continue to develop new techniques to make campaigns more effective and increase their chances of successfully demanding a ransom payment.

According to the European law enforcement agency Europol there was a 300% increase in the number of ransom payments between 2019 and 2020 alone – and that doesn't account for 2021 being another bumper year for cyber criminals launching ransomware attacks, as they've taken advantage of security vulnerabilities presented by the rise in remote working. 

Europol's Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCT) shows that while cybercrime, including malware and DDoS attacks, continues to evolve, it's ransomware attacks that have been a significant amount of disruption over the course of the past year.

https://www.ZDNet.com/article/ransomware-gangs-are-now-using-ruthless-tactics-as-they-aim-for-bigger-payouts/

Firms Will Struggle to Secure Extended Attack Surface in 2022

Companies are relying more heavily on third parties, remote employees, and partners, expanding their attack surface area beyond traditional boundaries.

In 2022, much of cybersecurity will boil down to managing the security of relationships, as companies adapt to the post-pandemic remote workforce and the increased use of third-party providers, a panel of analysts stated at the Forrester Research Security & Risk 2021 Conference.

Among five predictions for the coming year, the analysts argued that companies' attempts to manage remote employees would stray into intrusive territory, causing workers to push back and hampering security-focused monitoring, such as that for insider threats. Other predictions maintain that 60% of security incidents in the next year will come from issues with third parties, while the cybersecurity workforce will suffer from burnout and join what's been called the "Great Resignation," the recent trend of workers leaving the workforce.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/firms-will-struggle-to-secure-extended-attack-surface-in-2022

Millions Of Home Wi-Fi Routers Threatened By Malware — What To Do

Netgear, Linksys, D-Link routers among those targeted

There's a nasty new piece of malware out there targeting Wi-Fi routers, and you'll want to make sure yours is fully updated so it doesn't get infected.

The AT&T researchers who discovered the malware are calling it BotenaGo, and it's apparently different from the Mirai botnet malware that's been attacking routers since 2016. BotenaGo packs in exploits for 33 different known vulnerabilities in 12 different router brands, including D-Link, Linksys, Netgear, Tenda, Totolink, Zyxel and ZTE. A full list is on the AT&T Cybersecurity blog post.

To avoid infection, ensure you update your router with the latest firmware.

https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/botenago-router-malware

Vulnerabilities Associated With Ransomware Increased 4.5% In Q3 2021

Ransomware groups are continuing to grow in sophistication, boldness, and volume, with numbers up across the board since Q2 2021, a report by Ivanti, Cyber Security Works and Cyware reveals.

This last quarter saw a 4.5% increase in CVEs associated with ransomware, a 4.5% increase in actively exploited and trending vulnerabilities, a 3.4% increase in ransomware families, and a 1.2% increase in older vulnerabilities tied to ransomware compared to Q2 2021.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/10/vulnerabilities-associated-with-ransomware/

80% Of Organisations Experienced Employees Misusing And Abusing Access To Business Apps

Organisations continue to operate with limited visibility into user activity and sessions associated with web applications, despite the ever-present risk of insider threats and credential theft, a CyberArk research reveals.

While the adoption of web applications has brought flexibility and increased productivity, organisations often lag in implementing the security controls necessary to mitigate risk of human error or malicious intent.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/11/08/user-activity-visibility/

Gen Z Is Behaving Recklessly Online - And Will Live To Regret It

Handing out personal information could be a slippery slope

Members of Generation Z, the cohort of people born in the first decade of the 21st century, care about digital privacy, but their desire for online fame and popularity is greater, a new study from ExpressVPN suggests.

The VPN provider surveyed 1,500 young adults from the US to evaluate their online habits and attitudes towards social media, and identified a troubling pattern that could have dire consequences.

The survey found that Generation Z isn’t trusting of the social media platforms they frequent, expressing concern that platforms may be using their images for facial recognition (67%) and wariness about oversharing personal information (66%).

https://www.techradar.com/news/gen-z-is-behaving-recklessly-online-and-will-live-to-regret-it

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Threats

Ransomware

• 12 New Flaws Used in Ransomware Attacks in Q3 | Threatpost

• Average Ransomware Payment For US Victims More Than $6 Million, Survey Says | ZDNet

• Ransomware Disrupted Store Operations In The Netherlands And Germany - Security Affairs

• Toronto’s Transit Agency Cyber Attack Exposes 25,000 Employees’ Data | Techcrunch

• Comic Book Distributor Struggling With Shipments After Ransomware Attack | ZDNet

• Ransomware Attack Hits UK Fertility Clinic - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Spanish Brewery “Paralyzed” by Cyber-Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• TrickBot Teams Up With Shatak Phishers For Conti Ransomware Attacks (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• REvil Ransomware: US seizes $6 Million In Ransom Payments And Expected To Charge Ukrainian Over Major Cyber Attack - CNNPolitics

BEC

• Interpol Closes in on Global BEC Gang - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Tiny Font Size Fools Email Filters in BEC Phishing | Threatpost

Phishing

• How Cyber Criminals Use Bait Attacks To Gather Info About Their Intended Victims - TechRepublic

• Microsoft Warns Of Surge In HTML Smuggling Phishing Attacks (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• Shadow IT Makes People More Vulnerable to Phishing (sans.edu)

• Gmail Accounts Are Used In 91% Of All Baiting Email Attacks (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

Other Social Engineering

• SMS About Bank Fraud as a Pretext for Voice Phishing – Krebs on Security

Malware

• QAKBOT Loader Returns With New Techniques and Tools (trendmicro.com)

• Abcbot — A New Evolving Wormable Botnet Malware Targeting Linux (thehackernews.com)

• GravityRAT Returns Disguised As An End-To-End Encrypted Chat App - Security Affairs

• Report: 57% Of All Ecommerce Cyber Attacks Are Bot-Driven | Venturebeat

• New BazarBackdoor Attack Discovered - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Mobile

• More Than 1,000 Android Phones Found Infected By Creepy New Spyware | Ars Technica

IOT

• BotenaGo Botnet Targets Millions Of IoT Devices With 33 Exploits (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• Why the NSA Wants To Protect You From Your Toothbrush (msnbc.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Intel And AMD Address High Severity Vulnerabilities In Products And Drivers - Security Affairs

• Samba Update Patches Plaintext Passwork Plundering Problem – Naked Security (Sophos.Com)

• Microsoft Fixes Exchange Server Zero-Day (DarkReading.com)

• Palo Alto Networks Patches Zero-Day Affecting Firewalls Using GlobalProtect Portal VPN | ZDNet

• Researchers Wait 12 Months To Report Vulnerability With 9.8 Out Of 10 Severity Rating | Ars Technica

• Google Warns Hackers Used MacOS Zero-Day Flaw, Could Capture Keystrokes, Screengrabs | ZDNet

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Robinhood Discloses Data Breach Impacting 7 Million Customers (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• This Top VPN Provider May Have Leaked Millions Of User Details | Techradar

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• UK Recorded 1.8m Computer Misuse Crimes During 2019 • The Register

• These Are The Top-Level Domains Threat Actors Like The Most (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• Aleksandr Zhukov, Self-Described 'King Of Fraud,' Is Sentenced To 10 Years - Cyberscoop

• Cyber-Mercenary Group Void Balaur Attacks High-Profile Targets for Cash | Threatpost

• Humanizing Hackers: Entering The Minds Of Those Behind The Attacks - Help Net Security

Cryptocurrency/Cryptojacking

• How To Spot And Block Cryptominers On Your Network | CSO Online

Insider Threats

• Insider IP Theft Is Surging — and Most Can't Stop It (darkreading.com)

DoS/DDoS

• DDoS Attacks Shatter Records in Q3, Report Finds   | Threatpost

OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA

• 83% of Critical Infrastructure Organisations Suffered Breaches, 2021 Cyber Security Research Reveals (darkreading.com)

Nation State Actors

• State Hackers Breach Defence, Energy, Healthcare Orgs Worldwide (Bleepingcomputer.Com)

• China’s next generation of hackers won’t be criminals. That’s a problem. | TechCrunch

• Suspected Chinese Hackers Hit Critical Infrastructure, Government Agencies In Espionage Operation - MSSP Alert

• Russian Cyber Crime Group Exploits SolarWinds Serv-U Vulnerability | SecurityWeek.Com

• Microsoft: Patch Zoho Bug Now to Stop Chinese Hackers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korean Hackers Target The South's Think Tanks Through Blog Posts | ZDNet

• Iranian Threat Actors Attempt To Buy Stolen Data Of US Orgs, FBI Warns - Security Affairs

• 'Lyceum' Threat Group Broadens Focus to ISPs (darkreading.com)

Cloud

• Cloud Attack Analysis Unearths Lessons for Security Pros (darkreading.com)

Privacy

• There’s Been A Big Rise In Monitoring Workers At Home. We Should All Be Worried | ZDNet

• Spyware Providers Are Flocking To International Arms Fairs To Sell To NATO Foes - Cyberscoop

• CEO of Blacklisted Spyware Firm Quits - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Metaverse Is the Ultimate Surveillance Tool (vice.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) 2021 | Europol (europa.eu)

• Sophos 2022 Threat Report: Malware, Mobile, Machine learning and more! – Naked Security

• Kaspersky Q3 2021 DDoS Attack Report | Securelist

• Report: 74% Of IT Security Pros Want Better Penetration Testing | Venturebeat

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Other News

• Booking.com Was Reportedly Hacked By A Us Intel Agency But Never Told Customers | Ars Technica

• Younger Generations Care Little About Cybersecurity - Help Net Security

• Hundreds Of Thousands Of Fake Warnings Of Cyber Attacks Sent From A Hacked FBI Email Server - Security Affairs

• The Rising Threat Stemming From Identity Sprawl | SecurityWeek.Com

• Playstation 5 Hacked—Twice! - Malwarebytes Labs | Malwarebytes Labs

• Hong Kong Cyber Attack Reveals That Apple Favours Latest OS Versions For Security Updates | Techspot

• Unique Challenges to Cyber-Security in Healthcare and How to Address Them (thehackernews.com)

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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 weekly ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 12 March 2021

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.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

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Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

‘Really Messy’: Why The Hack of Microsoft’s Email System Is Getting Worse, With Attacks Doubling Every Two Hours

The cyber security community sprang into action after Microsoft first announced a series of vulnerabilities that let hackers break into the company's Exchange email and calendar programs. China has used it to spy on a wide range of industries in the United States ranging from medical research to law firms to defence contractors, the company said. China has denied responsibility. In the past 24 hours, the team has observed "exploitation attempts on organizations doubling every two to three hours." The countries feeling the brunt of attack attempts are Turkey, the United States, and Italy, accounting for 19%, 18%, and 10% of all tracked exploit attempts, respectively.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/really-messy-hack-microsofts-email-system-getting-worse-rcna377

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-exchange-server-hacks-doubling-every-two-hours/

Trickbot Malware Is Now Your Biggest Security Headache

Trickbot malware has risen to fill the gap left by the takedown of the Emotet botnet, with a higher number of criminals shifting towards it to distribute malware attacks. Emotet was the world's most prolific and dangerous malware botnet before it was disrupted by an international law enforcement operation in January this year.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-trojan-malware-is-now-your-biggest-security-headache/

Cyber Criminals Are Increasingly Targeting Browser Zero Days

As more and more of our work is done within our browsers, cyber criminals have begun to leverage web browser exploits to compromise endpoint systems, according to new research from Menlo Security. At the same time, enterprises around the world were forced to make an almost overnight transition to remote work last year and this surge in employees working from home along with the shift to cloud computing have resulted in a greatly increased attack surface.

https://www.techradar.com/news/cybercriminals-are-increasingly-targeting-browser-zero-days

More Than 1m Small Businesses ‘At Risk Of Collapse’ Due To Cyber Threats

The research, commissioned by Vodafone, also showed that 16 per cent of firms would likely be forced to lay off staff in the event of a hack. As a result, the report called on ministers to beef up the country’s corporate cyber defences, warning that a failure to do so could hamper the post-pandemic economic recovery. It urged the government to expand a dedicated business cyber security within the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ, and introduce a five per cent VAT cut on cybersecurity products for small companies.

Number Of Ransomware Attacks Grew By More Than 150%

By the end of 2020, the ransomware market, fueled by the pandemic turbulence, had turned into the biggest cyber crime money artery. Based on the analysis of more than 500 attacks observed during Group-IB’s own incident response engagements and cyber threat intelligence activity, researchers estimate that the number of ransomware attacks grew by more than 150% in 2020.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/03/08/ransomware-attacks-grew-2020/

Hackers Are Using Home Office Selfies To Steal Your Personal Data

The pandemic has been the source of plenty of memes and new internet trends, not least the remote working selfie, which involves people taking photos of their home office setup or video conferencing sessions. However, a new blog suggests cyber criminals are capitalizing on this new genre of selfie to steal a range of personal data that could be used to execute identity or financial fraud.

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/hackers-are-using-home-office-selfies-to-steal-your-personal-data

Massive Supply-Chain Cyber Attack Breaches Several Airlines

A communications and IT vendor for 90 percent of the world’s airlines, SITA, has been breached, compromising passenger data stored on the company’s U.S. servers in what the company is calling a “highly sophisticated attack.” The affected servers are in Atlanta, and belong to the SITA Passenger Service System (SITA PSS).

https://threatpost.com/supply-chain-cyberattack-airlines/164549/

Millions Of Windows Devices Are Still Infested With Malware

Over 100 million Windows consumer and business devices across the world were infected with malware last year, new analysis has found. While examining the recent Malwarebytes "State of Malware" report, Atlas VPN noted that whilst the number of infected Windows machines seems high, this landmark figure was actually 12% drop when compared to 2019.

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/millions-of-windows-devices-are-still-infested-with-malware

Did You Know Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account?

Browser extensions have full access to all the web pages you visit. It can see which web pages you are browsing, read their contents, and watch everything you type. It could even modify the web pages—for example, by inserting extra advertisements. If the extension is malicious, it could gather all that private data of yours—from web browsing activity and the emails you type to your passwords and financial information—and send it to a remote server on the internet.

https://www.howtogeek.com/716771/did-you-know-browser-extensions-are-looking-at-your-bank-account/

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Threats

Ransomware

• Capcom reportedly forced employees to work in the office following ransomware attack

• Fake Ad Blocker Delivers Hybrid Cryptominer/Ransomware Infection

• New ransomware only decrypts victims who join their Discord server

Phishing

• Fake Google reCAPTCHA Phishing Attack Swipes Office 365 Passwords

Malware

• Nim-Based Malware Loader Spreads Via Spear-Phishing Emails

• Supernova malware clues link Chinese threat group Spiral to SolarWinds server hacks

Mobile

• Malicious apps on Google Play dropped banking Trojans on user devices

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft's March Patch Tuesday: Critical remote code execution flaws, IE zero-day fixed

• F5 issues BIG-IP patches to tackle unauthenticated remote code execution, critical flaws

• Hackers Exploit QNAP Vulnerabilities to Turn NAS Devices Into Crypto Miners

• Malware Can Exploit New Flaw in Intel CPUs to Launch Side-Channel Attacks

• Adobe releases batch of security fixes for Framemaker, Creative Cloud, Connect

• Critical 0-day that targeted security researchers gets a patch

• Intel CPU interconnects can be exploited by malware to leak encryption keys and other info

• Now it is F5’s turn to reveal critical security bugs – and the Feds were quick to sound the alarm on these BIG-IP flaws

Organised Crime

• Police raids across Europe after encrypted phone network shut down

Dark Web

• Dark Web Markets for Stolen Data See Banner Sales

OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA

• Hack of '150,000 cameras' investigated by camera firm

Nation-State Actors

• Researchers Unveil New Linux Malware Linked to Chinese Hackers

• United States considering cyber war on Russia in retaliation for SolarWinds hack

Privacy

• The UK is secretly testing a controversial web snooping tool

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Other News

• This Unassuming Little Device Can Hack Your Smart Home

• Did You Know Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account?

• White hat bounty hackers become millionaires

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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 weekly ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 25 December 2020

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.

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Top Cyber Headlines of the Week

The Cyber Threat Is Real and Growing

The SolarWinds breach could be one of the most significant cyber incidents in history. Russian intelligence—likely the SVR, the foreign-intelligence branch—infiltrated and sat undetected on U.S. and other government networks for nearly 10 months. It was a sophisticated, smart and savvy attack that should alarm the public and private sectors.

We may not know the full extent of the damage for some time. Don’t be surprised if more government entities disclose that they too were victims of this attack. Don’t be surprised either if it emerges that private companies were hit. SolarWinds says it has more than 300,000 customers, including 400 companies in the Fortune 500. That’s a lot of potential victims.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-cyber-threat-is-real-and-growing-11608484291

Ransomware Attacks Surge in Q3 as Cyber Criminals Shift Tactics

A record growth in ransomware attacks took place in Q3 of 2020 compared to Q2, from 39% to 51% of all malware attempts according to a new study. The study also found that hacking accounted for 30% of all attacks during Q3, with cyber criminals reducing their emphasis on social engineering tactics compared with earlier this year. The researchers noted that the percentage of social engineering attacks using COVID-19 as a lure fell from 16% in Q2 to just 4% in Q3, which they attribute to people becoming more accustomed to this crisis. Additionally, social engineering attacks targeting organizations fell from 67% of all attempts in Q1 to under half (45%) in Q3.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-attacks-surge-q3/

In 2021, there will be a cyber attack every 11 seconds. Here’s how to protect yourself

Experienced outdoor athletes know that with winter rapidly approaching, the secret to success lies in protecting the core. That is, the body’s core temperature through layering, wicking and a host of ever-improving technical fabrics that prevent the cold, snow and ice from affecting performance. The same could be said for cyber security. With organizations and workers now in their ninth month of COVID-19, the time has come to prepare as the threat of cyber attacks becomes even more menacing.

https://theprint.in/tech/in-2021-there-will-be-a-cyberattack-every-11-seconds-heres-how-to-protect-yourself/565616/

The US, and much of the West, has suffered a massive cyber breach. It's hard to overstate how bad it is

Recent news articles have all been talking about the massive Russian cyber-attack against the United States, but that’s wrong on two accounts. It wasn’t a cyber-attack in international relations terms, it was espionage. And the victim wasn’t just the US, it was the entire world. But it was massive, and it is dangerous.

Espionage is internationally allowed in peacetime. The problem is that both espionage and cyber-attacks require the same computer and network intrusions, and the difference is only a few keystrokes. And since this Russian operation isn’t at all targeted, the entire world is at risk – and not just from Russia. Many countries carry out these sorts of operations, none more extensively than the US. The solution is to prioritize security and defense over espionage and attack.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/23/cyber-attack-us-security-protocols

Big tech companies including Intel, Nvidia, and Cisco were all infected during the SolarWinds hack

Last week, news broke that IT management company SolarWinds had been hacked, possibly by the Russian government, and the US Treasury, Commerce, State, Energy, and Homeland Security departments have been affected — two of which may have had emails stolen as a result of the hack. Other government agencies and many companies are investigating due to SolarWinds’ extensive client list. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that some big tech companies have been infected, too.

Cisco, Intel, Nvidia, Belkin, and VMware have all had computers on their networks infected with the malware. There could be far more: SolarWinds had stated that “fewer than 18,000” companies were impacted, as if that number is supposed to be reassuring, and it even attempted to hide the list of clients who used the infected software. Today’s news takes some of SolarWinds’ big-name clients from “possibly affected’’ to “confirmed affected.”

https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/21/22194183/intel-nvidia-cisco-government-infected-solarwinds-hack

Researchers share the lists of victims of SolarWinds hack

Security experts started analyzing the DGA mechanism used by threat actors behind the SolarWinds hack to control the Sunburst/Solarigate backdoor and published the list of targeted organizations. Researchers from multiple cybersecurity firms published a list that contains major companies, including Cisco, Deloitte, Intel, Mediatek, and Nvidia. The researchers decoded the DGA algorithm used by the backdoor to assign a subdomain of the C2 for each of the compromised organizations.

https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/112555/hacking/solarwinds-victims-lists.html

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Threats

Ransomware

Ransomware: Attacks could be about to get even more dangerous and disruptive

IOT

New Critical Flaws in Treck TCP/IP Stack Affect Millions of IoT Devices

Malware

Emotet Returns to Hit 100K Mailboxes Per Day

Microsoft has discovered yet more SolarWinds malware

3 million users hit with infected Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions

Vulnerabilities

Windows zero-day with bad patch gets new public exploit code

Script for detecting vulnerable TCP/IP stacks released

New SUPERNOVA backdoor found in SolarWinds cyberattack analysis

Smart Doorbell Disaster: Many Brands Vulnerable to Attack

Zero-day exploit used to hack iPhones of Al Jazeera employees

Signal: Cellebrite claimed to have 'cracked' chat app's encryption

Data Breaches

There's been a Nintendo Switch data leak, according to reports

Data breach hits 30,000 signed up to workplace pensions provider

Thousands of customer records exposed after serious data breach

Organised Crime

Cyber criminals have started indexing the dark web

Joker’s Stash Carding Site Taken Down

International sting shuts down 'favourite' VPN of cyber criminals

Dark Web Pricing Skyrockets for Microsoft RDP Servers, Payment-Card Data

NSA Warns of Hacking Tactics That Target Cloud Resources

Denial of Service

Cloudflare has identified a new type of DDoS attack inspired by an acoustic beat

Privacy

The pandemic has taken surveillance of workers to the next level

Other News

Dozens of Al Jazeera journalists allegedly hacked using Israeli firm's spyware

Cyber Insurance Market Expected to Surge in 2021

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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 weekly ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 13 November 2020

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 Headlines of the Week

Five Emerging Cyber-Threats to Watch Out for in 2021

What was the driving force behind your company’s digital strategy in 2020? Was it your CEO? Probably not. Your CTO or CISO? Perhaps.

For most organisations, it was COVID-19. In 2019, one company after another said: “work-from-home isn’t an option for us” or “we aren’t interested in shifting operations to the cloud.”

Then everything changed. The pandemic drove a massive shift towards remote work. For many companies, this wasn’t even an option — it was a case of ‘do or die.’

By April 2020, almost half of the American workforce was working from home. As organisations and employees become more comfortable with this, we shouldn’t expect a full return to the traditional in-office model anytime soon, if ever. Work-from-anywhere is the new way of doing business, with employees accessing cloud services, collaborative tools and remote systems from home and public networks – and not always through the safety of a VPN.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/blogs/five-cyber-threats-2021/

Guernsey law firm fined £10,000 for data security breach

Trinity Chambers LLP sent private details about an individual and their family via emails and post, the Data Protection Authority (ODPA) found.

It said a lack of security had given "unconnected" third parties access to the data.

The breach of data by Trinity was the result of "repeated human error", an investigation found.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-54854333

Every employee has a cyber security blind spot

80% of companies say that an increased cyber security risk caused by human factors has posed a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in times of heightened stress.

This is a new report that explores the role employees and their personality play in keeping organisations safe from cyber threats. Including that:

·         Cyber crime has increased by 63% since the COVID-19 lockdown was introduced

·         Human error has been the biggest cyber security challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CISOs

·         Just a quarter of businesses consider their remote working strategy effective

·         47% of people are concerned about their ability to manage stress during the coronavirus crisis

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/11/09/cybersecurity-blind-spot/

Zoom settles FTC charges for misleading users about security features

Video conferencing software maker Zoom has reached a deal today with the US Federal Trade Commission to settle accusations that its misled users about some of its security features.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom had attracted users to its platform with misleading claims that its product supported "end-to-end, 256-bit encryption" and that its service would store recorded calls in an encrypted format.

However, in a complaint filed earlier this year, the investigators found that Zoom's claims were deceptive.

Despite claiming to support end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) calls, Zoom didn't support E2EE calls in the classic meaning of the word.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/zoom-settles-ftc-charges-for-misleading-users-about-security-features/

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Threats

Ransomware

How Ryuk Ransomware operators made $34 million from one victim

One hacker group that is targeting high-revenue companies with Ryuk ransomware received $34 million from one victim in exchange for the decryption key that unlocked their computers.

The threat actor is highly proficient at moving laterally inside a compromised network and erasing as much of their tracks as possible before detonating Ryuk ransomware.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/how-ryuk-ransomware-operators-made-34-million-from-one-victim/

Ransomware hits e-commerce platform X-Cart

E-commerce software vendor X-Cart suffered a ransomware attack at the end of October that brought down customer stores hosted on the company's hosting platform.

The incident is believed to have taken place after attackers exploited a vulnerability in a third-party software to gain access to X-Cart's store hosting systems.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-hits-e-commerce-platform-x-cart

Linux version of RansomEXX ransomware discovered

A Linux version of the RansomEXX ransomware, marking the first time a major Windows ransomware strain has been ported to Linux to aid in targeted intrusions.

RansomEXX is a relatively new ransomware strain that was first spotted earlier this year in June.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/linux-version-of-ransomexx-ransomware-discovered/

Laptop mega-manufacturer Compal hit by DoppelPaymer ransomware – same one that hit German hospital

Compal, the world’s second-largest white-label laptop manufacturer, has been hit by the file-scrambling DoppelPaymer ransomware gang – and the hackers want $17m in cryptocurrency before they'll hand over the decryption key.

The Taiwanese factory giant, which builds systems for Apple, Lenovo, Dell, and HP, finally admitted malware infected its computers and encrypted its documents after first insisting it had suffered no more than an IT "abnormality" and that its staff had beaten off a cyber-attack.

https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/09/compal_ransomware_report/

Capcom hit by ransomware attack, is reportedly being extorted for $11 million

Earlier this week it emerged that third-party giant Capcom's internal systems had been hacked, though the company claimed that no customer data was affected.

 It has now emerged that the publisher was targeted by the Ragnar Locker ransomware, software designed to exfiltrate information from internal networks before encrypting the lot: at which point the victim is locked-out, contacted, and extorted.

https://www.pcgamer.com/capcom-hit-by-ransomware-attack-is-reportedly-being-extorted-for-pound11-million/

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Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Jersey business targeted in £130,000 invoice scam

A Jersey building company has been targeted by a sophisticated impersonation scam, which saw fraudsters intercept more than £130,000 in invoice payments.

The owners, who wish to remain anonymous, said they were "left reeling" after realising their email correspondence with a customer had been hacked, and payments diverted to a scam bank account.

After taking swift action, they were able to recover all their money, but they now want to make sure other islanders do not fall victim. They are encouraging businesses in particular to be "extra vigilant".

https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2020-11-13/jersey-business-targeted-in-130000-invoice-scam

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Phishing

Smishing attack tells you “mobile payment problem” – don’t fall for it!

As we’ve warned before, phishing via SMS, or smishing for short, is still popular with cybercriminals.

Sure, old-fashioned text messages have fallen out of favour for personal communications, superseded round the world by instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Instagram, Telegram and Signal.

But for brief, one-off business communications such as “Your home delivery will arrive at 11:30 today” or “Your one-time login code is 217828”, SMS is still a popular and useful messaging system.

That’s because pretty much every mobile phone in the world can receive text messages, regardless of its age, feature set or ability to access the internet.

Even if you’ve got no credit to send messages or make calls, no third-party apps installed, and no Wi-Fi connectivity, SMSes sent to you will still show up.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/11/10/smishing-attack-tells-you-mobile-payment-problem-dont-fall-for-it/

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Malware

Play Store identified as main distribution vector for most Android malware

The official Google Play Store has been identified as the primary source of malware installs on Android devices in a recent academic study — considered the largest one of its kind carried out to date.

Using telemetry data, researchers analysed the origin of app installations on more than 12 million Android devices for a four-month period between June and September 2019.

In total, researchers looked at more than 34 million APK (Android application) installs for 7.9 million unique apps.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/play-store-identified-as-main-distribution-vector-for-most-android-malware/

This new malware wants to add your Linux servers and IoT devices to its botnet

A new form of malware is targeting Linux servers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices and adding them to a botnet in what appears to be the first stage of a hacking campaign targeting cloud-computing infrastructure – although the purpose of the attacks remains unclear.

The malicious worm has been dubbed Gitpaste-12, reflecting on how it uses GitHub and Pastebin for housing component code and has 12 different means of compromising Linux-based x86 servers, as well as Linux ARM- and MIPS-based IoT devices.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-new-malware-wants-to-add-your-linux-servers-and-iot-devices-to-its-botnet/

New 'Ghimob' malware can spy on 153 Android mobile applications

Security researchers have discovered a new Android banking trojan that can spy and steal data from 153 Android applications.

Named Ghimob, the trojan is believed to have been developed by the same group behind the Astaroth (Guildma) Windows malware, according to a report published.

Distribution was never carried out via the official Play Store.

Instead, the Ghimob group used emails or malicious sites to redirect users to websites promoting Android apps.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-ghimob-malware-can-spy-on-153-android-mobile-applications/

Microsoft Teams Users Under Attack in ‘Fake Updates’ Malware Campaign

Attackers are using ads for fake Microsoft Teams updates to deploy backdoors, which use Cobalt Strike to infect companies’ networks with malware.

 The campaign is targeting various types of companies, with recent targets in the K-12 education sector, where organisations are currently dependent on using apps like Teams for videoconferencing due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Cobalt Strike is a commodity attack-simulation tool that’s used by attackers to spread malware, particularly ransomware. Recently, threat actors were seen using Cobalt Strike in attacks exploiting Zerologon, a privilege-elevation flaw that allows attackers to access a domain controller and completely compromise all Active Directory identity services.

https://threatpost.com/microsoft-teams-fakeupdates-malware/161071/

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DDoS

DDoS attacks are cheaper and easier to carry out than ever before

DDoS attacks are getting more complex and more sophisticated while also getting cheaper and easier to carry out as cyber criminals take advantage of the sheer number of insecure internet-connected devices.

Distributed Denial of Service attacks have been a problem for many years, with cyber attackers gaining control of armies of devices and directing their internet traffic at targets in order to take the victim offline.

The disruption causes problems for both businesses and individual users who are prevented from accessing digital services they require – and that's especially a problem as 2020's coronavirus pandemic has forced people to be more reliant on digital services than ever before.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ddos-attacks-are-cheaper-and-easier-to-carry-out-than-ever-before/

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IoT

IoT security is a mess. These guidelines could help fix that

The supply chain around the Internet of Things (IoT) has become the weak link in cyber security, potentially leaving organisations open to cyber attacks via vulnerabilities they're not aware of. But a newly released set of guidelines aims to ensure that security forms part of the entire lifespan of IoT product development.

The Guidelines for Securing the IoT – Secure Supply Chain for IoT report from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) sets out recommendations throughout the entire IoT supply chain to help keep organisations protected from vulnerabilities that can arise when building connected things.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/iot-security-is-a-mess-these-guidelines-could-help-fix-that/

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Vulnerabilities

Windows 10 update created a major password problem

A temporary fix for a frustrating Windows 10 bug that prevents software from storing account credentials, meaning the user must re-enter their username and password each time they log-in.

The flaw is also said to delete cookies held in web browsers, preventing websites from memorising credentials and serving bespoke content to the user.

First reported in April, the issue is present in specific builds of Windows 10 version 2004 and affects applications such as Outlook, Chrome, Edge, OneDrive and more.

https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-10-update-made-a-right-mess-of-this-basic-password-feature

Colossal Intel Update Anchored by Critical Privilege-Escalation Bugs

A massive Intel security update this month addresses flaws across a myriad of products – most notably, critical bugs that can be exploited by unauthenticated cyber criminals in order to gain escalated privileges.

These critical flaws exist in products related to Wireless Bluetooth – including various Intel Wi-Fi modules and wireless network adapters – as well as in its remote out-of-band management tool, Active Management Technology (AMT).

Overall, Intel released 40 security advisories on Tuesday, each addressing critical-, high- and medium-severity vulnerabilities across various products. That by far trumps October’s Intel security update, which resolved one high-severity flaw.

https://threatpost.com/intel-update-critical-privilege-escalation-bugs/161087/

Hackers are exploiting unpatched VoIP flaws to compromise business accounts

A hacking campaign has compromised VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems at over 1,000 companies around the world over the past year in a campaign designed to make profit from selling compromised accounts.

While the main purpose appears to be dialling premium rate numbers owned by attackers or selling phone numbers and call plans that others can use for free, access to VoIP systems could provide cyber criminals with the ability to conduct other attacks, including listening to private calls, cryptomining, or even using compromised systems as a steppingstone towards much more intrusive campaigns.

One hacking group has compromised the VoIP networks of almost 1,200 organisations in over 20 countries by exploiting the vulnerability, with over half the victims in the UK. Industries including government, military, insurance, finance and manufacturing are believed to have fallen victim to the campaign

https://www.zdnet.com/article/hackers-are-exploiting-unpatched-voip-flaws-to-compromise-business-accounts/

Google patches two more Chrome zero-days

Google has released today Chrome version 86.0.4240.198 to patch two zero-day vulnerabilities that were exploited in the wild.

These two bugs mark the fourth and fifth zero-days that Google has patched in Chrome over the past three weeks.

The difference this time is that while the first three zero-days were discovered internally by Google security researchers, these two new zero-days came to Google's attention after tips from anonymous sources.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-patches-two-more-chrome-zero-days/

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Data Breaches

Ticketmaster fined £1.25m over payment data breach

Ticketmaster UK has been fined £1.25m for failing to keep its customers' personal data secure.

The fine was issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) following a cyber-attack on the Ticketmaster website in 2018.

The ICO said personal information and payment details had potentially been stolen from more than nine million customers in Europe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54931873

Millions of Hotel Guests Worldwide Caught Up in Mass Data Leak

A cloud misconfiguration affecting users of a popular reservation platform threatens travellers with identity theft, scams, credit-card fraud and vacation-stealing.

A widely used hotel reservation platform has exposed 10 million files related to guests at various hotels around the world, thanks to a misconfigured Amazon Web Services S3 bucket. The records include sensitive data, including credit-card details.

Prestige Software’s “Cloud Hospitality” is used by hotels to integrate their reservation systems with online booking websites like Expedia and Booking.com.

https://threatpost.com/millions-hotel-guests-worldwide-data-leak/161044/

DWP exposed 6,000 people’s data online for two years

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has removed the personal details of thousands of people after they were exposed online for two years.

The files, published in March and June 2018, listed routine payments to the outsourcing giant Capita and included the National Insurance (NI) numbers of approximately 6,000 people, according to the Mirror. These individuals were believed to be applying for the disability benefit, PIP. No other personal data was exposed in the incident.

https://www.itpro.co.uk/security/data-breaches/357724/dwp-data-breach-exposed-6000-ni-numbers

Data breach at Mashable leaks users’ personal information online

Technology and culture news website Mashable have announced that the personal data of users has been discovered in a leaked database posted on the internet.

In a statement issued this week, Mashable confirmed that a database containing information from readers who made use of the platform’s social media sign-in feature had been found online.

The media company said that “a hacker known for targeting websites and apps” was responsible for the breach. The suspect has not been named.

Leaked data is said to include the full names, locations, email addresses, genders, IP addresses, and links to social media profiles of users.

https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/data-breach-at-mashable-leaks-users-nbsp-personal-information-online

Other News

Try to avoid thinking of the internet as a flashy new battlefield, warns former NCSC chief

https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/11/ciaran_martin_speech_cyber_policy/

Microsoft says three APTs have targeted seven COVID-19 vaccine makers

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-says-three-apts-have-targeted-seven-covid-19-vaccine-makers/

New stealthy hacker-for-hire group mimics state-backed attackers

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/new-stealthy-hacker-for-hire-group-mimics-state-backed-attackers/

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

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

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

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

Cyber Weekly Flash Briefing 14 August 2020: Travelex goes bust following ransomware, Microsoft fix 120 vulns inc two zero-days, more ransomware victims paying up, Cloud misconfigurations create risks

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

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Travelex Forced into Administration After Ransomware Attack

Ransomware victim Travelex has been forced into administration, with the loss of over 1000 jobs.

PwC announced late last week that it had been appointed joint administrators of the currency exchange business.

The Sodinokibi (REvil) ransomware variant is believed to have struck the firm on New Year’s Eve last year, forcing its website offline and impacting its bricks-and-mortar stores and banking services. It took until January 17 for the firm to get its first customer-facing systems live again in the UK.

Why this matters:

Firms of any size can call victim to ransomware and many firms will not survive a significant cyber event such as this. Unconfirmed reports at the time suggested that a critical unpatched vulnerability in a VPN (Virtual Private Network) may have allowed attackers to remotely execute malicious code. A security researcher said he reached out to the firm in September 2019 to flag the issue but was ignored. This again shows the importance of ensuring all security updates are applied quickly. Has this software had the security updates applied those vulnerabilities would not have been able to be used in this attack.

Read more: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/travelex-forced-administration/

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Microsoft August 2020 Patch Tuesday fixes 120 vulnerabilities, two zero-days

Microsoft’s August 2020 Patch Tuesday security updates fell this week and this month the company has patched 120 vulnerabilities across 13 different products, from Edge to Windows, and from SQL Server to the .NET Framework.

Among these 120 vulnerabilities, 17 bugs have received the highest severity rating of "Critical," and there are also two zero-days — vulnerabilities that have been exploited by hackers before Microsoft was able to provide a fix.

Why this matters:

All security updates should be applied as soon as possible to prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited in attacks. When vulnerabilities are announced criminals will waste no time in weaponizing them (creating exploits to use in attacks) so the quicker the vulnerabilities are closed the safer you will be.

Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-august-2020-patch-tuesday-fixes-120-vulnerabilities-two-zero-days/

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More ransomware victims are paying up, even when data recovery is possible

The proportion of ransomware attack victims actually paying ransoms increased in the last quarter, even in instances where ransomed data could be recovered, new figures have revealed.

According to a commercial ransomware recovery service, data exfiltration attacks are becoming more common and blending with traditional ransomware hacks. Data exfiltration extortion involves an attacker taking possession of stolen data and putting it up for sale on forums or marketplaces. Once monetised, the hacker asks the victim to pay a ransom to prevent the information’s release.

The recover firm added that tools currently on the market vary wildly when it comes to data recovery success following a ransomware attack. What’s more, the company has noted an uptick in the number of companies experiencing operating system and registry corruption even after ransomed data is restored.

Why this matters:

It used to be that backups were the best defence against ransomware attacks, but if your data is stolen a backup won’t help you avoid having to pay out to keep your sensitive or confidential data out of the public domain.

Read more: https://www.techradar.com/news/more-ransomware-victims-are-paying-up-even-when-data-recovery-is-possible

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Intel, SAP, and Citrix release critical security updates

Intel released 18 advisories, including fixes for Denial of Service, Information Disclosure and Elevation of Privilege flaws affecting various products on Windows, Chrome OS and Linux OS.

SAP’s released 15 security notes and an update to a previously released one to address flaws in a variety of offerings, including SAP ERP, SAP Business Objects Business Intelligence Platform, SAP S/4 HANA and various SAP NetWeaver components.

Citrix’s has released patches for a set of vulnerabilities in certain on-premises instances of Citrix Endpoint Management (aka XenMobile Server).

Why this matters:

Security upgrades should always be applied as soon as possible. Whether announced vulnerabilities are already being exploited or not as they become known they likely will be exploited and patching them (applied the fixes made available) prevent them from being exploited.

Read more: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/08/12/intel-sap-citrix-security-updates-august-2020/

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IT Pros Name Misconfiguration #1 Cloud Security Threat

Configuration errors are the number one threat to cloud security, according to a new poll of IT and security professionals.

A security vendor interviewed 653 industry professionals to compile its 2020 Cloud Security Report.

Three-quarters (75%) claimed to be “very” or “extremely” concerned about cloud security, with most (52%) believing that the risks are higher in the public cloud than on-premises.

The top four threats were cited as: misconfiguration (68%), unauthorized cloud access (58%), insecure interfaces (52%), and account hijacking (50%).

These security concerns have created multiple barriers to further adoption of cloud services. The top inhibitor of adoption was a lack of qualified staff (55%), up from fifth place last year.

This may go some way to explaining respondents’ concerns around configuration errors, especially as 68% of these organisations are using two or more public cloud providers — adding to the complexity.

Why this matters?

Organisations’ cloud migrations and deployments are racing ahead of their security teams’ abilities to defend them against attacks and breaches. Their existing security solutions only provide limited protections against cloud threats, and teams often lack the expertise needed to improve security and compliance processes

Read more: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/misconfiguration-error-cloud/

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RedCurl cybercrime group has hacked companies for three years

Security researchers have uncovered a new Russian-speaking hacking group that they claim has been focusing on the past three years on corporate espionage, targeting companies across the world to steal documents that contain commercial secrets and employee personal data.

Named RedCurl, the activities of this new group have been detailed in a 57-page report released this week.

Researchers have been tracking the group since the summer of 2019 and have since identified 26 other RedCurl attacks, carried out against 14 organisations, going as far back as 2018.

Why this matters:

This Russian group have targeted victims across different countries and industry sectors, and included construction companies, retailers, travel agencies, insurance companies, banks, and law and consulting firms from countries like Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, Norway, and the UK. Many firms could fall victim to cyber crime groups like this if their defences are not able to withstand such attackers.

Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/redcurl-cybercrime-group-has-hacked-companies-for-three-years/

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Why You Must Beware What You Ask Amazon Alexa

The same cyber team that cracked open TikTok, WhatsApp, Microsoft’s cloud and even Philips lightbulbs has just turned its attention to Amazon’s Alexa. And, unsurprisingly, it hasn’t disappointed. After “speculating” that Amazon’s 200 million devices “could be a prime entry-point for hackers,” Check Point Research has just lifted the lid to unmask “serious security flaws in Alexa.” According to the team, “in just one click, a user could have given up their voice history, home address and control of their Amazon account.”

Why this matters:

Warnings about the dangers of smart speakers and their extended families of virtual assistants are not new. These are the same devices that causes such scandal last year, when it transpired humans were listening to conversations to better train the AI. The issue here is different, much more akin to the broader problem of IoT security. Every different gadget you connect to the internet becomes a potential vulnerability and the methods needed to crack Amazon’s devices were not particularly sophisticated.

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/08/13/amazon-alexa-cyber-attack-check-point-report-smart-speaker-warning/#7d3d16a35008

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Ex-Uber engineer sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing driverless car secrets from Google

A star engineer who admitted stealing self-driving car secrets from Google has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Anthony Levandowski, who helped found Google's self-driving car project, now known as Waymo, pleaded guilty to downloading documents containing data about the company's work and accessing one of them after he had left to found his own trucking startup.

Sentencing him in a San Francisco court, the judge said he was imposing prison time as a deterrent.

An early star in the self-driving car scene, Mr Levandowski pushed for Google to develop the technology but later became disillusioned, leaving in early 2016 to start trucking company Otto, which was bought by Uber less than eight months later. 

Waymo sued Uber, a case which was settled in 2018, with Uber paying out $245m (£187m) in equity and agreeing not to use its technology.

Uber had signed an indemnification agreement with Mr Levandowski, forcing it to pay his legal fees, but has refused to pay a $179m debt he owes to the Google spin-out, a consequence of separate legal action relating to his departure. 

Why this matters:

Your staff present one of your biggest risks, and a disgruntled or disillusioned employee can be very dangerous. The theft of intellectual property for personal gain is a classic example of this kind of behaviour. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems can help to spot unusual behaviour in employees and detect sensitive data being extracted from corporate systems.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2020/08/05/ex-uber-engineer-sentenced-18-months-prison-stealing-driverless/

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Google and Amazon are now the most imitated brands for phishing

You may want to think twice about opening that email claiming to be from Google or Amazon, after new research found the tech giants were being used as lures for phishing scams.

Earlier this year, Check Point revealed that Apple was the most imitated brand for phishing, but over the course of the last few months, the iPhone maker has fallen to seventh place with Google and Amazon now taking the top spots.

Why this matters:

Phishing is estimated to be the starting point of over 90 percent of all cyberattacks and according to Verizon's 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, nearly one third (32%) of all data breaches involved phishing activity. Additionally phishing was present in 78 percent of cyber espionage incidents and the installation and use of backdoors in company networks.

Read more: https://www.techradar.com/news/google-and-amazon-are-now-the-most-imitated-brands-for-phishing

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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 weekly ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.

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

Week in review 15 December 2019: New Nasty Ransomware Tactics, New Intel chip vulnerabilities, Malware sees Growth in 2019, Phishing Tricks

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

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Ransomware: Cybercriminals are adding a new twist to their demands

Ransomware could be getting even nastier: a security firm is warning over a new trend among some ransomware attackers to not just encrypt data, but steal some of it and use it as leverage to ensure a target pays up.

In several recent cases it has been reported that the ransomware gang have not just encrypted data but also threatened to leak the data, too. These attacks elevate the ransomware threat "to crisis level" and organisations should work to immediately improve their security as resorting to backups, the usual best defence against ransomware, won’t protect firms.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-cybercriminals-are-adding-a-new-twist-to-their-demands/

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New ransomware attacks target your NAS devices, backup storage

Sticking with ransomware for a minute, the number of ransomware strains targeting NAS and backup storage devices is also growing, with users "unprepared" for the threat, researchers say.

Ransomware comes in many forms and guises. The malware variant is popular with cybercriminals and is used in attacks against the enterprise, critical services -- including hospitals and utilities -- and individuals.

Once deployed on a system, the malware will usually encrypt files or full drives, issue its victim with a ransom note, and demand payment in return for a way to decrypt and restore access to locked content.

If backup devices themselves are being specifically targeted in attacks then they cannot be relied upon to recover from. This emphasises the requirement to ensure firms have offline copies of backusp such that backup copies cannot themselves fall victim to ransomware.

If the only backups a firm has are connected to a network and backing up in real time is it increasingly unlikely firms will be able to depend on these backups to get their business back on its feet.

More here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-ransomware-attack-targets-your-nas-devices-backup-storage/

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New Plundervolt attack impacts Intel CPUs

Academics from three universities across Europe have this week disclosed a new attack that impacts the integrity of data stored inside Intel SGX, a highly-secured area of Intel CPUs.

The attack, which researchers have named Plundervolt, exploits the interface through which an operating system can control an Intel processor's voltage and frequency -- the same interface that allows gamers to overclock their CPUs.

Academics say they discovered that by tinkering with the amount of voltage and frequency a CPU receives, they can alter bits inside SGX to cause errors that can be exploited at a later point after the data has left the security of the SGX enclave.

They say Plundervolt can be used to recover encryption keys or introduce bugs in previously secure software.

Intel desktop, server, and mobile CPUs are impacted. Including:

• Intel® 6th, 7th, 8 th, 9th & 10th generation CoreTM processors

• Intel® Xeon® Processor E3 v5 & v6

• Intel® Xeon® Processor E-2100 & E-2200 families

Intel has released microcode (CPU firmware) and BIOS updates to address the Plundervolt attack.

More here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-plundervolt-attack-impacts-intel-cpus/

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The phishing tricks that break through standard email filters

Some phishing emails are easy to spot: the spelling is bad, the spoofed email is clearly a fake, and the images are too warped to have possibly been sent by a reputable brand. If you receive one of these low-quality phishing emails, you’re lucky. Today’s phishing emails are extremely sophisticated, and if you’re not well trained to spot one, you probably won’t.

Email filters have long relied on fingerprint and reputation-based threat detection to block phishing emails. A fingerprint is essentially all the evidence a phisher leaves behind -- a signature that, once identified, will be recognized on future phishing attempts and the phishing email or webpage blocked. Examples of a fingerprint include the header, subject line, and HTML.

Reputation refers to phishing URLs and IPs or domains where phishing emails and webpages originate. An IP or domain that is identified as a sender or host for phishing emails and webpages is, like the fingerprint example above, identified and then blacklisted. The same goes for the phishing URL.

Once a tried and true method to stop phishing, hackers have developed new techniques to get around these outdated methods.

Read more here: https://betanews.com/2019/12/12/phishing-tricks/

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Malware variety sees major growth in 2019

New research from security firm Kaspersky has revealed that malware variety grew by 13.7 percent in 2019 and the cybersecurity firm attributes this growth to a rise in web skimmers.

According to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2019, the number of unique malicious objects detected by the company's web antivirus solution increased by an eighth compared to last year to reach over 24m due a 187 percent increase in web skimmer files.

Kaspersky also found that other threats such as backdoors and banking Trojans grew while the presence of cryptocurrency miners dropped by more than half.

These trends demonstrate a shift in the type of threats employed by cybercriminals who are constantly searching for more effective ways to target users online.

Read the original article here: https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/malware-variety-sees-major-growth-in-2019

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Adobe patches 17 critical code execution bugs in Photoshop, Reader, Brackets

Adobe's December security release includes fixes for 17 critical vulnerabilities in software that could be exploited to trigger arbitrary code execution.

As part of the software vendor's standard security schedule, vulnerabilities have been patched in Photoshop, Reader, Brackets, and ColdFusion.

Firms using any of these products should update them as soon as possible to mitigate these newly announced vulnerabilities.

More info: https://www.zdnet.com/article/adobe-patches-17-critical-code-execution-bugs-in-photoshop-reader-brackets/

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The Vulnerability used in Equifax breach is the top network attack in Q3 of 2019

Network security and intelligence company WatchGuard Technologies has released its internet security report for the third quarter of 2019 showing the most popular network attacks.

Apache Struts vulnerabilities -- including one used in the devastating Equifax data breach which tops the list -- appeared for the first time on WatchGuard's list. The report also highlights a major rise in zero day malware detections, increasing use of Microsoft Office exploits and legitimate penetration testing tools, and more.

More details here: https://betanews.com/2019/12/11/equifax-vulnerability-top-network-attack/

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Why Ring Doorbells Perfectly Exemplify the IoT Security Crisis

There's been a lot of creepy and concerning news about how Amazon's Ring smart doorbells are bringing surveillance to suburbia and sparking data-sharing relationships between Amazon and law enforcement. News reports this week are raising a different issue: hackers are breaking into users' Ring accounts, which can also be connected to indoor Ring cameras, to take over the devices and get up to all sorts of invasive shenanigans.

More on Wired here: https://www.wired.com/story/ring-hacks-exemplify-iot-security-crisis/

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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 new regular ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog, here and on our YouTube channel.

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

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