Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 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

FBI Reports Cyber Crime Losses Reached $12.5 billion in 2023, Ransomware Losses Surged by 74%, Average Ransom Demand Reaching $600k

An FBI report into the cost of cyber crime has found that estimated losses in the US alone reached $12.5 billion in 2023. Ransomware accounted for $59.6 million, a 74% increase from the previous year’s report. Of note, the FBI report only deals with complaints made to the FBI; it therefore excludes other countries, and relies on the US organisations to identify that they have been impacted. It is therefore likely that the figure in the US, let alone globally, is significantly higher.

Sources: [Security Boulevard] [Security Week] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Tripwire] [Security Affairs]

Capita Plans £100 Million in Cost Cuts as it Continues to Grapple With 2023 Cyber Attack, Resulting in Significant Job Losses

In the aftermath of a significant cyber attack in 2023, Capita faces a steep financial hurdle with reported losses amounting to £106.6 million. Originally forecasted at £25 million, the revised figure underscores the substantial impact of the breach. Capita’s response strategy, including significant investments in recovery and cyber security bolstering, emphasises the escalating costs associated with data breaches. CEO Adolfo Hernandez announced plans for a substantial cost reduction of over £100 million, indicating the critical need for efficiency improvements to mitigate the financial strain. Capita’s experience serves as a potent reminder of the critical importance of robust cyber resilience strategies. These strategies are not just about preventing attacks, but also about mitigating the potentially devastating financial consequences should a breach occur.

Source: [ITPro]

Employment Law Firm Sues IT Company Over Ransomware Attack

A law firm in California has sued an IT solutions company, saying that after hiring the company to install a network system and server, the law firm suffered a ransomware attack. The law firm found that not long after the network was installed, they were unable to access their data, and when they had gone to retrieve a cloud backup, they had found this was already deleted, forcing them to pay the ransom to get their data back. The law firm is accusing the IT company of negligence and breach of contract and is seeking damages of at least $1 million.

Source: [Law360]

Stolen Passwords are a Hacker Goldmine

Passwords are not only crucial for organisational security, but they also come with significant costs and vulnerabilities. From the time spent by service desks on resets, to the expense of security incidents and breaches, the financial toll is substantial. Weak or reused passwords heighten the vulnerability, with breaches involving stolen credentials costing an average of $4.45 million. Cyber threats are evolving, with hackers increasingly favouring stolen user accounts over traditional malware. This shift, underscored by a notable 71% increase in attacks leveraging valid login credentials in 2023 as reported by CrowdStrike and IBM, highlights the repercussions of compromised credentials. Embracing technologies like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO), along with employee education, can bolster security while alleviating financial strains. Robust identity management and zero-trust security frameworks are essential to mitigate risks further, especially in the face of rising cloud intrusions. Proactive investments in password security software such as password managers can help streamline operations and enhance overall organisational resilience against these evolving threats.

Sources: [Bleeping Computer] [Axios] 

Phishing Attacks Up 40 Percent in 2023; Attackers Leverage Social Engineering for Greater Success

Kaspersky recently released their annual spam and phishing report in which they identified over 709 million attempts to access phishing and scam websites, a 40% increase from the previous year. It should be noted that this number is just related to Kaspersky’s identification; the figure is likely far greater. With reports identifying that 90% of phishing involves social engineering, it is important to understand how it is leveraged.

Phishing attacks generally include an element of trust; for example, a bad actor impersonating a reputable brand or providing details about an individual that makes the attack more credible. Often, social engineering will rely on human characteristics, such as urgency, emotion and habit to try to manipulate the target to perform particular actions. Whilst the tools may change, the basis is the same; a successful phish requires user interaction. To mitigate the impact of phishing in corporate environments, organisations must stay informed about the latest adversarial activity and prioritise security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and providing employee awareness and education training that goes beyond ticking boxes.

Sources: [Beta News] [CSO Online] [Security Boulevard] [DarkReading]

Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked

A survey of over 10,000 business leaders across various industries has found that a number of business leaders know little when it comes to their organisation’s cyber security landscape, with 1 in 10, “unsure” and unable to provide a definitive answer as to whether their organisation has had a data breach in 2023. The report highlights that there are a number of leadership positions that are not receiving sufficient information about their organisation’s data security situation.

Receiving regular reports with metrics about the organisation’s cyber security posture is key to organisations achieving and maintaining a solid level of governance, something that is required in various standards and regulations.

Source: [Tech.Co]

Rising Cyber Security Risks: Insider Threat Main Concern Among Mid-Market Firms

According to the 2023 CyberArk Identity Security Threat Landscape Report, insider threats are on the rise, with 68% of organisations reporting an increased frequency in the past year. These threats, considered one of the top concerns over the next 12 months, stem from within an organisation where authorised employees exploit their access to steal or leak sensitive data. Factors such as flexible working, an increase in job transitions, workforce reductions, third-party relationships, economic uncertainties, and employee stress levels further compound these challenges. Negligence, accounting for 62% of insider incidents, plays a significant role; these threats aren’t always malicious but can also be negligent or accidental. As these threats evolve, the potential consequences, including revenue loss and reputational damage, are becoming more apparent to business leaders. To mitigate risks, companies must prioritise improving identity security, particularly in controlling privileged access, and embrace a Zero Trust approach. This ensures full visibility and control over access to sensitive data, safeguarding critical assets and enhancing cyber resilience in an increasingly volatile landscape. Other key identified threats include AI-related risks, ransomware, deep fakes, and malware.

Sources: [TechRadar] [Comms Business]

C-Suite Executives: An Attacker’s Dream?

Cyber criminals are increasingly focusing on high-value targets, particularly C-suite executives who hold extensive organisational access. These executives, often overlooked in security practices and training, have become vulnerable links. The cyber security landscape of 2023 saw significant advancements but also revealed vulnerabilities, exacerbated by global conflicts and strategic cyber attacks. Cyber actors are now targeting entities with high return potential, with ransomware attackers tailoring their strikes to maximise revenues, often from smaller organisations. Interestingly, while automation is on the rise, cyber criminals are opting for a human touch, with human operatives often behind attacks. A report last year showed a nearly 30% spike in fraud specifically targeting senior executives, highlighting the vulnerability of the C-suite. This emphasises the need for robust cyber resilience strategies to safeguard these high-value targets.

Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]

Security Risks Plague SMEs in Shift to Remote Working

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working surged, offering businesses newfound flexibility and cost efficiencies. However, this paradigm shift comes with its own set of security challenges, particularly impacting startups and small businesses. The inherent flexibility of remote work exposes companies to risks like unauthorised access, IP theft, and malware. These threats are especially potent for SMEs, jeopardising their financial stability and reputation. Robust security measures include VPNs, enforcing regular software updates, and employee training to mitigate these risks. By embracing these strategies, SMEs can navigate the remote work landscape securely, unlocking its benefits while safeguarding against potential threats.

Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]

After Collecting $22 Million, Ransomware Group Stages FBI Takedown

The ransomware group responsible for facilitating a huge attack against a US prescription drug company for $22 million has gone dark, days after receiving the payment and standing accused of scamming their own affiliate out of their share of the gains. Days after the payment was made, AlphV’s public website started displaying a message saying it had been seized by the FBI as part of an international law enforcement action. Ransomware researchers have since said that it has not actually been seized, but appears to be a ploy to exit scam affiliates of the ransomware group. This proves the old adage that there really is no honour among thieves.

Source: [Ars Technica]

Cyber Attacks Remain Chief Concern for Businesses

A recent report has underscored the growing concern among UK corporate businesses regarding cyber attacks as the primary fraud threat in the upcoming year, with 73% of respondents expressing worry. As businesses grapple with the shift to hybrid and remote work models, ensuring robust counter-fraud measures and internal controls is imperative to safeguarding workforces regardless of location. This situation emphasises the critical importance of investing in employee training to combat evolving fraud threats. It highlights the far-reaching consequences that fraud can have on organisations and underscores the necessity of fostering an anti-fraud culture across all levels of the enterprise.

Source: [TheHRDirector]

Two New Ransomware Groups Join Forces to Launch Joint Attacks

Two ransomware groups, Ghostsec and Stormous, have joined forces to conduct double extortion ransomware attacks on various businesses across multiple countries. As part of this, their new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) program, STMX_GhostLocker, provides various options for their affiliates. GhostSec is already part of a coalition called the five families, involving 4 other entities. The group ventured into RaaS last year, offering services for as little as $269.99 per month.

Source: [The Hacker News]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week

• 1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)

• Cyber attacks remain chief concern for businesses | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• Companies Are Already Not Complying With The New SEC Cyber Security Incident Disclosure Rules (forbes.com)

• What Cyber Security Chiefs Need From Their CEOs (darkreading.com)

• Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly

• NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com

• CISOs Tackle Compliance With Cyber Guidelines (informationweek.com)

• Are C-suite executives cyber security's weakest link? (securitybrief.co.nz

• 30 years of the CISO role – how things have changed since Steve Katz | CSO Online

• How to create an efficient governance control program - Help Net Security

• Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)

• Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security

• Cyber Insights 2024: A Dire Year for CISOs? - Security Week

• Cyber Pros’ Knowledge Gaps Lead to Errors | MSSP Alert

• Research finds that cyber security leaders are taking on multiple roles | Security Magazine

• How Security Leaders Can Break Down Barriers to Enable Digital Trust - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• FBI: US Ransomware Losses Surge 74% to $59.6 Million in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• Report: Average Initial Ransomware Demand in 2023 Reached $600K - Security Boulevard

• What’s Fueling the Ransomware Epidemic? | Symantec Enterprise Blogs (security.com)

• Banning ransomware payments back on the agenda | Computer Weekly

• BlackCat Goes Dark After Ripping Off Change Healthcare Ransom (darkreading.com)

• Inside an Alphv/BlackCat ransomware attack | TechTarget

• Healthcare facing record ransom as cyber criminals continue to target sector - Emerging Risks Media Ltd

• Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The Register

• Alert: GhostSec and Stormous Launch Joint Ransomware Attacks in Over 15 Countries (thehackernews.com)

• Capita drops 18% on £107m loss as financial impact of cyber attack is revealed | LSE:CPI (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• US cyber and law enforcement agencies warn of Phobos ransomware attacks (securityaffairs.com)

• Experts echo calls for ransomware ban as LockBit rallies • The Register

• Government urged to ban ransom payments to cyber criminals (computing.co.uk)

• LockBit 3.0’s Bungled Comeback Highlights the Undying Risk of Torrent-Based (P2P) Data Leakage (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware spikes against critical infrastructure, says FBI • The Register

• Major shifts in identity, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threat trends - Help Net Security

• Government was third-largest ransomware target last year: FBI - Defense One

• JetBrains TeamCity under attack by ransomware thugs • The Register

Ransomware Victims

• A Deep Dive into the 2024 Prudential and LoanDepot Breaches - Security Boulevard

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• After collecting $22 million, AlphV ransomware group stages FBI takedown | Ars Technica

• Change Healthcare hack cripples payment systems across health providers - The Washington Post

• Hackers Behind the Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack Just Received a $22 Million Payment | WIRED

• Capita raises threat of further job cuts under plans to save another £100m | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

• Capita drops 18% on £107m loss as financial impact of cyber attack is revealed | LSE:CPI (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)

• UnitedHealth's cyber attack should be a 'wake-up call' for healthcare (yahoo.com)

• Ransomware Attackers Leak Sensitive Swiss Government Documents, Login - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security leaders weigh in on the recent UnitedHealth cyber attack | Security Magazine

• LockBit 3.0’s Bungled Comeback Highlights the Undying Risk of Torrent-Based (P2P) Data Leakage (securityaffairs.com)

• Canada's anti-money laundering agency offline after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The RegisterFidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• Duvel says it has "more than enough" beer after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Thousands of Dutch passports stolen in ransomware attacks available on dark web | NL Times

• Corporate Greed Made the Change Healthcare Cyber attack Worse (nymag.com)

• Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register

• Action needed to avoid repeat of Southern Water cyber attack - Utility Week

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing attacks up 40 percent in 2023 (betanews.com)

• Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)

• How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online

• Cyber Criminals Spoof US Government Organisations in BEC, Phishing Attacks - Security Week

• Annual State of Email Security by the Numbers - Security Boulevard

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• 95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security

• Hundreds of orgs targeted with emails aimed at stealing NTLM authentication hashes - Help Net Security

• Kaspersky spam and phishing report for 2023 | Securelist

Other Social Engineering

• How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• The Rise of Social Engineering Fraud in Business Email Compromise (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)

• AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security

• Don't Give Your Business Data to AI Companies (darkreading.com)

• Act now to stop WordPress and Tumblr selling your content to AI firms • Graham Cluley

• GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)

• Political deepfakes are spreading like wildfire thanks to GenAI | TechCrunch

• Self-Propagating Worm Created to Target Generative AI Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Future Of AI And ML In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• 95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security

• Immediate AI risks and tomorrow's dangers - Help Net Security

• Defence: Leonardo CEO says stupidity poses a bigger threat than AI (cnbc.com)

2FA/MFA

• Google and Meta users see their 2FA security codes leaked online - Root-Nation.com

Malware

• No “Apple magic” as 11% of macOS detections last year came from malware | Malwarebytes

• Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update

• GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)

• Watch Out for Spoofed Zoom, Skype, Google Meet Sites Delivering Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Linux variant of BIFROSE RAT uses deceptive domain strategies (securityaffairs.com)

• Self-Propagating Worm Created to Target Generative AI Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Linux malware found targeting mobile networks across the world | TechRadar

• ScreenConnect flaws exploited to drop new ToddleShark malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week

• Linux Malware Targets Docker, Apache Hadoop, Redis and Confluence - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• New WogRAT malware abuses online notepad service to store malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)

• Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)

• Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update

• Apple warns of increased iPhone security risks | Computerworld

• The Privacy Danger Lurking in Push Notifications | WIRED

• Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• CISA Adds Android Pixel and Sunhillo Sureline Bugs to Its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

• The Importance of Cyber security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon

• Phone hacking is a real danger. How to keep your data, location secure (usatoday.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS Attacks on Financial Services Industry Up 154%, According to New FS-ISAC/Akamai Report (prnewswire.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Someone is hacking 3D printers to warn owners of a security flaw (bitdefender.com)

• Popular doorbell camera brands contain security flaws, making them easy to hack: Report  | The Hill

• NCSC flags up cyber security for connected places | UKAuthority

• The Importance of Cyber Security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon

• This $4 Billion Car Surveillance Startup Says It Cuts Crime. But It Likely Broke The Law. (forbes.com)

• Flipper Zero WiFi phishing attack can unlock and steal Tesla cars (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• The State Of Cyber Security (Part One): Why Are There Still So Many Data Breaches? (forbes.com)

• A leaky database spilled 2FA codes for the world’s tech giants | TechCrunch#

• American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security

• 4 Instructive Postmortems on Data Downtime and Loss (thehackernews.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week

• 2023 FBI Internet Crime Report reported cyber crime losses reached $12.5 billion in 2023 (securityaffairs.com)

• $12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire

• Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• $12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire

• Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• Crypto fraud in 2023: How can security teams fight (securityintelligence.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Comms Business - Insider threat main concern among mid-market firms

• Current workforce trends feed into rising cyber security risks | TechRadar

• Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Pleads Guilty Under a Deal That Calls for at Least 11 Years in Prison - Security Week

• Army Vet Spills National Secrets to Fake Ukrainian Girlfriend (darkreading.com)

• Chinese engineer accused of stealing Google's GPU and TPU secrets, transferring them to China-based startups | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• Capita plans £100 million in cost cuts as it continues to grapple with 2023 cyber attack | ITPro

• First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)

• American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• 10 Essential Processes for Reducing the Top 11 Cloud Risks (darkreading.com)

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• Securing Perimeter Products Must Be a Priority, Says NCSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• Major shifts in identity, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threat trends - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Preparing for the post-quantum cryptography environment today | CSO Online

Linux and Open Source

• Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro

• Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week

• Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)

• Linux Malware Targets Docker, Apache Hadoop, Redis and Confluence - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Hacked WordPress sites use visitors' browsers to hack other sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)

• Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register

• Stolen passwords are a hacker goldmine now, CrowdStrike and IBM find (axios.com)

• Passwords are Costing Your Organisation Money - How to Minimize Those Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Poor Credential Hygiene - Security Boulevard

• US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register

Social Media

• Google and Meta users see their 2FA security codes leaked online - Root-Nation.com

• IP address X-posure now a feature on Twitter • The Register

• “Technical Issue” Takes Facebook Offline, Offers No Cyber Security Reassurance | MSSP Alert

• Facebook and Instagram Overrun by Account Hackers, States Warn (bloomberglaw.com)

• Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)

• Meta Abandons Hacking Victims, Draining Law Enforcement Resources, Officials Say | WIRED

• US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• In the News | Equip and Educate Students to Combat Cyberthreats - Security Boulevard

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Companies Are Already Not Complying With The New SEC Cyber Security Incident Disclosure Rules (forbes.com)

• EU council welcomes cyber solidarity act agreement (verdict.co.uk)

• The modern CISO's guide to navigating new SEC cyber regulations (betanews.com)

• Five Unintended Consequences of the New SEC Cyber Security Disclosure Rule - Security Boulevard

• Navigating regulation challenges for protecting sensitive healthcare data - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• NIST Cyber Security Framework 2.0: 4 Steps to Get Started (darkreading.com)

• NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com

• CIS RAM (Risk Assessment Method) (cisecurity.org)

Data Protection

• Charity has 30 days to stop spamming thousands for donations • The Register

• This $4 Billion Car Surveillance Startup Says It Cuts Crime. But It Likely Broke The Law. (forbes.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 11 Top Cyber Security Certifications to Consider In 2024 (datamation.com)

• Cyber and gender | Professional Security

• Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A cyber criminal is sentenced, will it make a difference? - Help Net Security

• Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Pleads Guilty Under a Deal That Calls for at Least 11 Years in Prison - Security Week

• Nigerian National Pleads Guilty of Conspiracy in BEC Operation (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Content farm impersonates 60+ major news outlets, like BBC, CNN, CNBC (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The man who tricked Nazi Germany: lessons from the past on how to beat disinformation | Books | The Guardian

• Political deepfakes are spreading like wildfire thanks to GenAI | TechCrunch

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine Via A Disinformation Campaign - Security Boulevard

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Focus on cyber operations that cause physical damage is not enough | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

• Cyber threats impacting the safety and dignity of civilians in conflict | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

Nation State Actors

• Complete Guide to Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Security - Security Boulevard

China

• Chinese nation state actors to ramp up cyber espionage attempts in 2024 - IT Security Guru

• We’re Slowly Learning About China’s Extensive Hacking Network | Mind Matters

• Taiwan's Biggest Telco Breached by Suspected Chinese Hackers (darkreading.com)

• Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register

• A New Wave of Cyber Attacks: Five Actions to Take Now | IndustryWeek

• Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Behind the doors of a Chinese hacking company, a sordid culture fueled by influence, alcohol and sex | AP News

Russia

• The Five Bears: Russia's Offensive Cyber Capabilities (greydynamics.com)

• A Silent World War – Russia’s Cyberwar Against the West (kyivpost.com)

• Germany Urged to Tighten Security After Russia Leaked Classified Information - Bloomberg

• Germany to investigate Russia’s interception of military talks on Ukraine | Germany | The Guardian

• Ukraine intel says its hackers obtained Russian Defence Ministry's classified documents - Euromaidan Press

• Valuable Russian Military Documents Exposed: Report (newsweek.com)

• Focus on cyber operations that cause physical damage is not enough | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine Via A Disinformation Campaign - Security Boulevard

North Korea

• Lazarus Group observed exploiting an admin-to-kernel Windows zero-day | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea hacks two South Korean chip firms to steal engineering data (bleepingcomputer.com)

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

• Banks face ‘hacktivist’ cyber attacks (fnlondon.com)

• Hacktivist Collective NoName057(16) Strikes European Targets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'The Weirdest Trend in Cyber Security': Nation-States Returning to USBs (darkreading.com)

• Four internet cables cut in Red Sea in 'exceptionally rare' incident | Fortune

• Predator spyware endures even after widespread exposure, analysis shows | CyberScoop

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Vulnerability Management

• Firms Still Threatened by Old Vulnerabilities (govinfosecurity.com)

• Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro

• Organisations are knowingly releasing vulnerable applications - Help Net Security

• Securing Perimeter Products Must Be a Priority, Says NCSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Enhancing security through proactive patch management - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Five Eyes alliance warns of attacks exploiting known Ivanti Gateway flaws (securityaffairs.com)

• ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• Hackers exploited Windows 0-day for 6 months after Microsoft knew of it | Ars Technica

• CISA adds Apple iOS and iPadOS memory corruption bugs to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (securityaffairs.com)

• Urgent: Apple Issues Critical Updates for Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• VMware sandbox escape bugs are so critical, patches are released for end-of-life products | Ars Technica

• VMware Issues Security Patches for ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• VMWare Urges Users to Uninstall EAP Immediately - Security Boulevard

• Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in VPN Product - Security Week

• Critical TeamCity flaw now widely exploited to create admin accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical TeamCity Bugs Endanger Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)

• Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• CISA Warns of Pixel Phone Vulnerability Exploitation - Security Week

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Tools and Controls

• Why cyber maturity assessment should become standard practice - Help Net Security

• 1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)

• The Ultimate Guide to Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response (TDIR) (govinfosecurity.com)

• The Future Of AI And ML In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly

• What Is A Cyber Incident Response Policy? - Security Boulevard

• Cyber Criminals Using Novel DNS Hijacking Technique for Investment Scams (thehackernews.com)

• Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)

• Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security

• Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The critical role of DNS in cyber security and digital thriving | TechRadar

• 5 ways to keep API integrations secure - Help Net Security

• Reduce the Attack Surface | Dell USA

• What is Advanced Threat Protection and How to Use It in Your Business - Security Boulevard

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• How To Close The DevSecOps Cyber Security Skills Gap And Boost Security (forbes.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Kaspersky spam and phishing report for 2023 | Securelist

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Other News

• Banks face ‘hacktivist’ cyber attacks (fnlondon.com)

• White Hats on Offensive Against Black Hat Hackers: Report (technewsworld.com)

• UK altnets call for action after attacks on fibre infrastructure | Computer Weekly

• Securing the future: Addressing cyber security challenges in the education sector - Help Net Security

• The 3 most common post-compromise tactics on network infrastructure (talosintelligence.com)

• What is Micro Breaching? - Security Boulevard

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 April 2023

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Keeping up with threat intelligence (70%)

• Allocating cyber security resources and budget (47%)

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

• Compliance and regulation (39%)

• Convergence of IT and OT (32%)

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

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

• One in Three Businesses Faced Cyber Attacks Last Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Tight Budgets and Burnout Push Enterprises to Outsource Cyber Security

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

Cobalt’s recent report found:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• 83% of Organisations Paid Up in Ransomware Attacks

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

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

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

• Security is a Revenue Booster, Not a Cost Centre

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

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

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

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

• Ex-CEO Gets Prison Sentence for Bad Security

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Outdated Cyber Security Practices Leave Door Open for Criminals

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

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

• Quantifying Cyber Risk Vital for Business Survival

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

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

• Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets

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

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

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

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

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

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

• UK Education Sector Suffered Most from Ransomware in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NCR was the victim of BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware gang - Security Affairs

• Darktrace Denies Getting Hacked After Ransomware Group Names Company on Leak Site - SecurityWeek

• LockBit ransomware encryptors found targeting Mac devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Abuse victims' data stolen in ransomware attack (rte.ie)

• Hackers publish sensitive employee data stolen during CommScope ransomware attack | TechCrunch

• Vice Society is using custom PowerShell tool for data exfiltrationSecurity Affairs

• Black Basta claims it's selling off stolen Capita data • The Register

• An Analysis of the BabLock Ransomware (trendmicro.com)

• Ransomware reinfection and its impact on businesses - Help Net Security

• Microsoft SQL servers hacked to deploy Trigona ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Play ransomware gang uses custom Shadow Volume Copy data-theft tool (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware gangs abuse Process Explorer driver to kill security software (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Medusa ransomware crew boasts of Microsoft code leak • The Register

• New Ransomware Attack Hits Health Insurer Point32Health (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing Attacks Surge as Threat Actors Leverage New AI Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Qbot campaign delivers malware by hijacking business emails | CSO Online

• KnowBe4 Q1 Phishing Report reveals IT and online services emails drive dangerous attack trend - IT Security Guru

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• Phishing FAQ: How to Spot Scams and Stop Them in Their Tracks - CNET

• UK government employees receive average of 2,246 malicious emails per year - IT Security Guru

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• US charges three men with six million dollar business email compromise plot | Tripwire

2FA/MFA

• How to Prevent 2 Common Attacks on MFA (darkreading.com)

Malware

• Ex-Conti and FIN7 Actors Collaborate with New Domino Backdoor (securityintelligence.com)

• New Chameleon banking trojan is stealing account info — what you need to know | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• US, UK warn of govt hackers using custom malware on Cisco routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New QBot campaign delivered hijacking business correspondenceSecurity Affairs

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Hackers Storing Malware in Google Drive as Encrypted ZIP Files (gbhackers.com)

• Raspberry Robin Adopts Unique Evasion Techniques - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MacStealer - newly-discovered malware steals passwords and exfiltrates data from infected Macs • Graham Cluley

• 'AuKill' Malware Hunts & Kills EDR Processes (darkreading.com)

• What Are Computer Worms And How To Prevent Them (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Mobile

• Android malware infiltrates 60 Google Play apps with 100M installs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

• NSO Group is Back in Business With 3 New iOS Zero-Click Exploits (darkreading.com)

• Conversational Attacks Fastest Growing Mobile Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Global Spyware Attacks Spotted Against Both New & Old iPhones (darkreading.com)

Botnets

• 'Zaraza' Bot Targets Google Chrome to Extract Login Credentials (darkreading.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Military helicopter crash blamed on missing software patch • The Register

• Why xIoT Devices Are Cyberattackers' Gateway Drug for Lateral Movement (darkreading.com)

• Hikvision: Chinese surveillance tech giant denies leaked Pentagon spy claim - BBC News

• The Car Thieves Using Tech Disguised Inside Old Nokia Phones and Bluetooth Speakers (vice.com)

• Popular Fitness Apps Leak Location Data Even When Users Set Privacy Zones (darkreading.com)

• Five Eye nations release new guidance on smart city cyber security | CSO Online

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Ex-CEO of breached psychotherapy clinic gets prison sentence for bad data security – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Kodi Confirms Data Breach: 400K User Records and Private Messages Stolen (thehackernews.com)

• Volvo retailer leaks sensitive files - Security Affairs

• Rheinmetall suffers cyber attack, military business unaffected, spokesperson says | Reuters

• Jack Teixeira's charges in full: 'Top secret' access, leak searches and the Espionage Act - BBC News

• Online Gaming Chats Have Long Been Spy Risk for US Military - SecurityWeek

• Cyber attack on Insurance Information Bureau of India; data at risk - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Air Force Unit in Document Leaks Case Loses Intel Mission - SecurityWeek

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Inside look at cyber criminal organisations: Why size matters | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

• Standardized data collection methods can help fight cyber crime | TechTarget

• Why Cyber criminals Love The Rust Programming Language (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• On the hunt for the businessmen behind a billion-dollar scam - BBC News

• Hundred Finance loses $7 million in Optimism hack (cointelegraph.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Human-Centered Approach Can Reduce Cyber security Failures, Gartner Predicts - MSSP Alert

• HR Magazine - UK government plans to make businesses liable for employee fraud

• Top risks and best practices for securely offboarding employees | CSO Online

• Critical Infrastructure Firms Concerned Over Insider Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to Strengthen your Insider Threat Security - IT Security Guru

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Pre-pandemic techniques are fueling record fraud rates - Help Net Security

• HR Magazine - UK government plans to make businesses liable for employee fraud

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• Police disrupts $98M online fraud ring with 33,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trial and error in Kuwait | CyberScoop

• US extradites Nigerian charged in $6m email fraud scam • The Register

• Crypto phishing attacks up by 40% in one year: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• Three charged over banking fraud for hire website | Computer Weekly

• On the hunt for the businessmen behind a billion-dollar scam - BBC News

• Hundred Finance loses $7 million in Optimism hack (cointelegraph.com)

• Dennis Kozlowski and the Infamous $6,000 Shower Curtain | Entrepreneur

• FTC orders payments firm to pay $650k over tech support scam • The Register

• Conversational Attacks Fastest Growing Mobile Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Fraudsters impersonating genuine providers cost £177.6m in 2022, UK Finance data suggests | Business News | Sky News

• Scammers using social media to dupe people into becoming money mules - Help Net Security

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Police Crack Comms to Bust Money Laundering Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insurance

• Bank of America warns Lloyd’s over state-backed cyber attack exclusion | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Cyber insurance Backstop: Can the Industry Survive Without One? - SecurityWeek

• Cyber insurer launches InsurSec solution to help SMBs improve security, risk management | CSO Online

Dark Web

• Stolen ChatGPT premium accounts up for sale on the dark web | CSO Online

• How 'Operation Cookie Monster' took down a major dark web market | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita PLC falls on reports cyber attack was worse than admitted (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• 3CX Software Supply Chain Compromise Initiated by a Prior Software Supply Chain Compromise; Suspected North Korean Actor Responsible | Mandiant

• Capita admits customer, supplier or colleague data may have been accessed by hackers | Business News | Sky News

• Lazarus APT group employed Linux Malware in recent attacks-Security Affairs

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

Software Supply Chain

• CISA Introduces Secure-by-design and Secure-by-default Development Principles – Security Week

Cloud/SaaS

• Cloud Security Alerts Take Six Days to Resolve - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Linux kernel logic allowed Spectre attack on major cloud • The Register

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

• Is there really a march from the public cloud back on-prem? | TechCrunch

• Uncovering (and Understanding) the Hidden Risks of SaaS Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers Storing Malware in Google Drive as Encrypted ZIP Files (gbhackers.com)

• Microsoft 365 outage blocks access to web apps and services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts disclosed 2 critical flaws in Alibaba cloud database services Security Affairs

Attack Surface Management

• Recycled Core Routers Expose Sensitive Corporate Network Info (darkreading.com)

Shadow IT

• The staying power of shadow IT, and how to combat risks related to it - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• The Attacks that can Target your Windows Active Directory (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The biggest data security blind spot: Authorization - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Crime agencies condemn Facebook and Instagram encryption plans | Meta | The Guardian

• Crooks’ Mistaken Bet on Encrypted Phones | The New Yorker

API

• Triple-digit Increase in API and App Attacks on Tech and Retail - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• There's Been a 400% Increase in Unique API Attackers - The New Stack

Open Source

• Linux kernel logic allowed Spectre attack on major cloud • The Register

• Security beyond software: The open source hardware security evolution - Help Net Security

• Report: Most IT Teams Can't Fix Open Source Software Security - DevOps.com

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• How Long It Would Take A Hacker To Brute Force Your Password In 2023, Ranked | Digg

Social Media

• LinkedIn deploys new secure identity verification for all members | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Crime agencies condemn Facebook and Instagram encryption plans | Meta | The Guardian

• Scammers using social media to dupe people into becoming money mules - Help Net Security

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• EU privacy regulators to create task force to investigate ChatGPT | Computerworld

• What Business Needs to Know About the New U.S. Cybersecurity Strategy (hbr.org)

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• As Consumer Privacy Evolves, Here's How You Can Stay Ahead of Regulations (darkreading.com)

• Brit cops rapped over app that recorded 200k phone calls • The Register

• Three Effective Ways For Boards To Prepare For Imminent SEC Cyber Rules (forbes.com)

• US imposes $300m penalty over hard disk drive exports to Huawei - BBC News

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Security Is a Revenue Booster, Not a Cost Centre (darkreading.com)

• Tight budgets and burnout push enterprises to outsource cyber security - Help Net Security

• Ex-CEO of breached psychotherapy clinic gets prison sentence for bad data security – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• 'One in three firms faced cyber attacks last year' (aol.co.uk)

• Skills shortage puts Europe’s cyber resilience to the test – EURACTIV.com

• Quantifying cyber risk vital for business survival - Help Net Security

• Wargaming an effective data breach playbook - Help Net Security

• Outdated cyber security practices leave door open for criminals - Help Net Security

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

• Why Your Anti-Fraud, Identity & Cyber security Efforts Should Be Merged (darkreading.com)

• Gartner Top Strategic Cyber security Trends 2023

• 3 Flaws, 1 War Dominated Cyber-Threat Landscape in 2022 (darkreading.com)

• Lack of Breach Info on Notices Surges in Q1 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ex-CIO must pay £81k over Total Shambles Bank migration • The Register

• Economic uncertainty drives upskilling as a key strategy for organisations - Help Net Security

• Top risks and best practices for securely offboarding employees | CSO Online

• How companies are struggling to build and run effective cyber security programs - Help Net Security

• Three Effective Ways For Boards To Prepare For Imminent SEC Cyber Rules (forbes.com)

• Small Business Interest in Cyber-Hygiene Wanes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Secure Disposal

• Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Enterprises Exposed to Hacker Attacks Due to Failure to Wipe Discarded Routers - SecurityWeek

Backup and Recovery

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• Government reprimanded for serious breaches of data protection law - Jersey Evening Post

• Marketing biz sent 107M spam emails in a year, says watchdog • The Register

• Brit cops rapped over app that recorded 200k phone calls • The Register

• ChatGPT's Data Protection Blind Spots and How Security Teams Can Solve Them (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Skills shortage puts Europe’s cyber resilience to the test – EURACTIV.com

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Ex-CEO of hacked therapy clinic sentenced for failing to protect patients' session notes (bitdefender.com)

• Police disrupts $98M online fraud ring with 33,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US extradites Nigerian charged in $6m email fraud scam • The Register

• How 'Operation Cookie Monster' took down a major dark web market | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Three charged over banking fraud for hire website | Computer Weekly

• Police Crack Comms to Bust Money Laundering Group - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• What the Recent Collapse of SVB Means for Privacy (darkreading.com)

• As Consumer Privacy Evolves, Here's How You Can Stay Ahead of Regulations (darkreading.com)

• Popular Fitness Apps Leak Location Data Even When Users Set Privacy Zones (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Phishing Attacks Surge as Threat Actors Leverage New AI Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI tools like ChatGPT expected to fuel BEC attacks - Help Net Security

• Stolen ChatGPT premium accounts up for sale on the dark web | CSO Online

• Pen testing amid the rise of AI-powered threat actors | TechTarget

• EU privacy regulators to create task force to investigate ChatGPT | Computerworld

• Cyber crims hop geofences, clamor for stolen ChatGPT accounts • The Register

• AI-created malware sends shockwaves through cybersecurity world | Fox News

• Hard-to-detect malware loader distributed via AI-generated YouTube videos | CSO Online

• Tech Insight: Dangers of Using Large Language Models Before They Are Baked (darkreading.com)

• ChatGPT-Related Malicious URLs on the Rise - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ChatGPT's Data Protection Blind Spots and How Security Teams Can Solve Them (thehackernews.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

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

• Russian hackers targeting UK more frequently (thetimes.co.uk)

• UK NCSC warns of new class of Russian cyber adversary threatening critical infrastructure | CSO Online

• Russian hackers want to ‘disrupt or destroy’ UK infrastructure, minister warns | Hacking | The Guardian

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Jack Teixeira's charges in full: 'Top secret' access, leak searches and the Espionage Act - BBC News

• Russian SolarWinds Culprits Launch Fresh Barrage of Espionage Cyberattacks (darkreading.com)

• Meet the hacker armies on Ukraine's cyber front line - BBC News

• Offensive cyber company QuaDream shutting down amidst spyware accusations | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• Genius hackers help Russia’s neighbors thwart cyber incursions | Cybernews

• NSO Group is Back in Business With 3 New iOS Zero-Click Exploits (darkreading.com)

• UK, US sound the alarm on Russians exploiting Cisco flaws • The Register

• Microsoft: Iranian hackers behind retaliatory cyber attacks on US orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US citizens charged with pushing pro-Kremlin disinformation • The Register

• Heightened threat of state-aligned groups against western... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft shifts to a new threat actor naming taxonomy - Microsoft Security Blog

• How cyber support to Ukraine can build its democratic future | CyberScoop

• Google TAG Warns of Russian Hackers Conducting Phishing Attacks in Ukraine (thehackernews.com)

• Blind Eagle Cyber Espionage Group Strikes Again: New Attack Chain Uncovered (thehackernews.com)

• Britain sounds alarm on spyware, mercenary hacking market | Reuters

• Global Spyware Attacks Spotted Against Both New & Old iPhones (darkreading.com)

• The UK will need more than words in this cyber war | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Google: Ukraine targeted by 60% of Russian phishing attacks in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

Nation State Actors

• BT holds China-Taiwan war game to stress test supply chains | Financial Times (ft.com)

• 3CX Supply Chain Attack Tied to Financial Trading App Breach (darkreading.com)

• UK security chief’s alert over threat from China (thetimes.co.uk)

• Russia accuses NATO of launching 5,000 cyberattacks since 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Human rights groups raise alarm over UN Cyber crime Treaty • The Register

• CISA warns of Android bug exploited by Chinese app to spy on users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Uncovers APT41's Use of Open Source GC2 Tool to Target Media and Job Sites (thehackernews.com)

• APT41 Taps Google Red Teaming Tool in Targeted Info-Stealing Attacks (darkreading.com)

• China starts ‘surgical’ retaliation against foreign companies after US-led tech blockade | Financial Times

• Iranian-Russian cooperation on hack attacks may challenge Israeli cyber supremacy | The Times of Israel

• US charges 44 members of alleged Chinese troll army • The Register

• Hikvision: Chinese surveillance tech giant denies leaked Pentagon spy claim - BBC News

• Iranian Hackers Using SimpleHelp Remote Support Software for Persistent Access (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft: Iranian hackers behind retaliatory cyber attacks on US orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Heightened threat of state-aligned groups against western... - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft shifts to a new threat actor naming taxonomy - Microsoft Security Blog

• Nation-state threat actor Mint Sandstorm refines tradecraft to attack high-value targets - Microsoft Security Blog

• MuddyWater Uses SimpleHelp to Target Critical Infrastructure Firms - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Killnet Boss Exposes Rival Leader in Kremlin Hacktivist Beef (darkreading.com)

• Iranian Nation-State Actor "Mint Sandstorm" Weaponizes N-day Flaws - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Iranian Government-Backed Hackers Targeting U.S. Energy and Transit Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Lazarus Group Adds Linux Malware to Arsenal in Operation Dream Job (thehackernews.com)

• US imposes $300m penalty over hard disk drive exports to Huawei - BBC News

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Vulnerability Management

• Military helicopter crash blamed on missing software patch • The Register

• Google Outlines Initiatives to Fortify Vulnerability Management - MSSP Alert

• Beyond CVEs: The Key to Mitigating High-Risk Security Exposures (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• UK, US sound the alarm on Russians exploiting Cisco flaws • The Register

• Thousands at risk from critical RCE bug in legacy MS service | Computer Weekly

• CISA: Patch Bug Exploited by Chinese E-commerce App - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Critical Flaws in vm2 JavaScript Library Can Lead to Remote Code Execution (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers actively exploit critical RCE bug in PaperCut servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google patches another actively exploited Chrome zero-day (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Experts disclosed 2 critical flaws in Alibaba cloud database services - Security Affairs

• VMware Patches Pre-Auth Code Execution Flaw in Logging Product - SecurityWeek

• Cisco and VMware Release Security Updates to Patch Critical Flaws in their Products (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Defender update causes Windows Hardware Stack Protection mess (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Tools and Controls

• CISA Asks Manufacturers to Prioritize Cybersecurity in Product Design - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pen testing amid the rise of AI-powered threat actors | TechTarget

• 7 countries unite to push for secure-by-design development | CSO Online

• Wargaming an effective data breach playbook - Help Net Security

• Where There's No Code, There's No SDLC (darkreading.com)

• Cloud Security Alerts Take Six Days to Resolve - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DFIR via XDR: How to expedite your investigations with a DFIRent approach (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft opens up Defender with file hash, URL search • The Register

• Beyond CVEs: The Key to Mitigating High-Risk Security Exposures (darkreading.com)

• How to build a cybersecurity deception program | TechTarget

• Enterprises Exposed to Hacker Attacks Due to Failure to Wipe Discarded Routers - SecurityWeek

• Threat Posed by 'Irresponsible' Use of Commercial Hacking Tools Increasing, NCSC Warns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISOs struggling to protect sensitive data records - Help Net Security

• Generative AI in SecOps and how to prepare | TechTarget

• AI defenders ready to foil AI-armed attackers • The Register

• Newer Authentication Tech a Priority for 2023 (darkreading.com)

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Other News

• Recycled Network Devices Exposing Corporate Secrets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Misconfiguration leaves thousands of servers vulnerable to attack, researchers find | CyberScoop

• Fortra shares findings on GoAnywhere MFT zero-day attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to defend against TCP port 445 and other SMB exploits | TechTarget

• Criminal Records Service still disrupted 4 weeks after hack - BBC News

• Attackers use abandoned WordPress plugin to backdoor websites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyberspace Solarium Commission says space systems should be considered critical infrastructure | CyberScoop

• UK Strengthens Cyber security Audits for Government Agencies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU launches Cyber Solidarity Act to respond to large-scale attacks – EURACTIV.com

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 Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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