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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 19 April 2024
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 19 April 2024:
-94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted by Attackers
-Sharing IT Providers Is a Risk for Financial Services, Says IMF, as Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability
-Hackers are Threatening to Publish a Huge Stolen Sanctions and Financial Crimes Watchlist
-Your Annual Cyber Security Is Not Working, but There is a Solution
-73% of Security Professionals Say They’ve Missed, Ignored or Failed to Act on a High Priority Security Alert
-Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index
-Police Takedown Major Cyber Fraud Superstore: Will the Cyber Crime Industry Become More Fragmented?
-Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cyber Security as Top Threat
-The Threat from Inside: 14% Surge in Insider Threats Compared to Previous Year
-Dark Web Sales Driving Major Rise in Credential Attacks as Attackers Pummel Networks with Millions of Login Attempts
-Large Enterprises Experience Breaches, Despite Large Security Stacks - Report Finds 93% of Breaches Lead to Downtime and Data Loss
-Charities Doing Worse than Private Sector in Staving off Cyber Attacks
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
94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted by Attackers
Organisations that have backed up sensitive data may believe they are safe from the effects of ransomware attacks; however a new study by Sophos reported that cyber criminals attempted to compromise the backups of 94% of companies hit by ransomware in the past year. The research found that criminals can demand a higher ransom when they compromise an organisation’s backup data, and those victims are twice as likely to pay. The median ransom demand is $2.3 million when backups are compromised, compared to $1 million otherwise.
Additionally, sectors like state and local governments, along with media and entertainment, are particularly vulnerable with nearly all affected organisations experiencing backup compromises.
Source: [Tech Republic]
Sharing IT Providers Is a Risk for Financial Services, Says IMF, as Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability
The International Monetary Fund has found that with greater digitalisation and heightened geopolitical tensions comes a greater risk of cyber attack with systemic consequences. The IMF noted that losses more than quadrupled since 2017 to $2.5 billion.
The push for technology has led to a number of financial services institutions relying on third-party IT firms, increasing their susceptibility to cyber disruption on a wider scale and a potential ripple effect were a third party to be hit. Whilst such third parties can increase the cyber resilience of a financial services institution, they also expose the industry to systemwide shocks, the IMF reports.
The IMF recommend institutions should identify potential systematic risks in their third-party IT firms. If the organisation is unable to perform such risk assessments, they should seek the expert support of an independent cyber security specialist.
Sources: [The Banker] [IMF]
Hackers are Threatening to Publish a Huge Stolen Sanctions and Financial Crimes Watchlist
A cyber crime group named GhostR has claimed responsibility for stealing 5.3 million records from the World-Check database, which companies use for "know your customer" (KYC) checks to screen potential clients for financial crime risks. The data theft occurred in March and originated from a Singapore-based firm with access to World-Check. The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), which owns World-Check, confirmed that the breach involved a third-party's dataset and not their systems directly. The stolen data includes sensitive information on individuals identified as high-risk, such as government-sanctioned figures and those linked to organised crime. LSEG is coordinating with the affected third party and authorities to protect the compromised data and prevent its dissemination.
Source: [TechCrunch]
Your Annual Cyber Security Is Not Working, But There is a Solution
Most organisations utilise annual security training in an attempt to ensure every department develops their cyber awareness skills and is able to spot and report a threat. However, this training is often out of date. Additionally, often training has limited interactivity, failing to capture and maintain employees’ attention and retention. On top of this, many training courses fail to connect employees to real-world scenarios that could occur in their specific job.
To get the most return on investment, organisations need to have more regular education, with the aim of long-term behavioural shifts in the work place, nudging employees towards greater cyber hygiene.
Source: [TechRadar]
73% of Security Professionals Say They’ve Missed, Ignored or Failed to Act on a High Priority Security Alert
A new survey from Coro, targeting small medium enterprises (SME) cyber security professionals, reveals that 73% have missed or ignored high priority security alerts due to overwhelming workloads and managing multiple security tools. The 2024 SME Security Workload Impact Report highlights that SMEs are inundated with alerts and responsibilities, which dilute their focus from critical security threats. On average, these professionals manage over 11 security tools and spend nearly five hours daily on tasks like monitoring and patching vulnerabilities. Respondents handle an average of over 2,000 endpoint security agents across 656 devices, more than half dealing with frequent vendor updates.
Source: [Business Wire]
Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index
The inaugural World Cybercrime Index (WCI) identifies Russia, Ukraine, and China as the top sources of global cyber crime. This index, the first of its kind, was developed over four years by an international team from the University of Oxford and the University of New South Wales, with input from 92 cyber crime experts. These experts ranked countries based on the impact, professionalism, and technical skills of their cyber criminals across five cyber crime categories, including data theft, scams, and money laundering. Russia topped the list, followed by Ukraine and China, highlighting their significant roles in high-tech cyber criminal activities. The index, expected to be updated regularly, aims to provide a clearer understanding of cyber crime's global geography and its correlation with national characteristics like internet penetration and GDP. Of note the UK and US also made the top ten list, so it is not just other countries we need to worry about.
Top ten Countries in full:
1. Russia
2. Ukraine
3. China
4. United States
5. Nigeria
6. Romania
7. North Korea
8. United Kingdom
9. Brazil
10. India
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
Police Takedown Major Cyber Fraud Superstore: Will the Cyber Crime Industry Become More Fragmented?
The London Metropolitan Police takedown of online fraud service LabHost serves as a reminder of the industrial scale on which cyber crimes are being performed, with the service amassing 480,000 debit or credit card numbers and 64,000 PINs: all for the subscription price of £300 a month. The site even included tutorial videos on how to commit crime and offered customer service.
Such takedowns can lead to fragmentation. The 2,000 individuals subscribed to LabHost may have lost access but where there is demand, supply will be found. The takedown of one service allows other, small services to fill the gap. As the saying goes ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ and it is especially true when it comes to cyber crime; there is too much business for empty spaces not to be filled.
Sources: [ITPro] [The Guardian]
Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cyber Security as Top Threat
Small businesses are experiencing a stable business climate, as reflected by the Small Business Index, indicating an increasing optimism about the economy. However, the recent surge in cyber attacks, including major assaults on UnitedHealth Group and MGM Resorts, has underscored the growing vulnerability of these businesses to cyber crime. Despite 80% of small to medium-sized enterprises feeling well-protected by their IT defences, a Devolutions survey reveals that 69% of them still fell victim to cyber attacks last year. This has led to cyber security being viewed as the greatest threat by 60% of small businesses, even surpassing concerns over supply chain disruptions and the potential for another pandemic.
The average cost of these attacks ranges from $120,000 to $1.24 million, leading to 60% of affected businesses closing within six months. This vulnerability is further compounded by a common underestimation of the ransomware threat. While 71% of businesses feel prepared for future threats, the depth of this preparedness varies, with only 23% feeling very prepared for cyber security challenges.
Sources: [Claims Journal] [Inc.com]
The Threat from Inside: Insider Threats Surge 14% Annually as Cost-of-Living Crisis Bites
Employee fraud grew significantly last year thanks to the opportunities afforded by remote working and the pressures of a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, according to Cifas, an anti-fraud non-profit. The number of individuals recorded in its cross-sector Insider Threat Database (ITD) increased 14% year-on-year (YoY) in 2023, with the most common reason being “dishonest action to obtain benefit by theft or deception” (49%).
Insider threats – both by accident or with malicious intent – by their own employees are overlooked, despite accounting for 58% of cybersecurity breaches in recent years. As a result, a large proportion of businesses may lack any strategy to address insider risks, leaving them vulnerable to financial, operational and reputational harm.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine] [TechRadar]
Dark Web Sales Driving Major Rise in Credential Attacks as Attackers Pummel Networks with Millions of Login Attempts
Dark web sales are driving a major rise in credential attacks, with a surge in infostealer malware attacks over the last three years significantly heightening the cyber crime landscape. Kaspersky reports a sevenfold increase in data theft attacks, leading to the compromise of over 26 million devices since 2022. Cyber criminals stole roughly 400 million login credentials last year alone, often sold on dark web markets for as low as $10 per log file. These stolen credentials have become a lucrative commodity, fostering a complex economy of initial access brokers who facilitate broader corporate network infiltrations. The Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions have been particularly affected, with millions of credentials stolen annually.
Simultaneously, Cisco’s Talos team warns of a current credential compromise campaign targeting networks via mass login attempts to VPN, SSH, and web apps. Attackers use a mix of generic and specific usernames with nearly 100 passwords from about 4,000 IP addresses, likely routed through anonymising services (such as TOR). These attacks pose risks like unauthorised access, account lockouts, and potential denial-of-service. The attack volume has increased since 18 March this year mirroring a previous alert by Cisco about a similar campaign affecting VPNs. Despite method and infrastructure similarities, a direct link between these campaigns is yet to be confirmed.
Sources: [Ars Technica] [Data Breach Today]
Large Enterprises Experience Breaches, Despite Large Security Stacks; Report Finds 93% of Breaches Lead to Downtime and Data Loss
93% of enterprises admitting to having had a breach have suffered significant consequences, ranging from unplanned downtime to data exposure or financial loss, according to a recent report. 73% of organisations made changes to their IT environment at least quarterly, however only 40% tested their security at the same frequency. Unfortunately, this means that many organisations are facing a significant gap in which changes in the IT environment are untested, and therefore their risk unknown.
Security tools can aid this, however as the report finds, despite having a large number of security stacks, 51% still reported a breach in the past 24 months. Organisations must keep in mind that security extends beyond the technical realm, and it needs to include people and operations.
Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Help Net Security]
Charities Doing Worse than Private Sector in Staving off Cyber Attacks
Recent UK Government data reveals a significant cyber security challenge for charities, with about a third experiencing breaches this past year, equating to nearly 924,000 cyber crimes. Notably, 83% of these incidents involved phishing, with other prevalent threats including fraud emails and malware. The data found that 63% of charities said cyber security was a high priority for senior management, however, charities lag behind the private sector in adopting security monitoring tools and conducting risk assessments.
Additionally, while half of the charities implement basic cyber hygiene defences like malware protection and password policies, only about 40% seek external cyber security guidance.
Source: [TFN]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Cyber attack volumes peak in first quarter | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar
Security breaches are causing more damage than ever before | TechRadar
Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cyber Security as Top Threat (claimsjournal.com)
51% of enterprises experienced a breach despite large security stacks - Help Net Security
Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability (imf.org)
Ex-Uber security exec Joe Sullivan is advising CISOs on how to avoid his legal fate (axios.com)
Cyber Security Tips for Small Businesses Now Considered Big Hacking Targets | Inc.com
The Five Main Steps In A Compliance Risk Assessment Plan (forbes.com)
Pentesting accounts for an average of 13% of total IT security budgets | Security Magazine
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Sophos Study: 94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted (techrepublic.com)
FBI: Akira ransomware raked in $42 million from 250+ victims (bleepingcomputer.com)
What if we made ransomware payments illegal? | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)
Moldovan charged for operating botnet used to push ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware, meet DRaaS: The future of disaster mitigation (betanews.com)
A whole new generation of ransomware makers are attempting to shake up the market | TechRadar
Security Think Tank: Approaches to ransomware need a course correction | Computer Weekly
Ransomware Victims Who Pay a Ransom Drops to Record Low (databreachtoday.co.uk)
Ransomware Victims
Change Healthcare’s ransomware attack costs reach nearly $1B • The Register
Ransomware attacks against food, agriculture industry examined | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Ransomware attack compromises UN agency data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
840-bed hospital in France postpones procedures after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)
US think tank Heritage Foundation hit by cyber attack | TechCrunch
Daixin ransomware gang claims attack on Omni Hotels (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware feared as Octapharma Plasma closes 150+ centers • The Register
Cyber Attack Takes Frontier Communications Offline (darkreading.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
FBI warns of massive wave of road toll SMS phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
FIN7 targets American automaker’s IT staff in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering
Quishing: The New Cyber Threat to the Cleared Workplace - ClearanceJobs
FBI warns of massive wave of road toll SMS phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cyber criminals pose as LastPass staff to hack password vaults (bleepingcomputer.com)
Artificial Intelligence
CISOs not changing priorities in response to AI threats (betanews.com)
92% of enterprises unprepared for AI security challenges - Help Net Security
AI Copilot: Launching Innovation Rockets, But Beware of the Darkness Ahead (thehackernews.com)
Best Practices & Guidance For AI Security Deployment 2024 (gbhackers.com)
C-suite weighs in on generative AI and security (securityintelligence.com)
2FA/MFA
Cisco Duo warns third-party data breach exposed SMS MFA logs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Roku Mandates 2FA for Customers After Credential-Stuffing Compromise (darkreading.com)
Malware
LockBit 3.0 Variant Generates Custom, Self-Propagating Malware (darkreading.com)
TA558 Hackers Weaponize Images for Wide-Scale Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Evil XDR: Researcher Turns Palo Alto Software Into Perfect Malware (darkreading.com)
Firebird RAT creator and seller arrested in the US and Australia (bleepingcomputer.com)
Destructive ICS Malware 'Fuxnet' Used by Ukraine Against Russian Infrastructure - Security Week
New SteganoAmor attacks use steganography to target 320 orgs globally (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian APT Deploys New 'Kapeka' Backdoor in Eastern European Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Malicious Google Ads Pushing Fake IP Scanner Software with Hidden Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
Fake cheat lures gamers into spreading infostealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker | TechCrunch
iPhone users warned to disable iMessage temporarily to avoid getting hacked - PhoneArena
Enterprises face significant losses from mobile fraud - Help Net Security
SoumniBot malware exploits Android bugs to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Internet of Things – IoT
How to protect IP surveillance cameras from Wi-Fi jamming - Help Net Security
CISA warns of critical vulnerability in Chirp smart locks • The Register
New rules for security of connected products in the UK and EU - Lexology
Data Breaches/Leaks
CISA orders agencies impacted by Microsoft hack to mitigate risks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Panama Papers: Money laundering trial of 27 defendants begins
Giant Tiger data breach may have impacted millions of customers (securityaffairs.com)
5 Ways Your Personal Information May End Up On The Dark Web (slashgear.com)
Law Firm to Pay $8M to Settle Health Data Hack Lawsuit (databreachtoday.co.uk)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Chinese fraud victims seek return of £3bn in bitcoin seized in UK (ft.com)
Ex-Amazon engineer gets 3 years for hacking crypto exchanges (bleepingcomputer.com)
Security engineer jailed for 3 years for $12M crypto hacks | TechCrunch
Hackers hijack OpenMetadata apps in Kubernetes cryptomining attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Insurance
Cloud/SaaS
What Is Microsoft's Role in the Shared Responsibility Model for Data Security? (prweb.com)
For Service Accounts, Accountability Is Key to Security (darkreading.com)
Identity and Access Management
Linux and Open Source
Open source groups say more software projects may have been targeted for sabotage (yahoo.com)
Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Attackers are pummelling networks around the world with millions of login attempts | Ars Technica
Roku Mandates 2FA for Customers After Credential-Stuffing Compromise (darkreading.com)
Cisco warns of large-scale brute-force attacks against VPN and SSH services (securityaffairs.com)
For Service Accounts, Accountability Is Key to Security (darkreading.com)
Dark Web Sales Driving Major Rise in Credential Attacks (databreachtoday.co.uk)
Social Media
Malvertising
Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker | TechCrunch
Google to crack down on third-party YouTube apps that block ads (bleepingcomputer.com)
Training, Education and Awareness
Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar
Cyber security training: How to make it more motivating (hrexecutive.com)
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
US Supreme Court ruling suggests change in cyber security disclosure process | CSO Online
New rules for security of connected products in the UK and EU - Lexology
Congress votes to kick Uncle Sam’s data broker habit • The Register
Cops can force suspect to unlock phone with thumbprint, US court rules | Ars Technica
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Backup and Recovery
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
IT and security professionals demand more workplace flexibility - Help Net Security
National Security at Risk as Essential Cyber Security Roles Face Sharp Decline (prnewswire.com)
Break Security Burnout: Combining Leadership With Neuroscience (darkreading.com)
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Firebird RAT creator and seller arrested in the US and Australia (bleepingcomputer.com)
Moldovan charged for operating botnet used to push ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare, Cyber Espionage and Geopolitical Threats/Activity
Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
China
Chinese, Russian Hackers Keep Getting Past Microsoft's Security (businessinsider.com)
Leaked FBI document shows MPs were kept in dark over China hack for two years (inews.co.uk)
Risks are higher than ever for US- China cyber war | Responsible Statecraft
State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week
Singapore infosec boss: splinternet hinders interoperability • The Register
FBI says Chinese hackers preparing to attack US infrastructure | Reuters
Chinese fraud victims seek return of £3bn in bitcoin seized in UK (ft.com)
Russia
Chinese, Russian Hackers Keep Getting Past Microsoft's Security (businessinsider.com)
CISA orders agencies impacted by Microsoft hack to mitigate risks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft breach allowed Russia to steal Feds' emails • The Register
State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week
How Ukraine’s cyber police fights back against Russia’s hackers | TechCrunch
Russian 'Cyber Sabotage' A Global Threat: Security Firm | IBTimes
Mandiant upgrades Sandworm to APT44 due to increasing threat | TechTarget
Russia's Sandworm 'cyber attacked US, EU water utilities' • The Register
Sandworm Group Shifts to Espionage Attacks, Hacktivist Personas | Decipher (duo.com)
Russia is trying to sabotage European railways, Czech minister said (securityaffairs.com)
Singapore infosec boss: splinternet hinders interoperability • The Register
Russian APT Deploys New 'Kapeka' Backdoor in Eastern European Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Destructive ICS Malware 'Fuxnet' Used by Ukraine Against Russian Infrastructure - Security Week
Iran
Iranian MuddyWater Hackers Adopt New C2 Tool 'DarkBeatC2' in Latest Campaign (thehackernews.com)
Middle East Cyber Ops Intensify, With Israel the Main Target (darkreading.com)
Iran-Backed Hackers Blast Out Threatening Texts to Israelis (darkreading.com)
Israel Holds Hybrid Cyber & Military Readiness Drills (darkreading.com)
North Korea
Other Nation State Actors, Hacktivism, Extremism, Terrorism and Other Geopolitical Threat Intelligence
Vulnerability Management
How to conduct security patch validation and verification | TechTarget
Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: A Beginner’s Guide - The New Stack
The importance of the Vulnerability Operations Centre for cyber security | TechRadar
Vulnerabilities
State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week
“Highly capable” hackers root corporate networks by exploiting firewall 0-day | Ars Technica
Cisco discloses root escalation flaw with public exploit code (bleepingcomputer.com)
PuTTY SSH client flaw allows recovery of cryptographic private keys (bleepingcomputer.com)
Citrix Releases Security Updates for XenServer and Citrix Hypervisor | CISA
Yubico Issues YubiKey Security Alert For Windows Users (forbes.com)
Samsung Issues Update Now Warning For Millions Of Galaxy Users (forbes.com)
Juniper Networks Publishes Dozens of New Security Advisories - Security Week
Ivanti warns of critical flaws in its Avalanche MDM solution (bleepingcomputer.com)
Oracle Patches 230 Vulnerabilities With April 2024 CPU - Security Week
iPhone users warned to disable iMessage temporarily to avoid getting hacked - PhoneArena
Delinea Fixes Flaw After Analyst Goes Public With Disclosure First (darkreading.com)
Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)
Telegram fixes Windows app zero-day used to launch Python scripts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Critical RCE Vulnerability in 92,000 D-Link NAS Devices - Security Boulevard
Tools and Controls
Sophos Study: 94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted (techrepublic.com)
Evil XDR: Researcher Turns Palo Alto Software Into Perfect Malware (darkreading.com)
CISA's Malware Analysis Platform Could Foster Better Threat Intel (darkreading.com)
Pentesting accounts for an average of 13% of total IT security budgets | Security Magazine
Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar
6 Ways Businesses Can Boost Their Cloud Security Resilience - Compare the Cloud
Dark Web Monitoring: What's the Value? (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware, meet DRaaS: The future of disaster mitigation (betanews.com)
Cyber security training: How to make it more motivating (hrexecutive.com)
The Five Main Steps In A Compliance Risk Assessment Plan (forbes.com)
AI set to enhance cyber security roles, not replace them - Help Net Security
Stateful vs. stateless firewalls: Understanding the differences | TechTarget
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Charities doing worse than private sector in staving off cyber attacks - TFN
The US counterintelligence head says the list of threats is long and getting longer (cfpublic.org)
Critical Infrastructure Security: Observations From the Front Lines (darkreading.com)
Geopolitical tensions escalate OT cyber attacks - Help Net Security
Microsoft, Beset by Hacks, Grapples With Problem Years in the Making - BNN Bloomberg
The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat (theverge.com)
Do we have a plan on how to deal with subsea cables sabotage? | Euronews
Ex-GCHQ chief: Cyber attacks could target fragile trust in utilities - Utility Week
University chiefs to get security service Cobra briefing on hostile states | The Argus
SAP Applications Increasingly in Attacker Crosshairs, Report Shows - Security Week
Emergency services a likely target for cyber attacks, warns DHS - ABC News (go.com)
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 14 July 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 14 July 2023:
-Cyber Attacks Are a War We'll Never Win, but We Can Defend Ourselves
-Helping Boards Understand Cyber Risks
-Enterprise Risk Management Should Inform Cyber Risk Strategies
-Law Firms at High Risk of Attack as Ransomware Groups Begin to Focus Attention
-20% of Malware Attacks Bypass Antivirus Protection
-Ransomware Payments and Extortion Spiked Compared to 2022
-AI, Trust, and Data Security are Key Issues for Finance Firms and Their Customers
-Caution: Microsoft Warns of Office Zero-Day Attacks with No Patch Available
-Scam Page Volumes Surge 304% Annually
-Financial Industry Faces Soaring Ransomware Threat
-The Need for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management to Combat Threats
-Government Agencies Breached in Microsoft 365 Email Attacks
-Concerns Raised as Report Questions UK’s “Completely Inadequate” Defence to Threats from China
-Hackers Backed by North Korea have Stolen Billions of Dollars Over the Last Five Years
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 Are a War We'll Never Win, But We Can Defend Ourselves
The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving, with hackers becoming more creative in their exploitation of businesses and personal data. As the frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks increase, it's clear that the cyber security war is an endless series of battles that demand constant innovation and vigilance. Recognising the necessity of having built-in security, organisations should integrate security measures into their systems and foster a culture of security awareness.
Acknowledging that breaches are an inevitable risk, an orchestrated team response, well-practiced recovery plan, and effective communication strategy are key to managing crises. Organisations must also invest in proactive security measures, including emerging technologies to spot intrusions early. Ultimately, cyber security isn't just a technical concern, it's a cultural and organisational imperative, requiring the incorporation of security measures into every aspect of an organisation's operations and philosophy.
Helping Boards Understand Cyber Risks
A difference in perspective is a fundamental reason board members and the cyber security team are not always aligned. Board members typically have a much broader view of the organisation’s goals, strategies, and overall risk landscape, where CISOs are responsible for assessing and mitigating cyber security risk.
It’s often a result of the board lacking cyber security expertise among its members, the complexity with understanding the topic and CISOs who focus too heavily on technical language during their discussions with the board which can cause a differing perspective. For organisations to be most effective in their approach to cyber security, they should hire CISOs or vCISOs who wear more than one hat and are able to understand cyber in context to the business. In addition, having cyber expertise on the board will pay dividends; this can be achieved by direct hiring or upskilling of board members.
Black Arrow supports clients as their vCISO or Non-Executive Director (NED) with specialist experience in cyber security risk management in a business context.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/11/david-christensen-plansource-board-ciso-communication/
Enterprise Risk Management Should Inform Cyber Risk Strategies
While executives and boards once viewed cyber security as a primarily technical concern, many now recognise it as a major business issue. A single serious data breach could result in debilitating operational disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties.
Cyber security focuses on protecting digital assets from threats, while enterprise risk management adopts a wider approach, mitigating diverse risks across several domains beyond the digital sphere. Rather than existing in siloes, enterprise risk management and cyber risk management strategies should complement and inform each other. By integrating cyber security into their risk management frameworks, organisations can more efficiently and effectively protect their most valuable digital assets.
Law Firms at High Risk of Attack as Ransomware Groups Begin to Focus Attention
Three of the largest US law firms have been newly hit by the Cl0p cyber syndicate as part of dozens of ransomware attacks across industries that so far have affected more than 16 million people. All three law firms feature on Cl0p’s leak site, which lists organisations who Cl0p have breached.
This comes as the UK National Cyber Security (NCSC) noted in a report the threat to the legal sector. Law firms are a particularly attractive target for the depth of sensitive personal information they hold from individuals and companies, plus the dual threat of publishing it publicly should a ransom demand go unmet. In Australia, law firm HWL Ebsworth confirmed several documents relating to its work with several Victorian Government departments and agencies had been released by cyber criminals to the dark web following a data breach announced in April 2023.
The extortion of law firms allows extra opportunities for an attacker, including exploiting opportunities for insider trading, gaining the upper hand in negotiations and litigation, or subverting the course of justice. Based on the above, it is no wonder the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the UK found that 75% of the law firms they visited has been a victim of a cyber attack.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/10/law-firm-cyberattack/
20% of Malware Attacks Bypass Antivirus Protection
In the first half of 2023, researchers found that 20% of all recaptured malware logs had an antivirus program installed at the time of successful malware execution. Not only did these solutions not prevent the attack, they also lack the automated ability to protect against any stolen data that can be used in the aftermath.
The researchers found that the common entry points for malware are permitting employees to sync browser data between personal and professional devices (57%), struggling with shadow IT due to employees' unauthorised use of applications and systems (54%), and allowing unmanaged personal or shared devices to access business applications (36%).
Such practices expose organisations to subsequent attacks, like ransomware, resulting from stolen access credentials. Malware detection and quick action on exposures are critical; however, many organisations struggle with response and recovery with many firms failing to have robust incident response plans.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/13/malware-infections-responses/
Ransomware Payments and Extortion Spiked Compared to 2022
A recent report from Chainalysis found that ransomware activity is on track to break previous records, having extorted at least $449.1 million through June. For all of 2022, that number didn’t even reach $500 million. Similarly, a separate report using research statistics from Action Fraud UK, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud, found cyber extortion cases surged 39% annually.
It’s no wonder both are on the rise, as the commonly used method of encrypting data behind a ransom is being combined with threatening to leak data; this gives bad actors two opportunities to gain payment. With this, the worry about the availability of your data now extends to the confidentiality and integrity of it.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyber-extortion-cases-surge-39/
AI, Trust, and Data Security are Key Issues for Finance Firms and Their Customers
Business leaders have been warned to expect more instability and uncertainly following on from the unpredictable nature of events during the past few years, from COVID-19 to business restructurings, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI). A recent report found that customers feel they lack appropriate guidance from their financial providers during times of economic uncertainty; the lack of satisfactory experience and a desire for a better digital experience is causing 25% of customers to switch banks.
The report also found that 23% of customers do not trust AI and 56% are neutral. This deficit in trust can swing in either direction based on how Financial Services Institutions (FSIs) use and deliver AI-powered services. While the benefits of AI are unclear, an increased awareness of personal data security has made trust between providers and customers more crucial than ever. In fact, 78% of customers say they would switch financial service providers if they felt their data was mishandled.
Caution: Microsoft Warns of Office Zero-Day Attacks with No Patch Available
Russian spies and cyber criminals are actively exploiting still-unpatched security flaws in Microsoft Windows and Office products, according to an urgent warning from Microsoft. While Microsoft recently released patches for 130 vulnerabilities, including 9 criticals, 6 which are actively being exploited (see our advisory here), a series of remote code execution vulnerabilities were not addressed, and attackers have been actively exploiting them because the patches are not yet available.
An attacker could create a specially crafted Microsoft Office document that enables them to perform remote code execution in the context of the victim. All an attacker would have to do is to convince the victim to open the malicious file. Microsoft have stated that a security update may be released out of cycle to address these flaws.
https://www.securityweek.com/microsoft-warns-of-office-zero-day-attacks-no-patch-available/
Scam Page Volumes Surge 304% Annually
Security researchers have recorded a 62% year-on-year increase in phishing websites and a 304% surge in scam pages in 2022. The Digital Risk Trends 2023 report classifies phishing as a threat resulting in the theft of personal information and a scam as any attempt to trick a victim into voluntarily handing over money or sensitive information.
It found that the average number of instances in which a brand’s image and logo was appropriated for use in scam campaigns increased 162% YoY, rising to 211% in APAC. Scams are also becoming more automated, as the ever-increasing number of new tools available to would-be cyber criminals has lowered the barrier of entry. We expect to see AI also play a greater role in scams in the future.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/scam-page-volumes-surge-304/
Financial Industry Faces Soaring Ransomware Threat
The financial industry has been facing a surge in ransomware attacks over the past few years, said cyber security provider SOCRadar in a threat analysis post. This trend started in the first half of 2021, when Trend Micro saw a staggering 1,318% increase in ransomware attacks targeting banks and financial institutions compared to the same period in 2020. Sophos also found that over half (55%) of financial service firms fell victim to at least one ransomware attack in 2021, a 62% increase from 2020.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/financial-industry-faces-soaring/
The Need for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management to Combat Threats
Cyber attacks are increasing as the number of vulnerabilities found in software has increased by over 50% in the last 5 years. This is a result of unpatched and poorly configured systems as 75% of organisations believe they are vulnerable to a cyber attack due to unpatched software. As vulnerabilities continue to rise and security evolves, it is becoming increasingly apparent that conventional vulnerability management programs are inadequate for managing the expanding attack surface. In comparison, a risk-based strategy enables organisations to assess the level of risk posed by vulnerabilities. This approach allows teams to prioritise vulnerabilities based on their assessed risk levels and remediate those with higher risks, minimising potential attacks in a way that is continuous, and automated.
By enhancing your vulnerability risk management process, you will be able to proactively address potential issues before they escalate and maintain a proactive stance in managing vulnerabilities and cloud security. Through the incorporation of automated threat intelligence risk monitoring, you will be able to identify significant risks before they become exploitable.
Government Agencies Breached in Microsoft 365 Email Attacks
Microsoft disclosed an attack against customer email accounts that affected US government agencies and led to stolen data. While questions remain about the attacks, Microsoft provided some details in two blog posts on Tuesday, including attribution to a China-based threat actor it tracks as Storm-0558. The month long intrusion began on 15 May and was first reported to Microsoft by a federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agency in June.
Microsoft said attackers gained access to approximately 25 organisations, including government agencies. While Microsoft has mitigated the attack vector, the US Government Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was first to initially detect the suspicious activity. The government agency published an advisory that included an attack timeline, technical details and mitigation recommendations. CISA said an FCEB agency discovered suspicious activity in its Microsoft 365 (M365) environment sometime last month.
Concerns Raised as Report Questions UK’s “Completely Inadequate” Defence to Threats from China
Britain’s spy watchdog has slammed the UK Government for a “completely inadequate” response to Chinese espionage and interference which risked an “existential threat to liberal democratic systems”. In a bombshell 207 page report, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee issued a series of alarming warnings about how British universities, the nuclear sector, Government and organisations alike were being targeted by China.
Hackers Backed by North Korea have Stolen Billions of Dollars Over the Last Five Years
Hackers have developed a list of sophisticated tricks that allow them to weasel their way into the networks of possible targets, including organisations. Sometimes a North Korean hacker would pose as a recruitment officer to get an employee’s attention. The cyber criminal would then share an infected file with the unsuspecting company employee. This was the case of the famous 2021’s Axie Infinity hack that allowed the North Koreans to steal more than $600 million after one of the game developers was offered a fake job by the hackers.
https://www.pandasecurity.com/en/mediacenter/security/north-korea-stolen-crypto/
Governance, Risk and Compliance
CISO perspective on why boards don't fully grasp cyber attack risks - Help Net Security
Top Takeaways From Table Talks With Fortune 100 CISOs (darkreading.com)
AI, trust, and data security are key issues for finance firms and their customers | ZDNET
Cyber Attacks Are a War We'll Never Win, but We Can Defend Ourselves (darkreading.com)
Exposure Management Looks to Attack Paths, Identity to Better Measure Risk (darkreading.com)
Enterprise risk management should inform cyber-risk strategies | TechTarget
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Cl0p Hackers Hit Three of the Biggest US Law Firms in Large Ransomware Attack - MSSP Alert
UK battles hacking wave as ransomware gang claims ‘biggest ever’ NHS breach | TechCrunch
Cl0p has yet to deploy ransomware while exploiting MOVEit zero-day | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Banks, hotels and hospitals among latest MOVEit mass-hack victims | TechCrunch
Cyber Extortion Cases Surge 39% Annually - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Ransomware payments on record-breaking trajectory for 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Beware of Big Head Ransomware: Spreading Through Fake Windows Updates (thehackernews.com)
Deutsche Bank confirms provider breach exposed customer data (bleepingcomputer.com)
BigHead and RedEnergy ransomware, more MOVEIt problems (cisoseries.com)
Cl0p hacker operating from Russia-Ukraine war front line-Security Affairs
Same code, different ransomware? Leaks kick-start myriad of new variants - Help Net Security
Rogue IT security worker who impersonated ransomware gang is sentenced to jail • Graham Cluley
BlackByte 2.0 Ransomware: Infiltrate, Encrypt, and Extort in Just 5 Days (thehackernews.com)
Ransomware Victims
Capita admits hackers also stole staff’s personal details (thetimes.co.uk)
Banks, hotels and hospitals among latest MOVEit mass-hack victims | TechCrunch
Royal Navy contractor forced to pay off cyber criminals (telegraph.co.uk)
Barts NHS hack leaves folks on tenterhooks over extortion • The Register
Scottish university cyber attack under investigation | The National
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
New Phishing Attack Spoofs Microsoft 365 Authentication System (hackread.com)
Number of email-based phishing attacks surges 464% - Help Net Security
Chinese hackers compromised emails of US Government agencies- -Security Affairs
Microsoft: Government agencies breached in email attacks | TechTarget
RomCom hackers target NATO Summit attendees in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)Facebook and Microsoft remain prime targets for spoofing - Help Net Security
Top 10 Email Security Best Practices in 2023 (gbhackers.com)
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Vishing Goes High-Tech: New 'Letscall' Malware Employs Voice Traffic Routing (thehackernews.com)
Evil QR - A new QR Jacking Attack to Take Over User Accounts (cybersecuritynews.com)
How hackers are now targeting your voice and how to protect yourself | Fox News
Artificial Intelligence
How the EU AI Act Will Affect Businesses, Cyber Security (darkreading.com)
Vishing Goes High-Tech: New 'Letscall' Malware Employs Voice Traffic Routing (thehackernews.com)
ChatGPT and Cyber Security : 5 Cyber Security Risks of ChatGPT (gbhackers.com)
WormGPT Cyber Crime Tool Heralds an Era of AI Malware vs. AI Defences (darkreading.com)
How to Safely Architect AI in Your Cyber Security Programs (darkreading.com)
ChatGPT users drop for the first time as people turn to uncensored chatbots | Ars Technica
Secretaries of State brace for wave of AI-fueled disinformation during 2024 campaign | CyberScoop
Civil society, labor and rights groups express concerns about AI at White House meeting | CyberScoop
2FA/MFA
Malware
20% of malware attacks bypass antivirus protection - Help Net Security
Malware delivery to Microsoft Teams users made easy - Help Net Security
WormGPT Cyber Crime Tool Heralds an Era of AI Malware vs. AI Defences (darkreading.com)
Truebot Malware Variants Abound, According to CISA Advisory (darkreading.com)
Hackers Exploit Windows Policy Loophole to Forge Kernel-Mode Driver Signatures (thehackernews.com)
USB drive malware attacks spiking again in first half of 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Charming Kitten hackers use new ‘NokNok’ malware for macOS (bleepingcomputer.com)
Banking Firms Under Attack by Sophisticated 'Toitoin' Campaign (darkreading.com)
Over 100 malicious signed Windows drivers blocked by Microsoft - NotebookCheck.net News
New 'ShadowVault' macOS malware steals passwords, crypto, credit card data | Macworld
BlackLotus UEFI Bootkit Source Code Leaked on GitHub - SecurityWeek
PicassoLoader Malware Used in Ongoing Attacks on Ukraine and Poland (thehackernews.com)
AVrecon malware infects 70,0000 Linux routers to build botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)
Serious Security: Rowhammer returns to gaslight your computer – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Linux Hacker Exploits Researchers With Fake PoCs Posted to GitHub (darkreading.com)
Mobile
Crooks Evolve Antidetect Tooling for Mobile OS-Based Fraud-Security Affairs
The FCC aims to stop SIM swappers with new rules - The Verge
Google Play will enforce business checks to curb malware submissions (bleepingcomputer.com)
Clever Letscall vishing malware targets Android phones | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Industry responses and strategies for navigating the tides of DDoS attacks - Help Net Security
Archive Of Our Own Down: AO3 DDoS Attack Explained - Dataconomy
Internet of Things – IoT
Data Breaches/Leaks
So you gave personal info to a company caught in a data breach. Now what? | CBC News
HCA confirms breach after hacker steals data of 11 million patients (bleepingcomputer.com)
US on Track For Record Number of Data Breaches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Twitter User Exposes Nickelodeon Data Leak - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Capita attackers reportedly stole data from pension fund • The Register
Twenty Manx public authorities reprimanded for data breach - BBC News
Bangladesh government website leaked data of millions of citizens-Security Affairs
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Cyber security professional accused of stealing $9M in crypto | TechCrunch
SCARLETEEL Cryptojacking Campaign Exploiting AWS Fargate in Ongoing Campaign (thehackernews.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
How To Protect Your Business From The Security Risks Freelancers Pose (forbes.com)
Former employee charged for attacking water treatment plant (bleepingcomputer.com)
Rogue IT security worker who impersonated ransomware gang is sentenced to jail • Graham Cluley
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
E-commerce Fraud Surges By Over 50% Annually - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Scam Page Volumes Surge 304% Annually - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
The FCC aims to stop SIM swappers with new rules - The Verge
Insurance
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Royal Navy contractor forced to pay off cyber criminals (telegraph.co.uk)
Capita attackers reportedly stole data from pension fund • The Register
MOVEit: Testing the Limits of Supply Chain Security - SecurityWeek
Cloud/SaaS
Only 45% of cloud data is currently encrypted - Help Net Security
Microsoft alleges China behind attack on Exchange Online • The Register
For stronger public cloud data security, use defence in depth | TechTarget
Silentbob Campaign: Cloud-Native Environments Under Attack (thehackernews.com)
Global Retailers Must Keep an Eye on Their SaaS Stack (thehackernews.com)
SCARLETEEL Cryptojacking Campaign Exploiting AWS Fargate in Ongoing Campaign (thehackernews.com)
Decentralized storage emerging as solution to cloud-based attacks | Cybernews
Hybrid/Remote Working
Attack Surface Management
Identity and Access Management
Why Hybrid Work Has Made Secure Access So Complicated (darkreading.com)
less than half of SMBs use Privileged Access Management- IT Security Guru
Encryption
API
Cisco SD-WAN vManage impacted by unauthenticated REST API access (bleepingcomputer.com)
API Flaw in QuickBlox Framework Exposed PII of Millions of Users - SecurityWeek
Open Source
Novel Linux kernel vulnerability exploitable for elevated privileges | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
The EU’s Product Liability Directive could kill open source | TechRadar
Linux Hacker Exploits Researchers With Fake PoCs Posted to GitHub (darkreading.com)
AVrecon malware infects 70,0000 Linux routers to build botnet (bleepingcomputer.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Social Media
Critical Vulnerability Can Allow Takeover of Mastodon Servers - SecurityWeek
Mastodon Patches 4 Bugs, but Is the Twitter Killer Safe to Use? (darkreading.com)
Travel
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
How the EU AI Act Will Affect Businesses, Cyber security (darkreading.com)
A Cyber Security Wish List Ahead of NATO Summit - SecurityWeek
The EU’s Product Liability Directive could kill open source | TechRadar
Microsoft and AWS caution Ofcom against referring UK cloud market over to CMA | Computer Weekly
Models, Frameworks and Standards
How to map security gaps to the Mitre ATT&CK framework | TechTarget
Get started: Threat modeling with the Mitre ATT&CK framework | TechTarget
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Russia
Storm-0978 attacks reveal financial and espionage motives | Microsoft Security Blog
Russia-based actor exploited unpatched Office zero day | TechTarget
SolarWinds Attackers Dangle BMWs to Spy on Diplomats (darkreading.com)
Russian state hackers lure Western diplomats with BMW car ads (bleepingcomputer.com)
Killnet Tries Building Russian Hacktivist Clout With Media Stunts (darkreading.com)
Cl0p hacker operating from Russia-Ukraine war front line-Security Affairs
Killer ‘tracked Russian sub commander using Strava jogging app’ (thetimes.co.uk)
Inside the murky world accelerating Russia’s economic meltdown (telegraph.co.uk)
Cyber attacks Against Ukrainians Adjoin NATO Summit in Lithuania - MSSP Alert
Russian Hackers Find Sneaky Way to Infiltrate Embassy Networks in Kyiv (kyivpost.com)
PicassoLoader Malware Used in Ongoing Attacks on Ukraine and Poland (thehackernews.com)
China
Chinese hackers compromised emails of US Government agencies-Security Affairs
UK has ‘no strategy’ to tackle China threat as spies target Britain, report warns | The Independent
Cabinet tensions emerge over labelling China a threat to UK national security (inews.co.uk)
Iran
North Korea
Vulnerability Management
CVSS 4.0 released, to help assess real-time threat and impact of vulnerabilities - Help Net Security
The Need for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management to Combat Threats (bleepingcomputer.com)
Creating a Patch Management Playbook: 6 Key Questions (darkreading.com)
Close Security Gaps with Continuous Threat Exposure Management (thehackernews.com)
Vulnerabilities
MOVEit Transfer customers warned to patch new critical flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)
After Zero-Day Attacks, MOVEit Turns to Security Service Packs - SecurityWeek
Microsoft Warns of Office Zero-Day Attacks, No Patch Available - SecurityWeek
Juniper Networks Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in Junos OS - SecurityWeek
Cisco SD-WAN vManage impacted by unauthenticated REST API access (bleepingcomputer.com)
SonicWall warns admins to patch critical auth bypass bugs immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fortinet warns of critical RCE flaw in FortiOS, FortiProxy devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russia-based actor exploited unpatched Office zero day | TechTarget
Hackers Steal $20 Million by Exploiting Flaw in Revolut's Payment Systems (thehackernews.com)
Raising concerns over Google Authenticator’s new features | TechRadar
Novel Linux kernel vulnerability exploitable for elevated privileges | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Hackers Exploit Windows Policy Loophole to Forge Kernel-Mode Driver Signatures (thehackernews.com)
VMware warns of exploit available for critical vRealize RCE bug (bleepingcomputer.com)
Adobe Patch Tuesday: Critical Flaws Haunt InDesign, ColdFusion - SecurityWeek
Zimbra urges customers to manually fix actively exploited zero-day-Security Affairs
Critical Vulnerability Can Allow Takeover of Mastodon Servers - SecurityWeek
New StackRot Linux kernel flaw allows privilege escalation (bleepingcomputer.com)
Exploit Code Published for Remote Root Flaw in VMware Logging Software - SecurityWeek
API Flaw in QuickBlox Framework Exposed PII of Millions of Users - SecurityWeek
Experts released PoC exploit for Ubiquiti EdgeRouter flaw-Security Affairs
Critical RCE found in popular Ghostscript open-source PDF library (bleepingcomputer.com)
Citrix fixed a critical flaw in Secure Access Client for Ubuntu-Security Affairs
OT/ICS Vulnerabilities
Tools and Controls
The Need for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management to Combat Threats (bleepingcomputer.com)
less than half of SMBs use Privileged Access Management- IT Security Guru
Exposure Management Looks to Attack Paths, Identity to Better Measure Risk (darkreading.com)
Enterprise risk management should inform cyber-risk strategies | TechTarget
Infrastructure upgrades alone won't guarantee strong security - Help Net Security
What is a Network Intrusion Protection System (NIPS)? | Definition from TechTarget
Overcoming user resistance to passwordless authentication - Help Net Security
Zero Trust Keeps Digital Attacks From Entering the Real World (darkreading.com)
3 Strategies For Simplifying And Strengthening Your Data Security (forbes.com)
The history, evolution and current state of SIEM | TechTarget
Attack Surface Management: Identify and protect the unknown - Help Net Security
How to Put Generative AI to Work in Your Security Operations Center (darkreading.com)
Close Security Gaps with Continuous Threat Exposure Management (thehackernews.com)
Platform Approach to Cyber Security: The New Paradigm (trendmicro.com)
Intrusion Detection & Prevention Systems Guide (trendmicro.com)
Decentralized storage emerging as solution to cloud-based attacks | Cybernews
Wi-Fi AP placement best practices and security policies | TechTarget
For stronger public cloud data security, use defence in depth | TechTarget
Other News
White House Urged to Quickly Nominate National Cyber Director (darkreading.com)
The rise of cyber threats in a digital dystopia | Mint #AskBetterQuestions (livemint.com)
Building the right collective defence against cyber attacks for critical infrastructure | CyberScoop
Satellites lack standard security mechanisms found in mobile phones and laptops - Help Net Security
White House publishes National Cyber Security Strategy Implementation Plan - Help Net Security
Cyber attacks through Browser Extensions – the Importance of MFA (bleepingcomputer.com)
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
Look out for our ‘Cyber Tip Tuesday’ video blog and on our YouTube channel.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 22 July 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 22 July 2022
-Insurer Refuses to Pay Out After Victim Misrepresented Their Cyber Controls
-5 Cyber Security Questions CFOs Should Ask CISOs
-The Biggest Cyber Attacks in 2022 So Far — and it’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
-Malware-as-a-Service Creating New Cyber Crime Ecosystem
-The Rise and Continuing Popularity of LinkedIn-Themed Phishing
-Microsoft Teams Default Settings Leave Organisations Open to Cyber Attacks
-Top 10 Cyber Security Attacks of Last Decade Show What is to Come
-Software Supply Chain Concerns Reach C-Suite
-EU Warns of Russian Cyber Attack Spillover, Escalation Risks
-Critical Flaws in GPS Tracker Enable “Disastrous” and “Life-Threatening” Hacks
-Russian Hackers Behind Solarwinds Breach Continue to Scour US And European Organisations for Intel, Researchers Say
-The Next Big Security Threat Is Staring Us in The Face. Tackling It Is Going to Be Tough
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
Insurer Refuses to Pay Out After Victim Misrepresented Their Cyber Controls
In what may be one of the first court filings of its kind, insurer Travelers is asking a district court for a ruling to rescind a policy because the insured allegedly misrepresented its use of multifactor authentication (MFA) – a condition to get cyber coverage.
According to a July filing, Travelers said it would not have issued a cyber insurance policy in April to electronics manufacturing services company International Control Services (ICS) if the insurer knew the company was not using MFA as it said. Additionally, Travelers wants no part of any losses, costs, or claims from ICS – including from a May ransomware attack ICS suffered.
Travelers alleged ICS submitted a cyber policy application signed by its CEO and “a person responsible for the applicant’s network and information security” that the company used MFA for administrative or privileged access. However, following the May ransomware event, Travelers first learned during an investigation that the insured was not using the security control to protect its server and “only used MFA to protect its firewall, and did not use MFA to protect any other digital assets.”
Therefore, statements ICS made in the application were “misrepresentations, omissions, concealment of facts, and incorrect statements” – all of which “materially affected the acceptance of the risk and/or the hazard assumed by Travelers,” the insurer alleged in the filing.
ICS also was the victim of a ransomware attack in December 2020 when hackers gained access using the username and password of an ICS administrator, Travelers said. ICS told the insurer of the attack during the application process and said it improved the company’s cyber security.
Travelers said it wants the court to declare the insurance contract null and void, rescind the policy, and declare it has no duty to indemnify or defend ICS for any claim.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2022/07/12/675516.htm#
5 Cyber Security Questions CFOs Should Ask CISOs
Armed with the answers, chief financial officers can play an essential role in reducing cyber risk.
Even in a shrinking economy, organisations are likely to maintain their level of cyber security spend. But that doesn’t mean in the current economic climate of burgeoning costs and a possible recession they won’t take a magnifying glass to how they are spending the money budgeted to defend systems and data. Indeed, at many companies, cyber security spending isn’t targeting the most significant dangers, according to experts — as evidenced by the large number of successful ransomware attacks and data breaches.
Without a comprehensive understanding of the security landscape and what the organisation needs to do to protect itself, how can CFOs make the right decisions when it comes to investments in cyber security technology and other resources? They can’t.
So, CFOs need to ensure they have a timely grasp of the security issues their organisation faces. That requires turning to the most knowledgeable people in the organisation: chief information security officers (CISOs) and other security leaders on the IT front lines.
Here are five questions CFOs should be asking their CISOs about the security of their companies.
How secure are we as an organisation?
What are the main security threats or risks in our industry?
How do we ensure that the cyber security team and the CISO are involved in business development?
What are the risks and potential costs of not implementing a cyber control?
Do employees understand information security and are they implementing security protocols successfully?
The Biggest Cyber Attacks in 2022 So Far — and it’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
For those in the cyber resilience realm, it’s no surprise that there’s a continued uptick in cyber attacks. Hackers are hacking, thieves are thieving and ransomers are — you guessed it — ransoming. In other words, cyber crime is absolutely a growth industry.
As we cross into the second half of this year, let’s look at some of the most significant attacks so far:
Blockchain schmockchain. Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com’s two-factor-identification (2FA) system was compromised as thieves made off with approximately $30 million.
Still the one they run to. Microsoft’s ubiquity makes it a constant target. Earlier this year, the hacking collective Lapsus$ compromised Cortana and Bing, among other Microsoft products, posting source code online.
Not necessarily the news. News Corp. journalist emails and documents were accessed at properties including the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and the New York Post in a hack tied to China.
Uncharitable ways. The Red Cross was the target of an attack earlier this year, with more than half a million “highly vulnerable” records of Red Cross assistance recipients compromised.
Victim of success. North Korea’s Lazarus Group made off with $600 million in cryptocurrencies after blockchain gaming platform Ronin relaxed some of its security protocols so its servers could better handle its growing popularity.
We can hear you now. State-sponsored hackers in China have breached global telecom powerhouses worldwide this year, according to the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Politics, the art of the possible. Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo was breached twice this year as hacktivists exposed the records of donors to Canada’s Freedom Convoy.
Disgruntled revenge. Businesspeople everywhere were reminded of the risks associated with departing personnel when fintech powerhouse Block announced that a former employee accessed sensitive customer information, impacting eight million customers.
Unhealthy habits. Two million sensitive customer records were exposed when hackers breached Shields Health Care’s network.
They even stole the rewards points. General Motors revealed that hackers used a credentials stuffing attack to access personal information on an undisclosed number of car owners. They even stole gift-card-redeemable customer reward points.
For every breach or attack that generates headlines, millions of others that we never hear about put businesses at risk regularly. The Anti-Phishing Working Group just released data for the first quarter of this year, and the trend isn’t good. Recorded phishing attacks are at an all-time high (more than a million in just the first quarter) and were accelerating as the quarter closed, with March 2022 setting a new record for single-month attacks.
Malware-as-a-Service Creating New Cyber Crime Ecosystem
This week HP released their report The Evolution of Cybercrime: Why the Dark Web is Supercharging the Threat Landscape and How to Fight Back, exploring how cyber-criminals are increasingly operating in a quasi-professional manner, with malware and ransomware attacks being offered on a ‘software-as-a-service’ basis.
The report’s findings showed how cyber crime is being supercharged through “plug and play” malware kits that are easier than ever to launch attacks. Additionally, cyber syndicates are now collaborating with amateur attackers to target businesses, putting the online world and its users at risk.
The report’s methodology saw HP’s Wolf Security threat team work in tandem with dark-web investigation firm Forensic Pathways to scrape and analyse over 35 million cyber criminal marketplaces and forum posts between February and March 2022, with the investigation helping to gain a deeper understanding of how cyber criminals operate, gain trust, and build reputation. Its key findings include:
Malware is cheap and readily available: Over three-quarters (76%) of malware advertisements listed, and 91% of exploits (i.e. code that gives attackers control over systems by taking advantage of software bugs), retail for under $10.
Trust and reputation are ironically essential parts of cyber-criminal commerce: Over three-quarters (77%) of cyber criminal marketplaces analysed require a vendor bond – a license to sell – which can cost up to $3000. Of these, 92% have a third-party dispute resolution service.
Popular software is giving cyber criminals a foot in the door: Kits that exploit vulnerabilities in niche systems command the highest prices (typically ranging from $1,000-$4,000), while zero day vulnerabilities are retailing at 10s of thousands of pounds on dark web markets.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/malware-service-cybercrime/
The Rise and Continuing Popularity of LinkedIn-Themed Phishing
Phishing emails impersonating LinkedIn continue to make the bulk of all brand phishing attempts. According to Check Point, 45% of all email phishing attempts in Q2 2022 imitated the style of communication of the professional social media platform, with the goal of directing targets to a spoofed LinkedIn login page and collecting their account credentials.
The phishers are generally trying to pique the targets’ interest with fake messages claiming that they “have appeared in X searches this week”, that a new message is waiting for them, or that another user would like to do business with them, and are obviously taking advantage of the fact that a record number of individuals are switching or are considering quitting their job and are looking for a new one.
To compare: In Q4 2021, LinkedIn-themed phishing attempts were just 8 percent of the total brand phishing attacks flagged by Check Point. Also, according to Vade Secure, in 2021 the number of LinkedIn-themed phishing pages linked from unique phishing emails was considerably lower than those impersonating other social networks (Facebook, WhatsApp).
Other brands that phishers loved to impersonate during Q2 2022 are (unsurprisingly) Microsoft (13%), DHL (12%) and Amazon (9%).
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/21/linkedin-phishing/
Microsoft Teams Default Settings Leave Organisations Open to Cyber Attacks
Relying on default settings on Microsoft Teams leaves organisations and users open to threats from external domains, and misconfigurations can prove perilous to high-value targets.
Microsoft Teams has over 270 million active monthly users, with government institutions using the software in the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, and other countries at varying levels.
Cyber security researchers have discovered that relying on default MS Teams settings can leave firms and high-value users vulnerable to social engineering attacks. Attackers could create group chats, masquerade as seniors within the target organisation and observe whether users are online.
Attackers could, rather convincingly, impersonate high-ranking officials and possibly strike up conversations, fooling victims into believing they’re discussing sensitive topics with a superior. Skilled attackers could do a lot of harm with this capability.
https://cybernews.com/security/microsoft-teams-settings-leave-govt-officials-open-to-cyberattacks/
Top 10 Cyber Security Attacks of Last Decade Show What is to Come
Past is prologue, wrote William Shakespeare in his play “The Tempest,” meaning that the present can often be determined by what has come before. So it is with cyber security, serving as the basis of which is Trustwave’s “Decade Retrospective: The State of Vulnerabilities” over the last 10 years.
Threat actors frequently revisit well-known and previously patched vulnerabilities to take advantage of continuing poor cyber security hygiene. “If one does not know what has recently taken place it leaves you vulnerable to another attack,” Trustwave said in its report that identifies and examines the “watershed moments” that shaped cyber security between 2011 and 2021.
With a backdrop of the number of security incidents and vulnerabilities increasing in volume and sophistication, here are Trustwave’s top 10 network vulnerabilities in no particular order that defined the decade and “won’t be forgotten.”
SolarWinds hack and FireEye breach, Detected: December 8, 2020 (FireEye)
EternalBlue Exploit, Detected: April 14, 2017
Heartbleed, Detected: March 21, 2014
Shellshock, Remote Code Execution in BASH, Detected: September 12, 2014
Apache Struts Remote Command Injection & Equifax Breach, Detected: March 6, 2017
Chipocalypse, Speculative Execution Vulnerabilities Meltdown & Spectre
BlueKeep, Remote Desktop as an Access Vector, Detected: January, 2018
Drupalgeddon Series, CMS Vulnerabilities, Detected: January, 2018
Microsoft Windows OLE Vulnerability, Sandworm Exploit, Detected: September 3, 2014
Ripple20 Vulnerabilities, Growing IoT landscape, Detected: June 16, 2020
Software Supply Chain Concerns Reach C-Suite
Major supply chain attacks have had a significant impact on software security awareness and decision-making, with more investment planned for monitoring attack surfaces.
Organisations are waking up to the need to establish better software supply chain risk management policies and are taking action to address the escalating threats and vulnerabilities targeting this expanding attack surface.
These were among the findings of a CyberRisk Alliance-conducted survey of 300 respondents from both software-buying and software-producing companies.
Most survey respondents (52%) said they are "very" or "extremely" concerned about software supply chain risks, and 84% of respondents said their organisation is likely to allocate at least 5% of their AppSec budgets to manage software supply chain risk.
Software buyers are planning to invest in procurement program metrics and reporting, application pen-testing, and software build of materials (SBOM) design and implementation, according to the findings.
Meanwhile, software developers said they plan to invest in secure code review as well as SBOM design and implementation.
https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/software-supply-chain-concerns-reach-c-suite
EU Warns of Russian Cyber Attack Spillover, Escalation Risks
The Council of the European Union (EU) said that Russian hackers and hacker groups increasingly attacking "essential" organisations worldwide could lead to spillover risks and potential escalation.
"This increase in malicious cyber activities, in the context of the war against Ukraine, creates unacceptable risks of spillover effects, misinterpretation and possible escalation," the High Representative on behalf of the EU said.
"The latest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against several EU Member States and partners claimed by pro-Russian hacker groups are yet another example of the heightened and tense cyber threat landscape that EU and its Member States have observed."
In this context, the EU reminded Russia that all United Nations member states must adhere to the UN's Framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace to ensure international security and peace.
The EU urged all states to take any actions required to stop malicious cyber activities conducted from their territory.
The EU's statement follows a February joint warning from CISA and the FBI that wiper malware attacks targeting Ukraine could spill over to targets from other countries.
Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) said in late March that it observed phishing attacks orchestrated by the Russian COLDRIVER hacking group against NATO and European military entities.
In May, the US, UK, and EU accused Russia of coordinating a massive cyber attack that hit the KA-SAT consumer-oriented satellite broadband service in Ukraine on February 24 with AcidRain data destroying malware, approximately one hour before Russia invaded Ukraine.
A Microsoft report from June also confirms the EU's observation of an increase in Russian malicious cyber activities. The company's president said that threat groups linked to Russian intelligence agencies (including the GRU, SVR, and FSB) stepped up cyber attacks against government entities in countries allied with Ukraine after Russia's invasion.
In related news, in July 2021, President Joe Biden warned that cyber attacks leading to severe security breaches could lead to a "real shooting war," a statement issued a month after NATO said that cyber attacks could be compared to "armed attacks" in some circumstances.
Critical Flaws in GPS Tracker Enable “Disastrous” and “Life-Threatening” Hacks
A security firm and the US government are advising the public to immediately stop using a popular GPS tracking device or to at least minimise exposure to it, citing a host of vulnerabilities that make it possible for hackers to remotely disable cars while they’re moving, track location histories, disarm alarms, and cut off fuel.
An assessment from security firm BitSight found six vulnerabilities in the Micodus MV720, a GPS tracker that sells for about $20 and is widely available. The researchers who performed the assessment believe the same critical vulnerabilities are present in other Micodus tracker models. The China-based manufacturer says 1.5 million of its tracking devices are deployed across 420,000 customers. BitSight found the device in use in 169 countries, with customers including governments, militaries, law enforcement agencies, and aerospace, shipping, and manufacturing companies.
BitSight discovered what it said were six “severe” vulnerabilities in the device that allow for a host of possible attacks. One flaw is the use of unencrypted HTTP communications that makes it possible for remote hackers to conduct adversary-in-the-middle attacks that intercept or change requests sent between the mobile application and supporting servers. Other vulnerabilities include a flawed authentication mechanism in the mobile app that can allow attackers to access the hardcoded key for locking down the trackers and the ability to use a custom IP address that makes it possible for hackers to monitor and control all communications to and from the device.
Russian Hackers Behind Solarwinds Breach Continue to Scour US And European Organisations for Intel, Researchers Say
The Russian hackers behind a sweeping 2020 breach of US government networks have in recent months continued to hack US organisations to collect intelligence while also targeting an unnamed European government that is a NATO member.
The new findings show how relentless the hacking group — which US officials have linked with Russia's foreign intelligence service — is in its pursuit of intelligence held by the US and its allies, and how adept the hackers are at targeting widely used cloud-computing technologies.
The hacking efforts come as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to fray US-Russia relations and drive intelligence collection efforts from both governments.
In recent months, the hacking group has compromised the networks of US-based organisations that have data of interest to the Russian government.
In separate activity revealed Tuesday, US cyber security firm Palo Alto Networks said that the Russian hacking group had been using popular services like Dropbox and Google Drive to try to deliver malicious software to the embassies of an unnamed European government in Portugal and Brazil in May and June.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/19/politics/russia-solarwinds-hackers/index.html
The Next Big Security Threat Is Staring Us in The Face. Tackling It Is Going to Be Tough
If the ongoing fight against ransomware wasn't keeping security teams busy, along with the challenges of securing the ever-expanding galaxy of Internet of Things devices, or cloud computing, then there's a new challenge on the horizon – protecting against the coming wave of digital imposters or deepfakes.
A deepfake video uses artificial intelligence and deep-learning techniques to produce fake images of people or events.
One recent example is when the mayor of Berlin thought he was having an online meeting with former boxing champion and current mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. But the mayor of Berlin grew suspicious when 'Klitschko' started saying some very out of character things relating to the invasion of Ukraine, and when the call was interrupted the mayor's office contacted the Ukrainian ambassador to Berlin – to discover that, whoever they were talking to, it wasn't the real Klitschko.
It's a sign that deepfakes are getting more advanced and quickly. Previous instances of deepfake videos that have gone viral often have tell-tale signs that something isn't real, such as unconvincing edits or odd movements, but the developments in deepfake technology mean it isn't difficult to imagine it being exploited by cyber criminals, particularly when it comes to stealing money.
While ransomware might generate more headlines, business email compromise (BEC) is the costliest form of cyber crime today. The FBI estimates that it costs businesses billions of dollars every year. The most common form of BEC attack involves cyber criminals exploiting emails, hacking into accounts belonging to bosses – or cleverly spoofing their email accounts – and asking staff to authorise large financial transactions, which can often amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The emails claim that the money needs to be sent urgently, maybe as part of a secret business deal that can't be disclosed to anyone. It's a classic social-engineering trick designed to force the victim into transferring money quickly and without asking for confirmation from anyone else who could reveal it's a fake request. By the time anyone might be suspicious, the cyber criminals have taken the money, likely closed the bank account they used for the transfer – and run.
BEC attacks are successful, but many people might remain suspicious of an email from their boss that comes out the blue and they could avoid falling victim by speaking to someone to confirm that it's not real. But if cyber criminals could use a deepfake to make the request, it could be much more difficult for victims to deny the request, because they believe they're actually speaking to their boss on camera.
Many companies publicly list their board of directors and senior management on their website. Often, these high-level business executives will have spoken at events or in the media, so it's possible to find footage of them speaking. By using AI-powered deep-learning techniques, cyber criminals could exploit this public information to create a deepfake of a senior-level executive, exploit email vulnerabilities to request a video call with an employee, and then ask them to make the transaction. If the victim believes they're speaking to their CEO or boss, they're unlikely to deny the request.
Threats
Ransomware
Post-Breakup, Conti Ransomware Members Remain Dangerous (darkreading.com)
The Kronos Ransomware Attack: What You Need to Know So Your Business Isn't Next (darkreading.com)
New Luna ransomware encrypts Windows, Linux, and ESXi systems (bleepingcomputer.com)
Digital security giant Entrust breached by ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)
Protecting Against Kubernetes-Borne Ransomware (darkreading.com)
Knauf cyber attack: Black Basta ransomware gang claims responsibility (techmonitor.ai)
New Redeemer ransomware version promoted on hacker forums (bleepingcomputer.com)
Kaspersky report on Luna and Black Basta ransomware | Securelist
New Cross-Platform 'Luna' Ransomware Only Offered to Russian Affiliates | SecurityWeek.Com
Conti’s Reign of Chaos: Costa Rica in the Crosshairs | Threatpost
Researchers uncover potential ransomware network with U.S. connections - CyberScoop
How Conti ransomware hacked and encrypted the Costa Rican government (bleepingcomputer.com)
A small Canadian town is being extorted by a global ransomware gang - The Verge
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Phishing Bonanza: Social-Engineering Savvy Skyrockets as Malicious Actors Cash In (darkreading.com)
Outlook users report suspicious activity from Microsoft IPs • The Register
PayPal Used to Send Malicious “Double Spear” Invoices - Infosecurity Magazine
LinkedIn remains the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Google Calendar provides new way to block invitation phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)
Other Social Engineering
Malware
Hacking group '8220' grows cloud botnet to more than 30,000 hosts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Buy ‘plug-n-play’ malware for the price of a pint of beer (computerweekly.com)
New ‘Lightning Framework’ Linux malware installs rootkits, backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
Google pulls malware-infected apps, 3 million users at risk • The Register
Roaming Mantis hits Android and iOS users in malware, phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BYOD
Data Breaches/Leaks
Neopets data breach exposes personal data of 69 million members (bleepingcomputer.com)
Verified Twitter Vulnerability Exposes Data from 5.4 Million Accounts | RestorePrivacy
Mixed Messages as Neopets Scrambles to Respond to Mega Breach - Infosecurity Magazine
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cyber crime escalates as barriers to entry crumble | CSO Online
Understanding the Evolution of Cyber Crime to Predict its Future | SecurityWeek.Com
The growth in targeted, sophisticated cyber attacks troubles top FBI cyber official - CyberScoop
'AIG' Threat Group Launches with Unique Business Model (darkreading.com)
US DOJ report warns of escalating cyber crime, 'blended' threats (techtarget.com)
Chaotic LAPSUS$ Group Goes Quiet, but Threat Likely Persists (darkreading.com)
Last member of Gozi malware troika arrives in US for criminal trial – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Romanian hacker faces US trial over virus-for-hire service - The Verge
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
This Cloud Botnet Has Hijacked 30,000 Systems to Mine Cryptocurrencies (thehackernews.com)
Hackers Use Evilnum Malware to Target Cryptocurrency and Commodities Platforms (thehackernews.com)
Singapore distances itself from local crypto companies • The Register
FBI Warns Fake Crypto Apps are Bilking Investors of Millions | Threatpost
Ex-Coinbase manager charged in crypto insider trading case • The Register
FBI Warns of Fake Cryptocurrency Apps Stealing Millions from Investors (thehackernews.com)
My Big Coin founder guilty of $6m crypto-fraud • The Register
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
AML/CFT/Sanctions
UK Regulator Issues Record Fines as Financial Crime Surges - Infosecurity Magazine
Broker Fined £2m for Financial Crime Control Failings - Infosecurity Magazine
Insurance
82% of global insurers expect the rise in cyber insurance premiums to continue - Help Net Security
Will Your Cyber Insurance Premiums Protect You in Times of War? (darkreading.com)
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Software Supply Chain
Improving Software Supply Chain Cyber Security (trendmicro.com)
Why SBOMs aren't the silver bullet they're portrayed as - Help Net Security
Breaking down CIS's new software supply chain security guidance | CSO Online
Cloud/SaaS
60% of IT leaders are not confident about their secure cloud access - Help Net Security
Public Cloud Customers Admit Security Challenges - Infosecurity Magazine
The New Weak Link in SaaS Security: Devices (thehackernews.com)
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Open Source
Open source security needs automation as usage climbs amongst organisations | ZDNet
New ‘Lightning Framework’ Linux malware installs rootkits, backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
The US military wants to understand the most important software on earth | MIT Technology Review
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
The importance of secure passwords can't be emphasized enough - Help Net Security
3rd Party Services Are Falling Short on Password Security (bleepingcomputer.com)
Okta Exposes Passwords in Clear Text for Possible Theft (darkreading.com)
Enforcing Password History in Your Windows AD to Curb Password Reuse (bleepingcomputer.com)
Social Media
LinkedIn remains the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hacker selling Twitter account data of 5.4 million users for $30k (bleepingcomputer.com)
TikTok Engaging in Excessive Data Collection - Infosecurity Magazine
Privacy
Parental Controls and Child Safety
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
UK Regulator Issues Record Fines as Financial Crime Surges - Infosecurity Magazine
Legal Experts Concerned Over New UK Digital Reform Bill - Infosecurity Magazine
Understanding Proposed SEC Rules Through an ESG Lens (darkreading.com)
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
EU warns of risks of spillover effects associated with ongoing war - Security Affairs
US Cyber Command IDs new malware strains targeting Ukraine • The Register
Russian hackers use fake DDoS app to infect pro-Ukrainian activists (bleepingcomputer.com)
Experts Uncover New CloudMensis Spyware Targeting Apple macOS Users (thehackernews.com)
Hackers attempt to infiltrate Ukrainian tech company with backdoor malware, Talos says - CyberScoop
Will Your Cyber-Insurance Premiums Protect You in Times of War? (darkreading.com)
Hackers Target Ukrainian Software Company Using GoMet Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
Copycat DoS App Created by Russian Hackers to Target Ukraine - IT Security Guru
Albanian government websites go dark after cyber attack • The Register
Mysterious, Cloud-Enabled macOS Spyware Blows Onto the Scene (darkreading.com)
Belgium claims China-linked APT groups hit its ministries - Security Affairs
Nation State Actors
Nation State Actors – Russia
Google, EU Warn of Malicious Russian Cyber Activity | SecurityWeek.Com
Google warns Kremlin-backed goons pose as pro-Ukraine app • The Register
Russia Released a Ukrainian App for Hacking Russia That Was Actually Malware (vice.com)
Cloaked Ursa (APT29) Hackers Use Trusted Online Storage Services (paloaltonetworks.com)
Russian SVR hackers use Google Drive, Dropbox to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russia, Iran discuss broad tech collaboration • The Register
Half of Russian spies in Europe expelled since Ukraine invasion, says MI6 chief | MI6 | The Guardian
Nation State Actors – China
Belgium says Chinese APT gangs attacked its government • The Register
Government blocks Chinese tech deal on national security grounds | Business News | Sky News
Nation State Actors – North Korea
Nation State Actors – Iran
Nation State Actors – Misc APT
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
Chrome 103 Update Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
Critical Bugs Threaten to Crack Atlassian Confluence Workspaces Wide Open (darkreading.com)
WordPress Page Builder Plug-in Under Attack, Can't Be Patched (darkreading.com)
SonicWall: Patch critical SQL injection bug immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco fixes bug that lets attackers execute commands as root (bleepingcomputer.com)
Atlassian reveals critical flaws across its product line • The Register
Netwrix Auditor Vulnerability Can Facilitate Attacks on Enterprises | SecurityWeek.Com
Azure's Security Vulnerabilities Are Out of Control - Last Week in AWS Blog
Oracle Releases 349 New Security Patches With July 2022 CPU | SecurityWeek.Com
0-day used to infect Chrome users could pose threat to Edge and Safari users, too | Ars Technica
Juniper Networks Patches Over 200 Third-Party Component Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com
Google Chrome Zero-Day Weaponized to Spy on Journalists (darkreading.com)
Apple Ships Urgent Security Patches for macOS, iOS | SecurityWeek.Com
Juniper Releases Patches for Critical Flaws in Junos OS and Contrail Networking (thehackernews.com)
Code Execution and Other Vulnerabilities Patched in Drupal | SecurityWeek.Com
Atlassian Rolls Out Security Patch for Critical Confluence Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)
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
Other News
Hackers for Hire: Adversaries Employ 'Cyber Mercenaries' | Threatpost
Companies around the globe still not implementing MFA - Help Net Security
Global Firms Fear the Worst Over Risk Management Failures - Infosecurity Magazine
Humans are becoming the primary security risk for organisations around the world - Help Net Security
What threats and challenges are CISOs and CROs most focused on? - Help Net Security
What InfoSec Pros Can Teach the Organisation About ESG (darkreading.com)
SATAn Turns Hard Drive Cable Into Antenna To Defeat Air-Gapped Security | Hackaday
Lack of staff and resources drives smaller teams to outsource security - Help Net Security
Office macro security: on-again-off-again feature now BACK ON AGAIN! – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Removing the blind spots that allow lateral movement - Help Net Security
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.