Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 09 December 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Economic Uncertainty Will Greatly Impact the Spread of Cyber Crime

Norton released its top cyber trends to watch in 2023, emphasising that the economy will have the greatest impact on the spread of cyber crime next year. Experts predict the pressures associated with economic uncertainty and rising costs will create the perfect environment for scammers to take advantage of people when they are more vulnerable.

It’s expected that cyber criminals will trick victims into surrendering personal information, emptying their bank accounts, or spending money for products, services or “lottery winnings” that never arrive. “We anticipate scammers will continue to prey on the vulnerability of people as economic pressures rise in 2023,” said Norton.

“Cyber criminals love to exploit seasonal opportunities, and consumers are facing a perfect storm of rising prices in the middle of the busiest shopping season of the year when scammers are particularly active. Scams are always harder to detect during the holiday season because consumers expect deep discounts and may believe prices that would normally seem too good to be true. This year, inflation and other unfavourable macroeconomic factors are likely to make people particularly eager to find good deals and they may therefore be at greater risk than in previous years. Taking a few proactive steps today could help you to be safer all year long.”

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/06/economic-uncertainty-cybercrime/

• Cyber Security Resilience Emerges as Top Priority, as 62% of Companies Say Security Incidents Impacted Business Operations

Cyber security resilience is a top priority for companies as they look to defend against a rapidly evolving threat landscape, according to the latest edition of Cisco's annual Security Outcomes Report.

Resilience has emerged as a top priority as a staggering 62 percent of organisations surveyed said they had experienced a security event that impacted business in the past two years. The leading types of incidents were network or data breaches (51.5 percent), network or system outages (51.1 percent), ransomware events (46.7 percent) and distributed denial of service attacks (46.4 percent).

These incidents resulted in severe repercussions for the companies that experienced them, along with the ecosystem of organisations they do business with. The leading impacts cited include IT and communications interruption (62.6 percent), supply chain disruption (43 percent), impaired internal operations (41.4 percent) and lasting brand damage (39.7 percent).

With stakes this high, it is no surprise that 96 percent of executives surveyed for the report said that security resilience is high priority for them. The findings further highlight that the main objectives of security resilience for security leaders and their teams are to prevent incidents, and mitigate losses when they occur.

Technology is transforming businesses at a scale and speed never seen before. While this is creating new opportunities, it also brings with it challenges, especially on the security front. To be able to tackle these effectively, companies need the ability to anticipate, identify, and withstand cyber threats, and if breached be able to rapidly recover from one. That is what building resilience is all about.

Security, after all, is a risk business. As companies don't secure everything, everywhere, security resilience allows them to focus their security resources on the pieces of the business that add the most value to an organisation, and ensure that value is protected.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/cybersecurity-resilience-emerges-as-top-priority-as-62-of-companies-say-security-incidents-impacted-business-operations

• Cyber Security Should Focus on Managing Risk

Preventing all data breaches is an unrealistic goal. Instead, focus on finding and minimising the greatest risks.

There is a common misconception that all problems have clear, straightforward solutions — as long as you look hard enough. While this is a bold and ambitious goal, it's misguided when applied to cyber security. Organisations cannot prevent data breaches or cyberattacks altogether, and avoiding a breach or cyber incident is nearly impossible in the modern era. Organisations can, however, take steps to reduce an attack's negative impacts.

Eradicating risk is an impractical goal because you cannot "solve" something that constantly changes. To understand the risks you need to think like an attacker.

Threat actors are, first and foremost, opportunistic. They will always look for the easiest targets to maximise their financial gain. So intimately understanding an organisation's level of risk is the first step to managing and reducing it — and making yourself less of a target.

In line with Verizon’s "Data Breach Investigations Report" (DBIR) the four critical ways that threat actors most frequently use to compromise organisations large and small are credential compromise, phishing, vulnerability exploitation, and botnets, and these are the areas organisations should look reduce risks.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/cybersecurity-should-focus-on-managing-risk

• Fear of Cyber Attacks Drives SMBs to Spend More on Software

Despite fears of a looming recession, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are spending more on software in 2023, according to Capterra’s 2023 SMB Software Buying Trends Survey. 75% of US SMBs estimate they’ll spend more on software in 2023 compared to 2022.

Alongside increased software budgets, Capterra’s survey of over 500 SMBs reveals four other major trends in software buying behaviours and challenges that will impact businesses in 2023:

• Fearful of cyber attacks, US businesses rate security as a top motivator for software purchases

• Implementation concerns are SMBs’ biggest purchase barrier

• Most SMB software purchases are solely handled by IT, disregarding other important stakeholders

• Customer reviews sway purchase decisions, and verified reviews are critical

Despite the expected increase in software investments, many US SMBs regret their technology purchases. 61% of US SMBs say they have buyer’s remorse over a technology purchase in the past 12-18 months. Inadequate support services (39%) and higher-than-anticipated costs (34%) are the top reasons behind such regrets.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/07/smbs-software-spending-2023/

• Business Email Compromise (BEC) Fraud Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices

Business email compromise (BEC) scams have been increasingly targeting mobile devices, particularly with SMS-focused attacks. According to a new advisory by cyber security specialists at Trustwave, the trend indicates a broader shift towards phishing scams via text messages.

“Phishing scams are prevalent in the SMS threat landscape, and now, BEC attacks are also going mobile,” reads the report. Trustwave further added that scammers typically obtain mobile numbers from data breaches, social media and data brokers, among other methods. After that, attackers ask victims for a wire transfer, send a copy of an aging report or change a payroll account, luring them into paying for something that should be reimbursed later (but never will).

BEC attacks will always be here so long as they remain profitable. Their continued profitability proves that employee cyber security behaviour is neglected and mismanaged by the compliance-based approach to security awareness.

Security culture needs a reformation that begins with transforming the human layer into an asset which, when empowered by the right training and platform, augments the protect-detect-respond pillars of the [National Institute of Standards and Technology] NIST framework.

Trustwave’s findings were also confirmed in SlashNext’s State of Phishing 2022 report, which recently highlighted a 50% increase in attacks on mobile devices, with scams and credential theft at the top of the list of payloads. The document also suggested 83% of organisations reported that mobile device threats had been growing more quickly than other device threats.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/bec-attacks-expand-toward-mobile/

• Ransomware Professionalisation Grows as Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) Takes Hold

Ransomware groups are getting their acts together, growing in sophistication and business acumen while monetising ransomware beyond encryption, including double and triple extortion, as the market for ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) matures.

In first half of 2022, LockBit, Conti, Alphv, Black Basta, and Vice Society were among the most prolific ransomware gangs, focusing their attack on US-based organisations, according to a LookingGlass report on the topic.

The report confirmed and attributed 1,133 ransomware attacks in the first six months of the year and attributed 207 data leaks across all active threat actor groups throughout the same period. Of the more than 1,300 incidents, the bulk came from the top 15 most active ransomware groups, led by LockBit, Conti, and Alphv.

Ransomware gangs have primarily targeted two sectors during the analysis period: manufacturing and industrial products, followed by engineering and construction and healthcare and life sciences, with the consumer and retail industry rounding out the top five.

The report highlighted the rise of sophisticated software and networks as a principal contributor to the professionalisation of ransomware, with malicious actors now offering RaaS, bug bounties, sales teams, and even customer support.

“This new, more professional ransomware structure can only mean that the problem will continue to grow in the months ahead," the report noted. "We anticipate the adoption of more traditional business practices as the underground economy continues to remain robust”.

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/ransomware-professionalization-grows-as-raas-takes-hold

• Automated Dark Web Markets Sell Corporate Email Accounts For $2

Cyber crime marketplaces are increasingly selling stolen corporate email addresses for as low as $2 to fill a growing demand by hackers who use them for business email compromise and phishing attacks or initial access to networks.

Analysts at Israeli cyber-intelligence firm KELA have closely followed this trend, reporting at least 225,000 email accounts for sale on underground markets.

The largest webmail shops are Xleet and Lufix, claiming to offer access to over 100k breached corporate email accounts, with prices ranging between $2 and $30, if not more, for highly-desirable organisations.

Typically, these accounts were stolen via password cracking (brute-forcing) or credential stuffing, had their credentials stolen through phishing, or were bought from other cyber criminals.

Hackers use their access to corporate email accounts in targeted attacks like business email compromise (BEC), social engineering, spear-phishing, and deeper network infiltration.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/automated-dark-web-markets-sell-corporate-email-accounts-for-2/

• Cloud Hosting Provider Rackspace Warns of Phishing Risks Following Ransomware Attack

Cloud computing provider Rackspace warned customers on Thursday of increased risks of phishing attacks following a ransomware attack affecting its hosted Microsoft Exchange environment.

While the company is still investigating the incident and is working on bringing affected systems back online, it says that cyber criminals might also take advantage and exploit this incident for their own purposes.

"If you do receive a message from an individual you do not recognise, do not reply. Please login to your control panel and create a ticket, including details about the message you received," Rackspace said. "We understand that contact such as this may be alarming, but we currently have no evidence to suggest that you are at increased risk as a result of this direct contact."

Rackspace added that customers could easily spot scammers attempting to steal their sensitive information since:

• Emails from Rackspace will be sent from @rackspace.com emails (although attackers might still use a spoofed email address and redirect their targets to a landing phishing page)

• Rackspace support will not ask for login credentials or personal information (e.g., social security number, driver's license) during phone calls

Even though the company is yet to reveal if it has any evidence that the attackers have stolen data from its systems during the breach, customers were advised to remain vigilant and monitor their credit reports and banking account statements for suspicious activity.

Some customers are also reporting an increase in phishing emails impersonating Rackspace since the ransomware attack. Those affected by the Rackspace ransomware attack and outage should not open any suspicious email attachments or click any suspicious links.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/rackspace-warns-of-phishing-risks-following-ransomware-attack/

• Security Concerns Scupper Deals for Two-Thirds of Firms

Two-thirds (67%) of global organisations have admitted to losing out on acquiring potential customers due to concerns about their security posture, according to LogRhythm.

The security vendor polled 1175 security professionals and executives across five continents to compile its latest report, The State of the Security Team 2022. It found that security due diligence among customers and partners is increasingly rigorous.

Some 91% of respondents said that their security strategy must now align with customers’ security policies and standards, while 85% claimed their company must provide proof that they meet partners’ security requirements.

There was more worrying news from the report: 70% of respondents reported an increase in workplace stress for security teams, with nearly a third (30%) citing a “significant” increase. Among the key stress factors highlighted in the study were growing attack sophistication, greater responsibilities and increasing attack frequency.

Two-fifths (41%) claimed that better integrated solutions would help to relieve these pressures, while a similar number (42%) pointed to the need for more experienced security professionals. The latter would seem unlikely, given the coming recession’s likely impact on budgets, and persistent industry skills shortages. The gap is now 3.4 million globally, including 56,800 in the UK, a massive 73% year-on-year increase, according to ISC2.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/security-concerns-scupper-deals/

• Microsoft Encourages 'Strong Cyber Hygiene' in Light of Increasing Russian Cyber Attacks

Microsoft is gearing up for a slew of Russian cyber attacks this winter, and warns others to stay vigilant. Between missiles, drones, and cyber attacks the onslaught against Ukraine has been a brutal one, and reportedly only set to get worse in the coming months.

"Moscow has intensified its multi-pronged hybrid technology approach to pressure the sources of Kyiv’s military and political support," says Microsoft in a recent blog post. "Recent attacks in Poland suggest that Russian state-sponsored cyber attacks may increasingly be used outside Ukraine in an effort to undermine foreign-based supply chains."

In late October, Russian forces were pushed from formerly occupied territory, retaliating with missile, drone, and cyber strikes that left much of Kyiv in need of simple running water.

The Russian group known to Microsoft as IRIDIUM (aka Sandworm) is thought to be working with the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, in coordinated efforts to inflict suffering on the people of Ukraine. The group has been at large for almost a decade, as Microsoft notes, "Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, IRIDIUM launched a series of wintertime operations against Ukrainian electricity providers, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of citizens in 2015 and 2016."

https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-encourages-strong-cyber-hygiene-in-light-of-increasing-russian-cyberattacks/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Rackspace customers rage following ransomware attack, as class-action lawsuits filed (bitdefender.com)

• Ransomware Professionalization Grows as RaaS Takes Hold (darkreading.com)

• Rackspace Admits Security Incident, Helps Customers Migrate to Microsoft 365 Accounts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Medibank share price slumps ahead of major shutdown and cyber security overhaul (fool.com.au)

• Rackspace confirms ransomware behind days-long email outage • The Register

• Vice Society: Profiling a Persistent Threat to the Education Sector (paloaltonetworks.com)

• Wiper, Disguised as Fake Ransomware, Targets Russian Orgs (darkreading.com)

• Never-before-seen malware is nuking data in Russia’s courts and mayors’ offices | Ars Technica

• Rackspace rocked by ‘security incident’ in hosted Exchange • The Register

• Open Source Ransomware Toolkit Cryptonite Turns Into Accidental Wiper Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Understanding NIST CSF to assess your organisation's Ransomware readiness (thehackernews.com)

• New Ransom Payment Schemes Target Executives, Telemedicine – Krebs on Security

• South Pacific vacations may be wrecked by ransomware • The Register

• Gartner: 5 Considerations for I&O Leaders Planning Against Ransomware Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Intersport Data Posted On Hive Dark Web Blog - Information Security Buzz

• NZ Privacy Commissioner Investigates Mercury IT Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Vice Society Ransomware Attackers Targeted Dozens of Schools in 2022 (thehackernews.com)

• Education sector hit by Hive ransomware in November | TechTarget

• Ransomware attack forces French hospital to transfer patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CommonSpirit Health ransomware attack exposed data of 623,000 patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Gang Steals Employee and Customer Data From LJ Hooker (vice.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Rackspace warns of phishing risks following ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Phishing in the Cloud: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (darkreading.com)

• Phishing scammers impersonate WhatsApp by buying a top ad spot on Google | PC Gamer

• Man who lost $149k after clicking on phishing e-mail among at least 10 victims in Case cyber attack | The Straits Times

• How to Recognize Phishing Emails: Cyber security Experts Give Advice - WSJ

• Investment Fraud Gang May Have Made $500m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• BEC Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Christmas Warning: Threat Actors Impersonate your Favourite Brands to Attack, Finds CSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Infostealer Malware Market Booms, as MFA Fatigue Sets In (darkreading.com)

• Hardening Identities With Phish-Resistant MFA (darkreading.com)

• 'I had £8,000 stolen but Revolut won't refund it' - BBC News

Malware

• Hack-for-Hire Group Targets Travel and Financial Entities with New Janicab Malware Variant (thehackernews.com)

• Infostealer Malware Market Booms, as MFA Fatigue Sets In (darkreading.com)

• Malware Authors Inadvertently Take Down Own Botnet (darkreading.com)

• New TrueBot Malware Variant Leveraging Netwrix Auditor Bug and Raspberry Robin Worm (thehackernews.com)

• Truebot Malware Activity Increases With Possible Evil Corp Connections - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Newly Discovered Trojan Steals 300,000 Facebook Users Details In 4 Year-Long Campaign - Information Security Buzz

• Artifact Poisoning in GitHub Actions Imports Malware via Software Pipelines (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• BEC Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'Scattered Spider' Cyber crime Group Targets Mobile Carriers via Telecom, BPO Firms | SecurityWeek.Com

• Code of practice for app store operators and app developers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Android malware apps with 2 million installs spotted on Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Privacy changes set Apple at odds with UK government over online safety bill | Apple | The Guardian

• Android malware infected 300,000 devices to steal Facebook accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Uncover Darknet Service Allowing Hackers to Trojanize Legit Android Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Android December 2022 security updates fix 81 vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Telcom and BPO Companies Under Attack by SIM Swapping Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• Darknet's Largest Mobile Malware Marketplace Threatens Users Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Eight Questions to Ask Your Aging Parents (and Yourself) to Keep Their Phones Safe From Hackers - WSJ

• SIM swapper gets 18-months for involvement in $22 million crypto heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Compromised Android keys used to sign info-stealing malware • The Register

• Largest mobile malware marketplace identified by Resecurity in the Dark Web - Security Affairs

Internet of Things – IoT

• How IoT is changing the threat landscape for businesses - Help Net Security

• What's the Matter with digital trust in smart home devices? - Help Net Security

• Security Risks Found in Millions of XIoT Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Self-Propagating 'Zerobot' Botnet Targeting Spring4Shell, IoT Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Eufy responds to camera security concerns | ZDNET

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Popular HR and Payroll Company Sequoia Discloses a Data Breach | WIRED

• Personal data of 10,000 Australians found for sale online | 7NEWS

• Stolen data of 600,000 Indians sold on bot markets so far - study | Reuters

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Of Exploits and Experts: The Professionalization of Cyber Crime (darkreading.com)

• Economic uncertainty will greatly impact the spread of cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Automated dark web markets sell corporate email accounts for $2 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DHS Cyber Safety Board to review Lapsus$ gang’s hacking tactics (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BlackProxies proxy service increasingly popular among hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gen Z Internet Users "Normalize" Cyber crime - Report - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chart: Cyber crime Expected To Skyrocket in Coming Years | Statista

• Metaparasites: The cyber criminals who rip each other off • Graham Cluley

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Bitcoin ‘rarely’ used for legal transactions, on ‘road to irrelevance’, say European Central Bank officials | TechCrunch

• North Korean Hackers Spread AppleJeus Malware Disguised as Cryptocurrency Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Warns Cryptocurrency Firms Against Complex Cyber-Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat Actors Use Malicious File Systems to Scale Crypto-Mining Operations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft: Hackers target cryptocurrency firms over Telegram (bleepingcomputer.com)

• UK finalises plans for regulation of ‘wild west’ crypto sector | Financial Times (ft.com)

• North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme – Security Bitcoin News

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Insights into insider threats: Detecting and monitoring abnormal user activity - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Even cyber criminals fall for online scams: $2.5m last year • The Register

• Why are Monzo, Revolut and Starling becoming scam targets? — Startup Europe, The Sifted Podcast | Sifted

• 'I had £8,000 stolen but Revolut won't refund it' - BBC News

• Suspects arrested for hacking US networks to steal employee data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Credit card skimming – the long and winding road of supply chain failure – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Australia arrests 'Pig Butchering' suspects for stealing $100 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals are scamming each other, tipping off law enforcement - Help Net Security

• Elon Musk "Freedom Giveaway" crypto scam promoted via Twitter lists (bleepingcomputer.com)

• SIM swapper gets 18-months for involvement in $22 million crypto heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Metaparasites: The cyber criminals who rip each other off • Graham Cluley

• Investment Fraud Gang May Have Made $500m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Deepfakes

• Thanks to AI, it’s probably time to take your photos off the Internet | Ars Technica

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Santander UK fined £108m over anti-money laundering failings | Banco Santander | The Guardian

Insurance

• What you should know when considering cyber insurance in 2023 | CSO Online

• Cyber Insurance Policy Underwriting Explained (trendmicro.com)

Dark Web

• Dark web recruiting techniques: Malware, phishing, and carding - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Iranian Hackers Strike Diamond Industry with Data-Wiping Malware in Supply-Chain Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Antwerp's city services down after hackers attack digital partner (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Credit card skimming – the long and winding road of supply chain failure – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Transport And Shipping Beware – Supply Chains Under Attack - Information Security Buzz

• Popular HR and Payroll Company Sequoia Discloses a Data Breach | WIRED

Software Supply Chain

• How Naming Can Change the Game in Software Supply Chain Security (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• 3 Types Of DDoS Attack Types You Should Care About - Information Security Buzz

• Microsoft warning after DDoS attack disrupts Russian bank • The Register

Cloud/SaaS

• Phishing in the Cloud: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (darkreading.com)

• How to get cloud migration right - Help Net Security

• 3 Ways Attackers Bypass Cloud Security (darkreading.com)

• How to implement least privilege access in the cloud | TechTarget

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Remote workers losing laptops are bigger threat to companies than hackers (telegraph.co.uk)

Encryption

• WhatsApp raises threat of UK shutdown in encryption row (telegraph.co.uk)

• Governments want to avert quantum's encryption apocalypse (axios.com)

API

• 68% of IT leaders are worried about API sprawl - Help Net Security

Open Source

• Ping of death! FreeBSD fixes crashtastic bug in network tool – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Research reveals where 95% of open source vulnerabilities lie - Help Net Security

• Critical Ping Vulnerability Allows Remote Attackers to Take Over FreeBSD Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Threat Actors Use Malicious File Systems to Scale Crypto-Mining Operations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Password Reset Calls Are Costing Your Org Big Money (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Taiwan bans state-owned devices from running TikTok • The Register

• Critical Vulnerabilities Force Twitter Alternative Hive Social Offline | SecurityWeek.Com

• Does Hive's Security Problem Make It Unsafe to Use? (lifehacker.com)

• Elon Musk "Freedom Giveaway" crypto scam promoted via Twitter lists (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US States label TikTok a malicious and menacing threat • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• Making Cyber-awareness Training And Spoofing Protection Mandatory In The Digital Workplace - Information Security Buzz

• Engage your employees with better cyber security training - Help Net Security

• Lack of Cyber security Expertise Poses Threat for Public-Safety Orgs (darkreading.com)

• 4 cyber security predictions for 2023 --- SANS analysts look ahead | VentureBeat

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• US Sues TikTok Over Child Safety and Data Security Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Are Parents Feeding Kids’ Data To Threat Actors? Expert Comments - Information Security Buzz

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Five companies fined over £400,000 for targeting over-60s with illegal marketing calls | UK News | Sky News

• UK finalises plans for regulation of ‘wild west’ crypto sector | Financial Times (ft.com)

• What Stricter Data Privacy Laws Mean for Your Cyber security Policies (thehackernews.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber security Risk Management In The Real World - Information Security Buzz

• Economic uncertainty will greatly impact the spread of cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Plan: 3 Keys for CISOs (trendmicro.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Understanding NIST CSF to assess your organisation's Ransomware readiness (thehackernews.com)

• PCI Secure Software Standard 1.2 released - Help Net Security

• How compliance leaders can encourage employees to report misconduct - Help Net Security

• The changing role of the MITRE ATT@CK framework | CSO Online

• Don't Wait to Become CMMC Compliant - Information Security Buzz

• Three Ways to Improve Defence Readiness Using MITRE D3FEND | SecurityWeek.Com

Data Protection

• Remote workers losing laptops are bigger threat to companies than hackers (telegraph.co.uk)

• How companies time data leak disclosures - Help Net Security

• What Stricter Data Privacy Laws Mean for Your Cyber security Policies (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 5 top qualities you need to become a next-gen CISO | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Suspects arrested for hacking US networks to steal employee data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Australia arrests 'Pig Butchering' suspects for stealing $100 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• The Privacy War Is Coming (darkreading.com)

• Apple Faces Critics Over Its Privacy Policies | SecurityWeek.Com

• Privacy changes set Apple at odds with UK government over online safety bill | Apple | The Guardian

• Apple announces new security and privacy measures amid surge in cyber-attacks | Apple | The Guardian

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

• NATO Readies for Cyber War: Simulation Shows Unified Front Against Attack - MSSP Alert

• Microsoft warns of Russian cyber attacks throughout the winter (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft warning after DDoS attack disrupts Russian bank • The Register

• Lessons from Russia’s cyber-war in Ukraine | The Economist

• Russian Espionage APT Callisto Focuses on Ukraine War Support Organisations | SecurityWeek.Com

• Russian Actors Use Compromised Healthcare Networks Against Ukrainian Orgs (darkreading.com)

• Security Firms Aiding Ukraine During War Could Be Considered Participants in Conflict (substack.com)

• Russian Hackers Use Western Networks to Attack Ukraine - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pegasus spyware was used to hack reporters’ phones. I’m suing its creators | Nelson Rauda Zablah | The Guardian

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Microsoft encourages 'strong cyber hygiene' in light of increasing Russian cyber attacks | PC Gamer

• Russian Hackers Spotted Targeting US Military Weapons and Hardware Supplier (thehackernews.com)

• The surprising ineffectiveness of Russia’s cyber-war | The Economist

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese Government Linked Hackers Swiped $20M in Targeted Pandemic Funds, Secret Service Says - MSSP Alert

• Chinese Hackers Using Russo-Ukrainian War Decoys to Target APAC and European Entities (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese Hackers Target Middle East Telecoms in Latest Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese hackers stole millions worth of US COVID relief money, Secret Service says | Reuters

• Amnesty International Canada breached by suspected Chinese hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China Operates More Than 100 Secret 'Police Stations' Globally: Report (businessinsider.com)

• US Congress rolls back proposal to restrict use of Chinese chips | Computerworld

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korean tech freelancers' earnings fund nukes, missiles • The Register

• North Korean Hackers Spread AppleJesus Malware Disguised as Cryptocurrency Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Google Documents IE Browser Zero-Day Exploited by North Korean Hackers | SecurityWeek.Com

• APT37 Uses Internet Explorer Zero-Day to Spread Malware (darkreading.com)

• Google: State hackers still exploiting Internet Explorer zero-days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme – Security Bitcoin News

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iranian APT Targets US With Drokbk Spyware via GitHub (darkreading.com)

• Iranian Hackers Strike Diamond Industry with Data-Wiping Malware in Supply-Chain Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Iranian State Hackers Targeting Key Figures in Activism, Journalism, and Politics (thehackernews.com)

• UK lawmakers warned of cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives | CNN

• Iran Arrests News Agency Deputy After Reported Cyber attack | SecurityWeek.Com

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Vulnerabilities

• Attackers take over expired domain to deliver web skimming scripts - Help Net Security

• Google discovers Windows exploit framework used to deploy spyware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco discloses high-severity IP phone bug with exploit code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Chrome emergency update fixes 9th zero-day of the year (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Documents IE Browser Zero-Day Exploited by North Korean Hackers | SecurityWeek.Com

• For Cyber attackers, Popular EDR Tools Can Turn into Destructive Data Wipers (darkreading.com)

• A new Linux flaw can be chained with other two bugs to gain full root privileges - Security Affairs

• Self-Propagating 'Zerobot' Botnet Targeting Spring4Shell, IoT Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Chrome Flaw Added to CISA Patch List (darkreading.com)

• Fortinet Patches High-Severity Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in FortiOS | SecurityWeek.Com

• Research reveals where 95% of open source vulnerabilities lie - Help Net Security

• Critical Ping Vulnerability Allows Remote Attackers to Take Over FreeBSD Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Google: State hackers still exploiting Internet Explorer zero-days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Multiple Zero Days Discovered In Leading Antivirus And Endpoint Solutions (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• APT37 Uses Internet Explorer Zero-Day to Spread Malware (darkreading.com)

• WAFs of Several Major Vendors Bypassed With Generic Attack Method | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Chrome zero-day exploited in the wild (CVE-2022-4262) - Help Net Security

• Sophos fixed a critical flaw in its Sophos Firewall version 19.5 - Security Affairs

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Tools and Controls

• Security pros feel threat detection and response workloads have increased - Help Net Security

• Single Sign-on: It's Only as Good as Your Ability to Use It (darkreading.com)

• Leveraging the full potential of zero trust - Help Net Security

• Understanding malware analysis and its challenges | TechTarget

• Using XDR to Consolidate and Optimize Cyber security Technology (thehackernews.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• The promise of Open Everything (axway.com)

• Security Outcomes Report, Volume 3 - Cisco

• ENISA Threat Landscape 2022 — ENISA (europa.eu)

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Other News

• Over 4,000 Vulnerable Pulse Connect Secure Hosts Exposed to Internet | SecurityWeek.Com

• Where Advanced Cyber attackers Are Heading Next: Disruptive Hits, New Tech (darkreading.com)

• 43 Trillion Security Data Points Illuminate Our Most Pressing Threats (darkreading.com)

• 7 reasons why you must embed trust into the core of your business - Help Net Security

• Most convicted terrorists radicalised online, finds MoJ-backed study | UK security and counter-terrorism | The Guardian

• Risky online behaviour ‘almost normalised’ among young people, says study | Internet | The Guardian

• Top 7 factors boosting enterprise cyber security resilience - Help Net Security

• Machine Learning Models: A Dangerous New Attack Vector (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft's rough 2022 security year in review | CSO Online

• Consumers want convenience without sacrificing security - Help Net Security

• 4 cyber security predictions for 2023 --- SANS analysts look ahead | VentureBeat

• 3 of the Worst Data Breaches in the World That Could Have Been Prevented  - Security Affairs

• Removing the Barriers to Security Automation Implementation | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cyber security Should Focus on Managing Risk (darkreading.com)

• Deal with sophisticated bot attacks: Learn, adapt, improve - Help Net Security

• Want to detect Cobalt Strike? Look to process memory • The Register

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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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 04 November 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• NCSC Looks Back on Year Of ‘Profound Change’ for Cyber

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provided support for 18 nationally significant ransomware attacks; removed 2.1 million cyber-enabled commodity campaigns; issued 34 million early warning alerts about attacks, compromises, vulnerabilities or open ports; and received 6.5 million reports of suspicious emails in the past 12 months – but in a year of “profound change” in the cyber security landscape, it was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that dominated the agenda.

Reflecting on the past 12 months as she launched the NCSC’s latest annual report on 1 November at an event in London, NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron said that the return of war to Europe with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presented a unique set of challenges in cyber space for the NCSC and its partners and allies.

Cameron added that while the cyber threat from Russia has perhaps been the most visible security issue of 2022, it was also important not to forget that when it comes to nation-state actors, it will likely be the technical development and evolution of China that ultimately has the more lasting impact on the UK’s national cyber security.

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252526766/NCSC-looks-back-on-year-of-profound-change-for-cyber

• LastPass Research Finds False Sense of Cyber Security Running Rampant

LastPass released findings from its fifth annual Psychology of Password findings, which revealed even with cyber security education on the rise, password hygiene has not improved. Regardless of generational differences across Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z, the research shows a false sense of password security given current behaviours across the board. In addition, LastPass found that while 65% of all respondents have some form of cyber security education — through school, work, social media, books or via online courses — the reality is that 62% almost always or mostly use the same or variation of a password.

The survey, which explored the password security behaviours of 3,750 professionals across seven countries, asked about respondents’ mindset and behaviours surrounding their online security. The findings highlighted a clear disconnect between high confidence when it comes to their password management and their unsafe actions. While the majority of professionals surveyed claimed to be confident in their current password management, this doesn’t translate to safer online behaviour and can create a detrimental false sense of safety.

Key findings from the research include:

• Gen Z is confident when it comes to their password management, while also being the biggest offenders of poor password hygiene.

• Cyber security education doesn’t necessarily translate to action.

• Confidence creates a false sense of password security.

The latest research showcases that even in the face of a pandemic, where we spent more time online amid rising cyber attacks, there continues to be a disconnect for people when it comes to protecting their digital lives. Even though nearly two-thirds of respondents had some form of cyber security education, it is not being put into practice for varying reasons.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/untitled

• Insurance Giant Settles NotPetya ‘Act of War’ Lawsuit, Signaling Cyber Insurance Shakeup

The settlement last week in a $100 million lawsuit over whether insurance giant Zurich should cover losses Mondelez International suffered from NotPetya may very well reshape the entire cyber insurance marketplace.

Zurich initially denied claims from Mondelez after the malware, which experts estimate caused some $10 billion in damages globally, wreaked havoc on its computer networks. The insurance provider claimed an act of war exemption since it’s widely believed Russian military hackers unleashed NotPetya on a Ukrainian company before it spread around the world.

Now, however, it’s increasingly clear insurers aren’t off the hook for NotPetya payouts or from covering losses from other attacks with clear links to nation-state hackers.

That’s because in this case, what Mondelez and many other corporations endured was not an act of war, but “collateral damage” in a much larger cyber conflict that had nothing to do with them, said the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

There needs to be a rethink what act of war means in cyber space when it comes to insurance. The current definitions come out of the 19th century when we had pirates, navies and privateers.

Last week’s ruling in favour of Mondelez follows a January ruling in a New Jersey court that sided with global pharmaceutical company Merck in a similar case. Its insurance companies initially refused to pay for damages from NotPetya. Merck claimed losses that amounted to $1.4 billion. The insurers are appealing the ruling.

Insurers seized on the NotPetya episode to test how courts would rule on cyber coverage questions, particularly when there’s so much evidence pointing to one particular nation-state actor. Since NotPetya was widely attributed to the Russian government it gave the industry a “really strong opportunity” to set legal precedent limiting their responsibility in these instances.

Insurers will start to be much more upfront about the fact that they aren’t going to cover acts of cyber war or limit payouts for NotPetya type incidents in the future.

https://www.cyberscoop.com/insurance-giant-settles-notpetya-lawsuit/

• Microsoft Warns of Uptick in Hackers Leveraging Publicly-Disclosed 0-Day Vulnerabilities

Microsoft is warning of an uptick among nation-state and criminal actors increasingly leveraging publicly-disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities for breaching target environments.

The tech giant, in its 114-page Digital Defense Report, said it has "observed a reduction in the time between the announcement of a vulnerability and the commoditisation of that vulnerability," making it imperative that organisations patch such exploits in a timely manner.

This also corroborates with an April 2022 advisory from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which found that bad actors are "aggressively" targeting newly disclosed software bugs against broad targets globally.

Microsoft noted that it only takes 14 days on average for an exploit to be available in the wild after public disclosure of a flaw, stating that while zero-day attacks are initially limited in scope, they tend to be swiftly adopted by other threat actors, leading to indiscriminate probing events before the patches are installed.

It further accused Chinese state-sponsored groups of being "particularly proficient" at discovering and developing zero-day exploits. This has been compounded by the fact that the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) enacted a new vulnerability reporting regulation in September 2021 that requires security flaws to be reported to the government prior to them being shared with the product developers.

Redmond further said the law could enable government-backed elements to stockpile and weaponise the reported bugs, resulting in the increased use of zero-days for espionage activities designed to advance China's economic and military interests.

https://thehackernews.com/2022/11/microsoft-warns-of-uptick-in-hackers.html

• Chinese Mob Has 100K Slaves Working in Cambodian Cyber Crime Mills

Up to 100,000 people from across Asia have been lured to Cambodia by Chinese crime syndicates with the promise of good jobs. When they arrive, their passports are seized and they are put to work in modern-day sweatshops, running cyber crime campaigns.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Cambodia, which was hit hard economically by the pandemic, has allowed Chinese mobsters to set up enormous cyber crime operations using human trafficked labour without consequence, because of the revenue it generates for the country. The campaigns they carry out run the gamut from romance scams to fake sports betting.

Although the Cambodian government acknowledges that as many as 100,000 workers are involved in these activities, it denies anyone is being held against their will. However, the stories from traumatised victims rescued from cyber crime mills include tales of beatings and torture for failing to meet quotas, and of being sold and passed around from gang to gang.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/chinese-mob-100k-slaves-cambodian-cybercrime-mills

• Ransomware Research: 17 Leaked Databases Operated by Threat Actors Threaten Third Party Organisations

Ransomware remains a serious threat to organisations, Deep Instinct, a New York-based deep learning cyber security specialist, said in its recently released 2022 Interim Cyber Threat Report.

It’s no surprise, the company said, as there are currently 17 leaked databases operated by threat actors who are leveraging the data for attacks on third-party companies, most notably social engineering, credential theft, and triple-extortion attacks.

Here are the report’s key findings:

• Changes in ransomware gangs, including LockBit, Hive, BlackCat, and Conti. The latter has spawned “Conti Splinters” made up of former affiliates Quantum, BlackBasta, and BlackByte.

• Significant changes to tactics by Emotet, Agent Tesla, NanoCore, and others. For example, Emotet uses highly obfuscated VBA macros to avoid detection.

• The use of documents for malware has decreased as the top attack vector, following Microsoft’s move to disable macros by default in Microsoft Office files. Threat actors have already pivoted to other methods such as LNK, HTML, and archive email attachments.

• Vulnerabilities such as SpoolFool, Follina and DirtyPipe highlighted the exploitability of both Windows and Linux systems despite efforts to enhance their security.

• The number of exploited in-the-wild vulnerabilities spikes every 3-4 months. The next spike is expected to occur by the end of the year.

• Threat actor groups are extending data exfiltration attacks to demand ransoms from third-party companies if the leaked data contains their sensitive information.

The report also makes three predictions:

• More inside jobs. Malicious threat actors look for the weakest link, which is often in the supply chain. Groups like Lapsus$ do not rely on exploits but instead look for insiders who are willing to sell access to data within their organisation.

• Rise of protestware. Look for a spike in protestware, which is self-sabotaging one’s software and weaponising it with malware capabilities in an effort to harm all or some of its users. The war between Russia and Ukraine has caused a surge in protestware.

• End of year attacks. While no major vulnerability in 2022 has emerged similar to the Log4J or the Exchange cases in 2021, there is an increase year-over-year in the number of publicly assigned CVEs for reported vulnerabilities. For now, threat actors are still exploiting old vulnerabilities during 2022 simply because there is a plethora of unpatched systems for 2021 CVEs but that will change.

Organisations are warned to be on their guard. 2022 has been another record year for cyber criminals and ransomware gangs. It’s no secret that these threat actors are constantly upping their game with new and improved tactics designed to evade traditional cyber defences. Defenders must continue to be vigilant and find new approaches to prevent these attacks from happening.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/ransomware-research-17-leaked-databases-operated-by-threat-actors-threaten-third-party-organizations/

• Ransomware: Not Enough Victims Are Reporting Attacks, And That's a Problem for Everyone

Ransomware continues to be a significant cyber threat to businesses and the general public – but it's difficult to know the true impact of attacks because many victims aren't coming forward to report them.

The warning comes in the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Annual Review for 2022, which looks back at key developments and incidents in cyber crime over the last year, with ransomware described as an "ever present" threat and a "major challenge" to businesses and public services.

That's demonstrated by how the review details how in the 12-month period between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 there were 18 ransomware incidents that needed a "nationally coordinated" response. These included attacks on a supplier to the National Health Service (NHS) and a ransomware attack against South Staffordshire Water.

However, the true impact of ransomware remains unclear, because the NCSC says that many organisations that fall prey to ransomware attacks aren't disclosing them.

That lack of reporting is despite the significant and disruptive consequences ransomware attacks can have, not only for organisations that fall victim, but for wider society – which is why it's vital that cyber security is taken seriously and incidents are reported.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-not-enough-victims-are-reporting-attacks-and-that-increases-the-threat-for-everyone/

• Hackers Selling Access to 576 Corporate Networks for $4 Million

A new report shows that hackers are selling access to 576 corporate networks worldwide for a total cumulative sales price of $4,000,000, fuelling attacks on the enterprise.

The research comes from Israeli cyber-intelligence firm KELA which published its Q3 2022 ransomware report, reflecting stable activity in the sector of initial access sales but a steep rise in the value of the offerings.

Although the number of sales for network access remained about the same as in the previous two quarters, the cumulative requested price has now reached $4,000,000. For comparison, the total value of initial access listings in Q2 2022 was $660,000, recording a drop in value that coincided with the summer ransomware hiatus that hurt demand.

Initial access brokers (IABs) are hackers who sell access to corporate networks, usually achieved through credential theft, webshells, or exploiting vulnerabilities in publicly exposed hardware. After establishing a foothold on the network, the threat actors sell this corporate access to other hackers who use it to steal valuable data, deploy ransomware, or conduct other malicious activity. The reasons IABs choose not to leverage network access vary, ranging from lacking diverse intrusion skills to preferring not to risk increased legal trouble.

IABs still play a crucial role in the ransomware infection chain, even if they got sidelined last year when big ransomware gangs that operated as crime syndicates operated their own IAB departments.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-selling-access-to-576-corporate-networks-for-4-million/

• Cyber Security Recovery is a Process That Starts Long Before a Cyber Attack Occurs

Organisations are racing to stay ahead of cyber criminals, and as a result, we see businesses investing a lot of money on identifying and detecting attacks, on preventing attacks in the first place, and in responding to live attacks. But they are not spending the same amounts on attack recovery. They may have followed all the relevant guidelines, and even implemented the ISO 27000 standard, but none of that helps them to understand how to build the business back after a serious cyber attack.

Until recent years, this cyber security recovery investment would be spent on an annual tabletop exercise or disaster recovery test and auditing recovery plans. While this should be done, it isn’t enough on its own.

Cyber security insurance is also critical, of course, but it only covers some of the losses. It won’t cover future loss. The reality is most organisations find it very difficult to fully recover from an attack. Those that invest more in disaster recovery and business continuity recover from these attacks far more swiftly than their less-prepared competitors.

The four core components of an effective cyber security recovery program

1. Pre-emptive action

2. Responsibilities and accountability

3. Having the right IT architecture, security and recovery process in place

4. Learning lessons and implementing changes.

Once these factors are understood, and any weak spots identified, the organisation can focus on re-designing or updating architecture and procedures, and on retraining employees (something that should happen regularly).

Recovery is a process that starts long before a cyber attack occurs. It concludes not when the data is secured, but when the organisation can say that it’s learned everything it can from the event and has made the changes necessary to avoid it happening again.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/11/03/cybersecurity-recovery/

• Geopolitics Plays Major Role in Cyber Attacks, Says EU Cyber Security Agency

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has resulted in an increase in hacktivist activity in the past year, with state-sponsored threat actors targeting 128 governmental organisations in 42 countries that support Ukraine, according to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).

In addition, some threat actors targeted Ukrainian and Russian entities during the early days of the conflict, likely for the collection of intelligence, according to the 10th edition of the ENISA threat landscape report. The report, this year titled Volatile Geopolitics Shake the Trends of the 2022 Cybersecurity Threat Landscape, notes that in general geopolitical situations continue to have a high impact on cyber security.

This year's report identified several attack types frequently used by state-sponsored attackers. These include zero-day and critical vulnerability exploitation; attacks on operational technology (OT) networks; wiper attacks to destroy and disrupt networks of governmental agencies and critical infrastructure entities; and supply chain attacks. Attacks also featured social engineering, disinformation, and threats against data.

State-sponsored threat actors have also been observed targeting entities from countries in Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan. Due to increased tensions between specific countries in Asia, state-sponsored threat actors have targeted countries (including EU member states) that had established closer ties with Taiwan.

Ransomware remains the top cyber crime attack type this year as well. More than 10 terabytes of data were stolen monthly during the period studied, with phishing identified as the most common initial vector of such attacks. The report also noted that 60% of affected organisations likely have paid the ransom demanded.

The second most used form of attack was DDoS. The largest DDoS attack ever was launched in Europe in July 2022 against a European customer of Akamai. The attack hit a peak at 853.7Gbps and 659.6Mpps (megapackets per second) over 14 hours.

While all sectors fell victim to attacks, public administration and government entities were the most affected, making up 24% of all cyber attack victims. This was followed by digital service providers at 13% and the general public at 12%. These three sectors alone accounted for 50% of all the attacks during this year.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3678771/geopolitics-plays-major-role-in-cyberattacks-says-eu-cybersecurity-agency.html#tk.rss_news

• Russian Hackers Account for Most 2021 Ransomware Schemes, US Says

Payment-seeking software made by Russian hackers was used in three quarters of all the ransomware schemes reported to a US financial crime agency in the second half of 2021, a Treasury Department analysis released on Tuesday showed.

In an analysis issued in response to the increase in number and severity of ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States since late 2020, the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said it had received 1,489 ransomware-related filings worth nearly $1.2 billion in 2021, a 188% jump from the year before.

Out of 793 ransomware incidents reported to FinCEN in the second half of 2021, 75% "had a nexus to Russia, its proxies, or persons acting on its behalf," the report said.

Washington last week hosted a meeting with officials from 36 countries and the European Union, as well as 13 global companies to address the growing threat of ransomware and other cyber crime, including the illicit use of cryptocurrencies.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-says-many-ransomware-attacks-late-2021-were-connected-russian-actors-2022-11-01/

• Exposed: The Global Hacking Network That Targets VIPs

Private investigators linked to the City of London are using an India-based computer hacking gang to target British businesses, government officials and journalists.

The Sunday Times and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have been given access to the gang’s database, which reveals the extraordinary scale of the attacks. It shows the criminals targeted the private email accounts of more than 100 victims on behalf of investigators working for autocratic states, British lawyers and their wealthy clients. Critics of Qatar who threatened to expose wrongdoing by the Gulf state in the run-up to this month’s World Cup were among those hacked.

It is the first time the inner workings of a major “hack-for-hire” gang have been leaked to the media and it reveals multiple criminal conspiracies. Some of the hackers’ clients are private investigators used by major law firms with bases in the City of London.

The investigation — based on the leaked documents and undercover work in India — reveals:

• Orders went out to the gang to target the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason in May, three weeks after his appointment was announced.

• The president of Switzerland and his deputy were targeted just days after he met Boris Johnson and Liz Truss in Downing Street to discuss Russian sanctions.

• Philip Hammond, then chancellor, was hacked as he was dealing with the fallout of Russia’s novichok poisonings in Salisbury.

• A private investigator hired by a London law firm acting for the Russian state ordered the gang to target a British-based oligarch fleeing President Putin.

• Michel Platini, the former head of European football, was hacked shortly before he was due to talk to French police about corruption allegations relating to this year’s World Cup.

• The hackers broke into the email inboxes of the Formula One motor racing bosses Ruth Buscombe, the British head of race strategy at the Alfa Romeo team, and Otmar Szafnauer, who was chief executive of the Aston Martin team.

• The gang seized control of computers owned by Pakistan’s politicians, generals and diplomats and eavesdropped on their private conversations apparently at the behest of the Indian secret services.

The commissioning of hacking is a criminal offence punishable with a maximum sentence of ten years in jail in Britain. The Metropolitan Police was tipped off about the allegations regarding Qatar in October last year, yet chose not to take any action. David Davis, the former cabinet minister, said that the force should reopen its investigation into the cyber attacks against British citizens. Davis said the investigation exposed how London has become “the global centre of hacking”.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/exposed-the-global-hacking-network-that-targets-vips-nff67j67z

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Threats

Ransomware and Extortion

• Wannacry, the hybrid malware that brought the world to its knees. Let’s not forget! - Security Affairs

• International Counter Ransomware Initiative 2022 Joint Statement | The White House

• Oreo Giant Mondelez Settles NotPetya 'Act of War' Insurance Suit (darkreading.com)

• Extortion fears after hacker stole patient files from Dutch mental health clinics (bitdefender.com)

• Ransomware activity and network access sales in Q3 2022 - Security Affairs

• Ransomware costs top $1 billion as White House inks new threat-sharing initiative - CyberScoop

• Stopping C2 communications in human-operated ransomware through network protection - Microsoft Security Blog

• FIN7 Cyber crime Group Likely Behind Black Basta Ransomware Campaign (darkreading.com)

• Everything You Need to Know About LockBit (darkreading.com)

• Yanluowang ransomware gang goes dark after leaks (techtarget.com)

• LockBit 3.0 gang claims to have stolen data from Thales - Security Affairs

• Ransomware cost US banks $1.2 billion last year • The Register

• Australia sees rise in cyber crimes on back of 'destructive' ransomware, state actors | ZDNET

• Listed car dealer Pendragon has ‘contained’ cyber attack – but new deadline for data release issued by hackers – Car Dealer Magazine

• Hackers Target Australian Defense Communications Platform With Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• LockBit Dominates Ransomware Campaigns in 2022: Deep Instinct - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• BlackByte ransomware group hit Asahi Group Holdings, a precision metal manufacturing and metal solution provider - Security Affairs

• Australian Defence Department Impacted In Ransomware Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• LockBit ransomware gang claims the hack of the Continental automotive group - Security Affairs

• Cyber attack Strikes Global Copper Conglomerate (darkreading.com)

• ALMA Observatory shuts down operations due to a cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Osaka Hospital Halts Services After Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Outmanoeuvring cyber criminals by recognizing mobile phishing threats’ telltale markers - Help Net Security

• Robin Banks phishing service returns to steal banking accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Attackers leverage Microsoft Dynamics 365 to phish users - Help Net Security

• Phishers Abuse Microsoft Voicemail Service to Trick Users - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISA Urges Organisations to Implement Phishing-Resistant MFA | SecurityWeek.Com

• 130 private Dropbox GitHub repos copied after phish attack • The Register

• As Twitter brings on $8 fee, phishing emails target verified accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• New Crimson Kingsnake gang impersonates law firms in BEC attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Double-check those demand-payment emails from law firms • The Register

Malware

• RomCom RAT malware campaign impersonates KeePass, SolarWinds NPM, Veeam (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The Emotet botnet has returned with a vengeance | TechRadar

• Emotet botnet starts blasting malware again after 4 month break (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Drinik banking malware returns: Things you can do to keep your data safe | Mint (livemint.com)

• Hacking group abuses antivirus software to launch LODEINFO malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• This stealthy hacking campaign uses a new trick to deliver its malware | ZDNET

• Cranefly threat group uses innocent-looking info-stealer • The Register

• 250+ US news sites spotted spreading FakeUpdates malware in a supply-chain attack - Security Affairs

• New Azov data wiper tries to frame researchers and BleepingComputer

• Dozens of PyPI packages caught dropping 'W4SP' info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Inside Raccoon Stealer V2 (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• Android Apps With a Million Downloads Led Users to Phishing Sites - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US govt employees exposed to mobile attacks from outdated Android, iOS (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Samsung Galaxy Bug Secretly Let Hackers Install Apps on Targeted Devices (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cyber-Threat Actor Uses Booby-Trapped VPN App to Deploy Android Spyware (darkreading.com)

• Malicious dropper apps on Play Store totaled 30.000+ installations - Security Affairs

• New SandStrike spyware infects Android devices via malicious VPN app (bleepingcomputer.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• IoT devices can undermine your security. Here are four ways to boost your defences | ZDNET

• Understanding The Importance Of Cyber Resilience In Smart Buildings - IT Security Guru

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Royal Mail customer data leak shutters online Click and Drop • The Register

• Vodafone Italy discloses data breach after reseller hacked (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LockBit 3.0 gang claims to have stolen data from Thales - Security Affairs

• Dropbox discloses breach after hacker stole 130 GitHub repositories (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Data Breach of Missile Maker MBDA May Have Been Real: CloudSEK - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Experian tool exposed partial Social Security numbers, putting customers at risk - CyberScoop

• Label Giant Multi-Color Corporation Discloses Data Breach | SecurityWeek.Com

• Bed Bath & Beyond Discloses Data Breach to SEC (darkreading.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• US Hacker Group Indicted For Million-Dollar RICO Conspiracy - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Four-year cyber crime campaign targeting African banks netted $30 million - CyberScoop

• French-speaking crooks stole $30m in bank cyber-heist spree • The Register

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• New clipboard hijacker replaces crypto wallet addresses with lookalikes (bleepingcomputer.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Fraudulent Instruction Losses Spike in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Former Apple worker pleads guilty to $17m fraud charges • The Register

Insurance

• Mondelez, Zurich settle $100m+ NotPetya insurance lawsuit • The Register

Dark Web

• German cops arrest student in dark-web marketplace bust • The Register

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• NCSC issues fresh guidance following recent rise in supply chain cyber attacks – Intelligent CISO

• Hundreds of US news sites push malware in supply-chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Software Supply Chain

• You can up software supply chain security by implementing these measures - Help Net Security

• W4SP Stealer Stings Python Developers in Supply Chain Attack (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• FBI: Hacktivist DDoS attacks had minor impact on critical orgs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA, FBI, MS-ISAC Publish Guidelines For Federal Agencies on DDoS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DDoS Attacks are Upgrading 70% with The Help of CLDAP (analyticsinsight.net)

Cloud/SaaS

• Why Identity & Access Management Governance is a Core Part of Your SaaS Security (thehackernews.com)

• Top 4 priorities for cloud data protection - Help Net Security

• Zscaler's Cloud-Based Cyber security Outages Showcase Redundancy Problem (darkreading.com)

API

• Why Are Zombie APIs and Shadow APIs So Scary? (darkreading.com)

Open Source

• Last Years Open Source - Tomorrow's Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Air New Zealand warns of an ongoing credential stuffing attack - Security Affairs

Social Media

• As Twitter brings on $8 fee, phishing emails target verified accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Can You Nudge Employees Toward Better Cyber security? New Research Says Yes (darkreading.com)

Travel

• Data capture by border agencies can and will happen – are your on-the-road employees prepared? | CSO Online

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• ICO Slashes Government Data Breach Fine - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• SolarWinds reaches $26m settlement, expects SEC action • The Register

• How to Prepare for New SEC Cyber security Disclosure Requirements | SecurityWeek.Com

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• How Microsoft works to grow the next generation of cyber defenders - Microsoft Security Blog

• Economic Uncertainty Isn't Stopping Cyber crime Recruitment — It's Fueling It (darkreading.com)

• How to Narrow the Talent Gap in Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• Is there a problem with stress and burnout in cyber security? - IT Security Guru

• A Third of Security Leaders Considering Quitting Their Current Role - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• German cops arrest student in dark-web marketplace bust • The Register

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

• Russia has declared hybrid war on Britain (telegraph.co.uk)

• Will cyber saber-rattling drive us to destruction? - Help Net Security

• British cyber warriors defend Ukraine | News | The Times

• No.10 WhatsApp Use Is Critical Danger To Security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Oreo Giant Mondelez Settles NotPetya 'Act of War' Insurance Suit (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Threat Actor Uses Booby-Trapped VPN App to Deploy Android Spyware (darkreading.com)

• New SandStrike spyware infects Android devices via malicious VPN app (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian missile strikes overshadow cyber attacks as Ukraine reels from blackouts | CNN Politics

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Liz Truss 's phone was allegedly hacked by Russian spies - Security Affairs

• MPs 'constantly' warned their phones are national security risk (telegraph.co.uk)

• US Treasury thwarted attack by Russian hacker group last month-official | Reuters

• Russia tries to impose switch to Linux from Windows (freethink.com)

• Ukraine war: British spies playing key role in defending Kyiv from Russian cyber attacks | UK News | Sky News

Nation State Actors – China

• China-Backed APT10 Supercharges Spy Game With Custom Fileless Backdoor (darkreading.com)

• Chinese Hackers Using New Stealthy Infection Chain to Deploy LODEINFO Malware (thehackernews.com)

Nation State Actors – Misc

• Microsoft Warns on Zero-Day Spike as Nation-State Groups Shift Tactics (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• The most frequently reported vulnerability types and severities - Help Net Security

• Last Years Open Source - Tomorrow's Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Warns on Zero-Day Spike as Nation-State Groups Shift Tactics (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerabilities

• The OpenSSL security update story – how can you tell what needs fixing? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Critical ConnectWise Vulnerability Affects Thousands of Internet-Exposed Servers | SecurityWeek.Com

• Fortinet fixed 16 vulnerabilities, 6 rated as high severity - Security Affairs

• Cisco Patches High-Severity Bugs in Email, Identity, Web Security Products | SecurityWeek.Com

• You Need to Update Google Chrome, Windows, and Zoom Right Now | WIRED UK

• The Sky Is Not Falling: Disclosed OpenSSL Bugs Are Serious but Not Critical (darkreading.com)

• Splunk Patches 9 High-Severity Vulnerabilities in Enterprise Product | SecurityWeek.Com

• OpenSSL downgrades horror bug after week of speculation • The Register

• Follina Exploit Leads to Domain Compromise (thedfirreport.com)

• Patch Now: Dangerous RCE Bug Lays Open ConnectWise Server Backup Managers (darkreading.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• NCSC Annual Review 2022 - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2022 | Microsoft Security

• Psychology of Passwords 2022: Proactive Cyber security - LastPass

• APT trends report Q3 2022 | Securelist

• Attack Surface Management 2022 Midyear Review Part 3 (trendmicro.com)

• 2022 Cyber Threat Report Details Growing Trends | TechRepublic

• Volatile Geopolitics Shake the Trends of the 2022 Cyber security Threat Landscape — ENISA (europa.eu)

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Other News

• Meet fundamental cyber security needs before aiming for more - Help Net Security

• NCSC Issued 34 Million Cyber Alerts in Past Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Multi-factor authentication fatigue can blow open security • The Register

• WiFi security flaw lets a drone track devices through walls | Engadget

• Now That EDR Is Obvious, What Comes Next? (darkreading.com)

• The Art of Calculating the Cost of Risk (darkreading.com)

• Build Security Around Users: A Human-First Approach to Cyber Resilience (darkreading.com)

• The Role of Ethical Hacking in Cyber security (bolton.ac.uk)

• Top 10 Ethical Hacking Trends and Predictions for 2023 (analyticsinsight.net)

• British govt is scanning all Internet devices hosted in UK (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Red Cross Eyes Digital Emblem for Cyber space Protection | SecurityWeek.Com

• CISA releases cyber security performance goals to reduce risk and impact of adversarial threats | CSO Online

• Security hygiene and posture management requires new tools (techtarget.com)

• Most Online Shoppers Would Leave Retailer Following Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Offense Gets the Glory, but Defence Wins the Game | SecurityWeek.Com

• The 7 Core Pillars of a Zero-Trust Architecture (techtarget.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 02 September 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• 79% Of Companies Only Invest in Cyber Security After Hacking Incidents

The British cyber security company Tanium published a survey on investments in digital protection in UK companies with alarming results: 79% of them only approve investments in cyber security after suffering a data breach; 92% experienced a data attack or breach, of which 74% occurred in 2021. Leadership reticence is also high, with 63% of leaders convinced cyber security is only a concern after an attack.

The complexity of the situation has grown with the digital transformation of work. If it streamlines many processes, it can also open up serious security gaps. A sensitive point is the “home office”: companies need effective solutions to eliminate gaps that may appear between employees’ computers (often shared devices) and the company’s internal network.

Putting in solutions is just the beginning of a necessary strategy and investment effort in virtual protection. Complex scams based on phishing, reverse engineering, and backdoor-type malicious programs (“planted” discreetly on a device and sometimes inactive for months) often combine real-world and virtual-world fraud.

The escalation of corporate data hijacking appears in this scenario. The most notorious case at a global level of such an incident, with a million-dollar ransom demand, was launched in 2021 on Colonial Pipeline. This US company paid $40 million to regain control over strategic data after fuel supplies through its pipelines to several states were threatened for days.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/infosec-news/79-of-the-companies-only-invest-in-cybersecurity-after-hacking-incidents/

• Nearly Half of Breaches During First Half of 2022 Involved Stolen Credentials

According to a new report by Acronis, a Switzerland-based cyber security company, nearly half of breaches during the first six months of 2022 involved stolen credentials.

The goal of stealing credentials is to launch ransomware attacks. According to the report, these “continue to be the number one threat to large and medium-sized businesses, including government organisations.”

Attackers usually use phishing techniques to extract these credentials. In the first half of the year, over 600 malicious email campaigns made their way across the internet, of which 58% were phishing attempts and 28% featured malware.

Acronis also added that “as reliance on the cloud increases, attackers have homed in on different entryways to cloud-based networks.”

Additionally, cyber criminals now also target unpatched or software vulnerabilities to extract data, with a recent increase on Linux operating systems and managed service providers (MSPs) and their network of SMB customers.

The third vector spotted by Acronis was “non-traditional entry avenues” such as cryptocurrencies and decentralised finance (DeFi) systems.

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2022/08/30/nearly-half-of-breaches-during-first-half-of-2022-involved-stolen-credentials/

• Outdated Infrastructure Not Up to Today’s Ransomware Challenges

A global research commissioned by Cohesity reveals that nearly half of respondents say their company depends on outdated, legacy backup and recovery infrastructure to manage and protect their data. In some cases, this technology is more than 20 years old and was designed long before today’s multicloud era and onslaught of sophisticated cyber attacks plaguing enterprises globally.

Challenges pertaining to outdated infrastructure could easily be compounded by the fact that many IT and security teams don’t seem to have a plan in place to mobilise if and when a cyber attack occurs. Nearly 60% of respondents expressed some level of concern that their IT and security teams would be able to mobilise efficiently to respond to the attack.

These are just some of the findings from an April 2022 survey, conducted by Censuswide, of more than 2,000 IT and SecOps professionals (split nearly 50/50 between the two groups) in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. All respondents play a role in the decision-making process for IT or security within their organisations.

IT and security teams should raise the alarm bell if their organisation continues to use antiquated technology to manage and secure their most critical digital asset – their data.

Cyber criminals are actively preying on this outdated infrastructure as they know it was not built for today’s dispersed, multicloud environments, nor was it built to help companies protect and rapidly recover from sophisticated cyber attacks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/08/30/outdated-infrastructure-manage-data/

• Ghost Data Increases Enterprise Business Risk

IT has to get its hands around cloud data sprawl. Another area of focus should be on ghost data, as it expands the organisation's cloud attack surface.

Cloud sprawl is a big issue for organisations, with business teams spinning up cloud systems and services on their own, often without IT oversight. That leads to cloud data sprawl as data is scattered across different environments. If IT doesn’t know about the cloud systems and services, then IT is also not managing the data being collected, processed, and stored there.

We all know about shadow IT, the systems and network devices in the organisation’s environment that IT is not managing. Similarly, shadow data refers to unmanaged data store copies and snapshots or log data that are not part of IT’s backup and recovery strategy. Researchers at Cyera estimate that 60% of the data security posture issues that are present in cloud accounts stem from unsecured sensitive data.

Then there is the problem of ghost data. When data gets deleted from cloud systems, it isn’t fully gone. Copies linger in backups or snapshots of data stores. Ghost data refers to those copies left behind after the original has been deleted, and Cyera’s recent analysis show that enterprises have quite a lot of it.

After scanning the three major cloud providers (Amazon Web Services, Azure, and Google Cloud), Cyera researchers found that over 30% of scanned customer cloud data stores are ghost data and more than 58% contain sensitive, or very sensitive, data. For example, researchers found unsecured database snapshots in non-production environments that contained sensitive customer data where the original database had been destroyed. Researchers also uncovered sensitive personal and authentication data in plain text where the production data and application were no longer in use.

Ghost data usually has no business value - the data was deleted for a reason - and having it around unnecessarily increases business risk. Attackers don’t care if they get their hands on the original sensitive information or the copy because to them, all data has value, regardless of the form it takes.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-threat-monitor/ghost-data-increases-enterprise-business-risk

• Detected Cyber Threats Surge 52% in 1H 2022

A leading cyber security vendor blocked 63 billion threats in the first half of 2022 alone, over 50% more than the same period a year ago.

The findings come from the Trend Micro 2022 Midyear Cybersecurity Report and illustrate the scale of the challenge facing network defenders.

Trend Micro highlighted the persistent threat posed by ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups as one that will continue to cause major challenges for organisations in the years to come.

It said detections of prolific groups such as LockBit and Conti increased by 500% year-on-year in 1H 2022. Such groups will continue to adapt their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) in the race for profits.

The report warned of a surge in threats targeting Linux systems, for example. It said detections of attacks on Linux servers and embedded systems grew 75% year-on-year in the first half of 2022. Both SMBs and larger organisations are now a target, it claimed.

Many RaaS groups exploit vulnerabilities as a primary attack vector. Their job is getting easier as the number of published common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) continues to grow strongly.

Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative published advisories on 944 vulnerabilities in the first half of 2021, a 23% year-on-year increase. The number of critical bug advisories it published soared by 400% over the same period.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/detected-cyberthreats-surge-52-in/

• An Interview with Initial Access Broker Wazawaka: ‘There Is No Such Money Anywhere as There is in Ransomware’

Last April, a ransomware group threatened to expose police informants and other sensitive information if the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department did not pay a demand.

The brazen attack was the work of a gang known as Babuk, which in early 2021 gained a reputation for posting stolen databases on its website from victims that refused to pay a ransom. Just days after it tried to extort the Metropolitan Police Department, Babuk announced it was closing its ransomware affiliate program, and would focus on data theft and extortion instead.

Earlier this year, cyber security journalist Brian Krebs uncovered details about one man behind the operation named Mikhail Matveev, who was also connected to a number of other groups and identities, including the handle ‘Wazawaka.’ According to Krebs, Matveev had become more unhinged than usual, “publishing bizarre selfie videos” and creating a Twitter account to share exploit code.

Matveev talked to Recorded Future about his interaction with other hackers, details about ransomware attacks he’s been involved in, and how he settled on the name Babuk.

Click the link below for the full interview but the long and short is ransomware has created a criminal ecosystem the likes of which the world has never seen.

https://therecord.media/an-interview-with-initial-access-broker-wazawaka-there-is-no-such-money-anywhere-as-there-is-in-ransomware/

• Cyber Crime Underground More Dangerous Than Organisations Realise

Kela, a cyber threat intelligence specialist, found in a new study of some 400 security pros in the US that organisations are more at risk from the “cyber crime underground” than they realise.

The Israel-based company surveyed security team members responsible for gathering cyber crime threat intelligence daily to better understand if they’re proactively scanning the dark web and other cyber crime sources, what tools they’re using and the gaps they see in their cyber crime threat intelligence approach. Nearly 60% of the respondents do not believe their current cyber crime prevention is effective, the results showed.

Here are the study’s key findings:

• 69% are concerned about threats from the cyber crime underground.

• 54% wouldn’t be surprised to find their organisation’s data on the cyber crime underground.

• Only 38% believe that they’re very likely to detect it if it was released.

• 48% have no documented cyber crime threat intelligence policy in place.

• Only 41% believe their current security program is very effective.

• 49% are not satisfied with the visibility they have of the cyber crime underground.

• Of the 51% who were satisfied with their visibility into the cyber crime underground, 39% were still unable to prevent an attack.

• Additional training and proficiency in cyber crime intelligence investigations is the most needed capability.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/cybercrime-underground-more-dangerous-than-organizations-realize-threat-intelligence-firm-warns/

• New Ransomware Group BianLian Activity Exploding

A new ransomware group operating under the name BianLian emerged in late 2021 and has become increasingly active since.

The threat actor already has twenty alleged victims across several industries (insurance, medicine, law and engineering), according to a research paper from US cyber security firm Redacted, published on September 1, 2022. The majority of the victim organisations have been based in Australia, North America and the UK.

The research team has given no attribution yet but believes the threat actor “represents a group of individuals who are very skilled in network penetration but are relatively new to the extortion/ransomware business.”

BianLian uses a custom toolkit, including homemade encryptors and encryption backdoors. Both, as well as the command-and-control (C&C) software the hackers use, are written in Go, an increasingly popular programming language among ransomware threat actors.

Troublingly, the Redacted team of researchers has found evidence that BianLian is likely now trying to up their game.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/new-ransomware-group-bianlian/

• Can Your Passwords Withstand Threat Actors’ Dirty Tricks?

Password security hinges on the answer to that seemingly simple question. Unfortunately, you can’t know the answer until you’ve engaged a ruthless penetration tester to find out if your environment can stand up to the frighteningly good password cracking skills of today’s most nefarious hackers.

The whole purpose of hiring skilled penetration testers (“pentesters”) is to find out if your environment is truly impenetrable — and if it’s not, exactly how you should shore up your defences. Good pentesters and red teamers spend their time trying to simulate and emulate the real bad actors. After all, what’s the point of pressure-testing your IT infrastructure if you don’t use the same pressure that you’ll face in the real world?

You should “train like you fight.” Without sparring, how can you expect to jump into a boxing ring and go a few rounds with a skilled boxer? That’s the entire point of goal-based penetration testing and red/purple team engagements that simulate real-world threat actors.

Password cracking will continue to evolve – and so should your penetration testing tactics and plans. By the time you get to your fourth or fifth round with a quality pentesting consultancy, your risk mitigation will have dramatically improved — which means you’ll be able to move on to the next stage of security maturity.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/08/30/stand-up-to-password-cracking/

• Ransomware Gangs’ Favourite Targets

Barracuda released its fourth-annual threat research report which looks at ransomware attack patterns that occurred between August 2021 and July 2022.

For the 106 highly publicised attacks our researchers analysed, the dominant targets are still five key industries: education (15%), municipalities (12%), healthcare (12%), infrastructure (8%), and financial (6%). The number of ransomware attacks increased year-over-year across each of these five industry verticals, and attacks against other industries more than doubled compared to last year’s report.

While attacks on municipalities increased only slightly, the analysis over the past 12 months showed that ransomware attacks on educational institutions more than doubled, and attacks on the healthcare and financial verticals tripled. Many choose not to disclose when they get hit.

This year, researchers dug in deeper on these highly publicised attacks to see which other industries are starting to be targeted. Service providers were hit the most, and ransomware attacks on automobile, hospitality, media, retail, software, and technology organisations all increased as well.

Most ransomware attacks don’t make headlines, though. Many victims choose not to disclose when they get hit, and the attacks are often sophisticated and extremely hard to handle for small businesses.

As ransomware and other cyber threats continue to evolve, the need for adequate security solutions has never been greater. Many cyber criminals target small businesses in an attempt to gain access to larger organisations. As a result, it is essential for security providers to create products that are easy to use and implement, regardless of a company’s size.

Additionally, sophisticated security technologies should be available as services, so that businesses of all sizes can protect themselves against these ever-changing threats. By making security solutions more accessible and user-friendly, the entire industry can help to better defend against ransomware and other cyber attacks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/08/31/ransomware-attack-patterns/

• Tentacles of ‘0ktapus’ Threat Group Victimise 130 Firms

Over 130 companies were tangled in sprawling phishing campaign that spoofed a multi-factor authentication system.

Targeted attacks on Twilio and Cloudflare employees are tied to a massive phishing campaign that resulted in 9,931 accounts at over 130 organisations being compromised. The campaigns are tied to focused abuse of identity and access management firm Okta, which gained the threat actors the 0ktapus moniker, by researchers.

The primary goal of the threat actors was to obtain Okta identity credentials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes from users of the targeted organisations. These users received text messages containing links to phishing sites that mimicked the Okta authentication page of their organisation.

114 US-based firms were impacted, with additional victims of sprinkled across 68 additional countries. The full scope of the attack is still unknown but the 0ktapus campaign has been incredibly effective, and the full scale of it may not be known for some time.

The 0ktapus attackers are believed to have begun their campaign by targeting telecommunications companies in hopes of winning access to potential targets’ phone numbers.

While unsure exactly how threat actors obtained a list of phone numbers used in MFA-related attacks, one theory researchers posit is that 0ktapus attackers began their campaign targeting telecommunications companies.

https://threatpost.com/0ktapus-victimize-130-firms/180487/

• Organisations Are Spending Billions on Malware Defence That’s Easy to Bypass

Last year, organisations spent $2 billion on products that provide Endpoint Detection and Response, a relatively new type of security protection for detecting and blocking malware targeting network-connected devices. EDRs, as they're commonly called, represent a newer approach to malware detection. Static analysis, one of two more traditional methods, searches for suspicious signs in the DNA of a file itself. Dynamic analysis, the other more established method, runs untrusted code inside a secured "sandbox" to analyse what it does to confirm it's safe before allowing it to have full system access.

EDRs—which are forecasted to generate revenue of $18 billion by 2031 and are sold by dozens of security companies—take an entirely different approach. Rather than analyse the structure or execution of the code ahead of time, EDRs monitor the code's behaviour as it runs inside a machine or network. In theory, it can shut down a ransomware attack in progress by detecting that a process executed on hundreds of machines in the past 15 minutes is encrypting files en masse. Unlike static and dynamic analyses, EDR is akin to a security guard that uses machine learning to keep tabs in real time on the activities inside a machine or network.

Despite the buzz surrounding EDRs, new research suggests that the protection they provide isn't all that hard for skilled malware developers to circumvent. In fact, the researchers behind the study estimate EDR evasion adds only one additional week of development time to the typical infection of a large organisational network. That's because two fairly basic bypass techniques, particularly when combined, appear to work on most EDRs available in the industry.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/08/newfangled-edr-malware-detection-generates-billions-but-is-easy-to-bypass/

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Threats

Ransomware

• Global Ransomware Damages to Exceed $30bn by 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware Research: 10 Key Findings, Five Ways to Defend Against Hijackers - MSSP Alert

• Cyber Attack: Spike in Ransomware Threat to More Than 1.2 Million Per Month Between January-June, Says Report | LatestLY

• LockBit ransomware gang gets aggressive with triple-extortion tactic (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Golang-based 'Agenda Ransomware' Can Be Customized For Each Victim (thehackernews.com)

• Chile and Montenegro Floored by Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Researchers Detail Emerging Cross-Platform BianLian Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Ragnar Locker Brags About TAP Air Portugal Breach (darkreading.com)

• Police ‘negotiating with hackers’ who hit Paris hospital computer system | World | The Times

• Advanced cyber-attack: NHS doctors' paperwork piles up - BBC News

• Another Ransomware For Linux Likely In Development - Security Affairs

• Montenegro hit by ransomware attack, hackers demand $10 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Should ransomware payments be banned? A few considerations - Help Net Security

• Researchers Spot Snowballing BianLian Ransomware Gang Activity (darkreading.com)

• Ragnar Locker continues trend of ransomware targeting energy sector | CSO Online

• BlackCat ransomware claims attack on Italian energy agency (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Italian Oil Major Becomes Victim Of Ransomware Attack | OilPrice.com

• Damart clothing store hit by Hive ransomware, $2 million demanded (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Baker & Taylor's Systems Remain Offline a Week After Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Gloucester Council planning site still disrupted from cyber attack - BBC News

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• How BEC attacks on human capital management systems are increasing - Help Net Security

Malware

• Malicious Cookie Stuffing Chrome Extensions with 1.4 Million Users | McAfee Blog

• A study on malicious plugins in WordPress Marketplaces - Security Affairs

• Prynt Stealer Contains a Backdoor to Steal Victims' Data Stolen by Other Cyber criminals (thehackernews.com)

• New Evidence Links Raspberry Robin Malware to Dridex and Russian Evil Corp Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• BumbleBee a New Modular Backdoor Evolved From BookWorm (trendmicro.com)

• Malicious Chrome Extensions Plague 1.4M Users (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Mobile banking apps put 300,000 digital fingerprints at risk • The Register

• Researcher unveils smart lock hack for fingerprint theft (techtarget.com)

• Source Code of Over 1800 Android and iOS Apps Gives Access to AWS Credentials - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Skyrocketing IoT Bug Disclosures Put Pressure on Security Teams (darkreading.com)

• Singapore clocks higher ransomware attacks, warns of IoT risks | ZDNET

• Standards Body Publishes Guidelines for IoT Security Testing - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ieGeek Vulnerabilities still prevalent in 2022 - Amazon Ft. IG20 (realinfosec.net)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Evil Corp and Conti Linked to Cisco Data Breach, eSentire Suggests - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Okta Says Customer Data Compromised in Twilio Hack | SecurityWeek.Com

• Password Manager With 25 Million Users Confirms Breach, Expert Weighs In (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Neopets says hackers had access to its systems for 18 months (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Akasa Air Suffers Data Leak on First Day of Operation- IT Security Guru

• Samsung says hackers obtained some customer data in newly disclosed breach | Engadget

• Millions of student loan accounts exposed in data breach | TechRadar

• Russian streaming platform confirms data breach affecting 7.5M users (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• FBI: Crooks stole $1b+ in cryptocurrency already this year • The Register

• Ukraine takes down cyber crime group hitting crypto fraud victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FBI: Crooks are using these DeFi flaws to steal your money | ZDNET

• Windows malware delays coinminer install by a month to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cryptominer Disguised as Google Translate Targeted 11 Countries - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Crypto-Crooks Spread Trojanized Google Translate App in Watering-Hole Attack (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Use ModernLoader to Infect Systems with Stealers and Cryptominers (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• West Yorkshire PC due in court over police computer searches - BBC News

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Big Banks vs. Big Tech: Who Is Liable For Online Fraud? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Insurance

• Cyber insurance has been around for 25 years. It’s still a bit of a mess. (slate.com)

• Who Pays for an Act of Cyber War? | WIRED

• Travelers, Policyholder Agree to Void Current Cyber Policy (insurancejournal.com)

• Cyber Frauds Skyrocket: Can Cyber Insurance Protect You in Real World? Experts Explain (news18.com)

• Google Cloud, Microsoft and AWS dive into cyber insurance - Protocol

• Cyber Insurance Price Hike Hits Local Governments Hard (insurancejournal.com)

• Insurers must rethink handling of cyber attacks on states | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Cyber insurance on rise as attacks surge | Mint (livemint.com)

Dark Web

• German man charged for trying to hire fake contract killer on darkweb | Euronews

• COVID-19 data put for sale on Dark Web - Security Affairs

• NATO Investigates Dark Web Leak of Data Stolen From Missile Vendor (darkreading.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• PyPI Phishing Campaign | JuiceLedger Threat Actor Pivots From Fake Apps to Supply Chain Attacks - SentinelOne

Software Supply Chain

• NSA and CISA share tips to secure the software supply chain (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• DDoS activity launched by patriotic hacktivists is on the rise - Help Net Security

Cloud/SaaS

• 1 in 3 organisations don't know if their public cloud data was exfiltrated - Help Net Security

• Real-World Cloud Attacks: The True Tasks of Cloud Ransomware Mitigation (darkreading.com)

Encryption

• CISA: Prepare now for quantum computers, not when hackers use them (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Homomorphic encryption: a holy grail for privacy, explained (fastcompany.com)

API

• The 4 Most Common OWASP API Security - IT Security Guru

Open Source

• Linux devices 'increasingly' under attack from hackers, warn security researchers | ZDNET

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• LastPass source code breach – do we still recommend password managers? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

Social Media

• Social media is ruining our lives and the public are finally waking up (telegraph.co.uk)

• LinkedIn New Hacking Scam (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Thousands lured with blue badges in Instagram phishing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• (ISC)² Launches 'Certified in Cybersecurity' Entry-Level Certification to Address Global Workforce Gap (darkreading.com)

Privacy

• Trident Royal Navy staff reveal sensitive data on fitness app | News | The Times

• Cops wanted to keep mass surveillance app secret; privacy advocates refused | Ars Technica

• US telcos admit to storing, handing over location data • The Register

• Facebook moves to settle Cambridge Analytica lawsuit | TechCrunch

• Homomorphic encryption: a holy grail for privacy, explained (fastcompany.com)

• Nobody’s special to the WFH software spies | Comment | The Times

Travel

• Cyber Safety for Summer Vacation | SecurityWeek.Com

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Scammers Targeting Thousands Of Children As Young As Six, Figures Show (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Over a Third of Parents Do Not Know What Online Accounts Their Children Use - IT Security Guru

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

• Why Russia's cyber war in Ukraine hasn't played out as predicted (newatlas.com)

• Ukraine's army of hackers failed to thwart Russia and quickly gave up | New Scientist

• Cyber criminals Apparently Involved in Russia-Linked Attack on Montenegro Government | SecurityWeek.Com

• Who Pays for an Act of Cyber War? | WIRED

• Moscow gridlock as hackers send dozens of taxis to Hotel Ukraine (telegraph.co.uk)

• Finland To Offer Businesses Cybersec Vouchers In Wake Of Nato-related (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• China-linked APT40 used ScanBox Framework in a long-running espionage campaign - Security Affairs

• Montenegro says Russian cyber attacks threaten key state functions (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google says it cut off Russian disinformation sites from its vast ad display network - CyberScoop

• Ex-spies banned from arms exports for UAE hack-for-hire work • The Register

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Third-party hacking groups lose interest in Russia-Ukraine conflict, study claims | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• FBI deploys cyber team to Montenegro following massive cyber attack | The Hill

• New Evidence Links Raspberry Robin Malware to Dridex and Russian Evil Corp Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• Montenegro Sent Back to Analog by Unprecedented Cyber Attacks | Balkan Insight

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese Hackers Target Energy Firms in South China Sea | SecurityWeek.Com

• China-linked APT40 targets wind turbines, Aust. government • The Register

Nation State Actors – Misc

• Insurers must rethink handling of cyber attacks on states | Financial Times (ft.com)

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Vulnerabilities

• Apple Quietly Releases Another Patch for Zero-Day RCE Bug (darkreading.com)

• Google Chrome emergency update fixes new zero-day used in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• URGENT! Apple slips out zero-day update for older iPhones and iPads – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• WordPress 6.0.2 Patches Vulnerability That Could Impact Millions of Legacy Sites | SecurityWeek.Com

• Critical hole in Atlassian Bitbucket needs patching now • The Register

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Tackling the Growing and Evolving Digital Attack Surface 2022 Midyear Cybersecurity Report (trendmicro.com)

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Other News

• Former Cyber criminal: These Are the Biggest Threats on the Internet (businessinsider.com)

• Stuxnet explained: The first known cyber weapon | CSO Online

• Infra Used in Cisco Hack Also Targeted Workforce Management Solution (thehackernews.com)

• Flicking the kill switch: governments embrace internet shutdowns as a form of control | Internet | The Guardian

• Okta Impersonation Technique Could be Utilized by Attackers | SecurityWeek.Com

• Remote Work Cyber Security: 12 Risks and How to Prevent Them (techtarget.com)

• Does your cyber crime prevention program work? - Help Net Security

• Does Blockchain really offer Better Digital Security? - IT Security Guru

• IT and Employees Don’t Always See Eye to Eye on Cyber Security - IT Security Guru

• New Cyber Security Regulations Are Coming. Here’s How to Prepare. (hbr.org)

• 3 Cyber Security Trends for 2022 - IT Security Guru

• Cyber security budget breakdown and best practices (techtarget.com)

• How Just-in-Time privilege elevation prevents data breaches and lateral movement - Help Net Security

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 20 May 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Fifth of Businesses Say Cyber Attack Nearly Broke Them

A fifth of US and European businesses have warned that a serious cyber attack nearly rendered them insolvent, with most (87%) viewing compromise as a bigger threat than an economic downturn, according to Hiscox.

The insurer polled over 5000 businesses in the US, UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium to compile its annual Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report.

It revealed the potentially catastrophic financial damage that a serious cyber-attack can wreak. The number claiming to have nearly been brought down by a breach increased 24% compared to the previous year.

Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they suffered an attack over the past 12 months, a 12% increase from the previous report’s findings. Perhaps unsurprisingly, businesses in seven out of eight countries see cyber as their biggest threat.

Yet perception appears to vary greatly depending on whether an organisation has suffered a serious compromise or not. While over half (55%) of total respondents said they view cyber as a high-risk area, the figure among companies that have not yet suffered an attack is just 36%.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fifth-of-businesses-cyber-attack/

• Weak Security Controls and Practices Routinely Exploited for Initial Access

Cyber actors routinely exploit poor security configurations (either misconfigured or left unsecured), weak controls, and other poor cyber hygiene practices to gain initial access or as part of other tactics to compromise a victim’s system. A joint Cybersecurity Advisory by the cyber security authorities of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom identifies commonly exploited controls and practices and includes best practices to mitigate the issues.

Malicious cyber actors often exploit the following common weak security controls, poor configurations, and poor security practices to employ the initial access techniques.

• Multifactor authentication (MFA) is not enforced

• Incorrectly applied privileges or permissions and errors within access control lists

• Software is not up to date

• Use of vendor-supplied default configurations or default login usernames and passwords

• Remote services, such as a virtual private network (VPN), lack sufficient controls to prevent unauthorised access

• Strong password policies are not implemented

• Cloud services are unprotected

• Open ports and misconfigured services are exposed to the internet

• Failure to detect or block phishing attempts

• Poor endpoint detection and response.

https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts/aa22-137a

• How Do Ransomware Attacks Impact Victim Organisations’ Stock?

Ransomware has developed into an extremely lucrative business model with little risk involved for the threat actors. Couple this with the willingness of most victim organisations to pay the ransom demand under the assumption it will return business operations to normal - ultimately encouraging more attacks - and we have a big problem with no easy remedies.

Back in 2021, Cybereason published a report titled Ransomware Attacks and the True Cost to Business that revealed the various costs that organisations face after falling victim to a ransomware attack. Here are some of the most significant findings that stood out:

• Two-thirds of ransomware victims said that they endured a significant loss of revenue following the attack

• More than half (53%) of organisations suffered damage to their brand and reputation after a ransomware infection

• A third of those who fell to ransomware lost C-level talent in the attack’s aftermath

• Three in 10 organisations had no choice but to lay off employees due to the financial pressures resulting from a ransomware incident

• A quarter of ransomware victims said that they needed to suspend operations.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-guests/how-do-ransomware-attacks-impact-victim-organizations-stock/

• Prioritise Patching Vulnerabilities Associated with Ransomware

In the last quarter, ransomware attacks have made mainstream headlines on a near-daily basis, with groups like Lapsus$ and Conti’s names splashed across the page. Major organisations like Okta, Globant and Kitchenware maker Meyer Corporation have all fallen victim, and they are very much not alone. The data indicates that increasing vulnerabilities, new advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and new ransomware families are contributing to ransomware’s continued prevalence and profitability.

The top stats include:

• 22 new vulnerabilities and nine new weaknesses have been associated with ransomware since January 2022; of the 22, a whopping 21 are considered of critical or high risk severity

• 19 (out of 22) of the newly-added vulnerabilities are associated with the Conti ransomware gang

• Three new APT groups (Exotic Lily, APT 35, DEV-0401) and four new ransomware families (AvosLocker, Karma, BlackCat, Night Sky) are deploying ransomware to attack their targets

• 141 of CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEVs) are being used by ransomware operators – including 18 newly identified this quarter

• 11 vulnerabilities tied to ransomware remain undetected by popular scanners

• 624 unique vulnerabilities were found within the 846 healthcare products analysed.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/19/increase-ransomware-vulnerabilities/

• Researchers Warn of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Data Leaks as Serious Threats Against UK Financial Sector

Researchers say that geopolitical tension, ransomware, and cyber attacks using stolen credentials threaten the UK's financial sector.

KELA's security team published a report examining the cyber security issues and attacks that surfaced in 2021 and early 2022, specifically focused on the United Kingdom's banks and other financial services.

The UK was one of the first countries to stand with Ukraine after the invasion by Russia. This could make UK organisations a tempting target for threat actors siding with Russia - whether by state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) groups or hacktivists. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) previously warned businesses to shore up their cyber security following Russia's assault.

APTs are often responsible for attacking the financial sector: account credentials, card numbers, and the personally identifiable information (PII) of customers are useful not only in social engineering and identity theft but also to make fraudulent purchases or for card cloning.

APTs target organisations worldwide, and those located in the UK are no exception. Over the past few years, APTs, including the Chinese APT40 and APT31, have utilised vulnerabilities, including ProxyLogon, to compromise UK businesses.

"In general, APTs may target the financial sector to commit fraud, burglarise ATMs, execute transactions, and penetrate organisations' internal financial systems," KELA says. "Although specific threats to the UK financial sector have not been identified, there is no doubt that the UK has occasionally been a target of APT groups during 2021."

Exposed corporate information and leaked credentials are also of note. After browsing Dark Web forums, the researchers found that UK data is "in demand" by cyber criminals who are seeking PII, access credentials, and internal data.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/researchers-warn-of-apts-data-leaks-as-serious-threats-against-uk-financial-sector/

• Remote Work Hazards: Attackers Exploit Weak WiFi, Endpoints, and the Cloud

Infoblox unveils a global report examining the state of security concerns, costs, and remedies. As the pandemic and uneven shutdowns stretch into a third year, organisations are accelerating digital transformation projects to support remote work. Meanwhile, attackers have seized on vulnerabilities in these environments, creating more work and larger budgets for security teams.

1,100 respondents in IT and cyber security roles in 11 countries – United States, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Singapore – participated in the survey.

The surge in remote work has changed the corporate landscape significantly – and permanently. 52% of respondents accelerated digital transformation projects, 42% increased customer portal support for remote engagement, 30% moved apps to third party cloud providers, and 26% shuttered physical offices for good. These changes led to the additions of VPNs and firewalls, a mix of corporate and employee owned devices as well as cloud and on-premises DDI servers to manage data traffic across the expanded network.

The hybrid workforce reality is causing greater concerns with data leakage, ransomware and attacks through remote access tools and cloud services. Respondents indicate concerns about their abilities to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks with limited control over employees, work-from-home technologies, and vulnerable supply chain partners. The sophistication of state-sponsored malware also is a source of worry for many.

Organisations have good reason to worry: 53% of respondents experienced up to five security incidents that led to at least one breach.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/17/state-of-security/

• Small Businesses Under Fire from Password Stealers

Password-stealing malware and other cyber attacks have increased significantly against small businesses over the past year, according to Kaspersky researchers.

An assessment released this week detailed the number of Trojan Password Stealing Ware (PSW) detections, internet attacks and attacks on Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) between January and April 2022, compared with the same time frame from 2021. Kaspersky's research showed a jump in the detection of password stealers within small business environments, as well as increases in other types of cyber attacks.

According to Kaspersky, the biggest increase in threats against small businesses was password stealers, specifically Trojan PSWs. There were nearly 1 million more detected Trojan PSWs targeting small and medium-sized businesses in the first trimester of 2022 than the first of 2021, increasing from 3,029,903 to 4,003,323.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/252518442/Small-businesses-under-fire-from-password-stealers

• Email Is the Riskiest Channel for Data Security

Research from Tessian and the Ponemon Institute reveals that nearly 60% of organisations experienced data loss or exfiltration caused by an employee mistake on email in the last 12 months.

Email was revealed as the riskiest channel for data loss in organisations, as stated by 65% of IT security practitioners. This was closely followed by cloud file-sharing services (62%) and instant messaging platforms (57%).

The research surveyed 614 IT security practitioners across the globe to also reveal that:

• Employee negligence, because of not following policies, is the leading cause of data loss incidents (40%)

• 27% of data loss incidents are caused by malicious insiders

• It takes up to three days for security and risk management teams to detect and remediate a data loss and exfiltration incident caused by a malicious insider on email

• 23% of organisations experience up to 30 security incidents involving employees’ use of email every month (for example, email was sent to an unintended recipient).

The most common types of confidential and sensitive information lost or intentionally stolen include: customer information (61%); intellectual property (56%); and consumer information (47%). User-created data (sensitive email content, text files, M&A documents), regulated data (credit card data, Social Security numbers, national ID numbers, employee data), and intellectual property were identified as the three types of data that are most difficult to protect from data loss.

The top two consequences for data loss incidents were revealed as non-compliance with data protection regulations (57%) and damage to an organisation’s reputation (52%). Furthermore, a previous study from Tessian found that 29% of businesses lost a client or customer because of an employee sending an email to the wrong person.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/05/20/data-loss-email/

• Phishing Attacks for Initial Access Surged 54% in Q1

Threat actors doubled down on their use of phishing emails as an initial attack vector during the first quarter of 2022 — and in many cases then used that access to drop ransomware or to extort organisations in other ways.

Researchers from Kroll recently analysed data gathered from security incidents they responded to in the first three months of this year. The analysis showed a 54% increase in incidents of phishing for initial access compared with the same period last year.

For the first time since Microsoft disclosed the so-called ProxyLogon set of vulnerabilities in Exchange Server in the first quarter of 2021, incidents tied to email compromises surpassed those related to ransomware. Kroll described the sharp increase in phishing activity as likely the result of a surge in activity tied to Emotet and IceID malware — threat actors have been using both to drop other malware.

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/phishing-attacks-for-initial-access-surged-q1

• Fears Grow for Smaller Nations After Ransomware Attack on Costa Rica Escalates

Conti demanded $20M in ransom — and the overthrow of the government.

It’s been a rough start for the newly elected Costa Rica president Rodrigo Chaves, who less than a week into office declared his country “at war” with the Conti ransomware gang.

“We’re at war and this is not an exaggeration,” Chaves told local media. “The war is against an international terrorist group, which apparently has operatives in Costa Rica. There are very clear indications that people inside the country are collaborating with Conti.”

Conti’s assault on the Costa Rican government began in April. The country’s Finance Ministry was the first hit by the Russia-linked hacking group, and in a statement on May 16, Chaves said the number of institutions impacted had since grown to 27. This, he admitted, means civil servants wouldn’t be paid on time and will impact the country’s foreign trade.

In a message posted to its dark web leaks blog, Conti urged the citizens of Costa Rica to pressure their government to pay the ransom, which the group doubled from an initial $10 million to $20 million. In a separate statement, the group warned: “We are determined to overthrow the government by means of a cyber attack, we have already shown you all the strength and power.”

Conti is among the most prolific hacking groups. The FBI warned earlier this year that the gang was among “the three top variants” that targeted businesses in the United States, and it has been blamed for ransomware attacks targeting dozens of businesses, including Fat Face, Shutterfly and the Irish healthcare service.

But Conti has picked up its pace in recent months: In January and February it published 31 victims on its leaks blog. In March and April, it posted 133 victims.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/20/costa-rica-ransomware-attack/

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Threats

Ransomware

• Ransomware Gangs Rely More on Weaponizing Vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Gang Extorted 725 BTC in One Attack, On-Chain Sleuths Find (coindesk.com)

• 5 Critical Questions to Test Your Ransomware Preparedness - Help Net Security

• “Alarming” Surge in Conti Group Activity This Year - Infosecurity Magazine

• Why AI-Powered Ransomware Cyber Attacks Could Be Coming Soon - Protocol

• Nikkei Says Customer Data Likely Impacted in Ransomware Attack | SecurityWeek.Com

• Wizard Spider Hackers Hire Cold Callers to Scare Ransomware Victims Into Paying Up | ZDNet

• Greenland Hit by Cyber Attack, Finds Its Health Service Crippled (bitdefender.com)

• Conti Ransomware Shuts Down Operation, Rebrands into Smaller Units (bleepingcomputer.com)

• No One Is Slowing Down BlackByte Ransomware Gang • The Register

• President Rodrigo Chaves says Costa Rica is at war with Conti hackers - BBC News

• Engineering Firm Parker Discloses Data Breach After Ransomware Attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US links Thanos and Jigsaw ransomware to 55-year-old doctor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian Conti Ransomware Gang Threatens to Overthrow New Costa Rican Government (thehackernews.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• This Phishing Attack Delivers Three Forms of Malware. And They All Want to Steal Your Data | ZDNet

• HTML Attachments Remain Popular Among Phishing Actors In 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chatbot Army Deployed in Latest DHL Shipping Phish (darkreading.com)

• Phishing Gang That Stole Over 400,000 Euros Busted in Spain (tripwire.com)

• Long Lost @ Symbol Gets New Life Obscuring Malicious URLs | Malwarebytes Labs

• Spanish Police Dismantle Phishing Gang That Emptied Bank Accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• Emotet is the Most Common Malware - Help Net Security

• Microsoft Identifies Botnet Variant Targeting Windows and Linux Systems - Infosecurity Magazine

• Activity of the Linux XorDdos bot increased by 254% over the last 6 monthsSecurity Affairs

• Fake Domains Offer Windows 11 Installers - But Deliver Malware Instead | ZDNet

• Bruised but Not Broken: The Resurgence of the Emotet Botnet Malware (trendmicro.com)

• Malicious PyPI Pymafka Package Opens Backdoors On Windows, Linux, and Macs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• April VMware Bugs Abused to Deliver Mirai Malware, Exploit Log4Shell | Threatpost

Mobile

• 6 Scary Tactics Used in Mobile App Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Researchers Find Potential Way to Run Malware on iPhone Even When it's OFF (thehackernews.com)

• Google TAG: Cytrox's Predator Spyware Used to Target Android Users | WIRED

IoT

• New Bluetooth Hack Could Let Attackers Remotely Unlock Smart Locks and Cars (thehackernews.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Cornwall Council Data Breach - Information Security Buzz

• Pharmacy Giant Hit By Data Breach Affecting 3.6 Million Customers - Infosecurity Magazine

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Ukrainian Hacker Jailed for 4-Years in U.S. for Selling Access to Hacked Servers (thehackernews.com)

• US Recovers a Record $15m from the 3ve Ad-Fraud Crew • The Register

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs

• How Cryptocurrencies Enable Attackers and Defenders (techtarget.com)

• Monero-Mining Sysrv Botnet Targets Windows, Linux Web Servers • The Register

• US Brings First-Of-Its-Kind Bitcoin Sanctions-Busting Case • The Register

• Fake Pixelmon NFT Site Infects You with Password-Stealing Malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Compromise a String of NFT Discord Channels (vice.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Popularity Of Online Payment Goes Hand-In-Hand with Fraud - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• MITRE Creates Framework for Supply Chain Security (darkreading.com)

• The Four Horsemen of Software Supply Chain Attacks - MSSP Alert

• Recovering From a Cyber Security Earthquake: The Lessons Organisations Must Learn - Help Net Security

Cloud/SaaS

• 7 Key Findings from the 2022 SaaS Security Survey Report (thehackernews.com)

• New Research Identifies Poor IAM Policies as The Greatest Cloud Vulnerability - CyberScoop

• Are You Investing in Securing Your Data in the Cloud? (thehackernews.com)

• 380K Kubernetes API Servers Exposed to Public Internet | Threatpost

Open Source

• The Industry Must Better Secure Open Source Code From Threat Actors (darkreading.com)

Privacy

• How To Ensure That the Smart Home Doesn’t Jeopardize Data Privacy? - Help Net Security

• Privacy. Ad Bidders Haven't Heard of It, Report Reveals • The Register

• Third-Party Web Trackers Log What You Type Before Submitting (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords & Credential Stuffing

• The Most Insecure and Easily Hackable Passwords - Help Net Security

• Half of IT Leaders Store Passwords in Shared Docs - Infosecurity Magazine

Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking

• UK Sextortion Cases Doubled in 2021 - Infosecurity Magazine

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Europe Moves Closer to Stricter Cyber Security Standards • The Register

• EU's NIS 2 Directive to Strengthen Cyber Security Requirements For Companies - Help Net Security

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

• Google TAG: Cytrox's Predator Spyware Used to Target Android Users | WIRED

• Britain can legally launch cyber attacks against hostile states, says Attorney General (telegraph.co.uk)

• How Mobile Networks Have Become a Front in the Battle for Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• China-linked Twisted Panda Caught Spying on Russian R&D Orgs • The Register

• Pro-Russian Hackers Spread Hoaxes to Divide Ukraine, Allies | SecurityWeek.Com

• A custom PowerShell RAT Targets Germany Using Crisis in Ukraine as Bait - Security Affairs

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Putin Promises to Bolster Russia's IT Security in Face of Cyber Attacks | Reuters

• Russian Hackers Declare War On 10 Countries After Failed Eurovision DDoS attack | IT PRO

• Pro-Russian Information Operations Escalate in Ukraine War (darkreading.com)

• Russian Undersea Cable Threat Shifts Tech Business to UK (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russians Allegedly Storm Ukrainian ISP, Blackmail It to Switch To Russian Networks - CyberScoop

• Russia-linked Sandworm Continues to Conduct Attacks Against Ukraine - Security Affairs

• Russian Cyber Attack on Eurovision Foiled By Italian Authorities (bitdefender.com)

• This Russian Botnet Does Far More Than DDoS Attacks - And on A Massive Scale | ZDNet

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese ‘Space Pirates’ are Hacking Russian Aerospace Firms (bleepingcomputer.com)

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• FBI Warns of North Korean Spies Posing as Foreign IT Workers • The Register

Nation State Actors – Iran

• US Charges Venezuelan Doctor with Selling Ransomware Used By Iranian Group | Reuters

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Vulnerability Management

• APTs Overwhelmingly Share Known Vulnerabilities Rather Than Attack O-Days | Threatpost

• How Micropatching Could Help Close the Security Update Gap (techtarget.com)

• Partial Patching Still Provides Strong Protection Against APTs (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerabilities

• QNAP Urges Users to Update NAS Devices to Prevent Deadbolt Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Cisco Fixes an IOS XR Flaw Actively Exploited in The Wild - Security Affairs

• 2 Vulnerabilities With 9.8 Severity Ratings Are Under Exploit. A 3rd Looms | Ars Technica

• Microsoft Rushes a Fix After May Patch Tuesday Breaks Authentication (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft Fixes New PetitPotam Windows NTLM Relay Attack Vector (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple Patches Zero-Day Kernel Hole and Much More – Update Now! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Two Business-Grade Netgear VPN Routers Have Security Vulnerabilities That Can't Be Fixed - Help Net Security

• SharePoint RCE Bug Resurfaces Three Months After Being Patched by Microsoft | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• High-Severity Bug Reported in Google's OAuth Client Library for Java (thehackernews.com)

• Over 20,000 Zyxel Firewalls Still Exposed to Critical Bug - Infosecurity Magazine

• Apple Fixes the Sixth Zero-Day Since The Beginning of 2022 - Security Affairs

• Apache Releases Security Advisory for Tomcat | CISA

• Mozilla Patches Wednesday’s Pwn2Own Double-Exploit… on Friday! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Critical Vulnerability in Premium WordPress Themes Allows for Site Takeover | Threatpost

• Critical Jupiter WordPress Plugin Flaws Let Hackers Take Over Sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple Finally Patches Exploited Vulnerabilities in macOS Big Sur, Catalina | SecurityWeek.Com

• NVIDIA Fixes Ten Vulnerabilities in Windows GPU Display Drivers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gmail-Linked Facebook Accounts Vulnerable to Attack Using A Chain Of Bugs—Now Fixed | Malwarebytes Labs

• New Brute Force Attacks Against SQL Servers Use PowerShell Wrapper | SecurityWeek.Com

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Sector Specific

Retail/eCommerce

• How Crooks Backdoor Sites and Scrape Credit Card Info • The Register

• Digital Skimming is Now the Preserve of Non-Magecart Groups - Infosecurity Magazine

Energy & Utilities

• Water Companies Are Increasingly Uninsurable Due To Ransomware, Industry Execs Say - CyberScoop

• UK Announces Nuclear Cyber Security Strategy - IT Security Guru

Education and Academia

• Ransomware Attack Exposes Data of 500,000 Chicago Students (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Higher Education Institutions Being Targeted for Ransomware Attacks | TechRepublic

• “Incompetent” Council Leaks Details of Students With Special Educational Needs • Graham Cluley

• Researchers Find Backdoor in School Management Plugin for WordPress (thehackernews.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Q2 2022 State of Fraud & Account Security Report - Arkose Labs

• 2022 SaaS Security Survey Report (adaptive-shield.com)

• 2021-2022 UK Financial Sector Dark Web Threat Landscape Report - Kela (ke-la.com)

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Other News

• UK Government: Lack of Skills the Number One Issue in Cyber Security - Infosecurity Magazine

• Malicious Hackers Are Finding It Too Easy to Achieve Their Initial Access (tripwire.com)

• NIST’s Cyber Security Framework Has Become The Common Language For International Cyber Security (scmagazine.com)

• How Threat Actors Are a Click Away From Becoming Quasi-APTs (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Security: Global Food Supply Chain at Risk From Malicious Hackers - BBC News

• Cyber Security Agencies Reveal Top Initial Access Attack Vectors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 50% of Orgs Rely on Email to Manage Security (darkreading.com)

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

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

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