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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 September 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 08 September 2023:
-More Than Half of UK Organisations Know They Aren’t Well Protected
-Generative AI Considered a Security Risk by 60% of Board Members: How Organisations Can Prepare
-Businesses Ignore Incident Response at Their Peril
-Blame Culture: An Organisation’s Ticking Time Bomb
-Spend to Save: CFO’s and Cyber Security Investment
-Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets for Attackers, including Nation-State Actors
-Attackers Access UK Military Data Through Third Party Supplier as Relentless Russian Cyber Attacks Raise Spectre of WW3
-Common Tactics Used by Threat Actors to Weaponise PDFs
-Years-old Microsoft Security Holes Still Hot Targets for Cyber Criminals
-Popular ‘As-a-Service’ Operations Have Earned Cyber Criminals over $64m
-71% of Organisations are Impacted by Cyber Security Skills Shortage
-Multiple Schools Hit by Cyber Attacks Before Term Begins
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
More Than Half of UK Organisations Know They Aren’t Well Protected
According to a recent report, just 49% of business leaders report their organisation is well or very well protected. Cyber security featured as the third highest-rated business priority, with increasing revenues and reducing costs forming the top two. One of the ways an organisation can reduce cost is to outsource, and 63% of respondents agreed, reporting that they wanted to work with an external cyber security partner to improve their security.
Even if you’re in the 49% of organisations that believes it is well protected, this can be a dangerous self-assessment based on a lack of experience and impartiality. Business leaders need independent assurance to ensure their security controls are appropriate and in line with the organisation’s risk appetite. It is essential to dispel assumptions, by investigating your security before an attacker does.
Black Arrow Cyber Consulting offers a free, no-obligation, introductory consultation to help you gain an unbiased perspective on how your current security approach could withstand an attacker. We help our clients to know the questions to ask of their external or internal IT provider, and how to leverage other security controls from existing resources.
Sources: [IT Security Guru][Beta News]
Generative AI Considered a Security Risk by 60% of Board Members. How Organisations Can Prepare
A recent report conducted by Proofpoint found that 60% of board members consider generative AI a security risk.
The rapid development and adoption of AI is double-edged in nature. Whilst it can yield positive benefits if used safely and responsibility within organisations, AI is also being used to great effect by malicious actors with AI abuse growing beyond phishing to increasing the efficacy of multistage attacks, being used to generated malware, and carrying out different types of social engineering attacks.
For this reason Boards and senior leaders are right to be concerned and should ensure appropriate measures are being taken.
Sources: [TheNationalNews] [SCMagazine] [CyberSecurityNews]
Further reading: [BusinessCloud.co.uk] [WIRED UK] [Help Net Security]
Businesses Ignore Incident Response at Their Peril
According to a UK Government report, a quarter of businesses don’t regard cyber incident response skills as essential and almost half said they weren’t confident they could put together an incident response plan. This led to 41% saying they were not very or not at all confident that they would be able to deal with a cyber security breach or attack.
Unfortunately, this leaves many organisations in a situation where they will have to learn the hard way about the implications of not having an incident response plan. A separate government report found that 37% of those hit by a cyber attack said it impacted operations and a quarter experienced negative consequences such as loss of money or data.
One of the ways organisations can circumnavigate their lack of confidence in their ability to construct an incident response plan is to use cyber security experts to construct it.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
Blame Culture: An Organisation’s Ticking Time Bomb
An organisation’s attitude and responses to cyber security are almost as important as the actions taken to prevent cyber attacks. “Lessons learnt” are a common feature within mature and cyber resilient organisations. Incidents are a matter of when not if, and it is important that organisations know how to react.
Taking the example of a phishing attack, it is easy to blame the employee who opened it, potentially firing them. With phishing simulations, it is equally easy to discipline an employee who fell for it. The problem is, neither of these focus on what can be learned, such as why the employee fell for it in the first place. Additionally, there is the potential that employees become reserved or reticent about reporting potential events, due to the fear of being disciplined. This can be the difference between an organisation having an early detection of an incident and being able to invoke incident response plans sooner, or leaving the attacker in the system doing damage for longer before being reported.
Source: [ IT Security Guru]
Spend to Save: CFOs and Cyber Security Investment
For chief financial officers (CFOs), the increasing impact of data breaches creates a paradox. While more spending is necessary to combat these challenges, this spending isn’t directly tied to profit. Instead, cyber security spending is all about return on investment.
When looking at spending, CFOs need to keep in mind that the total cost of a breach is more than the initial currency loss: there is the knock-on effect of reputation and losses in customers. But it is not a case of spending more to protect more; spending must be tailored to the organisation and prioritise in terms of business needs.
Source: [Security Intelligence]
Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets for Attackers, Including Nation-State Actors
An increasing number of attacks by nation-state attackers are targeting cyber security tools in their campaigns. This includes the recent attacks on US officials which attacked and gained access through the firewalls of the victim. Security vendors, just like anyone, will have flaws in their software: there will be vulnerabilities. As such, organisations need to be aware of these vulnerabilities and when support runs out for their cyber security tools, to better protect themselves.
Source: [News Week]
Attackers Access UK Military Data Through Third Party Supplier as Relentless Russian Cyber Attacks Raise Spectre of WW3
Top secret military data from the UK’s Ministry of Defence was stolen and then sold by the ransomware gang LockBit. How, you might ask? Through a rogue Windows 7 PC that belonged to their fencing supplier, Zaun. The LockBit Ransom group conducted the attack on the supplier’s network, and Zaun admitted the group may have exfiltrated 10GB of data.
Many attackers have realised that if you cannot directly attack an organisation, then the supplier can present a way in. Organisations need to be sure of their suppliers’ security, and conduct third party security assessments to identify the risk the supplier may present to the organisation itself.
Black Arrow have helped many clients carry out third party risk assessments on a large number of suppliers and this can be done as a standalone offering or as part of a fractional CISO engagement.
Source: [The Register] [Tech Monitor]
Common Tactics Used by Threat Actors to Weaponise PDFs
PDFs are often seen as safe, something that cannot be used by an attacker, but that’s wrong. Actors are using this trustworthiness, as well as the difficulty in detection and ubiquity of PDFs, to weaponise them. Common tactics involve malicious hyperlinks within PDFs and macros that run when a PDF is opened, and in some cases attackers are disguising a malicious Word document as a PDF to evade detection.
Source: [Cyber Security News]
Years-old Microsoft Security Holes Still Hot Targets for Cyber Criminals
A recent report has found that Microsoft vulnerabilities as old as 6 years are still being exploited, with one recorded as being exploited as recently as 31 August. In fact, since this particular vulnerability was fixed, it has been used to deploy 467 different malware types. This is not the number of attacks, but the number of different types of malware used in attacks.
The concept isn’t just for Microsoft. Many organisations do not employ effective patching strategies, and as such leave the doors open to attackers. Sometimes, these doors are open for years.
Source: [The Register]
Popular ‘As-a-Service’ Operations Have Earned Cyber Criminals over $64m
As-a-service operations allow attackers to employ sophisticated attacks without the need for extensive knowledge; they simply just purchase the ability. Take phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS), where an attacker with very limited cyber knowledge simply needs to purchase a phishing kit and they are then well-equipped to target organisations. This availability in tools creates a significant surge in the number of cyber criminals, with one scheme alone raking in $64.5 billion in illegal gains.
Source: [IT Security Guru]
71% of Organisations are Impacted by Cyber Security Skills Shortage
Most organisations (71%) report that they’ve been impacted by the cyber security skills shortage, leading to an increased workload for the cyber security team (61%), unfilled open job requisitions (49%) and high burnout among staff (43%). Further, 95% respondents state the cyber security skills shortage and its associated impacts have not improved over the past few years and 54% (up 10% from 2021) say it has got worse.
Organisations need to continue maintaining and improving their security while their cyber security positions remain unfilled. Black Arrow supports firms to achieve this by providing expert resources on a flexible basis for technical, governance and transformational positions.
Source: [Security Magazine] [Digital Journal]
Multiple Schools Hit by Cyber Attacks Before Term Begins
Ahead of the new school term, a number of schools have become the victim of serious cyber attacks. The education sector isn’t a new target, with previous ransomware reports finding the education sector to account for 16% of victims.
The education sector remains a target due to the valuable data they hold, large attack surfaces and frequently a lack of resources and budgets, something many small and medium-sized business may share.
Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
The importance of CISOs is not recognised by senior leadership - IT Security Guru
Blame Culture: An Organisation's Ticking Time Bomb - IT Security Guru
Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)
SEC tells companies to “show their work” on cyber security - Red Canary
Cyber security: a life cycle, not a destination | Hydrocarbon Engineering
Rising Physical Incidents Should Drive C-Level Investment & Action (forbes.com)
Compliance budgets under strain as inflation and workload grow - Help Net Security
Cyber Security pros battle discontent amid skills shortage - Help Net Security
CISOs weigh in on building security-focused culture | Healthcare IT News
How Do Some Companies Get Compromised Again and Again? (securityintelligence.com)
IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Ministry of Defence documents leaked by LockBit (techmonitor.ai)
Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register
Ransomware attackers are targeting exposed Microsoft SQL databases, report says (therecord.media)
Ransomware and Data Breaches: Impacts Continue to Grow Louder (govtech.com)
Education Sector Heavily Targeted as the School Year Begins (databreaches.net)
Killware vs. Ransomware: What's the Difference? (makeuseof.com)
Is this the next target for international ransomware attacks? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
To Pay or Not to Pay? The Ransomware Dilemma (informationweek.com)
Snake Ransomware Endangers Your Data: How Can You Stop It? (makeuseof.com)
How to Prevent Ransomware: 6 Key Steps to Safeguard Assets (techtarget.com)
Ransomware Victims
LockBit Leaks Documents Filched From UK Defence Contractor (darkreading.com)
Ministry of Defence documents leaked in cyber attack (civilserviceworld.com)
Debenham High School IT system hit by cyber attack - BBC News
Highgate Wood School delays term by 6 days after cyber attack | This Is Local London
Cyber attack hits Wokingham's Maiden Erlegh School | Reading Chronicle
Ransomware gang claims credit for Sabre data breach | TechCrunch
Hackers claim to publish prominent Israeli hospital’s patient data (therecord.media)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
AI abuse grows beyond phishing to multistage cyber attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Google is enabling Chrome real-time phishing protection for everyone (bleepingcomputer.com)New phishing tool hijacked thousands of Microsoft business email accounts (therecord.media)
Beware of New Fileless Malware that Propagates Via Spam Mail (cybersecuritynews.com)
Spam is up, QR codes emerge as a significant threat vector - Help Net Security
From unsuspecting click to data compromise - Help Net Security
Alert: Phishing Campaigns Deliver New SideTwist Backdoor and Agent Tesla Variant (thehackernews.com)
Getting off the hook: 10 steps to take after clicking on a phishing link (welivesecurity.com)
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security
Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)
How cyber criminals use look-alike domains to impersonate brands - Help Net Security
Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI considered a security risk by 60% of board members, survey finds (thenationalnews.com)
AI ‘triggers DeepTech anxiety for senior leaders’ (businesscloud.co.uk)
Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security
AI abuse grows beyond phishing to multistage cyber attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)
UK tech tsar warns of AI cyber threat to NHS | Financial Times (ft.com)
It's the summer of adversarial chatbots. Here's how to defend against them - SiliconANGLE
Will the AI Arms Race Lead to the Pollution of the Internet? (darkreading.com)
UK cyber chief urges ‘Security by Design’ in AI development (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)
Generative AI’s Biggest Security Flaw Is Not Easy to Fix | WIRED UK
Developers have security, other generative AI concerns but use it anyway - ARN (arnnet.com.au)
How Companies Can Cope With the Risks of Generative AI Tools (darkreading.com)
3 ways to strike the right balance with generative AI - Help Net Security
Peril vs. Promise: Companies, Developers Worry Over Generative AI Risk (darkreading.com)
Experts Probe AI Risks Around Malicious Use, China Influence (govinfosecurity.com)
Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur
Malware
Common Tactics Used by Threat Actors to Weaponise PDFs (cybersecuritynews.com)
'Atomic macOS Stealer' Malware Delivered via Malvertising Campaign - SecurityWeek
Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)
UNRAVELING EternalBlue: inside the WannaCry’s enabler (securityaffairs.com)
Malware configurations How to find and use them? (govinfosecurity.com)
Beware of New Fileless Malware that Propagates Via Spam Mail (cybersecuritynews.com)
New Python Variant of Chaes Malware Targets Banking and Logistics Industries (thehackernews.com)
New BLISTER Malware Update Fuelling Stealthy Network Infiltration (thehackernews.com)
Alert: Phishing Campaigns Deliver New SideTwist Backdoor and Agent Tesla Variant (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
Hacking device Flipper Zero can spam nearby iPhones with Bluetooth pop-ups | TechCrunch
September Android updates fix zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hacker exploits security flaw to target iPhone users with 'notification attack' | Macworld
Botnets
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
DDoS attack took down the site of German financial agency BaFin (securityaffairs.com)
Mirai variant infects low-cost Android TV boxes for DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
CISA Releases Capacity Enhancement Guide to Strengthen Agency Resilience to DDoS Attack | CISA
BYOD
Internet of Things – IoT
Securing The IoT From The Threat China Poses To US Infrastructure (forbes.com)
Connected cars and cyber crime: A primer - Help Net Security
Hacking device Flipper Zero can spam nearby iPhones with Bluetooth pop-ups | TechCrunch
Mirai variant infects low-cost Android TV boxes for DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Why consumer drones represent a special cyber security risk (securityintelligence.com)
Like privacy? Then smart devices are a dumb idea • The Register
Maker of ‘smart’ chastity cage left users’ emails, passwords, and locations exposed | TechCrunch
Data Breaches/Leaks
Electoral Commission failed basic security test before hack - BBC News
Insurer fined $3M for exposing data of 650k clients for two years (bleepingcomputer.com)
Golf gear giant Callaway data breach exposes info of 1.1 million (bleepingcomputer.com)
Freecycle confirms massive data breach impacting 7 million users (bleepingcomputer.com)
Thousands of Popular Websites Leaking Secrets - SecurityWeek
Johnson & Johnson discloses IBM data breach impacting patients (bleepingcomputer.com)
Northern Ireland police chief quits in wake of data breach • The Register
Lawsuit blames Tesla for data breach it sued ex-staff over • The Register
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Popular 'As-a-Service' Operations Have Earned Cyber Criminals over $64m - IT Security Guru
Cyber Crime Tremors: Experts Forecast Qakbot Resurgence (govinfosecurity.com)
It might be too soon to claim victory against Qakbot | Computer Weekly
Cyber crime to cost Germany 206 billion euros in 2023, survey finds | Reuters
Cyber criminals coercing children in their own bedrooms | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
YouTuber Loses $60K Worth of Crypto After Showing Seed Phrases on Stream - Decrypt
Who Pulled Off a $41M Online Casino Heist? North Korea, FBI Says (vice.com)
Is this the next target for international ransomware attacks? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Bitcoin exchange exec admits he ignored anti-laundering laws • The Register
Cyber criminals target graphic designers with GPU miners (talosintelligence.com)
LastPass under fire again as users report stolen crypto keys and losses | Cybernews
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Popular 'As-a-Service' Operations Have Earned Cyber criminals over $64m - IT Security Guru
Fake YouPorn extortion scam threatens to leak your sex tape (bleepingcomputer.com)
Four Convicted in $18m Investment Fraud Scheme - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Global roaming fraud losses to surpass $8 billion by 2028 - Help Net Security
Airlines Battle Surge in Loyalty Program Fraud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
How We Track Crypto Money Laundering for Off-Chain Crime (chainalysis.com)
See Tickets Alerts 300,000 Customers After Another Web Skimmer Attack - SecurityWeek
Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur
Impersonation Attacks
'Smishing Triad' Targeted USPS and US Citizens for Data Theft (securityaffairs.com)
How cyber criminals use look-alike domains to impersonate brands - Help Net Security
Deepfakes
Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security
Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur
AML/CFT/Sanctions
How We Track Crypto Money Laundering for Off-Chain Crime (chainalysis.com)
Four Convicted in $18m Investment Fraud Scheme - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Bitcoin exchange exec admits he ignored anti-laundering laws • The Register
Insurance
Insights Into the Changing Landscape of Cyber Insurance - Frost Brown Todd | Full-Service Law Firm
Time and effort to obtain cyber insurance increasing for US businesses | CSO Online
Beazley expects to sponsor more cyber catastrophe bonds in 2024 - Artemis.bm
Lloyd’s categorises cyber war wordings in aggregation clarity push (insuranceinsider.com)
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register
Ministry of Defence documents leaked by LockBit (techmonitor.ai)
Supply chain related security risks, and how to protect against them (malwarebytes.com)
5 ways to improve your supply chain security posture | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)
Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)
Creating a more cyber secure supply chain requires group effort - FreightWaves
Facing Third-Party Threats With Non-Employee Risk Management (darkreading.com)
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Step Up Your Defence Against Cloud-loving Cyber Criminals (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online
Hybrid/Remote Working
Attack Surface Management
What OSINT is, and why it’s dangerous | Kaspersky official blog
Armis report sheds light on top 10 targeted assets by cyber attackers - SiliconANGLE
Top 10 riskiest assets threatening global business - IT Security Guru
Encryption
Government denies U-turn on encrypted messaging row - BBC News
UK lawmakers back down on encryption-busting 'spy clause' | CyberScoop
API
Open Source
Software industry urged to assume risk on open source security | CIO Dive
Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
It's a Zero-day? It's Malware? No! It's Username and Password (thehackernews.com)
Chrome extensions can steal plaintext passwords from websites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hacker gains admin control of Sourcegraph and gives free access to the masses | Ars Technica
Passwords From The November 2022 LastPass Breach Being Cracked? - PC Perspective
LastPass under fire again as users report stolen crypto keys and losses | Cybernews
Maker of ‘smart’ chastity cage left users’ emails, passwords, and locations exposed | TechCrunch
75% of education sector attacks linked to compromised accounts - Help Net Security
Social Media
Malvertising
Parental Controls and Child Safety
Children's snack recalled after its website caught serving porn (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cyber criminals coercing children in their own bedrooms | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard
SEC tells companies to “show their work” on cyber security - Red Canary
Verizon to pay feds $4M over cyber security lapse | Light Reading
Government denies U-turn on encrypted messaging row - BBC News
UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages • The Register
Models, Frameworks and Standards
An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard
CIS Benchmarks Communities: Where configurations meet consensus - Help Net Security
Explaining The New NIST Cyber Security Framework to the C-Suite
Backup and Recovery
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
71% of organisations are impacted by cyber security skills shortage | Security Magazine
Cyber Security Skills Gap set to cost UK £120 billion by 2023 - Essex-TV
6 free resources for getting started in cyber security - Help Net Security
Cyber professionals say industry urgently needs to confront mental health crisis | CyberScoop
Cyber security pros battle discontent amid skills shortage - Help Net Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
It might be too soon to claim victory against Qakbot | Computer Weekly
Cops drill into chat apps to thwart coke-smuggling ring • The Register
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Russia
Russia-linked attackers hit UK Ministry of Defence, leak stolen data | CSO Online
Meet the man leading the front-line effort in Ukraine's cyber war with Russia : NPR
China and Russia are pushing the boundaries of cyber attacks to harm other states - CityAM
Ukraine's CERT Thwarts APT28's Cyber Attack on Critical Energy Infrastructure (thehackernews.com)
Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register
Russia-linked hack on Trident base sparks 'World War Three' warning from expert (yahoo.com)
Russia, China behind majority of cyber attacks targeting German businesses (aa.com.tr)
Elon Musk's Father Fears Possible Assassination Attempt on His Son (businessinsider.com)
Big Tech failed to police Russian disinformation: EU study • The Register
North Korea hackers going after Russian targets, Microsoft says, World News - AsiaOne
China
How China gets free intel on tech companies’ vulnerabilities | Ars Technica
Experts Probe AI Risks Around Malicious Use, China Influence (govinfosecurity.com)
How Microsoft's highly secure environment was breached (malwarebytes.com)
Securing The IoT From The Threat China Poses To US Infrastructure (forbes.com)
China and Russia are pushing the boundaries of cyber attacks to harm other states - CityAM
Russia, China behind majority of cyber attacks targeting German businesses (aa.com.tr)
German companies report more cyber attacks from Russia, China | Meta.mk
Microsoft finally explains cause of Azure breach: An engineer’s account was hacked | Ars Technica
South Korean Cyber Security Concerns Over Chinese-Made Cranes, Meteorological Gear | The Epoch Times
Huawei hits back in Portugal over 5G 'ban' with lawsuit - DCD (datacenterdynamics.com)
Iran
Hackers push anti-Iranian government messages to millions via breached app | CyberScoop
Iranian hackers breach US aviation org via Zoho, Fortinet bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)
North Korea
Lazarus hackers deploy fake VMware PyPI packages in VMConnect attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Researchers Warn of Cyber Weapons Used by Lazarus Group's Andariel Cluster (thehackernews.com)
Meet the man leading the front-line effort in Ukraine's cyber war with Russia : NPR
North Korean hackers target security researchers with new zero-day (therecord.media)
North Korea hackers going after Russian targets, Microsoft says, World News - AsiaOne
Who Pulled Off a $41M Online Casino Heist? North Korea, FBI Says (vice.com)
Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare
Nation-state 'hot zones' offer view of the future of cyber war – report - CIR Magazine
Lloyd’s categorises cyber war wordings in aggregation clarity push (insuranceinsider.com)
Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets For Nation-State Hackers (newsweek.com)
Multiple Nation-State Threat Actors Exploit CVE-2022-47966 and CVE-2022-42475 | CISA
Vulnerability Management
Years-old Microsoft bugs are still hot targets for criminals • The Register
Old vulnerabilities are still a big problem - Help Net Security
Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)
How China gets free intel on tech companies’ vulnerabilities | Ars Technica
Vulnerabilities
Apple discloses 2 actively exploited zero-days in iPhones, Macs (securityaffairs.com)
Google patches 4 high-rated security issues in latest Chrome 116 update - gHacks Tech News
Two flaws in Apache SuperSet allow to remotely hack servers (securityaffairs.com)
Cisco Patches Critical Vulnerability in BroadWorks Platform - SecurityWeek
Multiple Notepad++ Flaws Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code (cybersecuritynews.com)
Hackers exploit MinIO storage system to breach corporate networks (bleepingcomputer.com)
ASUS routers vulnerable to critical remote code execution flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)
September Android updates fix zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cisco SSO authentication bug patched - Security - Networking - iTnews
Multiple Nation-State Threat Actors Exploit CVE-2022-47966 and CVE-2022-42475 | CISA
Security or performance? Zenbleed forces you to choose | Digital Trends
Tools and Controls
Many businesses still aren't using BYOD protection | TechRadar
Insights Into the Changing Landscape of Cyber Insurance - Frost Brown Todd | Full-Service Law Firm
Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)
An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard
IOCs vs Artifacts How to Filter Out the Noise (govinfosecurity.com)
Time and effort to obtain cyber insurance increasing for US businesses | CSO Online
Chrome extensions can steal plaintext passwords from websites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Dangling DNS Used to Hijack Subdomains of Major Organisations - SecurityWeek
Why DNS Security Can Be Your Most Problematic Blind Spot (hyas.com)
Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets For Nation-State Hackers (newsweek.com)
Rising Physical Incidents Should Drive C-Level Investment & Action (forbes.com)
Why Cyber Security Risk Assessment Matters in the Banking Industry (securityintelligence.com)
Cut through cyber security vendor hype with these 6 tips | TechTarget
IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online
Best practices for implementing a proper backup strategy - Help Net Security
Other News
Education Sector Heavily Targeted as the School Year Begins (databreaches.net)
Schools warned of cyberattack threat as new year begins | Science & Tech News | Sky News
Ways to protect WordPress sites and blogs from hacking | Kaspersky official blog
Insecure by design: What you need to know about defending critical infrastructure | CSO Online
Half of Switzerland's large companies have been the victim of a cyber attack | Euronews
Dangling DNS Used to Hijack Subdomains of Major Organizations - SecurityWeek
Securing the future: Safeguarding cyber-physical systems | CSO Online
25 Major Car Brands Get Failing Marks From Mozilla for Security and Privacy - SecurityWeek
Cyber security In Focus Ahead Of Berlin NATO Conference | OilPrice.com
10 old-school security principles that (still) rule | CSO Online
Surge in Hospital Hacks Endangers Patients, Cyber Official Says - WSJ
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 4th August 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 04 August 2023:
-Top 12 Exploited Vulnerabilities List Highlights Troubling Reality: Many Organisations Still Are Not Patching
-67% of Data Breaches Start with a Single Click, with 1 in 100 Emails Being Malicious
-Ransomware Attacks Hit All Time High. Attackers’ Motives Change, So Should Your Defence
-The Generative AI War Between Companies and Hackers is Starting
-Spend to Save: The CFO’s Guide to Cyber Security Investment
-Corporate Boards Take Heed: Give CISOs the Cold Shoulder at your Peril
-How the Talent Shortage Impacts Cyber Security Leadership
-Salesforce, Meta Suffer Phishing Campaign that Evades Typical Detection Methods
-Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge
-Microsoft Exposes Russian Hackers' Sneaky Phishing Tactics via Microsoft Teams Chats
-66% of Cyber security Leaders Don’t Trust Their Current Cyber Risk Mitigation Strategies
-Startups Should Move Fast and Remember Cyber Security
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence 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
Top 12 Exploited Vulnerabilities List Highlights Troubling Reality That Many Organisations Are Still Not Patching
A joint advisory from US and allied cyber security agencies highlights the top routinely exploited vulnerabilities. This is a list that includes old and well-known bugs that many organisations still have not patched, including some vulnerabilities that have been known for more than five years. The list underscores how exploiting years-old vulnerabilities in unpatched systems continues to dominate the threat landscape. Organisations are more likely to be compromised by a bug found in 2021 or 2020 than they are by ones discovered over the past year.
This report emphasises that a vulnerability management strategy relying solely on CVSS for vulnerability prioritisation is proving to be insufficient at best; CVSS is an established method for assigning criticality scores to known vulnerabilities based on different scoring criteria. Additional context is required to allow for a more scalable and effective prioritisation strategy. This context should stem from internal sources, for example, the target environment (asset criticality, mitigating controls, reachability), as well as from external sources, which will permit a better assessment of the likelihood and feasibility of exploitation. Most organisations have a limited patching capacity, affected by the tooling, processes, and skills at their disposal. The challenge is to direct that limited patching capacity towards vulnerabilities that matter most in terms of risk reduction. Therefore, the task of sifting the signal through the noise is becoming increasingly more important.
Sources: [HelpNetSecurity] [NSA.gov] [SCMagazine]
67% of Data Breaches Start with a Single Click, with 1 in 100 Emails Being Malicious
In a report that leveraged data from 23.5 billion cyber security attacks, spanning 500 threat types and 900 distinct infrastructure and software vulnerabilities it was found that approximately 67% of all breaches start with someone clicking on a seemingly safe link, which explains why adversaries begin 80-95% of all attacks with a phishing email.
A separate report found that there was a 36% rise in cyber attacks in the first half of 2023. Email continued to be the main vector for delivering malicious content, with as many as 1 in every 100 emails sent in the first half of 2023 found to be malicious. In addition, malware accounted for 20% of attacks, and business email compromise (BEC) constituted 8%.
The findings reinforce the need for organisations to employ effective and regular security awareness training for users to better help them to not only identify, but also report such attacks to help strengthen the cyber resilience of the organisation. Black Arrow offers bespoke training to all roles within the organisation as well as upskilling tailored to those at the board level.
Source: [Security Intelligence]
Ransomware Attacks Hit All Time High. Attackers’ Motives Change, So Should Your Defence
Cases of straight-up data theft and extortion now appear to be more widespread a threat than ransomware, becoming the single most observed threat in the second calendar quarter of 2023, according to new data released by researchers. 1,378 organisations have been named as victims on ransomware data-leak websites in Q2 2023. This was a 64.4% increase from the record-breaking number of victims named in Q1 2023.
Despite both the rise in threats and the high percentage of respondents whose organisations suffered recent attacks, there hasn’t been a corresponding uptick in strategic measures to shore up cyber resilience. In fact, close to four in five survey respondents don’t have complete confidence that their company has a cyber resilience strategy designed to address today’s escalating cyber challenges and threats.
Sources: [Forbes] [HelpNetSecurity] [ComputerWeekly] [SecurityBrief.co.nz] [Malwarebytes]
The Generative AI War Between Companies and Hackers is Starting
To no one’s surprise, criminals are tapping open-source generative AI programs for all kinds of heinous acts, including developing malware and phishing attacks, according to the FBI. This comes as the UK National Risk Register officially classes AI as a long-term security threat. It’s safe to say AI is certainly a controversial field right now, with the battle between companies and hackers really starting to take place; only recently had technology giants such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft met with the US President Joe Biden to pledge to follow safeguards.
A recent report from security firm Barracuda has found that between August 2022 and July 2023, ransomware attacks had doubled and this surge has largely been driven by the breaching of networks via AI-crafted phishing campaigns, as well as automating attacks to increase reach, again using AI.
Despite the controversy, AI can be of tremendous value to organisations, helping to streamline and automate tasks. Organisations employing or looking to employ AI in the workplace should also have effective governance and identification procedures over the usage of said AI. Equally, when it comes to defending against AI attacks, organisations need to have a clear picture of their attack landscape, with layers of defence.
Sources: [CSO Online] [PC MAG] [CNBC] [Tech Radar]
Spend to Save: The CFO’s Guide to Cyber Security Investment
As a CFO, you need to make smart choices about cyber security investments. The increasing impact of data breaches creates a paradox: While more spending is necessary to combat these challenges, this spending isn’t directly tied to profit. Instead, cyber security spending should be seen an investment in the future of your business.
The impact of a cyber event extends beyond quantifiable currency loss. Further impacts include those of reputation and customer retention. CFOs should look to identify weak spots, understand the effect these can have, pick the right solution that mitigates these and finally, advocate cyber security and robust governance at the board level.
It is important to remember, cyber security is not just a technical issue, but also a business one, and you have a key role in ensuring the security and resilience of your organisation.
Source: [Security Intelligence]
Corporate Boards Take Heed: Give CISOs the Cold Shoulder at your Peril
The debate over whether the CISO should, by the very nature of the position, be considered a member of the C-suite has been raging for some time and seems likely to continue for a good while to come. CISOs should not only have a seat among the uppermost echelon at the big table but also be recognised as a foundational element in the success of any business.
There is a danger that, without an effective CISO, organisations can end up in a perilous situation in which there's no one driving the cyber security bus at a time when vulnerabilities and incidents are ever on the rise. When the CISO has a seat at the big table, everybody wins.
Source [CSO Online]
How the Talent Shortage Impacts Cyber Security Leadership
The lack of a skilled cyber security workforce hampers the effectiveness of an organisation’s security program. While technologies like AI and machine learning can provide some support, they are not sufficient, especially for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). The cyber security workforce shortage affects not just current security but the future of leadership roles, including CISOs and CSOs.
Today’s CISOs require a blend of technology and business understanding. According to the (ISC)2 2022 Workforce Study, the global cyber security workforce is nearly 5 million and growing at 26% yearly. However, more than 3 million jobs still need to be filled, including specialised roles in cloud security, data protection, and incident response. This gap jeopardises functions like risk assessment, oversight, and systems patching.
The greatest talent shortage is found in soft skills, leading to a trend of looking outside the traditional security talent pool. The future of CISOs will likely require a solid security background, but as the talent gap widens, finding leadership candidates from the existing pool may remain challenging.
Source: [Security Intelligence]
Salesforce, Meta Suffer Phishing Campaign that Evades Typical Detection Methods
A recent report by cyber security company identified a sophisticated email phishing campaign exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Salesforce's legitimate email services. The vulnerability allowed threat actors to craft targeted phishing emails, cleverly evading conventional detection methods by leveraging Salesforce's domain and reputation and exploiting legacy quirks in Facebook's web games platform.
Whilst Facebook and Salesforce have now addressed the issue, it goes to show that technology alone is not enough to stop phishing; operational and people controls are still necessary and should form part of an effective organisational response.
Source: [Security Brief]
Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge
The cyber insurance industry has been heavily criticised for providing coverage for ransom payments. A frequent accusation, which has become close to perceived wisdom in policymaking and cyber security discussions on ransomware, is that cyber insurance has incentivised victims to pay a ransom following a cyber incident, rather than seek alternative remediation options. However, the insurance industry could do much more to instil discipline in both insureds and the ransomware response ecosystem in relation to ransom payments to reduce cyber criminals’ profits. Insurers’ role as convenors of incident response services gives them considerable power to reward firms that drive best practices and only guide victims towards payment as a last resort.
While the insurance industry has the power to do this, there are still challenges that need to be addressed in the underwriting process. Offering expensive policies that exclude common risks such as ransomware or nation-state attacks is simply not a sustainable approach. This has helped insurers become more profitable for now, but these are only short-term fixes to the real problem at hand. Namely, that the underwriting process for cyber insurance policies is still not that sophisticated. Most underwriters are poorly equipped to effectively measure the cyber risk exposure of new or renewing customers.
Sources: [RUSI] [Dark Reading]
Microsoft Exposes Russian Hackers' Sneaky Phishing Tactics via Microsoft Teams Chats
Microsoft on Wednesday disclosed that it identified a set of highly targeted social engineering attacks mounted by a Russian nation-state threat actor using credential theft phishing lures sent as Microsoft Teams chats. The tech giant attributed the attacks to a group it tracks as Midnight Blizzard.
"In this latest activity, the threat actor uses previously compromised Microsoft 365 tenants owned by small businesses to create new domains that appear as technical support entities" Microsoft said. "Using these domains from compromised tenants, Midnight Blizzard leverages Teams messages to send lures that attempt to steal credentials from a targeted organisation by engaging a user and eliciting approval of multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts."
Source: [TheHackerNews]
66% of Cyber security Leaders Don’t Trust Their Current Cyber Risk Mitigation Strategies
A recent report found that 66% of cyber security leaders don’t trust their current cyber risk mitigation strategies. It was also found that while 90% of respondents say their organisation has dedicated resources responsible for managing and reducing cyber risk, in almost half of situations (46%) this consists of just one person.
In some cases, it can be hard to get the necessary talent to build out the cyber security arm of an organisation; this is where organisations can look towards outsourcing to fulfil positions with expertise. At Black Arrow we offer many services to help you to govern your cyber security, including as virtual CISO that leverages our diverse team with backgrounds from British intelligence, board governance, IT and finance.
Source: [ITSecurityWire]
UK legal Sector at Risk, National Cyber Security Centre Warns
Over the past three years more than 200 ransomware attacks worldwide have been inflicted on companies in the legal industry. The UK was the second most-attacked country constituting 2.3% of all ransomware attacks across various sectors. The legal sector was the fourth most-attacked industry in the UK in 2022. Ransomware groups are indiscriminate in their targeting, attacking companies of all sizes, from small law firms with only ten employees to large firms with 1,000+ employees, and ranging in revenue from companies generating £100 million to those with under £3 million. No single kind of company is immune to these attacks.
The International Bar Association (IBA) has released a report to guide senior executives and boards in protecting their organisations from cyber risk. Entitled "Global perspectives on protecting against cyber risks: best governance practices for senior executives and boards of directors," the report aims to provide leaders with insight into the primary elements of a robust cyber risk management programme. Its recommendations for senior executives and boards encompass understanding the organisation's cyber risk profile, knowing what information assets to safeguard, being aware of significant regulatory requirements, and recognising the security standards utilised by the organisation.
Sources: [Todays Conveyancer] [Infosecurity Magazine]
Startups Should Move Fast and Remember Cyber Security
The importance of cyber security for startups, which can often be overlooked in the pursuit of fast-paced growth, cannot be overstated. However, cyber attacks can have devastating consequences for businesses of all sizes. The percentage of micro-businesses in the UK that consider cyber security a high priority has dropped from 80% to 68% in the past year, possibly due to wider economic pressures. Cyber criminals target businesses of all sizes, often initially using automated software to find weak spots. Startups can be particularly vulnerable due to their fast-paced environments and new or less familiar supply chains. The use of shared office spaces can also increase risk.
The UK DCMS/DSIT 2023 Cyber Security Breaches survey reported that almost a third of businesses (32%) and a quarter of charities (24%) reported breaches or attacks in the past 12 months alone, with the average victim losing £15,300. Startups have the unique advantage of being able to implement cyber security best practices from the outset and embed them into company culture. It is recommended that startups prioritise cyber security from the get-go to protect their business and ensure long-term growth.
Source: [UKTech] [Cyber security breaches survey 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)]
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Corporate boards take heed: Give CISOs the cold shoulder at your peril | CSO Online
How to lead your organisation through a ransomware attack | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
How the Talent Shortage Impacts Cyber security Leadership (securityintelligence.com)
From tech expertise to leadership: Unpacking the role of a CISO - Help Net Security
Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
Cyber Risk and Resiliency Report: Dueling Disaster in 2023 (informationweek.com)
Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)
CISOs Need Backing to Take Charge of Security (darkreading.com)
Create a ‘win-win’ scenario for security teams and cyber insurers | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Risk Appetite vs. Risk Tolerance: How are They Different? (techtarget.com)
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
67% of data breaches start with a single click - Help Net Security
AI-Enhanced Phishing Driving Ransomware Surge - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
The race against time in ransomware attacks - Help Net Security
As Ransomware Attackers’ Motives Changes, So Should Your Defence (forbes.com)
Ransomware gang increases attacks on insecure MSSQL servers | CSO Online
MOVEit Campaign Claims Millions More Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
How to lead your organisation through a ransomware attack | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
Ransomware Attacks on Industrial Organisations Doubled in Past Year: Report - SecurityWeek
In new ransomware model, cloud provider acts as front for bad actors: report | CSO Online
Researchers claim US-registered cloud host facilitated state-backed cyber attacks | TechCrunch
Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
Cyber criminals pivot away from ransomware encryption | Computer Weekly
Ransomware on manufacturing industry caused $46bn in losses - IT Security Guru
How Ransomware Gangs Enlist Insiders (And How to Stop Them) (makeuseof.com)
Linux version of Abyss Locker ransomware targets VMware ESXi servers (bleepingcomputer.com)
The Trickbot/Conti Crypters: Where Are They Now? (securityintelligence.com)
Ransomware Victims
MOVEit Campaign Claims Millions More Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Hawai'i Community College pays ransomware gang to prevent data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)
Scottish university UWS targeted by cyber attackers - BBC News
Tempur Sealy isolated tech system to contain cyber burglary • The Register
US govt contractor Serco discloses data breach after MoveIT attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
67% of data breaches start with a single click - Help Net Security
Russian Hackers Are Conducting Phishing Attacks via Microsoft Teams - MySmartPrice
Microsoft downplays damaging report on Chinese hacking its own engineers vetted | CyberScoop
Threat actors abuse Google AMP for evasive phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Humans Unable to Reliably Detect Deepfake Speech - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Artificial Intelligence
AI-Enhanced Phishing Driving Ransomware Surge - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
UK calls artificial intelligence a “chronic risk” to its national security | CSO Online
FBI warns of broad AI threats facing tech companies and the public | CyberScoop
As Artificial Intelligence Accelerates, Cyber crime Innovates (darkreading.com)
Another AI Pitfall: Digital Mirroring Opens New Cyber attack Vector (darkreading.com)
Intersection of generative AI, cyber security and digital trust | TechTarget
Hackers are using AI to create vicious malware, says FBI | Digital Trends
The generative A.I. war between companies and hackers is starting (cnbc.com)
Generative AI and cloud have created gaps in cyber security: Wipro report - BusinessToday
'DarkBERT' GPT-Based Malware Trains Up on the Entire Dark Web (darkreading.com)
A New Attack Impacts ChatGPT—and No One Knows How to Stop It | WIRED
Humans Unable to Reliably Detect Deepfake Speech - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
OWASP Top 10 for LLM applications is out! - Security Affairs
Think tank wants monitoring of China's AI-enabled products • The Register
UK spy agencies want to relax ‘burdensome’ laws on AI data use | Data protection | The Guardian
Researchers figure out how to make AI misbehave, serve up prohibited content | Ars Technica
Organisations want stronger AI regulation amid growing concerns - Help Net Security
Malware
Hackers Abusing Windows Search Feature to Install Remote Access Trojans (thehackernews.com)
Hackers can abuse Microsoft Office executables to download malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
IcedID Malware Adapts and Expands Threat with Updated BackConnect Module (thehackernews.com)
Hackers continue to distribute malware through hacked verified pages on Facebook - Neowin
'DarkBERT' GPT-Based Malware Trains Up on the Entire Dark Web (darkreading.com)
Attackers can turn AWS SSM agents into remote access trojans - Help Net Security
Hackers are infecting Modern Warfare 2 players with a self-spreading malware | TechSpot
Fruity Trojan Uses Deceptive Software Installers to Spread Remcos RAT (thehackernews.com)
Experts link AVRecon bot to malware proxy service SocksEscort - Security Affairs
New P2PInfect Worm Targets Redis Servers with Undocumented Breach Methods (thehackernews.com)
New persistent backdoor used in attacks on Barracuda ESG appliances - Help Net Security
MacOS malware discovered on Russian dark web forum | Security Magazine
Apple Users Open to Remote Control via Tricky macOS Malware (darkreading.com)
NodeStealer 2.0 takes over Facebook Business accounts - Security Affairs
Chrome malware Rilide targets enterprise users via PowerPoint guides (bleepingcomputer.com)
BlackBerry Discovers Crypto-Centric Malware Amid Stopping 1.5 Million Cyber a ttacks (ethnews.com)
Kaspersky crimeware report: Emotet, DarkGate and LokiBot | Securelist
CISA: New Submarine malware found on hacked Barracuda ESG appliances (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mobile
New Android malware uses OCR to steal credentials from images (bleepingcomputer.com)
CherryBlos Malware Uses OCR to Pluck Android Users' Cryptocurrency (darkreading.com)
Apple Sets New Rules for Developers to Prevent Fingerprinting and Data Misuse (thehackernews.com)
Google: Android patch gap makes n-days as dangerous as zero-days (bleepingcomputer.com)
New smartphone vulnerability could allow hackers to track user location (techxplore.com)
Hackers steal Signal, WhatsApp user data with fake Android chat app (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ukrainian hackers viciously troll Russian navy, send malware to their phones (tvpworld.com)
Botnets
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Navigating The Landscape Of Hacktivist DDoS Attacks (forbes.com)
Israel's largest oil refinery website offline amid cyber attack claims (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian hackers crash Italian bank websites, cyber agency says | Reuters
"Mysterious Team Bangladesh" Targeting India with DDoS Attacks and Data Breaches (thehackernews.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
Data Breaches/Leaks
Cyber security breaches exposed 146 million records - ITSecurityWire
Hack Crew Responsible for Stolen Data, NATO Investigates Claims (darkreading.com)
Doctors sign up to legal case against Capita over GP data breach - Pulse Today
Cyber attack on B.C. health websites may have taken workers’ personal information (thestar.com)
Cyber security Recovery Guide: How to Recover from a Data Breach (thelondoneconomic.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
As Artificial Intelligence Accelerates, Cyber crime Innovates (darkreading.com)
How Hackers Trick You With Basic Sales Techniques (makeuseof.com)
Space Pirates Turn Cyber Sabers on Russian, Serbian Organisations (darkreading.com)
Kaspersky crimeware report: Emotet, DarkGate and LokiBot | Securelist
Hacktivists fund their operations using common cyber crime tactics (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Crypto Hacks in July Resulted in $165 Million in Losses (beincrypto.com)
New Android malware uses OCR to steal credentials from images (bleepingcomputer.com)
Millions stolen from crypto platforms through exploited ‘Vyper’ vulnerability (therecord.media)
BlackBerry Discovers Crypto-Centric Malware Amid Stopping 1.5 Million Cyber a ttacks (ethnews.com)
Couple admit laundering $4B of stolen Bitfinex Bitcoins • The Register
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
How Ransomware Gangs Enlist Insiders (And How to Stop Them) (makeuseof.com)
US military battling cyber threats from within and without • The Register
Deepfakes
Humans Unable to Reliably Detect Deepfake Speech - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Insurance
Cyber Insurance and the Ransomware Challenge | Royal United Services Institute (rusi.org)
Cyber Insurance Underwriting Is Still Stuck in the Dark Ages (darkreading.com)
Create a ‘win-win’ scenario for security teams and cyber insurers | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Dark Web
'DarkBERT' GPT-Based Malware Trains Up on the Entire Dark Web (darkreading.com)
MacOS malware discovered on Russian dark web forum | Security Magazine
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Doctors sign up to legal case against Capita over GP data breach - Pulse Today
Capita boss quits as potential fine looms for huge hack of confidential data | Capita | The Guardian
Iran's APT34 Hits UAE With Supply Chain Attack (darkreading.com)
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Attackers can turn AWS SSM agents into remote access trojans - Help Net Security
New Microsoft Azure AD CTS feature can be abused for lateral movement (bleepingcomputer.com)
Generative AI and cloud have created gaps in cyber security: Wipro report - BusinessToday
In new ransomware model, cloud provider acts as front for bad actors: report | CSO Online
Researchers claim US-registered cloud host facilitated state-backed cyber attacks | TechCrunch
These Are the Top Five Cloud Security Risks, Qualys Says - SecurityWeek
Google warns companies about keeping hackers out of cloud infrastructure | CyberScoop
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Braverman fights Meta encryption plans ‘that aid paedophiles’ (thetimes.co.uk)
SCARF cipher sets new standards in protecting sensitive data - Help Net Security
Cult of Dead Cow hacktivists design encryption system for mobile apps - The Washington Post
Open Source
Open-source security challenges and complexities - Help Net Security
Linux version of Abyss Locker ransomware targets VMware ESXi servers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Biometrics
Social Media
Hackers continue to distribute malware through hacked verified pages on Facebook - Neowin
Social media giants on notice over foreign cyber threat (themandarin.com.au)
NodeStealer 2.0 takes over Facebook Business accounts - Security Affairs
Travel
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
Strengthening Cyber security: Can The SEC’s New Rules Be Enforced? (forbes.com)
CISA’s security-by-design initiative is at risk: Here’s a path forward | TechCrunch
What is the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)? | Definition from TechTarget
Organizations want stronger AI regulation amid growing concerns - Help Net Security
Materiality Definition Seen as Tough Task in New SEC Cyber Rules | Mint (livemint.com)
Cyber security Implementation Plan Offers a Roadmap for Cyber Priorities | Perkins Coie - JDSupra
Models, Frameworks and Standards
OWASP Top 10 for LLM applications is out! - Security Affairs
Security professionals unaware of NCSC Cyber Essentials framework - Lookout - IT Security Guru
What is SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2)? | Definition from TechTarget
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
How the Talent Shortage Impacts Cyber security Leadership (securityintelligence.com)
US Gov Rolls Out National Cyber Workforce, Education Strategy - SecurityWeek
Women two-thirds more likely to fear losing CNI security jobs than men - IT Security Guru
White House Cyber Workforce Strategy: No Quick Fix for Skills Shortage (darkreading.com)
Cyber workforce strategy requires buy-in across sectors, experts say - Nextgov/FCW
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Bar for UK crimes prosecuted with live facial recognition could get much lower | Biometric Update
FBI: Without Section 702, we can't ID cyber criminals • The Register
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
UK spy agencies want to relax ‘burdensome’ laws on AI data use | Data protection | The Guardian
Apple Sets New Rules for Developers to Prevent Fingerprinting and Data Misuse (thehackernews.com)
Instead of obtaining a warrant, the NSA would like to keep buying your data | Ars Technica
Tor’s shadowy reputation will only end if we all use it | Engadget
After talking to security expert, I deleted all Chrome extensions: they see everything | Cybernews
Nation State Actors, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage
Russia
BlueBravo Deploys GraphicalProton Backdoor Against European Diplomatic Entities (thehackernews.com)
Russian spies posed as Microsoft tech support in bid to hack governments (telegraph.co.uk)
Elon Musk ‘stopped Ukraine military using Starlink for military operation’ | The Independent
Researchers Expose Space Pirates' Cyber Campaign Across Russia and Serbia (thehackernews.com)
MacOS malware discovered on Russian dark web forum | Security Magazine
Kazakhstan Rebuffs US Extradition Request for Russian Cyber security Expert - The Moscow Times
Russian hackers crash Italian bank websites, cyber agency says | Reuters
Ukrainian hackers viciously troll Russian navy, send malware to their phones (tvpworld.com)
China
FBI warns of broad AI threats facing tech companies and the public | CyberScoop
Multiple Chinese APTs establish major beachheads inside sensitive infrastructure | Ars Technica
US senator victim-blames Microsoft for Chinese hack • The Register
Patchwork Hackers Target Chinese Research Organizations Using EyeShell Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
US Tech Sanctions Against China Are Starting to Bite Hard | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)
Think tank wants monitoring of China's AI-enabled products • The Register
Microsoft downplays damaging report on Chinese hacking its own engineers vetted | CyberScoop
US military battling cyber threats from within and without • The Register
Iran
Iran's APT34 Hits UAE With Supply Chain Attack (darkreading.com)
Iranian Company Plays Host to Reams of Ransomware, APT Groups (darkreading.com)
North Korea
Misc/Other/Unknown
Vulnerability Management
Relying on CVSS alone is risky for vulnerability management - Help Net Security
40% of Log4j Downloads Still Vulnerable (securityintelligence.com)
What Causes a Rise or Fall in Fresh Zero-Day Exploits? (govinfosecurity.com)
Piles of Unpatched IoT, OT Devices Attract ICS Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)
Microsoft comes under blistering criticism for “grossly irresponsible” security | Ars Technica
Vulnerabilities
Exploitation of Recent Citrix ShareFile RCE Vulnerability Begins - SecurityWeek
Over 640 Citrix servers backdoored with web shells in ongoing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
New flaw in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile actively exploited in the wild - Security Affairs
Second Ivanti EPMM Zero-Day Vulnerability Exploited in Targeted Attacks - SecurityWeek
Apple iOS, Google Android Patch Zero-Days in July Security Updates | WIRED UK
US fears attacks will continue against Ivanti MDM installs • The Register
Microsoft fixes WSUS servers not pushing Windows 11 22H2 updates (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers exploit BleedingPipe RCE to target Minecraft servers, players (bleepingcomputer.com)
Firefox 116: improved upload performance and security fixes - gHacks Tech News
Tenable CEO accuses Microsoft of negligence in addressing security flaw | CyberScoop
Tools and Controls
Data Loss Prevention for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses - IT Security Guru
Cyber Insurance Underwriting Is Still Stuck in the Dark Ages (darkreading.com)
Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)
US, Australia Issue Warning Over Access Control Vulnerabilities in Web Applications - SecurityWeek
Data stolen from millions via missing web app access checks • The Register
Keeping the cloud secure with a mindset shift - Help Net Security
Strengthening security in a multi-SaaS cloud environment | TechCrunch
5 Essential Tips For Data Security On The Cloud (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
AI has a place in cyber, but needs effective evaluation | Computer Weekly
Top 5 benefits of SASE to enhance network security | TechTarget
MDR 40-Plus: Top Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Companies: 2023 Edition - MSSP Alert
What is Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)? (thehackernews.com)
Unified XDR and SIEM Alleviate Security Alert Fatigue (darkreading.com)
What is an ISMS (Information Security Management System)? | UpGuard
VPNs remain a risky gamble for remote access - Help Net Security
Insider Threat Protection And Modern DLP (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Risk Appetite vs. Risk Tolerance: How are They Different? (techtarget.com)
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
UK Military Embraces Security by Design - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Cyber criminals targeting medical info warns FBI | KSNV (news3lv.com)
How local governments can combat cyber crime - Help Net Security
Governments and public services facing 40% more cyber attacks (securitybrief.co.nz)
Utilities Face Security Challenges as They Embrace Data in New Ways (darkreading.com)
Microsoft Flags Growing Cyber security Concerns for Major Sporting Events (thehackernews.com)
Nearly All Modern CPUs Leak Data to New Collide+Power Side-Channel Attack - SecurityWeek
80 percent of digital certificates vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks (betanews.com)
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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Links to articles are for interest and awareness and linking to or reposting external content does not endorse any service or product, likewise we are not responsible for the security of external links.
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 16 June 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 16 June 2023:
-Hacker Gang Clop Deploys Extortion Tactics Against Global Companies
-Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally
-Creating A Cyber-Conscious Culture—It Must Be Driven from the Top
-Artificial Intelligence is Coming to Windows: Are Your Security Policy Settings Ready?
-Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs
-Massive Phishing Campaign Uses 6,000 Sites to Impersonate 100 Brands
-A Recent Study Shows Over One in Ten Brits are Willing to Engage in ‘Illegal or Illicit’ Online Behaviour as the Cost of Living Crisis Worsens, Driving Insider Threat Concerns
-Microsoft Office 365 Phishing Reveals Signs of Much Larger BEC Campaign
-Europol Warns of Metaverse and AI Terror Threat
-What is AI, and is it Dangerous?
-Cyber Liability Insurance Vs. Data Breach Insurance: What's the Difference?
-Exploring the Dark Web: Hitmen for Hire and the Realities of Online Activities
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
Hacker Gang Clop Deploys Extortion Tactics Against Global Companies
The Russian-speaking gang of hackers that compromised UK groups such as British Airways and the BBC has claimed it has siphoned off sensitive data from more institutions including US-based investment firms, European manufacturers and US universities. Eight other companies this week made it onto Clop’s list on the dark web. That adds to the news last week that UK groups, including Walgreens-owned Boots, informed employees that their data had been compromised. The issue also targeted customers of Zellis, a UK-based payroll provider that about half of the companies on the FTSE 100 use.
The hacking group is pushing for contact with the companies on the list, according to a post on Clop’s dark web site, as the gang demands a ransom that cyber security experts and negotiators said could be as much as several million dollars.
https://www.ft.com/content/c1db9c5c-cdf1-48bc-8e6b-2c2444b66dc9
Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally
Business email compromise (BEC) continues to evolve on the back of sophisticated targeting and social engineering, costing businesses worldwide more than $50 billion in the last 10 years - a figure that reflected a growth in business losses to BEC of 17% year-over-year in 2022, according to the FBI.
Security professionals attribute BEC's continued dominance in the cyber threat landscape to several reasons. A key one is that attackers have become increasingly savvy in how to socially-engineer messages so that they appear authentic to users, which is the key to being successful at this scam. And with the increase in availability of artificial intelligence, the continued success of BEC means these attacks are here to stay. Organisations will be forced to respond with even stronger security measures, security experts say.
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/social-engineering-drives-bec-losses-to-50b-globally
Creating A Cyber Conscious Culture—It Must Be Driven from the Top
Businesses are facing more frequent and sophisticated cyber threats and they must continuously learn new ways to protect their revenues, reputation and maintain regulatory compliance. With hybrid and remote working blurring traditional security perimeters and expanding the attack surface, the high volumes of sensitive information held by organisations are at increased risk of cyber attacks.
The increase had led to cyber elevating to the board level; after all the board is responsible for cyber security. It doesn’t stop there however, as everyone in an organisation has responsibility for upholding cyber security. The board must aim to create a cyber-conscious culture, where users are aware of their role in cyber security. One important way such a culture can be achieved is through providing regular education and training to all users.
Artificial Intelligence is Coming to Windows: Are Your Security Policy Settings Ready?
What’s in your Windows security policy? Do you review your settings on an annual basis or more often? Do you provide education and training regarding the topics in the policy? Does it get revised when the impact of an incident showcases that an internal policy violation led to the root cause of the issue? And, importantly, do you have a security policy that includes your firm’s overall policies around the increasing race towards artificial intelligence, which is seemingly in nearly every application released these days?
From word processing documents to the upcoming enhancements to Windows 11, which will include AI prompting in the Explorer platform, organisations should review how they want their employees to treat customer data or other confidential information when using AI platforms. Many will want to build limits and guidelines into their security plans that specify what is allowed to be entered into platforms and websites that may store or share the information online. However, confidential information should not be included in any application that doesn’t have clearly defined protections around the handling of such data. The bottom line is that AI is coming to your network and your desktop sooner than you think. Build your policies now and review your processes to determine if you are ready for it today.
Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs
Cyber criminals are increasingly targeting an organisation’s employees, figuring to trick an untrained staffer to click on a malicious link that starts a malware attack, Fortinet said in a newly released study of security awareness and training.
More than 80% of organisations faced malware, phishing and password attacks last year, which were mainly targeted at users. This underscores that employees can be an organisation’s weakest point or one of its most powerful defences.
Fortinet’s research revealed that more than 90% of the survey’s respondents believe that increased employee cyber security awareness would help decrease the occurrence of cyber attacks. As organisations face increasing cyber risks, employees serving as an organisation’s first line of defence in protecting their organisation from cyber crime becomes of paramount importance.
Massive Phishing Campaign Uses 6,000 Sites to Impersonate 100 Brands
A widespread brand impersonation campaign targeting over a hundred popular apparel, footwear, and clothing brands has been underway since June 2022, tricking people into entering their account credentials and financial information on fake websites. The brands impersonated by the phony sites include Nike, Puma, Asics, Vans, Adidas, Columbia, Superdry, Converse, Casio, Timberland, Salomon, Crocs, Sketchers, The North Face and others.
A recent report found the campaign relies on at least 3,000 domains and roughly 6,000 sites, including inactive ones. The campaign had a significant activity spike between January and February 2023, adding 300 new fake sites monthly. The domain names follow a pattern of using the brand name together with a city or country, followed by a generic TLD such as ".com." Additionally, any details entered on the checkout pages, most notably the credit card details, may be stored by the website operators and resold to cyber criminals.
Over One in Ten Brits are Willing to Engage in ‘Illegal or Illicit’ Online Behaviour
A recent study found that 11% of Brits were tempted to engage in ‘illegal or illicit online behaviour’ in order to help manage the fallout from the cost of living crisis. This statistic becomes even more concerning when focused on younger people, with almost a quarter of 25–35 year old respondents (23%) willing to consider illegal or illicit online activity. Of those willing to engage in this kind of behaviour, 56% suggested it was because they are desperate and struggling to get by, and need to find alternative means of supporting their families.
Nearly half (47%) of UK business leaders believe their organisation has been at a greater risk of attack since the start of the cost-of-living crisis. Against this backdrop, many SME business leaders are understandably worried about the impact on employees. Of those who think their organisation is more exposed to attack, 38% believe it’s due to malicious insiders and 35% to overworked and distracted staff making mistakes. Organisations not doing so already, should look to incorporate insider threat into their security plans. Insider threat should focus on areas such as regular education and monitoring and detection.
The report found that 44% of respondents have also noticed an uptick in online scams hitting their inboxes since the cost of living crisis began in late 2021/early 2022. Another worrying finding is that this uptick is proving devastatingly effective for scammers: over one in ten (13%) of UK respondents have already been scammed since the cost of living crisis began. This rises to a quarter (26%) of respondents in the 18-25 age range, reflecting a hyper-online lifestyle and culture that scammers can work to exploit effectively.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/costofliving-crisis-drives-insider/
Microsoft Office 365 Phishing Reveals Signs of Much Larger BEC Campaign
Recently, Microsoft discovered multi-stage adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attacks against banking and financial services organisations. The attackers are successfully phishing employees’ accounts with fake Office 365 domains. This allows them to bypass authentication, exfiltrate data and send further phishing emails against other employees and several targeted external organisations. In some cases, threat actors have registered their own device to the employee’s account, to evade MFA defences and achieve persistent access.
https://securityaffairs.com/147327/hacking/aitm-bec-attacks.html
https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/adversary-in-middle-attack-campaign.html
Europol Warns of Metaverse and AI Terror Threat
New and emerging technologies like conversational AI, deepfakes and the metaverse could be utilised by terrorists and extremists to radicalise and recruit converts to their cause, Europol has warned. The report stated that the online environment lowers the bar for entering the world of terrorism and extremism, broadens the range of people that can become exposed to radicalisation and increases the unpredictability of terrorism and extremism.
Europol also pointed to the potential use of deepfakes, augmented reality and conversational AI to enhance the efficiency of terrorist propaganda. Both these technologies and internet of things (IoT) tools can also be deployed in more practical tasks such as the remote operation of vehicles and weapons used in attacks or setting up virtual training camps. Digital currencies are also playing a role in helping to finance such groups while maintaining the anonymity of those contributing the funding, Europol said.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/europol-warns-metaverse-and-ai/
What is AI, and is it Dangerous?
Recently, we saw the release of the first piece of EU regulation on AI. This comes after a significant rise in the usage of tools such as ChatGPT. Such tools allow for even those with limited technical ability to perform sophisticated actions. In fact, usage has risen 44% over the last three months alone, according to a report.
Rather worryingly, there is a lack of governance on the usage of AI, and this extends to how AI is used within your own organisation. Whilst the usage can greatly improve actions performed within an organisation, the report found that 6% of employees using AI had pasted sensitive company data into an AI tool. Would your organisation know if this happened, and how damaging could it be to your organisation if this data was to be leaked? Continuous monitoring, risk analysis and real-time governance can help aid an organisation in having an overview of the usage of AI.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65855333
https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/new-research-6-of-employees-paste.html
Cyber Liability Insurance Vs. Data Breach Insurance: What's the Difference?
With an ever-increasing number of cyber security threats and attacks, companies are becoming motivated to protect their businesses and customer data both technically and financially. Finding the right insurance has become a key part of the security equation.
Companies looking to protect themselves have most likely heard the terms “cyber liability insurance” and “data breach insurance.” Put simply, cyber liability insurance refers to coverage for third-party claims asserted against a company stemming from a network security event or data breach. Data breach insurance, on the other hand, refers to coverage for first-party losses incurred by the insured organisation that has suffered a loss of data.
Exploring the Dark Web: Hitmen for Hire and the Realities of Online Activities
The dark web makes up a significant portion of the internet. Access can be gained through special browser, TOR, also known as the onion Router. The service bounces around IP addresses, constantly changing to protect the anonymity of the user.
This dark web contains an array of activities and sites, which include hitmen for hire, drugs for sale, and stolen credit card databases amongst others. Sometimes these aren’t real however, and are actually a trap to steal money from users on the basis that these users are unlikely to report it to law enforcement when the victim was trying to break the law in the first place. What we do know however, is that the dark web contains a plethora of information, and this could include data from your organisation.
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Creating A Cyber-Conscious Culture—It Must Be Driven From The Top (forbes.com)
Most businesses vulnerable to attacks on the cyber battlefield - The Globe and Mail
10 Important Security Tasks You Shouldn't Skip (darkreading.com)
Enhancing security team capabilities in tough economic times - Help Net Security
Ignoring digital transformation is more dangerous than a recession - Help Net Security
Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)
Lax security measures, sophisticated hackers reason for rise in cyber breaches (ewn.co.za)
Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert
Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online
Red teaming can be the ground truth for CISOs and execs - Help Net Security
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
CL0P Ransomware Gang Hits Multiple Governments, Businesses in Wide-Scale Attack - MSSP Alert
How Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intel Can Help Prevent Ransomware (darkreading.com)
Researchers Report First Instance of Automated SaaS Ransomware Extortion (darkreading.com)
Why Critical Infrastructure Remains a Ransomware Target (darkreading.com)
Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)
CISA: LockBit ransomware extorted $91 million in 1,700 US attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft links data wiping attacks to new Russian GRU hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)
To Fight Cyber Extortion and Ransomware, Shift Left (trendmicro.com)
Ransomware Hackers and Scammers Utilizing Cloud Mining to Launder Cryptocurrency (thehackernews.com)
Russian ransomware hacker extorted tens of millions, says DOJ (cnbc.com)
Ransomware Victims
Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register
Confidential data downloaded from UK regulator Ofcom in cyber attack (therecord.media)
Oil and gas giant Shell confirms it was impacted by Clop ransomware attacks (therecord.media)TfL warns 13,000 staff that it was raided by Russian hackers (telegraph.co.uk)
Russian hackers steal data on thousands of Ulez drivers (telegraph.co.uk)
An Illinois hospital links closure to ransomware attack (nbcnews.com)
US energy department, other agencies hit in global hacking spree | Reuters
iTWire - Financial services firm FIIG hit by cyber attack, ALPHV claims credit
Xplain data breach also impacted national Swiss railway FSS - Security Affairs
Rhysida ransomware leaks documents stolen from Chilean Army (bleepingcomputer.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Microsoft Office 365 AitM phishing reveals signs of much larger BEC campaign | CSO Online
Adversary-in-the-Middle Attack Campaign Hits Dozens of Global Organisations (thehackernews.com)
Log4J exploits may rise further as Microsoft continues war on phishing | ITPro
Popular Apparel, Clothing Brands Being Used in Massive Phishing Scam (darkreading.com)
Massive phishing campaign uses 6,000 sites to impersonate 100 brands (bleepingcomputer.com)
BEC – Business Email Compromise
Microsoft warns of multi-stage AiTM phishing and BEC attacks - Security Affairs
Analysis: Social Engineering Drives BEC Losses to $50B Globally (darkreading.com)
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Artificial Intelligence
New Research: 6% of Employees Paste Sensitive Data into GenAI tools as ChatGPT (thehackernews.com)
Artificial intelligence is coming to Windows: Are your security policy settings ready? | CSO Online
Europol Warns of Metaverse and AI Terror Threat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
How Europe is Leading the World in the Push to Regulate AI - SecurityWeek
AI is moving too fast to regulate, security minister warns (telegraph.co.uk)
AI to render humans 'second most intelligent creations' | ITWeb
LLM meets Malware: Starting the Era of Autonomous Threat - Security Affairs
What is AI, is it dangerous and what jobs are at risk? - BBC News
Calculations Suggest It'll Be Impossible to Control a Super-Intelligent AI : ScienceAlert
2FA/MFA
Multi-Factor Authentication Usage Nearly Doubles Since 2020, New Okta Report Finds - MSSP Alert
Small organisations outpace large enterprises in MFA adoption - Help Net Security
Malware
New SPECTRALVIPER Backdoor Targeting Vietnamese Public Companies (thehackernews.com)
New Loader Delivering Spyware via Image Steals Cryptocurrency Info (darkreading.com)
Pirated Windows 10 ISOs install clipper malware via EFI partitions (bleepingcomputer.com)
Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fake zero-day PoC exploits on GitHub push Windows, Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
LLM meets Malware: Starting the Era of Autonomous Threat - Security Affairs
New ‘Shampoo’ Chromeloader malware pushed via fake warez sites (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian hackers use PowerShell USB malware to drop backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fake Security Researcher Accounts Pushing Malware Disguised as Zero-Day Exploits - SecurityWeek
Vidar Malware Using New Tactics to Evade Detection and Anonymize Activities (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Microsoft’s Azure portal down following new claims of DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
DOS Attacks Dominate, but System Intrusions Cause Most Pain (darkreading.com)
Swiss government warns of ongoing DDoS attacks, data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)
IoT Botnet DDoS Attacks Threaten Global Telecom Networks, Nokia (hackread.com)
10 Different Types of DDoS Attacks and How to Prevent Them (geekflare.com)
Exclusive: Inside FXStreet's DDoS Attack (financemagnates.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
IoT Botnet DDoS Attacks Threaten Global Telecom Networks, Nokia (hackread.com)
How secure is your vehicle with digital key technology? - Help Net Security
Flipper Zero “Smoking” A Smart Meter Is A Bad Look For Hardware Hackers | Hackaday
Data Breaches/Leaks
Another huge US medical data breach confirmed after Fortra mass-hack | TechCrunch
New Research: 6% of Employees Paste Sensitive Data into GenAI tools as ChatGPT (thehackernews.com)
Top 10 cyber security findings from Verizon's 2023 data breach report | VentureBeat
Xplain data breach also impacted national Swiss railway FSS - Security Affairs
Examining the long-term effects of data privacy violations - Help Net Security
A Massive Vaccine Database Leak Exposes IDs of Millions of Indians | WIRED
Swiss Fear Government Data Stolen in Cyber attack - SecurityWeek
Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register
Have I Been Pwned warns of new Zacks data breach impacting 8 million (bleepingcomputer.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Hackers steal $3 million by impersonating crypto news journalists (bleepingcomputer.com)
Beware: 1,000+ Fake Cryptocurrency Sites Trap Users in Bogus Rewards Scheme (thehackernews.com)
New Loader Delivering Spyware via Image Steals Cryptocurrency Info (darkreading.com)
Cryptocurrency Attacks Quadrupled as Cyber criminals Cash In (darkreading.com)
Ransomware Hackers and Scammers Utilizing Cloud Mining to Launder Cryptocurrency (thehackernews.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert
Insider Threat Vs Outsider Threat: Which Is Worse? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Impersonation Attacks
Insurance
Ransomware Insurance: Security Strategies to Obtain Coverage (trendmicro.com)
Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Cloud/SaaS
SaaS Ransomware Attack Hit Sharepoint Online Without Using a Compromised Endpoint - SecurityWeek
New MOVEit Transfer critical flaws found after security audit, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)
Seven steps for using zero trust to protect your multicloud • The Register
New cloud security guidance: it's all about the config - NCSC.GOV.UK
Microsoft keeps quiet on talk of possible Azure DDoS attack • The Register
Encryption
Open Source
Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fake zero-day PoC exploits on GitHub push Windows, Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
Thoughts on scheduled password changes (don’t call them rotations!) – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Microsoft misused our dark web data, says security vendor • The Register
RDP honeypot targeted 3.5 million times in brute-force attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Want to be hacked? Just make these password mistakes | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)
Training, Education and Awareness
Digital Transformation
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
AI is moving too fast to regulate, security minister warns (telegraph.co.uk)
Ofcom, Minnesota Dept of Ed among latest MOVEit victims • The Register
Confidential data downloaded from UK regulator Ofcom in cyber attack (therecord.media)
Yet more direct calling fiends fined by UK's data watchdog • The Register
How Europe is Leading the World in the Push to Regulate AI - SecurityWeek
Feds extend deadline for software security attestations • The Register
Models, Frameworks and Standards
Data Protection
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Examining the long-term effects of data privacy violations - Help Net Security
Strava heatmap feature can be abused to find home addresses (bleepingcomputer.com)
US Intelligence Has Admitted Amassed Data on 'Nearly Everyone' (gizmodo.com)
Feds Say Facial Recognition IDed Bosnian War Criminal Miljkovic (gizmodo.com)
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Putin’s little cyber helpers turn their sights on the UK (telegraph.co.uk)
Russia-Ukraine war sending shockwaves into cyber-ecosystem • The Register
Ukrainian hackers take down service provider for Russian banks (bleepingcomputer.com)
RomCom Threat Actor Targets Ukrainian Politicians, US Healthcare (darkreading.com)
Pro-Russian hackers step up attacks against Swiss targets, authorities say | Reuters
Russian hackers steal data on thousands of Ulez drivers (telegraph.co.uk)
Microsoft links data wiping attacks to new Russian GRU hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)
Russian hackers use PowerShell USB malware to drop backdoors (bleepingcomputer.com)
Pro-Russian Hackers Target Website of Europe’s Largest Port in Rotterdam - Bloomberg
Russia-linked APT Gamaredon update TTPs in recent attacks against Ukraine - Security Affairs
Russia-backed hackers unleash new USB-based malware on Ukraine’s military | Ars Technica
Nation State Actors
Chinese hackers use DNS-over-HTTPS for Linux malware communication (bleepingcomputer.com)
Iran's 'quantum processor' turned out to be a $600 dev board | PC Gamer
China-based threat actors target UIDAI, AIIMS, ICMR: Govt advisory (moneycontrol.com)
Subsea cables: how the US is pushing China out of the internet’s plumbing
Ukraine information sharing a model for countering China, top cyber official says | CyberScoop
Chinese Threat Actor Abused ESXi Zero-Day to Pilfer Files From Guest VMs (darkreading.com)
North Korea created evil twin of South Korea's Naver.com • The Register
Behind the Scenes Unveiling the Hidden Workings of Earth Preta (trendmicro.com)
Gloucester: Russian hackers behind cyber-attack on council - BBC News
Critical Barracuda ESG Zero-Day Linked to Novel Chinese APT (darkreading.com)
Russian ransomware hacker extorted tens of millions, says DOJ (cnbc.com)
Vulnerability Management
Vulnerabilities
Third Flaw Uncovered in MOVEit Transfer App Amidst Cl0p Ransomware Mass Attack (thehackernews.com)
Bitwarden update corrects password manager access vulnerability on Windows - gHacks Tech News
Fortinet: Patched Critical Flaw May Have Been Exploited (darkreading.com)
Bitwarden update corrects password manager access vulnerability on Windows - gHacks Tech News
CISA orders federal agencies to secure Internet-exposed network devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft June 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 78 flaws, 38 RCE bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)
Log4J exploits may rise further as Microsoft continues war on phishing | ITPro
New Critical Google Chrome Payments Security Issue Confirmed (forbes.com)
Critical Security Vulnerability Discovered in WooCommerce Stripe Gateway Plugin (thehackernews.com)
VMware fixes critical flaws in Aria Operations for Networks (CVE-2023-20887) - Help Net Security
US energy department, other agencies hit in global hacking spree | Reuters
Tools and Controls
Ignoring digital transformation is more dangerous than a recession - Help Net Security
Cyber Crooks Targeting Employees, Organisations Fight Back with Training Programs - MSSP Alert
Cyber liability insurance vs. data breach insurance: What's the difference? | CSO Online
Red teaming can be the ground truth for CISOs and execs - Help Net Security
How Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intel Can Help Prevent Ransomware (darkreading.com)
What is Dark Web Monitoring and How Does It Work? | Trend Micro News
New cloud security guidance: it's all about the config - NCSC.GOV.UK
Why Now? The Rise of Attack Surface Management (thehackernews.com)
Exploring the All-Time Best Book for Ethical Hacking – Codelivly
Enhancing security team capabilities in tough economic times - Help Net Security
Small organisations outpace large enterprises in MFA adoption - Help Net Security
MSSQL makes up 93% of all activity on honeypots tracking 10 databases | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
5 best practices to ensure the security of third-party APIs | CSO Online
Multi-Factor Authentication Usage Nearly Doubles Since 2020, New Okta Report Finds - MSSP Alert
Reports Published in the Last Week
Sector Specific
Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.
Contact us to receive tailored reports specific to the industry/sector and geographies you operate in.
· Automotive
· Construction
· Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
· Defence & Space
· Education & Academia
· Energy & Utilities
· Estate Agencies
· Financial Services
· FinTech
· Food & Agriculture
· Gaming & Gambling
· Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)
· Health/Medical/Pharma
· Hotels & Hospitality
· Insurance
· Legal
· Manufacturing
· Maritime
· Oil, Gas & Mining
· OT, ICS, IIoT, SCADA & Cyber-Physical Systems
· Retail & eCommerce
· Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)
· Startups
· Telecoms
· Third Sector & Charities
· Transport & Aviation
· Web3
As usual, contact us to help assess where your risks lie and to ensure you are doing all you can do to keep you and your business secure.
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