Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 17 May 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Social Engineering is the Biggest Cyber Threat, as Study Finds Most Workers Have Clicked on a Suspicious Email Link

According to a recent report, half of office workers have clicked on a link or attachment within a suspicious email sent to their work address within the last 12 months, and of those that interacted with the email, half of them claimed to be confident in their ability to identify phishing emails.

With 68% of breaches involving the human element, your organisation must be cognisant of its employees. Hackers know that no matter what your tech stack is, you will always have employees and where there is an employee, there is a way into your organisation. It is far cheaper to exploit an employee who already has the access you require, than to develop a new exploit. It only takes one human to make a mistake by granting access to an attacker.  

When it came to training, only 41% of respondents said their employer had provided formal cyber security awareness training and 79% said their previous training is not sufficient to keep pace with modern cyber threats.

Source: [HackerNoon] [BusinessPlus]

Business Leaders are Stressing Out Over Pace of Technological Change, as Cyber Security Incidents Seen as Main Business Disruptor

A recent report commissioned by BT reveals that 86% of UK business leaders suffer from 'tech-related stress,' particularly concerning AI and cyber security, a phenomenon they have termed as 'Bytmares.' The report found that 59% of business leaders worry about the rapid and relentless pace of tech advancement, and whether appropriate controls are in place to protect it.

According to a different survey, 74% of business leaders view cyber security incidents as the main disruptive threat to their organisations either currently or over the next twelve months. This was followed by cloud computing, internet of things and artificial intelligence.

These findings highlight the critical importance of robust cyber security measures in today’s interconnected world. As organisations increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, safeguarding sensitive data and systems becomes paramount. Cyber threats can disrupt operations, compromise customer trust, and result in financial losses. Remember, cyber security is not just an IT concern; it is a strategic imperative for every organisation.

Sources: [Beta News] [Telecoms] [Verdict]

ICO Warns That Many UK Businesses Neglect Basic Cyber Security: More Ransomware and Cyber Attacks Last Year Than Ever Before

A recent update from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has revealed that ransomware attacks in the UK have surpassed all previous years, up 52% from the previous year. The report found that finance, retail and education sectors are suffering the most incidents.

The leading causes of breaches include phishing, brute force attacks, errors and supply chain attacks. The ICO noted that many organisations still neglect basic cyber security measures and has called for enhanced efforts to combat the escalating threat, emphasising the importance of foundational controls.

Sources: [Tech Monitor] [Government Business] [The Record Media] [Tech Monitor]

Data Breaches are Getting Worse, Many are Employee Errors or Social Engineering Attacks

The latest Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) highlights that employee error is the leading cause of cyber security incidents in the EMEA region, accounting for 49% of cases. The top reasons for these incidents are “miscellaneous errors, system intrusion, and social engineering,” making up 87% of all breaches. Hackers primarily target personal information (64%), internal data (33%), and login credentials (20%). Despite zero-day vulnerabilities being a significant threat, with exploitation rising to 14% of breaches, the report emphasises the critical need for ongoing employee training and awareness to mitigate these risks.

Source: [TechRadar]

Why Cyber Insurance isn’t a Substitute for Cyber Risk Management

While cyber insurance can be beneficial in mitigating financial loss from cyber attacks, it is not a substitute for comprehensive cyber risk management. Many firms with cyber insurance have still fallen victim to attacks, highlighting that cyber insurance primarily transfers residual risk. Effective cyber risk management includes conducting proper risk assessments and implementing robust cyber security controls. Cyber insurance cannot resolve issues like business disruption, breach of client confidentiality, and compliance with legal obligations; this stresses the need for proactive measures and independent assurance to protect against cyber threats.

Source: [ Law Society of Scotland]

China Presents Defining Challenge to Global Cyber Security, Says GCHQ

A recent speech by the new director of the UK’s GCHQ highlighted China's growing cyber threat, describing it as an "epoch-defining challenge." She warned that China's destabilising actions undermine global internet security. The current head of the UKs’ NCSC echoed these concerns, pointing to the Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Volt Typhoon which has infiltrated critical sectors like energy and transportation. The National Cyber Director at the White House added that China’s cyber capabilities pose a significant threat to global infrastructure, particularly in crisis scenarios, as Chinese hackers increasingly use sophisticated techniques to pre-position within networks.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Botnet Sent Millions of Emails in LockBit Black Ransomware Campaign

Since April, millions of phishing emails have been sent through a botnet known as “Phorpiex” to conduct a large-scale LockBit Black ransomware campaign. In a warning from New Jersey’s Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, it was explained that the attackers use ZIP attachments containing an executable that deploys the LockBit Black payload, which encrypts the recipients' systems if launched. The emails are sent from 1,500 unique IP addresses worldwide.

Sources: [Bleeping Computer]

Global Financial Stability at Risk Due to Cyber Threats, IMF warns

A new International Monetary Fund (IMF) report highlights the severe threat cyber attacks pose to global financial stability, revealing that nearly 20% of reported cyber incidents in the past two decades targeted the financial sector, causing $12 billion in direct losses. Since 2020, these attacks have led to an estimated $2.5 billion in direct losses. The report underscores that cyber incidents threaten financial institutions' operational resilience, potentially leading to funding challenges and reputational damage. The IMF calls for bolstered cyber security measures, including stress testing, information-sharing arrangements, and enhanced national cyber security strategies to mitigate these growing risks.

Source: [World Economic Forum]

Ongoing Campaign Bombards Enterprises with Spam Emails and Phone Calls

An ongoing social engineering campaign that is bombarding enterprises with spam calls and emails has been uncovered. The campaign involves a threat actor overwhelming a user’s email with junk, followed by a call offering to assist in removing the junk. From here, the threat actor aims to convince the victim to download remote monitoring and management software such as AnyDesk or Microsoft’s built in Quick Assist feature to allow the attacker remote access to the victim’s machine.

Source: [The Hacker News]

Santander Data Breach via Third-Party Provider Impacted Customers and Employees

A recent disclosure by the Spanish bank Santander revealed a data breach at a third-party provider affecting customers in Chile, Spain, and Uruguay. Unauthorised access to a database hosted by the provider compromised information on all current and some former employees, but did not include transactional data, online banking details, or passwords. Santander said they swiftly implemented measures to contain the incident, blocking access to the compromised database and enhancing fraud prevention controls. The bank assured that its operations and systems remain unaffected, allowing customers to continue transacting securely. The number of impacted individuals remains unspecified.

There is a continued trend in third party providers being used as the soft underbelly to attack larger and better defended organisations, requiring all organisations to consider the security controls of their third parties.

Source: [securityaffairs.com]

40% of Cyber Teams Have Held Back from Reporting Cyber Attacks Over Fear of Losing Jobs

Recent research has revealed that 40% of cyber teams have not reported a cyber attack due to the fear of losing their job. Unfortunately, this leaves businesses at risk of being non-compliant, without even knowing so. When it came to challenges faced by organisations, it was found that nearly 20% of companies say a lack of qualified talent is a key challenge to overcoming cyber attacks and 32% did not have the resources to hire new staff. This is not to say however, they are unable to outsource some of their cyber function to cyber specialists. This lack of allocated resources prevents the organisation from being confident that any incidents have been appropriately remediated.

Source: [Business Wire]

Digital Resilience – a Step Up from Cyber Security

In an increasingly digital world, many organisations are unaware of how truly reliant they are on digital technology, and the accompanying risks. As we move toward an even more digitally dependent future, the need for digital resilience is more critical than ever. Digital resilience refers to the ability to maintain, change, or recover technology-dependent operations. Organisations should begin with an internal audit to assess their digital resilience, involving all departments and ensuring senior management oversight, as board involvement is essential for effective cyber security programmes.

Digital resilience goes beyond cyber security to encompass change management, business resilience, and operational risk. Implementing digital resilience strategies requires continuous adaptation, cross-functional collaboration, and embedding resilience thinking throughout the organisation. Businesses must integrate digital resilience into their strategic planning to ensure ongoing competitiveness and adaptability in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Sources: [CSO Online] [CSO Online]

UK Lags Europe on Exploited Vulnerability Remediation

A new report by Bitsight reveals that UK organisations lag behind their European counterparts in remediating software flaws listed in the US ‘Known Exploited Vulnerability’ (KEV) catalogue. UK organisations take an average of 225 days to address KEVs, compared to 220 days for European entities and just 21 days for German organisations. Non-KEV vulnerabilities are patched at an even slower rate, with UK entities taking over two years (736 days) to patch. Globally, the average time to resolve KEVs is around six months (180 days). Despite fewer KEVs detected in UK environments (30% versus 43% in Europe), the slow remediation poses significant risks, emphasising the need for faster and more proactive cyber security measures, specifically robust vulnerability scanning and patching.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Cyber Threats Demand More Focus Says Zurich, as UK Insurance And NCSC Join Forces to Fight Ransomware Payments

A recent discussion at the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) conference highlighted the increasing importance of cyber security for businesses, driven by the surge in cyber attacks and the use of AI by criminal gangs. Zurich Resilience Solutions UK noted that businesses face greater scrutiny from underwriters over their cyber exposures.

BIBA, together with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), and the International Underwriting Association (IUA), have united with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in a joint effort to tackle ransom payments. As a result of their collaboration, they have published new best practice guidance, which aims to reduce the number of payments being made by UK victims as well as the disruption businesses face.

Source: [Emerging Risks] [NCSC] [Infosecurity Magazine]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• ICO calls on all organisations to boost their cyber security amid growing threat of cyber attacks | Practical Law (thomsonreuters.com)

• Firms neglecting cyber security basics - ICO - CIR Magazine

• Why cyber insurance isn’t a substitute for cyber risk management. | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)

• Business leaders consider cyber security main disruptor – Q1 2024 survey - Verdict

• 40% of Cyber Teams Have Not Reported Cyber Attacks Over Fear of Losing Jobs, According to New VikingCloud Research | Business Wire

• The Growing Cyber Security Disconnect Leaves Enterprises Exposed (forbes.com)

• Cyber Security Is a Top Investor Concern | HackerNoon

• Cyber threats demand more focus – Zurich (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Digital resilience – a step up from cyber security | CSO Online

• Keep it secret, keep it safe: the essential role of cyber security in document management | CSO Online

• Cyber anxiety on the rise in the UK (betanews.com)

• UK business leaders are stressing out over pace of technological change (telecoms.com)

• Dancing on the Head of a Pin: Corporate Boards, Committees and Cyber Security Risk Management | The Volkov Law Group - JDSupra

• 44% of Cyber Security Professionals Struggle with Regulatory Compliance - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber attacks threaten global financial stability, IMF warns | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• BISO: Enhancing cyber security in modern enterprises - SiliconANGLE

• Dell Data Breach Underscores Cost of Cyber Security Complacency (pymnts.com)

• What Is Cyber Risk Quantification? | HackerNoon

• Cyber and Financial Crime, Through the FBI Lens (govinfosecurity.com)

• A Third of CISOs Have Been Dismissed “Out of Hand” By the Board - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Maximizing cyber security ROI: A strategic approach | TechRadar

• Many CISOs don't feel they get the right respect from their board | TechRadar

• Cyber high on agenda at BIBA amid concerns over threats (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Lloyd’s updates cyber war wordings - Reinsurance News

• Are you meeting your cyber insurance requirements? - Help Net Security

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Botnet sent millions of emails in LockBit Black ransomware campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• UK hit by more ransomware and cyber attacks last year than ever before (therecord.media)

• The ups and downs (and ups again) of the ransomware risk - Digital Journal

• Hackers Target Children of Corporate Executives in Ransomware Attacks (businessinsider.com)

• CISA: Black Basta ransomware breached over 500 orgs worldwide (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber attacks leave significant financial impact on hacked organisations (kwch.com)

• As the FBI Closes In, Scattered Spider Attacks Finance, Insurance Orgs (darkreading.com)

• UK Insurance and NCSC Join Forces to Fight Ransomware Payments - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK insurance industry begins to acknowledge role in tackling ransomware (therecord.media)

• The UK may not have a choice on a ransomware payment ban | Computer Weekly

• 64% Jump in Ransomware Claims on Remote Access Tools, Report Shows (claimsjournal.com)

• Cyber Criminals Exploiting Microsoft's Quick Assist Feature in Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Organisations struggle to defend against ransomware - Help Net Security

• Ransomware statistics that reveal alarming rate of cyber extortion - Help Net Security

• Most ransomware-hit enterprises report to authorities, but level of support varies | ZDNET

• Ransomware negotiator weighs in on the payment debate • The Register

• OODA Loop - The Social Engineering Tactics of Ransomware-as-a-Service Operator Black Basta

• INC ransomware source code selling on hacking forums for $300,000 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What is ransomware recovery? | Definition from TechTarget

• Ransomware Defence Strategies: Never Trust a Criminal (inforisktoday.com)

Ransomware Victims

• More than 470 legal actions against HSE over cyber attack (rte.ie)

• It's been a bad week for public cyber security | TechRadar

• Christie's Just Postponed the Rare Watches Auction Due to Cyber Attack (robbreport.com)

• Singing River Health System: Data of 895,000 stolen in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Repeat Offenders: Black Basta’s Latest Healthcare Cyber Attack (informationweek.com)

• E-prescription provider MediSecure impacted by a ransomware attack (securityaffairs.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Social Engineering is the Biggest Cyber Threat | HackerNoon

• Most Workers Have Clicked on a Suspicious Email Link (businessplus.ie)

• Botnet sent millions of emails in LockBit Black ransomware campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Stay In The Loop On Emerging And Evolving Email Threat Trends (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Collaboration tools are now at the frontline in the battle against phishing (securitybrief.co.nz)

• 5 Common Phishing Vectors and Examples - 2024 (cybersecuritynews.com)

BEC

• Visualizing Global Losses from Financial Scams (visualcapitalist.com)

Other Social Engineering

• Social Engineering is the Biggest Cyber Threat | HackerNoon

• Low-tech tactics still top the IT security risk chart | CSO Online

• Ongoing Campaign Bombards Enterprises with Spam Emails and Phone Calls (thehackernews.com)

• What is vishing and quishing, and how do you protect yourself? | PCWorld

• Beware of fake calls, ward off cyber criminals: Govt - The Statesman

• OODA Loop - The Social Engineering Tactics of Ransomware-as-a-Service Operator Black Basta

Artificial Intelligence

• UK Government Unveils New AI Cyber Security Measures as ICO Details Importance of Data Protection | The Fintech Times

• UK agency releases tools to test AI model safety | TechCrunch

• Security industry struggles to consolidate against AI threats - SiliconANGLE

• Cyber Security Races to Unmask New Wave of AI Deepfakes (darkreading.com)

• Only one-third of firms deploy safeguards against generative AI threats, report finds | CIO Dive

• CISOs Reconsider Their Roles in Response to GenAI Integration - Security Boulevard

• AI's rapid growth puts pressure on CISOs to adapt to new security risks - Help Net Security

• Insider Risk in the Generative AI Era - InfoRiskToday

• AI-driven attacks seen as chief cloud security threat | TechTarget

• Concern over AI cyber threats among UK infrastructure organisations | Security News (sourcesecurity.com)

• The Cyber Security Survival Guide For Generative AI (forbes.com)

2FA/MFA

• How to Prevent Attacks that Bypass MFA - InfoRiskToday

Malware

• Malware was almost 50% of threat detections in Q1 2024 | Security Magazine

• North Korean Hackers Deploy New Golang Malware 'Durian' Against Crypto Firms (thehackernews.com)

• FIN7 Hacker Group Leverages Malicious Google Ads to Deliver NetSupport RAT (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft fixes Windows zero-day exploited in QakBot malware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ebury botnet malware infected 400,000 Linux servers since 2009 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Kimsuky hackers deploy new Linux backdoor via trojanized installers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Man destroys his laptop after downloading 1,000 viruses to see which anti-virus software works the best (unilad.com)

Mobile

• Malicious Android Apps Pose as Google, Instagram, WhatsApp to Steal Credentials (thehackernews.com)

• Google Issues Critical Update For Millions Of Pixel Users (forbes.com)

• Apple Patch Day: Code Execution Flaws in iPhones, iPads, macOS - Security Week

• Threat actors may have exploited a zero-day in older iPhones, Apple warns (securityaffairs.com)

• Apple warns of increased iPhone security risks – Computerworld

• Apple and Google agree on standard to alert people when unknown Bluetooth devices may be tracking them | TechCrunch

• Protect against iPhone trojan GoldPickaxe: How-to - 9to5Mac

• Unwanted Tracking Alerts Rolling Out to iOS, Android - Security Week

• Apple blocked $7 billion in fraudulent App Store purchases in 4 years (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Android boosting security with Theft Detection Lock, factory reset protection  (9to5google.com)

• Data Privacy: All the Ways Your Cellphone Carrier Tracks You and How to Stop It

• Your Android phone could have stalkerware — here’s how to remove it | TechCrunch

Internet of Things – IoT

• Attack makes autonomous vehicle tech ignore road signs • The Register

• Millions of IoT Devices at Risk From Integrated Modem (darkreading.com)

• Prison for cyber security expert selling private videos from inside 400,000 homes (bitdefender.com)

• IoT Vulnerabilities and BotNet Infections: A Risk for Executives - Security Boulevard

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Over 5.3 billion data records exposed in April 2024 | Computer Weekly

• MoD contractor hacked by China failed to report breach for months | Hacking | The Guardian

• Data breaches are getting worse - and many are coming from a familiar source | TechRadar

• Notorious threat actor IntelBroker claims the hack of the Europol (securityaffairs.com)

• Hacker claims another breach into Dell systems | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Dell Data Breach Underscores Cost of Cyber Security Complacency (pymnts.com)

• Hacker claims to have stolen Dell customer data, twice. Here's how to protect yourself | ZDNET

• Santander Data Breach Impacts Customers, Employees - Security Week

• Employee data breaches up 41% - Personnel Today

• The legal sector's data breach conundrum: insights from ICO's latest report - Solicitors Journal

• JPMorgan Chase Suffers Data Breach Affecting Personal Information of 451,809 Customers - The Daily Hodl

• JPMorgan Fixes Security Flaw, Affects 450K Retirement Plans | Entrepreneur

• Europol confirms incident after data break-in claims • The Register

• Largest non-bank lender in Australia warns of a data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Guernsey data breaches: More than 1,000 people affected - BBC News

• Up to 120,000 affected by data breach at City of Helsinki (helsinkitimes.fi)

• Billion-Dollar Bank Sued After Revealing Massive Data Breach Affecting Thousands of Customers, Exposing Account Details, Social Security Numbers and Medical Information: Report - The Daily Hodl

• Okta’s security chief on the company’s own cyber attack and how the ‘battleground’ has shifted (therecord.media)

• Camden Council cyber attack warning after NRS Healthcare cyber attack | Ham & High (hamhigh.co.uk)

• Lessons learned from high-profile data breaches | TechTarget

• Zscaler Confirms Only Isolated Test Server Was Hacked - Security Week

• Nissan North America data breach impacts over 53,000 employees (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• FBI, DoJ Shut Down BreachForums, Launch Investigation (darkreading.com)

• Cyber and Financial Crime, Through the FBI Lens (govinfosecurity.com)

• FBI working towards nabbing Scattered Spider hackers, official says | Reuters

• Low-tech tactics still top the IT security risk chart | CSO Online

• The Growing Cyber Threat Landscape: Insights into State-Sponsored and Criminal Cyber Activities | HackerNoon

• Top 5 Most Dangerous Cyber Threats in 2024 (darkreading.com)

• Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• North Korean Hackers Deploy New Golang Malware 'Durian' Against Crypto Firms (thehackernews.com)

• Tornado Cash cryptomixer dev gets 64 months for laundering $2 billion (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US brothers arrested for stealing $25m in crypto in just 12 seconds - BBC News

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Low-tech tactics still top the IT security risk chart | CSO Online

• Data breaches are getting worse - and many are coming from a familiar source | TechRadar

• Insider Risk in the Generative AI Era - InfoRiskToday

• The Human Element in Cyber Security: Safeguarding your organisation (thebusinessmagazine.co.uk)

• CISOs call to ditch the 'stigma of blame' in cyber security (computing.co.uk)

Insurance

• Why cyber insurance isn’t a substitute for cyber risk management. | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)

• NCSC guide to help businesses facing ransomware demands (biba.org.uk)

• UK insurance industry begins to acknowledge role in tackling ransomware (therecord.media)

• UK Insurance and NCSC Join Forces to Fight Ransomware Payments - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Lloyd’s provides tighter guidance on cyber war wordings | Insurance Insider

• Cyber high on agenda at BIBA amid concerns over threats (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Are you meeting your cyber insurance requirements? - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Most Companies Affected by Software Supply Chain Attacks in the Last Year, Struggling to Detect and React Effectively - IT Security Guru

• Santander: a data breach at a third-party provider impacted customers and employees (securityaffairs.com)

• MoD contractor hacked by China failed to report breach for months | Hacking | The Guardian

• Okta’s security chief on the company’s own cyber attack and how the ‘battleground’ has shifted (therecord.media)

Cloud/SaaS

• How to create a cloud security policy, step by step | TechTarget

• AI-driven attacks seen as chief cloud security threat | TechTarget

• Singapore Cyber Security Update Puts Cloud Providers on Notice (darkreading.com)

• Secrecy Concerns Mount Over Spy Powers Targeting US Data Centres | WIRED

Encryption

• You want us to think of the children? Couldn't agree more • The Register

Linux and Open Source

• Ebury botnet malware infected 400,000 Linux servers since 2009 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Kimsuky hackers deploy new Linux backdoor via trojanized installers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Establishing a security baseline for open source projects - Help Net Security

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• The 10 most common 4-digit PIN numbers — are you at risk of a cyber attack? (nypost.com)

Social Media

• It’s time to ban TikTok for the sake of our democracy and security (politicshome.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• The Future of Security Awareness - GovInfoSecurity

• The Human Element in Cyber Security: Safeguarding your organisation (thebusinessmagazine.co.uk)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Singapore Cyber Security Update Puts Cloud Providers on Notice (darkreading.com)

• Clock is ticking for companies to prepare for EU NIS2 Directive | CSO Online

• Nigeria Halts Cyber Security Tax After Public Outrage (darkreading.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Clock is ticking for companies to prepare for EU NIS2 Directive | CSO Online

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The cyber security skills shortage: A CISO perspective | CSO Online

• Why cyber security staff burn out, and what to do about it (computing.co.uk)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• As the FBI Closes In, Scattered Spider Attacks Finance, Insurance Orgs (darkreading.com)

• FBI, DoJ Shut Down BreachForums, Launch Investigation (darkreading.com)

• Most ransomware-hit enterprises report to authorities, but level of support varies | ZDNET

• Prison for cyber security expert selling private videos from inside 400,000 homes (bitdefender.com)

• Tornado Cash cryptomixer dev gets 64 months for laundering $2 billion (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US brothers arrested for stealing $25m in crypto in just 12 seconds - BBC News

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Lloyd’s updates cyber war wordings - Reinsurance News

• Civil society under increasing threats from ‘malicious’ state cyber actors, US (therecord.media)

Nation State Actors

China

• Cyber threat landscape permanently altered by Chinese operations, US officials say (therecord.media)

• GCHQ boss says China's 'genuine' cyber threat 'weakens security of internet for all' | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• Tracking the Progression of Earth Hundun's Cyber espionage Campaign in 2024 | Trend Micro (US)

• When Chinese Nationalist Hackers Go Rogue (globelynews.com)

• Can't blame all Chinese cyber attacks on the government - Asia Times

• How the West has struggled to keep up with China’s spy threat - BBC News

• Stifling Beijing in cyber space big focus for UK operatives • The Register

• China focuses on non-military ways to take Taiwan, reports warn - Washington Times

• It’s time to ban TikTok for the sake of our democracy and security (politicshome.com)

• Asian Threat Actors Use New Techniques to Attack Familiar Targets (darkreading.com)

• Chinese Crime Ring Uses Franchise Model to Grow Fake Online Shops (businessinsider.com)

• Three men charged with aiding Hong Kong intelligence service, says Met | UK news | The Guardian

Russia

• Russia is ramping up sabotage across Europe (economist.com)

• File Not Found: Russia Is Hacking Evidence of Its War Crimes - War on the Rocks

• NATO Draws a Cyber Red Line in Tensions With Russia - Security Week

• Pro-Russia hackers targeted Kosovo government websites (securityaffairs.com)

• Russian Actors Weaponize Legitimate Services in Multi-Malware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK 'increasingly concerned' about Russian intelligence links to hacktivists (therecord.media)

• To the Moon and back(doors): Lunar landing in diplomatic missions (welivesecurity.com)

• New backdoors on a European government's network appear to be Russian (therecord.media)

• 'Russian' hackers deface potentially hundreds of local British news sites (therecord.media)

• Investigation: How Russia's Warplanes Get Their 'Brain Power' From The West, Despite Sanctions

• The Three Seas Initiative: A Vanguard in Digitization and Cyber Security | Warsaw Institute

Iran

• Iran most likely to launch destructive cyber attack on US • The Register

North Korea

• Asian Threat Actors Use New Techniques to Attack Familiar Targets (darkreading.com)

• North Korean Hackers Deploy New Golang Malware 'Durian' Against Crypto Firms (thehackernews.com)

---

Vulnerability Management

• Not Just MOVEit: 2023 Was a Banner Year for Zero-Days (inforisktoday.com)

• (Cyber) Risk = Probability of Occurrence x Damage (thehackernews.com)

• Critical vulnerabilities take 4.5 months on average to remediate - Help Net Security

• The Fall of the National Vulnerability Database (darkreading.com)

• Backlogs at National Vulnerability Database prompt action from NIST and CISA | CSO Online

• UK Lags Europe on Exploited Vulnerability Remediation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Log4J shows no sign of fading, spotted in 30% of CVE exploits - Help Net Security

• NIST Confusion Continues as Cyber Pros Complain CVE Uploads Stopped - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Heartbleed: When Is It Good to Name a Vulnerability? (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Google Chrome emergency update fixes 6th zero-day exploited in 2024 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google patches third exploited Chrome zero-day in a week (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Threat actors may have exploited a zero-day in older iPhones, Apple warns (securityaffairs.com) 

• Microsoft Patches 61 Flaws, Including Two Actively Exploited Zero-Days (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber Criminals Exploiting Microsoft's Quick Assist Feature in Ransomware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft fixes Windows zero-day exploited in QakBot malware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Log4J shows no sign of fading, spotted in 30% of CVE exploits - Help Net Security

• D-Link Routers Vulnerable to Takeover Via Exploit for Zero-Day (darkreading.com)

• New Wi-Fi Vulnerability Enables Network Eavesdropping via Downgrade Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Intel Publishes 41 Security Advisories for Over 90 Vulnerabilities  - Security Week

• Google Issues Critical Update For Millions Of Pixel Users (forbes.com)

• Apple Patch Day: Code Execution Flaws in iPhones, iPads, macOS - Security Week

• CISA and FBI Issue Alert on Path Traversal Vulnerabilities - Security Boulevard

• VMware Patches Severe Security Flaws in Workstation and Fusion Products (thehackernews.com)

• Firefox 126: Telemetry, privacy feature, and security fixes - gHacks Tech News

• SAP Patches Critical Vulnerabilities in CX Commerce, NetWeaver - Security Week

• Adobe Patches Critical Flaws in Reader, Acrobat - Security Week

• Cisco Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA

• Microsoft shares temp fix for Outlook encrypted email reply issues (bleepingcomputer.com)

---

Tools and Controls

• Why cyber insurance isn’t a substitute for cyber risk management. | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)

• Digital resilience – a step up from cyber security | CSO Online

• Dancing on the Head of a Pin: Corporate Boards, Committees and Cyber Security Risk Management | The Volkov Law Group - JDSupra

• How To Implement Threat Modeling To Protect Your Business - Minutehack

• How to create a cloud security policy, step by step | TechTarget

• Hackers use DNS tunneling for network scanning, tracking victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• AWS CISO: In AI gold rush, folks forget application security • The Register

• What Is Cyber Risk Quantification? | HackerNoon

• Best Practices for Preparing for a Cyber Breach | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• Ridding your network of NTLM | CSO Online

• Maximizing cyber security ROI: A strategic approach | TechRadar

• What is ransomware recovery? | Definition from TechTarget

• The Human Element in Cyber Security: Safeguarding your organisation (thebusinessmagazine.co.uk)

• Addressing the Cyber Security Vendor Ecosystem Disconnect (darkreading.com)

• The Future of Security Awareness - GovInfoSecurity

• Microsoft Deploys Generative AI for US Spies | WIRED

• How to Think About Foundation Models for Cyber Security | Andreessen Horowitz (a16z.com)

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• Learning from the mistakes of others – A retrospective review | ICO

• 2024 Browser Security Report (layerxsecurity.com)

• At-Bay's 2024 InsurSec Report [Download Now]

• Kaspersky’s Incident Response Analyst report 2023 (kasperskycontenthub.com)

---

Other News

• Microsoft president summoned to House over security blunders • The Register

• National Cyber Security Centre: Tech market not working - The Business Magazine

• Critical infrastructure security needs everyone's help • The Register

• Your Hospital Is Under Cyber Attack. Now What? (newsweek.com)

• BT, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone on UK Router Security and Upgrades - ISPreview UK

• Hackers use DNS tunnelling for network scanning, tracking victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• NCSC CTO: Broken market must be fixed to usher in new tech • The Register

• Public Sector IT is Broken: Turning the System Back On - IT Security Guru

• The Cyber Security Implications Of Gen Z’s Tech-Savvy Lifestyle (forbes.com)

• Fortify Your Digital Defences: Top Home Cyber Security Strategies for Personal Protection | HackerNoon

• Classes cancelled as 'sinister' school cyber attacks rise - BBC News

• Irony abounds as UK NCSC’s simple door codes revealed • The Register

• Candidates to get cyber security support amid general election interference fears (nation.cymru)

• NCSC launches Share and Defend capability | UKAuthority

• Too many ICS assets are exposed to the public internet - Help Net Security

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 19 April 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted by Attackers

Organisations that have backed up sensitive data may believe they are safe from the effects of ransomware attacks; however a new study by Sophos reported that cyber criminals attempted to compromise the backups of 94% of companies hit by ransomware in the past year. The research found that criminals can demand a higher ransom when they compromise an organisation’s backup data, and those victims are twice as likely to pay. The median ransom demand is $2.3 million when backups are compromised, compared to $1 million otherwise.

Additionally, sectors like state and local governments, along with media and entertainment, are particularly vulnerable with nearly all affected organisations experiencing backup compromises.

Source: [Tech Republic]

Sharing IT Providers Is a Risk for Financial Services, Says IMF, as Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability

The International Monetary Fund has found that with greater digitalisation and heightened geopolitical tensions comes a greater risk of cyber attack with systemic consequences. The IMF noted that losses more than quadrupled since 2017 to $2.5 billion.

The push for technology has led to a number of financial services institutions relying on third-party IT firms, increasing their susceptibility to cyber disruption on a wider scale and a potential ripple effect were a third party to be hit. Whilst such third parties can increase the cyber resilience of a financial services institution, they also expose the industry to systemwide shocks, the IMF reports.

The IMF recommend institutions should identify potential systematic risks in their third-party IT firms. If the organisation is unable to perform such risk assessments, they should seek the expert support of an independent cyber security specialist.

Sources: [The Banker] [IMF]

Hackers are Threatening to Publish a Huge Stolen Sanctions and Financial Crimes Watchlist

A cyber crime group named GhostR has claimed responsibility for stealing 5.3 million records from the World-Check database, which companies use for "know your customer" (KYC) checks to screen potential clients for financial crime risks. The data theft occurred in March and originated from a Singapore-based firm with access to World-Check. The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), which owns World-Check, confirmed that the breach involved a third-party's dataset and not their systems directly. The stolen data includes sensitive information on individuals identified as high-risk, such as government-sanctioned figures and those linked to organised crime. LSEG is coordinating with the affected third party and authorities to protect the compromised data and prevent its dissemination.

Source: [TechCrunch]

Your Annual Cyber Security Is Not Working, But There is a Solution

Most organisations utilise annual security training in an attempt to ensure every department develops their cyber awareness skills and is able to spot and report a threat. However, this training is often out of date. Additionally, often training has limited interactivity, failing to capture and maintain employees’ attention and retention. On top of this, many training courses fail to connect employees to real-world scenarios that could occur in their specific job.

To get the most return on investment, organisations need to have more regular education, with the aim of long-term behavioural shifts in the work place, nudging employees towards greater cyber hygiene.

Source: [TechRadar]

73% of Security Professionals Say They’ve Missed, Ignored or Failed to Act on a High Priority Security Alert

A new survey from Coro, targeting small medium enterprises (SME) cyber security professionals, reveals that 73% have missed or ignored high priority security alerts due to overwhelming workloads and managing multiple security tools. The 2024 SME Security Workload Impact Report highlights that SMEs are inundated with alerts and responsibilities, which dilute their focus from critical security threats. On average, these professionals manage over 11 security tools and spend nearly five hours daily on tasks like monitoring and patching vulnerabilities. Respondents handle an average of over 2,000 endpoint security agents across 656 devices, more than half dealing with frequent vendor updates.

Source: [Business Wire]

Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index

The inaugural World Cybercrime Index (WCI) identifies Russia, Ukraine, and China as the top sources of global cyber crime. This index, the first of its kind, was developed over four years by an international team from the University of Oxford and the University of New South Wales, with input from 92 cyber crime experts. These experts ranked countries based on the impact, professionalism, and technical skills of their cyber criminals across five cyber crime categories, including data theft, scams, and money laundering. Russia topped the list, followed by Ukraine and China, highlighting their significant roles in high-tech cyber criminal activities. The index, expected to be updated regularly, aims to provide a clearer understanding of cyber crime's global geography and its correlation with national characteristics like internet penetration and GDP. Of note the UK and US also made the top ten list, so it is not just other countries we need to worry about.

Top ten Countries in full:

1.       Russia

2.       Ukraine

3.       China

4.       United States

5.       Nigeria

6.       Romania

7.       North Korea

8.       United Kingdom

9.       Brazil

10.   India

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Police Takedown Major Cyber Fraud Superstore: Will the Cyber Crime Industry Become More Fragmented?

The London Metropolitan Police takedown of online fraud service LabHost serves as a reminder of the industrial scale on which cyber crimes are being performed, with the service amassing 480,000 debit or credit card numbers and 64,000 PINs: all for the subscription price of £300 a month. The site even included tutorial videos on how to commit crime and offered customer service.

Such takedowns can lead to fragmentation. The 2,000 individuals subscribed to LabHost may have lost access but where there is demand, supply will be found. The takedown of one service allows other, small services to fill the gap. As the saying goes ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ and it is especially true when it comes to cyber crime; there is too much business for empty spaces not to be filled.

Sources: [ITPro] [The Guardian]

Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cyber Security as Top Threat

Small businesses are experiencing a stable business climate, as reflected by the Small Business Index, indicating an increasing optimism about the economy. However, the recent surge in cyber attacks, including major assaults on UnitedHealth Group and MGM Resorts, has underscored the growing vulnerability of these businesses to cyber crime. Despite 80% of small to medium-sized enterprises feeling well-protected by their IT defences, a Devolutions survey reveals that 69% of them still fell victim to cyber attacks last year. This has led to cyber security being viewed as the greatest threat by 60% of small businesses, even surpassing concerns over supply chain disruptions and the potential for another pandemic.

The average cost of these attacks ranges from $120,000 to $1.24 million, leading to 60% of affected businesses closing within six months. This vulnerability is further compounded by a common underestimation of the ransomware threat. While 71% of businesses feel prepared for future threats, the depth of this preparedness varies, with only 23% feeling very prepared for cyber security challenges.

Sources: [Claims Journal] [Inc.com]

The Threat from Inside: Insider Threats Surge 14% Annually as Cost-of-Living Crisis Bites

Employee fraud grew significantly last year thanks to the opportunities afforded by remote working and the pressures of a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, according to Cifas, an anti-fraud non-profit. The number of individuals recorded in its cross-sector Insider Threat Database (ITD) increased 14% year-on-year (YoY) in 2023, with the most common reason being “dishonest action to obtain benefit by theft or deception” (49%).

Insider threats – both by accident or with malicious intent – by their own employees are overlooked, despite accounting for 58% of cybersecurity breaches in recent years. As a result, a large proportion of businesses may lack any strategy to address insider risks, leaving them vulnerable to financial, operational and reputational harm.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine] [TechRadar]

Dark Web Sales Driving Major Rise in Credential Attacks as Attackers Pummel Networks with Millions of Login Attempts

Dark web sales are driving a major rise in credential attacks, with a surge in infostealer malware attacks over the last three years significantly heightening the cyber crime landscape. Kaspersky reports a sevenfold increase in data theft attacks, leading to the compromise of over 26 million devices since 2022. Cyber criminals stole roughly 400 million login credentials last year alone, often sold on dark web markets for as low as $10 per log file. These stolen credentials have become a lucrative commodity, fostering a complex economy of initial access brokers who facilitate broader corporate network infiltrations. The Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions have been particularly affected, with millions of credentials stolen annually.

Simultaneously, Cisco’s Talos team warns of a current credential compromise campaign targeting networks via mass login attempts to VPN, SSH, and web apps. Attackers use a mix of generic and specific usernames with nearly 100 passwords from about 4,000 IP addresses, likely routed through anonymising services (such as TOR). These attacks pose risks like unauthorised access, account lockouts, and potential denial-of-service. The attack volume has increased since 18 March this year mirroring a previous alert by Cisco about a similar campaign affecting VPNs. Despite method and infrastructure similarities, a direct link between these campaigns is yet to be confirmed.

Sources: [Ars Technica] [Data Breach Today]

Large Enterprises Experience Breaches, Despite Large Security Stacks; Report Finds 93% of Breaches Lead to Downtime and Data Loss

93% of enterprises admitting to having had a breach have suffered significant consequences, ranging from unplanned downtime to data exposure or financial loss, according to a recent report. 73% of organisations made changes to their IT environment at least quarterly, however only 40% tested their security at the same frequency. Unfortunately, this means that many organisations are facing a significant gap in which changes in the IT environment are untested, and therefore their risk unknown.

Security tools can aid this, however as the report finds, despite having a large number of security stacks, 51% still reported a breach in the past 24 months. Organisations must keep in mind that security extends beyond the technical realm, and it needs to include people and operations.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Help Net Security]

Charities Doing Worse than Private Sector in Staving off Cyber Attacks

Recent UK Government data reveals a significant cyber security challenge for charities, with about a third experiencing breaches this past year, equating to nearly 924,000 cyber crimes. Notably, 83% of these incidents involved phishing, with other prevalent threats including fraud emails and malware. The data found that 63% of charities said cyber security was a high priority for senior management, however, charities lag behind the private sector in adopting security monitoring tools and conducting risk assessments.

Additionally, while half of the charities implement basic cyber hygiene defences like malware protection and password policies, only about 40% seek external cyber security guidance.

Source: [TFN]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber attack volumes peak in first quarter | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar

• Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Insider Threats Surge 14% Annually as Cost-of-Living Crisis Bites - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security breaches are causing more damage than ever before | TechRadar

• 73% of Security Professionals Say They’ve Missed, Ignored or Failed to Act on a High Priority Security Alert | Business Wire

• Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cyber Security as Top Threat (claimsjournal.com)

• Where Are You on the Cyber Security Readiness Index? Cisco Thinks You’re Probably Overconfident | Network Computing

• Experts say shocking level of cyber security breaches revealed in new government report “are avoidable” | LawNews.co.uk

• Report Suggests 93% of Breaches Lead to Downtime and Data Loss - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hackers are threatening to publish a huge stolen sanctions and financial crimes watchlist | TechCrunch

• 51% of enterprises experienced a breach despite large security stacks - Help Net Security

• Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability (imf.org)

• Ex-Uber security exec Joe Sullivan is advising CISOs on how to avoid his legal fate (axios.com)

• Cyber Security Tips for Small Businesses Now Considered Big Hacking Targets | Inc.com

• The Five Main Steps In A Compliance Risk Assessment Plan (forbes.com)

• Pentesting accounts for an average of 13% of total IT security budgets | Security Magazine

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Sophos Study: 94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted (techrepublic.com)

• New LockBit Variant Exploits Self-Spreading Features - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cheap ransomware for sale on dark web marketplaces is changing the way hackers operate - Help Net Security

• FBI: Akira ransomware raked in $42 million from 250+ victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Infiltrating ransomware gangs on the dark web - CBS News

• What if we made ransomware payments illegal? | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Moldovan charged for operating botnet used to push ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Report Reveals Healthcare Industry is Disillusioned in its Preparedness for Cyber Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Ransomware, meet DRaaS: The future of disaster mitigation (betanews.com)

• A whole new generation of ransomware makers are attempting to shake up the market | TechRadar

• Security Think Tank: Approaches to ransomware need a course correction | Computer Weekly

• Ransomware Victims Who Pay a Ransom Drops to Record Low (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Ransomware Victims

• Change Healthcare’s ransomware attack costs reach nearly $1B • The Register

• Ransomware group Dark Angels claims the theft of 1TB of data from chipmaker Nexperia  (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware attacks against food, agriculture industry examined | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ransomware attack compromises UN agency data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 840-bed hospital in France postpones procedures after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US think tank Heritage Foundation hit by cyber attack | TechCrunch

• Daixin ransomware gang claims attack on Omni Hotels (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware feared as Octapharma Plasma closes 150+ centers • The Register

• Cyber Attack Takes Frontier Communications Offline (darkreading.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Students turning to cyberfraud as huge phishing site infiltrated, police reveal | Cybercrime | The Guardian

• Microsoft Most Impersonated Brand in Phishing Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korean Group Kimsuky Exploits DMARC and Web Beacons - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• FBI warns of massive wave of road toll SMS phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FIN7 targets American automaker’s IT staff in phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Other Social Engineering

• Quishing: The New Cyber Threat to the Cleared Workplace - ClearanceJobs

• FBI warns of massive wave of road toll SMS phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Countering Voice Fraud in the Age of AI (darkreading.com)

• Cyber criminals pose as LastPass staff to hack password vaults (bleepingcomputer.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• CISOs not changing priorities in response to AI threats (betanews.com)

• 92% of enterprises unprepared for AI security challenges - Help Net Security

• AI Copilot: Launching Innovation Rockets, But Beware of the Darkness Ahead (thehackernews.com)

• Enterprise Endpoints Aren't Ready for AI (darkreading.com)

• Best Practices & Guidance For AI Security Deployment 2024 (gbhackers.com)

• Countering Voice Fraud in the Age of AI (darkreading.com)

• C-suite weighs in on generative AI and security (securityintelligence.com)

2FA/MFA

• Cisco Duo warns third-party data breach exposed SMS MFA logs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Roku Mandates 2FA for Customers After Credential-Stuffing Compromise (darkreading.com)

Malware

• LockBit 3.0 Variant Generates Custom, Self-Propagating Malware (darkreading.com)

• TA558 Hackers Weaponize Images for Wide-Scale Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• A sneaky new steganography malware is exploiting Microsoft Word — hundreds of firms around the world hit by attack | TechRadar

• Evil XDR: Researcher Turns Palo Alto Software Into Perfect Malware (darkreading.com)

• Firebird RAT creator and seller arrested in the US and Australia (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Destructive ICS Malware 'Fuxnet' Used by Ukraine Against Russian Infrastructure - Security Week

• New SteganoAmor attacks use steganography to target 320 orgs globally (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russian APT Deploys New 'Kapeka' Backdoor in Eastern European Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Malicious Google Ads Pushing Fake IP Scanner Software with Hidden Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• New Cyber Threat MadMxShell Exploits Typosquatting and Google Ads - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Fake cheat lures gamers into spreading infostealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker | TechCrunch

• iPhone users warned to disable iMessage temporarily to avoid getting hacked - PhoneArena

• Enterprises face significant losses from mobile fraud - Help Net Security

• SoumniBot malware exploits Android bugs to evade detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS attacks saw a huge surge in the first part of 2024, with one particular country badly hit | TechRadar

• 68% of Companies are More Vulnerable to DDoS Than They Think - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DDoS attacks are still growing and there are new threats on the horizon | ITPro

Internet of Things – IoT

• How to protect IP surveillance cameras from Wi-Fi jamming - Help Net Security

• CISA warns of critical vulnerability in Chirp smart locks • The Register

• New rules for security of connected products in the UK and EU - Lexology

Data Breaches/Leaks

• CISA orders agencies impacted by Microsoft hack to mitigate risks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Government on High Alert as Russian Hackers Steal Critical Correspondence From Microsoft - Security Week

• Report Suggests 93% of Breaches Lead to Downtime and Data Loss - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft's 'cascade of security failures' allowed hackers to access US government employee emails | Windows Central

• Hackers are threatening to publish a huge stolen sanctions and financial crimes watchlist | TechCrunch

• Panama Papers: Money laundering trial of 27 defendants begins

• Over half a million Roku subscribers are the victims of the latest cyber security attack - PhoneArena

• Giant Tiger data breach may have impacted millions of customers (securityaffairs.com)

• Wells Fargo Says It Has Suffered Data Breach, Blames Employee for Exposing Personal Information on Pair of Customers - The Daily Hodl

• 5 Ways Your Personal Information May End Up On The Dark Web (slashgear.com)

• Law Firm to Pay $8M to Settle Health Data Hack Lawsuit (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• After a string of high profile cyber gang takedowns, is the cyber crime industry about to get a lot more fragmented? | ITPro

• Students turning to cyberfraud as huge phishing site infiltrated, police reveal | Cybercrime | The Guardian

• Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Chinese fraud victims seek return of £3bn in bitcoin seized in UK (ft.com)

• Ex-Amazon engineer gets 3 years for hacking crypto exchanges (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Security engineer jailed for 3 years for $12M crypto hacks | TechCrunch

• Hackers hijack OpenMetadata apps in Kubernetes cryptomining attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Insider Threats Surge 14% Annually as Cost-of-Living Crisis Bites - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Underestimating the dangers within: mitigating the insider cyber threat | TechRadar

Insurance

• Cyber threats increase as insurance costs fall - report (emergingrisks.co.uk)

Cloud/SaaS

• Exposing the top cloud security threats - Help Net Security

• What Is Microsoft's Role in the Shared Responsibility Model for Data Security? (prweb.com)

• For Service Accounts, Accountability Is Key to Security (darkreading.com)

• The cloud is benefiting IT, but not business | InfoWorld

Identity and Access Management

• Identity in the Shadows: Shedding Light on Cyber Security's Unseen Threats (thehackernews.com)

Linux and Open Source

• Open source groups say more software projects may have been targeted for sabotage (yahoo.com)

• Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Attackers are pummelling networks around the world with millions of login attempts | Ars Technica

• Roku Mandates 2FA for Customers After Credential-Stuffing Compromise (darkreading.com)

• Threat actors look to stolen credentials | Computer Weekly

• Cisco warns of large-scale brute-force attacks against VPN and SSH services (securityaffairs.com)

• Bad Bots Drive 10% Annual Surge in Account Takeover Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• For Service Accounts, Accountability Is Key to Security (darkreading.com)

• Dark Web Sales Driving Major Rise in Credential Attacks (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Social Media

• Pro-Russian Campaign Exploits Meta’s Failure to Moderate Political Ads - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU tells Meta it can't paywall privacy • The Register

• Google to crack down on third-party YouTube apps that block ads (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malvertising

• Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker | TechCrunch

• New Cyber Threat MadMxShell Exploits Typosquatting and Google Ads - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google to crack down on third-party YouTube apps that block ads (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar

• Cyber security training: How to make it more motivating (hrexecutive.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• US Supreme Court ruling suggests change in cyber security disclosure process | CSO Online

• New rules for security of connected products in the UK and EU - Lexology

• Congress votes to kick Uncle Sam’s data broker habit • The Register

• Cops can force suspect to unlock phone with thumbprint, US court rules | Ars Technica

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Rebalancing NIST: Why 'Recovery' Can't Stand Alone (darkreading.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Sophos Study: 94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted (techrepublic.com)

Data Protection

• 5 Common Data Protection Challenges That Businesses Face (techtarget.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• IT and security professionals demand more workplace flexibility - Help Net Security

• National Security at Risk as Essential Cyber Security Roles Face Sharp Decline (prnewswire.com)

• Break Security Burnout: Combining Leadership With Neuroscience (darkreading.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• UK Police Lead Disruption of £1m Phishing-as-a-Service Site LabHost - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• After a string of high profile cyber gang takedowns, is the cyber crime industry about to get a lot more fragmented? | ITPro

• Firebird RAT creator and seller arrested in the US and Australia (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Moldovan charged for operating botnet used to push ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Pro-Russian Campaign Exploits Meta’s Failure to Moderate Political Ads - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US Election Officials Told to Prepare for Nation-State Influence Campa - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Preparing for Cyber Warfare: 6 Key Lessons From Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• State-sponsored cyber attacks: The new frontier | ITPro

China

• Chinese, Russian Hackers Keep Getting Past Microsoft's Security (businessinsider.com)

• Leaked FBI document shows MPs were kept in dark over China hack for two years (inews.co.uk)

• US Election Officials Told to Prepare for Nation-State Influence Campa - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Risks are higher than ever for US- China cyber war | Responsible Statecraft

• State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week

• Singapore infosec boss: splinternet hinders interoperability • The Register

• FBI says Chinese hackers preparing to attack US infrastructure | Reuters

• Chinese fraud victims seek return of £3bn in bitcoin seized in UK (ft.com)

Russia

• Chinese, Russian Hackers Keep Getting Past Microsoft's Security (businessinsider.com)

• CISA orders agencies impacted by Microsoft hack to mitigate risks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft's 'cascade of security failures' allowed hackers to access US government employee emails | Windows Central

• US Government on High Alert as Russian Hackers Steal Critical Correspondence From Microsoft - Security Week

• Microsoft breach allowed Russia to steal Feds' emails • The Register

• State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week

• How Ukraine’s cyber police fights back against Russia’s hackers | TechCrunch

• Russian 'Cyber Sabotage' A Global Threat: Security Firm | IBTimes

• Mandiant upgrades Sandworm to APT44 due to increasing threat | TechTarget

• Russia's Sandworm 'cyber attacked US, EU water utilities' • The Register

• Sandworm Group Shifts to Espionage Attacks, Hacktivist Personas | Decipher (duo.com)

• Russia and Ukraine Top Inaugural World Cyber Crime Index - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russia is trying to sabotage European railways, Czech minister said (securityaffairs.com)

• Pro-Russian Campaign Exploits Meta’s Failure to Moderate Political Ads - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Singapore infosec boss: splinternet hinders interoperability • The Register

• US Election Officials Told to Prepare for Nation-State Influence Campa - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian APT Deploys New 'Kapeka' Backdoor in Eastern European Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Destructive ICS Malware 'Fuxnet' Used by Ukraine Against Russian Infrastructure - Security Week

Iran

• Iranian MuddyWater Hackers Adopt New C2 Tool 'DarkBeatC2' in Latest Campaign (thehackernews.com)

• Middle East Cyber Ops Intensify, With Israel the Main Target (darkreading.com)

• Iran-Backed Hackers Blast Out Threatening Texts to Israelis (darkreading.com)

• Israel Holds Hybrid Cyber & Military Readiness Drills (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• DPRK Exploits 2 MITRE Sub-Techniques: Phantom DLL Hijacking, TCC Abuse (darkreading.com)

• North Korean Group Kimsuky Exploits DMARC and Web Beacons - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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

• Geopolitical tensions escalate OT cyber attacks - Help Net Security

• “There are no borders in cyber space. We have to fight global terrorism together.” | Ctech (calcalistech.com)

• Furry Hackers Target Far-Right Outlet 'Real America's Voice' (dailydot.com)

• Government spyware is another reason to use an ad blocker | TechCrunch

---

Vulnerability Management

• Cyber Security Pros Urge US Congress to Help NIST Restore NVD Operation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to conduct security patch validation and verification | TechTarget

• Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: A Beginner’s Guide - The New Stack

• The importance of the Vulnerability Operations Centre for cyber security | TechRadar

Vulnerabilities

• State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Zero-Day to Backdoor Palo Alto Networks Firewalls - Security Week

• “Highly capable” hackers root corporate networks by exploiting firewall 0-day | Ars Technica

• Cisco discloses root escalation flaw with public exploit code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• PuTTY SSH client flaw allows recovery of cryptographic private keys (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Citrix Releases Security Updates for XenServer and Citrix Hypervisor | CISA

• Yubico Issues YubiKey Security Alert For Windows Users (forbes.com)

• Samsung Issues Update Now Warning For Millions Of Galaxy Users (forbes.com)

• Juniper Networks Publishes Dozens of New Security Advisories - Security Week

• Ivanti warns of critical flaws in its Avalanche MDM solution (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Oracle Patches 230 Vulnerabilities With April 2024 CPU - Security Week

• iPhone users warned to disable iMessage temporarily to avoid getting hacked - PhoneArena

• Delinea Fixes Flaw After Analyst Goes Public With Disclosure First (darkreading.com)

• Critical Atlassian Flaw Exploited to Deploy Linux Variant of Cerber Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Telegram fixes Windows app zero-day used to launch Python scripts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical RCE Vulnerability in 92,000 D-Link NAS Devices - Security Boulevard

---

Tools and Controls

• Sophos Study: 94% of Ransomware Victims Have Their Backups Targeted (techrepublic.com)

• Evil XDR: Researcher Turns Palo Alto Software Into Perfect Malware (darkreading.com)

• CISA's Malware Analysis Platform Could Foster Better Threat Intel (darkreading.com)

• Pentesting accounts for an average of 13% of total IT security budgets | Security Magazine

• Annual cyber security training isn’t working, so what’s the alternative? | TechRadar

• 6 Ways Businesses Can Boost Their Cloud Security Resilience - Compare the Cloud

• North Korean Group Kimsuky Exploits DMARC and Web Beacons - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dark Web Monitoring: What's the Value? (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 5 Steps Toward Military-Grade API Security - The New Stack

• Ransomware, meet DRaaS: The future of disaster mitigation (betanews.com)

• Cyber security training: How to make it more motivating (hrexecutive.com)

• The Five Main Steps In A Compliance Risk Assessment Plan (forbes.com)

• AI set to enhance cyber security roles, not replace them - Help Net Security

• Why You Still Shouldn't Trust Zero Trust (forbes.com)

• Stateful vs. stateless firewalls: Understanding the differences | TechTarget

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• Rising Cyber Threats Pose Serious Concerns for Financial Stability (imf.org)

---

Other News

• Why home cyber security is important (xda-developers.com)

• Microsoft remains in the US government's good graces despite its high susceptibility to attacks | Windows Central

• Charities doing worse than private sector in staving off cyber attacks - TFN

• Private companies operating critical infrastructure are not taking cyber security threats seriously enough. | USAPP (lse.ac.uk)

• The US counterintelligence head says the list of threats is long and getting longer (cfpublic.org)

• Critical Infrastructure Security: Observations From the Front Lines (darkreading.com)

• Geopolitical tensions escalate OT cyber attacks - Help Net Security

• Microsoft, Beset by Hacks, Grapples With Problem Years in the Making - BNN Bloomberg

• The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat (theverge.com)

• Do we have a plan on how to deal with subsea cables sabotage? | Euronews

• Ex-GCHQ chief: Cyber attacks could target fragile trust in utilities - Utility Week

• Trust in Cyber Takes a Knock as CNI Budgets Flatline - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• University chiefs to get security service Cobra briefing on hostile states | The Argus

• SAP Applications Increasingly in Attacker Crosshairs, Report Shows - Security Week

• Emergency services a likely target for cyber attacks, warns DHS - ABC News (go.com)

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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