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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23rd June 2023
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 June 2023:
-How the MOVEit Breach Shows Hackers' Interest in Corporate File Transfer Tools
-Attackers Discovering Exposed Cloud Assets Within Minutes
-Majority of Users Neglect Best Password Practices
-One in Three Workers Susceptible to Phishing
-Ransomware Misconceptions Abound, to the Benefit of Attackers
-Threat Actors Scale and Commoditise Uncommon Tools and Techniques
-Goodbyes are Difficult, IT Offboarding Processes Make Them Harder
-Security Budget Hikes are Missing the Mark, CISOs Say
-Understanding Cyber Resilience: Building a Holistic Approach to Cyber Security
-Emerging Ransomware Group 8Base Releasing Data on SMBs Globally
-Cyber Security Industry Still Fighting to Recruit and Retain Talent
-Financial Firms to Build Resilience in Face of Growing Cyber-Threats
-Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber Security Expertise at Board Level
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Cyber Security Industry Still Fighting to Recruit and Retain Talent
Cyber security teams are struggling to find the right talent, with the right skills, and to retain experienced employees. The situation is only likely to worsen, as inflation and a tight labour market push up wages. Universities produce graduates with a strong focus on technical knowledge, but not always the broader skills they need to operate in a business environment. This includes the lack of communications skills, understanding of how businesses operate and even emotional intelligence. One solution is to outsource to a corporate cyber security provider or outsource to infill shortages whilst trying to recruit permanent staff.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybersecurity-industry-recruit/
How the MOVEit Breach Shows Hackers' Interest in Corporate File Transfer Tools
The world of managed file transfer (MFT) software has become a lucrative target for ransom-seeking hackers, with significant breaches including those of Accellion Inc's File Transfer Appliance in 2021 and Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT earlier this year. These MFT programs, corporate versions of popular file sharing programs like Dropbox or WeTransfer, are highly desirable to hackers for the sensitive data they often transfer between organisations and partners. The recent mass compromise tied to Progress Software Corp's MOVEit transfer product has prompted governments and companies worldwide to scramble in response.
Hackers are shifting their tactics, with an increasing focus on MFT programs which typically face the open internet, making them more vulnerable to breaches. Once inside these file transfer points, hackers have direct access to a wealth of data. In addition, there's a noticeable shift from ransomware groups encrypting a company's network and demanding payment to unscramble it, to a simpler tactic of pure extortion by threatening to leak the data.
Attackers Discovering Exposed Cloud Assets within Minutes
The shift to cloud services, increased remote work, and reliance on third-parties has led to widespread use of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. This has also opened avenues for attackers to exploit weak security configurations and identities. Over the past year, attackers have intercepted authorisation tokens, bypassed multifactor authentication, and exploited misconfigured systems, targeting critical applications like GitHub, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and Okta. A study revealed alarmingly fast rates of breach discovery and compromise of exposed cloud assets, with assets being discovered within as little as two minutes for some and others within an hour.
https://www.darkreading.com/dr-tech/growing-saas-usage-means-larger-attack-surface
Majority of Users Neglect Best Password Practices
The latest Password Management Report by Keeper Security has shed light on the concerning state of password security practices. The survey found that only 25% of respondents used solid and unique passwords. In comparison, 34% admitted to using repeat variations of passwords, and 30% still relied on simple and easily guessable passwords. The survey also found that 44% of individuals who claimed to have well-managed passwords still admitted to using repeated variations, while 20% acknowledged having had at least one password involved in a data breach or available on the dark web. The document also revealed that 35% of respondents feel overwhelmed when it comes to improving their cyber security. Furthermore, 10% admitted to neglecting password management altogether. More generally, Keeper Security said the survey’s findings highlight a significant gap between perception and reality regarding password security.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/users-neglect-best-password/
One in Three Workers Susceptible to Phishing
More than one in three workers in the UK and Ireland are susceptible to falling for phishing attacks, according to the new 2023 Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report by KnowBe4. The study found that 35% of users who had received no security training were prone to clicking on suspicious links or engaging in fraudulent actions. Regular training and continual reinforcement can get this figure down but even with training very few organisations ever get click rates down to zero, and you only need one person to click to cause potentially devastating consequences.
Globally, ransomware was responsible for 24% of all data breaches in 2023, with human error accounting for 74% of these incidents. Phishing attacks can often lead to significant reputational damage, financial loss and disruption to business operations.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/one-in-three-phishing/
Ransomware Misconceptions Abound, to the Benefit of Attackers
There is a common ransomware misperception that there's no capability to fight this all too common hostage taking of business data. This is not true. Proactive organisations are increasingly making more strategic use of threat intelligence to prevent or disrupt attacks.
Ransomware has evolved into a massive, often state-sponsored, industry where operators buy, develop, and resell ransomware code, infiltrate networks, and collect ransoms. The perception that a speedy response is critical to prevent data encryption and loss is outdated; attackers now focus on data exfiltration, using ransomware as a distraction. They often target smaller organisations that are linked to larger ones through supply chains, using them as stepping stones. It is important to use in-depth defence measures, including email security to prevent phishing and efficient detection and response systems to identify and recover from changes.
Threat Actors Scale and Commoditise Uncommon Tools and Techniques
Proofpoint’s 2023 Human Factor report highlights significant developments in the cyber attack landscape in 2022. Following two years of pandemic-induced disruption, cyber criminals returned to their usual operations, honing their social engineering skills and commoditising once sophisticated attack techniques. There was a noticeable increase in brute-force and targeted attacks on cloud tenants, conversational smishing attacks, and multifactor authentication (MFA) bypasses. Microsoft 365 formed a large part of organisations' attack surfaces and faced broad abuse, from Office macros to OneNote documents.
Despite some advances in security controls, threat actors continue to innovate and scale their bypasses. Techniques like MFA bypass and telephone-oriented attack delivery are now commonplace. Attackers consistently exploit people, who remain the most critical variable in the attack chain.
Goodbyes are Difficult, IT Offboarding Processes Make Them Harder
A recent survey found that 68% of organisations recognise the offboarding process as a major cyber security risk, but only 36% have adequate controls in place to secure data access when employees depart. The study revealed that 60% of organisations have discovered former employees still had access to corporate applications after leaving, and 52% have had security incidents linked to former employees. Interestingly, IT professionals are not always alerted when employees leave, leading to access not being revoked and IT assets being mishandled 34% of the time.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/19/it-offboarding-processes/
Security Budget Hikes are Missing the Mark, CISOs Say
Misguided expectations on security spend are causing problems for CISOs despite notable budget increases. A recent report found that while most CISOs are experiencing noteworthy increases in security funding, impractical expectations of budget holders are leading to significant amounts being spent on what’s hitting the headlines instead of strategic, business-centric investment in security defences. This lack of understanding shows that a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that information security receives the attention it deserves, especially in the boardroom.
The report found that just 9% of CISOs said information security is always in the top three priorities on the boardroom’s meeting agenda, and less than a quarter (22%) of CISOs are actively participating in business strategy and decision-making processes. Talking to the board about cyber security in a way that is productive can be a significant challenge for CISOs, and failing to do so effectively can result in confusion, disillusionment, and a lack of cohesion among directors, the security function, and the rest of the organisation.
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3700073/security-budget-hikes-are-missing-the-mark-cisos-say.html
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/22/average-cybersecurity-budget-increase/
Understanding Cyber Resilience: Building a Holistic Approach to Cyber Security
In today’s interconnected world, the threat of cyber attacks is a constant concern for organisations of all sizes and across all industries. Cyber resilience entails not only making it difficult for attackers to infiltrate your systems but also ensuring that your organisation can bounce back quickly and continue operations successfully.
Cyber resilience offers a holistic approach to cyber security, emphasising the ability to withstand and recover from cyber attacks. By adopting the right mindset, leveraging advanced technology, addressing cyber hygiene, and measuring key metrics, organisations can enhance their cyber resilience. Additionally, collaboration within industries and proactive board engagement are crucial for effective risk management. As cyber threats continue to evolve, organisations must prioritise cyber resilience as an ongoing journey, continuously adapting and refining their strategies to stay ahead of malicious actors.
Emerging Ransomware Group 8Base Releasing Confidential Data from SMBs Globally
A ransomware group that operated under the radar for over a year has come to light in recent weeks, thanks to a series of business data leaks on the Dark Web. Since at least April 2022, 8base has been conducting double-extortion attacks against small and midsized businesses (SMBs). It all came to a head in May, when the group dumped data belonging to 67 organisations on the cyber underground.
Not much is known yet about the group's tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), likely due to the low profile of their victims. The victims span science and technology, manufacturing, retail, construction, healthcare, and more, with victims from as far afield as India, Peru, Madagascar and Brazil, amongst others.
https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/emerging-ransomware-8base-doxxes-smbs-globally
Financial Firms to Build Resilience in Face of Growing Cyber-Threats
Cyber resilience is now a key component of operational resilience for the UK’s financial markets, according to a Bank of England official. Cyber attacks have increased by 38% in 2022, and the range of firms and organisations being impacted seems to grow broader and broader.
Regulators want to see how financial firms will cope with an attack, and its impact on the wider financial services ecosystem. Similar work is being done at an international level by the G7, which has its own cyber expert group. In the UK, the main tools for improving resilience are threat intelligence sharing, better coordination between firms, regulators, the Bank and the Treasury, and penetration testing including CBEST. Financial services firms should have scenario specific playbooks, to set out how to contain intruders and stop them spreading to clients and counterparties. In the past, simulation exercises have been used to model terrorist incidents and pandemics and they are now being used to model cyber attacks.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/financial-firms-to-build-resilience/
Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber Security Expertise at Board Level
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is expected to introduce a rule requiring demonstration of cyber security expertise at the board level for public companies. A recent study found that currently up to 90% of companies in the Russell 3000 lack even a single director with the necessary cyber expertise. The simplest and speediest solution would be to promote the existing CISO, provided they have the appropriate qualities and experience, to the board but that would require transplanting a focused operational executive into a strategic business advisory role. A credible alternative is to bring in a cyber focused Non-Executive Director with the appropriate skills and experience.
Governance, Risk and Compliance
Why assessing third parties for security risk is still an unsolved problem | CSO Online
Navigating the Complex World of Cyber security Compliance - MSSP Alert
Security budget hikes are missing the mark, CISOs say | CSO Online
How to Weather the Coming Cyber security Storm - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Certifications are no guarantee of security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Increased spending doesn't translate to improved cyber security posture - Help Net Security
Placing People & Realism at the Center of Your Cyber security Strategy (darkreading.com)
CISOs’ New Stressors Brought on by Digitalization: Report - SecurityWeek
Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber security Expertise at Board Level - SecurityWeek
From details to big picture: how to improve security effectiveness | CIO
IT Staff Increasingly Saddled with Data Protection Compliance (darkreading.com)
Threats
Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks
Explainer: How MOVEit breach shows hackers' interest in corporate file transfer tools | Reuters
Ransomware Misconceptions Abound, to the Benefit of Attackers (darkreading.com)
US Offers $10m Reward For MOVEit Attackers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Data leak at Australian law firm spooks government, business • The Register
Fresh Ransomware Gangs Emerge As Market Leaders Decline (darkreading.com)
Emerging Ransomware Group 8Base Doxxes SMBs Globally (darkreading.com)
A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs
Rorschach Ransomware: What You Need to Know (darkreading.com)
Ransomware is only getting faster: Six steps to a stronger defence (bleepingcomputer.com)
Ransomware gang preys on cancer centers, triggers alert | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Ransomware attacks pose communications dilemmas for local governments | CSO Online
LockBit Developing Ransomware for Apple M1 Chips, Embedded Systems (darkreading.com)
Ransomware Victims
Australian Government Says Its Data Was Stolen in Law Firm Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek
Hackers threaten to release photos of Beverly Hills plastic surgery patients (bitdefender.com)
Norton Parent Says Employee Data Stolen in MOVEit Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek
BlackCat gang threatens to leak plastic surgery photos • The Register
Reddit confirms BlackCat ransomware gang stole its data • The Register
Adur and Worthing Councils investigating after contractor data breach | The Argus
Iowa’s largest school district confirms ransomware attack, data theft (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers warn University of Manchester students’ of imminent data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)
USDA is investigating a 'possible data breach' related to global Russian cyber criminal hack | CNN
Avast, Norton Parent Latest Victim of MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (darkreading.com)
MOVEit Vulnerability Breaches Targeted Fed Agencies (trendmicro.com)
Phishing & Email Based Attacks
Cyber crime: what does psychology have to do with phishing? – podcast | Science | The Guardian
Hackers Will Be Quick to Bypass Gmail's Blue Check Verification System (darkreading.com)
UPS discloses data breach after exposed customer info used in SMS phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)
Insurance companies neglect basic email security - Help Net Security
Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc
Artificial Intelligence
How generative AI is creating new classes of security threats | VentureBeat
Over 100,000 Stolen ChatGPT Account Credentials Sold on Dark Web Marketplaces (thehackernews.com)
‘With hackers adopting AI, it’s a cat-and-mouse game’ | Mint (livemint.com)
ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security
Google Tells Employees to Stay Away from Its Bard Chatbot (gizmodo.com)
Malware
Attacker seizes abandoned S3 bucket to launch malicious payloads | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Hackers use fake OnlyFans pics to drop info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Researchers Discover New Sophisticated Toolkit Targeting Apple macOS Systems (thehackernews.com)
Mysterious Mystic Stealer Spreads Like Wildfire in Mere Months (darkreading.com)
Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
To kill BlackLotus malware, patching is a good start, but... • The Register
Microsoft Teams bug allows malware delivery from external accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)
APT37 hackers deploy new FadeStealer eavesdropping malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
ScarCruft Hackers Exploit Ably Service for Stealthy Wiretapping Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Chinese Hacker Group 'Flea' Targets American Ministries with Graphican Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
USB Drives Spread Spyware as China's Mustang Panda APT Goes Global (darkreading.com)
NSA shares tips on blocking BlackLotus UEFI malware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Chinese malware accidentally infects networked storage • The Register
ChamelDoH: New Linux Backdoor Utilising DNS-over-HTTPS Tunneling for Covert CnC (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
SMS delivery reports can be used to infer recipient's location (bleepingcomputer.com)
Apple fixes zero-days used to deploy Triangulation spyware via iMessage (bleepingcomputer.com)
Android spyware camouflaged as VPN, chat apps on Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)
Botnets
Romanian cyber crime gang Diicot builds DDoS botnet with Mirai variant | CSO Online
New Condi malware builds DDoS botnet out of TP-Link AX21 routers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Mirai botnet targets 22 flaws in D-Link, Zyxel, Netgear devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS
Police crack down on DDoS-for-hire service active since 2013 (bleepingcomputer.com)
New Condi malware builds DDoS botnet out of TP-Link AX21 routers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Zeeland port website hit by DDOS attack, possibly by Russian hackers | NL Times
From Cryptojacking to DDoS Attacks: Diicot Expands Tactics with Cayosin Botnet (thehackernews.com)
Internet of Things – IoT
Romanian cyber crime gang Diicot builds DDoS botnet with Mirai variant | CSO Online
Smart Pet Feeders Expose Personal Data - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Security for embedded devices is ignored by too many companies, expert says | Fierce Electronics
Our cities are becoming increasingly automated—and we’re not ready (fastcompany.com)
US Military Personnel Receiving Unsolicited, Suspicious Smartwatches - SecurityWeek
Mirai botnet targets 22 flaws in D-Link, Zyxel, Netgear devices (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Data leak at Australian law firm spooks government, business • The Register
Australian Government Says Its Data Was Stolen in Law Firm Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek
Mondelez says crooks stole staff data in security breach • The Register
UPS discloses data breach after exposed customer info used in SMS phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)
Reddit hackers threaten to leak data stolen in February breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Australia Inc roiled by raft of cyber attacks since late 2022 - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)
SSD missing from SAP datacenter turns up on eBay • The Register
Smart Pet Feeders Expose Personal Data - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Hackers warn University of Manchester students’ of imminent data leak (bleepingcomputer.com)
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Crypto and Cyber Security: A Complex Relationship (analyticsinsight.net)
Cyber attackers Got More Creative Post-Pandemic, Proofpoint Study Finds - MSSP Alert
The Great Exodus to Telegram: A Tour of the New Cyber crime Underground (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain
Crypto and Cyber Security: A Complex Relationship (analyticsinsight.net)
Blockchain security: Everything you should know for safe use | TechTarget
From Cryptojacking to DDoS Attacks: Diicot Expands Tactics with Cayosin Botnet (thehackernews.com)
Insider Risk and Insider Threats
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
Influencers in firing line as France tackles scams - BBC News
Keep Job Scams From Hurting Your Organisation (darkreading.com)
Impersonation Attacks
AML/CFT/Sanctions
Dark Web
Supply Chain and Third Parties
Capita faces first legal Letter of Claim over mega breach • The Register
Why assessing third parties for security risk is still an unsolved problem | CSO Online
Mondelez says crooks stole staff data in security breach • The Register
Untangling the web of supply chain security with Tony Turner - Help Net Security
Software Supply Chain
Cloud/SaaS
Growing SaaS Usage Means Larger Attack Surface (darkreading.com)
Explainer: How MOVEit breach shows hackers' interest in corporate file transfer tools | Reuters
A new threat to financial stability lurks in the cloud | Financial Times (ft.com)
Cloud CISO Perspectives: Early June 2023 | Google Cloud Blog
Western Digital Blocks Unpatched Devices From Cloud Services - SecurityWeek
Attacker seizes abandoned S3 bucket to launch malicious payloads | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Attackers discovering exposed cloud assets within minutes | TechTarget
Cloud-native security hinges on open source - Help Net Security
Hybrid Microsoft network/cloud legacy settings may impact your future security posture | CSO Online
US cyber ambassador says China can win on AI, cloud • The Register
Hybrid/Remote Working
Shadow IT
Identity and Access Management
Encryption
Quantum hacking alert: Critical vulnerabilities found in quantum key distribution (techxplore.com)
The US Navy, NATO, and NASA are using a shady Chinese company’s encryption chips | Ars Technica
Physics - Long-Range Quantum Cryptography Gets Simpler (aps.org)
API
Open Source
Hackers infect Linux SSH servers with Tsunami botnet malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cloud-native security hinges on open source - Help Net Security
ChamelDoH: New Linux Backdoor Utilising DNS-over-HTTPS Tunneling for Covert CnC (thehackernews.com)
Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks
The future of passwords and authentication - Help Net Security
These are the most hacked passwords. Is yours on the list? | ZDNET
Social Media
Influencers in firing line as France tackles scams - BBC News
Reddit hackers threaten to leak data stolen in February breach (bleepingcomputer.com)
Training, Education and Awareness
Digital Transformation
Regulations, Fines and Legislation
ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security
Bill allowing CISA to assist foreign governments passes Senate committee | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cyber security Expertise at Board Level - SecurityWeek
Models, Frameworks and Standards
The significance of CIS Control mapping in the 2023 Verizon DBIR - Help Net Security
What is PCI Compliance? 12 Requirements and More Explained | Definition from TechTarget
Secure Disposal
Data Protection
ChatGPT and data protection laws: Compliance challenges for businesses - Help Net Security
Consumer Data: The Risk and Reward for Manufacturing Companies (darkreading.com)
IT Staff Increasingly Saddled with Data Protection Compliance (darkreading.com)
Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security
8 notable entry-level cyber security career and skills initiatives in 2023 | CSO Online
UK military is struggling to recruit tech experts, says report | Financial Times (ft.com)
Certifications are no guarantee of security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)
Google announces $20 million investment for cyber clinics | CyberScoop
Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs
Police crack down on DDoS-for-hire service active since 2013 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Megaupload duo will go to prison at last, but Kim Dotcom fights on… – Naked Security (sophos.com)
A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs
Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring
Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Killnet Threatens Imminent SWIFT, World Banking Attacks (darkreading.com)
A Newly Named Group of GRU Hackers is Wreaking Havoc in Ukraine | WIRED
Russia sent its reserve team to wipe Ukrainian hard drives • The Register
Russian APT Group Caught Hacking Roundcube Email Servers - SecurityWeek
Hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan a ‘bear in wolf’s clothing’ | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
Russian APT28 hackers breach Ukrainian govt email servers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Strategies for staying ahead of modern cyber warfare - CyberTalk
German intelligence services point to increased hybrid security threats – EURACTIV.com
Nation State Actors
Microsoft Pins Early June DDoS Attacks on Russian-linked Cyber Crew - MSSP Alert
US DOJ Launches Cyber Unit to Prosecute Nation-State Threat Actors - SecurityWeek
US Military Personnel Receiving Unsolicited, Suspicious Smartwatches - SecurityWeek
USB Drives Spread Spyware as China's Mustang Panda APT Goes Global (darkreading.com)
CISA orders govt agencies to patch bugs exploited by Russian hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)
US Cyber Ambassador says China can win on AI, cloud • The Register
Cadet Blizzard emerges as a novel and distinct Russian threat actor | Microsoft Security Blog
The Israeli weapons and spyware falling into the hands of despots | Financial Times (ft.com)
The US Navy, NATO, and NASA are using a shady Chinese company’s encryption chips | Ars Technica
Zeeland port website hit by DDOS attack, possibly by Russian hackers | NL Times
A Russian national charged for committing LockBit Ransomware attacks - Security Affairs
Hacktivist group Anonymous Sudan a ‘bear in wolf’s clothing’ | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
APT37 hackers deploy new FadeStealer eavesdropping malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
ScarCruft Hackers Exploit Ably Service for Stealthy Wiretapping Attacks (thehackernews.com)
20-Year-Old Chinese APT15 Finds New Life in Foreign Ministry Attacks (darkreading.com)
Chinese Hacker Group 'Flea' Targets American Ministries with Graphican Backdoor (thehackernews.com)
North Korean APT targets defectors, activists with infostealer malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)
China-sponsored APT group targets government ministries in the Americas | CSO Online
Chinese malware accidentally infects networked storage • The Register
Trellix Detects Leading Threat Actor Countries Behind Nation-State Activity - MSSP Alert
Vulnerability Management
Guess what happened to this US agency that didn't patch? • The Register
EU Council mulls pan-European platform to handle cyber vulnerabilities – EURACTIV.com
Vulnerabilities
VMware warns of critical vRealize flaw exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)
Microsoft Teams Vulnerability: The GIFShell Attack (latesthackingnews.com)
Patch Now: Cisco AnyConnect Bug Exploit Released in the Wild (darkreading.com)
Zyxel addressed critical flaw CVE-2023-27992 in NAS Devices - Security Affairs
Microsoft Teams bug allows malware delivery from external accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)
Chrome and Its Vulnerabilities - Is the Web Browser Safe to Use? - SecurityWeek
Critical WordPress Plugin Vulnerabilities Impact Thousands of Sites - SecurityWeek
SMB Edge Devices Walloped With Asus, Zyxel Patch Warnings (darkreading.com)
VMware fixes vCenter Server bugs allowing code execution, auth bypass (bleepingcomputer.com)
Azure AD 'Log in With Microsoft' Authentication Bypass Affects Thousands (darkreading.com)
Western Digital Blocks Unpatched Devices From Cloud Services - SecurityWeek
Risk & Repeat: Mandiant sheds light on Barracuda ESG attacks | TechTarget
ASUS warns router customers: Patch now, or block all inbound requests – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Firmware Backdoor Discovered in Gigabyte Motherboards, Hundreds of Models Affected - CPO Magazine
Apple fixes zero-days used to deploy Triangulation spyware via iMessage (bleepingcomputer.com)
A (cautionary) tale of two patched bugs, both under exploit • The Register
Millions of GitHub repos likely vulnerable to RepoJacking, researchers say (bleepingcomputer.com)
Windows 11 KB5027231 also breaks Chrome for Cisco, WatchGuard EDR users (bleepingcomputer.com)
Gaps in Azure Service Fabric’s Security Call for User Vigilance (trendmicro.com)
Tools and Controls
Getting Over the DNS Security Awareness Gap (darkreading.com)
Zscaler CEO: Firewalls Are Going The Way Of The Mainframe | CRN
The future of passwords and authentication - Help Net Security
Increased spending doesn't translate to improved cyber security posture - Help Net Security
Placing People & Realism at the Center of Your Cyber security Strategy (darkreading.com)
Security investments that help companies navigate the macroeconomic climate - Help Net Security
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Boris Johnson’s notebooks cause national security alarm (thetimes.co.uk)
Keep it, Tweak it, Trash it – What to do with Aging Tech in an Era of Consolidation - SecurityWeek
Cyber attacks on OT, ICS Lay Groundwork for Kinetic Warfare (darkreading.com)
Why CISOs should be concerned about space-based attacks | CSO Online
Legal firms urged to strengthen cyber defences with latest... - NCSC.GOV.UK
GCHQ’s top hacker James Babbage quits to join NCA in blow to UK cyber force (telegraph.co.uk)
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 04 March 2022
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 04 March 2022
-Cyber Criminals Exploit Invasion of Ukraine
-UK Data Watchdog Urges Vigilance Amid Heightened Cyber Threat
-Phishing - Still a Problem, Despite All The Work
-Phishing Attacks Hit All-Time High In December 2021
-Ransomware Infections Top List Of The Most Common Results Of Phishing Attacks
-Social Media Phishing Attacks Are at An All Time High
-Insurance Giant AON Hit by a Cyber Attack
-How Prepared Are Organisations To Face Email-Based Ransomware Attacks?
-The Most Impersonated Brands in Phishing Attacks
-As War Escalates In Europe, It’s ‘Shields Up’ For The Cyber Security Industry
-2022 May Be The Year Cyber Crime Returns Its Focus To Consumers
-Kaspersky Neutral Stance In Doubt As It Shields Kremlin
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Cyber Criminals Exploit Invasion of Ukraine
Cyber criminals are exploiting Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine to commit digital fraud.
In a blog, researchers at Bitdefender Labs said they had witnessed “waves of fraudulent and malicious emails,” some of which were engineered to exploit the charitable intentions of global citizens towards the people of Ukraine.
Since March 1, researchers have been tracking two specific phishing campaigns designed to infect victims with Agent Tesla and Remcos remote access Trojans.
Agent Tesla is a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) Remote Access Trojan (RAT) and data stealer that can be used to exfiltrate sensitive information, including credentials, keystrokes and clipboard data from victims.
Remcos RAT is typically deployed via malicious documents or archives to give the attacker full control over their victims’ systems. Once inside, attackers can capture keystrokes, screenshots, credentials and other sensitive system data and exfiltrate it.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyber-criminals-invasion-ukraine/
UK Data Watchdog Urges Vigilance Amid Heightened Cyber Threat
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) reports a ‘steady and significant’ increase in cyber-attacks against UK firms over the past two years.
Employees should report any suspicious emails rather than delete them and firms must step up their vigilance against cyber-attacks in the face of a heightened threat from Russian hackers, the UK’s data watchdog has said.
John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, said a new era of security had begun where instead of blacking out windows, people needed to maintain vigilance over their inboxes.
Experts including the UK’s cyber security agency have said Russian hackers could target Britain, and the imposition of sanctions by London on Moscow has increased those fears.
Asked about the potential for a Russia-Ukraine cyber conflict spreading to the UK, Edwards said: “We have picked up on that heightened threat environment and we think it’s really important to take the opportunity to remind businesses of the importance of security over the data that they hold. This is a different era from blacking out the windows and keeping the lights off. The threats are going to come in through your inbox.”
Phishing - Still a Problem, Despite All The Work
Phishing is a threat that most people know about. Emails designed to trick you into clicking a malicious link or divulge passwords and other credentials have become an everyday occurrence. Despite this familiarity, and the multitude of tools and techniques which purport to stop it, phishing remains the number one initial attack vector affecting organisations and individuals.
Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet. Phishing can only be dealt with using multiple complementary measures. This fact leads to some questions: Which measures are most (cost) effective? How should they be implemented? Can they be automated?
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/phishing-still-a-problem-despite-the-work
Phishing Attacks Hit All-Time High in December 2021
The Anti-Phishing Working Group international consortium (APWG) saw 316,747 phishing attacks in December 2021 — the highest monthly total observed since it began its reporting program in 2004. Overall, the number of phishing attacks has tripled from early 2020.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the financial sector, which includes banks, became the most frequently attacked cohort, accounting for 23.2 percent of all phishing. Attacks against webmail and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers remained prevalent as well. Phishing against cryptocurrency targets — such as cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers — inched up to represent 6.5 percent of attacks.
Overall, the number of brands that were attacked in 4Q descended from a record 715 in September 2021, cresting at 682 in November for the Q4 period.
The solution provider Abnormal Security observed 4,200 companies, organisations, and government institutions falling victim to ransomware in Q4 2021, some 36 percent higher than in Q3 2021 and the highest number the company has witnessed over the past two years.
“The overall distribution of ransomware victims indicates that ransomware attacks are industry-agnostic,” said Crane Hassold, Director of Threat Intelligence at Abnormal Security.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/03/03/phishing-attacks-december-2021/
Ransomware Infections Top List of The Most Common Results of Phishing Attacks
A report from insider threat management software company Egress found some startling conclusions when it spoke to IT leadership: Despite the pervasive and very serious threat of ransomware, very few boards of directors consider it a top priority.
Eighty-four percent of organisations reported falling victim to a phishing attack last year, Egress said, and of those 59% were infected with ransomware as a result. If you add in the 14% of businesses that said they weren’t hit with a phishing attack, and you still end up at around 50% of all organisations having been hit with ransomware in 2021.
Egress said that its data shows there has been a 15% increase in successful phishing attacks over the past 12 months, with the bulk of the attacks utilising malicious links and attachments. Those methods aren’t new, but a 15% increase in successful attacks means that something isn’t working.
Social Media Phishing Attacks Are at An All Time High
Phishing campaigns continue to focus on social media, ramping up efforts to target users for the third consecutive year as the medium becomes increasingly used worldwide for communication, news, and entertainment.
The targeting of social media is the highlighted finding in the 2021 Phishing report by cybersecurity firm Vade, who analysed phishing attack patterns that unfolded throughout 2021.
As part of their report, Vade analysed 184,977 phishing pages to create stats based on a billion corporate and consumer mailboxes that the cyber security firm protects.
Vade also recorded a rise in the sophistication of phishing attacks, especially those targeting Microsoft 365 credentials, an evolution in the tech support scams, and the inevitable dominance of COVID-19 and item shipping lures.
Insurance Giant AON Hit by a Cyber Attack
Professional services and insurance giant AON has suffered a cyberattack that impacted a "limited" number of systems.
AON is a multinational professional services firm offering a wide array of solutions, including business insurance, reinsurance, cyber security consulting, risk solutions, healthcare insurance, and wealth management products.
AON generated $12.2 billion of revenue in 2021 and has approximately 50,000 employees spread throughout 120 countries.
In a filing with the US SEC, AON has disclosed that they suffered a cyberattack on February 25th, 2022.
AON has not provided any details of the attack other than that it occurred and affected a limited number of systems.
The company stated that although in the early stages of assessing the incident, based on the information currently known, the company did not expect the incident to have a material impact on its business, operations or financial condition.
In addition to being an insurance broker, AON is also a leading reinsurance company, meaning that they insure the insurance companies.
How Prepared Are Organisations to Face Email-Based Ransomware Attacks?
Proofpoint released a report which provides an in-depth look at user phishing awareness, vulnerability, and resilience. The report reveals that attackers were more active in 2021 than 2020, with findings uncovering that 78% of organisations saw email-based ransomware attacks in 2021, while 77% faced business email compromise attacks (BEC) (18% YoY increase of BEC attacks from 2020), reflecting cyber criminals’ continued focus on compromising people, as opposed to gaining access to systems through technical vulnerabilities
This year’s report examines responses from commissioned surveys of 600 information and IT security professionals and 3,500 workers in the U.S., Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and the UK. The report also analyses data from nearly 100 million simulated phishing attacks sent by customers to their employees over a one-year period, along with more than 15 million emails reported via the user-activated PhishAlarm reporting button.
Attacks in 2021 also had a much wider impact than in 2020, with 83% of survey respondents revealing their organisation experienced at least one successful email-based phishing attack, up from 57% in 2020. In line with this, 68% of organisations said they dealt with at least one ransomware infection stemming from a direct email payload, second-stage malware delivery, or other exploit. The year-over-year increase remains steady but representative of the challenges organisations faced as ransomware attacks surged in 2021.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/02/28/email-based-ransomware-attacks/
The Most Impersonated Brands in Phishing Attacks
Vade announced its annual ranking of the top 20 most impersonated brands in phishing. Facebook, which was in the second spot in 2020, rose to the top spot for 2021, representing 14% of phishing pages, followed by Microsoft, with 13%.
The report analysed 184,977 phishing pages linked from unique phishing emails between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.
Key findings:
· Financial services is the most impersonated industry
· Microsoft is the most impersonated cloud brand and the top corporate brand
· Facebook dominates social media phishing
· 35% of all phishing pages impersonated financial services brands
· Mondays and Tuesdays are the top days for phishing
· 78% of phishing attacks occur on weekdays
· Monday and Thursday are the top days for Facebook phishing
· Thursday and Friday are the top days for Microsoft phishing
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/03/04/most-impersonated-brands-phishing/
As War Escalates in Europe, It’s ‘Shields Up’ For The Cyber Security Industry
In unprecedented times, even government bureaucracy moves quickly. As a result of the heightened likelihood of cyberthreat from Russian malactor groups, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — part of the Department of Homeland Security — issued an unprecedented warning recommending that “all organisations — regardless of size — adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cyber security and protecting their most critical assets.”
The blanket warning is for all industries to take notice. Indeed, it’s a juxtaposition of sorts to think the cyber security industry is vulnerable to cyber attack, but for many nation state groups, this is their first port of call.
Inspired by the spike in attacks on cyber security agencies globally, a report from Reposify assessed the state of the cyber security industry’s external attack surface (EAS). It coincides with CISA’s warning, and highlights critical areas of concern for the sector and how they mirror trends amongst pharmaceutical and financial companies, providing vital insight into where organisations can focus their efforts, and reinforce the digital perimeter.
2022 May Be The Year Cyber Crime Returns Its Focus to Consumers
Threat analysts expect 2022 to be the tipping point for a shift in the focus of hackers from large companies back to consumers.
This prediction is the result of several factors that make consumers a lot more lucrative to threat actors today than in previous years.
ReasonLabs has compiled a detailed report on the status of consumer-level cyber security and what trends are most likely to emerge this year.
Kaspersky Neutral Stance in Doubt As It Shields Kremlin
Kaspersky Lab is protecting the resources of the Russian Ministry of Defence and other high-value domains that are instrumental to the Russian propaganda machine – Russia Today, TASS news agency, Gazprom bank.
The company insists that they ‘never provide any law enforcement or government organisation with access to user data or the company's infrastructure.”
Eugene Kaspersky's refusal to condemn the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine set the cyber security community on fire. His company has tried to shake ties to the Russian government for years but hasn't succeeded quite yet. And recent events, it seems, only made things worse.
"We welcome the start of negotiations to resolve the current situation in Ukraine and hope that they will lead to a cessation of hostilities and a compromise. We believe that peaceful dialogue is the only possible instrument for resolving conflicts. War isn't good for anyone," Eugene Kaspersky tweeted when Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks near Ukraine's border with Belarus.
https://cybernews.com/security/kaspersky-neutral-stance-in-doubt-as-it-shields-kremlin/
Threats
Ransomware
Accelerated Ransomware Attacks Pressure Targeted Companies to Speed Response (darkreading.com)
Toyota Japan Shutters 14 Plants After Probable Cyber Attack • The Register
Bridgestone Still Struggling With Plant Closures Across North America After Cyber Attack | ZDNet
Cyber Criminals Who Breached Nvidia Issue One Of The Most Unusual Demands Ever | Ars Technica
Conti Ransomware's Internal Chats Leaked After Siding With Russia (bleepingcomputer.com)
Conti Group Encrypts Karma Ransomware Extortion Notes - Infosecurity Magazine
Phishing & Email
Other Social Engineering
'Several Combinations Of Social Engineering' Used During Cyber Attack On Camera Maker Axis | ZDNet
Instagram Scammers As Busy As Ever: Passwords And 2FA Codes At Risk – Naked Security (sophos.com)
Malware
TrickBot Malware Gang Upgrades its AnchorDNS Backdoor to AnchorMail (thehackernews.com)
Rebirth of Emotet: New Features of the Botnet and How to Detect it (thehackernews.com)
Mobile
How Much Do Different Generations Trust Their Mobile Devices' Security? - Help Net Security
TeaBot Android Banking Trojan Continues Its Global Conquest With New Upgrades | ZDNet
SharkBot Malware Hides As Android Antivirus In Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)
Data Breaches/Leaks
Hackers Leak 190GB Of Alleged Samsung Data, Source Code (bleepingcomputer.com)
NVIDIA Data Breach Exposed Credentials Of Over 71,000 Employees (bleepingcomputer.com)
250,000-Plus Lawyer Disciplinary Records Leak • The Register
Swiss Bank Requests Destruction of Documents - Infosecurity Magazine
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking
Hackers Threaten To Turn Every Nvidia GPU Into A Bitcoin Mining Machine | TechRadar
Beware of Ongoing Crypto Cyber War Amidst the Ukraine Russian War in 2022 (analyticsinsight.net)
Log4shell Exploits Now Used Mostly For DDoS Botnets, Cryptominers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime
DoS/DDoS
DDoSers Are Using A Potent New Method To Deliver Attacks Of Unthinkable Size | Ars Technica
DDoS Attackers Have Found This New Trick To Knock Over Websites | ZDNet
Hackers Begin Weaponizing TCP Middlebox Reflection for Amplified DDoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Log4shell Exploits Now Used Mostly For DDoS Botnets, Cryptominers (bleepingcomputer.com)
Nation State Actors
Responses to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Likely to Spur Retaliation | Mandiant
Charities, Aid Orgs In Ukraine Attacked With Malware (bleepingcomputer.com)
Cyber Attacks In Ukraine Could Reach Other Countries - IT Security Guru
Microsoft Finds FoxBlade Malware Hit Ukraine Hours Before Russian Invasion (thehackernews.com)
Ukraine Digital Army Brews Cyberattacks, Intel and Infowar | SecurityWeek.Com
Ukraine Security Agencies Warn Of Ghostwriter Threat Activity, Phishing Campaigns | ZDNet
Ukraine Asks ICANN To Revoke Russian Domains And Shut Down DNS Root Servers | Ars Technica
IsaacWiper, The Third Wiper Spotted Since The Beginning Of Russian Invasion - Security Affairs
Ukrainian Sites Saw A 10x Increase In Attacks When Invasion Started (bleepingcomputer.com)
Chinese Malware Targeted Multiple Governments • The Register
Iranian Hackers Using New Spying Malware That Abuses Telegram Messenger API (thehackernews.com)
Passwords & Credential Stuffing
Spyware, Espionage & Cyber Warfare
Cyber Attack on NATO Could Trigger Collective Defence Clause - Official | Reuters
Ukraine Conflict Spurs Questions Of How To Define Cyberwar - CyberScoop
How China Built A One-Of-A-Kind Cyber-Espionage Behemoth To Last | MIT Technology Review
Russia's Space Chief Says Hacking Satellites 'A Cause For War' - POLITICO
Ukraine Is Building An 'It Army' Of Volunteers, Something That's Never Been Tried Before | ZDNet
China-linked Daxin Malware Targeted Multiple Governments in Espionage Attacks (thehackernews.com)
Vulnerabilities
Get Patching Now: CISA Adds Another 95 Flaws To Its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities List | ZDNet
Cisco Patches Critical Vulnerabilities in Expressway, TelePresence VCS Products | SecurityWeek.Com
Firefox Patches Two In-The-Wild Exploits – Update Now! – Naked Security (sophos.com)
New Linux Kernel cgroups Vulnerability Could Let Attackers Escape Container (thehackernews.com)
Critical Security Bugs Uncovered in VoIPmonitor Monitoring Software (thehackernews.com)
New Security Vulnerability Affects Thousands of Self-Managed GitLab Instances (thehackernews.com)
Sector Specific
Financial Services Sector
Health/Medical/Pharma Sector
CNI, OT, ICS, IIoT and SCADA
Reports Published in the Last Week
Other News
Ukraine Conflict Puts Organisations’ Cyber-resilience To The Test - Information Security Buzz
The Cyber Security Implications Of The Russia-Ukraine Conflict (forbes.com)
Multifactor Authentication Is Being Targeted by Hackers – The New Stack
Attacks Abusing Programming APIs Grew Over 600% In 2021 (bleepingcomputer.com)
Soaring Cyber Attacks On BBC – ‘No Industry Is Untouchable’ - Information Security Buzz
Bad Actors Are Becoming More Successful At Evading AI/ML Technologies - Help Net Security
Why the Shifting Nature of Endpoints Requires a New Approach to Security (darkreading.com)
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.
Join us at our next 'Coffee, Croissants and Cyber' free breakfast event - this month's topic 'Social Media Dangers'
Join us at our next 'Coffee, Croissants and Cyber' free breakfast event for executives - this month's topic 'Social Media - and the threats it presents to you, your loved ones and your organisation'
Join us at our next 'Coffee, Croissants and Cyber' free breakfast event for executives - this month's topic 'Social Media - and the threats it presents to you, your loved ones and your organisation'
8:00am Thursday 21 October 2021 in the Black Arrow Cyber Training and Conference Suite, 31-33 Le Pollet. Doors open 7:45am
Our breakfast events are free of charge to attend. We offer tea and coffee, pastries, a short 10-15 minute presentation followed by networking and the opportunity to talk to members of our team of world-class cyber security experts from British Intelligence, Law Enforcement, Global Financial Services, FTSE100, Big-4 Advisory & The GFSC
Call us on 711 988, email events@blackarrowcyber.com or https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../coffee-croissants-and... to book your free place
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 April 2021
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 April 2021: Cyber Attacks Rise For Businesses, Pushing Many To The Brink; MI5 Warns Of Spies Using LinkedIn To Trick Staff; Sonicwall Warns Customers To Patch 3 Zero-Days Exploited In The Wild; FBI Removed Backdoors From Vulnerable Exchange Servers, Not Everyone Likes The Idea; Pulse Secure VPN Zero-Day Used To Hack Defense Firms & Govt Orgs; Solarwinds Hack Could Cost Insurance Firms $90M; Mount Locker Ransomware Aggressively Changes Up Tactics; QR Codes Offer Easy Cyber Attack Avenues as Usage Spikes
Welcome to this week’s Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing – a weekly digest, collated and curated by our cyber experts to provide senior and middle management with an easy to digest round up of the most notable threats, vulnerabilities, and cyber related news from the last week.
Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week
Cyber Attacks On The Rise For Businesses, Pushing Many To The Brink
The proportion of businesses targeted by cyber criminals in the past year increased from 38% to 43%, with over a quarter of those targeted (28%) experiencing five attacks or more. Those attacks are pushing many firms to the brink, with one in six businesses attacked (17%) saying the financial impact materially threatened the company’s future. On a more positive note, the report shows firms are responding to the cyber challenge: mean spending per business on cyber security has more than doubled in the last two years.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2021/04/19/610514.htm
MI5 Warns Of Spies Using Linkedin To Trick Staff Into Spilling Secrets
At least 10,000 UK nationals have been approached by fake profiles linked to hostile states, on the professional social network LinkedIn, over the past five years, according to MI5. It warned users who had accepted such connection requests might have then been lured into sharing secrets. A campaign has been launched to educate government workers about the threat. The 10,000-plus figure includes staff in virtually every government departments as well as key industries, who might be offered speaking or business and travel opportunities that could lead to attempts to recruit them to provide confidential information.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56812746
SonicWall Warns Customers To Patch 3 Zero-Days Exploited In The Wild
Security hardware manufacturer SonicWall is urging customers to patch a set of three zero-day vulnerabilities affecting both its on-premises and hosted Email Security products. "In at least one known case, these vulnerabilities have been observed to be exploited 'in the wild,'" SonicWall said in a security advisory published earlier today. The company said it is "imperative" that organisations using its Email Security hardware appliances, virtual appliances, or software installations on Microsoft Windows Server machines immediately upgrade to a patched version.
The FBI Removed Hacker Backdoors From Vulnerable Microsoft Exchange Servers. Not Everyone Likes The Idea
The FBI had worked to remove malicious web shells from hundreds of computers in the United States that were running vulnerable versions of Microsoft Exchange Server. While the move will have helped keep many organisations secure, it has also raised questions about the direction of cyber security. Earlier this year, four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, which were being actively exploited by a nation-state-backed hacking operation, were uncovered. Microsoft released a critical security update to protect Exchange Server customers from cyber attacks exploiting the vulnerabilities in March, but a significant number of organisations have yet to apply the security patch.
Pulse Secure VPN Zero-Day Used To Hack Defense Firms, Govt Organisations
A zero-day authentication bypass vulnerability in the Pulse Connect Secure (PCS) SSL VPN appliance actively exploited in attacks against worldwide organisations and focused on US Defence Industrial base networks. As a workaround, the vulnerability can be mitigated on some gateways by disabling Windows File Share Browser and Pulse Secure Collaboration features using instructions available in the security advisory published earlier today.
SolarWinds Hack Could Cost Cyber Insurance Firms $90 Million
Cyber insurance vendors are expected to spend $90 million on incident response and forensic services for clients who were compromised by the SolarWinds hackers. “Although the SolarWinds attack is a cyber catastrophe from a national security perspective, insurers may have narrowly avoided a catastrophic financial incident to their businesses,” The Russian hackers behind the SolarWinds attack appear to have avoided large scale exploitation of victims, instead opting to maintain access and collect sensitive data. But if the SolarWinds hackers had been focused on interrupting business and destroying networks, the campaign could have been catastrophic for insurers.
https://www.crn.com/news/security/solarwinds-hack-could-cost-cyber-insurance-firms-90-million
Mount Locker Ransomware Aggressively Changes Up Tactics
The Mount Locker ransomware has shaken things up in recent campaigns with more sophisticated scripting and anti-prevention features, according to researchers. And, the change in tactics appears to coincide with a rebranding for the malware into “AstroLocker.” According to researchers, Mount Locker has been a swiftly moving threat. Having just hit the ransomware-as-a-service scene in the second half of 2020, the group released a major update in November that broadened its targeting capabilities (including searching for file extensions utilized by TurboTax tax-return software to encrypt). It also added improved detection evasion. Attacks have continued to escalate, and now, another major update signals “an aggressive shift in Mount Locker’s tactics,”.
https://threatpost.com/mount-locker-ransomware-changes-tactics/165559/
QR Codes Offer Easy Cyber Attack Avenues as Usage Spikes
The use of mobile quick-response (QR) codes in daily life, for both work and personal use, continues to rise – and yet, most people are not aware that these handy mobile shortcuts can open them up to savvy cyber attacks. A survey of 4,157 consumers across China, France, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. It found that 57 percent of respondents have increased their QR code usage since mid-March 2020, mainly because of the need for touchless transactions in the wake of COVID-19. In all, three-quarters of respondents (77 percent) said they have scanned a QR code before, with 43 percent having scanned a QR code in the past week.
https://threatpost.com/qr-codes-cyberattack-usage-spikes/165526/
Google Alerts Continues To Be A Hotbed Of Scams And Malware
Google Alerts continues to be a hotbed of scams and malware that threat actors are increasingly abusing to promote malicious websites. While Google Alerts has been abused for a long time, a significant increase in activity over the past couple of weeks. People use Google Alerts to monitor for various terms related to cyber attacks, security incidents, malware, etc. In one Google Alert, almost every new article shared with people today by the service led to a scam or malicious website.
Threats
Ransomware
Campus Still Closed as Portsmouth University Reels from Suspected Ransomware
Ransomware Gang Tries To Extort Apple Hours Ahead Of Spring Loaded Event
Discord Nitro gift codes now demanded as ransomware payments
Phishing
Malware
IOT
Vulnerabilities
Google Issues Chrome Update Patching Seven Security Vulnerabilities
Zero-Day Vulnerabilities In Sonicwall Email Security Are Being Actively Exploited
Cisco Router Flaws Left Small Business Networks Open To Abuse
Firefox 88 Patches Bugs And Kills Off A Sneaky Javascript Tracking Trick
Data Breaches
Organised Crime & Criminal Actors
Cryptocurrency
Supply Chain
Nation State Actors
Denial of Service
Other News
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 weekly ‘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 11 December 2020
Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 11 December 2020: Cyber crime costs the world more than $1 trillion, 50% increase from 2018; One of the world's largest security firms breached; Chinese Breakthrough in Quantum Computing a Warning for Security Teams; Ransom payouts hit record-highs, surging 178% in a year; Ransomware Set to Continue to Evolve
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 Headlines of the Week
Cyber crime costs the world more than $1 trillion, a 50% increase from 2018
Cyber crime costs the world economy more than $1 trillion, or just more than one percent of global GDP, which is up more than 50 percent from a 2018 study that put global losses at close to $600 billion. Beyond the global figure, the report also explored the damage reported beyond financial losses, finding 92 percent of companies felt effects beyond monetary losses.
https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/12/07/cybercrime-costs-world/
FireEye, one of the world's largest security firms, discloses security breach
FireEye, one of the world largest security firms, said today it was hacked and that a "highly sophisticated threat actor" accessed its internal network and stole hacking tools FireEye uses to test the networks of its customers.
The firm said the threat actor also searched for information related to some of the company's government customers.
The attacker was described as a "highly sophisticated threat actor, one whose discipline, operational security, and techniques lead us to believe it was a state-sponsored attack."
Chinese Breakthrough in Quantum Computing a Warning for Security Teams
China’s top quantum-computer researchers have reported that they have achieved quantum supremacy, i.e., the ability to perform tasks a traditional supercomputer cannot. And while it’s a thrilling development, the inevitable rise of quantum computing means security teams are one step closer to facing a threat more formidable than anything before.
https://threatpost.com/chinese-quantum-computing-warning-security/161935/
Ransom payouts hit record-highs, surging 178% in a year
Average ransom payouts increased by 178% in the third quarter of this year, from $84,000 (£63,000) to almost £234,000, compared with the year before. Ransomware payments reached record-highs in 2020 as employees shifted to remote working to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, creating more attack vectors for hackers.
Ransomware Set for Evolution in Attack Capabilities in 2021
Ransomware is set to evolve into a greater threat in 2021 as service offerings and collaborations increase. The year turned out “different than predicted” and the shift to working from home also impacted the e-crime landscape. “This created an industrialization of e-crime groups and their abilities to extend from single groups into business pipelines”
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-evolution-capabilities/
How Organisations Can Prevent Users from Using Breached Passwords
There is no question that attackers are going after your sensitive account data. Passwords have long been a target of those looking to compromise your environment. Why would an attacker take the long, complicated way if they have the keys to the front door?
https://thehackernews.com/2020/12/how-organizations-can-prevent-users.html
Threats
Ransomware
Hackers demand $34.7 million in Bitcoin after ransomware attack on Foxconn
Ransomware forces hosting provider Netgain to take down data centers
Ransomware-struck schools reject £1m demand from crims in timely reminder to always mind the air-gap
Phishing
IOT
Malware
Qbot malware switched to stealthy new Windows autostart method
Microsoft exposes Adrozek, malware that hijacks Chrome, Edge, and Firefox
Social media sharing icons could harbor info-stealing malware
All-new Windows 10 malware is excellent at evading detection
Rana Android Malware Updates Allow WhatsApp, Telegram IM Snooping
Vulnerabilities
Critical, Unpatched Bugs Open GE Radiological Devices to Remote Code Execution
Amnesia:33 vulnerabilities impact millions of smart and industrial devices
Expert discloses zero-click, wormable flaw in Microsoft Teams
Data Breaches
FireEye, one of the world's largest security firms, discloses security breach
Hackers leak data from Embraer, world's third-largest airplane maker
Threat Actors
Insider Threats
Other News
Reports Published in the Last Week
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 weekly ‘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.
Cyber Weekly Flash Briefing 11 September 2020: Ransomware 41% of H1 2020 cyber insurance claims, MS Critical RCE Bugs, 60% of emails May/June fraudulent, Insider Data Breaches, Linux Targeting More
Cyber Weekly Flash Briefing 11 September 2020: Ransomware 41% of all H1 2020 cyber insurance claims, MS Patch Tuesday Critical RCE Bugs, 60 percent of emails May/ June were fraudulent, Insider-Enabled Data Breaches, Linux-Based Devices Targeted More, Chilean bank shut down following ransomware, meddling in US politics by Russia, China & Iran, TikTok battles to remove video of livestreamed suicide
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.
Ransomware accounted for 41% of all cyber insurance claims in H1 2020
Ransomware incidents have accounted for 41% of cyber insurance claims filed in the first half of 2020, according to a report published today by one of the largest providers of cyber insurance services in North America.
The high number of claims comes to confirm previous reports from multiple cyber-security firms that ransomware is one of today's most prevalent and destructive threats.
Ransomware doesn't discriminate by industry. An increase in ransom attacks has been seen across almost every industry.
In the first half of 2020 alone, they observed a 260% increase in the frequency of ransomware attacks amongst their policyholders, with the average ransom demand increasing 47%.
Among the most aggressive gangs, the cyber insurer listed Maze and DoppelPaymer, which have recently begun exfiltrating data from hacked networks, and threatening to release data on specialized leak sites, as part of double extortion schemes.
Why this matters:
Ransomware remains, and is likely to remain, by far one of the biggest menaces on the web, it is indiscriminate, anyone can be affected, it can be business destroying, and it is getting worse all the time.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-accounts-to-41-of-all-cyber-insurance-claims/
Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday Packed with Critical RCE Bugs
Microsoft has released patches for 129 security bugs in its September Patch Tuesday update. These include 23 critical flaws, 105 that are important in severity and one moderate bug. Fortunately, none are publicly known or under active exploitation, Microsoft said.
The most severe issue in the bunch is CVE-2020-16875, according to researchers. This is a memory-corruption problem in Microsoft Exchange that allows remote code-execution (RCE) just by sending an email to a target. Running arbitrary code could grant attackers the access they need to create new accounts, access, modify or remove data, and install programs.
Why this matters:
Many organisations are struggling to keep up with the volume of updates and keeping on top of them, or knowing which to prioritise, is critical for firms. At a time while many organisations continue to struggle to support the ongoing distribution of remote workers, Microsoft continues to pile on the updates and finding an efficient method for rolling out these patches has become even more imperative as companies begin to abandon the idea of a short-term fix and shift operations to embrace remote work as part of a lasting, long-term progression of how organisations operate moving forward.
Firms are beginning to realise the negative outcomes of the lenient security measures put in place to quickly adapt to a decentralised workforce and it’s become more important than ever to establish patching policies that can securely support remote endpoints for the foreseeable future.
Read more: https://threatpost.com/microsofts-patch-tuesday-critical-rce-bugs/159044/
60 percent of emails in May and June were fraudulent
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a spike in scams, phishing and malware across all platforms and attack vectors. The latest mid-year threat landscape report from Bitdefender shows that in May and June, an average of 60 percent of all received emails were fraudulent.
In addition there’s been a five-fold increase in the number of coronavirus-themed attacks and a 46 percent increase in attacks aimed at home IoT devices.
IoT malware has become versatile, robust, and is constantly updated. IrcFlu, Dark_Nexus7 and InterPLanetary Storm are some of the examples malware that gained in popularity during the first half of 2020.
Mobile malware has been quick to capitalise too, with malware developers rushing to weaponise popular applications, such as the Zoom video conferencing application, used by employees now working from home. Packing RAT (Remote Access Trojan) capabilities, or bundling them with ransomware, banking malware, or even highly aggressive adware, Android malware developers were also fully exploiting the pandemic wave.
Why this matters:
As we keep saying malicious actors never let a good crisis or tragedy go to waste and will exploit whatever is going on in the world or anything there is a collective interest in to real in unsuspecting victims.
Good awareness and education are key in keeping your employees and users safe and ensuring users at all levels, including board members – who present a significant risk, are up to date with latest tactics and threats.
Email in particular will remain primary vector for attack and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Read more: https://betanews.com/2020/09/08/60-percent-of-emails-in-may-and-june-were-fraudulent/
Businesses [should] Fear Insider-Enabled Data Breaches
Businesses fear suffering a data breach and expect it to be caused by an insider or internal error.
A survey of 500 IT professionals found that 94% of respondents have experienced a data breach, and 79% were worried their organisation could be next.
The fear associated with breaches stems from the security culture within the organisation, along with the security reporting structure.
Having security teams in close dialogue with executive leadership, supporting the leadership to make informed risk-based decisions and driving the business strategy, including the technologies used, reduces this fear significantly.
Secondly, not understanding information security, its components and principles drives fear and anxiety of the unknown, so having security education training, and developing awareness and consciousness of threats, will enable and empower the entire organisation to act with a ‘security first’ mindset.
Finally, recognising the importance of access control to protect systems and data is a foundational level control that organisations can apply to reduce the risk of a data breach. Hand in hand with this is partnering with trusted identity and access control platform providers who can provide enterprises with that security expertise and industry leadership.
Why this matters:
In terms of what is causing the breaches, 40% of respondents to the survey said accidental employee incidents were to blame, compared to 21% who said it is external attackers. Asked if this is a case of businesses not having a handle on what leaves their organisations (either intentionally or accidentally), insiders already have access and can leave with data invisibly, which might turn up somewhere embarrassing later.
Read more: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/businesses-insider-breaches/
4 top vulnerabilities ransomware attackers exploited in 2020
As more employees work from home, attackers have more endpoints to target. These unpatched vulnerabilities in remote access tools and Windows makes their job easier.
The biggest security trend for 2020 has been the increase of COVID-19-related phishing and other attacks targeting remote workers. New York City, for example, has gone from having to protect 80,000 endpoints to around 750,000 endpoints in its threat management since work-from-home edicts took place.
As noted in a recent Check Point Software Technologies mid-year review, “The first impact of the pandemic was the proliferation of malware attacks that used social engineering techniques with COVID-19 thematic lures for the delivery stage.” Domain names were set up and parked with names relating to the pandemic. As workers started to use videoconferencing platforms, attacks moved to attacking Zoom, Teams and other videoconferencing platforms.
One disturbing trend is that 80% of the observed attacks in the first half of 2020 used vulnerabilities reported and registered in 2017 and earlier, according to the Check Point report, and more than 20% of the attacks used vulnerabilities that are at least seven years old. This showcases that we have a problem in keeping our software up to date.
Why this matters:
Ransomware remains a big threat 2020 and expanding attack surfaces with staff working from home is making the situation worse. Attackers use vulnerabilities in tools used for remote access into Windows networks.
Click read more below to find out the top four vulnerabilities the researchers identified.
APT Groups Increasingly Targeting Linux-Based Devices
APT groups are increasingly executing targeted attacks against Linux-based devices as well as developing more Linux-focused tools, according to an investigation by Kaspersky.
This is as a result of a growing number of organisations’ selecting Linux ahead of Windows to run their strategically important servers and systems, and the perception that the Linux operating system is safer and less likely to be targeted by malware as it is less popular.
However, threat-actors have been observed to adapt their tactics to take advantage of this trend, and Kaspersky noted that “over a dozen APT actors have been observed to use Linux malware or some Linux-based modules” during the past eight years.
These include notorious groups such as Turla, Lazarus, Barium, Sofacy, the Lamberts and Equation. Kaspersky highlighted the example of Russian speaking APT group Turla using Linux backdoors as part of its changing toolset in recent years.
Why this matters:
Attacks that target Linux-based systems are still fewer in number than attacks on Windows based systems, but there is still malware designed to target them, including webshells, backdoors, rootkits and even custom-made exploits.
Read more: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/apt-targeting-linux-based-devices/
Major Chilean bank shuts down all branches following ransomware attack
Banco Estado, the only public bank in Chile and one of the three largest in the country, had to shut down its nationwide operations on Monday due to a cyberattack that turned out to be a ransomware launched by REvil.
According to a public statement, the branches will remain closed for at least one day, but clarified that customers’ funds have not been affected by the incident.
Sources close to the investigation reported that the REvil ransomware gang is behind the attack. It reportedly originated from an Office document infected with the malware that an employee received and proceeded to open.
The incident was reported to the Chilean authorities, who issued a cyber-security alert that warned about a massive ransomware campaign targeting the private sector in the country.
Why this matters:
As above ransomware is not going away and is getting worse all the time. Too many users don’t realise that simply opening a document or clicking on a link in an email could bring down their entire organisations. Staff and users need to be educated about the role they play in securing their organisations.
Vulnerabilities discovered in PAN-OS, which powers Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls
Palo Alto Networks this week remediated vulnerabilities in PAN-OS (operating systems version 8.1 or later) which command injection, cross site scripting and the ability to upload unauhtoised files to a directory which might lead to denial of service.
Why this matters:
Attackers can use these vulnerabilities to gain access to sensitive data or develop the attack to gain access to the internal segments of the network of a company that uses vulnerable protection tools.
Any security fixes for known vulnerabilities across any different product, software or firmware should be tested and applied as soon as possible, so those vulnerabilities cannot be used against you or your organisation.
Read more: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/09/10/vulnerabilities-discovered-in-pan-os/
Russia, China and Iran hackers target Trump and Biden, Microsoft says
Hackers with ties to Russia, China and Iran are attempting to snoop on people and groups involved with the US 2020 presidential election, Microsoft says.
The Russian hackers who breached the 2016 Democratic campaign are again involved, said the US tech firm.
Microsoft said it was "clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts" targeting the election.
Both President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden's campaigns are in the cyber-raiders' sights.
Russian hackers from the Strontium group have targeted more than 200 organisations, many of which are linked to US political parties - both Republicans and Democrats, Microsoft said in a statement.
Why this matters:
The same attackers have also targeted British political parties, said Microsoft, without specifying which ones. Any meddling in politics by foreign states is a clear threat to the democratic process and shows that unfriendly states will interfere to further their own agendas.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54110457
TikTok battles to remove video of livestreamed suicide
TikTok is battling to remove a graphic video of a livestreamed suicide, after the footage was uploaded to the service on Sunday night from Facebook, where it was initially broadcast.
Although the footage was rapidly taken down from TikTok, users spent much of Monday re-uploading it, initially unchanged, but later incorporated into so-called bait-and-switch videos, which are designed to shock and upset unsuspecting users.
One such video, for instance, begins with a conventional video of an influencer talking to camera, before cutting without warning to the graphic footage.
Why this matters:
Parents, especially of younger children, may think that certain sites and social media channels are safe for children and the content is suitable vetted and controlled, but as this illustrates that is often not the case and caution should be exercised in allow young children unfettered access to social media.