Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 01 March 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

Risk-based spending: An Imperative for Cyber Security That Demands Board Attention

Staying ahead of the latest cyber security developments is essential to keeping your organisation safe. But with the rise of artificial intelligence and attackers dreaming up new techniques every day, a lot of organisations are left to question how they can create proactive, agile cyber security strategies and what approach gives the best return on investment, mitigating risks and maximising the value of their cyber security investments.

Unfortunately, most organisations do not have an unlimited budget, and for small and medium-sized businesses, there is even less to work with. What is needed is a risk-based approach, where organisations identify and prioritise their greatest vulnerabilities, correlating these to business impact; this is then used to form the cyber risk strategy for the organisation.

Sources: [Security Week] [The Hacker News] [Risk.net]

If you Pay Ransoms, You May not Get Your Data Back and Worse, You Will Probably Get Hit Again, with 78% of Firms who Paid Then Suffering Repeat Ransomware Attacks

Recent research from Proofpoint has found that 69% of organisations experienced a successful ransomware incident in the past year, a rise of 5% compared to the previous year. The report found that 60% reported four or more separate ransomware incidents and of the total involved, 54% admitted to paying a ransom. In a separate report, it was found that 78% of organisations suffering a ransomware attack suffered repeat attacks even after they paid.

Sources: [databreaches.net] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Claims Journal]

Cyber Resilience and Cyber Hygiene: Why They Matter to Your Business

Cyber resilience unites cyber security with business continuity and organisational durability, with proper implementation allowing the continuation of routine operations during adverse cyber incidents. Cyber hygiene, on the other hand, refers to having strong cyber security processes and procedures, to help the organisation mitigate the chance of an incident. The combination of both of these allows an organisation to reduce their likelihood of suffering a cyber incident, whilst improving their likelihood of continuing operations in the event of such an incident.

Sources: [Information Week] [Security Boulevard]

Why Governance, Risk and Compliance Must be Integrated with Cyber Security

With pressure from regulators, the evolving threat landscape and requirements for stronger oversight, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) has even more of an argument for alignment with cyber security. After all, cyber security is still security. Incorporating cyber security into the GRC programme of an organisation allows for cyber to become a business enabler.

Source: [CSO Online]

More and More UK Firms Concerned About Insider Threats

A report has found that 54% of UK business decision makers are concerned about the likelihood of their employees disclosing sensitive information or providing network access to fraudsters. In a separate report, 35% of respondents cited overworked and distracted staff making mistakes as a reason why they thought their business experienced insider risk. Certainly, insider risk does not just involve malicious employees; it can also include negligence and in some cases, employees may not be trained enough to identify the risk they are placing on the organisation such as not knowing or following an organisation’s call back procedure. It is important for organisations to consider whether their current training addresses this and whether the programme is doing enough to ensure that insider risk is mitigated.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

98% of Businesses Linked to Breached Third Parties

A new report has found that 98% of organisations are associated with a third party that has experienced a breach, and these breaches often take months or more to be discovered. 75% of external business-to-business (B2B) relationships that enabled third-party breaches involved software or other technology products and services. Third party security is an important part of an organisation’s cyber security and to manage it correctly, organisations need to implement a third party risk management programme.

Source: [Help Net Security]

Phishing, Smishing and Vishing Skyrocket 1,265%

According to a report, since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, vishing, smishing, and phishing attacks have increased by a staggering 1,265%. Despite different techniques, these attacks all have one focus, and that’s on the user. Organisations looking to protect themselves should consider a blend of mitigations, including advanced email filtering, enabling multi-factor authentication and arguably the most important, effective user education and awareness training. This training should go beyond ticking boxes, by instead teaching employees how to both recognise and report phishing attempts.

A separate report analysed over 1 billion emails. Some of the key findings included that the majority of phishing attempts (71%) rely on deceptive links, but attachments (22%) and predatory QR codes (7%) are on the rise. When it came to spoofs, Microsoft was the most spoofed entity and financial services were amongst those most targeted sectors.

Source: [Bleeping Computer] [Help Net Security] [Security Affairs]

Business Email Compromise Attacks Are Evolving, But What Can Be Done About It

Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks remain a dominant danger, with a staggering $51 billion lost over the last decade. A recent report underscores the prevalence of email as the primary battlefield, far outstripping other cyber attack methods. The low-cost, high-reach nature of email makes it an attractive starting point for cyber criminals. As organisations embrace cloud-based infrastructures, these attacks have morphed, presenting new challenges. Attackers have progressed from direct phishing attempts, to compromising business partners, vendors and other third parties. In this arms race, artificial intelligence (AI) assumes a pivotal role as an essential ally, efficiently discerning between benign and malicious content. This development signifies a significant milestone in the realm of email security resilience.

Source: [ITPro]

Vulnerabilities Count Set to Rise by 25% in 2024

The cyber threat landscape is rapidly evolving, with an anticipated 25% increase in published systems vulnerabilities for 2024. This surge, reaching approximately 2,900 vulnerabilities per month, underscores the critical need for robust vulnerability management strategies. Vulnerabilities serve as prime entry points for ransomware actors, heightening the urgency for organisations to fortify their defences. However, the sheer volume of vulnerabilities poses a daunting challenge for security and IT teams already thinly stretched. Timely risk-scoring remains a significant issue, leaving defenders vulnerable to exploits with threat actors often gaining a head start. Honeypot data reveals a concerning uptick in scans targeting remote desktop protocol (RDP), with businesses running end-of-life (EOL) software at heightened risk. In this dynamic cyber security climate, proactive risk management and expert intervention, such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR), are imperative to safeguarding against emerging threats.

Source: [Help Net Security]

BYOD Increases Mobile Phishing; Risks Have Never Been Higher

The risk of cyber attacks looms large, with stolen employee login credentials serving as a prime target for malicious actors. Mobile phishing has emerged as a significant threat, with data revealing a surge in encounter rates, especially in hybrid work environments and amid Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies. Personal devices, once considered outside the realm of corporate security, now pose substantial risks, as attackers exploit social engineering schemes to breach organisational networks. The financial implications of a successful phishing attack are staggering, with estimates suggesting potential losses of up to $4 million for organisations. As phishing encounter rates continue to rise, it's imperative for businesses to bolster their security strategies, ensuring comprehensive protection against mobile phishing threats across all employee devices. To navigate this evolving landscape and safeguard sensitive data, organisations must stay vigilant and adopt proactive measures.

Source: [MSSP Alert]

What Companies Should Know About Rising Legal Threats

The cyber security landscape is witnessing a significant shift as legal actions increasingly target both corporations and individual security officers. Recent cases including lawsuits by Tesla against ex-employees for cyber security breaches and charges by regulatory bodies like the US FTC and SEC, underscore the mounting legal risks associated with cyber security breaches. Notably, private companies are not exempt from such liabilities, facing scrutiny from authorities, regulators, customers and other affected parties. This environment has prompted many cyber security leaders to reconsider their roles, with concerns raised about the future of the profession. Amidst escalating threats and enforcement actions, there's a pressing need for enhanced cyber security budgets, robust risk-based controls and proactive audits or other independent assurance.

Source: [Darkreading]

CIOs Rethink All-In Cloud Strategies as Five Eyes Nations Warn of Evolving Russian Cyber Espionage Practices Targeting Cloud Environments

As organisations embrace the cloud, CIOs recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be optimal. Many now favour a nuanced strategy, shifting workloads from public clouds to platforms offering productivity gains and cost savings; a trend known as ‘cloud exit.’ CIOs are rethinking cloud strategies, assessing each application’s suitability and fostering context-aware hosting decisions.

This comes as a recent advisory issued jointly by cyber security agencies from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand reveals that Russian cyber espionage units, including APT29 and Cozy Bear, are adapting tactics to target cloud environments used by both public and private organisations. These sophisticated attacks pose significant threats across industries. Implementing basic cloud security measures is crucial to regularly evaluate dormant accounts, limit system-issued token validity, and enforce stringent device policies. As cloud adoption rises, prioritise cyber security fundamentals for effective defence.

Sources: [CyberScoop] [CIO]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Why governance, risk, and compliance must be integrated with cyber security | CSO Online

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

• The Imperative for Modern Security: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management - Security Week

• Why Cyber Resilience May Be More Important Than Cyber Security (informationweek.com)

• Beating the drum on cyber risk: the battle for boardroom attention - Risk.net

• What is cyber hygiene and why businesses should know about it - Security Boulevard

• Bridging the Gap: Connecting Cyber Security Spending to Business Results - Security Boulevard

• What Companies & CISOs Should Know About Rising Legal Threats (darkreading.com)

• Essential Guide To Security Metrics For Businesses (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Essential Guide To Information Security Compliance (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Mastering Risk Management: The Art Of Effective Strategy (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The CISO: 2024’s Most Important C-Suite Officer (forbes.com)

• UK Unveils Draft Cyber Security Governance Code - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How to Prioritize Cyber Security Spending: A Risk-Based Strategy for the Highest ROI (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber security 'blind spot' leaves businesses exposed - Accountancy Age

• MTTR: The Most Important Security Metric (darkreading.com)

• Building Your Cyber Incident Response Team - Security Boulevard

• 9 Steps to Fostering a Cyber Security-Aware Culture (newsweek.com)

• AWS on why CISOs should track 'the metric of no' | TechTarget

• 2024 will see more cyber threats emerge – here is what SMEs need to know | TechRadar

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Threat Actor Groups, Including Black Basta, are Exploiting Recent ScreenConnect Vulnerabilities (trendmicro.com)

• If you pay ransom, you may not get your data back and worse, you probably WILL get hit again – Cybereason Survey (databreaches.net)

• 78% of Organisations Suffer Repeat Ransomware Attacks After Paying - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 69% of Organisations Infected by Ransomware in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stages of LockBit Grief: Anger, Denial, Faking Resurrection? (inforisktoday.com)

• What CISOs Need To Know About The Lockbit Takedown - Security Boulevard

• Ransomware crews lean into infostealers for initial access • The Register

• 78% of Organisations Suffer Repeat Ransomware Attacks After Paying (claimsjournal.com)

• Challenges Remain in Evaluating Ransomware Crackdowns | Decipher (duo.com)

• Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern (darkreading.com)

• Do ransomware attackers keep their word? - TechCentral.ie

• What Are Ransomware Attacks and Can They Be Stopped? Explainer - Bloomberg

• Study: Ransom payment not a shield against future attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• FBI, CISA warn US hospitals of targeted BlackCat ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Held to ransom: How criminal gangs are weaponising AI in the name of cyber extortion (holyrood.com)

• Is Now the Right Time for a Ransomware Payment Ban? (govtech.com)

• What is Old is New Again: Lessons in Anti-Ransom Policy | Recorded Future

• 3 Ways Your Organisation Could Be Susceptible To Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• What the war on terrorism teaches us about the war on ransomware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber criminals follow the money to hit manufacturing sector • The Register

• Why your legitimate software is not safe from ransomware attacks (networkingplus.co.uk)

Ransomware Victims

• Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack: BlackCat Hackers Quickly Returned After FBI Bust | WIRED

• LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Exposed 16.9 Million Individuals - Security Week

• Rhysida ransomware wants $3.6 million for children’s stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Stolen Donald Trump Court Files Will Be Published February 29, Hackers Say (forbes.com)

• Epic Games attacked by new ransomware group Mogilevich | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hackers claim to have stolen 7GB of data from Irish Department of Foreign Affairs | Independent.ie

• Insomniac Games alerts employees hit by ransomware data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• German Steelmaker Thyssenkrupp Confirms Ransomware Attack - Security Week

• US pharmacy outage caused by Blackcat attack on Optum (securityaffairs.com)

• MGM Resorts Says Regulators Probing September Cyber Attack (claimsjournal.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• European retailer Pepco loses €15.5 million in phishing (possibly BEC?) attack - Help Net Security

• Vishing, smishing, and phishing attacks skyrocket 1,265% post-ChatGPT - Help Net Security

• BYOD Increases Mobile Phishing; Risks Have Never Been Higher | MSSP Alert

• SMBs are being targeted by this new phishing scam — make sure you don't fall victim | TechRadar

• Need to Know: Key Takeaways from the Latest Phishing Attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Unmasking 2024's Email Security Landscape (securityaffairs.com)

• Lookout Discovers Advanced Phishing Kit Targeting US Federal Agency and Cryptocurrency Exchange Organisations | Business Wire

• Registrars can now block all domains that resemble brand names (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Criminals hijacked more than 8,000 trusted domains, sent millions of malicious emails | TechSpot

Other Social Engineering

• Vishing, smishing, and phishing attacks skyrocket 1,265% post-ChatGPT - Help Net Security

• The Silent Threat: Why Vishing is Causing Major Problems for Businesses - Security Boulevard

• Registrars can now block all domains that resemble brand names (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to stay safe from cyber criminal "quishing" attacks | TechRadar

• Scammers Often Rely on This Psychological Trick | TIME

Artificial Intelligence

• Blackstone's Schwarzman sees peril in “not bright” criminals getting their hands on AI | Fortune

• AI threats: The importance of a concrete strategy in fighting novel attacks | ITPro

• New Hugging Face Vulnerability Exposes AI Models to Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Putin's AI threat to democracy: Russian spies 'have developed artificial intelligence cyber tool to spread disinformation and meddle in elections across the West' | Daily Mail Online

• AI in cyber security presents a complex duality - Help Net Security

• AI and cyber security: Navigating the risks and opportunities | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Held to ransom: How criminal gangs are weaponising AI in the name of cyber extortion (holyrood.com)

• Cyber experts raise AI fears security fears in Parliament | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)

• UK ICO Vows to Safeguard Privacy in AI Era - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• BEAST AI attack can break LLM guardrails in a minute • The Register

2FA/MFA

• Strengths & Weaknesses of MFA Methods Against Cyber Attacks | Duo Security

Malware

• Ransomware crews lean into infostealers for initial access • The Register

• BobTheSmuggler: Open-source tool for undetectable payload delivery - Help Net Security

• New IDAT Loader Attacks Using Steganography to Deploy Remcos RAT (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean Hackers Targeting Developers with Malicious npm Packages (thehackernews.com)

• Open-Source Xeno RAT Trojan Emerges as a Potent Threat on GitHub (thehackernews.com)

• GitHub besieged by millions of malicious repositories in ongoing attack | Ars Technica

• Pikabot returns with new tricks up its sleeve - Help Net Security

• TimbreStealer Malware Spreading via Tax-themed Phishing Scam Targets IT Users (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese Hackers Exploiting Ivanti VPN Flaws to Deploy New Malware (thehackernews.com)

• CISA warns against using hacked Ivanti devices even after factory resets (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cloud-focused malware campaigns on the increase (betanews.com)

• Hackers are infecting Macs with malware using calendar invites and meeting links | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• New Backdoor Targeting European Officials Linked to Indian Diplomatic Events (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• BYOD Increases Mobile Phishing; Risks Have Never Been Higher | MSSP Alert

• Kaspersky Finds Attacks on Mobile Devices Significantly Increased in 2023 (darkreading.com)

• Meet 'XHelper,' the All-in-One Android App for Global Money Laundering (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Down, Not Out: Russian Hacktivists Claiming DDoS Disruptions (govinfosecurity.com)

• DDoS attacks against web apps and APIs surge (betanews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Half of IT Leaders Identify IoT as Security Weak Point - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The White House Warns Cars Made in China Could Unleash Chaos on US Highways | WIRED

Data Breaches/Leaks

• U-Haul says 67K customers' data was stolen in cyber attack • The Register

• Pharma giant hit by major cyber attack — Cencora confirms data was stolen | TechRadar

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

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

• 8 Worrying Cyber Security Statistics You Need to Know in 2024 (tech.co)

• It’s only February and cyber crime is already running rampant (techinformed.com)

• Scottish Police Face Toil and Trouble From Cyber Crime (govinfosecurity.com)

• How active adversaries divide labour to more effectively target victims | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• SonicWall: Cryptojacking Attacks Spike 659% in 2023 | MSSP Alert

• Lookout Discovers Advanced Phishing Kit Targeting US Federal Agency and Cryptocurrency Exchange Organisations | Business Wire

• Cryptojacking is no longer the sole focus of cloud attackers - Help Net Security

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• US man accused of making $1.8m from listening in on wife’s remote work calls | Securities and Exchange Commission | The Guardian

• Are remote workers at greater risk of cyber security threats? | TechRadar

• Over Half of UK Firms Concerned About Insider Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Understanding employees' motivations behind risky actions - Help Net Security

• The human element of cyber security: Why people are the ultimate defence. (thecyberwire.com)

Insurance

• Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern (darkreading.com)

• A Cyber Insurance Backstop - Schneier on Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• New Hugging Face Vulnerability Exposes AI Models to Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• 98% of businesses linked to breached third parties - Help Net Security

Cloud/SaaS

• Five Eyes nations warn of evolving Russian cyberespionage practices targeting cloud environments | CyberScoop

• Russia's 'Midnight Blizzard' Targeting Service Accounts for Initial Cloud Access (darkreading.com)

• CIOs rethink all-in cloud strategies | CIO

• Cryptojacking is no longer the sole focus of cloud attackers - Help Net Security

• Your Data Has Moved to the Cloud: Can Your Security Strategy Keep Up? | MSSP Alert

• Cloud-focused malware campaigns on the increase (betanews.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Superusers Need Super Protection: How to Bridge Privileged Access Management and Identity Management (thehackernews.com)

• How organisations can navigate identity security risks in 2024 - Help Net Security

• Echoes of SolarWinds in New 'Silver SAML' Attack Technique (darkreading.com)

Linux and Open Source

• From Open Source to Enterprise Ready: 4 Pillars to Meet Your Security Requirements - Security Week

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Russia's 'Midnight Blizzard' Targeting Service Accounts for Initial Cloud Access (darkreading.com)

Social Media

• Rights groups file GDPR suits on Meta's pay-or-consent model • The Register

• Meta Patches Facebook Account Takeover Vulnerability - Security Week

Malvertising

• How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin | WIRED

• Google faces $2.27 billion lawsuit over advertising practices (searchengineland.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Cyber awareness education is a change-management initiative | CSO Online

• Cyber Security Training Not Sticking? How to Fix Risky Password Habits (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 4 Ways Organisations Can Drive Demand for Software Security Training (darkreading.com)

• Creating a cyber security training curriculum for SMBs and MSPs | TechRadar

• 9 Steps to Fostering a Cyber Security-Aware Culture (newsweek.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• 81% of security leaders predict SEC rules will impact their businesses | Security Magazine

• Orgs Face Major SEC Penalties for Failing to Disclose Breaches (darkreading.com)

• Getting Ahead of Cyber Security Materiality Mayhem - Security Boulevard

• NIST Publishes Final “Cyber Security Resource Guide” on Implementing the HIPAA Security Rule | Foley & Lardner LLP - JDSupra

• UK ICO Vows to Safeguard Privacy in AI Era - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Backup and Recovery

• MTTR: The Most Important Security Metric (darkreading.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• NIST CSF 2.0 released, to help all organisations, not just those in critical infrastructure - Help Net Security

• NIST Adds “Govern” Function to Cybersecurity Framework | MSSP Alert

• Top 3 NIST Cyber Security Framework 2.0 takeaways | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Preparing for the NIS2 Directive - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• UK ICO issues warning on biometric employee tracking, guidance for businesses | Biometric Update

• Privacy Beats Ransomware as Top Insurance Concern (darkreading.com)

• Rights groups file GDPR suits on Meta's pay-or-consent model • The Register

• UK ICO Vows to Safeguard Privacy in AI Era - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• A Perfect Cyber Storm is Leading to Burnout | Network Computing

• The Next Gen of Cyber Security Could Be Hiding in Big Tech (darkreading.com)

• Lost to the Highest Bidder: The Economics of Cyber Security Staffing - Security Boulevard

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Is the LockBit gang resuming its operation? (securityaffairs.com)

• Challenges Remain in Evaluating Ransomware Crackdowns | Decipher (duo.com)

• Russian hacker is set to face trial for the hack of a local power grid (securityaffairs.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Putin's AI threat to democracy: Russian spies 'have developed artificial intelligence cyber tool to spread disinformation and meddle in elections across the West' | Daily Mail Online

• US leading global alliance to counter foreign government disinformation | Cyberwar | The Guardian

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• 15 Countries with Cyber Warfare Capabilities (yahoo.com)

• Cyber Espionage France’s Top Threat Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors

China

• Hackers backed by Russia and China are infecting SOHO routers like yours, FBI warns | Ars Technica

• US Official Warns Of China’s Growing Offensive Cyber Power – Analysis – Eurasia Review

• When Hackers Are Hacked, A Chinese Spy Story - Worldcrunch

• Chinese Cyber Attacks:A 12-month Outlook (greydynamics.com)

• Chinese Cyber Espionage Set To Ramp Up This Year (forbes.com)

• The Drums of US-China Cyber War by Stephen S. Roach - Project Syndicate (project-syndicate.org)

• Chinese Hackers Exploiting Ivanti VPN Flaws to Deploy New Malware (thehackernews.com)

• The White House Warns Cars Made in China Could Unleash Chaos on US Highways | WIRED

• Foreign Firms in China Flag Lack of Feedback on Data Security (bloomberglaw.com)

• Beijing Silent Over Russia's Reported War-Gaming of China Invasion

Russia

• Two Years On: How Ukraine's Cyber Warfront Is Redefining Global Cyber Security Strategies | HackerNoon

• Hackers backed by Russia and China are infecting SOHO routers like yours, FBI warns | Ars Technica

• Five Eyes nations warn of evolving Russian cyberespionage practices targeting cloud environments | CyberScoop

• Russia may have just carried out its first direct action against the West (yahoo.com)

• Moscow Military Hackers Used Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability (inforisktoday.com)

• Russia's 'Midnight Blizzard' Targeting Service Accounts for Initial Cloud Access (darkreading.com)

• Ukraine signs security deals with Western allies to help counter Russian cyber attacks (therecord.media)

• Russia cyber spies behind SolarWinds breach adopting new tactics, warn Five Eyes agencies (therecord.media)

• Cyber Security Agencies Warn Ubiquiti EdgeRouter Users of APT28's MooBot Threat (thehackernews.com)

• Putin's AI threat to democracy: Russian spies 'have developed artificial intelligence cyber tool to spread disinformation and meddle in elections across the West' | Daily Mail Online

• Down, Not Out: Russian Hacktivists Claiming DDoS Disruptions (govinfosecurity.com)

• Lazarus APT exploited 0-day in Win driver to gain kernel privileges (securityaffairs.com)

• Lovers' Spat? North Korea Backdoors Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry (darkreading.com)

• Russia warns of "military-technical" response to Sweden's NATO membership (newsweek.com)

• Russian hacker is set to face trial for the hack of a local power grid (securityaffairs.com)

• Russia and Belarus targeted by at least 14 nation-state hacker groups, researchers say (therecord.media)

• Beijing Silent Over Russia's Reported War-Gaming of China Invasion

• Russia subjected to deluge of nation-state, hacktivist cyber threats | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• How the Pentagon Learned to Use Targeted Ads to Find Its Targets—and Vladimir Putin | WIRED

Iran

• Iran-Linked UNC1549 Hackers Target Middle East Aerospace & Defence Sectors (thehackernews.com)

North Korea

• North Korean Hackers Targeting Developers with Malicious npm Packages (thehackernews.com)

• Lovers' Spat? North Korea Backdoors Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• The Imperative for Modern Security: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management - Security Week

• CVE count set to rise by 25% in 2024 - Help Net Security

• Most Commercial Code Contains High-Risk Open Source Bugs - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The rising threat of zero-day attacks | Security Magazine

Vulnerabilities

• Threat Actor Groups, Including Black Basta, are Exploiting Recent ScreenConnect Vulnerabilities (trendmicro.com)

• Moscow Military Hackers Used Microsoft Outlook Vulnerability (inforisktoday.com)

• Lazarus APT exploited 0-day in Win driver to gain kernel privileges (securityaffairs.com)

• Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in Data Center OS - Security Week

• CISA warns against using hacked Ivanti devices even after factory resets (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Five Eyes Agencies Warn of Active Exploitation of Ivanti Gateway Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• One of Apple's best iOS productivity tools had a pretty concerning security flaw, so patch now | TechRadar

• Critical Flaw in Popular 'Ultimate Member' WordPress Plugin - Security Week

• Meta Patches Facebook Account Takeover Vulnerability - Security Week

• MITRE Rolls Out 4 Brand-New CWEs for Microprocessor Security Bugs (darkreading.com)

• Citrix, Sophos software impacted by 2024 leap year bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ivanti integrity checker tool needs latest update to work, Five Eyes alert warns | CyberScoop

• Zyxel fixed four bugs in firewalls and access points (securityaffairs.com)

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Tools and Controls

• The Imperative for Modern Security: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management - Security Week

• Cyber awareness education is a change-management initiative | CSO Online

• Why Cyber Security Must Include Protective DNS (hyas.com)

• Championing ethical hackers: a vital defence for the financial industry during turbulent times (finextra.com)

• Strengths & Weaknesses of MFA Methods Against Cyber Attacks | Duo Security

• AI and cyber security: Navigating the risks and opportunities | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• How Zero Trust Data Detection & Response is Changing the Game - Security Boulevard

• APIs become the leading attack vector, cyber security research shows (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Superusers Need Super Protection: How to Bridge Privileged Access Management and Identity Management (thehackernews.com)

• How organisations can navigate identity security risks in 2024 - Help Net Security

• MTTR: The Most Important Security Metric (darkreading.com)

• 9 Steps to Fostering a Cyber Security-Aware Culture (newsweek.com)

• Artificial Arms Race: What Can Automation and AI do to Advance Red Teams - Security Week

• Savvy Seahorse gang uses DNS CNAME records to power investor scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cloud Apps Make the Case for Pentesting-as-a-Service (darkreading.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• A Comparative Study on Cyber Risk: Business vs. Security Perspectives (inforisktoday.com)

• Cyber threat landscape report | Professional Security

• Email Security in 2024: An Expert Look at Email-Based Threats - VIPRE

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Other News

• Cyber attacks on UK law firms on the rise - Spear's (spearswms.com)

• IntelBroker claimed the hack of the Los Angeles International Airport (securityaffairs.com)

• It's time to stop trusting your antivirus software | Digital Trends

• Three new advanced threat groups targeted industrial organisations last year | CSO Online

• What’s on the Radar for Aviation Industry Cyber Security? - Security Boulevard

• Business leaders warn of rising cyber security threat | The Herald (heraldscotland.com)

• Why Health Care Is Top Target for Cyber Criminals (govtech.com)

• RCMP investigating cyber attack as its website remains down (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers exploit 14-year-old CMS editor on govt, edu sites for SEO poisoning (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

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·         Construction

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·         Defence & Space

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·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 28th July 2023

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

• Half of UK Businesses Struggle to Fill Cyber Security Skills Gap

Half of UK businesses have a cyber security skills gap that they are struggling to fill amid a challenging labour market, according to data published by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which found that there were more than 160,000 cyber security job postings in the last year – a 30% increase on the previous period. In all, the UK requires an additional 11,200 people with suitable cyber skills to meet the demands of the market, the report estimates.

In a separate report, it was found that a lack of executive understanding and an ever-widening talent gap is placing an unsustainable burden on security teams to prevent business-ending breaches. When asked how long it takes to fill a cyber security role, 82% of organisations report it takes three months or longer, with 34% reporting it takes seven months or more. These challenges have led one-third (33%) of organisations to believe they will never have a fully-staffed security team with the proper skills.

With such a gap, some organisations have turned to outsourcing cyber security roles, such as chief information security officers (CISOs), leading to a rise in virtual CISOs (vCISO). With outsourcing, organisations can ensure that they are easily able to pick up and use cyber security experts, greatly reducing the delay were they to hire. Black Arrow supports clients as their vCISO with specialist experience in cyber security risk management in a business context.

https://www.uktech.news/cybersecurity/uk-cybersecurity-skills-gap-20230725

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/26/security-teams-executive-burden/

• Deloitte Joins Fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY as Victims Exceed 500

The global auditing and accounting firm Deloitte appeared alongside a further 55 MOVEit victims that were recently named by the Cl0p ransomware gang, making them the third Big Four accounting firm to be affected and amongst over 500 organisations in total with that number expected to continue to increase.

Research by Kroll has also uncovered a new exfiltration method used by Cl0p in their the MOVEit attacks, highlighting constant efforts by the ransomware gang. Worryingly, it has been reported that Cl0p have made between $75-100 million from ransom payments and it is expected this, along with the victim count, will rise.

https://cybernews.com/security/deloitte-big-four-moveit-pwc-ey-clop/

https://www.kroll.com/en/insights/publications/cyber/moveit-vulnerability-investigations-uncover-additional-exfiltration-method

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/clop-could-make-100m-moveit/

• Why Cyber Security Should Be Part of Your ESG Strategy

Organisations need to consider cyber security risks in their overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy amid growing cyber threats and regulatory scrutiny. The ESG programme is, in many ways, a form of risk management to mitigate the risks to businesses, societies and the environment, all of which can be impacted by cyber security. The investment community has been singling out cyber security as one of the major risks that ESG programmes will need to address due to the potential financial losses, reputational damage and business continuity risks posed by a growing number of cyber attacks and data breaches.

Various ESG reporting frameworks have emerged in recent years to provide organisations with guidelines on how they can operate ethically and sustainably, along with metrics that they can use to measure their progress. There are also specific IT security standards and frameworks, including ISO 27001 and government guidelines. Some regulators have gone as far as mandating the adoption of baseline security standards by critical infrastructure operators and firms in industries like financial services, but that does not mean organisations outside of regulated sectors are less pressured to shore up their cyber security posture.

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366545432/Why-cyber-security-should-be-part-of-your-ESG-strategy

• Lawyers Take Frontline Role in Business Response to Cyber Attacks

Cyber security risk has shot to the top of general counsels’ agendas as the sophistication and frequency of attacks has grown. According to security company Sophos’s State of Ransomware 2023 report, 44% of UK businesses surveyed said they had been hit with ransomware in the past year. Of those affected, 33% said their data was encrypted and stolen and a further 6% said that their data was not encrypted but they experienced extortion.

In-house lawyers have a key role around the boardroom table when dealing with a breach including war-gaming and discussing cases in which a company will pay a ransom. The advent of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation in Europe, and equivalents elsewhere, demands that businesses hit by a data breach notify a regulator, and the individuals whose data was stolen, or both, depending on certain factors. This has led to far greater exposure of cyber incidents which companies previously could have tried to deal with privately.

https://www.ft.com/content/2af44ae8-78fc-4393-88c3-0d784a850331

• Organisations Face Record $4.5M Per Data Breach Incident

In a recent report conducted by IBM, the average cost per data breach for US business in 2023 jumped to $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years. In the UK, the average cost was found to be £3.4 million, rising to £5.3 million for financial services. It is likely that the cost per breach will maintain a continual rise, with organisations struggling to crack down on cyber crime, something threat groups like Cl0p are taking advantage of.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/orgs-record-4.5m-data-breach-incident

https://uk.newsroom.ibm.com/24-07-2023-IBM-Security-Report-Cost-of-a-Data-Breach-for-UK-Businesses-Averages-3-4m

• Cryptojacking Soars as Cyber Attacks Diversify

According to a recent report, a variety of attacks have increased globally, including cryptojacking (399%), IoT malware (37%) and encrypted threats (22%). This reflects the increase in actors who are changing their methods of attacks. The report found that we can expect more state-sponsored activity targeting a broader set of victims in 2023, including SMBs, government entities and enterprises.

Cryptojacking, sometimes referred to as malicious cryptomining, is where an attacker will use a victim’s device to mine cryptocurrency, giving the attacker free money at the expense of your device, network health and electricity.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/27/cryptojacking-attacks-rise/

• Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket in 2023

Ransomware attacks surged by 74% in Q2 2023 compared to the first three months of the year, a new report has found. The significant increase in ransomware over April, May and June 2023 suggests that attackers are regrouping. In July 2023, the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis found that in the first half of 2023, ransomware attackers extorted $176m more than the same period in 2022, reversing a brief downward trend in 2022.

The report also observed an uptick in “pure extortion attacks,” with cyber criminals increasingly relying on the threat of data leaks rather than encrypting data to extort victims. Such schemes may not trigger any ransomware detection capability but could potentially be picked up by a robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-attacks-skyrocket-q2/

• Blocking Access to ChatGPT is a Short-Term Solution to Mitigate AI Risk

Despite the mass adoption of generative AI, most companies don’t know how to assess its security, exposing them to risks and disadvantages if they don’t change their approach. A report found that for every 10,000 enterprise users, an enterprise organisation is experiencing approximately 183 incidents of sensitive data being posted to ChatGPT per month. Worryingly, despite the security issues, only 45% have an enterprise-wide strategy to ensure a secure, aligned deployment of AI across the entire organisation.

Blocking access to AI related content and AI applications is a short term solution to mitigate risk, but comes at the expense of the potential benefits that AI apps offer to supplement corporate innovation and employee productivity. The data shows that in financial services and healthcare nearly 1 in 5 organisations have implemented a blanket ban on employee use of ChatGPT, while in the technology sector, only 1 in 20 organisations have done likewise.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/28/chatgpt-exposure/

https://www.techradar.com/pro/lots-of-sensitive-data-is-still-being-posted-to-chatgpt

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/07/25/generative-ai-strategy/

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends on It (Because it Does)

Data breaches can be incredibly costly. Be it lawsuits, regulatory fines, or a fall in stock price, the financial consequences of a breach can bring even the largest organisation to its knees. However, in the face of economic damage, it’s too easy to overlook the vast reputational impacts that often do more harm to a business. After all, it’s relatively easy to recoup monetary losses, less so to regain customer trust.

It’s important to remember that reputational damage isn’t limited to consumer perceptions. Stakeholder, shareholder, and potential buyer perception is also something that needs to be considered. By having effective defence in depth controls including robust data loss prevention (DLP) solutions in place, organisations can reduce the risk of a breach from happening.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/protect-your-data-like-your-reputation-depends-on-it-because-it-does/

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved with Cyber Insurance Negotiation

Generally negotiating cyber insurance policies falls to the general counsel, chief financial officer, or chief operations officer. Having the chief information security officer (CISO) at the table when negotiating with insurance brokers or carriers is a best practice for ensuring the insurers understand not only which security controls are in place, but why the controls are configured the way they are and the organisation's strategy. That said, often best practices are ignored for reasons of expediency and lack of acceptance by other C-suite executives.

Sometimes being the CISO can be a no-win position. According to a recent survey more than half of all CISOs report to a technical corporate officer rather than the business side of the organisation. This lack of recognition by the board can diminish the CISO's ability to deliver business-imperative insights and recommendations, leaving operations to have a more commanding influence on the board than cyber security. Too often the CISO gets the responsibility to protect the company without the authority and budget to accomplish their task.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/why-cisos-should-get-involved-with-cyber-insurance-negotiation

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber Security Experts, SEC Says

A recent report has found that only five Fortune 100 companies currently list a security professional in the executive leadership pages of their websites. This is largely unchanged from five of the Fortune 100 in 2018. One likely reason why a great many companies still don’t include their security leaders within their highest echelons is that these employees do not report directly to the company’s CEO, board of directors, or chief risk officer.

The chief security officer (CSO) or chief information security officer (CISO) position traditionally has reported to an executive in a technical role, such as the chief technology officer (CTO) or chief information officer (CIO). But workforce experts say placing the CISO/CSO on unequal footing with the organisation’s top leaders makes it more likely that cyber security and risk concerns will take a backseat to initiatives designed to increase productivity and generally grow the business.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently implemented new regulations necessitating publicly traded companies to report cyber attacks within four business days, once they're deemed material incidents. While the SEC is not presently advocating for the need to validate a board cyber security expert's credentials, it continues to insist that cyber security expertise within management be duly reported to them. The increased disclosure should help companies compare practices and may spur improvements in cyber defences, but meeting the new disclosure standards could be a bigger challenge for smaller companies with limited resources.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/companies-must-have-corporate-cybersecurity-experts-sec-says

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/sec-now-requires-companies-to-disclose-cyberattacks-in-4-days/

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/07/few-fortune-100-firms-list-security-pros-in-their-executive-ranks/

• Over 400,000 Corporate Credentials Stolen by Info-stealing Malware

Information stealers are malware that steal data stored in applications such as web browsers, email clients, instant messengers, cryptocurrency wallets, file transfer protocol (FTP) clients, and gaming services. The stolen information is packaged into archives called 'logs,' which are then uploaded back to the threat actor for use in attacks or sold on cyber crime marketplaces. Worryingly, employees use personal devices for work or access personal stuff from work computers, and this may result in many info-stealer infections stealing business credentials and authentication cookies. A report has found there are over 400,000 corporate credentials stolen, from applications such as Salesforce, Google Cloud and AWS. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the number containing OpenAI credentials; this is alarming as where AI is used without governance, the credentials may leak things such as internal business strategies and source code.

With such an array of valuable information for an attacker, it is no wonder incidents involving info stealers doubled in Q1 2023. Organisations can best protect themselves by utilising password managers, enforcing multi-factor authentication and having strict usage controls. Additionally, user awareness training can help avoid common infection channels such as malicious websites and adverts.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/over-400-000-corporate-credentials-stolen-by-info-stealing-malware/

https://www.scmagazine.com/news/infostealer-incidents-more-than-doubled-in-q1-2023

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Data Breaches Cost Businesses $4.5M on Average (darkreading.com)

• Deciphering The IBM Cost Of A Data Breach Report: A Statistical Perspective For Business Leaders (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation (darkreading.com)

• SEC now requires companies to disclose cyber attacks in 4 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber security Experts, SEC Says (darkreading.com)

• Companies encounter months-long delays in filling critical security positions - Help Net Security

• Why Today's CISOs Must Embrace Change (darkreading.com)

• Enterprises should layer-up security to avoid legal repercussions - Help Net Security

• Aligning Risk Appetite, Tolerance, And Thresholds With Business Planning: A Comprehensive Guide To Enterprise Risk Management (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Explaining risk maturity models and how they work | TechTarget

• Why cyber security should be part of your ESG strategy | Computer Weekly

• The old “trust but verify” adage should be the motto for every CISO | CSO Online

• Companies are rushing into generative AI without a cohesive, secure strategy - Help Net Security

• Few Fortune 100 Firms List Security Pros in Their Executive Ranks – Krebs on Security

• The critical cyber security backup plan too many companies are ignoring (cnbc.com)

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends On It (Because It Does) (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why Computer Security Advice Is More Confusing Than It Should Be (darkreading.com)

• Why whistleblowers in cyber security are important and need support | CSO Online

• The challenge of managing unlimited threats in a limited budget: cyber security experts comment | CSO Online

• 4 Cyber security Budget Management Tips (trendmicro.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Clop now leaks data stolen in MOVEit attacks on clearweb sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MOVEit Vulnerability Investigations Uncover Additional Exfiltration Method (kroll.com)

• Clop Could Make $100m from MOVEit Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The tail of the MOVEit hack may be longer than we realize | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Millions of people's healthcare files accessed by Clop gang • The Register

• Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket in Q2 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Local Governments Targeted for Ransomware – How to Prevent Falling Victim (thehackernews.com)

• New Nitrogen malware pushed via Google Ads for ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Dozens of Organisations Targeted by Akira Ransomware - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware Spotlight: Play - Security News (trendmicro.com)

• The FBI's Cynthia Kaiser on how the bureau fights ransomware | CyberScoop

• Risk & Repeat: Are data extortion attacks ransomware? | TechTarget

• ALPHV ransomware adds data leak API in new extortion strategy (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Education Sector Has Highest Ransomware Victim Count - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware: Sophos says most universities pay | Times Higher Education (THE)

Ransomware Victims

• PwC has data leaked on the clear web - Cyber Security Connect

• Deloitte joins fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY | Cybernews

• DHL investigating MOVEit breach as number of victims surpasses 20 million (therecord.media)

• Up to 11 Million People Hit by MOVEit Hack at Government Services Firm Maximus - SecurityWeek

• Millions of people's healthcare files accessed by Clop gang • The Register

• Tampa General Hospital Says Patient Information Stolen in Ransomware Attack - SecurityWeek

• Another Cl0p victim goes public | Cybernews

• Yamaha confirms cyber attack after multiple ransomware gangs claim attacks (therecord.media)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Chinese Hackers Breached Ambassador’s Email - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Stolen Microsoft key may have opened up more than inboxes • The Register

• KnowBe4 Phishing Test Results Reveal Half of Top Malicious Email Subjects Are HR Related (darkreading.com)

• The Email Threat Landscape, Q1 2023: Key Takeaways (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How to avoid LinkedIn phishing attacks in the enterprise | TechTarget

• Windows 11 just got a big upgrade to protect you from phishing attacks — here’s how it works | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Critical Infrastructure Workers More Likely to Detect and Report Phishing and Malicious Emails, Study Finds - MSSP Alert

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Repeatable VEC Attacks Target Critical Infrastructure - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• The Dark Side of AI (darkreading.com)

• Blocking access to ChatGPT is a short term solution to mitigate risk - Help Net Security

• UN Security Council to hold first talks on AI risks | Reuters

• Companies are rushing into generative AI without a cohesive, secure strategy - Help Net Security

• ChatGPT, Other Generative AI Apps Prone to Compromise, Manipulation (darkreading.com)

• Lots of sensitive data is still being posted to ChatGPT | TechRadar

• Dark Web Markets Offer New FraudGPT AI Tool - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Top FBI officials warn of 'unparalleled' threat from China and AI | CyberScoop

• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Generative AI - SecurityWeek

• OpenAI, Meta and other tech firms sign onto White House AI commitments | FedScoop

• Intel's deepfake detector tested on real and fake videos - BBC News

• Are AI-Engineered Threats FUD or Reality? (darkreading.com)

• How is the Dark Web Reacting to the AI Revolution? (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• Over 400,000 corporate credentials stolen by info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Infostealer incidents more than doubled in Q1 2023 | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• The Alarming Rise of Infostealers: How to Detect this Silent Threat (thehackernews.com)

• Decoy Dog: New Breed of Malware Posing Serious Threats to Enterprise Networks (thehackernews.com)

• Rust-based malware used to hack both Windows and Linux servers - Neowin

• Rust-based Realst Infostealer Targeting Apple macOS Users' Cryptocurrency Wallets (thehackernews.com)

• Lazarus hackers hijack Microsoft IIS servers to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FIN8 is rewriting its backdoor malware to avoid detection | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• New Nitrogen malware pushed via Google Ads for ransomware attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New P2PInfect worm malware targets Linux and Windows Redis servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• HotRat: New Variant of AsyncRAT Malware Spreading Through Pirated Software (thehackernews.com)

• Who and What is Behind the Malware Proxy Service SocksEscort? – Krebs on Security

Mobile

• Chinese-backed Hacking Group Launches Two Bugs Targeting Android Devices - MSSP Alert

• Spyhide stalkerware is spying on tens of thousands of phones | TechCrunch

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

Botnets

• Hackers Target Apache Tomcat Servers for Mirai Botnet and Crypto Mining (thehackernews.com)

• Multiple DDoS Botnets Exploiting Recent Zyxel Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Critical UK Infrastructures in the crosshairs of DDoS attacks (link11.com)

• Zyxel users still getting hacked by DDoS botnet emerge as public nuisance No. 1 | Ars Technica

• Anonymous Sudan DDoS strikes dominate attacks by KillNet collective | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

BYOD

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

Internet of Things – IoT

• Peloton Bugs Expose Enterprise Networks to IoT Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft previews  Defender for IoT firmware analysis service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Axis Door Controller Vulnerability Exposes Facilities to Physical, Cyber Threats - SecurityWeek

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Deciphering The IBM Cost Of A Data Breach Report: A Statistical Perspective For Business Leaders (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Capita breach class action nears 1,000 sign-ups • The Register

• VirusTotal: We're sorry for mistake that exposed 5,000 users • The Register

• Deloitte joins fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY | Cybernews

• NATO investigating apparent breach of unclassified information sharing platform | CyberScoop

• Tampa General Hospital Data Breach Impacts 1.2 Million Patients - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Australian Home Affairs cyber survey exposed personal data of participating firms | Data and computer security | The Guardian

• Data Breach Costs Hit Record High but Fall For Some - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hacker Claims to Have Stolen Sensitive Medical Records from Egypt's Ministry of Health - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Nice Suzuki, sport: shame dealer left your data up for grabs - Security Affairs

• Johns Hopkins hit with class action lawsuit connected to data breach - CBS Baltimore (cbsnews.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• The New Summer Vacation Necessity: Cyber Hygiene (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Cryptojacking soars as cyber attacks increase, diversify - Help Net Security

• Hackers Target Apache Tomcat Servers for Mirai Botnet and Crypto Mining (thehackernews.com)

• Cryptojacking: Understanding and defending against cloud compute resource abuse | Microsoft Security Blog

• Lazarus hackers linked to $60 million Alphapo cryptocurrency heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Realst macOS malware steals your cryptocurrency wallets (bleepingcomputer.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Dark Web Markets Offer New FraudGPT AI Tool - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Consumers demand more from businesses when it comes to security - Help Net Security

• CISOs gear up to combat the rising threat of B2B fraud - Help Net Security

• Booz Allen Pays $377m to Settle Government Fraud Case - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MPs launch inquiry into prosecution of Norton Motorcycles pension fraud | Crime | The Guardian

Insurance

• Why CISOs Should Get Involved With Cyber Insurance Negotiation (darkreading.com)

• Brave New World of Cyber Insurance Meets Old-World Contract Principles | New Jersey Law Journal

Dark Web

• BreachForums database and private chats for sale in hacker data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How is the Dark Web Reacting to the AI Revolution? (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Capita breach class action nears 1,000 sign-ups • The Register

• DHL investigating MOVEit breach as number of victims surpasses 20 million (therecord.media)

• The tail of the MOVEit hack may be longer than we realize | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Up to 11 Million People Hit by MOVEit Hack at Government Services Firm Maximus - SecurityWeek

• Banking Sector Targeted in Open-Source Software Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Strengthening the weakest links in the digital supply chain - Help Net Security

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Supply Chain Attack Hits NHS Ambulance Trusts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Two ambulance services in UK lost access to patient records after a cyber attack on software provider - Security Affairs

Cloud/SaaS

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Microsoft 365 Breach Risk Widens to Millions of Azure AD Apps (darkreading.com)

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Wiz Says 62% of AWS Environments Exposed to Zenbleed Exploitation - SecurityWeek

• The 4 Keys to Building Cloud Security Programs That Can Actually Shift Left (thehackernews.com)

• Ubuntu Linux Cloud Workloads Face Rampant Root Take Takeovers (darkreading.com)

Shadow IT

• NCSC Publishes New Guidance on Shadow IT - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Encryption

• The UK Government Is Very Close To Eroding Encryption Worldwide  | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

• Apple could opt to stop iMessage and FaceTime services due to the government's surveillance demands - Security Affairs

• Hacking police radios: 30-year-old crypto flaws in the spotlight – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Researchers Find ‘Backdoor’ in Encrypted Police and Military Radios (vice.com)

API

• Reining in API sprawl | TechCrunch

• ALPHV ransomware adds data leak API in new extortion strategy (bleepingcomputer.com)

Open Source

• New OpenSSH Vulnerability Exposes Linux Systems to Remote Command Injection (thehackernews.com)

• Rust-based malware used to hack both Windows and Linux servers - Neowin

• Banking Sector Targeted in Open-Source Software Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• New P2PInfect worm malware targets Linux and Windows Redis servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ubuntu Linux Cloud Workloads Face Rampant Root Take Takeovers (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• CISA: Most cyber attacks on gov’ts, critical infrastructure involve valid credentials (therecord.media)

Social Media

• How to avoid LinkedIn phishing attacks in the enterprise | TechTarget

• Stanford researchers find Mastodon has a massive child abuse material problem - The Verge

Training, Education and Awareness

• Why are computer security guidelines so confusing? - Help Net Security

Travel

• The New Summer Vacation Necessity: Cyber Hygiene (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Stanford researchers find Mastodon has a massive child abuse material problem - The Verge

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• SEC now requires companies to disclose cyber attacks in 4 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber security Experts, SEC Says (darkreading.com)

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple could opt to stop iMessage and FaceTime services due to the government's surveillance demands - Security Affairs

• OpenAI, Meta and other tech firms sign onto White House AI commitments | FedScoop

• EU Agrees On Common Position For Cyber Resilience Act To Enhance Security Of Digital Products (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Data Protection

• More US States are ramping up data privacy laws in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends On It (Because It Does) (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Companies encounter months-long delays in filling critical security positions - Help Net Security

• UK Government Report Finds Cyber security Skills Gap Stagnant - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Bridging the cyber security skills gap through cyber range training - Help Net Security

• Overcoming the cyber security talent shortage with upskilling initiatives - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• The FBI's Cynthia Kaiser on how the bureau fights ransomware | CyberScoop

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• More US States are ramping up data privacy laws in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Amazon agrees to $25 million fine for Alexa children privacy violations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies Need to Prove They Can Be Trusted with Technology (hbr.org)

• Ryanair Hit With Lawsuit Over Use of Facial Recognition Technology (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• China Propaganda Spreads via US News Sites, Freelancers, Times Square (darkreading.com)

• Russia ‘using disinformation’ to imply Sweden supported Qur’an burnings | Sweden | The Guardian

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

Russia

• Anonymous Sudan DDoS strikes dominate attacks by KillNet collective | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian court jails cyber security executive for 14 years in treason case | Reuters

• Russia ‘using disinformation’ to imply Sweden supported Qur’an burnings | Sweden | The Guardian

• 69% of Russian gamers are pirating after Ukraine invasion pushback | Ars Technica

China

• Top FBI officials warn of 'unparalleled' threat from China and AI | CyberScoop

• China’s Breach of Microsoft Cloud Email May Expose Deeper Problems | WIRED

• Stolen Microsoft key may have opened up more than inboxes • The Register

• Chinese Hackers Breached Ambassador’s Email - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Chinese groups accused of hacking the US and others | Reuters

• Industrial Organisations in Eastern Europe Targeted by Chinese Cyber spies - SecurityWeek

• Chinese-backed Hacking Group Launches Two Bugs Targeting Android Devices - MSSP Alert

• China Propaganda Spreads via US News Sites, Freelancers, Times Square (darkreading.com)

• China-backed hackers suspected in NetScaler RCE attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• US Senator Wyden Accuses Microsoft of ‘Cyber security Negligence’ - SecurityWeek

• China’s Wuhan Earthquake Center Suffers Cyber Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

North Korea

• North Korean Cyber spies Target GitHub Developers (darkreading.com)

• JumpCloud hack linked to North Korea after OPSEC mistake (bleepingcomputer.com)

• GitHub warns of Lazarus hackers targeting devs with malicious projects (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lazarus hackers hijack Microsoft IIS servers to spread malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lazarus hackers linked to $60 million Alphapo cryptocurrency heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• APT “Mysterious Elephant” Emerges in Q2 2023, Kaspersky Reports - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Misc/Other/Unknown

• Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): Detection and Mitigation (blueteamresources.in)

• Part 1: Historic To 2022 – The APT And Logical Threats (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Google: 41 zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in 2022 | TechTarget

• CVSS 4.0 Is Here, But Prioritizing Patches Still a Hard Problem (darkreading.com)

• Want to live dangerously? Try running Windows XP in 2023 • The Register

• A step-by-step guide for patching software vulnerabilities - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Over 20,000 Citrix Appliances Vulnerable to New Exploit - SecurityWeek

• A flaw in OpenSSH forwarded ssh-agent allows remote code execution-Security Affairs

• Apple fixes new zero-day used in attacks against iPhones, Macs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Shadowserver reported that +15K Citrix servers are likely vulnerable to attacks exploiting the flaw CVE-2023-3519 - Security Affairs

• NetScaler RCE bug abused to pilfer critical infrastructure Active Directory data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ivanti patches MobileIron zero-day bug exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zyxel users still getting hacked by DDoS botnet emerge as public nuisance No. 1 | Ars Technica

• Apache OpenMeetings Wide Open to Account Takeover, Code Execution (darkreading.com)

• Super Admin elevation bug puts 900,000 MikroTik devices at risk (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Norwegian government IT systems hacked using zero-day flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• VMware fixes bug exposing CF API admin credentials in audit logs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Major Security Flaw Discovered in Metabase BI Software – Urgent Update Required (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber security Agencies Warn Against IDOR Bugs Exploited for Data Breaches (thehackernews.com)

• Critical Zero-Days in Atera Windows Installers Expose Users to Privilege Escalation Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Atlassian RCE Bugs Plague Confluence, Bamboo (darkreading.com)

• Zenbleed attack leaks sensitive data from AMD Zen2 processors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft shares fix for some Outlook hyperlinks not opening (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical Flaws Found in Microsoft Message Queuing Service - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China-backed hackers suspected in NetScaler RCE attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Study reveals silent Python package security fixes • The Register

• Windows 10 KB5028244 update released with 19 fixes, improved security (bleepingcomputer.com)

• VMware Patches Vulnerability Exposing Admin Credentials - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Wiz Says 62% of AWS Environments Exposed to Zenbleed Exploitation - SecurityWeek

• Multiple DDoS Botnets Exploiting Recent Zyxel Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

• Zimbra patches zero-day vulnerability exploited in XSS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• WordPress Ninja Forms plugin flaw lets hackers steal submitted data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Two flaws in Linux Ubuntu affect 40% of Ubuntu users - Security Affairs

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Tools and Controls

• Aligning Risk Appetite, Tolerance, And Thresholds With Business Planning: A Comprehensive Guide To Enterprise Risk Management (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Why cyber security should be part of your ESG strategy | Computer Weekly

• Lawyers take frontline role in business response to cyber attacks | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Explaining risk maturity models and how they work | TechTarget

• Microsoft enhances Windows 11 Phishing Protection with new features (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Shadow Coding Is An Intoxicating Shortcut—And A Security Landmine (forbes.com)

• Zero trust rated as highly effective by businesses worldwide - Help Net Security

• 50% of Zero Trust Programs Risk Failure According to PlainID Survey (darkreading.com)

• Google Chrome to offer 'Link Previews' when hovering over links (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why are computer security guidelines so confusing? - Help Net Security

• Threat Intelligence Is Growing — Here's How SOCs Can Keep Up (darkreading.com)

• The challenge of managing unlimited threats in a limited budget: cyber security experts comment | CSO Online

• Shaping the future of digital identity - Help Net Security

• How to Put the Sec in DevSecOps (darkreading.com)

• Designing a Security Strategy for Defending Multicloud Architectures (darkreading.com)

• How Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR helps triage, investigate, and respond to cyberthreats | Microsoft Security Blog

• Converging networking and security with SASE - Help Net Security

• 5 steps to approach BYOD compliance policies | TechTarget

• KnowBe4 Phishing Test Results Reveal Half of Top Malicious Email Subjects Are HR Related (darkreading.com)

• Windows 11 just got a big upgrade to protect you from phishing attacks — here’s how it works | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Artificial Intelligence Continues To Revolutionize Cyber security (forbes.com)

• Key factors for effective security automation - Help Net Security

• Microsoft previews Defender for IoT firmware analysis service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The 4 Keys to Building Cloud Security Programs That Can Actually Shift Left (thehackernews.com)

• CISOs consider zero trust a hot security ticket - Help Net Security

• How a Cyber Security Platform Addresses the 3 “S” (trendmicro.com)

• 4 Cyber security Budget Management Tips (trendmicro.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• The Email Threat Landscape, Q1 2023: Key Takeaways (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cost of a data breach 2023 | IBM

• Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) | Europol (europa.eu)

• Q1 Report: Email Threat Trends Discover Q1 trends and stay ahead of email based threats. - VIPRE

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Other News

• Maritime Cyber attack Database Launched by Dutch University - SecurityWeek

• Google’s new security pilot program will ban employee Internet access | Ars Technica

• Inspiring secure coding: Strategies to encourage developers' continuous improvement - Help Net Security

• macOS Under Attack: Examining the Growing Threat and User Perspectives (thehackernews.com)

• Why whistleblowers in cyber security are important and need support | CSO Online

• Cyber crime as a Public Health Crisis (darkreading.com)

• 7 in 10 MSPs Name Data Security and Network Security As Their Top IT Priorities for 2023 (darkreading.com)

• TETRA Radio Code Encryption Has a Flaw: A Backdoor | WIRED

• World's most internetty firm tries life off the net • The Register

• Exam board cyber attack investigation: Teenager arrested (schoolsweek.co.uk)

• Companies Need to Prove They Can Be Trusted with Technology (hbr.org)

• Heart monitor manufacturer hit by cyber attack, takes systems offline (bitdefender.com)

• How do companies protect customer data? | TechTarget

• Cyber security Agencies Warn Against IDOR Bugs Exploited for Data Breaches (thehackernews.com)

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Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

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

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

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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.