Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 11 October 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

Your IT Systems Are Being Attacked. Are You Prepared?

Recent cyber attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, emphasising the need for executive-level engagement in cyber security. Yet many organisations remain unprepared, with CEOs often delegating responsibility to IT departments. A survey revealed that while increasing AI use is expected to lead to more breaches, four in five security officers plan to use AI for defence. Experts advise that CEOs should actively participate in cyber security planning, ask critical questions like 'What are we doing? Is it enough? How do we know?', and regularly review measures to avoid significant business disruptions and regulatory penalties.

Board-CISO Mismatch on Cyber Responsibility, NCSC Research Finds

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has found that 80% of board members and security leaders are uncertain about who holds responsibility for cyber security in their organisations. This confusion stems from CISOs believing accountability lies with the board, while board members think it rests with CISOs. The NCSC's research highlighted that many board members lack in-depth cyber knowledge, leading to gaps in oversight. In response, the NCSC has published new guidance to help CISOs effectively communicate with boards, aiming to bridge this gap and reduce cyber risk across organisations.

Mounting Phishing Attacks Enabled by AI, Deepfakes

A recent report has found that phishing attacks increased by 28% between the first and second quarters of 2024. Of the phishing kits used, 75% leveraged artificial intelligence and 82% incorporated deepfake capabilities. 44% of the attacks between April and June exploited compromised email accounts, with 8% originating from supply chain accounts. Hyperlinks were identified as the most common attack payload, followed by attachments. The report highlighted that attackers' use of AI in phishing toolkits lowers the barrier to entry for cyber attacks. It emphasised the need for organisations to adopt advanced AI defences without introducing new vulnerabilities by using AI unnecessarily.

AI is Most Serious Threat to Orgs, According to Security Professionals

Keeper Security has found that AI-driven cyber threats are now the most serious concern for organisations, with 51% of security leaders identifying them as such. Despite 81% of organisations implementing AI usage policies and 77% of leaders being familiar with AI security best practices, 35% feel least prepared to combat AI-powered attacks compared to other cyber threats. The survey also highlighted that 84% of IT and security leaders find AI-powered tools have made phishing and smishing attacks harder to detect. Organisations are prioritising data encryption, employee training, and advanced threat detection systems to counter these evolving threats.

MI5 Chief Warns of Cyber Threats to the UK

MI5 has warned that cyber threats from Russia, China, and Iran are a growing concern for the UK. Director General Ken McCallum highlighted that these nations are heavily investing in human intelligence and advanced cyber operations targeting government information, technology, and democratic institutions. Despite expelling over 750 Russian diplomats since early 2022—the majority being spies—cyber espionage activities have intensified. MI5 and the National Cyber Security Centre anticipate increased cyber attacks on Western cyber defences, particularly from Russian state actors. McCallum also emphasised the distinct threat posed by China, urging a comprehensive response to build resilience.

Walking the Tightrope Between Innovation and Risk

A recent analysis revealed that early engagement with CISOs in innovation projects leads to proactive security measures, building trust and ensuring innovation and security can coexist. Interestingly, organisations using older operational systems were shielded from recent security incidents, highlighting the inevitable trade-off between innovation and risk. The report suggests reframing the conversation to 'secure innovation' and emphasises fostering a security-first culture where employees are the first line of defence. Additionally, it stresses the importance of ensuring third-party vendors are secure, as a single compromised user could trigger a company-wide incident.

Ransomware Severity Up 68% in First Half of 2024

Cyber Insurer Coalition has found that while cyber insurance claims frequency decreased slightly in the first half of 2024, ransomware severity surged by 68%, with average losses per incident reaching $353,000. Businesses with over $100 million in revenue saw a 140% increase in claims severity, averaging losses of $307,000. Ransomware, though accounting for 18% of claims, heavily drove overall severity. The report also highlighted that 40% of policyholders paid ransom demands. Additionally, organisations using outdated technologies were 2.5 times more likely to experience a claim, underscoring the need for updated security measures.

31 New Ransomware Groups in 12 Months

There has been a 30% increase in active ransomware groups over the past year, with 31 new ransomware groups identified in the last twelve months. Despite intensified law enforcement efforts, the ransomware landscape has become more fragmented. LockBit remained the most active group, accounting for 17% of victims but down 8% from the previous year due to law enforcement operations. The cyber criminal group Play doubled its victim count to become the second most active, while newcomer RansomHub accounted for 7%.

Lack of Cyber Risk Quantification Leaves Companies Financially Exposed: PwC Report

PwC's latest report reveals a significant gap in how organisations quantify cyber risks financially. Despite 89% of executives agreeing on the importance of measuring cyber risk for investment prioritisation, only 15% effectively do so. This disconnect leaves many companies financially vulnerable, with only 21% allocating cyber budgets to top risks. While 77% of executives expect cyber security budgets to increase next year, without proper quantification, funds may not address the most pressing threats. The report highlights that over half of executives see cyber security as a differentiator influencing customer trust and brand loyalty, yet a lack of effective measurement persists.

Software Supply Chain Weaknesses are Increasingly Putting Businesses at Risk

BlackBerry reports that software supply chain weaknesses are increasingly putting businesses at risk of cyber attacks, with 51% of UK IT leaders receiving notifications of attacks or vulnerabilities in the past year. Despite this, 58% trust their suppliers' cyber security policies are comparable or stronger than their own, yet less than half requested compliance confirmations. Additionally, 51% found unknown participants in their software supply chain. The consequences are significant: 71% suffered financial loss, 67% faced data and reputational damage, and 42% took over a week to recover from such attacks.

UK Businesses Cite Economic Risks and Cyber Crime as Top 2024 Concerns: Marsh McLennan

Marsh McLennan has found that economic risks and financial challenges are the top concern for UK businesses over the next 12 months, with 43% of leaders citing these issues. Cyber threats take the number two spot, where the sharp rise in attacks is seen as a growing concern, jumping from 20% in 2023 to 39% in 2024. The report highlights that business leaders plan to prioritise strengthening cyber security measures, including assessing supply chain risks and customer relationships.

Cloud Security Risks Surge as 38% of Firms Face Exposures

Cloud security risks are surging, with 38% of organisations globally facing critical exposures from a combination of security gaps. These security concerns intensify due to the "toxic cloud triad" of publicly exposed, critically vulnerable, and highly privileged cloud workloads, leaving firms vulnerable to cyber attacks resulting in disruptions, system takeovers, and data breaches. Despite the average cost of a data breach in 2024 nearing $5 million, many organisations have misconfigurations and excessive permissions; 84% possess unused or long-standing access keys; and 74% have publicly exposed storage.

Insider Threat Damage Balloons as Visibility Gaps Widen

Recent research indicates that insider threats have led to a sharp increase in cyber attacks, with 83% of organisations experiencing such incidents in 2024, up from 60% the previous year. The growing complexity of IT systems and the adoption of technologies like AI and cloud services are creating visibility gaps and escalating risks. Nearly half of the organisations reported more frequent insider attacks, with remediation costs ranging from $100,000 to $2 million per incident. Additionally, 45% take a week or longer to recover, underscoring the need for improved policies, staff training, and advanced incident-response solutions.

Sources:

https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/it-systems-being-attacked-prepared

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/boardciso-mismatch-on-cyber/

https://www.msspalert.com/brief/mounting-phishing-attacks-enabled-by-ai-deepfakes

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2024/10/10/ai-most-serious-threat-to-orgs-according-to-security-professionals/

https://www.inforisktoday.com/mi5-chief-warns-cyberthreats-to-uk-a-26483

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/walking-tightrope-innovation-risk

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/366613275/Coalition-Ransomware-severity-up-68-in-first-half-of-2024

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/new-ransomware-groups-emerge-2024/

https://www.theglobaltreasurer.com/2024/10/07/lack-of-cyber-risk-quantification-leaves-companies-financially-exposed-pwc-report-finds/

https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/software-supply-chain-weaknesses-are-increasingly-putting-businesses-at-risk

https://www.reinsurancene.ws/uk-businesses-cite-economic-risks-and-cybercrime-as-top-2024-concerns-marsh-mclennan/

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cloud-security-risks-surge-38/

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/insider-threat-damage-balloons-amid-evolving-cyber-environments


Governance, Risk and Compliance

Lack of Cyber Risk Quantification Leaves Companies Financially Exposed, PwC Report Finds (theglobaltreasurer.com)

Board-CISO Mismatch on Cyber Responsibility - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

UK businesses cite economic risks and cyber crime as top 2024 concerns: Marsh McLennan - Reinsurance News

Walking the Tightrope Between Innovation & Risk (darkreading.com)

Warning over cyber security gap in the HR sector | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

Human Resources’ Role in Data Privacy and Cyber Security, Part I: The Basics | Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. - JDSupra

Your IT Systems Are Being Attacked. Are You Prepared? (darkreading.com)

Basic questions that all business leaders need to ask about IT risks: Ben Moorhouse (yorkshirepost.co.uk)

US CISO Compensation on the Rise, Report Finds | MSSP Alert

45% of cyber security leaders are stressed about budget restraints | Security Magazine

How Confidence Between Teams Impacts Cyber Incident Outcomes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

The three qualities modern CISOs must have today to succeed   | SC Media (scworld.com)

Cyber security is the fastest growing tech occupation in the UK – but it’s still not enough to dent the growing industry skills shortage | ITPro

CISO Paychecks: Worth the Growing Security Headaches? (darkreading.com)

From IT to Boardroom: NIS2 Reshapes Cyber Security Roles (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Organisations are taking action towards cyber resilience: PwC - Reinsurance News

Cyber risk advice for boards | Professional Security Magazine

How the increasing demand for cyber insurance is changing the role of the CISO | CSO Online

Chief risk storyteller: How CISOs are developing yet another skill | CSO Online

Ex-Uber CISO Requests New, 'Fair' Trial (darkreading.com)

Cultivating a security-first mindset: Key leadership actions - Help Net Security

What is OPSEC (operations security)? | Definition from TechTarget

Widening talent pool in cyber with on-demand contractors - Help Net Security

What Is Digital Assurance And Why It’s Crucial In Today’s Business Landscape (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Cyber Accountability Building • Stimson Center

Facts and Stats about Cyber Security and Compliance - Security Boulevard

Many C-suite execs have lost confidence in IT, including CIOs | CIO


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Why evolving cyber threats mean small businesses are ransomware targets – Computerworld

31 New Ransomware Groups Join the Ecosystem in 12 Months - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Secureworks: Ransomware takedowns didn’t put off cyber criminals | Computer Weekly

Coalition Report Finds Severity of Ransomware Attacks Increased 68% in First Half of 2024 | Business Wire

White House official says insurance companies must stop funding ransomware payments (therecord.media)

Guidance for ransomware incidents | Professional Security Magazine

Ransomware double-extortion group listings peaked in 2024, report finds | SC Media (scworld.com)

Criminals Are Testing Their Ransomware in Africa (darkreading.com)

Homeland Security Blocked 500+ Ransomware Attacks Since 2021 (pymnts.com)

US Government Moves to Seize Bitcoin Amid Allegations Linked to Lazarus Group's $879 Million Crypto Heists | COINOTAG NEWS

US agency warns against crypto-hungry Trinity ransomware (cointelegraph.com)

Hackers Exploiting Veeam RCE Vulnerability to Deploy Ransomware (cybersecuritynews.com)

Ransomware Victims

Study: 92% of Healthcare Firms Hit by Cyber Attacks This Year (inforisktoday.com)

American Water shut down some of its systems following a cyber attack (securityaffairs.com)

Casio reports IT systems failure after weekend network breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

Credit monitoring and supply chain risk company hacked | CyberScoop

Medical Group Pays $240K Fine for 3 Ransomware Attacks (govinfosecurity.com)

MoneyGram: No evidence ransomware is behind recent cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cyber expert suggests American Water cyber incident was a ransomware attack | ITPro

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

Mounting Phishing Attacks Enabled by AI, Deepfakes | MSSP Alert

Commodity and Bulk Phishing Attacks See Huge Rise | SC Media UK (scmagazineuk.com)

Microsoft: Creative Abuse of Cloud Files Bolsters BEC Attacks (darkreading.com)

Cyber crooks abuse stolen SharePoint, OneDrive, and Dropbox accounts for phishing | Cybernews

Mamba 2FA Cyber Crime Kit Strikes Microsoft Users (darkreading.com)

9 types of phishing attacks and how to identify them | CSO Online

Microsoft 365 accounts targeted by dangerous new phishing scam | TechRadar

62% of observed finance domains involved in phishing attacks | Security Magazine

Scarlett Johansson tops McAfee 2024 Celebrity Hacker Hotlist (betanews.com)

Despite Online Threats, Users Aren’t Changing Behavior (darkreading.com)

Today’s “Good Enough MFA” Should Be Phishing-Resistant - Security Boulevard

OpenAI says Chinese gang tried to phish its staff • The Register

Hurricane Helene exploited in FEMA scams, phishing | SC Media (scworld.com)

Business Email Compromise (BEC)/Email Account Compromise (EAC)

Microsoft: Creative Abuse of Cloud Files Bolsters BEC Attacks (darkreading.com)

Cyber crooks abuse stolen SharePoint, OneDrive, and Dropbox accounts for phishing | Cybernews

9 types of phishing attacks and how to identify them | CSO Online

Other Social Engineering

9 types of phishing attacks and how to identify them | CSO Online

To Deliver Malware, Attackers Use the Phone | Intel 471

Despite Online Threats, Users Aren’t Changing Behavior (darkreading.com)

As an ethical hacker, I can’t believe the risks people routinely take when they access the internet in public (theconversation.com)

Scarlett Johansson tops McAfee 2024 Celebrity Hacker Hotlist (betanews.com)

New BeaverTail Malware Targets Job Seekers via Fake Recruiters - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Hurricane Helene exploited in FEMA scams, phishing | SC Media (scworld.com)

Attackers Using VSCode to Remotely Compromise Systems | MSSP Alert

Artificial Intelligence

42.5% of fraud attempts are now driven by AI - TechCentral.ie

AI anxiety afflicts 90% of consumers and businesses - see what worries them most | ZDNET

AI Most Serious Threat to Orgs, According to Security Professionals - IT Security Guru

Mounting Phishing Attacks Enabled by AI, Deepfakes | MSSP Alert

CIOs Sound Alarm on Network Security as a Top Priority as AI Fuels New Risks and Challenges | Business Wire

Three key strategies for organisations to protect themselves from deepfakes - IT Security Guru

OpenAI details how threat actors are abusing ChatGPT | TechTarget

Hacked ‘AI Girlfriend’ Data Shows Prompts Describing Child Sexual Abuse (404media.co)

What security pros can learn from the bad information spread during this year’s election cycle | SC Media (scworld.com)

TikTok’s parent launched a web scraper that's gobbling up the world’s online data 25-times faster than OpenAI | Fortune

Over 10m Conversations Exposed in AI Call Center Hack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Risk Strategies Drawn From the EU AI Act (darkreading.com)

2FA/MFA

MFA Isn’t Failing, But It’s Not Succeeding: Why a Trusted Security Tool Still Falls Short - SecurityWeek

Today’s “Good Enough MFA” Should Be Phishing-Resistant - Security Boulevard

Why are we still talking about cyber security basics after all these years? - Security Boulevard

Malware

How Malware is Evolving: Sandbox Evasion and Brand Impersonation  - Security Boulevard

This detailed malware can hack your systems and turn off your antivirus to do more damage | TechRadar

Ukrainian pleads guilty to operating Raccoon Stealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malicious Chrome Add-ons Evade Google's Updated Security (darkreading.com)

To Deliver Malware, Attackers Use the Phone | Intel 471

Two never-before-seen tools, from same group, infect air-gapped devices - Ars Technica

The “Mongolian Skimmer” Uses Unicode To Conceal Its Malicious Intent (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Malicious packages in open-source repositories are surging | CyberScoop

Crypto-stealing malware campaign infects 28,000 people (bleepingcomputer.com)

New BeaverTail Malware Targets Job Seekers via Fake Recruiters - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

How macOS malware works and how to secure your Mac

Attackers Using VSCode to Remotely Compromise Systems | MSSP Alert

Bots/Botnets

New Gorilla Botnet Launches Over 300,000 DDoS Attacks Across 100 Countries (thehackernews.com)

Vulnerable APIs and Bot Attacks Costing Businesses Up to $186 Billion Annually (thehackernews.com)

Websites are losing the fight against bot attacks - Help Net Security

Unseen Threats: 95% of Advanced Bots Escape Detection on Websites | HackerNoon

Why Web Application Firewalls Are an Indispensable Part of the Security Stack (thefastmode.com)

Gorilla Botnet Launches Over 300,000 DDoS Attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Mobile

Apple iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 fix media session and passwords bugs (securityaffairs.com)

Qualcomm confirms cyber attack on Android devices that exploited a vulnerability in its chipsets (androidauthority.com)

This Trojan disguises as Google Chrome or NordVPN to wipe out your accounts | Cybernews

Android 16 could let you lock your phone down even tighter with new security features | TechRadar

Google officially kicks Kaspersky antivirus software app off the Play Store | TechRadar

Google brings better bricking to Androids, to curtail crims • The Register

3 iPhone settings I changed to thwart thieves - and what to do if your phone is stolen | ZDNET

Don’t use iPhone Mirroring at work, experts warn • The Register

Denial of Service/DoS/DDoS

Cloudflare Thwarts Largest-Ever 3.8 Tbps DDoS Attack Targeting Global Sectors (thehackernews.com)

New Gorilla Botnet Launches Over 300,000 DDoS Attacks Across 100 Countries (thehackernews.com)

DDoS attacks are on the rise, and are increasingly politically-motivated | TechRadar

New DDoS Attack Vector Discovered In CUPS, Exposing 58,000+ Vulnerable Devices Online (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

How smart TVs spy on you and harvest data • The Register

You Need a Separate Network To Protect Yourself From Your Smart Devices (howtogeek.com)

New EU law touts strict cyber security requirements for all connected and IoT devices | Cybernews

14,000 medical devices are online, unsecured and vulnerable | CyberScoop

Data Breaches/Leaks

National Public Data files for bankruptcy after info leak • The Register

90% of Successful Attacks Result in Leaked Data (darkreading.com)

How Cyber Criminals Use Stolen Data to Target Companies — A Deep Dive into the Dark Web - Security Boulevard

MoneyGram says hackers stole customers' personal information and transaction data | TechCrunch

Internet Archive hacked, data breach impacts 31 million users (bleepingcomputer.com)

Marriott settles for $52M after years-long breaches • The Register

Over 240 Million US Breach Victims Recorded in Q3 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Comcast confirms 237K affected in feisty breach notification • The Register

Hezbollah data breach leads the list of the biggest cyber security events of the year - Digital Journal

China-linked group Salt Typhoon hacked US broadband providers and breached wiretap systems (securityaffairs.com)

ADT discloses second breach in 2 months, hacked via stolen credentials (bleepingcomputer.com)

MoneyGram Breach: Social Security Numbers, Bank Account Details Looted (pcmag.com)

FCC Fines T-Mobile $31.5 Million After Carrier Was Hacked 8 Times In 5 Years | Techdirt

Major breach exposes every Dutch police officer: state-sponsored actor suspected | Cybernews

Former RAC Employees Get Suspended Sentence for Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Over 10m Conversations Exposed in AI Call Center Hack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

31 Million Records Exposed Online By Sports Technology Company TrackMan (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

ADT says hacker stole encrypted internal employee data after compromising business partner (therecord.media)

Leaked documents reveal British military’s secret assistance to Israeli army | Al Bawaba

Data loss incidents impact patient care - Help Net Security

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

So far, cyber criminals appear to be just shopping around for a Telegram alternative (therecord.media)

British man arrested over hack-to-trade scheme using email password resets | ITPro

Cyber crime and harm - POST (parliament.uk)

Man pleads guilty to stealing over $37M worth of cryptocurrency (securityaffairs.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Lego's website was hacked to promote a crypto scam (engadget.com)

Crypto-stealing malware campaign infects 28,000 people (bleepingcomputer.com)

US Government Moves to Seize Bitcoin Amid Allegations Linked to Lazarus Group's $879 Million Crypto Heists | COINOTAG NEWS

Man pleads guilty to stealing over $37M worth of cryptocurrency (securityaffairs.com)

FBI created a crypto token so it could watch it being abused • The Register

US agency warns against crypto-hungry Trinity ransomware (cointelegraph.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

Insider Threat Damage Balloons as Visibility Gaps Widen (darkreading.com)

Despite Online Threats, Users Aren’t Changing Behaviour (darkreading.com)

Former RAC Employees Get Suspended Sentence for Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insurance

Coalition Report Finds Severity of Ransomware Attacks Increased 68% in First Half of 2024 | Business Wire

Severity of Ransomware Attacks Rose 68% in First Half of 2024, Report Shows (claimsjournal.com)

Cyber insurance demand to rise as new threats emerge, says Bloomberg Intelligence - Reinsurance News

White House official says insurance companies must stop funding ransomware payments (therecord.media)

How the increasing demand for cyber insurance is changing the role of the CISO | CSO Online

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Software supply chain weaknesses are increasingly putting businesses at risk | TechRadar

The CrowdStrike bug and the risk of cascading failures - SiliconANGLE

What The SolarWinds Case Means For CISOs And Corporate Cyber Security (forbes.com)

ADT says hacker stole encrypted internal employee data after compromising business partner (therecord.media)

Credit monitoring and supply chain risk company hacked | CyberScoop

Cloud/SaaS

Microsoft: Creative Abuse of Cloud Files Bolsters BEC Attacks (darkreading.com)

Cyber crooks abuse stolen SharePoint, OneDrive, and Dropbox accounts for phishing | Cybernews

Mamba 2FA Cyber Crime Kit Strikes Microsoft Users (darkreading.com)

Cloud Security Risks Surge as 38% of Firms Face Exposures - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cloud Security Challenges in the Modern Era - Compare the Cloud

Hackers still prefer credentials-based techniques in cloud attacks | SC Media (scworld.com)

Microsoft 365 accounts targeted by dangerous new phishing scam | TechRadar

Social Media Accounts: The Weak Link in Organisational SaaS Security (thehackernews.com)

Outages

The CrowdStrike bug and the risk of cascading failures - SiliconANGLE

What The SolarWinds Case Means For CISOs And Corporate Cyber Security (forbes.com)

MoneyGram: No evidence ransomware is behind recent cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Encryption

Chinese hack shows why Apple is right about security backdoors (9to5mac.com)

The Wiretap: China Has Infiltrated Police Wiretap Systems (forbes.com)

The 30-year-old internet backdoor law that came back to bite | TechCrunch

Massive US security breach highlights danger of weakening encryption | Proton

Linux and Open Source

New DDoS Attack Vector Discovered In CUPS, Exposing 58,000+ Vulnerable Devices Online (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

CUPS could be abused to launch massive DDoS attack • The Register

Malicious packages in open-source repositories are surging | CyberScoop

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

There was a 12% increase in brute force cyber attack techniques in 2024 | Security Magazine

This Popular Security Method Doesn't Actually Stop Hackers (makeuseof.com)

Hackers still prefer credentials-based techniques in cloud attacks | SC Media (scworld.com)

Password Basics: Why Mastering Fundamentals Is Crucial (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Why are we still talking about cyber security basics after all these years? - Security Boulevard

ADT discloses second breach in 2 months, hacked via stolen credentials (bleepingcomputer.com)

Security experts issue new guidelines as they reveal why complicated passwords put you more at risk of hacking - UNILAD

Social Media

EU Court Limits Meta's Use of Personal Facebook Data for Targeted Ads (thehackernews.com)

New EU Body to Centralize Complaints Against Facebook, TikTok, YouTube - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Social Media Accounts: The Weak Link in Organisational SaaS Security (thehackernews.com)

TikTok’s parent launched a web scraper that's gobbling up the world’s online data 25-times faster than OpenAI | Fortune

The Social Media Moral Panic Is All About Confusing Risks & Harms | Techdirt

Training, Education and Awareness

MSPs must combat cyber security skills shortage with ongoing client training and support - IT Security Guru

Cyber security Is Serious — but It Doesn't Have to Be Boring (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

From IT to Boardroom: NIS2 Reshapes Cyber Security Roles (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Marriott settles for $52M after years-long breaches • The Register

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill Update (techuk.org)

UK’s cyber incident reporting law to move forward in 2025 | Computer Weekly

Influential resource on international cyber law updated for 2024 (techxplore.com)

New EU law touts strict cyber security requirements for all connected and IoT devices | Cybernews

How to secure your business before new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (businesscloud.co.uk)

NIS2 & DORA: Staying ahead of the curve | TechRadar

EU Urged to Harmonize Incident Reporting Requirements - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Risk managers call for EU cyber consistency (emergingrisks.co.uk)

EU Implements New Sanctions Framework Targeting Russian Hybrid Attacks - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

EU retaliates against Russian ‘hybrid warfare’ with new regulations (brusselssignal.eu)

FCC Fines T-Mobile $31.5 Million After Carrier Was Hacked 8 Times In 5 Years | Techdirt

Balancing legal frameworks and enterprise security governance - Help Net Security

Risk Strategies Drawn From the EU AI Act (darkreading.com)

Medical Group Pays $240K Fine for 3 Ransomware Attacks (govinfosecurity.com)

New EU Body to Centralize Complaints Against Facebook, TikTok, YouTube - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Australia Introduces First Standalone Cyber Security Law - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

Meet the shared responsibility model with new CIS resources - Help Net Security

From IT to Boardroom: NIS2 Reshapes Cyber Security Roles (databreachtoday.co.uk)

NIS2 & DORA: Staying ahead of the curve | TechRadar

NIS2 & DORA: Staying ahead of the curve | TechRadar

DORA regulation's nuts and bolts - Help Net Security

Data Protection

Former RAC Employees Get Suspended Sentence for Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

US CISO Compensation on the Rise, Report Finds | MSSP Alert

“Brutal” cyber security job market: pros can’t land roles despite massive worker shortage | Cybernews

Cyber security is the fastest growing tech occupation in the UK – but it’s still not enough to dent the growing industry skills shortage | ITPro

Banishing Burnout: Data Security Hangs in Balance in Cyber Wellbeing Crisis - IT Security Guru

CISO Paychecks: Worth the Growing Security Headaches? (darkreading.com)

Widening talent pool in cyber with on-demand contractors - Help Net Security

Imposter syndrome in cyber security | Pen Test Partners

Cyber security careers - BBC News

Career Spotlight: The Growing Demand for OT Security Experts (databreachtoday.co.uk)

6 Simple Steps to Eliminate SOC Analyst Burnout (thehackernews.com)

UK Cyber Team seeks future security professionals | Computer Weekly

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

British man arrested over hack-to-trade scheme using email password resets | ITPro

Ukrainian pleads guilty to operating Raccoon Stealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Global Police Track Human Traffickers in Online Crackdown - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Dutch cops reveal takedown of 'largest dark web market' • The Register

Homeland Security Blocked 500+ Ransomware Attacks Since 2021 (pymnts.com)

UK to Continue Disruptive Actions Targeting Cyber Crime (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Former RAC Employees Get Suspended Sentence for Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Man pleads guilty to stealing over $37M worth of cryptocurrency (securityaffairs.com)

FBI created a crypto token so it could watch it being abused • The Register

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

What security pros can learn from the bad information spread during this year’s election cycle | SC Media (scworld.com)

Disinformation Campaign Targets Moldova Ahead Of Presidential Elections (informationsecuritybuzz.com)


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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

MI5 Chief Warns of Cyber Threats to the UK - InfoRiskToday

DDoS attacks are on the rise, and are increasingly politically-motivated | TechRadar

US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

The Attribution Dividend: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Attacks - Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (swp-berlin.org)

Nation State Actors

China

MI5 Chief Warns of Cyber Threats to the UK - InfoRiskToday

US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

The Attribution Dividend: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Attacks - Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (swp-berlin.org)

The 30-year-old internet backdoor law that came back to bite | TechCrunch

China-linked group Salt Typhoon hacked US broadband providers and breached wiretap systems (securityaffairs.com)

Massive US security breach highlights danger of weakening encryption | Proton

Chinese cyber spies reportedly breached Verizon, AT&T • The Register

Illegal donations: how does dark money get into UK politics? | TBIJ (thebureauinvestigates.com)

OpenAI says it has disrupted 20-plus foreign influence networks in past year | CyberScoop

OpenAI says Chinese gang tried to phish its staff • The Register

TikTok’s parent launched a web scraper that's gobbling up the world’s online data 25-times faster than OpenAI | Fortune

Russia

MI5 Chief Warns of Cyber Threats to the UK - InfoRiskToday

DOJ seizes 41 Russian-controlled domains in cyber-espionage crackdown | CSO Online

US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

The Attribution Dividend: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Attacks - Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (swp-berlin.org)

European govt air-gapped systems breached using custom malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

EU Implements New Sanctions Framework Targeting Russian Hybrid Attacks - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

NCSC issues fresh alert over wave of Cozy Bear activity | Computer Weekly

Microsoft: ‘relentless’ Russia-sponsored hacking group has been disrupted - Security - CRN Australia

Russia and Iran want ‘sustained mayhem’ in UK, MI5 warns

Major breach exposes every Dutch police officer: state-sponsored actor suspected | Cybernews

EU retaliates against Russian ‘hybrid warfare’ with new regulations (brusselssignal.eu)

US, UK warn of Russian APT29 hackers targeting Zimbra, TeamCity servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Illegal donations: how does dark money get into UK politics? | TBIJ (thebureauinvestigates.com)

Google officially kicks Kaspersky antivirus software app off the Play Store | TechRadar

Pro-Russian cyber attacks hit Belgium for fourth consecutive day (belganewsagency.eu)

Kaspersky says it's closing down its UK office and laying off dozens | TechCrunch

Pro-Ukrainian Hackers Strike Russian State TV on Putin's Birthday (thehackernews.com)

Cyber Attack Group 'Awaken Likho' Targets Russian Government with Advanced Tools (thehackernews.com)

Iran

MI5 Chief Warns of Cyber Threats to the UK - InfoRiskToday

US Warns of Foreign Interference in Congressional Races - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

The Attribution Dividend: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Attacks - Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (swp-berlin.org)

Russia and Iran want ‘sustained mayhem’ in UK, MI5 warns

Illegal donations: how does dark money get into UK politics? | TBIJ (thebureauinvestigates.com)

Earth Simnavaz Levies Advanced Cyber Attacks Against UAE and Gulf Regions | Trend Micro (US)

North Korea

North Korean Hackers Attacking US Organisations With Unique Hacking Tools (cybersecuritynews.com)

US Government Moves to Seize Bitcoin Amid Allegations Linked to Lazarus Group's $879 Million Crypto Heists | COINOTAG NEWS

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

DDoS attacks are on the rise, and are increasingly politically-motivated | TechRadar

Hezbollah data breach leads the list of the biggest cyber security events of the year - Digital Journal

Leaked documents reveal British military’s secret assistance to Israeli army | Al Bawaba

What is spyware? And how do you protect yourself from it? | TechRadar


Tools and Controls

MFA Isn’t Failing, But It’s Not Succeeding: Why a Trusted Security Tool Still Falls Short - SecurityWeek

Lack of Cyber Risk Quantification Leaves Companies Financially Exposed, PwC Report Finds (theglobaltreasurer.com)

MSSP Market News: Survey Shows 62% of SOC Alerts are Ignored | MSSP Alert

How to protect data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (networkingplus.co.uk)

MSPs must combat cyber security skills shortage with ongoing client training and support - IT Security Guru

Cyber insurance demand to rise as new threats emerge, says Bloomberg Intelligence - Reinsurance News

CIOs Sound Alarm on Network Security as a Top Priority as AI Fuels New Risks and Challenges | Business Wire

45% of cyber security leaders are stressed about budget restraints | Security Magazine

How Confidence Between Teams Impacts Cyber Incident Outcomes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Organisations are taking action towards cyber resilience: PwC - Reinsurance News

How the increasing demand for cyber insurance is changing the role of the CISO | CSO Online

Hackers Exploiting DNS Tunneling Service To Bypass Network Firewalls (cybersecuritynews.com)

Strengthening Cyber Security with NDR and EDR integration - SiliconANGLE

Setting Up Your Network Security? Avoid These 4 Mistakes (techrepublic.com)

Cyber security professionals are turning to AI as more lose control of detection tools | ZDNET

SOC teams are frustrated with their security tools - Help Net Security

Why Web Application Firewalls Are an Indispensable Part of the Security Stack (thefastmode.com)

EU Urged to Harmonize Incident Reporting Requirements - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cyber security leaders still shaky about post-attack recovery, reports show | Healthcare IT News

How to Get Going with CTEM When You Don't Know Where to Start (thehackernews.com)

Cyber Security Is Serious — but It Doesn't Have to Be Boring (darkreading.com)



Other News

Study: 92% of Healthcare Firms Hit by Cyber Attacks This Year (inforisktoday.com)

Five percent of all Adobe Commerce and Magento stores hacked, researchers say | Cybernews

NCSC celebrates eight years as Horne blows in | Computer Weekly

UK businesses cite economic risks and cyber crime as top 2024 concerns: Marsh McLennan - Reinsurance News

Cyber security in an age of terror

Almost half of UK higher education institutions experience a cyber attack every week | TechRadar

London Fire Brigade block almost 340,000 cyber attacks (verdict.co.uk)

Healthcare's Grim Cyber Prognosis Requires Security Booster (darkreading.com)

EU Urged to Harmonize Incident Reporting Requirements - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Kaspersky says it's closing down its UK office and laying off dozens | TechCrunch

Building Cyber Resilience in SMBs With Limited Resources (darkreading.com)

Middle East, Turkey See Cyber Threats Rise (darkreading.com)

Navigating the Fallout: Essential Insights for Healthcare Companies in Light of the Change Healthcare Cyber Breach | Ankura - JDSupra

Modern payment systems: An effective way to reduce your attack surface | ITPro

Illegal donations: how does dark money get into UK politics? | TBIJ (thebureauinvestigates.com)

Cyber security tips for barristers, solicitors and legal... - NCSC.GOV.UK

Government launches cyber standard for local authorities | Computer Weekly

Reasons why MSPs are the future | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

Cyber crime on the Rise in the USA: Top Retailers Investing Heavily in Cyber Security to Protect Shoppers – International Supermarket News


Vulnerability Management

Vulnerabilities

Microsoft Issues Security Update Fixing 118 Flaws, Two Actively Exploited in the Wild (thehackernews.com)

Microsoft: Windows 11 22H2 Home and Pro reached end of servicing (bleepingcomputer.com)

CISA says critical Fortinet RCE flaw now exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Palo Alto fixed critical flaws in PAN-OS firewalls that allow for full compromise of the devices (securityaffairs.com)

Hackers Exploiting Veeam RCE Vulnerability to Deploy Ransomware (cybersecuritynews.com)

Apple Releases Critical iOS and iPadOS Updates to Fix VoiceOver Password Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

Five percent of all Adobe Commerce and Magento stores hacked, researchers say | Cybernews

New DDoS Attack Vector Discovered In CUPS, Exposing 58,000+ Vulnerable Devices Online (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

UK telcos including BT at risk from DrayTek router vulnerabilities | Computer Weekly

Critical Apache Avro SDK RCE flaw impacts Java applications (securityaffairs.com)

PoC Exploit Released for Microsoft Office 0-day Flaw - CVE-2024-38200 (cybersecuritynews.com)

Single HTTP Request Can Exploit 6M WordPress Sites (darkreading.com)

Okta Classic customers told to check logs for sign-on bypass | SC Media (scworld.com)

Adobe Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA

Three new Ivanti CSA zero-day actively exploited in attacks (securityaffairs.com)

US, UK warn of Russian APT29 hackers targeting Zimbra, TeamCity servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

VMware NSX Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers To Execute Arbitrary Commands (cybersecuritynews.com)

Researchers discover 14 new DrayTek vulnerabilities | Security Magazine

Qualcomm confirms cyber attack on Android devices that exploited a vulnerability in its chipsets (androidauthority.com)

WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin flaw could allow site takeover (securityaffairs.com)

These vulnerabilities in Apache HTTP Server enable HTTP Request Smuggling and SSL Authentication Bypass, posing severe threats to organisations worldwide | TechRadar

Qualcomm confirms cyber attack on Android devices that exploited a vulnerability in its chipsets (androidauthority.com)

Still running Windows 11 22H2? No more security fixes from Microsoft for you! (betanews.com)

Exploit code for critical GitLab auth bypass flaw released (CVE-2024-45409) - Help Net Security

Firefox Zero-Day Under Attack: Update Your Browser Immediately (thehackernews.com)


Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime & Shipping

·         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


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.

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 18 October 2024

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Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 09 October 2024 – Microsoft and Adobe Security Updates