Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 August 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

Why C-Suite Leaders Are Prime Cyber Targets

A recent report by GetApp reveals that 72% of surveyed cyber security professionals have observed cyber attacks targeting senior executives in the past 18 months, with incidents involving AI-generated deepfakes in 27% of cases. Despite this growing threat, 37% of companies globally do not provide specialised cyber security training for their top leaders, leaving a significant vulnerability. The report also notes a sharp rise in attack frequency, with 69% of US companies experiencing increased attacks over the past three years, higher than the global average. Over half of US firms reported at least one identity fraud incident affecting a senior executive, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced cyber security strategies, including ongoing training and advanced security tools.

Most Ransomware Attacks Occur Between 1am and 5am When Security Staff are Asleep, Study Finds

The 2024 ThreatDown State of Ransomware report by Malwarebytes reveals that ransomware attacks are increasingly timed to exploit periods when security professionals are off-duty, with most incidents occurring between 1 am and 5 am. The report highlights a 33% global increase in ransomware attacks over the past year, with the UK experiencing a 67% rise and the US a 63% increase. Traditional response measures to ransomware are proving inadequate, as threat actors now move rapidly to compromise networks. This stresses the need for continuous security coverage to keep pace with evolving ransomware tactics.

Companies are Not as Resilient as They Think, Cyber Resilience Overestimation Leads to Business Continuity Issues, Ransom Payments

Cohesity’s Global Cyber Resilience Report 2024 reveals a worrying disconnect between organisations' confidence in their cyber resilience strategies and the reality of escalating cyber threats. The survey of over 3,100 IT and security decision-makers across eight countries found that 67% of respondents had fallen victim to a ransomware attack in 2024, with 69% admitting to paying a ransom, despite 77% of these organisations having a "do not pay" policy. While 78% expressed confidence in their resilience strategies, an overwhelming 96% acknowledged that the threat to their industry had increased or would increase this year, with many willing to pay over $1 million to recover data.

Third of Firms Put Money Aside to Pay Cyber Ransoms

A recent survey reveals that nearly a third of businesses have set aside funds specifically to pay ransoms in the event of a ransomware attack, reflecting the growing threat landscape. The survey found that half of the companies had suffered a ransomware breach in the past year, with one in three admitting to paying a ransom. Additionally, 31% of businesses reported severe impacts from cyber security incidents, either within their organisation or supply chain. Despite these challenges, 29% of respondents expect a successful cyber attack in the next year, with medium-to-large enterprises planning to invest an average of €1.18 million in cyber security, although a significant portion still feel their defences are outdated.

AI-Powered Cyber Threats Are Too Overpowering for Over 50% of Security Teams

A recent report by Absolute Security reveals that over half (54%) of UK Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) feel their security teams are unprepared for emerging AI-powered threats. The Absolute Security United Kingdom CISO Cyber Resilience Report 2024, which surveyed 250 CISOs, highlights growing concerns about the impact of AI on cyber resilience. Nearly half (46%) view AI as more of a threat than a benefit to their organisation's security. Additionally, 39% of CISOs have personally stopped using AI due to cyber breach concerns, and 44% have banned AI use by employees for the same reason. The findings underscore the need for enhanced strategies to address AI-driven cyber risks.

Five Novel Email Phishing Attacks and What to Do About Them

Phishing attacks are continuing to grow in sophistication, driven by AI and evolving techniques. Notably, "pastejacking" tricks victims into running malicious code via copied commands, while phishing through Google Drawings exploits the tool's perceived safety to steal personal data. Cyber criminals are also abusing URL protection services, re-writing URLs to bypass security checks. A new trend blends spear phishing with mass phishing, using AI to personalise large-scale attacks. Real-time phishing, which bypasses two-factor authentication, is now widespread, with ready-made kits available on dark web markets, illustrating the growing complexity and reach of modern phishing tactics.

NFC Traffic Stealer Targets Android Users and Their Banking Info

ESET has uncovered a new Android malware named NGate, capable of cloning contactless payment data from physical credit and debit cards, posing significant risks of fraudulent transactions. This malware, the first of its kind observed in the wild, is based on NFCgate, a legitimate tool developed by students at Germany's University of Darmstadt for research purposes. NGate exploits NFCgate’s ability to capture and relay near-field communication (NFC) traffic, extending the range of contactless communication. Threat actors are using this capability alongside phishing and social engineering tactics to steal funds via fraudulent ATM transactions.

91% of Cyber Attacks Targeted Multiple Organisations Using Mass Scanning to Uncover and Exploit Vulnerabilities

The latest "Fastly Threat Insights Report" highlights a significant rise in cyber attacks, with 91% now targeting multiple organisations by scanning them online en-mass, up from 69% in 2023. The report, based on data from Fastly’s Network Learning Exchange, reveals that 36% of global internet traffic originates from bots, with short-lived IP addresses being used by attackers to evade detection. Notably, the High-Tech sector remains the top target, accounting for 37% of attacks. Fastly's findings underscore the need for adaptive security measures, as attackers increasingly exploit vulnerabilities across a broader range of targets using advanced techniques.

You Really Need to Stop Using Work Laptops for Personal Use. Here's Why

A recent study by ESET has revealed that 90% of employees use their company-provided laptops for personal activities, creating significant cyber security risks. Risky behaviours, such as viewing adult content and connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi, were particularly common among younger workers. ESET attributes these risks to the shift towards hybrid and remote work, urging companies to enhance security measures for corporate devices and to educate employees on safe practices. These findings emphasised the need for stronger endpoint security.

Human Nature is Causing Our Cyber Security Problem

A recent analysis highlights the persistent challenge of cyber attacks, now the most significant threat to businesses, yet many organisations continue to delay adopting necessary security measures. This reluctance is attributed to a motivational deficit rooted in temporal discounting—a human tendency to prioritise immediate gratification over long-term benefits. Despite the severe consequences of security breaches and increasing regulatory pressures, organisations often procrastinate on implementing modern processes and critical tools. The article suggests that, much like automatic enrolment in retirement plans has increased participation, similar mechanisms are needed to combat procrastination and improve cyber security practices.

Cyber Crime Consolidation: The Big Fish Are Getting Bigger

A recent report by Chainalysis reveals that cyber criminals seized $16.7 billion in illicit funds during the first half of 2024, a 20% drop from the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive annual decline. Despite this overall decrease, large-scale crypto heists nearly doubled to $1.58 billion, and ransomware payments reached $459.8 million, a 2% increase from the same period last year. The median ransom payment has surged from under $200,000 in early 2023 to $1.5 million by mid-2024, reflecting a shift towards targeting larger organisations and critical infrastructure. The year is on track to be the highest-grossing for ransomware, despite disruptions to major gangs like ALPHV/BlackCat and LockBit.

Why End of Life for Applications Is the Beginning of Life for Hackers

A recent analysis highlights the significant cyber security risks posed by aging software, with over 35,000 applications set to reach end-of-life status in the next year. End-of-life software may still receive critical security patches, but end-of-support applications will no longer receive any updates, making them prime targets for threat actors. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) face challenges in securing backing for updates, particularly when applications are tied to outdated hardware or unsupported vendors. The Apache Log4j vulnerability exemplifies the dangers of neglecting software updates. Effective risk management requires proactive planning to address these aging software assets before they become significant vulnerabilities.

Beyond Prevention: Why Breach Readiness Is Your Cyber Security Lifeline

A recent analysis underscores the limitations of breach prevention strategies in the evolving cyber security landscape. Despite significant investments in firewalls, endpoint detection and response (EDR) and intrusion detection systems, the increasing sophistication of cyber threats has rendered breaches almost inevitable. The high number of recent breaches highlights that prevention alone is insufficient to protect critical business processes and data. Organisations must shift from relying solely on prevention to adopting a resilience-by-design approach, ensuring that they can continue operations even in the face of an attack. This proactive stance is essential to address the growing capabilities of cyber criminals.

Sources:

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2024/08/22/c-suite-leaders-prime-cyber-targets/

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-trends-malwarebytes/

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2024/08/22/789621.htm

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/0823/1466255-third-of-firms-put-money-aside-to-pay-cyber-ransoms/

https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2024/08/16/ai-powered-cyber-threats-are-too-overpowering-for-over-50-of-security-teams/

https://www.scmagazine.com/perspective/five-novel-email-phishing-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-them

https://www.darkreading.com/mobile-security/nfc-traffic-stealer-targets-android-users-and-their-banking-info

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240820055574/en/New-Fastly-Threat-Research-Reveals-91-of-Cyberattacks-Targeted-Multiple-Organizations-Using-Mass-Scanning-to-Uncover-and-Exploit-Vulnerabilities

https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/you-really-need-to-stop-using-their-work-laptops-for-personal-use-heres-why

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/human-nature-is-causing-our-cybersecurity-problem

https://cybernews.com/security/cybercrime-consolidation-big-fish-getting-bigger/

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/why-end-of-life-for-applications-is-beginning-of-life-for-hackers

https://securitybrief.co.nz/story/beyond-prevention-why-breach-readiness-is-your-cybersecurity-lifeline


Governance, Risk and Compliance

Why C-suite leaders are prime cyber targets - Help Net Security

What is digital executive protection and how does it work? | CSO Online

The Cyber Security Paradox: Why Free Costs Too Much | HackerNoon

72% of cyber security leaders faced a cyber attack in last 18 months | Security Magazine

Over 3400 High and Critical Cyber Alerts Recorded in First Half 2024 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cyber crime consolidation: the big fish are getting bigger | Cybernews

Companies aren’t as cyber resilient as they think | CIO Dive

Human Nature Is Causing Our Cyber Security Problem (darkreading.com)

You really need to stop using work laptops for personal use — here's why | TechRadar

Beyond prevention: Why breach readiness is your cyber security lifeline (securitybrief.co.nz)

CISOs list human error as their top cyber security risk (securityintelligence.com)

Cyber Resilience Lacking, Organisations Overconfident - Security Boulevard

Cyber Resilience Overestimation Leads to Business Continuity Issues, Ransom Payments (insurancejournal.com)

3 CIO lessons for maximizing cyber security investments | CIO Dive

Strategies for security leaders: Building a positive cyber security culture - Help Net Security

The influence of optimism bias and loss aversion in cyber risk management decisions (techxplore.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance: The Current Context | MSSP Alert

CISOs on the Hook: SEC Tightens Cyber security Disclosures (govinfosecurity.com)

The CISO Top 10: Your guide to navigating the biggest cyber security challenges | SC Media (scmagazine.com)


Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

Why Are Organisations Losing the Ransomware Battle? (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Surge Exploits Cyber security Gaps Caused by M&A - Security Boulevard

Ransomware Victims Paid $460 Million in First Half of 2024 - SecurityWeek

Ransomware Trends: Most Attacks Hit Between 1am and 5am, Study Finds (techrepublic.com)

Cyber Resilience Lacking, Organisations Overconfident - Security Boulevard

Cyber Crime Goes Corporate As Ransomware Gangs Want More (pymnts.com)

Ransomware on track for record profits, even as fewer victims pay | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Third of firms put money aside to pay cyber ransoms (rte.ie)

Ransomware attacks rise 20% in July, industrial sectors hit hardest (securitybrief.co.nz)

2024 Ransomware Payments Poised to Shatter Record, as Gangs Target 'Big Game' | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

Ransomware Attack Proceeds, Crypto Theft Rise in First Half | MSSP Alert

No honour among ransomware thieves: affiliates' trust craters after takedown (computing.co.uk)

Tracing the destructive path of ransomware's evolution (betanews.com)

Ransomware attacks rise over 60 percent (betanews.com)

Dodging the Cyber Bullet: Early Signs of a Ransomware Attack - IT Security Guru

Cyber Resilience Overestimation Leads to Business Continuity Issues, Ransom Payments (insurancejournal.com)

Q2’24 marks second highest quarter for ransomware attacks, says Corvus - Reinsurance News

RansomHub Rolls Out Brand-New, EDR-Killing BYOVD Binary (darkreading.com)

Attackers Exploit Public .env Files to Breach Cloud Accounts in Extortion Campaign (thehackernews.com)

Chainalysis: Illicit Crypto Activity Down 20%, Stolen Funds and Ransomware Up | Cryptoglobe

Why you need to know about ransomware | Malwarebytes

Critical industries top ransomware hitlist, attacks dwindle • The Register

Understanding the 'Morphology' of Ransomware: A Deeper Dive - SecurityWeek

U.S. charges Karakurt extortion gang’s “cold case” negotiator (bleepingcomputer.com)

Qilin Targets Chrome-Stored Credentials In “Troubling” New Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

The changing dynamics of ransomware as law enforcement strikes - Help Net Security

Ransomware Victims

How the ransomware attack at Change Healthcare went down: A timeline | TechCrunch

Top US oilfield firm Halliburton hit by cyber attack, source says (yahoo.com)

Halliburton Suffers Cyber Attack | Houston Press

Medibank's data breach costs anticipated to reach $126m by mid-2025 - Security - iTnews

AutoCanada Hit by Cyber Attack - SecurityWeek

Three councils fall victim to cyber-attack (themj.co.uk)

CDK Global antitrust lawsuit leads to $100 million payout for car dealers (qz.com)

Cyber Attack Forces Microchip Technology To Scale Back Amid Global Chip Race (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Top architectural firm reveals it was hit by major ransomware attack | TechRadar

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

The evolving threat landscape: Staying ahead of phishing attack trends | TechRadar

Five novel email phishing attacks – and what to do about them | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

The cyber attack cycle: First comes outage, next comes phishing (securityintelligence.com)

New NGate Android malware uses NFC chip to steal credit card data (bleepingcomputer.com)

NFC Traffic Stealer Targets Android Users & Their Banking Info (darkreading.com)

Western, Russian Civil Society Targeted in Sophisticated Phishing Attacks  - SecurityWeek

Abnormal sees 350% uptick in phishing via file-sharing sites (securitybrief.co.nz)

Cyber criminals exploit file sharing services to advance phishing attacks - Help Net Security

Hackers are flocking to a new SMS spam tool – ‘Xeon Sender’ exploits cloud APIs and exposed credentials to supercharge phishing campaigns | ITPro

Android and iOS users targeted with novel banking app phishing campaign | Cybernews

Android & iOS Users Targeted with New Phishing Attack Using PWAs & WebAPKs (cybersecuritynews.com)

Anatomy of an Attack (thehackernews.com)

Iranian Group TA453 Launches Phishing Attacks with BlackSmith - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

This sophisticated new phishing campaign is going after US government contractors | TechRadar

Iran named as source of Trump campaign phish, leaks • The Register

Blind Eagle Hackers Exploit Spear-Phishing to Deploy RATs in Latin America (thehackernews.com)

Other Social Engineering

New NGate Android malware uses NFC chip to steal credit card data (bleepingcomputer.com)

NFC Traffic Stealer Targets Android Users & Their Banking Info (darkreading.com)

Hackers are flocking to a new SMS spam tool – ‘Xeon Sender’ exploits cloud APIs and exposed credentials to supercharge phishing campaigns | ITPro

How Hackers Use Emergency Data Requests to Steal User Data (govinfosecurity.com)

Artificial Intelligence

AI-powered cyber threats are too overpowering for over 50% of security teams - IT Security Guru

Protecting against AI-enabled cyber crime | Professional Security

73% of orgs embracing gen AI, but far fewer are assessing risks | VentureBeat

Fraud tactics and the growing prevalence of AI scams - Help Net Security

xAI’s new Grok image generator floods X with controversial AI fakes - The Verge

Could AI be your company’s Achilles heel? - Raconteur

Deepfakes Are Having a Deeper Impact on These Three Industries (techspective.net)

Organisations turn to biometrics to counter deepfakes - Help Net Security

Artificial intelligence, real anxiety: Why we can't stop worrying and love AI | ZDNET

AI-powered cyber crime is the next threat to be faced by organisations - ​​Freha Arshad (scotsman.com)

Elon Musk’s new image generation tool hit by wave of outrage over pictures it produces | The Independent

Microsoft Copilot Studio Vulnerability Led to Information Disclosure - SecurityWeek

The Golden Age of Impersonation: The Dual Role of AI in Cyber Attacks & Cyber Defence     - Security Boulevard

OpenAI kills Iranian accounts spreading US election disinfo • The Register

2FA/MFA

The Silver Bullet of MFA Was Never Enough (darkreading.com)

Microsoft Mandates MFA for All Azure Sign-Ins - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

Russian Hackers Using Fake Brand Sites to Spread DanaBot and StealC Malware (thehackernews.com)

Cyber criminals launch new malware that can completely wipe out your antivirus | TechRadar

At least 300,000 Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge users hit by malicious browser extensions | The Straits Times

This new threat proves that Macs aren't immune from malware | Digital Trends

Azure domains and Google abused to spread disinformation and malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

New Russian threat targets over 100 Apple macOS browser extensions | Fox News

Beyond the wail: deconstructing the BANSHEE infostealer — Elastic Security Labs

Styx Stealer Malware Stealing Browser And Instant Messenger Data (cybersecuritynews.com)

5 Emerging Malware Variants You Must Be Aware Of (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Cyber criminals Exploit Popular Software Searches to Spread FakeBat Malware (thehackernews.com)

Massive infostealer campaign exploits legitimate brands | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Hackers Exploit PHP Vulnerability to Deploy Stealthy Msupedge Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

Hackers deployed new malware against university in Taiwan (therecord.media)

New macOS Malware TodoSwift Linked to North Korean Hacking Groups (thehackernews.com)

Chinese Threat Actors Use MSI Files to Bypass Windows, VT Detection (darkreading.com)

Hackers may have found an entirely new way to backdoor into Windows systems | TechRadar

Infostealers Waltz Through macOS to Grab Crypto Wallets, Browser Creds (darkreading.com)

New macOS Malware "Cthulhu Stealer" Targets Apple Users' Data (thehackernews.com)

China-Linked ‘Velvet Ant' Hackers Exploited Zero-Day to Deploy Malware on Cisco Nexus Switches - SecurityWeek

Two Years On, Log4Shell Vulnerability Still Being Exploited to Deploy Malware - SecurityWeek

Chinese Hackers Exploit Zero-Day Cisco Switch Flaw to Gain System Control (thehackernews.com)

Iranian Cyber Group TA453 Targets Jewish Leader with New AnvilEcho Malware (thehackernews.com)

Multi-Stage ValleyRAT Targets Chinese Users with Advanced Tactics (thehackernews.com)

Iranian Group TA453 Launches Phishing Attacks with BlackSmith - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Has my PC been hacked? 5 ways to detect virus attacks, step-by-step | PCWorld

Blind Eagle Hackers Exploit Spear-Phishing to Deploy RATs in Latin America (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

New NGate Android malware uses NFC chip to steal credit card data (bleepingcomputer.com)

Google Pixels Carry Verizon App Doubling As a Backdoor (darkreading.com)

NFC Traffic Stealer Targets Android Users & Their Banking Info (darkreading.com)

Android & iOS Users Targeted with New Phishing Attack Using PWAs & WebAPKs (cybersecuritynews.com)

Czech Mobile Users Targeted in New Banking Credential Theft Scheme (thehackernews.com)

Does Your Smartphone Need An Antivirus App? - TechRound

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

Geopolitical Tensions Drive Explosion in DDoS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Average DDoS attack costs $6,000 per minute - Help Net Security

Moscow detains scientist suspected of carrying out DDoS attacks on Russia (therecord.media)

Russia blames mass tech outages on DDoS attack | TechRadar

49% of DDoS attacks targeted gaming organisations | Security Magazine

Internet of Things – IoT

Millions Of Office And Hotel RFID Smart Cards Vulnerable To Instant Cloning Through Hidden Backdoor (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Russia fears Ukraine hijacking home CCTV systems for intel • The Register

Data Breaches/Leaks

Major 'National Public Data' Leak Worse Than Expected With Passwords Stored in Plain Text - MacRumors

The saga of the National Public Data Social Security number leak continues - The Verge

Thousands of Oracle NetSuite sites said to be exposing customer data | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Florida data broker says it was ransacked by cyber-thieves • The Register

The Slow-Burn Nightmare of the National Public Data Breach | WIRED

FlightAware admits passwords, SSNs exposed for over 3 years • The Register

How Hackers Use Emergency Data Requests to Steal User Data (govinfosecurity.com)

Toyota disclosed a data breach after ZeroSevenGroup leaked stolen data on a cyber crime forum (securityaffairs.com)

Security flaws in Microsoft's Health Bot put patient data at risk (computing.co.uk)

Apple Prototypes and Corporate Secrets Are for Sale Online—If You Know Where to Look | WIRED

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

Cyber crime consolidation: the big fish are getting bigger | Cybernews

Researchers Uncover New Infrastructure Tied to FIN7 Cyber crime Group (thehackernews.com)

Digital wallets can allow purchases with stolen credit cards • The Register

‘Styx Stealer’ malware developer accidentally exposes personal info to researchers in ‘critical opsec error’ (therecord.media)

Kim Dotcom: 5 outrageous moments from the internet’s anti-hero (thenextweb.com)

Man who hacked Hawaii state registry to forge his own death certificate sentenced to 81 months (therecord.media)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

Ransomware Attack Proceeds, Crypto Theft Rise in First Half | MSSP Alert

Hackers linked to $14M Holograph crypto heist arrested in Italy (bleepingcomputer.com)

Digital wallets can allow purchases with stolen credit cards • The Register

Chainalysis: Illicit Crypto Activity Down 20%, Stolen Funds and Ransomware Up | Cryptoglobe

Infostealers Waltz Through macOS to Grab Crypto Wallets, Browser Creds (darkreading.com)

Unicoin recovers from G-Suite raid, hints at data woes • The Register

PostgreSQL databases under attack - Help Net Security

11 Cyber security Risks for NFT Buyers | HackerNoon

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

You really need to stop using work laptops for personal use — here's why | TechRadar

CISOs list human error as their top cyber security risk (securityintelligence.com)

Human Nature Is Causing Our Cyber security Problem (darkreading.com)

Insurance

Ransomware Resilience Drives Down Cyber Insurance Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

Three councils fall victim to cyber-attack (themj.co.uk)

Cloud/SaaS

Survey Surfaces Growing SaaS Application Security Concerns - Security Boulevard

45% of tech leaders have experienced a SaaS cyber security incident | Security Magazine

Cloud Misconfigurations Expose 110,000 Domains to Extortion in Widespread Campaign - SecurityWeek

The Hidden Security Gaps in Your SaaS Apps: Are You Doing Due Diligence? (thehackernews.com)

Azure domains and Google abused to spread disinformation and malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cyber criminals exploit file sharing services to advance phishing attacks - Help Net Security

Hackers are flocking to a new SMS spam tool – ‘Xeon Sender’ exploits cloud APIs and exposed credentials to supercharge phishing campaigns | ITPro

It's Time To Untangle the SaaS Ball of Yarn (thehackernews.com)

Attackers Exploit Public .env Files to Breach Cloud Accounts in Extortion Campaign (thehackernews.com)

8 cloud security gotchas most CISOs miss | CSO Online

The Hidden Security Gaps in Your SaaS Apps: Are You Doing Due Diligence? - Security Boulevard

Some major firms are being targeted by this dangerous new cyber crime campaign | TechRadar

GitHub Enterprise Server vulnerable to critical auth bypass flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

Microsoft Mandates MFA for All Azure Sign-Ins - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Thousands of Apps Using AWS ALB Exposed to Attacks Due to Configuration Issue - SecurityWeek

Azure Kubernetes Services Vulnerability Exposed Sensitive Information - SecurityWeek

Authentication bypass discovered in Microsoft Entra ID | Security Magazine

North Korean Hackers Pivot Away From Public Cloud (inforisktoday.com)

Outages

The cyber attack cycle: First comes outage, next comes phishing (securityintelligence.com)

CrowdStrike hits out at rivals’ ‘shady’ attacks after global IT outage

CrowdStrike outage lessons learned: Questions to ask vendors | TechTarget

CrowdStrike deja vu for IT admins with 'performance issue' • The Register

Post Office systems crash hits 'collapsing' Horizon system | Computer Weekly

Encryption

Some major firms are being targeted by this dangerous new cyber crime campaign | TechRadar

How SSH Flaws Expose Vulnerabilities, Endanger Enterprises (inforisktoday.com)

Linux and Open Source

Don't panic! It's only 60 Linux CVE security bulletins a week | ZDNET

PostgreSQL databases under attack - Help Net Security

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

The saga of the National Public Data Social Security number leak continues - The Verge

Hackers are flocking to a new SMS spam tool – ‘Xeon Sender’ exploits cloud APIs and exposed credentials to supercharge phishing campaigns | ITPro

Some major firms are being targeted by this dangerous new cyber crime campaign | TechRadar

Qilin Targets Chrome-Stored Credentials In “Troubling” New Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Czech Mobile Users Targeted in New Banking Credential Theft Scheme (thehackernews.com)

Social Media

NFC Traffic Stealer Targets Android Users & Their Banking Info (darkreading.com)

How Hackers Use Emergency Data Requests to Steal User Data (govinfosecurity.com)

Hackers are flocking to a new SMS spam tool – ‘Xeon Sender’ exploits cloud APIs and exposed credentials to supercharge phishing campaigns | ITPro

Training, Education and Awareness

The Cyber Security Paradox: Why Free Costs Too Much | HackerNoon

What's Typically the Weakest Point in a Business's Cyber Security? - Root-Nation.com

The worst security test ever? University slammed over fake Ebola scare as phishing test | TechRadar

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

Cyber Security After SolarWinds: Practical Guidance for CISOs Under the New Rules | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - JDSupra

Cisco wants United Nations to revisit cyber crime Convention • The Register

Cyber security Is Everywhere: ENISA COO - GovInfoSecurity

EU Directive Network and Information Security (NIS2): Modernizing security compliance (betanews.com)

CISOs on the Hook: SEC Tightens Cyber security Disclosures (govinfosecurity.com)

FAA Proposes New Aircraft Cyber security Rules - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

ISO 27001 vs NIST: The Differences and How They Overlap - Security Boulevard

EU Directive Network and Information Security (NIS2): Modernizing security compliance (betanews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

Nearly 4 Million Cyber security Jobs Are Vacant: Here’s Why You Should Consider Breaking Into This Sector (forbes.com)

British civil service to target cyber specialists with new graduate scheme (therecord.media)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

Hackers linked to $14M Holograph crypto heist arrested in Italy (bleepingcomputer.com)

National Crime Agency threatens extraditions over rise in sextortion cases (yahoo.com)

U.S. charges Karakurt extortion gang’s “cold case” negotiator (bleepingcomputer.com)

No honour among ransomware thieves: affiliates' trust craters after takedown (computing.co.uk)

Man who hacked Hawaii state registry to forge his own death certificate sentenced to 81 months (therecord.media)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

FBI says Iranian hackers are targeting both presidential campaigns (engadget.com)

Are 2024 US Political Campaigns Prepared for Coming Cyber Threats? (darkreading.com)

Azure domains and Google abused to spread disinformation and malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Meet the Iranian cyber attackers suspected of trying to hack the U.S. election - Washington Times

US warns of Iranian hackers escalating influence operations (bleepingcomputer.com)


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

Nation State Actors

Are 2024 US Political Campaigns Prepared for Coming Cyber Threats? (darkreading.com)

China

US lawmakers urge probe into TP-Link over fears of possible cyber attacks | TechRadar

Chinese Threat Actors Use MSI Files to Bypass Windows, VT Detection (darkreading.com)

China-Linked ‘Velvet Ant' Hackers Exploited Zero-Day to Deploy Malware on Cisco Nexus Switches - SecurityWeek

Chinese Hackers Exploit Zero-Day Cisco Switch Flaw to Gain System Control (thehackernews.com)

Hackers deployed new malware against university in Taiwan (therecord.media)

Multi-Stage ValleyRAT Targets Chinese Users with Advanced Tactics (thehackernews.com)

Russia

Russian Hackers Using Fake Brand Sites to Spread DanaBot and StealC Malware (thehackernews.com)

Western, Russian Civil Society Targeted in Sophisticated Phishing Attacks  - SecurityWeek

Cyber attack hits Monobank, Ukraine's largest direct bank (kyivindependent.com)

Ukrainian Defence Intelligence Cyber attacked the russian Nuclear Weapons Manufacturer | Defence Express (defence-ua.com)

Vermin Cyber-Attacks Target Ukraine, Exploiting Kursk Battle - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Ukraine subjected to novel malware attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Russia fears Ukraine hijacking home CCTV systems for intel • The Register

Day three of large-scale cyber attack on Ukrainian bank monobank: Ukrainian special services offer assistance | Ukrainska Pravda

Moscow detains scientist suspected of carrying out DDoS attacks on Russia (therecord.media)

Russia blames mass tech outages on DDoS attack | TechRadar

Russia Blames Telegram, WhatsApp Outage on Cyber Attack as Experts Point to Censorship - The Moscow Times

Iran

Meet the Iranian cyber attackers suspected of trying to hack the U.S. election - Washington Times

FBI says Iranian hackers are targeting both presidential campaigns (engadget.com)

Iran may target Israel with cyber attacks as well as missiles, drones - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

Iran named as source of Trump campaign phish, leaks • The Register

Iranian Cyber Group TA453 Targets Jewish Leader with New AnvilEcho Malware (thehackernews.com)

OpenAI kills Iranian accounts spreading US election disinfo • The Register

Iranian Group TA453 Launches Phishing Attacks with BlackSmith - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Iran and Israel are already engaged in a fierce cyberwar (economist.com)

North Korea

Microsoft Zero-Day CVE-2024-38193 was exploited by North Korea-linked Lazarus APT (securityaffairs.com)

New macOS Malware TodoSwift Linked to North Korean Hacking Groups (thehackernews.com)

North Korean Hackers Pivot Away From Public Cloud (inforisktoday.com)

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

Geopolitical Tensions Drive Explosion in DDoS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)


Tools and Controls

Ransomware Gangs Introduce New EDR-Killing Tool (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

73% of orgs embracing gen AI, but far fewer are assessing risks | VentureBeat

The Cyber security Paradox: Why Free Costs Too Much | HackerNoon

Cyber Resilience Lacking, Organisations Overconfident - Security Boulevard

Beyond prevention: Why breach readiness is your cyber security lifeline (securitybrief.co.nz)

The Silver Bullet of MFA Was Never Enough (darkreading.com)

Cyber criminals launch new malware that can completely wipe out your antivirus | TechRadar

Common API security issues: From exposed secrets to unauthorized access - Help Net Security

Organisations turn to biometrics to counter deepfakes - Help Net Security

Cyber criminals exploit file sharing services to advance phishing attacks - Help Net Security

This system can sort real pictures from AI fakes — why aren’t platforms using it? - The Verge

RansomHub Rolls Out Brand-New, EDR-Killing BYOVD Binary (darkreading.com)

How Pen Testing is Evolving and Where it’s Headed Next  - Security Boulevard

Cyber security and Physical Security Go Hand-in-Hand | HHS.gov

3 lessons for maximizing cyber security investments | CIO Dive

The influence of optimism bias and loss aversion in cyber risk management decisions (techxplore.com)

What's Typically the Weakest Point in a Business's Cyber Security? - Root-Nation.com

How SSH Flaws Expose Vulnerabilities, Endanger Enterprises (inforisktoday.com)

Are virtual machines safe for end users? | TechTarget

AI for application security: Balancing automation with human oversight - Help Net Security

EDR vs. MDR vs. XDR: Key differences | TechTarget

Millions Of Office And Hotel RFID Smart Cards Vulnerable To Instant Cloning Through Hidden Backdoor (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

The Golden Age of Impersonation: The Dual Role of AI in Cyber Attacks & Cyber Defence     - Security Boulevard

Top Cyber security Risk Mitigation Strategies Every Business Should Implement (cybersaint.io)

How do AI checkers actually work? | ZDNET

Does Your Smartphone Need An Antivirus App? - TechRound


Other News

72% of cyber security leaders faced a cyber attack in last 18 months | Security Magazine

72% of Senior Executives Targeted by Cyber attacks in the Last 18 Months | Business Wire

Sitting Ducks Attack: Over 1M Domains At Risk Of Takeover! - Security Boulevard

How Hollywood hacking scenes turn cyber security into entertainment (globenewswire.com)

Browser Syncing Is Useful, but Be Aware of These 4 Security Issues (makeuseof.com)

36% of global internet traffic originated from bots | Security Magazine

From cyber crime to terrorism, FBI director says America faces many elevated threats 'all at once' - ABC News (go.com)

How might the UK's cyber landscape change under Labour? | Computer Weekly

Are the New FAA Cyber Requirements for Future Planes Enough? (govinfosecurity.com)

‘Stakes are too high to ignore’: Singapore beefs up operational technology masterplan as cyberthreats rise - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

Preparing the IT Infrastructure For the Next Era of Cyber attacks | Entrepreneur

Switzerland to join European Cyber Security Organisation (aa.com.tr)

Protecting connected, self-driving vehicles from hackers (techxplore.com)

Empowering SMBs On The Path To Cyber security Maturity (forbes.com)

Olympics were case in point of cyber threat to global sport (emergingrisks.co.uk)

Africa's Economies Feel Pain of Cyber security Deficit (darkreading.com)

Food security: Accelerating national protections around critical infrastructure - Help Net Security

Security Alert: U.K. Political Donation Sites at Risk - Security Boulevard


Vulnerability Management

Fastly report reveals 91% of cyber attacks now target multiple organisations - SiliconANGLE

New Fastly Threat Research Reveals 91% of Cyber attacks Targeted Multiple Organisations Using Mass Scanning to Uncover and Exploit Vulnerabilities | Business Wire

Why End of Life for Applications Is the Beginning of Life for Hackers (darkreading.com)

The Fundamentals of Vulnerability Management Explained | MSSP Alert

What's Typically the Weakest Point in a Business's Cyber Security? - Root-Nation.com

How SSH Flaws Expose Vulnerabilities, Endanger Enterprises (inforisktoday.com)

Vulnerability prioritization is only the beginning - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

PoC Exploit Released for Windows 0-Day Downgrade Attack (cybersecuritynews.com)

Google fixes ninth Chrome zero-day exploited in attacks this year (bleepingcomputer.com)

If You Have an AMD CPU, You Must Install This Vital Security Update (makeuseof.com)

Microsoft shares workaround for Outlook crashing after opening (bleepingcomputer.com)

Kubernetes Vulnerability Exposes Clusters to Command Injection Attacks (cybersecuritynews.com)

Windows 0-Day Flaw Exploited by Lazarus to Gain Unauthorized Access (cybersecuritynews.com)

Serious flaws in Microsoft apps on macOS could let hackers spy on users | ITPro

Microsoft Zero-Day CVE-2024-38193 was exploited by North Korea-linked Lazarus APT (securityaffairs.com)

Hackers Exploit PHP Vulnerability to Deploy Stealthy Msupedge Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

F5 Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in BIG-IP, NGINX Plus - SecurityWeek

China-Linked ‘Velvet Ant' Hackers Exploited Zero-Day to Deploy Malware on Cisco Nexus Switches - SecurityWeek

Symantec warns of new sophisticated backdoor exploiting patched PHP vulnerability - SiliconANGLE

AMD changes its mind, says it will patch more Ryzen chips against security flaw | TechRadar

Authentication bypass discovered in Microsoft Entra ID | Security Magazine

Thousands of Apps Using AWS ALB Exposed to Attacks Due to Configuration Issue - SecurityWeek

Security flaws in Microsoft's Health Bot put patient data at risk (computing.co.uk)

Microsoft Patches Critical Copilot Studio Vulnerability Exposing Sensitive Data (thehackernews.com)

Chinese Hackers Exploit Zero-Day Cisco Switch Flaw to Gain System Control (thehackernews.com)

Atlassian Patches Vulnerabilities in Bamboo, Confluence, Crowd, Jira - SecurityWeek

SolarWinds left hardcoded credentials in helpdesk product • The Register

Azure Kubernetes Services Vulnerability Exposed Sensitive Information - SecurityWeek

Litespeed Cache bug exposes millions of WordPress sites to takeover attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

GitHub Enterprise Server vulnerable to critical auth bypass flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

Critical Flaw in Donation Plugin Exposed 100,000 WordPress Sites to Takeover - SecurityWeek


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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

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·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 30 August 2024

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