Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 20/01/2023 – Zoho ManageEngine Exploit Released Affecting Multiple Product Lines

Executive Summary

CVE-2022-47966 is a remote code execution vulnerability which impacts Zoho’s ManageEngine On-Premise products, due to the use of an outdated third-party dependency, Apache Santuario. The exploit for this vulnerability has now been publicly released. Software updates addressing the vulnerabilities were previously released by Zoho across October/November last year.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would grant an attacker the ability to remotely execute code. Users of ManageEngine On-Demand/cloud products are not affected by this vulnerability. In addition, the exploit is applicable, only when Single Sign-on (SSO) is or was enabled during the initial ManageEngine setup.

What can I do?

For organisations using ManageEngine On-Premise products where Single Sign-on (SSO) is or was enabled during initial setup, it is strongly recommended to install the patched version which addresses this vulnerability.

Further information on the security advisory from Zoho ManageEngine can be found here, including impacted version numbers, and the version numbers where the exploit was fixed: https://www.manageengine.com/security/advisory/CVE/cve-2022-47966.html

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

What We Expect to See in 2023

2022 proved to be a challenging year for organisations trying to protect themselves against cyber attacks that originate from across the world, and within only the first two weeks of 2023 more high profile attacks have been disclosed.

One indicator of the scale of the problem is to look at how cyber insurance providers have been objectively assessing the risk of a cyber attack on their clients, and how to price that risk. This gives us strong signals about the challenges that cyber security will bring in 2023.

The signs from the Cyber Insurance market

There have been some foreboding seismic changes in the cyber insurance market. The volume of attacks globally has resulted in insurance premiums that are now out of range for many organisations, and in December last year Zurich insurance said that cyber attacks will become “uninsurable”. Lloyds of London have mandated that all their policies must include an act of war exclusion, to ensure there is no liability when policy holders are caught in the cyber-crossfire by nation states such as Russia; it would not be a surprise if further exclusions were brought in later.

Cyber attackers come in many forms including nation states such as Russia, China and North Korea, as well as independent criminal gangs that operate in those countries and elsewhere. The line between these parties is very blurred, for example when the Russian military collaborates with local criminal gangs. It remains to be seen whether an insurance provider will make a distinction between the actions of a nation state and the country’s criminal gangs as an act of war, especially because attribution is not an exact science and may be outside the capability of an insurance underwriter. It is possible that the insured party will have to wait for some time before the claim is investigated, and they may need to challenge the assessment in court.

All the signs are that if insurance is indeed made available, then it will only be offered to an organisation that shows it has done everything it reasonably can to make itself an attractively low risk to an insurance provider. Consider the dispute between Travellers Insurance and their policyholder in the US in July last year, where the policy holder experienced a ransomware attack but Travellers successfully had the insurance policy annulled because the policyholder did not have the cyber protections in place that they claimed.

Organisations need to be constantly aware of the current and evolving risks of a cyber incident, and review whether their controls are robust enough to keep that risk down. Insurance providers have already started to do their own assessment of their policy holders’ controls, akin to a risk assessment before granting a person a life assurance policy, and they plan to go a lot deeper than you might think. Cloud providers including Google, Microsoft and Amazon are working with insurance companies to review the security configuration settings of their customers as part of the insurance company’s due diligence, to determine whether to offer insurance and at what price. The implications are clear: insurance companies expect you to have robust cyber security before they will consider you as a client. Where previously the application for an insurance policy was based on self-attestation by an organisation, insurance providers are now starting to ask for reports and metrics, however this could result in the applicant sharing highly sensitive information on their cyber security weaknesses which could be exploited if in an attacker’s hands. 

Ransomware will remain popular …

A recent report from the insurance industry’s representative body, the Geneva Association, highlighted that 75% of all cyber-insurance claims in 2020 (the latest available analysis) were for ransomware. In 2022 we saw a change in the tactics of ransom attackers, and we expect more to come as attackers copy the success of their peers in trying out new approaches.

Last year, a ransomware gang hacked into the website of their victim to post the ransom note for the world to see, in order to increase the pressure to have the ransom paid. Other attackers have used a new way of encrypting their victim’s files by only encrypting every 16th bit (called Intermitted Encryption) to avoid making too much ‘noise’ and setting off the victim’s detection systems.

We expect attackers to increase their ‘innovation’ in ransomware, especially as the ransomware software has become so much easier to purchase online through the ransomware-as-a service (RaaS) market that the attacker community has established, alongside their call centres and venture capital services to enable the RaaS market to flourish. As a result, organisations need to keep their ear to the ground by reading cyber threat intelligence, such as our weekly blog, to understand the new tactics and check how secure they are against them.

… but new types of attacks are increasing

However, ransomware is not the only type of attack and it looks set to decrease (slightly) in popularity with the recent crash in crypto currencies, which is a currency of choice for cyber attackers as it is like a suitcase of unmarked banknotes that cannot be traced. Coming up in popularity is business email compromise (BEC), and the lesser known email account compromise (EAC), where the attacker gains access to a user’s email account and, without the knowledge of the owner, uses it to conduct further attacks such as sending out emails requesting payments to fraudulent accounts. BEC/EAC are not new, but they seem to be considered easier and more profitable for attackers in late 2022 and into 2023.

It is worth noting that attackers will often lurk for months or years after an email account has been compromised. The attacker will watch and wait for the right moment to strike, for example when the victim is about to transfer funds to a third party and the attacker intercepts and alters emails to divert the funds to the attacker’s bank account.

When there is money to be made, there will be innovation

Every day across the world, hundreds of thousands of clever but dishonest people wake up in the morning, and their definition of a good day’s work is that they have broken through your defences to get access to your information or money.

Recent ‘innovations’ from the attackers perspective include call-back phishing, which has soared in popularity as attackers are refining their techniques. This starts with a classic phishing email that tells the recipient that their information or money is in danger. However, this email encourages the recipient to call a number for help; the person they call is the attacker who will talk them through downloading software (which is, sadly, malicious software or ‘malware’) and transferring money (unknowingly into the attacker’s account) in order to sort out the problem.

The ’robust’ controls of this morning might not be so strong by this afternoon

Last autumn, a contractor at Uber was contacted by someone claiming to be from the company’s IT team, who asked the contractor to accept the multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts they had been receiving on their device in order that the IT team could work on their account. The contractor complied. The person who contacted them was of course an attacker and now had direct access to Uber’s systems, including the ability to post messages on the company’s Slack channels used for internal messaging.

This is a strong reminder that controls, such as MFA, that are considered robust can still be overcome by a determined attacker, especially if they can convince an employee to help them. To be clear, MFA is a very credible control and should certainly be maintained however there are no silver bullets and no single control offers 100% protection to withstand a determined attacker. The only way to protect yourself is to understand the evolving tactics of attackers, and to maintain a strategy of multiple layers of controls in order that if one of them fails, then the other controls can help to withstand or mitigate the damage; this is referred to as defence in depth.

Subscribe to our weekly round up of threat intelligence

2023 has already started as a yet more challenging year for protecting you and your clients’ information against a cyber attack. The UK’s Royal Mail has fallen victim to ransomware attributed to Russian attackers that has immobilised its international operations, and the Guardian newspaper has shared details of a recent attack on their systems.

This is why your cyber security strategy needs to be regularly reassessed based on what your ear to the ground is telling you. Subscribe to our weekly threat intelligence report on blackarrowcyber.com/subscribe to keep on top of the latest developments and see what our threat intelligence tells you to consider in your cyber security strategy. And contact us if you want to discuss what this all means for you; we know and love cyber security, and would be happy to hear from you.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 13 January 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

• Quarter of UK SMBs Hit by Ransomware in 2022

Over one in four (26%) British SMBs have been targeted by ransomware over the past year, with half (47%) of those compromised paying their extorters, according to new data from anti-virus provider Avast. The security vendor polled 1000 IT decision makers from UK SMBs back in October, to better understand the risk landscape over the previous 12 months.

More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents said they are more concerned about being attacked since the start of the war in Ukraine, fuelling concerns that have led to half (50%) investing in cyber-insurance. They’re wise to do so, considering that 41% of those hit by ransomware lost data, while 34% lost access to devices, according to Avast.

Given that SMBs comprise over 99% of private sector businesses in the country, it’s reassuring that cyber is now being viewed as a major business risk. Nearly half (48%) ranked it as one of the biggest threats they currently face, versus 66% who cited financial risk stemming from surging operational cost. More respondents cited cyber as a top threat than did physical security (35%) and supply chain disruption (33%).

Avast argued that SMBs are among the groups most vulnerable to cyber-threats as they often have very limited budget and resources, and many don’t have somebody on staff managing security holistically. As a result, not only are SMB’s lacking in their defence, but they’re also slower and less able to react to incidents.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/quarter-of-uk-smbs-hit-ransomware/

• Global Cyber Attack Volume Surges 38% in 2022

The number of cyber attacks recorded last year was nearly two-fifths (38%) greater than the total volume observed in 2021, according to Check Point.

The security vendor claimed the increase was largely due to a surge in attacks on healthcare organisations, which saw the largest year-on-year (YoY) increase (74%), and the activities of smaller, more agile hacking groups.

Overall, attacks reached an all-time high in Q4 with an average of 1168 weekly attacks per organisation. The average weekly figures for the year were highest for education sector organisations (2314), government and military (1661) and healthcare (1463).

Threat actors appear to have capitalised on gaps in security created by the shift to remote working. The ransomware ecosystem is continuing to evolve and grow with smaller, more agile criminal groups that form to evade law enforcement. Hackers are also now increasingly widening their aim to target business collaboration tools such as Slack, Teams, OneDrive and Google Drive with phishing exploits. These make for a rich source of sensitive data given that most organisations’ employees continue to work remotely.

It is predicted that AI tools like ChatGPT would help to fuel a continued surge in attacks in 2023 by making it quicker and easier for bad actors to generate malicious code and emails.

Recorded cyber-attacks on US organisations grew 57% YoY in 2022, while the figure was even higher in the UK (77%). This chimes with data from UK ISP Beaming, which found that 2022 was the busiest year on record for attacks. It recorded 687,489 attempts to breach UK businesses in 2022 – the equivalent of one attack every 46 seconds.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/global-cyberattack-volume-surges/

• 1 in 3 Organisations Do Not Provide Any Cyber Security Training to Remote Workers Despite the Majority of Employees Having Access to Critical Data

New research from cyber security provider Hornetsecurity has found that 33% of companies are not providing any cyber security awareness training to users who work remotely.

The study also revealed nearly three-quarters (74%) of remote staff have access to critical data, which is creating more risk for companies in the new hybrid working world.

Despite the current lack of training and employees feeling ill-equipped, almost half (44%) of respondents said their organisation plans to increase the percentage of employees that work remotely. The popularity of hybrid work, and the associated risks, means that companies must prioritise training and education to make remote working safe.

Traditional methods of controlling and securing company data aren't as effective when employees are working in remote locations and greater responsibility falls on the individual. Companies must acknowledge the unique risks associated with remote work and activate relevant security management systems, as well as empower employees to deal with a certain level of risk.

The independent survey, which quizzed 925 IT professionals from a range of business types and sizes globally, highlighted the security management challenges and employee cyber security risk when working remotely. The research revealed two core problems causing risk: employees having access to critical data, and not enough training being provided on how to manage cyber security or how to reduce the risk of a cyber-attack or breach.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/1-in-3-organizations-do-not-provide-any-cybersecurity-training-to-remote-workers-despite-a-majority-of-employees-having-access-to-critical-data

• AI-Generated Phishing Attacks Are Becoming More Convincing

It's time for you and your colleagues to become more sceptical about what you read.

That's a takeaway from a series of experiments undertaken using GPT-3 AI text-generating interfaces to create malicious messages designed to spear-phish, scam, harass, and spread fake news.

Experts at WithSecure have described their investigations into just how easy it is to automate the creation of credible yet malicious content at incredible speed. Amongst the use cases explored by the research were the use of GPT-3 models to create:

• Phishing content – emails or messages designed to trick a user into opening a malicious attachment or visiting a malicious link

• Social opposition – social media messages designed to troll and harass individuals or to cause brand damage

• Social validation – social media messages designed to advertise or sell, or to legitimise a scam

• Fake news – research into how well GPT-3 can generate convincing fake news articles of events that weren’t part of its training set

All of these could, of course, be useful to cyber criminals hell-bent on scamming the unwary or spreading unrest.

https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/ai-generated-phishing-attacks-are-becoming-more-convincing

• Customer and Employee Data the Top Prize for Hackers

The theft of customer and employee data accounts for almost half (45%) of all stolen data between July 2021 and June 2022, according to a new report from cyber security solution provider Imperva.

The data is part of a 12-month analysis by Imperva Threat Research on the trends and threats related to data security in its report “More Lessons Learned from Analysing 100 Data Breaches”.

Their analysis found that theft of credit card information and password details dropped by 64% compared to 2021. The decline in stolen credit card and password data pointing to the uptake of basic security tactics like multi-factor authentication (MFA). However, in the long term, PII data is the most valuable data to cyber-criminals. With enough stolen PII, they can engage in full-on identity theft which is hugely profitable and very difficult to prevent. Credit cards and passwords can be changed the second there is a breach, but when PII is stolen, it can be years before it is weaponised by hackers.

The research also revealed the root causes of data breaches, with social engineering (17%) and unsecured databases (15%) two of the biggest culprits. Misconfigured applications were only responsible for 2% of data breaches, but Imperva said that businesses should expect this figure to rise in the near future, particularly with cloud-managed infrastructure where configuring for security requires significant expertise.

It’s really concerning that a third (32%) of data breaches are down to unsecured databases and social engineering attacks, since they’re both straightforward to mitigate. A publicly open database dramatically increases the risk of a breach and, all too often, they are left like this not out of a failure of security practices but rather the total absence of any security posture at all.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/customer-employee-data-hackers/

• Royal Mail hit by Ransomware Attack, Causes ‘Severe Disruption’ to Services

Royal Mail experienced “severe service disruption” to its international export services following a ransomware attack, the company has announced. A statement said it was temporarily unable to despatch export items including letters and parcels to overseas destinations.

Royal Mail said: “We have asked customers temporarily to stop submitting any export items into the network while we work hard to resolve the issue” and advising that “Some customers may experience delay or disruption to items already shipped for export.”

The attack was later attributed to LockBit, a prolific ransomware gang with close ties to Russia. Both the NCSC and the NCA were involved in responding to the incident.

https://www.independent.co.uk/business/royal-mail-cyber-attack-exports-b2260308.html

• The Guardian Confirms Personal Information Compromised in Ransomware Attack

British news organisation The Guardian has confirmed that personal information was compromised in a ransomware attack in December 2022.

The company fell victim to the attack just days before Christmas, when it instructed staff to work from home, announcing network disruptions that mostly impacted the print newspaper.

Right from the start, the Guardian said it suspected ransomware to have been involved in the incident, and this week the company confirmed that this was indeed the case. In an email to staff on Wednesday, The Guardian Media Group’s chief executive and the Guardian’s editor-in-chief said that the sophisticated cyber attack was likely the result of phishing.

They also announced that the personal information of UK staff members was compromised in the attack, but said that reader data and the information of US and Australia staff was not impacted. “We have seen no evidence that any data has been exposed online thus far and we continue to monitor this very closely,” the Guardian representatives said. While the attack forced the Guardian staff to work from home, online publishing has been unaffected, and production of daily newspapers has continued as well.

“We believe this was a criminal ransomware attack, and not the specific targeting of the Guardian as a media organisation,” the Guardian said.

The company continues to work on recovery and estimates that critical systems would be restored in the next two weeks. Staff, however, will continue to work from home until at least early February. “These attacks have become more frequent and sophisticated in the past three years, against organisations of all sizes, and kinds, in all countries,” the Guardian said.

https://www.securityweek.com/guardian-confirms-personal-information-compromised-ransomware-attack

• Ransomware Gang Releases Info Stolen from 14 UK Schools, Including Passport Scans

Another month, another release of personal information stolen from a school system. This time, it's a group of 14 schools in the United Kingdom.

Once again, the perpetrator appears to be Vice Society, which is well known for targeting educational systems in the US. As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) pointed out in a bulletin from Sept. 6, "K-12 institutions may be seen as particularly lucrative targets due to the amount of sensitive student data accessible through school systems or their managed service providers."

The UK hack may have turned up even more confidential information than the Los Angeles school system breach last year. As the BBC reported on Jan. 6, "One folder marked 'passports' contains passport scans for pupils and parents on school trips going back to 2011, whereas another marked 'contract' contains contractual offers made to staff alongside teaching documents on muscle contractions."

Some prominent school cyber attacks in the US include public school districts in Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. A new study from digital learning platform Clever claims that one in four schools experienced a cyber-incident over the past year, and according to a new report from security software vendor Emsisoft, at least 45 school districts and 44 higher learning institutions suffered ransomware attacks in 2022.

Schools are an attractive target as they are typically data-rich and resource-poor. Without proper resources in terms of dedicated staffing and the necessary tools and training to protect against cyber-attacks, schools can be a soft target. Many of the 14 schools hit by this latest leak are colleges and universities, but primary and secondary schools were also hit, according to the BBC's list.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/vice-society-releases-info-stolen-uk-schools-passport-scans

• The Dark Web’s Criminal Minds See Internet of Things as Next Big Hacking Prize

Cyber security experts say 2022 may have marked an inflection point due to the rapid proliferation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

Criminal groups buy and sell services, and one hot idea — a business model for a crime — can take off quickly when they realise that it works to do damage or to get people to pay. Attacks are evolving from those that shut down computers or stole data, to include those that could more directly wreak havoc on everyday life. IoT devices can be the entry points for attacks on parts of countries’ critical infrastructure, like electrical grids or pipelines, or they can be the specific targets of criminals, as in the case of cars or medical devices that contain software.

For the past decade, manufacturers, software companies and consumers have been rushing to the promise of Internet of Things devices. Now there are an estimated 17 billion in the world, from printers to garage door openers, each one packed with software (some of it open-source software) that can be easily hacked.

What many experts are anticipating is the day enterprising criminals or hackers affiliated with a nation-state figure out an easy-to-replicate scheme using IoT devices at scale. A group of criminals, perhaps connected to a foreign government, could figure out how to take control of many things at once – like cars, or medical devices. There have already been large-scale attacks using IoT, in the form of IoT botnets. In that case, actors leveraging unpatched vulnerabilities in IoT devices used control of those devices to carry out denial of service attacks against many targets. Those vulnerabilities are found regularly in ubiquitous products that are rarely updated.

In other words, the possibility already exists. It’s only a question of when a criminal or a nation decides to act in a way that targets the physical world at a large scale. There are a handful of companies, new regulatory approaches, a growing focus on cars as a particularly important area, and a new movement within the software engineering world to do a better job of incorporating cyber security from the beginning.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/09/the-dark-webs-criminal-minds-see-iot-as-the-next-big-hacking-prize.html

• Corrupted File to Blame for Computer Glitch which Grounded Every US Flight

A corrupted file has been blamed for a glitch on the Federal Aviation Administration's computer system which saw every flight grounded across the US.

All outbound flights were grounded until around 9am Eastern Time (2pm GMT) on Wednesday as the FAA worked to restore its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system, which alerts pilots of potential hazards along a flight route.

On Wednesday 4,948 flights within, into or out of the US had been delayed, according to flight tracker FlightAware.com, while 868 had been cancelled. Most delays were concentrated along the East Coast. Normal air traffic operations resumed gradually across the US following the outage to the NOTAM system that provides safety information to flight crews.

A corrupted file affected both the primary and the backup systems, a senior government official told NBC News on Wednesday night, adding that officials continue to investigate. Whilst Government officials said there was no evidence of a cyber attack, it shows the real world impacts that an outage or corrupted file can cause.

https://news.sky.com/story/all-flights-across-us-grounded-due-to-faa-computer-system-glitch-us-media-12784252

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Royal Mail unable to despatch items abroad after 'cyber incident' | UK News | Sky News

• Lorenz ransomware gang plants backdoors to use months later (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Quarter of UK SMBs Hit by Ransomware in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Worldwide Ransomware Attacks Trend (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• LastPass Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Password Vault Breach (pcmag.com)

• 10 of the biggest ransomware attacks of 2022 | TechTarget

• Rackspace: Ransomware actor accessed 27 customers' data | TechTarget

• Hackers demand £15 million ransom from Hull and Yorkshire schools after cyber attack - Hull Live (hulldailymail.co.uk)

• Rackspace Ransomware Incident Highlights Risks of Relying on Mitigation Alone (darkreading.com)

• Risk & Repeat: Analysing the Rackspace ransomware attack | TechTarget

• Guardian confirms it was hit by ransomware attack | The Guardian | The Guardian

• Post-ransomware attack, The Guardian warns staff their personal data was accessed • Graham Cluley

• The Guardian Confirms Personal Information Compromised in Ransomware Attack | SecurityWeek.Com

• Royal Mail cyber attack linked to LockBit ransomware operation (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The Guardian Confirms UK Members' Data Was Accessed in Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hive Ransomware leaked 550 GB stolen from Consulate Health Care - Security Affairs

• Iowa’s largest school district cancels classes after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers leak sensitive files after attack on San Francisco transit police (nbcnews.com)

• Vice Society ransomware claims attack on Australian firefighting service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware attack at Hope Sentamu Learning Trust in York | York Press

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• AI-generated phishing emails just got much more convincing • The Register

• Better Phishing, Easy Malicious Implants: How AI Could Change Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• AI-generated phishing attacks are becoming more convincing | Tripwire

• Twitter Data Leak: What the Exposure of 200 Million User Emails Means for You | WIRED

• New APT Dark Pink Hits Asia-Pacific, Europe With Spear Phishing Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Telegram Bot Abuse For Phishing Increased By 800% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Phishing campaign targets government institution in Moldova - Security Affairs

Malware

• Better Phishing, Easy Malicious Implants: How AI Could Change Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• Turla, a Russian Espionage Group, Piggybacked on Other Hackers' USB Infections | WIRED

• ChatGPT Used to Develop New Malicious Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russia’s Turla falls back on old malware C2 domains to avoid detection | Computer Weekly

• Many of 13 New Mac Malware Families Discovered in 2022 Linked to China | SecurityWeek.Com

• Dridex Malware Now Attacking macOS Systems with Novel Infection Method (thehackernews.com)

• New Spyware Variant with RAT Capabilities Targeting Financial Institutions, Social Media - MSSP Alert

• Over 1,300 fake AnyDesk sites push Vidar info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Attackers abuse business-critical cloud apps to deliver malware - Help Net Security

• New Analysis Reveals Raspberry Robin Can be Repurposed by Other Threat Actors (thehackernews.com)

• 6 PyPI Packages Detour Firewall Using Cloudflare Tunnels (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Microsoft: Kubernetes clusters hacked in malware campaign via PostgreSQL (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malicious PyPi packages create CloudFlare Tunnels to bypass firewalls (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gootkit Loader Actively Targets Australian Healthcare Industry (trendmicro.com)

• Raspberry Robin's botnet second life - SEKOIA.IO Blog

• Telegram Bot Abuse For Phishing Increased By 800% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• IcedID Malware Strikes Again: Active Directory Domain Compromised in Under 24 Hours (thehackernews.com)

• Android TV box on Amazon came pre-installed with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• VLC media player is being hiajcked to send out malware | TechRadar

• RAT malware campaign tries to evade detection using polyglot files (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Italian Users Warned of Malware Attack Targeting Sensitive Information (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers push fake Pokemon NFT game to take over Windows devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to protect yourself from bot-driven account fraud - Help Net Security

Mobile

• Android spyware strikes again targeting financial institutions and your money | Fox News

• Messenger billed as better than Signal is riddled with vulnerabilities | Ars Technica

• StrongPity hackers target Android users via trojanized Telegram app (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Threema claims encryption flaws never had a real-world impact (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Latest Firmware Flaws in Qualcomm Snapdragon Need Attention (darkreading.com)

• Threat actors claim access to Telegram servers through insiders - Security Affairs

• $20K Buys Insider Access to Telegram Servers, Dark Web Ad Claims (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• How to Defend Against any Type of DNS Attack | A10 Networks

• The most significant DDoS attacks in the past year - Help Net Security

• Multiple Danish Banks Disrupted By DDoS Cyber-Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Big Prizes, Cash on Offer for Joining 'DDosia' Anti-Ukraine Cyber attack Project (darkreading.com)

• New Study Uncovers Text-to-SQL Model Vulnerabilities Allowing Data Theft and DoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Serbia Slammed With DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• The dark web's criminal minds see IoT as the next big hacking prize (cnbc.com)

• Android TV box on Amazon came pre-installed with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers can trick Wi-Fi devices into draining their own batteries | New Scientist

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Twitter Data Leak: What the Exposure of 200 Million User Emails Means for You | WIRED

• 14 UK schools hit by cyber attack and documents leaked - BBC News

• Air France and KLM notify customers of account hacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vice Society Releases Info Stolen From 14 UK Schools, Including Passport Scans (darkreading.com)

• Twitter's mushrooming data breach crisis could prove costly | CSO Online

• Twitter Denies Hacking Claims, Assures Leaked User Data Not from its System (thehackernews.com)

• 6 oversights that enable data breaches - Help Net Security

• CircleCI – code-building service suffers total credential compromise – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Aflac's Japan says US partner leaked cancer customer info • The Register

• Data leak exposes information of 10,000 French social security beneficiaries | CSO Online

• Chick-fil-A investigates reports of hacked customer accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Oxford University dating website for staff and students shut down after ‘huge data breach’ | News | The Times

• SolarWinds shareholders appeal Orion breach lawsuit to Delaware Supreme Court | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• JP Morgan must face suit over $272m cybertheft • The Register

• Cyber criminals are already using ChatGPT to own you | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian Cyber Crew Targets Ukraine Financial Sector Via Infected USB Drives - MSSP Alert

• 2022 Was the Biggest Year Yet for Crypto, if You're a Crook (gizmodo.com)

• Researchers Find 'Digital Crime Haven' While Investigating Magecart Activity (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• 2022 Was the Biggest Year Yet for Crypto, if You're a Crook (gizmodo.com)

• European police takes down call centres behind cryptocurrency scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• European cops shut down fake crypto call centres • The Register

• Kinsing Crypto Malware Hits Kubernetes Clusters via Misconfigured PostgreSQL (thehackernews.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• European police takes down call centres behind cryptocurrency scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Nationwide warns ‘checking is important’ as thousands targeted in online scam | Personal Finance |

• How to protect yourself from bot-driven account fraud - Help Net Security

Insurance

• Insurance Co. Beazley Launches $45M 'Cyber Catastrophe Bond' (gizmodo.com)

• Insurer Beazley launches first catastrophe bond for cyber threats | Financial Times (ft.com)

• 4 Cyber Insurance Requirement Predictions for 2023 (trendmicro.com)

Dark Web

• Threat actors claim access to Telegram servers through insiders - Security Affairs

• $20K Buys Insider Access to Telegram Servers, Dark Web Ad Claims (darkreading.com)

• Pakistan tells government agencies to avoid the dark web • The Register

Software Supply Chain

• Software Supply Chain Security Needs a Bigger Picture (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Attackers abuse business-critical cloud apps to deliver malware - Help Net Security

• Top SaaS Cyber security Threats in 2023: Are You Ready? (thehackernews.com)

• Why Do User Permissions Matter for SaaS Security? (thehackernews.com)

Attack Surface Management

• Why the atomized network is growing, and how to protect it - Help Net Security

• Web 3.0 Shifts Attack Surface and Highlights Need for Continuous Security (darkreading.com)

Identity and Access Management

• 4 identity security trends to watch in 2023 - Help Net Security

Encryption

• RSA crypto cracked? Or perhaps not! – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• What is Triple DES and why is it being disallowed? | TechTarget

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• A fifth of passwords used by federal agency cracked in security audit | Ars Technica

• Why FIDO and passwordless authentication is the future - Help Net Security

• 'Copyright Infringement' Lure Used for Facebook Credential Harvesting (darkreading.com)

• Why it might be time to consider using FIDO-based authentication devices | CSO Online

Social Media

• Twitter Data Leak: What the Exposure of 200 Million User Emails Means for You | WIRED

• Twitter's mushrooming data breach crisis could prove costly | CSO Online

• New Spyware Variant with RAT Capabilities Targeting Financial Institutions, Social Media - MSSP Alert

• Twitter Denies Hacking Claims, Assures Leaked User Data Not from its System (thehackernews.com)

• If governments are banning TikTok, why is it still on your corporate devices? | CSO Online

• 'Copyright Infringement' Lure Used for Facebook Credential Harvesting (darkreading.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• 1 in 3 Organisations Do Not Provide Any Cyber Security Training to Remote Workers Despite a Majority of Employees Having Access to Critical Data (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Technical And Legal Risks Of ChatGPT: How Prepared Are We With Laws On AI? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• US cyber security director: The tech ecosystem has ‘become really unsafe’ (yahoo.com)

• Global Cyber-Attack Volume Surges 38% in 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Customer and Employee Data the Top Prize for Hackers – Imperva - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 1 in 3 Organisations Do Not Provide Any Cyber Security Training to Remote Workers Despite a Majority of Employees Having Access to Critical Data (darkreading.com)

• Global Risks Report: Understand the risk landscape in 2023 and beyond - Help Net Security

• 6 oversights that enable data breaches - Help Net Security

• Why Analysing Past Incidents Helps Teams More Than Usual Security Metrics (darkreading.com)

• Cyber security spending and economic headwinds in 2023 | CSO Online

• How to Ensure Cyber Security Investments Remain a Priority Across Your Organisation (darkreading.com)

• Practical Risk Management - Beyond Certification (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Vulnerable software, low incident reporting raises risks | TechTarget

• How Will a Recession Will Affect CISOs? | SecurityWeek.Com

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Cyber security staff are struggling. Here's how to support them better | ZDNET

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• European cops shut down fake crypto call centres • The Register

• European police takes down call centres behind cryptocurrency scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Hidden Chinese tracking device 'found in UK Government car' sparks national security fears (inews.co.uk)

Artificial Intelligence

• AI-generated phishing emails just got much more convincing • The Register

• ChatGPT: The infosec assistant that is jack of all trades, master of none - Help Net Security

• How hackers might be exploiting ChatGPT | Cybernews

• Better Phishing, Easy Malicious Implants: How AI Could Change Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• VALL-E AI can mimic a person’s voice from a 3-second snippet • The Register

• ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence: An Upcoming Cyber security Threat? (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Exploiting OpenAI’s ChatGPT to Deploy Malware (hackread.com)

• Cyber criminals are already using ChatGPT to own you | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Trojan Puzzle attack trains AI assistants into suggesting malicious code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The ChatGPT bot is causing panic now – but it’ll soon be as mundane a tool as Excel | John Naughton | The Guardian

• How hackers might be exploiting ChatGPT | Cybernews

• ChatGPT Used to Develop New Malicious Tools - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Technical And Legal Risks Of ChatGPT: How Prepared Are We With Laws On AI? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• DHS, CISA plan AI-based cyber security analytics sandbox • The Register

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Turla, a Russian Espionage Group, Piggybacked on Other Hackers' USB Infections | WIRED

• Russia’s Turla falls back on old malware C2 domains to avoid detection | Computer Weekly

• Hidden Chinese tracking device 'found in UK Government car' sparks national security fears (inews.co.uk)

• Ukraine: Russian Cyber-Attacks Should Be Considered War Crimes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New APT Dark Pink Hits Asia-Pacific, Europe With Spear Phishing Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Exclusive: Russian hackers targeted U.S. nuclear scientists | Reuters

• Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine halved with help from Amazon and Microsoft (telegraph.co.uk)

• Dark Pink, a newly discovered hacking campaign, threatens Southeast Asian military, government organisations (cyberscoop.com)

• New Dark Pink APT group targets govt and military with custom malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Big Prizes, Cash on Offer for Joining 'DDosia' Anti-Ukraine Cyber attack Project (darkreading.com)

• Phishing campaign targets government institution in Moldova - Security Affairs

• Serbia Slammed With DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Russian and Belarusian men charged with spying for Russian GRU - Security Affairs

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Turla, a Russian Espionage Group, Piggybacked on Other Hackers' USB Infections | WIRED

• Russia’s Turla falls back on old malware C2 domains to avoid detection | Computer Weekly

• Ukraine: Russian Cyber-Attacks Should Be Considered War Crimes - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Exclusive: Russian hackers targeted U.S. nuclear scientists | Reuters

• Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine halved with help from Amazon and Microsoft (telegraph.co.uk)

• How Elon Musk’s Starlink has changed warfare | The Economist

• Big Prizes, Cash on Offer for Joining 'DDosia' Anti-Ukraine Cyber attack Project (darkreading.com)

• Phishing campaign targets government institution in Moldova - Security Affairs

• Serbia Slammed With DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Russian and Belarusian men charged with spying for Russian GRU - Security Affairs

• Musk's Starlink Satellite's Role In Ukraine War Inspires Taiwan To Thwart Potential China Attack

Nation State Actors – China

• Hidden Chinese tracking device 'found in UK Government car' sparks national security fears (inews.co.uk)

• Many of 13 New Mac Malware Families Discovered in 2022 Linked to China | SecurityWeek.Com

• If governments are banning TikTok, why is it still on your corporate devices? | CSO Online

• Musk's Starlink Satellite's Role In Ukraine War Inspires Taiwan To Thwart Potential China Attack

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iran says it foiled cyber attack on central bank | Reuters

Nation State Actors – Misc

• New APT Dark Pink Hits Asia-Pacific, Europe With Spear Phishing Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dark Pink, a newly discovered hacking campaign, threatens Southeast Asian military, government organisations (cyberscoop.com)

• New Dark Pink APT group targets govt and military with custom malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Vulnerability Management

Applications Five Years or Older Likely to have Security Flaws - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Patch Where it Hurts: Effective Vulnerability Management in 2023 (thehackernews.com)

70% of apps contain at least one security flaw after 5 years in production - Help Net Security

Rackspace Ransomware Incident Highlights Risks of Relying on Mitigation Alone (darkreading.com)

Does a hybrid model for vulnerability management make sense? • Graham Cluley

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft Patch Tuesday: 97 Windows Vulns, 1 Exploited Zero-Day | SecurityWeek.Com

• Microsoft plugs actively exploited zero-day hole (CVE-2023-21674) - Help Net Security

• The Roadmap to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) - MSSP Alert

• Hundreds of SugarCRM servers infected with critical in-the-wild exploit | Ars Technica

• Chrome 109 Patches 17 Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cyber criminals bypass Windows security with driver-vulnerability exploit | CSO Online

• Google Chrome 'SymStealer' Vulnerability Could Affect 2.5 Billion Users - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Attackers target govt networks exploiting Fortinet SSL-VPN CVE-2022-42475 - Security Affairs

• Adobe Plugs Security Holes in Acrobat, Reader Software | SecurityWeek.Com

• Zoom Patches High Risk Flaws on Windows, MacOS Platforms | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cisco warns of auth bypass bug with public exploit in EoL routers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Swiss Threema messaging app found to have vulnerabilities • The Register

• Alert: Hackers Actively Exploiting Critical "Control Web Panel" RCE Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Fortinet says hackers exploited critical vulnerability to infect VPN customers | Ars Technica

• Critical bug in Cisco Small Business Routers will receive no patch - Security Affairs

• Severe Vulnerabilities Allow Hacking of Asus Gaming Router | SecurityWeek.Com

• JsonWebToken Security Bug Opens Servers to RCE (darkreading.com)

• Latest Firmware Flaws in Qualcomm Snapdragon Need Attention (darkreading.com)

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Tools and Controls

• How to prevent and detect lateral movement attacks | TechTarget

• 65% of Organisations Plan to Adopt a Security Service Edge Platform in Next 2 Years: Axis Security (darkreading.com)

• How Will a Recession Will Affect CISOs? | SecurityWeek.Com

• What is Red Teaming & How it Benefits Orgs (trendmicro.com)

• Data Loss Prevention Capability Guide (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• 4 key shifts in the breach and attack simulation (BAS) market - Help Net Security

• How to prioritize effectively with threat modeling • The Register

• XDR and the Age-old Problem of Alert Fatigue | SecurityWeek.Com

• 11 top XDR tools and how to evaluate them | CSO Online

• Why FIDO and passwordless authentication is the future - Help Net Security

• Why it might be time to consider using FIDO-based authentication devices | CSO Online

• How to Defend Against any Type of DNS Attack | A10 Networks

• DHS, CISA plan AI-based cyber security analytics sandbox • The Register

• ChatGPT: The infosec assistant that is jack of all trades, master of none - Help Net Security

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Other News

• Better Include Physical Security With Cyber security | T&D World

• 6 oversights that enable data breaches - Help Net Security

• It’s official: Digital trust really matters to everyone online - Help Net Security

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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.

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 Advisory 11/01/2023 – Microsoft, Adobe and Zoom release security updates

Microsoft, Adobe and Zoom have all this week released security updates, including some known to be being actively exploited by malicious actors.

Microsoft

Executive summary

Microsoft’s January Patch Tuesday provides updates to address 98 security issues across its product range. The updates included fixes for 11 critical vulnerabilities, including a privilege escalation flaw in Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) which has been recorded as being actively exploited by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA).

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The actively exploited vulnerability could allow an attacker to escalate privileges and gain higher levels of access to affected systems, which could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data stored on the system.

What can I do?

Security updates are available for all supported versions of Windows. The updates should be applied as soon as possible for the actively exploited vulnerability and all other vulnerabilities that have a critical severity rating.

Technical Summary

The following is a breakdown of the actively exploited vulnerability which affected Microsoft Operating Systems:

CVE-2023-21674: An elevation of privilege vulnerability with a CVSS rating of 8.8, which allows the user to gain System privileges.

Microsoft guidance for CVE-2023-21674 can be found here: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2023-21674

Further details on other specific updates within this Patch Tuesday can be found here: https://www.ghacks.net/2023/01/10/microsoft-windows-security-updates-january-2023-overview/

Further details of CISA’s “Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog” can be found here: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-21674

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Adobe

Executive summary

Security updates have been released by Adobe to address 29 vulnerabilities relating to Adobe Dimension, Adobe InCopy, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. 11 of the vulnerabilities were rated as critical. None of the critical vulnerabilities related to Adobe Dimension.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

If exploited, the critical vulnerabilities could result in an attacker executing code of their choice, which could impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the system.

What can I do?

Updates are available for the impacted versions of Adobe software. For critical vulnerabilities, updates should be applied as soon as possible.

Further technical information can be found here:

Adobe Dimension: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/dimension/apsb23-10.html

Adobe InCopy: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb23-08.html

Adobe InDesign: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb23-07.html

Adobe Acrobat and Reader: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-01.html

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Zoom

Executive Summary

Zoom has provided security updates that address 5 vulnerabilities within the Zoom video conferencing software. 3 of the vulnerabilities were recorded as critical in severity.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

If exploited, the vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to gain system or root privileges on a machine, which could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the system. For this to occur, the attacker would need to be a local user.

What can I do?

Updates are available for the impacted versions of Zoom. For critical vulnerabilities, updates should be applied as soon as possible.

Further technical information can be found here: https://explore.zoom.us/en/trust/security/security-bulletin/

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Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 06 January 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

• Cyber War in Ukraine, Ransomware Fears Drive 2022 Surge in Demand for Threat Intelligence Tools

Amid the heightened fear of ransomware in 2022, threat intelligence emerged as a core requirement of doing business in a world gone mad.

A sizable amount of interest in the historically tech-centric discipline was fuelled in part by fear of cyber attacks tied to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In one example, the Ukrainian government warned the world that the Russian military was planning for multi-pronged attacks targeting the energy sector. Other nation-state cyber attack operations also contributed to the demand, including one June 2022 incident were Iran’s Cobalt Mirage exploited PowerShell vulnerabilities to launch ransomware attacks.

And of course, headlines of data breaches tied to vulnerabilities that organisations did not even know existed within their networks caught the attention not just of security teams, but the C-Suite and corporate board. A misconfigured Microsoft server, for example, wound up exposing years of sensitive data for tens of thousands of its customers, including personally identifiable information, user data, product and project details and intellectual property.

Indeed, according to 183 security pros surveyed by CyberRisk Alliance Business Intelligence in June 2022, threat intelligence has become critical in arming their security operations centres (SOCs) and incident response teams with operational data to help them make timely, informed decisions to prevent system downtime, thwart the theft of confidential data, and protect intellectual property.

Threat intelligence has emerged as a useful tool for educating executives. Many also credited threat intelligence for helping them protect their company and customer data — and potentially saving their organisation's reputation.

https://www.scmagazine.com/resource/threat-intelligence/2022-year-in-review-threat-intelligence-tools

• Cyber Premiums Holding Firms to Ransom

Soaring premiums for cyber security insurance are leaving businesses struggling to pay other bills, a key industry player has warned.

Mactavish, which buys insurance policies on behalf of companies, said that more than half of big businesses that had bought cyber security insurance had been forced to make cuts elsewhere to pay for it.

In a survey of 200 companies with a turnover above £10 million, Mactavish found that businesses were reducing office costs and staff bonuses and were cutting other types of insurance to meet the higher payments.

Last month Marsh, an insurance broker, revealed that costs for cyber insurance had increased by an average of 66 per cent in the third quarter compared with last year.

Meanwhile, the risk to businesses from hackers continues to rise. A government report on digital threats, published this month, showed the proportion of businesses experiencing cyber security incidents at least monthly had increased from 53 per cent to 60 per cent in the past year. Uber, Cisco and InterContinental Hotels Group were among high-profile targets this year.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cyber-safety-premiums-hold-firms-to-ransom-tnrsz3vs2

• Ransomware Ecosystem Becoming More Diverse for 2023

The ransomware ecosystem has changed significantly in 2022, with attackers shifting from large groups that dominated the landscape toward smaller ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations in search of more flexibility and drawing less attention from law enforcement. This democratisation of ransomware is bad news for organisations because it also brought in a diversification of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), more indicators of compromise (IOCs) to track, and potentially more hurdles to jump through when trying to negotiate or pay ransoms.

Since 2019 the ransomware landscape has been dominated by big and professionalised ransomware operations that constantly made the news headlines and even looked for media attention to gain legitimacy with potential victims. We've seen ransomware groups with spokespeople who offered interviews to journalists or issued "press releases" on Twitter and their data leak websites in response to big breaches.

The DarkSide attack against Colonial Pipeline that led to a major fuel supply disruption along the US East Coast in 2021 highlighted the risk that ransomware attacks can have against critical infrastructure and led to increased efforts to combat this threat at the highest levels of government. This heightened attention from law enforcement made the owners of underground cyber crime forums reconsider their relationship with ransomware groups, with some forums banning the advertising of such threats. DarkSide ceased operations soon thereafter and was followed later in the year by REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, whose creators were indicted and one was even arrested. REvil was one of the most successful ransomware groups since 2019.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 quickly put a strain on the relationship between many ransomware groups who had members and affiliates in both Russia and Ukraine, or other former USSR countries. Some groups, such as Conti, rushed to take sides in the war, threatening to attack Western infrastructure in support of Russia. This was a departure from the usual business-like apolitical approach in which ransomware gangs had run their operations and drew criticism from other competing groups.

This was also followed by a leak of internal communications that exposed many of Conti's operational secrets and caused uneasiness with its affiliates. Following a major attack against the Costa Rican government the US State Department put up a reward of $10 million for information related to the identity or location of Conti's leaders, which likely contributed to the group's decision to shut down operations in May.

Conti's disappearance led to a drop in ransomware activity for a couple of months, but it didn't last long as the void was quickly filled by other groups, some of them newly set up and suspected to be the creation of former members of Conti, REvil and other groups that ceased operations over the past two years.

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3684248/ransomware-ecosystem-becoming-more-diverse-for-2023.html#tk.rss_news

• Attackers Evolve Strategies to Outmanoeuvre Security Teams

Attackers are expected to broaden their targeting strategy beyond regulated verticals such as financial services and healthcare. Large corporations (41%) will be the top targeted sector for cyber attacks in 2023, favoured over financial institutions (36%), government (14%), healthcare (9%), and education (8%), according to cyber security solution provider Titaniam.

The fast pace of change has introduced new vulnerabilities into corporate networks, making them an increasingly attractive target for cyber attackers. To compete in the digital marketplace, large companies are adopting more cloud services, aggregating data, pushing code into production faster, and connecting applications and systems via APIs.

As a result, misconfigured services, unprotected databases, little-tested applications, and unknown and unsecured APIs abound, all of which can be exploited by attackers.

The top four threats in 2022 were malware (30%), ransomware and extortion (27%), insider threats (26%), and phishing (17%).

The study found that enterprises expected malware (40%) to be their biggest challenge in 2023, followed by insider threats (26%), ransomware and related extortion (21%), and phishing (16%).

Malware, however, has more enterprises worried for 2023 than it did for 2022. It is important to note that these threats can overlap, where insiders can have a hand in ransomware attacks, phishing can be a source of malware, etc.

Attackers are evolving their strategies to surprise and outmanoeuvre security teams, which have hardened ransomware defences and improved phishing detection. They’re using new malware, such as loaders, infostealers, and wipers to accelerate attacks, steal sensitive data and create mayhem.

They’re also buying and stealing employee credentials to walk in through the front door of corporate networks.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/01/04/attackers-evolve-strategies-outmaneuver-security-teams/

• Building a Security-First Culture: The Key to Cyber Success

Everyone has heard a car alarm go off in the middle of the night, but how often does that notification actually lead to action? Most people will hear the alarm, glance in its direction and then hope the owner will quickly remedy the situation.

Cars alarms often fail because they go off too often, leading to apathy and annoyance instead of being a cause for emergency. For many, cyber security has also become this way. While we see an increase in the noise surrounding the need for organisations to improve the security skillset and knowledge base of employees, there continues to be little proactive action on this front. Most organisations only provide employees with elementary-grade security training, often during their initial onboarding process or as part of a standard training requirement.

At the same time, many organisations also make the grave mistake of leaving all of their security responsibilities and obligations in the hands of IT and security teams. Time and time again, this approach has proven to be highly ineffective, especially as cyber criminals refine their social engineering tactics and target user accounts to execute their attacks.

Alarmingly, recent research found that 30% of employees do not think that they play a role in maintaining their company’s cyber security posture. The same report also revealed that only 39% of employees say they are likely to report a security incident.

As traditional boundaries of access disintegrate and more employees obtain permissions to sensitive company data and systems to carry out their tasks, business leaders must change the mindset of their employees when it comes to the role they play in keeping the organisation safe from cyber crime. The key is developing an integrated cyber security strategy that incorporates all aspects—including all stakeholders—of the organisation. This should be a strategy that breaks down departmental barriers and creates a culture of security responsibility where every team member plays a part.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/01/03/building-a-security-first-culture-the-key-to-cyber-success/

• Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalogue

Back in November 2021, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalogue to help federal agencies and critical infrastructure organisations identify and remediate vulnerabilities that are actively being exploited. CISA added 548 new vulnerabilities to the catalogue across 58 updates from January to end of November 2022, according to cyber security solution provider Grey Noise in its first-ever "GreyNoise Mass Exploits Report."

Including the approximately 300 vulnerabilities added in November and December 2021, CISA listed approximately 850 vulnerabilities in the first year of the catalogue's existence.

Actively exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, and Apple products accounted for over half of the updates to the KEV catalogue in 2022, Grey Noise found. Seventy-seven percent of the updates to the KEV catalogue were older vulnerabilities dating back to before 2022. Many of these vulnerabilities have been around for two decades.

Several of the vulnerabilities in the KEV catalogue are from products that have already entered end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-service-life (EOSL), according to an analysis by a team from cyber security solution provider Cyber Security Works. Even though Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 are EOSL products, the KEV catalogue lists 127 Server 2008 vulnerabilities and 117 Windows 7 vulnerabilities.

Even though the catalogue was originally intended for critical infrastructure and public-sector organisations, it has become the authoritative source on which vulnerabilities are – or have been – exploited by attackers. This is key because the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) assigned Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifiers for over 12,000 vulnerabilities in 2022, and it would be unwieldy for enterprise defenders to assess every single one to identify the ones relevant to their environments. Enterprise teams can use the catalogue's curated list of CVEs under active attack to create their priority lists.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-threat-monitor/adobe-apple-cisco-microsoft-flaws-make-up-half-of-kev-catalog

• First LastPass, Now Slack and CircleCI. The Hacks Go On (and will likely worsen)

In the past week, the world has learned of serious breaches hitting chat service Slack and software testing and delivery company CircleCI, though giving the companies' opaque wording—“security issue” and “security incident,” respectively—you'd be forgiven for thinking these events were minor.

The compromises—in Slack’s case, the theft of employee token credentials and for CircleCI, the possible exposure of all customer secrets it stores—come two weeks after password manager LastPass disclosed its own security failure: the theft of customers’ password vaults containing sensitive data in both encrypted and clear text form. It’s not clear if all three breaches are related, but that’s certainly a possibility.

The most concerning of the two new breaches is the one hitting CircleCI. The company reported a “security incident” that prompted it to advise customers to rotate “all secrets” they store on the service. The alert also informed customers that it had invalidated their Project API tokens, an event requiring them to go through the hassle of replacing them.

CircleCI says it’s used by more than 1 million developers in support of 30,000 organisations and runs nearly 1 million daily jobs. The potential exposure of all those secrets—which could be login credentials, access tokens, and who knows what else—could prove disastrous for the security of the entire Internet.

It’s possible that some or all of these breaches are related. The Internet relies on a massive ecosystem of content delivery networks, authentication services, software development tool makers, and other companies. Threat actors frequently hack one company and use the data or access they obtain to breach that company's customers or partners. That was the case with the August breach of security provider Twilio. The same threat actor targeted 136 other companies. Something similar played out in the last days of 2020 when hackers compromised Solar Winds, gained control of its software build system, and used it to infect roughly 40 Solar Winds customers.

For now, people should brace themselves for additional disclosures from companies they rely on. Checking internal system logs for suspicious entries, turning on multifactor authentication, and patching network systems are always good ideas, but given the current events, those precautions should be expedited. It’s also worth checking logs for any contact with the IP address 54.145.167.181, which one security practitioner said was connected to the CircleCI breach.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/01/first-lastpass-now-slack-and-circleci-the-hacks-go-on-and-will-likely-worsen/

• Data of 235 Million Twitter Users Leaked Online

A data leak containing email addresses for 235 million Twitter users has been published on a popular hacker forum. Many experts have immediately analysed it and confirmed the authenticity of many of the entries in the huge leaked archive.

In January 2022, a report claimed the discovery of a vulnerability that can be exploited by an attacker to find a Twitter account by the associated phone number/email, even if the user has opted to prevent this in the privacy options. The vulnerability was exploited by multiple threat actors to scrape Twitter user profiles containing both private (phone numbers and email addresses) and public data, and was present within the social media platforms application programming interface (API) from June 2021 until January 2022.

At the end of July 2022, a threat actor leaked data of 5.4 million Twitter accounts that were obtained by exploiting the forementioned, now-fixed vulnerability in the popular social media platform. The scraped data was then put up for sale on various online cyber crime marketplaces. In August, Twitter confirmed that the data breach was caused by a now-patched zero-day flaw.

In December another Twitter data leak made the headlines, a threat actor obtained data of 400,000,000 Twitter users and attempted to sell it. The seller claimed the database is private, and he provided a sample of 1,000 accounts as proof of claims which included the private information of prominent users such as Donald Trump JR, Brian Krebs, and many more. The seller, who is a member of a popular data breach forum, claimed the data was scraped via a vulnerability. The database includes emails and phone numbers of celebrities, politicians, companies, normal users, and a lot of special usernames.

https://securityaffairs.com/140352/data-breach/twitter-data-leak-235m-users.html

• 16 Car Makers, including BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota, and Their Vehicles Hacked via Telematics, APIs, and Infrastructure

A group of seven security researchers have discovered numerous vulnerabilities in vehicles from 16 car makers, including bugs that allowed them to control car functions and start or stop the engine.

Multiple other security defects, the researchers say, allowed them to access a car maker’s internal applications and systems, leading to the exposure of personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to customers and employees, and account takeover, among others. The hacks targeted telematic systems, automotive APIs, and infrastructure.

Impacted car models include Acura, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, and Toyota. The vulnerabilities were identified over the course of 2022. Car manufacturers were informed about the security holes and they released patches.

According to the researchers, they were able to send commands to Acura, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Infiniti, Nissan, and Porsche vehicles.

Using only the VIN (vehicle identification number), which is typically visible on the windshield, the researchers were able to start/stop the engine, remotely lock/unlock the vehicle, flash headlights, honk vehicles, and retrieve the precise location of Acura, Honda, Kia, Infiniti, and Nissan cars.

They could also lock users out of remote vehicle management and could change car ownership.

https://www.securityweek.com/16-car-makers-and-their-vehicles-hacked-telematics-apis-infrastructure

• Ransomware Gang Apologises, and Gives SickKids Hospital Free Decrypter

The LockBit ransomware gang has released a free decrypter for the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), saying one of its members violated rules by attacking the healthcare organisation. SickKids is a teaching and research hospital in Toronto that focuses on providing healthcare to sick children.

On December 18th, the hospital suffered a ransomware attack that impacted internal and corporate systems, hospital phone lines, and the website. While the attack only encrypted a few systems, SickKids stated that the incident caused delays in receiving lab and imaging results and resulted in longer patient wait times.

On December 29th, SickKids announced that it had restored 50% of its priority systems, including those causing diagnostic or treatment delays. Two days after SickKids' latest announcement, the LockBit ransomware gang apologised for the attack on the hospital and released a decrypter for free.

“We formally apologise for the attack on sikkids.ca and give back the decrypter for free, the partner who attacked this hospital violated our rules, is blocked and is no longer in our affiliate programme," stated the ransomware gang.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gang-apologizes-gives-sickkids-hospital-free-decryptor/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Rackspace: Ransomware Attack Bypassed ProxyNotShell Mitigations (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Leverage Compromised Fortinet Devices to Distribute Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Rackspace: Customer email data accessed in ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware gang cloned victim’s website to leak stolen data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Rackspace identifies hacking group responsible for early December ransomware attack | TPR

• Ransomware ecosystem becoming more diverse for 2023 | CSO Online

• Lockbit apologized for the attack on SickKids pediatric hospital and releases a free decryptor - Security Affairs

• The FBI's Perspective on Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Rackspace Sunsets Email Service Downed in Ransomware Attack (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware: The security debt collector - Help Net Security

• December ransomware disclosures reveal high-profile victims | TechTarget

• The Guardian ransomware attack hits week two as staff WFH • The Register

• Unraveling the techniques of Mac ransomware - Microsoft Security Blog

• Bitdefender releases free MegaCortex ransomware decryptor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Research: More than 200 US Infrastructure Organisations Attacked in 2022 - MSSP Alert

• Ransomware impacts over 200 govt, edu, healthcare orgs in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Guardian ransomware attack: Staff told work from home to 23 Jan (pressgazette.co.uk)

• Rail giant Wabtec discloses data breach after Lockbit ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers target Arnold Clark in Christmas Eve cyber attack as bosses insist customer information is safe – Car Dealer Magazine

• Christmas Eve 'cyber attack' forced Arnold Clark's network down | STV News

• Royal ransomware claims attack on Queensland University of Technology (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LockBit: Sorry for SickKids, but not housing authority • The Register

• New Survey: 1 In 4 Schools Were Victims Of Cyber Attacks In the Last Year; Administrators To Increase Spending On Privacy and Security (darkreading.com)

• Canadian mining firm shuts down mill after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Data of 235 million Twitter users leaked online - Security Affairs

• Is NHS The Most Impersonated UK Government "Brand"? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)

• New Phishing Campaign Targets Cyber security Professionals Using Hacking Tool Flipper Zero - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ongoing Flipper Zero phishing attacks target infosec community (bleepingcomputer.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call Centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Inside a scammers’ lair: Ukraine busts 40 in fake bank call-centre raid – Naked Security (sophos.com)

Malware

• Raspberry Robin Worm Evolves to Attack Financial and Insurance Sectors in Europe (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers abuse Windows error reporting tool to deploy malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New SHC-compiled Linux malware installs cryptominers, DDoS bots (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bluebottle hackers used signed Windows driver in attacks on banks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Dridex Returns, Targets MacOS Using New Entry Method (trendmicro.com)

• New Linux malware uses 30 plugin exploits to backdoor WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• PyTorch discloses malicious dependency chain compromise over holidays (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Using Stolen Bank Information to Trick Victims into Downloading BitRAT Malware (thehackernews.com)

• WordPress Sites Under Attack from Newly Found Linux Trojan (darkreading.com)

• Blind Eagle Hackers Return with Refined Tools and Sophisticated Infection Chain (thehackernews.com)

• Raspberry Robin Worm Hatches a Highly Complex Upgrade (darkreading.com)

• The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• War and Geopolitical Conflict: The New Battleground for DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Ongoing Flipper Zero phishing attacks target infosec community (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Data of over 200 million Deezer users stolen, leaks on hacking forum • Graham Cluley

• Five Guys Data Breach Puts HR Data Under a Heat Lamp (darkreading.com)

• Analysis Of Top 10 Countries Mostly Targeted By Data Breaches (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Twitter said to have suffered data breach as hackers expose 235 million users' information (thenationalnews.com)

• I bought a $15 router at Goodwill — and found a millionaire's dirty secrets (nypost.com)

• Critical flaws found in Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, and other carmakers - Security Affairs

• Toyota, Mercedes, BMW API flaws exposed owners’ personal info (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Threat actors stole Slack private source code repositories - Security Affairs

• Data of over 200 million Deezer users stolen, leaks on hacking forum • Graham Cluley

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Threat Actors Evade Detection Through Geofencing & Fingerprinting (darkreading.com)

• A sneak peek into the dark web dealings | Nation

• Attackers create 130K fake accounts to abuse limited-time cloud computing resources | CSO Online

• Cyber criminals we lost to law in 2022

• Inside a scammers’ lair: Ukraine busts 40 in fake bank call-centre raid – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call Centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• New SHC-compiled Linux malware installs cryptominers, DDoS bots (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Software engineer busted after being inspired by Office Space scam | PC Gamer

• Are Meta and Twitter Ushering in a New Age of Insider Threats? (darkreading.com)

• Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Avast: Expect Cyber crime "Scamdemic" to Continue in 2023 - MSSP Alert

• Software engineer busted after being inspired by Office Space scam | PC Gamer

• US regulators warn banks over cryptocurrency risks - BBC News

• What Is a Pig Butchering Scam? | WIRED

• RedZei Chinese Scammers Targeting Chinese Students in the UK (thehackernews.com)

• Inside a scammers’ lair: Ukraine busts 40 in fake bank call-centre raid – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call Centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• Is NHS The Most Impersonated UK Government "Brand"? (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Iran's Revolutionary Guards set to be labelled as terrorist group by UK - BBC News

Insurance

• Cyber safety premiums holding firms to ransom | Business | The Times

• How can businesses decrease cyber insurance premiums while maintaining coverage? - Help Net Security

Dark Web

• A sneak peek into the dark web dealings | Nation

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• First LastPass, now Slack and CircleCI. The hacks go on (and will likely worsen) | Ars Technica

Software Supply Chain

• There is no secure software supply-chain. - by John McBride (substack.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Attackers create 130K fake accounts to abuse limited-time cloud computing resources | CSO Online

Encryption

• Encryption Faces an Existential Threat in Europe | WIRED

• 2023 Will See Renewed Focus on Quantum Computing (darkreading.com)

• Chinese researchers claim to find way to break encryption using quantum computers | Financial Times (ft.com)

API

• API Security Is the New Black (darkreading.com)

• Car companies massively exposed to web vulnerabilities | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• 16 Car Makers and Their Vehicles Hacked via Telematics, APIs, Infrastructure | SecurityWeek.Com

• What Are Some Ways to Make APIs More Secure? (darkreading.com)

• Critical flaws found in Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, and other carmakers - Security Affairs

Open Source

• New SHC-compiled Linux malware installs cryptominers, DDoS bots (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Linux malware uses 30 plugin exploits to backdoor WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Data of 235 million Twitter users leaked online - Security Affairs

• Twitter said to have suffered data breach as hackers expose 235 million users' information (thenationalnews.com)

• The Evolving Tactics of Vidar Stealer: From Phishing Emails to Social Media (thehackernews.com)

• Are Meta and Twitter Ushering in a New Age of Insider Threats? (darkreading.com)

• Meta fined €390m over use of data for targeted ads - BBC News

• More Political Storms for TikTok After US Government Ban | SecurityWeek.Com

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Cops Catch Serial Child Abuser After Tech Breakthrough - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Meta fined €390m over use of data for targeted ads - BBC News

• Google will pay $29.5M to settle two lawsuits over its location tracking practices - Security Affairs

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber safety premiums holding firms to ransom | Business | The Times

• Cyber war in Ukraine, ransomware fears drive 2022 surge in demand for threat intelligence tools | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Attackers never let a critical vulnerability go to waste - Help Net Security

• Attackers evolve strategies to outmanoeuvre security teams - Help Net Security

• How to start planning for disaster recovery - Help Net Security

• Building A Security-First Culture: The Key To Cyber Success (forbes.com)

• Data backup is no longer just about operational fallback - Help Net Security

• Threat Actors Evade Detection Through Geofencing & Fingerprinting (darkreading.com)

• How can businesses decrease cyber insurance premiums while maintaining coverage? - Help Net Security

Secure Disposal

• I bought a $15 router at Goodwill — and found a millionaire's dirty secrets (nypost.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Data backup is no longer just about operational fallback - Help Net Security

Data Protection

• Getting data loss prevention right - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Cyber criminals we lost to law in 2022

• Cops Catch Serial Child Abuser After Tech Breakthrough - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Inside a scammers’ lair: Ukraine busts 40 in fake bank call-centre raid – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Ukrainian Cops Bust Prolific Fraud Call centre - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times

• Meta fined €390m over use of data for targeted ads - BBC News

• Google will pay $29.5M to settle two lawsuits over its location tracking practices - Security Affairs

Artificial Intelligence

• ChatGPT: An Easy Cyber crime Target For Cyber attacks (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• OpenAI's ChatGPT previews how AI can help hackers breach more networks (axios.com)

• How hackers might be exploiting ChatGPT - Security Affairs

• NATO tests AI’s ability to protect critical infrastructure against cyber attacks | CSO Online

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• It's time to focus on information warfare's hard questions (cyberscoop.com)

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• War and Geopolitical Conflict: The New Battleground for DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Cyber attacks against governments jumped 95% in last half of 2022, CloudSek says | CSO Online

• It's time to focus on information warfare's hard questions (cyberscoop.com)

• National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times

• Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register

• Pro-Russia cyber attacks aim at destabilizing Poland - Security Affairs

• Poland warns of attacks by Russia-linked Ghostwriter hacking group (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russia Cyber attacks, China Covid Are Overlooked 2023 Threats - Bloomberg

Nation State Actors – China

• National security fears over police using Chinese tech | News | The Times

• Ex-GE engineer sentenced for stealing turbine tech for China • The Register

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iran's Revolutionary Guards set to be labelled as terrorist group by UK - BBC News

Nation State Actors – Misc

• Blind Eagle Hackers Return with Refined Tools and Sophisticated Infection Chain (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of KEV Catalog (darkreading.com)

• Attackers never let a critical vulnerability go to waste - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Over 60,000 Exchange servers vulnerable to ProxyNotShell attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adobe, Apple, Cisco, Microsoft Flaws Make Up Half of KEV Catalog (darkreading.com)

• Rackspace: Ransomware Attack Bypassed ProxyNotShell Mitigations (darkreading.com)

• Zoho urges admins to patch severe ManageEngine bug immediately (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Android's First Security Updates for 2023 Patch 60 Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Fortinet and Zoho Urge Customers to Patch Enterprise Software Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Qualcomm, Lenovo flag multiple high impact firmware vulnerabilities | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Netgear Wi-Fi routers need to be patched immediately | TechRadar

• Synology Releases Patch for Critical RCE Vulnerability Affecting VPN Plus Servers (thehackernews.com)

• Fortinet Releases Security Updates for FortiADC | CISA

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Tools and Controls

• How Confidential Computing Can Change Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• Data backup is no longer just about operational fallback - Help Net Security

• Getting data loss prevention right - Help Net Security

• Things to know and do before you switch from VPN to ZTNA - Help Net Security

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Other News

• The cyber security industry will undergo significant changes in 2023 - Help Net Security

• SecurityAffairs Top 10 cybersecurity posts of 2022 - Security Affairs

• BleepingComputer's most popular cybersecurity stories of 2022

• WordPress Security: 22 Ways To Protect Your Website (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cyber attacks against governments jumped 95% in last half of 2022, CloudSek says | CSO Online

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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.

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 Informational 05/01/2023 – Twitter Data Leak

Executive Summary

A data leak containing the email addresses for over 200 million Twitter users has been published on a popular hacking forum for free. The leak appears to be the same as the one reported in December 2022, with a number of experts confirming the authenticity of entries in the leak.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The leak contains details of Twitter users and their email addresses, which could be used by threat actors to conduct phishing attacks against accounts.

What can I do?

Although no immediate response is required, Black Arrow recommends that any individual or organisation which has used twitter remains vigilant and on the lookout for potential phishing attacks

Further information on the data leak be found here: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/200-million-twitter-users-email-addresses-allegedly-leaked-online/

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 04/01/2023 – Over 60,000 Microsoft Exchange Servers Remain Vulnerable to “ProxyNotShell”

Executive Summary

ShadowServer, a nonprofit security organisation, has identified that more than 60,000 Microsoft Exchange on-premises servers exposed online are yet to be patched against the CVE-2022-41082 remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability and CVE-2022-41040 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSFR) vulnerability, previously described in our advisory of 3rd October 2022. The two exploits are known collectively as “ProxyNotShell” and require authentication with the exchange server. This means an attacker would need to already have standard user working credentials.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities would grant an attacker the ability to remotely execute code on the underlying server, allowing them to perform reconnaissance on the environment and exfiltration of data off the network. Microsoft Exchange Online users are not affected by these vulnerabilities.

What can I do?

Microsoft strongly recommends applying the Exchange Server updates for CVE-2022-41040 and CVE-2022-41082. The previous mitigations given by Microsoft are no longer recommended.

Further information on the two vulnerabilities can be found here: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2022-41040 & https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2022-41082

Microsoft Customer guidance can be found here: https://msrc-blog.microsoft.com/2022/09/29/customer-guidance-for-reported-zero-day-vulnerabilities-in-microsoft-exchange-server/

ShadowServer Vulnerability Report: https://www.shadowserver.org/what-we-do/network-reporting/vulnerable-exchange-server-report/

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 30 December 2022

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

• Cyber Attacks Set to Become ‘Uninsurable’, Says Zurich Chief

The chief executive of one of Europe’s biggest insurance companies has warned that cyber attacks, rather than natural catastrophes, will become “uninsurable” as the disruption from hacks continues to grow.

Insurance executives have been increasingly vocal in recent years about systemic risks, such as pandemics and climate change, that test the sector’s ability to provide coverage. For the second year in a row, natural catastrophe-related claims are expected to top $100bn. 

But Mario Greco, chief executive at insurer Zurich, told the Financial Times that cyber was the risk to watch. “What will become uninsurable is going to be cyber,” he said. “What if someone takes control of vital parts of our infrastructure, the consequences of that?” Recent attacks that have disrupted hospitals, shut down pipelines and targeted government departments have all fed concern about this expanding risk among industry executives. Focusing on the privacy risk to individuals was missing the bigger picture, Greco added: “First off, there must be a perception that this is not just data . . . this is about civilisation. These people can severely disrupt our lives.” 

Spiralling cyber losses in recent years have prompted emergency measures by the sector’s underwriters to limit their exposure. As well as pushing up prices, some insurers have responded by tweaking policies so clients retain more losses. There are exemptions written into policies for certain types of attacks. In 2019, Zurich initially denied a $100mn claim from food company Mondelez, arising from the NotPetya attack, on the basis that the policy excluded a “warlike action”. The two sides later settled. In September, Lloyd’s of London defended a move to limit systemic risk from cyber attacks by requesting that insurance policies written in the market have an exemption for state-backed attacks.

https://www.ft.com/content/63ea94fa-c6fc-449f-b2b8-ea29cc83637d

Your Business Should Compensate for Modern Ransomware Capabilities Right Now

The “if, not when” mentality surrounding ransomware may be the biggest modern threat to business longevity. Companies of all sizes and across all industries are increasingly common targets for ransomware attacks, and we know that 94% of organisations experienced a cyber security incident last year alone. Yet, many enterprises continue to operate with decades-old security protocols that are unequipped to combat modern ransomware. Leaders have prioritised improving physical security measures in light of the pandemic — so why haven’t ransomware protections improved?

Maybe it’s the mistaken notion that ransomware attacks are declining. In reality, Q1 of 2022 saw a 200% YoY increase in ransomware incidents. Meanwhile, the rise in Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) offerings suggests that cyber threats have become a commodity for bad actors.

The RaaS market presents a new and troubling trend for business leaders and IT professionals. With RaaS — a subscription ransomware model that allows affiliates to deploy malware for a fee — the barrier to entry for hackers is lower than ever. The relatively unskilled nature of RaaS hackers may explain why the average ransomware downtime has plummeted to just 3.85 days (compared to an average attack duration of over two months in 2019).

While the decrease in attack duration is promising, the rise of RaaS still suggests an inconvenient truth for business leaders: All organisations are at risk. And in time, all organisations will become a target, which is why it’s time for IT and business leaders to implement tough cyber security protocols.

https://venturebeat.com/security/your-business-should-compensate-for-modern-ransomware-capabilities-right-now/

• Reported Phishing Attacks Have Quintupled

In the third quarter of 2022, the international Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) consortium observed 1,270,883 total phishing attacks; the worst quarter for phishing that APWG has ever observed. The total for August 2022 was 430,141 phishing sites, the highest monthly total ever reported to APWG.

Over recent years, reported phishing attacks submitted to APWG have more than quintupled since the first quarter of 2020, when APWG observed 230,554 attacks. The rise in Q3 2022 was attributable, in part, to increasing numbers of attacks reported against several specific targeted brands. These target companies and their customers suffered from large numbers of attacks from persistent phishers.

Threat researchers at the cyber security solution provider Fortra noted a 488 percent increase in response-based email attacks in Q3 2022 compared to the prior quarter. While every subtype of these attacks increased compared to Q2, the largest increase was in Advance Fee Fraud schemes, which rose by a staggering 1,074 percent.

In the third quarter of 2022, APWG founding member OpSec Security found that phishing attacks against the financial sector, which includes banks, remained the largest set of attacks, accounting for 23.2 percent of all phishing. Attacks against webmail and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers remained prevalent as well. Phishing against social media services fell to 11 percent of the total, down from 15.3 percent.

Phishing against cryptocurrency targets — such as cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers — fell from 4.5 percent of all phishing attacks in Q2 2022 to 2 percent in Q3. This mirrored the fall in value of many cryptocurrencies since mid-year.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/28/reported-phishing-attacks-quintupled/

• Ransomware, DDoS See Major Upsurge Led by Upstart Hacker Group

Cyber threat actors Cuba and Royal are driving a 41% boom in ransomware and other attacks hitting industry and consumer goods and services.

According to the Global Threat Intelligence team of information assurance firm NCC Group, November saw a 41% increase in ransomware attacks from 188 incidents to 265. In its most recent Monthly Threat Pulse, the group reported that the month was the most active for ransomware attacks since April this year.

Key takeaways from the study:

• Ransomware attacks rose by 41% in November.

• Threat group Royal (16%) was the most active, replacing LockBit as the worst offender for the first time since September 2021.

• Industrials (32%) and consumer cyclicals (44%) remain the top two most targeted sectors, but technology experienced a large 75% increase over the last month.

• Regional data remains consistent with last month — North America (45%), Europe (25%) and Asia (14%)

• DDoS attacks continue to increase.

Recent examples in the services sector include the Play ransomware group’s claimed attack of the German H-Hotels chain, resulting in communications outages. This attack reportedly uses a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange called ProxyNotShell, which as the name implies, has similarities to the ProxyShell zero-day vulnerability revealed in 2021.

Also, back on the scene is the TrueBot malware downloader (a.k.a., the silence.downloader), which is showing up in an increasing number of devices. TrueBot Windows malware, designed by a Russian-speaking hacking group identified as Silence, has resurfaced bearing Ransom.Clop, which first appeared in 2019. Clop ransomware encrypts systems and exfiltrates data with the threat that if no ransom is forthcoming, the data will show up on a leak site.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ransomware-ddos-major-upsurge-led-upstart-hacker-group/

• Videoconferencing Worries Grow, With SMBs in Cyber Attack Crosshairs

Securing videoconferencing solutions is just one of many IT security challenges small businesses are facing, often with limited financial and human resources.

It's no secret that the acceleration of work-from-home and distributed workforce trends — infamously spurred on by the pandemic — has occurred in tandem with the rise of video communications and collaboration platforms, led by Zoom, Microsoft, and Cisco.

But given that videoconferencing now plays a critical role in how businesses interact with their employees, customers, clients, vendors, and others, these platforms carry significant potential security risks, researchers say.

Organisations use videoconferencing to discuss M&A, legal, military, healthcare, intellectual property and other topics, and even corporate strategies. A loss of that data could be catastrophic for a company, its employees, its clients, and its customers.

However, a recent report on videoconferencing security showed that 93% of IT professionals surveyed acknowledged security vulnerabilities and gaping risks in their videoconferencing solutions.

Among the most relevant risks is the lack of controlled access to conversations that could result in disruption, sabotage, compromise, or exposure of sensitive information, while use of nonsecure, outdated, or unpatched videoconferencing applications can expose security flaws.

The risks include the potential for interruptions, unauthorised access, and perhaps most concerning, the opportunity for a bad actor to acquire sensitive information.

https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/videoconferencing-worries-grow-with-smbs-in-cyberattack-crosshairs

• Will the Crypto Crash Impact Cyber Security in 2023? Maybe.

With the implosion of the FTX exchange putting a punctuation mark on the cryptocurrency crash of 2022, one of the natural questions for those in the cyber security world is, how will this rapid decline of cryptocurrency valuations change the cyber crime economy?

Throughout the most recent crypto boom, and even before then, cyber criminals have used and abused cryptocurrency to build up their empires. The cryptocurrency market provides the extortionary medium for ransomware; it's a hotbed of scams against consumers to steal their wallets and accounts. Traditionally, it's provided a ton of anonymous cover for money laundering on the back end of a range of cyber criminal enterprises.

Even so, according to cyber security experts and intelligence analysts, while there certainly have been some shifts in trends and tactics that they believe are loosely tied to the crypto crash, the jury's still out on long-term impacts.

Regardless of crypto values, cyber criminals this year have definitely become more sophisticated in how they use cryptocurrencies to monetise their attacks including the use by some ransomware groups taking advantage of yield farming within decentralised finance (DeFi), as an example.

The concept of yield farming is the same as lending money, with a contract in place that clearly shows how much interest will need to be paid. The advantage for ransomware groups is that the 'interest' will be legitimate proceeds, so there will be no need to launder or hide it.

Threat actors are increasingly turning toward 'stablecoins,' which are usually tied to fiat currencies or gold to stem their volatility. In many ways, the downturn in crypto values has increased the risk appetite of cyber criminals and is spurring them into more investment fraud and cryptocurrency scams.

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/crypto-crash-impact-cybersecurity-2023-maybe

• The Worst Hacks of 2022

The year was marked by sinister new twists on cyber security classics, including phishing, breaches, and ransomware attacks.

With the pandemic evolving into an amorphous new phase and political polarisation on the rise around the world, 2022 was an uneasy and often perplexing year in digital security. And while hackers frequently leaned on old chestnuts like phishing and ransomware attacks, they still found vicious new variations to subvert defences.

Technology magazine Wired looked back on the year's worst breaches, leaks, ransomware attacks, state-sponsored hacking campaigns, and digital takeovers. If the first years of the 2020s are any indication, the digital security field in 2023 will be more bizarre and unpredictable than ever. Stay alert, and stay safe out there.

Russia Hacking Ukraine

For years, Russia has pummelled Ukraine with brutal digital attacks causing blackouts, stealing and destroying data, meddling in elections, and releasing destructive malware to ravage the country's networks. Since invading Ukraine in February, though, times have changed for some of Russia's most prominent and most dangerous military hackers. Shrewd long-term campaigns and grimly ingenious hacks have largely given way to a stricter and more regimented clip of quick intrusions into Ukrainian institutions, reconnaissance, and widespread destruction on the network—and then repeated access over and over again, whether through a new breach or by maintaining the old access.

Twilio and the 0ktapus Phishing Spree

Over the summer, a group of researchers dubbed 0ktapus went on a massive phishing bender, compromising nearly 10,000 accounts within more than 130 organisations. The majority of the victim institutions were US-based, but there were dozens in other countries as well.

Ransomware Still Hitting the Most Vulnerable Targets

In recent years, countries around the world and the cyber security industry have increasingly focused on countering ransomware attacks. While there has been some progress on deterrence, ransomware gangs were still on a rampage in 2022 and continued to target vulnerable and vital social institutions, including health care providers and schools. The Russian-speaking group Vice Society, for example, has long specialised in targeting both categories, and it focused its attacks on the education sector this year.

The Lapsus$ Rampage Continues

The digital extortion gang Lapsus$ was on an intense hacking spree at the beginning of 2022, stealing source code and other sensitive information from companies like Nvidia, Samsung, Ubisoft, and Microsoft and then leaking samples as part of apparent extortion attempts. Lapsus$ has a sinister talent for phishing, and in March, it compromised a contractor with access to the ubiquitous authentication service Okta.

LastPass

The beleaguered password manager giant LastPass, which has repeatedly dealt with data breaches and security incidents over the years, said at the end of December that a breach of its cloud storage in August led to a further incident in which hackers targeted a LastPass employee to compromise credentials and cloud storage keys.

Vanuatu

At the beginning of November, Vanuatu, an island nation in the Pacific, was hit by a cyber attack that took down virtually all of the government's digital networks. Agencies had to move to conducting their work on paper because emergency systems, medical records, vehicle registrations, driver's license databases, and tax systems were all down.

Honourable Mention: Twitter-Related Bedlam

Twitter has been in chaos mode for months following Elon Musk's acquisition of the company earlier this year. Amidst the tumult, reports surfaced in July and then again in November of a trove of 5.4 million Twitter users' data that has been circulating on criminal forums since at least July, if not earlier. The data was stolen by exploiting a vulnerability in a Twitter application programming interface, or API.

https://www.wired.com/story/worst-hacks-2022/

• Geopolitical Tensions Expected to Further Impact Cyber Security in 2023

Geopolitics will continue to have an impact on cyber security and the security posture of organisations long into 2023.

The impact of global conflicts on cyber security was thrust into the spotlight when Russia made moves to invade Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine’s Western allies were quick to recognise that with this came the threat of Russian-backed cyber-attacks against critical national infrastructure (CNI), especially in retaliation to hefty sanctions. While this may not have materialised in the way many expected, geopolitics is still front of mind for many cyber security experts looking to 2023.

Russia has always been among a handful of states recognised for their cyber prowess and being the source of many cyber criminal gangs. As previously mentioned, we have failed to see a significant cyber-attack, at least one comparable to the Colonial Pipeline incident, in 2022. However the cyber security services provider, e2e-assure, warned: “We have underestimated Russia’s cyber capability. There is a wide view that Russian cyber activity leading up to and during their invasion of Ukraine indicated that they aren’t the cyber power we once thought. Patterns and evidence will emerge in 2023 that shows this wasn’t the case, instead Russia was directing its cyber efforts elsewhere, with non-military goals (financial and political).”

NordVPN, the virtual private network (VPN) provider, warns that the cyber-war is only just starting: “With China’s leader securing his third term and Russia’s war in Ukraine, many experts predict an increase in state-sponsored cyber-attacks. China may increase cyber-attacks on Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other countries opposing the regime. Meanwhile, Russia is predicted to sponsor attacks on countries supporting Ukraine.”

We are used to seeing cyber-attacks that encrypt data and ask for ransom, but it is likely in this era of nation-state sponsored attacks we could experience attacks for the sake of disruption.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/geopolitical-tensions-impact/

• Fraudsters’ Working Patterns Have Changed in Recent Years

Less sophisticated fraud — in which doctored identity documents are readily spotted — has jumped 37% in 2022, according to the identify verfication provider Onfido. Fraudsters can scale these attacks on an organisation’s systems around the clock.

It is estimated that the current global financial cost of fraud is $5.38 trillion (£4.37 trillion), which is 6.4% of the world’s GDP. With most fraud now happening online (80% of reported fraud is cyber-enabled), Onfido’s Identity Fraud Report uncovers patterns of fraudster behaviour, attack techniques, and emerging tactics.

Over the last four years, fraudsters’ working patterns have dramatically changed. In 2019, attacks mirrored a typical working week, peaking Monday to Friday and dropping off during the weekends. Yet over the last three years, fraudulent activity started to shift so that levels of fraud span every day of the week.

In 2022, fraud levels were consistent across 24 hours, seven days a week. With technology, fraudsters are more connected across the globe and are able to traverse regions and time zones, and can easily take advantage of businesses’ closed hours when staff are likely offline. This hyperconnectivity means there are no more ‘business hours’ for fraudsters and sophisticated fraud rings — they will scam and defraud 24/7.

“As criminals look to take advantage of digitisation processes, they’re able to commit financial crimes with increasing efficiency and sophistication, to the extent that financial crime and cyber crime are now invariably linked,” said Interpol. “A significant amount of financial fraud takes place through digital technologies, and the pandemic has only hastened the emergence of digital money laundering tools and other cyber-enabled financial crimes.”

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/29/less-sophisticated-fraud/

• Hacktivism is Back and Messier Than Ever

Throughout 2022, geopolitics has given rise to a new wave of politically motivated attacks with an undercurrent of state-sponsored meddling.

During its brutal war in Ukraine, Russian troops have burnt cities to the ground, raped and tortured civilians, and committed scores of potential war crimes. On November 23, lawmakers across Europe overwhelmingly labelled Russia a “state sponsor” of terrorism and called for ties with the country to be reduced further. The response to the declaration was instant. The European Parliament’s website was knocked offline by a DDoS attack.

The unsophisticated attack—which involves flooding a website with traffic to make it inaccessible—disrupted the Parliament’s website offline for several hours. Pro-Russian hacktivist group Killnet claimed responsibility for the attack. The hacktivist group has targeted hundreds of organisations around the world this year, having some limited small-scale successes knocking websites offline for short periods of time. It’s been one player in a bigger hacktivism surge.

Following years of sporadic hacktivist activity, 2022 has seen the re-emergence of hacktivism on a large scale. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine spawned scores of hacktivist groups on both sides of the conflict, while in Iran and Israel, so-called hacktivist groups are launching increasingly destructive attacks. This new wave of hacktivism, which varies between groups and countries, comes with new tactics and approaches and, increasingly, is blurring lines between hacktivism and government-sponsored attacks.

https://www.wired.com/story/hacktivism-russia-ukraine-ddos/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Custom-Branded Ransomware: The Vice Society Group and the Threat of Outsourced Development - SentinelOne

• Jersey school locked out of systems as hackers demand "ransom" | Bailiwick Express Jersey

• Vice Society Ransomware Attackers Adopt Robust Encryption Methods (thehackernews.com)

• Global counter-ransomware task force to become active in January - CyberScoop

• Fool Me Thrice? How to Avoid Double and Triple Ransomware Extortion (darkreading.com)

• Rackspace criticized for PR response to ransomware attack (expressnews.com)

• After ransomware hits Colombian energy firm, Moody’s says low patch rate suggests inadequacies in cyber practices | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Ransomware, DDoS see major upsurge led by upstart hacker group (techrepublic.com)

• 6 Ways to Protect Your Organisation Against LAPSUS$ (darkreading.com)

• Your business should compensate for modern ransomware capabilities right now | VentureBeat

• Vice Society Adds Custom-branded Payload PolyVice to its Arsenal | Cyware Alerts - Hacker News

• Hackers stole data from multiple electric utilities in recent ransomware attack | CNN Politics

• Ransomware attack at Louisiana hospital impacts 270,000 patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The mounting death toll of hospital cyber attacks - POLITICO

• Royal ransomware claims attack on Intrado telecom provider (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Healthcare Providers and Hospitals Under Ransomware's Siege (darkreading.com)

• 2023 Predictions: Expect More Supply Chain Attacks, Ransomware-as-a-Service Kits in 2023 - MSSP Alert

• Guardian Australia staff sent home after cyber attack takes out systems (theage.com.au)

• Queensland University hit by cyber attack | PerthNow

• Dumfries Arnold Clark garages hit by company-wide cyber attack - Daily Record

• Ransom Deadline Given By LockBit In Port Of Lisbon Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Reported phishing attacks have quintupled - Help Net Security

• 6 Ways to Protect Your Organisation Against LAPSUS$ (darkreading.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Linkedin Is Full Of Job Scams – Be Careful Out There (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Malware

• GuLoader implements new evasion techniques - Security Affairs

• PrivateLoader PPI Service Found Distributing Info-Stealing RisePro Malware (thehackernews.com)

• 2022 sees over 5000 times new Windows malware vs macOS, over 60 times vs Linux - Neowin

• APT Hackers Turn to Malicious Excel Add-ins as Initial Intrusion Vector (thehackernews.com)

• New information-stealing malware is being spread by fake pirate sites | TechSpot

Mobile

• Hackers steal $8 million from users running trojanized BitKeep apps (bleepingcomputer.com)

• EarSpy: Spying on Phone Calls via Ear Speaker Vibrations Captured by Accelerometer | SecurityWeek.Com

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Cyber criminals create new methods to evade legacy DDoS defences - Help Net Security

Internet of Things – IoT

• Anker admits Eufy camera security issues | TechRadar

• Smart Home Cyber security Hubs: Protecting Endpoints in Your Smarthome (compuquip.com)

• Google Home speakers allowed hackers to snoop on conversations (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• BetMGM discloses security breach impacting 1.5 Million customers - Security Affairs

• Massive Twitter data leak investigated by EU privacy watchdog (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LastPass finally admits: Those crooks who got in? They did steal your password vaults, after all… – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Massive EDiscovery Provider Shut Down Over 'Unauthorized Access' - Above the LawAbove the Law

• Data of 400 Million Twitter users up for sale - Security Affairs

• Ten significant data breaches from 2022 (smartermsp.com)

• It’s all in the (lack of) details: 2022’s badly handled data breaches | TechCrunch

• Military device with biometric database of 2K people sold on eBay for $68 | Ars Technica

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• 'Cyber crime has surpassed drug trafficking' - Rediff.com India News

• Labour attacks delays to online safety bill as it highlights Christmas scams | Cyber crime | The Guardian

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• FTX collapse shows crypto is 'too dangerous' not to regulate, Bank of England deputy governor says | Business News | Sky News

• How ‘brazen’ multibillion-dollar crypto fraud fell to pieces | Business | The Times

• BTC.com lost $3 million worth of cryptocurrency in cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers steal $8 million from users running trojanized BitKeep apps (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bitcoin Mining Pool Btc.com Suffers $3 Million Cyber attack – Mining Bitcoin News

• Crypto wallet BitKeep lost over $9M over a cyber attack - Security Affairs

• Case for blockchain in financial services dented by failures | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Digital Assets Of $9.9 Million Stolen In BitKeep Cyber Attack (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Crypto platform 3Commas admits hackers stole API keys (bleepingcomputer.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Linkedin Is Full Of Job Scams – Be Careful Out There (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Scam complaints from Revolut users more than double since 2020 (telegraph.co.uk)

• Labour attacks delays to online safety bill as it highlights Christmas scams | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• Fraudsters’ working patterns have changed in recent years - Help Net Security

• Experts warn of attacks exploiting WordPress gift card plugin - Security Affairs

• North Korean Hackers Created 70 Fake Bank, Venture Capital Firm Domains | SecurityWeek.Com

• Ukraine shuts down fraudulent call center claiming 18,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insurance

• Zurich chief warned that cyber attacks will become uninsurable - Security Affairs

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• 2023 Predictions: Expect More Supply Chain Attacks, Ransomware-as-a-Service Kits in 2023 - MSSP Alert

Software Supply Chain

• Why Attackers Target GitHub, and How You Can Secure It (darkreading.com)

• Improving Software Supply Chain Cyber security (trendmicro.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Google: With Cloud Comes APIs & Security Headaches (darkreading.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Enterprises waste money on identity tools they don't use - Help Net Security

• Steps To Planning And Implementation Of PAM Solutions (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Encryption

• US passes the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act – and why not? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

API

• Crypto platform 3Commas admits hackers stole API keys (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google: With Cloud Comes APIs & Security Headaches (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Extracting Encrypted Credentials From Common Tools (darkreading.com)

Biometrics

• Military device with biometric database of 2K people sold on eBay for $68 | Ars Technica

Social Media

• TikTok User Data Has Been Compromised (giantfreakinrobot.com)

• Elon Musk ‘orders Twitter to remove suicide prevention feature’ | Twitter | The Guardian

• Massive Twitter data leak investigated by EU privacy watchdog (bleepingcomputer.com)

• TikTok parent company ByteDance revealed the use of TikTok data to track journalists - Security Affairs

• Meta settles Cambridge Analytica scandal case for $725m - BBC News

• TikTok bans haven't really banned much of anything - The Washington Post

• Twitter restores suicide prevention feature | Twitter | The Guardian

• Data of 400 Million Twitter users up for sale - Security Affairs

• Hacker claims to be selling Twitter data of 400 million users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Piers Morgan’s Twitter account abuses queen and Ed Sheeran in apparent hack | Piers Morgan | The Guardian

• US House boots TikTok from government phones • The Register

Malvertising

• Hackers abuse Google Ads to spread malware in legit software (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals using search engine ads to direct users to sites with malware, FBI warns | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Privacy

• The Threat of Predictive Policing to Data Privacy and Personal Liberty (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• FTX collapse shows crypto is 'too dangerous' not to regulate, Bank of England deputy governor says | Business News | Sky News

• US passes the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act – and why not? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• IBM and 70 Global Banks Co-Create New Cyber security, Risk Framework (accelerationeconomy.com)

• Economic uncertainty compels IT leaders to rethink their strategy - Help Net Security

• 3 important changes in how data will be used and treated - Help Net Security

• 2022 Top Five Immediate Threats in Geopolitical Context (thehackernews.com)

Secure Disposal

• For Sale on eBay: A Military Database of Fingerprints and Iris Scans - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• How to Get Your First Job in InfoSec (freecodecamp.org)

• IT Jobs: How To Become An Information Security Analyst (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• ‘There's a career in cyber security for everyone,’ Microsoft Security CVP says | Fortune

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Ukraine shuts down fraudulent call centre claiming 18,000 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Google Home speakers allowed hackers to snoop on conversations (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Police in China can track protests by enabling ‘alarms’ on Hikvision software | China | The Guardian

• The Threat of Predictive Policing to Data Privacy and Personal Liberty (darkreading.com)

• Meta settles Cambridge Analytica scandal case for $725m - BBC News

• 78% of Employers Are Using Remote Work Tools to Spy on You (entrepreneur.com)

• Germany: Police surveillance software a legal headache – DW – 12/22/2022

Artificial Intelligence

• Code-generating AI can introduce security vulnerabilities, study finds | TechCrunch

• AI cyber attacks are a ‘critical threat’. This is how NATO is countering them | Euronews

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• 2022 Top Five Immediate Threats in Geopolitical Context (thehackernews.com)

• Ukraine marks a turning point for cyberwarfare – POLITICO

• Russia’s Cyberwar Foreshadowed Deadly Attacks on Civilians | WIRED

• Hacktivism Is Back and Messier Than Ever | WIRED

• Hundreds of Russian cyber attacks on CHPPs, regional power plants prevented - SBU

• Ukrainian Hackers Gather Data on Russian Soldiers, Minister Says - Bloomberg

• North Korean hackers targeted nearly 1,000 South Korean foreign policy experts

• German double agent ‘passed Ukraine intelligence to Russia’ (telegraph.co.uk)

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Hundreds of Russian cyber attacks on CHPPs, regional power plants prevented - SBU

• Russian mobile calls, internet seen deteriorating after Nokia, Ericsson leave – EURACTIV.com

Nation State Actors – China

• US House boots TikTok from government phones • The Register

• Police in China can track protests by enabling ‘alarms’ on Hikvision software | China | The Guardian

• Chinese-backed company instructs US law firm after UK blocked microchip factory takeover (telegraph.co.uk)

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• BlueNoroff APT Hackers Using New Ways to Bypass Windows MotW Protection (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean Hackers Created 70 Fake Bank, Venture Capital Firm Domains | SecurityWeek.Com

• North Korean hacking outfit impersonating venture capital firms | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korean hackers targeted nearly 1,000 South Korean foreign policy experts

Nation State Actors – Iran

• An Iranian group hacked Israeli CCTV cameras, defence was aware but didn’t block it - Security Affairs

Nation State Actors – Misc

• APT Hackers Turn to Malicious Excel Add-ins as Initial Intrusion Vector (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Log4Shell remains a big threat and a common cause for security breaches | CSO Online

• After ransomware hits Colombian energy firm, Moody’s says low patch rate suggests inadequacies in cyber practices | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Patch now: Serious Linux kernel security hole uncovered | ZDNET

• Microsoft Patches Azure Cross-Tenant Data Access Flaw | SecurityWeek.Com

• Critical Linux Kernel flaw affects SMB servers with ksmbd enabled - Security Affairs

• Critical “10-out-of-10” Linux kernel SMB hole – should you worry? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Log4Shell remains a big threat and a common cause for security breaches | CSO Online

• Thousands of Citrix servers vulnerable to patched critical flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Netgear warns users to patch recently fixed WiFi router bug (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Warns of Active exploitation of JasperReports Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Several DoS, Code Execution Vulnerabilities Found in Rockwell Automation Controllers | SecurityWeek.Com

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Tools and Controls

• Understanding current XDR elements and options | TechTarget

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Other News

• Cyber crime Top 10 Rankings: China is No. 1 While US Records Highest Rate of Security Breaches - MSSP Alert

• AI cyber attacks are a ‘critical threat’. This is how NATO is countering them | Euronews

• Review: 10 Biggest Hacks And Cyber Security Threats Of 2022 (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Modern technology and cyber recovery will intersect in the next generation of attacks - Help Net Security

• New information-stealing malware is being spread by fake pirate sites | TechSpot

•  Ten significant data breaches from 2022 (smartermsp.com)

• Trend Micro: Expect 2023 to Bring Uncertainty to Cyber Attackers and Defenders - MSSP Alert

• After the Uber Breach: 3 Questions All CISOs Should Ask Themselves (darkreading.com)

• Top 10 Cyber Security Predictions For 2023 Based On Expert Responses (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The Five Stories That Shaped Cyber security in 2022 | SecurityWeek.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.

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 December 2022

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

• LastPass Admits Attackers have an Encrypted Copy of Customers’ Password Vaults 

Password locker LastPass has warned customers that the August 2022 attack on its systems saw unknown parties copy encrypted files that contain the passwords to their accounts.

In a December 22nd update to its advice about the incident, LastPass brings customers up to date by explaining that in the August 2022 attack “some source code and technical information were stolen from our development environment and used to target another employee, obtaining credentials and keys which were used to access and decrypt some storage volumes within the cloud-based storage service.” Those creds allowed the attacker to copy information “that contained basic customer account information and related metadata including company names, end-user names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service.”

The update reveals that the attacker also copied “customer vault” data, the file LastPass uses to let customers record their passwords. That file “is stored in a proprietary binary format that contains both unencrypted data, such as website URLs, as well as fully-encrypted sensitive fields such as website usernames and passwords, secure notes, and form-filled data.” The passwords are encrypted with “256-bit AES encryption and can only be decrypted with a unique encryption key derived from each user’s master password”.

LastPass’ advice is that even though attackers have that file, customers who use its default settings have nothing to do as a result of this update as “it would take millions of years to guess your master password using generally-available password-cracking technology.” One of those default settings is not to re-use the master password that is required to log into LastPass. The outfit suggests you make it a complex credential and use that password for just one thing: accessing LastPass.

LastPass therefore offered the following advice to individual and business users: If your master password does not make use of the defaults above, then it would significantly reduce the number of attempts needed to guess it correctly. In this case, as an extra security measure, you should consider minimising risk by changing passwords of websites you have stored.

LastPass’s update concludes with news it decommissioned the systems breached in August 2022 and has built new infrastructure that adds extra protections.

https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/23/lastpass_attack_update/

• Ransomware Attacks Increased 41% In November

Ransomware attacks rose 41% last month as groups shifted among the top spots and increasingly leveraged DDoS attacks, according to new research from NCC Group.

A common thread of NCC Group's November Threat Pulse was a "month full of surprises," particularly related to unexpected shifts in threat actor behaviour. The Cuba ransomware gang resurged with its highest number of attacks recorded by NCC Group. Royal replaced LockBit 3.0 as the most active strain, a first since September of last year.

These factors and more contributed to the significant jump in November attacks, which rose from 188 in October to 265.

"For 2022, this increase represents the most reported incidents in one month since that of April, when there were 289 incidents, and is also the largest month-on-month increase since June-July's marginally larger increase of 47%," NCC Group wrote in the report.

Operators behind Royal ransomware, a strain that emerged earlier this year that operates without affiliates and utilises intermittent encryption to evade detection, surpassed LockBit 3.0 for the number one spot, accounting for 16% of hack and leak incidents last month.

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/news/252528505/NCC-Group-Ransomware-attacks-increased-41-in-November

• The Risk of Escalation from Cyber Attacks Has Never Been Greater

In 2022, an American dressed in his pyjamas took down North Korea’s Internet from his living room. Fortunately, there was no reprisal against the United States. But Kim Jong Un and his generals must have weighed retaliation and asked themselves whether the so-called independent hacker was a front for a planned and official American attack.

In 2023, the world might not get so lucky. There will almost certainly be a major cyber attack. It could shut down Taiwan’s airports and trains, paralyse British military computers, or swing a US election. This is terrifying, because each time this happens, there is a small risk that the aggrieved side will respond aggressively, maybe at the wrong party, and (worst of all) even if it carries the risk of nuclear escalation.

This is because cyber weapons are different from conventional ones. They are cheaper to design and wield. That means great powers, middle powers, and pariah states can all develop and use them.

More important, missiles come with a return address, but virtual attacks do not. Suppose in 2023, in the coldest weeks of winter, a virus shuts down American or European oil pipelines. It has all the markings of a Russian attack, but intelligence experts warn it could be a Chinese assault in disguise. Others see hints of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. No one knows for sure. Presidents Biden and Macron have to decide whether to retaliate at all, and if so, against whom … Russia? China? Iran? It's a gamble, and they could get unlucky.

Neither country wants to start a conventional war with one another, let alone a nuclear one. Conflict is so ruinous that most enemies prefer to loathe one another in peace. During the Cold War, the prospect of mutual destruction was a huge deterrent to any great power war. There were almost no circumstances in which it made sense to initiate an attack. But cyber warfare changes that conventional strategic calculus. The attribution problem introduces an immense amount of uncertainty, complicating the decision our leaders have to make.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/the-risk-of-escalation-from-cyberattacks-has-never-been-greater/

• FBI Recommends Ad Blockers as Cyber Criminals Impersonate Brands in Search Engine Ads

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) this week raised the alarm on cyber criminals impersonating brands in advertisements that appear in search engine results. The agency has advised consumers to use ad blockers to protect themselves from such threats.

The attackers register domains similar to those of legitimate businesses or services, and use those domains to purchase ads from search engine advertisement services, the FBI says in an alert. These nefarious ads are displayed at the top of the web page when the user searches for that business or service, and the user might mistake them for an actual search result.

Links included in these ads take users to pages that are identical to the official web pages of the impersonated businesses, the FBI explains. If the user searches for an application, they are taken to a fake web page that uses the real name of the program the user searches for, and which contains a link to download software that is, in fact, malware.

“These advertisements have also been used to impersonate websites involved in finances, particularly cryptocurrency exchange platforms,” the FBI notes. Seemingly legitimate exchange platforms, the malicious sites prompt users to provide their login and financial information, which the cyber criminals then use to steal the victim’s funds.

“While search engine advertisements are not malicious in nature, it is important to practice caution when accessing a web page through an advertised link,” the FBI says.

Businesses are advised to use domain protection services to be notified of domain spoofing, and to educate users about spoofed websites and on how to find legitimate downloads for the company’s software.

Users are advised to check URLs to make sure they access authentic websites, to type a business’ URL into the browser instead of searching for that business, and to use ad blockers when performing internet searches. Ad blockers can have a negative impact on the revenues of online businesses and advertisers, but they can be good for online security, and even the NSA and CIA are reportedly using them.

https://www.securityweek.com/fbi-recommends-ad-blockers-cybercriminals-impersonate-brands-search-engine-ads

• North Korea-Linked Hackers Stole $626 Million in Virtual Assets in 2022

South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, estimated that North Korea-linked threat actors have stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets in the past five years.

According to the spy agency, more than half the crypto assets (about 800 billion won ($626 million)) have been stolen this year alone, reported the Associated Press. The Government of Pyongyang focuses on crypto hacking to fund its military program following harsh UN sanctions.

“South Korea’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said North Korea’s capacity to steal digital assets is considered among the best in the world because of the country’s focus on cyber crimes since UN economic sanctions were toughened in 2017 in response to its nuclear and missile tests.” reported the AP agency. North Korea cannot export its products due to the UN sanctions imposed in 2016 and 1017, and the impact on its economy is dramatic.

The NIS added that more than 100 billion won ($78 million) of the total stolen funds came from South Korea. Cyber security and intelligence experts believe that attacks aimed at the cryptocurrency industry will continue to increase next year. National Intelligence Service experts believe that North Korea-linked APT groups will focus on the theft of South Korean technologies and confidential information on South Korean foreign policy and national security.

Data published by the National Intelligence Service agency confirms a report published by South Korean media outlet Chosun early this year that revealed North Korean threat actors have stolen around $1.7 billion (2 trillion won) worth of cryptocurrency from multiple exchanges during the past five years.

https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/139909/intelligence/north-korea-cryptocurrency-theft.html

• UK Security Agency Wants Fresh Approach to Combat Phishing

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has called for a defence-in-depth approach to help mitigate the impact of phishing, combining technical controls with a strong reporting culture.

Writing in the agency’s blog, technical director and principal architect, “Dave C,” argued that many of the well-established tenets of anti-phishing advice simply don’t work. For example, advising users not to click on links in unsolicited emails is not helpful when many need to do exactly that as part of their job.

This is often combined with a culture where users are afraid to report that they’ve accidentally clicked, which can delay incident response, he said. It’s not the user’s responsibility to spot a phish – rather, it’s their organisation’s responsibility to protect them from such threats, Dave C argued.

As such, they should build layered technical defences, consisting of email scanning and DMARC/SPF policies to prevent phishing emails from arriving into inboxes. Then, organisations should consider the following to prevent code from executing:

• Allow-listing for executables

• Registry settings changes to ensure dangerous scripting or file types are opened in Notepad and not executed

• Disabling the mounting of .iso files on user endpoints

• Making sure macro settings are locked down

• Enabling attack surface reduction rules

• Ensuring third-party software is up to date

• Keeping up to date about current threats

Additionally, organisations should take steps such as DNS filtering to block suspicious connections and endpoint detection and response (EDR) to monitor for suspicious behaviour, the NCSC advised.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-security-agency-combat-phishing/

• GodFather Android malware targets 400 banks, crypto exchanges

An Android banking malware named 'Godfather' has been targeting users in 16 countries, attempting to steal account credentials for over 400 online banking sites and cryptocurrency exchanges.

The malware generates login screens overlaid on top of the banking and crypto exchange apps' login forms when victims attempt to log into the site, tricking the user into entering their credentials on well-crafted HTML phishing pages.

The Godfather trojan was discovered by Group-IB analysts, who believe it is the successor of Anubis, a once widely-used banking trojan that gradually fell out of use due to its inability to bypass newer Android defences. ThreatFabric first discovered Godfather in March 2021, but it has undergone massive code upgrades and improvements since then.

Also, Cyble published a report yesterday highlighting a rise in the activity of Godfather, pushing an app that mimics a popular music tool in Turkey, downloaded 10 million times via Google Play. Group-IB has found a limited distribution of the malware in apps on the Google Play Store; however, the main distribution channels haven't been discovered, so the initial infection method is largely unknown.

Almost half of all apps targeted by Godfather, 215, are banking apps, and most of them are in the United States (49), Turkey (31), Spain (30), Canada (22), France (20), Germany (19), and the UK (17).

Apart from banking apps, Godfather targets 110 cryptocurrency exchange platforms and 94 cryptocurrency wallet apps.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/godfather-android-malware-targets-400-banks-crypto-exchanges/

• Companies Overwhelmed by Available Tech Solutions

92% of executives reported challenges in acquiring new tech solutions, highlighting the complexities that go into the decision-making process, according to GlobalDots.

Moreover, some 34% of respondents said the overwhelming amount of options was a challenge when deciding on the right solutions, and 33% admitted the time needed to conduct research was another challenge in deciding.

Organisations of all varieties rely on technology more than ever before. The constant adoption of innovation is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity to stay on par in today’s fast-paced and competitive digital landscape. In this environment, IT and security leaders are coming under increased pressure to show ROIs from their investment in technology while balancing operational excellence with business innovation. Due to current market realities, IT teams are short-staffed and suffering from a lack of time and expertise, making navigating these challenges even more difficult.

The report investigated how organisations went about finding support for their purchasing decisions. Conferences, exhibitions, and online events served as companies’ top source of information for making purchasing decisions, at 52%. Third-party solutions, such as value-added resellers and consultancies, came in second place at 48%.

54% are already using third parties to purchase, implement, or support their solutions, highlighting the value that dedicated experts with in-depth knowledge of every solution across a wide range of IT fields provide.

We are living in an age of abundance when it comes to tech solutions for organisations, and this makes researching and purchasing the right solutions for your organisation extremely challenging.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/20/tech-purchasing-decisions/

• Nine in 10 Third-party Contractors, Freelancers Use Personal, Unmanaged Devices Likely to be Infected

Talon Cyber Security surveyed 258 third-party providers to better understand the state of third-party working conditions, including work models, types of devices and security technologies used, potentially risky actions taken, and how security and IT tools impact productivity.

Looking at recent high-profile breaches, third parties have consistently been at the epicenter, so they took a step back with their research to better understand the potential root causes. The findings paint a picture of a third-party work landscape where individuals are consistently working from personal, unmanaged devices, conducting risky activities, and having their productivity impacted by legacy security and IT solutions.

Here’s what Talon discovered:

• Most third parties (89%) work from personal, unmanaged devices, where organisations lack visibility and cannot enforce the enterprise’s security posture on. Talon pointed to a Microsoft data point that estimated users are 71% more likely to be infected on an unmanaged device.

• With third parties working from personal devices, they tend to carry out personal, potentially risky tasks. Respondents note that at least on occasion, they have used their devices to:

  • Browse the internet for personal needs (76%)

  • Indulge in online shopping (71%)

  • Check personal email (75%)

  • Save weak passwords in the web browser (61%)

  • Play games (53%)

  • Allow family members to browse (36%)

  • Share passwords with co-workers (24%)

• Legacy apps such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions are prominent, with 45% of respondents using such technologies while working for organisations.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/nine-in-10-third-party-contractors-freelancers-use-personal-unmanaged-devices-likely-to-be-infected/

• UK Privacy Regulator Names and Shames Breached Firms

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has taken the unusual step of publishing details of personal data breaches, complaints and civil investigations on its website, according to legal experts.

The data, available from Q4 2021 onwards, includes the organisation’s name and sector, the relevant legislation and the type of issues involved, the date of completion and the outcome.

Given the significance of this development, it’s surprising that the ICO has (1) chosen to release it with limited fanfare, and (2) buried the data sets on its website. Indeed, it seems to have flown almost entirely under the radar.

Understanding whether their breach or complaint will be publicised by European regulators is one of – if not the – main concern that organisations have when working through an incident, and the answer has usually been no. That is particularly the understanding or assumption where the breach or complaint is closed without regulatory enforcement. Now, at least in the UK, the era of relative anonymity looks to be over.

Despite the lack of fanfare around the announcement, this naming and shaming approach could make the ICO one of the more aggressive privacy regulators in Europe. In the future, claimant firms in class action lawsuits may adopt “US-style practices” of scanning the ICO database to find evidence of repeat offending or possible new cases.

The news comes even as data reveals the value of ICO fines issued in the past year tripled from the previous 12 months. In the year ending October 31 2022, the regulator issued fines worth £15.2m, up from £4.8m the previous year. The sharp increase in the value of fines shows the ICO’s increasing willingness selectively to crack down on businesses – particularly those that the ICO perceives has not taken adequate measures to protect customer and employee data.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-privacy-regulator-names-and/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• 20 companies affected by major ransomware attacks in 2021 | TechTarget

• NCC Group: Ransomware attacks increased 41% in November | TechTarget

• Conti Team One Splinter Group Resurfaces as Royal Ransomware with Callback Phishing Attacks (trendmicro.com)

• Adversarial risk in the age of ransomware - Help Net Security

• Guardian newspaper hit by suspected ransomware attack, staff told not to come to office - The Record by Recorded Future

• FIN7 hackers create auto-attack platform to breach Exchange servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Agenda Ransomware Variant, Written in Rust, Aiming at Critical Infrastructure (thehackernews.com)

• Ransomware Groups to Increase Zero-Day Exploit-Based Access Methods in the Future - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware Uses New Exploit to Bypass ProxyNotShell Mitigations | SecurityWeek.Com

• New Microsoft Exchange exploit chain lets ransomware attackers in (CVE-2022-41080) - Help Net Security

• British newspaper The Guardian says it’s been hit by ransomware | TechCrunch

• Play ransomware actors bypass ProxyNotShell mitigations | TechTarget

• Preventing Cryptocurrency Cyber Extortion (trendmicro.com)

• FIN7 Cyber crime Syndicate Emerges as Major Player in Ransomware Landscape (thehackernews.com)

• Vice Society ransomware gang is using a custom locker - Security Affairs

• NIO suffers user data breach, hacker demands $2.25 million worth of bitcoin - CnEVPost

• German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp targeted in a cyber attack - Security Affairs

• Paying Ransom: Why Manufacturers Shell Out to Cyber criminals (darkreading.com)

• France Seeks to Protect Hospitals After Series of Cyber attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

• Fire and rescue service in Victoria, Australia, confirms cyber attack - Security Affairs

• Ransomware hits Leiden University - Techzine Europe

• Play Ransomware Gang Lay Claims For Cyber Attack On H-Hotels (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Evolving threats and broadening responses to Ransomware in the UAE - Security Boulevard

• Cyber Incident Causes System Failures at Canadian Children’s Hospital - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Five Best Practices for Consumers to Beat Phishing Campaigns This Holiday Season - CPO Magazine

• Hackers continue to exploit hijacked MailChimp accounts in cyber crime campaigns (bitdefender.com)

• Holiday Spam, Phishing Campaigns Challenge Retailers (darkreading.com)

• Email hijackers scam food out of businesses, not just money • The Register

• Telling users to ‘avoid clicking bad links’ still isn’t working - NCSC.GOV.UK

• UK Security Agency Calls for Fresh Approach to Combat Phishing - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• “Suspicious login” scammers up their game – take care at Christmas – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Simple Steps to Avoid Phishing Attacks During This Festive season | Tripwire

• Web3 IPFS Currently Used For Phishing (trendmicro.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Telling users to ‘avoid clicking bad links’ still isn’t working - NCSC.GOV.UK

• What happens once scammers receive funds from their victims - Help Net Security

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Amplified security trends to watch out for in 2023 - Help Net Security

2FA/MFA

• Why Security Teams Shouldn't Snooze on MFA Fatigue (darkreading.com)

• Comcast Xfinity accounts hacked in widespread 2FA bypass attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• DarkTortilla malware spreads on phishing sites masquerading as legitimate domains | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Malicious ‘SentinelOne’ PyPI package steals data from developers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Glupteba Botnet Continues to Thrive Despite Google's Attempts to Disrupt It (thehackernews.com)

• Ukraine's DELTA military system users targeted by info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Sophisticated DarkTortilla Malware Serves Imposter Cisco, Grammarly Pages (darkreading.com)

• Trojanized Windows 10 installers compromised the Ukrainian government | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Raspberry Robin Worm Targets Telcos & Governments (darkreading.com)

• Detecting Windows AMSI Bypass Techniques (trendmicro.com)

• Raspberry Robin worm drops fake malware to confuse researchers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Number of command-and-control servers spiked in 2022: report - The Record by Recorded Future

Mobile

• GodFather Android malware targets 400 banks, crypto exchanges (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Godfather makes banking apps an offer they can’t refuse • The Register

• Beware: Cyber criminals Launch New BrasDex Android Trojan Targeting Brazilian Banking Users (thehackernews.com)

• T-Mobile hacker gets 10 years for $25 million phone unlock scheme (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• Glupteba Botnet Continues to Thrive Despite Google's Attempts to Disrupt It (thehackernews.com)

• Zerobot malware now spreads by exploiting Apache vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Flaws within IoT devices exploited by the Zerobot botnet (izoologic.com)

• Zerobot Adds Brute Force, DDoS to Its IoT Attack Arsenal (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• How AI/ML Can Thwart DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

• DDoS Attacks are Slowly Growing in the Technology Era (analyticsinsight.net)

• Zerobot Adds Brute Force, DDoS to Its IoT Attack Arsenal (darkreading.com)

BYOD

• Nine in 10 Third-party Contractors, Freelancers Use Personal, Unmanaged Devices Likely to be Infected - MSSP Alert

Internet of Things – IoT

• Millions of IP cameras around the world are unprotected | TechRadar

• Zerobot Adds Brute Force, DDoS to Its IoT Attack Arsenal (darkreading.com)

• Eufy has removed privacy-focused language from its website amid ongoing security camera fiasco (androidpolice.com)

• Throw away all your Eufy cameras right now | Android Central

• Read what Anker’s customer support is telling worried Eufy camera owners - The Verge

• Amazon Ring Cameras Used in Nationwide ‘Swatting’ Spree, US Says - Bloomberg

• Connected homes are expanding, so is attack volume - Help Net Security

• Security Risks, Serious Vulnerabilities Rampant Among XIoT Devices in the Workplace - CPO Magazine

• Researchers Develop AI-powered Malware Classification for 5G-enabled IIoT - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• LastPass users: Your info and password vault data are now in hackers’ hands | Ars Technica

• Okta's source code stolen after GitHub repositories hacked (bleepingcomputer.com)

• McGraw Hill's S3 buckets exposed 100,000 students' grades • The Register

• NIO suffers user data breach, hacker demands $2.25 million worth of bitcoin - CnEVPost

• Notice of Recent Security Incident - The LastPass Blog

• Shoemaker Ecco leaks over 60GB of sensitive data for 500+ days - Security Affairs

• Restaurant CRM platform ‘SevenRooms’ confirms breach after data for sale (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Leading sports betting firm BetMGM discloses data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MP blasts water firm over cyber attack that saw customers' details leaked to dark web - Staffordshire Live (staffordshire-live.co.uk)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• 'Russian hackers' help two New York men game JFK taxi system - CyberScoop

• Hackers Mined a Single Software Flaw for a Year in NY Cyber attack - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

• What happens once scammers receive funds from their victims - Help Net Security

• [FIN7] Fin7 Unveiled: A deep dive into notorious cyber crime gang - PRODAFT

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Microsoft bans cryptomining in Azure | TechRadar

• FTX's alleged run-of-the-mill frauds depended entirely on crypto (yahoo.com)

• GodFather Android malware targets 400 banks, crypto exchanges (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Preventing Cryptocurrency Cyber Extortion (trendmicro.com)

• Two associates of Sam Bankman-Fried plead guilty to fraud charges in FTX fall | FTX | The Guardian

• North Korea-linked hackers stole $626M in virtual assets in 2022 - Security Affairs

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Amplified security trends to watch out for in 2023 - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• FTX's alleged run-of-the-mill frauds depended entirely on crypto (yahoo.com)

• “Suspicious login” scammers up their game – take care at Christmas – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Fraudulent ‘popunder’ Google Ad campaign generated millions of dollars • The Register

• Over 67,000 DraftKings Betting Accounts Hit by Hackers (gizmodo.com)

• What happens once scammers receive funds from their victims - Help Net Security

• T-Mobile hacker gets 10 years for $25 million phone unlock scheme (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Ad fraud campaign used adult content to make millions (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Two associates of Sam Bankman-Fried plead guilty to fraud charges in FTX fall | FTX | The Guardian

• Inside The Next-Level Fraud Ring Scamming Billions Off Holiday Retailers (darkreading.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• teiss - Supply Chain Security - Hacking the supply chain

• Supply Chain Risks Got You Down? Keep Calm and Get Strategic! (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Microsoft bans cryptomining in Azure | TechRadar

• McGraw Hill's S3 buckets exposed 100,000 students' grades • The Register

• AWS simplifies Simple Storage Service to prevent data leaks • The Register

• Organisations Warned of New Attack Vector in Amazon Web Services - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Brand of Security Threats Surface in the Cloud (darkreading.com)

• Google WordPress Plug-in Bug Allows AWS Metadata Theft (darkreading.com)

• Dealing with cloud security shortfalls - Help Net Security

• It’s time to fill those cloud security gaps • The Register

• Security on a Shoestring? Cloud, Consolidation Best Bets for Businesses (darkreading.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Remote Workers Are Blowing the Whistle, Employees Exposing Companies

Attack Surface Management

• Nine in 10 Third-party Contractors, Freelancers Use Personal, Unmanaged Devices Likely to be Infected - MSSP Alert

Encryption

• Biden Signs Post-Quantum Cyber security Guidelines Into Law (darkreading.com)

API

• APIs are placing your enterprise at risk - Help Net Security

Open Source

• Open source vulnerabilities add to security debt - Help Net Security

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• LastPass admits attackers copied password vaults • The Register

• LastPass users: Your info and password vault data are now in hackers’ hands | Ars Technica

• Notice of Recent Security Incident - The LastPass Blog

Social Media

• Meta Takes Down Over 200 Covert Influence Operations Since 2017 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Social media use can put companies at risk: Here are some ways to mitigate the danger | CSO Online

• Colleges Move To Ban TikTok on Campus (gizmodo.com)

Malvertising

• Fraudulent ‘popunder’ Google Ad campaign generated millions of dollars • The Register

• Don't click too quick! FBI warns of malicious search engine ads | Tripwire

• FBI Recommends Ad Blockers as Cyber criminals Impersonate Brands in Search Engine Ads | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Ad fraud campaign used adult content to make millions (bleepingcomputer.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Buggy parental-control apps could allow device takeover • The Register

• Bfore.Ai Releases 'The King, The Knight & The Snowball' - Cyber security Book for Children (darkreading.com)

• Children And The Dangers Of The Virtual World (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• TSB fined nearly $60m for platform migration disaster • The Register

• FTC Fines Fortnite Maker Epic Games $275 Million for Violating Children's Privacy Law (thehackernews.com)

• UK Privacy Regulator Names and Shames Breached Firms - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• FCC proposes record-breaking $300 million fine against robocaller (bleepingcomputer.com)

• France Fines Microsoft 60 Million Euros Over Advertising Cookies | SecurityWeek.Com

• The long, long reach of the UK’s national security laws | Financial Times

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Make sure your company is prepared for the holiday hacking season - Help Net Security

• Rethinking Risk After the FTX Debacle (darkreading.com)

• The benefit of adopting a hacker mindset for building security strategies - Help Net Security

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• CISO roles continue to expand beyond technical expertise - Help Net Security

• UK secret services wants ‘corkscrew thinkers’ for new cyber force | News | The Times

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Swatting spree suspects charged after compromising Ring cams • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Not Big Brother, but close: a surveillance expert explains some of the ways we’re all being watched, all the time (theconversation.com)

• France Fines Microsoft 60 Million Euros Over Advertising Cookies | SecurityWeek.Com

• What is surveillance capitalism? - Definition from WhatIs.com (techtarget.com)

• Google Maps: Important reason you should blur your house on Street View (ladbible.com)

• Blur Your House ASAP if It's on Google Maps. Here's Why - CNET

Artificial Intelligence

• Threat Modeling in the Age of OpenAI's Chatbot (darkreading.com)

• This is how OpenAI's ChatGPT can be used to launch cyber attacks (techmonitor.ai)

• How AI/ML Can Thwart DDoS Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Bfore.Ai Releases 'The King, The Knight & The Snowball' - Cyber security Book for Children (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Sophisticated DarkTortilla Malware Serves Imposter Cisco, Grammarly Pages (darkreading.com)

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Cyber Warfare Is Getting Real | WIRED

• State level cyber attacks – Why and how (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

• The risk of escalation from cyber attacks has never been greater | Ars Technica

• Ukraine's DELTA military system users targeted by info-stealing malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trojanized Windows 10 installers compromised the Ukrainian government | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• NATO-Member Oil Refinery Targeted in Russian APT Blitz Against Ukraine (darkreading.com)

• Russian APT Gamaredon Changes Tactics in Attacks Targeting Ukraine | SecurityWeek.Com

• Kremlin-linked hackers tried to spy on oil firm in NATO country, researchers say | CNN Politics

• ‘Our weapons are computers’: Ukrainian coders aim to gain battlefield edge | Ukraine | The Guardian

• The long, long reach of the UK’s national security laws | Financial Times

• UK secret services wants ‘corkscrew thinkers’ for new cyber force | News | The Times

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• UK orders sale of Russian-backed broadband firm Upp over ‘security risk’ | Telecommunications industry | The Guardian

• Dark Web Profile: Killnet - Russian Hacktivist Group - SOCRadar

Nation State Actors – China

• Apple accused of censoring apps in Hong Kong and Russia • The Register

• The long, long reach of the UK’s national security laws | Financial Times

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korea-linked hackers stole $626M in virtual assets in 2022 - Security Affairs

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Vulnerability Management

• Open source vulnerabilities add to security debt - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Groups to Increase Zero-Day Exploit-Based Access Methods in the Future - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Top 5 Vulnerabilities Routinely Exploited by Threat Actors in 2022 (socradar.io)

• Over 50 New CVE Numbering Authorities Announced in 2022 | SecurityWeek.Com

• A Guide to Efficient Patch Management with Action1 (thehackernews.com)

• Digging into the numbers one year after Log4Shell | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Critical Windows code-execution vulnerability went undetected until now | Ars Technica

• FoxIt Patches Code Execution Flaws in PDF Tools | SecurityWeek.Com

• Old vulnerabilities in Cisco products actively exploited in the wild - Security Affairs

• OWASSRF: CrowdStrike Identifies New Method for Bypassing ProxyNotShell Mitigations

• Microsoft reports macOS Gatekeeper has an 'Achilles' heel • The Register

• Microsoft will turn off Exchange Online basic auth in January (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco’s Talos security bods predict new wave of Excel Hell • The Register

• Microsoft pushes emergency fix for Windows Server Hyper-V VM issues (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Groups to Increase Zero-Day Exploit-Based Access Methods in the Future - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware Uses New Exploit to Bypass ProxyNotShell Mitigations | SecurityWeek.Com

• New Microsoft Exchange exploit chain lets ransomware attackers in (CVE-2022-41080) - Help Net Security

• Zerobot malware now spreads by exploiting Apache vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Two New Security Flaws Reported in Ghost CMS Blogging Software (thehackernews.com)

• Critical Security Flaw Reported in Passwordstate Enterprise Password Manager (thehackernews.com)

• This critical Windows security flaw could be as serious as WannaCry, experts claim | TechRadar

• Google WordPress Plug-in Bug Allows AWS Metadata Theft (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft Details Gatekeeper Bypass Vulnerability in Apple macOS Systems (thehackernews.com)

Tools and Controls

• Companies overwhelmed by available tech solutions - Help Net Security

• Is Enterprise VPN on Life Support or Ripe for Reinvention? | SecurityWeek.Com

Reports Published in the Last Week

• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Annual Review 2022: Highlights and Thoughts | Tripwire

Other News

• 'Sextortion,' Business Disruption, and a Massive Attack: What Could Be in Store for 2023 (darkreading.com)

• The Growing Risk Of Malicious QR Codes (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• NASA infosec again falls short of required standard • The Register

• US Joint Cyber Force Elevated to Newest Subordinate Unified Command - MSSP Alert

• The Rise of the Rookie Hacker - A New Trend to Reckon With (thehackernews.com)

• What enumeration attacks are and how to prevent them | TechTarget

• US consumers seriously concerned over their personal data | CSO Online

• The FBI is worried about wave of crime against small businesses (cnbc.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.

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 Advisory 23/12/2022 – Heightened Phishing Risk Following the LastPass Data Breach Incident

Executive Summary

Yesterday, LastPass provided an update to their ongoing investigations into a previously disclosed security incident as detailed in our Cyber Alert (referenced below). The investigation by LastPass had confirmed customer data had been accessed and downloaded by malicious actors which could lead to an increase of Phishing attacks.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

With malicious actors having access to customer data, including: “company names, end-user names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service” and URLs for end user accounts stored within the vault, there is a high chance of this information being used as part of targeted phishing attacks, focusing on the services that are known to have been used by the end user.

What can I do?

LastPass state that “it is important to know that LastPass will never call, email, or text you and ask you to click on a link to verify your personal information. Other than when signing into your vault from a LastPass client, LastPass will never ask you for your master password.”

You should also employ the following tips to increase protection from phishing scams:

1)      Adopt a zero-trust stance – Regardless of the application or sender, you should always be wary, even if a message looks legitimate at first glance.

2)      Avoid using the contact information from a suspicious message - If you need to contact the sender of message to verify the contents of a message, look up their contact information separately using a trusted source.

3)      Employ Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) as another layer of protection, so more than just your password is required to login to a service.

4)      Don’t click on links or open attachments unless you’ve requested and know you can trust them.

Further information relating to Black Arrow’s Cyber alert can be found here: Black Arrow Cyber Consulting — Black Arrow Cyber Alert 22/12/2022 – ACTION REQUIRED: LastPass Security Incident Update

Further information on this security incident provided by LastPass can be found here: Notice of Recent Security Incident - The LastPass Blog

Further information on LastPass advice for avoiding phishing scams can be found here: LastPass - Avoiding Phishing Scams

Black Arrow Cyber Alert 22/12/2022 – ACTION REQUIRED: LastPass Security Incident Update

Executive Summary

LastPass has today provided an update to investigations of its security incident described in our Advisory of 02 December 2022. LastPass has now confirmed that customer data, including encrypted copies of password vaults, has been accessed and downloaded by malicious actors. While LastPass is still stating that the protected data should be secure if its best practice guidance was followed, we recommend, as advised by LastPass, that all users should reset the master password for their account and ensure that multi-factor authentication is enabled wherever possible. Given our focus on reducing risk, we also recommend that users should change the passwords stored within the service at the earliest opportunity, and prioritise those in the most critical accounts.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

LastPass has confirmed that the following un-encrypted data has been accessed during the data breach: “company names, end-user names, billing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and the IP addresses from which customers were accessing the LastPass service.” LastPass has also confirmed that website URLs for end user accounts were also copied, along with encrypted fields such as “website usernames and passwords, secure notes, and form-filled data”, but noted that these fields remain 256-bit AES encrypted, and should be protected from brute force attack.

LastPass also notes that customers may be targeted with phishing attacks, credential stuffing and other brute force attacks against online accounts associated with the LastPass Vault.

Although the latest information provided by LastPass is troubling, Black Arrow continues to recommend the use of password managers such as LastPass as part of a defence in depth approach to cyber security. Password managers can reduce the overall risks caused by practices such as using weak passwords, re-using passwords and writing down passwords.

What can I do?

LastPass notes that if the master password exceed 12 characters (as per LastPass’ default settings post-2018) and best practices, then end user master passwords should remain secure. However, LastPass notes that if the password did not meet its defaults then the number of attempts needed to brute force the password could be significantly reduced.

As above we recommend that all users should reset the master password for their account, and ensure that multi-factor authentication is enabled wherever possible. We also recommend that users should change the passwords stored within the service at the earliest opportunity, and prioritise those in the most critical accounts.

Further information on this security incident be found here: Notice of Recent Security Incident - The LastPass Blog

 Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 19/12/2022 – Veeam Vulnerabilities Under Active Exploitation

Executive Summary

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added two vulnerabilities which impact Veeam Backup and Replication, to its ‘Known Exploited Catalog’, due to evidence of the vulnerabilities being actively exploited in the wild.

The two now-patched vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-26500 and CVE-2022-26501) were published 12th March 2022 by Veeam and allow an attacker to remotely execute malicious code without authentication. The impacted versions of Veeam Backup and Replication were 9.5, 10 and 11.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

If organisations are still using a version of Veeam Backup and Replication with these vulnerabilities, then there is the potential that an attacker could gain control over a system, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of an organisations data.

What can I do?

Organisations using Veeam should contact their MSP to ensure that they have either installed the patches as per Veeam guidance or are using a newly deployed version of 10a or 11a that used installation files dated post 2nd March 2022.

Temporary mitigation would involve stopping and disabling the Veeam Distribution Service.

Further information on this vulnerability be found here:  https://www.veeam.com/kb4288

The CISA Known ‘Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog’ can be found here: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 16 December 2022

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

• Executives Take More Cyber Security Risks Than Office Workers

IT software company Ivanti worked with cyber security experts and surveyed 6,500 executive leaders, cybersecurity professionals, and office workers to understand the perception of today’s cybersecurity threats and to find out how companies are preparing for yet-unknown future threats.

The report revealed that despite 97% of leaders and security professionals reporting their organisation is as prepared, or more prepared, to defend against cybersecurity attacks than they were a year ago, one in five wouldn’t bet a chocolate bar that they could prevent a damaging breach.

In fact, the study finds that organisations are racing to fortify against cyber attacks, but the industry still struggles with a reactive, checklist mentality. This is most pronounced in how security teams are prioritising patches. While 92% of security professionals reported they have a method to prioritise patches, they also indicated that all types of patches rank high – meaning none do.

“Patching is not nearly as simple as it sounds,” said Ivanti. “Even well-staffed, well-funded IT and security teams experience prioritisation challenges amidst other pressing demands. To reduce risk without increasing workload, organisations must implement a risk-based patch management solution and leverage automation to identify, prioritise, and even address vulnerabilities without excess manual intervention”.

Cyber security insiders view phishing, ransomware, and software vulnerabilities as top industry-level threats for 2023. Approximately half of respondents indicated they are “very prepared” to meet the growing threat landscape including ransomware, poor encryption, and malicious employees, but the expected safeguards such as deprovisioning credentials is ignored a third of a time and nearly half of those surveyed say they suspect a former employee or contractor still has active access to company systems and files.

The report also revealed that leaders engage in more dangerous behaviour and are four times more likely to be victims of phishing compared to office workers.

Additionally:

• More than 1 in 3 leaders have clicked on a phishing link

• Nearly 1 in 4 use easy-to-remember birthdays as part of their password

• They are much more likely to hang on to passwords for years

• And they are 5x more likely to share their password with people outside the company.

One survey taker shared, “We’ve experienced a few advanced phishing attempts and the employees were totally unaware they were being targeted. These types of attacks have become so much more sophisticated over the last two years – even our most experienced staff are falling prey to it.”

To cope with a rapidly expanding threat landscape, organisations must move beyond a reactive, rules-based approach.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/16/executives-take-more-cybersecurity-risks-than-office-workers/

• CISO Role is Diversifying from Technology to Leadership & Communication Skills

The role of chief information security officer (CISO), a relatively new executive position, is undergoing some significant changes and an archetype has yet to emerge, a new global report from Marlin Hawk, an executive recruiting and leadership consultant, said.

CISOs are still more likely to serve on advisory boards or industry bodies than on the board of directors. Only 13% of the global CISOs analysed are women; approximately 20% are non-white. Each diversity dimension analysed is down one percentage point year-on-year.

According to James Larkin, managing partner at Marlin Hawk, “Today’s CISOs are taking up the mantle of responsibilities that have traditionally fallen solely to the chief information officer (CIO), which is to act as the primary gateway from the tech department into the wider business and the outside marketplace. This widening scope requires CISOs to be adept communicators to the board, the broader business, as well as the marketplace of shareholders and customers. By thriving in the ‘softer’ skill sets of communication, leadership, and strategy, CISOs are now setting the new industry standards of today and, I predict, will be progressing into the board directors of tomorrow.”

The job does not come without its downsides. For one, according to the search firm, many CISOs change roles and leave their jobs. Their skillset may not be adequate or new leaders get appointed to the job, they lack the necessary internal support, or their company may not have the required commitment to cyber security to make the job effective.

Key findings from the report include:

• 45% of global CISOs have been in their current role for two years or less, down from 53% in 2021, with 18% turnover year-on-year. While there is still a lot of movement in the CISO seat, there is potentially some stabilisation emerging.

• Approximately 62% of global CISOs were hired from another company, indicating a slight increase in the number of CISOs hired internally (38% were hired internally compared to 36% in 2021) but a large gap remains in appropriate successors.

• 36% of CISOs analysed with a graduate degree received a higher degree in business administration or management. This is down 10% from last year (46% in 2021). Conversely, there has been an increase to 61% of CISOs receiving a higher degree in STEM subjects (up from 46% in 2021).

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/ciso-role-is-diversifying-from-technology-to-leadership-communication-skills/

• How Emerging AIs, Like ChatGPT, Can Turn Anyone into a Ransomware and Malware Threat Actor

Ever since OpenAI launched ChatGPT at the end of November, commentators on all sides have been concerned about the impact AI-driven content-creation will have, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity. In fact, many researchers are concerned that generative AI solutions will democratise cyber crime.

With ChatGPT, any user can enter a query and generate malicious code and convincing phishing emails without any technical expertise or coding knowledge.

While security teams can also leverage ChatGPT for defensive purposes such as testing code, by lowering the barrier for entry for cyber attacks, the solution has complicated the threat landscape significantly. From a cyber security perspective, the central challenge created by OpenAI’s creation is that anyone, regardless of technical expertise, can create code to generate malware and ransomware on-demand.

Whilst it can be used for good to assist developers in writing code for good, it can (and already has) been used for malicious purposes. Examples including asking the bot to create convincing phishing emails or assist in reverse engineering code to find zero-day exploits that could be used maliciously instead of reporting them to a vendor.

ChatGPT does have inbuilt guardrails designed to prevent the solution from being used for criminal activity. For instance, it will decline to create shell code or provide specific instructions on how to create shellcode or establish a reverse shell and flag malicious keywords like phishing to block the requests.

The problem with these protections is that they’re reliant on the AI recognising that the user is attempting to write malicious code (which users can obfuscate by rephrasing queries), while there’s no immediate consequences for violating OpenAI’s content policy.

https://venturebeat.com/security/chatgpt-ransomware-malware/

• Cyber Security Drives Improvements in Business Goals

Cyber threats should no longer be viewed as just an IT problem, but also a business problem, Deloitte said in its latest Future of Cyber study. Operational disruption, loss of revenue, and loss of customer trust are the top three significant impacts of cyber incidents. More than half, or 56%, of respondents told Deloitte they suffered related consequences to a moderate or large extent.

In 2021, the top three negative consequences from cyber incidents and breaches were operational disruption, which includes supply chain and the partner ecosystem, intellectual property theft, and a drop in share price. While operational disruption remained the top concern in 2022, loss of revenue and loss of customer trust and negative brand impact moved up in importance. Intellectual property theft and drop in share price dropped to eighth and ninth (out of ten) in ranking. Losing funding for a strategic initiative, loss of confidence in the integrity of the technology, and impact on employee recruitment and retention moved up in ranking in 2022. Respondents were also asked to mark two consequences they felt would be most important in 2023: Operational disruption and loss of revenue topped the list.

"Today, cyber means business, and it is difficult to overstate the importance of cyber as a foundational and integral business imperative," Deloitte noted in its report. "It [cyber] should be included in every functional area, as an essential ingredient for success—to drive continuous business value, not simply mitigate risks to IT."

Deloitte categorised organisations' cyber security maturity based on their adoption of cyber planning, risk management, and board engagement. Risk management included activities such as industry benchmarking, incident response, scenario planning, and qualitative and quantitative risk assessment.

Whether or not the organisation adopted any of these three practices hinged on stakeholders recognising the importance of cyber responsibility and engagement across the whole organisation, Deloitte said in its report. Examples included having a governing body that comprises IT and senior business leaders to oversee the cyber program, conducting incident-response scenario planning and simulation at the organisational and/or board level, regularly providing cyber updates to the board to secure funding, and conducting regular cyber awareness training for all employees.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-threat-monitor/cybersecurity-drives-improvements-in-business-goals

• Incoming FCA Chair Says Crypto Firms Facilitate Money Laundering

The man who will lead UK efforts to regulate cryptocurrency firms issued a stark condemnation of the sector on Wednesday, telling MPs that in his experience crypto platforms were “deliberately evasive”, facilitated money laundering at scale and created “massively untoward risk”.

The comments from Ashley Alder, the incoming chair of the Financial Conduct Authority, suggest that crypto firms hoping to build businesses in the UK will face an uphill battle when the FCA assumes new powers to regulate broad swaths of the sector.

They also put Alder, who will become FCA chair in February, on a potential collision course with the government’s aspiration to create a high quality crypto hub that fosters innovation, a vision ministers have remained loyal to even as the global crypto market lurches from crisis to crisis, epitomised by the collapse of FTX. The FCA declined to comment on whether their incoming chair’s views were at odds with those of the government.

Alder comments came during a sometimes terse appointment hearing with the cross-party Treasury select committee, where he faced sustained criticism for appearing virtually from Hong Kong and for his lack of familiarity with some parts of the UK market place and its accountability structures.

https://www.ft.com/content/7bf0a760-5fb5-4146-b757-1acc5fc1dee5

• Managing Cyber Risk in 2023: The People Element

2022 has had many challenges from cyber war between Russia and Ukraine, continuing ransomware attacks, and a number of high-profile vulnerabilities and zero day attacks.  With the attack surface constantly expanding, CISOs and security leaders are acutely aware of the need to minimise risk across people, processes, and technology.

Top infrastructure risk: people

It’s common knowledge that it’s not if, but when, your organisation will be the target of a cyber attack. CISOs and security leaders seem to share the same opinion—according to Trend Micro’s latest Cyber Risk Index (CRI) (1H’2022), 85% of 4,100 respondents across four global regions said its somewhat to very likely they will experience a cyber attack in the next 12 months.  More concerning was 90% of respondents had at least one successful cyber attack in the past 12 months.

The CRI (1H’2022) also found that CISOs, IT practitioners, and managers identified that most organisations’ IT security objectives are not aligned with the business objectives, which could cause challenges when trying to implement a sound cyber security strategy.

It’s important to note that while ideal, avoiding a cyber attack isn’t the main goal—companies need to address critical challenges across their growing digital attack surface to enable faster detection and response, therefore minimising cyber risk.

While it's commonly assumed that security efforts should be largely focused on protecting critical servers and infrastructure, the human attack vector shouldn’t be so quickly forgotten.

https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/ciso/22/e/managing-cyber-risk.html

• What We Can't See Can Hurt Us

In speaking with security and fraud professionals, visibility remains a top priority. This is no surprise, since visibility into the network, application, and user layers is one of the fundamental building blocks of both successful security programs and successful fraud programs. This visibility is required across all environments — whether on-premises, private cloud, public cloud, multicloud, hybrid, or otherwise.

Given this, it is perhaps a bit surprising that visibility in the cloud has lagged behind the move to those environments. This occurred partially because few options for decent visibility were available to businesses as they moved to the cloud. But it also partially happened because higher priority was placed on deploying to the cloud than on protecting those deployments from security and fraud threats.

This is unfortunate, since what we can't see can hurt us. That being said, cloud visibility is becoming a top priority for many businesses. There are a few areas where many businesses are looking for visibility to play a key role, including Compliance, Monitoring, Investigation, Response, API Discovery, Application Breaches, and Malicious User Detection.

Organisation have been a bit behind in terms of ensuring the requisite visibility into cloud environments. Whilst time has been lost, it does seem that gaining visibility into the network, application, and user layers is now a priority for many businesses. This is a positive development, as it enables those businesses to better mitigate the risks that operating blindly creates.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/what-we-can-t-see-can-hurt-us

• Uber Suffers New Data Breach After Attack on Vendor, Info Leaked Online

Uber has suffered a new data breach after a threat actor leaked employee email addresses, corporate reports, and IT asset information stolen from a third-party vendor in a cyber security incident.

On Saturday last week, a threat actor named 'UberLeaks' began leaking data they claimed was stolen from Uber and Uber Eats on a hacking forum known for publishing data breaches. The leaked data includes numerous archives claiming to be source code associated with mobile device management platforms (MDM) used by Uber and Uber Eats and third-party vendor services.

The threat actor created four separate topics, allegedly for Uber MDM at uberhub.uberinternal.com and Uber Eats MDM, and the third-party Teqtivity MDM and TripActions MDM platforms. Each post refers to a member of the Lapsus$ hacking group who is believed to be responsible for numerous high-profile attacks, including a September cyber attack on Uber where threat actors gained access to the internal network and the company's Slack server.

News outlet BleepingComputer has been told that the newly leaked data consists of source code, IT asset management reports, data destruction reports, Windows domain login names and email addresses, and other corporate information. One of the documents seen by BleepingComputer includes email addresses and Windows Active Directory information for over 77,000 Uber employees.

While BleepingComputer initially thought this data was stolen during the September attack, Uber told BleepingComputer it believes it is related to a security breach on a third-party vendor.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/uber-suffers-new-data-breach-after-attack-on-vendor-info-leaked-online/

• When Companies Compensate the Hackers, We All Foot the Bill

Companies are always absorbing costs that are seen as par for the course of budget planning: maintenance, upgrades, office supplies, wastage, shrinkage, etc. These costs ratchet up the price of a company's products and are then passed on to the consumer. Breaches in cyber security and paying out ransoms to hackers should be outside of this remit, and yet more than half of all companies admit to transferring the costs of data breaches on to consumers. Careless or ill-informed employees and other weaknesses in a company's protections lead to catastrophic losses to businesses of around $1,797,945 per minute — and the consumers are paying it off.

If a company estimates the recovery costs from a ransomware attack to exceed the requested payment from the hacker, then it feels like a no-brainer — they're better off just cutting their losses and giving in to the cyber criminal's demands. The issue is that this creates an unvirtuous circle of paying the hacker, which enforces nefarious behaviour and empowers hackers to increase the number and volume of ransoms.

When it comes to ransomware, 32% of companies pay off hackers, and, of that percentage, the average company only retrieves about 65% of its data. Giving in to hackers is counterintuitive. On an even more disturbing note, one study found that 80% of companies that paid a ransom were targeted a second time, with about 40% paying again and a majority of that 40% paying a higher ransom the second time round. This is ludicrous. With 33% of companies suspending operations following an attack, and nearly 40% resorting to laying off staff, it comes as no surprise that the downstream costs are picked up to some extent by the consumer.

As for smaller companies, about 50% of US small businesses don't have a cyber security plan in place, despite the fact that small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted by cyber criminals than larger companies. An average breach costs these companies around $200,000 and has put many out of business. It isn't simply the cost passed on to consumers, it's also the intangible assets, such as brand reputation.

When data is leaked and a site goes down, customers become rightly anxious when their information is sold to the highest bidder on the Dark Web. To safeguard against this, companies of all sizes should exploit automated solutions while training every single member of staff to recognise and report online threats. Paying a ransom does not guarantee the return of data, and for a smaller business, losing valuable customer information could cause long-term damage way beyond the initial attack.

Cyber security professionals, governments, and law enforcement agencies all advise companies to avoid paying the hackers' ransoms. This strategy is affirmed by the success businesses have had in retrieving the stolen data and turning the lights back on — 78% of organisations who say they did not pay a ransom were able to fully restore systems and data without the decryption key. This evidently is not enough to reassure companies who, at the click of a dangerous email being opened, have lost sensitive information and access to their systems and are desperate to get back online. There are many preventative techniques businesses can take advantage of before it even gets to that stage.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/when-companies-compensate-the-hackers-we-all-foot-the-bill

• HSE Cyber-Attack Costs Ireland $83m So Far

The cost of the cyber-attack that hit the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) last year has officially reached €80m ($83.75m).

The figures come from a letter from HSE’s chief information officer, seen by The Irish Times. This comes months after the Department of Health suggested in February the attack could end up costing up to €100m ($104m). The letter confirmed that the costs reached €42m ($43.97m) in 2021 and almost €39m ($40.83m) until October of this year.

Ireland has a very capable national cyber security centre and a well-oiled CSIRT team that engages the public/private sector. If the cost does continue to escalate to €100m, that is the equivalent to everyone in the Republic of Ireland having been defrauded by €20. According to The Irish Times, the costs were said to be “enormous,” and the government has been asked to complete a comprehensive assessment of the impact caused by the breach.

The cyber-attack, believed to have been conducted by Russia-based state actors, was reportedly caused by a malicious Microsoft Excel file delivered via a phishing email. According to a December 2021 report, the file was opened at an HSE workstation in March 2021. The malware would have been latent for two months before the breach, which was reportedly discovered in May, two months later. A total of roughly 100,000 people had their personal data stolen during the cyber-attack.

Healthcare continues to be a target of attacks given their enormous attack surface across critical applications, cloud environments and IoT devices.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/hse-cyber-attack-ireland-dollar83m/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• HSE Cyber-Attack Costs Ireland $83m So Far - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware-hit Rackspace email outage enters 12th day • The Register

• The Dark Web is Getting Darker - Ransomware Thrives on Illegal Markets (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Rash of New Ransomware Variants Springs Up in the Wild (darkreading.com)

• Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Plugs Windows Hole Exploited in Ransomware Attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

• Preventing a ransomware attack with intelligence: Strategies for CISOs - Help Net Security

• Agenda Ransomware Switches to Rust to Attack Critical Infrastructure - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• LockBit ransomware crew claims attack on California Department of Finance - CyberScoop

• When Companies Compensate the Hackers, We All Foot the Bill (darkreading.com)

• Clop ransomware uses TrueBot malware for access to networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• TrueBot infections were observed in Clop ransomware attacks - Security Affairs

• Pulling the Curtains on Azov Ransomware: Not a Skidsware but Polymorphic Wiper - Check Point Research

• Play ransomware claims attack on Belgium city of Antwerp (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Brooklyn hospital network victim of cyber hack crash (msn.com)

• Ransomware Group Threatens to Publish Data Stolen From California Department of Finance | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cyber security Experts Uncover Inner Workings of Destructive Azov Ransomware (thehackernews.com)

• Cybereason warns of rapid increase in Royal ransomware | TechTarget

• New Royal ransomware group evades detection with partial encryption | CSO Online

• How ChatGPT can turn anyone into a ransomware and malware threat actor   | VentureBeat

• Check Point classifies Azov as wiper, not ransomware | TechTarget

• The Future of Ransomware - Security News (trendmicro.com)

• Hive ransomware gang claims responsibility for attack on Intersport that left cash registers disabled (bitdefender.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Open-source repositories flooded by 144,000 phishing packages (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Phishing attack uses Facebook posts to evade email security (bleepingcomputer.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• US Food Companies Warned of BEC Attacks Stealing Food Product Shipments | SecurityWeek.Com

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• North Korean Hackers Use Impersonation to Steal Intel - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Microsoft digital certificates have once again been abused to sign malware | Ars Technica

• Hackers target Japanese politicians with new MirrorStealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zscaler: Nearly 90% of Cyber attacks Now Use Encrypted Channels, Malware Tops - MSSP Alert

• This Linux-targeting malware just got more powerful | ZDNET

• Crooks use HTML smuggling to spread QBot malware via SVG files - Security Affairs

• A clever trick turns antivirus software into unstoppable data wiping scourges | TechSpot

• How ChatGPT can turn anyone into a ransomware and malware threat actor   | VentureBeat

Mobile

• Android Malware Campaign Leverages Money-Lending Apps to Blackmail Victims (thehackernews.com)

• Why You Should Enable Apple’s New iOS 16.2 Security Feature | Reviews by Wirecutter (nytimes.com)

• NSA Slices Up 5G Mobile Security Risks (darkreading.com)

• Xnspy stalkerware spied on thousands of iPhones and Android devices | TechCrunch

Internet of Things – IoT

• Critical Infrastructure Attacks: Convergence of IoT and OT Gives Hackers a Huge Attack Surface - SSP Alert

• 3.5m IP cameras exposed, with US in the lead - Security Affairs

• Are robots too insecure for lethal use by law enforcement? | CSO Online

• 10 Ways Doorbell Cameras Pose a Threat to Privacy and Security - Listverse

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Uber suffers new data breach after attack on vendor, info leaked online (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Twitter confirms recent user data leak is from 2021 breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• HR platform Sequoia says hackers accessed customer SSNs and COVID-19 data | TechCrunch

• Parsing LastPass’ data breach notice | TechCrunch

• Social Blade discloses security breach - Security Affairs

• Australia's Telstra suffers privacy breach, 132,000 customers impacted | Reuters

• Unauthorised server access caused AirAsia data leak: Fahmi | Malaysia | The Vibes

• FBI's InfraGard Cyber security Program Breached by Hackers (gizmodo.com)

• Database of the FBI's InfraGard US Critical Infrastructure Intelligence portal available for sale - Security Affairs

• Aussie Data Breaches Surge 489% in Q4 2022 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Uber staff information leaks after IT supply chain attack • The Register

• TPG reveals emails of 15,000 iiNet and Westnet customers exposed in hack | Telecommunications industry | The Guardian

• TPG Telecom joins list of hacked Australian companies, shares slide | Reuters

• How companies can avoid costly data breaches - Help Net Security

• Hackers leak personal info allegedly stolen from 5.7M Gemini users (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• ‘Booter’ sites taken down in global cyber crime bust (gbnews.uk)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Incoming FCA chair says crypto firms facilitate money laundering | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Britons lose life savings to ‘Ali Baba and the cryptocurrency scammers’ | News | The Times

• Bitcoin miners took on billions in debt to ‘pump their stock’—leading to a crypto catastrophe | Fortune

• Chaos RAT Used to Enhance Linux Cryptomining Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DOJ divided over charging Binance for alleged crypto crimes, report says | Ars Technica

• Crypto was meant to solve financial corruption. The FTX scandal shows it’s got worse | David A Banks | The Guardian

• Facebook Asks Lawmakers Not to Regulate Crypto Too Harshly Just Because of All the Fraud (vice.com)

• The amateur sleuths who helped to bring down Sam Bankman-Fried - New Statesman

• Hackers leak personal info allegedly stolen from 5.7M Gemini users (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Executives take more cyber security risks than office workers - Help Net Security

• Managing Cyber Risk in 2023: The People Element (trendmicro.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Loan Fee Fraud Surges by a Fifth as Christmas Approaches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Fraudsters Flooding Retail Markets with Bad Bots, Preying on Unsuspecting Retailers, Consumers - MSSP Alert

• Britons lose life savings to ‘Ali Baba and the cryptocurrency scammers’ | News | The Times

• Australians have lost at least $7.2 million to the 'Hi Mum' scam. How does it work and why is it so lucrative for cyber criminals? - ABC News

• Restaurant closes after fraudsters posing as officials steal thousands | News | The Times

• Woman gets 66 months in prison for role in $3.3 million ID fraud op (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Patrick Giblin conned women all over the US. Now he's going to prison for 5 years | CNN

• UK arrests five for selling dodgy point of sale software • The Register

• The amateur sleuths who helped to bring down Sam Bankman-Fried - New Statesman

• Scammers are pretending to be striking paramedics to trick people into giving donations, ambulance service warns | UK News | Sky News

• 8 charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud • The Register

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Incoming FCA chair says crypto firms facilitate money laundering | Financial Times (ft.com)

Insurance

• Most startups have cyber insurance but are uncertain about how much risk is covered - Help Net Security

• Cyber Insurer Cowbell Launches Cyber security Advisory Board - MSSP Alert

Dark Web

• The Dark Web is Getting Darker - Ransomware Thrives on Illegal Markets (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Uber staff information leaks after IT supply chain attack • The Register

• Report highlights serious cyber security issues with US defence contractors | CSO Online

Software Supply Chain

• How Naming Can Change the Game in Software Supply Chain Security (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft digital certificates have once again been abused to sign malware | Ars Technica

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• FBI Charges 6, Seizes 48 Domains Linked to DDoS-for-Hire Service Platforms (thehackernews.com)

• Prosecutors charge 6 people for allegedly waging massive DDoS attacks | Ars Technica

• teiss - Cyber Threats - DDoS attacks on the rise

• How My Startup Survived a DDoS Attack - Bannerbear

• DDoS is not back; it never went away; and PAM is on hand to fight the ‘unstoppable’ menace (techxmedia.com)

• ‘Booter’ sites taken down in global cyber crime bust (gbnews.uk)

• Microsoft discovers Windows/Linux botnet used in DDoS attacks | Ars Technica

Cloud/SaaS

• Top 4 SaaS Security Threats for 2023 (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft launches EU 'data boundary' from next year • The Register

• What We Can't See Can Hurt Us (darkreading.com)

• HR platform Sequoia says hackers accessed customer SSNs and COVID-19 data | TechCrunch

• Parsing LastPass’ data breach notice | TechCrunch

• Lego fixes dangerous API vulnerability in BrickLink service | TechTarget (computerweekly.com)

• Data Destruction Policies in the Age of Cloud Computing (darkreading.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Remote Work Cyber security Requires a Change in Mindset (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Encryption

• Zscaler: Nearly 90% of Cyber attacks Now Use Encrypted Channels, Malware Tops - MSSP Alert

• The FBI Says Apple’s New Encryption Is “Deeply Concerning” (futurism.com)

• NIST Retires SHA-1 Cryptographic Algorithm | NIST

• Over 85% of Attacks Hide in Encrypted Channels - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• WhatsApp is getting closer to a total UK shutdown | indy100

• Privacy advocates are aghast at UK’s anti-encryption plans (thenextweb.com)

API

• Lego fixes dangerous API vulnerability in BrickLink service | TechTarget (computerweekly.com)

Open Source

• This Linux-targeting malware just got more powerful | ZDNET

• Chaos RAT Used to Enhance Linux Cryptomining Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Google Launches OSV-Scanner Tool to Identify Open Source Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Open-source repositories flooded by 144,000 phishing packages (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• New GoTrim botnet brute forces WordPress site admin accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Fleeing Twitter users face uncertain privacy, security features on alternative platforms - CyberScoop

• Elon Musk's Twitter dissolves Trust and Safety Council - just days after its members speak out | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• TikTok may push potentially harmful content to teens within minutes, study finds | CNN Business

• Meta warns spyware still being used to target people on social media | Meta | The Guardian

• Elon Musk Bans Journalists From Twitter After Reinstating Nazis (gizmodo.com)

• Russian disinformation rampant on far-right social media platforms - CyberScoop

• HowTo: Fight Cyber-Threats in the Metaverse - Infosecurity Magazine

• US politicians propose TikTok ban over China security concerns (telegraph.co.uk)

• Social Blade discloses security breach - Security Affairs

• Twitter suspends Mastodon’s official account | The Hill

Training, Education and Awareness

• Keep Your Grinch at Bay: Here's How to Stay Safe Online this Holiday Season (thehackernews.com)

• Remote Work Cyber security Requires a Change in Mindset (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Most apps used in US classrooms share students' personal data with advertisers, researchers find - CyberScoop

• TikTok may push potentially harmful content to teens within minutes, study finds | CNN Business

• Microsoft Teams is a vector for child sexual abuse material • The Register

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Xnspy stalkerware spied on thousands of iPhones and Android devices | TechCrunch

• Proposed law offers support to tech-enabled abuse survivors • The Register

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Privacy concerns are limiting data usage abilities - Help Net Security

• European Commission takes step toward approving EU-US data privacy pact | Computerworld

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Managing Cyber Risk in 2023: The People Element (trendmicro.com)

• Executives take more cyber security risks than office workers - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Drives Improvements in Business Goals (darkreading.com)

• Compliance Is Not Enough: How to Manage Your Customer Data (darkreading.com)

• 5 tips for building a culture of cyber security accountability - Help Net Security

• How acceptable is your acceptable use policy? | CSO Online

• Data Destruction Policies in the Age of Cloud Computing (darkreading.com)

• What CISOs consider when building up security resilience - Help Net Security

• CISO Role is Diversifying From Technology to Leadership & Communication Skills - MSSP Alert

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Why PCI DSS 4.0 Should Be on Your Radar in 2023 (thehackernews.com)

• PCI Secure Software Standard version 1.2 sets out new payment security requirements | CSO Online

Backup and Recovery

• Why Your MSSP Should Offer Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) - MSSP Alert

• CISA Warns Veeam Backup & Replication Vulnerabilities Exploited in Attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

Data Protection

• OECD Signs "Landmark" Privacy Agreement - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Top Reasons Not to Become a Self-Taught Ethical Hacker in 2023 (analyticsinsight.net)

• The Cyber security Industry Doesn't Have a Stress Problem — It Has a Leadership Problem (darkreading.com)

• Two-Thirds of Security Pros Have Burnt Out in Past Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• FBI Charges 6, Seizes 48 Domains Linked to DDoS-for-Hire Service Platforms (thehackernews.com)

• Prosecutors charge 6 people for allegedly waging massive DDoS attacks | Ars Technica

• 8 charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Privacy advocates are aghast at UK’s anti-encryption plans (thenextweb.com)

• WhatsApp is getting closer to a total UK shutdown | indy100

• Most apps used in US classrooms share students' personal data with advertisers, researchers find - CyberScoop

• Apple should pay €6m for tracking users – French official • The Register

• European Commission takes step toward approving EU-US data privacy pact | Computerworld

• Privacy concerns are limiting data usage abilities - Help Net Security

Artificial Intelligence

• Are robots too insecure for lethal use by law enforcement? | CSO Online

• How ChatGPT can turn anyone into a ransomware and malware threat actor   | VentureBeat

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Russian disinformation rampant on far-right social media platforms - Cyberscoop

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Trojanized Windows 10 Operating System Installers Targeted Ukrainian Government | Mandiant

• Meta takes down surveillance-for-hire firms, calls for government action against the industry - CyberScoop

• Reassessing cyberwarfare. Lessons learned in 2022 | Securelist

• As Wiretap Claims Rattle Government, Greece Bans Spyware | SecurityWeek.Com

• Ex-Twitter Worker Gets Prison Time in Saudi 'Spy' Case | SecurityWeek.Com

• Reassessing cyberwarfare. Lessons learned in 2022 | Securelist

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Seven accused of smuggling out US military tech for Moscow • The Register

• Neo-Nazi Russian militia appeals for intelligence on Nato member states | Ukraine | The Guardian

• GPS Signals Are Being Disrupted in Russian Cities | WIRED

• NSA cyber director warns of Russian digital assaults on global energy sector - CyberScoop

• Russian disinformation rampant on far-right social media platforms - CyberScoop

Nation State Actors – China

• NSA Outs Chinese Hackers Exploiting Citrix Zero-Day | SecurityWeek.Com

• US politicians propose TikTok ban over China security concerns (telegraph.co.uk)

• Hackers target Japanese politicians with new MirrorStealer malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US to add Chinese chipmaker to trade blacklist | Financial Times (ft.com)

• AIIMS cyber attack suspected to have originated in China, Hong Kong - Rediff.com India News

• Spies and Lies by Alex Joske — inside China’s intelligence operation | Financial Times (ft.com)

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korean cyber spies deploy new tactic: tricking foreign experts into writing research for them | Reuters

• North Korean Hackers Use Impersonation to Steal Intel - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors – Iran

• MuddyWater APT group is back with updated TTPs - Security Affairs

• Iran-Backed Charming Kitten APT Eyes Kinetic Ops, Kidnapping (darkreading.com)

• Not-so-Charming Kitten targets orgs for espionage and worse • The Register

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Vulnerability Management

• Transitive Dependencies Account for 95% of Bugs - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 24% of technology applications contain high-risk security flaws - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Hackers exploit critical Citrix ADC and Gateway zero day, patch now (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Warns Veeam Backup & Replication Vulnerabilities Exploited in Attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

• Adobe Patches 38 Flaws in Enterprise Software Products | SecurityWeek.Com

• VMware fixed critical VM Escape bug demonstrated at Geekpwn hacking contest - Security Affairs

• Samba Issues Security Updates to Patch Multiple High-Severity Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Fortinet says SSL-VPN pre-auth RCE bug is exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Transitive Dependencies Account for 95% of Bugs - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Citrix Releases Security Updates for Citrix ADC, Citrix Gateway | CISA

• Security Flaw in Atlassian Products Affecting Multiple Companies (darkreading.com)

• Serious Attacks Could Have Been Staged Through This Amazon ECR Public Gallery Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Patch Tuesday: 0-days, RCE bugs, and a curious tale of signed malware – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Plugs Windows Hole Exploited in Ransomware Attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

• New Actively Exploited Zero-Day Vulnerability Discovered in Apple Products (thehackernews.com)

• Apple patches everything, finally reveals mystery of iOS 16.1.2 – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Apple fixed the tenth actively exploited zero-day this year - Security Affairs

• High-Severity Memory Safety Bugs Patched With Latest Chrome 108 Update | SecurityWeek.Com

• Top 5 Web App Vulnerabilities and How to Find Them (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Reclassifies SPNEGO Extended Negotiation Security Vulnerability as 'Critical' (thehackernews.com)

• Severe vulnerabilities found in most industrial controllers - The Washington Post

• Akamai WAF bypassed via Spring Boot to trigger RCE | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

Tools and Controls

• CISA Warns Veeam Backup & Replication Vulnerabilities Exploited in Attacks | SecurityWeek.Com

• Why Your MSSP Should Offer Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) - MSSP Alert

• How My Startup Survived a DDoS Attack - Bannerbear

• Data Destruction Policies in the Age of Cloud Computing (darkreading.com)

• 8 Firewall Best Practices | Enterprise Networking Planet

• Zero Trust Shouldn’t Be The New Normal (darkreading.com)

Other News

• Cyber Threats Loom as 5B People Prepare to Watch World Cup Final (darkreading.com)

• Tech companies must start sharing intelligence to avert global conflicts | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Japan, Australia, to bolster cyber-defences • The Register

• Microsoft Defender, Avast, AVG turned against Windows to permanently delete files - Neowin

• Analysis Shows Attackers Favour PowerShell, File Obfuscation (darkreading.com)

• Automated Cyber campaign Creates Masses of Bogus Software Building Blocks (darkreading.com)

• 12 types of wireless network attacks and how to prevent them | TechTarget

• Windows: Still insecure after all these years | ZDNET

• FuboTV says World Cup streaming outage caused by a cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MTTR “not a viable metric” for complex software system reliability and security | CSO Online

• Low-code/no-code security risks climb as tools gain traction | TechTarget

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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.

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 Advisory 14/12/2022 – Adobe, Citrix and VMware release patches for vulnerabilities

Adobe

Executive Summary

Adobe has released patches to address 38 vulnerabilities in multiple enterprise products with vulnerabilities rated important to moderate.

Products affected include Adobe Experience Manager, AEM Cloud Service, and Adobe Illustrator on both Windows and macOS platforms.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Exploitation of these vulnerabilities could result in arbitrary code execution and security feature bypass which would lead to further compromise of confidentiality, integrity and availability of organisation information.

What can I do?

Contact your Managed Service Provider (MSP) to confirm if AEM is currently used in your organisation and confirm if the vulnerabilities are being managed and patched in line with Adobe guidance.

Further technical information on the vulnerabilities can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb22-59.html

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Citrix

Executive Summary

Citrix have released updates after Citrix and the National Security Agency (NSA) identified usage of vulnerabilities which have allowed attackers to target Citrix Access Delivery Controller (ADC) and Citrix Gateway to remotely perform arbitrary code execution.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The vulnerabilities could allow for attackers to bypass authentication controls and gain access your organisation, which would lead to further compromise of confidentiality, integrity and availability of organisation information.

What can I do?

Contact your MSP to confirm if Citrix ADC and Citrix Gateway is currently being used for your organisation and confirm if the vulnerabilities are being managed and patched in line with Citrix guidance.

Further information can be found here: https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX474995/citrix-adc-and-citrix-gateway-security-bulletin-for-cve202227518

The NSA guidance can be found here: https://media.defense.gov/2022/Dec/13/2003131586/-1/-1/0/CSA-APT5-CITRIXADC-V1.PDF

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VMware

Executive Summary

VMware fixed three flaws in multiple products including a virtual machine escape issue. Products affected include VMware ESXi, Workstation and Fusion.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Vulnerabilities could lead to variously code execution, command injection or directory traversal attacks.

What can I do?

Contact your IT team or MSP to see if VMware ESXi, Workstation or Fusion are currently being used for your organisation and confirm if the vulnerabilities are being managed and patched in line with VMware guidance.

More information can be found here: https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0033.html

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

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#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 14/12/2022 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday – 48 Patches, Two Zero-Days Fixed, one under active exploitation

Executive Summary

Microsoft’s December Patch Tuesday provides 48 patches to address security issues across its product range. Also included are a critical patch to address an actively exploited Zero-Day vulnerability that allowed bypass of Mark Of The Web (MOTW) defences, as well as another publicly disclosed Zero-Day vulnerability which identified privilege escalation vulnerabilities with DirectX.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Security updates are available for all supported versions of Windows. As some of these updates address vulnerabilities that are known to be actively exploited, the updates should be applied as soon as possible.

What can I do?

Apply the available updates from Microsoft as soon as possible, while taking into consideration any potential downtime that these updates may cause.

Technical Summary

The following is a breakdown of the two Zero-Day vulnerabilities which affected Microsoft products:

CVE-2022-44710: An elevation of privilege vulnerability with a CVSS rating of 7.8, which allows the user to gain System privileges.

CVE-2022-44698: A bypass vulnerability with a CVSS 3.1 rating of 5.4, which allowed an attacker to create a malicious file that would evade MOTW defences.

Further details on other specific updates within this Patch Tuesday can be found here: https://www.ghacks.net/2022/12/13/microsoft-windows-security-updates-december-2022-overview/

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 09 December 2022

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

• Economic Uncertainty Will Greatly Impact the Spread of Cyber Crime

Norton released its top cyber trends to watch in 2023, emphasising that the economy will have the greatest impact on the spread of cyber crime next year. Experts predict the pressures associated with economic uncertainty and rising costs will create the perfect environment for scammers to take advantage of people when they are more vulnerable.

It’s expected that cyber criminals will trick victims into surrendering personal information, emptying their bank accounts, or spending money for products, services or “lottery winnings” that never arrive. “We anticipate scammers will continue to prey on the vulnerability of people as economic pressures rise in 2023,” said Norton.

“Cyber criminals love to exploit seasonal opportunities, and consumers are facing a perfect storm of rising prices in the middle of the busiest shopping season of the year when scammers are particularly active. Scams are always harder to detect during the holiday season because consumers expect deep discounts and may believe prices that would normally seem too good to be true. This year, inflation and other unfavourable macroeconomic factors are likely to make people particularly eager to find good deals and they may therefore be at greater risk than in previous years. Taking a few proactive steps today could help you to be safer all year long.”

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/06/economic-uncertainty-cybercrime/

• Cyber Security Resilience Emerges as Top Priority, as 62% of Companies Say Security Incidents Impacted Business Operations

Cyber security resilience is a top priority for companies as they look to defend against a rapidly evolving threat landscape, according to the latest edition of Cisco's annual Security Outcomes Report.

Resilience has emerged as a top priority as a staggering 62 percent of organisations surveyed said they had experienced a security event that impacted business in the past two years. The leading types of incidents were network or data breaches (51.5 percent), network or system outages (51.1 percent), ransomware events (46.7 percent) and distributed denial of service attacks (46.4 percent).

These incidents resulted in severe repercussions for the companies that experienced them, along with the ecosystem of organisations they do business with. The leading impacts cited include IT and communications interruption (62.6 percent), supply chain disruption (43 percent), impaired internal operations (41.4 percent) and lasting brand damage (39.7 percent).

With stakes this high, it is no surprise that 96 percent of executives surveyed for the report said that security resilience is high priority for them. The findings further highlight that the main objectives of security resilience for security leaders and their teams are to prevent incidents, and mitigate losses when they occur.

Technology is transforming businesses at a scale and speed never seen before. While this is creating new opportunities, it also brings with it challenges, especially on the security front. To be able to tackle these effectively, companies need the ability to anticipate, identify, and withstand cyber threats, and if breached be able to rapidly recover from one. That is what building resilience is all about.

Security, after all, is a risk business. As companies don't secure everything, everywhere, security resilience allows them to focus their security resources on the pieces of the business that add the most value to an organisation, and ensure that value is protected.

https://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-threats/cybersecurity-resilience-emerges-as-top-priority-as-62-of-companies-say-security-incidents-impacted-business-operations

• Cyber Security Should Focus on Managing Risk

Preventing all data breaches is an unrealistic goal. Instead, focus on finding and minimising the greatest risks.

There is a common misconception that all problems have clear, straightforward solutions — as long as you look hard enough. While this is a bold and ambitious goal, it's misguided when applied to cyber security. Organisations cannot prevent data breaches or cyberattacks altogether, and avoiding a breach or cyber incident is nearly impossible in the modern era. Organisations can, however, take steps to reduce an attack's negative impacts.

Eradicating risk is an impractical goal because you cannot "solve" something that constantly changes. To understand the risks you need to think like an attacker.

Threat actors are, first and foremost, opportunistic. They will always look for the easiest targets to maximise their financial gain. So intimately understanding an organisation's level of risk is the first step to managing and reducing it — and making yourself less of a target.

In line with Verizon’s "Data Breach Investigations Report" (DBIR) the four critical ways that threat actors most frequently use to compromise organisations large and small are credential compromise, phishing, vulnerability exploitation, and botnets, and these are the areas organisations should look reduce risks.

https://www.darkreading.com/edge-articles/cybersecurity-should-focus-on-managing-risk

• Fear of Cyber Attacks Drives SMBs to Spend More on Software

Despite fears of a looming recession, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are spending more on software in 2023, according to Capterra’s 2023 SMB Software Buying Trends Survey. 75% of US SMBs estimate they’ll spend more on software in 2023 compared to 2022.

Alongside increased software budgets, Capterra’s survey of over 500 SMBs reveals four other major trends in software buying behaviours and challenges that will impact businesses in 2023:

• Fearful of cyber attacks, US businesses rate security as a top motivator for software purchases

• Implementation concerns are SMBs’ biggest purchase barrier

• Most SMB software purchases are solely handled by IT, disregarding other important stakeholders

• Customer reviews sway purchase decisions, and verified reviews are critical

Despite the expected increase in software investments, many US SMBs regret their technology purchases. 61% of US SMBs say they have buyer’s remorse over a technology purchase in the past 12-18 months. Inadequate support services (39%) and higher-than-anticipated costs (34%) are the top reasons behind such regrets.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/12/07/smbs-software-spending-2023/

• Business Email Compromise (BEC) Fraud Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices

Business email compromise (BEC) scams have been increasingly targeting mobile devices, particularly with SMS-focused attacks. According to a new advisory by cyber security specialists at Trustwave, the trend indicates a broader shift towards phishing scams via text messages.

“Phishing scams are prevalent in the SMS threat landscape, and now, BEC attacks are also going mobile,” reads the report. Trustwave further added that scammers typically obtain mobile numbers from data breaches, social media and data brokers, among other methods. After that, attackers ask victims for a wire transfer, send a copy of an aging report or change a payroll account, luring them into paying for something that should be reimbursed later (but never will).

BEC attacks will always be here so long as they remain profitable. Their continued profitability proves that employee cyber security behaviour is neglected and mismanaged by the compliance-based approach to security awareness.

Security culture needs a reformation that begins with transforming the human layer into an asset which, when empowered by the right training and platform, augments the protect-detect-respond pillars of the [National Institute of Standards and Technology] NIST framework.

Trustwave’s findings were also confirmed in SlashNext’s State of Phishing 2022 report, which recently highlighted a 50% increase in attacks on mobile devices, with scams and credential theft at the top of the list of payloads. The document also suggested 83% of organisations reported that mobile device threats had been growing more quickly than other device threats.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/bec-attacks-expand-toward-mobile/

• Ransomware Professionalisation Grows as Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) Takes Hold

Ransomware groups are getting their acts together, growing in sophistication and business acumen while monetising ransomware beyond encryption, including double and triple extortion, as the market for ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) matures.

In first half of 2022, LockBit, Conti, Alphv, Black Basta, and Vice Society were among the most prolific ransomware gangs, focusing their attack on US-based organisations, according to a LookingGlass report on the topic.

The report confirmed and attributed 1,133 ransomware attacks in the first six months of the year and attributed 207 data leaks across all active threat actor groups throughout the same period. Of the more than 1,300 incidents, the bulk came from the top 15 most active ransomware groups, led by LockBit, Conti, and Alphv.

Ransomware gangs have primarily targeted two sectors during the analysis period: manufacturing and industrial products, followed by engineering and construction and healthcare and life sciences, with the consumer and retail industry rounding out the top five.

The report highlighted the rise of sophisticated software and networks as a principal contributor to the professionalisation of ransomware, with malicious actors now offering RaaS, bug bounties, sales teams, and even customer support.

“This new, more professional ransomware structure can only mean that the problem will continue to grow in the months ahead," the report noted. "We anticipate the adoption of more traditional business practices as the underground economy continues to remain robust”.

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/ransomware-professionalization-grows-as-raas-takes-hold

• Automated Dark Web Markets Sell Corporate Email Accounts For $2

Cyber crime marketplaces are increasingly selling stolen corporate email addresses for as low as $2 to fill a growing demand by hackers who use them for business email compromise and phishing attacks or initial access to networks.

Analysts at Israeli cyber-intelligence firm KELA have closely followed this trend, reporting at least 225,000 email accounts for sale on underground markets.

The largest webmail shops are Xleet and Lufix, claiming to offer access to over 100k breached corporate email accounts, with prices ranging between $2 and $30, if not more, for highly-desirable organisations.

Typically, these accounts were stolen via password cracking (brute-forcing) or credential stuffing, had their credentials stolen through phishing, or were bought from other cyber criminals.

Hackers use their access to corporate email accounts in targeted attacks like business email compromise (BEC), social engineering, spear-phishing, and deeper network infiltration.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/automated-dark-web-markets-sell-corporate-email-accounts-for-2/

• Cloud Hosting Provider Rackspace Warns of Phishing Risks Following Ransomware Attack

Cloud computing provider Rackspace warned customers on Thursday of increased risks of phishing attacks following a ransomware attack affecting its hosted Microsoft Exchange environment.

While the company is still investigating the incident and is working on bringing affected systems back online, it says that cyber criminals might also take advantage and exploit this incident for their own purposes.

"If you do receive a message from an individual you do not recognise, do not reply. Please login to your control panel and create a ticket, including details about the message you received," Rackspace said. "We understand that contact such as this may be alarming, but we currently have no evidence to suggest that you are at increased risk as a result of this direct contact."

Rackspace added that customers could easily spot scammers attempting to steal their sensitive information since:

• Emails from Rackspace will be sent from @rackspace.com emails (although attackers might still use a spoofed email address and redirect their targets to a landing phishing page)

• Rackspace support will not ask for login credentials or personal information (e.g., social security number, driver's license) during phone calls

Even though the company is yet to reveal if it has any evidence that the attackers have stolen data from its systems during the breach, customers were advised to remain vigilant and monitor their credit reports and banking account statements for suspicious activity.

Some customers are also reporting an increase in phishing emails impersonating Rackspace since the ransomware attack. Those affected by the Rackspace ransomware attack and outage should not open any suspicious email attachments or click any suspicious links.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/rackspace-warns-of-phishing-risks-following-ransomware-attack/

• Security Concerns Scupper Deals for Two-Thirds of Firms

Two-thirds (67%) of global organisations have admitted to losing out on acquiring potential customers due to concerns about their security posture, according to LogRhythm.

The security vendor polled 1175 security professionals and executives across five continents to compile its latest report, The State of the Security Team 2022. It found that security due diligence among customers and partners is increasingly rigorous.

Some 91% of respondents said that their security strategy must now align with customers’ security policies and standards, while 85% claimed their company must provide proof that they meet partners’ security requirements.

There was more worrying news from the report: 70% of respondents reported an increase in workplace stress for security teams, with nearly a third (30%) citing a “significant” increase. Among the key stress factors highlighted in the study were growing attack sophistication, greater responsibilities and increasing attack frequency.

Two-fifths (41%) claimed that better integrated solutions would help to relieve these pressures, while a similar number (42%) pointed to the need for more experienced security professionals. The latter would seem unlikely, given the coming recession’s likely impact on budgets, and persistent industry skills shortages. The gap is now 3.4 million globally, including 56,800 in the UK, a massive 73% year-on-year increase, according to ISC2.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/security-concerns-scupper-deals/

• Microsoft Encourages 'Strong Cyber Hygiene' in Light of Increasing Russian Cyber Attacks

Microsoft is gearing up for a slew of Russian cyber attacks this winter, and warns others to stay vigilant. Between missiles, drones, and cyber attacks the onslaught against Ukraine has been a brutal one, and reportedly only set to get worse in the coming months.

"Moscow has intensified its multi-pronged hybrid technology approach to pressure the sources of Kyiv’s military and political support," says Microsoft in a recent blog post. "Recent attacks in Poland suggest that Russian state-sponsored cyber attacks may increasingly be used outside Ukraine in an effort to undermine foreign-based supply chains."

In late October, Russian forces were pushed from formerly occupied territory, retaliating with missile, drone, and cyber strikes that left much of Kyiv in need of simple running water.

The Russian group known to Microsoft as IRIDIUM (aka Sandworm) is thought to be working with the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, in coordinated efforts to inflict suffering on the people of Ukraine. The group has been at large for almost a decade, as Microsoft notes, "Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, IRIDIUM launched a series of wintertime operations against Ukrainian electricity providers, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of citizens in 2015 and 2016."

https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-encourages-strong-cyber-hygiene-in-light-of-increasing-russian-cyberattacks/

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Rackspace customers rage following ransomware attack, as class-action lawsuits filed (bitdefender.com)

• Ransomware Professionalization Grows as RaaS Takes Hold (darkreading.com)

• Rackspace Admits Security Incident, Helps Customers Migrate to Microsoft 365 Accounts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Medibank share price slumps ahead of major shutdown and cyber security overhaul (fool.com.au)

• Rackspace confirms ransomware behind days-long email outage • The Register

• Vice Society: Profiling a Persistent Threat to the Education Sector (paloaltonetworks.com)

• Wiper, Disguised as Fake Ransomware, Targets Russian Orgs (darkreading.com)

• Never-before-seen malware is nuking data in Russia’s courts and mayors’ offices | Ars Technica

• Rackspace rocked by ‘security incident’ in hosted Exchange • The Register

• Open Source Ransomware Toolkit Cryptonite Turns Into Accidental Wiper Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Understanding NIST CSF to assess your organisation's Ransomware readiness (thehackernews.com)

• New Ransom Payment Schemes Target Executives, Telemedicine – Krebs on Security

• South Pacific vacations may be wrecked by ransomware • The Register

• Gartner: 5 Considerations for I&O Leaders Planning Against Ransomware Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Intersport Data Posted On Hive Dark Web Blog - Information Security Buzz

• NZ Privacy Commissioner Investigates Mercury IT Ransomware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Vice Society Ransomware Attackers Targeted Dozens of Schools in 2022 (thehackernews.com)

• Education sector hit by Hive ransomware in November | TechTarget

• Ransomware attack forces French hospital to transfer patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CommonSpirit Health ransomware attack exposed data of 623,000 patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Gang Steals Employee and Customer Data From LJ Hooker (vice.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Rackspace warns of phishing risks following ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Phishing in the Cloud: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (darkreading.com)

• Phishing scammers impersonate WhatsApp by buying a top ad spot on Google | PC Gamer

• Man who lost $149k after clicking on phishing e-mail among at least 10 victims in Case cyber attack | The Straits Times

• How to Recognize Phishing Emails: Cyber security Experts Give Advice - WSJ

• Investment Fraud Gang May Have Made $500m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• BEC Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Christmas Warning: Threat Actors Impersonate your Favourite Brands to Attack, Finds CSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Infostealer Malware Market Booms, as MFA Fatigue Sets In (darkreading.com)

• Hardening Identities With Phish-Resistant MFA (darkreading.com)

• 'I had £8,000 stolen but Revolut won't refund it' - BBC News

Malware

• Hack-for-Hire Group Targets Travel and Financial Entities with New Janicab Malware Variant (thehackernews.com)

• Infostealer Malware Market Booms, as MFA Fatigue Sets In (darkreading.com)

• Malware Authors Inadvertently Take Down Own Botnet (darkreading.com)

• New TrueBot Malware Variant Leveraging Netwrix Auditor Bug and Raspberry Robin Worm (thehackernews.com)

• Truebot Malware Activity Increases With Possible Evil Corp Connections - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Newly Discovered Trojan Steals 300,000 Facebook Users Details In 4 Year-Long Campaign - Information Security Buzz

• Artifact Poisoning in GitHub Actions Imports Malware via Software Pipelines (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• BEC Attacks Expand Beyond Email and Toward Mobile Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'Scattered Spider' Cyber crime Group Targets Mobile Carriers via Telecom, BPO Firms | SecurityWeek.Com

• Code of practice for app store operators and app developers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Android malware apps with 2 million installs spotted on Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Privacy changes set Apple at odds with UK government over online safety bill | Apple | The Guardian

• Android malware infected 300,000 devices to steal Facebook accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Uncover Darknet Service Allowing Hackers to Trojanize Legit Android Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Android December 2022 security updates fix 81 vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Telcom and BPO Companies Under Attack by SIM Swapping Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• Darknet's Largest Mobile Malware Marketplace Threatens Users Worldwide (thehackernews.com)

• Eight Questions to Ask Your Aging Parents (and Yourself) to Keep Their Phones Safe From Hackers - WSJ

• SIM swapper gets 18-months for involvement in $22 million crypto heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Compromised Android keys used to sign info-stealing malware • The Register

• Largest mobile malware marketplace identified by Resecurity in the Dark Web - Security Affairs

Internet of Things – IoT

• How IoT is changing the threat landscape for businesses - Help Net Security

• What's the Matter with digital trust in smart home devices? - Help Net Security

• Security Risks Found in Millions of XIoT Devices - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Self-Propagating 'Zerobot' Botnet Targeting Spring4Shell, IoT Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Eufy responds to camera security concerns | ZDNET

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Popular HR and Payroll Company Sequoia Discloses a Data Breach | WIRED

• Personal data of 10,000 Australians found for sale online | 7NEWS

• Stolen data of 600,000 Indians sold on bot markets so far - study | Reuters

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Of Exploits and Experts: The Professionalization of Cyber Crime (darkreading.com)

• Economic uncertainty will greatly impact the spread of cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Automated dark web markets sell corporate email accounts for $2 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DHS Cyber Safety Board to review Lapsus$ gang’s hacking tactics (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BlackProxies proxy service increasingly popular among hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Gen Z Internet Users "Normalize" Cyber crime - Report - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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

• Metaparasites: The cyber criminals who rip each other off • Graham Cluley

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Bitcoin ‘rarely’ used for legal transactions, on ‘road to irrelevance’, say European Central Bank officials | TechCrunch

• North Korean Hackers Spread AppleJeus Malware Disguised as Cryptocurrency Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Warns Cryptocurrency Firms Against Complex Cyber-Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat Actors Use Malicious File Systems to Scale Crypto-Mining Operations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft: Hackers target cryptocurrency firms over Telegram (bleepingcomputer.com)

• UK finalises plans for regulation of ‘wild west’ crypto sector | Financial Times (ft.com)

• North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme – Security Bitcoin News

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Insights into insider threats: Detecting and monitoring abnormal user activity - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Even cyber criminals fall for online scams: $2.5m last year • The Register

• Why are Monzo, Revolut and Starling becoming scam targets? — Startup Europe, The Sifted Podcast | Sifted

• 'I had £8,000 stolen but Revolut won't refund it' - BBC News

• Suspects arrested for hacking US networks to steal employee data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Credit card skimming – the long and winding road of supply chain failure – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Australia arrests 'Pig Butchering' suspects for stealing $100 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals are scamming each other, tipping off law enforcement - Help Net Security

• Elon Musk "Freedom Giveaway" crypto scam promoted via Twitter lists (bleepingcomputer.com)

• SIM swapper gets 18-months for involvement in $22 million crypto heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Metaparasites: The cyber criminals who rip each other off • Graham Cluley

• Investment Fraud Gang May Have Made $500m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Deepfakes

• Thanks to AI, it’s probably time to take your photos off the Internet | Ars Technica

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Santander UK fined £108m over anti-money laundering failings | Banco Santander | The Guardian

Insurance

• What you should know when considering cyber insurance in 2023 | CSO Online

• Cyber Insurance Policy Underwriting Explained (trendmicro.com)

Dark Web

• Dark web recruiting techniques: Malware, phishing, and carding - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Iranian Hackers Strike Diamond Industry with Data-Wiping Malware in Supply-Chain Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Antwerp's city services down after hackers attack digital partner (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Credit card skimming – the long and winding road of supply chain failure – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Transport And Shipping Beware – Supply Chains Under Attack - Information Security Buzz

• Popular HR and Payroll Company Sequoia Discloses a Data Breach | WIRED

Software Supply Chain

• How Naming Can Change the Game in Software Supply Chain Security (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• 3 Types Of DDoS Attack Types You Should Care About - Information Security Buzz

• Microsoft warning after DDoS attack disrupts Russian bank • The Register

Cloud/SaaS

• Phishing in the Cloud: We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (darkreading.com)

• How to get cloud migration right - Help Net Security

• 3 Ways Attackers Bypass Cloud Security (darkreading.com)

• How to implement least privilege access in the cloud | TechTarget

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Remote workers losing laptops are bigger threat to companies than hackers (telegraph.co.uk)

Encryption

• WhatsApp raises threat of UK shutdown in encryption row (telegraph.co.uk)

• Governments want to avert quantum's encryption apocalypse (axios.com)

API

• 68% of IT leaders are worried about API sprawl - Help Net Security

Open Source

• Ping of death! FreeBSD fixes crashtastic bug in network tool – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Research reveals where 95% of open source vulnerabilities lie - Help Net Security

• Critical Ping Vulnerability Allows Remote Attackers to Take Over FreeBSD Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Threat Actors Use Malicious File Systems to Scale Crypto-Mining Operations - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Password Reset Calls Are Costing Your Org Big Money (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Taiwan bans state-owned devices from running TikTok • The Register

• Critical Vulnerabilities Force Twitter Alternative Hive Social Offline | SecurityWeek.Com

• Does Hive's Security Problem Make It Unsafe to Use? (lifehacker.com)

• Elon Musk "Freedom Giveaway" crypto scam promoted via Twitter lists (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US States label TikTok a malicious and menacing threat • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• Making Cyber-awareness Training And Spoofing Protection Mandatory In The Digital Workplace - Information Security Buzz

• Engage your employees with better cyber security training - Help Net Security

• Lack of Cyber security Expertise Poses Threat for Public-Safety Orgs (darkreading.com)

• 4 cyber security predictions for 2023 --- SANS analysts look ahead | VentureBeat

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• US Sues TikTok Over Child Safety and Data Security Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Are Parents Feeding Kids’ Data To Threat Actors? Expert Comments - Information Security Buzz

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Five companies fined over £400,000 for targeting over-60s with illegal marketing calls | UK News | Sky News

• UK finalises plans for regulation of ‘wild west’ crypto sector | Financial Times (ft.com)

• What Stricter Data Privacy Laws Mean for Your Cyber security Policies (thehackernews.com)

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber security Risk Management In The Real World - Information Security Buzz

• Economic uncertainty will greatly impact the spread of cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Plan: 3 Keys for CISOs (trendmicro.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Understanding NIST CSF to assess your organisation's Ransomware readiness (thehackernews.com)

• PCI Secure Software Standard 1.2 released - Help Net Security

• How compliance leaders can encourage employees to report misconduct - Help Net Security

• The changing role of the MITRE ATT@CK framework | CSO Online

• Don't Wait to Become CMMC Compliant - Information Security Buzz

• Three Ways to Improve Defence Readiness Using MITRE D3FEND | SecurityWeek.Com

Data Protection

• Remote workers losing laptops are bigger threat to companies than hackers (telegraph.co.uk)

• How companies time data leak disclosures - Help Net Security

• What Stricter Data Privacy Laws Mean for Your Cyber security Policies (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 5 top qualities you need to become a next-gen CISO | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Suspects arrested for hacking US networks to steal employee data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Australia arrests 'Pig Butchering' suspects for stealing $100 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• The Privacy War Is Coming (darkreading.com)

• Apple Faces Critics Over Its Privacy Policies | SecurityWeek.Com

• Privacy changes set Apple at odds with UK government over online safety bill | Apple | The Guardian

• Apple announces new security and privacy measures amid surge in cyber-attacks | Apple | The Guardian

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• NATO Readies for Cyber War: Simulation Shows Unified Front Against Attack - MSSP Alert

• Microsoft warns of Russian cyber attacks throughout the winter (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft warning after DDoS attack disrupts Russian bank • The Register

• Lessons from Russia’s cyber-war in Ukraine | The Economist

• Russian Espionage APT Callisto Focuses on Ukraine War Support Organisations | SecurityWeek.Com

• Russian Actors Use Compromised Healthcare Networks Against Ukrainian Orgs (darkreading.com)

• Security Firms Aiding Ukraine During War Could Be Considered Participants in Conflict (substack.com)

• Russian Hackers Use Western Networks to Attack Ukraine - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Pegasus spyware was used to hack reporters’ phones. I’m suing its creators | Nelson Rauda Zablah | The Guardian

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Microsoft encourages 'strong cyber hygiene' in light of increasing Russian cyber attacks | PC Gamer

• Russian Hackers Spotted Targeting US Military Weapons and Hardware Supplier (thehackernews.com)

• The surprising ineffectiveness of Russia’s cyber-war | The Economist

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese Government Linked Hackers Swiped $20M in Targeted Pandemic Funds, Secret Service Says - MSSP Alert

• Chinese Hackers Using Russo-Ukrainian War Decoys to Target APAC and European Entities (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese Hackers Target Middle East Telecoms in Latest Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese hackers stole millions worth of US COVID relief money, Secret Service says | Reuters

• Amnesty International Canada breached by suspected Chinese hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China Operates More Than 100 Secret 'Police Stations' Globally: Report (businessinsider.com)

• US Congress rolls back proposal to restrict use of Chinese chips | Computerworld

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korean tech freelancers' earnings fund nukes, missiles • The Register

• North Korean Hackers Spread AppleJesus Malware Disguised as Cryptocurrency Apps (thehackernews.com)

• Google Documents IE Browser Zero-Day Exploited by North Korean Hackers | SecurityWeek.Com

• APT37 Uses Internet Explorer Zero-Day to Spread Malware (darkreading.com)

• Google: State hackers still exploiting Internet Explorer zero-days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• North Korean Lazarus Group Linked to New Cryptocurrency Hacking Scheme – Security Bitcoin News

Nation State Actors – Iran

• Iranian APT Targets US With Drokbk Spyware via GitHub (darkreading.com)

• Iranian Hackers Strike Diamond Industry with Data-Wiping Malware in Supply-Chain Attack (thehackernews.com)

• Iranian State Hackers Targeting Key Figures in Activism, Journalism, and Politics (thehackernews.com)

• UK lawmakers warned of cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives | CNN

• Iran Arrests News Agency Deputy After Reported Cyber attack | SecurityWeek.Com

---

Vulnerabilities

• Attackers take over expired domain to deliver web skimming scripts - Help Net Security

• Google discovers Windows exploit framework used to deploy spyware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco discloses high-severity IP phone bug with exploit code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Chrome emergency update fixes 9th zero-day of the year (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Documents IE Browser Zero-Day Exploited by North Korean Hackers | SecurityWeek.Com

• For Cyber attackers, Popular EDR Tools Can Turn into Destructive Data Wipers (darkreading.com)

• A new Linux flaw can be chained with other two bugs to gain full root privileges - Security Affairs

• Self-Propagating 'Zerobot' Botnet Targeting Spring4Shell, IoT Vulnerabilities | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Chrome Flaw Added to CISA Patch List (darkreading.com)

• Fortinet Patches High-Severity Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in FortiOS | SecurityWeek.Com

• Research reveals where 95% of open source vulnerabilities lie - Help Net Security

• Critical Ping Vulnerability Allows Remote Attackers to Take Over FreeBSD Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Google: State hackers still exploiting Internet Explorer zero-days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Multiple Zero Days Discovered In Leading Antivirus And Endpoint Solutions (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• APT37 Uses Internet Explorer Zero-Day to Spread Malware (darkreading.com)

• WAFs of Several Major Vendors Bypassed With Generic Attack Method | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Chrome zero-day exploited in the wild (CVE-2022-4262) - Help Net Security

• Sophos fixed a critical flaw in its Sophos Firewall version 19.5 - Security Affairs

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Tools and Controls

• Security pros feel threat detection and response workloads have increased - Help Net Security

• Single Sign-on: It's Only as Good as Your Ability to Use It (darkreading.com)

• Leveraging the full potential of zero trust - Help Net Security

• Understanding malware analysis and its challenges | TechTarget

• Using XDR to Consolidate and Optimize Cyber security Technology (thehackernews.com)

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• The promise of Open Everything (axway.com)

• Security Outcomes Report, Volume 3 - Cisco

• ENISA Threat Landscape 2022 — ENISA (europa.eu)

---

Other News

• Over 4,000 Vulnerable Pulse Connect Secure Hosts Exposed to Internet | SecurityWeek.Com

• Where Advanced Cyber attackers Are Heading Next: Disruptive Hits, New Tech (darkreading.com)

• 43 Trillion Security Data Points Illuminate Our Most Pressing Threats (darkreading.com)

• 7 reasons why you must embed trust into the core of your business - Help Net Security

• Most convicted terrorists radicalised online, finds MoJ-backed study | UK security and counter-terrorism | The Guardian

• Risky online behaviour ‘almost normalised’ among young people, says study | Internet | The Guardian

• Top 7 factors boosting enterprise cyber security resilience - Help Net Security

• Machine Learning Models: A Dangerous New Attack Vector (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft's rough 2022 security year in review | CSO Online

• Consumers want convenience without sacrificing security - Help Net Security

• 4 cyber security predictions for 2023 --- SANS analysts look ahead | VentureBeat

• 3 of the Worst Data Breaches in the World That Could Have Been Prevented  - Security Affairs

• Removing the Barriers to Security Automation Implementation | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cyber security Should Focus on Managing Risk (darkreading.com)

• Deal with sophisticated bot attacks: Learn, adapt, improve - Help Net Security

• Want to detect Cobalt Strike? Look to process memory • The Register

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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

---

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 Advisory 07/12/2022 – Rackspace Security Incident

Executive Summary

Rackspace, a cloud solutions provider, announced on the 02 December that their Hosted Exchange environment was experiencing connectivity issues, and later advised that they had shut the environment down. In an unprecedented move, they then advised clients to migrate to Microsoft 365 to send and receive emails until further notice. Rackspace later confirmed on the 06/12/2022 that the suspicious activity was a ransomware incident, and at current there is no timeline on the restore of the hosted exchange environment. At this stage Rackspace have not confirmed if customer data has been compromised, however the organisation believes that the incident is isolated to only affect their exchange online environment.

Indications are present that the Exchange Servers may not have been up to date on security patching, including updates that address two actively exploited zero-days discovered in October 2022.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Until Rackspace release more details, it is difficult to ascertain if a malicious party has gained access to customer emails stored within the hosted exchange environment. Customers are advised to follow Rackspace’s procedures for migrating to M365 Exchange Online, in order for email services to be supplied during this outage.

What can I do?

If your email services are hosted with Rackspace, then the organisation should have already been in contact to assist with the transfer to M365 Exchange Online. Rackspace also recommend that an email forwarding redirect is enabled while the migration is taking place to allow for emails to be received by an external email address. While this will allow for email to be received, it is important to highlight the potential security risks of accessing and sending email outside of the corporate email environment, and extra precautionary measures should be taken.

Further information on this security incident be found here:  https://status.apps.rackspace.com/index/viewincidents?group=2&_gl=1*1mrlqxb*_ga*MTk4MjM3MTEwNi4xNjcwNDA1Nzkw*_ga_P5J3XFCZLB*MTY3MDQxMDgwNC4yLjAuMTY3MDQxMDgwNC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.90554394.1824554204.1670405790-1982371106.1670405790

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 02 December 2022

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

• Businesses Increasing Cyber Spend Without Clear Strategy, Study Finds

Most businesses worldwide claim to be confident that their current cyber security budgets are fit for their needs, but at the same time would be willing to spend more, according to research by the cloud platform provider Fastly.

While 71% of businesses highlighted their confidence in their currently budgets, 73% of the same businesses are willing to increase their budget. In the US specifically, over 85% of IT leaders considered their current budget to be adequate, but 79% are still thinking of increasing it.

This cyber spending paradox has been highlighted in Fastly’s latest study ‘Fighting fire with fire’ published on November 30, 2022.

One explanation is that IT leaders fear lagging the evolving cyber threat landscape and put their trust in technology to help them catch up and prepare for future cyber security risks.

“Overwhelmed and overworked, IT leaders are putting their faith in an abundance of tools and technologies and hoping for their best,” reads the report.

The reality, though, is that the majority of organisations are increasing spending with no clear strategy. Spending more money doesn’t necessarily equate to a safer business. Instead, it can create the illusion of security, and ironically put the businesses at even greater risk down the line when their security tools don’t work.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/businesses-cyber-spend-no-strategy/

• Cyber Security and ESG Among Top Areas of Concern for Audit Leaders in 2023

In an effort to understand key factors and concerns impacting Internal Audit executives, ManpowerGroup announced this week results from its sixth annual Internal Audit Priorities survey. While cyber security continues as the number one risk, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) jumped up to number two on the list of emerging risks.

“Cyber security remains the top concern for many executives, who are seeing their audit teams expand their coverage of Information Technology Governance. But this year's survey also reveals the growing importance of ESG as more organisations are increasing their commitment to developing comprehensive ESG strategies in 2023 and beyond" said Manpower.

Many Internal Audit leaders expressed concern about Internal Audit Departments struggling to keep fully staffed, amid the ongoing pandemic and shifts in how and where auditors work. The survey shows 53% are working hybrid and 25% are fully remote.

Today's Chief Audit Executives are faced with balancing constrained audit resources with the consistent pressure to expand audit coverage within their organisations. Companies are experiencing a 100% increase, year-over-year, in audit departments deferring audits because resources aren't available. Due to the current state of the job market, many Internal Audit Departments have not been fully staffed over the past 12-18 months according to Jefferson Wells, part of Manpower.

KEY FINDINGS

The top five areas for Audit Committees are Data privacy and cyber security (43%), Emerging risks and impacts on major initiatives (37%), Strategic risk (33%), ESG (31%), and Employee retention (29%).

With the growing importance of ESG, 71% of Chief Audit Executives (CAE) are including an assessment of ESG in their audit plans.

As ransomware and other attacks have exponentially increased in both frequency and ferocity, Internal Audit departments are now shifting more attention to preventative, strategic methods of cyber defence.

As operational involvement increases, internal audit leaders are looking for other ways to enhance their audit function. Two areas with the highest return on investment are data analytics (52%) and other internal audit specific technologies (48%).

https://www.darkreading.com/risk/cybersecurity-and-esg-among-top-areas-of-concern-for-audit-leaders-in-2023

• Ransomware Warning! Expect Hackers to Hit Harder During Holiday Season

Organisations should prepare for an onslaught of ransomware during the holidays as cyber crews take advantage of lower security staffing levels and subpar defences, security provider Cybereason said in a new study.

Ransomware attacks that take place on weekends and holidays hit organisations when they are most vulnerable, resulting in longer investigation times and causing greater damage, according to Cybereason’s global study of 1,200 cyber security professionals “Organisations at Risk 2022: Ransomware Attackers Don’t Take Holidays”.

It’s not just weekends and holidays where short staffing paves the way for hackers. Traditional Monday through Friday staffing models are out of step with cyber threats and expose companies the rest of the week, the report said.

Here are some key findings:

• More than one-third of respondents who experienced a ransomware attack on a weekend or holiday said their organisations lost more money as a result, a 19% increase over 2021.

• The numbers ticked up to 42% in the education sector and 48% in the travel and transportation industry.

• Ransomware attacks make up nearly half (49%) of all security incidents that security operations centre (SOC) teams are most frequently trying to resolve.

• Four-in-ten (44%) of respondents indicated they reduce security staff by as much as 70% on weekends and holidays.

• One-fifth (21%) noted that their organisations operate a skeleton crew during those times, cutting staff by as much as 90%.

• 7% of respondents indicated they were 80% to 100% staffed on weekends and holidays.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/ransomware-warning-expect-hackers-to-hit-harder-during-holiday-season/

• 2023 To Be Costliest, Most Destructive Year for Cyber Security as Recession Fears Force Firms to Cut Budgets

2023 is predicted to be one of the costliest and most destructive years for cyber security, with hackers upping their games in view of companies rethinking their cyber security budgets in anticipation of looming recession and ransomware gangs targeting supply chain firms for mounting focused attacks to extract optimum rewards, a latest report said.

New strains such as fileless malwares not requiring downloads, hackers crafting new modus operandi to exploit vulnerabilities in cloud security, and mounting targeted attacks on individuals will be among the potent cyber crime trends in the coming year, 2023, said the report by NordLocker, the leading global VPN (virtual private network) service provider.

The proposed European Union (EU) move to make digital platforms to scan all files and messages, impacting internet security and privacy, is the other major cyber threat to watch out for in 2023.

“From new strains of potent malware to major policies that threaten privacy and encryption, 2023 could expect several new and more damaging cyber security threats,” the report cautioned.

Cyber attacks, rated among the top five risks globally, are projected to cost companies worldwide an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015, according to some of the research and industry bodies. Besides financial losses, hacking also leads to major loss of productivity, reputation damage, legal liabilities for companies and organisations.

Cyber security never stops evolving because digital technologies are increasingly overtaking each part of our lives. This ever-changing nature of the cyber security field makes each week, month, and year different from those that have passed, making it extremely important to stay two steps ahead of emerging threats.

Cloud security will become most important in the coming year, with companies increasingly moving their data into the cloud instead of storing files locally on their computer. We will see a growing number of cyber attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in current solutions in cloud computing.

The report also cautioned that reduced cyber security spending will expose vulnerabilities, leading to increased hacking and cyber thefts.

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/technology/2023-to-be-costliest-most-destructive-year-for-cybersecurity-as-recession-fears-force-firms-to-cut-budgets

• Cyber Crime Expected to Skyrocket in Coming Years

According to estimates from Statista’s “Cybersecurity Outlook”, the global cost of cyber crime is expected to surge in the next five years, rising from $8.44 trillion in 2022 to $23.84 trillion by 2027. Cyber crime is defined by Cyber Crime Magazine as the “damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems, and reputational harm.”

As more and more people turn online, whether for work or their personal lives, there are more potential opportunities for cyber criminals to exploit. At the same time, attacker techniques are becoming more advanced, with more tools available to help scammers. The coronavirus pandemic saw a particular shift in cyber attacks, as Statista’s Outlook analysts explain: “The COVID-19 crisis led to many organisations facing more cyber attacks due to the security vulnerability of remote work as well as the shift to virtualised IT environments, such as the infrastructure, data, and network of cloud computing.”

https://www.statista.com/chart/28878/expected-cost-of-cybercrime-until-2027/

• UK Introducing Mandatory Cyber Incident Reporting for Managed Service Providers

The British government is introducing a new mandatory reporting obligation on managed service providers (MSPs) to disclose cyber incidents, alongside minimum security requirements which could see MSPs fined up to £17 million ($20 million) for non-compliance.

The government said on Wednesday that MSPs “play a central role in supporting the UK economy” and warned they are “an attractive and high value target for malicious threat actors, and can be used as staging points through which threat actors can compromise the clients of those managed services.” MSPs are paid to manage IT infrastructure and provide support, often to smaller businesses that don’t have a designated IT department.

Financially-motivated ransomware attacks have impacted MSPs such as Kaseya in the United States and the NHS supplier Advanced in Britain, with the latter severely impacting patient care according to BBC News.

Recent reports detailed how the ransomware incident affecting the software provider Advanced prompted the government to hold several Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) crisis management meetings.

State-sponsored actors have also targeted MSPs, according to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which in 2018 attributed a global espionage campaign known as “Cloud Hopper” to the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

The new obligations on these providers will be introduced through an update to the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations which in their current form require essential services such as water, energy and transport to uphold security standards and notify national authorities about incidents.

https://therecord.media/uk-introducing-mandatory-cyber-incident-reporting-for-managed-service-providers/

• CISOs’ Priorities for The Coming Year

BlueFort Security surveyed 600 CISOs from a variety of UK organisations and found most have moved beyond the challenges of widespread shift to remote working – which resulted in severely limited visibility, intelligence and control – and are now focused on digital transformation and migration to the cloud, despite a chaotic world and bleak economic environment.

88% of CISOs say cyber security has become more of a priority for their Board over the last 12 months. And while 37% of CISOs still have their cyber security budget defined as a subset of their organisation’s general IT budget, 58% of CISOs expect world events to cause an increase in their cyber security budget over the next budget cycle.

CISOs are looking to the future. When asked about the areas their departments are prioritising their time and budget, CISOs said they are accelerating digital transformation (47%) and ensuring cyber security protection is fit for purpose for the future (46%).

Enabling cloud transformation is now a key focus area for UK security leadership. With 57% of organisations using multiple clouds and 37% using a single cloud environment, CISOs now have a clear focus – secure the cloud and secure the (primarily cloud-based) applications. However, while progress has been made in securing these environments, 52% of CISOs are confident they are able to fully enforce a consistent security policy across all applications in the cloud. 42% can only partially enforce cloud application security policies, while 5% are unable to at all.

This challenge is likely to remain front and centre for CISOs over the next 12 months as their organisations continue along their digital transformation journeys, with 52% stating they will be moving applications to the public cloud, migrating apps from one cloud to another and replacing legacy systems with SaaS applications. And, while 62% of CISOs say their organisation is using a cloud security posture management tool, 52% are manually standardising and enforcing security policies in their public cloud environments for each application.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/11/30/cisos-cloud-transformation/

• The Evolution of Business Email Compromise

In 2012, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating an influx of reported fraud incidents involving threat actors rerouting payments to attacker-controlled accounts. In these incidents, victims received seemingly legitimate emails containing requests to alter scheduled payments. The threat actors typically impersonated executives or finance and payroll personnel and convinced victims to reroute payments to a different bank account. These first instances of business email compromise (BEC) kicked off a decade of attacks that use this simple yet highly effective scheme. While the threat has evolved, threat actors continue to use phishing attacks to steal credentials and then send fraudulent invoices soliciting payment. Thousands of organisations have lost billions of dollars.

When BEC was first discovered, law enforcement referred to it as "man in the email" fraud. Because much of the money at the time was sent to China, Japan, and South Korea, law enforcement believed that the threat actors could be Asia-based organised crime groups. Multiple investigations confirmed that these schemes were connected and that the money eventually ended up with threat actors located in Nigeria.

BEC fraud emerged from Nigerian organised crime groups that conducted operations such as romance scams, advance-fee schemes (also known as "Nigerian prince" or "419" scams), and elder fraud. The low barrier to entry and potential for high payouts attracted more threat groups. Because the technical aspects of these schemes are relatively simple, threat actors with little to no technical capabilities could launch successful attacks.

By 2014, cooperation between law enforcement and financial institutions revealed a clearer understanding of BEC schemes. As BEC tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) matured, the financial losses and number of impacted organisations increased. In 2014, the US Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 2,417 BEC complaints, with losses totaling $226 million. The numbers grew steadily until a decrease in reported incidents in 2020. However, that decline was likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting normal business processes. Momentum resumed in 2021, with 19,954 complaints and adjusted losses of almost $2.4 billion.

https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/the-evolution-of-business-email-compromise

• Web App and API Attacks Surge 257% in Financial Services

The volume of web application and API attacks detected over the past 12 months surged by 3.5 times year-on-year in the financial services sector, the highest of any vertical, according to the cloud security vendor Akamai.

Akamai’s latest State of the Internet report, Enemy at the Gates, is based on analysis of global customer traffic during the period October 01 2021 to September 26 2022 .

The growth in threats targeting web apps and APIs is reflective of the increasing investment financial institutions are putting into digital services, as a result of open banking mandates like Europe’s PSD2, the report claimed. While these technologies help to open banking services up to third party providers and create a more streamlined experience for customers, they also expand the corporate attack surface.

Overall, banking is the third-most attacked vertical when it comes to web apps and APIs, with 15% of the total accounted for by these threats. “Security is a tough challenge when building them. Vulnerabilities residing in these web applications could lead to remote code execution (RCE) and breaches. Second, web applications have the ability to capture and store confidential customer information (i.e., login credentials),” the report explained.

“Once attackers launch web applications attacks successfully, they could steal confidential data, and in more severe cases, gain initial access to a network and obtain more credentials that could allow them to move laterally. Aside from the implications of a breach, stolen information could be peddled in the underground or used for other attacks. This is highly concerning given the troves of data, such as personal identifiable information and account details, held by the financial services vertical.”

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/web-app-api-attacks-257-financial/

• Australia Will Now Fine Firms Up To AU$50 Million for Data Breaches

The Australian parliament has approved a bill to amend the country's privacy legislation, significantly increasing the maximum penalties to AU$50 million for companies and data controllers who suffered large-scale data breaches.

The financial penalty introduced by the new bill is set to whichever is greater:

• AU$50 million

• Three times the value of any benefit obtained through the misuse of information

• 30% of a company's adjusted turnover in the relevant period

Previously, the penalty for severe data exposures was AU$2.22 million, considered wholly inadequate to incentivise companies to improve their data security mechanisms.

The new bill comes in response to a series of recent cyber attacks against Australian companies, including ransomware and network breaches, resulting in the exposure of highly sensitive data for millions of people in the country. The Australian government has wasted no time in responding to recent major data breaches having announced, introduced, and delivered legislation in just over a month. These new, larger penalties send a clear message to large companies that they must do better to protect the data they collect.

The most notable incidents were the Optus telecommunication provider data breach that impacted 11 million people, and the Medibank insurance firm ransomware attack that exposed the data of 9.7 million.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/australia-will-now-fine-firms-up-to-au50-million-for-data-breaches/

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Threats

Ransomware and Extortion

• HSE starts writing to 113,000 patients and staff whose personal data was stolen in 2021 cyber-attack - Independent.ie

• Belgian Police Under Fire After Major Ransomware Leak - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• What is Ransom Cartel? A ransomware gang focused on reputational damage | CSO Online

• Medibank hackers announce ‘case closed’ and dump huge data file on dark web | Medibank | The Guardian

• FBI: Cuba ransomware raked in $60 million from over 100 victims (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Black Basta Crew Using Qakbot in Widespread Ransomware Strikes - MSSP Alert

• Lockbit 3.0 has BlackMatter ransomware code, wormable traits | TechTarget

• Trigona ransomware spotted in increasing attacks worldwide (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The country where officials are using pen, paper and typewriters to govern after major cyber-attack | The Independent

• South Staffs Water Hacking Victims Have Bank Details Published On Dark Web After Cyber Attack - Information Security Buzz

• Ransomware Gang Takes Credit for Maple Leaf Foods Hack | SecurityWeek.Com

• SSP hit by cyber security breach and $7m ransomware demand - Insurance Post (postonline.co.uk)

• Sandworm gang launches Monster ransomware attacks on Ukraine • The Register

• Virginia County Confirms Personal Information Stolen in Ransomware Attack | SecurityWeek.Com

• Cyber attack on LA schools shows bolder action needed to stop ransomware | VentureBeat

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• How the dynamics of phishing attacks are changing - Help Net Security

• Phishing Campaign Impersonating UAE Ministry of Human Resources Grows - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Experts Find 16,000+ Scam FIFA World Cup Domains - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Bot Attacks Targeting Your Business - (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Hackers are spreading malware via trending TikTok challenge: report - The Record by Recorded Future

• New Windows malware also steals data from victims’ mobile phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Never-before-seen malware is nuking data in Russia’s courts and mayors’ offices | Ars Technica

• TikTok ‘Invisible Body’ challenge exploited to push malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Artifact Poisoning in GitHub Actions Imports Malware via Software Pipelines (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Google says Google should do a better job of patching Android phones | Ars Technica

• Android and iOS apps with 15 million installs extort loan seekers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Android malware infected 300,000 devices to steal Facebook accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Predatory loan apps found in Google and Apple stores • The Register

• Hack-for-Hire Group Targets Android Users With Malicious VPN Apps | SecurityWeek.Com

• Drop What You're Doing and Update iOS, Android, and Windows | WIRED UK

• New Exploit Broker on the Scene Pays Premium for Signal App Zero-Days (darkreading.com)

• Malicious Android app found powering account creation service (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical RCE bugs in Android remote keyboard apps with 2M installs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Windows malware also steals data from victims’ mobile phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Energy firms accused of using smart meters to ‘disconnect customers by back door’ (telegraph.co.uk)

• US bans sale of Huawei, ZTE tech amid security fears - BBC News

• IoT device origin matters more than ever - Help Net Security

• Security researcher says Eufy has a big security problem | Android Central

• Hyundai app bugs allowed hackers to remotely unlock, start cars (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Sirius XM Bug Lets Researchers Hijack Hondas, Nissans, Acuras (gizmodo.com)

• EV Chargers Could Be A Serious Target For Hackers | Hackaday

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Lastpass says hackers accessed customer data in new breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 5.4 million Twitter users' stolen data leaked online — more shared privately (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cabinet Office alerted to data breach – and fails to respond for 10 days (civilserviceworld.com)

• ENC Security, the encryption provider for Sony and Lexar, leaked sensitive data for over a year - Security Affairs

• Failure of officials to follow policy caused California gun owners’ data leak | California | The Guardian

• Pixel fallout expands: Community Health informs 1.5M of unauthorized disclosure | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• How cyber criminals have been affected by the war in Ukraine | The Economist

• Cyber criminals are cashing in on FIFA World Cup-themed cyber attacks - Help Net Security

• Crafty threat actor uses 'aged' domains to evade security platforms (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BlackProxies proxy service increasingly popular among hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The Metaverse Could Become a Top Avenue for Cyber attacks in 2023 (darkreading.com)

• Darknet markets generate millions in revenue selling stolen personal data | Ars Technica

• Gangs of cyber criminals are expanding across Africa, investigators say | Cybercrime | The Guardian

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Bitcoin ‘rarely’ used for legal transactions, on ‘road to irrelevance’, say European Central Bank officials | TechCrunch

• Crypto exchange given go-ahead to track stolen assets in UK court ruling | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Researchers Accidentally Crash Cryptomining Botnet - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Businessman accused over crypto scam in what’s believed to be a legal first in NI - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• The impact of lay-offs on your organisation's cyber resilience - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Identifying key areas for fraud risk during the recession - Help Net Security

• Scammers ‘targeting neobank customers’ in the UK as fraud rates soar | Sifted

• [HEADS UP] FBI Warns of Tech Support Scams That Impersonate Payment Portals for Fake Refunds (knowbe4.com)

• How an effective fraud prevention strategy can force fraudsters to invest more in their attacks - Help Net Security

• Spanish police dismantle operation that made €12M via investment scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Businessman accused over crypto scam in what’s believed to be a legal first in NI - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

Impersonation Attacks

• Why Financial Services Must Overhaul Security To Defend Against ‘Spoofing’ Scams? - Information Security Buzz

• Website offering spoofing services taken offline after joint operation | CSO Online

Insurance

• Is it worth taking out personal cyber insurance in case you are caught up in a data hack? | Cybercrime | The Guardian

Dark Web

• South Staffs Water Hacking Victims Have Bank Details Published On Dark Web After Cyber Attack - Information Security Buzz

• Darknet markets generate millions in revenue selling stolen personal data | Ars Technica

• Cyber black market selling hacked ATO and MyGov logins shows Medibank and Optus only tip of iceberg - ABC News

• What's being done about 'murder-for-hire' sites on the dark web, and how dangerous are they? | World News | Sky News

Software Supply Chain

• How to find hidden data breaches and uncover threats in your supply chain - Help Net Security

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• Holiday DDoS Cyber attacks Can Hurt E-Commerce - Information Security Buzz

• Cyber security researchers take down DDoS botnet by accident (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vatican website down in suspected hacker attack | Reuters

Cloud/SaaS

• Rackspace rocked by ‘security incident’ in hosted Exchange • The Register

• GoTo says hackers breached its dev environment, cloud storage (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Most Small Biz IaaS Users Seeing Surge in Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft 365 banned in German schools over privacy concerns | TechTarget (computerweekly.com)

• Don't ignore the security risks of limitless cloud data - Help Net Security

• Exclusive: US Chamber of Commerce warns against draft EU plan to exclude non-EU cloud vendors | Reuters

• How the Cloud Changed Digital Forensics Investigations (darkreading.com)

• How the MITRE ATT&CK Framework Enhances Cloud Security (trendmicro.com)

• Banks in EU face tougher rules on using cloud computing giants | Reuters

• Cloud security starts with zero trust - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Experts Condemn The UK Online Safety Bill As Harmful To Privacy And Encryption | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

• Governments want to avert quantum's encryption apocalypse (axios.com)

• Serious Security: MD5 considered harmful – to the tune of $600,000 – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Dell, HP, and Lenovo Devices Found Using Outdated OpenSSL Versions (thehackernews.com)

API

• API Secrets: Where the Bearer Model Breaks Down (darkreading.com)

Open Source

• A new Linux flaw can be chained with other two bugs to gain full root privileges - Security Affairs

• Small open source projects pose significant security risks | TechTarget

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• The top 200 most common passwords in 2022 are bad, mkay? - Help Net Security

• French Electricity Provider Fined for Storing Users' Passwords with Weak MD5 Algorithm (thehackernews.com)

Social Media

• Millions of Twitter users hacked in ‘colossal’ security breach | The Independent

• How secure a Twitter replacement is Mastodon? Let us count the ways | Ars Technica

• Twitter lacks transparency in misinformation fight -French regulator | Reuters

• Twitter ends Covid misinformation policy under Musk - BBC News

• Hackers Release Millions of Twitter IDs and User Info for Free (gizmodo.com)

• Twitter isn’t going to stop people posting COVID-19 misinformation anymore • Graham Cluley

• Hackers are spreading malware via trending TikTok challenge: report - The Record by Recorded Future

• Meta fined €265mn by Irish watchdog over privacy concerns | Financial Times (ft.com)

• TikTok ‘Invisible Body’ challenge exploited to push malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese bots flood Twitter in attempt to obscure Covid protests | Twitter | The Guardian

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Cyber Security Laws To Be Updated To Boost UK Protection From Cyber Attacks - Information Security Buzz

• Meta fined €265mn by Irish watchdog over privacy concerns | Financial Times (ft.com)

• EU Council adopts NIS2 directive to harmonize cyber security across member states | CSO Online

Data Protection

• Why the Culture Shift on Privacy and Security Means Today's Data Looks Different (darkreading.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Police Shutter 13,000 Sites in Piracy Crackdown - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Spanish police dismantle operation that made €12M via investment scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Website offering spoofing services taken offline after joint operation | CSO Online

• Crackdown on African Cyber crime Leads to Arrests, Infrastructure Takedown | SecurityWeek.Com

• Crypto exchange given go-ahead to track stolen assets in UK court ruling | Financial Times (ft.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Microsoft 365 banned in German schools over privacy concerns | TechTarget (computerweekly.com)

• Experts Condemn The UK Online Safety Bill As Harmful To Privacy And Encryption | Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org)

• Online Safety Bill's 'spy clause' will pave way for 'state-mandated mass surveillance' of WhatsApp messages (inews.co.uk)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Twitter lacks transparency in misinformation fight -French regulator | Reuters

• Twitter ends Covid misinformation policy under Musk - BBC News

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Lessons from Russia’s cyber-war in Ukraine | The Economist

• How cyber criminals have been affected by the war in Ukraine | The Economist

• Sandworm gang launches Monster ransomware attacks on Ukraine • The Register

• Pegasus spyware inquiry targeted by disinformation campaign, say experts | Surveillance | The Guardian

• Never-before-seen malware is nuking data in Russia’s courts and mayors’ offices | Ars Technica

• A Hacked Newsroom Brings a Spyware Maker to US Court | The New Yorker

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Why Russia’s cyber-attacks have fallen flat | The Economist

• Kaspersky commits to Russia | ITWeb

• OpZero’s modus operandi: opportunity hunter, front for Kremlin, or both? (cybernews.com)

• US Govt. Apps Bundled Russian Code With Ties to Mobile Malware Developer – Krebs on Security

Nation State Actors – China

• Chinese bots flood Twitter in attempt to obscure Covid protests | Twitter | The Guardian

• US bans sales of Huawei, Hikvision, ZTE, and Dahua equipment (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cloudflare finds a way through China's network defences • The Register

• China-linked UNC4191 APT relies on USB Devices in attacks against entities in the Philippines - Security Affairs

Nation State Actors – North Korea

• North Korea Hackers Using New "Dolphin" Backdoor to Spy on South Korean Targets (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• One Year Later: Log4Shell Remediation Slow, Painful Slog | SecurityWeek.Com

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Vulnerabilities

• Threat actors are offering access to corporate networks via unauthorized Fortinet VPN access - Security Affairs

• Exchange Server bugs caused years of security turmoil | TechTarget

• ConnectWise Quietly Patches Flaw That Helps Phishers – Krebs on Security

• Cisco ISE Vulnerabilities Can Be Chained in One-Click Exploit | SecurityWeek.Com

• Google Chrome emergency update fixes 9th zero-day of the year (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Tenable: 72% of organisations remain vulnerable to Log4Shell | TechTarget

• Chrome 108 Patches High-Severity Memory Safety Bugs | SecurityWeek.Com

• Pre-auth RCE in Oracle Fusion Middleware exploited in the wild (CVE-2021-35587) - Help Net Security

• Acer fixes UEFI bugs that can be used to disable Secure Boot (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A new Linux flaw can be chained with other two bugs to gain full root privileges - Security Affairs

• Dell, HP, and Lenovo Devices Found Using Outdated OpenSSL Versions (thehackernews.com)

• Drop What You're Doing and Update iOS, Android, and Windows | WIRED UK

• Nvidia Patches Many Vulnerabilities in Windows, Linux Display Drivers | SecurityWeek.Com

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Tools and Controls

• Is MFA the Vegetable of Cyber Security? (darkreading.com)

• Security pros feel threat detection and response workloads have increased - Help Net Security

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Other News

• Top 3 Non-Technical Cyber security Trends for 2023 (trendmicro.com)

• What's next in cyber security | MIT Technology Review

• Many Global 2000 companies lack proper domain security - Help Net Security

• How to Maintain Strong Cyber Security in the Face of Economic Headwinds - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Here is why you should have Cobalt Strike detection in place | CSO Online

• 'Cyber security key to business sustainability' The Nation Newspaper (thenationonlineng.net)Metaverse exploitation and abuse to rise in 2023: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.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.

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 Advisory 02/12/2022 – LastPass Security Incident

Executive Summary

LastPass Password Manager have announced that they have suffered from a security incident, from which elements of customer information was accessed using information obtained during the previous August 2022 incident. Due to the LastPass Zero Knowledge Architecture, master passwords remain safely encrypted.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

LastPass has not yet provided specifics on what customer data has been accessed with this breach, and recommend that users follow best practices for the setup and configuration of LastPass. Password Managers remain to be a strong cyber security control which helps to prevent the re-use of passwords, and promote the use of strong passwords for different accounts. Black Arrow continues to recommend the use of password managers such as LastPass, but will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as the situation unfolds.

What can I do?

While LastPass themselves do not recommend any action on the part of customers, as a precaution we would recommend that users change their master password and ensure that multi-factor authentication is enabled on their accounts.

Further information on this security incident be found here: Notice of Recent Security Incident - The LastPass Blog

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 25 November 2022

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

• Hackers Hit One Third of Organisations Worldwide Multiple Times

Hackers have stolen customer records multiple times from nearly a third of organisations worldwide in the past 12 months, security provider Trend Micro said in its newly released, twice-yearly Cyber Risk Index (CRI) report.

The report features interviews with some 4,100 organisations across North America, Europe, Latin/South America and Asia-Pacific. Respondents stressed that customer records are at increased risk as organisations struggle to profile and defend an expanding attack surface.

Overall, respondents rated the following as the top cyber threats in 1H 2022:

• Business Email Compromise (BEC)

• Clickjacking

• Fileless attacks

• Ransomware

• Login attacks (Credential Theft)

Here are some key findings from the study:

• The CRI calculates the gap between organisational preparedness and the likelihood of being attacked, with -10 representing the highest level of risk. The global CRI index moved from –0.04 in 2H 2021 to –0.15 in 1H 2022, indicating a surging level of risk over the past six months.

• This is a slight increase in risk from the second half of 2021, when it was -0.04. Organisations in North America and Asia-Pacific saw an increase in their cyber risk from that period while Europe and Latin/South America’s risk decreased in comparison.

• The number of global organisations experiencing a “successful” cyber-attack increased from 84% to 90% over the same period.

• The number now expected to be compromised over the coming year has also increased from 76% to 85%.

From the business perspective, the biggest concern is the misalignment between CISOs and business executives, Trend Micro said. The answers given by respondents to the question: “My organisation’s IT security objectives are aligned with business objectives,” only made a score of 4.79 out of 10.0

By addressing the shortage of cyber security professionals and improving security processes and technology, organisations will significantly reduce their vulnerability to attacks.

You can’t protect what you can’t see. But with hybrid working ushering in a new era of complex, distributed IT environments, many organisations are finding it difficult to eradicate growing security coverage and visibility gaps. To avoid the attack surface spiraling out of control, they need to combine asset discovery and monitoring with threat detection and response on a single platform.

https://www.msspalert.com/cybersecurity-research/hackers-hit-one-third-of-organizations-worldwide-multiple-times/

• Firms Spend $1,197 Per Employee Yearly to Address Cyber Attacks

Companies pay an average of $1,197 per employee yearly to address successful cyber incidents against email services, cloud collaboration apps or services and browsers.

Security researchers at Perception Point shared the findings with Infosecurity before publishing them in a new white paper this month.

According to the new data, the above figures exclude compliance fines, ransomware mitigation costs and losses from non-operational processes, all of which can cause further spending.

The survey, conducted in conjunction with Osterman Research in June, considers the responses of 250 security and IT decision-makers at various enterprises and reveals additional discoveries regarding today’s enterprise threat landscape.

These findings demonstrate the urgent need for organisations to find the most accurate and efficient cyber security solutions which provide the necessary protection with streamlined processes and managed services.

Among the findings is that malicious incidents against new cloud-based apps and services occur at 60% of the frequency with which they take place on email-based services.

Additionally, some attacks, like those involving malware installed on an endpoint, happen on cloud collaboration apps at a much higher rate (87%) when compared to email-based services.

The Perception Point report also shows that a successful email-based cyber incident takes security staff an average of 86 hours to address.

In light of these figures, the security company added that one security professional with no additional support can only handle 23 email incidents annually, representing a direct cost of $6452 per incident alone.

Conversely, incidents detected on cloud collaboration apps or services take, on average, 71 hours to resolve. In these cases, one professional can handle just 28 incidents yearly at an average cost of $5305 per incident.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/firms-dollar1197-per-employee/

• 90% of Organisations have Microsoft 365 Security Gaps

A recently published study evaluated 1.6 million Microsoft 365 users across three continents, finding that 90% of organisations had gaps in essential security protections. Managing Microsoft 365 (M365) is complicated. How can IT teams avoid management headaches, stay 100% compliant, and truly take control of their M365 instance?

Research from the study reveals that many common security procedures are not being followed 100% of the time. This leaves gaping holes in most organisations’ security defences. While most companies have strong documented security policies, the research uncovered that most aren’t being implemented consistently due to difficulties in reporting and limited IT resources:

• 90% of companies had gaps across all four key areas studied – multi-factor authentication (MFA), email security, password policies, and failed logins

• 87% of companies have MFA disabled for some or all their admins (which are the most critical accounts to protect, due to their higher access levels)

• Only 17% of companies had strong password requirements that were being consistently followed.

Overall, nearly every organisation is leaving the door open for cyber security threats due to weak credentials, particularly for administrator accounts.

In addition to security challenges, the study identified key areas for improvement in managing Microsoft 365 licences as well, such as:

• The average company had 21.6% of their licenses unassigned or “sitting on the shelf.” Another 10.2% of licenses were inactive, for an average of 31.9% unused licenses.

• 17% of companies had over 10,000 licenses unassigned or inactive. These cases represent big opportunities to optimise licence spend with better tools.

Overall, the study reveals that reporting challenges make security and licence management incredibly difficult, leading to unnecessary risks and costs.

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/11/22/microsoft-365-security-protections/

• Luna Moth Phishing Extortion Campaign Targets Businesses in Multiple Sectors

A callback phishing extortion campaign by Luna Moth (aka Silent Ransom Group) has targeted businesses in multiple sectors, including legal and retail.

The findings come from Palo Alto Network’s security team Unit 42, which described the campaign in a new advisory.

“This campaign leverages extortion without encryption, has cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars and is expanding in scope,” reads the technical write-up. At the same time, Unit 42 said that this type of social engineering attack leaves very few artifacts because it relies on legitimate technology tools to carry out attacks. In fact, callback phishing, also known as telephone-oriented attack delivery (TOAD), is a social engineering method that requires a threat actor to interact with the victim to accomplish their goals.

“This attack style is more resource intensive but less complex than script-based attacks, and it tends to have a much higher success rate,” reads the advisory. According to Unit 42, threat actors associated with the Conti group have extensively used this attack style in BazarCall campaigns. “Early iterations of this attack focused on tricking the victim into downloading the BazarLoader malware using documents with malicious macros,” explained the researchers.

As for the new campaign, which Sygnia security researchers first unveiled in July, it removes the malware portion of the attack. “In this campaign, attackers use legitimate and trusted systems management tools to interact directly with a victim’s computer to manually exfiltrate data [...] As these tools are not malicious, they’re not likely to be flagged by traditional antivirus products,” Unit 42 wrote.

The researchers also said that they expect callback phishing attacks to increase in popularity because of low per-target cost, low risk of detection and fast monetisation factors.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/luna-moth-phishing-target-multiple/

• The Real Cost of Cyber Attacks: What Organisations Should Be Prepared For

With each passing year, hackers and cyber criminals of all kinds are becoming more sophisticated, malicious, and greedy conducting brazen and often destructive cyber-attacks that can severely disrupt a company’s business operations. And this is a big problem, because, first and foremost, customers rely on a company’s ability to deliver services or products in a timely manner. Cyber-attacks not only can affect customers’ data, but they can impact service delivery.

In one of the recent incidents, the UK’s discount retailer The Works has been forced to temporarily shut down some of its stores after a ransomware attack. While the tech team quickly shut down the company’s computers after being alerted to the security breach by the firewall system, the attack caused disruption to deliveries and store functionality including till operations.

A cyber security incident can greatly affect a business due to the consequences associated with cyber-attacks like potential lawsuits, hefty fines and damage payments, insurance rate hikes, criminal investigations and bad publicity. For example, shares of Okta, a major provider of authentication services, fell 9% after the company revealed it was a victim of a major supply chain incident via an attack on a third-party contractor’s laptop, which affected some of its customers.

Another glaring example is a 2021 cyber-attack launched by the Russian-speaking ransomware gang called DarkSide against the operator of one of the US’ largest fuel pipelines Colonial Pipeline, which crippled fuel delivery across the Southeastern United States impacting lives of millions due to supply shortages. Colonial paid the DarkSide hackers a $4.4 million ransom soon after the incident. The attackers also stole nearly 100GB of data from Colonial Pipeline and threatened to leak it if the ransom wasn’t paid. It’s also worth noting that the company is now facing a nearly $1 million penalty for failure “to plan and prepare for a manual restart and shutdown operation, which contributed to the national impacts after the cyber-attack.”

Data breaches and costs associated with them have been on the rise for the past few years, but, according to a 2021 report, the average cost per breach increased from $3.86 million in 2020 to $4.24 million in 2021. The report also identified four categories contributing most global data breach costs – Lost business cost (38%), Detection and escalation (29%), Post breach response (27%), and Notification (6%).

Ransomware attacks cost an average of $4.62 million (the cost of a ransom is not included), and destructive wiper-style attacks cost an average of $4.69 million, the report said.

For a business, a data breach is not just a loss of data, it can also have a long-lasting impact on operations and undermine customers’ trust in the company. In fact, a survey revealed that 87% of consumers are willing to take their business elsewhere if they don’t trust a company is handling their data responsibly. Therefore, the reputational damage might be detrimental to a business’ ability to attract new customers.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/the-real-cost-of-cyber-attacks-what-organizations-should-be-prepared-for-2/

• 34 Russian Cyber Crime Groups Stole Over 50 Million Passwords with Stealer Malware

As many as 34 Russian-speaking gangs, distributing information-stealing malware under the stealer-as-a-service model, stole no fewer than 50 million passwords in the first seven months of 2022.

"The underground market value of stolen logs and compromised card details is estimated around $5.8 million" Singapore-headquartered Group-IB said in a report shared with The Hacker News.

Aside from looting passwords, the stealers also harvested 2.11 billion cookie files, 113,204 crypto wallets, and 103,150 payment cards.

A majority of the victims were located in the US, followed by Brazil, India, Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines, France, Turkey, Vietnam, and Italy. In total, over 890,000 devices in 111 countries were infected during the time frame.

Group-IB said the members of several scam groups who are propagating the information stealers previously participated in the Classiscam operation. These groups, which are active on Telegram and have around 200 members on average, are hierarchical, consisting of administrators and workers (or traffers), the latter of whom are responsible for driving unsuspecting users to info-stealers like RedLine and Raccoon. This is achieved by setting up bait websites that impersonate well-known companies and luring victims into downloading malicious files. Links to such websites are, in turn, embedded into YouTube video reviews for popular games and lotteries on social media, or shared directly with non-fungible token (NFT) artists.

https://thehackernews.com/2022/11/34-russian-hacker-groups-stole-over-50.html

• “Password” Continues to Be the Most Common Password in 2022

You would think the time spent working from home in the last two years or so helped netizens across the planet figure out how to master the world of WWW in a more efficient manner.

But new research from NordPass shows that despite so many people relying on an Internet connection for their daily activities, few actually care about the security of their data when they go online.

As a result, “password” continues to be the number one password out there, with the aforementioned company claiming that this particular keyword was detected close to 5 million times in a 3TB database. It takes less than one second to crack this password, the company says.

“123456” is currently the second most-used password worldwide, followed by its longer sibling known as “123456789” because, you know, hackers don’t know how to count to 10.

“There’s more than one way to get swindled on Tinder: using “tinder” as your password is more risky than swiping right on a billionaire. In total, this password was used 36,384 times” NordPass says. “The glitziest film industry event of the year – the Oscars ceremony – inspired many to use not-so-glitzy passwords: the password “Oscars” was used 62,983 times.”

Of course, it’s no surprise that Internet users out there turn to movies to get inspiration for their passwords, so unfortunately, “batman” is currently one of the most used keywords supposed to secure Internet accounts.

“Films and shows like Batman, Euphoria, and Encanto were among the most popular releases in 2021/2022. All are also popular passwords: “batman” was used 2,562,776 times, “euphoria” 53,993, and “encanto” 10,808 times,” the company says.

The most common password in the United States is “guest,” while in the United Kingdom, quite a lot of people go for “liverpool” (despite hackers needing just 1 second to crack it).

https://news.softpedia.com/news/password-continues-to-be-the-most-common-password-in-2022-as-well-536503.shtml

• Lasts Year’s Massive Twitter Data Breach Was Far Worse Than Reported, Reveal Security Researchers

A massive Twitter data breach last year, exposing more than five million phone numbers and email addresses, was worse than initially reported. The same security vulnerability appears to have been exploited by multiple bad actors, and the hacked data has been offered for sale on the dark web by several sources.

It had previously been thought that only one hacker gained access to the data, and Twitter’s belated admission reinforced this impression. HackerOne first reported the vulnerability back in January, which allowed anyone to enter a phone number or email address, and then find the associated twitterID. This is an internal identifier used by Twitter, but can be readily converted to a Twitter handle. A bad actor would be able to put together a single database which combined Twitter handles, email addresses, and phone numbers.

At the time, Twitter admitted that the vulnerability had existed, and subsequently been patched, but said nothing about anyone exploiting it. Restore Privacy subsequently reported that a hacker had indeed used the vulnerability to obtain personal data from millions of accounts.

https://9to5mac.com/2022/11/25/massive-twitter-data-breach/

• European Parliament Declares Russia to be a State Sponsor of Terrorism – Then Gets Attacked

On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the latest developments in Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. MEPs highlight that the deliberate attacks and atrocities committed by Russian forces and their proxies against civilians in Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and other serious violations of international and humanitarian law amount to acts of terror and constitute war crimes. In light of this, they recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and as a state that “uses means of terrorism”.

As the EU currently cannot officially designate states as sponsors of terrorism, the European Parliament calls on the EU and its member states to put in place the proper legal framework and consider adding Russia to such a list. This would trigger a number of significant restrictive measures against Moscow and have profound restrictive implications for EU relations with Russia.

In the meantime, MEPs call on the Council to include the Russian paramilitary organisation ‘the Wagner Group’, the 141st Special Motorized Regiment, also known as the “Kadyrovites”, and other Russian-funded armed groups, militias and proxies, on the EU’s terrorist list.

Almost immediately after the vote the European Parliament suffered a sustained denial of service attack that shut down email services and disrupted internet access for more than an hour. A pro-Russian group called KILLNET then claimed responsibility in a Telegram post.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20221118IPR55707/european-parliament-declares-russia-to-be-a-state-sponsor-of-terrorism

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/comment-european-parliament-hit-by-cyberattack-after-vote-on-russia/

• The Changing Nature of Nation-State Cyber Warfare

Military conflict is ever shifting from beyond the battlefield and into cyber space. Ever more sophisticated and ruthless groups of nation-state actors and their proxies continue to target critical systems and infrastructure for political and ideological leverage. These criminals’ far-reaching objectives include intelligence gathering, financial gain, destabilising other nations, hindering communications, and the theft of intellectual property.

The risks to individuals and society are clear. Due to its importance to daily life and the economy, the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) is a natural target for malicious nation-state cyber-attacks. We only need look at the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in the US – at the hands of the Russia-affiliated DarkSide group – to appreciate the potential for one criminal act to escalate and cause large-scale societal impact: panic and disruption. Even though the pipeline was shut down for less than a week, the havoc caused by suspending fuel supplies gave CNI operators everywhere a worrying taste of things to come.

Closer to home, the recent cyber attack on South Staffordshire Water highlights the need for all utilities providers to take proactive measures and precautions to better secure essential human sustenance supplies. With the risk of coordinated attacks by criminals backed by nation states rising, the potential for human casualties if attacks against CNI go unchecked is becoming starkly clear.

The Russia-Ukraine war has heightened awareness of the cyber threats posed by all nation-state adversaries. Unsurprisingly, challenges and conflicts in the physical world tend to bleed through into the cyber domain. And with relations between Western nations and Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea more fraught than ever, UK organisations can expect to see further increases in cyber threats at the hands of hostile nation-state actors.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/the-changing-nature-of-nation-state-cyber-warfare/

• Is Your Company Covered for a Cyber Security Attack? That’s the £2 Million Question

Cyber crime continues to be a persistent and pressing issue for all sized businesses, particularly smaller organisations. In fact, according to the National Cyber Security Alliance, nearly 60% of small businesses that experience a cyber attack shut their doors within six months.

Despite the continuing rise in risk, many small businesses remain vulnerable to cyber attacks due to a lack of resources and – surprisingly – a lack of knowledge of the existing threats. Moreover, companies are now being exposed to cyber risks even further as they struggle to get appropriate cyber insurance, which, if needed, can be devastating should bad actors circumvent your company’s defences.

Cyber insurance is a policy that helps an organisation pay for any financial losses incurred following a data breach or cyber attack. It also helps cover any costs related to the remediation process, such as paying for the investigation, crisis communication, legal services, and customer refunds.

With the constant – and ever-increasing – threat of potential cyber attacks and the need to protect their assets, many companies are applying for cyber insurance, which generally covers a variety of different types of cyber-attacks, including data breaches; business email compromises; cyber extortion demands; malware infections and ransomware.

But, despite the benefits of cyber insurance, it remains surprisingly undervalued. The UK government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 found that only 43% of businesses have a cyber insurance policy in place.

Organisations must always seek cost-effective ways to address the cyber security risks they face – as no business is safe in the modern security landscape from a cyber threat. One of the most common ways to mitigate the risk of a cyber security incident is cyber insurance.  While all-sized businesses can benefit from having cyber insurance, small businesses frequently lack the knowledge and importance of securing it. This is usually because of the cost, the time involved in finding a provider, and a lack of understanding of the importance of a cyber insurance policy.

https://informationsecuritybuzz.com/is-your-company-covered-for-a-cybersecurity-attack-thats-the-2-million-question/

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Threats

Ransomware and Extortion

• Yanluowang Ransomware's Russian Links Laid Bare - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Medibank hackers release 1,500 more patient records on dark web, including mental health data | Medibank | The Guardian

• Fake subscription invoices lead to corporate data theft and extortion - Help Net Security

• Ouch! Ransomware gang says it won’t attack AirAsia again due to the “chaotic organisation” and sloppy security of hacked airline’s network • Graham Cluley

• Ransomware gang targets Belgian municipality, hits police instead (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New ransomware encrypts files, then steals your Discord account (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Donut extortion group also targets victims with ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Daixin Ransomware Gang Steals 5 Million AirAsia Passengers' and Employees' Data (thehackernews.com)

• Ransomware attacks: Making cyber ransom payments unlawful would help boards (afr.com)

• An aggressive Black Basta Ransomware campaign targets US-based companies - Security Affairs

• Luna Moth ransomware group invests in call centres to target individual victims - SiliconANGLE

• New ransomware attacks in Ukraine linked to Russian Sandworm hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cybereason warns of fast-moving Black Basta campaign (techtarget.com)

• Spate Of Ransomware Targeting Healthcare Cost $92 Billion In Downtime Since 2018, Experts Weigh In - Information Security Buzz

• RansomExx Upgrades to Rust (securityintelligence.com)

• Enterprise healthcare providers warned of Lorenz ransomware threat | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Montreal-area city hit by ransomware: Report | IT World Canada News

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Google Blocks 231B Spam, Phishing Emails in Past 2 Weeks (darkreading.com)

• World Cup phishing emails spike in Middle Eastern countries • The Register

• Microsoft Email Security Bypasses Instagram Credential Phishing Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Researcher warns that Cisco Secure Email Gateways can easily be circumvented - Security Affairs

• SocGholish finds success through novel email techniques | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Ten Charged in $11m Healthcare BEC Plots - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Cyber criminals are increasingly using info-stealing malware to target victims | CSO Online

• A security firm hacked malware operators, locking them out of their own C&C servers | TechSpot

• Emotet is back and delivers payloads like IcedID and Bumblebee - Security Affairs

• All You Need to Know About Emotet in 2022 (thehackernews.com)

• New attacks use Windows security bypass zero-day to drop malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Multi-Purpose Botnet and Infostealer 'Aurora' Rising to Fame | SecurityWeek.Com

• DUCKTAIL malware campaign targeting Facebook business and ads accounts is back | CSO Online

• Aurora infostealer malware increasingly adopted by cybergangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• This new malware is able to bypass all of Microsoft's security warnings | TechRadar

• Backdoored Chrome extension installed by 200,000 Roblox players (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• 'Patch Lag' Leaves Millions of Android Devices Vulnerable (darkreading.com)

• Millions of Android Devices Still Don't Have Patches for Mali GPU Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Your iPhone may be collecting more personal data than you think | Digital Trends

• This Android File Manager App Infected Thousands of Devices with SharkBot Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Bahamut cybermercenary group targets Android users with fake VPN apps | WeLiveSecurity

• WhatsApp data leak: 500 million user records for sale | Cybernews

Internet of Things – IoT

• Vulnerable SDK components lead to supply chain risks in IoT and OT environments - Microsoft Security Blog

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Data from 5.4M Twitter users obtained from multiple threat actors and combined with data from other breaches - Security Affairs

• WhatsApp data leak: 500 million user records for sale - Security Affairs

• California County Says Personal Information Compromised in Data Breach | SecurityWeek.Com

• Personal data of AirAsia Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand passengers allegedly leaked due to ransomware - SoyaCincau

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Russian cyber gangs stole over 50 million passwords this year (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How social media scammers buy time to steal your 2FA codes – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• DEV-0569 Group Switches Tactics, Abuses Google Ads to Deliver Payloads | Cyware Alerts - Hacker News

• Hackers are locking out Mars Stealer operators from their own servers | TechCrunch

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Bank Of England Says Crypto Needs Regulation Now - Information Security Buzz

• Two Estonians arrested for running $575M crypto Ponzi scheme (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber crooks to ditch BTC as regulation and tracking improves: Kaspersky (cointelegraph.com)

• Google Chrome extension used to steal cryptocurrency, passwords (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crypto exchanges’ bundling of services threatens stability, says Bank of England official | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Bahamas SEC Or Hacker? Stolen Funds From FTX Keep On Moving (bitcoinist.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• 'iSpoof' service dismantled, main operator and 145 users arrested (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Operation Elaborate - UK police text 70,000 suspected victims of iSpoof bank fraudsters | Tripwire

• UK Cops Lead Action Against Fraud Site that Made £100m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DUCKTAIL malware campaign targeting Facebook business and ads accounts is back | CSO Online

• Beware - Black Friday online shopping scams are here now | TechRadar

• Online retailers should prepare for a holiday season spike in bot-operated attacks | CSO Online

• Pig butchering domains seized and slaughtered by the Feds • The Register

• Experts Warn Remote Workers of Black Friday Security Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Insurance

• What cyber insurance really covers - Help Net Security

Software Supply Chain

• CISA, NSA, ODNI Publish Software Supply Chain Guidelines For Customers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com) 

Denial of Service DoS/DDoS

• Out of the blue: Surviving an 18-hour, 39M-request DDoS attack - Help Net Security

Cloud/SaaS

• The impact of inadequate SaaS management - Help Net Security

Hybrid/Remote Working

• How remote working impacts security incident reporting | CSO Online

Identity and Access Management

• Access Rights – Bridging the Gap Between Current and Desired States - Information Security Buzz

Encryption

• Mathematical theorem used to crack US government encryption algorithm (phys.org)

API

• 5 API Vulnerabilities That Get Exploited by Criminals - Security Affairs

• The API Timebomb - Information Security Buzz

• What are different types of APIs? - IT Security Guru

• Three security design principles for public REST APIs - Help Net Security

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Russian cyber gangs stole over 50 million passwords this year (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Guess the most common password. Hint: We just told you • The Register

• World Cup Players Among Most Breached Passwords - IT Security Guru

• Google Chrome extension used to steal cryptocurrency, passwords (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Email Security Bypasses Instagram Credential Phishing Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Hackers steal $300,000 in DraftKings credential stuffing attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Data from 5.4M Twitter users obtained from multiple threat actors and combined with data from other breaches - Security Affairs

• Ducktail hackers now use WhatsApp to phish for Facebook Ad accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber security Pros Put Mastodon Flaws Under the Microscope (darkreading.com)

• Musk to abused Twitter users: Your tormentors will return • The Register

• Facebook sued for collecting personal data to sell adverts | News | The Times

• DUCKTAIL malware campaign targeting Facebook business and ads accounts is back | CSO Online

• Meta Takes Down Fake Facebook and Instagram Accounts Linked to Pro-US Influence Operation (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Email Security Bypasses Instagram Credential Phishing Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Beyond Trump, Twitter welcomes back purveyors of far-right disinformation - CyberScoop

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Musk to abused Twitter users: Your tormentors will return • The Register

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Bank Of England Says Crypto Needs Regulation Now - Information Security Buzz

• UK’s Privacy Tsar Defends Controversial Enforcement Strategy - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How US cyber incident reporting law could finally fix the information sharing problem - CyberScoop

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• UK Cops Lead Action Against Fraud Site that Made £100m - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Operation Elaborate - UK police text 70,000 suspected victims of iSpoof bank fraudsters | Tripwire

• Interpol Seized $130 Million from Cyber criminals in Global "HAECHI-III" Crackdown Operation (thehackernews.com)

• 'iSpoof' service dismantled, main operator and 145 users arrested (bleepingcomputer.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• iPhones are not as privacy-focused as Apple claims, researchers point out - India Today

• Thinking about taking your computer to the repair shop? Be very afraid | Ars Technica

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Beyond Trump, Twitter welcomes back purveyors of far-right disinformation - CyberScoop

• Meta Takes Down Fake Facebook and Instagram Accounts Linked to Pro-US Influence Operation (thehackernews.com)

Spyware, Cyber Espionage & Cyber Warfare, including Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• Ukraine shows how space is now central to warfare | Financial Times (ft.com)

• New ransomware attacks in Ukraine linked to Russian Sandworm hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• EU Parliament Putin things back together after cyber attack • The Register

• Opinion | Democracies flirting with spyware like Pegasus raises dangers - The Washington Post

• Scotland's broadband builder linked to Israeli spyware | HeraldScotland

• Bahamut Spyware Group Compromises Android Devices Via Fake VPN Apps - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russia-based RansomBoggs Ransomware Targeted Several Ukrainian Organisations (thehackernews.com)

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Nation State Actors

Nation State Actors – Russia

• Russian Tech Giant Wants Out of the Country As Ukraine War Rages on (insider.com)

• Yanluowang Ransomware's Russian Links Laid Bare - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Nation State Actors – China

• US Bans Chinese Telecom Equipment and Surveillance Cameras Over National Security Risk (thehackernews.com)

• UK bans Chinese CCTV cameras on ‘sensitive’ government sites • The Register

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Vulnerability Management

• EPSS explained: How does it compare to CVSS? | CSO Online

Vulnerabilities

• 73 Percent of Retail Applications Contain Security Flaws, but Only a Quarter Are Fixed (yahoo.com)

• ConnectWise Fixes XSS Vulnerability that Could Lead to Remote Code Execution - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Researcher warns that Cisco Secure Email Gateways can easily be circumvented - Security Affairs

• Vulnerability in AWS AppSync allowed unauthorized access to cloud resources | The Daily Swig (portswigger.net)

• AWS fixes 'confused deputy' vulnerability in AppSync • The Register

• How to hack an unpatched Exchange server with rogue PowerShell code – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Google pushes emergency Chrome update to fix 8th zero-day in 2022 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Upgrade to Apache Commons Text 1.10 to Avoid New Exploit (infoq.com)

• Security experts are laying Mastodon's flaws bare | TechRadar

• Devices from Dell, HP, and Lenovo used outdated OpenSSL versions - Security Affairs

• PoC Code Published for High-Severity macOS Sandbox Escape Vulnerability | SecurityWeek.Com

• 5 API Vulnerabilities That Get Exploited by Criminals - Security Affairs

• Vulnerable SDK components lead to supply chain risks in IoT and OT environments - Microsoft Security Blog

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Tools and Controls

• Does Zero Trust mean Defence in Depth is dead? - Information Security Buzz

• Charting the Path to Zero Trust: Where to Begin (darkreading.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Threat actors extend attack techniques to new enterprise apps and services - Help Net Security

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Other News

• Know thy enemy: thinking like a hacker can boost cyber security strategy | CSO Online

• 'Quiet quitting' poses a cyber security risk that calls for a shift in workplace culture  | VentureBeat

• Nighthawk Likely to Become Hackers' New Post-Exploitation Tool After Cobalt Strike (thehackernews.com)

• Security Culture Matters when IT is Decentralized (trendmicro.com)

• Legacy IT system modernization largely driven by security concerns - Help Net Security

• Been Doing It The Same Way For Years? Think Again. (thehackernews.com)

• Here's how to make sure your incident response strategy is ready for holiday hackers - Help Net Security

• Docker Hub repositories hide over 1,650 malicious containers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hacked digital billboard in Brisbane displays pornography for several minutes | Queensland | The Guardian

• The Case For A Security Program - Information Security Buzz

• How Tech Companies Can Slow Down Spike in Breaches (darkreading.com)

• Inventor of the Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee wants to save your data from Big Tech with Web3.0 | Euronews

• Deloitte reveals 10 strategic cyber security predictions for 2023  | VentureBeat

• The Biden administration has racked up a host of cyber security accomplishments | CSO Online

• US Navy Forced to Pay Software Company for Licensing Breach (gizmodo.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.

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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.