Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 12 October 2023 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Adobe and Chrome Updates Summary.

Executive summary

Microsoft’s October 2023 Patch Tuesday provides updates to address 103 security issues across its product range, including two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-36563 and CVE-2023-41763).  One of the exploited zero-day vulnerabilities is a privilege escalation vulnerability in skype. The other is an information disclosure vulnerability in Microsoft WordPad that can result in disclosure of NTLM hashes. Also among the updates provided by Microsoft were 13 critical vulnerabilities.

In addition to the Microsoft updates this week also saw Adobe fix 13 vulnerabilities across various products, with a vulnerability in Adobe Reader under active exploitation, and Google addressing 20 vulnerabilities in Chrome.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The actively exploited vulnerabilities could allow an attacker with access, to elevate privileges or capture the hashes of user passwords to gain access to that users accounts. Both compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data stored by an organisation.

What can I do?

Security updates are available for all supported versions of Windows impacted. 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

CVE-2023-36563: If exploited the vulnerability disclosures of information in Microsoft WordPad that could result in leak in NTLM hashes.

CVE-2023-41763: If actively exploited it allows for an attacker to escalate privileges in Skype that could lead to the exposure of sensitive information, such as IP addresses, port numbers and enabling an attacker to gain access to internal networks.

Adobe

This month, Adobe released fixes for 13 vulnerabilities, of which 8 were rated critical across Adobe Bridge (2), Commerce (10) and Photoshop (1). Adobe have stated a vulnerability in Adobe Reader is under active exploitation. The vulnerabilities include remote code execution, memory leak, privilege escalation and security bypass.

Chrome

An update for Google Chrome which patches 20 vulnerabilities, with the most severe allowing for arbitrary code execution to be performed by a malicious attacker. Depending on the privileges associated with the user an attacker could then install programs; view, delete or modify the data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts have fewer user rights could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights. While there are currently no reports of these vulnerabilities being exploited in the wild, it is advised to update to the latest version as soon as possible.

further details on other specific updates within this patch Tuesday can be found here:

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2023-Oct

Further details about CVE-2023-36563 can be found here:              

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36563

Further details about CVE-2023-41763 can be found here:

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2023-41763

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Bridge can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb23-49.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Commerce can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb23-50.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Photoshop can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb23-51.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Chrome can be found here:

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_10.html

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 6 October 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

Many Cyber Attacks Begin by Breaking Human Trust

One of the most visible cyber attacks in recent months has reminded us that we all play a role in security, and people remain a favourite route for attackers. In the recent attack on MGM Resorts, an employee unwittingly helped the attacker to access the organisation’s systems and information. The attack highlights the power of social engineering as an attack vector, and that any size of business can fall victim.

One of the ways organisations can help to protect themselves is to provide social engineering training to employees. This builds resilience by helping employees to understand, recognise and avoid becoming a victim, recognising that cyber security involves more than just technology.

Despite some improvements in awareness programs, organisations face hurdles including budget constraints, limited training time and understaffing. Training should be continuous and target major risk areas such as phishing, vishing and password management, while fostering a proactive security culture.

Black Arrow supports organisations of all sizes in designing and delivering proportionate user education and awareness programmes, including in-person and online training as well as simulated phishing campaigns. Our programmes ensure employee engagement and build a cyber security culture to protect the organisation.

Sources: [GovTech] [Bloomberg] [Security Week]

BYOD Should Stand for Bring Your Own Disaster, According to Microsoft Ransomware Data

Microsoft research says that 80-90 percent of ransomware attacks over the past year originated from unmanaged devices. Many organisations welcome a bring your own device (BYOD) policy, yet are not managing these devices effectively.

Without appropriate management of BYOD devices, organisations are allowing a number of unknown devices onto the corporate scene; these devices can be unpatched, unregulated and can lack adequate security measures, without the organisation even being aware.

Source: [The Register]

SME Cyber Security Knowledge Gap Widens

Recent findings underscore a growing concern: a significant cyber security knowledge gap among small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). The report found that 22% of employees are concerned their actions could contribute to a cyber attack or data breach. Alarmingly, more than three-quarters of senior executives are unable to identify cyber threats or distinguish phishing emails from legitimate ones.

Despite the clear risks, three out of four SMEs do not provide any form of cyber security training to their staff. This reveals a concerning disconnect: while the majority of business owners do not perceive their staff as potential cyber security risks, many employees themselves acknowledge that they could inadvertently cause such issues.

Adding to the concern, 60% of SMEs have no plans to increase their security budget in the coming year. Two-thirds of these businesses do not view cyber security as a priority. In fact, only one in five SMEs are even considering investing in cyber insurance. This widening knowledge gap in SME cyber security is indeed troubling and calls for immediate attention.

Sources: [Insurance Journal] [Dealer Support] [IT Security Guru]

UK Security Budgets Under Strain as Cyber Incidents Soar

A recent report found that UK businesses have suffered a 25% increase in cyber incidents in the last year, against a backdrop of budgetary constraints on implementing cyber security strategies. The report found that, despite spending more than £40,000 a year on cyber security protection, more than a quarter of organisations think their cyber security budget is inadequate to fully protect them from growing threats. This is as UK businesses have experienced, on average, 30 cyber incidents over the last 12 months, a 25% increase compared to last year.

The report identified that a lack of key skills remains one of the main concerns in tackling rising cyber threats. So much so that 30% of cyber staff admit to currently facing burnout. This pressure also means that less than half of companies are confident in their ability to handle the biggest threats facing organisations, including phishing (56%) and malware (55%).

Sources: [Silicon] [Verdict] [CSO Online]

Cyber Leaders’ Confidence in Their Organisation’s Defences Plummets, But Costs Mount

A recent EY survey of cyber security leaders reported that just 1 in 5 found their organisation’s approach to cyber defences to  effective and just 36% are satisfied with the levels of best practices by teams outside the IT department. The report also found that despite higher levels of spending, the organisation’s cyber security detection and response appeared slow; 76% of respondents took six months or longer to detect and respond to an incident.

Source: [EY]

FBI Warns of Dual Ransomware as Data Destruction Dwell Times Hit Low of 24 Hours

The FBI has flagged dual ransomware attacks, where attackers will attack a company twice within a few hours, as an emerging trend. This comes as an increasing number of ransomware actors are deploying their ransomware within 24 hours of initial access, and in 10% of cases, within just a few hours. Comparing this to last year, where the median time was four and a half days, organisations have significantly less time to enact their response, if they have one.

Sources: [Tech Monitor] [The Cord] [Information Security] [Beta News] [Cision] [The Record] [Malware Bytes]

Tech-Savvy Young Workers Might Be the Biggest Cyber Liability to Your Business

A new report from Ivanti into hidden threats finds that one in three employees believe their actions do not impact their organisation's security. The research shows that Millennial and Gen Z office workers are more likely to have unsafe cyber security habits when compared to Gen X and older (those above 40 years of age). The report also finds that men and leaders are more comfortable contacting a security employee with a question or concern, with leaders at an organisation the most likely to reach out with a question at 72%.

The report also highlighted that phishing scams were found to be greatly underreported by those aged 40 and under, with 23% saying that they did not report the last phishing attempt they received, the most the most likely reason for this being “I didn’t think it was important”. In contrast, of the older demographic only 12% failed to report. Cyber security has only recently become the leading concern among C-suites and executives; however, security leaders need to enable all employees to play defence against threat actors and proactively build an open and welcoming security culture.

Sources: [Techradar] [Beta News] [HelpNet Security]

Half of Cyber Security Professionals Report Increase in Cyber Attacks, with 60% of Attacks Going Unreported

Over half (52%) of cyber security professionals are experiencing an increase in cyber attacks compared to a year ago, according to new research. Further findings revealed that only 40% of organisations conducted a cyber risk assessment annually. By conducting risk assessments, organisations are able to identify their vulnerabilities and address them, before an attacker gets the chance to exploit them.

Further, in a recent survey conducted by ISACA, which collated insights from over 2,000 security leaders globally, a significant 62% of respondents say that organisations are under-reporting cyber crime incidents. The report also revealed 59% indicate their cyber security teams are undermanned, and the challenge of retaining skilled cyber security professionals remains, with 56% experiencing retention issues.

Sources: [MSSP Alert] [Security Brief] [InfoSecurity Magazine ]

Global Cyber Survey Finds 50% Rise in Cyber Insurance Premiums

According to a recent survey, budgets for cyber security have grown 70% in the last five years and whilst these have risen, so have cyber insurance premiums (50%), due to the increase in ransomware attacks.

Insurance firms have not been able to sustain losses they were incurring without passing on these costs to their customers. At the same time, obtaining cyber insurance is getting exponentially harder, with more and more stringent controls and measures being mandated by insurance companies before underwriting to minimise their exposure.

Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to demonstrate governance of their cyber security, by owning their cyber security strategy and leveraging their existing internal and external resources to build resilience against a cyber security incident.

Source: [Global Reinsurance]

Evolving Conversations: Cyber Security as a Business Risk

According to a report, only 53% of board members report having regular interactions with their cyber security experts, leaving nearly half without a strong and distinct Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) perspective in the decision making process.

By including CISOs or virtual CISOS (vCISOS) in board processes, the board can better understand the cyber implications of decisions, after all, you wouldn’t make a board-level financial decision without involving the CFO.

Source: [HelpNet Security]

Threats in Cloud Top the List of Executive Cyber Concerns

A recent report published by PwC has found that cloud-related threats are the top concern for organisations that have adopted the technology. These security concerns intensify for organisations with multiple clouds or hybrid infrastructures, with the report finding more than half of respondents citing cloud security as their most pressing concern.

The report highlighted that despite the focus on cloud security, nearly every organisation had risk management lapses. Nearly a third of respondents had yet to address disaster recovery and backup with their cloud service provider, and more than two in five pointed to in-house cloud skills gaps as a lingering risk factor.

Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident; this can include an Incident Response Plan and an educational tabletop exercise for the leadership team that highlights the proportionate controls to help the organisation prevent and mitigate an incident.

Source: [CIO Dive]

Over Half of Phishing Emails Now Use Obfuscation Tactics to Avoid Detection

Recent research shows that hackers are increasingly using sophisticated tactics to get their phishing emails past companies’ cyber security defences. One key finding of the report is the percentage of phishing emails that use obfuscation techniques to avoid detection jumped by 24.4% in 2023. More than half of malicious emails, or 55.2%, now use such tactics. The report found that the most widely used obfuscation technique is HTML smuggling. This is the practice of hiding malicious raw code in a seemingly legitimate HTML page; the code only turns into malware after clearing the cyber security filtering.

The use of chatbots or large language models have lowered the barrier for entry to cyber crime, making it possible to create well-written phishing campaigns and generate malware that less capable coders could not produce alone. The reports found that tools designed to detect AI-generated phishing emails work unreliability or don’t work at all in 71.4% of cases.

Source: [Silicon Angle]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Small Businesses Underestimate Cyber Risks Despite Increased Threats: IBC Survey (insurancejournal.com)

• Half of Cyber security Professionals Report Increase in Cyber Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber security: Still No. 1 on Every CIO's Agenda (govtech.com)

• SME cyber security knowledge gap widens | Dealer Support

• UK SME cyber threat concerns on the rise in last 12 months as a quarter admit to being breached - IT Security Guru

• Poor cyber security habits are common among younger employees - Help Net Security

• Many Cyber Attacks Begin by Breaking Human Trust (govtech.com)

• After MGM and Caesars hacks, cyber security experts warn ‘anybody is vulnerable’  - The Nevada Independent

• People Still Matter in Cyber security Management (darkreading.com)

• UK businesses face tightening cyber security budgets as incidents spike | CSO Online

• Threats in cloud top list of executive cyber concerns, PwC finds | CIO Dive

• Ransomware Crisis, Recession Fears Leave CISOs in Tough Spot (darkreading.com)

• Evolving conversations: Cyber security as a business risk - Help Net Security

• Cyber security preparedness pays big dividends for businesses - Help Net Security

• Breaches Are the Cost of Doing Business, but NIST Is Here to Help (darkreading.com)

• Your Company's Cyber security Depends on Every Employee--Train Them Well and Instill the Importance of Security | Inc.com

• Gartner: Spending On Cyber security Services Is Outpacing Expectations In 2023 | CRN

• Cyber leaders’ confidence in their organisation’s defences plummets, but costs mount | EY - Global

• CISO's compass: Mastering tech, inspiring teams, and confronting risk - Help Net Security

• Kroll Launches Detection and Response Maturity Model and Finds 91% of Businesses Overestimate Their Cyber Maturity, Increasing Their Vulnerability to Cyber attacks

• Gartner Forecasts Global Security and Risk Management Spending to Grow 14% in 2024 (darkreading.com)

• A Tool to Help Boards Measure Cyber Resilience (hbr.org)

• High-business-impact outages are incredibly expensive - Help Net Security

• 78% of organisations under-report cyber attacks: ISACA (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Moody’s cyber survey reveals growing budgets and improved governance - Reinsurance News

• How To Talk To Your Board And C-suite About Cyber Preparedness | Scoop News

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Moody’s global cyber survey finds 50% rise in cyber insurance premiums | Global Reinsurance

• Ransomware is deployed faster as cyber criminals seek to avoid detection (betanews.com)

• Ransomware Dwell Time Hits Low of 24 Hours (prnewswire.com)

• Microsoft: Human-operated ransomware attacks tripled over past year (therecord.media)

• Bad BYOD facilitates most ransomware attacks, says Microsoft • The Register

• Dual ransomware attacks: FBI warns of twin threat to businesses (techmonitor.ai)

• Ransomware gangs destroying data, using multiple strains during attacks: FBI (therecord.media)

• Why the public sector is an easy target for ransomware | TechCrunch

• Banks beware: Why one ransomware victim decided to pay up | American Banker

• LUCR-3: Scattered Spider Getting SaaS-y in the Cloud (thehackernews.com)

• Data Theft Overtakes Ransomware as Top Concern for IT Decision Makers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Feds hopelessly behind the times on ransomware trends • The Register

• MOVEit cyber attacks: keeping tabs on the biggest data theft of 2023 - The Verge

• Ransomware reinfections on the rise from improper remediation (malwarebytes.com)

• Meet LostTrust ransomware — A likely rebrand of the MetaEncryptor gang (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware gangs now exploiting critical TeamCity RCE flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Two hacker groups are back in the news, LockBit 3.0 Black and BlackCat/AlphV (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware disrupts hospitality, healthcare in September | TechTarget

• Ransomware Attacks: Bad for Hospitals, Deadly for Patients - Tradeoffs

• Lorenz ransomware embroiled in its own two-year data leak • The Register

Ransomware Victims

• LockBit crime spree includes FDF and UK law firm (techmonitor.ai)

• Motel One discloses data breach following ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• MOVEit cyber attacks: keeping tabs on the biggest data theft of 2023 - The Verge

• Record Numbers of Ransomware Victims Named on Leak Sites - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MGM Resorts Refused to Pay Ransom in Cyber attack on Casinos - WSJ

• BlackCat gang claims they stole data of 2.5 million patients of McLaren Health Care (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware attack on Johnson Controls may have exposed sensitive DHS data (securityaffairs.com)

• South African insurance clients hit in massive global cyber attack (mybroadband.co.za)

• Sony sent data breach notifications to about 6,800 individuals (securityaffairs.com)

• Clorox Warns of a Sales Mess After Cyber attack - WSJ

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• EvilProxy Phishing Attack Strikes Indeed, Targets Executives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Report: Over half of phishing emails now use obfuscation tactics to avoid detection - SiliconANGLE

• Phishing, Smishing Surge Targets USPS - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Will generative AI really supercharge phishing attacks? - Tech Monitor

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Many Cyber Attacks Begin by Breaking Human Trust (govtech.com)

• MGM Cyber attack Shows How Hackers Deploy Social Engineering - Bloomberg

• Casino Hackers Use Low-Tech Tricks to Exploit Corporate Targets (bloomberglaw.com)

• Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish Aerospace Firm (thehackernews.com)

• USPS Anchors Snowballing Smishing Campaigns (darkreading.com)

• Phishing, Smishing Surge Targets USPS - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Bing Chat's ads unleash malware mayhem: Users lured into dangerous websites - OnMSFT.com

• Harvard cyber security guru Bruce Schneier warns of ChatGPT, AI effect on election disinformation, propaganda | Fortune

• Protecting against FraudGPT, ChatGPT's evil twin - Help Net Security

• GenAI in software surges despite risks - Help Net Security

• Boardroom Blueprint: AI's Cyber security Risks (forbes.com)

• The top AI cyber crime threats and solutions | Inquirer Technology

• Kaspersky Issues Crimeware Report, Uncovers “WormGPT” | MSSP Alert

• The big debate: is AI a blessing or curse for cyber security? - Raconteur

• Global internet freedoms fell again last year as the threat of AI looms (therecord.media)

• Survey Finds Most Cyber security Experts Believe Offensive AI Will Outpace Defensive AI (thefastmode.com)

• LLMs lower the barrier for entry into cyber crime - Help Net Security

• Will generative AI really supercharge phishing attacks? - Tech Monitor

• Are we doomed to make the same security mistakes with AI? (securityintelligence.com)

• AI facial recognition: Campaigners and MPs call for ban - BBC News

• From Cyber crime to Cyber security: Fighting AI With AI | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

Malware

• Hackers are spreading malware through Indeed job messages | Digital Trends

• Cyber criminals Using New ASMCrypt Malware Loader Flying Under the Radar (thehackernews.com)

• There's a dangerous new malware-as-a-service on the rise - here's what you need to know | TechRadar

• BunnyLoader: New Malware-as-a-Service Threat Emerges in the Cyber crime Underground (thehackernews.com)

• North Korea's Lazarus Group upgrades its main malware • The Register

• Malware-Infected Devices Sold Through Major Retailers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Prolific malware and botnet operator Qakbot still operating despite FBI takedown - SiliconANGLE

• Hundreds of malicious Python packages found stealing sensitive data (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Bad BYOD facilitates most ransomware attacks, says Microsoft • The Register

• Android's October 2023 Security Updates Patch Two Exploited Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Backdoored Android phones, TVs used for ad fraud - and worse! - Help Net Security

• Are executives adequately guarding their gadgets? - Help Net Security

Botnets

• AWS Using MadPot Decoy System to Disrupt APTs, Botnets - Security Week

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Flights grounded by DDoS cyber attack on Russia's airports (techmonitor.ai)

• Cloudflare DDoS protections ironically bypassed using Cloudflare (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Royal Family's official website targeted in cyber attack | UK News | Sky News

• Global events fuel DDoS attack campaigns - Help Net Security

BYOD

• Bad BYOD facilitates most ransomware attacks, says Microsoft • The Register

• Are executives adequately guarding their gadgets? - Help Net Security

Internet of Things – IoT

• Malware-Infected Devices Sold Through Major Retailers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• IoT and the law | Professional Security

• Backdoored Android phones, TVs used for ad fraud - and worse! - Help Net Security

• Eyes everywhere: How to safely navigate the IoT video revolution - Help Net Security

• FDA cyber mandates for medical devices goes into effect | CyberScoop

Data Breaches/Leaks

• European Telecommunications Standards Institute Discloses Data Breach - Security Week

• MOVEit cyber attacks: keeping tabs on the biggest data theft of 2023 - The Verge

• Data Theft Overtakes Ransomware as Top Concern for IT Decision Makers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NATO says it is addressing an apparent cyber attack after strategy documents posted online | CNN Politics

• SiegedSec Hacktivists Claim to Have Stolen 3,000 NATO Files in Second Attack | MSSP Alert

• Blackbaud Pays $49.5M to Settle With State AGs in Breach (inforisktoday.com)

• PSNI: Concerns over computer security as new figures reveal 161 data incidents | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

• Sony confirms data breach impacting thousands in the US (bleepingcomputer.com)

• DNA testing service 23andMe investigating theft of user data | CyberScoop

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Odds Are 1 in 4 Americans Will Fall Victim to Online Crime (prnewswire.com)

• People Still Matter in Cyber security Management (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto firms beware: Lazarus’ new malware can now bypass detection (cointelegraph.com)

• Scammers Impersonate Companies to Steal Cryptocurrency from Job Seeker - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• There's a dangerous new malware-as-a-service on the rise - here's what you need to know | TechRadar

• BunnyLoader: New Malware-as-a-Service Threat Emerges in the Cyber crime Underground (thehackernews.com)

• The crypto market bears the scars of FTX's collapse | Reuters

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Many Cyber Attacks Begin by Breaking Human Trust (govtech.com)

• Tech-savvy young workers might be the biggest cyber liability to your business | TechRadar

• Younger employees more likely to have unsafe cyber security habits (betanews.com)

• Addressing the People Problem in Cyber security - Security Week

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• FBI warns phantom hacker scams are emptying financial accounts — how to stay safe | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Three men found guilty of laundering $2.5 million in Target gift card tech support scam (bitdefender.com)

• Online fraud can cost you more than money - Help Net Security

• The crypto market bears the scars of FTX's collapse | Reuters

• How to deal with your brand's doppelgangers | Kaspersky official blog

• Visa Program Combats Friendly Fraud Losses For Small Businesses Globally (darkreading.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish Aerospace Firm (thehackernews.com)

• Supply Chain Attackers Escalate With GitHub Dependabot Impersonation (darkreading.com)

• Scammers Impersonate Companies to Steal Cryptocurrency from Job Seeker - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Three men found guilty of laundering $2.5 million in Target gift card tech support scam (bitdefender.com)

Insurance

• Moody’s global cyber survey finds 50% rise in cyber insurance premiums | Global Reinsurance

• Insurance Companies Have a Lot to Lose in Cyber attacks (darkreading.com)

• 5 Cyber Insurance Trends To Watch Right Now | CRN

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Tackling cyber risks head-on using security questionnaires - Help Net Security

Software Supply Chain

• Software firms under cyber attack | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

• Upstream Supply Chain Attacks Triple in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Supply Chain Attackers Escalate With GitHub Dependabot Impersonation (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Threats in cloud top list of executive cyber concerns, PwC finds | CIO Dive

• Microsoft Warns of Cyber Attacks Attempting to Breach Cloud via SQL Server Instance (thehackernews.com)

• LUCR-3: Scattered Spider Getting SaaS-y in the Cloud (thehackernews.com)

• AWS Using MadPot Decoy System to Disrupt APTs, Botnets - Security Week

• Fast-Growing Dropbox Campaign Steals Microsoft SharePoint Credentials (darkreading.com)

• EvilProxy uses indeed.com open redirect for Microsoft 365 phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Employers must be clear with staff over workplace monitoring, warns privacy watchdog | UK News | Sky News

• Surge in workplace monitoring prompts new ICO guidelines on employee privacy | ITPro

Encryption

• New Marvin attack revives 25-year-old decryption flaw in RSA (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Quantum Computers Could Crack Encryption Sooner Than Expected With New Algorithm (singularityhub.com)

API

• The Silent Threat of APIs: What the New Data Reveals About Unknown Risk (darkreading.com)

• APIs: Unveiling the Silent Killer of Cyber Security Risk Across Industries (thehackernews.com)

Open Source

• New 'Looney Tunables' Linux bug gives root on major distros (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The root cause of open-source risk - Help Net Security

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Your Long Password Is Still Easy to Crack (pcmag.com)

• Fast-Growing Dropbox Campaign Steals Microsoft SharePoint Credentials (darkreading.com)

Biometrics

• AI facial recognition: Campaigners and MPs call for ban - BBC News

• The rise and fall of Clearview.AI and the evolution of facial recognition - SiliconANGLE

• The inadequacy of voice biometrics | TechRadar

Social Media

• Norway Urges Europe-Wide Ban on Meta's Targeted Ad Data Collection (darkreading.com)

• Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish Aerospace Firm (thehackernews.com)

• Elon Musk ‘Cut Off Good Guys, Empowered Bad’: Stanford Cyber security Wonk - The Messenger

Malvertising

• Backdoored Android phones, TVs used for ad fraud - and worse! - Help Net Security

Training, Education and Awareness

• Your Company's Cyber security Depends on Every Employee--Train Them Well and Instill the Importance of Security | Inc.com

• Addressing the People Problem in Cyber security - Security Week

• How to Improve Cyber security Awareness and Training (trendmicro.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Child abuse site taken down, organised child exploitation crime suspected – exclusive (securityaffairs.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Cyber experts urge EU to rethink vulnerability disclosure plans | Computer Weekly

• EU Cyber Resilience Act Could be Exploited for Surveillance, Experts W - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Keeping SEC-ure: Using Threat Intelligence to Stay Ahead of the New SEC Regulations (recordedfuture.com)

• Many Companies Far From Ready for Fast-Approaching SEC Cybersecurity Deadline | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• Companies are already feeling the pressure from upcoming US SEC cyber rules | CSO Online

• Employers must be clear with staff over workplace monitoring, warns privacy watchdog | UK News | Sky News

• Blackbaud Pays $49.5M to Settle With State AGs in Breach (inforisktoday.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Breaches Are the Cost of Doing Business, but NIST Is Here to Help (darkreading.com)

• What is Compliance as a Service (CaaS)? - Definition from WhatIs.com (techtarget.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• UK government plans 2,500 new tech recruits by 2025 with focus on cyber security | CSO Online

• Up to 500,000 staff required to field off growing cyber security threat to Europe | Business Post

• The State of Cyber security: Cyber Skills Gap Leaves Business Vulnerable to Attacks, New Research Reveals | Business Wire

• Blue teams on the edge: cyber pros seem to hate their jobs | Cybernews

• Soft skills continue to challenge the cyber security sector - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Child abuse site taken down, organised child exploitation crime suspected – exclusive (securityaffairs.com)

• Prolific malware and botnet operator Qakbot still operating despite FBI takedown - SiliconANGLE

• Three men found guilty of laundering $2.5 million in Target gift card tech support scam (bitdefender.com)

• UK student found guilty of 3D printing 'kamikaze' drone • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• EU Cyber Resilience Act Could be Exploited for Surveillance, Experts W - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Surge in workplace monitoring prompts new ICO guidelines on employee privacy | ITPro

• AI facial recognition: Campaigners and MPs call for ban - BBC News

• Norway Urges Europe-Wide Ban on Meta's Targeted Ad Data Collection (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Harvard cyber security guru Bruce Schneier warns of ChatGPT, AI effect on election disinformation, propaganda | Fortune

• Elon Musk ‘Cut Off Good Guys, Empowered Bad’: Stanford Cyber security Wonk - The Messenger

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

Misc Nation State, Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Espionage fuels global cyber attacks - Microsoft On the Issues

• Microsoft: Nation-state cyber espionage on rise in 2023 | Computer Weekly

• ‘Cyberwar Is Going on All Day, Every Day’: CEO | NTD

• CISA and UK NCSC Hold Inaugural Meeting of Strategic Dialogue on Cyber security of Civil Society Under Threat of Transnational Repression | CISA

• US and UK Lead Fight Against Civil Society Cyber Threats - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Harvard cyber security guru Bruce Schneier warns of ChatGPT, AI effect on election disinformation, propaganda | Fortune

• The sixth domain: The role of the private sector in warfare - Atlantic Council

• How this unassuming cable became the world’s most powerful weapon (telegraph.co.uk)

• Joint Statement from 21 Countries and the Organisation of American States Following the Department of Homeland Security Western Hemisphere Cyber Conference | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)

Russia

• Russian Cyber Attacks in 2023: Shifting Patterns, Goals, and Capacities

• Russian Hacktivism Takes a Toll on Organisations in Ukraine, EU, US (darkreading.com)

• Russia-Ukraine war: Cyber space is the latest frontline | Semafor

• Flights grounded by DDoS cyber attack on Russia's airports (techmonitor.ai)

• Joint Statement from 21 Countries and the Organisation of American States Following the Department of Homeland Security Western Hemisphere Cyber Conference | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)

• Ukrainian Man Calls Russian Tech Support to Help With Captured Tank: Report (businessinsider.com)

China

• China Poised to Disrupt US Critical Infrastructure with Cyber Attacks, - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How digital threats from East Asia are increasing in breadth and effectiveness | CSO Online

• Belgian intelligence service VSSE accused Alibaba of ‘possible espionage’ at European hub in Liege (securityaffairs.com)

Iran

• Iran-Linked APT34 Spy Campaign Targets Saudis (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• North Korea's Lazarus Group upgrades its main malware • The Register

• Crypto firms beware: Lazarus’ new malware can now bypass detection (cointelegraph.com)

• Lazarus Group Impersonates Recruiter from Meta to Target Spanish Aerospace Firm (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean hackers are targeting aerospace - Lazarus Group tricks employees into installing malware themselves | TechRadar

• North Korea goes phishing in South’s shipyards • The Register

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Vulnerability Management

• How to Measure Patching and Remediation Performance (darkreading.com)

Vulnerabilities

• CISA Adds Two Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog, Removes Five KEVs | CISA

• October 2023 Patch Tuesday forecast: Operating system updates and zero-days aplenty - Help Net Security

• Exploit released for Microsoft SharePoint Server auth bypass flaw (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Edge, Teams get fixes for zero-days in open-source libraries (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A new Chrome 0-day is sending the Internet into a new chapter of Groundhog Day | Ars Technica

• Apple fixed the 17th zero-day flaw exploited in attacks (securityaffairs.com)

• Apple Warns of Newly Exploited iOS 17 Kernel Zero-Day - Security Week

• Move Over, MOVEit: Critical Progress Bug Infests WS_FTP Software (darkreading.com)

• Mass exploitation attempts against WS_FTP have begun • The Register

• Millions of Exim mail servers exposed to zero-day RCE attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical zero-days in Exim revealed, only 3 have been fixed - Help Net Security

• Patch Confusion for Critical Exim Bug Puts Email Servers at Risk--Again (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft won’t say if its products were exploited by spyware zero-days | TechCrunch

• Companies Address Impact of Exploited Libwebp Vulnerability  - Security Week

• Zero-day in Arm GPU drivers exploited in targeted attacks (CVE-2023-4211) - Help Net Security

• Arm warns of Mali GPU flaws likely exploited in targeted attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Qualcomm says hackers exploit 3 zero-days in its GPU, DSP drivers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Atlassian patches critical Confluence zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vulnerabilities in Supermicro BMCs could allow for unkillable server rootkits | Ars Technica

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Tools and Controls

• Does your security program suffer from piecemeal detection and response? (securityintelligence.com)

• Keeping SEC-ure: Using Threat Intelligence to Stay Ahead of the New SEC Regulations (recordedfuture.com)

• The Silent Threat of APIs: What the New Data Reveals About Unknown Risk (darkreading.com)

• APIs: Unveiling the Silent Killer of Cyber Security Risk Across Industries (thehackernews.com)

• 5 common browser attacks and how to prevent them | TechTarget

• Rationalizing Your Hybrid Cloud Security Tools (securityintelligence.com)

• Protecting your IT infrastructure with Security Configuration Assessment (SCA) (thehackernews.com)

• The big debate: is AI a blessing or curse for cyber security? - Raconteur

• Is your threat protection giving you a false sense of cyber security? | The Independent

• 5 Cyber Insurance Trends To Watch Right Now | CRN

• Quash EDR/XDR Exploits With These Countermeasures (darkreading.com)

• How to Improve Cyber security Awareness and Training (trendmicro.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Microsoft Digital Defence Report 2023 (MDDR) | Microsoft Security Insider

• STUDY: 37% Intimidated, 39% Frustrated with Online Security (globenewswire.com)

• Oh Behave! The Annual Cyber security Attitudes and Behaviours Report 2023 - National Cyber security Alliance (staysafeonline.org)

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Other News

• Cyber attacks on UK pension funds on the rise – study | Pensions & Investments (pionline.com)

• Are we smart enough for smart cities? | TechRadar

• The trust deficit in CNI: How to address a growing concern | Computer Weekly

• Third sector highly exposed to cyber risk - CIR Magazine

• 10 Emerging Cyber security Threats And Hacker Tactics In 2023 | CRN

• Lyca Mobile UK Confirm Cyber Attack Responsible for Disruption - ISPreview UK

• Global internet freedoms fell again last year as the threat of AI looms (therecord.media)

• Cyber security in the Age of Industry 4.0 (automation.com)

• How Private Equity Firms Can Protect ‘Treasure Trove’ from Digital Threats (ai-cio.com)

• 10 Routine Security Gaffes the Feds Are Begging You to Fix (darkreading.com)

• NSA: Here Are the Dumbest Cyber security Mistakes We See at Large Organisations (pcmag.com)

• The changing face of cyber security threats in 2023 | CIO

• Edinburgh Trams websites targeted by 'potential cyber attack' - Edinburgh Live

• Making Sense of Today's Payment Cyber security Landscape (darkreading.com)

• GAO tears into State Department's cyber security management • The Register

• First pan-European cyber analysis centre opens (airportsinternational.com)

• Nearly 100,000 Industrial Control Systems Exposed to the Internet - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Mobile customers unable to make or receive calls after firm hit by cyber attack - Mirror Online

• Malicious HDMI Cables Steals Photos, Videos, and Location Data (gbhackers.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 05 October 2023 – Apple Release Emergency Patch for Two Zero-day Vulnerabilities, Taking Total to 17 Zero-days So Far in 2023

Executive Summary

Apple have released emergency updates to patch two zero-day vulnerabilities, including one actively exploited vulnerability, which target iPhone and iPad devices. The vulnerabilities allow an attacker to escalate privileges and perform remote code execution.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Exploitation allows an attacker to elevate their privileges to the highest available and perform code execution. This allows attackers to perform actions such as extracting messages, photos, emails, and recording calls, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Patches are available for:

• iPhone XS and later

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later

Technical Summary:

CVE-2023-42824- A kernel vulnerability allowing local attackers to escalate privileges on vulnerable iPhones and iPads. This vulnerability has been exploited against versions of iOS before 16.6.

CVE-2023-5217 – A heap buffer overflow weakness in libvpx which could allow code execution.

What can I do?

Users are recommended the apply the patches immediately, due to the active exploitation in the wild. Organisations should also be aware that the patches mean employees using Apple BYOD devices will need to apply the relevant patches, as this impacts corporate information which the devices have access to.

Further information can be found below:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT213961  

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 29 September 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

Ransomware Groups Are Shifting Their Focus Away from Larger Targets

Ransomware groups are once again prioritising attacks on smaller organisations as they look to target those with less mature security capabilities. Analysis from Trend Micro has shown that ransomware groups such as Lockbit, Cl0p and Black Cat are slowing down attacks against “big game” targets, such as multinationals, and are focusing their attention on smaller organisations. It was found that the overall ransomware attack victim numbers increased by 47% from H2 2022.

Organisations “of up to 200 employees”, those within the small-to-medium-sized range, accounted for the majority (575) of attacks using LockBit’s ransomware across H1 2023. Similar trends were observed with rivals in the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) space. Nearly half (45%) of Black Cat victims were in the same size range. There are many underlying factors in the recent surge of attacks on smaller organisations, however one big cause is the economic factor and the perception that smaller organisations are not going to be as well protected.

Sources: [Techcentral] [Helpnet Security]

Cover-ups Still the Norm as Half of Cyber Attacks go Unreported

A report found that 48% of organisations that experience critical cyber incidents and disasters such as ransomware attacks do not report it to the appropriate authorities, and 41% do not even disclose cyber attacks to their boards. Alarmingly, 32% simply “forgot” and 22% self-reported that there wasn’t a system in place to report it. In the UK, failure to report a breach within 72 hours could make a company eligible for a fine up to €10 million or 2% of annual global turnover if deemed a lower-level infringement, and up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover for higher-level infringements.

The lack of reporting also has a knock-on effect: a significant number of cyber attacks go un-reported and therefore this skews statistics, meaning the current numbers of known cyber attacks are likely much lower than the actual figure.

Sources: [Computer Weekly] [InfoSecurity Magazine]

Reported Cyber Security Breaches Increase Threefold for Financial Services Firms

New research shows that cyber security breaches for UK financial service firms have increased threefold from 187 attacks (2021-2022) to 640 attacks (2022-2023). This comes as the pensions sector reported the biggest jump in breaches rising from 6 to 246 in the same period, a concerning large increase of 4,000%. These patterns are not only relevant to the UK however, with separate reports highlighting an 119% increase in attacks on financial sector cyber attacks globally from 2022 to 2023.

Trustees can be liable for failures in managing cyber risk, so any business looking to protect itself from the impact of a cyber attack should invest in understanding its cyber footprint, the risks it poses, and have the right policies/procedures in place.

Sources: [CIR Magazine] [PensionsAge] [CityAM] [TechRadar]

Attacks on SME’s Surged in The First Half of 2023

According to Kaspersky, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) dealt with more attacks during the first half of the year compared to the same time the year previous. Worryingly, a separate report found that over three quarters of SME leaders could not confidently identify a cyber incident at work and 50% of respondents felt they were unable to identify the difference between a phishing email and real email.

An outcome of the study was the identification of a need for effective user training. SMEs do not have the budget to have a wide range of tools, however they can strengthen their users’ security practices.  Black Arrow enables SMEs to strengthen their people controls through bespoke and affordable education and awareness training for all levels of the organisation.

Sources: [Inquirer] [HelpNet Security] [Insurance Times]

The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security

The average tenure of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is said to sit between 18 to 24 months; research highlights the reasons including the strain of the role, the perceived lack of leadership support, and the attraction of more money from a different employer. There is often a gap while the replacement is recruited, during which there is nobody looking after the organisation’s security.

In some cases, organisations may look to outsource by using the services of a virtual CISO (vCISO) with cost savings and greater stability and flexibility. The Black Arrow vCISO team are experienced world-class specialists, providing independent, impartial and objective expertise across the wide range of essential CISO skills with significant advantages compared to an internal resource.

Source: [Security Week]

Bermuda Struggles to Recover from Ransomware Attack

The Bermudan Government this week suffered what they referred to as a significant cyber incident. Workers were cut off from email and telephone systems, with affected departments resorting to manual processes and issuing of paper based cheques. The Government was unable to make payroll payments, and parcels could not be sent from the Island’s Post Offices. It is noted that while not all systems were affected, the government took everything offline out of precaution. It is believed that some other regional governments have also been impacted.

The attack has been attributed to Russia or Russian-based actors, but attribution in cases like this can be difficult. It should be noted that, if involvement from Russia were confirmed, both Russian state actors and Russian based cyber criminals work closely in a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties. Using cyber crime groups as fronts provides nation state actors with a level of deniability, while also allowing them to direct the operation and benefit from it. Equally, cyber crime groups get to do their thing with the blessing, whether tacit or explicit, of the national authorities in their country. In general, countries where this happens (such as Russia, North Korea and China) have no interest in cooperating with Western authorities, so the cyber criminals essentially work with impunity.

Sources: [Duo] [GovInfo Security] [Bleeping Computer]

Businesses Remain Unprepared Despite Cyber Threats Remaining a Top Concern

A report found cyber threats continue to rank among the top three business concerns for a wide spectrum of companies. Despite it being such a concern, a significant percentage of businesses admitted to not conducting cyber assessments for vendors (57%) or customers’ assets (56%), having an incident response plan (50%), or implementing multifactor authentication for remote access (44%). Phishing scams were of particular concern, with companies reporting a notable increase in incidents, jumping from 14% to 27% over the past year.

Cyber attacks are a certainly a sobering reality, with nearly 23% of survey participants disclosing that their company had fallen victim to a cyber attack and 49% of these incidents occurred within the past year.

Source: [Reinsurance News]

Business Leaders More Anxious About Ransomware Than Recession as Victims from Single Attack Surpasses 2,000 Organisations

According to a recent study, half of business leaders are more worried about falling victim to a ransomware attack than macroeconomic hardship. Over 60% of businesses who had suffered a ransomware attack reported concerns about the prospect of a second ransomware attack, and 71% of leaders admitted their businesses wouldn’t be able to withstand it. 56% said they had increased hiring costs, nearly half experienced increased customer complaints, and 47% reported team stress. This comes as the tally of victims from the MOVEit attack alone surpasses 2,000 organisations. To make matters worse, the FBI has described dual ransomware attacks taking place, with the second attack less than 48 hours after the first.

Source: [Tech Informed] [Helpnet Security] [Helpnet Security] [BleepComputer]

Hotel Hackers Redirect Guests to Fake Booking[.]com Site in Major Phishing Campaign

Booking.com users have become the focus of a new, large-scale phishing campaign that involved hackers taking control of the hotel’s Booking[.]com account. Once in control, the attackers were then able to utilise personal information and craft messages, tailored to victims.

With many organisations using sites such as Booking[.]com, it is imperative that staff are trained effectively, to reduce the risk of them falling victim to a phishing campaign.

Sources: [BleepingComputer] [Inforsecurity Magazine]

Cyber Leaders Worry That AI Will Overwhelm Cyber Defences

A survey of 250 leaders found that 85% worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences while almost two thirds (61%) have already seen an increase in cyber attack complexity due to AI. Overall 80% view AI as the single biggest cyber threat their business faces, and seven out of 10 are investing in more resilient measures to improve their detection and response protocols.

AI can certainly be overwhelming, but with the right expertise, organisations can navigate their way to improving their AI defences. Black Arrow’s expert team helps your leadership to understand and manage AI-based risks, and safely adopt artificial intelligence in your organisation.

Source: [Management Issues]

Boards Still Lack Cyber Security Expertise

A study by the US National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the Internet Security Alliance (ISA) found that just 12% of S&P 500 companies have board directors with relevant cyber credentials, showing that there is still a lack of expertise at the board level. Boards can improve their expertise by engaging with training that is tailored to leadership. Black Arrow supports business leaders in organisations of all sizes to demonstrate governance of their cyber security, by owning their cyber security strategy and leveraging their existing internal and external resources to build resilience against a cyber security incident. Source: [Wallstreet Journal]

4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident

In the event of a cyber incident, there are a number of problems that emerge, but some you may not be aware of. These may include investigations by auditors, a freeze on payments by banks, and uncertainty about notifying third parties including customers. Your insurance provide may also launch a review of the cyber security controls that you had in place before the incident, to determine the payout.

Ideally, you will never have to face a cyber incident, but it can happen and it’s best to ensure you are well placed to deal with it, by understanding what needs to be done and how to respond. Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident; this can include an Incident Response Plan and an educational tabletop exercise for the leadership team that highlights the proportionate controls to help the organisation prevent and mitigate an incident.

Source: [Dark Reading]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security - Security Week

• Boards Still Lack Cyber Security Expertise - WSJ

• Cyber leaders worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences (management-issues.com)

• It's time to safeguard the financial sector: Navigate employee turnover to defend against escalating cyber attacks (betanews.com)

• Businesses Unprepared for Cyber Attacks Despite Steady Concern (insurancejournal.com)

• Cyber criminals are targeting the financial sector more than ever | TechRadar

• The hidden costs of neglecting cyber security for small businesses - Help Net Security

• Majority of UK SME c-suites lacking awareness of cyber risks | Insurance Times

• Business leaders most anxious about ransomware attacks (techinformed.com)

• Cyber security incident response: Your company's ICU (channelweb.co.uk)

• Cover-ups still the norm in the wake of a cyber incident | Computer Weekly

• Many firms aren't reporting breaches to the proper authorities | TechRadar

• Half of Cyber-Attacks Go Unreported - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISOs are struggling to get cyber security budgets: Report | CSO Online

• CISOs are spending more on cyber security - but it might not be enough | TechRadar

• Cyber threats remain top concern for businesses in 2023: Travelers Risk Index - Reinsurance News

• Despite rising insider risk costs, budgets are being wasted in the wrong places - Help Net Security

• The Hot Seat: CISO Accountability in a New Era of SEC Regulation (darkreading.com)

• Proactive Security: What It Means for Enterprise Security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• Essential guide to cyber security compliance | Intruder

• 4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident (darkreading.com)

• Moving From Qualitative to Quantitative Cyber Risk Modeling - Security Week

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware soars as enterprises struggle to respond - Verdict

• Ransomware groups are once again targeting smaller businesses for more lucrative payouts - TechCentral.ie

• Ransomware groups are shifting their focus away from larger targets - Help Net Security

• Business leaders most anxious about ransomware attacks (techinformed.com)

• Why is Ransomware Such a Prevalent Threat and Popular Tool for Attackers? | MSSP Alert

• ShadowSyndicate: A New Cyber Crime Group Linked to 7 Ransomware Families (thehackernews.com)

• The Group Claiming To Have Hacked Sony Is Using GDPR As A Weapon For Demanding Ransoms | Techdirt

• FBI: Dual ransomware attack victims now get hit within 48 hours (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cl0p's MOVEit attack tally surpasses 2,000 victim organisations - Help Net Security

• MOVEit cyber attack is pause for concern | Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C. - JDSupra

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• 'Power, influence, notoriety': The Gen-Z hackers who struck MGM and Caesars - The Japan Times

• Amidst MGM, Caesar's Incidents, Attackers Focus on Luxury Hotels (darkreading.com)

• Youth hacking ring at the center of cyber crime spree | CyberScoop

• Current ransomware defencs efforts are not working - Help Net Security

• VMware users anxious about costs and ransomware threats - Help Net Security

• MSP shares details of Kaseya VSA ransomware attack, recovery | TechTarget

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• Study Reveals Conti Affiliates Money Laundering Practices (inforisktoday.com)

• Akira Ransomware Mutates to Target Linux Systems, Adds TTPs (darkreading.com)

• Trend Micro Report Reveals Increase of LockBit Ransomware Attacks in US (thedefensepost.com)

• Hospital Ransomware Attacks Go Beyond Health Care Data (securityintelligence.com)

• Patient Care at Risk as Hospitals Increasingly on Frontlines of Ransomware Attacks | The Epoch Times

• Ransomware a threat to the trucking industry - FreightWaves

Ransomware Victims

• Bermuda Struggles to Recover From Cyber Attack (govinfosecurity.com)

• Cl0p's MOVEit attack tally surpasses 2,000 victim organisations - Help Net Security

• Amidst MGM, Caesar's Incidents, Attackers Focus on Luxury Hotels (darkreading.com)

• MGM, Caesars Cyber Attack Responses Required Brutal Choices (darkreading.com)

• Russian ransomware LockBit threatens to leak internal data from The Weather Network on dark web - The Globe and Mail

• City of Dallas has set a budget of $8.5 million to mitigate the May Royal ransomware attack. (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware Group Claims to Have Breached 'All of Sony Systems' (vgchartz.com)

• 900 US Schools Impacted by MOVEit Hack at National Student Clearinghouse - Security Week

• Youth hacking ring at the center of cyber crime spree | CyberScoop

• MGM Resorts and Caesars face class action lawsuits over September cyber attacks By Investing.com

• UK logistics firm blames ransomware attack for insolvency, 730 redundancies (therecord.media)

• Ransomed.vc Group Hits NTT Docomo After Sony Breach Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware group demands $51 million from Johnson Controls after cyber attack (bitdefender.com)

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• Alphv group claims the hack of Clarion, a global manufacturer of audio and video equipment for cars (securityaffairs.com)

• Leekes cyber attack? NoEscape ransomware gang claims breach (techmonitor.ai)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• This devious phishing scam makes it look like dodgy emails are actually safe | TechRadar

• Booking.com Customers Targeted in Major Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Use of QR codes in email phishing | Securelist

• How Does Modern Phishing Work? | HackerNoon

• New AtlasCross hackers use American Red Cross as phishing lure (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Trick Outlook Into Showing Fake AV Scan | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Nigerian man pleads guilty to attempted $6 million BEC email heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BEC Attacks Increase By 279% in Healthcare - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Rise in cyber criminals leveraging voice phishing and OTP theft for data breaches: Report | Tech News (hindustantimes.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber leaders worry that AI will overwhelm cyber defences (management-issues.com)

• No 10 worried AI could be used to create advanced weapons that escape human control | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• The Biggest AI Trends in Cyber Security - CNET

• Google is working to keep Bard chats out of Search • The Register

• Nuclear Brinkmanship in AI-Enabled Warfare: A Dangerous Algorithmic Game of Chicken - War on the Rocks

• New working group to probe AI risks and applications | CyberScoop

• A Primer On Artificial Intelligence And Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• How should organisations navigate the risks and opportunities of AI? - Help Net Security

Malware

• Malware attacks on SMEs surged in H1 | Inquirer Business

• Gozi strikes again, targeting banks, cryptocurrency and more (securityintelligence.com)

• 'Culturestreak' Malware Lurks Inside GitLab Python Package (darkreading.com)

• Deadglyph: New Advanced Backdoor with Distinctive Malware Tactics (thehackernews.com)

• New variant of BBTok Trojan targets users of +40 banks in LATAM (securityaffairs.com)

• A powerful new malware backdoor is targeting governments across the world | TechRadar

• Researchers uncover thriving market for malware targeting IoT devices - The Hindu

• ZenRAT Malware Uncovered in Bitwarden Impersonation - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Mobile

• Spyware: Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online: report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• China-Linked EvilBamboo Targets Mobiles - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• iOS 17 update secretly changed your privacy settings; here's how to set them back (bitdefender.com)

• Dangerous XenomorphAndroid malware is stealing from 100 banking apps — protect yourself now | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Predator Spyware Delivered to iOS, Android Devices via Zero-Days, MitM Attacks - Security Week

• Russian Firm Willing to Pay $20 Million for iPhone, Android Zero-Day Exploits (pcmag.com)

Botnets

• Bot Swarm: Attacks From Middle East & Africa Are Notably Up (darkreading.com)

• New variant of BBTok Trojan targets users of +40 banks in LATAM (securityaffairs.com)

• Asian banks are a favorite target of cyber cooks, and malicious bots their preferred tool | ZDNET

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Over 700 Dark Web Ads Offer DDoS Attacks Via IoT in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Internet of Things – IoT

• If You Have An Amazon Alexa Device, You Need To Check This Security Update List (slashgear.com)

• Researchers uncover thriving market for malware targeting IoT devices - The Hindu

• Where Linux is in your home, and how to protect Linux devices from hacking | Kaspersky official blog

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Billions of usernames and passwords leaked online — how to see if you’re affected | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• ICO sees breach reports from FS firms triple - CIR Magazine

• UK pension schemes reveal 4,000% rise in cyber security breaches - Pensions Age Magazine

• Reported cyber security breaches increase threefold for financial services firms (cityam.com)

• British charities warn supporters their personal data has been breached • Graham Cluley

• Air Canada discloses data breach of employee and 'certain records' (bleepingcomputer.com)

• National Student Clearinghouse data breach impacts 890 schools (bleepingcomputer.com)

• BORN Ontario child registry data breach affects 3.4 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 900 US Schools Impacted by MOVEit Hack at National Student Clearinghouse - Security Week

• Regulator Warns Breaches Can Cost Lives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Hospital alert as 24,000 letters meant for GPs lost in computer error - Mirror Online

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• 'Power, influence, notoriety': The Gen-Z hackers who struck MGM and Caesars - The Japan Times

• Asian banks are a favourite target of cyber cooks, and malicious bots their preferred tool | ZDNET

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• NFT Hype Collapse Means 95% of The Digital Assets Are Now 'Worthless' | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Gozi strikes again, targeting banks, cryptocurrency and more (securityintelligence.com)

• Yet another hack hits NFT marketplace OpenSea - SiliconANGLE

• Crooks stole $200 million worth of assets from Mixin Network (securityaffairs.com)

• Bitcoin scammer who was snared by victims sentenced - BBC News

• Security researcher stopped at US border for investigating crypto scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• 75% who didn't report cyber attack to leadership, felt guilty about it | Security Magazine

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

• Despite rising insider risk costs, budgets are being wasted in the wrong places - Help Net Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Hotel hackers redirect guests to fake Booking.com to steal cards (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Beware: fraud and smishing scams targeting students | Bournemouth University

• Yet another hack hits NFT marketplace OpenSea - SiliconANGLE

• Crooks stole $200 million worth of assets from Mixin Network (securityaffairs.com)

• Fraud prevention forces scammers to up their game - Help Net Security

• Why young people are more prone to online scams than boomers are (news5cleveland.com)

• Bitcoin scammer who was snared by victims sentenced - BBC News

• Security researcher warns of chilling effect after feds search phone at airport | TechCrunch

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• Study Reveals Conti Affiliates Money Laundering Practices (inforisktoday.com)

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

Insurance

• Exploring Cyber Insurance and its Intersection with Property Coverage | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

• Half of organisations with cyber insurance implemented additional security measures to qualify for the policy or reduce its cost - IT Security Guru

Dark Web

• Over 700 Dark Web Ads Offer DDoS Attacks Via IoT in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• How the Okta Cross-Tenant Impersonation Attacks Succeeded (darkreading.com)

• Lawsuits Allege MGM, Caesars Neglected Cyber Security Preparedness (skift.com)

• 3 phases of the third-party risk management lifecycle | TechTarget

Cloud/SaaS

• Guide: SaaS Offboarding Checklist - Help Net Security

Containers

• Kubernetes attacks in 2023: What it means for the future - Help Net Security

Encryption

• The UK just passed an online safety law that could make people less safe (theconversation.com)

• Regulators Are 'Hurting Their Own Country' in Seeking Encryption Backdoors: Nym CEO - Decrypt

Open Source

• Where Linux is in your home, and how to protect Linux devices from hacking | Kaspersky official blog

• Akira Ransomware Mutates to Target Linux Systems, Adds TTPs (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Why Shouldn’t You Use the Same Password Everywhere Online (makeuseof.com)

• Are You Willing to Pay the High Cost of Compromised Credentials? (thehackernews.com)

Biometrics

• The multi-national push to ban facial recognition in public spaces | Biometric Update

Social Media

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• X scraps tool to report electoral fake news - researchers - BBC News

Malvertising

• Spyware: Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online: report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

Travel

• Security researcher stopped at US border for investigating crypto scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Regulator Warns Breaches Can Cost Lives - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• The Group Claiming To Have Hacked Sony Is Using GDPR As A Weapon For Demanding Ransoms | Techdirt

• The UK just passed an online safety law that could make people less safe (theconversation.com)

• Are we about to lose the last pillar of our digital security? | Euronews

• New working group to probe AI risks and applications | CyberScoop

• SEC Gives Finality on Cyber Security Disclosures for Public Companies | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP - JDSupra

• Why California's Delete Act matters for the whole country - Help Net Security

• Financial crime compliance costs exceed $206 billion - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• MITRE ATT&CK project leader on why the framework remains vital for cyber security pros - Help Net Security

• Why It’s Wrong To Judge SIEM Success Only Against The ATT&CK Framework (forbes.com)

• Urgent actions for protecting utilities against cyber-attack: Navigating NIS 2 - Utility Week

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The CISO Carousel and Its Effect on Enterprise Cyber Security - Security Week

• Demand for cyber security staff trebled since 2019 | Business Post

• Cyber security and staffing issues key risks for companies | Accountancy Daily

• Cyber security skills employers are desperate to find in 2023 - Help Net Security

• Preventing security professionals from ‘quietly quitting’ due to alert fatigue (securitybrief.co.nz)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Nigerian man pleads guilty to attempted $6 million BEC email heist (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Western District of Washington | French cyber criminal pleads guilty to fraud and aggravated identity theft for hacking private information | United States Department of Justice

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• X scraps tool to report electoral fake news - researchers - BBC News

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

Russia

• Russia’s APT29 intensifies espionage operations | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian hacking operations target Ukrainian law enforcement | CyberScoop

• Cyber-Attacks on Ukraine Surge 123%, But Success Rates Plummet - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Government of Bermuda blames Russian threat actors for the cyber attack (securityaffairs.com)

• Bermuda probes major cyber attack as officials slowly bring operations back online (thestar.com)

• Ukraine war: Cyber Attack in Crimea after Black Sea fleet HQ hit | News UK Video News | Sky News

• Russian hackers trying to steal evidence of Moscow’s war crimes in Ukraine - cyber chief (ukrinform.net)

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• Examining the Activities of the Turla APT Group (trendmicro.com)

• Scottish Tory MSP has website hacked by 'hostile Russian group' | The National

• Elon Musk’s X is biggest outlet of Russia disinformation, EU says (cnbctv18.com)

• Russian Firm Willing to Pay $20 Million for iPhone, Android Zero-Day Exploits (pcmag.com)

• Cyber Attack on Russian Air Booking System Sparks Flight Delays - The Moscow Times

China

• China's BlackTech Hacking Group Exploited Cisco Routers to Target US and Japanese Companies (thehackernews.com)

• Chinese hackers stole 60,000 emails from US State Department in Microsoft hack, Senate staffer says (databreaches.net)

• Taiwan is bracing for Chinese cyber attacks, White House official says - POLITICO

• China-Linked EvilBamboo Targets Mobiles - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Chinese Gov Hackers Caught Hiding in Cisco Router Firmware - Security Week

• Budworm: APT Group Uses Updated Custom Tool in Attacks on Government and Telecoms Org | Symantec Enterprise Blogs (security.com)

• China’s national security minister lists top digital threats • The Register

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• 'Marriages of Convenience' Between State Actors and Cyber Criminals Provide Cover for Both | Decipher (duo.com)

• Sophisticated APT Clusters Target Southeast Asia - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Why Zero Days Are Set for Highest Year on Record - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Another Chrome security issue is exploited in the wild (and affecting all Chromium-based browsers) - gHacks Tech News

• Google assigns new maximum rated CVE to libwebp bug exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco Warns of IOS Software Zero-Day Exploitation Attempts - Security Week

• Researchers Release Details of New RCE Exploit Chain for SharePoint (darkreading.com)

• High-Severity Flaws Uncovered in Atlassian Products and ISC BIND Server (thehackernews.com)

• GPUs from all major suppliers are vulnerable to new pixel-stealing attack | Ars Technica

• Firefox 118 Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Hackers actively exploiting Openfire flaw to encrypt servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Trust Is Key In Cyber Security: Analysing The MOVEit Ransomware Attacks (forbes.com)

• China's BlackTech Hacking Group Exploited Cisco Routers to Target US and Japanese Companies (thehackernews.com)

• macOS 14 Sonoma Patches 60 Vulnerabilities - Security Week

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Tools and Controls

• Cyber security incident response: Your company's ICU (channelweb.co.uk)

• CISOs are spending more on cyber security - but it might not be enough | TechRadar

• 4 Legal Surprises You May Encounter After a Cyber Security Incident (darkreading.com)

• Half of organisations with cyber insurance implemented additional security measures to qualify for the policy or reduce its cost - IT Security Guru

• The 5 most dangerous Wi-Fi attacks, and how to fight them | PCWorld

• The Biggest AI Trends in Cyber Security - CNET

• How SOAR helps improve MTTD and MTTR metrics | TechTarget

• What Is a Network Security Assessment and Why You Need It | MSSP Alert

• Why You Should Phish In Your Own Pond (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• The pitfalls of neglecting security ownership at the design stage - Help Net Security

• Guide: SaaS Offboarding Checklist - Help Net Security

• A Primer On Artificial Intelligence And Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• Preventing employees from becoming the gateway for cyber attacks | TechRadar

• Proactive Security: What It Means for Enterprise Security Strategy (darkreading.com)

• Looking Beyond the Hype Cycle of AI/ML in Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• The Dark Side of Browser Isolation – and the Next Generation Browser Security Technologies (thehackernews.com)

• Moving From Qualitative to Quantitative Cyber Risk Modelling - SecurityWeek

• Cyber security budgets show moderate growth - Help Net Security

• Evaluating Security Outsourcing in the Wake of Recent High-Profile Cyber Attacks: Info-Tech Research Group Publishes New Resource (prnewswire.com)

• Exploring Cyber Insurance and its Intersection with Property Coverage | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

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Other News

• Cyber criminals are targeting the financial sector more than ever | TechRadar

• The hidden costs of neglecting cyber security for small businesses - Help Net Security

• SMBs face growing cyber security threats, but basic measures can lower risks | ZDNET

• Why aviation needs to prioritise cyber security – Airport World (airport-world.com)

• The key threats facing ICS/OT environments (betanews.com)

• Are Fire Departments Prepared for a Cyber Attack? | HackerNoon

• Fintechs must brace for rising cyber security challenges | Mint (livemint.com)

• Space Force chief says commercial satellites may need defending | Ars Technica

• UK Cyber Security Council CEO reflects on a year of progress | CSO Online

• Google Loophole Lets Drug Dealers Hijack Nearly Any Website to Sell Narcotics (businessinsider.com)

• Cyber Hygiene: A First Line of  Against Evolving Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Attacks hit military, Parliament websites as India hacker group targets Canada (cheknews.ca)

• KnowBe4 Finds US. Healthcare a Top Target For Cyber Attacks (prnewswire.com)

• US Government Shutdown Could Bench 80% of CISA Staff - SecurityWeek

• Recommendations for Managing Cyber Security Threats in the Manufacturing Sector | Foley & Lardner LLP - JDSupra

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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 29 September 2023 – Billions of Usernames and Passwords Leaked Online And Major Charities Hit by Cyber Attack

Executive Summary

The usernames and passwords of billions of users have been exposed online after a company, DarkBeam left an online database unprotected. It’s worth noting that all of the leaked email addresses and passwords in this database actually came from previous data breaches. It appears DarkBeam had been collecting this information to alert its customers in regards to future data breaches.

This comes as a number of major charities have been impacted by a cyber attack on in which the supply chain of About Loyalty, who work with a number of charities, had been breached. As a result, a significant amount of donor information had been exfiltrated.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The leaked usernames and passwords can be used by threat actors as attempts to perform account compromise or to conduct phishing campaigns. Similarly, the donor information related to the charity attacks can be used to perform phishing attacks. In both cases, the confidentiality and integrity of data can be impacted.

What can I do?

As always, Black Arrow recommend users stay vigilant and scrutinise anything that comes into their inbox.

To find out if your email address or password has featured in a data breach, you can visit:

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

More information on the leaked passwords can be found here:

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/billions-of-usernames-and-passwords-leaked-online-how-to-see-if-youre-affected

More information on the charity breach can be found here:

https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/major-charities-affected-cyber-attack/digital/article/1838552

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 28 September 2023 – Critical Exploits for On Premise Version of Microsoft SharePoint

Executive Summary

Researchers who discovered two critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Server have released details of an exploit which chains the two together to allow an attacker to enable remote code execution on affected servers. One of the vulnerabilities, which has had a proof of concept released this week, allows a malicious attacker to gain administrator privileges from a non-privileged account. The other vulnerability allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on SharePoint servers. Microsoft has issued patches that address these vulnerabilities in its monthly security update for May and June.

Technical Summary

CVE-2023-29357 – This is a critical vulnerability which allows an attacker to use spoofed JWT authentication tokens to bypass authentication and allow them to gain access to the privileges of an authenticated user. The attacker does not need any privileges to execute this vulnerability. 

CVE-2023-24955 – This is a critical vulnerability which allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the vulnerable SharePoint servers.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The vulnerabilities when chained together allows an attacker to elevate to a privileged account and perform remote code execution. This gives an attacker the ability to distribute malicious files, links, and emails to users. This access allows to attacker to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data in your organisation.

The impacted on-premises products include the following:

• SharePoint Server 2019

• SharePoint Server 2016

• SharePoint Server Subscription Edition

What can I do?

Microsoft have released patches for these vulnerabilities in its monthly security update for May and June. They also advise that if there are multiple updates available to apply all updates available to ensure that the product is secure.

More information on the SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability:

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-24955

More information on the SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability:

 https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-29357

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 28 September 2023 – Apple macOS 14 Sonoma Patches 60 Vulnerabilities

Executive Summary

Earlier this week Apple announced the release of macOS 14 Sonoma. A security update from Apple shows that the latest version of this patches more than 60 vulnerabilities.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The vulnerabilities can be exploited to obtain sensitive information, execute code, elevate privileges, bypass security and modify the file system. All of which impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of a vulnerable device. Patches are available for:

Mac Studio (2022 and later)

iMac (2019 and later)

Mac Pro (2019 and later)

Mac mini (2018 and later)

MacBook Air (2018 and later)

MacBook Pro (2018 and later)

iMac Pro (2017)

What can I do?

The update should be applied as soon as possible. Organisations should also be aware that the the vulnerabilities will impact employees with Apple BYOD as these devices will have access to corporate information.

Further information can be found below:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213940

https://www.securityweek.com/macos-14-sonoma-patches-60-vulnerabilities/

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 28 September 2023 – Google Patches Actively Exploited Chrome Zero Day as Mozilla Fix High-Severity Vulnerabilities in Firefox and Thunderbird

Executive summary

A new actively exploited zero-day vulnerability in Google Chrome which can lead to remote code execution has been identified, with patches released. Also this week, Mozilla released updates for high-severity vulnerabilities in both Firefox and Thunderbird.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The actively exploited vulnerability and high-severity vulnerabilities can allow an attacker to execute malicious code, compromising the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

What can I do?

Security updates are available for both browsers. The updates for Chrome are available in version  117.0.5938.132 and should be applied immediately. The updates for Firefox are available in version 118 and should be applied as soon as possible.

Technical Summary

CVE-2023-5217: an actively exploited zero-day heap-based buffer overflow which can lead to execution of arbitrary code.

The security advisory from Google Chrome can be found here:

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/09/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_27.html

The security advisory from Firefox can be found here:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-41/

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 22 September 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

New Ransomware Victims Surge by 47% as Small Businesses Targeted

Ransomware attackers are shifting away from “big game” targets and towards easier, less defended organisations, a new report from Trend Micro has found. The report observed a 47% increase in the number of new victims of this vector from the second half of 2022, many of which were small organisations with less mature cyber postures. In fact, 57% of victims of the infamous ransomware gang LockBit, were of organisations up to 200 employees.

Small businesses can be attractive targets; they don’t have the budget of a large organisation and therefore they are more likely to have gaps that can be exploited. To combat this, small businesses need to prioritise their security budgets effectively, to allow themselves the most protection that their budget allows.

Source [Infosecurity Magazine]

MGM Resorts Lost Millions of Dollars a Day in What Should be a Wakeup Call for Corporate Boards

The recent ransomware attack on MGM Resorts has resulted in the loss of millions of dollars daily, not accounting for ransomware fees and reputational damage. MGM Resorts are a client of Okta, who noted that Caesars entertainment and three (not named) other organisations have been hit. Although the other victims have not yet been named, it has been revealed that they are in the manufacturing, retail and technology sectors. As a result of the attacks, Beazley and AIG, who provide cyber insurance, are likely to face significant losses.

The attack should act as wakeup call for corporate boards, as it once again highlights how anyone can be a victim, and if the right controls are not in place, an attack won’t be stopped. Cyber incidents are a matter of when, not if, and boards need to ensure they are prepared, and prepared to handle the fallout when an attack happens. 

Sources: [Proactive Investors] [Reuters] [Insurance Insider] [OODA Loop] [Claims Journal]

SMEs Overestimate Their Cyber Security Preparedness

According to a recent report, 57% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have experienced a cyber security breach, with 31% facing such an incident in the past year. Despite the increasing threat, 70% are confident in their defences, though 44% solely rely on their antivirus solutions, and a quarter don't regularly train employees on cyber security best practices or never have.

The report also found that many SMEs either underestimate the importance of robust security, believing they’re too small to be targeted, or put too much trust in their current defences. The increasing number of evolving cyber threats poses a significant risk to SMEs. Rising patterns show frequent and sophisticated attacks, highlighting the urgent need for effective security measures. Understandably, not all small business owners have the resources to obtain in-house cyber security experts. Black Arrow works with organisations of all sizes and sectors to design and prepare for managing a cyber security incident; this can include an Incident Response Plan and an educational tabletop exercise for the leadership team that highlights the proportionate controls to help the organisation prevent and mitigate an incident.

Sources: [Helpnet Security] [Security Magazine]

China’s Hacking Power Bigger Than Rest of World Combined

In a recent conference the director of the FBI highlighted the magnitude of China’s cyber power, most notably explaining that China has a bigger hacking program than the competition combined.

This comes as recent attacks have seen malicious USB drives used to spread malware and now, something we’ve not seen much before, financially motivated hacks by Chinese-speaking actors through a piece of malware known as “ValleyRAT”.

Sources: [Reuters] [Infosecurity Magazine] [WIRED] [Inforisk Today] [TechRadar]

Cyber Insurance Claims for Ransomware Reach Record High

A new report from cyber insurance provider Coalition shows a 12% increase in cyber claims over the first six months of this year, driven by the notable spikes in ransomware (19%), business email compromise (BEC) attacks (26%) and funds transfer fraud (FTF) (31%). The report found that claims severity also increased 61% from the previous six months and 117% over the last year. The average ransom demand was $1.62 million, a 47% increase over the previous six months and a 74% increase over the past year.

The report comes as the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)  released a joint advisory warning that ransomware gangs are increasingly evolving their tactics while targeting critical infrastructure sectors, including Information Technology, and Food and Agriculture. The advisory strongly discourages organisations from paying ransoms and encourages victims to report ransomware incidents to a local agency’s reporting channel. Similar advisories were released earlier in the year warning of ransomware groups such as Cl0p who exploited the vulnerability in MOVEit earlier this year.

Sources: [NextGov] [BetanNews] [Security Magazine] [CSO Online]

Cyber Security Still Remains the Greatest Concern for Many C-Suite Executives

Almost three-quarters (73%) of nearly 700 board members surveyed in a new study, believe their organisations are at risk of cyber attack, including targeted attacks; a sizable increase from the 65% last year, according to a recently released Proofpoint report. Worryingly, with the high number believing they are at risk from an attack, 53% still believed they would be unprepared for such an attack. When it came to their main concerns, malware was the top concern (40%), followed by insider threat (36%) and cloud account compromise (36%).

C-suite concern has propelled budgets, with a third of businesses increasing cyber security spending by a significant margin. As IT has become less centralised with a move towards cloud-based systems, combined with a shortage of skilled cyber security workers, businesses are having to rely more heavily on third party security according to a recent report.

This investment, along with improved security communications to executives, should enhance IT upskilling and employee awareness of cyber security.

Sources: [MSSP Alert] [Tech Radar]

Bad Torts: Law Firms Feel the Heat from Rising Cyber Threats

Publicly available reports of ransomware attacks on law firms have accelerated this year, with massive amounts of sensitive client data now in the hands of threat actors, highlighting a growing trend of cyber incidents afflicting the legal business.

One of the reasons law firms are increasingly targeted is due to the amount of sensitive data that they hold. This data can be used for extortion, insider training and general ransom purposes. In addition, many law firms utilise third parties to handle their data, increasing their risk of becoming a victim through their supply chain.

Source: [Synack]

Attacker Deepfakes IT Employees’ Voice in Phone Call to Breach Company

A recent cyber attack used AI to deepfake an IT employee’s voice. The attack started off with a phishing mail, which the unsuspecting victim employee clicked. The attacker then hit a challenge: multi-factor authentication (MFA). That was until they decided to use artificial intelligence to clone the voice of an IT employee. The attacker, now speaking as if they were the IT employee, was then able to convince the victim employee to provide the needed MFA code. As a result, the attack was successful.

The attack highlights the increase in AI for attacks, whilst also demonstrating that cyber security is more than just technology: it is people and operations too. Think about voice cloning, how would your organisation prepare for this?

Sources [PC Mag]

Insider Risks are Getting Increasingly Costly as Organisations Fail to Proactively Address Them

With the cost of insider risk the highest it has ever been (£13.25m per incident), organisations need to effectively budget and find ways to proactively address insider risk. A report found that 55% of money spent on insider incident response went toward problems caused by negligence or mistakes, and 25% for those were caused by actively malicious insiders, with the remaining 20% being attacks that out-smarted employees.

The cost and damage is acknowledged by organisations, with a separate report finding 46% of organisations self-reported that they were actively planning to spend more on proactively addressing insider risk in 2024. Budgets are not infinite however, and organisations need to effectively allocate their spending to ensure they are getting the most protection for their spend.

Sources: [Computer Weekly] [CSO Online]

Half of Executives Expect Supply Chain Challenges

With the surge in the number of attacks taking place through the software supply chain, it is no wonder almost half of executives expect supply chain challenges in the year ahead according to a survey by Deloitte. When asked about their experience, 34% of respondents self-reported that their organisation has experienced one or more supply chain cyber security events during the past year.

One of the ways to improve organisations’ supply chain security is to conduct assessments on the third parties they use, yet 21% of respondents did not do this at all. Potentially, one of the reasons for this is not knowing the correct questions to ask. Black Arrow can support you through a structured approach to asking a suite of targeted questions to your third parties, and assessing the responses for indicators of risk to your business.  

Sources [PRnewswire] [SiliconANGLE]

How Social Engineering Takes Advantage of Your Kindness

Last week, MGM Resorts disclosed a massive systems issue that reportedly rendered slot machines, room keys and other critical devices inoperable. What elaborate methods were required to crack a nearly $34 billion casino and hotel empire? According to the hackers themselves, all it took was a ten minute phone call, allowing them to gain access through a simple social engineering attack. Social engineering psychologically manipulates a target into doing what the attacker wants, or giving up information that they shouldn’t. The consequences range from taking down global corporations to devastating the personal finances of unfortunate individual victims.

Extroverted, agreeable, and open individuals are often cyber victims; fear is an attack vector and so is helpfulness. As comfort increases, so too does vulnerability to being hacked. Social engineering attacks target both corporations and individuals. A person’s positive traits can be weaknesses against such threats. Balancing kindness with scepticism is essential.

Source: [Engadget]

Employers Blame Employees as 54% of Firms Face Cyber Attacks Annually

A survey found that despite the percentage of companies that have encountered a cyber security incident in the last 12 months, a worrying 24% of employees have never had any cyber security training. The survey further found that alarmingly 42% of respondents used the same password for both home and work accounts, increasing the risk of exposing their organisational passwords. This risk was furthered by 40% of the total number of respondents keeping their password in an open file or physical notebook.

Organisations, including those already providing training, should look to ensure they implement training from experts that covers such areas; by effectively training employees, organisations will increase their cyber resilience and reduce their risk of suffering a cyber attack. Black Arrow supports organisations of all sizes in designing and delivering proportionate user education and awareness programmes, including in-person and online training as well as simulated phishing campaigns. Our programmes are secure employee engagement and build a cyber security culture to protect the organisation.  

Source: [Information Security Buzz]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber security still remains the greatest concern for many executives | TechRadar

• Cyber attacks are constant and test even the best | Newsroom

• Companies Struggling With Cyber security: Big Players In Bad Situations (forbes.com)

• SMEs overestimate their cyber security preparedness - Help Net Security

• Survey Reveals: 50% Of Respondents Face Cyber attacks Yearly — Employers Blame Employees (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Almost Half of Executives Expect Supply Chain Security Challenges in Year Ahead (prnewswire.com)

• Organisations failing to proactively address insider cyber risk | Computer Weekly

• Expensive Investigations Drive Surging Data Breach Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• OODA Loop - The MGM Cyber attack Should be a Wakeup Call for Corporate Boards: Will they hit the snooze alarm again?

• Most Global Board Members Unprepared for “Targeted” Cyber attack, Report Finds | MSSP Alert

• Changing Role of the CISO: A Holistic Approach Drives the Future (darkreading.com)

• How to Get Your Board on Board With Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• Security concerns and outages elevate observability from IT niche to business essential - Help Net Security

• Regulatory activity forces compliance leaders to spend more on GRC tools - Help Net Security

• Going Up! How to Handle Rising Cyber security Costs (securityintelligence.com)

• Balancing budget and system security: Approaches to risk tolerance - Help Net Security

• Is Director Liability For Cyber security Failure An Immediate Risk? (forbes.com)

• Over a Third of UK Population Believe Prison is the Most Suitable Punishment for Individuals Responsible for Data Breach - IT Security Guru

• 83% of IT Security Professionals Say Burnout Causes Data Breaches (prnewswire.com)

• Why Cyber security Compliance Standards Still Have A Long Way To Go (forbes.com)

• Bot Attack Costs Double to $86m Annually - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Adapting to new rule changes in cyber risk management: How the SEC changed the game - SiliconANGLE

• Poor digital experience a blocker for cyber resilience | Computer Weekly

• What is Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC)? | TechTarget Definition

• How to prevent and prepare for a cyber catastrophe (securityintelligence.com)

• The rise of CISO stress: Recognising and reconciling the threat of litigation for CISOs (securitybrief.co.nz)

• 2023 Cyber Risk and Resiliency Report: How CIOs Are Dueling Disaster (informationweek.com)

• The realities of modern cyber security: CrowdStrike CSO weighs in on how businesses must adapt - SiliconANGLE

• Why more security doesn’t mean more effective compliance - Help Net Security

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Digesting the Digits - 2023 ‘record year’ for ransomware attacks - PaymentExpert.com

• New Ransomware Victims Surge by 47% with Gangs Targeting Small Busines - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Attacks on Casino Giants Heralds Resurgence in Ransomware Attacks (claimsjournal.com)

• Beazley and AIG likely to face cyber attack losses on casinos (insuranceinsider.com)

• LockBit Is Using RMMs to Spread Its Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• ‘Top’ ransomware gangs favour smaller businesses | Computer Weekly

• US cyber insurance claims spike amid ransomware, funds transfer fraud, BEC attacks | CSO Online

• Ransomware group's evolving tactics pose growing threat - Nextgov/FCW

• Malware distributor Storm-0324 facilitates ransomware access | Microsoft Security Blog

• Who is behind the latest wave of UK ransomware attacks? | Cyber crime | The Guardian

• NCSC: Why Cyber Extortion Attacks No Longer Require Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• Scattered Spider, Alphv, and the MGM hack, explained - The Hustle

• Quadruple extortion ransomware maximising monetisation (securitybrief.co.nz)

• What is Extortionware? How is it Different from Ransomware? (techtarget.com)

• Ransomware cyber insurance claims rose by 27% | Security Magazine

• Cyber insurance claims for ransomware reach record high (betanews.com)

• Ransomware gang targeting defence firms, FBI warns - Defence One

• Scattered Spider snares 100+ victims, moves into ransomware • The Register

• Cyber criminals Combine Phishing and EV Certificates to Deliver Ransomware Payloads (thehackernews.com)

• BlackCat ransomware hits Azure Storage with Sphynx encryptor (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FBI, CISA Issue Joint Warning on 'Snatch' Ransomware-as-a-Service (darkreading.com)

• Critical Infrastructure Organisations Warned of Snatch Ransomware Attacks - Security Week

• Healthcare's ransomware defences need more preventative action (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Ransomware vs. resources: A higher education dilemma - eCampus News

Ransomware Victims

• Two Vegas casinos fell victim to cyber attacks, shattering the image of impenetrable casino security | AP News

• Hackers who breached casino giants MGM, Caesars also hit 3 other firms, Okta says | Reuters

• Okta Agent Involved in MGM Resorts Breach, Attackers Claim (darkreading.com)

• Las Vegas casinos face ‘social engineering’ threat amid hacks | Las Vegas Review-Journal (reviewjournal.com)

• Hackers claim it only took a 10-minute phone call to shut down MGM Resorts (engadget.com)

• MGM, Caesars Face Regulatory, Legal Maze After Cyber Incidents (darkreading.com)

• Beazley and AIG likely to face cyber attack losses on casinos (insuranceinsider.com)

• Greater Manchester Police Hack Follows Third-Party Supplier Fumble (darkreading.com)k

• Clorox expects August’s cyber security attack to have a ‘material’ impact on first-quarter results - MarketWatch

• Clorox products in short supply after cyber attack disrupts operations | CNN Business

• Psychiatric hospital near Jerusalem hit by suspected cyber attack | The Times of Israel

• HWL Ebsworth hack: 65 Australian government agencies affected by cyber attack | Crime - Australia | The Guardian

• UMass Medical School Sued Over MOVEit File-Transfer Data Breach (bloomberglaw.com)

• UK IT services provider Agilitas hit by Donut ransomware attack? (techmonitor.ai)

• Cyber attack blamed for outages at hospitals in Illinois, Wisconsin (scrippsnews.com)

• Major trucking software provider confirms ransomware incident (therecord.media)

• Handbag maker Radley London hit by RansomHouse cyber attack? (techmonitor.ai)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Scams, phishing made up over 75% of digital threats in first half of 2023: Report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• HR phishing: self-evaluation questionnaire | Kaspersky official blog

• Phishing victim sends eye-watering $4.5M in USDT to scammer (cointelegraph.com)

• Cyber criminals Combine Phishing and EV Certificates to Deliver Ransomware Payloads (thehackernews.com)

• Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Targeting Chinese Users with ValleyRAT and Gh0st RAT (thehackernews.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• US cyber insurance claims spike amid ransomware, funds transfer fraud, BEC attacks | CSO Online

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Hackers claim it only took a 10-minute phone call to shut down MGM Resorts (engadget.com)

• How social engineering takes advantage of your kindness (engadget.com)

• Las Vegas casinos face ‘social engineering’ threat amid hacks | Las Vegas Review-Journal (reviewjournal.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Hacker Deepfakes Employee's Voice in Phone Call to Breach IT Company | PCMag

• NSA Report: Deepfakes Threaten National Security | MSSP Alert

• Microsoft AI Researchers Accidentally Expose 38 Terabytes of Confidential Data (thehackernews.com)

• WormGPT: AI tool designed to help cyber criminals will let hackers develop attacks on large scale, experts warn | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• Artificial Intelligence Making Cyber Crime Harder to Fight (govtech.com)

• Companies still don’t know how to handle generative AI risks - Help Net Security

• 85% of cyber leaders believe AI will outpace cyber defences (electronicspecifier.com)

• McAfee CEO Greg Johnson on the Cyber security Threat From Generative AI (businessinsider.com)

• Companies Rely on Multiple Methods to Secure Generative AI Tools (darkreading.com)

• Poland investigates OpenAI over privacy concerns | Reuters

2FA/MFA

• Retool blames breach on Google Authenticator MFA cloud sync feature (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malware

• NodeStealer Malware Now Targets Facebook Business Accounts on Multiple Browsers (thehackernews.com)

• Malware distributor Storm-0324 facilitates ransomware access | Microsoft Security Blog

• macOS MetaStealer attacks take aim at business Mac users (appleinsider.com)

• Earth Lusca Employs New Linux Backdoor, Uses Cobalt Strike for Lateral Movement (trendmicro.com)

• A mysterious new Chinese malware strain is targeting large firms across the globe | TechRadar

• New SprySOCKS Linux malware used in cyber espionage attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Bumblebee malware returns in new attacks abusing WebDAV folders (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fake WinRAR exploit PoC drops VenomRAT malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• P2PInfect botnet activity surges 600x with stealthier malware variants (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ukrainian Hacker Suspected to be Behind "Free Download Manager" Malware Attack (thehackernews.com)

• ‘Sandman’ hackers backdoor telcos with new LuaDream malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Kaspersky uncovers 3-year old supply chain attack campaign (securitybrief.co.nz)

Mobile

• Dangerous permissions detected in top Android health apps (securityaffairs.com)

• Android security updates: Everything you need to know | Android Central

• Google releases an update for compatible Pixel devices; Android 14 no, September security patch yes - PhoneArena

• Hook: New Android Banking Trojan That Expands on ERMAC's Legacy (thehackernews.com)

• APT36 state hackers infect Android devices using YouTube app clones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Botnets

• Bot Attack Costs Double to $86m Annually - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• P2PInfect botnet activity surges 600x with stealthier malware variants (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Vast majority of bot attacks emanate from China and Russia | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Pro-Russia hacker group NoName launched a DDoS attack on Canadian airports causing severe disruptions (securityaffairs.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• DDoS 2.0: IoT Sparks New DDoS Alert (thehackernews.com)

• IoT threats in 2023 | Securelist

• Hikvision Intercoms Allow Snooping on Neighbors (darkreading.com)

• No dedicated hardware security for 66% IoT modules: IoT Analytics (securitybrief.co.nz)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Pirated Software Likely Cause of Airbus Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft AI Researchers Accidentally Expose 38 Terabytes of Confidential Data (thehackernews.com)

• Police data breach: 20,000 data points 'at risk' (computing.co.uk)

• CardX released a data leak notification impacting their customers in Thailand (securityaffairs.com)

• Pizza Hut Australia hack: data breach exposes customer information and order details | Australia

• Air Canada says unauthorized group breached employee data, hacked internal system (databreaches.net)

• 83% of IT Security Professionals Say Burnout Causes Data Breaches (prnewswire.com)

• T-Mobile app glitch let users see other people's account info (bleepingcomputer.com)

• T-Mobile Racks Up Third Consumer Data Exposure of 2023 (darkreading.com)Over a Third of UK

• Population Believe Prison is the Most Suitable Punishment for Individuals Responsible for Data Breach - IT Security Guru

• TransUnion says dump of customer data came from third party • The Register

• US govt IT worker accused of leaking top secrets • The Register

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Europol lifts the lid on cyber crime tactics (malwarebytes.com)

• One of the FBI’s most wanted hackers is trolling the US government | TechCrunch

• India's biggest tech centres named as cyber crime hotspots • The Register

• Scattered Spider snares 100+ victims, moves into ransomware • The Register

• Financially Motivated Hacks by Chinese-Speaking Actors Surge (inforisktoday.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Multiple crypto raids net Lazarus Group $290M in 15 weeks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• TikTok flooded by 'Elon Musk' cryptocurrency giveaway scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Phishing victim sends eye-watering $4.5M in USDT to scammer (cointelegraph.com)

• Mark Cuban loses $870k to a crypto scam: ‘They must have been watching’ – DL News

• How Sam Bankman-Fried's parents enabled his criminal empire | Fortune Crypto

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Organisations failing to proactively address insider cyber risk | Computer Weekly

• HR’s role in cyber security and insider threat mitigation - Hindustan Times

• Insider risks are getting increasingly costly | CSO Online

• Can Users Be Trusted to Skirt Hackers’ Lures? | MSSP Alert

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Brits Lose $9.3bn to Scams in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• cyber criminals: Scams, phishing made up over 75% of digital threats in first half of 2023: Report - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Another $40m Dispersed to Western Union Fraud Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US cyber insurance claims spike amid ransomware, funds transfer fraud, BEC attacks | CSO Online

• TikTok flooded by 'Elon Musk' cryptocurrency giveaway scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mark Cuban loses $870k to a crypto scam: ‘They must have been watching’ – DL News

• How Sam Bankman-Fried's parents enabled his criminal empire | Fortune Crypto

• Illegal Betting Ring Used Satellite Tech to Get Scoop on Results - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Payment Card-Skimming Campaign Now Targeting Websites in North America (darkreading.com)

• Court sentences pair for India-based robocall scam • The Register

• Shift from UK Analogue to Digital Phone Lines Breeds New SCAMs - ISPreview UK

• Singapore to detail fraud liability split for bank & victim • The Register

Deepfakes

• Hacker Deepfakes Employee's Voice in Phone Call to Breach IT Company | PCMag

Insurance

• Cyber insurance claims for ransomware reach record high (betanews.com)

• US cyber insurance claims spike amid ransomware, funds transfer fraud, BEC attacks | CSO Online

• Beazley and AIG likely to face cyber attack losses on casinos (insuranceinsider.com)

• Ransomware cyber insurance claims rose by 27% | Security Magazine

Dark Web

• Brits Are in the Dark About the Dark Web - IT Security Guru

• Finnish Authorities Dismantle Notorious PIILOPUOTI Dark Web Drug Marketplace (thehackernews.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Almost Half of Executives Expect Supply Chain Security Challenges in Year Ahead (prnewswire.com)

• Okta Agent Involved in MGM Resorts Breach, Attackers Claim (darkreading.com)

• OODA Loop - The MGM Cyber attack Should be a Wakeup Call for Corporate Boards: Will they hit the snooze alarm again?

• Greater Manchester Police Hack Follows Third-Party Supplier Fumble (darkreading.com)

• High-stakes digital heists: Enterprise software supply chains become new battleground for cyber criminals - SiliconANGLE

• Kaspersky uncovers 3-year old supply chain attack campaign (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Evaluating New Partners and Vendors from an Identity Security Perspective (darkreading.com)

• HWL Ebsworth hack: 65 Australian government agencies affected by cyber attack | Crime - Australia | The Guardian

• How cyber attacks on Taiwan are hurting global business - Raconteur

Software Supply Chain

• Do You Really Trust Your Web Application Supply Chain? (thehackernews.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Cloud to Blame for Almost all Security Vulnerabilities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why Shared Fate is a Better Way to Manage Cloud Risk (darkreading.com)

• Future Cyber security: Hybrid Threats Require Balanced Preparation | Center for Internet and Society (stanford.edu)

• IBM X-Force: Use of compromised credentials darkens cloud security picture | Network World

• Retool blames breach on Google Authenticator MFA cloud sync feature (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mastering Defence-In-Depth and Data Security in the Cloud Era (darkreading.com)

• Understanding the Differences Between On-Premises and Cloud Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• The Rise of the Malicious App (thehackernews.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Future Cyber security: Hybrid Threats Require Balanced Preparation | Center for Internet and Society (stanford.edu)

• Spies working from home despite fears they could be hacked by foreign states (telegraph.co.uk)

Shadow IT

• Shadow IT: Security policies may be a problem - Help Net Security

Identity and Access Management

• CISA Releases New Identity and Access Management Guidance - Security Week

Encryption

• Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users (pogowasright.org)

• EU's quest to fix the internet could become a privacy nightmare | TechRadar

• UK Minister Warns Meta Over End-to-End Encryption - Security Week

• Signal Messenger Introduces PQXDH Quantum-Resistant Encryption (thehackernews.com)

Open Source

• Kaspersky uncovers 3-year old supply chain attack campaign (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Chinese hackers have unleashed a never-before-seen Linux backdoor | Ars Technica

• New SprySOCKS Linux malware used in cyber espionage attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ukrainian Hacker Suspected to be Behind "Free Download Manager" Malware Attack (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Are your end-users' passwords compromised? Here's how to check. (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why employee login credentials are 'the weakest link in security' (siliconrepublic.com)

Social Media

• TikTok fined 345m euro by watchdog over how it processed children’s data | The Independent

• Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users (pogowasright.org)

• NodeStealer Malware Now Targets Facebook Business Accounts on Multiple Browsers (thehackernews.com)

• APT36 state hackers infect Android devices using YouTube app clones (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Donald Trump Jr.'s X Account Appears To Have Been Hacked (dailydot.com)

• UK Minister Warns Meta Over End-to-End Encryption - Security Week

• TikTok flooded by 'Elon Musk' cryptocurrency giveaway scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malvertising

• Probe reveals secret Israeli spyware that infects via ads • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• Survey Reveals: 50% Of Respondents Face Cyber attacks Yearly — Employers Blame Employees (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• TikTok fined 345m euro by watchdog over how it processed children’s data | The Independent

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• UK Minister Warns Meta Over End-to-End Encryption - Security Week

• Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users (pogowasright.org)

• EU's quest to fix the internet could become a privacy nightmare | TechRadar

• TikTok Is Hit With $368 Million Fine Under Europe's Strict Data Privacy Rules - Security Week

• MGM, Caesars Face Regulatory, Legal Maze After Cyber Incidents (darkreading.com)

• California Settles With Google Over Location Privacy Practices for $93 Million - Security Week

• Why Cyber security Compliance Standards Still Have A Long Way To Go (forbes.com)

• Adapting to new rule changes in cyber risk management: How the SEC changed the game - SiliconANGLE

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• How to Interpret the 2023 MITRE ATT&CK Evaluation Results (darkreading.com)

• How NIST Cyber security Framework 2.0 Tackles Risk Management (securityintelligence.com)

Data Protection

• UK-US Confirm Agreement for Personal Data Transfers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Digital Deficit: 93% of UK Employers Identify An IT Skills Gap Within The UK Job Market - IT Security Guru

• Expert: Three Skills Cyber security Professionals Should Have in 2024 (newswise.com)

• 83% of IT Security Professionals Say Burnout Causes Data Breaches (prnewswire.com)

• IT pros told to accept burnout as normal part of their job - Help Net Security

• Wanted: another 3mn cyber professionals | Financial Times (ft.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• How the FBI Fights Back Against Worldwide Cyber attacks (securityintelligence.com)

• Court sentences pair for India-based robocall scam • The Register

• Finnish Authorities Dismantle Notorious PIILOPUOTI Dark Web Drug Marketplace (thehackernews.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• California Settles With Google Over Location Privacy Practices for $93 Million - Security Week

• TikTok fined 345m euro by watchdog over how it processed children’s data | The Independent

• Researchers used Wi-Fi signals to see through walls. Game-changing breakthrough? Or privacy nightmare waiting to happen? | TechRadar

• Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users (pogowasright.org)

• EU's quest to fix the internet could become a privacy nightmare | TechRadar

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• EU warns China on Ukraine disinformation and cyber attacks  – POLITICO

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

Russia

• Russian and North Korea artillery deal paves the way for dangerous cyberwar alliance (theconversation.com)

• China, Russia ‘Prepared’ to Use Cyber If War Breaks Out, US Warns (thedefencepost.com)

• International Criminal Court hacked amid Russia probe • The Register

• Portuguese company detects 961 pro-Russian cyber attacks in Western Europe – EURACTIV.com

• Vast majority of bot attacks emanate from China and Russia | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• One of the FBI’s most wanted hackers is trolling the US government | TechCrunch

• Pro-Russia hacker group NoName launched a DDoS attack on Canadian airports causing severe disruptions (securityaffairs.com)

• Senators want clarity from Pentagon on Ukraine Starlink access fiasco | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian allegedly smuggled US weapons electronics to Moscow • The Register

China

• Chinese Cyber Power Bigger Than the Rest of the World Combined - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• China, Russia ‘Prepared’ to Use Cyber If War Breaks Out, US Warns (thedefencepost.com)

• FBI chief says China has bigger hacking program than the competition combined | Reuters

• EU warns China on Ukraine disinformation and cyber attacks  – POLITICO

• Chinese Spies Infected Dozens of Networks With Thumb Drive Malware | WIRED

• Chinese hackers have unleashed a never-before-seen Linux backdoor | Ars Technica

• Trouble brews after embassy worker finds spy bug in China teapot (thetimes.co.uk)

• Vast majority of bot attacks emanate from China and Russia | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• A mysterious new Chinese malware strain is targeting large firms across the globe | TechRadar

• Financially Motivated Hacks by Chinese-Speaking Actors Surge (inforisktoday.com)

• Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Targeting Chinese Users with ValleyRAT and Gh0st RAT (thehackernews.com)

• Growing Chinese Tech Influence in Africa Spurs 'Soft Power' Concerns (darkreading.com)

• How cyber attacks on Taiwan are hurting global business - Raconteur

• Multi-year Chinese APT Campaign Targets South Korean Academic, Government, and Political Entities | Recorded Future

• DoD: China's ICS Cyber Onslaught Aimed at Gaining Kinetic Warfare Advantage (darkreading.com)

Iran

• Microsoft: 'Peach Sandstorm' Cyber attacks Target Defence, Pharmaceutical Orgs (darkreading.com)

• Iranian state-backed hackers target global satellite, defence, and pharma companies (databreaches.net)

• Pro-Iranian Attackers Target Israeli Railroad Network (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• Multiple crypto raids net Lazarus Group $290M in 15 weeks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian and North Korea artillery deal paves the way for dangerous cyberwar alliance (theconversation.com)

• How a North Korean cyber group impersonated a Washington D.C. analyst (cnbc.com)

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• New Research Finds Cyber attacks Against Critical Infrastructure on the Rise, State-affiliated Groups Responsible for Nearly 60% | Business Wire

• Operation Rusty Flag: Azerbaijan Targeted in New Rust-Based Malware Campaign (thehackernews.com)

• APT36 state hackers infect Android devices using YouTube app clones (bleepingcomputer.com)

• OODA Loop - Is Future Escalation in Cyber Conflict a Foregone Conclusion?

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Vulnerability Management

• KEV Catalog Reaches 1000, What Does That Mean and What Have We Learned  | CISA

• Vulnerability management, its impact and threat modeling methodologies (securityintelligence.com)

• How SBOMs Help Uncover Vulnerabilities In Enterprise Applications (forbes.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Fortinet Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA

• Critical Trend Micro vulnerability exploited in the wild (CVE-2023-41179) - Help Net Security

• iOS 17.0.1 re-patches 3 actively exploited security flaws - 9to5Mac

• Nearly 12,000 Juniper Firewalls Found Vulnerable to Recently Disclosed RCE Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• If you're still using WinRAR, watch out for this dangerous exploit - and please stop | TechRadar

• GitLab Releases Urgent Security Patches for Critical Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft releases firmware update for all Surface devices | TechSpot

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Tools and Controls

• Expensive Investigations Drive Surging Data Breach Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Enterprise networks are evolving; your security architecture needs to evolve, too (betanews.com)

• Think Your MFA and PAM Solutions Protect You? Think Again (thehackernews.com)

• Do You Really Trust Your Web Application Supply Chain? (thehackernews.com)

• Regulatory activity forces compliance leaders to spend more on GRC tools - Help Net Security

• Going Up! How to Handle Rising Cyber security Costs (securityintelligence.com)

• Shadow IT: Security policies may be a problem - Help Net Security

• Balancing budget and system security: Approaches to risk tolerance - Help Net Security

• How NIST Cyber security Framework 2.0 Tackles Risk Management (securityintelligence.com)

• How Choosing Authentication Is a Business-Critical Decision (darkreading.com)

• Understanding the Differences Between On-Premises and Cloud Cyber security (darkreading.com)

• Adapting to new rule changes in cyber risk management: How the SEC changed the game - SiliconANGLE

• What is DNS over HTTPS (DoH)? (techtarget.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• QBE Mid-sized Business Risk Report | QBE US

• 2023 Cyber Risk and Resiliency Report: How CIOs Are Dueling Disaster (informationweek.com)

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Other News

• Why automakers are worried your car is the next target for cyber attacks - CityAM

• Consumers are being bombarded with billions of threats every year | TechRadar

• Bad torts: Law firms feel the heat from rising cyber threats (synack.com)

• 8 new threats to Mac security in 2023 - TechFruit

• SME Cyber Security – Time for a New Approach? - IT Security Guru

• Time to Demand IT Security by Design and Default - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Australia’s new cyber security strategy: Build “cyber shields” around the country | CSO Online

• Home Office sets up cyber security for Emergency Services Network | UKAuthority

• Cyber security Tops Business Risks Challenging European Auditors (bloomberglaw.com)

• Energy Is the Most-Targeted Sector for Cyber attacks: Here’s What to Do (powermag.com)

• Cyber on the battlefield is about more than IT - Nextgov/FCW

• From national threats to click-happy employees: Decoding the multifaceted cyber security landscape - SiliconANGLE

• Hidden dangers loom for subsea cables, the invisible infrastructure of the internet - Help Net Security

• Every Network Is Now an OT Network. Can Your Security Keep Up? - Security Week

• Pentagon's 2023 Cyber Strategy Focuses on Helping Allies - Security Week

• Singapore's retail banks take steps to enhance cyber security (finextra.com)

• Cyber pros warn Congress that government shutdown will create open season for cyber attacks - Washington Times

• Experts fret over fate of CISA cyber programs as shutdown clouds loom | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Strong compliance management is crucial for fintech-bank partnerships - Help Net Security

• Rail Travel Free in Estonia as Cyber Attack Disrupts Ticketing (eturbonews.com)

• Five easy wins in cyber security | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Dairy industry teams with cyber security group to beef up defences | Food Dive

• Securing Eurovision’s online voting system against cyber attacks (computerweekly.com)

• GCHQ chief takes job in private security company | The Independent

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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 Threat Briefing 15 September 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

Overconfident Organisations Prone to Cyber Breaches

A study found that 95% of UK enterprises were very confident or somewhat confident that they do not have gaps in their security controls, yet despite this, 69% have fallen victim to a cyber attack in the last two years. One of the reasons given for this false sense of confidence was the belief that more tools meant more security; worryingly, 45% of organisations struggled with the implementation of tools due to the need for expertise. Attackers are constantly adapting their tactics to bypass the security controls that most organisations implement. It is difficult for IT teams and business leaders to maintain an objective assessment of how effective their chosen security controls are against today’s attackers. Black Arrow provides the impartial and expert advice that businesses require, including a free initial assessment, with no vested interest other than helping our clients achieve pragmatic and proportionate security.

Source: [IT Security Guru]

Board Members Struggling to Understand Cyber Risks

Board members frequently struggle to understand cyber risks, putting businesses at higher risk of attacks, a new report has found. The report noted that Board interest is being piqued as a result of growing media reporting of cyber incidents, a heightened Board focus on operational resilience post-pandemic, investor pressure and a tightening regulatory environment.

Worryingly, despite the increase in interest and increased internal and external focus on cyber risk, a number of Board-level respondents reported that they felt scared or embarrassed to ask their CISO for fear of exposing their lack of understanding.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Cyber Criminals are Targeting Top Executives and Could be Using Sensitive Information to Extort Them

Senior executives in today's evolving work landscape face growing cyber security threats, including extortion and device theft. The rise of ‘workcations’, which blend work and leisure, has blurred professional and personal boundaries, exposing leaders to heightened risks, and necessitating a strong focus on cyber security.

These executives are particularly attractive targets due to their access to critical information and decision-making authority. To protect their organisations, they must prioritise robust security measures, such as stronger passwords, anti-theft safeguards for devices, multi factor authentication, and, where appropriate or necessary, the use of virtual private networks. As guardians of their businesses' well-being, executives carry the responsibility of upholding stringent cyber security practices, ensuring that the benefits of remote work do not compromise their organisations' security.

Source: [Fortune]

Cyber Attacks Reach Fever Pitch in Q2 2023

A report has found the global landscape of increasing digitisation, political unrest, the emergence of AI and the widespread adoption of work from home, have all contributed to an increase in attacks, which have increased 314% in the first half of this year compared the first half of 2022.  Rather worryingly, between the first and second quarter this year, there was a 387% increase in activity.

Source: [Data Centre & Network News]

Ransomware Attacks Hit Record Levels in UK as More Companies Fail to Tackle Growing Threats

A report from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK found ransomware attacks on UK organisations reached record levels last year, impacting over 700 organisations. This isn’t the true count though, as it does not factor the overwhelming majority of victims who do not report attacks, so the true number will be many times this. This increase comes as reports are finding that UK companies are struggling to address the growing threats, and this includes a lack of understanding at the Board level. In fact, 59% of directors say their Board is not very effective in understanding the drivers and impacts of cyber risks for their organisation.

Sources: [The Record] [The Fintech Times] [Financial Times]

Microsoft Warns of More Attacks as Ransomware Spreads Through Teams Phishing

Microsoft says an initial access broker known for working with ransomware groups has recently switched to Microsoft Teams phishing attacks to breach corporate networks. Referring to one of the groups, Microsoft said “In July 2023, Storm-0324 began using phishing lures sent over Teams with malicious links leading to a malicious SharePoint-hosted file,". This tactic has also been used by Russian Nation State Actors.

Source: [Bleeping Computer]

Europol - Financial Crime Makes “Billions” and Impacts “Millions”

The European policing alliance’s first ever European Financial and Economic Crime Threat Assessment was compiled from “operational insights and strategic intelligence” contributed by member states and Europol partners. The assessment highlighted a criminal economy worth billions of euros and that impacts millions of victims each year.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Almost One in Three Parents Have Never Spoken to Their Children About Cyber Security

A recent report found that 30% of parents have never spoken to their children about cyber security. Additionally, over 40% of parents, who themselves admitted that they didn’t know how to create strong passwords, still give their child access to their mobile phones and almost a third (32%) give them access to their computers. By doing so, parents are not only putting their children at risk, but inadvertently, themselves and the organisations they work for as well.

Black Arrow offers a range of training, including formal and informal training, for individuals, employees and business leaders. Contact us today for a free initial conversation.

Source: [IT Security Guru]

Hackers are Dropping USB Drives Outside Buildings to Target Networks

A mid-year cyber security report found that along with the explosive growth in AI, bad actors are still using tried and tested, but unfortunately still very effective, tactics such as dropping USB drives outside target buildings in the hope that an employee will pick them up and plug them into devices connected to the corporate network. Many times, these actors are banking on their targets lacking protections against these attacks. Think about your organisation, would someone plug a device they found in the street into their work computer out of curiosity? Does your organisation have controls in place to prevent this type of attack?

Source: [Tech Republic]

Data Theft is Now the No. 1 Cyber Security Threat Keeping Execs Awake at Night

According to a recent survey, 55% of IT decision-makers cited data theft as their main concern, with ransomware placed third, after phishing. This comes as ransomware attackers are moving towards more exfiltration-based techniques. Exfiltration creates a significant number of issues for an organisation including the regulatory requirements of telling customers, to not knowing what data has been exfiltrated.

Source: [Information Security Buzz]

If You Didn’t Change Your Passwords After the LastPass Data Breach, Do It Now

Criminals have had plenty of time to use encryption keys stolen in the 2022 LastPass hack to open vaults, and there has been a reported increase in the number of vaults that have been cracked. For those attackers that haven’t been able to crack your password, they're under no time constraints.

Whilst successful attackers may not directly target your email accounts, PayPal wallets, or banks, these assets can be packaged and sold to other criminal third parties. If any of the passwords stored in a LastPass vault prior to 2022 are still in use, you should change them immediately.

Source: [Make Use Of]

Cloud Vulnerabilities Surge Nearly 200% as Cloud Credentials Become the New Hot Ticket on the Dark Web

IBM tracked 632 new cloud-related vulnerabilities (CVEs) between June 2022 and June 2023, a 194% increase from the previous year, according to a new report. The latest haul of new CVEs brings the total number tracked by the vendor to 3,900; a number that has doubled since 2019. Similarly, a separate report from Palo Alto Networks found that 80% of security exposures exist in the cloud.

IBM highlighted that this has led to a number of cloud credentials being actively sold on the dark web, in some cases for the same price as a dozen doughnuts. These credentials are believed to account for almost 90% of goods and services for sale on the dark web.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [The Register] [TechTarget]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• More UK companies failing to tackle cyber security, reveals new report - The Intermediary - Latest UK mortgage news

• Deputy PM urges UK plc not to lose focus on cyber | Computer Weekly

• Cyber criminals are now targeting top executives–and could be using sensitive information to extort them | Fortune

• Why Data Theft Is Now The #1 Cyber Security Threat Keeping IT Pros Awake At Night (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Overconfident Organisations Prone to Cyber Breaches, Study Finds - IT Security Guru

• Global companies to hike security spending as threats rise - survey | Reuters

• CISOs need to be forceful to gain leverage in the boardroom - Help Net Security

• Board Members Struggling to Understand Cyber Risks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Board And CISO Disconnect On Cyber Security Preparedness 'Rings Alarm Bells'– Expert Comments (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Don't Leave Cyber Security to Chance, the Hidden Risk when Staff Depart - IT Security Guru

• Evaluating & Managing Service Provider Security Risks (in 2023) | UpGuard

• Cyber Security risks dampen corporate enthusiasm for tech investments - Help Net Security

• CISOs and Board Reporting – an Ongoing Problem - SecurityWeek

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware attacks hit record level in UK, according to neglected official data (therecord.media)

• Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [September 2023] (therecord.media)

• Ransomware access broker steals accounts via Microsoft Teams phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware thrives as cyber security remains lax, says UK report | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Rust-Written 3AM Ransomware: A Sneak Peek into a New Malware Family (thehackernews.com)

• Ransomware and the cyber crime ecosystem - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Ransomware in top three threats for 65% of organisations | Security Magazine

• The 10 biggest ransomware attacks in history | TechTarget

• Sophos on the State of Ransomware - GovInfoSecurity

• TrickBot & Conti Sanctions for CISOs & Board Members (trendmicro.com)

• Don’t focus on ransomware variants, say UK’s national cyber and crime agencies (therecord.media)

• Cuba Ransomware Gang Continues to Evolve With Dangerous Backdoor (darkreading.com)

• Recent Rhysida Attacks Show Focus on Healthcare By Ransomware Actors (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Greater Manchester Police officers' details targeted in 'ransomware attack' | Breaking News News | Sky News

• A phone call to helpdesk was likely all it took to hack MGM | Ars Technica

• MGM Resorts cyber attack: Casinos warned to be on 'high alert' as £11bn firm remains crippled | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• MGM, Caesars File SEC Disclosures on Cyber Security Incidents (darkreading.com)

• Caesars paid millions in ransom to cybercrime group prior to MGM hack – NECN

• Group in Casino Hacks Skilled at Duping Workers for Access (1) (bloomberglaw.com)

• Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [September 2023] (therecord.media)

• IT Systems Encrypted After UK School Hit By Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware Attack Wipes Out Four Months of Sri Lankan Government Data - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Rhysida gang claims to have hacked three more US hospitals (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware crew claims to have hit Save The Children • The Register

• Shell says Australian unit BG Group hit by MOVEit cyber security breach | Reuters

• Dutch football association pays ransom to Russian cyber criminals – EURACTIV.com

• Cyber security incident affects services at The Weather Network | CFJC Today Kamloops

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• New Microsoft Teams Phishing Campaign Targets Corporate Employees - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Email forwarding flaws enable attackers to impersonate high-profile domains - Help Net Security

• Attackers Abuse Google Looker Studio to Evade DMARC, Email Security (darkreading.com)

• Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Deploying Agent Tesla, OriginBotnet, and RedLine Clipper (thehackernews.com)

• $24 Million Worth of Crypto Wiped out Overnight in Massive Phishing Attack

• Thousands of Microsoft 365 accounts under threat from W3LL phishing kit | TechRadar

• Ransomware access broker steals accounts via Microsoft Teams phishing (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Facebook Messenger phishing wave targets 100K business accounts per week (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Journalists, authors, and other writers targeted by phishing emails | TechRadar

• Associated Press Stylebook Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Following Data Breach - SecurityWeek

• Windows Systems Targeted in Multi-Stage Malware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How should SMBs navigate the phishing minefield? - Help Net Security

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Understanding the dangers of social engineering - Help Net Security

• How to Avoid Smishing Attacks Targeting Subscription Service Users (securityintelligence.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber Criminals Feasting On Artificial Intelligence (forbes.com)

• Jen Easterly and Sami Khoury: Threats From China, Russia, AI Top US, Canada Cyber Agenda (foreignpolicy.com)

• ChatGPT Jailbreaking Forums Proliferate in Dark Web Communities (darkreading.com)

• Cloud security in the era of artificial intelligence (securityintelligence.com)

• Deepfake cyberthreats keep rising. Here's how to prevent them - SiliconANGLE

2FA/MFA

• Organisation Still Aren't Adopting Enterprisewide Multifactor Authentication — What's the Holdup? (securityintelligence.com)

Malware

• Microsoft Teams phishing attack pushes DarkGate malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Millions of Facebook Business Accounts Bitten by Python Malware (darkreading.com)

• Sophisticated Phishing Campaign Deploying Agent Tesla, OriginBotnet, and RedLine Clipper (thehackernews.com)

• Free Download Manager site redirected Linux users to malware for years (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Windows Systems Targeted in Multi-Stage Malware Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Intel-based Macs under attack from new MetaStealer malware — how to stay safe | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Protecting Your Microsoft IIS Servers Against Malware Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• 3 Strategies to Defend Against Resurging Infostealers (darkreading.com)

• New HijackLoader Modular Malware Loader Making Waves in the Cybercrime World (thehackernews.com)

• Iranian hackers backdoor 34 orgs with new Sponsor malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 'Steal-It' Campaign Uses OnlyFans Models as Lures (darkreading.com)

• Sponsor with batch-filed whiskers: Ballistic Bobcat’s scan and strike backdoor (welivesecurity.com)

• Cybersecurity alert: Malware hidden in Microsoft Teams messages targeting users - OnMSFT.com

• Iranian Cyberspies Deployed New Backdoor to 34 Organizations - SecurityWeek

Mobile

• 'Evil Telegram' Spyware Campaign Infects 60K+ Mobile Users (darkreading.com)

• France halts iPhone 12 sales over radiation levels - BBC News

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Massive DDoS attack on US financial company thwarted by cyber firm (therecord.media)

• Akamai prevented largest DDoS attack on a US financial company (securityaffairs.com)

• After Microsoft and X, Hackers Launch DDoS Attack on Telegram - SecurityWeek

• Yukon gov't website back after cyber attack, Nunavut gov't site still down | CBC News

Internet of Things – IoT

• Co-op to ban Chinese CCTV after security risk warnings (telegraph.co.uk)

• Wyze security camera owners report seeing strangers' camera feeds | Mashable

• Hackers Are Salivating Over Electric Cars - The Atlantic

• Hackers will hack anything — including your sex toys - The Hustle

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Overconfident Organisations Prone to Cyber Breaches, Study Finds - IT Security Guru

• LastPass Hackers Cracking Password Vaults - Experts Warns - Cyber Kendra

• Dymocks Booksellers suffers data breach impacting 836k customers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Lessons from the DuoLingo data breach – Digital Journal

• How Do Hackers Sell and Trade Your Data in the Metaverse? (makeuseof.com)

• Capita class action: 2,000 sign up in wake of data theft • The Register

• Airbus data leaked via infected customer computer • The Register

• Threat actor leaks sensitive data belonging to Airbus (securityaffairs.com)

• UK businesses could escape data breach fines if they engage with NCSC over cyber incidents (therecord.media)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Cyber criminals are now targeting top executives–and could be using sensitive information to extort them | Fortune

• Europol: Financial Crime Makes “Billions” and Impacts “Million" - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How Next-Gen Threats Are Taking a Page From APTs - SecurityWeek

• How Do Hackers Sell and Trade Your Data in the Metaverse? (makeuseof.com)

• Influx of Russian fraudsters gives Turkish cyber crime hub new lease of life | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Europol's spotlight report sheds light on evolving cyber attacks (amlintelligence.com)

• Ransomware in the underworld. (thecyberwire.com)

• Cyber criminals Use Webex Brand to Target Corporate Users (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Cyber Criminals Weaponizing Legitimate Advanced Installer Tool in Crypto-Mining Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Top blockchain Cyber security threats to watch out for (att.com)

• $24 Million Worth of Crypto Wiped out Overnight in Massive Phishing Attack

• Blockchain Security Firm Unveils APT Attack by Lazarus Group - DailyCoin

• Hackers steal $53 million worth of cryptocurrency from CoinEx (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cryptoqueen: Accomplice jailed for 20 years for OneCoin financial scam - BBC News

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Human behaviour as both threat and defence | Professional Security

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Latest fraud schemes targeting the payments ecosystem - Help Net Security

• Cryptoqueen: Accomplice jailed for 20 years for OneCoin financial scam - BBC News

• Glasgow firm issues warning following recent cyber attack | Glasgow Times

Impersonation Attacks

• Email forwarding flaws enable attackers to impersonate high-profile domains - Help Net Security

• Cyber criminals Use Webex Brand to Target Corporate Users (darkreading.com)

Deepfakes

• Deepfake cyber threats keep rising. Here's how to prevent them - SiliconANGLE

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• TrickBot & Conti Sanctions for CISOs & Board Members (trendmicro.com)

Insurance

• Insurance industry grapples with rising cyber crime threat, climate change concerns: PwC - Reinsurance News

• Cyber security is top insurance concern as global attacks increase - Insurance Post (postonline.co.uk)

Dark Web

• Dark Web Threats to Businesses - DevX

• ChatGPT Jailbreaking Forums Proliferate in Dark Web Communities (darkreading.com)

• Cloud credentials are the hot ticket item on the dark web • The Register

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Evaluating & Managing Service Provider Security Risks (in 2023) | UpGuard

• Lazarus Group Targets macOS in Supply Chain Assault - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Airbus Cyber Attack: Over 3,200 Vendor Data Accessed by Hackers (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Capita class action: 2,000 sign up in wake of data theft • The Register

• The rise and evolution of supply chain attacks - Help Net Security

• A 2-Week Prescription for Eliminating Supply Chain Threats (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• New Microsoft Teams Phishing Campaign Targets Corporate Employees - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Thousands of Microsoft 365 accounts under threat from W3LL phishing kit | TechRadar

• Finding Your Way in Cloud Security - SecurityWeek

• 7 Steps to Kickstart Your SaaS Security Program (thehackernews.com)

• Cloud storage security: What's new in the threat matrix | Microsoft Security Blog

• Cloud CVEs Surge 200% in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cloud credentials are the hot ticket item on the dark web • The Register

• Palo Alto Networks: 80% of security exposures exist in cloud | TechTarget

• Cloud security in the era of artificial intelligence (securityintelligence.com)

Containers

• Kubernetes Admins Warned to Patch Clusters Against New RCE Vulns (darkreading.com)

• Alert: New Kubernetes Vulnerabilities Enable Remote Attacks on Windows Endpoints (thehackernews.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Root Admin User: When Do Common Usernames Pose a Threat? (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• Companies need to rethink how they implement identity security - Help Net Security

• Enterprises persist with outdated authentication strategies - Help Net Security

• Why Identity Management Is the Key to Stopping APT Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

Encryption

• OpenSSL 1.1.1 reaches end of life... unless you can pay up • The Register

• When a Quantum Computer Is Able to Break Our Encryption, It Won’t Be a Secret | Lawfare (lawfaremedia.org)

API

• API Expanding Attack Surfaces: 74% Reporting Multiple Breaches – Approov Comments (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How to Prevent API Breaches: A Guide to Robust Security (thehackernews.com)

• Elevating API security to reinforce cyber defence - Help Net Security

• Machine Learning is a Must for API Security - IT Security Guru

Open Source

• Free Download Manager site redirected Linux users to malware for years (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Linux Malware! Read This If You Use Free Download Manager (itsfoss.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• If You Didn’t Change Your Passwords After the LastPass Data Breach, Do It Now (makeuseof.com)

• Root Admin User: When Do Common Usernames Pose a Threat? (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• New WiKI-Eve attack can steal numerical passwords over WiFi (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Wi-Fi radio signal data can be used 'to predict passwords' • The Register

• Cloud credentials are the hot ticket item on the dark web • The Register

• Iranian hackers breach defence orgs in password spray attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

Social Media

• Facebook Messenger phishing wave targets 100K business accounts per week (bleepingcomputer.com)

• After Microsoft and X, Hackers Launch DDoS Attack on Telegram - SecurityWeek

• How Do Hackers Sell and Trade Your Data in the Metaverse? (makeuseof.com)

• Millions of Facebook Business Accounts Bitten by Python Malware (darkreading.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• How to Transform Security Awareness Into Security Culture (darkreading.com)

• Elevating Cyber Awareness: A Strategic Approach (informationweek.com)

• How end-user phishing training works (and why it doesn’t) (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Great security training is a real challenge - Help Net Security

Digital Transformation

• Was the digital transformation worth it security-wise? (securityintelligence.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Almost One in Three Parents Have Never Spoken to Their Children About Cyber Security- IT Security Guru

• Parents, children and cyber security: Time for a big conversation – Digital Journal

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• How To Answer The General Counsel’s Questions After A Cyber Incident (forbes.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• SEC Issues Final Rules on Cyber Security Disclosures | Kelley Drye & Warren LLP - JDSupra

• Cyber risk is business risk, and the SEC knows it (fdd.org)

• What Makes an Incident ‘Material’? | Calloquy, PBC - JDSupra

• The International Criminal Court will now prosecute cyberwar crimes | Ars Technica

• Preparing For Cyber Security Disclosures Set For Public Companies (forbes.com)

• UK ICO and NCSC Set to Share Anonymized Threat Intelligence - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• One Year After the Colonial Pipeline Attack, Regulation Is Still a Problem (securityintelligence.com)

• UK businesses could escape data breach fines if they engage with NCSC over cyber incidents (therecord.media)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Understanding the HITRUST CSF and its Benefits | UpGuard

Backup and Recovery

• How to develop a cloud backup ransomware protection strategy | TechTarget

• How To Backup Data From NAS: A Complete Guide (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Data Protection

• UK businesses could escape data breach fines if they engage with NCSC over cyber incidents (therecord.media)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Cyber Security Skills Gap: Roadies & Gamers Are Untapped Talent (darkreading.com)

• Three ways to overcome cyber security staff shortages (securitybrief.co.nz)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Wyze security camera owners report seeing strangers' camera feeds | Mashable

• Your Car Is Spying On You, From Your Sex Life To How Fast You Go | Carscoops

• Google Chrome just rolled out a new way to track you and serve ads. Here's what you need to know (theconversation.com)

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

Russia

• Jen Easterly and Sami Khoury: Threats From China, Russia, AI Top US, Canada Cyber Agenda (foreignpolicy.com)

China

• Risk & Repeat: Big questions remain on Storm-0558 attacks | TechTarget

• Parliamentary researcher ‘who spied for China’ arrested | UK news | The Guardian

• Arrest of alleged spy raises questions around UK’s China policy | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Microsoft, Apple versus China, spyware actors (techrepublic.com)

• Co-op to ban Chinese CCTV after security risk warnings (telegraph.co.uk)

• Powerful Ethnic Militia in Myanmar Repatriates 1,200 Chinese Suspected of Involvement in Cyber Crime - SecurityWeek

• Spies, Hackers, Informants: How China Snoops on the West - SecurityWeek

• Jen Easterly and Sami Khoury: Threats From China, Russia, AI Top US, Canada Cyber Agenda (foreignpolicy.com)

• China caught with its malware in another nation's power grid • The Register

• China Threat Recap: A Deeper Insight (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• As China steps up cyber security enforcement, smaller businesses are feeling the heat | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

• British and Chinese academic research collaborations quadruple despite security fears (telegraph.co.uk)

Iran

• Iranian hackers backdoor 34 orgs with new Sponsor malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ‘Scan-and-exploit’ campaign snares unpatched Exchange servers | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Iranian Nation-State Actors Employ Password Spray Attacks Targeting Multiple Sectors (thehackernews.com)

North Korea

• Lazarus Group Targets macOS in Supply Chain Assault - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Blockchain Security Firm Unveils APT Attack by Lazarus Group - DailyCoin

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• ‘Cyber attacks lower warfare bar, rules key’ | Mint (livemint.com)

• Polish election questioned after Pegasus spyware used to smear opposition, investigation finds | Computer Weekly

• How Next-Gen Threats Are Taking a Page From APTs - SecurityWeek

• How Cyber Attacks Are Transforming Warfare (thehackernews.com)

• OODA Loop - The ICC Will Now Investigate Cyber War Crimes

• The Double-Edged Sword of Cyber Espionage (darkreading.com)

• Why Identity Management Is the Key to Stopping APT Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• Severe vulnerability found in all browsers, and it's being attacked | PCWorldOvercoming the Rising Threat of Session Hijacking (darkreading.com)

• Cloud CVEs Surge 200% in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• With 0-days hitting Chrome, iOS, and dozens more this month, is no software safe? | Ars Technica

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft September 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 2 zero-days, 59 flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Unpatched Cisco ASA flaw exploited by attackers (CVE-2023-20269) - Help Net Security

• Severe vulnerability found in all browsers, and it's being attacked | PCWorld

• Google Rushes to Patch Critical Chrome Vulnerability Exploited in the Wild - Update Now (thehackernews.com)

• After Apple and Google, Mozilla Also Patches Zero-Day Exploited for Spyware Delivery - SecurityWeek

• CISA Adds Critical RocketMQ Bug to Must-Patch List - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Notepad++ 8.5.7 released with fixes for four security vulnerabilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adobe warns of critical Acrobat and Reader zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Alert: New Kubernetes Vulnerabilities Enable Remote Attacks on Windows Endpoints (thehackernews.com)

• Cisco warns of VPN zero-day exploited by ransomware gangs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cloud CVEs Surge 200% in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

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Tools and Controls

• Global companies to hike security spending as threats rise - survey | Reuters

• Don't Leave Cyber Security to Chance, the Hidden Risk when Staff Depart - IT Security Guru

• What Is XDR and Why It's Changing the Security Industry - ReadWrite

• Organisations Still Aren't Adopting Enterprisewide Multifactor Authentication — What's the Holdup? (securityintelligence.com)

• Remote Desktop Protocol exposures leave 85% of organisations vulnerable to attack - SiliconANGLE

• How CISOs Can Effectively Manage Firewall Vulnerabilities | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• The Dark Web Is Expanding (As Is the Value of Monitoring It) (darkreading.com)

• How to Prevent API Breaches: A Guide to Robust Security (thehackernews.com)

• Elevating Cyber Awareness: A Strategic Approach (informationweek.com)

• Great security training is a real challenge - Help Net Security

• Companies need to rethink how they implement identity security - Help Net Security

• Enterprises persist with outdated authentication strategies - Help Net Security

• Why Identity Management Is the Key to Stopping APT Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Easy Configuration Fixes Can Protect Your Server from Attack (securityintelligence.com)

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Reports Published in the Last Week

• Ransomware and the Cyber Crime ecosystem - NCSC.GOV.UK

• Sophos on the State of Ransomware - GovInfoSecurity

• The State of Pentesting 2023 Report | Cobalt

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Other News

• Record number of cyber attacks targeting critical IT infrastructure reported to UK gov’t this year (therecord.media)

• The Weaponization of Operational Technology (securityintelligence.com)

• ICS Computers in Western Countries See Increasing Attacks: Report - SecurityWeek

• Cyber Trends: The Gunpowder of the Twenty-First Century (e-ir.info)

• The 9 Top Technology Trends That Are Shaping the Future of Cyber Security (makeuseof.com)

• Some of TOP universities wouldn’t pass cyber security exam: left websites vulnerable - Security Affairs

• The Cyber Security Risks In Education Cannot Be Ignored (forbes.com)

• A new Repojacking attack exposed over 4,000 GitHub repositories to hack (securityaffairs.com)

• Cyber attacks reach fever pitch in Q2 2023 - Data Centre & Network News (dcnnmagazine.com)

• Rising OT/ICS cyber security incidents reveal alarming trend - Help Net Security

• Building cyber resiliency in public services | UKAuthority

• Brits happy to break cyber law if the price is right | Computer Weekly

• Chilling Lack of Cyber Experts in UK Government: Parliamentary Inquiry - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• British Military Hit by Six Million Cyber Attacks in 2022 (thedefensepost.com)

• Trustwave report on hospitality industry security threats | Cyber Magazine

• Cyber security impact on construction, engineering projects (csemag.com)

• Cyber criminals come for schools — and schools aren’t ready (hechingerreport.org)

• Professional Sports: The Next Frontier of Cyber Security? (darkreading.com)

• How Dangerous Is the Cyber Attack Risk to Transportation? (securityintelligence.com)

• Poison in the Water: The Physical Repercussions of IoT Security Threats (securityintelligence.com)

• Australia Inc roiled by raft of cyber attacks since late 2022 | Reuters

• Death by digital: attacks on healthcare put people at risk (synack.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 15 September 2023 – Critical Vulnerability in Multiple Browsers, Update Now

Executive summary

A critical vulnerability in WebP has been identified as being actively exploited. The vulnerability impacts multiple browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera and any software using the libwebp library. Successful exploitation can lead to malicious code execution.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The actively exploited vulnerability can allow an attacker to execute malicious code on vulnerable software, compromising the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

What can I do?

Security updates are available for browsers impacted; these should be applied immediately. It has been noted that other applications which use the libwebp library are also impacted and it is recommended that organisations check if the software they use is vulnerable.

Technical Summary

CVE-2023-4863: The actively exploited vulnerability allows an attacker to perform a heap buffer overflow attack, allowing them to execute malicious code.

Further details on the vulnerability can be found here:

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4863

https://stackdiary.com/critical-vulnerability-in-webp-codec-cve-2023-4863/

The security advisory from Google Chrome can be found here:

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/09/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_12.html

The security advisory from Firefox can be found here:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-40/

The security advisory from Microsoft can be found here:

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/advisory/CVE-2023-4863

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 13 September 2023 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday fixes 59 Vulnerabilities, including Two Actively Exploited, also Adobe, Chrome, Mozilla and SAP Updates

Executive summary

Microsoft’s September Patch Tuesday provides updates to address 59 security issues across its product range, including two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. The exploited zero-days have both been added to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) “Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog”. Of the 59 security issues addressed by Microsoft , 5 were rated critical.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The actively exploited vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to gain SYSTEM privileges or capture and relay hashes of user passwords to gain access to that users account. Both compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data stored by an organisation.

What can I do?

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

Technical Summary

CVE-2023-36802: The actively exploited allows a local attacker to gain SYSTEM privileges.

CVE-2023-36761: This actively exploited vulnerability can allow an attacker to steal user password NTLM hashes of users who open a document, even if just in the preview plane.

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Adobe

This month, Adobe released fixes for 5 vulnerabilities, including 1 critical vulnerability, across Adobe Acrobat & Reader (1), Adobe Connect (2) and Adobe Experience Manager (2).  The critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-26369, impacts both Windows and macOS versions of Adobe Acrobat & Reader and if exploited, can allow an attacker to execute malicious code.

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Chrome

A new update for Google Chrome is available for Windows, Linux and macOS. The update addresses 16 security fixes, including one critical and actively exploited vulnerability which could cause for denial of service or allow code execution.

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Mozilla

Mozilla released fixes for two critical vulnerabilities, impacting Firefox and Thunderbird. The vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to perform code execution.

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SAP

Enterprise software vendor SAP has addressed 13 vulnerabilities in several of its products, including two critical-severity vulnerabilities that impact SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform. 66Including remote execution and authentication bypass. A total of 5 vulnerabilities were given the “Hot News” priority, which is the highest priority according to SAP.

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further details on other specific updates within this patch Tuesday can be found here:

https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/12/the-windows-september-2023-security-updates-are-now-available/

Further information on Adobe Acrobat and Reader can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb23-34.html

Further information on Adobe Connect can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/connect/apsb23-33.html

Further information on Adobe Experience Manager can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb23-43.html

Further information on the patches by SAP can be found here:

https://dam.sap.com/mac/app/e/pdf/preview/embed/ucQrx6G?ltr=a&rc=10

Further information on Google Chrome can be found here:

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/09/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_12.html

Further information on Mozilla can be found here:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-40/

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 September 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

More Than Half of UK Organisations Know They Aren’t Well Protected

According to a recent report, just 49% of business leaders report their organisation is well or very well protected. Cyber security featured as the third highest-rated business priority, with increasing revenues and reducing costs forming the top two. One of the ways an organisation can reduce cost is to outsource, and 63% of respondents agreed, reporting that they wanted to work with an external cyber security partner to improve their security.

Even if you’re in the 49% of organisations that believes it is well protected, this can be a dangerous self-assessment based on a lack of experience and impartiality. Business leaders need independent assurance to ensure their security controls are appropriate and in line with the organisation’s risk appetite. It is essential to dispel assumptions, by investigating your security before an attacker does.

Black Arrow Cyber Consulting offers a free, no-obligation, introductory consultation to help you gain an unbiased perspective on how your current security approach could withstand an attacker. We help our clients to know the questions to ask of their external or internal IT provider, and how to leverage other security controls from existing resources.

Sources: [IT Security Guru][Beta News]

Generative AI Considered a Security Risk by 60% of Board Members. How Organisations Can Prepare

A recent report conducted by Proofpoint found that 60% of board members consider generative AI a security risk.

The rapid development and adoption of AI is double-edged in nature. Whilst it can yield positive benefits if used safely and responsibility within organisations, AI is also being used to great effect by malicious actors with AI abuse growing beyond phishing to increasing the efficacy of multistage attacks, being used to generated malware, and carrying out different types of social engineering attacks.

For this reason Boards and senior leaders are right to be concerned and should ensure appropriate measures are being taken.

Sources: [TheNationalNews] [SCMagazine] [CyberSecurityNews]

Further reading: [BusinessCloud.co.uk] [WIRED UK] [Help Net Security]

Businesses Ignore Incident Response at Their Peril

According to a UK Government report, a quarter of businesses don’t regard cyber incident response skills as essential and almost half said they weren’t confident they could put together an incident response plan. This led to 41% saying they were not very or not at all confident that they would be able to deal with a cyber security breach or attack.

Unfortunately, this leaves many organisations in a situation where they will have to learn the hard way about the implications of not having an incident response plan. A separate government report found that 37% of those hit by a cyber attack said it impacted operations and a quarter experienced negative consequences such as loss of money or data.

One of the ways organisations can circumnavigate their lack of confidence in their ability to construct an incident response plan is to use cyber security experts to construct it. 

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Blame Culture: An Organisation’s Ticking Time Bomb

An organisation’s attitude and responses to cyber security are almost as important as the actions taken to prevent cyber attacks. “Lessons learnt” are a common feature within mature and cyber resilient organisations. Incidents are a matter of when not if, and it is important that organisations know how to react.

Taking the example of a phishing attack, it is easy to blame the employee who opened it, potentially firing them. With phishing simulations, it is equally easy to discipline an employee who fell for it. The problem is, neither of these focus on what can be learned, such as why the employee fell for it in the first place. Additionally, there is the potential that employees become reserved or reticent about reporting potential events, due to the fear of being disciplined. This can be the difference between an organisation having an early detection of an incident and being able to invoke incident response plans sooner, or leaving the attacker in the system doing damage for longer before being reported.

Source: [ IT Security Guru]

Spend to Save: CFOs and Cyber Security Investment

For chief financial officers (CFOs), the increasing impact of data breaches creates a paradox. While more spending is necessary to combat these challenges, this spending isn’t directly tied to profit. Instead, cyber security spending is all about return on investment.

When looking at spending, CFOs need to keep in mind that the total cost of a breach is more than the initial currency loss: there is the knock-on effect of reputation and losses in customers. But it is not a case of spending more to protect more; spending must be tailored to the organisation and prioritise in terms of business needs.

Source: [Security Intelligence]

Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets for Attackers, Including Nation-State Actors

An increasing number of attacks by nation-state attackers are targeting cyber security tools in their campaigns. This includes the recent attacks on US officials which attacked and gained access through the firewalls of the victim. Security vendors, just like anyone, will have flaws in their software: there will be vulnerabilities. As such, organisations need to be aware of these vulnerabilities and when support runs out for their cyber security tools, to better protect themselves.

Source: [News Week]

Attackers Access UK Military Data Through Third Party Supplier as Relentless Russian Cyber Attacks Raise Spectre of WW3

Top secret military data from the UK’s Ministry of Defence was stolen and then sold by the ransomware gang LockBit. How, you might ask? Through a rogue Windows 7 PC that belonged to their fencing supplier, Zaun. The LockBit Ransom group conducted the attack on the supplier’s network, and Zaun admitted the group may have exfiltrated 10GB of data.

Many attackers have realised that if you cannot directly attack an organisation, then the supplier can present a way in. Organisations need to be sure of their suppliers’ security, and conduct third party security assessments to identify the risk the supplier may present to the organisation itself.

Black Arrow have helped many clients carry out third party risk assessments on a large number of suppliers and this can be done as a standalone offering or as part of a fractional CISO engagement.

Source: [The Register] [Tech Monitor]

Common Tactics Used by Threat Actors to Weaponise PDFs

PDFs are often seen as safe, something that cannot be used by an attacker, but that’s wrong. Actors are using this trustworthiness, as well as the difficulty in detection and ubiquity of PDFs, to weaponise them. Common tactics involve malicious hyperlinks within PDFs and macros that run when a PDF is opened, and in some cases attackers are disguising a malicious Word document as a PDF to evade detection.

Source: [Cyber Security News]

Years-old Microsoft Security Holes Still Hot Targets for Cyber Criminals

A recent report has found that Microsoft vulnerabilities as old as 6 years are still being exploited, with one recorded as being exploited as recently as 31 August. In fact, since this particular vulnerability was fixed, it has been used to deploy 467 different malware types. This is not the number of attacks, but the number of different types of malware used in attacks.

The concept isn’t just for Microsoft. Many organisations do not employ effective patching strategies, and as such leave the doors open to attackers. Sometimes, these doors are open for years.

Source: [The Register]

Popular ‘As-a-Service’ Operations Have Earned Cyber Criminals over $64m

As-a-service operations allow attackers to employ sophisticated attacks without the need for extensive knowledge; they simply just purchase the ability.  Take phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS), where an attacker with very limited cyber knowledge simply needs to purchase a phishing kit and they are then well-equipped to target organisations. This availability in tools creates a significant surge in the number of cyber criminals, with one scheme alone raking in $64.5 billion in illegal gains.

Source: [IT Security Guru]

71% of Organisations are Impacted by Cyber Security Skills Shortage

Most organisations (71%) report that they’ve been impacted by the cyber security skills shortage, leading to an increased workload for the cyber security team (61%), unfilled open job requisitions (49%) and high burnout among staff (43%). Further, 95% respondents state the cyber security skills shortage and its associated impacts have not improved over the past few years and 54% (up 10% from 2021) say it has got worse.

Organisations need to continue maintaining and improving their security while their cyber security positions remain unfilled. Black Arrow supports firms to achieve this by providing expert resources on a flexible basis for technical, governance and transformational positions.

Source: [Security Magazine] [Digital Journal]

Multiple Schools Hit by Cyber Attacks Before Term Begins

Ahead of the new school term, a number of schools have become the victim of serious cyber attacks. The education sector isn’t a new target, with previous ransomware reports finding the education sector to account for 16% of victims.

The education sector remains a target due to the valuable data they hold, large attack surfaces and frequently a lack of resources and budgets, something many small and medium-sized business may share.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• The importance of CISOs is not recognised by senior leadership - IT Security Guru

• Why Businesses Ignore Incident Response at Their Peril - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Blame Culture: An Organisation's Ticking Time Bomb - IT Security Guru

• Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)

• More than half of UK organisations know they aren’t well protected against cyber threats - IT Security Guru

• Boards show confidence in their cyber security but still think they're at risk of attack (betanews.com)

• SEC tells companies to “show their work” on cyber security - Red Canary

• Cyber security: a life cycle, not a destination | Hydrocarbon Engineering

• Rising Physical Incidents Should Drive C-Level Investment & Action (forbes.com)

• Compliance budgets under strain as inflation and workload grow - Help Net Security

• Cyber Security pros battle discontent amid skills shortage - Help Net Security

• CISOs weigh in on building security-focused culture | Healthcare IT News

• How Do Some Companies Get Compromised Again and Again? (securityintelligence.com)

• IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ministry of Defence documents leaked by LockBit (techmonitor.ai)

• Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register

• Yes, Ransomware is Still a Huge Problem | CSO Online

• Ransomware attackers are targeting exposed Microsoft SQL databases, report says (therecord.media)

• Ransomware and Data Breaches: Impacts Continue to Grow Louder (govtech.com)

• Ransomware attacks go beyond just data - Help Net Security

• Education Sector Heavily Targeted as the School Year Begins (databreaches.net)

• Killware vs. Ransomware: What's the Difference? (makeuseof.com)

• Is this the next target for international ransomware attacks? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• UK and US Sanction 11 Russians Tied to Conti/TrickBot Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• To Pay or Not to Pay? The Ransomware Dilemma (informationweek.com)

• Snake Ransomware Endangers Your Data: How Can You Stop It? (makeuseof.com)

• How to Prevent Ransomware: 6 Key Steps to Safeguard Assets (techtarget.com)

Ransomware Victims

• LockBit Leaks Documents Filched From UK Defence Contractor (darkreading.com)

• Ministry of Defence documents leaked in cyber attack (civilserviceworld.com)

• Maidstone: Secondary school hit by cyber attack - BBC News

• Debenham High School IT system hit by cyber attack - BBC News

• Highgate Wood School delays term by 6 days after cyber attack | This Is Local London

• Cyber attack hits Suffolk school (computing.co.uk)

• Cyber attack hits Wokingham's Maiden Erlegh School | Reading Chronicle

• Russian ransomware gang AlphV targets pathology company, law firms in latest string of attacks - ABC News

• LockBit ransomware gang hit the Commission des services electriques de Montréal (CSEM) (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware gang claims credit for Sabre data breach | TechCrunch

• Hackers claim to publish prominent Israeli hospital’s patient data (therecord.media)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• AI abuse grows beyond phishing to multistage cyber attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Google is enabling Chrome real-time phishing protection for everyone (bleepingcomputer.com)New phishing tool hijacked thousands of Microsoft business email accounts (therecord.media)

• Beware of New Fileless Malware that Propagates Via Spam Mail (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Spam is up, QR codes emerge as a significant threat vector - Help Net Security

• From unsuspecting click to data compromise - Help Net Security

• Alert: Phishing Campaigns Deliver New SideTwist Backdoor and Agent Tesla Variant (thehackernews.com)

• Getting off the hook: 10 steps to take after clicking on a phishing link (welivesecurity.com)

• What Is Spear Phishing? A Comprehensive Guide - Sapphire

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security

• Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Chinese-Speaking Cyber Criminals Launch Large-Scale iMessage Smishing Campaign in US. (thehackernews.com)

• Okta Warns of Social Engineering Attacks Targeting Super Administrator Privileges (thehackernews.com)

• How cyber criminals use look-alike domains to impersonate brands - Help Net Security

Artificial Intelligence

• Generative AI considered a security risk by 60% of board members, survey finds (thenationalnews.com)

• AI ‘triggers DeepTech anxiety for senior leaders’ (businesscloud.co.uk)

• Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security

• AI abuse grows beyond phishing to multistage cyber attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)

• UK tech tsar warns of AI cyber threat to NHS | Financial Times (ft.com)

• It's the summer of adversarial chatbots. Here's how to defend against them - SiliconANGLE

• Will the AI Arms Race Lead to the Pollution of the Internet? (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Security Concerns In AI: NCSC Flags Vulnerabilities In Chatbots And Language Models (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• UK cyber chief urges ‘Security by Design’ in AI development (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

• Generative AI’s Biggest Security Flaw Is Not Easy to Fix | WIRED UK

• Developers have security, other generative AI concerns but use it anyway - ARN (arnnet.com.au)

• How Companies Can Cope With the Risks of Generative AI Tools (darkreading.com)

• 3 ways to strike the right balance with generative AI - Help Net Security

• Peril vs. Promise: Companies, Developers Worry Over Generative AI Risk (darkreading.com)

• Experts Probe AI Risks Around Malicious Use, China Influence (govinfosecurity.com)

• Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur

Malware

• Common Tactics Used by Threat Actors to Weaponise PDFs (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Beware of MalDoc in PDF: A New Polyglot Attack Allowing Attackers to Evade Antivirus (thehackernews.com)

• 'Atomic macOS Stealer' Malware Delivered via Malvertising Campaign - SecurityWeek

• Hackers Using ChatGPT to Generate Malware & Social Engineering Threats (cybersecuritynews.com)

• UNRAVELING EternalBlue: inside the WannaCry’s enabler (securityaffairs.com)

• Malware Report: The Evolution of BumbleBee - Understanding the Emerging New Threat (govinfosecurity.com)

• Malware configurations How to find and use them? (govinfosecurity.com)

• Beware of New Fileless Malware that Propagates Via Spam Mail (cybersecuritynews.com)

• New Python Variant of Chaes Malware Targets Banking and Logistics Industries (thehackernews.com)

• New BLISTER Malware Update Fuelling Stealthy Network Infiltration (thehackernews.com)

• Alert: Phishing Campaigns Deliver New SideTwist Backdoor and Agent Tesla Variant (thehackernews.com)

Mobile

• Hacking device Flipper Zero can spam nearby iPhones with Bluetooth pop-ups | TechCrunch

• September Android updates fix zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hacker exploits security flaw to target iPhone users with 'notification attack' | Macworld

Botnets

• It might be too soon to claim victory against Qakbot | Computer Weekly

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS attack took down the site of German financial agency BaFin (securityaffairs.com)

• Mirai variant infects low-cost Android TV boxes for DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Releases Capacity Enhancement Guide to Strengthen Agency Resilience to DDoS Attack | CISA

BYOD

• Many businesses still aren't using BYOD protection | TechRadar

Internet of Things – IoT

• Securing The IoT From The Threat China Poses To US Infrastructure (forbes.com)

• Tech Company Says Cars Collect 25 Gigabits of Data per Hour, Making Them Targets for Hacking | The Epoch Times

• Connected cars and cyber crime: A primer - Help Net Security

• Hacking device Flipper Zero can spam nearby iPhones with Bluetooth pop-ups | TechCrunch

• Mirai variant infects low-cost Android TV boxes for DDoS attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why consumer drones represent a special cyber security risk (securityintelligence.com)

• Like privacy? Then smart devices are a dumb idea • The Register

• Maker of ‘smart’ chastity cage left users’ emails, passwords, and locations exposed | TechCrunch

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Electoral Commission failed basic security test before hack - BBC News

• Insurer fined $3M for exposing data of 650k clients for two years (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Golf gear giant Callaway data breach exposes info of 1.1 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Freecycle confirms massive data breach impacting 7 million users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Pizza Hut Australia leaks one million customers' details, claims ShinyHunters hacking group (bitdefender.com)

• Thousands of Popular Websites Leaking Secrets - SecurityWeek

• Johnson & Johnson discloses IBM data breach impacting patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Northern Ireland police chief quits in wake of data breach • The Register

• Lawsuit blames Tesla for data breach it sued ex-staff over • The Register

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Popular 'As-a-Service' Operations Have Earned Cyber Criminals over $64m - IT Security Guru

• Cyber Crime Tremors: Experts Forecast Qakbot Resurgence (govinfosecurity.com)

• It might be too soon to claim victory against Qakbot | Computer Weekly

• Cyber crime to cost Germany 206 billion euros in 2023, survey finds | Reuters

• Anonymity and illicit activities: Cyber security expert warns of risks and dangers associated with the dark web (newswise.com)

• Cyber criminals coercing children in their own bedrooms | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• YouTuber Loses $60K Worth of Crypto After Showing Seed Phrases on Stream - Decrypt

• Who Pulled Off a $41M Online Casino Heist? North Korea, FBI Says (vice.com)

• Russian Malware Targets Crypto Wallet: US and UK Intelligence Agencies Issue Joint Warning (cryptopotato.com)

• Is this the next target for international ransomware attacks? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Bitcoin exchange exec admits he ignored anti-laundering laws • The Register

• Cyber criminals target graphic designers with GPU miners (talosintelligence.com)

• LastPass under fire again as users report stolen crypto keys and losses | Cybernews

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Lawsuit blames Tesla for data breach it sued ex-staff over • The Register

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Popular 'As-a-Service' Operations Have Earned Cyber criminals over $64m - IT Security Guru

• Smishing Triad: China-Based Fraud Network Exposed - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Fake YouPorn extortion scam threatens to leak your sex tape (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Four Convicted in $18m Investment Fraud Scheme - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Global roaming fraud losses to surpass $8 billion by 2028 - Help Net Security

• Three men arrested for stealing thousands of dollars by hacking into ATMs with a Raspberry Pi device | PC Gamer

• Airlines Battle Surge in Loyalty Program Fraud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How We Track Crypto Money Laundering for Off-Chain Crime (chainalysis.com)

• District of Massachusetts | Russian Businessman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison in $93 Million Hack-to-Trade Conspiracy | United States Department of Justice

• Hundreds of Scam Pages Uncovered in Major Investment Fraud Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• See Tickets Alerts 300,000 Customers After Another Web Skimmer Attack - SecurityWeek

• Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur

Impersonation Attacks

• 'Smishing Triad' Targeted USPS and US Citizens for Data Theft (securityaffairs.com)

• How cyber criminals use look-alike domains to impersonate brands - Help Net Security

Deepfakes

• Emerging threat: AI-powered social engineering - Help Net Security

• Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur

AML/CFT/Sanctions

• UK and US Sanction 11 Russians Tied to Conti/TrickBot Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How We Track Crypto Money Laundering for Off-Chain Crime (chainalysis.com)

• Four Convicted in $18m Investment Fraud Scheme - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Bitcoin exchange exec admits he ignored anti-laundering laws • The Register

Insurance

• Insights Into the Changing Landscape of Cyber Insurance - Frost Brown Todd | Full-Service Law Firm

• Time and effort to obtain cyber insurance increasing for US businesses | CSO Online

• Beazley expects to sponsor more cyber catastrophe bonds in 2024 - Artemis.bm

• Lloyd’s categorises cyber war wordings in aggregation clarity push (insuranceinsider.com)

Dark Web

• Anonymity and illicit activities: Cyber security expert warns of risks and dangers associated with the dark web (newswise.com)

• The Initial Access Broker Economy: A Deep Dive into Dark Web Hacking Forums (bleepingcomputer.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register

• Ministry of Defence documents leaked by LockBit (techmonitor.ai)

• Supply chain related security risks, and how to protect against them (malwarebytes.com)

• 5 ways to improve your supply chain security posture | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)

• University of Sydney suffered a security breach caused by a third-party service provider (securityaffairs.com)

• Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)

• Creating a more cyber secure supply chain requires group effort - FreightWaves

• Facing Third-Party Threats With Non-Employee Risk Management (darkreading.com)

• Cyber attacks attempt to crash 6 media sites globally using US. company RayoByte - Committee to Protect Journalists (cpj.org)

Software Supply Chain

• Software Supply Chain Strategies to Parry Dependency Confusion Attacks (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Step Up Your Defence Against Cloud-loving Cyber Criminals (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online

Hybrid/Remote Working

• Beware: Deepfake Scams Could Target Your Next Zoom Meeting | Entrepreneur

Attack Surface Management

• What OSINT is, and why it’s dangerous | Kaspersky official blog

• Armis report sheds light on top 10 targeted assets by cyber attackers - SiliconANGLE

• Top 10 riskiest assets threatening global business - IT Security Guru

Encryption

• Government denies U-turn on encrypted messaging row - BBC News

• UK lawmakers back down on encryption-busting 'spy clause' | CyberScoop

API

• API Vulnerabilities: 74% of Organisations Report Multiple Breaches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Open Source

• Software industry urged to assume risk on open source security | CIO Dive

• Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• It's a Zero-day? It's Malware? No! It's Username and Password (thehackernews.com)

• Chrome extensions can steal plaintext passwords from websites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hacker gains admin control of Sourcegraph and gives free access to the masses | Ars Technica

• Passwords From The November 2022 LastPass Breach Being Cracked? - PC Perspective

• LastPass under fire again as users report stolen crypto keys and losses | Cybernews

• Maker of ‘smart’ chastity cage left users’ emails, passwords, and locations exposed | TechCrunch

• 75% of education sector attacks linked to compromised accounts - Help Net Security

Social Media

• Twitter accused of helping Saudi Arabia commit human rights abuses | Saudi Arabia | The Guardian

• Meta Takes Down Thousands of Accounts Involved in Disinformation Ops from China and Russia (thehackernews.com)

Malvertising

• 'Atomic macOS Stealer' Malware Delivered via Malvertising Campaign - SecurityWeek

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Children's snack recalled after its website caught serving porn (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals coercing children in their own bedrooms | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard

• SEC tells companies to “show their work” on cyber security - Red Canary

• Verizon to pay feds $4M over cyber security lapse | Light Reading

• Government denies U-turn on encrypted messaging row - BBC News

• UK drops 'spy clause' for scanning encrypted messages • The Register

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard

• CIS Benchmarks Communities: Where configurations meet consensus - Help Net Security

• Explaining The New NIST Cyber Security Framework to the C-Suite

Backup and Recovery

• Best practices for implementing a proper backup strategy - Help Net Security

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 71% of organisations are impacted by cyber security skills shortage | Security Magazine

• Cyber Security Skills Gap set to cost UK £120 billion by 2023 - Essex-TV

• 6 free resources for getting started in cyber security - Help Net Security

• Cyber professionals say industry urgently needs to confront mental health crisis | CyberScoop

• Cyber security pros battle discontent amid skills shortage - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• FBI Qakbot Takedown: Unanswered Questions (trendmicro.com)

• It might be too soon to claim victory against Qakbot | Computer Weekly

• Cops drill into chat apps to thwart coke-smuggling ring • The Register

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Revealed: Home Office secretly lobbied for facial recognition ‘spy’ company | Facial recognition | The Guardian

• Like privacy? Then smart devices are a dumb idea • The Register

• Streetlights as Spyware (techpolicy.press)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Meta Takes Down Thousands of Accounts Involved in Disinformation Ops from China and Russia (thehackernews.com)

• Big Tech failed to police Russian disinformation: EU study • The Register

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

Russia

• Russia-linked attackers hit UK Ministry of Defence, leak stolen data | CSO Online

• NCSC Report Reveals Persistent Threat and Russia’s Ongoing Cyber Operations in Ukraine | Defense Express (defence-ua.com)

• An inside look at Ukraine's cyber war with Russia : NPR

• Meet the man leading the front-line effort in Ukraine's cyber war with Russia : NPR

• China and Russia are pushing the boundaries of cyber attacks to harm other states - CityAM

• Ukraine's CERT Thwarts APT28's Cyber Attack on Critical Energy Infrastructure (thehackernews.com)

• Attackers access military data through fencing supplier • The Register

• Russia-linked hack on Trident base sparks 'World War Three' warning from expert (yahoo.com)

• UK and US Sanction 11 Russians Tied to Conti/TrickBot Ransomware - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russia, China behind majority of cyber attacks targeting German businesses (aa.com.tr)

• Meta Takes Down Thousands of Accounts Involved in Disinformation Ops from China and Russia (thehackernews.com)

• Russian Malware Targets Crypto Wallet: US and UK Intelligence Agencies Issue Joint Warning (cryptopotato.com)

• Elon Musk's Father Fears Possible Assassination Attempt on His Son (businessinsider.com)

• Big Tech failed to police Russian disinformation: EU study • The Register

• North Korea hackers going after Russian targets, Microsoft says, World News - AsiaOne

China

• How China gets free intel on tech companies’ vulnerabilities | Ars Technica

• Experts Probe AI Risks Around Malicious Use, China Influence (govinfosecurity.com)

• How Microsoft's highly secure environment was breached (malwarebytes.com)

• Chinese-Speaking Cyber Criminals Launch Large-Scale iMessage Smishing Campaign in US. (thehackernews.com)

• Securing The IoT From The Threat China Poses To US Infrastructure (forbes.com)

• China and Russia are pushing the boundaries of cyber attacks to harm other states - CityAM

• Russia, China behind majority of cyber attacks targeting German businesses (aa.com.tr)

• German companies report more cyber attacks from Russia, China | Meta.mk

• Meta Takes Down Thousands of Accounts Involved in Disinformation Ops from China and Russia (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft reveals hackers compromised engineer account to gain access to government accounts - SiliconANGLE

• Microsoft finally explains cause of Azure breach: An engineer’s account was hacked | Ars Technica

• South Korean Cyber Security Concerns Over Chinese-Made Cranes, Meteorological Gear | The Epoch Times

• Huawei hits back in Portugal over 5G 'ban' with lawsuit - DCD (datacenterdynamics.com)

Iran

• Hackers push anti-Iranian government messages to millions via breached app | CyberScoop

• Iranian hackers breach US aviation org via Zoho, Fortinet bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

North Korea

• Lazarus hackers deploy fake VMware PyPI packages in VMConnect attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Researchers Warn of Cyber Weapons Used by Lazarus Group's Andariel Cluster (thehackernews.com)

• Meet the man leading the front-line effort in Ukraine's cyber war with Russia : NPR

• North Korean hackers target security researchers with new zero-day (therecord.media)

• North Korea hackers going after Russian targets, Microsoft says, World News - AsiaOne

• Who Pulled Off a $41M Online Casino Heist? North Korea, FBI Says (vice.com)

Misc Nation State/Cyber Warfare

• Nation-state 'hot zones' offer view of the future of cyber war – report - CIR Magazine

• Global cyber weapon market set for substantial growth | Insurance Business America (insurancebusinessmag.com)

• Policy, Guns and Money: Cyber conflict, competition and cooperation | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

• Lloyd’s categorises cyber war wordings in aggregation clarity push (insuranceinsider.com)

• Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets For Nation-State Hackers (newsweek.com)

• Multiple Nation-State Threat Actors Exploit CVE-2022-47966 and CVE-2022-42475 | CISA

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Vulnerability Management

• Years-old Microsoft bugs are still hot targets for criminals • The Register

• Old vulnerabilities are still a big problem - Help Net Security

• Overcoming Open Source Vulnerabilities in the Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)

• How China gets free intel on tech companies’ vulnerabilities | Ars Technica

Vulnerabilities

• How to detect and patch a Log4J vulnerability  - IBM Blog

• Apple discloses 2 actively exploited zero-days in iPhones, Macs (securityaffairs.com)

• Google patches 4 high-rated security issues in latest Chrome 116 update - gHacks Tech News

• High-Severity Vulnerability Discovered in Popular CMS - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Two flaws in Apache SuperSet allow to remotely hack servers (securityaffairs.com)

• Cisco Patches Critical Vulnerability in BroadWorks Platform - SecurityWeek

• Adobe ColdFusion Critical Vulnerabilities Exploited Despite Patches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Multiple Notepad++ Flaws Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Hackers exploit MinIO storage system to breach corporate networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ASUS routers vulnerable to critical remote code execution flaws (bleepingcomputer.com)

• September Android updates fix zero-day exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Adds One Known Vulnerability to Catalog | CISA

• Cisco SSO authentication bug patched - Security - Networking - iTnews

• Eight vulnerabilities in Open Automation Software Platform could lead to information disclosure, improper authentication (talosintelligence.com)

• Multiple Nation-State Threat Actors Exploit CVE-2022-47966 and CVE-2022-42475 | CISA

• Security or performance? Zenbleed forces you to choose | Digital Trends

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Tools and Controls

• Many businesses still aren't using BYOD protection | TechRadar

• Why Businesses Ignore Incident Response at Their Peril - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Insights Into the Changing Landscape of Cyber Insurance - Frost Brown Todd | Full-Service Law Firm

• Spend to save: The CFO’s guide to cyber security investment (securityintelligence.com)

• An Overview of ENISA’s Risk Management Standards Report | UpGuard

• IOCs vs Artifacts How to Filter Out the Noise (govinfosecurity.com)

• Time and effort to obtain cyber insurance increasing for US businesses | CSO Online

• Chrome extensions can steal plaintext passwords from websites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Dangling DNS Used to Hijack Subdomains of Major Organisations  - SecurityWeek

• Why DNS Security Can Be Your Most Problematic Blind Spot (hyas.com)

• Cyber Security Tools Are New Targets For Nation-State Hackers (newsweek.com)

• Rising Physical Incidents Should Drive C-Level Investment & Action (forbes.com)

• Why Cyber Security Risk Assessment Matters in the Banking Industry (securityintelligence.com)

• Cut through cyber security vendor hype with these 6 tips | TechTarget

• IAM, cloud security to drive new cyber security spending | CSO Online

• Best practices for implementing a proper backup strategy - Help Net Security

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Other News

• Education Sector Heavily Targeted as the School Year Begins (databreaches.net)

• Schools warned of cyberattack threat as new year begins | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• Ways to protect WordPress sites and blogs from hacking | Kaspersky official blog

• New Nozomi Networks Study Finds EU Critical Infrastructure Companies Are Not Ready for NIS2 Compliance - IT Security Guru

• Insecure by design: What you need to know about defending critical infrastructure | CSO Online

• Half of Switzerland's large companies have been the victim of a cyber attack | Euronews

• Dangling DNS Used to Hijack Subdomains of Major Organizations  - SecurityWeek

• Securing the future: Safeguarding cyber-physical systems | CSO Online

• The tangible threat of cyber-kinetic attacks | CSO Online

• 25 Major Car Brands Get Failing Marks From Mozilla for Security and Privacy  - SecurityWeek

• Cyber security In Focus Ahead Of Berlin NATO Conference | OilPrice.com

• Trustwave SpiderLabs Report Highlights Hospitality Industry Cybersecurity Threats (hotelnewsresource.com)

• 10 old-school security principles that (still) rule | CSO Online

• Surge in Hospital Hacks Endangers Patients, Cyber Official Says - WSJ

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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 08 September 2023 – Apple Discloses 2 New Zero-days Actively Exploited to Attack iPhones and Macs

Executive Summary

Apple have released emergency updates to fix two actively exploited new zero-day vulnerabilities which target iPhone and Mac users. The vulnerabilities, if exploited on an unpatched Apple device, allow attacks to execute arbitrary code through the use of maliciously crafted images and attachments.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Exploitation of the vulnerabilities has already been used as part of zero-click iMessage exploits to deploy Pegasus mercenary software. This allows attackers execute code to perform actions such as extracting messages, photos, emails, and recording calls, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Patches are available in:

macOS Ventura 13.5.2: Available for devices running macOS Ventura.

iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1: Available for iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.

Technical Summary:

CVE-2023-41064 – A buffer overflow weakness that when processing maliciously crafted images, can lead to arbitrary code execution

CVE-2023-41061 – a validation issue which can be exploited through a malicious attachment to also gain arbitrary code execution

What can I do?

Users are recommended the apply the patches as soon as possible due to their active exploitation in the wild. Organisations should also be aware that the patches mean employees using Apple BYOD devices will need to apply the relevant patches, as this impacts corporate information which the devices have access to.

Further information can be found below:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/apple/apple-discloses-2-new-zero-days-exploited-to-attack-iphones-macs/

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT213905

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT213906 

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 01 September 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

66 Percent of Businesses Don't Understand Their Cyber Risks

A survey has found that 67% of organisations have experienced a breach requiring attention within the last two years, despite having traditional security measures in place. Worryingly, 66% self-reported having limited visibility and insight into their cyber risk profiles.

83% of organisations agreed that a comprehensive cyber risk reduction strategy would yield a reduction in the likelihood of a significant cyber incident occurring, yet a number of organisations are finding it difficult to implement this and as a result are looking for outside assistance too. The report found that 93 percent of organisations plan to offload specific segments of cyber risk reduction workstreams or projects to security service providers within the next two years.

Source: [Beta News]

Massive Supplier Cyber Breach Puts London’s Metropolitan Police on Red Alert After Officer and Staff Details Hacked

All 47,000 personnel working for the Met Police were warned of the risk their photos, names and ranks having been stolen when cyber crooks penetrated the IT systems of a contractor printing warrant cards and staff passes. The supplier had access to names, ranks, photos, vetting levels and pay numbers of officers and staff, but did not hold information such as addresses, phone numbers or financial details.

The attack shows the importance of understanding the supply chain, and what access your supplier has access to. Without knowing who has your data, and what data, you will be left clueless if a breach on a supplier occurs.

Sources [Data Breaches] [UKAuthority]

Pay our Ransom Instead of a GDPR Fine, Cyber Crime Gang Tells Targets, as Attacks Against Small Businesses Ramp Up

Ransomware actors are always evolving their tactics, with gangs now telling victims if they don’t pay, then they will face fines under data protection laws. Additionally, small businesses are on the radar, partially due to them being easier targets for actors; some gangs have shifted from asking for millions from a large organisation, to requesting small ransoms from multiple small businesses.

As a result in both the number and sophistication of ransomware attacks, 80% of organisations expect their spending to increase. Not every organisation has an unlimited budget and so it is important that organisations are able to prioritise and allocate their budget effectively, to give them the most protection that their budget allows, especially small to medium-sized businesses.

Sources [Dark Reading] [The Record] [Security Magazine]

Survey Finds In-house Counsel Cyber Anxiety Skyrocketing

In a recent report, only 25% of legal professionals said they felt fully prepared to deal with a cyber attack, with 78% ranking the task of shielding their organisation from cyber attacks as the greatest regulatory concern over the next 12 months; previously, this figure was only 30% in 2021.

There has been a growing number of attacks, due to the sensitive data that is held and the number of attacks will continue to rise. With regulatory concerns adding to this, in-house counsel should be looking to have their concerns heard and drive the organisation to bolster their defences, and this may include outsourcing expert advice to make sure it is done correctly.

Source: [Law.com]

58% of Malicious Emails Contained Spoofed Content

According to a recent report, 58% of malicious emails contained spoof content and spam emails had increased by 30% from Q1 to Q2 2023. The report identified a surge in the number of uses of QR codes as a primary attack method, showing that attack methods are evolving, and in some cases, choosing not to use traditional methods.

The report reinforces the need for constant user education training, to reduce the risk of an employee falling for a phishing email. With this training, new evolving techniques such as that with QR codes, should also be addressed.

Source: [Security Magazine]

Cyber Attacks Remain a Top Concern for Organisations Across All Industries

Cyber attacks remain a top threat to organisations’ ability to do business across all industries. When asked in a recent report, 18% of respondents reported that cyber attacks threatened or disrupted their business.

With cyber attacks being a huge concern, many organisations have an incident response plan in place; yet despite this, nearly one quarter (23%) of companies surveyed have either never conducted tests or are unsure if their teams have tested. Cyber incidents are a matter of when, not if, and a strong incident response plan is always needed and can prevent a bad situation from being made worse by doing the wrong things in the immediate aftermath of an attack.

Source: [Business Wire]

BYOD Security Gap: Survey Finds 49% of European Firms Unprotected

A recent survey found that a concerning 49% of European businesses are operating without having a formal bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy, highlighting a lack of visibility and control over such devices. The report found that organisations are concerned about compliance-based issues, with 43% noting increased worries.

The benefits of BYOD are clear, allowing organisations to save money and eliminate the need for multiple devices. But without a formal BYOD policy, organisations are risking having employees bring in devices that are effectively invisible to IT. This means that the vulnerabilities that come with it, and the risks it can bring, also go unnoticed. To mitigate the risk, a formalised BYOD policy is required.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

13% of Employees Admit to Falling for Phishing Attacks Working at Home, 9% Would Wait to Report After the Weekend

In a recent report, it was found that 13% of employees admitted they had fallen for a phishing attack whilst working from home. Rather worryingly, 21% said they would continue working business as usual in the event of falling victim to a phishing attack whilst working remotely on a Friday, with 9% indicating they’d wait until after the weekend to report it, effectively, giving the attacker a 48 hour period in which they go unnoticed, if the employee even remembers to report it on the Monday.

It is important that users are educated, both on spotting phishing attacks and the reporting process, so that organisations can be best protected. By providing regular and effective user training, employees will be at less risk of falling victim to a phishing attack, even from home. Additionally, by understanding the reporting process and why there is a need to report as soon as possible, organisations will shorten their detection time.

Source: [Security Magazine]

Numbers Don't Lie: Exposing the Harsh Truths of Cyber Attacks in New Report

In their most recent quarterly report, BlackBerry focused on a 90-day window, identifying over 1.5 million malware-based attacks, over 200,000 unique attacks, 17,000 attacks per day and 12 per minute to name a few. The report found that financial institutions were amongst the most targeted.

Source: [The Hacker News]

Kroll’s Breach Highlights SIM-Swapping Risk

A recent supply chain breach at Kroll, the risk and financial advisory firm, affected downstream customers and exposed personal information on hundreds of claimants in bankruptcy proceedings. The breach occurred when a threat actor had transferred an employee’s phone number to a device in the attackers possession, which was then subsequently used to access sensitive information.

In this attack, the actor had convinced T-Mobile to port the employee’s number over, allowing the actor to access files containing bankruptcy details. A mitigation recommended for this is to ask your network provider if they offer port freeze or number lock, to protect it from unauthorised transfer.

Source [Dark Reading]

Reducing The Risk of AI, What Can You Do?

Threat actors' use of generative AI has fuelled a significant rise in attacks worldwide during the last 12 months according to a recent report. Yet despite this, AI is still seen as a positive thing for organisations, with the power of generative AI quickly realised.

Certainly, AI can be used in the organisation to increase efficiency and automate tasks, but it must be used with vigilance. Organisations implementing AI should have governance over the usage of AI to eliminate the chance of data leaking. This governance may include policies, procedures and approved AI software.

Sources: [CSO Online] [UKTech News]

Debunking Popular Cyber Security Myths

At a time when cyber security is a constant feature in the news and our daily lives, it is important to debunk a few myths surrounding it. One of the biggest, is the assumption that cyber defence is all about the technical controls; in fact, 89% of cyber attacks involved social engineering. The prevalence of social engineering further shows that strong passwords, firewalls and antivirus are not enough; what’s the use in having a password that takes years to crack if you hand it over to someone?

When we think cyber security, we often think of external threat actors, but insider risk is a real threat: whether by malicious actions, negligence or misunderstanding, those inside your organisation can be a real risk to your organisation.

So what’s the take home? Cyber is more than just technology, and it is not just an outside attacker. Organisations’ cyber efforts should focus on more than just the technical requirements; by having things such as user education training, organisations can mitigate their cyber risk.

Sources: [Forbes] [Trend Micro]

3 Malware Loaders Responsible for 80% of Intrusions

Three malware loaders, QBot, SocGholish, and Raspberry Robin, are responsible for 80 percent of observed attacks on computers and networks so far this year. The malware are all distributed differently; Qbot is typically deployed through a phishing email, SocGholish is downloaded without user interaction, and Raspberry Robin is through USB devices.

Sources: [The Register] [Infosecurity Magazine]

MOVEit Hack Shows Attackers Still Use Old Tricks

SQL injection has been around for a quarter of a century, yet it still features amongst the top 10 list of security vulnerabilities. In fact, SQL injection was the method of attack for the infamous MOVEit hacks, which has impacted over 700 organisations, with the number still growing.

The MOVEit attack highlights just how easily old, over-looked vulnerabilities can be used to target an organisation. Consider your organisation now: are there any legacy systems or software in place?

Source: [Dark Reading]

Barracuda Thought it Drove 0-day Hackers out of Customers’ Networks. It was Wrong.

In late May, security vendor Barracuda had released a patch for their email security gateway (ESG), which was being actively exploited. Having already accounted for this, the threat actors utilised a new attack, which meant infected devices would reinfect themselves, effectively negating Barracuda’s patch. Unfortunately, this meant that for a while, Barracuda thought it was in the clear, when it was still under attack.

Upon realising this, Barracuda’s security advisory changed from recommending a patch to requiring an immediate replacement of compromised ESG appliances, regardless of the patch level. This shows the need for organisations to keep up to date with the latest threat intelligence, as missing the second update could mean infected devices are still in the wild, with organisations under the false perception that they were safe.

Source: [Ars Technica]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber Attacks and Other Threats Remain a Top Concern for Organisations Across All Industries, Finds InformationWeek’s State of Cyber Risk and Resiliency Report | Business Wire

• 66 percent of businesses don't understand their cyber risks (betanews.com)

• Survey of In-House Counsel Finds Cyber Anxiety Skyrocketing | Law.com

• Numbers Don't Lie: Exposing the Harsh Truths of Cyber Attacks in New Report (thehackernews.com)

• SEC Probe Targets SolarWinds Executives - DevX

• Cyber Security Enters Conversation About Executive Pay - WSJ

• Cyber defence makes up majority of cyber security budgets | Security Magazine

• How international cyber security frameworks can help CISOs | CSO Online

• Balancing risk and compliance: implications of the SEC’s new cyber security regulations | CSO Online

• SEC cyber attack regulations prompt 10 questions for CISOs | TechTarget

• Should Senior IT Professionals Be Accountable for Professional Decisions? (darkreading.com)

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• 80% of organisations expect ransomware spending to increase | Security Magazine

• Akira Ransomware gang targets Cisco ASA without Multi-Factor Auth (securityaffairs.com)

• Citrix NetScaler Alert: Ransomware Hackers Exploiting Critical Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• MOVEit Was a SQL Injection Accident Waiting to Happen (darkreading.com)

• Nearly 1,000 Organisations, 60 Million Individuals Impacted by MOVEit Hack - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware With an Identity Crisis Targets Small Businesses, Individuals (darkreading.com)

• Pay our ransom instead of a GDPR fine, cyber crime gang tells its targets (therecord.media)

• Ransomware Attack Cleanup Costs: $11M So Far for Rackspace (govinfosecurity.com)

• LogicMonitor customers who didn’t change default passwords were hit by hackers (databreaches.net)

• LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Builder Leak Gives Rise to Hundreds of New Variants (thehackernews.com)

• Deconstructing ransomware, cyber criminals and their modus operandi | TechRadar

• Ransomware Evolution: Smaller Actors, Bigger Impact (govinfosecurity.com)

• Ransomware hackers dwell time drops to 5 days, RDP still widely used (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Making Sense of Ransomware Attack Statistics in 2023 | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• Financial Firms Breached in MOVEit Cyber Attacks Now Face Lawsuits (darkreading.com)

• Should Companies Pay After Ransomware Attacks? Is It Illegal? (techtarget.com)

• How Ransomware Groups Respond to External Pressure (inforisktoday.com)

• Decoding the DNA of Ransomware Attacks: Unveiling the Anatomy Behind the Threat (trellix.com)

• Rackspace Faces Massive Cleanup Costs After Ransomware Attack (darkreading.com)

• EDITORIAL | Time to Cut Off North Korea from Funding Sources for its Missiles | JAPAN Forward (japan-forward.com)

• International ransomware gangs are evolving their techniques. The next generation of hackers will target weaknesses in cryptocurrencies (theconversation.com)

• 8 Types of Ransomware: Examples of Past and Current Attacks (techtarget.com)

• Black Basta Besting Your Network? (securityintelligence.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Financial Firms Breached in MOVEit Cyber Attacks Now Face Lawsuits (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware Attack Cleanup Costs: $11M So Far for Rackspace (govinfosecurity.com)

• St Helens Council still dealing with suspected cyber-attack - BBC News

• Rhysida claims ransomware attack on Prospect Medical, threatens to sell data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• University of Michigan shuts down network after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Social Security Numbers leaked in ransomware attack on Ohio History Connection (malwarebytes.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing as a service continues to plague business users - SiliconANGLE

• 58% of malicious emails contained spoof content | Security Magazine

• 13% of employees admit to falling for phishing attacks working at home | Security Magazine

• Top 5 most abused brands by hackers

• New phishing attacks target FTX users following Kroll data breach – Cryptopolitan

• Phishing-as-a-Service Gets Smarter: Microsoft Sounds Alarm on AiTM Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Spain warns of LockBit Locker ransomware phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US govt email servers hacked in Barracuda zero-day attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• QR Code' Surge in Popularity Brings Along a Rise in QR-Linked Phishing Scams | Metaverse Post (mpost.io)

• Rising Phishing Scams Impact Small Businesses Relying on Social Media (smallbiztrends.com)

• Can You Spot Phishing Emails? Test Your Awareness With These Quizzes (makeuseof.com)

• How to Spot Phishing Emails & Tips to Avoid Them | Proofpoint US

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Kroll Suffers Data Breach: Employee Falls Victim to SIM Swapping Attack (thehackernews.com)

• New phishing attacks target FTX users following Kroll data breach – Cryptopolitan

• 3 Cryptocurrency Firms Suffer Data Breach After Kroll SIM Swapping Attack - SecurityWeek

Artificial Intelligence

• Cyber security agency gives AI chatbot warning (uktech.news)

• Why generative AI is a double-edged sword for the cyber security sector | VentureBeat

• IT leaders alarmed by generative AI's SaaS security implications - Help Net Security

• Is Bias in AI Algorithms a Threat to Cloud Security? (darkreading.com)

• Shifting Cyber Security: The Impact and Implications of LLMs (inforisktoday.com)

• Vendors Training AI With Customer Data is an Enterprise Risk (darkreading.com)

• Advanced Malware: Why AI Can't Help All Hackers (inforisktoday.com)

• Hacking the future: Notes from DEF CON’s Generative Red Team Challenge | CSO Online

• Building cyber resilience in an age of AI (betanews.com)

• How to minimize data risk for generative AI and LLMs in the enterprise | VentureBeat

• Google launches tool to identify AI-generated images - Help Net Security

2FA/MFA

• Akira Ransomware gang targets Cisco ASA without Multi-Factor Auth (securityaffairs.com)

AITM/MITM

• Microsoft Warns of Adversary-in-the-Middle Uptick on Phishing Platform - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• These 3 loaders were behind 80% of intrusions this year • The Register

• 20+ Malware Statistics You Need to Know in 2023 (techreport.com)

• Cisco Talos Research: New Lazarus Group Attack Malware Campaign Hits UK & US Businesses (techrepublic.com)

• 'Whiffy Recon' Malware Transmits Device Location Every 60 Seconds (darkreading.com)

• Infamous Raccoon Stealer Malware Returns - DevX

• Top 3 Malware Threatening Businesses in Q2 2023 (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Malware Unleashed: Public Sector Hit in Sudden Surge, Reveals New Research (darkreading.com)

• KmsdBot Malware Gets an Upgrade: Now Targets IoT Devices with Enhanced Capabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Japan's JPCERT warns of new 'MalDoc in PDF' attack technique (securityaffairs.com)

• Advanced Malware: Why AI Can't Help All Hackers (inforisktoday.com)

• DarkGate Malware Activity Spikes as Developer Rents Out Malware to Affiliates (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers are now hiding malicious Word documents in PDFs — how to stay safe | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• DreamBus malware exploits RocketMQ flaw to infect servers (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Kaspersky malware report for Q2 2023 | Securelist

• Microsoft is using malware-like pop-ups in Windows 11 to get people to ditch Google - The Verge

• APT Attacks From 'Earth Estries' Hit Gov't, Tech With Custom Malware (darkreading.com)

• CISA and International Partners Release Malware Analysis Report on Infamous Chisel Mobile Malware | CISA

• SapphireStealer Malware: A Gateway to Espionage and Ransomware Operations (thehackernews.com)

• Battling malware in the industrial supply chain

Mobile

• Kroll's Crypto Breach Highlights SIM-Swapping Risk (darkreading.com)

• This new Android malware can unlock your phone and drain your bank accounts | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Privacy Regulator Warns of Surging Number of “Text Pest” Cases - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Is Mobile Hacking Still a Big Threat in 2023? (makeuseof.com)

• New Android MMRat malware uses Protobuf protocol to steal your data (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What Are Overlay Attacks? How Do You Protect Against Them? (makeuseof.com)

• New Android Banking Trojan Targets Southeast Asia Region (inforisktoday.com)

• China-Linked BadBazaar Android Spyware Targeting Signal and Telegram Users (thehackernews.com)

• Five Eyes Report: New Russian Malware Targeting Ukrainian Military Android Devices - Security Week

• Chinese APT Uses Fake Messenger Apps to Spy on Android Users (inforisktoday.com)

• 8 Ways To Boost Your Android Phone's Security (slashgear.com)

Botnets

• Online exclusive: Rise of the botnets (securitymiddleeastmag.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS attacks rise 40% in Q2 2023, affecting banks, gaming & e-commerce | Security Magazine

BYOD

• BYOD Security Gap: Survey Finds 49% of European Firms Unprotected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• KmsdBot Malware Gets an Upgrade: Now Targets IoT Devices with Enhanced Capabilities (thehackernews.com)

• The power of passive OS fingerprinting for accurate IoT device identification - Help Net Security

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Metropolitan Police reports supplier cyber breach | UKAuthority

• UK: Metropolitan Police on red alert after details of officers and staff hacked in massive security breach (databreaches.net)

• Kroll Suffers Data Breach: Employee Falls Victim to SIM Swapping Attack (thehackernews.com)

• American Express admits APAC employees' data leak, blames a third-party payroll service

• National Safety Council data leak: Credentials of NASA, Tesla, DoJ, Verizon, and 2K others leaked by workplace safety organisation (securityaffairs.com)

• Leaseweb is restoring ‘critical’ systems after security breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• French employment agency Pôle emploi data breach impacted 10M peopleSecurity Affairs

• Mom’s Meals discloses data breach impacting 1.2 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 3 Cryptocurrency Firms Suffer Data Breach After Kroll SIM Swapping Attack - Security Week

• Paramount discloses data breach following security incident (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Another data breach at Forever 21 leaks details of 500,000 current and former employees (bitdefender.com)

• Cost of a data breach 2023: Financial industry impacts (securityintelligence.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Moscow helping cyber criminals operate with 'near impunity': report | The Province

• Hacking gangs launch cyber crime syndicate the Five Families (techmonitor.ai)

• Microsoft weighs in on Russian-led UN cyber crime treaty • The Register

• ‘Billion Dollar Heist’: The Wild Story That Should Have Us All Petrified (thedailybeast.com)

• New Research Exposes Airbnb as Breeding Ground For Cyber Crime - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft: UN treaty creates 'ideal conditions' for cyber crime (telecomstechnews.com)

• Cyber Criminals use research contests to create new attack methods - Help Net Security

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Kroll data breach exposes info of FTX, BlockFi, Genesis creditors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• International ransomware gangs are evolving their techniques. The next generation of hackers will target weaknesses in cryptocurrencies (theconversation.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• New Research Exposes Airbnb as Breeding Ground For Cyber Crime - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Classiscam Spreads: $64.5M Scheme Targets 79 Countries - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Impersonation Attacks

• Top 5 most abused brands by hackers

• New York Times Spoofed to Hide Russian Disinformation Campaign (darkreading.com)

Deepfakes

• 4 Strategies to Safeguard the Finance Industry Against Deepfake Onslaught (darkreading.com)

Insurance

• Insurers End Tussle Over Ransomware Attack Coverage - Law360 UK

• Delinea Research Reveals a Cyber Insurance Gap (darkreading.com)

• Understand the fine print of your cyber insurance policies - Help Net Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• American Express admits APAC employees' data leak, blames a third-party payroll service

• Met should thoroughly investigate cyber security practices, say experts | Evening Standard

Cloud/SaaS

• CrowdStrike CTO: 'Rookie mistakes' are hurting cloud security | TechTarget

• Better SaaS Security Goes Beyond Procurement (darkreading.com)

• How to secure your cloud-based business without cloud-security expertise - Partner Content - Security - iTnews

• Experts Uncover How Cyber Criminals Could Exploit Microsoft Entra ID for Elevated Privilege (thehackernews.com)

• Considerations for Reducing Risk When Migrating to the Cloud (darkreading.com)

Hybrid/Remote Working

• 13% of employees admit to falling for phishing attacks working at home | Security Magazine

Identity and Access Management

• The Rising Tide of Identity-Based Attacks - GovInfoSecurity

Encryption

• Quantum threats loom in Gartner's 2023 Hype Cycle for data security | VentureBeat

• How Quantum Computing Will Impact Cyber Security - Security Week

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• National Safety Council data leak: Credentials of NASA, Tesla, DoJ, Verizon, and 2K others leaked by workplace safety organisation (securityaffairs.com)

• Four common password mistakes hackers love to exploit (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers Launch Brute-Force Attack Cisco ASA SSL VPNs (cybersecuritynews.com)

• 3 out of 4 cyber attacks in the education sector are associated with a compromised on premises user or admin account - IT Security Guru

• LogicMonitor customers who didn’t change default passwords were hit by hackers (databreaches.net)

Biometrics

• Police Scotland digital strategy seeks real-time biometrics within 5 years | Biometric Update

• Elon Musk's X to collect biometric data, work and school history - The Japan Times

• Home Office and MoD seeking new facial-recognition tech | Computer Weekly

Social Media

• ICO calls social media firms to protect people's data from scraping (bleepingcomputer.com)

• EU safety laws start to bite for TikTok, Instagram and others - BBC News

• How the EU Digital Services Act affects Facebook, Google and others | Technology sector | The Guardian

• Rising Phishing Scams Impact Small Businesses Relying on Social Media (smallbiztrends.com)

• X Plans to Collect Biometric Data, Job and School History (1) (bloomberglaw.com)

• Anonymous Sudan hacks X to put pressure on Elon Musk over Starlink - BBC News

• Hackers Are Selling Hacked Police Emails to Try to Grab Personal Data From TikTok, Facebook (404media.co)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Can You Spot Phishing Emails? Test Your Awareness With These Quizzes (makeuseof.com)

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

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Privacy Regulator Warns of Surging Number of “Text Pest” Cases - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Pay our ransom instead of a GDPR fine, cyber crime gang tells its targets (therecord.media)

• SEC Probe Targets SolarWinds Executives - DevX

• New law could turn UK into a hacker's playground | Computerworld

• Changes to UK Surveillance Regime May Violate International Law (justsecurity.org)

• EU safety laws start to bite for TikTok, Instagram and others - BBC News

• Draft Cyber Security Audit and Risk Assessment Regulations Issued by CPPA | Mintz - JDSupra

• SEC’s New Cyber Security Rule—Including Key Disclosure Requirements | Smith Gambrell Russell - JDSupra

• Balancing risk and compliance: implications of the SEC’s new cyber security regulations | CSO Online

• Legal Liability for Insecure Software Might Work, but It's Dangerous (darkreading.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• What are the Cyber Security Standards of Basel III? | UpGuard

• Best practices for MITRE ATT&CK(R) mapping. (thecyberwire.com)

• Is the new OWASP API Top 10 helpful to defenders? - Help Net Security

• How international cyber security frameworks can help CISOs | CSO Online

Data Protection

• ICO calls social media firms to protect people's data from scraping (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Are you properly protecting your employees' personal information? | Burr & Forman - JDSupra

• Data Protection: One of These Incidents Is Not Like the Other | Troutman Pepper - JDSupra

• Draft Cyber Security Audit and Risk Assessment Regulations Issued by CPPA | Mintz - JDSupra

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Addressing Cyber Security's Talent Shortage & Its Impact on CISOs (darkreading.com)

• Unfilled Cyber Security Positions Threaten the Future of Businesses Everywhere | Inc.com

• How the Talent Shortage Impacts Cyber Security Leadership (securityintelligence.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Two Men Arrested Following Poland Railway Hacking - Security Week

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Police Scotland digital strategy seeks real-time biometrics within 5 years | Biometric Update

• Privacy Regulator Warns of Surging Number of “Text Pest” Cases - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Expert shares stark safety warning over Twitter updates | Tech News | Metro News

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• New York Times Spoofed to Hide Russian Disinformation Campaign (darkreading.com)

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

Russia

• 'Five Eyes' nations release technical details of Sandworm malware 'Infamous Chisel' | CyberScoop

• New York Times Spoofed to Hide Russian Disinformation Campaign (darkreading.com)

• NCSC, SBU reveal overt Russian cyber campaign as cyber war continues to evolve | ITPro

• Czech banks hit by Russian cyber attacks – EURACTIV.com

• Cyber security experts lament west’s failure to learn lessons from Ukraine | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Russian 'hybrid' war threatens NATO's eastern flank, Poles warn - Washington Times

• Microsoft weighs in on Russian-led UN cyber crime treaty • The Register

• Five Eyes Report: New Russian Malware Targeting Ukrainian Military Android Devices - Security Week

• Anonymous Sudan hacks X to put pressure on Elon Musk over Starlink - BBC News

• Russian APT Intensifies Cyber Espionage Activities - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• CISA and International Partners Release Malware Analysis Report on Infamous Chisel Mobile Malware | CISA

China

• Microsoft signing keys keep getting hijacked, to the delight of Chinese threat actors | Ars Technica

• China-Based APT Flies Under Radar in Espionage Attacks | Decipher (duo.com)

• China-Linked Flax Typhoon Cyber Espionage Targets Taiwan's Key Sectors (thehackernews.com)

• Barracuda flaw: FBI warns customers over ineffective patch | ITPro

• Almost a third of compromised Barracuda ESGs were govt owned • The Register

• James Cleverly's China cyber security talks unlikely to spur change (techmonitor.ai)

• Japan’s cyber security agency suffers months-long breach | Financial Times (ft.com)

• China-Linked BadBazaar Android Spyware Targeting Signal and Telegram Users (thehackernews.com)

• APT Attacks From 'Earth Estries' Hit Gov't, Tech With Custom Malware (darkreading.com)

• Chinese APT Uses Fake Messenger Apps to Spy on Android Users (inforisktoday.com)

North Korea

• Cisco Talos Research: New Lazarus Group Attack Malware Campaign Hits UK & US Businesses (techrepublic.com)

• North Korea’s Lazarus Group hits organisations with two new RATs | CSO Online

• Lazarus Group Debuts Tiny Trojan for Espionage Attacks (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• Cyber Scams Keep North Korean Missiles Flying – Analysis – Eurasia Review

• North Korea’s Lazarus hackers behind recent crypto heists: FBI (therecord.media)

• North Korean hackers behind malicious VMConnect PyPI campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• New law could turn UK into a hacker's playground | Computerworld

• 40% of Log4j Downloads Still Vulnerable (securityintelligence.com)

• How did Clop get its hands on the MOVEit zero day? (therecord.media)

Vulnerabilities

• Cisco fixes 3 high-severity DoS flaws in NX-OS and FXOS software (securityaffairs.com)

• Citrix NetScaler Alert: Ransomware Hackers Exploiting Critical Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Critical Vulnerability Alert: VMware Aria Operations Networks at Risk from Remote Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Teams attack exposes collab platform security gaps | TechTarget

• Barracuda flaw: FBI warns customers over ineffective patch | ITPro

• Barracuda thought it drove 0-day hackers out of customers’ networks. It was wrong. | Ars Technica

• CISA Adds Two Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog | CISA

• Exploit released for Juniper firewall bugs allowing RCE attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Google Chrome 116's second point update addresses a security issue - gHacks Tech News

• Forminator WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Affects Up To 400,000+ Websites (searchenginejournal.com)

• Threat actors started exploiting Juniper flaws shortly after PoC release (securityaffairs.com)

• Hackers Launch Brute-Force Attack Cisco ASA SSL VPNs (cybersecuritynews.com)

• Splunk Patches High-Severity Flaws in Enterprise, IT Service Intelligence - Security Week

• This WordPress plugin with 5 million users could have a serious security flaw | TechRadar

• Cyber Attackers Swarm OpenFire Cloud Servers With Takeover Barrage (darkreading.com)

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Tools and Controls

• BYOD Security Gap: Survey Finds 49% of European Firms Unprotected - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why generative AI is a double-edged sword for the cyber security sector | VentureBeat

• Cyber defence makes up majority of cyber security budgets | Security Magazine

• Ransomware hackers dwell time drops to 5 days, RDP still widely used (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Think twice before accepting notifications on Chrome: threats on the rise | Cybernews

• Considerations for Reducing Risk When Migrating to the Cloud (darkreading.com)

• Enterprise dark web monitoring: Why it's worth the investment | TechTarget

• Phishing Simulations Boost Cyber Awareness and Defences | Mimecast

• Is the new OWASP API Top 10 helpful to defenders? - Help Net Security

• Here's What Your Breach Response Plan Might Be Missing (darkreading.com)

• The Middleware Threats to Microsoft's Monopoly | HackerNoon

• Why Traditional Firewalls Are Not Adequate for Your Network Security (makeuseof.com)

• Combining EPP and EDR tools can boost your endpoint security (securityintelligence.com)

• Automated Threat Hunting: AI Helps Spot Shady Network Activity (readwrite.com)

• Detecting the Undetected: The Risk to Your Info (securityintelligence.com)

• National Grid plots ‘honeypots’ to catch hackers as cyber attacks ramp up (telegraph.co.uk)

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Other News

• Cyber attacks reveal threat to democracy (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

• Hackers Use $30 Gear To Bring Poland's Railways To A Grinding Halt

• When lives rely on equipment, cyber security is essential | Healthcare IT News

• Think twice before accepting notifications on Chrome: threats on the rise | Cybernews

• Rising cyber incidents challenge healthcare organisations - Help Net Security

• Updated Best Practice Playbook for Healthcare Cyber Threats (inforisktoday.com)

• Navigating Legacy Infrastructure: A CISO's Actionable Strategy for Success (thehackernews.com)

• Legal Liability for Insecure Software Might Work, but It's Dangerous (darkreading.com)

• 3 out of 4 cyber attacks in the education sector are associated with a compromised on premises user or admin account - IT Security Guru

• 69% of educational organisations suffered cyber attack in the past year - Netwrix survey

• Claroty's 2023 Global Healthcare Cyber Security Study Exposes Widespread Vulnerabilities And Impact (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Out-Of-Office: How To Ensure Cyber Security During Vulnerable Periods (forbes.com)

• Debunking The Top Five Cyber Security Myths (forbes.com)

• Manufacturing firms hit by the worst encryption rate in three years (manufacturing-today.com)

• Cyber Attacks Targeting E-commerce Applications (thehackernews.com)

• Industrial networks need better security as attacks gain scale | ZDNET

• National Grid plots ‘honeypots’ to catch hackers as cyber attacks ramp up (telegraph.co.uk)

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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 30 August 2023 – Think Opening PDFs is Safe?

This alert covers a recent change in attacker tools, tactics and procedures (TTPs) and is intended to raise awareness so that organisations can defend against these evolving attacks, where necessary through educating their staff and users on these latest changes.

Executive Summary

Research from the Japanese Computer Emergency Response Team (JPCERT) has found that hackers are utilising polygots, which are files that feature two formats and can be executed as more than one file type, to conduct attacks. Specifically, malicious word documents are being hidden within PDF documents to escape detection software.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

There is a risk if the disguised polygot is opened as a word document rather than a PDF document then it will enable a macro to run. The macro will then cause the victims device to download and install malware, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. Worryingly, whether the polgygot opens as a PDF or Word document is dependant on the application opening it.

What can I do?

Microsoft’s default security setting is to disable macros from running on Microsoft Office files, and only files that were not downloaded from the internet can have macros enabled without going through multiple steps. Even with this control in place, organisations should remain vigilant and be aware that PDF files, like anything else, are susceptible to malicious modification.

Further information can be found below:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/maldoc-in-pdfs-hiding-malicious-word-docs-in-pdf-files/

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Partnering with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce on Managing a Cyber Security Incident

It has been a busy summer. The Black Arrow team presented at an event in London, hosted training for the business community in Glasgow, and were in Seattle for a week of client workshops.

We also partnered with the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce to host our workshop on managing a cyber security incident. Thank you to the local businesses that joined us, and to Cams Hall in Fareham for hosting us.

We have more events coming up later this year. Keep an eye out for details on our social media channels and with the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

We work with clients across the world, and we thoroughly enjoyed our client workshops in Seattle last month.

We also developed our business partnerships and contacts in the West Coast, with some exciting developments underway.

Our approach to cyber security looks way beyond just technology, and includes gathering together the best defences through people and operations by understanding our clients wherever they are.

Although all organisations across the world are faced with similar challenges, we enjoy our tailored approach to support each one.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 25 August 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

Cloud Hosting Firm Loses All Customer Data After Ransomware Attack

CloudNordic, a Danish cloud hosting provider, has told customers to consider all of their data as having been lost following a ransomware infection that encrypted the large Danish cloud provider. The threat actors had destroyed the organisation’s backups, which prevented the firm from recovering effectively. The attack also impacted AzeroCloud, which is owned by the same company.

Worryingly, many organisations believe that having backups and using the cloud is enough for them to be able to recover from any cyber incident; unfortunately, as shown in the CloudNordic and AzeroCloud attacks, it is not enough. Organisations need to have a recovery plan in place which is tested and improved, to best strengthen themselves in the event of a cyber incident.

Sources: [The Register] [Bleeping Computer] [Help Net Security]

Would You Infect Others to Rid Yourself of Ransomware?

Hackers continually develop ransomware with new and creative attack methods that keep internet security professionals on their toes and pose challenges for people trying to detect threats. Victims of ransomware usually see messages asking them to pay for file access restoration; however, the Popcorn Time ransomware group takes a different approach to getting victims involved.

The Popcorn Time ransomware approach works via the referral method. The ransomware group is willing to give victims access to their files if they send the referral link to two other people, extending the attacker’s reach. Most people would hesitate to distribute a ransomware link through email, WhatsApp, or another method that is easy for victims to identify them as the perpetrators. Law enforcement bodies categorise ransomware attacks as crimes that come with hefty fines and prison time. Even those choosing to send the links to people they know face disastrous consequences beyond law enforcement, including the loss of jobs and relationships.

Source: [CyberNews]

Artificial Intelligence and USBs Drive 8% Rise in Cyber Attacks

Checkpoint’s 2023 Mid-Year Security Report shows an 8% surge in global weekly cyber attacks during Q2, marking the most significant increase in two years. The report highlights the fusion of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology with traditional tools like USB devices used for disruptive cyber attacks.

Other significant findings include the evolution of ransomware tactics. The report found that ransomware groups are exploiting vulnerabilities in common corporate software and shifting focus from encrypting data to stealing it. USB devices have resurfaced as threats, employed by both state-affiliated groups and cyber-criminals to distribute malware globally. The misuse of AI has escalated, as attackers use generative AI tools for phishing emails, keystroke monitoring malware and basic ransomware code.

Source: [InfoSecurity Magazine]

Ransomware Attacks Broke Records in July, Mainly Driven By One Group

A number of ransomware actors are utilising the threat of releasing sensitive data to get organisations to pay ransoms; in some cases this is combined with encryption to give the actor two avenues of payment. A report has found there were over 500 attacks last month, an increase of 153% compared to one year ago, and a 16% increase compared to June. Within Europe, there was a 59% increase in ransomware attacks from June to July.

Part of the significant rise is due to the ransomware group called Cl0p, whose attack on the MOVEit software has accounted for hundreds of victims this year. The Cl0p ransomware group has kept its promise to publish files on the clearweb of all its victims if contact was not made. The clearweb is simply what we know as the internet; anyone can access it. As such, there will be many organisations who are now having their sensitive data published and readily viewable for anyone who has access to the internet.

Sources: [Gov Info Seccurity] [Security Week] [ZDNET] [Cyber News]

Cyber Risk in The Boardroom

The relationship between the CISO and the wider boardroom has become increasingly cooperative, with 77% of CEO’s seeing cyber as a strategic function and a potential source of competitive advantage. While it is ultimately up to the board to take steps to keep cybersecurity high on the agenda, the CISO also has a responsibility to press the message and bridge any gaps.

CISOs must deliver concerns, strategies and recommendations in a business-first manner, while avoiding jargon and overly technical language. Attracting and retaining good quality senior security professionals is very challenging in the current market and Black Arrow offer a fractional CISO service, giving access to a whole team of specialists with wider expertise, experience and backgrounds, for less than the cost of hiring one individual.

Sources: [Security Week] [TechRadar]

Malware-Infected Advertising Grows Ever More Sophisticated, And More Damaging

The malware exploits known as malware-infected ads, or malvertising, have been around for decades, but new reports point to a steady rise in efficacy. With malvertising, the infected ads are typically placed on legitimate ad networks, which makes them more difficult to spot and remove. The technique continues to use more and more sophisticated mechanisms for getting their infections spread throughout the web and keeping them running for a long time. The exploits can operate in one of several ways, including intercepting a user’s clickstream on random hyperlinks and substituting them with redirects to advertising websites.

Adblockers either on endpoints or at the network level can also help to prevent malvertising from causing harm.

Source: [SiliconAngle]

Cyber Security is Everyone’s Responsibility

A recent survey found that 41% of respondents said that poor quality training, or a lack of training altogether, and insider threats were impacting their organisation’s security. Cyber security involves everyone as any employee can be an entry point for a cyber incident, but they also have the power to prevent one. It is important to make sure all employees are provided adequate training. Not every role requires the same training however, so it is important for organisations to identify and provide training that is appropriate to employees. Black Arrow provide live in person and online instructor lead cyber security training, both through Cyber Risk and Governance Workshops for Senior Leadership and Awareness, Behaviour and Culture Training for employees and contractors.

Source: [IT Pro Today]

QR Code Hacks Are Another Thing to Worry About Now

One of the upcoming technologies thrust upon us is QR codes. At this point, you can find them at most restaurants and parking sites. You simply scan the code and you are taken to the relevant site, for example, the menu for the restaurant. Attackers have cottoned on to this and started to use QR codes in phishing attacks; the idea being that the victim will scan the code without scrutinising it and be taken to a malicious website instead.

Source: [Bloomberg]

Security Basics Aren’t So Basic Anymore

The basics of cyber security, it turns out, aren’t so basic anymore. What was considered basic has moved way beyond just having firewalls and antivirus, and the most basic controls nowadays include more advanced controls such as robust identity and access management, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and patching and vulnerability management. Many of these now basic controls are lacking or non-existent across the economy according to cyber security experts. A report found that only 28% of Microsoft users had MFA enabled as 2022 closed.

You can’t solve all the problems at once. However, progress on these fronts also relies heavily on the need for a cultural shift. Organisations need to get to the point where they view cyber security in the same light as locks on doors and seatbelts in cars.

Source: [CioDive]

Apple MacOS Security Myths

Apple has maintained a reputation as being more secure than other manufacturers, and whilst Apple has put many different security mechanisms into its operating system, no technology is bulletproof. Assuming an Apple device is invulnerable can lead users to believe that their Mac will not get viruses or be subject to a plethora of other cyber threats. As a result, this can lead to poor cyber hygiene from the individual, as they assume they are safe regardless of what they do. Apple users need to remain every bit as aware of risks, social engineering, keeping devices up to date, and having appropriate security controls.

Source: [Huntress]

Security Leaders Report Misalignment of Investments and Risk Reduction

The cyber risk landscape was analysed in a recent report that examined the amount of risk that organisations are willing to accept, their resource constraints and key priorities for approaching cyber risk in the future. The report found 66% of respondents indicating that they have limited visibility and insight into their cyber risk profiles, hindering their ability to prioritise investments and allocate resources effectively. 67% of organisations experienced a breach requiring attention within the last two years despite having traditional threat-based security measures in place. Further, 61% of security executives expressed concerns over the current misalignment between cyber security investments and their organisation's risk reduction priorities.

Source: [InfoSecurity Magazine]

Many CISOs Tout SaaS (Cloud) Cyber Security Confidence, but 79% Admit to Incidents

Cyber security, IT, and business leaders alike recognise SaaS (cloud) cyber security as an increasingly important part of the cyber threat landscape. And at first glance, respondents appear generally optimistic about their SaaS cyber security as 85% answered that they are confident or very confident in their company's or customer's data security in sanctioned SaaS apps.

Despite the confidence, 79% of respondents confirmed that their organisation had identified SaaS cyber security incidents over the past 12 months. Many of those incidents occurred in environments with cyber security policies in place and enforced, as 66% of respondents claimed in their responses.

Source: [The Hacker News]

If You Ever Used Duolingo, Watch Out for Phishing Email

Users of Duolingo, past and present, should be wary of phishing emails as data on about 2.6 million accounts were scraped through an exposed application programming interface (API), and then offered on a hacking forum back in January. Login and real names, email addresses, phone numbers, and courses studied were part of the collection, which went for $1,500. Now that data has resurfaced on a different forum, and at a substantially lower cost of just a few dollars, users of the service can expect this data to be used in fresh phishing campaigns.

Source: [PCWorld]

91% of Security and IT Professionals: Criminals are Already Using AI in Email Attacks

Recent research found that 91% of security and IT professionals are noticing cyber criminals already using AI as part of email attack campaigns, with 74% indicating they have experienced an increase in the use of AI by cyber criminals in the past six months. This is worrying as 52% reported that email security is among one of their top three concerns.

Organisations need to make sure that their technologies, procedures and policies are updated to factor in AI-enabled email attacks to help reduce the risk they pose to the organisation. Such improvements should also include employees.

Source: [PR Newswire]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber security 'number one on the agenda in boardrooms,' Cramer says (cnbc.com)

• Firms have mere hours to deflect cyber attacks, warns cyber security CEO (cointelegraph.com)

• The End of “Groundhog Day” for the Security in the Boardroom Discussion? - SecurityWeek

• Cyber risk: the view across the boardroom table | TechRadar

• Too many businesses struggling to hire and retain talent, amplifying security risks – Digital Journal

• How Cyber Security Leaders Can Help Lower Expenses While Reducing Risk (informationweek.com)

• Who’s Your Next Cyber Chief? Good Question. (wsj.com)

• Cyber crime: A Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry (thecyberwire.com)

• How the downmarket impacted enterprise cyber security budgets - Help Net Security

• What is Risk Analysis? | Definition from TechTarget

• When Leadership Style Is a Security Risk (darkreading.com)

• The Changing Landscape of Cyber Security Education (inforisktoday.com)

• Protect Your Cyber Security Budget and Your Organisation | Dell USA

• Rapid cyber attacks demand modernised security, says Palo Alto CEO (crypto.news)

• Cyber security Is Everyone’s Responsibility | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• The Cost of 'Good Enough' Security - GovInfoSecurity

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Cl0p dumps all MOVEit victim data on clearnet, threat insiders talk ransom strategy | Cybernews

• Cuba ransomware gang looking for unpatched Veeam installations: Report | IT Business

• Ransomware attacks broke records in July, mainly driven by this one group | ZDNET

• Hosting firm says it lost all customer data after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FE News | 70% of secondary schools have experienced a cyber incident. BIP shares three ways they can protect against attacks ahead of results day

• Cyber Attacks have left some hospital computers offline for 2 weeks, closing ERs and postponing surgeries

• Continued MOVEit Exploitation Drives Record Ransomware Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Would You Infect Others to Rid Yourself of Ransomware? (makeuseof.com)

• How Application Allowlisting Combats Ransomware Attacks (securityintelligence.com)

• Akira ransomware gang spotted targeting Cisco VPN products to hack organisations-Security Affairs

• Scarab Ransomware Deployed Worldwide Via Spacecolon Toolset - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why Ransomware Gangs Opt for Encryption-Less Attacks (govinfosecurity.com)

• MOVEit Health Data Breach Tally Keeps Growing (inforisktoday.com)

• British intelligence is tipping off ransomware targets to disrupt attacks (therecord.media)

• What the Hive Ransomware Case Says About RaaS and Cryptocurrency (darkreading.com)

• 6 Ransomware Trends & Evolutions For 2023 (trendmicro.com)

• New Study Sheds Light on ADHUBLLKA Ransomware Network - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• North Korea ready to cash out more than $40 million in Bitcoin after summer of attacks, warns FBI | Tripwire

• Ransomware dwell time hits new low - Help Net Security

• Three trends to watch in the growing threat landscape (betanews.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Cl0p dumps all MOVEit victim data on clearnet, threat insiders talk ransom strategy | Cybernews

• Hosting firm says it lost all customer data after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber attacks have left some hospital computers offline for 2 weeks, closing ERs and postponing surgeries

• BlackCat ransomware group claims the hack of Seiko network -Security Affairs

• Ransomware gang threatens Raleigh Housing Authority months after devastating attack (therecord.media)

• The Estée Lauder Cos. Addresses Cyber security Attack – WWD

• Mysterious Cyber Attack Shuts Down Yet More Telescopes For Weeks | IFLScience

• St Helens Council hit by suspected Ransomware cyber attack | St Helens Star

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• 91% of security pros say cyber criminals are using AI in email attacks | Security Magazine

• Insurer Denies Coverage Under Professional Liability Policy for Lawyer’s Email Compromise | Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider - JDSupra

• Cyber criminals turn to AI to bypass modern email security measures - Help Net Security

• New Generation of Phishing Hides Behind Trusted Services (securityintelligence.com)

• New phishing campaign recognised in Europe and South America | Security Magazine

• If you ever used Duolingo, watch out for phishing emails | PCWorld

• Open redirect flaws increasingly exploited by phishers - Help Net Security

• How to spot phishing on a hacked WordPress website | Kaspersky official blog

• The Dual Role of AI in Email Security - GovInfoSecurity

• New Telegram Bot "Telekopye" Powering Large-scale Phishing Scams from Russia (thehackernews.com)

• eBay Users Beware Russian 'Telekopye' Telegram Phishing Bot (darkreading.com)

• Phish in a Barrel: Real-World Cyber Attack Examples (govinfosecurity.com)

• Email Security: Top 5 Threats and How to Protect Your Business - ReadWrite

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• 91% of security pros say cyber criminals are using AI in email attacks | Security Magazine

• Breaking Down BEC: The Modern CISO’s Framework for Identifying, Classifying and Stopping Email Fraud (govinfosecurity.com)

Other Social Engineering; Smishing, Vishing, etc

• Blockchain Capital’s Bart Stephens Lost $6.3 Million In SIM-Swap Hack (forbes.com)

• What Is Virtual Kidnapping and How Can You Fight It? (makeuseof.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• 91% of Security and IT Professionals Agree Cyber Criminals are Already Using AI in Email Attacks, per Report from SlashNext and Osterman Research (prnewswire.com)

• Artificial Intelligence and USBs Drive 8% Rise in Cyber-Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Deceptive AI Bots Spread Malware, Raise Security Concerns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Cyber criminals turn to AI to bypass modern email security measures - Help Net Security

• Compliance, Risk Management and Security Are Being Impact by Generative AI... But How? | The Fintech Times

• Tricks for making AI chatbots break rules are freely available online | New Scientist

• What Is Virtual Kidnapping and How Can You Fight It? (makeuseof.com)

• Generative AI Is Scraping Your Data. So, Now What? (darkreading.com)

• Fake versions of Google Bard are spreading malware | TechRadar

• AI and the evolution of surveillance systems - Help Net Security

• The Dual Role of AI in Email Security - GovInfoSecurity

• Thinking of Deploying Generative AI? You May Already Have (govinfosecurity.com)

• Three trends to watch in the growing threat landscape (betanews.com)

• Careful -- Hackers are targeting Google Bard ads for malware | Digital Trends

Malware

• Deceptive AI Bots Spread Malware, Raise Security Concerns - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Serious WinRAR Flaw Can Be Exploited to Launch Malware (pcmag.com)

• Hackers use VPN provider's code certificate to sign malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• HiatusRAT Malware Resurfaces: Taiwan Firms and US Military Under Attack (thehackernews.com) Ask the Mac Guy: macOS Security Myths (huntress.com)

• New Variant of XLoader macOS Malware Disguised as 'OfficeNote' Productivity App (thehackernews.com)

• New "Whiffy Recon" Malware Triangulates Infected Device Location via Wi-Fi Every Minute (thehackernews.com)

• Researchers Uncover New Lazarus Group Malware Details | Decipher (duo.com)

Mobile

• New stealthy Android malware stumps antivirus, poses huge threat to phones, study reveals | Tech News (hindustantimes.com)

• Thousands of Android Malware Apps Using Stealthy APK Compression to Evade Detection (thehackernews.com)

• “Snakes in airplane mode” – what if your phone says it’s offline but isn’t? – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Google wants to fight pre-installed Android malware | TechSpot

• Children and smartphones: How to protect and guide them from bullying, phishing and grooming – The Irish Times

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS Attacks in H1 2023 Up 200% from 2022 According to New Zayo Data | Business Wire

Internet of Things – IoT

• TP-Link smart bulbs can let hackers steal your WiFi password (bleepingcomputer.com)

• When Your Home Security System Turns the Camera on You | The Epoch Times

• Anticipating the next wave of IoT cyber security challenges - Help Net Security

• The Physical Impact of Cyber Attacks on Cities (darkreading.com)

• Smart Cities: Utopian Dream, Security Nightmare, or Political Gimmick? - SecurityWeek

• Yes, Your Electric Vehicle Could Be Hacked - IEEE Spectrum

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Insurer Denies Coverage Under Professional Liability Policy for Lawyer’s Email Compromise | Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider - JDSupra

• Tesla Data Breach Investigation Reveals Inside Job (darkreading.com)

• Leak of 75k staff records was insiders' fault, Tesla claims • The Register

• Guernsey CCTV investigation widened after more footage leaked | Bailiwick Express Jersey

• Scraped data of 2.6 million Duolingo users released on hacking forum (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Thousands of Charity Donors Have Details Leaked Onto Dark Web | The Epoch Times

• How a Christie’s website revealed where people kept their art | The Seattle Times

• Defence contractor Belcan leaks admin password with a list of flaws-Security Affairs

• Critical Insight Report: 15% Drop in Breaches, 31% Surge in Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• What lessons must be learned from the Electoral Register cyber attack? | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• 5 Early Warning Indicators That Are Key to Protecting National Secrets (darkreading.com)

• Sensitive Data of 10m at Risk After French Employment Agency Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• University of Minnesota Confirms Data Breach, Says Ransomware Not Involved - SecurityWeek

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Check Point reveals 8% spike in global cyber attacks by mid-2023 (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Attack Dwell Times Fall but Threat Actors Are Moving Faster - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK Court Convicts Lapsus$ Hacker for Breaching ISP BT and EE UPDATE - ISPreview UK

• Cyber crime: A Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry (thecyberwire.com)

• Bruce Schneier gets inside the hacker's mind | CyberScoop

• Hacking group KittenSec claims to 'pwn anything we see' to expose corruption | CyberScoop

• Ransomware dwell time hits new low - Help Net Security

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Blockchain Capital’s Bart Stephens Lost $6.3 Million In SIM-Swap Hack (forbes.com)

• What the Hive Ransomware Case Says About RaaS and Cryptocurrency (darkreading.com)

• North Korea ready to cash out more than $40 million in Bitcoin after summer of attacks, warns FBI | Tripwire

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Leak of 75k staff records was insiders' fault, Tesla claims • The Register

• Police Insider Tipped Off Criminal Friend About EncroChat Bust - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Three trends to watch in the growing threat landscape (betanews.com)

• Phish in a Barrel: Real-World Cyber Attack Examples (govinfosecurity.com)

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• Interpol arrest 14 who allegedly scammed $40m from victims • The Register

• Germany Hunts for Cyber Criminals Amid Billion-Euro Scams - Bloomberg

• Billion Dollar Heist: The simple typo that stopped the Bangladesh bank robbers from stealing $1 billion (ladbible.com)

• Sneaky Amazon Google ad leads to Microsoft support scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Blockchain Capital’s Bart Stephens Lost $6.3 Million In SIM-Swap Hack (forbes.com)

• Surge in identity crime victims reporting suicidal thoughts - Help Net Security

Impersonation Attacks

• How to spot phishing on a hacked WordPress website | Kaspersky official blog

Deepfakes

• What Is Virtual Kidnapping and How Can You Fight It? (makeuseof.com)

Insurance

• Insurer Denies Coverage Under Professional Liability Policy for Lawyer’s Email Compromise | Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider - JDSupra

• Cyber security insurance is missing the risk - Help Net Security

• Cyber Security Insurance Market worth $17.6 billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™ (prnewswire.com)

• Cyber Security Insurance Market Size & Share Analysis - (globenewswire.com)

• The Shifting Dynamics of Cyber Insurance - BankInfoSecurity

• Global Cyber Security Insurance Market to Reach USD 33.4 Billion by 2028, Driven by Rising Cyber Threats and Regulatory Compliance (prnewswire.com)

Dark Web

• Thousands of Charity Donors Have Details Leaked Onto Dark Web | The Epoch Times

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• New Chinese APT Group Launches Supply Chain Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Supply Chain Attack Hit Close to 100 Victims—and Clues Point to China | WIRED

• Supply chain as kill chain | ITPro

Cloud/SaaS

• The Importance Of SaaS Backup And Disaster Recovery: Reasons To Consider (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Cloud hosting firms hit by devastating ransomware attack - Help Net Security

• Warning: Attackers Abusing Legitimate Internet Services (inforisktoday.com)

• How to conduct a cloud security assessment | TechTarget

• Maintaining consistent security in diverse cloud infrastructures - Help Net Security

• How API authentication vulnerabilities are at the center of cloud security concerns | CSO Online

• CISOs Tout SaaS Cyber Security Confidence, But 79% Admit to SaaS Incidents, New Report Finds (thehackernews.com)

• Lack of visibility into cloud access policies leaves enterprises flying blind - Help Net Security

• Cloud services are creating more cyber-risks for telcos   - Mobile Europe

Identity and Access Management

• Ongoing Duo outage causes Azure Auth authentication errors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco's Duo Security suffers major authentication outage • The Register

Encryption

• Apple security updates could be banned by British government (9to5mac.com)

API

• Understanding how attackers exploit APIs is more important than ever - Help Net Security

• How API authentication vulnerabilities are at the centre of cloud security concerns | CSO Online

Biometrics

• ICO publishes guidance on use of biometric data in the UK - Tech Monitor

• Is Facial Recognition Technology Becoming a Privacy Risk? (makeuseof.com)

• Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) Statistics for 2023 (techreport.com)

• Biometric payment systems raise privacy concerns (iapp.org)

Social Media

• Global warning issued on social media data scraping (iapp.org)

Malvertising

• Sneaky Amazon Google ad leads to Microsoft support scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malware-infected advertising grows ever more sophisticated, and lethal - SiliconANGLE

• Careful -- Hackers are targeting Google Bard ads for malware | Digital Trends

Training, Education and Awareness

• 2023 Cyber Security Awareness Month Appeal: Make Online Security Easier (govtech.com)

• The Changing Landscape of Cyber Security Education (inforisktoday.com)

Parental Controls and Child Safety

• Report reveals insights on cyber security conversations with children | Security Magazine

• Children and smartphones: How to protect and guide them from bullying, phishing and grooming – The Irish Times

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Nearly a third of young people preyed on by "text pest" delivery drivers (bitdefender.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Apple security updates could be banned by British government (9to5mac.com)

• How EU lawmakers can make mandatory vulnerability disclosure responsible - Help Net Security

• Cyber Security Laws and Regulations in Germany | UpGuard

• Morgan Stanley Fined for UK Energy Trading WhatsApp Breach (yahoo.com)

• New NCUA Rule Requires Swift Cyber Incident Reporting - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• SEC Cyber Security Rules: Considerations for Incident Response Planning | Holland & Knight LLP - JDSupra

• Controversial Cyber crime Law Passes in Jordan (darkreading.com)

• Experian Pays $650,000 to Settle Spam Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Strengthening Cyber Security In Finance: A Look At EU DORA Regulations (forbes.com)

• Proposed bill would require vulnerability disclosure policies for all federal contractors (therecord.media)

Backup and Recovery

• The Importance Of SaaS Backup And Disaster Recovery: Reasons To Consider (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Data Protection

• ICO publishes guidance on use of biometric data in the UK - Tech Monitor

• Experian Pays $650,000 to Settle Spam Claims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Too many businesses struggling to hire and retain talent, amplifying security risks – Digital Journal

• Unrealistic expectations exacerbate the cyber security talent shortage - Help Net Security

• It's Time to Approach The Cyber Security Skills Gap Differently - IT Security Guru

• How To Become Chief Information Security Officer - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• 4 ways simulation training alleviates team burnout - Help Net Security

• Government Urges More Students to Be Cyber Explorers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Tens of thousands of students receive free training to build cyber skills - The Business Magazine

• 90% of Consumers Worry Cyber Security’s Future Is in Jeopardy if Students Aren’t Exposed to the Field at an Earlier Age - IT Security Guru

• 5 Ways SMBs Can Bridge the Cyber Security Skills Gap | Mimecast

• The Importance of Accessible and Inclusive Cyber Security (securityintelligence.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Interpol arrest 14 who allegedly scammed $40m from victims • The Register

• UK Court Convicts Lapsus$ Hacker for Breaching ISP BT and EE UPDATE - ISPreview UK

• Two dozen arrested, hundreds of malicious IPs taken down in African cyber crime operation | CyberScoop

• Germany Hunts for Cyber Criminals Amid Billion-Euro Scams - Bloomberg

• Police Insider Tipped Off Criminal Friend About EncroChat Bust - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Is Facial Recognition Technology Becoming a Privacy Risk? (makeuseof.com)

• When Your Home Security System Turns the Camera on You | The Epoch Times

• Biometric payment systems raise privacy concerns (iapp.org)

• AI and the evolution of surveillance systems - Help Net Security

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

Russia

• Intelligence agencies warn foreign spies are targeting US space companies - Times of India (indiatimes.com)

• Incident response lessons learned from the Russian attack on Viasat | CSO Online

• Ukrainian hackers claim to leak emails of Russian parliament deputy chief (therecord.media)

• New Telegram Bot "Telekopye" Powering Large-scale Phishing Scams from Russia (thehackernews.com)

China

• Mounting Cyber Espionage and Hacking Threat from China - Modern Diplomacy

• Cyberespionage campaign by China's Ministry of State Security. CSRB will look into cyberespionage against Microsoft Exchange. Attacks against industrial systems. Threats to satellite communications. (thecyberwire.com)

• HiatusRAT Malware Resurfaces: Taiwan Firms and US Military Under Attack (thehackernews.com)

• New Chinese APT Group Launches Supply Chain Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Supply Chain Attack Hit Close to 100 Victims—and Clues Point to China | WIRED

• Exposed: the Chinese spy using LinkedIn to hunt UK secrets (thetimes.co.uk)

• FBI: Suspected Chinese actors continue Barracuda ESG attacks | TechTarget

• Microsoft says Chinese hacking crew is targeting Taiwan | CyberScoop

• US space companies face foreign spy threat, intelligence agencies say (usatoday.com) 

North Korea

• N. Korean Kimsuky APT targets S. Korea-US military exercises-Security Affairs

• Researchers Uncover New Lazarus Group Malware Details | Decipher (duo.com)

• North Korea ready to cash out more than $40 million in Bitcoin after summer of attacks, warns FBI | Tripwire

Misc/Other/Unknown

• Syrian Threat Actor EVLF Unmasked as Creator of CypherRAT and CraxsRAT Android Malware (thehackernews.com)

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Vulnerability Management

• NCSC issues warning on cyber vulnerabilities (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

• How EU lawmakers can make mandatory vulnerability disclosure responsible - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Juniper Networks fixes flaws leading to RCE in firewalls and switches - Help Net Security

• Serious WinRAR Flaw Can Be Exploited to Launch Malware (pcmag.com)

• Ivanti issues fix for third zero-day flaw exploited in the wild | TechTarget

• Ivanti Ships Urgent Patch for API Authentication Bypass Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

• FBI: Patches for Recent Barracuda ESG Zero-Day Ineffective - SecurityWeek

• GDS: Microsoft, Intel confirm "Downfall" of 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th Gen CPUs, firmware out - Neowin

• Critical Adobe ColdFusion Flaw Added to CISA's Exploited Vulnerability Catalog (thehackernews.com)

• 3,000 Openfire Servers Exposed to Attacks Targeting Recent Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

• Western Digital patches potentially dangerous security flaw, so update now | TechRadar

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Tools and Controls

• The Importance Of SaaS Backup And Disaster Recovery: Reasons To Consider (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How Cyber Security Leaders Can Help Lower Expenses While Reducing Risk (informationweek.com)

• Security leaders report misalignment of investments and risk reduction | Security Magazine

• Cyber security insurance is missing the risk - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Insurance Market worth $17.6 billion by 2028

• Bolstering Cyber Security: Why Browser Security Is Crucial (inforisktoday.com)

• How Application Allowlisting Combats Ransomware Attacks (securityintelligence.com)

• The Vanishing Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Category - IT Security Guru

• Cyber Security: CASB vs SASE-Security Affairs

• Unveiling the Hidden Risks of Routing Protocols (darkreading.com)

• Hackers use VPN provider's code certificate to sign malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Network detection and response in the modern era - Help Net Security

• What’s Beyond SASE? The Next Steps (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Prevention First: Don’t Neglect Endpoint Security | CSO Online

• More Than Half of Browser Extensions Pose Security Risks (darkreading.com)

• Protect Your Cyber Security Budget and Your Organisation | Dell USA

• How the downmarket impacted enterprise cyber security budgets - Help Net Security

• Compliance, Risk Management and Security Are Being Impact by Generative AI... But How? | The Fintech Times

• SEC Cyber Security Rules: Considerations for Incident Response Planning

• How to conduct a cloud security assessment | TechTarget

• Maintaining consistent security in diverse cloud infrastructures - Help Net Security

• How API authentication vulnerabilities are at the centre of cloud security concerns | CSO Online

• The Needs of a Modernized SOC for Hybrid Cloud (securityintelligence.com)

• 2023 Cyber Security Awareness Month Appeal: Make Online Security Easier (govtech.com)

• The MOVEit hack and what it taught us about application security (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The Changing Landscape of Cyber Security Education (inforisktoday.com)

• The Dual Role of AI in Email Security - GovInfoSecurity

• Akamai Survey Finds Third-Party Defences Help Reduce Risk from Online Threats (prnewswire.com)

• The Shifting Dynamics of Cyber Insurance - BankInfoSecurity

• Global Cyber Security Insurance Market to Reach USD 33.4 Billion by 2028, Driven by Rising Cyber Threats and Regulatory Compliance (prnewswire.com)

• 5 Best Practices for Implementing Risk-First Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• What's Going on With LastPass, and is it Safe to Use? (securityintelligence.com)

• Malicious web application transactions skyrocket 500% (securitybrief.co.nz)

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Other News

• Our health care system may soon receive a much-needed cyber security boost | Ars Technica

• Swan Retail cyber attack: 300 retailers crippled by breach (techmonitor.ai)

• Cyber Attackers lie in wait as federal tech agencies brace for a mass exit of top officials - Washington Times

• Cyber Attack on Energy One affects corporate systems in Australia and the UK | CSO Online

• Vendors criticize Microsoft for repeated security failings | TechTarget

• Microsoft's become a cyber security titan. That could be a problem - Tech Monitor

• Global Naval Communication Market Research Report (globenewswire.com)

• The CSO guide to top security conferences | CSO Online

• IT's rising role in physical security technology - Help Net Security

• Construction businesses are at risk as nation-state attacks are on the rise - Construction & Civil Engineering magazine (ccemagazine.com)

• Hackers knocked out San Francisco's main real estate database | Fortune

• Microsoft's 6 Biggest Hacks: Is Better Security Needed? (makeuseof.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 Threat Briefing 18th August 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

Ransomware Group Targeting MSPs Worldwide in New Campaign

Russia-based cyber attackers called Play are evolving, with the ransomware group now using remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools at outsourced IT providers or managed service providers (MSPs) to gain access and hit downstream customers. A significant number of eventual targets are medium sized business. The group is also utilising intermittent encryption, where files are only partly encrypted, to avoid detection.

The attacks highlight the need for organisations to be aware of where they are in the supply chain and how they can be targeted through their supplier. It is not enough for an organisation to focus on its own security in isolation; organisations also need to have a way of effectively assessing their supply chain risk which includes their MSP.

Source [Dark Reading]

As Ransomware Surges, A lack of Resources Makes SMBs Most Vulnerable

Ransomware attacks continue to increase, with 1500 victims confirmed this year. It is likely this figure will continue to rise. In parallel, criminals are evolving and with that comes a rise in triple extortion; attackers are not just encrypting and exfiltrating an organisation’s data, but also using this data to blackmail employees and target third parties, hitting the supply chain.

Unfortunately for SMBs, they do not have the resources to keep up with such attacks, making them the most vulnerable. A report found that organisations that had 51 to 200 employees were the most targeted, followed by organisations with 11 to 50 employees. When it came to the types of organisations, the Financial Services sector placed first.

This should not mean SMBs should just accept this and wait to be attacked; on the contrary, their increased vulnerability means that SMBs need to effectively prioritise and allocate resources, and if necessary getting in specialist external help, to ensure their protections are the best that resources allow.

Sources [WWD] [InfoSecurity Magazine] [CRN]

Business Email Compromise Attack Costs Far Exceeding Ransomware Losses

Cloudflare's 2023 Phishing Threats Report recorded a 17% spike in business email compromise (BEC) related financial losses between December 2021 and 2022, noting that threat actors are increasingly leaning on this attack method to target organisations. Additionally, across 2022 nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents to the study said they experienced an attempted or successful BEC attack. The Cloudflare report found that the financial impact of BEC led to organisations suffering losses in excess of $2.7 billion, whereas ransomware caused losses of $34.3 million during the same period.

Source [ITPro]

Email Phishing Remains the Main Entry for Cyber Criminals; People with Six Personality Traits are More Susceptible

According to a report, phishing attacks were found to be the initial attack vector for nine in ten cyber attacks. The report found that the focus of a cyber criminal tended to be two objectives: achieving authenticity and getting victims to click. Worryingly, 89% of unwanted messages were found to have bypassed authentication checks, leaving people and procedures as the last line of defence in an organisation.

A separate study found that having the following traits made a user more susceptible to phishing: extroverted, agreeable, people-pleasing, quick to trust, fearful or respectful of authority, and poor self-control.

With employees playing such an important role in preventing phishing, organisations need to ensure that employees are aware of what to look for in a phishing email with regular training to account for evolving tactics. This training should be carried out by experts with experience of conducting phishing simulations, accompanied with the ability to educate users on how they can protect themselves from falling victim.

Sources [Tech Radar] [Makeuseof]

Gartner Study Finds Generative AI to be a Top Emerging Risk for Organisations

In a recent survey, Gartner found that generative AI models such as ChatGPT were the second greatest emerging risk, with concerns around data privacy. This has led to organisations looking to ban such AI, with a separate report by Blackberry finding that ChatGPT faced banning from 75% of organisations.

Banning AI in the organisation is a short-term solution. The benefits of AI are clear and its usefulness in an organisation is significant, with reports finding 75% of IT leaders in favour. Organisations should instead look at how they can govern the usage of AI in their organisation, to reduce the risk of AI-related incidents and improve the effectiveness of work.

Sources [Security Magazine] [Analytics Insight] [IT Security Guru] [Decrypt]

LinkedIn Suffers Significant Wave of Account Hacks

LinkedIn users are reporting losing access to their accounts, with some being pressured into paying a ransom to get back in or else face permanent account deletion. LinkedIn is no stranger to being a target of cyber criminals; last year, the platform was deemed the most abused brand in phishing attempts likely due to its recognisability and widespread use in the corporate world. This extended as far as threat actors using fake LinkedIn profiles.

With the number of accounts being compromised, users need to be vigilant in their use of LinkedIn and be on the lookout for suspicious messages. Black Arrow recommends that users ensure they are using strong and unique passwords, combined with multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect themselves.

Source [Dark Reading]

High Net-Worth Families are at Risk of Cyber Crime

A report found that high net-worth families have prioritised cyber security with a notable 77% of respondents stating they had a cyber security plan; however, 55% said their plan “could be better”.

A cyber security plan is not optional anymore. High net-worth families are at increased risk, with criminals cottoning on to the amount of information that is out there and the financial gain that can be made if that information is used effectively. Social media is just one of the things increasing the risk of cyber crime; unbeknownst to some families, their social media may be providing criminals a treasure trove of insight into a family’s wealth, real-time location and habits. Such information can be used by a cyber criminal to employ attacks.

Source [Campdenfb]

Cyber Attack Rule Raises Insurance Risks for Corporate Officers

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently issued rules that formally outlined directors’ responsibilities in cyber security governance for the first time, laying the groundwork for potential enforcement actions. The recently issued rules bring potential regulatory probes and shareholder legal class action alleging senior executives failed to supervise their businesses’ cyber security practices.

Although the practice is not yet universal, a growing number of director and officer (D&O) policies are being drafted with cyber related exclusions. Meanwhile, most cyber insurance policies exempt SEC enforcement actions and investor claims, but some cover allegations against a company’s executives over their cyber security roles.

Whilst this is only in the US at the moment, other developed nations are likely to follow suit.

Source [Bloomberg Law]

PSNI and UK Voter Breaches Show Data Security Should be Taken More Seriously

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the UK Electoral Commission both suffered cyber incidents on the same day. Whilst both incidents were different in how they happened, the result was the same: sensitive information had been leaked. In the case of the PSNI, the data was leaked through a response to a freedom of information (FOI) request, in which an Excel sheet was accidentally included by the PSNI. The Electoral Commission incident resulted from a cyber attack.

The incidents are a wake-up call for organisations. If you have not already done so, you need to put things in place to help protect your data from ending up online. The PSNI incident in particular highlights the need to ensure that data does not leave the organisation by accident.

Source [The Guardian]

The Imperative of Cyber Preparedness: The Power of Tabletop Exercises

Cyber security has become an inescapable concern for organisations across industries. With cyber threats ranging from data breaches to ransomware attacks, it is paramount that companies remain vigilant and prepared.

A key way to be prepared is through a tabletop exercise that simulates a hypothetical cyber security incident and helps organisations to practice and evaluate their response. One example scenario can be responding to a ransomware attack blocking access to the organisation's computers for a ransom. These exercises serve as a practical, engaging, and low-risk way for teams to identify vulnerabilities in current plans, improve coordination, and evaluate the decision-making process during a crisis and this is something that we do with our clients on a regular basis.

Source [JDSupra]

Why Are Phones a Cyber Security Weak Spot?

Mobile phones are more interconnected than ever, with their usage extending to the workplace. Despite this, they often enter the corporate environment with a lack of protection and oversight. When laptops are in the corporate environment they are often secured through methods such as encryption and often the organisation has a clear oversight of the applications and activity on the laptop. Mobile phones on the other hand, are often left unmonitored, despite the fact they can and often do carry sensitive information.

Mobile phones also carry additional risks; for a start, they are easier to lose, due to their size difference and the fact they are often out more. In addition, they may have more entry points. Internet of things (IoT) devices, such as smart appliances, are often controlled by phones, making them another entry point for an attacker.

Source [Tech Shout]

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Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Hedge Fund Cyber security Trends Report says Majority Firms Report a Surge in Cyber Attacks - ITSecurityWire

• Lack of Resources Makes SMBs Most Vulnerable to Ransomware Attacks – WWD

• 1 in 5 CIOs Believe Cyber Security Ops Are Not An Immediate Priority - IT Security Guru

• Cyber threat risks reach three-year high – Avast (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Cyber Attack Rule Raises Insurance Risks for Corporate Officers (bloomberglaw.com)

• The Imperative of Cyber Preparedness: The Power of Tabletop Exercises | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP - JDSupra

• Why Finance Leaders In Midsize Businesses Are Stepping Up Cyber security Efforts (forbes.com)

• Why are ultra-high-net-worth families at increased risk of cyber crime? | Campden FB

• Traditional vs. Enterprise Risk Management: How Do They Differ? (techtarget.com)

• 4 reasons to understand technology risks when buying a business (businessplus.ie)

• What did you say? Boards tackle corporate jargon | Fortune

• Boards Don't Want Security Promises — They Want Action (darkreading.com)

• Cyber attacks and data protection worries loom large | Natasha Doris | CDR Article (cdr-news.com)

• How threats to mid-sized businesses impact us all - Help Net Security

• 7 Reasons People Don't Understand What You Tell Them (darkreading.com)

• 6 Cyber Threat Areas for Companies and Organisations to Prioritize (forbes.com)

• How poor cyber security policies disrupt business continuity - IT Security Guru

• Cyber Prevention, Training Attract More Spend Than Remediation, Recovery, Execs Say - | MSSP Alert

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Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Lack of Resources Makes SMBs Most Vulnerable to Ransomware Attacks – WWD

• Business email compromise attack costs far exceeding ransomware losses | ITPro

• Reported ransomware attacks doubled in key sectors (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Ransomware Surges With 1500 Confirmed Victims This Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'Play' Ransomware Group Targeting MSPs Worldwide in New Campaign (darkreading.com)

• As Ransomware Gangs Shift To Data Extortion, Some Adopt A New Tactic: ‘Customer Service’ | CRN

• Triple Extortion Ransomware and the Cyber Crime Supply Chain (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Companies are finding it harder to detect ransomware | TechRadar

• Top 3 Ransomware Attack Vectors And How To Avoid Them (techtarget.com)

• Ransomware: To pay or not to pay - Help Net Security

• Knight ransomware distributed in fake Tripadvisor complaint emails (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 'DoubleDrive' attack turns Microsoft OneDrive into ransomware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Why Hospitals Are Being Increasingly Targeted by Cyber Attacks | Chicago News | WTTW

• 'Bulletproof' Lolekhosted ransomware hacker indicted (cnbc.com)

• LOLEKHosted admin arrested for aiding Netwalker ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)

• It's time for companies to double down on cyber security measures as ransomware attacks rise, say experts | CBC News

• Monti ransomware targets VMware ESXi servers with new Linux locker (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Crimeware server used by NetWalker ransomware seized and shut down – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Rapid7 Says ROI for Ransomware Remains High; Zero-Day Usage Expands - SecurityWeek

• Sophos: ‘Royal’ Is Trying to Make Itself the King of Ransomware (darkreading.com)

• Cuba Ransomware Deploys New Tools: Targets Critical Infrastructure Sector in the US and IT Integrator in Latin America (databreaches.net)

• Microsoft: BlackCat's Sphynx ransomware embeds Impacket, RemCom (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 3 strategies that can help stop ransomware before it becomes a crisis | CSO Online

• Latitude Financial takes profit hit from major cyber attack | The West Australian

• MOVEit cyber attack ignites worry about retirement plan fiduciary responsibility | Pensions & Investments (pionline.com)

• Ransomware down 57%, Secureworks warns against complacency (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Ransomware Diaries: Volume 3 – LockBit’s Secrets (databreaches.net)

• HHS Launches 'Digiheals' Project to Better Protect US Hospitals From Ransomware | WIRED

• Ransomware Renaissance 2023: The Definitive Guide to Stay Safer (securityintelligence.com)

• How to Create a Ransomware Incident Response Plan (techtarget.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Several hospitals still counting the cost of widespread ransomware attack (malwarebytes.com)

• Has leading UK jeweller been hit by BianLian ransomware gang? (techmonitor.ai)

• teiss - News - Ernst & Young says MOVEit Transfer hack impacted over 30,000 Bank of America customers

• Cyber attack on Bay area vendor cripples real estate industry (therealdeal.com)

• Colorado warns 4 million of data stolen in IBM MOVEit breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Millions of Americans’ health data stolen after MOVEit hackers targeted IBM | TechCrunch

• LockBit claims seven new victims in ransomware spree (techmonitor.ai)

• Cyber attack strikes Prince George's County schools, district says - The Washington Post

• Clorox Operations Disrupted By Cyber Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Inside Housing - News - Hackney to procure new IT system after cyber attack

• Largest switching and terminal railroad in US investigating ransomware data theft (therecord.media)

• Honor Among Cyber Criminals? Why a Canadian Firm Paid Ransom (inforisktoday.com)

• Alberta dental benefits administrator hit by cyber attack | Edmonton Sun

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing remains most dominant, fastest growing internet crime (securitybrief.co.nz)

• If You Have These 6 Personality Traits, You're More Vulnerable to Phishing Scams (makeuseof.com)

• Business email compromise attack costs far exceeding ransomware losses | ITPro

• Reports show 62% jump in phishing attacks last year - The Hindu BusinessLine

• Phishing Operators Make Ready Use of Abandoned Websites for Bait (darkreading.com)

• Email – The System Running Since 71’ - SecurityWeek

• 3 Major Email Security Standards Prove Too Porous for the Task (darkreading.com)

• Most consumers can't spot phishing scams | TechRadar

• Cyber Security Experts: AI Could Be Phishing Schemes’ Ultimate Weapon — Or Worse - The Messenger

• Spear Phishing vs Phishing: How to Tell the Difference (techrepublic.com)

• How to Prevent Phishing Attacks with Multi-Factor Authentication (techrepublic.com)

• As Phishing Gets Even Sneakier, Browser Security Needs to Step Up (darkreading.com)

• Email security vendor leaves 2M domains open to phishing hacks, study finds (axios.com)

• What Is a Blank Image Phishing Scam? (makeuseof.com)

• Cyber Criminals Abusing Cloudflare R2 for Hosting Phishing Pages, Experts Warn (thehackernews.com)

• 'Gold mine' phishing scams rob Main Street on social media like Meta (cnbc.com)

• Malicious QR code hacking campaign is targeting Microsoft credentials - SiliconANGLE

• Phishing campaign steals accounts for Zimbra email servers worlwide (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 30% of phishing threats involve newly registered domains - Help Net Security

• Russian Hackers Use Zulip Chat App for Covert C&C in Diplomatic Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Gone Phishing: An Analysis of a Targeted User Attack (huntress.com)

BEC – Business Email Compromise

• Business email compromise attack costs far exceeding ransomware losses | ITPro

Artificial Intelligence

• Generative AI a Top Emerging Risk for Organisations: Gartner Survey - Decrypt

• 66% of Organisations in UK Set to Ban ChatGPT and Generative AI Apps on Work Devices - IT Security Guru

• ChatGPT Faces Ban from 75% of Organisations: Blackberry Report (analyticsinsight.net)

• AI Is Coming For Your Data: 6 Steps To Ensure Cyber Resilience (forbes.com)

• New study by AMD finds nearly half of organisations are not ready for AI - IT Security Guru

• Over 74% of organisations see a rise in AI use by cyber criminals | Security Magazine

• Navigating generative AI risks and regulatory challenges - Help Net Security

• Cyber security Experts: AI Could Be Phishing Schemes’ Ultimate Weapon — Or Worse - The Messenger

• Top 10 AI Security Risks According to OWASP (trendmicro.com)

• AI 'evil twins' may already be manipulating human nature | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber security practitioners' generative AI dilemma (iapp.org)

• People Coaxed AI Into Giving Wrong Math Answers, System Prone to Flaws (businessinsider.com)

• Following Pushback, Zoom Says It Won't Use Customer Data to Train AI Models (darkreading.com)

• AI a Top Risk and the Preferred Solution to Financial Crime - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI Can Decipher Passwords by Listening to Keystrokes Over Zoom: Study (businessinsider.com)

• Why the “voluntary AI commitments” extracted by the White House are nowhere near enough - Help Net Security

• Fake Out: Disinformation Campaigns Get Generative AI Boost (inforisktoday.com)

• Insurance Regulators ‎Continue to ‎Grapple With the Rapid Development ‎and ‎Use of Artificial ‎Intelligence | Locke Lord LLP - JDSupra

2FA/MFA

• How to prevent multifactor authentication fatigue attacks - SiliconANGLE

• How to Prevent Phishing Attacks with Multi-Factor Authentication (techrepublic.com)

Malware

• Potent Trojans Targeting MacOS Users - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Approximately 2000 Citrix NetScaler servers were backdoored in massive campaign-Security Affairs

• Almost 2,000 Citrix NetScaler servers backdoored in hacking campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• XWorm, Remcos RAT Evade EDRs to Infect Critical Infrastructure (darkreading.com)

• Malware could be hiding on your Mac thanks to faults in Apple’s Background Task Manager | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• An Apple Malware-Flagging Tool Is ‘Trivially’ Easy to Bypass | WIRED

• Macs are getting compromised to act as proxy exit nodes - Help Net Security

• Credentials for cyber crime forums found on roughly 120K computers infected with info stealers-Security Affairs

• Malware Dwell Time: Everything You Need to Know (makeuseof.com)

• Gootloader SEO watering hole malware targets law firms | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Security Researchers Publish Gigabud Banking Malware Analysis - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Raccoon Stealer malware returns with new stealthier version (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Beware! Subscription malware arms hackers with tools to steal your private data | Laptop Mag

• New Financial Malware 'JanelaRAT' Targets Latin American Users (thehackernews.com)

• Malware Unleashed: Public Sector Hit in Sudden Surge, Reveals New Report (thehackernews.com)

• North Korean Hackers Suspected in New Wave of Malicious npm Packages (thehackernews.com)

• Stories from the SOC - Unveiling the stealthy tactics of Aukill malware (att.com)

• Hackers are increasingly hiding within services such as Slack and Trello to deploy malware | Cyber scoop

• Massive 400,000 proxy botnet built with stealthy malware infections (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Users of cyber crime forums often fall victim to info-stealers, researchers find (therecord.media)

• 10 people, including 16-year-old youth arrested for suspected involvement in malware scams (databreaches.net)

• Turns out AI probably isn't very good at writing malware • The Register

• Malware Turning Windows Machines Into Proxies (databreachtoday.co.uk)

Mobile

• Why Are Phones A Cyber security Weak Spot? - TechShout

• Lapsus$ hackers took SIM-swapping attacks to the next level (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Does Turning Your Android Phone Off Protect You From Malware? (makeuseof.com)

• 3 Mobile or Client-Side Security Myths Debunked (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Criminals Targeting Victims through Mobile Beta-Testing Applications (ic3.gov)

• Threat actors use beta apps to bypass mobile app store security (bleepingcomputer.com)

• FBI warns of money-stealing fake beta-release mobile apps • The Register

• Three reasons why your smartphone needs security protection (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Unsupported Compression Methods Enable Android Malware to Bypass Detection (zimperium.com)

• This $70 device can spoof an Apple device and trick you into sharing your password | TechCrunch

Botnets

• Massive 400,000 proxy botnet built with stealthy malware infections (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Mirai Common Attack Methods Remain Consistent, Effective (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• How the FBI goes after DDoS cyber attackers | TechCrunch

• Most DDoS attacks tied to gaming, business disputes, FBI and prosecutors say (therecord.media)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Runaway Charger: The Major Threat Of Hacking EV Stations (slashgear.com)

• Is YOUR electric car vulnerable to hackers? How cyber criminals could steal personal data because of weak security at charging hubs and 'flaws' in vehicles' outdated software | Daily Mail Online

• Ford says cars with WiFi vulnerability still safe to drive (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Electoral Commission had unpatched vulnerability on server • The Register

• PSNI and UK voter breaches show data security should be taken more seriously | Data and computer security | The Guardian

• UK Police Data Breach Exposes Victim Information - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• UK govt contractor MPD FM leaks employee passport data-Security Affairs

• Cumbria Police accidentally publish officers' names and salaries online (bitdefender.com)

• PSNI: Leaked Data Will be Used to Target Police Officers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• LinkedIn hack: You need to check your LinkedIn account - gHacks Tech News

• ICO reprimands law firm over data breach that saw money stolen - Legal Futures

• Over 100 Court Service agency workers warned of payslip security breach after cyber attack | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

• How & Why Cyber Criminals Fabricate Data Leaks (darkreading.com)

• Researchers find sensitive personal data in over 30% of cloud assets | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Web app warning: 74% of apps with PII are vulnerable to a 'major exploit', report | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Insurance Data Breach Victims File Class-Action Suit Against Law Firm (darkreading.com)

• Alberta Dental Services Security Breach Exposes 1.47M Records - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The most notable data breaches of 2023… So far | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)

• Discord.io confirms breach after hacker steals data of 760K users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Millions of Americans’ health data stolen after MOVEit hackers targeted IBM | TechCrunch

• teiss - News - Ernst & Young says MOVEit Transfer hack impacted over 30,000 Bank of America customers

• Man arrested in Northern Ireland police data leak • The Register

• teiss - News - PBI data breach impacted more than 1.2m customers of Wilton Reassurance Life Company

• Here’s what you need to do after your personal data is breached (telegraph.co.uk)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Meet the Most (In)Famous Hacking Groups Active Today (makeuseof.com)

• Cyber security researchers become target of criminal hackers | Financial Times (ft.com)

• Credentials for cyber crime forums found on roughly 120K computers infected with info stealersSecurity Affairs

• Lapsus$ hackers took SIM-swapping attacks to the next level (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How & Why Cyber Criminals Fabricate Data Leaks (darkreading.com)

• Who Are Script Kiddies? Are They a Threat to Your Security? (makeuseof.com)

• Researchers Harvest, Analyse 100K Cyber Crime Forum Credentials (darkreading.com)

• File sharing site Anonfiles shuts down due to overwhelming abuse (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 5 Types of Cyber Crime Groups (trendmicro.com)

• How Innovation Accelerators Are at Work on the Dark Side (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried sent to jail • The Register

• Web3 projects suffered from forty-two exploits within a week (coinpaper.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• The Data Behind Human Cyber Risk - GovInfoSecurity

Fraud, Scams & Financial Crime

• A Third of UK University Students Targeted By Fraud - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried sent to jail • The Register

• UK gov keeps repeating its voter registration website is NOT a scam (bleepingcomputer.com)

• “Grab hold and give it a wiggle” – ATM card skimming is still a thing – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Latin Americans Fall Prey to More Online Scams, Cyber Attacks (insurancejournal.com)

• The road ahead for ecommerce fraud prevention - Help Net Security

• A Huge Scam Targeting Kids With Roblox and Fortnite 'Offers' Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight | WIRED

Insurance

• Cyber Attack Rule Raises Insurance Risks for Corporate Officers (bloomberglaw.com)

• Insurance Data Breach Victims File Class-Action Suit Against Law Firm (darkreading.com)

• The cyber security insurance market is estimated at USD 14.4 (globenewswire.com)

• Insurance Regulators ‎Continue to ‎Grapple With the Rapid Development ‎and ‎Use of Artificial ‎Intelligence | Locke Lord LLP - JDSupra

Dark Web

• Researchers Harvest, Analyse 100K Cyber Crime Forum Credentials (darkreading.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Building Cyber security into the supply chain is essential as threats mount (att.com)

• Why the public sector still loves Capita (even though it got hacked) - Tech Monitor

• How to Ensure Cyber Resilience Across the Supply Chain - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Experts Uncover Weaknesses in PowerShell Gallery Enabling Supply Chain Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• PowerShell Gallery Prone to Typosquatting, Other Supply Chain Attacks (darkreading.com)

Software Supply Chain

• Study reveals staggering cost of vulnerable software supply chains - Plant & Works Engineering (pwemag.co.uk)

• Why a Software Bill of Materials Is Business-Critical - The Futurum Group

Cloud/SaaS

• 'DoubleDrive' attack turns Microsoft OneDrive into ransomware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Researchers find sensitive personal data in over 30% of cloud assets | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Web app warning: 74% of apps with PII are vulnerable to a 'major exploit', report | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Amazon AWS distances itself from Moq amid data collection controversy (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Adapting to the Cloud Era of Cyber security: How CISO’s Priorities Are Evolving | Network Computing

• Datacentre management vulnerabilities leave public clouds at risk | Computer Weekly

• Spear Phishing vs Phishing: How to Tell the Difference (techrepublic.com)

Containers

• Kubernetes clusters face widespread attacks across numerous organisations - Help Net Security

Encryption

• UK Government Slammed For Encryption Mistruths - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• WhatsApp is right to be angry about the UK’s encryption mess | The Spectator

• Google adds post-quantum encryption key protection to Chrome • The Register

API

• The Evolution of API: From Commerce to Cloud-Security Affairs

• How financial services cyber regulations are hotting up for API security (betanews.com)

Open Source

• Why a Software Bill of Materials Is Business-Critical - The Futurum Group

• Monti Ransomware Returns with New Linux Variant and Enhanced Evasion Tactics (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• 6 best practices to defend against corporate account takeover attacks | CSO Online

• What's the State of Credential theft in 2023? (thehackernews.com)

• Building a secure future without traditional passwords - Help Net Security

• Are browser-stored passwords secure? | Kaspersky official blog

• Passwordless is more than a buzzword among cyber security pros - Help Net Security

• More hardcoded credentials than ever, and sloppy coding is to blame | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• AI Can Decipher Passwords by Listening to Keystrokes Over Zoom: Study (businessinsider.com)

Social Media

• LinkedIn hack: You need to check your LinkedIn account - gHacks Tech News

• LinkedIn accounts hacked in widespread hijacking campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 'Gold mine' phishing scams rob Main Street on social media like Meta (cnbc.com)

Malvertising

• Adblock 360 Adware Extension: 3 Ways to Remove for Good - MSPoweruser

• Malvertisers up their game against researchers (malwarebytes.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Tips on employee cyber security training, risks and how to manage them - Albany Business Review (bizjournals.com)

Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Sextortion

• Sextortion suspects on trial after one victim dies • The Register

• Digital Safety Advice is Not Getting Through to Women - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Navigating generative AI risks and regulatory challenges - Help Net Security

• UK Government Slammed For Encryption Mistruths - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ICO reprimands law firm over data breach that saw money stolen - Legal Futures

• Breaking Down the New SEC Cyber security Rules | Epiq - JDSupra

• Confusion Surrounds SEC's New Cyber security Material Rule (darkreading.com)

• How do we define “cyber worker”? The SEC’s rationale behind its new cyberincident disclosure rule. (thecyberwire.com)

• Why the “voluntary AI commitments” extracted by the White House are nowhere near enough - Help Net Security

• How financial services cyber regulations are hotting up for API security (betanews.com)

• A closer look at the new TSA oil and gas pipeline regulations - Help Net Security

• New York’s Department of Financial Services Moves to Further Bolster Cyber security Requirements | Jackson Lewis P.C. - JDSupra

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Center for Internet Security announces secretive Microsoft partnership | StateScoop

• What's New in the NIST Cyber security Framework 2.0 (darkreading.com)

Data Protection

• Researchers find sensitive personal data in over 30% of cloud assets | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Amazon AWS distances itself from Moq amid data collection controversy (bleepingcomputer.com)

• India Passes New Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB), Putting Users' Privacy First (thehackernews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 650,000 cyber jobs are now vacant: How to tackle the risk (securityintelligence.com)

• Effectively upskilling cyber security professionals to help close the skills gap | CSO Online

• How to overcome the challenges of today's cyber security talent shortage - SiliconANGLE

• Army struggling to hire cyber staff as attacks on Britain ramp up (telegraph.co.uk)

• Vietnam admits massive shortage of infosec pros • The Register

• Heavy workloads driving IT professionals to resign - Help Net Security

• ISC2 Announces Major Milestone as Community Grows to Half a Million Strong (prnewswire.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Polish police arrest five in swoop on Cyber Crime site - TVN24

• How the FBI goes after DDoS cyber attackers | TechCrunch

• Lapsus$ Report: Law Enforcement Battles Cyber Threats (beincrypto.com)

• LOLEKHosted admin arrested for aiding Netwalker ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 10 people, including 16-year-old youth arrested for suspected involvement in malware scams (databreaches.net)

• Sextortion suspects on trial after one victim dies • The Register

• Crimeware server used by NetWalker ransomware seized and shut down – Naked Security (sophos.com)

• Raccoon Stealer malware back with updated version following administrator arrest (therecord.media)

• Man arrested in Northern Ireland police data leak • The Register

• India Passes New Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDPB), Putting Users' Privacy First (thehackernews.com)

Privacy, Surveillance and Mass Monitoring

• Amazon AWS distances itself from Moq amid data collection controversy (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Following Pushback, Zoom Says It Won't Use Customer Data to Train AI Models (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Fake Out: Disinformation Campaigns Get Generative AI Boost (inforisktoday.com)

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

Russia

• Russian and Chinese hackers breached Foreign Office systems in cyber attack kept secret from public (inews.co.uk)

• Foreign Office cyber attacks may have risked safety of civil servants and UK's allies, Tory MPs say (inews.co.uk)

• APT29 is targeting Ministries of Foreign Affairs of NATO-aligned countries-Security Affairs

• Russian spy agencies targeting Starlink with custom malware, Ukraine warns (telegraph.co.uk)

• Russian-African Security Gathering Exposes Kremlin's Reduced Influence (darkreading.com)

• Hacked electronic sign declares “Putin is a dickhead” as Russian ruble slumps • Graham Cluley

• Russian Hackers Use Zulip Chat App for Covert C&C in Diplomatic Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Suspected spies for Russia held in major UK security investigation - BBC News

• Russia turning to sleeper cells and unofficial agents | Espionage | The Guardian

China

• Russian and Chinese hackers breached Foreign Office systems in cyber attack kept secret from public (inews.co.uk)

• Researchers Shed Light on APT31's Advanced Backdoors and Data Exfiltration Tactics (thehackernews.com)

• DHS to Review Microsoft’s Security in Chinese Email Hack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Top US cyber official warns of infrastructure attack risk if China tensions rise (nbcnews.com)

• New Zealand says it is aware of China-linked intelligence activity in country | Reuters

• China teases imminent exposé of seismic US spying scheme • The Register

• Wide-ranging cyberespionage campaign by China's Ministry of State Security. Vulnerabilities in CPUs. MacOS threat trends. (thecyberwire.com)

• Chinese Espionage Group Active Across Eastern Europe (inforisktoday.com)

• 15,000 cyber attacks detected per second in Taiwan: Software provider - Focus Taiwan

• China would consider attacks on US railroads, pipelines if it invades Taiwan, Easterly says (therecord.media)

• US lawmaker says FBI notified him of email breach linked to Microsoft cloud hack | TechCrunch

• China-Linked Bronze Starlight Group Targeting Gambling Sector with Cobalt Strike Beacons (thehackernews.com)

Iran

• German Intelligence Warns of Surge in Iranian Espionage (govinfosecurity.com)

• Charming Kitten Targets Iranian Dissidents with Advanced Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Iran and the Rise of Cyber Enabled Influence Operations (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• North Korean Hackers Suspected in New Wave of Malicious npm Packages (thehackernews.com)

Misc/Other/Unknown

• APTs use of lesser-known TTPs are no less of a headache - Help Net Security

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Vulnerability Management

• Electoral Commission had unpatched vulnerability on server • The Register

• Web app warning: 74% of apps with PII are vulnerable to a 'major exploit', report | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Almost 2,000 Citrix NetScaler servers backdoored in hacking campaign (bleepingcomputer.com)

• CISA Adds Citrix ShareFile Flaw to KEV Catalog Due to In-the-Wild Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Patched Citrix NetScaler Devices Still Contain Backdoors (govinfosecurity.com)

• Critical Security Flaws Affect Ivanti Avalanche, Threatening 30,000 Organizations (thehackernews.com)

• Zoom ZTP & AudioCodes Phones Flaws Uncovered, Exposing Users to Eavesdropping (thehackernews.com)

• Magento shopping cart attack targets critical vulnerability • The Register

• New Python URL Parsing Flaw Enables Command Injection Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Data centers at risk due to flaws in power management software | CyberScoop

• Bugs in transportation app Moovit gave hackers free rides | TechCrunch

• Ongoing Xurum Attacks on E-commerce Sites Exploiting Critical Magento 2 Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Google Chrome 116: more Telemetry and 26 security patches - gHacks Tech News

• Google Fixes 26 Bugs Amid Fake Update Warning - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AMD has fixed its latest security flaw - but at the cost of massive slowdowns | TechRadar

• Windows 11 update install failures are reportedly happening again – and it’s breaking the built-in antivirus | TechRadar

• Proxyjacking trend continues as attackers abuse years-old GitLab vulnerability | ITPro

• Multiple Flaws Found in the Avada WordPress Theme and Plugin - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random data is wreaking havoc | Ars Technica

Tools and Controls

• What is Cyber security Monitoring? - MSSP Alert

• XWorm, Remcos RAT Evade EDRs to Infect Critical Infrastructure (darkreading.com)

• AI-powered fraud detection: Strengthening security in fintech | The Financial Express

• Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows to enhance security with meeting ID and passcode requirement - OnMSFT.com

• MaginotDNS attacks exploit weak checks for DNS cache poisoning (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Evaluate the risks and benefits of AI in cyber security | TechTarget

• How to Choose a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Solution (darkreading.com)

• Lock Down APIs to Prevent Breaches (darkreading.com)

• How to Prevent Phishing Attacks with Multi-Factor Authentication (techrepublic.com)

• Building a secure future without traditional passwords - Help Net Security

• Passwordless is more than a buzzword among cyber security pros - Help Net Security

• SEC cyber security rules shape the future of incident management - Help Net Security

• AI a Top Risk and the Preferred Solution to Financial Crime - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Traditional vs. Enterprise Risk Management: How Do They Differ? (techtarget.com)

• Endpoint Management Statistics, Trends And Facts 2023 - Abdalslam

• SASE and requirements of business | Professional Security

• Why You Need Continuous Network Monitoring? (thehackernews.com)

• CISA releases cyber defence plan for remote monitoring and management software - SiliconANGLE

• How poor cyber security policies disrupt business continuity - IT Security Guru

• Cyber Prevention, Training Attract More Spend Than Remediation, Recovery, Execs Say - | MSSP Alert

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Other News

• Cyber attacks against the UK Electoral Commission reveal an ongoing threat to democracy (techxplore.com)

• Healthcare incurs highest data breach costs – for the 13th year in a row | Healthcare IT News

• Here's Why You Should Never Accept Unsolicited Tech by Post (makeuseof.com)

• Government highlights cyber threat to health and social care | UKAuthority

• Why is the Education Sector a Target for Cyber Attacks? | UpGuard

• Cyber security in the Entertainment Industry: Risks and Solutions | UpGuard

• What would an OT cyber attack really cost your organisation? | CSO Online

• Education has had most cyber attacks, survey finds | Education Business (educationbusinessuk.net)

• Cyber attacks Are On The Up: What Are The Risks & Remedies For Aviation? (simpleflying.com)

• Bank of Ireland ATM Glitch Hands Out 'Free' Money (gizmodo.com)

• Exclusive: 300 independent retailers affected by cyber attack | News | Retail Week (retail-week.com)

• Documentary shines spotlight on a central bank heist and threats from cyber criminals - BNN Bloomberg

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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.