Black Arrow Cyber Insight 11 April 2024 – UK Government Report Finds 50% of UK Businesses and 32% of UK Charities Suffer Breach in Last 12 Months, Lacking Effective Cyber Security

Executive Summary

The latest UK Government cyber security breaches survey has found that over half of businesses (50%) and a third of charities (32%) have suffered a cyber breach within the last 12 months. This rises to 70% for medium businesses and 66% for charities with over £500,000 in annual income. Phishing held the crown for the most predominant, impacting a significant 84% of businesses, followed by impersonation of organisations in emails or online (35% of businesses and 37% of charities). Despite the likelihood of an attack occurring, 78% of organisations remained without a formal incident response plan.

What’s the risk?

The largest impacts from being breached included: added staff time, staff prevented from carrying out daily work, repair or recovery costs, complaints from customers and loss of revenue or share value. When it came to reporting such breaches, a concerningly low 5% of businesses had informed clients and customers. Organisations must consider this, as this could mean that their supply chain has been breached without them even knowing.

The survey found that of those who had been impacted by a breach, 59% of businesses and 70% of charities reported taking action to prevent further breaches. The most common action taken to prevent further breaches for both was additional staff training. The findings highlight the importance and crucial role of staff in your organisation’s cyber security efforts.

Worryingly, despite finding that overall findings showing 80% of business run training consistently, 52% of medium businesses and only 18% of charities overall had run training sessions in the last 12 months. This figure rose to 74% for large businesses. Clearly, with the two highest causes of breaches targeting the human factor, effective and regular training to keep up to date with emerging tactics must be a top concern for organisations.

What can I do?

It is one thing to regularly run training, but it is another to make sure that training is engaging and beneficial for staff, including those at a senior level. Our training sessions are run by our cyber experts, who work with firms day in and day out to help businesses protect themselves against the latest threats. We demystify cyber security and help your employees and your leadership team to understand the risks they face in their working lives and how to protect your company.

Cyber is a matter of when, not if, and you need to have a plan. No-one wants to be improvising their security response in the event of a real cyber incident. 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.

The UK Government Cyber Breaches Survey 2024 can be found below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Will Channel Islands Fund and Asset Managers Lose Clients Because Of New EU Cyber Security Regulations?

Although the new EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) applies to regulated financial services organisations in the EU from January, the effects will be felt in the Channel Islands.

For example, if you are a fund or asset manager for a regulated EU financial services client, then you will feature on your client’s new DORA risk register that must address the risk exposure to and from other financial entities.

We expect your client will contact you to evaluate your cyber security controls. The outcome may determine whether your EU client can continue a business relationship depending on the quality of your cyber risk management, the EU client’s own risk appetite, and their interpretation of their local regulatory compliance.

Remember you will be dealing with an EU client that has been deep-diving into DORA for some time, so their knowledge and experience on this may be greater than yours at present and their questions may be challenging. Remember too that DORA includes managing the risks of third-party IT providers, so your risk analysis and management must be independent of your IT provider.

We know how long the journey can be for some organisations to implement proportionate cyber risk controls across people, operations, and technology. Your approach to managing cyber security risks is now a key competitive advantage, when your client compares your approach to that of your competitors locally and in other locations. 

We recommend starting now, to avoid being on the back foot when contacted by your EU clients. The UK Government has expressed its intention to implement similar legislation in the UK.

Contact us now to discuss our refined cyber risk analysis and leadership training designed for Channel Islands customers.

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 10 April 2024 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Adobe and SAP Updates

Executive Summary

In Microsoft’s April Patch Tuesday, updates were released to rectify 149 security issues across its product range. Notably, the update tackles two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities which are being exploited in to deploy malware. The exploited zero-day vulnerabilities allow for the bypassing of security feature prompts on SmartScreen and malicious drivers to deploy backdoors. Among these, 67 specifically addressed Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities. Among the updates provided by Microsoft were 3 critical vulnerabilities.

In addition to the Microsoft updates this week also saw Adobe and SAP provide updates for vulnerabilities in a variety of their products, with multiple rated as critical.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities allow for an attacker to distribute malware to a vulnerable system, gain remote code execution, cause a denial of service and impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

What can I do?

All vulnerabilities with an available patch should be updated as soon as possible.

---

Technical Summary

Microsoft

CVE-2024-26234: This vulnerability is caused by a malicious driver that has been signed with a valid Microsoft Hardware Publisher Certificate. The driver is used to deploy a backdoor.

CVE-2024-29988: This vulnerability, if actively exploited, allows a malicious attachment to bypass Microsoft Defenders SmartScreen prompts when a file is opened. This has been recorded as exploited by financially motivated Water Hydra hacking group.

Adobe

This month, Adobe released fixes for 24 vulnerabilities, of which 5 were rated critical, across Adobe After Effects, 2 critical vulnerabilities impacting Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Commerce and Adobe InDesign, a critical vulnerability impacting Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Media Encoder, Adobe Bridge and Adobe Illustrator and 2 critical vulnerabilities impacting Adobe Animate. At current, Adobe is not aware of any of these vulnerabilities being actively exploited. The vulnerabilities include Out of Bounds Read, Improper Input Validation, Cross-site Scripting (Stored XSS), Information Exposure and Arbitrary code execution.

SAP

This month, SAP has released 12 patches, which include 10 new releases and 2 updates from previous releases. The vulnerabilities encompass a range of issues, including Security misconfiguration, Information disclosure, Directory traversal, Denial of Service and Missing authorisation checks.

---

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

https://www.ghacks.net/2024/04/09/microsoft-releases-the-april-2024-security-updates-for-windows/

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-fixes-two-windows-zero-days-exploited-in-malware-attacks/

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe After Effects can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb24-09.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb24-16.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Commerce can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb24-18.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb24-20.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb24-21.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/media-encoder/apsb24-23.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb24-24.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb24-25.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed by SAP can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/en/my-support/knowledge-base/security-notes-news/april-2024.html

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Free Webinar for London Fund and Asset Managers: Don’t Lose Clients Because Of New EU Cyber Security Regulations

Although the new EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) applies to regulated financial services organisations in the EU from January, the effects will be felt in the London fund and asset management sector.

If you have regulated EU financial services clients for example in Ireland or Luxembourg, then you will feature on their new DORA risk register that must address the risk exposure to and from other financial entities.

We expect your client will contact you to evaluate your cyber security controls. The outcome may determine whether your EU client can continue a business relationship depending on the quality of your cyber risk management, the EU client’s own risk appetite, and their interpretation of their local regulatory compliance.

Remember you will be dealing with an EU client that has been deep-diving into DORA for some time, so their knowledge and experience on this may be greater than yours at present and their questions may be challenging. Remember too that DORA includes managing the risks of third-party IT providers, so your risk analysis and management must be independent of your IT provider.

We know how long the journey can be for some organisations to implement proportionate cyber risk controls across people, operations, and technology. Your approach to managing cyber security risks is now a key competitive advantage, when your client compares your approach to that of your competitors locally and in other locations. 

We recommend starting now, to avoid being on the back foot when contacted by your EU clients. The UK Government has expressed its intention to implement similar legislation in the UK.

Join our free webinar at 12:00 noon on Tuesday 21 May 2024, to learn more including how to conduct a proportionate cyber risk analysis and prepare for conversations with your clients. Places are limited. Contact us for details on training@blackarrowcyber.com.

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 April 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Corporations with Effective Cyber Governance Create 4 Times More Value, Boosting Shareholder Returns

According to a recent report, companies who demonstrated an advanced level of cyber security performance generated a shareholder return 372% higher than their peers over a 5 year period. The report highlighted that having board committees focused on specialised risk and audit compliance produced the best outcomes; however, it was found that only a small number of those surveyed had done this. Financial institutions and healthcare had the highest cyber security ratings, highlighting the correlation between regulatory environments and cyber security performance.

Sources: [Help Net Security ] [Dark Reading]

Ransomware Incidents Reported to UK Financial Regulator Doubled

The number of security and ransomware incidents reported to the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) surged in 2023, according to a freedom of information request. 31% of these incidents were categorised as ransomware, which had double the number of reports as the previous year. To note, these statistics address the number of ransomware incidents involving financial services that were disclosed: the number of actual incidents could be far higher.

Sources: [Digital Journal] [Digital Journal]

Half of British SMEs Have Lost Data in Past Five Years: Threat Indicators Show 2024 Already Promising to be Worse Than 2023

According to a new report, since 2019 nearly half (48%) of the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have lost access to data, potentially costing billions. The report found that nationwide, the number of businesses that lost data temporarily or permanently could amount to more than 800,000. Unfortunately, the report found that half of respondents assessed were relying on flawed backup processes, with a quarter not backing up data at all.

A number of organisations assume that they are backing data up automatically and that these backups are safe, but it is an assumption that can have cost. Added to this, some organisations are not aware that their backups can be changed, or deleted, by a malicious actor; a situation better mitigated by implementing immutable backups.

To better their situation, organisations need to understand the cause of a breach, map their data and understand where it is stored, follow the 3,2,1 rule (three copies of data, two separate locations, one in the cloud), consider immutable backups and monitor their backups. An effective backup policy will help.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Security Week] [IT Security Guru]

Researchers Report Sevenfold Increase in Data Theft Cases, as 17 billion Personal Records Exposed in Breaches in 2023

According to a global threat intelligence report, data breach incidents rose by 34.5% in 2023, with 17 billion personal records compromised throughout the year. The research also observed a 429% spike in stolen or leaked personal data in the first two months of 2024. In a separate report, Kaspersky found that roughly 10 million devices encountered data-stealing malware in 2023, a sevenfold increase since 2020.

The reports highlight the importance of ensuring that precautions and mitigations are undertaken to thwart attackers. This should include enabling multi-factor authentication, strong and unique passwords, and using a password manager.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine] [Infosecurity Magazine]

AI Abuse and Misinformation Campaigns Threaten Financial Institutions

According to the Financial Services Information Sharing Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), cyber threats relating to generative AI in financial services are a consistent concern, with threat actors using generative AI to write malware and other types of attacks. In some cases, attackers are injecting contaminated data into the large language models used by AI, in order to supply it with misinformation which will in turn feed back to financial institutions.

Not all risks are malicious, however. In some cases where generative AI uses enormous datasets, this can contain privileged information or biased data, which can in turn cost financial firms the trust of regulators, consumers and investors. The FS-ISAC stated “As we look ahead to a critical year marked by emerging technology and heightened geopolitical tensions, the best way to maintain the integrity, security, and trust of the sector is through global information sharing.”

Source: [Help Net Security]

Security Teams are ‘Overconfident’ About Handling Next-Gen Threats

In a new study of more than 8,000 cyber security decision makers, Cisco found that nearly three-quarters of organisations anticipated a cyber incident to disrupt their business in the next two years and 80% said they felt at least “moderately confident” in their ability to defend against emerging threats. In contrast, Cisco’s own analysis rated the maturity of these organisations, finding 71% were deemed to be rated as ‘formative’ or ‘beginner’, the two lowest categories.

Source: [CSO Online]

AI Makes Phishing Attacks Accessible to Basic Users

One of the big selling points of AI is its ability to allow even an unsophisticated user to advance their capability and operate at a far more damaging level. Crucially AI can enable a completely non-technical user to understand and produce technical output. Unfortunately, many cyber criminals have realised this and are using AI to sharpen the efficacy of their phishing emails. With AI, phishing emails can now be created without telltale grammatical errors, and can be convincingly formatted to use a certain style to resonate with given target audience, such as a board level executive. AI is also enabling these phishing campaigns to be replicated across languages and geographies, giving malicious actors wider nets than ever before. Whilst low sophistication ‘Nigerian Prince’ type phishing emails are still doing the rounds they are largely being replaced by much more convincing and devious legitimate looking emails.

Source: [The Economic Times]

Cyber Attacks Wreaking Physical Disruption on the Rise

According to a report, more than 500 industrial operational technology (OT) sites worldwide suffered physical consequences as the result of a cyber attack last year, a near 20% rise from the previous year. The report found that some of the attacks cost the organisation up to $100 million in damages.

Attacks on utilities, water, energy, and other critical national infrastructure (CNI) have seen a sharp rise over the last year, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and actions by nation state aggressors such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, as well as hacktivist groups and other malicious actors.

Threats to IT may be better known than threats to OT, but the latter can result in very serious real world consequences, ultimately leading to potential mass loss of life events.

Source: [Dark Reading]

73% Brace for Cyber Security Impact on Business in Next Two Years

A survey has found that 73% of organisations are expecting a business disruption relating to a cyber incident in the next 12 to 24 months. Part of this was based on previous experiences, with 54% experiencing a cyber incident in the last 12 months, and 52% of those impacted reporting costs of at least $300,000. 87% reported issues with talent, and 46% reported having more than 10 unfilled roles related to cyber security.

Source: [Help Net Security]

To Stay Ahead of Ransomware Businesses Need to Adopt An Offensive Security Mindset

2023 was the most lucrative year yet for ransomware attacks and it was also the year that saw the biggest shift in ransomware tactics, with the majority of ransomware actors now implementing data exfiltration and extortion, in addition to encryption. As it is getting harder for organisations to defend against these attacks and to stay ahead of ransomware, organisations need to develop an offensive security mindset, working out how an attacker might gain access to their systems. This includes keeping up with the latest tactics, communicating this throughout the organisation and running threat-led attack simulations.

Source: [IBTimes]

Cyber Security Imperative for Protecting Executives

The stakes are high in cyber security, and particularly for executives whose positions amplify the potential fall out and damage from cyber incidents. The variety of sensitive information that they have access to, and their authority in the organisation, makes them a desirable target for business email compromise.

Organisations need to implement a robust security culture, led by executives, to foster an environment where cyber threats are understood and mitigated. As part of this, training needs to be given to the whole organisation, including executives.

Executives may have historically excluded themselves from security controls, yet ironically it is this exclusion and their position in the organisation that makes them such a lucrative target.

Source: [Forbes]

The Increasing Role of Cyber Security Experts in Complex Legal Disputes

Expert witnesses have been known to play significant roles in matters where their valuable insight is required. In today’s world, with the number of high-stake crimes now involving technology, cyber security professionals have become some of the most sought-after experts.

Disputes involving highly complex cyber crimes typically require more technical experience than is on hand, and the contributions of a cyber expert are significant in uncovering critical evidence and shaping the legal strategy, as well as explaining cyber security in the courtroom.

Source: [JDSupra]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Ransomware incidents reported to UK financial regulator have doubled - Digital Journal

• AI abuse and misinformation campaigns threaten financial institutions - Help Net Security

• Half of British SMEs Have Lost Data in Past Five Years - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Big Question: Are SMEs now at the forefront of cyber risks? - Emerging Risks Media Ltd

• Threat Indicators Show 2024 Is Already Promising to be Worse Than 2023 - Security Week

• Is the Human Factor Overlooked in Cyber Security? - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security teams are ‘overconfident’ about handling next-gen threats | CSO Online

• Banks told to expand risk management to cover AI (finextra.com)

• Corporations With Cyber Governance Create 4X More Value (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Leaders Struggle With Heightened Job Expectations, Communicating With Board - WSJ

• 73% brace for cyber security impact on business in the next year or two - Help Net Security

• Businesses overestimating their skills amid cyber security crisis, survey reveals (holyrood.com)

• Why your data isn’t as safe as you think and what it could cost you - IT Security Guru

• Unspoken Battle: Cyber Security Imperative For Protecting Executives (forbes.com)

• The Increasing Role Of Cyber Security Experts In Complex Legal Disputes | IMS Legal Strategies - JDSupra

• Businesses must prioritise prevention to lock out online threats (yahoo.com)

• CISOs Are Facing Challenges In Proactive Threat Defence And Compliance Management (forbes.com)

• As Cyber Regulators Rush Toward New Rules, Shifting Foundations May Complicate Compliance | Wiley Rein LLP - JDSupra

• Lessons from the World's Costliest Corporate Cyber Attacks - Management Today

• Three trends set to drive cyber attacks in 2024 (networkingplus.co.uk)

• Why Cyber Security Is a Whole-of-Society Issue (darkreading.com)

• Instilling the Hacker Mindset Organisationwide (darkreading.com)

• How CISOs Can Make Cyber Security a Long-Term Priority for Boards (darkreading.com)

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Cyber security incidences surge in the UK financial services sector - Digital Journal

• Ransomware attacks rise by 46% in February 2024, finds NCC Group (securitybrief.co.nz)

• To Stay Ahead Of Ransomware Attacks, Businesses Need To Adopt An Offensive Security Mindset | IBTimes

• RDP Abuse Present in 90% of Ransomware Breaches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How will the Merck settlement affect the insurance industry? (securityintelligence.com)

• Lessons From the LockBit Takedown (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware attackers are increasingly targeting backups — so make sure yours are protected | TechRadar

• Unveiling the Fallout: Operation Cronos' Impact on LockBit Following Landmark Disruption | Trend Micro (US)

• Trend Micro: LockBit ransomware gang's comeback is failing | TechTarget

• Hosting firm's VMware ESXi servers hit by new SEXi ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Collaboration Needed to Fight Ransomware (darkreading.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Ransomware attacks ravaged municipal governments in March | TechTarget

• NHS Scotland confirms ransomware attackers leaked patients' data - Help Net Security

• Yacht retailer MarineMax discloses data breach after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How will the Merck settlement affect the insurance industry? (securityintelligence.com)

• Ransomware gang leaks UK city council’s confidential files • The Register

• Omni Hotels confirms cyber attack behind ongoing IT outage (bleepingcomputer.com)

• World’s second-largest lens-maker blinded by cyber incident • The Register

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• This new phishing attack targets iPhone and Android alike via RCS | TechRadar

• Cloud Email Filtering Bypass Attack Works 80% of the Time (darkreading.com)

• $1.28 Million Lost From Crypto Phishing Attacks (coinpedia.org)

• Naked photos sent in WhatsApp ‘phishing’ attacks on UK MPs and staff – POLITICO

• Cyber security: Enabled by AI, phishing becomes quite simple - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Massive Phishing Campaign Strikes Latin America: Venom RAT Targeting Multiple Sectors (thehackernews.com)

• Phishing Attacks Targeting Political Parties, Germany Warns (govinfosecurity.com)

• A phish by any other name should still not be clicked – Computerworld

• Google now blocks spoofed emails for better phishing protection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Phishing Campaign Targets Oil & Gas with Evolved Data-Stealing Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft Teams phishing attacks and how to prevent them | TechTarget

Artificial Intelligence

• Banks told to expand risk management to cover AI (finextra.com)

• AI abuse and misinformation campaigns threaten financial institutions - Help Net Security

• 22% of employees admit to breaching company rules with GenAI - Help Net Security

• The Danger Of Unmanaged AI In The Enterprise (forbes.com)

• 6 Prompts You Don't Want Employees Putting in Microsoft Copilot (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft Copilot Blocked on US Congress Devices Over Security Concerns | Cryptopolitan

• Cyber security: Enabled by AI, phishing becomes quite simple - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

• Microsoft Announces New Safety System to Filter Malicious AI Output | Extremetech

• Microsoft GM on AI and elections: 'There will be fakes' • The Register

• Why AI forensics matters now - Help Net Security

• Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to counter North Korean cyber threats, China in the game as well - MSPoweruser

• More Than Half of Organisations Plan to Adopt AI Solutions in Coming Year, Reports Cloud Security Alliance and Google Cloud (darkreading.com)

• The ‘complicated relationship’ between AI and cyber security (siliconrepublic.com)

• ‘Many-shot jailbreak’: lab reveals how AI safety features can be easily bypassed | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

• Chinese hackers turn to AI to meddle in elections | CyberScoop

• Security and AI occupy SME thoughts | Microscope (computerweekly.com)

Malware

• Escalating malware tactics drive global cyber crime epidemic - Help Net Security

• Linux Version of DinodasRAT Spotted in Cyber Attacks Across Several Countries (thehackernews.com)

• TheMoon Malware Rises Again with Malicious Botnet for Hire (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Target macOS Users with Malicious Ads Spreading Stealer Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Vultur Android Banking Trojan Returns with Upgraded Remote Control Capabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Botnets: The uninvited guests that just won’t leave | CSO Online

• Detecting Windows-based Malware Through Better Visibility (thehackernews.com)

• Apple macOS users targeted with more cyber attacks via dodgy ads and websites | TechRadar

• Massive Phishing Campaign Strikes Latin America: Venom RAT Targeting Multiple Sectors (thehackernews.com)

• Europe subjected to Mispadu trojan attacks | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• YouTube Video Game ‘Hacks’ Contain Malware Links - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Biggest Takeaways from Recent Malware Attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Thousands of Australian Businesses Targeted With RAT (darkreading.com)

• Cyber criminals are spreading malware through Facebook pages impersonating AI brands (therecord.media)

Mobile

• This new phishing attack targets iPhone and Android alike via RCS | TechRadar

• 2 wireless protocols expose mobile users to spying — the FCC wants to fix that - Nextgov/FCW

• This notorious Android banking trojan now lets hackers remotely control your phone — how to stay safe | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com)

• Location tracking and the battle for digital privacy - Help Net Security

• How and why to enable Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone (idownloadblog.com)

• Google fixed two actively exploited Pixel vulnerabilities (securityaffairs.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• New HTTP/2 Vulnerability Exposes Web Servers to DoS Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Porsche Kills Two More Models Due to Cyber Security Regulations - autoevolution

• UK Encouraged to Prioritise Cyber Security with Electric Vehicle Charging Points - Electrical Times

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Researchers Report Sevenfold Increase in Data Theft Cases - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Highly sensitive files mysteriously disappeared from EUROPOL headquarters (securityaffairs.com)

• Threat Actor Claims Classified Five Eyes Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 17 Billion Personal Records Exposed in Data Breaches in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Almost 2.9M impacted by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care breach | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Hot Topic confirms multiple new cyber attacks — customer details and payment info exposed online | TechRadar

• Ivanti-linked breach of CISA potentially affected more than 100,000 individuals | CyberScoop

• Prudential Insurance says data of 36,000 exposed during February cyber attack (therecord.media)

• OWASP discloses a data breach (securityaffairs.com)

• Hotel Self Check-In Kiosks Exposed Room Access Codes - Security Week

• Nearly 1M medical records feared stolen from City of Hope • The Register

• SurveyLama data breach exposes info of 4.4 million users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cyber criminals steal data of around 700,000 Apotheka pharmacy customers | News | ERR

• PandaBuy data breach allegedly impacted +1.3M customers (securityaffairs.com)

• OWASP discloses breach due to a Wiki web server misconfig • The Register

• US cancer center data breach exposes info of 827,000 patients (bleepingcomputer.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• Escalating malware tactics drive global cyber crime epidemic - Help Net Security

• Threat Indicators Show 2024 Is Already Promising to be Worse Than 2023 - Security Week

• Calls to Incident Response Helpline Double in a Year - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Rise of non-tech hackers: new era of cyber threats - VnExpress International

• India rescuing citizens forced into cyber fraud schemes in Cambodia | Reuters

• Cyber criminal adoption of browser fingerprinting - Help Net Security

• With just $700 and a Raspberry Pi — you too can become a cyber criminal | TechRadar

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years for crypto fraud (cnbc.com)

• $1.28 Million Lost From Crypto Phishing Attacks (coinpedia.org)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Is the Human Factor Overlooked in Cyber Security? - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Human risk is the top cyber threat for IT teams - Help Net Security

• Instilling the Hacker Mindset Organisation wide (darkreading.com)

Insurance

• Can cyber insurance help secure business? | Mint (livemint.com)

• How will the Merck settlement affect the insurance industry? (securityintelligence.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Thwarted supply-chain hack sets off alarm bells across DC - POLITICO

Cloud/SaaS

• How much does cloud-based identity expand your attack surface? - Help Net Security

• Who owns your data? SaaS contract security, privacy red flags | CSO Online

• Cloud Email Filtering Bypass Attack Works 80% of the Time (darkreading.com)

Identity and Access Management

• How much does cloud-based identity expand your attack surface? - Help Net Security

Linux and Open Source

• "We got lucky": What the XZ Utils backdoor says about the strength and insecurities of open source | ITPro

• New Linux Bug Could Lead to User Password Leaks and Clipboard Hijacking (thehackernews.com)

• Red Hat warns of backdoor in XZ tools used by most Linux distros (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A new XZ backdoor scanner will be able to safeguard any Linux binary from threats (msn.com)

• What we know about the xz Utils backdoor that almost infected the world | Ars Technica

• Malicious xz backdoor reveals fragility of open source • The Register

• Linux Version of DinodasRAT Spotted in Cyber Attacks Across Several Countries (thehackernews.com)

• German state switches to LibreOffice, promises Windows move • The Register

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Cisco warns of password-spraying attacks targeting VPN services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• American fast-fashion firm Hot Topic hit by credential stuffing attacks (securityaffairs.com)

Social Media

• Cyber criminals are spreading malware through Facebook pages impersonating AI brands (therecord.media)

• WhatsApp was down in Meta’s second big outage this year | TechCrunch

• YouTube Video Game ‘Hacks’ Contain Malware Links - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malvertising

• Apple macOS users targeted with more cyber attacks via dodgy ads and websites | TechRadar

• New Chrome feature aims to stop hackers from using stolen cookies (bleepingcomputer.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• Human risk is the top cyber threat for IT teams - Help Net Security

• Instilling the Hacker Mindset Organisation wide (darkreading.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Ransomware incidents reported to UK financial regulator have doubled - Digital Journal

• Financial cyber defence: gearing up for DORA (finextra.com)

• EU's reimagined NIS 2 cyber security vision to go live (electronicspecifier.com)

• Navigating Cyber Security and Data Privacy Regulations in the Insurance Industry | McGuireWoods LLP - JDSupra

• 6 business benefits of data protection and GDPR compliance | TechTarget

• Treasury accuses banks of 'insufficient data sharing' on fraud | American Banker

• A CISO's Guide to Materiality and Risk Determination (darkreading.com)

• NIS2 Requires Major Changes in EU SaaS Cyber Security - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Using the NIST CSF for Strong Cyber Security Compliance | NAVEX - JDSupra

• NIST And CISA: 13 Must-Review Resources For SMBs (forbes.com)

• Are businesses prepared for the CSF 2.0 challenge? - Digital Journal

Backup and Recovery

• World Backup Day triggers call for holistic cyber security overhaul (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Ransomware attackers are increasingly targeting backups — so make sure yours are protected | TechRadar

• Data protection vs. data backup: How are they different? | TechTarget

Data Protection

• 3 Strategies to Future-Proof Data Privacy (darkreading.com)

• Navigating Cyber Security and Data Privacy Regulations in the Insurance Industry | McGuireWoods LLP - JDSupra

• 6 business benefits of data protection and GDPR compliance | TechTarget

• How to conduct a data privacy audit, step by step | TechTarget

• Data protection vs. data backup: How are they different? | TechTarget

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The Complexity and Need to Manage Mental Well-Being in the Security Team - Security Week

• Cyber Leaders Struggle With Heightened Job Expectations, Communicating With Board - WSJ

• Hardest Cyber Security Jobs to Fill in 2024 Techopedia

• Unlocking Cyber Security Success: The Importance of Certifications - ClearanceJobs

• CISOs Are Facing Challenges In Proactive Threat Defence And Compliance Management (forbes.com)

• Are you okay? Understanding the world of a CISO | CSO Online

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• AI abuse and misinformation campaigns threaten financial institutions - Help Net Security

• Microsoft GM on AI and elections: 'There will be fakes' • The Register

• How to Counter Disinformation Campaigns in Global Elections (darkreading.com)

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Wars prompt questions for facial recognition providers, and obscure the answers | Biometric Update

• UN Peace Operations Under Fire from State-Sponsored Hackers (darkreading.com)

Nation State Actors

China

• Chinese Spy Ops Attack 7 MSPs, Feds Allege | MSSP Alert

• UK minister confirmed as 12th target in Westminster ‘spear-phishing’ scandal – POLITICO

• Pulling the Curtain Back on China’s Cyberespionage (informationweek.com)

• MPs challenge government claims China cyber attack was unsuccessful (ft.com)

• Chinese hackers turn to AI to meddle in elections | CyberScoop

• Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to counter North Korean cyber threats, China in the game as well - MSPoweruser

• OODA Loop - Government Agencies are in the Fight Against Chinese Human Targeting and Cyber Espionage. Will it be Enough?

• UK, Czech ministers among China’s hacking targets – POLITICO

• Security fears over supercomputer deal with Chinese firm Lenovo (thetimes.co.uk)

• Ministry of State Security releases bilingual report, urging Western forces to stop slandering and attacking China - China Military

Russia

• Ukraine gives award to foreign vigilantes for hacks on Russia - BBC News

• STA: Russian hackers take responsibility for cyber attack on Slovenia

• Exclusive: Hackers stole Russian prisoner database to avenge death of Navalny | CNN Politics

• Russian network that 'paid European politicians' busted, authorities claim - BBC News

• Russia charges suspects behind theft of 160,000 credit cards (bleepingcomputer.com)

Iran

• Iran's Evolving Cyber Enabled Influence Operations to Support Hamas (darkreading.com)

• Satellite Cyber Security, Iran, and the Israel-Hamas War | Geopolitical Monitor

North Korea

• Microsoft and OpenAI collaborated to counter North Korean cyber threats, China in the game as well - MSPoweruser

• A Vigilante Hacker Took Down North Korea’s Internet. Now He’s Taking Off His Mask | WIRED

---

Vulnerability Management

• Vulnerability database backlog due to increased volume, changes in 'support,' NIST says (therecord.media)

• CVE and NVD - A Weak and Fractured Source of Vulnerability Truth - Security Week

• Attack Surface Management vs. Vulnerability Management (thehackernews.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Are You Affected by the Backdoor in XZ Utils? (darkreading.com)

• Red Hat issues urgent alert for Fedora Linux users due to malicious code (betanews.com)

• Hosting firm's VMware ESXi servers hit by new SEXi ransomware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco warns of password-spraying attacks targeting VPN services (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cisco addressed high-severity flaws in IOS and IOS XE software (securityaffairs.com)

• Ivanti commits to secure-by-design overhaul • The Register

• Ivanti Rushes Patches for 4 New Flaws in Connect Secure and Policy Secure (thehackernews.com)

• Apple GoFetch was caused by an obsession with speed • The Register

• Heartbleed is 10 Years Old – Farewell Heartbleed, Hello QuantumBleed! - Security Week

• Critical Security Flaw Found in Popular LayerSlider WordPress Plugin (thehackernews.com)

• WiFi WPS vulnerability: disable it, or else | Cybernews

• Critical Vulnerability in Progress Flowmon Allows Remote Access to Systems - Security Week

• Google fixed two actively exploited Pixel vulnerabilities (securityaffairs.com)

• Splunk Patches Vulnerabilities in Enterprise Product - Security Week

• JetBrains fixes 26 'security problems,' offering no details • The Register

---

Tools and Controls

• RDP Abuse Present in 90% of Ransomware Breaches - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New XZ backdoor scanner detects implant in any Linux binary (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The ‘complicated relationship’ between AI and cyber security (siliconrepublic.com)

• How much does cloud-based identity expand your attack surface? - Help Net Security

• How Pentesting-as-a-Service can Reduce Overall Security Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Building a cyber security risk assessment template - Security Boulevard

• Microsoft unveils safety and security tools for generative AI | InfoWorld

• The Biggest Mistake Security Teams Make When Buying Tools (darkreading.com)

• World Backup Day triggers call for holistic cyber security overhaul (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Cloud Email Filtering Bypass Attack Works 80% of the Time (darkreading.com)

• Can cyber insurance help secure business? | Mint (livemint.com)

• 71% Website Vulnerable: API Security Becomes Prime Target for Hackers - Security Boulevard

• Old Technology, New Tricks: Why DNS Is Still A Major Security Target (forbes.com)

• Cyber Risk Management: A Beginner's Guide - Security Boulevard

• Microsoft Entra Recommendations adds several more for better user security - Neowin

• A CISO's Guide to Materiality and Risk Determination (darkreading.com)

• Ransomware attackers are increasingly targeting backups — so make sure yours are protected | TechRadar

• Attack Surface Management vs. Vulnerability Management (thehackernews.com)

• Why a Cloud Security Platform Approach is Critical | Trend Micro (US)

• The Importance Of Physical Cyber Security Testing (forbes.com)

• CISOs Are Facing Challenges In Proactive Threat Defence And Compliance Management (forbes.com)

• Human risk is the top cyber threat for IT teams - Help Net Security

• Data protection vs. data backup: How are they different? | TechTarget

• What is Threat Management? - Security Boulevard

• SIEM Implementation: Strategies and Best Practices | MSSP Alert

• Is Windows Defender All the Antivirus Protection You Need? (makeuseof.com)

Other News

• Cyber Attacks Wreaking Physical Disruption on the Rise (darkreading.com)

• Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure show advanced tactics and new capabilities - Help Net Security

• Is your pension protected from cyber attacks? - CityAM

• Cyber Safety Review Board: Microsoft security culture 'inadequate' (geekwire.com)

• Microsoft slammed for lax infosec that led to Exchange crack • The Register

• Infosec professionals praise CSRB report on Microsoft breach | TechTarget

• 76% of consumers don't see themselves as cyber crime targets - Help Net Security

• Shielding the lifelines: Protecting energy and infrastructure from cyber threats (betanews.com)

• Cyber Security Statistics In 2024: Is Your Law Firm Protected? - Above the Law

• Sellafield nuclear waste dump faces prosecution over cyber security failures (bitdefender.com)

• Australia Doubles Down On Cyber Security After Attacks (darkreading.com)

• Furry Hackers Use Church's Money To Buy Inflatable Sea Lions (dailydot.com)

• Windows 10 Support Deadline: Your Guide to Extended Security Updates (ESU) (mspoweruser.com)

• Healthcare's cyber resilience under siege as attacks multiply - Help Net Security

• Rise of non-tech hackers: new era of cyber threats - VnExpress International

• Why Cultural Institutions Are Rich Targets for Cyber Attackers  (informationweek.com)

• 5 top OT threats and security challenges | TechTarget

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Alert 03 April 2024 – Backdoor in Linux Poses Significant Supply Chain Risk

Executive summary

Over the last few days, a supply chain compromise impacting a wide variety of Linux distributions was identified. Malicious code in the form of a backdoor in XZ Utils was identified by Andres Freud, an employee at Microsoft. XZ Utils is data compression software which is present in a significant number of Linux distributions. The malicious code may allow unauthorised access to affected systems. Research has indicated that the backdoor was inserted two years ago and its potential impact has been compared to that of the SolarWinds backdoor in 2020. Of particular note, the vulnerability was identified through the curiosity of a Microsoft engineer, once again highlighting that attacks are a matter of when, not if.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

There is a significant risk that a large number of Linux distributions, and some Mac users are impacted by the vulnerability, which can allow an attacker to perform remote arbitrary code execution and with the exploit now going public, there is a chance that threat actors may try exploit this before it is patched. The Linux operating system is often present across corporate networks and can also be found on devices such as routers, switches, printers and others.

What can I do?

According to The US Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and IBM-owned Red Hat, the impacted versions are the two most recent versions, 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 of the XZ Utils libraries. CISA has recommended that until a fix is produced, users downgrade XZ Utils to an uncompromised version, such as 5.4.6. As such, organisations are recommended to check if they are running vulnerable versions and apple mitigations with immediate effect. A list of the vulnerable distributions and versions availably from Microsoft, linked a the bottom of this alert; however, it should be highlighted that this situation is still ongoing and there may be more may be identified.

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-3094– Malicious code identified in XZ Utils, starting with versions 5.6.0. the code allows any software linked to a modified Liblzma library, a crucial dependency for OpenSSH, to intercept and modify data interaction with the library. The CVSS score is 10.

Further information can be found below.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-defender-vulnerability/microsoft-faq-and-guidance-for-xz-utils-backdoor/ba-p/4101961

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2024/03/29/reported-supply-chain-compromise-affecting-xz-utils-data-compression-library-cve-2024-3094

https://www.zscaler.com/blogs/security-research/cve-advisory-cve-2024-3094-security-compromise-xz-utils

Further information

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

The 31 of March is World Backup Day, Yes, there is a ‘day’ for everything now. Take a few minutes on this one, though

Making, and safeguarding, a regular backup copy of your systems is an essential part of making your business more resilient when it is attacked. But backups only work if they are done correctly.

The numbers of firms falling victims to attack are rising, with 75% of UK businesses experienced a cyber incident last year, and with ransomware attacks having jumped 73%.

Cyber attackers go for the jugular, by targeting and destroying your backup; this pins you into a corner and forces you to pay a ransom to get your data back since you have no other options. That’s why immutable backups offer a powerful solution: by design, they cannot be altered or deleted by the attacker.

Equally, you need to check that you really can recover your systems from your backup when the time comes. This is not just about recovering one single file that you accidentally deleted; this is about getting enough evidence that you should be able to recover all your priority systems if the worst happens. That assurance comes through testing, and by understanding what the test actually proves.

World Backup Day serves as an annual reminder to perform and test backups, and better protect your data. A key feature is to inform yourself from experts and validate your assumptions. Reach out to us for a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your specific needs and proportionate options.

 How to arrange your call:

1. Visit our website: https://www.blackarrowcyber.com/contact

2. Include the word “Backup.”

3. We will get back to you shortly.

 Happy World Backup Day

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 29 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Only 3% of Organisations Globally are Fully Prepared for Cyber Threats

A new report released by Cisco found that only 3% of organisations globally are considered to be at a “mature” level of readiness that is needed to be resilient against today’s cyber threats. In contrast, 80% of the companies surveyed felt moderately to very confident in their ability to defend against a threat.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents expect a cyber incident to disrupt their business in the next 12 to 24 months. For many, this was based on past experience, with more than half of respondents saying that they had experienced a cyber security incident in the last 12 months, and of those, more than half of said it cost them at least $300,000. To address this, 97% of companies expect to increase their cyber security budgets in the next 12 months.

Sources: [PR Newswire] [SiliconANGLE]

China Cyber Attacks a Reminder Beijing Poses ‘Constant and Sophisticated’ Threat to Western Cyber Security

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has now implicated a Chinese-backed hacking group, APT31, in attempts to target a group of MPs. Whilst this shows how advanced the threat from China has become, it should not be a surprise. It has been alleged that the hacking campaign targeted a broad swathe of private individuals, as well as strategically important companies and government officials. Geopolitical tensions are at an all-time high, as Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith, one of those targeted by the campaign says, “we must now enter a new era of relations with China, dealing with the contemporary Chinese Communist party as it really is, not as we would wish it to be.”

Sources: [Sky News] [GovInfoSecurity] [The Guardian]

Companies With Advanced Cyber Security Performance Deliver Nearly Four Times’ Higher Shareholder Return Than Their Peers

A recent report underscores the pivotal role of cyber security in financial performance, revealing that companies with genuinely advanced levels of cyber security maturity generate a 372% higher shareholder return compared to those with lower levels of maturity, as observed over a five-year period. Notably, companies with engaged board members and specialised risk committees achieve superior cyber security performance. Despite regulatory requirements, only 3% of UK organisations have a cyber security expert on their board, emphasising the need for greater board-level engagement in cyber risk management. Industries like healthcare and financial services lead in cyber security ratings, underscoring the correlation between regulatory environments and cyber security performance.

Source: [Business Wire] [Computer Weekly]

Hackers Hit High-Risk Individuals’ Personal Accounts

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is warning that attackers faced with well-managed corporate cyber security defences, are instead turning their efforts to compromise high-risk individuals’ devices and accounts.

A high-risk individual is anyone who has access to or influence over sensitive information. For an attacker, these individuals can present a less complex route. They already know the individual has access to the data they want, it is just a case of compromising that individual.

Source: [Gov Info Security]

Cyber Security Threats in International Relations: Are We Prepared for a Digital Pearl Harbour?

Cyber security threats have reached unprecedented levels, posing significant risks to organisations and nations worldwide, with global costs predicted to soar to $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, a significant increase from $6 trillion in 2021. Recent reports from IBM Security X-Force reveal that organisations face an average of 270 cyber attacks per year, equivalent to an attack every business day, underlining the persistent nature of the threat and reinforcing the old question of ‘when’ not 'if' an organisation will get hit.

The report warns of the possibility of large-scale, coordinated attacks, akin to a “Digital Pearl Harbor,” on vital infrastructure such as power grids and financial markets, with ransomware-based attacks being identified as a major risk. The emergence of cyber warfare blurs the distinction between espionage and acts of war, underscoring the need for international standards and agreements. Despite the focus on cyber threats, many organisations have risk management gaps.

Source: [Eurasia Review]

High Net Worths Urged to Improve Digital Hygiene in Fight Against Cyber Crime

High net worth individuals and their families are often targets for cyber criminals who seek to steal their money, identity, intellectual property and corporate data, and attacks are increasing. With the current state of the world, there is significant information that is publicly available. This, added to the fact that many high-net-worth individuals have lesser security controls than corporations, makes them a more lucrative target.

As these types of attacks continue to increase, it is important for individuals to ensure they are demonstrating good cyber hygiene through actions including the adoption of multi-factor authentication, limiting unnecessary social media from themselves and their family (including holidays) and understanding current tactics to be able to spot and mitigate them.

Source: [Financial Times]

Key Lessons from Microsoft’s Password Spray Hack: Secure Every Account

Earlier this year, Microsoft discovered they had been the victim of a hack orchestrated by Russian-state hackers. The attack was not highly sophisticated; in fact, it involved simply spraying passwords into an old, inactive account. Password spraying is a simple brute force technique, which has the attacker trying the same password against multiple accounts. In this case, it was enough to be able to allow attackers to commit further exfiltration.

Picture your organisation: can you guarantee that no account is using the password “Password123”? Whilst organisations may focus on protecting privileged accounts, the attack shows that every account needs to be secured, as they are all entry points to your organisation. To combat this, organisations should look to implement robust password policies and multi-factor authentication.

Source: [The Hacker News]

Mitigating Third-Party Risk Requires a Collaborative, Thorough Approach

Mitigating third-party risk may seem daunting when considering the slew of incoming regulations coupled with the increasingly advanced tactics of cyber criminals. However, most organisations have more agency and flexibility than they think they do. Third-party risk management can be built on top of existing risk governance practices and security controls that are currently implemented in the organisation. Understanding the vendor landscape, categorising vendors based on criticality, and developing tailored governance plans are crucial steps. Contractual obligations, tailored to industry standards, play a pivotal role in ensuring security measures are upheld. Additionally, establishing a robust exit strategy is imperative to safeguard data integrity post-partnership. By fostering a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement, organisations can navigate the complexities of third-party risk management effectively.

Source: [Dark Reading]

IT Leaders Struggle to Keep up With Emerging Threats, as 92% of IT Leaders Say Cyber Threats Are on the Rise, 51% See AI Attacks for the First Time

A recent survey of over 800 IT and security leaders highlights the escalating threat landscape fuelled by emerging technologies, with AI-powered attacks identified as the most serious and challenging. 92% of respondents report a year-over-year increase in cyber attacks with 95% noting heightened sophistication.

Organisations reported facing AI-powered attacks (51%), deepfake technology and supply chain attacks (both 36%), cloud jacking (35%), Internet of Things (IoT) attacks and 5G network exploits (both 34%), and fileless attacks (24%). But it is not just newer attacks; organisations are still contending with prevalent attacks like phishing, malware, and ransomware. The survey found that 84% of respondents say that phishing and smishing have become more difficult to detect with the rise in popularity of AI-powered tools, revealing that AI-powered phishing is their top concern (42%) when it comes to AI security.

With so many constantly evolving threats, and with new ones being added to the mix all the time, it is becoming more and more difficult for IT leaders to keep on top of these emerging threats.

Source: [Beta News] [The Fast Mode]

Only 5% of Boards Have Cyber Security Expertise

There is a concerning gap in cyber expertise on corporate boards, with only 5% of businesses having a cyber expert onboard, despite a direct correlation between strong cyber security and higher financial performance. Countries like France have 10% representation while Canada lags behind at just 1%. Integration of cyber experts into specialised risk committees significantly boosts cyber security performance. Furthermore, advanced security ratings translate to significantly better financial returns over three and five-year periods, underlining the pivotal role of cyber security in overall business health.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Google’s New AI Search Results Promotes Sites Pushing Malware and Scams

Earlier this month, Google began rolling out a feature called Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) in its search results, which provides AI-generated quick summaries, including site recommendations. These results, however, are pushing scams and malware. BleepingComputer found that the listed sites promoted by SGE tend to use the .online top level domain, the same HTML templates, and the same sites to perform redirects, stating “This similarity indicates that they are all part of the same SEO [search engine optimisation] poisoning campaign that allowed them to be part of the Google index.” When clicking on the site in the Google search results, visitors will go through a series of redirects until they reach a scam site. This matter highlights the need for users to stay cognisant, even when using AI to improve quality of life.

Source: [Bleeping Computer]

Report Calls Out Cyber Risks to Financial Sector Fuelled by AI

A recent report by the US Department of the Treasury has identified AI-driven cyber fraud as the primary concern for financial institutions. Smaller firms, in particular, struggle with AI development, which intensifies security concerns. Despite a focus on cyber security, risk management lapses are common across institutions. The report further notes that nearly a third of these institutions are yet to address the evolving tactics of threat actors, including social engineering, malvertising, and QR code phishing. More than 2 in 5 have pointed to the increasing use of generative AI for scaling and automating attacks as a lingering risk factor. The report emphasises that, even without mandates, there’s an urgent need for financial institutions to bolster their risk management and cyber security practices to counter these AI-driven threats.

Source: [CyberScoop]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Hackers Hit High-Risk Individuals' Personal Accounts (govinfosecurity.com)

• Only 5% of Boards Have Cyber Security Expertise - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Wealthy urged to improve digital hygiene in fight against cyber crime (ft.com)

• How threat intelligence data maximizes business operations - Help Net Security

• IT leaders struggle to keep up with emerging threats (betanews.com)

• More than half of organisations fall victim to cyber attacks (betanews.com)

• Companies With Advanced Cyber Security Performance Deliver Nearly Four Times’ Higher Shareholder Return Than Their Peers, According to Diligent and Bitsight | Business Wire

• Microsoft: 87% of UK Businesses Are Unprepared for Cyber Attacks (techrepublic.com)

• 92% of IT Leaders Say Cyber Threats Are on the Rise, 51% See AI Attacks for the First Time (thefastmode.com)

• Shareholders win when businesses do better at cyber | Computer Weekly

• Getting Security Remediation on the Boardroom Agenda (darkreading.com)

• New Cyber Threats to Challenge Financial Services Sector in 2024 (darkreading.com)

• The cyber security skills shortage: A CISO perspective | CSO Online

• Cyber security essentials during M&A surge - Help Net Security

• Companies told cyber security has to be cross business concern (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• It's Time to Stop Measuring Security in Absolutes (darkreading.com)

• True Cost of a Cyber Security Breach for Your Business - Converge

• 35 cyber security statistics to lose sleep over in 2024 (techtarget.com)

• Changing role of CISO | Professional Security

• 3 Challenges CISOs Face in 2024 as Cyber Threats Explode | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• Cyber security plans should centre on resilience | MIT Sloan

• Debunking compliance myths in the digital era - Help Net Security

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware: lessons all companies can learn from the British Library attack - Exponential-e Blog

• 78% of organisations plan to increase ransomware protection | Security Magazine

• The human impact of ransomware attacks: how can businesses protect their security professionals? - IT Security Guru

• Rising ransomware attacks amplify World Backup Day's importance (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Building Resiliency in the Face of Ransomware  - Security Boulevard

• Worldwide Agenda Ransomware Wave Targets VMware ESXi Servers (darkreading.com)

• US offers $10 million bounty for info on 'Blackcat' hackers who hit UnitedHealth (yahoo.com)

• Healthcare Under Ransomware Attacks - Part 1: BlackCat/AlphV - VMRay

• Healthcare Under Ransomware Attacks - Part 2: LockBit - VMRay

• Healthcare Under Ransomware Attacks - Part 3: Rhysida - VMRay

Ransomware Victims

• Hackers threaten to publish huge cache of NHS Scotland data - BBC News

• Alleged sale of Communication Workers Union’s users data (marcoramilli.com)

• Scullion LAW becomes victim of cyber attack | Scottish Legal News

• Panera Bread experiencing nationwide IT outage since Saturday (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Clorox audit flagged systemic flaws in cyber security at manufacturing plants (detroitnews.com)

• Big Issue working with NCSC, NCA and Met Police to investigate cyber incident - IT Security Guru

• Western Isles council tax bills delayed due to cyber attack - BBC News

• Vietnam Securities Broker Suffered Cyber Attack That Suspended Trading (darkreading.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• 'Darcula' Phishing-as-a-Service Operation Bleeds Victims Worldwide (darkreading.com)

• New StrelaStealer Phishing Attacks Hit Over 100 Organisations in EU. and US (thehackernews.com)

• ThreatLabz 2023 Phishing Report | ITPro

• New MFA-bypassing phishing kit targets Microsoft 365, Gmail accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US organisations targeted with emails delivering NetSupport RAT - Help Net Security

• Fake Ozempic Deals on the Rise as Experts Warn of Phishing Scams - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Scammers steal millions from FTX, BlockFi claimants - Help Net Security

• Security awareness training meets a new obstacle: Generative AI | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Alert: New Phishing Attack Delivers Keylogger Disguised as Bank Payment Notice (thehackernews.com)

• Russia's Cozy Bear tries to phish Germans with party invites • The Register

• Iran-Linked MuddyWater Deploys Atera for Surveillance in Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Treasury report calls out cyber risks to financial sector fuelled by AI | CyberScoop

• Google's new AI search results promotes sites pushing malware, scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Four generative AI cyber risks that keep CISOs up at night — and how to combat them - SiliconANGLE

• Security awareness training meets a new obstacle: Generative AI | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Artificial intelligence now the biggest cyber threat - study (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Microsoft: 87% of UK Businesses Are Unprepared for Cyber Attacks (techrepublic.com)

• 92% of IT Leaders Say Cyber Threats Are on the Rise, 51% See AI Attacks for the First Time (thefastmode.com)

• Scammers exploit tax season anxiety with AI tools - Help Net Security

• Experts Warn of Cyber Risk Due to Rapid AI Tool Evolution (govinfosecurity.com)

• AI Regulation at a Crossroads - Security Boulevard

• Over A Third of IT Leaders Are Ill-Equipped to Cope With AI-Powered Attacks - IT Security Guru

• Beware of rogue chatbot hacking incidents (securityintelligence.com)

• The Unique AI Cyber Security Challenges in the Financial Sector | Decipher (duo.com)

• AI weaponisation becomes a hot topic on underground forums - Help Net Security

• AI bots hallucinate software packages and devs download them • The Register

• Threat Report: Examining the Use of AI in Attack Techniques (darkreading.com)

• Hackers exploit Ray framework flaw to breach servers, hijack resources (bleepingcomputer.com)AWS CISO: Pay Attention to How AI Uses Your Data (darkreading.com)

2FA/MFA

• New MFA-bypassing phishing kit targets Microsoft 365, Gmail accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Apple customers are being targeted by "MFA Bombing" password reset attack (xda-developers.com)

Malware

• New StrelaStealer Phishing Attacks Hit Over 100 Organisations in E.U. and US. (thehackernews.com)

• Google's new AI search results promotes sites pushing malware, scams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 39,000 Websites Infected in 'Sign1' Malware Campaign - SecurityWeek

• ConnectWise ScreenConnect attacks deliver malware | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• US organisations targeted with emails delivering NetSupport RAT - Help Net Security

• Hunter-killer malware: How to prevent it from undermining security controls | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Python devs are being targeted by this massive infostealing malware campaign | TechRadar

• TheMoon bot infected 40,000 devices in January and February (securityaffairs.com)

• Viruses are the most popular type of malware - and Apple devices are most at risk | TechRadar

• New Phishing Attack Delivers Keylogger Disguised as Bank Payment Notice (thehackernews.com)

• SpyCloud Report: 61% of Data Breaches in 2023 Were Malware Related | Business Wire

• DarkGate Malware Campaign Exploits Patched Microsoft Flaw - Security Boulevard

• Iran-Linked MuddyWater Deploys Atera for Surveillance in Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• AI bots hallucinate software packages and devs download them • The Register

Mobile

• In-app browsers still a privacy, security, and choice issue • The Register

• Thousands of phones and routers swept into proxy service, unbeknownst to users | Ars Technica

• Apple lawsuit: US officials say iPhone ‘monopoly’ undermines security | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Hackers Reveal Method to Bypass Hotel Keycard Locks in Seconds • iPhone in Canada Blog

• Pump the brakes: National security concerns surround connected cars - Nextgov/FCW

• Insurer unveils policy covering drivers from connected car hacks and data leaks (therecord.media)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• AT&T won’t say how its customers’ data spilled online | TechCrunch

• SpyCloud Report: 61% of Data Breaches in 2023 Were Malware Related | Business Wire

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• After '10,000 malicious emails,' US sanctions 7 Chinese nationals in alleged cyber crimes - UPI.com

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• UN probing 58 alleged crypto heists by North Korea worth $3 billion (therecord.media)

• Scammers steal millions from FTX, BlockFi claimants - Help Net Security

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• The missing link: How criminals teamed up with bank employees to orchestrate cyber frauds. - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

Insurance

• Insurer unveils policy covering drivers from connected car hacks and data leaks (therecord.media)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Hackers Hijack GitHub Accounts in Supply Chain Attack Affecting Top-gg and Others (thehackernews.com)

• Mitigating Third-Party Risk Requires a Collaborative, Thorough Approach (darkreading.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Key Lesson from Microsoft's Password Spray Hack: Secure Every Account (thehackernews.com)

• Microsoft to shut down 50 cloud services for Russian businesses (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cloud Account Hijacking: How it Works and How to Prevent It (techtarget.com)

• 67% of businesses sync on-premises passwords to cloud environments | Security Magazine

Identity and Access Management

• Tackling DORA Compliance With a Focus on PAM - IT Security Guru

• 10 Essential Measures To Secure Access Credentials | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• Organisations Grapple With Identity Pain Points | Decipher (duo.com)

Encryption

• Patchless Apple M-Chip Vulnerability Allows Cryptography Bypass (darkreading.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Apple users targeted by annoying 'Reset Password' attack | Mashable

• 10 Essential Measures To Secure Access Credentials | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• 67% of businesses sync on-premises passwords to cloud environments | Security Magazine

• What is Managing Secrets? - Security Boulevard

Social Media

• If you watched certain YouTube videos, investigators demanded your data from Google | Mashable

Malvertising

• Study claims more than half of Americans use ad blockers • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• Security awareness training meets a new obstacle: Generative AI | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber security training costs surge as firms battle skills gaps | ITPro

• Paid Generic Cyber Security Courses: Why They Are Not the Solution for Security Awareness - Security Boulevard

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Cyber security shake-up: How to prepare for EU's NIS2 and DORA (siliconrepublic.com)

• techUK Raise Internet Snooping Concerns Over UK IP Act Amendments - ISPreview UK

• AI Regulation at a Crossroads - Security Boulevard

• Cyber security Agency Proposes First Incident-Reporting Rules (2) (bloomberglaw.com)

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Debunking compliance myths in the digital era - Help Net Security

Backup and Recovery

• Rising ransomware attacks amplify World Backup Day's importance (securitybrief.co.nz)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• The human impact of ransomware attacks: how can businesses protect their security professionals? - IT Security Guru

• Almost half of IT teams are burnt out as a result of war rooms, as ‘blame game’ culture becomes the norm for most organisations | TechRadar

• The cyber security skills shortage: A CISO perspective | CSO Online

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• UK Law Enforcers Arrest 400 in Major Fraud Crackdown - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Cyber Security Threats In International Relations: Are We Prepared For A Digital Pearl Harbor? – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Nation State Actors

China

• China cyber attacks a reminder Beijing poses 'constant and sophisticated' threat to western cyber security | Science & Tech News | Sky News

• US and UK accuse China of cyber operations targeting domestic politics | CyberScoop

• UK ‘turning up to a gunfight with a wooden spoon’ over China cyber-attacks (scotsman.com)

• China hack on MPs worse than Government admitted, with at least 30 targeted (inews.co.uk)

• New Zealand follows UK in accusing China of hacking its parliament | The Independent

• Finland confirms APT31 hackers behind 2021 parliament breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China linked to UK cyber-attacks on voter data, Dowden to say - BBC News

• Dowden guarantees UK elections will be safe from Chinese cyber attacks | Evening Standard

• After '10,000 malicious emails,' US sanctions 7 Chinese nationals in alleged cyber crimes - UPI.com

• SNP MP claims Scottish universities 'overdependent' on Chinese money | The National

• China-Linked Group Breaches Networks via Connectwise, F5 Software Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Fake reporters and death threats: China spy tactics from Hong Kong dissidents (inews.co.uk)

• The Chinese government is phasing out Intel and AMD CPUs and Microsoft's Windows OS because they don't fit its new 'safe and reliable' guidelines | PC Gamer

• Is Cyber Warfare Heating Up? Biden Administration, UK Take Aim At Chinese Hackers | IBTimes

• China cyber-attacks explained: who is behind the hacking operation against the US and UK? | Hacking | The Guardian

• What to make of China’s massive cyber-espionage campaign (economist.com)

• Pump the brakes: National security concerns surround connected cars - Nextgov/FCW

• PM says UK approach to China 'more robust' than allies, as senior Chinese diplomat summoned | ITV News

• UK says Chinese cyber attacks ‘part of large-scale espionage campaign’ (thenextweb.com)

• Why cyber indictments and sanctions matter | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

• Chinese hackers target family members to surveil hard targets | CyberScoop

Russia

• Microsoft to shut down 50 cloud services for Russian businesses (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Russia's Cozy Bear tries to phish Germans with party invites • The Register

Iran

• Iran-Linked MuddyWater Deploys Atera for Surveillance in Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

North Korea

• Asian cuisine used to launder money for North Korea • The Register

• UN probing 58 alleged crypto heists by North Korea worth $3 billion (therecord.media)

---

Vulnerability Management

• Spyware vendors behind 75% of zero-days targeting Google | TechTarget

• Zero Days Surged by Over 50% Annually, Says Google - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• On the Increase: Zero-Days Being Exploited in the Wild (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• NVD slowdown leaves thousands of vulns without analysis data • The Register

• Can Compensating Controls Be the Answer in a Sea of Vulnerabilities?  - Security Boulevard

Vulnerabilities

• Patch Now: Critical Fortinet RCE Bug Under Active Attack (darkreading.com)

• SQL injection vulnerability in Fortinet software under attack | TechTarget

• GitHub Developers Hit in Complex Supply Chain Cyber Attack (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft Edge Bug Could Have Allowed Attackers to Silently Install Malicious Extensions (thehackernews.com)

• MacOS 14.4.1 makes it once again safe to update your Mac | ZDNET

• Apple Security Bug Opens iPhone, iPad to RCE (darkreading.com)

• Apple finally reveals the serious security issues it patched in iOS 17.4.1 - PhoneArena

• A vulnerability in Apple M-series chips could expose encryption keys and harm performance — and Patchless Apple M-Chip Vulnerability Allows Cryptography Bypass (darkreading.com)

• Mozilla fixes two Firefox zero-day bugs exploited at Pwn2Own (bleepingcomputer.com)

• China-Linked Group Breaches Networks via Connectwise, F5 Software Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Double trouble for DNSSEC though the devil is in the details • The Register

• 17,000+ Microsoft Exchange servers in Germany are vulnerable to attack, BSI warns - Help Net Security

• Worldwide Agenda Ransomware Wave Targets VMware ESXi Servers (darkreading.com)

---

Tools and Controls

• How threat intelligence data maximises business operations - Help Net Security

• IT leaders struggle to keep up with emerging threats (betanews.com)

• 78% of organisations plan to increase ransomware protection | Security Magazine

• Rising ransomware attacks amplify World Backup Day's importance (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Why Endpoint Security Tools Are Still Such a Challenge (inforisktoday.com)

• Security awareness training meets a new obstacle: Generative AI | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber security training costs surge as firms battle skills gaps | ITPro

• 10 Essential Measures to Secure Access Credentials | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• Organisations Grapple with Identity Pain Points | Decipher (duo.com)

• Enterprise cyber security's lateral movement 'blind spot' [Q&A] (betanews.com)

• Cyber security plans should center on resilience | MIT Sloan

• Cyber Security Agency Proposes First Incident-Reporting Rules (2) (bloomberglaw.com)

• Paid Generic Cyber Security Courses: Why They Are Not the Solution for Security Awareness - Security Boulevard

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• ThreatLabz 2023 Phishing Report | ITPro

---

Other News

• Why the World Needs a New Cyber Treaty for Critical Infrastructure - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

• Wealthy urged to improve digital hygiene in fight against cyber crime (ft.com)

• Security experts raise questions about UK cyber funding in wake of Electoral Commission hack | ITPro

• 8 cyber security predictions shaping the future of cyber defence - Help Net Security

• Active adversary dwell time: The good (and bad) news | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Cyber Threat to US Power Grids Escalating as Election Approaches (yahoo.com)

• Are We Ignoring the Cyber Security Risks of Undersea Internet Cables? | HackerNoon

• How to Prevent Your Company from Being Hacked in 2024 - DevX

• Pentagon Looks to Finalise Cyber Security Rules for Defence Industrial Base - ClearanceJobs

• US and Japan plan biggest upgrade to security pact in over 60 years

• US must establish independent military cyber service to fix 'alarming' problems — report | DefenseScoop

• FTSE 100 Retailers showing signs of cyber security apathy, despite growing risks | Retail Bulletin (theretailbulletin.com)

• Finland to host NATO tech centers, revamp cyber security strategy (defensenews.com)

• French cyber defence chief warns Paris Olympics a 'target' (techxplore.com)

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 22 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

UK’s Cyber Resilience Stagnates as More Fall Victim to Attacks, 75% of UK Businesses & 79% of UK Charities Experienced a Cyber Incident in 2023

The UK Government’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) has published its response to a ransomware enquiry with stark conclusions, stating that there is a lot to be done to truly tackle the threat posed by ransomware. The chair of the JCNSS said that the UK is and will remain exposed and unprepared if it continues to take a “head in the sand” attitude to ransomware. The minister for artificial intelligence (AI) called upon organisations to “step up their cyber security plans to guard against threats, protect their customers and workforce, and our wider economy.” This comes as the Government’s Cyber Security Longitudinal Survey (CSLS) found that three-quarters of UK businesses and 79% of UK charities experienced a cyber security incident in the last 12 months.

Despite progress, there's a pressing need for organisations to shift from viewing cyber security as solely an IT concern to recognising its integral role across all business functions, particularly in the face of escalating cyber threats. With only half of UK board members having had security training, only a quarter of businesses assessing suppliers for possible security risks, and a fifth of UK boards failing to discuss cyber security even once, the time to improve UK businesses is now.

Sources: [Emerging Risks Media Ltd] [CITY A.M.] [Verdict] [Computer Weekly]

1% of Users are Responsible for 88% of Data Loss Events

New research has shown that that 85% of organisations experienced a data loss in the past year, with 9 out of 10 of those facing a negative outcome such as business disruption, revenue loss and reputational damage. The research found that 1% of users were responsible for 88% of events. It is important to understand this is not always intentionally malicious; it can be accidental or negligent. The research found for example, that 87% of anomalous file exfiltration among cloud tenants over a nine-month period was caused by departing employees, underscoring the need for preventative strategies such as implementing a security review process for this user category.

With as little as 1% of users causing most alerts, organisations need to monitor their most sensitive data and who can access it. This should also include data loss prevention features, to further reduce the risk.

Source: [Help Net Security]

Microsoft Report Says 87% of UK Organisations are Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks in the Age of AI

New research conducted by Microsoft has found that 87% of UK Businesses are unprepared for the age of AI due to their vulnerability to cyber attacks, leaving a mere 13% considered resilient. Further, Microsoft stated that 39% of organisations were at high risk. For organisations, AI can be a tough obstacle to overcome in their journey to cyber resiliency, and it’s important to seek guidance if the available skills are not in-house.

Sources: [Microsoft] [TechRadar ] [The Times] [Infosecurity Magazine]

Cyber Naivety Leaves 4 out of 5 Businesses Wide Open, Only 1 in 5 Has a Plan

Research conducted by Cowbell Insurance has found that the UK is exhibiting a rather cavalier approach to security with 77% of UK SMEs not having any in-house security, 32% of CEOs being confident a cyber attack would not impact their ability to do business and 87% not considering reputational damage as a significant risk. This contrasts with the UK Government’s latest cyber security breaches survey, which found 59% of medium businesses experienced breaches or attacks in the last 12 months. Cowbell have stated that that UK SMEs are leaving themselves wide open to the threats and only 1 in 5 organisations had a dedicated plan to deal with a cyber attack.

A cyber security incident response plan (IRP) allows an organisation to have a documented and formalised process for dealing with a cyber incident. The IRP should be exercised annually, and cover roles and responsibilities, communications and escalations to detect, analyse, contain, eradicate and recover from an incident.

Sources: [Business Mondays] [Insurance Times] [Reinsurance News] [Gloucestershire Live]

Risk and Regulation: Preparing for the Era of Cyber Security Compliance

The next twelve months will see new regulations in many countries, and that means more things to comply with. The EU has two new regulations relating to cyber security: the NIS2 directive and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). However, despite their EU origin, the inclusion of supply chain companies within the regulations means their impact and reach will extend outside of the European Union itself. Both regulations are risk-management based in their approach.

In order to prepare, decision makers need to first understand what they are complying with and in some cases, this may require sourcing external help to fully ensure the organisation is compliant. Once this is understood, they can start implementing their compliance strategy. Research has shown that some 43% of enterprises surveyed had failed a compliance audit, making them ten times more likely to suffer a data breach.

Sources: [Security Week] [Verdict]

Ransomware Attacks Jump 73% Within a Year

A recent report has shown that ransomware surged by 46% in February 2024, compared to January of the same year and 73% higher than February of the previous year. The LockBit ransomware group claimed responsibility for 110 attacks in February alone. The results show that ransomware is not only still an issue, but one that is consistently rising and if your organisation isn’t already implementing procedures to their risk, it is imperative to start now. Lockbit was taken down in a coordinated law enforcement operation earlier this year; only time will tell how effective that operation was or whether, as with the Hydra from Greek mythology, cutting off one head just causes more to grow in its place.

Source: [TechTarget]

The New CISO - Rethinking the Role

The role of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) faces a pivotal transformation. Traditionally tasked with safeguarding company assets against cyber threats, CISOs now find themselves straddling the realms of security and business operations. This shift reflects a growing expectation for CISOs to align security measures with broader business objectives while navigating an increasingly complex risk landscape. With the average cost of a data breach soaring, reaching $4.45 million in 2023 according to IBM, the stakes are higher than ever. As businesses grapple with the integration of cyber security into operational strategies, CISOs are compelled to cultivate new skills, communicate effectively with boards, embrace risk-based approaches, fortify technical fundamentals, leverage automation, and meticulously document incident response plans. The evolving threat landscape demands a new breed of CISO, one who is adept at balancing resilience with operational imperatives, collaborating closely with leadership, and steering organisations through turbulent cyber waters.

Source: [Dark Reading]

90% of Attacks Involve Data or Credential Theft, SMBs Primary Target

The 2024 Sophos Threat Report sheds light on the changing tactics of ransomware operators, particularly in their targeting of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Notably, the report reveals a significant surge in ransomware attacks employing remote encryption, rising by 62% between 2022 and 2023. Sophos' Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team encountered multiple cyber attacks leveraging exploits in remote monitoring and management (RMM) software, a vital component used by many MSPs and external IT providers, and thus affecting many businesses. With almost half of malware detections for SMBs attributed to data-stealing malware, the report underscores the growing value of stolen data as currency in cyber criminal circles, with initial access brokers (IABs) facilitating network breaches. Data protection emerges as a critical challenge, with over 90% of attacks involving credential theft, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated. While ransomware remains a persistent threat, the report also highlights the proliferation of malware-as-a-service (MaaS) activities, emphasising the importance for SMBs to bolster their cyber security defences against these evolving threats.

Source: [MSSP Alert]

Chief Risk Officers Say Cyber Security is Most Pressing Risk

In an inaugural global insurance risk management survey conducted by EY/Institute of International Finance (IIF), cyber security was ranked as the highest immediate concern for chief risk officers. It placed above insurance, business model change and credit risk. When it came to emerging risks over the next three years, it remained at the top spot, followed by geopolitical risk, environmental risk and machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Source: [Insurance Journal]

Humans Still Cyber Security’s Weakest Link, Cyber Security Training Equips Your Workforce to Spot Threats

The latest findings from Mimecast's annual report emphasise that human error continues to be the leading cause of cyber breaches, responsible for 74% of incidents. As emerging threats like AI and deepfake technology pose increasingly sophisticated challenges, it's crucial for businesses to prioritise employee training and bolster their defence strategies.

Providing cyber security training is essential to creating a security conscious culture that educates on risk and in turn increases a company’s cyber culture. Committing to cyber security training needs to be beyond ticking a checkbox, as it allows the workforce the ability to understand, scrutinise and know how to report threats in the corporate environment. Training allows workers to be able to understand the types of threats they may face, along with red flags to look out for. Knowing how the employee should report a threat can determine whether your organisation can deal with a ransomware attack. While generic or off the shelf computer based training can be seen as an easy fix, training needs to be tailored to the organisation, its operating environment and the organisation’s culture and ways of doing business.

To mitigate this risk, organisations should consider implementing tailored cyber security education, tabletop exercises, phishing simulations, and one-on-one consulting for board members. As the responsibility of board members for cyber security strategy increases, it’s crucial to ensure their own security against evolving threats.

Sources: [Emerging Risks] [The HR Director] [WSJ] [The HR Director]

Most IT Pros Think Cyber Attacks are Getting Worse, and Many Firms Don’t Know How to Deal with Them

A recent report from Thales reveals a stark reality, with 93% of IT and security professionals noting a worsening trend in cyber attacks. Ransomware incidents have surged by over a quarter year-on-year, yet less than half of companies have adequate plans to address such threats, leading to 8% resorting to paying attackers' demands. Compliance failures are also on the rise, with 43% of enterprises falling short in audits, correlating with a higher incidence of cyber attacks among non-compliant organisations.

A separate report shows that despite record spending on cyber security, reaching $188 billion globally in 2023, reported data breaches in the US surged to an all-time high of 3,205, up 78% from the previous year. This paradox underscores the evolving tactics of cyber criminals. Ransomware attacks have transitioned from merely locking data to stealing and threatening to disclose it, termed Ransomware 2.0. Cloud misconfigurations, involving 82% of breaches, and exploitation of vendor systems further exacerbate the issue. Heightened awareness and improved practices are imperative to counteract the escalating threat landscape.

Source: [TechRadar] [WSJ]

Supply Chain Cyber Attacks Create Weak Spots: You Need to Prepare

A recent poll by Deloitte found that nearly half of senior executives anticipate a rise in supply chain attacks in the coming year, with 33% already experiencing at least one supply-chain cyber incident within the past year. This especially rings true for healthcare, with the sector accounting for 33% of third-party data breaches in 2023. Many organisations are unsure where to even begin.

Organisations need to manage their third party risks through risk assessments, to understand the third parties that they currently or plan to use, and the data that the third party would hold or access. This enables the third parties to be prioritised with clear communications to notify the organisation in the event of a data breach.

Sources: [Security Brief ] [Beta News]

Ransomware Attack on Change Healthcare Pegged as “Most Significant” in Sector History

In a landmark incident, the American Hospital Association has dubbed the recent ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, as the most significant cyber threat ever faced by the US healthcare system. The attack, which occurred on February 21st, has severely impacted operations, affecting various healthcare entities reliant on Change Healthcare's services. UnitedHealth Group, in response, has been working to restore critical systems, aiming to reinstate electronic payment and medical claims services later this month. However, challenges persist, with cyber security experts warning that recovery efforts could extend for at least 30 days. The attack's aftermath sheds light on the healthcare sector's susceptibility to cyber threats and underscores the need for robust security measures and swift governmental responses. Reports reveal that the ransomware group responsible has received a substantial payout, raising concerns about the broader implications for healthcare providers. Cyber insurance policies are expected to help mitigate financial losses, especially for smaller entities facing cash flow disruptions.

Source: [Reinsurance News]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw - human risk | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• Nine in ten companies at risk of cyber attacks as hackers use AI (thetimes.co.uk)

• Microsoft: 87% of UK Organisations Vulnerable to Costly Cyber Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft: The UK is woefully unprepared for future AI cyber threats | ITPro

• New research calls for ‘less fear and more action’ from SMEs, as cyber naivety leaves 4 out of 5 businesses wide open to threats - Business Mondays

• Minister: Cyber brings 'risks we can't ignore' with UK firms still vulnerable (cityam.com)

• UK’s cyber resilience stagnates as more fall victim to attacks | Computer Weekly

• Risk and Regulation: Preparing for the Era of Cyber Security Compliance - Security Week

• UK government's "scarcely believable" cyber security survey makes grim reading for all sizes of business | TechFinitive

• 75% of UK Businesses Experienced a Cyber Incident in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How does cyber security training equip your workforce to spot threats? (thehrdirector.com)

• New research shows UK SMEs are leaving themselves open to cyber threats: Cowbell - Reinsurance News

• Only 1 in 5 SMEs have a plan in case of cyber attack - Gloucestershire Live

• The New CISO: Rethinking the Role (darkreading.com)

• Most IT pros think cyber attacks are getting worse - and many firms don't know how to deal with them | TechRadar

• Chief Risk Officers Say Cyber Security Most Pressing Risk: Survey (insurancejournal.com)

• Using A Security Assessment As A Measuring Stick (forbes.com)

• From Reactive to Proactive: The Evolution of Cyber Security (cryptopolitan.com)

• Secrets sprawl: Protecting your critical secrets - Help Net Security

• Cyber Security: Why it’s becoming harder to stay safe online (holyrood.com)

• Cyber security must be a priority if the UK is serious about digitising the economy (uktech.news)

• Navigating the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape: Insights from the Cyber Stability Conference → UNIDIR

• Organisations under pressure to modernize their IT infrastructures - Help Net Security

• Adapting Military Solutions to the Corporate Battlefield - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Board-level buy-in: preparing cyber defences the right way | Computer Weekly

• Responding to a cyber incident – a guide for CEOs - NCSC.GOV.UK

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransomware surges as compliance falters - Thales Group - Verdict

• Whistleblowing And Cyber Swatting: Cyber Extortion Reaches A New Low (forbes.com)

• Study Uncovers 27% Spike in Ransomware; 8% Yield to Demands - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• NCC Group: Ransomware attacks jump 73% in February | TechTarget

• Ransomware attack on Change Healthcare pegged as "most significant" in sector history - Reinsurance News

• The Big Question: Is the UK ready to meet the threat of ransomware to British business? - Emerging Risks Media Ltd

• From Ransomware to Pig Butchering, Visa Report Shows Top Scams Impacting Consumers and Businesses Globally | Business Wire

• RaaS groups increasing efforts to recruit affiliates - Help Net Security

• If Companies Are So Focused on Cyber Security, Why Are Data Breaches Still Rising? - WSJ

• After LockBit, ALPHV Takedowns, RaaS Startups Go on a Recruiting Drive (darkreading.com)

• Lockbit Strikes Back After FBI Takedown With New Ransomware Attack Details (pcmag.com)

• Government not facing up to CNI cyber risks, committee warns | Computer Weekly

• 6 Reasons Your Business Should Have Ransomware Plan - Security Boulevard

• STOP ransomware, more common than LockBit, gains stealthier variant | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Crypto scams more costly to US than ransomware, Feds say • The Register

• TeamCity Flaw Leads to Surge in Ransomware, Cryptomining, and RAT Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• What the Latest Ransomware Attacks Teach About Defending Networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Takedowns spark affiliate bidding war among ransomware gangs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Ransomware attack on Change Healthcare pegged as "most significant" in sector history - Reinsurance News

• The British Library looks to the future as it reveals the incalculable damage of its ransomware attack (diginomica.com)

• VIEW: On the lessons learned from the British Library cyber incident - CIR Magazine

• UnitedHealth cyber attack "one of the most stressful things we've gone through," doctor says - CBS News

• UnitedHealth advances $2 billion to providers post-cyber attack By Investing.com

• Scottish health board hit by huge cyber attack with ‘significant quantity’ of data at risk (scotsman.com)

• Why UnitedHealth, Change Healthcare were targets of ransomware hackers

• Criminal investigation into Leicester City Council cyber attack - BBC News

• Yacht dealer to the celebs attack claimed by Rhysida gang • The Register

• UK council eerily cagey about 'cyber incident' details • The Register

• Russian military intelligence may have deployed wiper against multiple Ukrainian ISPs | CyberScoop

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Russian hacker group exploits Microsoft Windows feature in worldwide phishing attack | TechRadar

• Five key takeaways from 2024 State of the Phish: Europe and Middle East | ITPro

• Tax Hackers Blitz Small Business With Phishing Emails (darkreading.com)

• Hackers Posing as Law Firms Phish Global Orgs (darkreading.com)

• IMF Investigates Serious Cyber Security Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Email threat landscape | Professional Security

• Hackers Exploiting Popular Document Publishing Sites for Phishing Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• A newly uncovered phishing campaign that spreads remote access trojans | Security Magazine

• 'Fluffy Wolf' Spreads Meta Stealer in Corporate Phishing Campaign (darkreading.com)

• Spa Grand Prix email account hacked to phish banking info from fans (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to defend against phishing as a service and phishing kits | TechTarget

Other Social Engineering

• Cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw - human risk | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• IMF Investigates Serious Cyber Security Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Don't Answer the Phone: Inside a Real-Life Vishing Attack (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Microsoft report says UK is not prepared for the age of AI — barely any businesses are ‘resilient’ to cyber crime | TechRadar

• 87% of UK organisations are vulnerable to cyber attacks in the age of AI (microsoft.com)

• UK’s AI ambitions pointless while cyber security is still neglected | Computer Weekly

• In the rush to build AI apps, don't leave security behind • The Register

• AI adoption by hackers pushed financial scams in 2023 | CSO Online

• Preparing Society for AI-Driven Disinformation in the 2024 Election Cycle - Security Week

• From Deepfakes to Malware: AI's Expanding Role in Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Shadow AI is the latest cyber security threat you need to prepare for - Help Net Security

• Navigating cyber vulnerabilities in AI-enabled military systems | European Leadership Network

Malware

• The most prevalent malware behaviours and techniques - Help Net Security

• Malware stands out as the fastest-growing threat of 2024 - Help Net Security

• Fujitsu: Malware on Company Computers Exposed Customer Data (darkreading.com)

• New Phishing Attack Uses Clever Microsoft Office Trick to Deploy NetSupport RAT (thehackernews.com)

• Suspected Russian Data-Wiping 'AcidPour' Malware Targeting Linux x86 Devices (thehackernews.com)

• From Deepfakes to Malware: AI's Expanding Role in Cyber Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• A newly uncovered phishing campaign that spreads remote access trojans | Security Magazine

• 'Fluffy Wolf' Spreads Meta Stealer in Corporate Phishing Campaign (darkreading.com)

• TeamCity Flaw Leads to Surge in Ransomware, Cryptomining, and RAT Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• More sophisticated BunnyLoader malware variant emerges | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Evasive Sign1 malware campaign infects 39,000 WordPress sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

Mobile

• Kaspersky Identifies Three New Android Malware Threats (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• SEC Website Goes Dark, BTC Tumbles in Aftermath (financemagnates.com)

• Why DDoS Threat Actors Are Shifting Their Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 300,000 Systems Vulnerable to New Loop DoS Attack - Security Week

• Telecoms is evolving – and unfortunately, so are DDoS attacks | TechRadar

Internet of Things – IoT

• Unsaflok flaw can let hackers unlock millions of hotel doors (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese-made electric cars in UK could be jammed remotely by Beijing (thetimes.co.uk)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• 1% of users are responsible for 88% of data loss events - Help Net Security

• If Companies Are So Focused on Cyber Security, Why Are Data Breaches Still Rising? - WSJ

• Secrets sprawl: Protecting your critical secrets - Help Net Security

• Hackers steal personal data of 43 million French job seekers | ITPro

• International Monetary Fund email accounts hacked in cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• IMF Investigating Cyber Security Incident Detected on Feb. 16 (bloomberglaw.com)

• NHS Dumfries and Galloway Warns of “Significant” Data Theft - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat actors leaked 70M+ records allegedly stolen from AT&T (securityaffairs.com)

• AT&T says leaked data of 70 million people is not from its systems (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fujitsu: Malware on Company Computers Exposed Customer Data (darkreading.com)

• Top 5 Data Breaches That Cost Millions - Security Boulevard

• Misconfigured Firebase Instances Expose 125 Million User Records - Security Week

• Sophos: 90% of Attacks Involve Data or Credential Theft | MSSP Alert

• Serial data thief pleads guilty to cyber crime charges • The Register

• Changing cause of data breaches | Professional Security

• Fake data breaches: Countering the damage - Help Net Security

• Fujitsu exposed client data, AWS keys and passwords for nearly a year, report (computing.co.uk)

• How to verify a data breach | TechCrunch

• Nations Direct Mortgage Data Breach Impacts 83,000 Individuals - Security Week

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• RaaS groups increasing efforts to recruit affiliates - Help Net Security

• IT helpdeskers increasingly targeted by cyber criminals • The Register

• Serial data thief pleads guilty to cyber crime charges • The Register

• The Magnet Goblin group is leveraging one-day vulnerabilities | Security Magazine

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• SEC Website Goes Dark, BTC Tumbles in Aftermath (financemagnates.com)

• Crypto scams more costly to US than ransomware, Feds say • The Register

• TeamCity Flaw Leads to Surge in Ransomware, Cryptomining, and RAT Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• 1% of users are responsible for 88% of data loss events - Help Net Security

• Cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw - human risk | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• How does cyber security training equip your workforce to spot threats? (thehrdirector.com)

• Why Employees Are Your Best Defence Against Cyber Attacks: 6 Tips for Fostering a People-Focused Security Posture (newsweek.com)

• Why human risk management is key to data protection (betanews.com)

• As Boards Focus More on Cyber Security, Are They Missing One of the Biggest Threats? - WSJ

• FE News | How to Protect Your Data With Cyber Security Training

• China-based Canadian accused of stealing Tesla trade secret • The Register

Insurance

• UK cyber insurance findings | Professional Security

• New Regulations Make D&O Insurance a Must for CISOs (darkreading.com)

• Insurers told cyber cover remains attractive but beware of accumulation risk (emergingrisks.co.uk)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Third-party breaches create network weak spots (betanews.com)

• How to Prepare for a Surge in Supply-Chain Cyber Attacks (securitybrief.co.nz)

• How to Accelerate Vendor Risk Assessments in the Age of SaaS Sprawl (thehackernews.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• Shadow SaaS Dangers in Cyber Security Compliance Standards - Security Boulevard

• Fujitsu exposed client data, AWS keys and passwords for nearly a year, report (computing.co.uk)

• Vulnerability Allowed One-Click Takeover of AWS Service Accounts - Security Week

• The Definitive Guide to SaaS Security - Security Boulevard

Identity and Access Management

• Identity Concepts Underlie Cyber Risk 'Perfect Storm' (darkreading.com)

Encryption

• Microsoft announces deprecation of 1024-bit RSA keys in Windows (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Future inevitability of quantum computers is a security problem today - Breaking Defence

Linux and Open Source

• Suspected Russian Data-Wiping 'AcidPour' Malware Targeting Linux x86 Devices (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• New acoustic attack determines keystrokes from typing patterns (bleepingcomputer.com)

• E-Root Marketplace Admin Sentenced to 42 Months for Selling 350K Stolen Credentials (thehackernews.com)

• WordPress Brute-Force Attacks: Sites Used As Staging Ground - Security Boulevard

• What is Credential Harvesting? Examples & Prevention Methods - Security Boulevard

• Ukraine cyber police arrested crooks selling 100 million compromised accounts (securityaffairs.com)

• Misconfigured Firebase instances leaked 19 million plaintext passwords (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Sophos: 90% of Attacks Involve Data or Credential Theft | MSSP Alert

• Fujitsu exposed client data, AWS keys and passwords for nearly a year, report (computing.co.uk)

Social Media

• 'Fluffy Wolf' Spreads Meta Stealer in Corporate Phishing Campaign (darkreading.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• How does cyber security training equip your workforce to spot threats? (thehrdirector.com)

• Why Employees Are Your Best Defence Against Cyber Attacks: 6 Tips for Fostering a People-Focused Security Posture (newsweek.com)

• As Boards Focus More on Cyber Security, Are They Missing One of the Biggest Threats? - WSJ

• FE News | How to Protect Your Data With Cyber Security Training

• The Weakest Link: Securing The Human Element From Cyber Attack  - Security Boulevard

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Risk and Regulation: Preparing for the Era of Cyber Security Compliance - Security Week

• ICO publishes new fining guidance | ICO

• SEC Website Goes Dark, BTC Tumbles in Aftermath (financemagnates.com)

• Why do 60% of SEC Cyber Security Filings Omit CSO, CISO Info? | MSSP Alert

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Chinese media exposes criminal smartphone farms • The Register

Data Protection

• Why human risk management is key to data protection (betanews.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• How to Battle Burnout While Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset — Your People - Benzinga

• 3 Ways Businesses Can Overcome the Cyber Security Skills Shortage (darkreading.com)

• Why cyber recruitment needs a rapid overhaul | TechRadar

• AI Won't Solve Cyber Security's Retention Problem (darkreading.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Filipino police break up forced labour cyber operation • The Register

• E-Root Marketplace Admin Sentenced to 42 Months for Selling 350K Stolen Credentials (thehackernews.com)

• Court jails first person convicted of cyberflashing in England | Crime | The Guardian

• Ukraine cyber police arrested crooks selling 100 million compromised accounts (securityaffairs.com)

• After LockBit, ALPHV Takedowns, RaaS Startups Go on a Recruiting Drive (darkreading.com)

• Serial data thief pleads guilty to cyber crime charges • The Register

• Ukrainian Police Arrest Suspected Brute Force Account Hijackers - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Money laundering network boss hit with multi-million pound confiscation order - National Crime Agency

• Takedowns spark affiliate bidding war among ransomware gangs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Russian cyber attacks rampant as key elections cycle begins (verdict.co.uk)

• Preparing Society for AI-Driven Disinformation in the 2024 Election Cycle - Security Week

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Cyber Warfare: Understanding New Frontiers in Global Conflicts (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Threats Escalate Ahead of Global Elections (cryptopolitan.com)

Nation State Actors

China

• Chinese Earth Krahang hackers breach 70 orgs in 23 countries (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 'We know they're on the network,' CISA official says of nation-state actors infiltrating US critical infrastructure | StateScoop

• Five Eyes Agencies Issue New Alert on Chinese APT Volt Typhoon - Security Week

• Confronted with Chinese hacking threat, industrial cyber security pros ask: What else is new?  | CyberScoop

• The UK energy sector faces an expanding OT threat landscape (securityintelligence.com)

• “Disabling cyber attacks” are hitting critical US water systems, White House warns | Ars Technica

• Chinese media exposes criminal smartphone farms • The Register

• Chinese-made electric cars in UK could be jammed remotely by Beijing (thetimes.co.uk)

• A look inside the Chinese cyber threat at the biggest ports in US

• CISA shares critical infrastructure defence tips against Chinese hackers (bleepingcomputer.com)

Russia

• Microsoft Under Attack by Russian Cyber Attackers - Security Boulevard

• UK Defence Secretary jet hit by electronic warfare attack in Poland (securityaffairs.com)

• Russian hacker group exploits Microsoft Windows feature in worldwide phishing attack | TechRadar

• 'We know they're on the network,' CISA official says of nation-state actors infiltrating US critical infrastructure | StateScoop

• Russian Intelligence Targets Victims Worldwide in Rapid-Fire Cyber Attacks (darkreading.com)

• The cyberwar in Ukraine is as crucial as the battle in the trenches (economist.com)

• Russian cyber attacks rampant as key elections cycle begins (verdict.co.uk)

• Russia’s Hybrid Warfare with the United States | Geopolitical Monitor

• HUR and cyber activists hacked at least seven Russian companies between March 11 and 18 / The New Voice of Ukraine (nv.ua)

• Suspected Russian Data-Wiping 'AcidPour' Malware Targeting Linux x86 Devices (thehackernews.com)

• The UK energy sector faces an expanding OT threat landscape (securityintelligence.com)

• “Disabling cyber attacks” are hitting critical US water systems, White House warns | Ars Technica

• The West Should Help Expand Ukraine’s Cyber Offensive against Russia | Geopolitical Monitor

• Russia-linked hackers use Smokeloader malware to steal funds from Ukrainian enterprises (therecord.media)

• Russia Hackers Using TinyTurla-NG to Breach European NGO's Systems (thehackernews.com)

• Over 800 Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine's state institutions and services since February 2022 – Prosecutor General | Ukrainska Pravda

• I’m a disaster expert - this is what will happen after a Russian cyber attack (inews.co.uk)

• Russian military intelligence may have deployed wiper against multiple Ukrainian ISPs | CyberScoop

• Top 5 Russian-Speaking Dark Web Forums - SOCRadar® Cyber Intelligence Inc.

• Putin Sees Disastrous Start to Presidential Election (newsweek.com)

• Russia targets hundreds of Americans with new sanctions, including cyber journalists (therecord.media)

• Putin’s party hit by cyber attack as armed Russian troops oversee voters in occupied Ukraine | The Independent

• Moscow says no clear proof North Korea stole Russian weapons data: UN report | NK News

Iran

• Hackers claim to have breached Israeli nuclear facility’s computer network (therecord.media)

North Korea

• North Korea gets 50% of foreign earnings due to weak security measures in crypto industry, UN says

• North Korea's Kimsuky gang now exploiting Windows Help files • The Register

• Hacks Account for Half of N. Korea Foreign-Currency Income: UN (bloomberglaw.com)

• Moscow says no clear proof North Korea stole Russian weapons data: UN report | NK News

---

Vulnerability Management

• NIST NVD Disruption Sees CVE Enrichment on Hold - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• No Easy Fix For Untangling Web of Critical Dependencies | Decipher (duo.com)

• The Magnet Goblin group is leveraging one-day vulnerabilities | Security Magazine

• NIST's Vuln Database Downshifts, Prompting Questions About Its Future (darkreading.com)

• 50,000 Vulnerabilities Discovered in DoD Systems Through Bug Bounty - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Navigating cyber vulnerabilities in AI-enabled military systems | European Leadership Network

Vulnerabilities

• Exploitation activity increasing on Fortinet vulnerability | TechTarget

• Vulnerability Allowed One-Click Takeover of AWS Service Accounts - Security Week

• Ivanti Keeps Security Teams Scrambling With 2 More Vulns (darkreading.com)

• Ivanti Releases Urgent Fix for Critical Sentry RCE Vulnerability (thehackernews.com)

• Critical Fortinet's FortiClient EMS flaw actively exploited in the wild (securityaffairs.com)

• Fortra Patches Critical RCE Vulnerability in FileCatalyst Transfer Tool (thehackernews.com)

• Remove WordPress miniOrange plugins, a critical flaw can allow site takeover (securityaffairs.com)

• Another Microsoft vulnerability is being used to spread malware | TechRadar

• Misconfigured Firebase Instances Expose 125 Million User Records - Security Week

• Google Chrome 123 launches with security fixes and Google Update changes on Windows - gHacks Tech News

• The Windows 11 KB5035853 update is causing BSOD errors for some users. | Windows Central

• The Magnet Goblin group is leveraging one-day vulnerabilities | Security Magazine

• Atlassian Releases Fixes for Over 2 Dozen Flaws, Including Critical Bamboo Bug (thehackernews.com)

• TeamCity Flaw Leads to Surge in Ransomware, Cryptomining, and RAT Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• iOS 17.4.1 release includes bug fixes and security updates | Macworld

• Discontinued Security Plugins Expose Many WordPress Sites to Takeover - Security Week

---

Tools and Controls

• Using A Security Assessment As A Measuring Stick (forbes.com)

• Mastering Physical Security In Information Security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• Microsoft announces deprecation of 1024-bit RSA keys in Windows (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How to choose the best cyber security vendor for your business | ITPro

• Threat Actors are Exercising New Attack Techniques to Bypass Machine Learning Security Controls - Security Boulevard

• Shadow SaaS Dangers in Cyber Security Compliance Standards - Security Boulevard

• Unlocking Security Architecture In Information Security (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• How To Not Fly Blind With API Security (forbes.com)

• 6 Reasons Your Business Should Have Ransomware Plan - Security Boulevard

• From Reactive to Proactive: The Evolution of Cyber Security (cryptopolitan.com)

• Tracking Everything on the Dark Web Is Mission Critical (darkreading.com)

• Identity Concepts Underlie Cyber Risk 'Perfect Storm' (darkreading.com)

• EDR vs. antivirus: What's the difference? | TechTarget

• SIEM vs XDR: Capabilities and Key Differences | MSSP Alert

• Using East–West Network Visibility to Detect Threats in Later Stages of MITRE ATT&CK (darkreading.com)

• 95% of companies face API security problems - Help Net Security

• Responding to a cyber incident – a guide for CEOs - NCSC.GOV.UK

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• From Ransomware to Pig Butchering, Visa Report Shows Top Scams Impacting Consumers and Businesses Globally | Business Wire

• The 2024 Sophos Threat Report: Cyber Crime on Main Street – Sophos News

• 2024 Thales Data Threat Report Reveals Rise in Ransomware Attacks, as Compliance Failings Leave Businesses Vulnerable to Breaches | Thales Group

• Equifax Releases 2023 Security Annual Report (prnewswire.com)

---

Other News

• At 35, the web is broken, but its inventor hasn't given up hope of fixing it yet | ZDNET

• The UK energy sector faces an expanding OT threat landscape (securityintelligence.com)

• Government not facing up to CNI cyber risks, committee warns | Computer Weekly

• UK in ‘better position’ against cyber attacks, but most businesses not resilient | Evening Standard

• Cyber Threats Escalate Ahead of Global Elections (cryptopolitan.com)

• The Aviation and Aerospace Sectors Face Skyrocketing Cyber Threats (securityaffairs.com)

• Aviation sector, e-commerce platforms face separate cyber threats | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Public anxiety mounts over critical infrastructure resilience to cyber attacks - Help Net Security

• Change Healthcare hack highlights lack of medical industry’s cyber security - The Washington Post

• Cyber Security for Trustees: How to Reduce Risk and Respond to an Incident | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

• How Can We Reduce Threats From the IABs Market? (darkreading.com)

• UK renewables firms facing up to 1,000 cyber attacks a day (energyvoice.com)

• Cyber Attacks on Higher Ed Rose Dramatically Last Year, Report Shows | EdTech Magazine

• Cyber security is an urgent priority for the museums sector - Museums Association

• Meet America’s Most Cyber Secure Banks 2024 (forbes.com)

• Ethiopian Bank's Technical Glitch Lets Customers Withdraw Millions (ndtv.com)

• Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future (thehackernews.com)

• The Consequences for Schools and Students After a Cyber Attack - Security Boulevard

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·       Automotive

·       Construction

·       Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·       Defence & Space

·       Education & Academia

·       Energy & Utilities

·       Estate Agencies

·       Financial Services

·       FinTech

·       Food & Agriculture

·       Gaming & Gambling

·       Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·       Health/Medical/Pharma

·       Hotels & Hospitality

·       Insurance

·       Legal

·       Manufacturing

·       Maritime

·       Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·       Retail & eCommerce

·       Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·       Startups

·       Telecoms

·       Third Sector & Charities

·       Transport & Aviation

·       Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 15 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Mind The Gap: Mimecast Report Finds Humans Are Biggest Security Flaw

A global report from Mimecast has found that 74% of all cyber breaches are caused by human factors, including errors, misuse of access privileges or social engineering. Email remains the primary attack vector for cyber threats. Further, 67% of respondents expect AI-driven attacks to soon be the norm and 69% believe their company will be harmed by an attack.

No matter the size, sector or budget of an organisation, people remain a consistent risk factor. Even with strong technology controls, people can still be the risk that brings down the organisation. It is therefore important for organisations to integrate people into their cyber security investments. This should include awareness and education training, and fostering a cyber secure culture in the organisation.

Sources: [IT Security Guru] [Beta News] [Verdict]

Three-Quarters of Cyber Victim Are SMBs: Why SMBs are Becoming More Vulnerable

According to a recent Sophos report, over three-quarters of cyber incidents impacted smaller businesses in 2023, with ransomware having the largest impact. The research also found that in 90% of attacks, data or credential theft was involved and in 43%, data theft was the main focus.

The report found significant usage of initial access brokers; these are attackers whose speciality is to break into computer networks and sell ready-to-go access to other attackers. In fact, the report found that almost half of all malware detected in SMBs were malicious programs used to steal sensitive data and login credentials. Unfortunately, many SMBs struggle to keep up due to a lack of resources and budget; instead, they must be able to prioritise their cyber security efforts to get the most return on investment.

Sources: [Infosecurity Magazine]  [Help Net Security] [TechRadar] [Nairametrics] [TechTarget]

Cyber Security Skills Gap and Lack of Boardroom Engagement Invite Hacker Havoc

The Ipsos report on Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2023 sheds light on the persistent challenges faced in recruiting, training, and retaining cyber security professionals across various domains. With approximately 739,000 businesses lacking basic cyber skills and 487,000 facing advanced skills gaps, the demand for trained professionals is escalating. The shortage of incident response skills highlights the need for comprehensive education and training programs. Senior management and board-level executives must also be equipped with the knowledge to manage incidents effectively, emphasising reporting, seeking external assistance, and maintaining a no-blame culture. Understanding cyber risks at the business level is crucial, as cyber crime has evolved into a well-organised industry with distinct roles and profit-sharing mechanisms among cyber criminal groups. Conducting tabletop incident response exercises can effectively prepare senior leadership for cyber incidents, ensuring a proactive and coordinated response to mitigate risks and safeguard organisational resilience.

Source: [TechRadar]

UK Government’s Ransomware Failings Leave Country ‘Exposed and Unprepared’

The recent response from the British government to warnings about the looming ransomware threat has sparked criticism, with accusations of adopting an "ostrich strategy" by downplaying the severity of the national cyber threat. Despite alarming assessments from the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) regarding the high risk of a catastrophic ransomware attack, the government's formal response has been met with scepticism. Key recommendations, such as reallocating responsibility for tackling ransomware away from the Home Office, were rejected, with the government arguing that its existing regulations and the current National Cyber Strategy were sufficient. This argument has raised concerns about the government's preparedness and resource allocation. With ransomware attacks escalating in the UK, the Committee underscores the urgency for a proactive national security response to mitigate the potentially devastating impacts on the economy and national security.

Source: [The Record Media]

Data Breaches up 72% to New Record High: Cyber Security Incidents Rank as #1 Global Business Threat in 2024

Research conducted by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) found that 2023 set an all time high in data breaches, 72% more than the prior year. Separately, the Allianz Risk Barometer identified cyber incidents as the biggest global business threat for 2024, ranking above regulatory concerns, climate change and a shortage of skilled workers. It is crucial that the severity of this risk is reflected in the actions taken by organisations, who must effectively govern and implement their cyber security strategy.

Sources: [JDSupra]

Finance Sector Facing Huge Number of Cyber Attacks That Could Leave It On its Knees, Highlights the Need to Build a Robust Security Culture

Cyber security has become a pressing issue on financial institutions due to the rise in cyber attacks, as highlighted by the February attack on Bank of America via a third-party service. The involvement of the LockBit ransomware group underlines the persistent nature of these threats, particularly targeting the financial sector. These attacks disrupt services and undermine trust in the financial system, necessitating robust cyber security frameworks. The new US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring immediate disclosure of cyber security incidents presents both benefits and challenges, calling for clear guidelines and industry-wide collaboration. BlackBerry’s Global Threat Intelligence Report revealed a staggering million attacks globally in just 120 days last year. These attacks, often using commodity malware, make up almost two-thirds of all industry-related incidents. The 27% increase in novel malware samples highlights the need for improved defences. These findings emphasise the need for AI-driven detection and defence strategies. While critical infrastructure remains a primary focus, commercial enterprises must remain vigilant, with a third of threats targeting various sectors, emphasising the pervasive nature of cyber threats across industries.

Source:[ SC Media] [TechRadar]

Microsoft Confirms Russian Hackers Stole Source Code, Some Customer Secrets

In a recent revelation, Microsoft disclosed that the Kremlin-backed threat group known as Midnight Blizzard successfully accessed some of Microsoft’s source code repositories and internal systems following a hack in January 2024. The breach, believed to have originally occurred in November 2023, exploited a legacy test account lacking multi-factor authentication by employing a password spray attack. Microsoft assured no compromise to customer-facing systems but warned of ongoing attempts by Midnight Blizzard to exploit stolen corporate email data. The extent of the breach remains under investigation, with concerns raised over the potential accumulation of attack vectors by the threat actor. The incident underscores the escalating sophistication of nation-state cyber threats and prompts a re-evaluation of security measures, highlighting the imperative for robust defences against such adversaries.

Source: [The Hacker News]

Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards

Board members are increasingly held accountable for their organisation's cyber posture, facing personal liability for lapses. To gain insight and demonstrate proactive leadership, independent cyber security audits have become indispensable. These audits not only aid in regulatory compliance but also uncover blind spots in the organisation's security measures. Recent regulations, such as by  the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) underscore the imperative for robust cyber security oversight at the board level. The audit process involves defining the scope, conducting assessments, validating findings through simulations, and presenting comprehensive reports to leadership. By embracing cyber security audits, boards can fulfil their duty of overseeing and enhancing the organisation's cyber resilience in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Source: [Bloomberg Law]

Navigating Cyber Security in The Era of Mergers

In today's landscape of frequent mergers and acquisitions (M&A), organisations grapple with the challenge of aligning cyber security measures across subsidiaries, posing a risk to overall security. According to an IBM survey, over one in three executives attribute data breaches to M&A activity during integration. This complexity arises as security teams may lack insight into subsidiary infrastructure, hindering risk assessment and mitigation efforts. Historical incidents like the NotPetya attack on Merck and the Talk Talk hack highlight vulnerabilities post-acquisition, emphasising the need for a proactive approach to subsidiary cyber security. To address these challenges, organisations must conduct comprehensive risk assessments, standardise security protocols, foster collaboration, and consider unified security platforms. By proactively addressing visibility gaps and implementing standardised protocols, organisations can fortify their defences against evolving cyber threats amidst M&A activities.

Source: [Forbes]

Phishing Tactics Evolve as Sophisticated Vishing and Image-based Phishing Take World by Storm

According to a recent report, 76% of organisations were compromised by QR-code phishing in the last 12 months. Along with this, there has also been a rise in the number of sophisticated vishing attacks, with recent attacks costing organisations millions. The introduction of artificial intelligence has only added fuel to this fire already impacting security controls such as call-back procedures. With the tactics of phishing evolving, organisations need to ensure they are up-to-date and that employees are trained effectively to mitigate the risk of these.

Sources: [Help Net Security] [Dark Reading]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber Security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar

• Three-Quarters of Cyber Incident Victims Are Small Businesses - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)

• Still on Top: Cyber Security Incidents Ranked #1 Global Business Threat in 2024 | Dinsmore & Shohl LLP - JDSupra

• Navigating Cyber Security In The Era Of Mergers (forbes.com)

• SMEs invest in tech opportunities but risk missing security safeguards (betanews.com)

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• The CISO Role Is Changing. Can CISOs Themselves Keep Up? (darkreading.com)

• New Risk for Weary CISOs: Becoming the Scapegoat After Cyber Criminals Strike | Corporate Counsel (law.com)

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behavior and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard

• More Critical Than Ever: Cyber Risk "Tabletop Exercises" in the AI Infused Workplace | Epstein Becker & Green - JDSupra

• OODA Loop - How To Properly Cut Your Cyber Security Budget

• MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Sophos: Remote ransomware attacks on SMBs increasing | TechTarget

• UK government’s ransomware failings leave country ‘exposed and unprepared’ (therecord.media)

• Prescribing Security: Why Healthcare Companies Should Take Note of Recent Ransomware Attack | Dinsmore & Shohl LLP - JDSupra

• BianLian Threat Actor Shifts Focus to Extortion-Only Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Understanding the multi-tiered impact of ransomware. (thecyberwire.com)

• Ransomware tracker: The latest figures [March 2024] (therecord.media)

• Cyber attack costing hospitals millions - The Boston Globe

• British authorities have never detected a breach of ransomware sanctions — but is that good or bad news? (therecord.media)

• The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape - Help Net Security

• UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)

• Businesses leaving their Kubernetes containers exposed to ransomware | TechRadar

• StopCrypt: Most widely distributed ransomware now evades detection (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Member of LockBit ransomware group sentenced to 4 years in prison | Ars Technica

Ransomware Victims

• British Library’s legacy IT blamed for lengthy rebuild • The Register

• British Library shares lessons from cyber attack | UKAuthority

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stanford University failed to detect intruders for 4 months • The Register

• Stanford says data from 27,000 people leaked in September ransomware attack (therecord.media)

• Law Firm Sues MSP Over Black Basta Ransomware Attack | MSSP Alert

• Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register

• Switzerland’s cyber security experts still can’t Xplain how federal documents made it to the dark web | TechRadar

• Cancer Clinics Face Cash Crunch After Hack Rocks US Health Care (claimsjournal.com)

• Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages (voanews.com)

• UnitedHealth Sets Timeline to Restore Change Healthcare Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Belgian village whose brewery was hit by cyber attack faces another on its coffee roastery (therecord.media)

• Nissan confirms ransomware attack exposed data of 100,000 people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Child protection among critical services affected by cyber attack on English council (therecord.media)

• Equilend warns employees their data was stolen by ransomware gang (bleepingcomputer.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Image-based phishing tactics evolve - Help Net Security

• Phishing Threats Rise as Malicious Actors Target Messaging Platforms - Security Boulevard

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What is phishing? Examples, types, and techniques | CSO Online

• New email standards: what you need to know | TechRadar

Other Social Engineering

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Sophisticated Vishing Campaigns Take World by Storm (darkreading.com)

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Weakest links in an age of novel threats | ITPro

Artificial Intelligence

• AI Poses Extinction-Level Risk, State-Funded Report Says | TIME

• Cyber crime underworld has removed all the guardrails on AI frontier

• Critical ChatGPT Plug-in Vulnerabilities Expose Sensitive Data (darkreading.com)

• Security Flaws within ChatGPT Ecosystem Allowed Access to Accounts On Third-Party Websites and Sensitive Data - Security Boulevard

• Cyber attackers are threatening businesses with AI, says Microsoft (qz.com)

• Intelligence officials warn pace of innovation in AI threatens US | CyberScoop

• How advances in AI are impacting business cyber security - Help Net Security

• NCSC Blog - AI and cyber security: what you need to know (techuk.org)

• Are Global Companies Equipped to Tackle Emerging AI-Driven Cyber Threats? New Study Reveals Insights | Cryptopolitan

• 4 types of prompt injection attacks and how they work | TechTarget

• How data poisoning attacks work | TechTarget

• Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget

• How to craft a generative AI security policy that works | TechTarget

2FA/MFA

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Malware

• Keyloggers, spyware, and stealers dominate SMB malware detections - Help Net Security

• SMBs are being hit with more malware attacks than ever, and many can't keep up | TechRadar

• Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers exploit WordPress plugin flaw to infect 3,300 sites with malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Botnets: The uninvited guests that just won’t leave | CSO Online

• Hackers using Weaponized PDF Files to Deliver Remcos RAT (cybersecuritynews.com)

• RedLine malware top credential stealer of last 6 months | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Windows SmartScreen Bypass Flaw Exploited to Drop DarkGate RAT (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Blog: Why Hackers Love Phones - Keep your Eye on the Device - Security Boulevard

• SIM swappers hijacking phone numbers in eSIM attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• PixPirate Android malware uses new tactic to hide on phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• French government sites disrupted by très grande DDOS • The Register

• Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)

• RIA: Estonia's state institutions hit by largest cyber attack to date | News | ERR

• The Growing Threat of Application-Layer DDoS Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• DDoS attacks reach critical levels in 14 seconds | Security Magazine

Internet of Things – IoT

• Internet of Risks: Cyber Security Risk in the Internet of Things | UpGuard

• Unpatched Sceiner Smart Lock Vulnerabilities Allow Hackers to Open Doors - Security Week

• The S in IoT stands for security • The Register

• Heated Seats? Advanced Telematics? Software-Defined Cars Drive Risk (darkreading.com)

• Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register

• Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)

• MiTM phishing attack can let attackers unlock and steal a Tesla (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Data Breaches up 72% From Record High: Cyber Incident Readiness Must be Top of Mind | Epiq - JDSupra

• Jersey regulator's data breach leaks names and addresses - BBC News

• Over 15,000 hacked Roku accounts sold for 50¢ each to buy hardware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Okta denies it was hacked again after data appears on hacking site | TechRadar

• Over 12 million auth secrets and keys leaked on GitHub in 2023 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• French unemployment agency data breach impacts 43 million people (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 23andMe sparks rethink about safeguarding data: on-premises vs. hybrid cloud strategies - IT Security Guru

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: Standards of Proof (darkreading.com)

• How to Identify a Cyber Adversary: What to Look For (darkreading.com)

• Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)

• Bitcoin Fog mixer operator convicted for laundering $400 million (bleepingcomputer.com)

• US Seizes $1.4 Million in Cryptocurrency From Tech Scammers - Security Week

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Insider threats can damage even the most secure organisations - Help Net Security

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Former Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets | TechTarget

• Meta Sues Former VP After Defection to AI Startup - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• US Army intelligence analyst charged with selling classified military information to China - BBC News

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• Building a Security Culture of Shared Responsibility - Security Boulevard

• How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur

Insurance

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• UK Conservatives Say 'No' to Cyber Insurance Backstop (inforisktoday.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Play ransomware group stole 65,000 Swiss government files • The Register

• Switzerland’s cyber security experts still can’t Xplain how federal documents made it to the dark web | TechRadar

• Third-Party Breach and Missing MFA Led to British Library Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Industry: Act Now To Secure the Solutions You Offer the Military | AFCEA International

Cloud/SaaS

• NSA Launches Top 10 Cloud Security Mitigation Strategies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch

• Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)

• How Not to Become the Target of the Next Microsoft Hack (darkreading.com)

• Cloud Account Attacks Surged 16-Fold in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

• 23andMe sparks rethink about safeguarding data: on-premises vs. hybrid cloud strategies - IT Security Guru

• Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget

Encryption

• Building The Defence Sector's Quantum Threat Resilience (forbes.com)

• Are private conversations truly private? A cyber security expert explains how end-to-end encryption protects you (theconversation.com)

Linux and Open Source

• How to Ensure Open Source Packages Are Not Landmines (darkreading.com)

• Magnet Goblin hackers use 1-day flaws to drop custom Linux malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Russian Hackers Are Weaponizing Stolen Microsoft Passwords (claimsjournal.com)

• Overcoming the threat of account takeover fraud (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Dropbox Used to Steal Credentials and Bypass MFA in Phishing Campaign - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Threat actors leverage document publishing sites for ongoing credential and session token theft (talosintelligence.com)

• LastPass suffers worldwide outage causing site 404 error - 9to5Mac

Social Media

• Crypto phishers stole $47M last month, impersonators on X to blame (cointelegraph.com)

• Meta sues “brazenly disloyal” former exec over stolen confidential docs | Ars Technica

• TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• New Mimecast report finds cyber criminals capitalise on businesses’ biggest flaw: Human risk - IT Security Guru

• Humans represent the biggest security gap (betanews.com)

• Staff training far more cost-effective than going through a cyber compromise – Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Calgary Herald

• Your tech tools won’t save you from cyber threats | TechRadar

• Weakest links in an age of novel threats | ITPro

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Everything you need to know about the EU's Cyber Solidarity Act | ITPro

• Cyber Security: European Parliament adopts Cyber Resilience Act at first reading | Practical Law (thomsonreuters.com)

• Ready for DORA? It applies to you! (cms-lawnow.com)

• The New Hacker Playbook: Weaponizing the SEC’s Cyber Disclosure Rules | Woodruff Sawyer - JDSupra

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• 4 Security Tips From PCI DSS 4.0 Anyone Can Use (darkreading.com)

• Ready for DORA? It applies to you! (cms-lawnow.com)

• Mastering SANS Security Principles: A Deep Dive (informationsecuritybuzz.com)

Backup and Recovery

• Immutability: A boost to your security backup (betanews.com)

Data Protection

• EU’s use of Microsoft 365 found to breach data protection rules | TechCrunch

• How do you lot feel about Pay or OK model, ICO asks Brits • The Register

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Half of firms struggling to hire cyber security experts (securitybrief.co.nz)

• UK Council's Vision: Set High Standards in Cyber Security (govinfosecurity.com)

• How to Battle Cyber Security Burnout and Protect Your People | Entrepreneur

• Cyber security skills gap and boardroom blindness invite hacker havoc | TechRadar

• Broke Cyber Pros Flock to Cyber Crime Side Hustles (darkreading.com)

• How To Overcome The Machismo Problem In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape - Help Net Security

• Member of LockBit ransomware group sentenced to 4 years in prison | Ars Technica

• WEF effort to disrupt cyber crime moves into operations phase • The Register

---

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

Nation State Actors

China

• TikTok Ban Raises Data Security, Control Questions (darkreading.com)

• Five Eyes publish report on Volt Typhoon. Volt Typhoon targets emergency management services in the US. (thecyberwire.com)

• Chinese company at the centre of Biden's US port crane order denies it's a security threat | Fortune Asia

• Lithuania security services warn of China's espionage against the country (securityaffairs.com)

• Chinese Cyber Crime: Discretion Is the Better Part of Valor (databreachtoday.co.uk)

• US Army intelligence analyst charged with selling classified military information to China - BBC News

• Chinese spies want to steal IP by backdooring safe locks • The Register

• Experts Say Chinese Safes Pose Risks to US National Security (inforisktoday.com)

Russia

• Microsoft says Russian hackers stole source code after spying on its executives - The Verge

• Microsoft says Russian hackers breached its systems, accessed source code (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Microsoft: Russians are using stolen information to breach company’s systems (therecord.media)

• Microsoft says it hasn't been able to evict Russian state hackers | AP News

• Why Cyber Attacks on Ukrainians Aren’t Working the Way Russia Expected - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

• Kremlin accuses US of plotting election-day cyber attack • The Register

• Major operation under way to identify source of Russian attack that 'jammed signals' on... - LBC

• First-ever South Korean national detained for espionage in Russia (securityaffairs.com)

• Alabama Under DDoS Cyber Attack by Russian-Backed Hacktivists (darkreading.com)

North Korea

• Japan Blames North Korea for PyPI Supply Chain Cyber Attack (darkreading.com)

---

Vulnerability Management

• How to Streamline the Vulnerability Management Life Cycle - Security Boulevard

• Researchers expose Microsoft SCCM misconfigs usable in cyber attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Former CISA Dir. Krebs on cyber threats: Microsoft and others are 'hanging on by a thread' right now (cnbc.com)

• Vulnerability management, its impact and threat modeling methodologies (securityintelligence.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Microsoft's March Updates Fix 61 Vulnerabilities, Including Critical Hyper-V Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Adobe Patches Critical Flaws in Enterprise Products - Security Week

• Major CPU, Software Vendors Impacted by New GhostRace Attack - Security Week

• Critical Fortinet flaw may impact 150,000 exposed devices (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fortinet Releases Security Updates for Multiple Products | CISA

• SAP Patches Critical Command Injection Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• Cisco addressed severe flaws in its Secure Client (securityaffairs.com)

• 5M WordPress Websites At Risk Amid LiteSpeed Plugin Flaw - Security Boulevard

• New cyber crime crew Magnet Goblin caught exploiting Ivanti • The Register

• Stealth Bomber: Atlassian Confluence Exploits Drop Web Shells In-Memory (darkreading.com)

• CISA confirms compromise of its Ivanti systems | TechTarget

• Threat actors breached two crucial systems of the US CISA (securityaffairs.com)

• Researchers found multiple flaws in ChatGPT plugins (securityaffairs.com)

• QNAP warns its NAS devices are facing a critical security flaw — but a patch is available, so update now | TechRadar

• Exploited Building Access System Vulnerability Patched 5 Years After Disclosure - Security Week

---

Tools and Controls

• Independent Cyber Security Audits Are Powerful Tools for Boards (bloomberglaw.com)

• NSA's Zero-Trust Guidelines Focus on Segmentation (darkreading.com)

• NSA Launches Top 10 Cloud Security Mitigation Strategies - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Expert Cyber Security Strategies For Protecting Remote Businesses (forbes.com)

• Staff training far more cost-effective than going through a cyber compromise – Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Calgary Herald

• Guide: On-Prem is Dead. Have You Adjusted Your Web DLP Plan? (thehackernews.com)

• 10 cloud security tips every IT leader should know | ITPro

• Cyber Insurance Strategy Requires CISO-CFO Collaboration (darkreading.com)

• How enterprises can tackle risky cyber security behaviour and improve workforce resilience | ITPro

• More Critical Than Ever: Cyber Risk "Tabletop Exercises" in the AI Infused Workplace | Epstein Becker & Green - JDSupra

• Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference? | TechTarget

• Immutability: A boost to your security backup (betanews.com)

• MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors | Binary Defense

• How teams can improve incident recovery time to minimize damages - Help Net Security

• New email standards: what you need to know | TechRadar

• Creating Security Through Randomness (darkreading.com)

• AI and the future of corporate security - Help Net Security

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• The State of Email & Collaboration Security 2024 | Mimecast

---

Other News

• The rise of cyber attacks on financial institutions highlight the need to build a security culture   | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Finance sector facing huge amount of cyber attacks that could leave it on its knees | TechRadar

• French state services hit by cyber attacks of 'unprecedented intensity' (france24.com)

• US Intelligence Predicts Upcoming Cyber Threats for 2024 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Better Safe Than Sorry: Making Cyber Security a Priority | HealthLeaders Media

• How Dangerous Is the Cyber Attack Risk to Transportation? (securityintelligence.com)

• Pi Day: How Hackers Slice Through Security Solutions - Security Boulevard

• 78% of MSPs state cyber security is a prominent IT challenge | Security Magazine

• No, 'Leave the World Behind' and 'Civil War' Aren’t Happening Before Your Eyes | WIRED

• Maritime cyber security: threats and challenges - Port Technology International

• What resources do small utilities need to defend against cyber attacks? | CyberScoop

• 10 free cyber security guides you might have missed - Help Net Security

• Using the wrong font could be a major security problem — and possibly not for the reason you might think | TechRadar

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 13 March 2024 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday, Adobe, Fortinet and SAP Security Updates Summary

Executive summary

Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday provides updates to address 60 security issues across its product range. Among the updates provided by Microsoft were 2 critical vulnerabilities allowing remote code execution and denial of service; both of these vulnerabilities relate to Windows Hyper-V. Microsoft’s March 2024 Patch Tuesday has not identified any zero-day vulnerabilities.

In addition to the Microsoft updates this week also saw Adobe, FortiGuard and SAP all provide updates for vulnerabilities in a variety of their products, with multiple rated as critical.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to gain remote code execution, cause a denial of service and impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information.

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

Microsoft

CVE-2024-21407- This vulnerability if actively exploited, allows a threat actor to gain remote code execution on the host server of a guest virtual machine. It requires an authenticated attacker to send specially crafted file operation requests.

CVE-2024-21408- This vulnerability if actively exploited, allows a threat actor to perform a denial of service. Microsoft have not disclosed how this could be exploited.

Adobe

Adobe have addressed multiple vulnerabilities in its products, including at least 46 in Adobe Experience Manager, 2 critical vulnerabilities in Adobe Premier Pro, a critical vulnerability in Adobe ColdFusion,  and 4 vulnerabilities, of which 3 are critical in Adobe Bridge.

Fortinet

Fortinet have released three updates, of which 1 is critical impacting FortiOS and FortiProxy, 1 vulnerability impacting FortiClientEMS, 1 vulnerability impacting FortiWLM MEA for Fortimanager and 1 critical vulnerability in the DAS component.

SAP

This month, SAP has released 12 patches, which include 10 new releases and 2 updates from previous releases. 1 patch and 1 update have been given the “hot news” priority in SAP, the highest severity.. The vulnerabilities encompass a range of issues, including Privilege Escalation, Code Injection, Denial of Service, Information Disclosure, and Improper Authorisation.

---

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

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-march-2024-patch-tuesday-fixes-60-flaws-18-rce-bugs/

Further details of the vulnerabilities in Adobe Experience Manager can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb24-05.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities in Adobe Premier Pro can be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_pro/apsb24-12.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb24-14.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb24-15.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities in FortiOS and FortiProxy can be found here:

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-23-328

Further details of the vulnerability in FortiClientEMS can be found here:

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-23-390

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-24-013

Further details of the vulnerability in FortiManager can be found here:

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-23-103

Further details of the vulnerability impacting the DAS component can be found here:

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-24-007

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed by SAP can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/en/my-support/knowledge-base/security-notes-news/march-2024.html

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity 

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 08 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

FBI Reports Cyber Crime Losses Reached $12.5 billion in 2023, Ransomware Losses Surged by 74%, Average Ransom Demand Reaching $600k

An FBI report into the cost of cyber crime has found that estimated losses in the US alone reached $12.5 billion in 2023. Ransomware accounted for $59.6 million, a 74% increase from the previous year’s report. Of note, the FBI report only deals with complaints made to the FBI; it therefore excludes other countries, and relies on the US organisations to identify that they have been impacted. It is therefore likely that the figure in the US, let alone globally, is significantly higher.

Sources: [Security Boulevard] [Security Week] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Tripwire] [Security Affairs]

Capita Plans £100 Million in Cost Cuts as it Continues to Grapple With 2023 Cyber Attack, Resulting in Significant Job Losses

In the aftermath of a significant cyber attack in 2023, Capita faces a steep financial hurdle with reported losses amounting to £106.6 million. Originally forecasted at £25 million, the revised figure underscores the substantial impact of the breach. Capita’s response strategy, including significant investments in recovery and cyber security bolstering, emphasises the escalating costs associated with data breaches. CEO Adolfo Hernandez announced plans for a substantial cost reduction of over £100 million, indicating the critical need for efficiency improvements to mitigate the financial strain. Capita’s experience serves as a potent reminder of the critical importance of robust cyber resilience strategies. These strategies are not just about preventing attacks, but also about mitigating the potentially devastating financial consequences should a breach occur.

Source: [ITPro]

Employment Law Firm Sues IT Company Over Ransomware Attack

A law firm in California has sued an IT solutions company, saying that after hiring the company to install a network system and server, the law firm suffered a ransomware attack. The law firm found that not long after the network was installed, they were unable to access their data, and when they had gone to retrieve a cloud backup, they had found this was already deleted, forcing them to pay the ransom to get their data back. The law firm is accusing the IT company of negligence and breach of contract and is seeking damages of at least $1 million.

Source: [Law360]

Stolen Passwords are a Hacker Goldmine

Passwords are not only crucial for organisational security, but they also come with significant costs and vulnerabilities. From the time spent by service desks on resets, to the expense of security incidents and breaches, the financial toll is substantial. Weak or reused passwords heighten the vulnerability, with breaches involving stolen credentials costing an average of $4.45 million. Cyber threats are evolving, with hackers increasingly favouring stolen user accounts over traditional malware. This shift, underscored by a notable 71% increase in attacks leveraging valid login credentials in 2023 as reported by CrowdStrike and IBM, highlights the repercussions of compromised credentials. Embracing technologies like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO), along with employee education, can bolster security while alleviating financial strains. Robust identity management and zero-trust security frameworks are essential to mitigate risks further, especially in the face of rising cloud intrusions. Proactive investments in password security software such as password managers can help streamline operations and enhance overall organisational resilience against these evolving threats.

Sources: [Bleeping Computer] [Axios] 

Phishing Attacks Up 40 Percent in 2023; Attackers Leverage Social Engineering for Greater Success

Kaspersky recently released their annual spam and phishing report in which they identified over 709 million attempts to access phishing and scam websites, a 40% increase from the previous year. It should be noted that this number is just related to Kaspersky’s identification; the figure is likely far greater. With reports identifying that 90% of phishing involves social engineering, it is important to understand how it is leveraged.

Phishing attacks generally include an element of trust; for example, a bad actor impersonating a reputable brand or providing details about an individual that makes the attack more credible. Often, social engineering will rely on human characteristics, such as urgency, emotion and habit to try to manipulate the target to perform particular actions. Whilst the tools may change, the basis is the same; a successful phish requires user interaction. To mitigate the impact of phishing in corporate environments, organisations must stay informed about the latest adversarial activity and prioritise security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and providing employee awareness and education training that goes beyond ticking boxes.

Sources: [Beta News] [CSO Online] [Security Boulevard] [DarkReading]

Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked

A survey of over 10,000 business leaders across various industries has found that a number of business leaders know little when it comes to their organisation’s cyber security landscape, with 1 in 10, “unsure” and unable to provide a definitive answer as to whether their organisation has had a data breach in 2023. The report highlights that there are a number of leadership positions that are not receiving sufficient information about their organisation’s data security situation.

Receiving regular reports with metrics about the organisation’s cyber security posture is key to organisations achieving and maintaining a solid level of governance, something that is required in various standards and regulations.

Source: [Tech.Co]

Rising Cyber Security Risks: Insider Threat Main Concern Among Mid-Market Firms

According to the 2023 CyberArk Identity Security Threat Landscape Report, insider threats are on the rise, with 68% of organisations reporting an increased frequency in the past year. These threats, considered one of the top concerns over the next 12 months, stem from within an organisation where authorised employees exploit their access to steal or leak sensitive data. Factors such as flexible working, an increase in job transitions, workforce reductions, third-party relationships, economic uncertainties, and employee stress levels further compound these challenges. Negligence, accounting for 62% of insider incidents, plays a significant role; these threats aren’t always malicious but can also be negligent or accidental. As these threats evolve, the potential consequences, including revenue loss and reputational damage, are becoming more apparent to business leaders. To mitigate risks, companies must prioritise improving identity security, particularly in controlling privileged access, and embrace a Zero Trust approach. This ensures full visibility and control over access to sensitive data, safeguarding critical assets and enhancing cyber resilience in an increasingly volatile landscape. Other key identified threats include AI-related risks, ransomware, deep fakes, and malware.

Sources: [TechRadar] [Comms Business]

C-Suite Executives: An Attacker’s Dream?

Cyber criminals are increasingly focusing on high-value targets, particularly C-suite executives who hold extensive organisational access. These executives, often overlooked in security practices and training, have become vulnerable links. The cyber security landscape of 2023 saw significant advancements but also revealed vulnerabilities, exacerbated by global conflicts and strategic cyber attacks. Cyber actors are now targeting entities with high return potential, with ransomware attackers tailoring their strikes to maximise revenues, often from smaller organisations. Interestingly, while automation is on the rise, cyber criminals are opting for a human touch, with human operatives often behind attacks. A report last year showed a nearly 30% spike in fraud specifically targeting senior executives, highlighting the vulnerability of the C-suite. This emphasises the need for robust cyber resilience strategies to safeguard these high-value targets.

Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]

Security Risks Plague SMEs in Shift to Remote Working

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working surged, offering businesses newfound flexibility and cost efficiencies. However, this paradigm shift comes with its own set of security challenges, particularly impacting startups and small businesses. The inherent flexibility of remote work exposes companies to risks like unauthorised access, IP theft, and malware. These threats are especially potent for SMEs, jeopardising their financial stability and reputation. Robust security measures include VPNs, enforcing regular software updates, and employee training to mitigate these risks. By embracing these strategies, SMEs can navigate the remote work landscape securely, unlocking its benefits while safeguarding against potential threats.

Source: [SecurityBrief New Zealand]

After Collecting $22 Million, Ransomware Group Stages FBI Takedown

The ransomware group responsible for facilitating a huge attack against a US prescription drug company for $22 million has gone dark, days after receiving the payment and standing accused of scamming their own affiliate out of their share of the gains. Days after the payment was made, AlphV’s public website started displaying a message saying it had been seized by the FBI as part of an international law enforcement action. Ransomware researchers have since said that it has not actually been seized, but appears to be a ploy to exit scam affiliates of the ransomware group. This proves the old adage that there really is no honour among thieves.

Source: [Ars Technica]

Cyber Attacks Remain Chief Concern for Businesses

A recent report has underscored the growing concern among UK corporate businesses regarding cyber attacks as the primary fraud threat in the upcoming year, with 73% of respondents expressing worry. As businesses grapple with the shift to hybrid and remote work models, ensuring robust counter-fraud measures and internal controls is imperative to safeguarding workforces regardless of location. This situation emphasises the critical importance of investing in employee training to combat evolving fraud threats. It highlights the far-reaching consequences that fraud can have on organisations and underscores the necessity of fostering an anti-fraud culture across all levels of the enterprise.

Source: [TheHRDirector]

Two New Ransomware Groups Join Forces to Launch Joint Attacks

Two ransomware groups, Ghostsec and Stormous, have joined forces to conduct double extortion ransomware attacks on various businesses across multiple countries. As part of this, their new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) program, STMX_GhostLocker, provides various options for their affiliates. GhostSec is already part of a coalition called the five families, involving 4 other entities. The group ventured into RaaS last year, offering services for as little as $269.99 per month.

Source: [The Hacker News]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week

• 1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)

• Cyber attacks remain chief concern for businesses | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• Companies Are Already Not Complying With The New SEC Cyber Security Incident Disclosure Rules (forbes.com)

• What Cyber Security Chiefs Need From Their CEOs (darkreading.com)

• Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly

• NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com

• CISOs Tackle Compliance With Cyber Guidelines (informationweek.com)

• Are C-suite executives cyber security's weakest link? (securitybrief.co.nz

• 30 years of the CISO role – how things have changed since Steve Katz | CSO Online

• How to create an efficient governance control program - Help Net Security

• Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)

• Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security

• Cyber Insights 2024: A Dire Year for CISOs? - Security Week

• Cyber Pros’ Knowledge Gaps Lead to Errors | MSSP Alert

• Research finds that cyber security leaders are taking on multiple roles | Security Magazine

• How Security Leaders Can Break Down Barriers to Enable Digital Trust - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• FBI: US Ransomware Losses Surge 74% to $59.6 Million in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• Report: Average Initial Ransomware Demand in 2023 Reached $600K - Security Boulevard

• What’s Fueling the Ransomware Epidemic? | Symantec Enterprise Blogs (security.com)

• Banning ransomware payments back on the agenda | Computer Weekly

• BlackCat Goes Dark After Ripping Off Change Healthcare Ransom (darkreading.com)

• Inside an Alphv/BlackCat ransomware attack | TechTarget

• Healthcare facing record ransom as cyber criminals continue to target sector - Emerging Risks Media Ltd

• Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The Register

• Alert: GhostSec and Stormous Launch Joint Ransomware Attacks in Over 15 Countries (thehackernews.com)

• Capita drops 18% on £107m loss as financial impact of cyber attack is revealed | LSE:CPI (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• US cyber and law enforcement agencies warn of Phobos ransomware attacks (securityaffairs.com)

• Experts echo calls for ransomware ban as LockBit rallies • The Register

• Government urged to ban ransom payments to cyber criminals (computing.co.uk)

• LockBit 3.0’s Bungled Comeback Highlights the Undying Risk of Torrent-Based (P2P) Data Leakage (securityaffairs.com)

• Ransomware spikes against critical infrastructure, says FBI • The Register

• Major shifts in identity, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threat trends - Help Net Security

• Government was third-largest ransomware target last year: FBI - Defense One

• JetBrains TeamCity under attack by ransomware thugs • The Register

Ransomware Victims

• A Deep Dive into the 2024 Prudential and LoanDepot Breaches - Security Boulevard

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• After collecting $22 million, AlphV ransomware group stages FBI takedown | Ars Technica

• Change Healthcare hack cripples payment systems across health providers - The Washington Post

• Hackers Behind the Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack Just Received a $22 Million Payment | WIRED

• Capita raises threat of further job cuts under plans to save another £100m | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

• Capita drops 18% on £107m loss as financial impact of cyber attack is revealed | LSE:CPI (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

• Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)

• UnitedHealth's cyber attack should be a 'wake-up call' for healthcare (yahoo.com)

• Ransomware Attackers Leak Sensitive Swiss Government Documents, Login - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Security leaders weigh in on the recent UnitedHealth cyber attack | Security Magazine

• LockBit 3.0’s Bungled Comeback Highlights the Undying Risk of Torrent-Based (P2P) Data Leakage (securityaffairs.com)

• Canada's anti-money laundering agency offline after cyber attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Uncle Sam intervenes in Change Healthcare ransomware fiasco • The RegisterFidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• Duvel says it has "more than enough" beer after ransomware attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Thousands of Dutch passports stolen in ransomware attacks available on dark web | NL Times

• Corporate Greed Made the Change Healthcare Cyber attack Worse (nymag.com)

• Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register

• Action needed to avoid repeat of Southern Water cyber attack - Utility Week

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• Phishing attacks up 40 percent in 2023 (betanews.com)

• Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)

• How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online

• Cyber Criminals Spoof US Government Organisations in BEC, Phishing Attacks - Security Week

• Annual State of Email Security by the Numbers - Security Boulevard

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• 95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security

• Hundreds of orgs targeted with emails aimed at stealing NTLM authentication hashes - Help Net Security

• Kaspersky spam and phishing report for 2023 | Securelist

Other Social Engineering

• How attackers leverage social engineering for greater scamming success | CSO Online

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• The Rise of Social Engineering Fraud in Business Email Compromise (darkreading.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)

• AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security

• Don't Give Your Business Data to AI Companies (darkreading.com)

• Act now to stop WordPress and Tumblr selling your content to AI firms • Graham Cluley

• GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)

• Political deepfakes are spreading like wildfire thanks to GenAI | TechCrunch

• Self-Propagating Worm Created to Target Generative AI Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Future Of AI And ML In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• 95% believe LLMs making phishing detection more challenging - Help Net Security

• Immediate AI risks and tomorrow's dangers - Help Net Security

• Defence: Leonardo CEO says stupidity poses a bigger threat than AI (cnbc.com)

2FA/MFA

• Google and Meta users see their 2FA security codes leaked online - Root-Nation.com

Malware

• No “Apple magic” as 11% of macOS detections last year came from malware | Malwarebytes

• Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update

• GTPDOOR backdoor is designed to target telecom carrier networks (securityaffairs.com)

• Watch Out for Spoofed Zoom, Skype, Google Meet Sites Delivering Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Linux variant of BIFROSE RAT uses deceptive domain strategies (securityaffairs.com)

• Self-Propagating Worm Created to Target Generative AI Systems - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• New Linux malware found targeting mobile networks across the world | TechRadar

• ScreenConnect flaws exploited to drop new ToddleShark malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week

• Linux Malware Targets Docker, Apache Hadoop, Redis and Confluence - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• AI worm that infects computers and reads emails created by researchers | The Independent

• New WogRAT malware abuses online notepad service to store malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)

• Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)

Mobile

• Jamf says 9% of smartphone have fallen for phishing attacks (appleinsider.com)

• Mobile banking malware growing rapidly, ThreatFabric warns | Biometric Update

• Apple warns of increased iPhone security risks | Computerworld

• The Privacy Danger Lurking in Push Notifications | WIRED

• Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• CISA Adds Android Pixel and Sunhillo Sureline Bugs to Its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

• The Importance of Cyber security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon

• Phone hacking is a real danger. How to keep your data, location secure (usatoday.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• DDoS Attacks on Financial Services Industry Up 154%, According to New FS-ISAC/Akamai Report (prnewswire.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• Someone is hacking 3D printers to warn owners of a security flaw (bitdefender.com)

• Popular doorbell camera brands contain security flaws, making them easy to hack: Report  | The Hill

• NCSC flags up cyber security for connected places | UKAuthority

• The Importance of Cyber Security for Your Smart Devices | HackerNoon

• This $4 Billion Car Surveillance Startup Says It Cuts Crime. But It Likely Broke The Law. (forbes.com)

• Flipper Zero WiFi phishing attack can unlock and steal Tesla cars (bleepingcomputer.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• The State Of Cyber Security (Part One): Why Are There Still So Many Data Breaches? (forbes.com)

• A leaky database spilled 2FA codes for the world’s tech giants | TechCrunch#

• American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Fidelity Investments Notifying 28,000 People of Data Breach - Security Week

• AI tools put companies at risk of data exfiltration - Help Net Security

• 4 Instructive Postmortems on Data Downtime and Loss (thehackernews.com)

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• FBI: Cyber Crime Losses Exceeded $12.5 Billion in 2023 - Security Week

• 2023 FBI Internet Crime Report reported cyber crime losses reached $12.5 billion in 2023 (securityaffairs.com)

• $12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire

• Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• $12.5 billion lost to cyber crime, amid tidal wave of crypto investment fraud | Tripwire

• Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• New Phishing Kit Leverages SMS, Voice Calls to Target Cryptocurrency Users (thehackernews.com)

• Crypto fraud in 2023: How can security teams fight (securityintelligence.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Comms Business - Insider threat main concern among mid-market firms

• Current workforce trends feed into rising cyber security risks | TechRadar

• Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Pleads Guilty Under a Deal That Calls for at Least 11 Years in Prison - Security Week

• Army Vet Spills National Secrets to Fake Ukrainian Girlfriend (darkreading.com)

• Chinese engineer accused of stealing Google's GPU and TPU secrets, transferring them to China-based startups | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Employment Law Firm Sues IT Co. Over Ransomware Attack - Law360

• Capita plans £100 million in cost cuts as it continues to grapple with 2023 cyber attack | ITPro

• First BofA, Now Fidelity: Same Vendor Behind Third-Party Breaches (darkreading.com)

• American Express credit cards exposed in third-party data breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers target FCC, crypto firms in advanced Okta phishing attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• 10 Essential Processes for Reducing the Top 11 Cloud Risks (darkreading.com)

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• Hackers target Coinbase, Binance staff with phishing clones of Gmail, iCloud (crypto.news)

• Securing Perimeter Products Must Be a Priority, Says NCSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• Major shifts in identity, ransomware, and critical infrastructure threat trends - Help Net Security

Encryption

• Preparing for the post-quantum cryptography environment today | CSO Online

Linux and Open Source

• Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro

• Linux Malware Campaign Targets Misconfigured Cloud Servers - Security Week

• Linux Variants of Bifrost Trojan Evade Detection via Typosquatting (darkreading.com)

• Linux Malware Targets Docker, Apache Hadoop, Redis and Confluence - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Hacked WordPress sites use visitors' browsers to hack other sites (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Over 225,000 Compromised ChatGPT Credentials Up for Sale on Dark Web Markets (thehackernews.com)

• Malware is coming for your ChatGPT credentials • The Register

• Stolen passwords are a hacker goldmine now, CrowdStrike and IBM find (axios.com)

• Passwords are Costing Your Organisation Money - How to Minimize Those Costs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Poor Credential Hygiene - Security Boulevard

• US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register

Social Media

• Google and Meta users see their 2FA security codes leaked online - Root-Nation.com

• IP address X-posure now a feature on Twitter • The Register

• “Technical Issue” Takes Facebook Offline, Offers No Cyber Security Reassurance | MSSP Alert

• Facebook and Instagram Overrun by Account Hackers, States Warn (bloomberglaw.com)

• Snake, a new Info Stealer spreads through Facebook messages (securityaffairs.com)

• Meta Abandons Hacking Victims, Draining Law Enforcement Resources, Officials Say | WIRED

• US State AGs tell Meta to fix rampant account takeovers • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• In the News | Equip and Educate Students to Combat Cyberthreats - Security Boulevard

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Companies Are Already Not Complying With The New SEC Cyber Security Incident Disclosure Rules (forbes.com)

• EU council welcomes cyber solidarity act agreement (verdict.co.uk)

• The modern CISO's guide to navigating new SEC cyber regulations (betanews.com)

• Five Unintended Consequences of the New SEC Cyber Security Disclosure Rule - Security Boulevard

• Navigating regulation challenges for protecting sensitive healthcare data - Help Net Security

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• NIST Cyber Security Framework 2.0: 4 Steps to Get Started (darkreading.com)

• NIST Cyber Framework 2.0: Doubling Down on Governance, Expanding Applicability | Law.com

• CIS RAM (Risk Assessment Method) (cisecurity.org)

Data Protection

• Charity has 30 days to stop spamming thousands for donations • The Register

• This $4 Billion Car Surveillance Startup Says It Cuts Crime. But It Likely Broke The Law. (forbes.com)

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• 11 Top Cyber Security Certifications to Consider In 2024 (datamation.com)

• Cyber and gender | Professional Security

• Poorly paid cyber security staff risk ‘breaking bad’ on the dark web (techinformed.com)

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• Germany takes down cyber crime market with over 180,000 users (bleepingcomputer.com)

• A cyber criminal is sentenced, will it make a difference? - Help Net Security

• Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Pleads Guilty Under a Deal That Calls for at Least 11 Years in Prison - Security Week

• Nigerian National Pleads Guilty of Conspiracy in BEC Operation (darkreading.com)

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Content farm impersonates 60+ major news outlets, like BBC, CNN, CNBC (bleepingcomputer.com)

• The man who tricked Nazi Germany: lessons from the past on how to beat disinformation | Books | The Guardian

• Political deepfakes are spreading like wildfire thanks to GenAI | TechCrunch

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine Via A Disinformation Campaign - Security Boulevard

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Focus on cyber operations that cause physical damage is not enough | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

• Cyber threats impacting the safety and dignity of civilians in conflict | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

Nation State Actors

• Complete Guide to Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) Security - Security Boulevard

China

• Chinese nation state actors to ramp up cyber espionage attempts in 2024 - IT Security Guru

• We’re Slowly Learning About China’s Extensive Hacking Network | Mind Matters

• Taiwan's Biggest Telco Breached by Suspected Chinese Hackers (darkreading.com)

• Possible China link to Change Healthcare ransomware attack • The Register

• A New Wave of Cyber Attacks: Five Actions to Take Now | IndustryWeek

• Chinese State Hackers Target Tibetans with Supply Chain, Watering Hole Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• Behind the doors of a Chinese hacking company, a sordid culture fueled by influence, alcohol and sex | AP News

Russia

• The Five Bears: Russia's Offensive Cyber Capabilities (greydynamics.com)

• A Silent World War – Russia’s Cyberwar Against the West (kyivpost.com)

• Germany Urged to Tighten Security After Russia Leaked Classified Information - Bloomberg

• Germany to investigate Russia’s interception of military talks on Ukraine | Germany | The Guardian

• Ukraine intel says its hackers obtained Russian Defence Ministry's classified documents - Euromaidan Press

• Valuable Russian Military Documents Exposed: Report (newsweek.com)

• Focus on cyber operations that cause physical damage is not enough | International Committee of the Red Cross (icrc.org)

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine Via A Disinformation Campaign - Security Boulevard

North Korea

• Lazarus Group observed exploiting an admin-to-kernel Windows zero-day | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea hacks two South Korean chip firms to steal engineering data (bleepingcomputer.com)

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

• Banks face ‘hacktivist’ cyber attacks (fnlondon.com)

• Hacktivist Collective NoName057(16) Strikes European Targets - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 'The Weirdest Trend in Cyber Security': Nation-States Returning to USBs (darkreading.com)

• Four internet cables cut in Red Sea in 'exceptionally rare' incident | Fortune

• Predator spyware endures even after widespread exposure, analysis shows | CyberScoop

---

Vulnerability Management

• Firms Still Threatened by Old Vulnerabilities (govinfosecurity.com)

• Open source vulnerabilities dominated 2023, and this year looks no different | ITPro

• Organisations are knowingly releasing vulnerable applications - Help Net Security

• Securing Perimeter Products Must Be a Priority, Says NCSC - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Enhancing security through proactive patch management - Help Net Security

Vulnerabilities

• Five Eyes alliance warns of attacks exploiting known Ivanti Gateway flaws (securityaffairs.com)

• ConnectWise ScreenConnect bug used in Play ransomware breach, MSP attack | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea’s Kimsuky gang joins rush to exploit new ScreenConnect bugs | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• North Korea Hits ScreenConnect Bugs to Drop 'ToddleShark' Malware (darkreading.com)

• Hackers exploited Windows 0-day for 6 months after Microsoft knew of it | Ars Technica

• CISA adds Apple iOS and iPadOS memory corruption bugs to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (securityaffairs.com)

• Urgent: Apple Issues Critical Updates for Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• VMware sandbox escape bugs are so critical, patches are released for end-of-life products | Ars Technica

• VMware Issues Security Patches for ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• VMWare Urges Users to Uninstall EAP Immediately - Security Boulevard

• Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in VPN Product - Security Week

• Critical TeamCity flaw now widely exploited to create admin accounts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Critical TeamCity Bugs Endanger Software Supply Chain (darkreading.com)

• Android's March 2024 Update Patches Critical Vulnerabilities - Security Week

• CISA Warns of Pixel Phone Vulnerability Exploitation - Security Week

---

Tools and Controls

• Why cyber maturity assessment should become standard practice - Help Net Security

• 1 in 10 Business Leaders Don’t Even Know They’ve Been Hacked (tech.co)

• The Ultimate Guide to Threat Detection, Investigation, and Response (TDIR) (govinfosecurity.com)

• The Future Of AI And ML In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively | Computer Weekly

• What Is A Cyber Incident Response Policy? - Security Boulevard

• Cyber Criminals Using Novel DNS Hijacking Technique for Investment Scams (thehackernews.com)

• Demystifying the Maze: A Guide to Cyber Risk Quantification Methods (cybersaint.io)

• Resilience is built on a solid framework | Professional Security

• Simply Human: Why HR Needs To Take The Lead In Cyber Security (forbes.com)

• The critical role of DNS in cyber security and digital thriving | TechRadar

• 5 ways to keep API integrations secure - Help Net Security

• Reduce the Attack Surface | Dell USA

• What is Advanced Threat Protection and How to Use It in Your Business - Security Boulevard

• Human vs. Non-Human Identity in SaaS (thehackernews.com)

• How To Close The DevSecOps Cyber Security Skills Gap And Boost Security (forbes.com)

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• Kaspersky spam and phishing report for 2023 | Securelist

---

Other News

• Banks face ‘hacktivist’ cyber attacks (fnlondon.com)

• White Hats on Offensive Against Black Hat Hackers: Report (technewsworld.com)

• UK altnets call for action after attacks on fibre infrastructure | Computer Weekly

• Securing the future: Addressing cyber security challenges in the education sector - Help Net Security

• The 3 most common post-compromise tactics on network infrastructure (talosintelligence.com)

• What is Micro Breaching? - Security Boulevard

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 07 March 2024 – Apple, Cisco and VMware Security Updates

Executive Summary

Apple, Cisco and VMware have addressed multiple vulnerabilities across their product range this week, including two actively exploited zero-days affecting Apple products. These vulnerabilities are reportedly being exploited in the wild and have been added to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV) catalog. The seriousness of the VMware vulnerabilities has led to Vmware releasing patches for end-of-life products.

In addition, CISA has issued a warning about a flaw (CVE-2023-21237) impacting Google Pixel phones. Although Google addressed this vulnerability in June 2023, CISA reports that it is still being actively exploited in the wild and has added it to the KEV catalog.

---

Apple

Apple have released security updates to address several security flaws including two zero-day vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited in the wild and have been added to the (KEV) catalog. This is the third actively exploited zero-day in its software since the start of the year.

What can I do?

Apple have released security patches to address the vulnerabilities and it is advised to update immediately since it has been reported that the vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild. The vulnerabilities have been addressed in iOS 17.4, iPadOS 17.4, iOS 16.7.6, and iPadOS 16.7.6.

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-23225 – This is a memory corruption issues in the kernel that an attacker with arbitrary kernel read and write capability can exploit to bypass kernel memory protections.

CVE-2024-23296 – This is a memory corruption issue in the RTKit real-time operating system (RTOS) that an attacker with arbitrary kernel read and write can exploit to bypass kernel memory protections.

---

Cisco

Cisco have addressed two high-severity vulnerabilities in it’s VPN application Secure Client, that could lead to remote exploitation without authentication and execution of code with the highest level of privilege.

What can I do?

Organisations using Secure Client should check if they are running vulnerable versions and apply patches immediately. Where a patch is not available, organisations should follow CISCO’s guidance linked below.

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-20337 - A carriage return line feed injection attack that could be caused remotely, by tricking a user in to clicking a maliciously crafted link. According to CISCO, this only impacts Secure Client instances where the VPN headend is configured with the SAML external browser.

CVE-2024-20338 - A vulnerability that can allow an attacker to execute code with root privileges. This vulnerability only Secure Client for Linux and requires authentication prior to exploitation.

The following versions of Secure Client have been impacted:

CVE-2024-20337

versions 4.10.04065 and later - upgrade to version 4.10.08025

version 5.0 - no patch available and users should migrate to a fixed release

Version 5.1 - should apply the patches in version 5.1.2.42

Versions earlier than Earlier than 4.10.04065 are not vulnerable.

CVE-2024-20338

This impacts Linux versions earlier than 5.1.2.42 and requires authentication for successful exploitation. The first fixed release is version 5.1.2.42.

---

VMware

VMware have released security patches to address four security flaws impacting ESXi, Workstation and Fusing, two of which are critical flaws (CVE-2024-22252 and CVE-2024-22253) which if exploited could lead to code execution.

What can I do?

VMware have released patches for the impacted products and it is recommended to patch immediately, given the severity of the vulnerabilities. Organisations should also check any end-of-life products they may be using as these have also had patches released.

The following versions have been impacted:

ESXi 6.5 – fixed in 6.5U3v

ESXi 6.7 - fixed in 6.7U3u

ESXi 7.0 - fixed in ESXi70U3p-23307199

ESXi 8.0 - fixed in ESXi80U2sb-23305545 and ESXi80U1d-23299997

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 5.x/4.x – fixed in version KB88287

Workstation 17.x - fixed in 17.5.1

Fusion 13.x (macOS) - fixed in 13.5.1

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-22254 – This is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in ESXi that a malicious actor with privileges within VMX process could exploit to trigger a sandbox escape.

CVE-2024-22255 – This is an information disclosure vulnerability in the UHCI USB controller that a malicious actor with administrative access to a virtual machine may exploit to leak memory from the VMX process.

---

Further Information

Apple

Further details on the Apple vulnerabilities can be found here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214081

Cisco

Further details on the Cisco vulnerabilities can be found here:

CVE-2024-20337 - https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-secure-client-crlf-W43V4G7

CVE-2024-20338 - https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-secure-privesc-sYxQO6ds

CISA KEV catalog

Further details of CISA’s KEV catalog can be found here:
 https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

VMware

Further details on the VMware vulnerabilities can be found here:

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2024-0006.html

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity 

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 01 March 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources: [Information Week] [Security Boulevard]

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

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

Source: [CSO Online]

More and More UK Firms Concerned About Insider Threats

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

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

98% of Businesses Linked to Breached Third Parties

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

Source: [Help Net Security]

Phishing, Smishing and Vishing Skyrocket 1,265%

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

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

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

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

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

Source: [ITPro]

Vulnerabilities Count Set to Rise by 25% in 2024

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

Source: [Help Net Security]

BYOD Increases Mobile Phishing; Risks Have Never Been Higher

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

Source: [MSSP Alert]

What Companies Should Know About Rising Legal Threats

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

Source: [Darkreading]

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

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

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

Sources: [CyberScoop] [CIO]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Building Your Cyber Incident Response Team - Security Boulevard

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

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

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

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ransomware Victims

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

• LoanDepot Ransomware Attack Exposed 16.9 Million Individuals - Security Week

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

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

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

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

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

• German Steelmaker Thyssenkrupp Confirms Ransomware Attack - Security Week

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

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

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other Social Engineering

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

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

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

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

• Scammers Often Rely on This Psychological Trick | TIME

Artificial Intelligence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2FA/MFA

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

Malware

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mobile

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

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

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

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

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

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

Internet of Things – IoT

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

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

Data Breaches/Leaks

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

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

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

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

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

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

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

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

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

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

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

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

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

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

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

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

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

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

Insurance

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

• A Cyber Insurance Backstop - Schneier on Security

Supply Chain and Third Parties

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

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

Cloud/SaaS

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

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

• CIOs rethink all-in cloud strategies | CIO

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

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

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

Identity and Access Management

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

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

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

Linux and Open Source

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

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

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

Social Media

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

• Meta Patches Facebook Account Takeover Vulnerability - Security Week

Malvertising

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

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

Training, Education and Awareness

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

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

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

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

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

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

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

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

• Getting Ahead of Cyber Security Materiality Mayhem - Security Boulevard

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

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

Backup and Recovery

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

Models, Frameworks and Standards

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

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

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

• Preparing for the NIS2 Directive - Help Net Security

Data Protection

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

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

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

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

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

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

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

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

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

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

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

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

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

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

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

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

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

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

Nation State Actors

China

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iran

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

North Korea

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

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

---

Vulnerability Management

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

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

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

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

Vulnerabilities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Meta Patches Facebook Account Takeover Vulnerability - Security Week

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

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

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

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

---

Tools and Controls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

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

• Cyber threat landscape report | Professional Security

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

---

Other News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Informational 27 February 2024 – NIST Officially Release Version 2.0 of Globally used Cyber Security Framework

Executive summary

After a multi-year collaborative effort across industry, academia, and governments around the world, The US National Institute of Standards and Technology have released version 2.0 of their globally recognised and internationally respected cyber security framework (CSF). The new framework builds on it’s long standing principles, adding to governance to the original 5 functions (identify, protect, detect, respond and recover). The framework also directly addresses supply chain risk.

What can I do?

Businesses now have access to an updated framework which reflects, addresses and helps to mitigates the cyber threats we are seeing today. The framework offers a taxonomy of high-level cyber security outcomes that can be used by any organisation, regardless of size, sector or maturity, to better understand, assess, prioritise and communicate its cyber security efforts.

The official NIST release can be found below:

https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 23 February 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Despite Recent NCA and FBI Disruptions, a Rise in Ransomware Means 2024 Will be a Volatile Year for Cyber Security

There has been a lot of high profile coverage this week of the infamous and prolific LockBit gang’s infrastructure having been seized by law enforcement following an international Police operation led by the UK’s National Crime Agency. Whilst the international operation shows the seriousness of the matter, and the success of the operation should be celebrated, those celebrations should be muted and organisations should not become lax. Like the Hydra of Greek mythology, when one head disappears, a few more appear in its place. Ransomware really is a case of if, not when, and your organisation needs to be prepared.

Further, a recent threat report has found that the median ransom demand rose by 20% year on year, hitting an average of $600,000 and it is expected that 2024 will be even more volatile. Ransomware groups are expanding their target lists and exploring new pressure tactics in response to increasingly effective law enforcement efforts, and this is coupled with the increasing regulatory impact on organisations.

Sources: [Sky News] [GOV Infosecurity] [Bleeping Computer] [Infosecurity Magazine] [Cyber Reason]

The Old, Not the New: Basic Security Issues Still the Biggest Threat to Enterprises

In the latest IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, it was revealed that basic security issues remain the most significant threat to enterprises. Cyber criminals are increasingly turning to credential stuffing, using and exploiting valid accounts harvested from the darkweb and previous breaches, with a 266% uptick in info-stealing malware. This tactic is harder to detect and elicits a costly response from enterprises. On the other hand, it is also important to adopt an attacker mindset for effective security. Understanding the attacker’s tools, motives, and efforts can help in limiting access, compartmentalising the impact of any successful attack, and minimising the time to attack detection. In essence, while organisations continue to grapple with complex cyber threats, the biggest security problem boils down to the basic and the already known. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on strengthening basic security measures and thinking like an attacker to proactively mitigate the risk for a more secure attack surface.

Source: [Help Net Security] [Forbes]

Reevaluating Your Cyber Security Priorities

Both technology and cyber criminals are evolving, yet many companies and organisations are not. For many corporate leaders, they may not know where to begin. Organisations looking to evolve their cyber security posture should look to elevate cyber to the C-suite and board, conduct audits of their sensitive information, create or update and test their incident response plan and finally, revisit their cyber hygiene training to ensure it is doing more than just ticking boxes. Organisations doing the above will find themselves improving their cyber security posture, and mitigating their risk to threats.

Source: [Dark Reading]

Cyber Threat Environment at its Most Dangerous for SMBs, as Geopolitical Tenison, Extortion and Attacks Present Biggest Risks

A new study has found that extortion campaigns, geopolitical threats, and attacks on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are amongst the greatest threats to cyber security defences currently. The report, conducted by Mimecast, highlights how individual ransom groups have claimed over 1,000 victims and over $300 million in payments. Regarding SMBs, the report found that these businesses encountered twice the normal number of threats, at over 30 threats per user, as compared to larger companies who saw approximately 15. Not only are SMBs at more risk, but they also do not have the same resources a large company would have to mitigate such threats. SMBs must be efficient in the way they prioritise and address their cyber risk as part of their larger risk management strategy.

Sources: [Emerging Risks] [The HR Director]

Legal Sector Grows as a Target, with Cyber Attacks on Law Firms Surging by Over a Third

A new report has found that the number of reported cyber breaches on UK law firms has increased 30% from the previous year, as attackers increasingly target the profession. As a note, this does not include firms who may be unaware that they have been breached. Law firms are an attractive target to attackers due to the sensitive information such as M&A activity, divorce information and big ticket litigation; many attackers believe that law firms will pay handsomely to have this data back.

Sources: [Emerging Risks] [Legal Cheek]

It’s Not Only Ransomware Seeing Huge Rises: Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks are Also Seeing a Huge Rise. Is Your Business Prepared?

A recent report found that business email compromise (BEC) saw a staggering increase of 10 time the amount compared to the previous year. BEC involves a genuine business email account being compromised by a threat actor; this could be your supplier, a client, or anyone you have legitimate contact with. With such an increase, organisations must consider if they would be able to spot and mitigate BEC in their corporate environment through robust operational controls such as callback procedures for example. Due to the rise in deep fake fraud with voice cloning and video, the efficacy of traditional safeguards such as callbacks are not providing the assurance they once did. Firms and employees need to be on their guard to these changing tactics to safeguard the business.

Source: [TechRadar]

Deepfake Phishing Grew by 3,000% in 2023, and it’s Just the Beginning

Phishing remains one of the most prevalent cyber security threats, and with the emergence of artificial intelligence it is only going to carry on getting worse. According to a recent report, the number of deepfake fraud attempts rose by 3,000%. In one instance, the CEO of an energy enterprise sent €220,000 to a supplier after getting a call from the parent company’s leader requesting the exchange; the call was a deepfake.

Source: [HackerNoon]

Cyber Attacks are Getting Faster, More Common and More Successful, Although Detection is More Advanced Than Ever. New Report Signals the Threats to Businesses, Supply Chains, and Democracy

A recent report from CrowdStrike sheds light on the increasing speed and sophistication of cyber attacks. Breakout times have plummeted to an average of 62 minutes, with a record time of just two minutes and seven seconds observed. Hackers are now targeting the cloud, exploiting its vulnerabilities and leveraging AI assistance to escalate attacks. The human factor remains a primary entry point for threat actors, with social engineering and phishing campaigns on the rise. As organisations transition to the cloud, threat actors follow suit, with cloud intrusions soaring by 75%. CrowdStrike warns of state-sponsored adversaries targeting critical elections, emphasising the need for a platform-based approach bolstered by threat intelligence to safeguard against evolving threats.

Source: [TechRadar]

Report Finds Malicious Emails Bypassing Secure Email Gateways Rose by 105%

A report by Cofense has found a 105% increase in malicious emails that successfully bypassed Secure Email Gateways (SEGs), with approximately one malicious email navigating their way past SEGs every 57 seconds. The report suggests that phishing efforts are outpacing that of SEGs, and such phishing efforts are responsible for 90% of data breaches. Whilst SEGs may be filtering out a number of malicious emails, they, like everything in cyber security, are not a silver bullet. Organisations should not fall foul of believing that they are impenetrable because they have a SEG.

Sources: [SiliconANGLE] [Security Magazine] [Help Net Security]

Rising Cyber Threats Identified as Major Business Risk for 2024

In the latest Allianz risk barometer, cyber incidents have been identified as the most significant concern for companies globally in 2024. This is particularly true for remote desktop connections, which have become a prime target for cyber attacks since the shift to a work-from-home environment. The report also highlights that the risk landscape is being shaped by digitalisation, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainties. Meanwhile, a report from Coalition reveals that the cyber attack surface has expanded due to new ways of working. The report found that smaller businesses often lack the resources to prepare for a wide range of risk scenarios, which can lead to longer recovery times after an unexpected incident. These findings underscore the importance of robust cyber security measures and the need for continuous monitoring and improvement of an organisation’s digital defences.

Sources: [Reinsurance News] [Allianz]

Huge Cyber Security Leak Lifts the Lid on China’s Hackers for Hire

A huge leak of data from a Chinese cyber security firm, iSoon, has revealed state security agents paying tens of thousands of pounds to harvest data on targets, including the likes of foreign governments, and the leak shows this has been going on for years. Since the release, CrowdStrike has drawn overlaps between the firm and multiple known Chinese threat actors who are well resourced and conduct attacks over an extended period (referred to as advanced persistent threats, APTs). Among some of the 500 leaked documents are product manuals, lists of clients and employees, and WeChat instant messages. The leaks show over 14 governments have been attacked, as well as gambling and telecommunications companies.

Sources: [Dark Reading] [The Guardian]

Fifth of British Kids Have Broken the Law Online

In a recent study by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), one in five children aged 10 to 16 have engaged in online offences with the figure rising to 25% among online gamers. These "low-level" cyber crimes, such as attempting to access protected servers or launching distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, may not be perceived by young individuals as violating the Computer Misuse Act. The consequences, however, are severe, including potential arrest, criminal records, and restrictions on future opportunities. The NCA stresses the importance of educating both children and adults about the legal and ethical implications of such actions, highlighting the transition from minor offences to more serious cyber crimes. With a significant shortage of cyber security professionals globally, fostering positive digital skills among young individuals is crucial for meeting industry demands and deterring cyber crime. Parents, teachers, and children are encouraged to explore resources provided by the NCA's Cyber Choices website to prevent inadvertent involvement in illegal online activities.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

Over 40% of Firms Struggle with Cyber Security Talent Shortage

A recent report from Kaspersky has unveiled a critical global challenge: over 40% of companies are struggling to fill essential cyber security roles, with information security research and malware analysis roles particularly affected. This scarcity is felt most acutely in Europe and Latin America. Roles within security operations centres (SOCs) and network security are also understaffed, with figures around 35% and 33% respectively. The government sector faces the most significant demand for cyber security experts, followed closely by the telecoms and media sectors. While efforts like offering competitive salaries and enhanced training are underway, the gap persists due to the rapid pace of technological advancement outstripping educational initiatives. The report emphasises the need for innovative solutions to bridge this shortfall, highlighting recruitment, training, and technological advancements as key components of a comprehensive strategy to bolster cyber security resilience in the face of evolving threats.

Source: [Infosecurity Magazine]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Cyber attacks are getting faster, more common and more successful, even though detection is more advanced than ever | TechRadar

• 7 Ways Companies’ Cyber Related Governance Disclosures Will Evolve Post-SEC Rule Change (harvard.edu)

• Cyber security professionals admit “knowledge gaps” have led to serious security blunders | ITPro

• The old, not the new: Basic security issues still biggest threat to enterprises - Help Net Security

• Cyber threat environment more dangerous then ever - Mimecast (emergingrisks.co.uk)

• Over two-thirds of IT security decision-makers report an increase in cyber security budgets for 2024 | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)

• Geopolitical tension, extortion and attacks present biggest cyber security risks | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• 2024 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: From Breakout to Breach in Under Three Minutes; Cloud Infrastructure Under Attack | Business Wire

• Gartner: Three top trends in cyber security for 2024 | Computer Weekly

• Barracuda report highlights rise of high-risk business security threats in 2023 (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Coalition report reveals rising cyber threats amidst business vulnerabilities - Reinsurance News

• Over 40% of Firms Struggle With Cyber Security Talent Shortage - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Thinking Like An Attacker—Another Look At Enterprise Security (forbes.com)

• Hackers using stolen credentials to launch attacks as info-stealing peaks | CSO Online

• The evolution of the CISO - Compare the Cloud

• How CISOs Balance Business Growth, Security in Cyber Threat Landscape (darkreading.com)

• Allianz Risk Barometer: Identifying the major business risks for 2024

• How to mitigate C-Suite cyber risks | Professional Security

• Why cyber security can boost organisational innovation | TechRadar

• 4 Key Steps to Reevaluate Your Cyber Security Priorities (darkreading.com)

• Cyber security success -- elevate your defence against cyber threats (betanews.com)

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• Ransom demands surge by 20% in 2023, hitting key industries hardest - SiliconANGLE

• Police arrests LockBit ransomware members, release decryptor in global crackdown (bleepingcomputer.com)

• LockBit takedown is a “huge win for law enforcement”, but let’s not celebrate too soon, security experts warn | ITPro

• LockBit Attempts to Stay Afloat with a New Version (trendmicro.com)

• LockBit registered nearly 200 "affiliates" over the past two years | TechRadar

• 2024 will be a volatile year for cyber security as ransomware groups evolve - Help Net Security

• Ransomware Experts See Problems With Banning Ransom Payments (govinfosecurity.com)

• Initial Ransomware Demands Jump 20% to $600,000 in 2023 - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Ransomware: True Cost to Business 2024 (cybereason.com)

• Ransomware and BEC are seeing a huge rise — is your business ready? | TechRadar

• ConnectWise exploit could spur ‘ransomware free-for-all,’ expert warns | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 3 trends set to drive cyber attacks and ransomware in 2024 | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Year-over-year, the median initial ransom has risen by 20% | Security Magazine

• Alpha ransomware linked to NetWalker operation dismantled in 2021 (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why are ransomware gangs making so much money? | TechCrunch

• Akira Ransomware Exploiting Cisco Anyconnect Vulnerability (gbhackers.com)

• Knight ransomware source code for sale after leak site shuts down (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Exclusive: eSentire Confirms Rhysida Ransomware Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stuck in cyber attack nightmare? Call the negotiators (techxplore.com)

• Why some cyber attacks hit harder than others - BBC News

• Report: Manufacturing bears the brunt of industrial ransomware | CyberScoop

Ransomware Victims

• eSentire Confirms Rhysida Ransomware Victims - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Why some cyber attacks hit harder than others - BBC News

• ALPHV ransomware claims loanDepot, Prudential Financial breaches (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Cactus ransomware gang claims the theft of 1.5TB of data from Energy management and industrial automation firm Schneider Electric (securityaffairs.com)

• Dead Man's Fingers maker cuts over 500 jobs and enters the red after cyber attack hits sales (cityam.com)

• 147 ransomware attacks on large Dutch companies, institutions last year; 18% paid ransom | NL Times

• Pharmacy Delays Across US Blamed on Nation-State Hackers (darkreading.com)

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• New report warns of ongoing rise of malicious emails bypassing secure email gateways - SiliconANGLE

• Secure email gateways struggle to keep pace with sophisticated phishing campaigns - Help Net Security

• The phishing bait you're most likely to take (betanews.com)

• Deepfake Phishing Grew by 3,000% in 2023 — And It's Just Beginning | HackerNoon

• SMBs at Risk From SendGrid-Focused Phishing Tactics - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Other Social Engineering

• What ‘psychological warfare’ tactics do scammers use, and how can you protect yourself? (theconversation.com)

• North Koreans using ChatGPT to scam LinkedIn users; "attacks are getting very sophisticated" - MSPoweruser

• What Is Social Engineering? Types Of Attacks To Beware Of (forbes.com)

Artificial Intelligence

• AI models can be weaponized to hack websites on their own • The Register

• North Koreans using ChatGPT to scam LinkedIn users; "attacks are getting very sophisticated" - MSPoweruser

• Deepfake Phishing Grew by 3,000% in 2023 — And It's Just Beginning | HackerNoon

• Generative AI and elections are key focus for hackers in 2024, report warns | Evening Standard

• As adversaries harness AI, tech firms peer through chat logs to catch them - Defense One

• Here Comes the Flood of AI-Generated Clickbait | WIRED

• Air Canada Has to Honor a Refund Policy Its Chatbot Made Up | WIRED

• 36% of code generated by GitHub CoPilot contains security flaws - Help Net Security

• Employees input sensitive data into generative AI tools despite the risks | ZDNET

• Ransomware Declines as InfoStealers and AI Threats Gain Ground: IBM X-Force - SecurityWeek

• Gartner: Three top trends in cyber security for 2024 | Computer Weekly

• Global AI Regulatory Update - Lexology

Malware

• PDF Malware on the Rise, Used to Spread WikiLoader, Ursnif and DarkGat - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• FBI's Most-Wanted Zeus and IcedID Malware Mastermind Pleads Guilty (thehackernews.com)

• Iranian Hackers Target Middle East Policy Experts with New BASICSTAR Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• VIPRE report predicts 276% rise in malware in 2024 (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Anatsa Android malware downloaded 150,000 times via Google Play (bleepingcomputer.com)

• 'Lucifer' Botnet Turns Up the Heat on Apache Hadoop Servers (darkreading.com)

• What are Botnets and Why are MSSPs So Concerned? | MSSP Alert

• New SSH-Snake malware steals SSH keys to spread across the network (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Ransomware Declines as InfoStealers and AI Threats Gain Ground: IBM X-Force - SecurityWeek

• Your Mac Is Not Virus Proof. It Never Has Been. (gizmodo.com)

• Click: Your innocent mouse could be a cyber criminal's silent weapon - Digital Journal

• Vibrator virus steals your personal information | Malwarebytes

Mobile

• Meta Warns of 8 Spyware Firms Targeting iOS, Android, and Windows Devices (thehackernews.com)

• New Wave of 'Anatsa' Banking Trojans Targets Android Users in Europe (darkreading.com)

• Your fingerprints can be recreated from the sounds made when you swipe on a touchscreen — Chinese and US researchers show new side channel can reproduce fingerprints to enable attacks | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• VoltSchemer attacks use wireless chargers to inject voice commands, fry phones (bleepingcomputer.com)

• New Wi-Fi Vulnerabilities Expose Android and Linux Devices to Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• Zero-Click Apple Shortcuts Vulnerability Allows Silent Data Theft (darkreading.com)

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Cyber attacks in Malta, Hungary, Ukraine, Bosnia are a 'wake-up call', IPI warns (timesofmalta.com)

• Average DDoS attack cost businesses £325,000 in 2023, according to new Zayo data | IT Reseller Magazine (itrportal.com)

• Top UK Universities Recovering Following Targeted DDoS Attack - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

Internet of Things – IoT

• 'Anywhere there's a camera, now there's a risk': Billions of users at risk of Peeping Toms — scientists devise incredibly simple eavesdropping system costing only a few hundred dollars | TechRadar

• Wyze camera glitch gave 13,000 users a peek into other homes (bleepingcomputer.com)

• As Cyber attacks Ramp Up, Electric Vehicles Are Vulnerable (autoweek.com)

• Wi-Fi jamming to knock out cameras suspected in nine Minnesota burglaries -- smart security systems vulnerable as tech becomes cheaper and easier to acquire | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Is new technology making cars less secure? - Verdict

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Bank of America Suffers Massive Data Breach, Exposing Social Security Numbers, Addresses and Additional Sensitive Data To Hackers - The Daily Hodl

• Infosys subsidiary named as source of Bank of America leak • The Register

• Why Data Breaches Spiked in 2023 (hbr.org)

• Massive Cloud Database Leak Exposes 380 Million Records (hackread.com)

• UK council's sneaky insider steals 79k email addresses • The Register

• Eye Care Services Firm Faces Lawsuit Over Data Breach Impacting 2.3 Million - SecurityWeek

Cyber Crime General & Criminal Actors

• Fifth of British Kids Have Broken the Law Online - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Despite Knowing Risks, Brits Continue to Expose Themselves to Cyber Criminals Finds IDnow | The Fintech Times

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• Cyber Criminals Are Employing New Tactics To Launder Money, Warns Report - Benzinga

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• UK council's sneaky insider steals 79k email addresses • The Register

Insurance

• Personal cyber insurance nascent but growing in demand as digital crimes increase - Victoria Times Colonist

• Insurers Use Claims Data to Recommend Cyber Security Technologies (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Insurance Needs to Evolve to Ensure Greater Benefit (darkreading.com)

• What is Cyber Insurance and Does Your Small Business Need It? (smallbiztrends.com)

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Infosys subsidiary named as source of Bank of America leak • The Register

• North Korean hackers linked to defence sector supply-chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

Cloud/SaaS

• 2024 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report: From Breakout to Breach in Under Three Minutes; Cloud Infrastructure Under Attack | Business Wire

• Cyber security report reveals 75% spike in cloud attacks (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Cyber security fears drive a return to on-premise infrastructure from cloud computing - Help Net Security

• Massive Cloud Database Leak Exposes 380 Million Records (hackread.com)

• How Nation-State Actors Target Your Business: New Research Exposes Major SaaS Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Cyber attacks follow businesses to the cloud (betanews.com)

• Six steps for stronger cloud security | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

Identity and Access Management

• Why identity fraud costs organisations millions - Help Net Security

• Orgs are having a major identity crisis • The Register

• Active Directory outages can cost organisations $100,000 per day - Help Net Security

Encryption

• European Court of Human Rights rules against government backdoors in end-to-end encryption - Neowin

Linux and Open Source

• New Wi-Fi Vulnerabilities Expose Android and Linux Devices to Hackers (thehackernews.com)

Passwords, Credential Stuffing & Brute Force Attacks

• Hackers using stolen credentials to launch attacks as info-stealing peaks | CSO Online

• How to proactively prevent password-spray attacks on legacy email accounts | CSO Online

Social Media

• EU Watchdog Urged to Reject Meta 'Pay for Privacy' Scheme - SecurityWeek

• Social Media Platforms Are in an ‘Information Trafficking Business’: Cyber Security Adviser | NTD

• ChatGPT Used by North Korean Hackers to Scam LinkedIn Users (tech.co)

• 76% of Super Bowl Traffic From Elon Musk's X to Advertisers Could Be Fake (thewrap.com)

• Elon Musk’s X allows China-based propaganda banned on other platforms | Ars Technica

• European Union deepens its investigation of TikTok • The Register

Training, Education and Awareness

• People cannot be patched (betanews.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• European Court of Human Rights rules against government backdoors in end-to-end encryption - Neowin

• Hedge Funds Warn SEC Cyber Lapses Risk Exposing Trading Secrets (bloomberglaw.com)

• One Year After the Colonial Pipeline Attack, Regulation Is Still a Problem (securityintelligence.com)

• 7 Ways Companies’ Cyber Related Governance Disclosures Will Evolve Post-SEC Rule Change (harvard.edu)

• European Union deepens its investigation of TikTok • The Register

• Decoding DORA: Navigating the digital regulatory landscape | World Finance

• 81 Percent of Security Leaders Say SEC Cyber Security Rules Will Substantially Impact Their Business | Business Wire

• FTC Fines Avast $16.5 Million For Selling Browsing Data Harvested by Antivirus (404media.co)

• Avast settles claims of customer data peddling for $17M • The Register

• Global AI Regulatory Update - Lexology

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• Over 40% of Firms Struggle With Cyber Security Talent Shortage - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Psychology of Cyber Security Burnout (informationweek.com)

• How can we adapt work practices to protect CISO mental health? | Computer Weekly

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Feds deliver stark warnings to state election officials ahead of November - Iowa Capital Dispatch

• UK election cyber attack warning after Putin's hackers target US (inews.co.uk)

• Social Media Platforms Are in an ‘Information Trafficking Business’: Cyber Security Adviser | NTD

• Elon Musk’s X allows China-based propaganda banned on other platforms | Ars Technica

• Election security threats in 2024 range from AI to … anthrax • The Register

• 76 percent of Super Bowl LVIII traffic from Twitter dubbed 'fake' (awfulannouncing.com)

• Iran and Hezbollah Hackers Launch Attacks to Influence Israel-Hamas Narrative (thehackernews.com)

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine with Disinformation and Credential-Harvesting Attacks (thehackernews.com)

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• Countries fear state-sponsored cyber war | The World from PRX

• Cyberwar: What Is It Good For? - GovInfoSecurity

Nation State Actors

• Cyber attacks are getting faster, more common and more successful, even though detection is more advanced than ever — new report signals the threats to businesses, supply chains, and democracy | TechRadar

• Countries fear state-sponsored cyber war | The World from PRX

• How Nation-State Actors Target Your Business: New Research Exposes Major SaaS Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

• Generative AI and elections are key focus for hackers in 2024, report warns | Evening Standard

• Pharmacy Delays Across US Blamed on Nation-State Hackers (darkreading.com)

China

• In the evolving cyberwar, China aims to take down our critical infrastructure | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 'Major Chinese hack' on Foreign Office urgently investigated by UK spies (inews.co.uk)

• Leaked Chinese Hacking Files Reveal How Compromised the US Could Be (businessinsider.com)

• iSoon's Secret APT Status Exposes China's Foreign Hacking Machination (darkreading.com)

• Generative AI and elections are key focus for hackers in 2024, report warns | Evening Standard

• China’s Cyber Security and Statecraft – The Diplomat

• Elon Musk’s X allows China-based propaganda banned on other platforms | Ars Technica

• China’s Spy Agency Sees Threats Everywhere in Data Security Push - Bloomberg

Russia

• FBI disrupts hacking network 'linked to Russian intelligence services' | US News | Sky News

• Russian APT 'Winter Vivern' Targets European Governments, Military (darkreading.com)

• Russian Cyber attackers Launch Multiphase PsyOps Campaign (darkreading.com)

• Russian-Linked Hackers Target 80+ Organisations via Roundcube Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• Russian military botnet discovered on 1000+ compromised routers — FBI deactivated Moobot by taking control of impacted routers | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• NHS hospitals ‘easy targets’ for Russian hackers (thetimes.co.uk)

• Russia-Aligned TAG-70 Targets European Government and Military Mail Servers in New Espionage Campaign (recordedfuture.com)

• Generative AI and elections are key focus for hackers in 2024, report warns | Evening Standard

• Russian Turla Cyber Spies Target Polish NGOs With New Backdoor - SecurityWeek

• Russian-Aligned Network Doppelgänger Targets German Elections - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Russian Hackers Target Ukraine with Disinformation and Credential-Harvesting Attacks (thehackernews.com)

• NATO's chief information officer on what Ukraine did right in its cyberwar with Russia (therecord.media)

• Russian Government Software Backdoored to Deploy Konni RAT Malware (thehackernews.com)

• Three terms sure to grab attention: Russia, nuclear, anti-satellite weapon | Ars Technica

Iran

• Iranian Hackers Target Middle East Policy Experts with New BASICSTAR Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• Iranian APTs Dress Up As Hacktivists for Disruption, Influence Ops (darkreading.com)

• Iran and Hezbollah Hackers Launch Attacks to Influence Israel-Hamas Narrative (thehackernews.com)

• Iran-Backed Charming Kitten Stages Fake Webinar Platform to Ensnare Targets (darkreading.com)

• Israeli Aircraft Survive “Cyber Hijacking” Attempts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

North Korea

• ChatGPT Used by North Korean Hackers to Scam LinkedIn Users (tech.co)

• North Korean hackers linked to defence sector supply-chain attack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• North Koreans using ChatGPT to scam LinkedIn users; "attacks are getting very sophisticated" - MSPoweruser

• Russian Government Software Backdoored to Deploy North Korean Konni RAT Malware (thehackernews.com)

---

Vulnerability Management

• CVEs expected to increase 25% in 2024 | Security Magazine

• Coalition: Vulnerability scoring systems falling short | TechTarget

Vulnerabilities

• Ransomware Warning as CVSS 10.0 ConnectWise ScreenConnect Bug is Exploited - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• ConnectWise exploit could spur ‘ransomware free-for-all,’ expert warns | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Exploiting critical ConnectWise bug is 'embarrassingly easy' • The Register

• Akira Ransomware Exploiting Cisco AnyConnect Vulnerability (gbhackers.com)

• New Ivanti Vulnerability Observed as Widespread Security Concerns Grow - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Microsoft Exchange flaw CVE-2024-21410 could impact up to 97,000 servers (securityaffairs.com)

• VMware Alert: Uninstall EAP Now - Critical Flaw Puts Active Directory at Risk (thehackernews.com)

• VMware issues no-patch advisory for critical flaw in old SSO plugin | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Russian-Linked Hackers Target 80+ Organisations via Roundcube Flaws (thehackernews.com)

• ESET fixed high-severity local privilege escalation bug in Windows products (securityaffairs.com)

• SolarWinds addressed critical RCEs in Access Rights Manager (securityaffairs.com)

• Chrome 122, Firefox 123 Patch High-Severity Vulnerabilities - SecurityWeek

• Critical Vulnerability in VMware vSphere Plug-in Allows Session Hijacking (darkreading.com)

• Joomla XSS Bugs Open Millions of Websites to RCE (darkreading.com)

• Zero-Click Apple Shortcuts Vulnerability Allows Silent Data Theft (darkreading.com)

• Urgent patches available for QNAP vulnerabilities, one 0-day • The Register

• Hackers exploit critical RCE flaw in Bricks WordPress site builder (bleepingcomputer.com)

---

Tools and Controls

• Secure email gateways struggle to keep pace with sophisticated phishing campaigns - Help Net Security

• NCSC Sounds Alarm Over Private Branch Exchange Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Stuck in cyber attack nightmare? Call the negotiators (techxplore.com)

• New Google Chrome feature blocks attacks against home networks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How Businesses Can Safeguard Their Communication Channels Against Hackers (thehackernews.com)

• Limiting remote access exposure in hybrid work environments | CSO Online

• Cyber Insurance Needs to Evolve to Ensure Greater Benefit (darkreading.com)

• The double-edged sword of zero trust - Help Net Security

• Orgs are having a major identity crisis • The Register

• Active Directory outages can cost organisations $100,000 per day - Help Net Security

• SOC Landscapes: Insights from SANS' 2023 SOC Report (trendmicro.com)

• 36% of code generated by GitHub CoPilot contains security flaws - Help Net Security

• Microsoft expands free logging capabilities after May breach (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Why ransomware gangs love using RMM tools—and how to stop them | Malwarebytes

• People cannot be patched (betanews.com)

• “Ruthlessly prioritize what’s critical”: Check Point expert on CISOs and the evolving attack surface | ITPro

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• VIPRE report predicts 276% rise in malware in 2024 (securitybrief.co.nz)

• CrowdStrike 2024 Global Threat Report | CrowdStrike

• IBM XForce Threat Intelligence Index 2024.pdf

• Cyber Threat Index 2024: Scans, Honeypots, and CVEs  (coalitioninc.com)

---

Other News

• Israeli Aircraft Survive “Cyber-Hijacking” Attempts - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Power Sector’s High-Stakes Battle for Cyber-Resiliency (powermag.com)

• Ways to elevate public sector cyber security | Professional Security

• Increasing Europe's cyber resilience - government.lu (gouvernement.lu)

• Industries most targeted by active adversaries | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• Library Cyber Defences Are Falling Down (darkreading.com)

• How conveyancers can protect themselves against a cyber attack | Today's Conveyancer (todaysconveyancer.co.uk)

• US govt shares cyber attack defence tips for water utilities (bleepingcomputer.com)

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 19 February 2024 – Google and Yahoo Change Email Policy Impacting Delivery of Emails from Businesses, What You Need to Know

Executive summary

Google and Yahoo are tackling spam with their new rules for bulk emails. Gmail and Yahoo have introduced new regulations for bulk email senders, which applies to anyone sending 5,000 or more messages to personal accounts in a 24 hour period. As part of these rules, sending accounts will need to verify themselves, through Domain-based Message Authentication (DMARC).

What’s the risk to me or my business?

Some business unknowingly not be following these rules and as such, their emails will not be hitting the inboxes of customers. Further, this can lead to legitimate businesses being marked as spam from Google.

What can I do?

Businesses who are likely to be considered bulk senders or are currently experiencing issues with their emails should look to follow the guidelines outlined by Google, to make sure they are aligned.

Further details can be found below:

The full list of Google requirements can be found below:

https://support.google.com/a/answer/81126?hl=en

Details on how to add DMARC can be found here:

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/email-security-and-anti-spoofing

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 16 February 2024

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

Top Cyber Stories of the Last Week

Active Phishing Campaigns Targeting Office 365, Another Forcing Remote Management Software Downloads

Proofpoint have released an alert relating to an active hacking operation in which cyber criminals are employing phishing traps and shared Office 365 documents to steal credentials. Hackers have been threading together credential phishing and account takeover (ATO) tactics to gain access to enterprise resources, with multiple organisations already hit. One of the identified methods in use involves attackers inserting links that direct users to click to view a document. This subsequently links them to a phishing page controlled by the attacker.

In another currently active phishing campaign, threat actors are targeting potential victims via email and SMS, with personalised content to match victim roles within their organisation. But instead of phishing for information directly, they are convincing victims to download remote monitoring and management software. Victims were directed to newly registered websites mimicking various financial institutions and asked to download a “live chat application”, which turned out to be an old version of AnyDesk. Once downloaded, the software would then allow full access to victim’s machine and network resources.

Sources: [Verdict] [Help Net Security]

Cyber Security is Your Defensive Strategy, Cyber Resilience is Your Business

A cyber attack is a matter of when, not if, and as such businesses must prepare for such an event happening to them. Whilst cyber security aims to defend the organisation, cyber resilience is about ensuring that your digital operations, which are the heart of your organisation, can withstand and quickly recover from any cyber attack, technical malfunction, or even deliberate tampering. If we think back to Covid, a lot of organisations suddenly had to adapt, to ensure that they could function as close to normal as possible. How many have tested their organisation’s ability to continue work since, or prepared for a loss of access to critical systems for an extended period of time? It’s the cyber resilient organisations that know they’ve made the right investments to significantly reduce the risk of their operations grinding to a halt.

Source: [Security Brief]

Leveraging Threat Intelligence for Regulatory Compliance

The collective improvement of cyber security is a high international priority and a wealth of EU legislation, such as NIS2 and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is in the pipeline, to oblige organisations to understand and manage their cyber risks appropriately. As part of these regulations, threat intelligence is often a feature that can be leveraged to improve cyber resilience.

Threat intelligence can be collected from a variety of sources such as governmental advisories, dark web monitoring, private sector feeds, intelligence-sharing communities and open source information. The key for organisations is to be able to digest this, and apply it accordingly to their specific organisation, to improve their cyber resilience efforts.

Black Arrow provides weekly threat intelligence free of charge through our online blog and weekly subscription summary email. To sign up, visit https://www.blackarrowcyber.com/subscribe

Source: [BetaNews]

The Risks of Quishing and How Enterprises Can Stay Secure

QR codes have surged in popularity in the past two years, mainly due to their convenient and touchless features that streamline daily transactions, making it easy for users to scan and access information quickly. However, this surge in popularity has also caught the attention of cyber criminals, who exploit QR codes to perpetrate phishing attacks, known as "quishing." Attackers use tactics, such as disguising malicious QR codes in seemingly legitimate contexts; these pose substantial risks, leading to compromised personal and corporate data, financial loss, and reputational damage. Organisations must prioritise understanding and fortifying defences against quishing, as these attacks pose significant risks to both individuals and organisations. By educating employees on discerning phishing attempts, enforcing device security measures, and leveraging specialised solutions, organisations can bolster their resilience against QR code-based cyber threats and safeguard their digital assets effectively.

Source: [Zimperium]

Phishing Attacks Increased 106% Year Over Year as 91% of Organisations Impacted by AI-enhanced Phishing Attacks

A recent report found that phishing attempts increased 106% year on year, with malware detections up 40%. In a separate report on phishing, it was found that 91% of organisation were impacted by AI-enhanced phishing attacks. Such numbers reinforce the reason for organisations to implement effective phishing training, and this should include training regarding AI-enhanced phishing emails.

Sources: [The Fintech Times] [Security Magazine]

Microsoft and OpenAI Warn State-backed Threat Actors are Using AI En Masse to Wage Cyber Attacks

Microsoft has released a report detailing how prominent state-linked actors are using generative AI to enhance their attack methods. Russian, North Korean, Iranian, and Chinese-backed threat actors are attempting to use generative AI to inform, enhance, and refine their attacks, according to the report. It’s clear that AI is a double-edged sword, and organisations must implement processes to reduce their risk and increase their resilience to it.

Source: [ITPro]

Cyber Risk Management: Bring Security to the Boardroom

Organisations are facing the dual challenge of managing business risk and aligning with ever-expanding cyber security goals; as such, the need for a robust cyber risk management strategy is more critical than ever. This calls for organisations to effectively communicate their security posture to the board with relevant metrics.

Engaging the board requires a strategic approach, emphasising clear communication and contextual visibility. Board members are already increasingly recognising the impact of poor security on an organisation’s reputation, budget, and overall well-being; it is essential to translate security concerns into tangible metrics that resonate with the board. Real-time metrics, alignment with business goals, and educating the board on cyber security nuances can help build the foundation for such a strategy.

Source: [Trend Micro]

Trustees Open to Cyber Risks by Not Responding to NCSC Reporting Changes

Recent changes in the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) threat reporting framework have prompted a call to action for pension scheme advisors.

Cyber security has fast become one of the biggest threats to pension schemes. Data breeches, scamming, ransomware, fraud: these have all become the stuff of trustee nightmares. And the sophistication of those threats is evolving rapidly, so it is important that schemes stay as far ahead of them as possible with comprehensive and proactive defence measures. It’s also imperative to check-in regularly with advisors that their measures are robust, and ensure that reports are undertaken frequently to demonstrate progression of mitigation of all vulnerabilities. A onetime spot check is simply not enough in this environment.

Source: [The HR Director]

Nation State Actors Intensify Focus on NATO Member States

The head of threat research and analysis at Google Cloud has highlighted that nation state actors consider cyber warfare as another tool in their box, noting the current ongoing cyber warfare between Russia and Ukraine. Separate reports have found that the cyber war has extended to NATO member states, with initial access brokers (individuals who sell credentials to organisations) increasingly targeting entities within NATO member states.

Sources: [Help Net Security] [World Economic Forum ] [Inforisktoday] [Help Net Security]

---

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• The ROI of Investing in Cyber Security - Security Boulevard

• Leveraging threat intelligence for regulatory compliance (betanews.com)

• Getting a grip on cyber resilience – PublicTechnology

• It's Time to Rethink Third-Party Risk Assessment (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Risk Management: Bring Security to the Boardroom (trendmicro.com)

• A changing world requires CISOs to rethink cyber preparedness | CSO Online

• Cyber Security teams recognized as key enablers of business goals - Help Net Security

• 26 Cyber Security Stats Every User Should Be Aware Of in 2024 (securityaffairs.com)

• Cyber Security's Transformative Shift (darkreading.com)

• Fortifying Businesses Against Modern Information Threats (forbes.com)

• Executives must face down state-sponsored hacking groups targeting firmware | Computer Weekly

• Do you have a cyber security comms plan? | PR Week

• Cyber Security is your defensive strategy, cyber resilience is your business (securitybrief.co.nz)

• Gmail & Yahoo DMARC rollout: When cyber compliance gives a competitive edge - Help Net Security

---

Threats

Ransomware, Extortion and Destructive Attacks

• New macOS Backdoor Linked to Prominent Ransomware Groups - SecurityWeek

• Ransomware tactics evolve, become scrappier - Help Net Security

• Rhysida Ransomware Cracked, Free Decryption Tool Released (thehackernews.com)

• Resiliency to ransomware | Professional Security

• Dual Ransomware Attacks: A Quicker Route to Extortion - Security Boulevard

• How To Prepare For A Ransomware Attack (forbes.com)

• 2023 Ransomware Attack Report - Security Boulevard

• The State of Ransomware in 2023 | BlackFog

• Cyber Security firm Check Point reports an increase in wiper-ware attacks amid geopolitical uncertainty - The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)

Ransomware Victims

• Ransomware Groups Claim Hits on Hyundai Motor Europe and a California Union (darkreading.com)

• Cyber Attack hits Swedish cloud provider Advania, healthcare services impacted | Cybernews

• Ransomware Attack Takes 100 Hospitals Offline (forbes.com)

• PR industry affected as media monitoring firm Onclusive hit by cyber attack | PR Week

• German battery maker Varta says five plants hit by cyber attack - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

• UK utility giant Southern Water says hackers stole personal data of hundreds of thousands of customers | TechCrunch

• The Southern Water cyber attack highlights the wave of threats faced by utilities companies | ITPro

Phishing & Email Based Attacks

• 91.1% of Organisations Impacted by AI-Enhanced Phishing Attacks, Acronis Reports | The Fintech Times

• VIPRE Security Group's Annual Email Threat Landscape Shows Advanced Methods Needed for Security (prnewswire.com)

• Corporate users getting tricked into downloading AnyDesk - Help Net Security

• Phishing attacks increased 106% year over year | Security Magazine

• Gmail & Yahoo DMARC rollout: When cyber compliance gives a competitive edge - Help Net Security

• Remote Monitoring & Management software used in phishing attacks | Malwarebytes

• What Is Phishing? Understanding Cyber Attacks (forbes.com)

• How are attackers using QR codes in phishing emails and lure documents? (talosintelligence.com)

• Threat actors in phishing campaign targeted at Office 365 (verdict.co.uk)

• 2023 Year in Review: Phishing Attacks and Trends (vadesecure.com)

• London police block 43 crypto phishing web domains (cointelegraph.com)

• This new Android feature could help save you from phishing and malware – here's how | TechRadar

Other Social Engineering

• The War for Headspace: NextGen cyberattacks aim to manipulate people’s minds  | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• 4 Ways Hackers use Social Engineering to Bypass MFA (thehackernews.com)

• QR code attacks target organizations in ways they least expect - Help Net Security

• QR Phishing. Fact or Fiction? | Pen Test Partners

• The Risks of Quishing and How Enterprises Can Stay Secure - Zimperium

Artificial Intelligence

• Deepfake CFO Video Calls Result in $25MM in Damages (trendmicro.com)

• 91.1% of Organisations Impacted by AI-Enhanced Phishing Attacks, Acronis Reports | The Fintech Times

• Russia And China Use OpenAI Tools To Hack, Microsoft Warns (forbes.com)

• Microsoft and OpenAI warn state-backed threat actors are using generative AI en masse to wage cyber attacks | ITPro

• 55% of Generative AI Inputs Include Sensitive Data: Menlo Security - Security Boulevard

• We're at a Pivotal Moment for AI and Cyber Security (darkreading.com)

• Deepfake Democracy: AI Technology Complicates Election Security (darkreading.com)

• Tech Companies Turned Ukraine Into an AI War Lab | TIME

• Deepfake threats are on the rise - new research shows worrying rise in dangerous new scams | TechRadar

• Cyber criminals get productivity boost with AI - Help Net Security

• Stolen Face ID scans used to break into bank accounts • The Register

• AI outsourcing: A strategic guide to managing third-party risks - Help Net Security

• The Coming End of Biometrics Hastens AI-Driven Security - Security Boulevard

• Rental scams could soar as AI spreads, warns industry... (lettingagenttoday.co.uk)

• Cyber Security Threats: How To Fight AI With AI (forbes.com)

• The rise of AI threats and cyber security: predictions for 2024 | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

2FA/MFA

• MFA isn't always keeping businesses safe from cyber attack | TechRadar

• 4 Ways Hackers use Social Engineering to Bypass MFA (thehackernews.com)

• Ongoing campaign compromises senior execs’ Azure accounts, locks them using MFA | Ars Technica

Malware

• RustDoor malware targets macOS users by posing as a Visual Studio Update - gHacks Tech News

• Kimsuky's New Golang Stealer 'Troll' and 'GoBear' Backdoor Target South Korea (thehackernews.com)

• VexTrio network of hijacked websites used to spread malware • The Register

• Raspberry Robin Jumps on 1-Day Bugs to Nest Deep in Windows Networks (darkreading.com)

• Suspected Warzone RAT hackers arrested | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• From Cracked to Hacked: Malware Spread via YouTube Videos (cybereason.com)

• Apple Mac computers are not virus proof: The myth (qz.com)

• Bumblebee malware attacks are back after 4-month break (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Hackers used new Windows Defender zero-day to drop DarkMe malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Glupteba Botnet Adds UEFI Bootkit to Cyber Attack Toolbox (darkreading.com)

• Understanding the tactics of stealthy hunter-killer malware - Help Net Security

• Water Hydra’s Zero-Day Attack Chain Targets Financial Traders - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Miscreants turn to ad tech to measure malware metrics • The Register

• New Qbot malware variant uses fake Adobe installer popup for evasion (bleepingcomputer.com)

• “TicTacToe Dropper” Malware Distribution Tactics Revealed - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• This new Android feature could help save you from phishing and malware – here's how | TechRadar

Mobile

• Stolen Face ID scans used to break into bank accounts • The Register

• Google Chrome Warning Suddenly Issued For All Android Users (forbes.com)

• Russian banks beat App Store Review using fake apps (appleinsider.com)

• Meta brushes off risk of account theft via number recycling • The Register

• This new Android feature could help save you from phishing and malware – here's how | TechRadar

Denial of Service/DoS/DDOS

• Cyber Security sectors adjust as DDoS attacks reach new heights - Help Net Security

• How it works: The novel HTTP/2 ‘Rapid Reset’ DDoS attack | Google Cloud Blog

• Telecoms was the most targeted sector for DDoS attacks in 2023

• Average DDoS Attack Cost Businesses Nearly Half a Million Dollars in 2023, According to New Zayo Data | Business Wire

• DDoS Hacktivism is Back With a Geopolitical Vengeance - SecurityWeek

Internet of Things – IoT

• Canada to ban the Flipper Zero to stop surge in car thefts (bleepingcomputer.com)

• How secure is your security camera? Hackers can spy on cameras through walls, new research finds (techxplore.com)

Data Breaches/Leaks

• Bank of America warns customers of data breach after vendor hack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Caravan club admits members' personal data possibly accessed • The Register

• DOD notifying people who may be impacted by a year-old data breach | DefenseScoop

• Southern Water Notifies Customers and Employees of Data Breach - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• The Southern Water cyber attack highlights the wave of threats faced by utilities companies | ITPro

• 200,000 Facebook Marketplace user records leaked on hacking forum (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Prudential says hackers gained access to its computer systems | The Star

• Verizon Breach – Malicious Insider or Innocuous Click? - IT Security Guru

• Thousands of DoD personnel may have had their private data leaked — US government admits 20,000 could be affected | TechRadar

• Hackers got nearly 7 million people’s data from 23andMe. The firm blamed users in ‘very dumb’ move | Hacking | The Guardian

• DNA testing: What happens if your genetic data is hacked? - BBC Future

• BMW security error left valuable private company data exposed online | TechRadar

Organised Crime & Criminal Actors

• 5 Things Movies Always Get Wrong About Computer Hackers (slashgear.com)

• 9 Possible Ways Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi to Steal Your Sensitive Data (securityaffairs.com)

Cryptocurrency/Cryptomining/Cryptojacking/NFTs/Blockchain

• London police block 43 crypto phishing web domains (cointelegraph.com)

Insider Risk and Insider Threats

• Verizon Breach – Malicious Insider or Innocuous Click? - IT Security Guru

• Insider threat greatest mid-market cyber security concern - CIR Magazine

Supply Chain and Third Parties

• Bank of America warns customers of data breach after vendor hack (bleepingcomputer.com)

• It's Time to Rethink Third-Party Risk Assessment (darkreading.com)

• Jet engine dealer to major airlines discloses cyber snafu • The Register

• AI outsourcing: A strategic guide to managing third-party risks - Help Net Security

• 6 best practices for third-party risk management | CSO Online

• Software security debt piles up for organisations even as critical flaws drop | CSO Online

Cloud/SaaS

• Threat actors in phishing campaign targeted at Office 365 (verdict.co.uk)

• Ongoing campaign compromises senior execs’ Azure accounts, locks them using MFA | Ars Technica

• Benefits and challenges of managed cloud security services | TechTarget

• How Nation-State Actors Target Your Business: New Research Exposes Major SaaS Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

Encryption

• Beating Bitlocker In 43 Seconds | Hackaday

Social Media

• Inside X's content moderation dilemma | Fortune

• 20 Years of Facebook, but Trust in Social Media Remains Rock Bottom - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Meta brushes off risk of account theft via number recycling • The Register

• 200,000 Facebook Marketplace user records leaked on hacking forum (bleepingcomputer.com)

Malvertising

• Hackers Exploit Ad Tools to Track Victims, Boosting Scam Efforts (bloomberglaw.com)

Training, Education and Awareness

• The importance of security training in the zero trust era (betanews.com)

Regulations, Fines and Legislation

• Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates | Computer Weekly

• FCC orders telecom carriers to report PII data breaches within 30 days (bleepingcomputer.com)

• When it comes to the new SEC ‘materiality’ rules, assume that OT and IoT breaches qualify | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• A Quick Roadmap to NIS2 Directives - Security Boulevard

Models, Frameworks and Standards

• Benefits And Cautions Of Aligning With Cyber Security Frameworks (forbes.com)

• Key strategies for ISO 27001 compliance adoption - Help Net Security

• A Quick Roadmap to NIS2 Directives - Security Boulevard

Data Protection

• PII Input Sparks Cyber Security Alarm in 55% of DLP Events - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• How companies are misjudging their data privacy preparedness - Help Net Security

Careers, Working in Cyber and Information Security

• UK cyber skills gap risk to businesses and national security | TechRadar

• Higher education offers limited benefit to many infosec pros | SC Media (scmagazine.com)

• We can’t risk losing staff to alert fatigue - Help Net Security

Law Enforcement Action and Take Downs

• London Underground Is Testing Real-Time AI Surveillance Tools to Spot Crime | WIRED

Misinformation, Disinformation and Propaganda

• Why we fall for fake news and how can we change that? - Help Net Security

• France uncovers a vast Russian disinformation campaign in Europe (economist.com)

• Deepfake Democracy: AI Technology Complicates Election Security (darkreading.com)

• Kremlin dismisses Europe's warnings about 'Russian propaganda' | Reuters

• Cyber threats cast shadow over 2024 elections - Help Net Security

---

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

Cyber Warfare and Cyber Espionage

• How 'Big 4' Nations' Cyber Capabilities Threaten the West (darkreading.com)

• Microsoft and OpenAI warn state-backed threat actors are using generative AI en masse to wage cyber attacks | ITPro

• Stealthy Cyberespionage Campaign Remained Undiscovered for Two Years - SecurityWeek

• Cyber Arms Control and Global Security (greydynamics.com)

• Rise in cyberwarfare tactics fueled by geopolitical tensions - Help Net Security

• Threat actors intensify focus on NATO member states - Help Net Security

Nation State Actors

China

• Russia And China Use OpenAI Tools To Hack, Microsoft Warns (forbes.com)

• Ukraine claims Russia uses its cooperation with China to carry out cyber attacks | International | EL PAÍS English (elpais.com)

• Microsoft and OpenAI warn state-backed threat actors are using generative AI en masse to wage cyber attacks | ITPro

• US Official Warns of China’s Growing Offensive Cyber Power – The Diplomat

• China Targets US Hacking Ops in Media Offensive - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Explainer: what is Volt Typhoon and why is it the ‘defining threat of our generation’? | Hacking | The Guardian

• Hackers are lying low in networks to wage critical infrastructure attacks - here’s how they do it | ITPro

• Threat actors intensify focus on NATO member states - Help Net Security

• Stealthy Cyberespionage Campaign Remained Undiscovered for Two Years - SecurityWeek

• Top US Venture Firms Funded Blacklisted Chinese Companies, House Committee Says | Mint

Russia

• Microsoft and OpenAI thwart AI use by state-affiliated hackers (geekwire.com)

• Russia And China Use OpenAI Tools To Hack, Microsoft Warns (forbes.com)

• Russia Continues to Focus on Cyber Operations and Espionage (inforisktoday.com)

• Russian banks beat App Store Review using fake apps (appleinsider.com)

• Ukraine claims Russia uses its cooperation with China to carry out cyber attacks | International | EL PAÍS English (elpais.com)

• France uncovers a vast Russian disinformation campaign in Europe (economist.com)

• Kremlin dismisses Europe's warnings about 'Russian propaganda' | Reuters

• The methods of Russian interference in Scottish politics (ukdefencejournal.org.uk)

• Russian Turla Hackers Target Polish NGOs with New TinyTurla-NG Backdoor (thehackernews.com)

• Tech Companies Turned Ukraine Into an AI War Lab | TIME

Iran

• How 'Big 4' Nations' Cyber Capabilities Threaten the West (darkreading.com)

• Iranian cyber attacks targeting US and Israeli entities | TechTarget

North Korea

• How 'Big 4' Nations' Cyber Capabilities Threaten the West (darkreading.com)

• Kimsuky's New Golang Stealer 'Troll' and 'GoBear' Backdoor Target South Korea (thehackernews.com)

• North Korea turns to designing gambling websites for cash • The Register

• North Korea successfully hacks email of South Korean President's aide, gains access to sensitive information (bitdefender.com)

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

• Striking the Right Balance: How to Publicly Attribute a Cyber Operation to Another State | directions blog

• How Nation-State Actors Target Your Business: New Research Exposes Major SaaS Vulnerabilities (thehackernews.com)

---

Vulnerability Management

• Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates | Computer Weekly

• Seeing is Believing… and Securing - SecurityWeek

• Three critical application security flaws scanners can’t detect (bleepingcomputer.com)

Vulnerabilities

• Over 13,000 Ivanti gateways vulnerable to actively exploited bugs (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Zoom stomps critical privilege escalation bug, 6 other flaws • The Register

• Alert: New Stealthy "RustDoor" Backdoor Targeting Apple macOS Devices (thehackernews.com)

• Some Canon printers have seven critical security vulnerabilities — i-Sensys printer vulns rank at 9.8 severity | Tom's Hardware (tomshardware.com)

• Hackers used new Windows Defender zero-day to drop DarkMe malware (bleepingcomputer.com)

• ESET Patches High-Severity Privilege Escalation Vulnerability - SecurityWeek

• CISA: Roundcube email server bug now exploited in attacks (bleepingcomputer.com)

• Urgent patches available for QNAP vulnerabilities, one 0-day • The Register

Tools and Controls

• The ROI of Investing in Cyber Security - Security Boulevard

• Leveraging threat intelligence for regulatory compliance (betanews.com)

• Serious Vulnerability in the Internet Infrastructure / Fundamental design flaw in DNSSEC discovered (prleap.com)

• Remote Monitoring & Management software used in phishing attacks | Malwarebytes

• Getting a grip on cyber resilience – PublicTechnology

• It's Time to Rethink Third-Party Risk Assessment (darkreading.com)

• Do you have a cyber security comms plan? | PR Week

• MFA isn't always keeping businesses safe from cyber attack | TechRadar

• Understand the pros and cons of enterprise password managers | TechTarget

• Beating Bitlocker In 43 Seconds | Hackaday

• 4 Ways Hackers use Social Engineering to Bypass MFA (thehackernews.com)

• This botched migration shows why you need to deal with legacy tech | ZDNET

• How purple teaming enhances inter-team collaboration and effectiveness in cyber security - Help Net Security

• Benefits and challenges of managed cloud security services | TechTarget

• PII Input Sparks Cyber Security Alarm in 55% of DLP Events - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• 5 Steps to Improve Your Security Posture in Microsoft Teams (bleepingcomputer.com)

• No Security Scrutiny for Half of Major Code Changes: AppSec Survey - SecurityWeek

• 10 Security Metrics Categories CISOs Should Present to the Board (darkreading.com)

• Three critical application security flaws scanners can’t detect (bleepingcomputer.com)

• What is Threat Detection and Incident Response? - Security Boulevard

---

Reports Published in the Last Week

• VIPRE Security Group’s Annual Email Threat Landscape Research Shines Light on the Advanced Methods Needed to Secure Corporate Email Environment in 2024 - VIPRE

• 2023 Year in Review: Phishing Attacks and Trends (vadesecure.com)

• HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report Q4 2023 | HP Wolf Security

• The State of Ransomware in 2023 | BlackFog

---

Other News

• Trustees open to cyber risks by not responding to NCSC reporting changes | theHRD (thehrdirector.com)

• Top 5 Cyber security Concerns for HR Professionals: How to Safeguard Your Organisation | The HR World

• This botched migration shows why you need to deal with legacy tech | ZDNET

• Cyber attacks on Hospitals Are Likely to Increase, Putting Lives at Risk, Experts Warn - SecurityWeek

• What is Threat Detection and Incident Response? - Security Boulevard

• Hackers are lying low in networks to wage critical infrastructure attacks - here’s how they do it | ITPro

• How Non-Profits and NGOs Deal with Cyber Attacks - Infosecurity Magazine (infosecurity-magazine.com)

• Here's how we get young people to rally for cyber security | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

• Types of Cyber security Threats and Vulnerabilities - Security Boulevard

• Hacking the flow: The consequences of compromised water systems - Help Net Security

• Dutch insurers still requiring nudes from cancer patients • The Register

• Cyber threats to marketing | Kaspersky official blog

---

Sector Specific

Industry specific threat intelligence reports are available.

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

·         Automotive

·         Construction

·         Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)

·         Defence & Space

·         Education & Academia

·         Energy & Utilities

·         Estate Agencies

·         Financial Services

·         FinTech

·         Food & Agriculture

·         Gaming & Gambling·        

·         Government & Public Sector (including Law Enforcement)

·         Health/Medical/Pharma

·         Hotels & Hospitality

·         Insurance

·         Legal

·         Manufacturing

·         Maritime

·         Oil, Gas & Mining

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

·         Retail & eCommerce

·         Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs)

·         Startups

·         Telecoms

·         Third Sector & Charities

·         Transport & Aviation

·         Web3

---

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

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

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

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

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 14 February 2024 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday (inc 2 exploited zero-days), Adobe, and SAP Security Updates

Executive summary

It is Valentine’s, and what better way to spend it than reading about Microsoft’s latest patch Tuesday. In this months patch Tuesday, Microsoft has provided updates to address 73 security issues across its product range, including two exploited zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-21351and CVE-2024-21412). Microsoft is classifying these as a flaw that is publicly disclosed or actively exploited with no official fix available. The two exploited vulnerabilities affect Windows Smart Screen and Internet Shortcut File, allowing security bypasses. They have both been added to the known ‘exploited vulnerabilities catalog’ by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA).

In addition to the updates from Microsoft, this week also saw Adobe fixing 38 vulnerabilities and SAP issued 13 new patches for its range of products, in which three of the patches were rated as critical.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

The vulnerabilities, if actively exploited could allow an attacker to bypass security features and inject malicious code, impacting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Microsoft

There is no official fix for the exploited vulnerabilities, however they both require a user to interact with a malicious file. As such, it is important to make sure users remain vigilant when interacting with their emails. Organisations should follow the vulnerabilities closely, so that they can apply any patches immediately. Other available updates should be applied as soon as possible for the actively exploited vulnerability and all other vulnerabilities that have a critical severity rating. Other patches should be applied in a reasonable time frame.

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-21351: This vulnerability if actively exploited, allows an attacker to bypass Windows SmartScreen. It relies on an authorised attacker sending a malicious file and convincing a user to open it.

CVE-2024-21412: This vulnerability if actively exploited, allows an attacker bypass Windows security features and send malicious files to users. The attacker would still need to user to interact with the file.

Adobe

This month, Adobe has released fixes vulnerabilities impacting Adobe Acrobat and Reader (13, of which 5 are critical), Commerce (9, of which 6 are critical), Substance 3D Painter (13, of which 5 are critical), FrameMaker Publishing Server (1 critical), Audition (1 critical) and Substance 3D Designer (1 critical). Currently, Adobe is not aware of any active exploitation of these vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities include issues such as arbitrary code execution and memory leaks.

SAP

This month, SAP has released 13 patches, which include 10 new releases and 3 updates from previous releases. These patches address 8 critical vulnerabilities affecting a variety of SAP products. The vulnerabilities encompass a range of issues, including Privilege Escalation, Code Injection, Denial of Service, Information Disclosure, and Improper Authorisation.

---

Microsoft

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

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-february-2024-patch-tuesday-fixes-2-zero-days-73-flaws/

https://www.ghacks.net/2024/02/13/the-windows-security-updates-for-february-2024-are-here/

Adobe

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Acrobat and Reader be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb24-07.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Substance 3D Painter be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/substance3d_painter/apsb24-04.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb24-07.html

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/audition/apsb24-11.html

Further details of the vulnerabilities addressed in Adobe Substance 3D Designer be found here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/substance3d_designer/apsb24-13.html

SAP

https://support.sap.com/en/my-support/knowledge-base/security-notes-news/february-2024.html

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity.

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 12 February 2024 – Fortinet FortiOS Vulnerability in SSL VPN

Executive Summary

Fortinet have released a patch to fix a critical vulnerability in their FortiOS product, stating that is potentially being exploited in the wild. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow a remote unauthorised attacker to execute code or commands.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

There is a risk that organisations using vulnerable versions of FortiOS are leaving themselves at risk of allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to perform arbitrary code execution. This means an attacker could potentially gain unauthorised access and perform actions that could impact the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organisations data. This vulnerability only impacts organisations who have SSL VPN enabled.

The affected versions of FortiOS and FortiProxy are:

FortiOS

FortiOS 7.4 (7.4.0 through 7.4.2) – upgrade to 7.4.3 or above.

FortiOS 7.2 (7.2.0 through 7.2.6) – upgrade to 7.2.7 or above.

FortiOS 7.0 (7.0.0 through 7.0.13) – upgrade to 7.0.14 or above.

FortiOS 6.4 (6.4.0 through 6.4.14) – upgrade to 6.4.15 or above.

FortiOS 6.2 (6.2.0 through 6.2.15) – upgrade to 6.4.15 or above.

FortiOS 6.0 (all versions) - migrate to fixed release.

FortiProxy

FortiProxy 7.4 (7.4.0 through 7.4.2) - upgrade to 7.4.3 or above.

FortiProxy 7.2 (7.2.0 through 7.2.8) - upgrade to 7.2.9 or above.

FortiProxy 7.0 (7.0.0 through 7.0.14) - upgrade to 7.0.15 or above.

FortiProxy 2.0 (2.0.0 through 2.0.13) - upgrade to 2.0.14 or above.

FortiProxy 1.2 (all versions) - migrate to fixed release.

FortiProxy 1.1 (all versions) - migrate to fixed release.

FortiProxy 1.0 (all versions) - migrate to fixed release.

What can I do?

Black Arrow recommends applying the available patches for the vulnerability immediately due its severity. Further information can be found in the Fortigaurd security update below. Organisations have also been advised to disable SSL VPN if they cannot apply patches immediately, however this is not a long term solution.

Technical Summary

CVE-2024-2176 – This is a out-of-bound write vulnerability in the sslvpnd which may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or commands using  specifically crafted HTTP requests. 

Further information on the FortiOS vulnerability can be found here:

https://www.fortiguard.com/psirt/FG-IR-24-015

Further information on upgrading can be found here:

https://docs.fortinet.com/upgrade-tool

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

#threatadvisory #threatintelligence #cybersecurity