CyberSecure Specialist

19 Jun

BlackCat threatens to leak 80GB of Reddit data

Attacks, Data Breaches

Ransomware gang ALPHV, most commonly known as BlackCat, is allegedly responsible for the theft of 80GB of data from social media site Reddit.  The allegation comes directly from the ransomware gang, who have claimed responsibility for a data breach that happened in February of this year. In a post on the gang’s data leaks site, BlackCat claimed to have stolen 80GB of compressed data during the attack and are planning on selling it.  The malicious actors…

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19 Jun

8 notable entry-level cybersecurity career and skills initiatives in 2023

Data Breaches, Malware, Social Engineering

The cybersecurity sector has been battling a workforce shortage for years with cybersecurity training and certifications provider (ISC)2 estimating that the global skills gap currently sits at 3.4 million. There are over 600,000 current cyber-related job openings in the US alone, and the supply-to-demand ratio stands at 69%, the lowest it has been since 2010, according to Cyberseek. Security leaders in organizations large and small often cite hiring and keeping security personnel as one of…

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19 Jun

Finding the Nirvana of information access control or something like it

Data Breaches, Malware, Social Engineering

The recent arrest of US Air Force airman Jack Teixeira following his illegal sharing of classified information just to show off to his buddies shone a spotlight on the conversation surrounding access control. In Teixeira’s case, all the ingredients necessary to protect the classified information were in place, but sadly they appear to have been ignored and abused by Teixeira and his superiors. In the mythical land of Nirvana, where everything is perfect, CISOs would…

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18 Jun

Microsoft Says Early June Disruptions to Outlook, Cloud Platform, Were Cyberattacks

Information, News

In early June, sporadic but serious service disruptions plagued Microsoft’s flagship office suite — including the Outlook email and OneDrive file-sharing apps — and cloud computing platform. A shadowy hacktivist group claimed responsibility, saying it flooded the sites with junk traffic in distributed denial-of-service attacks. Initially reticent to name the cause, Microsoft has now disclosed that DDoS attacks by the murky upstart were indeed to blame. But the software giant has offered few details —…

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17 Jun

Stop Cyberbullying Day: Prevention is everyone’s responsibility

Information

Strategies for stopping and responding to cyberbullying require a concerted, community-wide effort involving parents, educators and children themselves Bullying of any kind can have a devastating impact on the victim’s well-being and life. Physical bullying, also known as face-to-face or in-person bullying, is still an issue in schools, with many researchers saying that its long-term consequences can be even worse than the immediate impacts – to the point that they may lead to changes in…

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17 Jun

Is a RAT stealing your files? – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Information

Could your Android phone be home to a remote access tool (RAT) that steals WhatsApp backups or performs other shenanigans? Could your Android phone be home to a remote access tool (RAT) that steals WhatsApp backups? This week, ESET researchers revealed how an updated version of Android GravityRAT spyware is being spread as free messaging apps called BingeChat and Chatico and used to exfiltrate victims’ WhatsApp backups, among other malicious actions. The threat actor behind…

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16 Jun

MOVEit mayhem 3: “Disable HTTP and HTTPS traffic immediately”

Information

by Paul Ducklin Yet more MOVEit mayhem! “Disable HTTP and HTTPS traffic to MOVEit Transfer,” says Progress Software, and the timeframe for doing so is “immediately”, no ifs, no buts. Progress Software is the maker of file-sharing software MOVEit Transfer, and the hosted MOVEit Cloud alternative that’s based on it, and this is its third warning in three weeks about hackable vulnerabilities in its product. At the end of May 2023, cyberextortion criminals associated with…

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16 Jun

In Other News: Linux Kernel Exploits, Update on BEC Losses, Cybersecurity Awareness Act

Information, News

SecurityWeek is publishing a weekly cybersecurity roundup that provides a concise compilation of noteworthy stories that might have slipped under the radar. We provide a valuable summary of stories that may not warrant an entire article, but are nonetheless crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity landscape. Each week, we will curate and present a collection of noteworthy developments, ranging from the latest vulnerability discoveries and emerging attack techniques to significant policy changes and…

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16 Jun

Russian National Arrested, Charged in US Over Role in LockBit Ransomware Attacks

Information, News

The US Justice Department on Thursday announced charges against a third Russian national allegedly involved in deploying the LockBit ransomware. The man, Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov, 20, of Chechen Republic, Russia, who was arrested in Arizona, allegedly owned, controlled, and used multiple IP addresses, email addresses, and other online accounts to deploy the LockBit ransomware and communicate with victims. According to court documents, in at least one instance, authorities were able to trace a victim’s payment…

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15 Jun

Android GravityRAT goes after WhatsApp backups

Information

ESET researchers analyzed an updated version of Android GravityRAT spyware that steals WhatsApp backup files and can receive commands to delete files ESET researchers have identified an updated version of Android GravityRAT spyware being distributed as the messaging apps BingeChat and Chatico. GravityRAT is a remote access tool known to be used since at least 2015 and previously used in targeted attacks against India. Windows, Android, and macOS versions are available, as previously documented by…

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