Data Breaches

A cybercriminal group has been compromising enterprise networks for the past two months and has been deploying a new ransomware program that researchers dubbed CACTUS. In the attacks seen so far the attackers gained access by exploiting known vulnerabilities in VPN appliances, moved laterally to other systems, and deployed legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to achieve persistence on the network. “The name ‘CACTUS’ is derived from the filename provided within the ransom note,…

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Attackers love to find weak spots in our domains and networks. Too often, they can enter systems to lie in wait and launch attacks at a later time. A case in point is the infamous SolarWinds software attack, which infected up to nine US agencies and many organizations with backdoors into their infrastructure.  Recent investigations show that the Department of Justice may have been aware of the potential for a breach months before it happened.…

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Microsoft recently patched three vulnerabilities in its Azure API Management service, two of which enabled server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks that could have allowed hackers to access internal Azure assets. The proof-of-concept exploits serve to highlight common errors that developers could make when trying to implement blacklist-based restrictions for their own APIs and services. Web APIs have become an integral part of modern application development, especially in the cloud. They allow services to communicate and…

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Agentless cloud security provider Orca Security has integrated Microsoft Azure OpenAI GPT-4 into its cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) under the ChatGPT implementation program that the cybersecurity company started earlier this year. “With our transition to Azure OpenAI, our customers benefit from the security, reliability, and enterprise level support that Microsoft provides,” said Avi Shua, chief innovation officer and co-founder of Orca Security.  “By integrating GPT-4 into Orca Security’s CNAPP platform, security practitioners can instantly…

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Microsoft has patched three new vulnerabilities in the Azure API Management service which includes two Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerabilities and a file upload path traversal on an internal Azure workload, according to cybersecurity firm Ermetic. The vulnerabilities were achieved through url formatting bypasses and an unrestricted file upload functionality in the API Management developer portal, Ermetic said. The cybersecurity firm identified the vulnerabilities in December and Microsoft patched them in January. The Azure API…

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Google has announced a new entry-level cybersecurity certificate to teach learners how to identify common risks, threats, and vulnerabilities, as well as the techniques to mitigate them. Designed and taught by Google’s cybersecurity experts, the Google Cybersecurity Certificate aims to prepare learners for entry-level jobs in cybersecurity in less than six months with no prior experience required, create greater opportunities for people around the world, and help fill the growing number of open cyber roles,…

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Pharmaceutical firm Merck recently won an appeal that could mean its insurers will have to pay up on a $1.4-billion judgment related to the NotPetya cyberattack in 2017. The New Jersey appellate division judges hearing the appeal judge noted that the plain definition of war applies to the various insurance policies and that a cyberattack against an accounting firm not engaged in hostilities, while criminal and based on ill-will, was not tantamount to an act…

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Cloud-native, patch-management application provider Action1 is set to add vulnerability discovery and prioritization capabilities to its namesake flagship platform to help businesses stay ahead of software exploits. The plan is part of a company strategy to expand beyond its traditional patch management features and add capabilities aimed at enhancing an organization’s resilience to cybersecurity threats. “The new features will enable customers to see beyond what is patchable into what is actually vulnerable,” said Mike Walters,…

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