CyberSecurity Updates

03 Dec

CISA and Partners Release Joint Guidance on PRC-Affiliated Threat Actor Compromising Networks of Global Telecommunications Providers

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA—in partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and international partners—released joint guidance, Enhanced Visibility and Hardening Guidance for Communications Infrastructure. Partners of this guidance include:  Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD’s) Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)  Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ) This guidance was crafted in response to a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-affiliated threat actor’s compromise of “networks of major…

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26 Nov

Hacker in Snowflake Extortions May Be a U.S. Soldier

Information, Insights

Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing data from and extorting dozens of companies that used the cloud data storage company Snowflake, but a third suspect — a prolific hacker known as Kiberphant0m — remains at large and continues to publicly extort victims. However, this person’s identity may not remain a secret for long: A careful review of Kiberphant0m’s daily chats across multiple cybercrime personas suggests they are a U.S. Army soldier who is…

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21 Nov

Feds Charge Five Men in ‘Scattered Spider’ Roundup

Information, Insights

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles this week unsealed criminal charges against five men alleged to be members of a hacking group responsible for dozens of cyber intrusions at major U.S. technology companies between 2021 and 2023, including LastPass, MailChimp, Okta, T-Mobile and Twilio. A visual depiction of the attacks by the SMS phishing group known as Scattered Spider, and Oktapus. Image: Amitai Cohen twitter.com/amitaico. The five men, aged 20 to 25, are allegedly members of…

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21 Nov

CISA Releases Insights from Red Team Assessment of a U.S. Critical Infrastructure Sector Organization

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA released Enhancing Cyber Resilience: Insights from CISA Red Team Assessment of a U.S. Critical Infrastructure Sector Organization in coordination with the assessed organization. This cybersecurity advisory details lessons learned and key findings from an assessment, including the Red Team’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and associated network defense activity. This advisory provides comprehensive technical details of the Red Team’s cyber threat activity, including their attack path to compromise a domain controller and human…

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21 Nov

Kicking-Off with a December 4th Workshop, NIST is Revisiting and Revising Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers, NIST IR 8259!

Insights

In May 2020, NIST published Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers (NIST IR 8259), which describes recommended cybersecurity activities that manufacturers should consider performing before their IoT devices are sold to customers. These foundational cybersecurity activities can help manufacturers lessen the cybersecurity-related efforts needed by customers, which in turn can reduce the prevalence and severity of IoT device compromises and the attacks performed using compromised devices. In the nearly five years since this document…

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20 Nov

USDA Releases Success Story Detailing the Implementation of Phishing-Resistant Multi-Factor Authentication

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released Phishing-Resistant Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Success Story: USDA’s FIDO Implementation. This report details how USDA successfully implemented phishing-resistant authentication for its personnel in situations where USDA could not exclusively rely on personal identity verification (PIV) cards.  USDA turned to Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) capabilities, a set of authentication protocols that uses cryptographic keys on user devices, to offer a secure…

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20 Nov

CISA and Partners Release Update to BianLian Ransomware Cybersecurity Advisory

Attacks, Insights, Malware

Today, CISA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) released updates to #StopRansomware: BianLian Ransomware Group on observed tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise attributed to data extortion group, BianLian. The advisory, originally published May 2023, has been updated with additional TTPs obtained through FBI and ASD’s ACSC investigations and industry threat intelligence as of June 2024. BianLian is likely based in…

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20 Nov

2024 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses

Attacks, Insights, Malware

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in collaboration with the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (HSSEDI), operated by MITRE, has released the 2024 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses. This annual list identifies the most critical software weaknesses that adversaries frequently exploit to compromise systems, steal sensitive data, or disrupt essential services. Organizations are strongly encouraged to review this list and use it to inform their software security strategies. Prioritizing these weaknesses…

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19 Nov

Fintech Giant Finastra Investigating Data Breach

Data Breaches, Information, Insights

The financial technology firm Finastra is investigating the alleged large-scale theft of information from its internal file transfer platform, KrebsOnSecurity has learned. Finastra, which provides software and services to 45 of the world’s top 50 banks, notified customers of the security incident after a cybercriminal began selling more than 400 gigabytes of data purportedly stolen from the company. London-based Finastra has offices in 42 countries and reported $1.9 billion in revenues last year. The company…

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18 Nov

Unlocking Cybersecurity Talent: The Power of Apprenticeships

Insights

Cybersecurity is a fast-growing field, with a constant need for skilled professionals. But unlike other professions — like medicine or aviation — there’s no clear-cut pathway to qualifying for cybersecurity positions. For employers and job seekers alike, this can make the journey to building a team (or entering a successful cybersecurity career) feel uncertain. Enter the registered apprenticeship program — a proven method for developing skilled talent in cybersecurity that benefits both the employer and…

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