Threats, Cyberattacks & Vulnerabilities
Top Stories
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Tip
29 Jul 2026
What to know about deepfake phishing simulation software
Deepfake phishing simulation software uses AI to probe organizational resistance to state-of-the-art social engineering attacks. Learn why they should be on CISOs' radar. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2026
OpenAI models escape containment, hack Hugging Face
In an unprecedented -- and unintended -- cyberattack, frontier AI models autonomously escaped their contained testing environment and breached another company's systems. Continue Reading
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News
02 Sep 2020
CISA and FBI say there have been no hacks on voter databases
After a false Russian news report circulated on the internet, CISA and the FBI released a joint statement that denied any hacks to election security. Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Big ransomware attacks overshadowing other alarming trends
Large ransomware attacks on major enterprises have dominated the news, but security experts say there are other alarming trends. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2020
Cisco issues alert for zero-day vulnerability under attack
Cisco discovered attempted exploitation of a high-severity vulnerability found in the IOS XR software used in some of its networking equipment. Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
North Korea's 'BeagleBoyz' target banks with ATM cash-out attacks
The U.S. Government issued a joint alert for an ATM cash-out scheme run by a newly identified North Korean nation-state hacking group known as 'BeagleBoyz.' Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2020
Maze ransomware 'cartel' expands with new members
Two more ransomware groups have apparently joined the Maze 'cartel' in an effort to expose victims' data on leak sites and shame them into paying expensive ransoms. Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2020
'Meow' attacks top 25,000 exposed databases, services
One month after the notorious 'meow' attacks were first detected, the threat to misconfigured databases exposed on the internet shows little sign of slowing down. Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2020
FBI and CISA issue vishing campaign warning
The FBI and CISA have issued a joint advisory related to a vishing campaign that began in mid-July, with numerous attacks that gained access to corporate VPN credentials. Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2020
Claroty: 70% of ICS vulnerabilities are remotely exploitable
Out of 365 ICS vulnerabilities that were disclosed by the National Vulnerability Database in the first half of 2020, Claroty found more than 70% can be remotely exploited. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
Apache Struts vulnerabilities allow remote code execution, DoS
The Apache Software Foundation issued security advisories last week for two Apache Struts vulnerabilities that were originally patched but not fully disclosed last fall. Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2020
Kaspersky reveals 2 Windows zero-days from failed attack
Kaspersky prevented an attack against a South Korean company back in May that used two zero-day vulnerabilities. One, arguably the more dangerous, focused on Internet Explorer. Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2020
10 years after Stuxnet, new zero-days discovered
A decade after Stuxnet, SafeBreach Labs researchers discovered new zero-day vulnerabilities connected to the threat, which they unveiled at Black Hat USA 2020. Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
CISA chief: Ransomware could threaten election security
During a Black Hat USA 2020 session, CISA Chief Christopher Krebs said ransomware attacks on city, state and local governments are a major concern for election security. Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2020
Ripple20 vulnerabilities still plaguing IoT devices
Months after Ripple20 vulnerabilities were reported, things haven't gotten much better, say experts at Black Hat USA 2020. In fact, the world may never be fully rid of the flaws. Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2020
Matt Blaze warns of election security challenges amid COVID-19
In his Black Hat USA 2020 keynote, security researcher Matt Blaze discussed the challenges facing U.S. elections this year and what must be done to solve them. Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2020
Twitter breach raises concerns over phone phishing
The alleged mastermind behind the Twitter breach has been arrested, and the method of social engineering attack has also been revealed: phone phishing, or vishing. Continue Reading
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Podcast
04 Aug 2020
Risk & Repeat: Sophos warns of evolving ransomware threats
Dan Schiappa and Chester Wisniewski of Sophos join the Risk & Repeat podcast to discuss how ransomware groups are evolving and embracing innovative evasion techniques. Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2020
'Meow' attacks continue, thousands of databases deleted
More than one week later, the mysterious attacks on insecure databases on ElasticSearch, MongoDB and others have not only persisted but grown, with no explanation. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2020
'BootHole' bug puts most Linux, Windows systems in jeopardy
Hardware security vendor Eclypsium discovered a bootloader vulnerability that bypasses Secure Boot protection and affects a majority of modern Linux and Windows systems. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2020
Emotet botnet hacked, malware replaced with humorous GIFs
Malware distribution network Emotet has been hacked by a potential threat actor of unknown origin, with malware payloads now being replaced with GIFs of James Franco and others. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2020
Digital ad networks tied to malvertising threats -- again
Adsterra and Propeller Ads were implicated in past malvertising threats such the Master134 campaign. Now the two ad networks are linked to new malicious activity. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2020
'Meow' attacks wipe more than 1,000 exposed databases
A new threat has hit more than 1,000 unsecured databases on ElasticSearch, MongoDB and other platforms, destroying data and replacing files with a single word: meow. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2020
Evasive phishing campaign hid inside Google cloud services
A new report by Check Point Software Technologies revealed attackers were abusing Google Cloud Functions to hide their phishing links within public cloud services. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2020
Twitter breach caused by social engineering attack
Twitter was breached last Wednesday though a social engineering attack. Forty-five accounts were hijacked and up to eight accounts may have had their private messages stolen. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2020
'SigRed' alert: Experts urge action on Windows DNS vulnerability
Experts are urging organizations to take immediate action on SigRed, a 17-year-old Windows DNS server vulnerability discovered by Check Point Research and patched by Microsoft. Continue Reading
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Podcast
17 Jul 2020
Risk & Repeat: Twitter breach leads to account hijacking
This week's Risk & Repeat podcast discusses how threat actors gained access to Twitter's internal systems and hijacked the accounts of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and others. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2020
RSA finds two-thirds of phishing attacks directed at Canada
RSA Security researchers found that nearly 70% of phishing attacks were directed at users in Canada, while the majority of attacks come from U.S.-based ISPs and hosting providers. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2020
Cybercriminals auction off admin credentials for $3,000
Threat actors are auctioning off domain administrator accounts, selling access to the highest bidder for an average of $3,139 and up to $140,000, according to Digital Shadows. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jul 2020
How cyber warfare laws limit risk on a digital battleground
Retired Navy cryptologist implores enterprises to build key cyber warfare laws into their infosec strategy to improve survivability on the digital battleground in his new book. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2020
Microsoft seizes malicious domains used in COVID-19 phishing
Microsoft went to court to seize several malicious domains that were used by cybercriminals in extensive phishing and BEC attacks on Office 365 accounts amid the current pandemic. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2020
Critical F5 Networks vulnerability under attack
A critical remote code execution vulnerability that was disclosed and patched just days ago is already being exploited by threat actors. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2020
Microsoft fixes Windows Codecs flaws with emergency patches
Microsoft addressed two vulnerabilities, one rated critical and the other rated important, after being alerted by a researcher with Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2020
Snake ransomware poses unique danger to industrial systems
The new ransomware family known as Snake, or Ekans, is designed for organizations with industrial control systems and has already struck at least two enterprises. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2020
Record-setting DDoS attacks indicate troubling trend
Akamai Technologies recently mitigated two of the largest DDoS attacks ever recorded on its platform, including a massive 809 million packets per second attack against a bank. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2020
Maze ransomware hit biggest target yet with LG breach
The operators of Maze ransomware claim to have breached LG, offering three screenshots as proof. One of those screenshots features LG product source code. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jun 2020
Open source vulnerabilities down 20% in 2019
Snyk recently released its fourth annual 'State of Open Source Security' report, which analyzed open source statistics, vulnerability trends and security culture. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2020
MSPs scramble to bolster security amid ransomware spike
After a flurry of devastating ransomware attacks in 2019, MSPs and vendor partners are improving security to prevent history from repeating during the pandemic. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Jun 2020
Risk & Repeat: Vault 7 report slams CIA security practices
This week's Risk & Repeat podcast discusses the CIA's internal task force report on the Vault 7 leak, which blasted the agency for a variety of serious security lapses. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2020
New Cisco Webex vulnerability exposes authentication tokens
Trustwave SpiderLabs researchers disclosed a vulnerability in Cisco Webex software that leaks information stored in memory, including authentication tokens. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2020
ZDI drops 10 zero-day vulnerabilities in Netgear router
Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative published 10 vulnerabilities in Netgear's R6700 router that have gone unpatched for seven months. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jun 2020
CIA unaware of Vault 7 theft until WikiLeaks dump
An internal CIA report from the Wikileaks Task Force blasted the agency over the leak of the Vault 7 cyberweapons, which exposed dangerous hacking tools and vulnerabilities. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2020
Italian company implicated in GuLoader malware attacks
While analyzing the network dropper GuLoader, researchers found an almost identical commercial software tool called CloudEye offered by a legitimate-looking Italian company. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jun 2020
Overcome AWS security vulnerabilities with VPCs, IAM
Securing network access in AWS requires the right rules to be in place. Learn more about Virtual Private Clouds and how implementing them can prevent common cloud security attacks. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
New 'Thanos' ransomware weaponizes RIPlace evasion technique
Recorded Future's Insikt Group uncovered a new ransomware-as-a-service tool named 'Thanos' that's the first ransomware to use the hard-to-detect RIPlace technique. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jun 2020
Maze ransomware builds 'cartel' with other threat groups
Operators behind the Maze ransomware posted data leaks from competing ransomware gangs to their victim shaming website, suggesting they have joined forces. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2020
'CallStranger' vulnerability affects billions of UPNP devices
A new vulnerability in the Universal Plug and Play protocol could be used to exfiltrate enterprise data and launch DDoS attacks, and patches may not arrive for a long time. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2020
CISA warns Microsoft SMB v3 vulnerability is under attack
CISA issued an alert Friday about attacks on a Microsoft Server Message Block v3 vulnerability and a proof-of-concept code that exploits the flaw in unpatched systems. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2020
Chinese, Iranian hackers targeted Trump and Biden campaigns
Shane Huntley, director of Google's Threat Analysis Group, announced that two state-backed APT groups targeted campaign staff for both Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. Continue Reading
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Podcast
05 Jun 2020
Risk & Repeat: Are ransomware groups joining forces?
This week's Risk & Repeat podcast discusses the prospect of ransomware gangs working together and what it could mean for enterprises and the overall threat landscape. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2020
Attacks on Exim vulnerability continue one year later
Though the Exim mail transfer agent vulnerability was publicly disclosed in June 2019, a significant number of unpatched versions remain online and are at risk of attacks. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2020
VMware vulnerability enables takeover of cloud infrastructure
A new vulnerability in VMware Cloud Director allowed any user to obtain control of any virtual machine on a public or private cloud, according to ethical hacking firm Citadelo. Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2020
Cisco servers breached through SaltStack vulnerabilities
Threat actors exploited critical SaltStack flaws, which were disclosed and patched last month, in a Cisco product to breach several of the networking company's salt-master servers. Continue Reading
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News
28 May 2020
Supply chain attack hits 26 open source projects on GitHub
Threat actors conducted an unprecedented supply chain attack by using malware known as Octopus Scanner to create backdoors in open source projects, which were uploaded to GitHub. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 May 2020
Top 3 advantages of smart cards -- and potential disadvantages
As smart card adoption increases, it is prudent to take a closer look at how this technology can improve data security. Here, read more about the benefits of smart cards. Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
StrandHogg 2.0 allows attackers to imitate most Android apps
A new elevation-of-privilege vulnerability on Android, dubbed StrandHogg 2.0, allows threat actors to gain access to most apps, according to Norwegian mobile security firm Promon. Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2020
Mandiant dishes on notorious Maze ransomware group
Mandiant threat researchers navigate the tools, tactics and procedures of the Maze ransomware group, which has become notorious for "shaming" victims with stolen data. Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2020
Ragnar Locker ransomware attack hides inside virtual machine
Threat actors have developed a new type of attack method by hiding Ragnar Locker ransomware inside a virtual machine to avoid detection. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2020
Verizon DBIR: Breaches doubled, but plenty of silver linings
The 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report showed the number of confirmed breaches last year nearly doubled, but it also highlighted some positive trends. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2020
Texas struck by two ransomware attacks in one week
The Texas Department of Transportation was hit with a ransomware attack last Thursday, marking the second ransomware incident on a state agency in less than a week. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2020
CISA identifies malware from North Korean hacking group
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in conjunction with the FBI and DoD, has identified three variants of malware used by the North Korean government. Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Experts say mobile voting tech isn't the answer to COVID-19
Despite the mounting need for another alternative to in-person voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say mobile and online voting is just not ready for the general public. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2020
Q1 data breaches down, but exposed records reach new high
Threat intelligence firm Risk Based Security released its 2020 Q1 Report, which shows a 273 percent increase in exposed records and 42 percent decrease in publicly reported breaches. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Advanced Computer Software leak exposes nearly 200 law firms
Researchers at cybersecurity vendor TurgenSec discovered an exposed database owned by Advanced Computer Software that contained legal documents with data from 190 law firms. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2020
Healthcare organizations sitting on 'unexploded' ransomware
While threat reports show ransomware attacks against healthcare organizations are down, experts say threat actors may be lurking in networks and waiting to strike at a later date. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 May 2020
The risks and effects of spyware
Spyware can steal mundane information, track a user's every move and everything in between. Read up on the types of spyware and how to best fix infected devices. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 May 2020
Identifying common Microsoft 365 security misconfigurations
Microsoft 365 security problems can double the time it takes to contain a breach, according to a new survey. Check out best practices and operational strategies to fix them. Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2020
Critical SaltStack vulnerabilities exploited in several data breaches
SaltStack patched two critical vulnerabilities in its software last week, but hackers used the flaws over the weekend to breach several unpatched networks and systems. Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2020
Shade ransomware decryptor released with 750,000 keys
Kaspersky Lab released a decryptor tool after operators behind the ransomware variant announced a shutdown of operations and issued an apology for any harm caused. Continue Reading
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Video
30 Apr 2020
Telework security requires meticulous caution, communication
Organizations that are proactive about telework security may enjoy a more resilient network environment. Follow five steps in this webinar to ensure secure remote work. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Apr 2020
Words to go: Types of phishing scams
IT teams must take proactive measures to address security awareness when it comes to email. Learn about the types of phishing scams to mitigate risk. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
Zero-day flaw in Sophos XG Firewall exploited in attacks
Sophos released an emergency patch over the weekend for its XG firewalls after threat actors exploited a zero-day SQL vulnerability in the products to steal customer data. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Apr 2020
Coronavirus phishing threats force heightened user awareness
As coronavirus phishing threats ramp up, organizations must turn to user education, in addition to traditional network security, as their best defense. Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2020
Emsisoft: U.S. ransomware attacks declined during pandemic
In the first quarter of 2020, the number of successful ransomware attacks on government and healthcare organizations in the U.S. decreased to a level unseen in years, Emsisoft said. Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2020
New spear phishing campaign targets oil and gas industry
Bitdefender researchers identified new spear phishing campaigns against the oil and gas industry that include emails with no typos and perfect usage of industry terminology. Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2020
Ransomware, cloud attacks more than doubled in 2019
New research by Trustwave shows 2019 saw huge increases in ransomware and cloud services attacks, as well as a big shift from spam toward business email compromise. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Cognizant discloses Maze ransomware attack
Cognizant was attacked by the Maze ransomware gang, the company confirmed Saturday. It's unclear whether Cognizant clients were also breached or infected with ransomware. Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Ransomware attacks see 148% surge amid COVID-19
VMware Carbon Black saw a 148% increase in ransomware attacks in March over baseline levels in February, plus a massive spike in attacks on financial institutions. Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Hackers embrace cryptocurrency laundering to evade the law
Cybercriminals are turning to cryptocurrency laundering methods to hide illicit proceeds as law enforcement agencies find success in tracing bitcoin transactions. Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Malware found on 45 percent of home office networks
New research by BitSight compared malware infections on home office networks versus corporate networks, and the results were unsettling for remote enterprise users. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Russian threat group suspected of hacking SFO
San Francisco International Airport disclosed a data breach affected employees and third-party contractors, and ESET researchers said a Russian APT was likely behind the attack. Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
APTs infiltrated Linux servers undetected for nearly 10 years
New BlackBerry research shows how five APT groups operating on behalf of the Chinese government infiltrated enterprise Linux environments undetected for nearly a decade. Continue Reading
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Podcast
09 Apr 2020
Risk & Repeat: Are Zoom security fears overblown?
This week's Risk & Repeat podcast looks at the backlash against Zoom over security and privacy concerns and asks whether there's been an overreaction. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Zoom takes new security measures to counter 'Zoombombing'
Zoom has implemented two key security and privacy measures in order to counter 'Zoombombing.' One enables passwords in meetings by default, while the second creates waiting rooms. Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2020
Microsoft warns hospitals of impending ransomware attacks
Microsoft warned "dozens" of hospitals with vulnerable gateway and VPN software that an infamous ransomware group known as REvil is scanning the internet for such flaws. Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Zoom zero-day vulnerabilities patched a day after disclosure
An ex-NSA hacker reported two zero-day vulnerabilities on his blog Wednesday. One of them can give an attacker control of a user's webcam and microphone. Zoom fixed both flaws quickly. Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Beazley: Ransomware attacks on clients 'skyrocketed' in 2019
The 2020 Beazley Breach Briefing reported a 131% increase in reported attacks against clients last year, and the insurance giant isn't expecting the trend to slow down. Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
Voatz disputes claims it was 'kicked off' HackerOne
HackerOne has cut ties with Voatz, but the mobile voting vendor disputed reports that it was kicked off the bug bounty platform following controversy with security researchers. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2020
Coronavirus phishing lures continue to dominate threat landscape
Overall cybercrime activity isn't necessarily going up amid COVID-19, experts say. However, coronavirus-themed emails are becoming the dominant form of phishing attacks. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Cyberinsurance carrier Chubb investigating possible data breach
Insurance giant Chubb confirmed it is investigating an incident that may involve the Maze ransomware group, which claims to have stolen sensitive data from the company. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Mar 2020
Risk & Repeat: COVID-19 boosting social engineering attacks
This episode of the Risk & Repeat podcast looks at how social engineering attacks have become more successful by taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Mar 2020
Coronavirus phishing scams increase amid pandemic's spread
Organizations must account for a sharp uptick of coronavirus phishing scams in their pandemic and business continuity plans. Learn about the trend here, with steps for mitigation. Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
China's APT41 attacks Citrix ADC flaws in cyberespionage campaign
A dual cyberespionage and cybercrime group known as APT41 exploited vulnerabilities in Citrix NetScaler/ADC and other products in an extensive, global threat campaign. Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Deepfakes: Security experts undecided on the threat level
Deepfakes may seem like a scary new threat in today's world, but should the world be worried? SearchSecurity asked numerous experts to weigh in at RSA Conference 2020. Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Maze ransomware gang pledges to stop attacking hospitals
The infamous Maze gang announced it has stopped ransomware attacks on healthcare and medical facilities because of the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Mar 2020
Risk & Repeat: Coronavirus-themed threats on the rise
This week's Risk & Repeat podcast looks at the disruption caused by COVID-19, as well as the sharp increase in cyberthreats designed to exploit the pandemic. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Ransomware attacks poised to disrupt coronavirus response efforts
Experts fear that coronavirus-themed threats will escalate to ransomware attacks, and such attacks will disrupt response efforts at hospitals and city, state and local governments. Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2020
Ransomware attack hits Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
A ransomware attack shut down Champaign-Urbana's public health website, hindering the city's ability to provide information and updates on the Coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Microsoft discloses wormable SMBv3 flaw without a patch
Microsoft disclosed a new remote code execution vulnerability associated with the Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1 (SMBv3) protocol, but there's currently no patch available. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2020
Microsoft leads takedown of Necurs botnet
Microsoft, BitSight and other partners used legal and technical steps to take control of one of largest botnets in the world that infected more than 9 million systems. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Mar 2020
How nation-state cyberattacks affect the future of infosec
Any company can be a nation-state cyberattack victim. Brush up on the latest and most common nation-state techniques and their implications on the threat landscape of tomorrow. Continue Reading
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News
09 Mar 2020
Researchers develop new side channel attacks on AMD chips
Security researchers behind the Meltdown and Spectre flaws discovered new side channel attacks on AMD processors, but the chipmaker has opted not to patch them. Continue Reading