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
10 Aug 2022
Industroyer2: How Ukraine avoided another blackout attack
A Black Hat 2022 session explained how the latest attack on Ukraine's energy grid was thwarted this spring, thanks to quick responses and timely sharing of threat data. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Aug 2022
Ethical hacking: How to conduct a Sticky Keys hack
Physical security is often overlooked by cybersecurity teams. Learn about physical cybersecurity attacks in step-by-step instruction on how to conduct a Windows Sticky Keys hack. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2022
U.S. sanctions another cryptocurrency mixer in Tornado Cash
The U.S. Treasury Department issued sanctions against Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer accused of helping North Korea's Lazarus Group launder stolen funds. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2022
July another down month in ransomware attack disclosures
July saw a similar number of ransomware attack disclosures as June, previously the sparsest month for disclosures this year, according to SearchSecurity's data. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2022
Microsoft: Austrian company DSIRF selling Subzero malware
Microsoft said Austrian penetration testing firm DSIRF exploited multiple zero-day vulnerabilities, including the recently patched CVE-2022-22047. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Jul 2022
insider threat
An insider threat is a category of risk posed by those who have access to an organization's physical or digital assets. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2022
NCC Group observes a drop in ransomware attacks -- for now
Changes in top ransomware-as-a-service groups like LockBit 2.0 and Conti accounted for the decline in activity, though NCC Group anticipates attacks will ramp back up. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2022
SynSaber: Only 41% of ICS vulnerabilities require attention
The industrial cybersecurity vendor analyzed 681 ICS vulnerabilities that were disclosed this year and found many had a low probability of exploitation. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
DOJ report warns of escalating cybercrime, 'blended' threats
The Department of Justice's cyber review report warned that the lines between conventional cybercriminal activity and national security threats have all but disappeared. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2022
Cryptocurrency mixer activity reaches new heights in 2022
Chainalysis observed a stark uptick in April that led to a steady decline in May and June, but illicit addresses and DeFi platforms have kept mixers busy so far this year. Continue Reading
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Podcast
15 Jul 2022
Risk & Repeat: Ransomware in 2022 so far
This podcast episode discusses ransomware in 2022, including an apparent decrease in attacks, the evolution of cybercrime operations and the lack of visibility into the threat. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2022
Cryptocurrency crash triggers crisis for dark web exchanges
Cybersixgill says dark web exchanges that help cybercriminals launder their funds are facing a crisis as users are cashing out amid a cryptocurrency price crash. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2022
Supreme Court justices doxxed on dark web
Five conservative Supreme Court justices were reportedly doxxed by threat actors that claim to have obtained credit card numbers, addresses and other information. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2022
Public sector still facing ransomware attacks amid decline
While ransomware activity has reportedly decreased worldwide in recent months, several public sector organizations in the U.S. suffered attacks in June. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jul 2022
HackerOne incident raises concerns for insider threats
While the threat actor's motivation appears to be financial, it shows just how damaging an insider threat could be for vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty systems. Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2022
Ransomware in 2022: Evolving threats, slow progress
Experts say trends involving new forms of leverage, increasing numbers of affiliates and the evolving cyber insurance market are shaping the ransomware landscape in 2022. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
Ransomware gangs using Log4Shell to attack VMware instances
Ransomware groups are exploiting the Log4Shell flaw in VMware Horizon and using DLL sideloading techniques to exfiltrate and encrypt data, according to Trend Micro. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
Cisco Talos techniques uncover ransomware sites on dark web
One of the three techniques Cisco Talos used to de-anonymize ransomware dark web sites is to match TLS certificate serial numbers from dark web leak sites to the clear web. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2022
Wiz launches open database to track cloud vulnerabilities
Wiz researchers Alon Schindel and Amitai Cohen and Scott Piper, cloud security engineer at Block, launched a database to list all known cloud vulnerabilities and security issues. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jun 2022
Chinese HUI Loader malware ups the ante on espionage attacks
A state-sponsored piece of malware may become a favorite weapon for Beijing-backed hacking crews looking to lift intellectual property from foreign firms. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2022
Kaspersky unveils unknown APT actor 'ToddyCat'
The origin of 'ToddyCat' is unknown. However, Kaspersky said the APT actor carries similarities with a number of Chinese-speaking threat groups. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Jun 2022
Publicly disclosed U.S. ransomware attacks database
Each day SearchSecurity looks for every publicly available instance of a ransomware attack in the U.S. and compiles this data into a list to keep readers updated on recent threats. Continue Reading
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News
22 Jun 2022
Proofpoint: Social engineering attacks slipping past users
Executives, administrators and network defenders overlook the severity of many of the most effective social engineering tools, Proofpoint cautions. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2022
Forescout discloses 'OT:Icefall,' 56 flaws from 10 vendors
The OT:Icefall vulnerabilities come from 10 operational technology vendors that make hardware for critical infrastructure, including Emerson, Honeywell, Motorola and more. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2022
Cleveland BSides takes heat for Chris Hadnagy appearance
The Cleveland BSides security conference is experiencing turmoil after booking a 'surprise' keynote speaker who was recently barred from DEF CON for misconduct. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jun 2022
How hackers use AI and machine learning to target enterprises
AI benefits security teams and cybercriminals alike. Learn how hackers use AI and machine learning to target enterprises, and get tips on preventing AI-focused cyber attacks. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2022
Alphv ransomware gang ups pressure with new extortion scheme
The ransomware operators this week launched a website for victims' employees and customers to search for any stolen personal information following an attack. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2022
Microsoft takes months to fix critical Azure Synapse bug
Orca Security discovered that inadequate tenant separation in Microsoft's Azure Synapse service could allow a threat actor to steal credentials from thousands of customers. Continue Reading
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Definition
15 Jun 2022
directory traversal
Directory traversal is a type of HTTP exploit in which a hacker uses the software on a web server to access data in a directory other than the server's root directory. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
Critical Atlassian Confluence flaw remains under attack
Researchers say a critical flaw in the Atlassian Confluence Data Center and Server is now being used to spread ransomware in the wild, making updates a top priority. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
How Russian sanctions may be helping US cybersecurity
Federal government officials say Russian sanctions decreased cyber attacks on the U.S. over the past few months but could potentially lead to significant threats down the road. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2022
Tenable slams Microsoft over Azure vulnerabilities
Tenable expressed its frustration after working with Microsoft on the disclosure of two cloud flaws that researchers ranked as critical, which the company later silently patched. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2022
Rob Joyce: China represents biggest long-term cyberthreat
NSA director of cybersecurity Rob Joyce spoke at RSA Conference 2022 about the cyberthreat landscape for nation-state attacks from Russia and China. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2022
Mandiant: Cyberextortion schemes increasing pressure to pay
At RSA Conference 2022, Mandiant executives discussed how attackers are pulling out all the stops to pressure victims to pay, from DDoS attacks to harassing victims' customers. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2022
Cisco Talos: Destructive malware, supply chain attacks rising
At RSA Conference 2022, Cisco Talos discussed how adversaries have evolved and changed their tactics, leading to major shifts in the threat landscape. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2022
MacOS malware attacks slipping through the cracks
Apple security specialist Patrick Wardle told RSA Conference 2022 attendees that some of the worst security flaws in the macOS operating system come from overlooked bits of code. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2022
Major DDoS attacks increasing after invasion of Ukraine
DDoS attacks are a growing threat to both government and commercial entities across the globe, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the rate of attacks in 2022. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2022
Critical Atlassian Confluence flaw exploited in the wild
No patch is currently available for the critical Atlassian bug, which affects Confluence Server and Data Center products, though one is expected by end of day Friday. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2022
May ransomware attacks strike municipal governments, IT firms
A major agriculture machinery vendor as well as a handful of other private companies and municipal governments were the targets of ransomware attacks in May. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2022
Conti ransomware group targeted Intel firmware tools
A pair of Intel firmware management platforms were targeted by the notorious Conti ransomware group to create new attack techniques, according to Eclypsium researchers. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2022
Hackers ransom 1,200 exposed Elasticsearch databases
An extensive extortion operation didn't need exploits or vulnerabilities to take over more than 1,200 Elasticsearch databases and demand bitcoin payments, according to Secureworks. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2022
Forescout proof-of-concept ransomware attack affects IoT, OT
Forescout's proof of concept showed how an attacker could use an IoT camera to gain access to an enterprise's IT network and then shut down operational technology hardware. Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2022
Microsoft zero day exploited in the wild, workarounds released
A zero-day flaw in the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool has already been exploited in the wild. No patch is available yet, but Microsoft released temporary mitigations. Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2022
U.S. Senate report calls out lack of ransomware reporting
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security published a report that points to a lack of ransomware reporting as a major issue in defending the U.S. from cyber attacks. Continue Reading
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News
26 May 2022
'Pantsdown' BMC vulnerability still present in Quanta servers
Eclypsium found that a critical security flaw first disclosed in 2019 remains exposed in many internet-facing servers, leaving networks at risk for remote code execution attacks. Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2022
Developers targeted by poisoned Python library
A developer's expired domain led to a threat actor taking control of an open source library and poisoning it with malware that could steal private keys for AWS instances. Continue Reading
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News
24 May 2022
Verizon DBIR: Ransomware dominated threat landscape in 2021
Though ransomware became an increasingly large threat to enterprises last year, Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report found the model may not be as profitable as expected. Continue Reading
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News
23 May 2022
AdvIntel: Conti rebranding as several new ransomware groups
According to AdvIntel's research, the Conti ransomware group's attack on the Costa Rican government was part of a rebranding effort, as the gang's ransom payments had dried up. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2022
QNAP devices hit by DeadBolt ransomware again
DeadBolt ransomware is once again targeting QNAP's NAS devices, and the vendor is urging customers to patch immediately. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2022
VMware vulnerabilities under attack, CISA urges action
Administrators are grappling with four VMware vulnerabilities -- two older flaws that are under active exploitation and two new bugs that CISA believes will be exploited soon. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2022
Axie Infinity hack highlights DPRK cryptocurrency heists
The $620 million hack of developer Sky Mavis earlier this year is only the latest in a long line of cryptocurrency platform attacks conducted by North Korean nation-state actors. Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2022
North Korean IT workers targeting US enterprises
North Korean nationals are looking to land jobs at U.S. and European companies to collect sensitive data that could help the reclusive government's military programs. Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2022
Cardiologist charged with creating Thanos, Jigsaw ransomware
Moises Luis Zagala Gonzalez, 55, faces up to five years in prison for each of the two charges connected to his alleged role in creating Thanos and Jigsaw ransomware. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 May 2022
man in the browser (MitB)
Man in the browser (MitB) is a security attack where the perpetrator installs a Trojan horse on the victim's computer that is capable of modifying that user's web transactions. Continue Reading
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News
12 May 2022
Iranian APT Cobalt Mirage launching ransomware attacks
Secureworks researchers said a new Iranian state-sponsored threat group is melding government and financial interests by targeting U.S. organizations with ransomware attacks. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2022
Critical F5 vulnerability under exploitation in the wild
A remote code vulnerability in F5 BIG-IP network appliances is now being scanned for by threat actors, and some experts have observed exploitation in the wild. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2022
US, allies warn of nation-state attacks against MSPs
The joint advisory did not name any specific nation-states, though co-sponsor agencies expect threat actors to 'step up their targeting' of managed service providers (MSPs). Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2022
New clues point to REvil ransomware gang's return
New research from Secureworks' Counter Threat Unit provides further evidence that the REvil ransomware group, once thought to be defunct, is indeed back on the scene. Continue Reading
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News
10 May 2022
US, EU attribute Viasat hack to Russia
The U.S. and U.K. governments, along with the EU, confirmed the suspicions around the attack that disrupted satellite services for customers in Ukraine as Russia invaded the country. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2022
US offers $10M bounty for Conti ransomware information
The bounty follows a recent Conti ransomware attack that Costa Rica suffered in April. The country's new president, Rodrigo Chaves, declared a national emergency Sunday. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 May 2022
parameter tampering
Parameter tampering is a type of web-based cyber attack in which certain parameters in a URL are changed without a user's authorization. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2022
Cryptocurrency mixer sanctioned over Lazarus Group ties
North Korea's Lazarus Group is accused of stealing more than $600 million in the Axie Infinity hack and laundering a chunk through the Blender.io mixing service. Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2022
Hackers exploit vulnerable Adminer for AWS database thefts
Mandiant researchers spotted a threat group using an exploit for older versions of Adminer to get their hands on metadata that included secret keys for AWS accounts. Continue Reading
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News
05 May 2022
SentinelOne finds high-severity flaws in Avast, AVG
The Avast and AVG vulnerabilities, which have been patched, went undiscovered for 10 years and potentially impact millions of devices, according to SentinelOne. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2022
Coveware: Double-extortion ransomware attacks fell in Q1
Coveware said double-extortion ransomware may be replaced with 'big shame ransomware,' in which an attacker threatens to leak sensitive data without encrypting it. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2022
Winnti threat group rides again with IP theft campaign
A Chinese cyberespionage campaign, dubbed 'Operation CuckooBees' by Cybereason, went unnoticed for years as spies siphoned off intellectual property from companies. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2022
Trend Micro discovers AvosLocker can disable antivirus software
AvosLocker operators are using legitimate tools and previously disclosed vulnerabilities to disable antivirus software and evade detection on infected machines. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2022
RCE vulnerabilities found in Avaya, Aruba network switches
Armis told SearchSecurity that depending on device model, it was 'not too hard to develop an exploit' for the Avaya and Aruba flaws, heightening concern for administrators. Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2022
April ransomware attacks slam US universities
April's ransomware attacks were highlighted by several universities and colleges in the U.S. reporting attacks, plus a possible data breach at one of the world's largest beverage companies. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2022
Cyberespionage group exploiting network and IoT blind spots
Researchers with Mandiant have uncovered a new espionage-focused hacking operation that takes advantage of IoT and networking gear that security tools don't cover. Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2022
Lapsus$ targeting SharePoint, VPNs and virtual machines
From social engineering attacks to admin tools, a recent NCC Group report examined the tactics used by Lapsus$ to breach companies like Microsoft, Nvidia and Samsung. Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2022
Check Point: Ransomware attacks lasted 9.9 days in 2021
Check Point Research and Kovrr found ransomware attack victims paid out 89% of the ransom demand on average in 2019. The figure dropped to 27% in 2020 before rising to 49% in 2021. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Apr 2022
Case study: Why it's difficult to attribute nation-state attacks
If two attacks look similar, don't assume they're from the same attacker. It's difficult to attribute nation-state attacks, as evidenced by the notorious 2016 Odinaff malware. Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2022
Phishing attacks benefiting from shady SEO practices
Cybercriminals running phishing operations are now making use of SEO specialists that break Google's rules to get themselves placed above legitimate search results to lure victims. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Five Eyes reveals 15 most exploited vulnerabilities of 2021
Law enforcement agencies from five countries share the top flaws they've observed being exploited this year, some of which were disclosed as early as 2018. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
REvil ransomware attacks resume, but operators are unknown
The notorious REvil ransomware gang appears to be up and running once more, as new attacks and malware samples have been observed, but it's unclear who is behind the operation. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Sophos: 66% of organizations hit by ransomware in 2021
Forty-four percent of organizations surveyed by Sophos said they used multiple approaches to recover data following a ransomware attack, including paying ransoms and using backups. Continue Reading
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News
26 Apr 2022
Cisco Talos observes 'novel increase' in APT activity in Q1
The security vendor uncovered new trends during Q1, including increased APT attacks, 'democratized' ransomware threats and significant exploitation of Log4j bugs. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2022
LemonDuck botnet evades detection in cryptomining attacks
While the botnet is not new, it appears operators are honing their skills and evading Alibaba Cloud's monitoring service to take advantage of rising cryptocurrency prices. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2022
T-Mobile breached in apparent Lapsus$ attack
Lapsus$'s alleged theft of T-Mobile source code is in line with its previous activity; the cybercrime group previously stole code from Microsoft and Samsung. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2022
Zero-day vulnerability exploitation soaring, experts say
Researchers with Mandiant and Google Project Zero say they observed significant increases in exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities over the past year. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2022
Cryptocurrency theft leaves Beanstalk Farms' future in doubt
Beanstalk Farms' founders confirmed they found many aspects of activity during the attack 'strange' but saw no reason for concern. Now, the company's future is uncertain. Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2022
FBI warns of 'timed' ransomware attacks on agriculture sector
In a recent alert, the FBI warned that food and agriculture businesses could become a target of ransomware attacks at the sector's busiest times of the year. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2022
U.S. warns of 'increased' threats from Russian hacking groups
The U.S. government and its Five Eyes intelligence partners issued a joint advisory warning of the dangers posed by both state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminal crews in Russia. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2022
BlackCat emerges as one of the top ransomware threats
After several notable ransomware attacks against major enterprises, the BlackCat gang is drawing the attention of security researchers who have connected it to other groups. Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2022
Pegasus spyware discovered on U.K. government networks
Citizen Lab confirmed it spotted the notorious spyware running on systems within the U.K. prime minister's office, and it believes the United Arab Emirates is to blame. Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2022
Stolen OAuth tokens lead to 'dozens' of breached GitHub repos
Stolen OAuth tokens issued to Heroku and Travis CI were used to download data from the private repositories of 'dozens of organizations,' including GitHub subsidiary npm. Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2022
Attack on Beanstalk Farms results in $182M loss
High payouts and security weaknesses make cryptocurrency a growing target, which was highlighted even further in the latest attack involving virtual currency and a DeFi platform. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2022
Critical Windows RPC vulnerability raises alarm
Security experts warn that a newly disclosed vulnerability in a critical Windows networking component is opening the door for remote takeover attacks. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2022
VMware Workspace One flaw actively exploited in the wild
Multiple threat intelligence providers have detected threat activity related to the VMware Workspace One flaw, including cryptocurrency mining activity. Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2022
US government, security vendors warn of new ICS malware
As attacks on critical infrastructure increase, experts warn that threat actors have developed new malware designed to take control of ICS and SCADA systems in the energy sector. Continue Reading
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News
13 Apr 2022
Sophos: LockBit affiliates hacked regional government agency
Sophos said attackers spent at least five months inside an unnamed regional government agency's network, remotely Googling for hacking tools before deploying LockBit ransomware. Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2022
Ukraine energy grid hit by Russian Industroyer2 malware
The 2016 malware known as 'Industroyer' has resurfaced in a new series of targeted attacks against industrial controller hardware at a Ukraine power company. Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2022
Law enforcement takedowns continue with RaidForums seizure
The hacker forum, which used to sell and purchase sensitive information including login credentials, has been dismantled, and its alleged founder was arrested and indicted. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2022
Fin7 hacker sentenced to 5 years in prison
A Ukrainian man has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted as one of the primary hackers behind the notorious Fin7 financial malware ring. Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2022
How the FBI took down the Cyclops Blink botnet
The FBI's operation copied and removed Cyclops Blink's malware from victims' systems that were used as command and control devices, severing Sandworm's control of the botnet. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2022
US sanctions Garantex for laundering over $100M
The latest action follows a string of sanctions imposed during the past year against cryptocurrency exchanges operating out of Russia. Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2022
Conti ransomware leaks show a low-tech but effective model
The Conti ransomware gang runs largely on elbow grease, according to Akamai security researchers who analyzed the group's training materials and operating policies. Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2022
German authorities behead dark web Hydra Market
Police in Germany raided facilities hosting the infamous Hydra Market site as part of an international effort to crack down on dark web forums and marketplaces. Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2022
March ransomware attacks strike finance, government targets
In March, ransomware reports and disclosures showed a variety of victims, from public schools and county governments to financial services firms and large enterprises. Continue Reading