Cyberattacks

Ransomware Extortion Reaches New Heights in 2024

The first half of 2024 saw ransomware gangs extort over $459 million from victims, marking a sharp increase and setting the stage for a record-breaking year. A report from blockchain research firm Chainalysis reveals that the median ransom demanded by the most dangerous ransomware groups surged from $198,939 in early …

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Troy Hunt – on the SSN Data Breach

There were no email addresses in the social security number files. If you find yourself in this data breach via HIBP, there’s no evidence your SSN was leaked, and if you’re in the same boat as me, the data next to your record may not even be correct.

Deep-Live-Cam: The Rise of Digital Doppelgangers

The recent emergence of Deep-Live-Cam has sparked significant concern in the cybersecurity community as it allows users to impersonate individuals in real-time video chats using just a single photo. The software, which has gained viral attention, demonstrates the rapid advancement of face-swapping technology, making it accessible for malicious actors. As …

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Carbon Black Giant Hit by BEC Scam

Orion, a leading supplier of carbon black, recently lost $60 million in a business email compromise (BEC) scam. Cybercriminals tricked a non-executive employee into making multiple wire transfers to their accounts. This incident highlights the growing threat of BEC attacks, where scammers often impersonate executives or manipulate employees to authorize …

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Massive Data Leak Hits 2.7 Billion Records

In August, hackers leaked 2.7 billion records from National Public Data on a dark web forum. The data includes Social Security numbers and other sensitive information. The breach, tied to the cybercriminal group USDoD, affected individuals in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. The stolen records, shared in two CSV files …

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Ransomware Strikes Multiple Times Yearly

A recent survey revealed that 74% of ransomware victims experienced multiple attacks within a year, highlighting the increasing threat severity and the need for stronger cyber resilience. Despite widespread cybersecurity measures, many organizations paid multiple ransoms, with 33% of victims paying four or more times. These repeated attacks led to …

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AI Drives Breakthrough in Cybersecurity

The recent DARPA-led AI Cyber Challenge at DEF CON showcased the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize cybersecurity. Ninety teams participated, each developing autonomous systems to identify and patch vulnerabilities in widely-used open-source software. The competition demonstrated the promise of AI in addressing the growing number of vulnerabilities that outpace …

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Solar Power Systems Face Hacking Threat

Researchers at Bitdefender found serious vulnerabilities in solar power systems that could have allowed hackers to cause major disruptions. These flaws exist in platforms from Solarman and Deye, which manage millions of solar installations worldwide. Hackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to manipulate inverters, disrupt power generation, and trigger blackouts. The …

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Ransomware Now a National Security Threat

The Senate Intelligence Committee has introduced a bill that could change how the U.S. addresses this cyber threat. By equating it with terrorism, the bill aims to give the U.S. intelligence community more power to target these actors and the nations that support them. If passed, this would be the …

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Critical AWS Flaws Expose Risks

Aqua Security researchers uncovered six critical vulnerabilities in AWS services, leading to risks like remote code execution, data theft, AI model manipulation, and account takeover. AWS promptly patched these vulnerabilities, but the researchers warn that similar flaws might exist in other AWS and open-source services. They advised organizations on general …

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