Dateline Moscow and Kyiv: long-range strike, attacks on infastructure, and cyberespionage.
Ukraine at D+291: Cyberespionage and long-range strike. (CyberWIre) Ukraine demonstrates an enhanced long-range strike capability. The Cloud Atlas APT shows an increased interest in Russia's war.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 292 (Al Jazeera) As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 292nd day, we take a look at the main developments.
Ukraine war: Exiled governor reports strike on 'Wagner HQ' (BBC News) Kyiv's forces hit a hotel used by the Russian mercenary group, a Ukrainian official says.
Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine 'destroys Wagner HQ in Luhansk' (The Telegraph) The Luhansk headquarters of Russia's notorious Wagner mercenary group has been struck, causing significant losses, according to a Ukrainian official.
Ukrainian strike hits Russian barracks in occupied Melitopol (the Guardian) Complex reportedly struck by Himars rockets may have been a stronghold of Wagner mercenary group that fights for Kremlin
War in Ukraine: Ukraine Strikes Russian-Occupied City of Melitopol (New York Times) The Ukrainian authorities said the strike on the southern city of Melitopol hit a church that was being used as a base by Russian soldiers. A state-owned Russian news agency said two people were killed and 10 wounded in the attack.
'Hundreds' of Russian soldiers killed in Himars strike on holiday resort turned barracks (The Telegraph) Videos showed a huge blaze at the site in the south-eastern city of Melitopol, which has been under Russian occupation since March
Footage shows aftermath of strike on barracks in Russian-occupied city of Melitopol – video (the Guardian) Firefighters search through the rubble after Ukrainian forces launch an attack on barracks in Melitopol
Russia-Ukraine war latest: Riot brewing in Russian-occupied Mariupol as residents left with no heating
(The Telegraph) Mariupol is on the verge of riots amid anger among residents over a lack of heating in homes and leaking roofs, according to a local official.
Drone strikes leave more than a million without power in southern Ukraine, officials say (NBC News) “After the night strike by Iranian drones, Odesa and other cities and villages of the region are in the dark,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Institute for the Study of War (Institute for the Study of War) An unnamed US defense source told The Times that the Pentagon is no longer insisting that Ukraine should not strike military targets within Russia. The source noted that the Pentagon has changed its perspective on this matter following the recent
Russia using more Iranian-made drones in attacks on Ukraine infrastructure: think tank (The Hill) Russia is deploying a “significantly higher number” of Iranian-made drones to attack critical infrastructure in Ukraine than it did in previous weeks, according to an updated analysis f…
Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow has turned entire city of Bakhmut to ‘burnt ruins’, says Zelenskiy (the Guardian) Ukraine’s president says Russian shelling has ‘actually destroyed’ the city
In the ‘Bakhmut meat grinder’, deadlocked enemy forces slog it out (the Guardian) Ukrainians have the technical advantage but Russians persist in sacrificing troops to take an area with no strategic value
Inside Bakhmut: The strange and senseless death trap draining Ukraine's tired army (The Telegraph) The town has seen hundreds killed or wounded each day in bloody frontal attacks, yet holds little military significance
Free for a month, Kherson still toils to clear Russian traps (AP NEWS) A hand grenade jerry-rigged into the detergent tray of a Kherson home’s washing machine. A street sign maliciously directing passers-by toward a deadly minefield. A police station that allegedly housed a torture chamber but remains so booby-trapped that demining crews can’t even start to hunt for evidence.
Ukraine war: Attacks against civilians and infrastructure must stop, disarmament chief tells Security Council (UN News) The only way to end the suffering and devastation in Ukraine, “is by ending the war”, the UN’s top disarmament official told the Security Council on Friday.
Russia to send Iran top fighter jets in return for kamikaze drones (The Telegraph) Downing Street said the new 'sordid deals' between Moscow and Tehran threaten global security
US: Russia, Iran moving toward full defense ‘partnership' (Federal News Network) The Biden administration is accusing Russia of moving to provide advanced military assistance to Iran, including air defense systems, helicopters and fighter jets. It's part of deepening cooperation…
Russia warns US of repercussions of helping Ukraine (Mirage News) A senior Russian diplomat sternly warned Washington Friday against providing intelligence and satellite support to Ukraine, saying there will be
Pentagon gives Ukraine green light for drone strikes inside Russia (Times) The Pentagon has given a tacit endorsement of Ukraine’s long-range attacks on targets inside Russia after President Putin’s multiple missile strikes against K
Fierce claims to Crimea highlight slim chance of Russia-Ukraine peace deal (Washington Post) After nine months of death and destruction, the key to Russia’s war against Ukraine lies in the craggy, sea-swept peninsula of Crimea — with its limestone plateaus and rows of poplar trees — which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Death of a Minister: Where Next for Belarusian Foreign Policy? (Royal United Services Institute) The death of Belarus’s foreign minister signals the disruption of one of the few avenues that Minsk has for negotiation and contact with the West. The president’s choice for a replacement will indicate the likely future trajectory of the country’s foreign policy.
Why Belarus won't solve Putin's problems (Newsweek) An Institute for the Study of War report has said that Belarusian forces remain "extraordinarily unlikely" to invade Ukraine due to serious limitations.
The New Boyars? How Russia’s Governors Facilitate Mobilisation (Royal United Services Institute) As Russia has sought to address manpower shortages in Ukraine through mass mobilisation, its regional governors have played a crucial role in delivering the numbers required.
Neo-Nazi Russian militia appeals for intelligence on Nato member states (the Guardian) Move by Task Force Rusich raises fears of rogue paramilitary attacks on Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
War Next Door Brings Energy Crunch, and Paid Protests, to Moldova (New York Times) The tiny country, starved of natural gas and electricity because of the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, is confronting street rallies bankrolled by a pro-Russian politician to target its pro-Western government.
Russia sends soldiers to war but ignores mental trauma they bring home (Washington Post) When Vladimir returned from the front line to his hometown in Siberia, his wife barely recognized him.
Opinion A week in the life of Vladimir Putin (Washington Post) All politics is local, as the saying goes, and that applies even to Russian President Vladimir Putin. That truth becomes evident from a close look at Putin’s publicly available calendar, which offers fascinating insight into a leader who oversees virtually every aspect of Russian life.
Putin’s War and the Dangers of Russian Disintegration (Foreign Affairs) The unraveling of a fragile multiethnic state could lead to more violence.
In Its Rule-of-Law Standoff With Hungary, the EU Just Blinked (World Politics Review) Amid a dispute over Hungary’s democracy, the EU council seemingly gave in to Viktor Orban’s threat to veto aid to Ukraine.
The new Swedish government’s agenda for its EU presidency: Forging unity on Ukraine, defense, and trade (Atlantic Council) Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström explained Wednesday at an Atlantic Council Front Page event that the EU needs strengthening on several fronts to face the challenges ahead.
Securing alternative gas supplies and addressing critical infrastructure gaps in Europe (Atlantic Council) This issue brief offers recommendations for measures that European countries decoupling their energy supplies from Russia should take to give themselves the best chances of succeeding.
European Electricity Sector Lacks Cyber Experts as Ukraine War Raises Hacking Risks (Wall Street Journal) A shortage of cybersecurity talent is acute at European electricity firms as they fend off cyberattacks stemming from the war in Ukraine.
Cloud Atlas targets entities in Russia and Belarus amid the ongoing war in Ukraine (Check Point Research) Introduction Cloud Atlas (or Inception) is a cyber-espionage group. Since its discovery in 2014, they have launched multiple, highly targeted attacks on critical infrastructure across geographical zones and political conflicts. The group’s tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) have remained relatively static over the years. However, since the rapid escalation of the conflict between Russia... Click to Read More
APT Cloud Atlas: Unbroken Threat (Positive Technologies) APT Cloud Atlas: Unbroken Threat
How the US has helped counter destructive Russian cyberattacks amid Ukraine war (The Hill) The U.S.’s increased efforts to assist Ukraine and other Eastern European countries in shoring up their cyber defenses amid Moscow’s war on Kyiv appear to have …
The Australian company training Ukrainian veterans in cybersecurity (Australian Financial Review) The Ministry of Digital Transformation in Ukraine has signed a memorandum of understanding with Internet 2.0, which will also open an office in the country.
How Proton intends to thwart Russian cybercensorship with its VPN (HiTech Wiki) © Proton Formalized last October, Stealth is the result of months of hard work in response to cyber censorship by oppressive governments. This protocol vpn, developed internally at Proton AG, contrasts with OpenVPN, WireGuard and other IKEv2 or L2TP/IPSec, in the sense that it is undetectable on the Internet network. The challenge today is to […]
Cyber Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine (YouTube) This session was part of the 2022 Aspen Cyber Summit. You can learn more about the Summit here:https://www.aspencybersummit.org/Three decades after the fall...
War in Ukraine Dominated Cybersecurity in 2022 (CNET) Though some experts worried that Russia would lash out against Ukraine's allies, that hasn't happened, at least not yet.
$275 Million in Additional Assistance for Ukraine (U.S. Department of Defense) The U.S. has committed more than $19.3 billion to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked invasion on February 24.
A Russian Dissident Is Sentenced in Moscow (Foreign Policy) Ilya Yashin’s is the most significant political trial in Russia since Alexey Navalny’s imprisonment in 2021.
Russian tourist numbers jump in Thailand (Nikkei Asia) Southeast Asian country's willing acceptance invites criticism
Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
Iran-Backed MuddyWater's Latest Campaign Abuses Syncro Admin Tool (Dark Reading) MuddyWater joins threat groups BatLoader and Luna Moth, which have also been using Syncro to take over devices.
MuddyWater Hackers Target Asian and Middle East Countries with Updated Tactics (The Hacker News) Iran hackers using compromised corporate email accounts to launch spear-phishing attacks on countries in the Middle East and Central and West Asia.
New MuddyWater Campaign Uses Legitimate Remote Administration Tools to Deploy Malware (Cyber Security News) MuddyWater, also known as MERCURY or Static Kitten, is an APT group recently attributed to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) by U.S. Cyber Command.
Royal Ransomware (US Department of Health and Human Services) Royal is a human-operated ransomware that was first observed in 2022 and has increased in appearance. It has demanded ransoms up to millions of dollars. Since its appearance, HC3 is aware of attacks against the Healthcare and Public Healthcare (HPH) sector. Due to the historical nature of ransomware victimizing the healthcare community, Royal should be considered a threat to the HPH sector.
US Dept of Health warns of ‘increased’ Royal ransomware attacks on hospitals (The Record by Recorded Future) The U.S. Department of Health warned hospitals to watch out for the Royal ransomware group, a relatively new gang that emerged in September.
Tale of North Korea’s cyberterrorists: How they break into ‘unhackable’ crypto platforms and cash out (The Korea Herald) This is the second installment of a three-part series shedding light on North Korea’s cryptocurrency thefts and their links to the hermit regime’s nuclear ambitions. -- Ed. Early this year, a senior engineer at Axie Infinity, a Vietnamese company that runs a popular blockchain-based play-to-earn game, was encouraged to apply for a lucrative job through LinkedIn. But after the engineer opened a document f...
Hack-for-Hire Group Targets Travel and Financial Entities with New Janicab Malware Variant (The Hacker News) Hack-for-hire group Evilnum uses new Janicab malware variant to attack travel, legal and financial entities.
Evilnum group targets legal entities with a new Janicab variant (Security Affairs) A hack-for-hire group dubbed Evilnum is targeting travel and financial entities with the new Janicab malware variant. Kaspersky researchers reported that a hack-for-hire group dubbed Evilnum is targeting travel and financial entities. The attacks are part of a campaign aimed at legal and financial investment institutions in the Middle East and Europe. The campaign took place in 2020 […]
Breaking the silence - Recent Truebot activity (Cisco Talos Blog) Since August 2022, we have seen an increase in infections of Truebot (aka Silence.Downloader) malware. Truebot was first identified in 2017 and researchers have linked it to a threat actor called Silence Group that is responsible for several high-impact attacks on financial institutions in several countries around the world.
New TrueBot Malware Variant Leveraging Netwrix Auditor Bug and Raspberry Robin Worm (The Hacker News) Cybersecurity researchers have reported an increase in TrueBot malware infections, involving a new variant that abuses the Netwrix Auditor flaw.
TrueBot infections were observed in Clop ransomware attacks (Security Affairs) Researchers reported an increase in TrueBot infections, attackers have shifted from using malicious emails as their primary delivery method to other techniques. Cisco Talos researchers reported an increase in TrueBot infections, threat actors have shifted from using malicious emails as their primary attack vector to other techniques. Truebot has been active since 2017 and some researchers linked it to […]
Clop ransomware uses TrueBot malware for access to networks (BleepingComputer) Security researchers have noticed a spike in devices infected with the TrueBot malware downloader created by a Russian-speaking hacking group known as Silence.
Xenomorph: What to know about this Android banking trojan (WeLiveSecurity) Here's what to know about an Android banking trojan called Xenomorph that steals logins for banking, payment, social media, cryptocurrency and other apps.
New Technique Discovered To Bypass Web Application Firewalls (GBHackers) Experts from Industrial and IoT cybersecurity company Claroty developed a generic method for bypassing the web application firewalls (WAF) of a variety of leading manufacturers.
Elon Musk “Freedom Giveaway” Crypto Scam Spread on Twitter (Inferse.com) Twitter and new owner Elon Musk have been everywhere in the news lately — and scammers have been using the trending publicity to push more crypto-related
COVID-bit - A New Secret Channel to Spy Data (GBHackers) Researchers uncovered a new covert channel to steal sensitive information from Air-gapped systems over the air from a distance of 2m.
New Ransom Payment Schemes Target Executives, Telemedicine (KrebsOnSecurity) Ransomware groups are constantly devising new methods for infecting victims and convincing them to pay up, but a couple of strategies tested recently seem especially devious. The first centers on targeting healthcare organizations that offer consultations over the Internet and…
Global Online Retailer Leaked 1.1 Billion Records Online Including Customer Data (Website Planet) Global Online Retailer Leaked 1.1 Billion Records Online Including Customer Data
Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler together with the Website
Attackers lure victims to click on fake invoice to bypass Microsoft Office 365 email security (SC Media) Armorblox researchers claim to have thwarted a social engineering email attack that could have compromised more than 100,000 users.
Aadhaar, PAN card, DL, passport of over 5,000 Indians leaked on internet by alleged Pakistani hacker (Business Today) A malicious actor not only sold Indian citizens' identity documents in private Telegram channels but also publicly leaked the information on forums. While the impacted individuals may only be 5,000, public access makes it a grave threat for all victims of the cyber threat
Stolen data of 600,000 Indians sold on bot markets so far - study (Reuters) Around five million people globally have had their data stolen and sold on the bot market till date, of which 600,000 are from India, making it the worst affected country, according to one of the world's largest VPN serice providers NordVPN.
Arctic Wolf: Log4Shell Has a Long Tail (SDxCentral) The ongoing Log4Shell vulnerability exploit activities remain on a high level one year after it was first disclosed, Arctic Wolf found.
Local governments allegedly targeted with Iranian ‘Drokbk’ malware through Log4j vulnerability (The Record by Recorded Future) The networks of several U.S. local governments are being targeted with the Drokbk malware allegedly by Iranian hackers exploiting Log4j.
A Year Later, That Brutal Log4j Vulnerability Is Still Lurking (WIRED) Despite mitigation, one of the worst bugs in internet history is still prevalent—and being exploited.
Vulnerabilities Allow Researcher to Turn Security Products Into Wipers (SecurityWeek) A SafeBreach security researcher discovered several vulnerabilities that allowed him to turn endpoint detection and response (EDR) and antivirus (AV) tools into wipers.
New attack evades major IT vendors' web application firewalls (SC Media) Palo Alto Networks, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Imperva, and F5 web application firewalls could be bypassed through a novel attack exploiting the JSON data sharing format, SecurityWeek reports.
Air-gapped PCs vulnerable to data theft via power supply radiation (BleepingComputer) A new attack method named COVID-bit uses electromagnetic waves to transmit data from air-gapped systems isolated from the internet over a distance of at least two meters (6.5 ft), where its captured by a receiver.
Rackspace warns of phishing risks following ransomware attack (BleepingComputer) Cloud computing provider Rackspace warned customers on Thursday of increased risks of phishing attacks following a ransomware attack affecting its hosted Microsoft Exchange environment.
Rackspace Engaged CrowdStrike to Probe Cybersecurity Incident (Bloomberg Law) Rackspace Technology issues update following a recent ransomware incident that affected its Hosted Exchange email business, a managed email solution provided to small and medium businesses.
CloudSEK Employee’s Jira Account Breached, the Network Remains Secure (TechGenix) A targeted cyberattack using an employee’s Jira credentials has hit CloudSEK. But proper security protocols limited the damage. Read about it here.
Voyager Worldwide hit by cyber attack (Splash 247) Maritime tech giant Voyager Worldwide has become the latest big name in maritime to be hit by a cyber attack.
Shows will go on at Met Opera despite cyber-attack that crashed network (ABC7 New York) Tickets are now being sold on the regular Lincoln Center website while the opera's own site is repaired. Tickets can also be purchased in person at David Geffen Hall.
Cyberattack disrupts Metropolitan Opera (SC Media) Cyberattack disrupts Metropolitan Opera New York-based Metropolitan Opera had its website and box office shut down following a cyberattack that also disrupted its call center, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
360,000 Ontarians to be notified about vaccination data breach, government says (Peterborough Examiner) About 360,000 people in Ontario will soon get notices their personal information was part of a November 2021 data breach in the province’s COVID-19 vaccination management system.
130,000 Telstra customers exposed in data breach (The Sydney Morning Herald) Telstra said a “misalignment of databases” rather than hacking was responsible for the breach, the latest large-scale privacy breach to strike big Australian companies.
Telstra sorry for publishing up to 130,000 customers’ details online (the Guardian) Release of names, numbers and addresses of some unlisted customers was not due to cyber-attack
Attacks on grid infrastructure in 4 states raise alarm (E&E News) Security experts said it's too soon to tell whether recent incidents were related, but they pointed to a need for the energy industry to be vigilant and
Attacks on Pacific north-west power stations raise fears for US electric grid (the Guardian) Series of attacks come after assault on North Carolina facilities cut electricity to 40,000
Vandals, outages highlight power grid security concerns (KETK.com | FOX51.com) A series of vandalism reports throughout the country — including a pair of outages in North Carolina that left thousands without power for days — points to vulnerabilities in securing some of the n…
Security Patches, Mitigations, and Software Updates
Cisco Releases Security Advisory for IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series (CISA) Cisco released a security advisory for a vulnerability affecting IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial-of-service condition. For more information, see the Cisco Security Advisories page.
Trends
Who’s saying what? Mentions of cybersecurity decreased by 54% in the technology industry in Q3 2022 (Verdict) The global technology industry experienced a 54% drop in company filings mentions of cybersecurity in Q3 2022 compared with the previous quarter, according to GlobalData’s analysis.
Privacy + Data Security Predictions for 2023 | Morrison Foerster (Morrison Foerster) The Morrison Foerster Privacy + Data Security team is unmatched in its ability to provide creative and practical advice concerning all stages of the information lifecycle, from counseling on compliance with
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Cybersecurity - Week 50 (SentinelOne) Operator accidentally removes own botnet from infected devices, Zerobot spreads via 21 known CVEs, and Agrius returns with new wiper malware.
Distributed Denial of Service attacks outlook for 2023 (Continuity Central) The number of DDoS attacks we are seeing around the globe is on the rise, and that trend is very likely to continue throughout 2023. Corero Network Security outlines key DDoS trends to prepare for.
Marketplace
Proofpoint Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Illusive (Yahoo Finance) Identity Threat Detection and Response technology extends Proofpoint’s people-centric security vision to thwart identity-based breaches, including ransomwareSUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proofpoint Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Illusive, a leader and pioneer in Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR). The acquisition is expected to close by January 2023, subject to customar
DLH Buys GRSi, Bolsters IT & Cyber Capabilities (WashingtonExec) DLH has acquired privately held Grove Resource Solutions, Inc., a provider of cloud-based enterprise modernization and cybersecurity solutions to civilian
Adapt or die: Why cybersecurity companies must become data companies to survive (VentureBeat) As data security threats increase and grow more sophisticated, cybersecurity companies must become data companies in order to survive.
What Happens to a Cybersecurity Vendor When it is Acquired? (The Security Industry) There have been more than a thousand acquisitions of cybersecurity vendors since I began covering the space 22 years ago. Security Yearbook 2022 lists 304 in 2021 (data provided by AGC partners.) There are several flavors of acquisitions. A typical
How Slack’s Marriage to Salesforce Crumbled (The Information) Two years ago, Salesforce co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff gushed about his software company’s $28 billion purchase of messaging app Slack, describing it as a “match made in heaven.” It was also the most expensive subscription software acquisition of all time, with Salesforce paying around 26 ...
(ISC)² Recruits 110,000 People Interested in a Cybersecurity Career in Three Months ((ISC)²) Rapid adoption showcases increased interest in cyber education and training for individuals looking to enter the field while helping decrease the workforce gap
Apple workers in Australia plan Christmas strike (CRN Australia) Hundreds of Apple workers in Australia are preparing to go on a strike.
Newly public cyber company ZeroFox stays optimistic about economy (Axios) The only cybersecurity company to go public in 2022 is already beating analysts' expectations.
CACI, Peraton land $2.2B defense contracts (Virginia Business) Peraton Risk Decision Inc., of Loveland, Colorado, a subsidiary of Herndon-based government contractor Peraton Inc. and Reston-based CACI International Inc. have been awarded parallel contracts each valued at more than $2.2 billion to perform background investigations for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Huawei licenses 5G patents to rival as U.S. sanctions force the Chinese giant to seek new revenue (CNBC) Huawei historically has not monetized its huge chest of 5G patents but it is looking to find new revenue streams after U.S. sanctions crushed its mobile business.
Whistic Wins Awards for Cyber Security Risk Management Solution (MarTech Series) Whistic Wins Awards for Best Cyber Security Risk Management Solution and Best Place to Work for in Utah
Egnyte Appoints Ben Saville As New Head Of EMEA (Security Informed) Egnyte, the secure platform for content collaboration and governance announced the appointment of Ben Saville to its sales leadership team as Head of EMEA. In this role, Saville will lead an organization focused on expanding Egnyte’s customer base and brand in the UK.
Securonix Appoints New Chief Executive Officer, Board Member (Dallas Innovates) Addison-headquartered Securonix Inc. announced Nayaki Nayyar has been appointed chief executive officer and member of its board of directors, effective immediately. Securonix is a leader in Next-Gen SIEM, UEBA and SOAR, and at the same time, the company announced that founder and former CEO Sachin Nayyar (not related) has transitioned to the role of executive […]
Radiant Logic Strengthens Customer Commitment and Fortifies Leadership Team (Business Wire) Radiant announces a significant new investment and commitment to its customers with the appointment of company’s first Chief Customer Officer.
Products, Services, and Solutions
U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory Selects Xage for Clean Energy Cybersecurity Program (Xage Security) Xage & fellow cohort members set out to secure green energy resources.
ThreatBlockr and UbiStor Form Partnership to Provide Proactive Network Protection for UbiStor Customers (StreetInsider.com)
TYSON, Va. & SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (PRWEB) December 07, 2022 ThreatBlockr, a cybersecurity company that provides unmatched network edge defense, and...
Zerto Cited as a Contender among Data Resilience Solutions Suites by Independent Research Firm (Business Wire) Zerto, an HPE company, has been recognized by Forrester as a Contender among Data Resilience Solution Suites in The Forrester WaveTM, Q4 2022.
iTWire - Rockwell Automation partners with CrowdStrike to provide comprehensive endpoint protection (IT Wire) Rockwell Automation has announced a partnership with CrowdStrike to provide manufacturers with comprehensive endpoint protection services. The solution combines Rockwell's industrial cybersecurity services and CrowdStrike's Falcon platform. The combined solution will monitor, protect, invest...
Offensive Security partners with the NGN Training Center (ACE Times) OffSec will provide companies and their employees based in Bahrain with a varied suite of cybersecurity programs
Matrixport's Cactus Custody™ Completes SOC 2 Type 1 Certification by Deloitte (PR Newswire) Matrixport, one of the world's largest digital assets financial services platform, has announced that its institutional custodian service...
Howden Group partners with Silverfort | Cyber Insurance (Silverfort) Howden Group has partnered with Silverfort to make it easier for businesses to achieve cybersecurity insurance compliance.
Apiiro’s Cloud Application Security Platform Now Available in AWS Marketplace (GlobeNewswire News Room) AWS customers worldwide now gain access to Apiiro, giving development and security teams an easy way to proactively fix application risks...
WatchGuard Unveils Firebox NV5 and AP332CR to Support Remote Workers and Outdoor Environments (GlobeNewswire News Room) The new VPN gateway appliance and Wi-Fi 6 access points each deliver the simplified security and seamless experience customers need, wherever they are...
Technologies, Techniques, and Standards
Rise of Open-Source Intelligence Tests U.S. Spies (Wall Street Journal) Efforts to harness the power of publicly available data by U.S. intelligence agencies remain underfunded and outpaced by China’s “immense enterprise.”
NIST Action Will Heat Up Post-Quantum Cryptography Market: Report (TechNewsWorld) Action by the National Institute of Standards on potential post-quantum cryptographic algorithms is forecast to strongly stimulate the PQC market over the next five years.
How do NATO members prepare against cyber attack? We take a look (euronews) Euronews Next visited NATO’s Cyber Range in Estonia to see how armies are preparing for cyberattacks, including soon-to-be members Sweden and Finland.
CIO Recognizes Top Tech, Cyber Performers Across Defense Department (U.S. Department of Defense) The Defense Department recognized more than two dozen individuals and teams for contributing to the advancement of departmentwide information technology goals.
8 Behavior-Based Safety Tips You Must Follow to Stay Safe Online (MUO) By slightly tweaking your online behavior, you can keep yourself safe from scammers and hackers. It's easier than it sounds.
How companies without CISOs can build their defenses (VentureBeat) With preventive security measures, even organizations without CISOs can establish and build on robust cybersecurity strategies.
Legislation, Policy, and Regulation
Taiwan weighing nationwide ban on TikTok (Taiwan News) Inter-ministerial meeting slated for this month to discuss banning TikTok | 2022-12-12 12:19:00
Japan to upgrade cyber defense, allowing preemptive measures (Nikkei Asia) Revised National Security Strategy to open doors for proactive response
Japan to include 'counterstrike capability in key security documents (The Japan Times) Tokyo will pledge in the documents to continue "to commit to its exclusively self-defense-oriented security policy" and "to not become a military power."
As wiretap claims rattle government, Greece bans spyware (AP NEWS) Lawmakers in Greece on Friday approved legislation banning commercial spyware and reforming rules for legally-sanctioned wiretaps following allegations that senior government officials and journalists had been targeted by shadowy surveillance software.
The Autocrat in Your iPhone (Foreign Affairs) How mercenary spyware threatens democracy.
WhatsApp could abandon UK if government bans E2E encryption (Computing) Meta-owned WhatsApp is willing to see its messaging app blocked in the UK rather than weaken its encryption.
Vietnam to block ads on 'toxic' online content in further crackdown (Nikkei Asia) State's blacklist may affect Facebook and YouTube users as well as TikTok stars
Chinese takeover of power company triggers national security intervention (The Telegraph) Grant Shapps intervenes amid fears of snooping on the energy grid
Senate Passes Senators Hassan and Portman’s Bipart... | U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire (Maggie Hassan) WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Senate passed Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rob Portman’s (R-OH)...
Solarium leader Gallagher tapped to lead China select committee; new GOP chairs named for two House panels with cyber roles (Inside Cybersecurity) Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), a co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, will lead a new panel focused on security and economic challenges posed by China, as House Republicans continue sorting through committee leadership assignments for the incoming 118th Congress.
CISA Director Eyes Cyber ‘Civil Defense’ Capacity, 2023 Goals (Meritalk) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly wants the agency’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC) to stand up a new subcommittee focused on corporate cyber responsibility as part of a move to build a cyber “civil defense” capacity.
What Is CISA and Why Does It Matter? (Brownstone Institute) CISA is part of the Department of Homeland Security, created only in 2018 with an act signed by President Trump.
Stakeholders want more than AI Bill of Rights guidance | TechTarget (CIO) The White House's AI Bill of Rights provides ethical AI adoption guidance to federal agencies and companies, but still lacks enforceability.
Opinion Democrats and Republicans agree on this tech privacy bill. But can it pass? (Washington Post) With Republicans poised to take over the House next year, a divided Congress looms. The result could be two years of partisan strife and gridlock. But between the GOP investigations and other legislative fireworks to come, there might be room to get a few things done — if lawmakers are willing to accept success.
U.S. Targets Chinese Fishing Vessels, Russian Detention Camps, With Human-Rights Sanctions (Wall Street Journal) The U.S. on Friday imposed a swath of sanctions targeting corruption and human-rights abuses in Russia, China and elsewhere, including on a network of China-based fishing vessels officials said were involved in alleged illegal fishing throughout the Pacific.
Litigation, Investigation, and Law Enforcement
Investigating ‘Fraud Factories’ of Myanmar (Medium) Scam centres that lured hundreds of Indians into Cyber Slavery.
How US police use counterterrorism money to buy spy tech (MIT Technology Review) A new report shows that federal aid from FEMA is often used to buy surveillance equipment, without the public knowing much about it
FTC's block of Microsoft's Activision acquisition could thwart other tech deals (S&P Global) The agency argues that Xbox would gain control of top video game franchises, enabling it to harm competition in high-performance gaming consoles and subscription services by denying or degrading rivals' access to its popular content.
Broadcom faces EU antitrust probe into $61 bln VMware deal - sources (Reuters) U.S. chipmaker Broadcom is set to face a setback in its $61 billion bid for cloud computing company VMware with EU antitrust regulators poised to open a full-scale investigation into the deal, people familiar with the matter said.
Spyware Hacks of Federal Workers Could Run Into Hundreds, Lawmaker Says (Bloomberg) Employees in multiple countries likely infected, lawmaker says. Inquiry focused on how many people hacked and who is behind it.
Ireland's privacy watchdog engaging with Twitter over data access to reporters (TechCrunch) Elon Musk's desire to stir conspiratorial shit up by giving select outsiders aligned with his conservative agenda access to Twitter systems could land him in serious doodoo with regulators.
SolarWinds $26 Million Investor Deal Warrants Nod, Court Told (Bloomberg) A $26 million class settlement with SolarWinds Corp. resolving a suit alleging it failed to tell investors about security vulnerabilities before a massive cyberattack warrants early approval, a Thursday court filing said.
How CoinDesk Lit the Fuse That Blew Up Crypto—and Might Take Down Its Owner Next (The Information) Michael Casey, chief content officer of the crypto news site CoinDesk, was at his Westchester County, N.Y., home on Monday, recovering from a trip to Miami the previous week. Though the crypto industry was in Lehman levels of distress, Casey had managed to attend several straight days of parties ...
US Probes FTX Founder for Fraud, Examines Cash Flows to Bahamas (Bloomberg) Scope of inquiry includes transfers around time of bankruptcy. It’s part of broad effort by prosecutors to track client funds.
Sam Bankman-Fried Agrees to Testify Before House Committee (New York Times) The FTX founder said on Twitter that he will appear before a House committee next week, but was quiet about a similar request from a Senate committee.
Australia arrests 'Pig Butchering' suspects for stealing $100 million (BleepingComputer) The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested four suspected members of a financial investment scam syndicate estimated to have stolen $100 million from victims worldwide.
Homeland Security Investigations graduates new class of military veterans trained to combat child exploitation (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) welcomed seven new forensic analysts into its ranks during the Human Exploitation Rescue Operation Child-Rescue Corps (HERO Corps) graduation ceremony Dec. 8. The graduates, all military veterans, join HSI as members the 12th HERO Corps class. HERO Corps recruits, trains and hires wounded, ill or injured transitioning service members and veterans to support HSI in the areas of child exploitation investigation, child victim identification, traveling child sex offenders and digital forensics.
Malaysia conducts probe into AirAsia ransomware attack, data of 5 million people affected (The Straits Times) Hacker group Daixin Team is said to be responsible.
Read more at straitstimes.com.
AirAsia ransomware attack: Probe ongoing to find source and impact of compromised data, says Fahmi (The Star) Investigations are ongoing to find the source of the ransomware attack that compromised the personal data of five million passengers and all employees of AirAsia, says Fahmi Fadzil.
Communications And Digital Ministry Begins Investigation Into AirAsia Personal Data Leak (Lowyat.NET) Last weekend, the Communications And Digital Ministry (KKMM) announced that it has begun looking into the recent cyberattack on budget
Twitter Files: Former Trump DNI John Ratcliffe claims vindication on Hunter Biden laptop story (Fox via Yahoo) Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe claimed vindication for the Trump administration Friday after the latest Twitter Files revelations showed how Twitter's standards had eroded in the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election.
Biden faces growing pressure to drop charges against Julian Assange (the Guardian) Biden faces a renewed push, domestically and internationally, to drop charges against Assange, who is languishing in a UK jail
When Drivers Are Attacked, Uber Leaves Police Waiting for Help (The Markup) An investigation by The Markup found that Uber is slow to respond to law enforcement requests, leaving drivers vulnerable to repeated attacks
