ISIS groups attack NHS sites in coordinated hacks. A new bad animal joins the malware menagerie. US likely to maintain designation of election systems as critical infrastructure. Security industry M&A news.

The Independent is reporting that a number of National Health Service sites in the UK have for the last three weeks been targeted by ISIS-adhering hackers belonging to the Tunisian Fallaga Team. The most visible aspect of the attack involved website defacements with images of violence in Syria and a demand for an end to Western aggression in that country. Patient information may have been at risk, but so far at least appears not to have been compromised. The Cabinet Office believes the coordinated attack is a serious one. The Tunisian Fallaga Team is believed to be working in concert with two other ISIS-affiliated groups: Global Islamic Caliphate and Team System DZ.

In other ISIS news, captured files suggest the Caliphate is having difficulty keeping its foreign fighters motivated and on-task.

A new bad animal joins the menagerie: Charming Kitten, a threat group thought to be connected to Iranian security companies, appears to be pushing Mac malware. Early reports indicate the malware is poorly designed, but Charming Kitten will bear watching. Reports suggest that the group is interested in US defense and aerospace companies.

An unknown state-sponsored group (possibly although not certainly Russian) used Word macros to distribute a maliciously doctored version of a Carnegie Endowment report on the implications of US President Trump's election.

The current US Administration is likely to maintain the designation of election systems as critical infrastructure.

In industry news, Sophos has acquired Invincea, Malwarebytes has bought Saferbytes, and Salient CRGT is acquiring Information Innovators, Inc.