At a glance.
- Ransomware rebranding?
- Date breach lawsuit roundup.
- More on CCPA enforcement.
Same ransomware, new label?
Two new ransomware groups, BlackMatter and Haron, have recently emerged on the scene, but as Threatpost reports, experts say the new kids on the block might just be the resurrection of recently deceased threat groups. South Korean security firm S2W Lab quickly noticed Haron’s ransom note and leak site bear a striking resemblance to those of Avaddon, the ransomware-as-a-service group that supposedly folded in June after the attack on Colonial Pipeline. Security firm Recorded Future suggests BlackMatter could be a descendant of the DarkSide and REvil ransomware gangs, which also ceased operations after the Colonial Pipeline attack. Like REvil, they’ve demonstrated a preference for lucrative targets with revenues upwards of $100 million, and have offered affiliates up to $100,000 and a cut of the ransom for access to affected networks in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. And like DarkSide, BlackMatter sees themselves as criminals with hearts of gold, as their leak site states that social service providers like hospitals and government are off-limits. Global vice president of security research at New Net Technologies Dirk Schrader reasons it’s likely REvil decided “to take down everything and to re-emerge, just to make tracking and tracing even more difficult.”
US data breach lawsuit roundup.
The CyberWire commented yesterday on UC San Diego Health’s data breach, the result of an email account intrusion after a successful phishing attempt, and two law firms have now announced investigations into the breach. BusinessWire reports law firm Scott Cole & Associates is reviewing claims of negligence and invasion of privacy in light of the massive amount of data exposed, and BusinessWire notes that the firm Federman & Sherwood is doing the same. BusinessWire adds that Federman & Sherwood is also filing a class action lawsuit on behalf of customers impacted by the data breach of healthcare loan service provider ClearBalance, which also stemmed from a phishing operation. ClearanceJobs reports that a class action lawsuit has been filed against waste removal company Waste Management, Inc this week for alleged negligence surrounding a network breach in January.
California businesses caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
In regards to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), many considered use of cookies to be a gray area, but Attorney General of California Rob Banta is making the matter more black and white. Digiday reports that Banta has sent enforcement letters notifying businesses that cookies and other data advertising and analytics tracking tools do, in fact, fall under the CCPA’s definition of data “sale,” meaning companies could face harsh penalties for improper use. What’s more, violators could be charged for each individual instance of misuse, and given that violations seen as intentional can be fined up to $7,500 per instance, the calories could really add up.