Diplomacy and hybrid war. Heightened cyber tension as Quds Day approaches. Conti in Costa Rica. North Korean cyber operators target journalists. C2C notes.. A guilty plea in a cyberstalking case.

Heightened cyber tension as Quds Day approaches. Costa Rican electrical utility suffers from Conti ransomware. Emotet’s operators seem to be exploring new possibilities. North Korean cyber operators target journalists who cover the DPRK. A guilty plea in a strange case of corporate-connected cyberstalking. Ben Yelin ponders the potential Twitter takeover. Mr. Security Answer Person John Pescatore addresses questions about vendors. And cybercrime, run like a business.

Selected reading.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: List of key events from day 62 (Al Jazeera) 

Ukraine takes war behind enemy lines as Russian fuel depots set ablaze (The Telegraph) 

Russia pounds eastern Ukraine as West promises Kyiv new arms (AP NEWS) 

Finland, Sweden to begin NATO application in May, say local media reports (Reuters) 

‘Thanks, Putin’: Finnish and Swedish Lawmakers Aim for NATO Membership (Foreign Policy) 

World War Three now a 'real' danger, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warns (The Telegraph) 

Moscow cites risk of nuclear war as U.S., allies pledge heavier arms for Ukraine (Reuters) 

Russia Warns of Nuclear War Risk as Ukraine Talks Go On (Bloomberg) 

From Jordan to Japan: US invites 14 non-NATO nations to Ukraine defense summit (Breaking Defense)

State TV says Iran foiled cyberattacks on public services (AP NEWS)

State TV Says Iran Foiled Cyberattacks on Public Services (SecurityWeek)

Iranian hackers claim they’ve hit the Bank of Israel - but ‘no proof,’ cyber authority says (Haaretz)

North Korean hackers targeting journalists with novel malware (BleepingComputer)

The ink-stained trail of GOLDBACKDOOR (Stairwell)

Conti ransomware cripples systems of electricity manager in Costa Rican town (The Record by Recorded Future) 

Emotet Tests New Delivery Techniques (Proofpoint) 

Ex-eBay exec pleads guilty to harassing couple whose newsletter raised ire (Reuters)

Mastermind of Natick couple’s harassment pleads guilty (Boston Globe) 

Former eBay Executive Pleads Guilty to His Role in Cyberstalking Campaign (US Department of Justice) 

Cyberkriminelle bieten Schadsoftware kostenlos an (IT-Markt)