Latest Cybersecurity News and Articles

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Discord Will Switch to Temporary File Links to Block Malware Delivery

Discord has been a breeding ground for cybercriminals, with thousands of malware operations exploiting its CDN URLs to distribute and install malicious payloads on compromised systems.

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Google Warns How Hackers Could Abuse Calendar Service as a Covert C2 Channel

Google is warning of multiple threat actors sharing a public proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit that leverages its Calendar service to host command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. The tool, called Google Calendar RAT (GCR), employs Google Calendar Events for C2 using a Gmail account. It was first published to GitHub in June 2023. "The script creates a 'Covert Channel' by exploiting the event

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Microsoft Overhauls Cyber Strategy to Finally Embrace Security by Default

The Secure Future Initiative includes implementing secure default settings out of the box and using automation, AI, and memory-safe languages to develop software that is secure by design and default.

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Europe Clamps Down on Meta Ad Personalization

The European Data Protection Board has directed the Irish Data Protection Commissioner to restrict Meta platforms from using customer's personal data for ad personalization, citing a violation of GDPR.

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Researchers Uncover a New Version of Kazuar Backdoor

Researchers identified Russian-linked Turla APT deploying an updated version of the Kazuar backdoor, suggesting a revival of the malware after years of inactivity with improved code structure and enhanced functionality. The new version of the Kazuar backdoor supports over 40 distinct commands. The upgraded version of Kazuar reveals that Turla APT is making consistent efforts to operate in stealth mode and thwart analysis.

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U.S. Treasury Targets Russian Money Launderer in Cybercrime Crackdown

The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against a Russian woman for taking part in the laundering of virtual currency for the country's elites and cybercriminal crews, including the Ryuk ransomware group. Ekaterina Zhdanova, per the department, is said to have facilitated large cross border transactions to assist Russian individuals to gain access to Western financial markets and

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StripedFly Malware Operated Unnoticed for 5 Years, Infecting 1 Million Devices

An advanced strain of malware masquerading as a cryptocurrency miner has managed to fly the radar for over five years, infecting no less than one million devices around the world in the process. That's according to findings from Kaspersky, which has codenamed the threat StripedFly, describing it as an "intricate modular framework that supports both Linux and Windows." The Russian cybersecurity

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Singapore Public Health Services Hit by DDoS Attacks

Public healthcare institutions in Singapore experienced disruptions in internet connectivity due to DDoS attacks. Synapxe, the agency overseeing these institutions, stated that there is no evidence of a compromise of healthcare or patient data.

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US Sanctions Russian Accused of Laundering Virtual Currency for Ransomware Affiliate

The US Treasury Department has sanctioned a Russian woman named Ekaterina Zhdanova for allegedly laundering virtual currency on behalf of Russian elites and cybercriminals, including a Ryuk ransomware affiliate.

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Update: Okta Customer Support System Breach Impacted 134 Customers

The attackers used stolen session tokens from HAR files to hijack the legitimate Okta sessions of five customers. The breach occurred from September 28 to October 17 and affected less than 1% of Okta's customers.

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Dutch Hacker Jailed for Extortion, Selling Stolen Data on RaidForums

A former Dutch cybersecurity professional named Pepijn Van der Stap has been sentenced to four years in prison for hacking and blackmailing more than a dozen companies. He also infiltrated networks and stole sensitive information.

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Hilb Group Fears Cybercriminals Stole 81,000 People’s Financial Data

The company discovered suspicious activity in employee email accounts in January 2023 and determined that the breach occurred between December 2022 and January 2023. The stolen data includes names, SSNs, and financial account information.

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Okta's Recent Customer Support Data Breach Impacted 134 Customers

Identity and authentication management provider Okta on Friday disclosed that the recent support case management system breach affected 134 of its 18,400 customers. It further noted that the unauthorized intruder gained access to its systems from September 28 to October 17, 2023, and ultimately accessed HAR files containing session tokens that could be used for session hijacking attacks. "The

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I resist sharenting on social media. Does that mean my son and I are missing out, or is it just safer? | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Posting can turn into a privacy risk – and in a changing online landscape, it’s become another parental identity markerAn old friend asked me recently why I never put my son’s face online. “Can you explain the not showing pics of babies thing to me?” she asked. “Everyone our age seems to obscure their baby’s face with emojis. I feel as if I’ve missed a key essay on the morality of baby pic social media publication.”I don’t do the emoji thing – in fact I’ve even stopped showing the back of his head, or any aspect of his home life, really – but I know what she means. A few years ago, sharenting, as it’s been called, felt like the norm among my social circle. These days I see far fewer babies’ faces on social media. Concerns about online privacy and safeguarding, as well as facial recognition and the commercial use of personal data, are far more prevalent than they were in the early days of Facebook. In fact, you could say that whether or not you share photos has become another parental identity marker, up there with breastfeeding, cloth nappies and baby-led weaning as evidence that you’re doing things “the right way”, not like “those other parents”. Continue reading...

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American Airlines Pilot Union Hit With Ransomware

The American Airlines pilot union is actively working to restore their systems and prioritize the security of their operations while keeping their pilots informed about the progress.

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Google Play Store Introduces 'Independent Security Review' Badge for Apps

Google is rolling out an "Independent security review" badge in the Play Store's Data safety section for Android apps that have undergone a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) audit. "We've launched this banner beginning with VPN apps due to the sensitive and significant amount of user data these apps handle," Nataliya Stanetsky of the Android Security and Privacy Team said.

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Four Zero-Day Flaws Disclosed in Microsoft Exchange

Researchers have disclosed four zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange that can be exploited remotely, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive information.

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Researchers discover malicious WhatsApp modification

A malicious WhatsApp spy modification has been uncovered by Kaspersky researchers that clandestinely harvests personal information from its victims.

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Kinsing Actors Exploiting Recent Linux Flaw to Breach Cloud Environments

Attackers are also extracting credentials from cloud service providers, marking the first documented instance of Looney Tunables exploitation. The group has a history of quickly adapting its tactics to exploit newly disclosed vulnerabilities.

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Almost 70% of children & adolescents have been exposed to cyber risks

According to a recent report by the DQ Institute, nearly 70% of children and adolescents worldwide have been exposed to cyber risks in 2023.