Thomas Brewster reports: They’re called access brokers: hackers who find ways onto business or government computers and open up backdoors, charging others for entry. Typical buyers include cybercriminals wielding ransomware, the malware that’s been a scourge for global businesses and governments in recent months. For the sellers, advertising their breaches in the dark forums of…
Category: Commentaries and Analyses
Russian hackers infect network devices with new botnet malware
Dan Goodin reports: Hackers for one of Russia’s most elite and brazen spy agencies have infected home and small-office network devices around the world with a previously unseen malware that turns the devices into attack platforms that can steal confidential data and target other networks. Cyclops Blink, as the advanced malware has been dubbed, has…
Ransomware extortion doesn’t stop after paying the ransom
Who would have thought that criminals might lie? Where’s my shocked face? Bill Toulas reports on findings from a survey by Venafi. Here is some of what they found: 83% of all ransomware victims who paid the requested amount were extorted again, twice, or even three times. 18% of victims who paid the ransom still…
CISA Insights: Preparing for and Mitigating Foreign Influence Operations Targeting Critical Infrastructure
HHS Cybersecurity Program has issued an Alert (TLP: WHITE). Executive Summary Malicious actors use influence operations, including tactics like misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM), to shape public opinion, undermine trust, amplify division, and sow discord. Foreign actors engage in these actions to bias the development of policy and undermine the security of the U.S. and…
New study reveals the most expensive academic data breaches
Serena Haththotuwa reports: A new study has calculated the most expensive data breaches over the past two years. The research, which was conducted by Surfshark, shows the cost of data hacks for businesses across 11 sectors including the academic, tech, government, retail and finance industries. Surfshark’s list of most expensive data breaches is based on…
Personal info leaks from listed Japan firms hit record high in 2021
Kyodo News reports: The number of personal information leaks from companies listed on Japanese stock exchanges, as well as their subsidiaries, rose by 30 percent in 2021 from the previous year to a record 137 cases, according to a corporate research agency. Tokyo Shoko Research said in a report that over 50 percent or 68…