Lawrence Abrams reports: Researchers have created a decryptor that exploits a flaw in Black Basta ransomware, allowing victims to recover their files for free. The decryptor allows Black Basta victims from November 2022 to this month to potentially recover their files for free. However, BleepingComputer has learned that the Black Basta developers fixed the bug…
Category: Of Note
Pro-Palestinian operation claims dozens of data breaches against Israeli firms (1)
Daryna Antoniuk reports: Pro-Palestinian hackers say they breached dozens of Israeli entities amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which has also extended into cyberspace. A group calling itself Cyber Toufan said it launched an operation against Israel at the end of November, promising to publish leaked information from hacked websites every day throughout the month….
Cyber sleuths reveal how they infiltrate the biggest ransomware gangs
Conor James reports: When AlphV/BlackCat’s website went dark this month, it was like Chrimbo came early for cybersecurity defenders, some of whom seemingly believed law enforcement had busted one of the most menacing cyber criminal crews. The excitement lasted just five days, though, and its website is now back online, albeit in worse shape than…
U.S. water utilities were hacked after leaving their default passwords set to ‘1111,’ cybersecurity officials say
Wilfred Chan reports: Providers of critical infrastructure in the United States are doing a sloppy job of defending against cyber intrusions, the National Security Council tells Fast Company, pointing to recent Iran-linked attacks on U.S. water utilities that exploited basic security lapses. The security council tells Fast Company it’s also aware of recent intrusions by hackers linked to China’s…
Kazakhstan to extradite Russian cyber expert to Moscow despite US requests
Daryna Antoniuk reports: Kazakhstan will reportedly extradite a prominent Russian cybersecurity expert to Moscow after refusing to send him to the U.S. Nikita Kislitsin, who was detained in Kazakhstan earlier in June at the request of the U.S., will face hacking and extortion charges in his home country, according to Moscow’s Prosecutor General’s Office. There was no official confirmation…
Health data breaches hit an all-time high in 2023
Katie Palmer reports: Odds are, you’ve gotten at least one of the unnerving letters in your mailbox this year: “We’re writing to inform you of a cybersecurity incident,” it might start. It’s the standard notice many health care organizations are required to provide when your protected health information gets exposed — and in 2023, data…