X-Industry

In a feat that seemed unachievable just a few short years ago, an international research consortium has recently unveiled the first complete wiring diagram of an entire fruit fly brain.  The map itself is accompanied by a cache of papers, demonstrating how this breakthrough is already leading to new scientific findings and there’s much more to come.

Why do we need brain maps anyway?  Maps that show every neuron in a brain and all the myriad connections between them are called connectomes. The fi

Your smartphone can be hit by various security threats, from phishing to malware to spyware. All it takes is one successful attack to take over your phone, compromise your data, and even steal your identity.  How do you protect yourself?  In a Mobile Device Best Practices report,[1] the National Security Agency (NSA) suggests tips designed to thwart hackers and attackers from assaulting your mobile device. One method is as simple as turning your phone off and on.

Spearphishing attacks can target

An extortionist armed with a new variant of MedusaLocker ransomware has infected more than 100 organizations a month since at least 2022, according to Cisco Talos, which recently discovered a "substantial" Windows credential data dump that sheds light on the criminal and their victims.  The miscreant, whom Talos calls "PaidMemes," uses a recent MedusaLocker variant called "BabyLockerKZ," and inserts the words "paid_memes" into the malware plus other tools used during the attacks.

Recent research

I recently saw the title of a Recorded Future podcast regarding AI and police reporting.  I have 28 years of law enforcement experience, 8 years as a uniformed police officer and this title really intrigued me.  So I watched the segment: AI is Writing Police Reports, Should We be Worried?[1]  

The story starts with police body cams, which began somewhat experimentally in 2011 and now has gain acceptance throughout US policing.  The main purpose of demanding police wear body cams was to change po

The CEO at Redwood Research, Buck Shlegeris, a nonprofit company exploring AI's risks, recently learned an amusing but hard lesson in automation when he asked his LLM-powered agent to open a secure connection from his laptop to his desktop machine.  "I expected the model would scan the network and find the desktop computer, then stop," Shlegeris explained.  "I was surprised that after it found the computer, it decided to continue taking actions, first examining the system and then deciding to do

Red Sky Alliance monthly queries our backend databases, identifying all new data containing Motor Vessel (MV) and Motor Tanker (MT) in the subject line of malicious emails.  Malicious actors use emails with Motor Vessel (MV) or Motor Tanker (MT) in the subject line as a lure to entice users in the maritime industry to open emails containing malicious attachments.  Red Sky Alliance is providing this list of Motor Vessels in which we directly observed the vessel being impersonated, with associated

The US Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) is a significant piece of legislation passed in 2022, designed to tackle cyber incidents affecting critical infrastructure.  While its full impact is still unknown, CIRCIA presents new requirements for incident reporting that cyber risk professionals must understand and prepare for.

CIRCIA was created to help the US government coordinate responses to significant cyber incidents that affect essential services.  Its goal was

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Australian Signals Directorate Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD ACSC) and other U.S. and international partners, co-sealed Detecting and Mitigating Active Directory Compromises. This guide informs organizations of recommended strategies to mitigate 17 common techniques used by adversaries and malicious actor to compromise Active Directory. 

The objective of malicious activity involving Active Directory is to escalate privileges

Government-run water systems are still at risk of attack by cybercriminals and nation-states, according to a new advisory from the US’s top cybersecurity agency.  The notice from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) came two days after Arkansas City, Kansas, reported a cybersecurity issue that forced it to switch to manual operations.

Last week, US DHS CISA said it continues to “respond to active exploitation of internet-accessible operational technology (OT) and indust

A US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff report found that social media and video streaming companies have been engaging in widespread user surveillance, particularly of children and teens, with insufficient privacy protections and earning billions of dollars annually by monetizing their data.   The FTC's findings were released after a probe that began nearly four years ago in December 2020 and started with 6(b) orders sent to Amazon (owner of Twitch), Meta (Facebook), YouTube, Twitter (now X C

The world of online gambling has exploded in popularity, offering convenience and excitement to millions of players worldwide.  But, with this digital gold rush comes a host of cybersecurity risks and challenges that affect gambling companies, players, and the third-party vendors who support them.  There are risks, challenges, and opportunities for online gaming companies, the folks who partake in online gambling, and the third-party vendors who are there to help keep systems and data secure.[1]

Professional sporting events have been prime targets for violent attacks and terrorism, because of their large audiences.  In recent years, these events have become targets of cyberattacks as adversaries exploit venue operations to disrupt events, abuse payment systems for fraud, breach networks to steal data, and take advantage of how athletes interact with fans.

While game time is pivotal, sports franchise operators and event organizers must also allocate resources to address many other vulner

After TikTok inquiry, Republicans call for investigation into Temu data practices.  The US House Republicans want answers from the FBI and other US agencies about how the popular Chinese online marketplace Temu handles the data of American citizens.  In a letter to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and FBI, members of the Select Committee on Intelligence asked a range of questions about whether investigations are underway examining Temu and its parent company Pinduoduo (PDD).

Commi

The rise of deepfakes poses significant threats to elections, public figures, and the media.  Recent Insikt Group research highlights 82 deepfakes targeting public figures in 38 countries between July 2023 and July 2024. Deepfakes aimed at financial gain, election manipulation, character assassination, and spreading non-consensual pornography are on the rise.  To counter these risks, organizations must act swiftly, increase awareness, and implement advanced AI detection tools.

2024 Deepfakes and

Last February of 2024, researchers at SentinelOne posted a write-up on Kryptina Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS), a free and open-source RaaS platform written for Linux.  At the time, Kryptina provided all the components required to host a fully functional RaaS platform.  This included automating payloads, managing multiple groups and campaigns nested within, and configuring the ransom payment requirements, such as the amount and type of payment. Despite such functionality, the offering struggled

If the US ever goes to war with a major adversary, one of the first waves of cyberattacks will likely target infrastructure that rarely comes up in discussions about digital threats: railroads.  Americans understand that power, water and healthcare systems face constant and sometimes sophisticated hacks from foreign governments and criminal gangs.  But the US pays far less attention to vulnerabilities in its rail system, even though the consequences of stalled or crashed trains could be disastro

The “We Try Harder” Avis Car Rental https://www.avis.com  has begun notifying close to 300,000 individuals about a data breach that occurred in August 2024, resulting in the theft of sensitive personal information. The breach reportedly exposed customer names, addresses, driver license numbers, and other personal data.

Following the discovery of the breach, Avis initiated an incident response plan, including engaging cybersecurity experts to assess the scope of the attack and bolster security. T

Android phones are once again under attack from a dangerous trojan which has resurfaced to infect at least 11 million devices.  According to a blog post from the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, the Necro trojan, which its security researchers first discovered in 2019, has returned.  The trojan is now being distributed via official apps on the Google Play Store, unofficial modded versions of popular apps and in Android game mods.   Once installed on one of the best Android phones, Necro then downlo

The Marko Polo cybercrime gang represents a growing global financial threat, steering at least 30 ongoing fraud campaigns simultaneously and wielding an arsenal of sophisticated malware that has compromised tens of thousands of devices.  Researchers reported that the group's scams are going after individuals and organizations alike by impersonating popular brands such as Zoom, Discord, and OpenSea, mainly in online gaming, virtual meeting software, and cryptocurrency platform markets.  The effor

Due to economic turbulence and a relentless surge in cyber threats, today's cybersecurity landscape requires enterprises to remain resilient by adapting to security risks.  Many organizations have chosen to adapt to these risks by embracing modern technology such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), which can present new risks if not implemented properly.  The speed at which companies innovate and adopt new technology is far outpacing the security measures that must be addressed first.