Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Revenue From Supply-Chain Attacks by Clop Group Sharply Fell, Report InvestigatorsOnce lucrative steal-and-leak campaigns pioneered by Russian ransomware group Clop look set to go the way of the dinosaurs. While an estimated 25% of victims paid a ransom in the inaugural campaign five years ago, the number of victims that paid fell to zero by 2023, report ransomware responders.

JSON Code 'Beautifiers' Expose Sensitive Data From Banks, Government AgenciesAt what price beauty? Apparently, some developers will paste anything into "JSON beautify" sites, from researchers report recovering authentication keys, database credentials, personally identifiable information for banking customers and much more.

Private Details of Top Trump Officials Found Online Amid Growing Security ScandalPrivate contact details of top Trump officials, including their phone numbers, emails and even some passwords, have been leaked online through commercial databases and hacked data dumps, raising security concerns over potential foreign access to Cabinet members’ private accounts and communications.

RansomHub, Play and Akira Appear to Dominate; Numerous Newcomers Join the FrayWhile ransomware groups' data-leak sites regularly lie, if taken at face value, in December 2024 they collectively listed the largest number of victims ever seen in a one-month period, dominated by RansomHub, Play and Akira operations, plus a bevy of newcomers, researchers report.

Data Thefts, Leaks Follow Continuing Trend in Healthcare: ExpertA network of family health centers, a public medical center and a plastic surgery practice with nearly 180 years of combined service are among the latest healthcare groups reporting major data theft incidents to regulators. The three hacks affected nearly 740,000 patients and employees.

Attackers Demanding Up to $5 Million to Delete Stolen Data, Investigators ReportAttackers who stole terabytes of data from customers of Snowflake have been not only offering the data for sale on data leak marketplaces but also extorting some of the victims, demanding a ransom of $300,000 to $5 million each, security researchers report.

US and UK Water Giants Report Network Breaches and Data Leaks, But No EncryptionTwo major water providers in the U.S. and U.K. report that they recently fell victim to ransomware attacks. In both cases, attackers appear to have stolen employee or customer data that they're now holding to ransom. Ransomware trackers say known attacks, affecting all sectors, have been surging.

Ransomware Groups Listed 514 Victims in Total on Their Data Leak Sites Last MonthThe volume of known ransomware attacks surged last month to record-breaking levels, with groups collectively listing 514 victims on their data-leak sites, security researchers report. In the lead: long-timer LockBit followed by newcomer LostTrust, with other new groups also having a notable impact.