Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also, Microsoft Badly Patches LNK Flaw, Australian Sentenced for 'Evil Twin' HackThis week, the React flaw, a belated Windows fix, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Signal group posed operational risk, more North Korean npm packages. An Australian jailed for Wi-Fi "evil twin" crimes. The US FTC will send $15.3 million to Avast users. A London council said attackers stole data.

Threat actors with links to the Play ransomware family exploited a recently patched security flaw in Microsoft Windows as a zero-day as part of an attack targeting an unnamed organization in the United States

Attackers aren’t waiting for patches anymore — they are breaking in before defenses are ready. Trusted security tools are being hijacked to deliver malware. Even after a breach is detected and patched, some attackers stay hidden

Also: Hacker Sells Data Obtained Through Snowflake AttackThis week, Microsoft deprecated NTLM authentication, a hacker put apparently stolen Snowflake data up for sale, Ticketmaster confirmed its breach, Cisco patched Webex vulnerabilities, pro-Russian hacktivists claimed a DDoS attack in Spain and Kaspersky launched a free virus removal tool for Linux.

Also: Avast Agrees to $16.5 Million Civil Penalty to Settle Privacy InvestigationThis week: more fallout from LockBit, Avast to pay $16.5M, Russia-linked group targeted mail servers, no indication that AT&T was hacked, analysis of a patched Apple flaw, Microsoft enhanced logging, an Android banking Trojan, North Korean hackers and a baking giant fell to ransomware.