Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also: AscendEX Shuts Down; Ethereum Foundation on AI Bug HuntingThis week, Ostium paused trading, AscendEX shut down, Ethereum said AI hastens bug hunting, not verification, the United States charged an inmate over seized transfer, ex-Sheriff's deputy jailed for extortion, Tangem card security, Iran-linked wallets sanctions and the U.S. may drop BitClub charges.

FulcrumSec leaked data stolen from Novo Nordisk, claiming to have exfiltrated 1.3TB, including clinical records and AI research assets. On June 15, 2026, a data-theft extortion group calling itself FulcrumSec began leaking files from Novo Nordisk, the Danish maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, after the company refused a $25 million ransom demand. The attackers claimed […]

AI-powered ransomware compresses attacks from weeks to minutes. Michael Villar, director of field security technology at Akamai, says banks need AI-driven segmentation to contain intruders fast, limit lateral movement and protect sensitive data before extortion begins.

AI-powered ransomware compresses attacks from weeks to minutes. Michael Villar, director of field security technology at Akamai, says banks need AI-driven segmentation to contain intruders fast, limit lateral movement and protect sensitive data before extortion begins.

Unit 42 researchers observed a low-skilled threat actor using an LLM to script a professional extortion strategy, complete with deadlines and pressure tactics

The region is up against tactics like data-leak extortion, credential-stealing campaigns, edge-device exploitation, and attackers leveraging AI.

European organizations face an escalating cyber threat landscape as attackers leverage geopolitical tensions and AI-enhanced social engineering for attacks.

Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters Claims 1 Billion Stolen Records, Pressures Victims to PayContinuing its ongoing extortion of Salesforce customers, the Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters ransomware operation has launched a data leak site, claiming to have stolen 1 billion records from hundreds of organizations that integrated Salesforce with the Salesloft Drift AI chatbot.

AI-powered ransomware, extortion chatbots, vibe hacking … just wait until agents replace affiliates It's no secret that AI tools make it easier for cybercriminals to steal sensitive data and then extort victim organizations. But two recent developments illustrate exactly how much LLMs lower the bar for ransomware and other financially motivated cybercrime — and provide a glimpse to defenders about what's on the horizon.…

Cyber Extortion Campaign Automated Efforts to 'Unprecedented' Degree, Says AI GiantArtificial intelligence giant Anthropic said it's disrupted a cybercrime operation that tapped its large language models, including Claude Code, to an "unprecedented" extent to help automate a data theft and extortion campaign that targeted more than a dozen critical infrastructure organizations.

Anthropic's Claude Code large language model has been abused by threat actors who used it in data extortion campaigns and to develop ransomware packages. [...]

The company said the threat actor abused its Claude Code service to "an unprecedented degree," automating reconnaissance, intrusions, and credential harvesting.

Anthropic on Wednesday revealed that it disrupted a sophisticated operation that weaponized its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot Claude to conduct large-scale theft and extortion of personal data in July 2025

Cybercriminals Use Artificial Intelligence and Physical Threats to Maximize ImpactOne-dimensional data encryption threats have morphed into more dangerous, multi-layered ransomware attacks that are expanding in scope and impact, creating an urgent need for organizations to fortify their defenses.

Amateurish Ransomware Group Doubles as HackstivistsCybersecurity researchers discovered an artificial intelligence-driven ransomware group that emerged at the end of last year and compromised more than 85 victims worldwide. The group uses double extortion, combining data theft with encryption.

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a nascent artificial intelligence (AI) assisted ransomware family called FunkSec that sprang forth in late 2024, and has claimed more than 85 victims to date

Robert Blumofe on DDoS Attacks, API Security, Zero Trust and FIDO2-MFARobert Blumofe, executive vice president and CTO at Akamai, expects social engineering, phishing, extortion and AI-driven attacks to dominate the threat landscape. He advised enterprises to use FIDO2-based MFA, zero trust, microsegmentation and API security to reduce risks.

With AI and publicly available data, cybercriminals have the resources they need to fake a real-life kidnapping and make you believe it.

The ALPHV ransomware gang, also referred to as BlackCat, is trying to put more pressure on their victims to pay a ransom by providing an API for their leak site to increase visibility for their attacks. [...]

Ransomware group uses API calls to spread throughout shared network resources, researchers say.