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Also: Medicare Data Breach; Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit TakeawaysIn this week's update, ISMG editors discussed Iran-linked hackers claiming to steal emails from Trump's inner circle, how to refine application development in the age of AI, and a U.S. Medicare data breach amplifying concerns over the safety, security and privacy of federal health systems.

Google has been ordered by a court in the U.S. state of California to pay $314 million over charges that it misused Android device users' cellular data when they were idle to passively send information to the company

Experts Warn Funding Gaps Elevate Cyber RiskA breach of Columbia University’s IT systems after repeated attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump is highlighting how universities are unprepared for today’s threat landscape. Schools often leave campuses without enough resources for strong cyber defenses.

In May 2025, the U.S. government sanctioned a Chinese national for operating a cloud provider linked to the majority of virtual currency investment scam websites reported to the FBI. But more than a month later, the accused continues to openly operate accounts at a slew of American tech companies, including Facebook, Github, LinkedIn, PayPal and Twitter/X.

Iranian-Linked Hackers Claim to Have 100GB of Emails From Trump's Inner CircleAn Iranian hacking group collectively using the pseudonym "Robert" claims to have 100 gigabytes of emails from President Donald Trump's inner circle as Tehran seemingly attempts to project strength in cyberspace in the wake of U.S.-led attacks on three of its key nuclear sites.

Elon Musk-funded xAI is skipping Grok 3.5 and releasing Grok 4 after Independence Day in the United States. [...]

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has levied sanctions against Russia-based bulletproof hosting (BPH) service provider Aeza Group to assist threat actors in their malicious activities and targeting victims in the country and across the world

California AG Leads Effort to Prohibit DHS, ICE From Accessing Personal Health DataCalifornia and 19 other states are suing the Trump administration to stop the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from allegedly disclosing Medicaid beneficiaries' personal health information to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

'Heightened Threat Environment' Faces Critical Infrastructure, US Government WarnsMany types of commonly used types of industrial control systems continue to be deployed in a manner that leaves them publicly exposed to the internet, often by U.S.-based critical infrastructure operators, in what amounts to a preventable security risk, researchers warn.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Russian hosting company Aeza Group and four operators for allegedly acting as a bulletproof hosting company for ransomware gangs, infostealer operations, darknet drug markets, and Russian disinformation campaigns. [...]

Russian Bulletproof Host Also Designated a Front Company in the UKThe United States cut off from the U.S.-dominated international financial system a Russian provider of digital infrastructure to cybercriminal groups, accusing St. Petersburg-based Aeza Group of hosting infostealers and ransomware operations. The U.S. said Aeza is a bulletproof hosting service.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced coordinated law enforcement actions against North Korean government's fund raising operations using remote IT workers. [...]

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday announced sweeping actions targeting the North Korean information technology (IT) worker scheme, leading to the arrest of one individual and the seizure of 29 financial accounts, 21 fraudulent websites, and nearly 200 computers

U.S. cyber agencies, the FBI, and NSA issued an urgent warning today about potential cyberattacks from Iranian-affiliated hackers targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. [...]

DOJ Indictments, Enforcement Actions Follow Nationwide Search for 'Laptop Farms'Federal prosecutors announced major enforcement actions after a North Korean crime ring used stolen IDs, fake websites and U.S. shell firms to embed IT workers inside more than 100 American companies, stealing data and laundering over $5 million to fund Pyongyang's weapons programs.

New Report Says Mexican Cartel Hired Hacker to Identify, Track and Kill FBI SourcesA Justice Department watchdog found a Mexican cartel hired a hacker to tap mobile data and Mexico City cameras, helping track, intimidate and kill potential U.S. informants linked to El Chapo while calling for reforms to protect sensitive investigations from rapidly evolving technology threats.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) briefed Capitol Hill staff recently on hardening the security of their mobile devices, after a contacts list stolen from the personal phone of the White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was reportedly used to fuel a series of text messages and phone calls impersonating her to U.S. lawmakers. But in a letter this week to the FBI, one of the Senate's most tech-savvy lawmakers says the feds aren't doing enough to recommend more appropriate security protections that are already built into most consumer mobile devices.

U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have issued a joint advisory warning of potential cyber-attacks from Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated threat actors.  "Over the past several months, there has been increasing activity from hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors, which is expected to escalate due to recent events," the agencies said

Europol on Monday announced the takedown of a cryptocurrency investment fraud ring that laundered €460 million ($540 million) from more than 5,000 victims across the world

The FBI alert comes amid several reported cyber incidents impacting North America-based airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines