Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Vital Service Providers Need a Plan to Work Through Internet Outages, CISA SaysCritical U.S. infrastructure like water, power and even banking systems will be successfully hacked by enemy cyber warriors in the event of a military confrontation with a peer adversary like Russia or China, officials from the nation's civilian cyber defense agency said.

Former DoD CIO Leslie Beavers on Nation-State Attacks and DefenseLeslie Beavers, retired brigadier general and former acting CIO and principal deputy CIO of the Department of Defense, said the United States is already experiencing a "cyber invasion," driven by coordinated activity from adversaries including Iran, China, Russia and North Korea.

Also, Telus Breach, Microsoft Hotpatching, Interpol Malicious IP TakedownThis week, Russian hacker OpSec failure, Interpol helped disrupt 45,000 malicious IPs, the FBI is looking for an ATM jackpotting suspect and Telus disclosed a breach. Windows hotpatching, an FTP exploit, a foiled attack on a nuclear research center and China-linked espionage.

Also, More ClickFix Attacks and Teen Booters Arrested in PolandThis week, Russian hackers targeted Signal and WhatsApp users, permit-fee phishing hit U.S. applicants, ClickFix on WordPress sites, Microsoft patched 80 bugs, a 14K-router botnet, Polish teens held over DDoS tools and Finland warned of Russian, Chinese espionage. North Korean IT workers for hire.

Berlin Readies Legislation Authorizing More Aggressive Stance in CyberspaceGermany wants to drastically step up defenses against cyberattacks from foes such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, and it's looking to key ally Israel for lessons and cooperation.

CISA Warns of Retaliatory Cyber Action From Hostile State Actors After VenezuelaFederal cybersecurity officials are warning of a likely uptick in retaliatory cyber activity from China and Russia-linked threat actors after the U.S. military raid in Venezuela, urging infrastructure operators to brace for disruptive probing and attacks.

Report: China, Russia Exploiting US Cyber Policy Gaps to Gain Strategic AdvantageA new McCrary Institute report urges Washington to adopt a more offensive cyber strategy, warning that the current reactive approach leaves the U.S. unable to counter China and Russia’s persistent campaigns to gain asymmetric leverage in cyberspace.

Bipartisan Bill Seeks Sanctions and Industry Coordination to Defend Undersea CablesA bipartisan Senate bill would elevate the U.S. role in defending subsea fiber-optic cables against mounting threats from China and Russia, expanding diplomatic efforts, industry coordination and sanctions targeting foreign sabotage of the internet's global backbone.

Chinese Hackers Target European Diplomats with LNK File FlawChinese nation-state hackers are exploiting a Windows vulnerability to hack European diplomatic outposts, say security researchers - but operating system giant Microsoft says the flaw doesn't merit a patch. Hackers used a flaw already compromised by North Korea and Russia.

US Cites Risk of Treaty Being Weaponized by Authoritarian Regimes, Privacy ConcernsThe U.S. declined to sign the new U.N. cybercrime convention despite support from 72 nations and its backing by Russia and China over fears it could be exploited by authoritarian states to legitimize surveillance, censor dissent and pressure cross-border data cooperation.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies Warns Against Aligning With New Cyber TreatyThe United Nations' cybercrime treaty, shaped by Russian and Chinese influence, could legitimize global digital repression by enabling prosecutions of journalists, activists and researchers under vague terms - despite U.S. opposition and mounting civil society alarm, analysts warned Thursday.

Symantec Says It Spotted Likely Supply Chain HackSuspected Chinese state-linked hackers reportedly breached a Russian IT service provider in an espionage campaign targeting government-related networks. Symantec uncovered Chinese hackers they named Jewelbug, infiltrating a Russian company between January and May.

ENISA: Nation-State Hacking 'Steadily Intensified' Over 12-Month PeriodNearly every member government of the European Union experienced a cyberattack from a nation-state hacker in the 12 months ending in July, primarily from Russian and Chinese threat actors who "steadily intensified" hacking, says the European cyber agency.

Also: Ukrainian Hackers Find Evidence of Russian Child AbductionThis week, a Chinese duo arrested in Los Angeles for illegal artificial intelligence chip exports back to China, France extradited an accused Nigerian hacker, Ukraine hacked Crimean servers, Florida prison email leak, Tea App clone exposed users’ IDs.

Also, O Canada, Oh Brother and More Probable Chinese HackingThis week, ransomware kills, Salt Typhoon hit Canada, Russian backdoors, SAP and Citrix patches, China hackers in the oil and energy sector. Brother printers have an unfixable flaw. Ransomware hit a U.S. dairy cooperative. Hackers in Albania and Oxford. European lawmakers heard cybersecurity advice.

Iranian OT Hacking Team Has Gone Quiet … Too QuietArmed exchanges between Iran and Israel and the prospect of U.S. armed intervention against Tehran has cyber defenders warning about hacking risks to critical infrastructure. Iran's CyberAv3ngers doesn't possess the sophistication of Chinese or Russian actors but it's still a persistent threat.

Malicious Accounts Linked to Malware, Influence OperationsOpenAI is using its artificial intelligence models to detect and counter abuse and has banned accounts associated with malicious state-linked operations. Hackers aligned with Russia, China, North Korea and Iran have used OpenAI's tools for malware development and social media manipulation.

Hackers Targeted Critical Infrastructure for Sabotage, Data TheftRussian and Chinese hackers targeted critical infrastructure in the Netherlands for strategic gains amid escalating tensions with Western governments, the Dutch intelligence agency said. The Netherlands witnessed a number of "cyberespionage attempts against the Dutch government."

Threat Groups Are Mapping OT Networks for Future Targeting, Warns DragosA China-linked threat group called Voltzite is targeting operational technology systems at critical infrastructure organizations worldwide to steal network diagrams, OT operating instructions and information about geographic information systems, said cybersecurity firm Dragos.

Risk of Espionage and Disruption Key Risks, Lawmakers WarnedThe British government is "extremely worried" about the Chinese and Russian cyber espionage and disruptive hacks, government officials told the U.K. Public Accounts Committee on Monday. The United Kingdom has faced a "substantial escalation in cyberthreats" in the last three years, lawmakers heard.