Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Five Eyes Agencies Document 5-Step Chinese Job Platform Spy SchemeThe Five Eyes intelligence agencies issued a rare joint bulletin warning that Chinese military intelligence is using LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork to recruit government and military insiders. The operation targets clearance holders, military personnel, academics and journalists.

CISA, the FBI, the NSA, the Department of Energy, and other US government partners are warning that hackers are targeting internet-exposed automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems used to monitor fuel and liquid storage tanks across various critical infrastructure sectors. [...]

The guidance warns that agents capable of taking real-world actions on networks are already inside critical infrastructure, and most organizations are granting them far more access than they can safely monitor or control. The post US government, allies publish guidance on how to safely deploy AI agents appeared first on CyberScoop.

Hijacking DNS Settings Helps Russian Hackers Decrypt TLS Traffic, Microsoft WarnsHackers tied to Russia's GRU military intelligence agency are compromising SOHO routers to hijack their DNS settings and spy on the cloud activities of high-value government, IT, telecommunications and energy organizations, Microsoft warns.

Russian state-sponsored hackers have been linked to an ongoing Signal and WhatsApp phishing campaign targeting government officials, military personnel, and journalists to gain access to sensitive messages. [...]

The U.K. government is warning of continued malicious activity from Russian-aligned hacktivist groups targeting critical infrastructure and local government organizations in the country in disruptive denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. [...]

NIST Seeks Input to Protect AI Systems Used in Government, Critical InfrastructureThe National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public input from security experts and stakeholders to weigh in on security threats from agentic AI warning they may be vulnerable to exploits like hijacking, backdoors and misaligned behavior across federal networks.

State-Sponsored Espionage Group Tied to Exploits of No-Longer-Supported Cisco GearRussian intelligence hackers are using obsolete and unpatched equipment made by networking mainstay Cisco Systems to further stealthy and ongoing cyberespionage operations, the U.S. federal government warned Wednesday. Hackers exploit a vulnerability in the Smart Install feature of Cisco devices.

A joint US government advisory highlighted novel initial access techniques deployed by Interlock, and urged businesses and critical infrastructure to stay vigilant

'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.

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

Geopolitical Conflict Involving Iran, Israel, US Ripe for Attacks on SectorGovernment authorities are warning of increased risk of Iranian cyber and related threats against healthcare and public health sector organizations - including ransomware, distributed denial-of-service and other attacks related to that nation's escalated conflicts with Israel and the U.S.

Group's Advisory Follows an Updated Joint Alert from US, Australian AgenciesThe American Hospital Association is warning hospitals and other healthcare sector organizations of rising double-extortion attack threats involving the Play ransomware group. The AHA alert follows an updated joint government advisory issued last week about Play's latest tactics.

FBI Ties Group to Triple-Extortion Tactics Involving Follow-On Ransom DemandsThe Medusa ransomware group has been continuing to pummel critical infrastructure sectors across America, warns a joint U.S. government alert. The FBI said the group's tactics include triple extortion, meaning it continues to shake victims down for a ransom, even after they've paid.

Numerous systemic vulnerabilities could scuttle $5.4T industry Despite the escalating cyber threats targeting America's maritime transportation system, the US Coast Guard still lacks a comprehensive strategy to secure this critical infrastructure - nor does it have reliable access to data on cybersecurity vulnerabilities and past attacks, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warns.…

Australian Government Warns of Nation-State Actors' Plans to Weaponize MalwareThe Australian government is alerting critical infrastructure providers that state-sponsored actors are positioning malware in their networks that can be weaponized to disrupt operations during major crises or a military conflict. The hackers employ living-off-the-land technique to avoid detection.

The financial and government sectors have come under increasing attacks in India, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) warning banks to double down on cybersecurity.

The US government is warning that pro-Russian hacktivists are seeking out and hacking into unsecured operational technology (OT) systems used to disrupt critical infrastructure operations. [...]

Threat actors are socially engineering healthcare IT helpdesk staff to steal money, the government has warned

The US government advisory warns healthcare organizations are being targeted by BlackCat amid an ongoing cyber-incident affecting Change Healthcare