Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Claroty Warns of Downtime, 'Devastating' Impact of Vulnerabilities in OT SystemsVulnerabilities in backup power devices and heating and cooling control systems widely used in data centers could enable remote cyberattacks and result in costly downtime and "devastating" operational impact, according to new research from OT security firm Claroty.

Defense of Democracies' Mark Montgomery on Warfare Trends, Geopolitical ThreatsCyber operations now support military strategy rather than just acting alone. Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies warns that as militaries integrate cyber and kinetic action, private sector enterprises are facing greater exposure to geopolitical threats.

Medtech Maker Is Still Recovering While Iranian Hackers Threaten More Attack VictimsAs medtech maker Stryker continues working to restore global IT systems brought offline by a cyberattack last week, class action lawsuits against the company are piling up in federal court and the Iranian hackers claiming credit for the attack are warning of more assaults to come on other victims.

Akira Ransomware Hackers Targeting SonicWall DevicesFirewall maker SonicWall said Friday all customers who used its cloud backup services are at increased "risk of targeted attacks" following a recent cyberattack. The California firm in September disclosed that unidentified hackers launched brute-force attacks against servers storing backup files.

Akira Ransomware Hackers Targeting SonicWall DevicesFirewall maker SonicWall said Friday all customers who used its cloud backup services are at increased "risk of targeted attacks" following a recent cyberattack. The California firm in September disclosed that unidentified hackers launched brute-force attacks against servers storing backup files.

Alerts Come on the Heels of Recent Attacks on InsurersU.S. federal authorities are warning the public and healthcare sector entities of email and fax phishing scams by fraudsters seeking to steal personal information about patients or payments. The warnings come as three large U.S. insurers continue to recover from recent cyberattacks.

Hackers Posing as Help Desks and Call Centers to Target Victims, Google WarnsA hacking collective behind recent cyberattacks on major British retailers has pivoted to target U.S. insurance firms, warned Google. Scattered Spider, tracked as UNC3944 by Google, is a financially motivated threat group consisting largely of English-speaking adolescents.

Analysts Warn US Infrastructure May Be Next as Iran Plans Missile Strike ResponseIsrael’s strike on Iranian military and nuclear targets has triggered fears of retaliatory cyberattacks, with analysts warning that Tehran may escalate disruptions against U.S. and Israeli critical infrastructure through proxy campaigns, brute-force attacks or coordinated DDoS strikes.

Expect Attackers to Expand Their Focus to US Targets, Cybersecurity Expert WarnsA trio of British High Street retailers are continuing to recover from cyberattacks that disrupted online orders or in-store card payments, resulting in lower earnings alerts and stock shortages across supermarkets. Expect the attackers to set their sights on U.S. targets, an expert warned.

Also, Blue Shield Breach Exposes 4.7M, Cyberattack Disrupts City Systems in TexasThis week, Cookie Bite bypasses MFA in Azure Entra ID, Microsoft fixed RDP Freezes, a ransomware attack in Catalonia, Blue Shield exposed data to Google, a cyberattack disrupted city systems in Texas, South Korean telecom breach exposed USIM data and a warning about North Korean IT deepfakes.

Domain Controllers Commandeered to Distribute Malware, Warns MicrosoftRansomware hackers are hitting up Active Directory domain controllers to boost privileges within compromised networks, warns Microsoft. Nearly eight out of every 10 human-operated cyberattacks involves a breached domain controller. Securing the servers is a challenge.

Chinese Cyber Pre-Positioning Endangers US Military Logistics and ReadinessThe U.S. military's ability to deploy, supply and sustain its forces in a major conflict is under threat - not from enemy fire, but from cyberattacks targeting the digital systems that keep troops and equipment moving, according to a new report.

Stealthy Backdoor Publicly Available on GitHub Can Be Weaponized for Larger AttacksGodzilla webshell, a Chinese-language backdoor known for its stealth and ability to execute commands and manipulate files, is now publicly available on GitHub, and federal authorities have issued a stern warning to the healthcare sector to prepare for this threat and inevitable cyberattacks.

New NCSC Chief Also Warns of Three-Fold Increase in Severe CyberattacksThe U.K. experienced a 50% spike in cybersecurity incidents posing national security risks this year, according to NCSC CEO Richard Horne. Growing advancements in emerging tech are widening the gap between offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, he warned.

Cyberattack on Aliquippa Water Plant Highlights Vulnerabilities in OT SystemsThe onset of war between Israel and Hamas led to a spike in cyberattacks against operational technology, says Microsoft in a warning to critical infrastructure operators about the dangers of internet-exposed operational technology.

Key Ukrainian Cyber Authority Warns of Spike in Cyberattacks on Energy FacilitiesUkraine's Computer Emergency Response Team is warning of a rise in Russian cyberattacks targeting the country’s energy sector, with nearly 20 identified attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in March, ahead of a potential large-scale offensive expected later this spring.

Hacks on Unregulated Dams Can Result in Mass Casualties, Experts and Lawmakers WarnCybersecurity experts and top lawmakers are warning that a successful cyberattack targeting federally-regulated dams across the United States - the majority of which have not received a cyber audit - could result in a severe impact on public health and even mass casualties.

FBI Director Chris Wray Warns U.S. Falling Behind to Adversaries in CyberspaceFBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional panel Thursday the United States faces a wide range of "escalated" digital threats, including sophisticated cyberattacks and emerging risks to networks and critical infrastructure. The FBI took over 1,000 actions against cyber adversaries in 2023.

Foreign Adversaries Increasingly See Campaigns as Prime for Hacking, Official SaysThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience is sounding the alarm over hackers targeting political campaigns ahead of the 2024 elections, warning that campaigns could be left vulnerable if they fail to practice basic cyber hygiene.

Data-Poisoning Attacks Are Critical Threat to Machine Learning Security, NIST WarnsMachine learning systems continue are vulnerable to cyberattacks that could allow hackers to evade security and prompt data leaks, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology warned. There is "no foolproof defense" against some of these attacks, researchers said.