Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Alleged Nation-State Hacker Being Held in Houston JailU.S. prosecutors allege 34-year-old Chinese national Xu Zewei operated under China’s Ministry of State Security to hack universities and firms during the pandemic, exploiting VPN and Exchange flaws and exfiltrating research data in a Silk Typhoon campaign.

Also, Lloyds Data Leak, Dutch Treasury Breach, Citrix Bug Exploit, Pay2Key ActivityThis week, Lloyds data leak hits 450K, Dutch treasury breach, Citrix flaw exploited, Iran-linked ransomware ops, TrueConf zero-day, Russian fraud ring sentenced, Romania targeted, patch gaps persist, and U.S. hospital breach affects 257K.

New Handala Site Is Also AvailableU.S. federal agents seized four web domains associated with Iranian hacking operations days after a threat actor going by Handala posted screenshots it said came from inside the IT systems of medical device manufacturer Stryker. The registrars used to create them are located in the United States.

Suspect May Be Military Officer Indicted by US for 2016 Election InterferencePolice in Thailand have arrested a Russian citizen suspected of launching hack attacks against targets around the world, who's wanted by the FBI. While the suspect hasn't been named, his age matches that of a Russian military intelligence officer indicted for 2016 U.S. election interference.

Also, Crypter Takedown, Threat Intel Naming Accord and Regulators Ping CrowdStrikeThis week, Ukraine hacked Tupelov, Russian hacking, crypter sites seized and the U.S. will seize North Korean IT worker crypto. Regulators probed CrowdStrike. A Rosetta Stone for intel. A Romanian man admitted to swatting, Lee Enterprises hack exposed data and an FBI vet joined the private sector.

Also: Bitfinex Hacker Lichtenstein's Social Media Post From PrisonThis week's stories include updates on hackers in the DMM Bitcoin and Bitfnex cases, South Korea sanctioning North Korean hackers, Trump naming an exec director for Digital Assets Council, Craig Wright's prison sentence and the Interpol's red notice for Hex founder.

Suspected LockBit, Babuk Operator Mikhail Matveev Arrested in RussiaA prolific ransomware affiliate hacker and developer is facing criminal charges in Russia, Kremlin media reported Friday. Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev has been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2023 for his role in hacking activities as part of ransomware groups including LockBit, Hive and Babuk.

National Security Officials Share Intelligence on a Cyberespionage CampaignThe White House on Friday hosted U.S. telecommunications executives to review the country's cyber resilience posture and share intelligence pertaining to China's "significant cyberespionage campaign targeting the sector," which the FBI continues to probe.

US Probe of Chinese Hack Reveals 'Broad and Significant Cyberespionage Campaign'The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an update on their ongoing investigation into a Chinese-linked "broad and significant cyberespionage campaign" that the agencies said targeted private communications of government and political figures.

US Probe of Chinese Hack Reveals 'Broad and Significant Cyber Espionage Campaign'The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an update on their ongoing investigation into a Chinese-linked "broad and significant cyber espionage campaign" that the agencies said targeted private communications of government and political figures.

Also: Ransomware Hackers Demand BaguettesThis week, Chinese spying, Italian hacking scandal, an FBI warning and Okta fixed a bug. Google mandated MFA, zero days in PTZOptics and a Mexican airport didn't pay ransom. Cybercriminals demanded baguettes, breach lettersin Ohio and Germany will shield white hats. The Italian DPA rebuked a bank.

The FBI said Friday afternoon it is investigating Chinese nation-state hacking into to commercial telecommunications infrastructure following a news report that Beijing actors targeted data from phones used by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Lawmakers Demand Answers, Security Overhaul After Chinese Hack of Telecom NetworksCongress is demanding answers from AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen after reports revealed that Chinese hackers breached U.S. telecom infrastructure, targeting systems linked to court-authorized wiretaps, as the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency investigate the Salt Typhoon group.

Also: Critical WHOIS Vulnerability Exposes Internet Security Flaw in .mobi DomainsThis week, cyberthreats rising in Mexico; FBI warned of BEC scams; U.K. police arrested hacking suspect; Avis, Slim CD, Medicare and Fortinet disclosed breaches; Highline public schools reopened after cyberattack; a critical flaw was found in WHOIS; and Konni upped attacks on Russia, South Korea.

FBI Says Iran, Russia Ramping Up Influence Operations Ahead of National VoteThe FBI confirmed recent reports that Iran hacked into former President Donald Trump’s campaign, saying in a Monday statement the country was attempting "to stoke discord and undermine confidence" in the U.S. democratic process through online influence operations and other malicious efforts.

Also: $5M for Info on the Crypto Queen; Attacks on BtcTurk and CoinStatsThis week, crypto stealer convicted, reward for info on Crypto Queen increased, BtcTurk and CoinStats suffered cyberattacks, Lazarus blamed for Alex Lab hack, Nigeria refuted allegations of ill treatment, sentencing in Hydrogen Technology case, Binance fined in India, and FBI warned of crypto scams.

After Operation Cronos, LockBit Leader LockBitSupp's Vows to Continue HackingRussian-speaking ransomware operation LockBit reestablished a dark web leak site Saturday afternoon, posting a lengthy screed apparently authored by its leader, who vowed not to retreat from the criminal underground world. The FBI had no comment.

LockBit Leader Vows to Continue HackingRussian-speaking ransomware operation LockBit reestablished a dark web leak site Saturday afternoon, posting a lengthy screed apparently authored by its leader, who vowed not to retreat from the criminal underground world. The FBI had no comment.

FBI and CISA Detail Operation to Prevent Chinese Attacks on Critical InfrastructureThe FBI launched a court-authorized sting operation against a Chinese hacking group known as Volt Typhoon, partnering with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a cohort of U.S. cyber agencies to prevent a major attack on the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors.

Cyberespionage Hacking Group Volt Typhoon Targeting US Critical InfrastructureThe FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice used a court order to disrupt a Chinese hacking operation that compromised thousands of internet-connected devices and targeted sensitive areas of U.S. critical infrastructure, according to media reports.