Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also, YellowKey Bypasses BitLocker, Škoda Breach, Kingdom Market Operator JailedThis week, U.S. lawmakers urged action on AI, a BitLocker exploit. Škoda, Nvidia’s GeForce NOW partner and telehealth firm OpenLoop reported breaches. Patch Tuesday. A dark market operator sentenced and pro-Ukraine and Iranian-linked hacking. Nitrogen ransomware attack on Foxconn.

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.

Experts Cite Prepositioning Risk in Iranian Cyber Operations Amid Escalating WarWarnings from Iranian-linked hacking groups targeting U.S. water systems highlight a growing risk of prepositioned cyber access and rapid attack activation, analysts told ISMG, as federal defenders confront rising geopolitical tensions and operational strain across critical infrastructure sectors.

Experts Cite Prepositioning Risk in Iranian Cyber Operations Amid Escalating WarWarnings from Iranian-linked hacking groups targeting U.S. water systems highlight a growing risk of prepositioned cyber access and rapid attack activation, analysts told ISMG, as federal defenders confront rising geopolitical tensions and operational strain across critical infrastructure sectors.

Threat actors with ties to Iran successfully broke into the personal email account of Kash Patel, the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and leaked a cache of photos and other documents to the internet

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.

Chinese Hacking Firm iSoon and Iran's Emennet Pasargad Among TargetsThe European Union sanctioned three Chinese and Iranian hacking operations that have been under U.S. indictments or sanctions for over a year - or, in one case, since 2019. The sanctions freeze assets and forbid EU citizens and companies from funding or otherwise doing business with the targets.

Tehran-Linked Handala Hackers Disrupt Medtech Giant Stryker, Claim Verifone BreachAs the United States and Israel continue their war with Iran, Tehran-linked hacking group Handala has entered the fray, claiming credit for wiping systems at medical technology firm Stryker, which confirmed the attack, as well as breaching payment device maker Verifone, which denied being breached.

Healthcare Hit Shows Symbols Matter as Iran Shifts Focus to Economic DamageCybersecurity experts say that the Handala "hacktivist" group that claimed credit for attacks against two American firms on Wednesday is run by the Iranian government. The shift to destructive cyberattacks parallels Iran's attempt to inflict greater economic damage on the United States and allies.

New research from Broadcom's Symantec and Carbon Black Threat Hunter Team has discovered evidence of an Iranian hacking group embedding itself in several U.S. companies' networks, including banks, airports, non-profit, and the Israeli arm of a software company

Also: Man Denied Bankruptcy Discharge Over $12.5M Crypto Ponzi DebtsU.S. sanctions Iranian shadow banking network, Texas man denied bankruptcy discharge, Nemo blames $2.6M exploit on developer errors, THORChain founder hacked, Shibarium Bridge hit by $2.4M hack, Denver court rules pastor's $3.3M project a fraud and NYDFS tells banks to use blockchain analytics.

An Iranian-backed ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) named Pay2Key has resurfaced in the wake of the Israel-Iran-U.S. conflict last month, offering bigger payouts to cybercriminals who launch attacks against Israel and the U.S

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.

Proxies Prioritize Psychological Effects Over Real Life Effects in CyberspaceWarnings about Iranian hacking following the United States' Saturday bombing of Iranian nuclear weapon development sites ratcheted sharply upward even after weeks of admonitions that Iran could respond to ongoing missile strikes with virtual assaults.

Proxies Prioritize Psychological Effects Over Real Life Effects in CyberspaceWarnings about Iranian hacking following the United States' Saturday bombing of Iranian nuclear weapon development sites ratcheted sharply upward even after weeks of admonitions that Iran could respond to ongoing missile strikes with virtual assaults.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned over the weekend of escalating cyberattack risks by Iran-backed hacking groups and pro-Iranian hacktivists. [...]

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.

OpenAI has revealed that it banned a set of ChatGPT accounts that were likely operated by Russian-speaking threat actors and two Chinese nation-state hacking groups to assist with malware development, social media automation, and research about U.S. satellite communications technologies, among other things

An Iranian state hacking group is using custom malware to compromise IoT and OT infrastructure in Israel and the United States. An attack wave from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated "CyberAv3ngers" swept up fuel management systems made by U.S.-based firm Gilbarco Veeder-Root.

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging three Iranian hackers with a "hack-and-leak" campaign that aimed to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. [...]