Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Also, Russian Signal Phishing, Iran-Linked Malware, Breaches in Spain and FranceThis week, Tycoon 2FA, Trio-Tech, messaging app spying and a ransomware broker sentenced. Iran-linked hackers. Mazda disclosed a breach. Oracle patched a flaw. North Korean actors weaponized VS Code, a Spanish port ransomware attack, a French teacher data breach and a healthcare firm victim surge.

How to avoid your business being felled by an AI-powered ransomware attack that costs less than a laptop. Passwork KNP Logistics Group, a British transport company from Northamptonshire that’s been around longer than the mass-produced lightbulb, collapsed after a devastating security breach that left more than 700 employees jobless. The 158-year-old firm fell victim to a ransomware attack.…

Also, a Renault Breach, WhatsApp Malware and Qilin Claims Asahi AttackThis week, insurer cybersecurity spending, a Renault breach, a WhatsApp malware campaign in Brazil. Germany skeptical of Chat Control. Two UK teens arrested for ransomware attack. Qilin claimed the attack on Japan's Asahi. Hackers weaponized Nezha. An Invoice data breach exposed personal records.

Threat actors have been distributing trojanized versions of the KeePass password manager for at least eight months to install Cobalt Strike beacons, steal credentials, and ultimately, deploy ransomware on the breached network. [...]

Ransomware gang members increasingly use a new malware called Skitnet ("Bossnet") to perform stealthy post-exploitation activities on breached networks. [...]

The Interlock ransomware gang now uses ClickFix attacks that impersonate IT tools to breach corporate networks and deploy file-encrypting malware on devices. [...]

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.

Also: VPN Vulnerabilities Attract Hackers, Hackers Use Swiss Mail to Send MalwareThis week, Russia suspected in Balctic Sea cable sabotage, VPNs draw ransomware attackers and Swiss snail mail malware. An AI training company reported a cybertheft of $250,000 and a U.S. space firm reported a breach. Microsoft said it will pay $$$ for AI vulnerabilities and a MFA success story.

Also: Ransomware Surged in 2023, MoneyGram Back in Service After CyberattackThis week, advice on spotting North Korean staff; ransomware attacks rose; MoneyGram back online; FCC fined political operative; CISA warned of water system attacks; Ukraine restricted Telegram use; North Korean hackers used new malware; U.K. arrested alleged hacker; PSNI is in data leak talks.

The Hunters International ransomware group is targeting IT workers with a new C# remote access trojan (RAT) called SharpRhino to breach corporate networks. [...]

Also: Cloudflare Was Hacked With Stolen Okta TokenThis week, former CIA programmer gets 40-year sentence, zero trust prevents widespread damage, possible ransomware attack in Georgia, alleged hacker detained in Ukraine, USB-spread malware in Italy, LockBit attack on non-bank home mortgage lender, and Ukrainian critical infrastructure disrupted.

Also: FBI Warning About Androxgh0st; eBay Pays a $3 Million Fine for CyberstalkingThis week, Microsoft expanded plans to store EU citizens' data locally, shipping-themed phishing spam is a threat, the British Library overcame a ransomware setback, the FBI warned of Androxgh0st malware, Remcos RAT targeted South Korea, and eBay was fined $3 million for a cyberstalking campaign.

Cold storage and logistics giant Americold has confirmed that over 129,000 employees and their dependents had their personal information stolen in an April attack, later claimed by Cactus ransomware. [...]

Also, CISA cataloging new ransomware data points, 17k WP sites hijacked by malware in Sept., and more critical vulns Infosec in brief The fallout from the exploitation of bugs in Progress Software's MOVEit file transfer software continues, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now investigating the matter, and lots of affected parties seeking compensation. …

A threat actor tracked as DEV-0569 uses Google Ads in widespread, ongoing advertising campaigns to distribute malware, steal victims' passwords, and ultimately breach networks for ransomware attacks. [...]

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sounding the alarm on the BlackCat ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS), which it said victimized at least 60 entities worldwide between as of March 2022 since its emergence last November

Many organizations are already struggling to combat cybersecurity threats from ransomware purveyors and state-sponsored hacking groups, both of which tend to take days or weeks to pivot from an opportunistic malware infection to a full blown data breach. But few organizations have a playbook for responding to the kinds of virtual "smash and grab" attacks we've seen recently from LAPSUS$, a juvenile data extortion group whose short-lived, low-tech and remarkably effective tactics are putting some of the world's biggest corporations on edge.