Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

A U.S. government agency paid $1M to Kairos, a group focused on data theft and extortion rather than ransomware, Ransom-ISAC reports. A new case study from Ransom-ISAC reconstructs a complete data-extortion incident involving a U.S. government body and a threat actor called Kairos, using a leaked negotiation transcript and blockchain tracing of the ransom payment. […]

Incident Reporting Low, Government Study FindsRansomware attacks targeting U.K. organizations continued to rise last year concluded the British government despite a low reporting rate by victims. The findings come as the government is considering banning public sector organization from paying ransom and mandating incident reporting.

British Government Proposals Also Include Payment Bans for Critical InfrastructureBanning ransom payments by public sector and critical infrastructure entities, notifying the government of any intent to pay a ransom, and reporting incidents to authorities comprise three counter-ransomware initiatives proposed by the British government. Which ones will pass muster?

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill Includes 72-Hour Reporting Deadline, Hefty FinesThe U.K. government's proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is a "good step forward" to encourage ransomware incident reporting, said Ciaran Martin, the former NCSC chief. But he said the success of the new regulations also hinges on the support mechanism for cyber victims.

News Comes on Heels of Treasury Forcing Chinese Investors to Divest BianLian SharesAustralian mining giant Northern Minerals says cybercriminals stole sensitive corporate secrets from its systems not long after the government forced several Chinese investors to divest their shares in the company. The incident did not have a material impact on Northern's operations or systems.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of Switzerland has released a report on its analysis of a data breach following a ransomware attack on Xplain, disclosing that the incident impacted thousands of sensitive Federal government files. [...]

Parliamentary Committee Says UK Must Be More AggressiveA U.K. parliamentary committee investigating ransomware threats recommended a more aggressive stance against threat actors and said the government should consider making incident reporting mandatory and provide government support for public sector victims "to the point of full recovery."

Swiss tech multinational and U.S. government contractor ABB has confirmed that some of its systems were impacted by a ransomware attack, previously described by the company as "an IT security incident." [...]

Chile's national computer security and incident response team (CSIRT) has announced that a ransomware attack has impacted operations and online services of a government agency in the country. [...]

The first ever incident possibly involving the ransomware family known as Maui occurred on April 15, 2021, aimed at an unnamed Japanese housing company