Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Encrypted messaging app warns device-level checks could be repurposed for censorship

Firefox maker says the tools are basic security infrastructure, not teenage contraband

200 orgs and 5,000 devices compromised so far in Vlad's latest intelligence grab, Microsoft reckons The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a fresh warning about Russia's ongoing targeting of routers to steal passwords and other secrets.…

Lack of clear criteria risks encouraging firms to lean on state support instead of worrying about insurance The UK's cyber watchdog has warned that the government's £1.5 billion bailout of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) risks setting a troubling precedent for how Britain handles major cyber crises.…

NCSC urges all to review posture as escalating tensions increase risk of indirect digital spillover The UK's cybersecurity agency is warning British organizations to brace for potential digital blowback as the Middle East conflict spills further into the online world.…

They’re not the most sophisticated, but even simple attacks can lead to costly consequences The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is once again warning that pro-Russia hacktivists are a threat to critical services operators.…

Investigatory Powers Commissioner says reforms have failed to close oversight gaps The UK's Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA) has several regulatory gaps that must be plugged in future legislative reforms, according to Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) Sir Brian Leveson.…

New spy boss says officers must master code alongside tradecraft as agency navigates 'space between peace and war' MI6's new chief Blaise Metreweli outlined her vision for technology-augmented intelligence gathering in her first public speech on 15 December, warning that the UK operates "in a space between peace and war."…

Regulator warns penalties will pile up until internet toilet does its paperwork Ofcom, the UK's Online Safety Act regulator, has fined online message board 4chan £20,000 ($26,680) for failing to protect children from harmful content.…

Prospect apologizes for cyber gaffe affecting up to 160K members UK trade union Prospect is notifying members of a breach that involved data such as sexual orientation and disabilities.…

Space sensors and UAVs at sea top MoD's list in new wave of cutting-edge projects The UK is pressing ahead with cutting-edge defense projects, the latest including research to protect satellites from laser attack and a technology demonstrator for a jet-powered drone to operate from Royal Navy carriers.…

Affinity Learning Partnership warns staff after Intradev breach A major UK education trust has warned staff that their personal information may have been compromised following a cyberattack on software developer Intradev in August.…

Fancy Bear can't keep its claws out of Outlook inboxes The UK government is warning that Russia's APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard) has been deploying previously unknown malware to harvest Microsoft email credentials and steal access to compromised accounts.…

It was one of the offenders' final warning Four staffers at the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) were let off with warnings over separate cases involving the transmission of regulator data to their personal email accounts.…

Crew ain't done hopping sectors, Unit 42 threat hunter warns interview Scattered Spider snared financial services organizations in its web before its recent spate of retail attacks in the UK and US, according to Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42.…

Recent campaign targeted 20,000 folk across UK and Europe with this tactic, Unit 42 warns Unknown criminals went on a phishing expedition that targeted about 20,000 users across the automotive, chemical and industrial compound manufacturing sectors in Europe, and tried to steal account credentials and then hijack the victims' Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure.…

National cyber emergencies increased threefold this year The number of security threats in the UK that hit the country's National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) maximum severity threshold has tripled compared to the previous 12 months.…

It's election year for more than 50 countries and the Islamic Republic threatens a bunch of them US and UK national security agencies are jointly warning about Iranian spearphishing campaigns, which remain an ongoing threat to various industries and governments.…

When PoC code is released within a day of disclosure, it's only a matter of time before attacks kick off The UK's NHS is warning of the possibility that vulnerabilities in Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) software are being actively exploited.…

That means Brit spies want the ability to do exactly that, huh? The idea that AI could generate super-potent and undetectable malware has been bandied about for years – and also already debunked. However, an article published today by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) suggests there is a "realistic possibility" that by 2025, the most sophisticated attackers’ tools will improve markedly thanks to AI models informed by data describing successful cyber-hits.…