The UK pushes for better supply chain cybersecurity
If the UK Government gets its way, IT service vendors and other cloud-based service providers may soon be required to adopt new measures to strengthen their cybersecurity, amid rising concerns about supply chain risks. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has floated plans to make mandatory compliance ... Read More
As ransomware attacks rise, US government advice to protect K-12 schools is “vastly outdated”
A recently published report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has warned that official security guidance from the Department of Education is out-of-date, and needs to be refreshed to address the increasing reports of ransomware and other cyber threats. According to the GAO report, the current plan for addressing ... Read More
“PlugWalkJoe” indicted for $784K SIM swap cryptocurrency theft
The U.S. Department of Justice charged a British man for his alleged role in stealing $784,000 worth of cryptocurrency using SIM swap attacks. According to the unsealed indictment, Joseph James O’Connor – also known as “PlugWalkJoe” – conspired with others to steal approximately $784,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based ... Read More
FBI warns of Ranzy Locker ransomware threat, as over 30 companies hit
The FBI has warned that over 30 US-based companies had been hit by the Ranzy Locker ransomware by July this year, in a flash alert to other organisations who may be at risk. According to the alert, issued with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), most of the victims ... Read More
US Government warns of BlackMatter ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure
The US Government has issued an alert to organisations about the threat posed by the BlackMatter ransomware group. The government’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (better known as CISA) issued the advisory earlier this week, following a series of BlackMatter ransomware attacks since July 2021 targeting US critical infrastructure, including ... Read More
Analysis of 80 million ransomware samples reveals a world under attack
Google has released a report taking a close look at the more than 80 million ransomware samples uploaded to its VirusTotal service in the last year and a half. Each day, approximately 150,000 ransomware samples were analysed by the free VirusTotal service after being submitted by suspicious computer users, and ... Read More
Ransom disclosure law would give firms 48 hours to disclose ransomware payments
Organisations who find their networks hit by a ransomware attack may soon have to disclose within 48 hours any payments to their extortionists. That’s the intention of the Ransom Disclosure Act, a new bill proposed by US Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Deborah Ross. Ransomware victims are not currently required ... Read More
Secret backdoor allegedly lets the REvil ransomware gang scam its own affiliates
REvil is one of the most notorious ransomware groups in the world. Also known as Sodin and Sodinokibi, REvil has made a name for itself extorting large amounts of money from businesses, operating as a ransomware-as-a-service (RAAS) business model that sees it share its profits with affiliates who break into ... Read More
US Government tells firms not to give in to ransomware demands
The US Government has underlined once again that it continues to strongly discourage organisations hit by ransomware from giving in to extortion demands. In an updated advisory, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has called upon businesses not to pay ransoms, and to focus on cybersecurity ... Read More
Microsoft warns of a Windows zero-day security hole that is being actively exploited
In a security advisory, Microsoft has warned that malicious hackers are exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in Windows to launch targeted attacks against organisations. The security hole, dubbed CVE-2021-40444, is a previously unknown remote code execution vulnerability in MSHTML, a core component of Windows which helps render web-based content. According to ... Read More

