Update: 'This Was a Targeted Attack,' Says Red Cross

Mihir Bagwe • January 20, 2022

Data on more than 515,000 "highly vulnerable people" has been compromised as the result of a supply chain cyberattack, the International Committee of the Red Cross has disclosed. The organization's humanitarian activities are already being impacted.

3rd Party Risk Management

Maryland Health Department Confirms Attack Was Ransomware

Latest

Application Security

Ukraine Cyber Attacks: A Case of Hacktivism?

Anna Delaney • January 21, 2022

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features an analysis of whether the cyberattacks that hit Ukraine's government agencies last week are attributable to any group or nation-state along with updates to the cybersecurity executive order and illicit cryptocurrency trends.

Endpoint Security

Israeli Officials Deny Claims of Improper Spyware Use

Dan Gunderman • January 20, 2022

New developments have emerged in the case of the Israel Police allegedly using the flagship spyware of NSO Group, Pegasus, on its own citizens, with reported targets including critics of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others. Following a bombshell local report, high-ranking Israeli officials have...

Cloud Security

Biden Memo Orders Cybersecurity Improvements

Dan Gunderman • January 20, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden today signed a National Security Memorandum that aims to improve the cybersecurity of national security systems. The memo gives new powers to the NSA to oversee cybersecurity improvements such as the use of the multifactor authentication, encryption and endpoint detection services.

Application Security

Log4Shell Update: VMware Horizon Targeted

Prajeet Nair • January 19, 2022

Attackers have been actively targeting Log4j vulnerabilities, or Log4Shell, vulnerabilities in the servers of virtualization solution VMware Horizon to establish persistent access via web shells, according to an alert by the U.K. National Health Service.

Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP)

McAfee Enterprise and FireEye Products Rebrand as Trellix

Mathew J. Schwartz • January 19, 2022

Endpoint detection and response software news: The entity formerly known as McAfee Enterprise and FireEye Products has a new name: Trellix. Think of a "security trellis to businesses across the globe, giving them support they need to keep them safe," says CEO Bryan Palma. Will customers and prospects buy in?

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Privacy Fines: GDPR Sanctions in 2021 Exceeded $1 Billion

Mathew J. Schwartz • January 18, 2022

Privacy regulators in Europe last year imposed known fines totaling more than $1.2 billion under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, including two record-breaking sanctions, law firm DLA Piper finds. The total value of fines in 2021 was nearly a sevenfold increase from that seen in 2020.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

NSO Group Spyware Reportedly Used by Israeli Police Force

Dan Gunderman • January 18, 2022

Spyware from controversial Israeli firm NSO Group was reportedly used by the nation's civilian police force, according to a new report from an Israeli business publication. Its findings allege that the Israel Police conducted warrantless phone taps on Israeli politicians and activists, among others.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

New Chinese Threat Group Deals in Espionage and Theft

Mihir Bagwe • January 18, 2022

A new threat group linked to China, dubbed "Earth Lusca" by researchers, is not only running cyberespionage campaigns against governments around the globe, but also seeking financial gain.

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

EU's Cyber Rapid Response Team on Standby for Ukraine

Prajeet Nair • January 18, 2022

After the defacement of multiple Ukrainian government websites last week and subsequent deployment of destructive malware against Ukraine over the weekend, Lithuanian officials have offered to deploy the EU's Cyber Rapid Response Team to help Ukraine deal with cyberattacks.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

How 'The Great Resignation' Is Affecting Cybersecurity

Anna Delaney • January 18, 2022

People are leaving their jobs in droves during "The Great Resignation," and the cybersecurity industry is not immune to the trend. Mike Hamilton, the former CISO for the city of Seattle, warns organizations about the opportunities this presents for cybercriminals and outlines how employers can work to retain talent....

3rd Party Risk Management

GAO: SolarWinds, Exchange Hacks Reveal Info-Sharing Gaps

Dan Gunderman • January 17, 2022

GAO auditors say in a new report that the federal government's response to both the SolarWinds software supply chain attack and the exploitation of Microsoft Exchange Servers in 2021 sharpened its coordination efforts, but also exposed information-sharing gaps.

Cybercrime

Russia Charges 8 REvil Ransomware Suspects After Raids

Mathew J. Schwartz • January 17, 2022

Russian authorities have charged eight individuals with crimes tied to the REvil ransomware operation, after raiding 25 properties and detaining 14 suspects, thanks in part to U.S.-shared intelligence. The White House says one of the suspects was also responsible for last year's attack on Colonial Pipeline.