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Nation-state groups hit hundreds of organizations with Microsoft Windows zero-day

Cybercriminals working on behalf of at least six nation-states are actively exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Windows to commit espionage, steal data and cryptocurrency, according to Trend Micro researchers. The vulnerability, which Trend Micro tracks as ZDI-CAN-25373, allows attackers to execute hidden malicious commands due to the way Windows displays the contents of shortcut…

Following takedown operation, Garantex invites customers to ‘face-to-face’ Moscow meeting

Russian crypto exchange Garantex has yet to directly address the international law enforcement operation that resulted in the seizure of its domains, and criminal charges against two of its administrators. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Trump Administration and the Russian Cyber Threat, Firefox Privacy Changes

In this episode, we discuss whether the Trump administration ordered the U.S. Cyber Command and CISA to stand down on the Russian cyber threat. We also touch on the Canadian tariff situation with insights from Scott Wright. Additionally, we discuss the recent changes to Firefox’s privacy policy and what it means for user data. **…

US charges admins of Garantex for allegedly facilitating crypto money laundering for terrorists and hackers

The administrators of Garantex, Aleksej Besciokov and Aleksandr Mira Serda, allegedly knew their crypto exchange was used to launder money, according to U.S. prosecutors. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Russian crypto exchange Garantex seized in international law enforcement operation

U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have seized the infrastructure of Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange accused of laundering billions in criminal proceeds, in a sweeping international operation that signals heightened focus on illicit financial flows in cryptocurrency markets. According to Justice Department documents unsealed Friday, the Moscow-based exchange processed approximately $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions…

DHS says CISA won’t stop looking at Russian cyber threats

The Department of Homeland Security said that its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will continue to pay attention to Russian cyber threats, contrary to media reports suggesting the opposite. The Guardian reported last week that a recent CISA memo setting out priorities for the agency didn’t list Russia among them, while including Chinese threats and…

Stop targeting Russian hackers, Trump administration orders US Cyber Command

The Trump administration has told US cyber command and CISA to stop following or reporting on Russian cyber threats. Yes, Russia! That country everyone used to agree was home to lots of ransomware gangs and hackers. Hmmm… Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.

SolarWinds CISO says security execs are ‘nervous’ about individual liability for data breaches 

SolarWinds’ top cybersecurity executive said chief information security officers are increasingly grappling with how to do their jobs while avoiding individual legal liability for breaches that happen on their watch. Tim Brown, now CISO at SolarWinds, was a vice president and the highest-ranking security official at the company when hackers working on behalf of the…

Army soldier linked to Snowflake attack spree allegedly tried to sell data to foreign spies

U.S. authorities say a 21-year-old U.S. Army soldier attempted to sell stolen sensitive information to a foreign intelligence service as part of a broader effort to extort victims and leak call records of high-ranking public officials. In November while on active duty, Cameron Wagenius made multiple attempts to extort $500,000 from a major telecommunications company…

Former NSA, Cyber Command chief Paul Nakasone says U.S. falling behind its enemies in cyberspace

The United States is falling “increasingly behind” its adversaries in cyberspace, a former Cyber Command and National Security Agency boss said Saturday. Speaking at the DistrictCon cybersecurity conference in Washington, D.C., retired Gen. Paul Nakasone said that “our adversaries are continuing to be able to broaden the spectrum of what they’re able to do to…

Russia-aligned threat groups dupe Ukrainian targets via Signal

Russian state threat groups have compromised Signal accounts used by Ukrainian military and government personnel to eavesdrop on real-time communications, Google Threat Intelligence Group said in a report released Wednesday. “This is a persistent, ongoing campaign being carried out by multiple different Russia-aligned threat actors,” Dan Black, principal analyst at Google Threat Intelligence Group, said…

Threat researchers spot ‘device code’ phishing attacks targeting Microsoft accounts

Microsoft threat researchers discovered a series of what they are calling “device code” phishing attacks that allowed a suspected Russia-aligned threat group to gain access to and steal data from critical infrastructure organizations, the company said in research released Thursday. The group, which Microsoft tracks as Storm-2372, has targeted governments, IT services and organizations operating…

Russian state threat group shifts focus to US, UK targets

A subgroup of Seashell Blizzard has shifted its focus to targets in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. within the past year, expanding the scope of its malicious activity, Microsoft’s threat intelligence team said in a report released Wednesday. The initial-access operation, which Microsoft tracks as the “BadPilot campaign,” has allowed the Russian state…

U.S. adversaries increasingly turning to cybercriminals and their malware for help

Governments of the United States’ chief adversaries in cyberspace, especially Russia, have increasingly been relying on cybercriminals and their tools to advance their goals, according to a Google report published Tuesday. There’s long been overlap between government and criminal cyber operators, but governments are now enjoying the benefits of collaboration and borrowing more — both…

DOJ disbands foreign influence task force, limits scope of FARA prosecutions 

One of the first acts taken by Pam Bondi after being sworn in as attorney general was to disband an FBI task force  that countered the influence of adversarial foreign governments on American politics. In a memo issued Wednesday, Bondi wrote that the Department of Justice would be shifting resources in its National Security Division,…

Microsoft catches Russian state-sponsored hackers shifting tactics to WhatsApp

The cat-and-mouse game between state-sponsored Russian hackers and one of the world’s biggest technology companies has continued into 2025.  Microsoft’s threat intelligence team published research Thursday examining how a state-sponsored Russian threat actor group, known as Star Blizzard, has altered its longstanding attack strategies to target WhatsApp accounts. This attack vector is a significant change…

Fancy Bear spotted using real Kazak government documents in spearpishing campaign

A hacking group linked to Russian intelligence has been observed leveraging seemingly legitimate documents from the Kazakhstan government as phishing lures to infect and spy on government officials in Central Asia, according to researchers at Sekoia. The files, laced with malware, include draft versions of diplomatic statements, correspondence letters, internal administrative notes and other documents…

Russian nationals charged with operating crypto mixers that masked cybercrime funds

Three Russian nationals were indicted this week for their roles in managing a pair of cryptocurrency mixing services, operations that were funded in part by money gained through ransomware attacks.  The indictment from a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia alleges that Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, 55, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, 44, and Anton…

US sanctions Russian, Iranian groups for election interference

The U.S. State Department has sanctioned two foreign organizations and one individual who it alleges worked on behalf of Russian and Iranian intelligence agencies to interfere in the 2024 U.S. general election. “These actors sought to stoke sociopolitical tensions and undermine our election institutions during the 2024 U.S. general election,” said State Department Press Secretary…

After UN adoption, controversial cybercrime treaty’s next steps could prove vital

A divisive United Nations cybercrime treaty — one that critics say is a huge danger to human rights and that the United States cautiously agreed to advance — is now in the hands of member nations. The U.N. General Assembly adopted the treaty without a vote last week, leaving ratification to individual states. If the…

State Department’s disinformation office to close after funding nixed in NDAA

The State Department’s center for fighting global disinformation received a lump of coal in its Christmas stocking this week as congressional lawmakers excluded new funding and authorization for the office beyond this year. The Global Engagement Center, which tracks foreign disinformation, will lose  its authority on Dec. 24. Despite a concerted push by State officials…

Over 20 venture firms pledge to not take money from China, Russia 

Founders now have a way to ensure that their investors haven’t taken money from countries like China, Russia, Iran or Cuba.  Over 20 venture firms have signed the Clean Capital Certification, attesting that they have not and will not take money from foreign adversaries. Some of the firms that have signed include Marlinspike Partners, Humba…

Russia bans cybersecurity company Recorded Future

Russia banned the cybersecurity company Recorded Future on Wednesday, labeling it an “undesirable” organization — much to its CEO’s delight. The company stands accused of collaborating with the Central Intelligence Agency, Ukraine and other countries.  “They provide information and technical support for the propaganda campaign launched by the West against Russia,” Russia’s Office of Prosecutor…

Court indicts 14 North Korean IT workers tied to $88 million in illicit gains

A federal court has indicted 14 more North Korean IT workers as part of an ongoing U.S. government campaign to crack down on Pyongyang’s use of tech professionals to swindle American companies and nonprofits. The Justice Department said the 14 indicted workers generated at least $88 million throughout a conspiracy that stretched over approximately six…

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