Cyber News & Articles
Volcano Demon ransomware group rings its victims to extort money
Security researchers have warned that a new ransomware group has taken an unusual twist on the traditional method of extorting money from its corporate victims.
Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog.
Smashing Security podcast #379: Private nights, evil twins, and crypto home invasions
Apps can let you spy on strangers in bars, a gang of cryptocurrency thieves turns to kidnap and assault, and have you joined the mile-high evil twin club?
All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the “Smashing Security” podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Mark Stockley of the brand-new “The AI Fix” podcast.
The Not-So-Secret Network Access Broker x999xx
Most accomplished cybercriminals go out of their way to separate their real names from their hacker handles. But among certain old-school Russian hackers it is not uncommon to find major players who have done little to prevent people from figuring out who they are in real life. A case study in this phenomenon is “x999xx,” the nickname chosen by a venerated Russian hacker who specializes in providing the initial network access to various ransomware groups.
The AI Fix #5: An angry AI girlfriend, and artificial intelligence is stupid
Find out why AI is stupid, what Toys “R” Us has done that’s even more annoying than putting that “R” in its name, why Graham Cluley has an angry AI girlfriend, and much much more in episode five of “The AI Fix” podcast
Russian hackers read the emails you sent us, Microsoft warns more customers
More of Microsoft’s clients are being warned that emails they exchanged with the company were accessed by Russian hackers who broke into its systems and spied on staff inboxes.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Supply-chain ransomware attack cripples thousands of car dealerships
Car dealerships have been brought to a standstill across the United States after a software provider was hit by a ransomware attack.
The attack, believed to be by the BlackSuit ransomware gang, forced CDK Global, makers of a platform widely used by car dealerships to conduct their everyday business, to down its IT systems and data centers.
Read more in my article on the Exponential-e blog.
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There’s some possibly good news on the ransomware front.
Companies are becoming more resilient to attacks, and the ransom payments extorted from businesses by hackers are on a downward trend.
Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog.
US charges four FIN9-linked hackers after $71 million cybercrime spree
Four alleged members of the FIN9 cybercrime gang have been charged in relation to a series of hacks that caused over US $71 million of losses for companies across the United States.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Smashing Security podcast #378: Julian Assange, inside a DDoS attack, and deepfake traumas
Wikileaks’s Julian Assange is a free man, deepfakes cause trouble in the playground, and we hear hot takes about ransomware and tales from inside a devastating denial-of-service attack.
All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the “Smashing Security” podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by Eleanor Dallaway.
Introducing… The AI Fix podcast
Check out the brand new podcast, diving headfirst into the bizarre, and downright mind-boggling world of artificial intelligence, with experts Graham Cluley and Mark Stockley.