The Hacker News | #1 Trusted Cybersecurity News Site

The prolific Chinese nation-state actor known as APT41 (aka Brass Typhoon, Earth Baku, Wicked Panda, or Winnti) has been attributed to a sophisticated cyber attack targeting the gambling and gaming industry. "Over a period of at least six months, the attackers stealthily gathered valuable information from the targeted company including, but not limited to, network configurations, user passwords, and secrets from the LSASS process," Ido Naor, co-founder and CEO of Israeli cybersecurity company Security Joes, said in a statement shared with The Hacker News. "During the intrusion, the attackers continuously updated their toolset based on the security team's response. By observing the defenders' actions, they altered their strategies and tools to bypass detection and maintain persistent access to the compromised network." The multi-stage attack, which targeted one of its clients and lasted nearly nine months this year, exhibits overlaps with an intrusion s

Pentest Checklists Are More Important Than Ever Given the expanding attack surface coupled with the increasing sophistication of attacker tactics and techniques, penetration testing checklists have become essential for ensuring thorough assessments across an organization's attack surface, both internal and external. By providing a structured approach, these checklists help testers systematically uncover vulnerabilities in various assets like networks, applications, APIs, and systems. They ensure no critical area is overlooked and guide the testing process, making it more efficient and effective at identifying security weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. A pentest checklist essentially leaves no stone unturned and is a detailed and comprehensive list of every type of vulnerability in which to simulate an attack against. Each asset being tested, however, requires a different pentest checklist tailored to its specific characteristics and risks. For example, a checklist fo

Hi there! Here's your quick update on the latest in cybersecurity. Hackers are using new tricks to break into systems we thought were secure—like finding hidden doors in locked houses. But the good news? Security experts are fighting back with smarter tools to keep data safe. Some big companies were hit with attacks, while others fixed their vulnerabilities just in time. It's a constant battle. For you, staying protected means keeping your devices and apps up to date. In this newsletter, we'll break down the top stories. Whether you're protecting personal data or managing security for a business, we've got tips to help you stay safe. Let's get started! ⚡ Threat of the Week China Calls Volt Typhoon an Invention of the U.S. : China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) has claimed that the threat actor tracked Volt Typhoon is an invention of U.S. intelligence agencies and their allies. It also accused the U.S. of carrying out false flag operations in

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered severe cryptographic issues in various end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) cloud storage platforms that could be exploited to leak sensitive data. "The vulnerabilities range in severity: in many cases a malicious server can inject files, tamper with file data, and even gain direct access to plaintext," ETH Zurich researchers Jonas Hofmann and Kien Tuong Truong said . "Remarkably, many of our attacks affect multiple providers in the same way, revealing common failure patterns in independent cryptographic designs." The identified weaknesses are the result of an analysis of five major providers such as Sync, pCloud, Icedrive, Seafile, and Tresorit. The devised attack techniques hinge on a malicious server that's under an adversary's control, which could then be used to target the service providers' users. A brief description of the flaws uncovered in the cloud storage systems is as follows - Sync, in which a maliciou

Unknown threat actors have been observed attempting to exploit a now-patched security flaw in the open-source Roundcube webmail software as part of a phishing attack designed to steal user credentials. Russian cybersecurity company Positive Technologies said it discovered last month an email that was sent to an unspecified governmental organization located in one of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. However, it bears noting that the message was originally sent in June 2024. "The email appeared to be a message without text, containing only an attached document," it said in an analysis published earlier this week. "However, the email client didn't show the attachment. The body of the email contained distinctive tags with the statement eval(atob(...)), which decode and execute JavaScript code." The attack chain, per Positive Technologies, is an attempt to exploit CVE-2024-37383 (CVSS score: 6.1), a stored cross-site scripting ( XSS ) v

North Korean information technology (IT) workers who obtain employment under false identities in Western companies are not only stealing intellectual property, but are also stepping up by demanding ransoms in order to not leak it, marking a new twist to their financially motivated attacks. "In some instances, fraudulent workers demanded ransom payments from their former employers after gaining insider access, a tactic not observed in earlier schemes," Secureworks Counter Threat Unit (CTU) said in an analysis published this week. "In one case, a contractor exfiltrated proprietary data almost immediately after starting employment in mid-2024." The activity, the cybersecurity company added, shares similarities with a threat group it tracks as Nickel Tapestry, which is also known as Famous Chollima and UNC5267 . The fraudulent IT worker scheme, orchestrated with the intent to advance North Korea's strategic and financial interests, refers to an insider threat

Social media accounts help shape a brand's identity and reputation. These public forums engage directly with customers as they are a hub to connect, share content and answer questions. However, despite the high profile role these accounts have, many organizations overlook social media account security. Many lack the safeguards to prevent unauthorized access — a situation no organization wants as it can quickly spiral to include reputational damage and financial losses.  With the impact this high, the need for deep understanding of social media risks as well as how to protect an organization's social media account are more crucial than ever. This article dives into the details of social media accounts, how social media can be misused and how to protect oneself. Understanding the Layers of Social Media Access Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn typically have two layers of access.  The Public Facing Page : where brands post content and engage with users.  The Advertis

In the modern enterprise, data security is often discussed using a complex lexicon of acronyms—DLP, DDR, DSPM, and many others. While these acronyms represent critical frameworks, architectures, and tools for protecting sensitive information, they can also overwhelm those trying to piece together an effective security strategy. This article aims to demystify some of the most important acronyms in data security today and offer practical guidance to help businesses navigate the data security landscape and protect their most valuable assets with confidence. What's driving data security? In today's ever-evolving digital landscape, data security has become a top priority for businesses of all sizes. As data continues to be the most valuable asset for organizations, the need to protect it from breaches, unauthorized access, and other security threats grows. But what exactly is driving businesses to prioritize data security? From compliance with regulations to safeguarding intellectual pr

A nascent threat actor known as Crypt Ghouls has been linked to a set of cyber attacks targeting Russian businesses and government agencies with ransomware with the twin goals of disrupting business operations and financial gain. "The group under review has a toolkit that includes utilities such as Mimikatz, XenAllPasswordPro, PingCastle, Localtonet, resocks, AnyDesk, PsExec, and others," Kaspersky said . "As the final payload, the group used the well-known ransomware LockBit 3.0 and Babuk." Victims of the malicious attacks span government agencies, as well as mining, energy, finance, and retail companies located in Russia. The Russian cybersecurity vendor said it was able to pinpoint the initial intrusion vector in only two instances, with the threat actors leveraging a contractor's login credentials to connect to the internal systems via VPN. The VPN connections are said to have originated from IP addresses associated with a Russian hosting provider'

Picture your company's data as a vast, complex jigsaw puzzle—scattered across clouds, devices, and networks. Some pieces are hidden, some misplaced, and others might even be missing entirely. Keeping your data secure in today's fast-evolving landscape can feel like an impossible challenge. But there's a game-changing solution: Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). Think of it as a high-tech, super-powered lens that reveals your entire data puzzle—helping you find every piece, fix vulnerabilities, and secure everything with confidence. Join Our Webinar " Building a Successful Data Security Posture Management Program ," to Unlock the Full Potential of DSPM: Uncover Every Hidden Piece: DSPM shows you exactly where your critical data resides, even the parts you didn't know were there, so you can take control and secure it. Shield Your Data from Threats: Like a vigilant security guard, DSPM detects potential risks and helps you fend off attacks before they cause da