November 24, 2023 at 06:42AM
This week’s cybersecurity roundup includes stories on cyberattacks targeting Russia, a cybersecurity firm COO admitting to hacking hospitals, a hacker breaching hotel networks and faking his own death, a data breach at Idaho National Laboratory, a large phishing campaign distributing malware, GPS attacks against commercial flights, Ukraine firing top cyber defense officials, Australian government funding for cybersecurity programs, a new acting national cyber director in the White House, vulnerabilities allowing TV hacking, and the suspension of messaging service Sunbird due to security concerns. Juniper and Trellix have also released patches for vulnerabilities.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
1. Russian and North Korean hackers are responsible for cyberattacks targeting Russia, particularly in the telecommunications and public sectors.
2. The COO of Securolytics admitted to hacking local hospitals in 2018 to benefit his company, leading to restitution and potential probation.
3. A hacker breached hotel networks, including Marriott, and attempted to fake his own death by hacking US death certificate registration agencies.
4. Idaho National Laboratory suffered a data breach, with employee information being leaked online by the hacktivist group SiegedSec.
5. A large phishing campaign has been distributing DarkGate and PikaBot malware, similar to the previous distribution of QakBot malware.
6. Commercial flights over the Middle East have experienced GPS failures caused by spoofing attacks, preventing correct navigation.
7. Ukraine fired top cyber defense officials over their alleged involvement in a fraud scheme.
8. The Australian government has allocated $18 million in funding for cybersecurity programs aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.
9. Drenan Dudley has been appointed as the new acting national cyber director by the White House.
10. The DIALStranger vulnerabilities have been identified, allowing hackers to play any video on TVs using the Discovery and Launch protocol.
11. The Sunbird messaging service has been suspended due to serious security concerns.
12. Juniper Networks and Trellix have released patches to fix high-severity vulnerabilities in their products.
These takeaways provide a comprehensive understanding of recent cybersecurity developments.