Today’s Top Cyber Intelligence Highlights — June 14, 2024

1. New Apple iPhone App Challenges Password Elimination

Apple’s latest iPhone app aims to manage all user logins, highlighting the ongoing struggle to eliminate passwords. Despite predictions of their demise, passwords remain a staple in online security. Read more

2. NetSPI Acquires Hubble

NetSPI has acquired Hubble, adding Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM) to its portfolio, complementing its existing Internal External Attack Surface Management (IEASM) capabilities. Read more

3. KnowBe4 Launches Risk & Insurance Partner Program

KnowBe4 has introduced a new program aimed at enhancing risk management and insurance solutions for businesses. Read more

4. MPs Criticize Government Over Cyberattack Transparency

Canadian MPs have expressed frustration over being kept in the dark about cyberattacks targeting their emails, calling the lack of communication unacceptable. Read more

5. AI and Smart Technology Privacy Tips

Experts provide simple tips to protect privacy as AI and smart technology become increasingly integrated into daily life. Read more

6. New Cross-Platform Malware ‘Noodle RAT’

Chinese-speaking threat actors have been using a new cross-platform malware, Noodle RAT, for espionage and cybercrime. Read more

7. Google Pixel Firmware Zero-Day Exploit

Google has warned of a zero-day exploit in Pixel Firmware, identified as CVE-2024–32896, which allows privilege escalation. Read more

8. PhantomLoader Distributes SSLoad Malware

Cybercriminals are using PhantomLoader to distribute SSLoad malware, which evades detection by modifying legitimate DLL files. Read more

9. Leidos Wins $738 Million Air Force Contract

Leidos has secured a $738 million contract to provide IT and cybersecurity support to the U.S. Air Force. Read more

10. Backblaze Partners with Coalition

Backblaze has partnered with Coalition to enhance cyber risk protection and compliance for businesses. Read more

11. Microsoft Under Fire for Security Lapses

Microsoft President Brad Smith will testify before Congress regarding security failures that led to major cyberattacks by Russian and Chinese hackers. Read more

12. New Attack Technique ‘Sleepy Pickle’

The ‘Sleepy Pickle’ attack targets machine learning models by exploiting the Pickle format, posing significant supply chain risks. Read more

13. Microsoft Whistleblower Claims Profit Over Security

A whistleblower alleges that Microsoft prioritized profit over security, leaving systems vulnerable to Russian hacks. Read more

14. Snowflake to Close Cyberattack Probe

Snowflake Inc. plans to conclude its investigation into a cyberattack that affected 165 customers. Read more

15. AI Chatbot Outsmarts Scammers

An AI chatbot experiment successfully captured bank account details from scammers, showcasing AI’s potential in cybersecurity. Read more

16. North Korea’s Moonstone Sleet Expands Malicious Code Distribution

The Moonstone Sleet threat actor has enhanced its capabilities to disrupt the software supply chain using public registries. Read more

17. Critical RCE Bug in Ivanti Endpoint Manager

A proof-of-concept exploit has emerged for a critical remote code execution vulnerability in Ivanti Endpoint Manager. Read more

18. Microsoft Grilled Over Security Failures

Microsoft’s President Brad Smith faced tough questions on Capitol Hill regarding security lapses that led to government system hacks. Read more

19. Malware Campaign Uses Discord Emojis

A new malware campaign uses Discord emojis for command and control instructions, adding a quirky twist to cyber threats. Read more

20. Bank of Baroda Ordered to Return Cyber Fraud Funds

The High Court has ordered Bank of Baroda to return Rs 76 lakh lost in a cyber fraud case. Read more

21. Building a Security Culture

Creating a proactive cybersecurity culture involves prioritizing people’s needs, weaknesses, and skills. Read more

22. Ukraine Police Arrest Ransomware Suspect

Ukrainian police have arrested a suspect linked to the LockBit and Conti ransomware groups. Read more

23. Pakistani Hacking Team Spies on Indian Government

The Celestial Force hacking team from Pakistan has been conducting cyber espionage against Indian government and defense organizations. Read more

24. Pakistani Malware Campaign Targets Multiple Platforms

A malware campaign linked to Pakistan, known as Operation Celestial Force, targets Windows, Android, and macOS systems. Read more

25. A2 Hosting Enhances DDoS Protection

A2 Hosting has expanded its commitment to DDoS protection through a renewed agreement with Corero Network Security. Read more

26. Climb Global Solutions Partners with Flashpoint

Climb Global Solutions has partnered with Flashpoint to provide enhanced threat solutions. Read more

27. NHS Ransomware Attack Causes Blood Shortages

A ransomware attack on the NHS has led to blood shortages and delayed operations, prompting an urgent call for donations. Read more

28. Building Cybercrime Empires

Strong partnerships between industry and law enforcement are crucial to dismantling cybercrime groups before they grow. Read more

29. Arid Viper’s Mobile Espionage Campaign

The Arid Viper threat actor is using trojanized Android apps to deliver spyware, targeting users through fake apps. Read more

30. Snowflake-linked Attacks Test Cloud Security

Recent attacks on Snowflake customers highlight the challenges of shared responsibility in cloud security. Read more

31. UK Cyberattack Aftermath: Blood Shortages

London hospitals are experiencing blood shortages and delayed operations following a cyberattack, calling for medical student assistance. Read more

32. Facebook Marketplace Scam Unraveled

A Melbourne woman has been charged for an online scam involving high-end fashion items, affecting at least 20 victims. Read more

33. SaaS Security Gains Importance

Supply chain cyber-attacks are driving tighter cybersecurity regulations, particularly in the financial sector, with other industries expected to follow. Read more

34. Mumbai Teen Thwarts Cyber Fraud

A 13-year-old girl in Mumbai foiled a cyber fraud attempt by quickly responding to fake money transfer alerts on her mother’s phone. Read more

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the most significant cyber intelligence updates from the past 24 hours.

Dr. Fahim K Sufi is a cyber intelligence solution architect who has worked for several Defence and Federal Government entities. He also serves as editorial board member for multiple international journals. He has published more than 70 peer reviewed research articled for international journals, and conferences.

[1] Fahim Sufi, A New Time Series Dataset for Cyber-Threat Correlation, Regression and Neural-Network-Based Forecasting, Information, Vol. 15, No, 4, 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/info15040199, 2024
[2] Fahim Sufi, Open-source cyber intelligence research through PESTEL framework: Present and future impact, Societal Impacts (Elsevier), Vol. 3, №100047, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socimp.2024.100047, 2024
[3] Fahim Sufi, A global cyber-threat intelligence system with artificial intelligence and convolutional neural network, Decision Analytics Journal (Elsevier), Vol. 9, №100364, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2023.100364, 2023
[4] Fahim Sufi, Social Media Analytics on Russia–Ukraine Cyber War with Natural Language Processing: Perspectives and Challenges, Information, Vol. 14, №9, PP. 485, 2023
[5] Fahim Sufi, Novel Application of Open-Source Cyber Intelligence, Electronics, Vol. 12, №17, PP. 3610, https://doi.org/10.3390/info14090485, 2023
[6] Fahim Sufi, A New AI-Based Semantic Cyber Intelligence Agent, Future Internet, Vol. 15, №7, PP. 231, https://doi.org/10.3390/fi15070231, 2023
[7] Fahim Sufi, A New Social Media-Driven Cyber Threat Intelligence, Electronics, Vol. 12. №5, PP. 1242, https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12051242, 2023 (IF: 2.690)
[8] F. Sufi and I. Khalil, “A New Feature Detection Mechanism and Its Application in Secured ECG Transmission with Noise Masking”, Journal of Medical Systems (Springer), Volume 33, Issue2 (April 2009), Page 121–132, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10916-008-9172-6)
[9] F. Sufi and I. Khalil, “Enforcing Secured ECG Transmission for Realtime Telemonitoring: A Joint Encoding, Compression, Encryption Mechanism”, Security and Communication Networks, Wiley InterScience Vol. 1, №5, 2008, pp. 389–405
[10] F. Sufi, F. Han, I. Khalil, J. Hu, A chaos-based encryption technique to protect ECG packets for time critical telecardiology applications, Security and Communication Networks, Volume 4, Issue 5, pp. 515–524, 2011 (May), (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sec.226)