Latest

Business Continuity Management / Disaster Recovery

Groove Operators Reportedly Ask Peers to Attack US

Prajeet Nair  •  October 26, 2021

The operators behind Groove ransomware are calling on other extortion gangs to join forces to attack the U.S. public sector, according to chatter seen on underground forums, reports malware research organization vx-underground, citing a blog posted by the gang on a Russian site.

Critical Infrastructure Security

Why Hive Attacks Are the Latest Menace to Healthcare Sector

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 26, 2021

Several characteristics of the Hive ransomware group make the threat actor particularly menacing to its victims, which include healthcare sector targets, says Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at security firm CrowdStrike.

Critical Infrastructure Security

Forget Hacking Back: Just Waste Ransomware Gangs' Time

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  October 26, 2021

Who's been launching distributed denial-of-service attacks against ransomware operators' sites and cybercrime markets? Disrupting ransomware operations that rely on Tor-based data leak sites and payment portals for double extortion is an obvious move for cutting into their profits.

Cryptocurrency Fraud

CoinMarketCap: No Breach Despite 3.1M Email Address Leak

Jeremy Kirk  •  October 25, 2021

CoinMarketCap says it has found no evidence of a data beach despite the circulation of a list of 3.1 million email addresses that correlates with accounts on its service. Regardless of the source, the list would be useful for attackers to launch phishing attacks against those interested in cryptocurrency.

Critical Infrastructure Security

Memo to Ransomware Victims: Seeking Help May Save You Money

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  October 25, 2021

While ransomware might be today's top cybercrime boogeyman, attackers aren't infallible. The latest example: Errors in DarkSide - and its BlackMatter rebrand - enabled security experts to quietly decrypt many victims' files for free, saving millions in potential ransom payments.

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Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)

Forrester Report: Key Questions to Ask XDR Vendors

Anna Delaney  •  October 22, 2021

The current state of the XDR market is a "chaotic jumble of different features," according to Forrester analyst Allie Mellon, who has authored a new study to identify the top XDR providers in the industry: The Forrester New Wave: Extended Detection And Response (XDR) Providers, Q4 2021.

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Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

ISMG Editors’ Panel: Regulators Get Tough on Crypto Firms?

Anna Delaney  •  October 22, 2021

In the latest weekly update, four ISMG editors discuss: a federal judge imposing the maximum sentences on a hacker who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, regulators getting tougher on cryptocurrency lending platforms and the return to in-person roundtables.

Leadership & Executive Communication

Profiles in Leadership: Wouter Veugelen of Oil Search Ltd

Jeremy Kirk  •  October 22, 2021

It's often noted that some view cybersecurity as putting the brakes on business. But it's actually the opposite, says Wouter Veugelen, CISO of Oil Search Ltd.

3rd Party Risk Management

Ransomware Warning: Are Businesses Stepping Up?

Anna Delaney  •  October 22, 2021

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features an analysis of whether businesses are stepping up their ransomware defenses in response to several warnings released by the U.S. and U.K. governments highlighting the threat posed to infrastructure. Also featured are the Thingiverse data breach and airline fraud...

Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks

US Cracks Down on Sale of Offensive Cybersecurity Tools

Mihir Bagwe  •  October 21, 2021

The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security has issued an interim final rule to curb and control the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain offensive cyber tools that are used in surveillance of private citizens and other malicious activities that undermine the nation's security.

3rd Party Risk Management

Dental Alliance Reports Vendor Breach Affecting 170,000

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  October 21, 2021

The Professional Dental Alliance is notifying more than 170,000 individuals in about a dozen states of a phishing breach involving an affiliated vendor that provides nonclinical management services to dental practices owned by PDA. Why is breach notification so complicated?

3rd Party Risk Management

Ransomware: Average Ransom Payment Stays Steady at $140,000

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  October 21, 2021

When a business, government agency or other organization hit by ransomware opted to pay a ransom to its attacker in Q3, the average payment was $140,000, reports ransomware incident response firm Coveware. It says the attack landscape has seen some notable shifts since the Colonial Pipeline attack.