Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Are Akira Ransomware's Crypto-Locking Malware Days Numbered?

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 27, 2023

Is the Akira ransomware story coming to an end? Security researchers say the group was competing in a competition designed by Royal to give it a new cryptolocker - but lost. Even with a free decryptor now available for Akira victims, however, it's too soon to say if the group might be doomed.

Count of Organizations Affected by MOVEit Attacks Passes 515

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 27, 2023

The fallout from Clop group's data-grabbing attacks against MOVEit managed file transfer software users keeps mounting. In recent days, the extortionists have added 70 more organizations to their data leak site, taking the tally of known victims to over 515 organizations and 36 million individuals.

Latest MOVEit Data Breach Victim Tally: 455 Organizations

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 26, 2023

More details about victims of the Clop crime group's zero-day attacks on users of the widely used MOVEit file transfer software continue to come to light. Researchers now report that at least 455 organizations were hit directly or indirectly, exposing data for at least 23 million individuals.

Data Breach Cost Control: Practice and Preparedness Pay Off

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 25, 2023

A new IBM study of data breaches found that if an organization's internal team first detects a breach and the organization has well-practiced incident response plans, that organization will be able to more quickly detect and respond, which will lead to lower breach cleanup costs.

As Ransomware Monetization Hits Record Low, Groups Innovate

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 24, 2023

The Russian-language Clop crime group's mass exploitation of MOVEit file-transfer software demonstrates how criminals continue to seek fresh ways to maximize their illicit profits with minimal effort. Ransomware response firm Coveware says Clop may clear over $75 million from this campaign.

Service Provider's Probe Counts More Victims of MOVEit Hacks

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 24, 2023

The count of organizations and individuals affected by Clop's attack on MOVEit file-transfer users has increased, with the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America reporting that 2.6 million members' personal details were exposed when Clop hit service provider PBI Research.

Count of Organizations Breached via MOVEit Campaign Hits 400

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 21, 2023

The count of organizations affected by the Clop ransomware group's attack on MOVEit file-transfer software users continues to grow, now numbering over 400 organizations that were directly or indirectly impacted. More than 20 million individuals' personal details were stolen in the attacks.

Remembering World-Famous Computer Hacker Kevin Mitnick

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 20, 2023

Kevin Mitnick, the self-described "world's most famous hacker" - thanks in no small part to his being featured on the FBI's Most Wanted list during a two-year manhunt - has died at the age of 59. After serving time in prison, Mitnick went legit, warning others about the dangers of social engineering.

KillNet DDoS Attacks Further Moscow's Psychological Agenda

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 20, 2023

While self-proclaimed Russian hacktivist groups such as KillNet, Tesla Botnet and Anonymous Russia claim they're wreaking havoc on anti-Moscow targets, a fresh analysis of their attacks finds that despite rampant self-promotion, their real-world cybersecurity impact is typically negligible.

Biden Administration Blacklists 2 Commercial Spyware Firms

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 19, 2023

The U.S. government has added two more commercial spyware vendors - Cytrox and Intellexa - to its list of organizations that face restrictions if they attempt to procure American goods or services, owing to the firms' "threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide."

Number of Victims Breached Via MOVEit Zero-Day Keeps Climbing

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 18, 2023

How bad is the breach of the MOVEit zero-day to businesses, government agencies and their customers? The short answer is that the known fallout from the Clop ransomware group attack already looks bad and keeps getting worse as ongoing investigations add to the victim count of 20 million people.

Security Alert: Exploit Chain Actively Hits ColdFusion

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 18, 2023

Warning: Hackers are actively exploiting a flaw in Adobe's ColdFusion rapid web application development platform to execute malicious code. While Adobe attempted to patch the flaw, researchers say attackers appear to have found a way to bypass it by chaining together multiple flaws.

Hackers Stole Signing Key, Hit US Government's Microsoft 365

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 17, 2023

Suspected Chinese hackers gained access to senior U.S. officials' emails by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft's cloud environment. While Microsoft said customers couldn't have prevented the attack, the U.S. government says logging was key to spotting it.

As Data Breach Reports Surge, Healthcare Is Most Hit Sector

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 14, 2023

Based on the 1,862 U.S. data breach notifications issued in the first half of this year, 2023 looks set to break multiple records, especially as more breaches come to light due to the Clop ransomware group exploiting a zero-day flaw in widely used MOVEit file transfer software.

White House Issues National Cybersecurity Strategy Road Map

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 13, 2023

The Biden administration has released an implementation plan for the long-awaited national cybersecurity strategy it published in March, assigning deadlines and responsibilities for federal agencies across 65 different federal initiatives. Parts of the plan face an uphill battle.