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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 24 May 2024

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 24 May 2024:

-Human Error and AI Tops Cyber Threats as 70% of CISOs Worry About Risk

-Threat Research Highlights Growing Mobile Security Risks

-The State of Cyber Security: AI and Geopolitics Mean a Bigger Threat Than Ever

-Family Offices Become Prime Targets for Cyber Hacks and Ransomware

-Ransomware Fallout - 94% Experience Downtime, 40% Face Work Stoppage

-Employee Discontent - Insider Threat No. 1

-Report Reveals 341% Rise in Advanced Phishing Attacks

-Ransomware and GenAI Raise Security Challenges, Driving Cyber Investment

-New Rules Prompt 93% of Organisations to Rethink Cyber Security Plans

-HR and IT Related Phishing Scams Still Most Popular According to KnowBe4’s Latest Phishing Report

-80% of Exposures from Misconfigurations, as 15 Vendors Account for 62% of Global Attack Surface

-UK to Propose Mandatory Reporting for Ransomware Attacks and Licensing Regime for all Payments

-UK’s Legal Sector Needs to Improve its Cyber Security, Says Experts

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 May 2024

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 03 May 2024:

-Most Attacks Impacting SMB’s Target Older, Unpatched Vulnerabilities

-91% of Ransomware Victims Paid At least One Ransom in the Past Year, as 1 in 5 Ransomware Attacks Triggers Lawsuit

-BEC and Fund Transfer Fraud Top Insurance Claims

-Correlating Cyber Investments with Business Outcomes

-Vulnerability Exploitation up 180%, 68% of Breaches involved Humans and Supply Chain Weak Link

-MOVEit & Change Healthcare Attacks Designated as Cyber Catastrophe Loss Events by Insurer

-Securing Your Organisation’s Supply Chain: Reducing the Risks of Third Parties

-Why Remote Desktop Tools are Facing an Onslaught of Cyber Threats

-95% of Organisations Revamped Cyber Security Strategies in the Last Year: Make Sure Yours is Right

-Human Factor a Significant Risk for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.

-Microsoft CEO Says it is Putting Security Above All Else in Major Refocus

-Ending the Culture of Silence in Cyber Security; Three Ways to Empower Teams

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 05 April 2024

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 05 April 2024:

-Corporations with Effective Cyber Governance Create 4 Times More Value, Boosting Shareholder Returns

-Ransomware Incidents Reported to UK Financial Regulator Doubled

-Half of British SMEs Have Lost Data in Past Five Years: Threat Indicators Show 2024 Already Promising to be Worse Than 2023

-Researchers Report Sevenfold Increase in Data Theft Cases, as 17 billion Personal Records Exposed in Breaches in 2023

-AI Abuse and Misinformation Campaigns Threaten Financial Institutions

-Security Teams are ‘Overconfident’ About Handling Next-Gen Threats

-AI Makes Phishing Attacks Accessible to Basic Users

-Cyber Attacks Wreaking Physical Disruption on the Rise

-73% Brace for Cyber Security Impact on Business in Next Two Years

-To Stay Ahead of Ransomware Businesses Need to Adopt An Offensive Security Mindset

-Cyber Security Imperative for Protecting Executives

-The Increasing Role of Cyber Security Experts in Complex Legal Disputes

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 09 February 2024

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 09 February 2024:

-Over Half of Companies Experienced Cyber Security Incidents Last Year

-Deepfake Video Conference Costs Business $25 Million

-Watershed Year for Ransomware as Victims Rose by Almost 50% and Payments Hit $1 Billion All-Time High

-Malware-as-a-Service Now the Top Threat to Organisations

-Over 9 in 10 UK Firms Who Fell Victim to Ransomware Paid the Ransom, Despite Alleged “No Pay” Stances

-Chinese State Hackers Hid in National Infrastructure for at Least 5 Years

-Email Attacks on Businesses Tripled and AI is a Huge Contributing Factor

-Security Leaders, C-Suite Unite to Tackle Cyber Threats

-UN Experts Investigate Cyber Attacks by North Korea that Raked in $3 Billion to Build Nuclear Weapons

-What Does a ‘Cyber Security Culture’ Actually Entail?

-Beyond Checkboxes: Security Compliance as a Business Enabler

-No One in Cyber Security Is Ready for the SolarWinds Prosecution

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 28th July 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 28 July 2023:

-Half of UK businesses Struggle to Fill Cyber Security Skills Gap as Companies Encounter Months-long Delays in Filling Critical Security Positions

-Deloitte Joins fellow Big Four MOVEit victims PWC, EY as MOVEit Victims Exceeds 500

-Why Cyber Security Should Be Part of Your ESG Strategy

-Lawyers Take Frontline Role in Business Response to Cyber Attacks

-Organisations Face Record $4.5M Per Data Breach Incident

-Cryptojacking Soars as Cyber Attacks Diversify

-Ransomware Attacks Skyrocket in 2023

-Blocking Access to ChatGPT is a Short-Term Solution to Mitigate AI Risk

-Protect Your Data Like Your Reputation Depends on It (Because it Does)

-Why CISOs Should Get Involved with Cyber Insurance Negotiation

-Companies Must Have Corporate Cyber Security Experts, SEC Says

-Over 400,000 Corporate Credentials Stolen by Info-stealing Malware

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 14 July 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 14 July 2023:

-Cyber Attacks Are a War We'll Never Win, but We Can Defend Ourselves

-Helping Boards Understand Cyber Risks

-Enterprise Risk Management Should Inform Cyber Risk Strategies

-Law Firms at High Risk of Attack as Ransomware Groups Begin to Focus Attention

-20% of Malware Attacks Bypass Antivirus Protection

-Ransomware Payments and Extortion Spiked Compared to 2022

-AI, Trust, and Data Security are Key Issues for Finance Firms and Their Customers

-Caution: Microsoft Warns of Office Zero-Day Attacks with No Patch Available

-Scam Page Volumes Surge 304% Annually

-Financial Industry Faces Soaring Ransomware Threat

-The Need for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management to Combat Threats

-Government Agencies Breached in Microsoft 365 Email Attacks

-Concerns Raised as Report Questions UK’s “Completely Inadequate” Defence to Threats from China

-Hackers Backed by North Korea have Stolen Billions of Dollars Over the Last Five Years

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 19 May 2023

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 19 May 2023:

-Triple Threat: Insecure Economy, Cyber Crime Recruitment and Insider Threats

-Insured Companies More Likely to be Ransomware Victims, Sometimes More Than Once

-Ensuring Security Remains/Becomes Everyone’s Responsibility

-Software Supply Chain Attacks Hit 61% of Firms

-More than 2.25 Million Exposed Assets on the Dark Web Tied to Fortune 1000 Employees

-Law Enforcement Crackdowns and New Techniques are Forcing Cyber Criminals to Pivot

-Talking Security Strategy: Why Cyber Security Requires a Seat at the Boardroom Table

-How Incident Response Rehearsals and Readiness Exercises Can Aid Incident Response

-Ransomware’s Real Goals are to Exploit Internet Facing Apps, Mine Intellectual Property and Grab Sensitive Information

-Organisations’ Cyber Resilience Efforts Fail to Keep Up with Evolving Threats

-Fraudsters Send Fake Invoice, Follow Up with Fake Executive Confirmation

-Capita Warns Customers They Should Assume Data was Stolen

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Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 26/05/2022 – Check the security of IoT Devices, Increase in Linux Botnet Malware

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory 26/05/2022 – Check the security of IoT Devices, Increase in Linux Botnet Malware.

Executive Summary

Microsoft has detected a significant increase in malware targeted at Linux systems to create botnets which can be used for distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) and other types of attack. Internet-of-Things (IoT) or Smart Devices often use a Linux operating system to run their service. These are often not patched regularly, if at all, making them a target for this type of attack. Cloud service providers also often use Linux based operating systems.

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 11 February 2022

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 11 February 2022:

-UK, US, Australia Issue Joint Advisory: Ransomware on the Loose, Critical National Infrastructure Affected

-Ransomware Groups and APT Actors Laser-Focused on Financial Services

-Why the C-Suite Should Focus on Understanding Cybersecurity and Investing Appropriately

-Almost $1.3bn Paid to Ransomware Actors Since 2020

-Cyber Crooks Frame Targets by Planting Fabricated Digital Evidence

-Highly Evasive Adaptive Threats (HEAT) Bypassing Traditional Security Defenses

-LockBit, BlackCat, Swissport, Oh My! Ransomware Activity Stays Strong

-2021 Was The Most Prolific Year On Record For Data Breaches

-$1.3 Billion Lost to Romance Scams in the Past Five Years

-Cyber Security Compliance Still Not A Priority For Many

-The World is Falling Victim to the Growing Trickbot Attacks in 2022

-“We Absolutely Do Not Care About You”: Sugar Ransomware Targets Individuals

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 28 January 2022

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 28 January 2022

-UK Warned To Bolster Defences Against Cyber Attacks As Russia Threatens Ukraine - BBC News

-Cyber Attacks And Ransomware Hit A New Record In 2021, Says Report

-Ransomware Families Becoming More Sophisticated With Newer Attack Methods

-More Than 90% Of Enterprises Surveyed Have Been Hit By Successful Cyberattacks

-Ransomware Gangs Increase Efforts To Enlist Insiders For Attacks

-Shipment-Delivery Scams Become the Favoured Way to Spread Malware

-Most Ransomware Infections Are Self-Installed

-Staff Negligence Is Now A Major Reason For Insider Security Incidents

-22 Cyber Security Myths Organisations Need To Stop Believing In 2022

-Android Malware Can Factory-Reset Phones After Draining Bank Accounts

-GDPR Fines Surged Sevenfold to $1.25 Billion in 2021: Study

-Cyber Security In 2022 – A Fresh Look At Some Very Alarming Stats

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Black Arrow Cyber Advisory – “PwnKit” Bug Allows Root Access on the Ubiquitous Linux Operating System

Black Arrow Cyber Advisory – “PwnKit” Bug Allows Root Access on the Ubiquitous Linux Operating System

Executive Summary

Security researchers have revealed a new toolkit bug in the Linux operating system, the software that drives most of the world. Linux is found everywhere, from firewalls and network switches to cars and huge industrial machines. The tool, ‘pkexec’, was found to be vulnerable to privilege escalation, allowing an attacker to gain root or administrator privileges with ease.

What’s the risk to me or my business?

As Linux runs in almost every environment in the world, an attacker with access to the system could exploit the vulnerability to take control. The attack can become particularly potent when used in combination with other exploits on an unpatched system. Security researchers note the attack is ‘trivially exploitable’, leading to a dangerous situation if a system is indeed susceptible.

What can I do?

A patch has been issued for the bug, which should be implemented as soon as possible on any device that may be running Linux. It is recommended that systems in general be patched as often as practicable to reduce overall risk.

Technical Summary

Security researchers have disclosed a buffer overflow attack in Polkit, a tool allowing programs without special privileges to run safely with services requiring root. The bug exploits environment variables, allowing an attacker to use NULL references to craft the overflow. As a result a malicious user could, even on an account with minimal privileges, use the misalignment to introduce dangerous environment variables to elevate their session.

Need help understanding your gaps, or just want some advice? Get in touch with us.

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 January 2022

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 21 January 2022

-Cyber Risks Top Worldwide Business Concerns In 2022

-Bosses Think That Security Is Taken Care Of: CISOs Aren't So Sure

-Fraud Is On the Rise, and It's Going to Get Worse

-Two-Fifths of Ransomware Victims Still Paying Up

-Less Than a Fifth of Cyber Leaders Feel Confident Their Organisation is Cyber-Resilient

-Endpoint Malware And Ransomware Detections Hit All-Time High

-End Users Remain Organisations' Biggest Security Risk

-Supply Chain Disruptions Rose In 2021

-Red Cross Begs Attackers Not to Leak Stolen Data for 515K People

-DHL Dethrones Microsoft As Most Imitated Brand In Phishing Attacks

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 December 2021

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 03 December 2021

-Double Extortion Ransomware Victims Soar 935%

-MI6 Boss: Digital Attack Surface Growing "Exponentially"

-How Phishing Kits Are Enabling A New Legion Of Pro Phishers

-Crooks Are Selling Access To Hacked Networks. Ransomware Gangs Are Their Biggest Customers

-Omicron Phishing Scam Already Spotted in UK

-Phishing Remains the Most Common Cause of Data Breaches, Survey Says

-Ransomware Victims Increase Security Budgets Due To Surge In Attacks

-Control Failures Are Behind A Growing Number Of Cyber Security Incidents

-MI6 Spy Chief Says China, Russia, Iran Top UK Threat List

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 27 August 2021

Black Arrow Cyber Threat Briefing 27 August 2021

-Cyber Crime Losses Triple To £1.3bn In 1h 2021

-New Ransomware Wake-Up Call

-22% Of Cyber Security Incidents In H1 2021 Were Ransomware Attacks

-Key Email Threats And The High Cost Of Business Email Compromise

-Microsoft Warns Thousands Of Cloud Customers Of Exposed Databases

-58% Of IT Leaders Worried Their Business Could Become A Target Of Rising Nation State Attacks

-Cyber Insurance Market Encounters ‘Crisis Moment’ As Ransomware Costs Pile Up

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