Defence and Aerospace


  • U.S. National Security Agency Publishes 2023 Cybersecurity Year in Review

    December 19, 2023

    FORT MEADE, Md.–The National Security Agency (NSA) published its 2023 Cybersecurity Year in Review today to share its recent cybersecurity successes and how it is working with partners to deliver on cybersecurity advances that enhance national security. This year’s report highlights NSA’s work with U.S government partners, foreign partners, and the Defense Industrial Base. “The combined ...

  • Defense Contractor Austal USA Confirms a Cyber Attack by Hunters International Ransomware Group

    December 15, 2023

    Australian-based American defense contractor Austal USA has confirmed a cyber attack after the Hunters International ransomware group listed the company and shared samples of the stolen data as proof. Austal USA is a Contractor for the US Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), undertaking major U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs. With five ...

  • NCI Agency partners with industry to strengthen NATO’s cyber security posture

    December 13, 2023

    On 13 December 2023, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) signed a contract with IBM to help strengthen the Alliance’s cybersecurity posture with improved security visibility and asset management across all NATO enterprise networks. Following NATO’s new dynamic and competitive procurement process, featuring regular workshops, sprints and continuous communication with industry, the NCI Agency ...

  • U.K. MoD breach of Afghans’ data ‘could have posed threat to life in Taliban’s hands’

    December 13, 2023

    The Ministry of Defence has been fined £350,000 for an “egregious” data breach that exposed the personal information of Afghan nationals seeking to flee to the UK after the Taliban takeover. Details belonging to 265 people were mistakenly copied in to emails sent by the Government, meaning they could be seen by all recipients, the Information ...

  • USAF cracks down on ‘need to know’ violations in wake of Discord leaks

    December 12, 2023

    Just because you’re cleared for secrets doesn’t mean you have a “need to know” them. After hundreds of classified documents were leaked earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force is trying to ensure that airmen clear both bars before they access sensitive information. The service has “implemented several reforms to improve procedures related to need to ...

  • Star Blizzard increases sophistication and evasion in ongoing attacks

    December 7, 2023

    Microsoft Threat Intelligence continues to track and disrupt malicious activity attributed to a Russian state-sponsored actor we track as Star Blizzard (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER and Callisto Group). Star Blizzard has improved their detection evasion capabilities since 2022 while remaining focused on email credential theft against the same targets. Star Blizzard, whose activities we ...

  • TA422’s Dedicated Exploitation Loop – the Same Week After Week

    December 5, 2023

    Starting in March 2023, Proofpoint researchers have observed the Russian advanced persistent threat (APT) TA422 readily use patched vulnerabilities to target a variety of organizations in Europe and North America. TA422 overlaps with the aliases APT28, Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm, Fancy Bear, and BlueDelta, and is attributed by the United States Intelligence Community to the Russian ...

  • NATO deepens cyber coalition with Asian partners

    December 1, 2023

    NATO countries wrapped up one their signature cybersecurity exercises in Estonia this week, welcoming South Korea and Japan to the proceedings as alliance officials seek like-minded governments to harden their collective virtual defenses. The Cyber Coalition 2023 event in the country’s capital of Tallinn focused on sharing threat intelligence and responding to attack scenarios on virtual ...

  • AeroBlade on the hunt targeting the U.S. Aerospace industry

    November 30, 2023

    BlackBerry has uncovered a previously unknown threat actor targeting an aerospace organization in the United States, with the apparent goal of conducting commercial and competitive cyber espionage. The BlackBerry Threat Research and Intelligence team is tracking this threat actor as AeroBlade. The actor used spear-phishing as a delivery mechanism: A weaponized document, sent as an email ...

  • Japan space agency server likely hit by unauthorized access attack

    November 29, 2023

    Japan’s space agency was likely hit by an unauthorized access attack to a network server, the government said Wednesday, adding the incident did not involve sensitive information pertaining to rockets or satellites. Sources close to the matter said the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency was not aware that the breach may have occurred sometime during the summer ...

  • Hacker claims to have hit General Electric and stolen company data

    November 27, 2023

    A hacker with the alias IntelBroker claims to have breached General Electric and stolen plenty of sensitive data from the company’s systems. The company operates in different fields, including aerospace, renewable energy, power, venture capital, and more. The hacker posted a new thread on an underground forum, selling access to the company’s “development and software pipelines” ...

  • Foreign spy conducts cyberattacks against China’s defense, high-tech firm

    November 27, 2023

    China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) disclosed a new case on Monday of foreign espionage activities involving the recruitment of a Chinese software developer who provided “technical services.” This spy agency used “poisoned” software to conduct cyberattacks and steal secrets from dozens of China’s defense and high-tech enterprises. Wang, a Chinese engineer in the network technology ...

  • Türkiye’s MIT saves Palestinian Iron Dome hacker from Mossad hit

    November 22, 2023

    Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) saved Omar A. from possible death or abduction in an international operation and offered him protection as the renowned Palestinian hacker was targeted by Mossad in Türkiye and Malaysia. The young man credited with hacking into Israel’s notorious Iron Dome air defense system was sought by Israel for a long time. ...

  • U.S. DOD strategy warns emerging tech is ‘at the forefront’ of information threats

    November 21, 2023

    The Pentagon publicly released its strategy for operating in the information environment – which covers both physical and digital sources of information – on Friday, outlining how the agency plans to modernize its collecting, processing and sharing of data to better counteract adversaries’ weaponization of the internet and emerging technologies. DOD “must embrace a cultural shift ...

  • #StopRansomware: LockBit 3.0 Ransomware Affiliates Exploit CVE 2023-4966 Citrix Bleed Vulnerability

    November 21, 2023

    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Center (ASD’s ACSC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to disseminate IOCs, TTPs, and detection methods associated with LockBit 3.0 ransomware exploiting CVE-2023-4966, labeled Citrix Bleed, affecting Citrix ...

  • Ukraine sacks ‘corrupt’ cyber defence chiefs

    November 21, 2023

    Ukraine has sacked two top cyber defence officials after they were charged with orchestrating a multi-million pound embezzlement scheme. Yurii Shchyhol and Viktor Zhora, the head and deputy of the Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), are accused of inflating the value of a software deal for personal gain by £1.4million ($1.7million). Read ...

  • NATO Exercises to Enhance its Cyber Resilience

    November 20, 2023

    Cyber Coalition, one of the world’s largest cyber defence exercise, aims to enhance NATO, Allies and partners’ ability to defend their networks and operate together in cyberspace. The Exercise provides a unique platform for collaboration, experience-sharing, best practices and experimentation. By working together, the individual participants, as well as their organisations, nations and NATO, enhance their ...

  • Data stolen in hack of nuclear energy testing facility Idaho National Lab

    November 20, 2023

    The Idaho National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy and one of the country’s foremost advanced nuclear energy testing labs, has suffered a breach that released the details of employees online. A hacking group called SiegeSec took responsibility for the breach, which occurred Sunday night. In a statement to local media, INL media spokesperson ...

  • Australia: Defence recalls cybersecurity coordinator Air Marshal Darren Goldie

    November 14, 2023

    The senior Air Force officer recently appointed as the National Cyber Security Coordinator has been recalled to Defence to deal with what the department describes as a “workplace matter”. The government said in a statement that Department of Home Affairs Deputy Secretary of Cyber and Infrastructure Security Hamish Hansford would act as National Cyber Security Coordinator ...

  • Boeing confirms ransomware attack as stolen data released by cybercrime gang Lockbit

    November 11, 2023

    Stolen data from American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been released online by the cybercrime gang, Lockbit, according to the group’s website. Boeing confirmed a cybersecurity incident involving elements of its parts and distribution business. “We are aware that, in connection with this incident, a criminal ransomware actor has released information it alleges to have taken from ...