Education and Academia


  • Funksec Ransomware Teams Up with Another Ransomware Group to Double Down on Targets

    February 3, 2025

    FunkSec is a relatively new but highly active ransomware group that, as of this writing, has targeted several dozen victims across industries like government, banking, communications, and education. In a recent blog post, the group announced a partnership with another ransomware outfit, FSociety, aiming to carry out attacks more efficiently. This week, SonicWall Capture Labs research ...

  • Enhancing Botnet Detection with AI using LLMs and Similarity Search

    January 8, 2025

    As botnets continue to evolve, so do the techniques required to detect them. While Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption is widely adopted for secure communications, botnets leverage TLS to obscure command-and-control (C2) traffic. These malicious actors often have identifiable characteristics embedded within their TLS certificates, opening a potential pathway for advanced detection techniques. In first-of-its-kind research, ...

  • First Israeli-built quantum computer now in operation

    December 18, 2024

    Israel’s first domestically built quantum computer, using advanced superconducting technology, is now operational. The 20-qubit quantum computer was developed under the leadership of the Israel Innovation Authority, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Hebrew University, and Yissum, the university’s technology transfer company. This collaboration has established a superconductor-based quantum computer infrastructure alongside a robust development and integration environment. ...

  • Texas medical school says hackers stole sensitive health data of 1.4 million individuals

    December 17, 2024

    The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) confirmed hackers accessed the personal and sensitive health data of over 1.4 million individuals during a September cyberattack. The cyberattack, which also affected TTUHSC’s El Paso campus, saw attackers steal information including Social Security numbers, financial account information, government-issued ID details, and health information — including medical records ...

  • Midnight Blizzard conducts large-scale spear-phishing campaign using RDP files

    October 29, 2024

    Since October 22, 2024, Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed Russian threat actor Midnight Blizzard sending a series of highly targeted spear-phishing emails to individuals in government, academia, defense, non-governmental organizations, and other sectors. This activity is ongoing, and Microsoft will continue to investigate and provide updates as available. Based on our investigation of previous Midnight Blizzard ...

  • Chinese researchers break RSA encryption with a quantum computer

    October 14, 2024

    The research team, led by Wang Chao from Shanghai University, found that D-Wave’s quantum computers can optimize problem-solving in a way that makes it possible to attack encryption methods such as RSA. In a potentially alarming development for global cybersecurity, Chinese researchers have unveiled a method using D-Wave’s quantum annealing systems to crack classic encryption, potentially ...

  • Education under siege: How cybercriminals target our schools​​

    October 10, 2024

    Education is essentially an “industry of industries,” with K-12 and higher education enterprises handling data that could include health records, financial data, and other regulated information. At the same time, their facilities can host payment processing systems, networks that are used as internet service providers (ISPs), and other diverse infrastructure. The cyberthreats that Microsoft observes across ...

  • Meta Glasses can be used to dox strangers via facial recognition

    October 3, 2024

    Two Harvard students have created a privacy nightmare, according to 404 Media. Real-time facial recognition smart glasses, which pull up names, contacts, addresses, and more about a complete stranger just by looking at them. The students – AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio – say they won’t be releasing the product nor the software behind it. The ...

  • Education, Health Sectors Facing Challenges as Nigeria Records 586,130 Cyber Threats in 6 Months

    September 14, 2024

    Between January and June 2024, a staggering 586,130 cyber threats were launched against Nigeria, especially the financial institutions and telecoms companies, with other sectors also facing specific challenges. According to the report, various industries face unique cybersecurity challenges. The education sector grappled with maintaining security amidst digital transformation. The healthcare industry struggled to balance handling sensitive ...

  • Heriot-Watt University begins work on new £2.5m cyber attack station

    August 29, 2024

    Work has begun on the development of a new optical ground station at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The £2.5m facility will demonstrate and test satellite quantum secure communications and is scheduled to be fully operational by late autumn this year. The Quantum Communications Hub Optical Ground Station (HOGS) will help to tackle future cyberattacks by researching ...

  • Ransomware attacks on schools threaten student data nationwide

    August 26, 2024

    Imagine a criminal gaining unrestricted access to your child’s most private information — medical records, Social Security numbers and even details about their daily bus ride to school. This alarming scenario is becoming a reality for a growing number of families as sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target schools across the United States, holding their computer systems ...

  • 5G network flaws could be abused to let hackers spy on your phone

    August 12, 2024

    5G basebands could be exploited by attackers to allow them to send fake messages to your contacts, or even hand over your credentials using a very real-looking website, experts have warned. Unveiled at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference, a research group from Pennsylvania State University presented their vulnerability sniffing tool 5GBaseChecker. Read more… Source: MSN News Sign up for ...

  • Microsoft IT outage linked to cyber security firm Crowdstrike hits airlines, railways, NHS and media outlets globally

    July 19, 2024

    The ‘most serious IT outage the world has ever seen’ sparked global chaos today – with planes and trains grounded, the NHS disrupted, shops closed, football teams unable to sell tickets and banks and TV channels knocked offline. The devastating technical fault caused Windows computers to suddenly shut down, prompting departure boards to immediately turn off ...

  • NATO releases revised AI strategy

    July 10, 2024

    On Wednesday (10 July 2024), NATO released its revised artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which aims to accelerate the use of AI technologies within NATO in a safe and responsible way. AI or Artificial intelligence concept. It builds on one published in 2021 and takes account of recent advances in AI technologies, such as generative AI, and ...

  • Airports, Student Aid Services Struck by Indonesian Cyber Attack

    June 28, 2024

    Indonesia’s parliament called the government to task over another cyber attack that led to airport and scholarship services being put out of service. The ransomware attack that affected hundreds of ministries and public institutions was “catastrophic,” said lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin in a Thursday evening hearing with the communications minister and the head of state cybersecurity agency. ...

  • Sustained Campaign Using Chinese Espionage Tools Targets Telcos

    June 20, 2024

    Attackers using tools associated with Chinese espionage groups have breached multiple telecom operators in a single Asian country in a long-running espionage campaign. The attackers placed backdoors on the networks of targeted companies and also attempted to steal credentials. The attacks have been underway since at least 2021, with evidence to suggest that some of this ...

  • Data of over 20,000 staff, students at Chinese University of Hong Kong stolen after school server hacked

    June 14, 2024

    The personal data of over 20,000 Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) staff and students has been stolen after a server at one of the institution’s schools was hacked. The server of an online learning system used by CUHK’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (CUSCS) was hacked on June 3, the school announced in a ...

  • Sapphire Werewolf polishes Amethyst stealer to attack over 300 companies

    June 5, 2024

    Since March 2024, the BI.ZONE Threat Intelligence team has been tracking the cluster of activity dubbed Sapphire Werewolf. The threat actor targets Russia’s industries, such as education, manufacturing, IT, defense, and aerospace engineering. Over 300 attacks were carried out using Amethyst, an offshoot of the popular open‑source SapphireStealer. The attackers disguise the malware as an enforcement ...

  • Western Sydney University staff, students caught in cyber attack

    May 21, 2024

    About 7500 staff and students have been caught up in a massive cyber attack at Western Sydney University. Police are investigating the breach, which the university says dates as far back as May 2023, when an unauthorised party got into the Microsoft Office system and accessed email accounts and SharePoint files. WSU says they have not ...

  • Two Santa Cruz students uncover security bug that could let millions do their laundry for free

    May 17, 2024

    A pair of university students say they found and reported earlier this year a security flaw allowing anyone to avoid paying for laundry provided by over a million internet-connected laundry machines in residences and college campuses around the world. Months later, the vulnerability remains open after CSC ServiceWorks repeatedly ignored requests to fix the flaw. Read more… Source: ...