News – August 2024


  • 4 essential cyber hygiene practices to boost your organization’s digital defenses

    August 28, 2024

    It’s hard to comprehend living in a world where flawed or buggy code can take down so many critical systems and drain $5 billion in direct losses from Fortune 500 companies. And, it’s true that there’s no easy fix to this kind of problem. But whether it’s preventing bad software updates or maintaining compliance among constant ...

  • Interpol busts Black Axe global crime network, arrest over 300

    August 28, 2024

    The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Police units had in a coordinated action in 21 countries between April and July 2024 arrested over 300 people with links to Nigerian criminal group Black Axe and other affiliated groups. In a statement, Interpol said operation “Operation Jackal III” led to hundreds of arrests, the seizure of assets worth ...

  • UK: Housing register still down weeks after cyber attack

    August 28, 2024

    A council housing register remains suspended weeks after it fell victim to a cyber attack, leaving thousands of residents vulnerable to a phishing scam. Salford City Council’s housing register is still down after a “cyber breach” on 2 August which left 5,200 people without access. Salford Home Search users have said they have not been able ...

  • Hunters International ransomware gang threatens to leak US Marshals data

    August 27, 2024

    The Hunters International ransomware group is threatening to leak what it claims to be 386 GB of data from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), more than a year after the federal law enforcement agency suffered a major ransomware attack. The gang claims the data, comprising more than 327,000 files, includes “Top Secret” documents, gang files, information ...

  • Unveiling Mobile App Vulnerabilities: How Popular Apps Leak Sensitive Data

    August 27, 2024

    In an increasingly digital world, the importance of mobile security cannot be overstated. With millions of apps available on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store, users trust developers to safeguard their personal information. Unfortunately, this trust is often misplaced. A key step in preventing unauthorized access to user data is encryption, especially when it comes ...

  • SMS scammers use toll fees as a lure

    August 27, 2024

    In April 2024, the FBI warned about a new type of smishing scam. Smishing is the term we use for phishing attacks sent via text message. This particular smishing scam tries to trick users into clicking a link by telling them they owe a “small amount” in toll fees. The scammers send a text claiming that ...

  • Cyber attacks on law firms jumped by 77% over the past year

    August 27, 2024

    The number of successful cyber attacks against UK law firms rose by 77% in the past year to 954, up from 538 the year before, according to a new study of the threat. Chartered accountants Lubbock Fine said that the wave is driven by criminals seeing law firms as prime targets for ransomware attacks or blackmail. This ...

  • HZ Rat backdoor for macOS attacks users of China’s DingTalk and WeChat

    August 27, 2024

    In June 2024, Kaspersky discovered a macOS version of the HZ Rat backdoor targeting users of the enterprise messenger DingTalk and the social network and messaging platform WeChat. The samples Kaspersky found almost exactly replicate the functionality of the Windows version of the backdoor and differ only in the payload, which is received in the form ...

  • 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 ...

  • Laybuy collapsed after unreported cyber attack

    August 26, 2024

    A Klarna rival collapsed into bankruptcy after millions of pounds was stolen in a cyber attack. The collapse of Laybuy, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) start-up, followed a previously unreported hacking between December and February that left the business on the brink. Laybuy, which had more than 750,000 customers and was headquartered in New Zealand, filed ...