News – December 2024


  • Task scams surge by 400%, but what are they?

    December 16, 2024

    An unfamiliar type of scam has surged against everyday people, with a year-over-year increase of some 400%, putting job seekers at risk of losing their time and money. The emerging threat is delivered in “task scams” or “gamified job scams.” While these scams were virtually non-existent in 2020, the FTC reported 5,000 cases in 2023 and ...

  • HiatusRAT Actors Targeting Web Cameras and DVRs

    December 16, 2024

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is releasing this Private Industry Notification (PIN) to highlight HiatusRAT1 scanning campaigns against Chinese-branded web cameras and DVRs. Private sector partners are encouraged to implement the recommendations listed in the “Mitigation” column of the table below to reduce the likelihood and impact of these attack campaigns. Threat HiatusRAT is a ...

  • 2024 Threat Landscape Statistics: Ransomware Activity, Vulnerability Exploits, and Attack Trends

    December 16, 2024

    In this blog, the global experts across our Rapid7 Labs and Managed Services teams share real-time vulnerability insights and threat intelligence so that our customers can anticipate and prevent breaches, pinpoint critical threats, and confidently take command of their attack surface. The Rapid7 Labs team has rounded up statistics and trends that caught their eye throughout ...

  • Israeli spyware startup Paragon acquired by U.S.-based private equity fund for up to $900M

    December 16, 2024

    Israeli offensive cyber company Paragon will be acquired by the U.S.-based private equity fund AE Industrial Partners for an initial payment of $500 million, with an additional $400 million contingent on meeting business milestones. Despite the acquisition, Paragon will remain an Israeli company, adhering to regulatory guidelines set by Israel’s Defense Ministry and the U.S. ...

  • Europol spearheads largest referral action against online hate speech

    December 16, 2024

    Europol has supported 18 European law enforcement agencies in the 2024 Referral Action Day (RAD) on hate speech and incitement to violence targeting ethnoreligious groups. Spanish and Hungarian authorities led the action, which resulted in a record number of online content being identified. In total, 12 countries collected over 6 350 links from 46 online platforms ...

  • NotLockBit ransomware targets Apple users with advanced file-locking and data exfiltration

    December 15, 2024

    The recent discovery of macOS.NotLockBit suggests a shift in the landscape, as this newly identified malware, named after the notorious LockBit variant, could mark the beginning of more serious ransomware campaigns against Mac users. Ransomware targeting Mac devices tends to lack the necessary tools to truly lock files or exfiltrate data. The general perception has been ...

  • Ireland: Loss of papers and devices among the Department of Justice’s 482 data breaches

    December 15, 2024

    The Department of Justice has recorded more than 480 data breaches over the past three years, including the loss of sensitive papers, encrypted devices, and unauthorised access to social media. The breaches occurred across the department including key areas such as international protection, the response to the Ukraine refugee crisis, and in citizenship applications. A log ...

  • Cyber attack may affect personal information of thousands of Rhode Islanders

    December 13, 2024

    A massive cyberattack could impact the personal information of hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders after hackers targeted a state contractor that stores health and personal data. Governor Dan McKee announced that the personal information of thousands was compromised in a cybersecurity attack. Anyone who has ever received or applied for health coverage or human service ...

  • Six arrested in South Thailand for call centre scams and firearms

    December 13, 2024

    Police apprehended six people suspected of being involved in call centre scams and the illegal trade of firearms. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) announced the arrest on Tuesday, December 10, indicating possible connections between the suspects and insurgency financing in Thailand’s southern regions. The arrests took place on December 10 in Songkhla and Yala provinces ...

  • Maritime Cyber Priority 2024/25: Tackling a growing cybersecurity threat in an increasingly connected industry

    December 12, 2024

    The digitalization of the maritime industry is in full flow. Shipowners, ports, cargo owners and many other stakeholders throughout the value chain are increasingly utilizing connected digital technologies to make shipping greener, safer and more efficient. However, DNV’s new Maritime Cyber Priority report highlights that this also introduces new cybersecurity risks, which need to be managed ...