UK: Government has never paid a ransomware demand, minister says

The government has announced that it has never paid a ransom demanded by cybercriminals – and pledged that it never will. The announcement – made to tie in with last week’s meeting of members of the international Counter Ransomware Initiative Read More …

Do government sanctions against ransomware groups work?

Earlier this year, the U.S. government imposed sanctions against Russian national Mikhail Matveev, an FBI most-wanted cybercriminal, who authorities accuse of being a “prolific ransomware affiliate” involved in cyberattacks in the United States and overseas. Authorities say Matveev played a Read More …

Over the Kazuar’s nest: Cracking down on a freshly hatched backdoor used by Pensive Ursa

While tracking the evolution of Pensive Ursa (aka Turla, Uroburos), Unit 42 researchers came across a new, upgraded variant of Kazuar. Not only is Kazuar another name for the enormous and dangerous cassowary bird, Kazuar is an advanced and stealthy Read More …

Canada bans Chinese app WeChat from government devices

Canada has announced it will ban WeChat on government devices. The Chinese-owned app is sometimes referred to as the “everything app” – like WhatsApp, Facebook, Amazon and Tinder all in one. However Western governments have security concerns about it, mainly Read More …

Philippines’ cybersecurity failures exposed as hackers leak state secrets, people’s data

All it apparently took for one Philippine hacker to break into a government website was “Admin123” – a password that reflects what experts say is the authorities’ lax attitude towards cybersecurity that not only leaves millions of Filipinos vulnerable to Read More …

Irish-linked spyware used in brazen attacks

The Irish government is set to investigate a digital surveillance alliance that has been accused of letting its smartphone spyware “run wild across the world”, BBC News NI understands. It comes after Intellexa Limited and its parent company Thalestris were Read More …

Kaspersky uncovers APT campaign targeting APAC government entities

Kaspersky researchers have discovered a persistent campaign compromising a specific type of secure USB drive used to provide encryption for safe data storage. Dubbed “TetrisPhantom,” this espionage effort targets government entities in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), and shows no discernible Read More …

Thailand: House of Representatives’ Website Hacked, Cyber Attack Investigation Underway

The House of Representatives’ website fell victim to a cyber attack on Sunday, October 15, 2023. The hackers, who go by the name 3MUSKETEERZ, managed to breach the website’s security and display a picture of a troll in the photo Read More …

Stayin’ Alive – targeted attacks against telecoms and government ministries in Asia

In the last few months, Check Point Research has been tracking “Stayin’ Alive”, an ongoing campaign that has been active since at least 2021. The campaign operates in Asia, primarily targeting the Telecom industry, as well as government organizations. The Read More …

‘Predator Files’ spyware scandal reveals brazen targeting of civil society, politicians and officials 

Shocking spyware attacks have been attempted against civil society, journalists, politicians and academics in the European Union (EU), USA and Asia, according to a major new investigation by Amnesty International. Among the targets of Predator spyware are United Nations (UN) Read More …