China-Linked Earth Alux Uses VARGEIT and COBEACON in Multi-Stage Cyber Intrusions

Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new China-linked threat actor called Earth Alux that has targeted various key sectors such as government, technology, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, IT services, and retail in the Asia-Pacific APAC and Latin American LATAM regions. "Th...

The Impact of Supply Chain Attacks on the Global Landscape

Background From the Silk Road’s ancient trade routes to today’s global networks, supply chains have shaped empires, fueled revolutions, and driven economies. Now, in an age of digital transformation, they’ve evolved from logistical backbones into dynamic, tech-driven ecosystems. Powered by digita...

Feds Charge Five Men in ‘Scattered Spider’ Roundup

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles this week unsealed criminal charges against five men alleged to be members of a hacking group responsible for dozens of cyber intrusions at major U.S. technology companies between 2021 and 2023, including LastPass , MailChimp , Okta , T-Mobile and Twilio. A visu...

FBI Seeks Public Help to Identify Chinese Hackers Behind Global Cyber Intrusions

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has sought assistance from the public in connection with an investigation involving the breach of edge devices and computer networks belonging to companies and government entities. "An Advanced Persistent Threat group allegedly created and deployed...

CISA Warns of Threat Actors Exploiting F5 BIG-IP Cookies for Network Reconnaissance

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA is warning that it has observed threat actors leveraging unencrypted persistent cookies managed by the F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager LTM module to conduct reconnaissance of target networks. It said the module is being used to...

Iranian APT UNC1860 Linked to MOIS Facilitates Cyber Intrusions in Middle East

An Iranian advanced persistent threat APT threat actor likely affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence and Security MOIS is now acting as an initial access facilitator that provides remote access to target networks. Google-owned Mandiant is tracking the activity cluster under the moniker...

New Leak Shows Business Side of China’s APT Menace

A new data leak that appears to have come from one of Chinas top private cybersecurity firms provides a rare glimpse into the commercial side of Chinas many state-sponsored hacking groups. Experts say the leak illustrates how Chinese government agencies increasingly are contracting out foreign...

U.S. Warns Against North Korean Hackers Posing as IT Freelancers

Highly skilled software and mobile app developers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea DPRK are posing as "non-DPRK nationals" in hopes of landing freelance employment in an attempt to enable the regime's malicious cyber intrusions. That's according to a joint advisory from the U.S...

Iranian Hackers Targeting Turkey and Arabian Peninsula in New Malware Campaign

The Iranian state-sponsored threat actor known as MuddyWater has been attributed to a new swarm of attacks targeting Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula with the goal of deploying remote access trojans RATs on compromised systems. "The MuddyWater supergroup is highly motivated and can use unauthoriz...

ADT Tech Hacks Home-Security Cameras to Spy on Women

Former ADT employee Telesforo Aviles took note when there were attractive women at a home he serviced in the Dallas area. Then he would add his personal email address to their accounts so he could have around-the-clock access to their most private moments, according to the U.S. Attorneys’ Office...

Advanced Persistent Threat Actors Targeting U.S. Think Tanks

Summary This Advisory uses the MITRE Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge ATT &CK® framework. See the ATT&CK for Enterprise for all referenced threat actor tactics and techniques. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation FB...

21-Year-Old Cypriot Hacker Extradited to U.S. Over Fraud and Extortion Charges

The United States Department of Justice has extradited two criminals from the Republic of Cyprus—one is a computer hacker suspected of cyber intrusions and extortion, and the other is a money launderer with known connections to the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Both suspects—Joshua Polloso...

Austin Man Indicted for Stealing Unreleased Music from Artists

A 27-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a music producer in an effort to nab unreleased music from various artists has been indicted. If convicted, he faces 27 years in prison on charges of conspiring with others to commit wire fraud, computer intrusion and committing aggravated identity...

FBI: Iranian Firm Stole Data In Massive Spear Phishing Campaign

The United States Department of Justice announced charges against nine Iranians accused of stealing private data from U.S. universities, private companies and U.S. government agencies. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said in a statement that the state-sponsored hackers worked for more than four...

Young Hacker, Who Took Over Jail Network to Get Friend Released Early, Faces Prison

Well, "a friend in need is a friend indeed" goes a long way, but in this case, this phrase hardly makes any sense. A 27-year-old Michigan man who hacked into the government computer system of Washtenaw County Jail to alter inmate records and gain early release for his friend is now himself facing...

Updated PhD Thesis Title

Yesterday I posted Latest PhD Thesis Title and Abstract. One of my colleagues Ben Buchanan subsequently contacted me via Twitter and we exchanged a few messages. He prompted me to think about the title. Later I ruminated on the title of a recent book by my advisor, Dr. Thomas Rid. He wrote Cyber...

Latest PhD Thesis Title and Abstract

In January I posted Why a War Studies PhD? I recently decided to revise my title and abstract to include attention to both offensive and defensive aspects of intrusion campaigns. I thought some readers might be interested in reading about my current plans for the thesis, which I plan to finish an...

Chinese Penetrate TRANSCOM Amid Lack of Data Sharing

Hackers allegedly affiliated with the Chinese government compromised the computer networks of the United States Transportation Command, the group tasked with providing air, land and sea transportation services to the Department of Defense, according to the findings of a Senate Armed Services...

Chinese Hackers Hacked Into U.S. Defense Contractors 20 Times In Just One Year

Chinese hackers associated with the Chinese government have successfully infiltrated the computer systems of U.S. defense contractors working with the government agency responsible for the transportation of military troops and goods across the globe, a Senate investigators have found. The Senate...

An Unhappy Birthday For Uncle Sam On Cyber Security

Here’s the good news on America’s birthday: the last year has seen the U.S. emerge as an undisputed global leader in the use of offensive cyber operations. Averting another “Sputnik” moment, the nation’s longest running and most successful democracy blazed new trails in non-kinetic warfare,...