ChatGPT accused of breaking data protection rules

Italys Data Protection Authority GPDP has uncovered data privacy violations related to collecting personal data and age protections after an inquiry into OpenAI’s ChatGPT. OpenAI has 30 days to respond with a defense. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence AI chatbot that can engage in conversatio...

A week in security (December 25 – December 31)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: How to recognize AI-generated phishing mails How ransomware operators try to stay under the radar 4 sneaky scams from 2023 The top 4 ransomware gang failures of 2023 Have a safe 2024! Our business solutions remove all remnants of ransomware and prevent you from...

The sound of you typing on your keyboard could reveal your password

As if password authentications coffin needed any more nails, researchers in the UK have discovered yet another way to hammer one in. The technique, developed at Durham University, the University of Surrey, and Royal Holloway University of London, builds on previous work to produce a more accurate...

Meta’s Purple Llama wants to test safety risks in AI models

Meta has announced Purple Llama, a project that aims to "bring together tools and evaluations to help the community build responsibly with open generative AI models." Generative Artificial Intelligence AI models have been around for years and their main function, compared to older AI models is th...

Ransomware gang files SEC complaint about victim

In what seems to be a new twist on the ransomware theme, the notorious ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group has filed a complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission SEC about the software company MeridianLink. ALPHV is one of the most active ransomware-as-a-service RaaS operators and...

The main causes of ransomware reinfection

A few months ago, we wrote about a ransomware reinfection incident. Ransomware reinfection arguably could be even worse than being a first time victim. Unfortunately it happens more often than you may think. Research shows that in 2022, more than a third 38% of surveyed organizations fell victim ...

Cisco VPNs without MFA are under attack by ransomware operator

The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team PSIRT has posted a blog about Akira ransomware targeting VPNs without Multi-Factor Authentication MFA. The Cisco team states that it is aware of reports of the Akira ransomware group going specifically after Cisco VPNs that are not configured for...

Meal delivery service PurFoods announces major data breach

An organisation that provides home delivery meals has revealed that around 1.2 million people's personal data may be at risk, after the company suffered a ransomware attack earlier in the year. PurFoods, which offers up a service called Moms Meals, helps to provide meals for folks in a variety of...

A week in security (August 14 - August 20)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Attackers demand ransoms for stolen LinkedIn accounts Patch now! Citrix Sharefile joins the list of actively exploited file sharing software Exchange Server security updates updated Catching up with WoofLocker, the most elaborate traffic redirection scheme to tech...

Several hospitals still counting the cost of widespread ransomware attack

The 16 hospitals struck down by ransomware last week are still dealing with the fallout from the attack. The healthcare facilities located in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode island, and California had the ransomware attack confirmed by the FBI. Issues started to emerge last Thursday with patient...

Old exploit kits still kicking around in 2023

The year is 2023 and there still are some people using Internet Explorer on planet Earth. More shocking perhaps, is the fact there are still threat actors maintaining exploit kit infrastructure and dropping new malware. In this quick blog post, we review two well-known toolkits from the past,...

Voter data stolen in UK Electoral Commission systems breach

The UK's Electoral Commission has revealed it suffered a compromise which has the potential to expose aspects of registered voters' data. While much of this data may already be public, there are some privacy and safety concerns to consider. First of all, lets take a look at whats been affected. T...

Tampa General Hospital half thwarts ransomware attack, but still loses patient data

The Tampa General Hospital TGH has promised to reach out to individuals whose information has been stolen by a ransomware group. In a cybersecurity notice, TGH said it noticed unusual activity on its computer systems on May 31, 2023. "Fortunately, TGHs monitoring systems and experienced technolog...

New technique can defeat voice authentication "after only six tries"

Voice authentication is back in the news with another tale of how easy it might be to compromise. University of Waterloo scientists have discovered a technique which they claim can bypass voice authentication with "up to a 99% success rate after only six tries". In fact this method is apparently ...

Criminal secure messaging system takedown: 6500+ arrests and €900 million+ seized

In 2020, we reported on how law enforcement managed to compromise a secure communications system set up by and for criminals. Now, Europol has published a progress report showing the enormous impact the infiltration of the encrypted communications tool EncroChat made. EncroChat, a company based i...

Understanding ransomware reinfection: An MDR case study

Ransomware is like that stubborn cold that you thought you kicked, but creeps back up determined to run amok again. The question is what medicine is available to kick this nasty infection for good. In this post, we'll break down the idea of ransomware reinfection and share a real-life episode whe...

81% concerned about ChatGPT security and safety risks, Malwarebytes survey shows

Seven months after ChatGPT burst into our lives, it seems the lustre of the chatbot-that's-going-to-change-everything is starting to fade. A new survey by Malwarebytes exposes deep reservations about ChatGPT, with optimism in startlingly short supply. Of the respondents familiar with ChatGPT: 81%...

Facebook clickbait leads to money scam for users

Online criminals are notorious for lurking on social media sites and tricking users into visiting malicious links. We recently observed a scheme where Facebook users are clicking on posts that lead to external websites set up for the sole purpose of scamming them out of hundreds of dollars via fa...

A week in security (May 29 - June 4)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Barracuda Networks patches zero-day vulnerability in Email Security Gateway CISA issues warning to US businesses: Beware of China's state-sponsored cyber actor Microsoft gives Apple a migraine Financial services company OneMain fined $4.25 million for security laps...

Google to pay $40m for "deceptive and unfair" location tracking practices

Google is going to pay $39.9 million to Washington State to put to rest a lawsuit about its location tracking practices which has been in play since last year. Google was accused of "misleading consumers" by State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. From the AG press release: Attorney General Bob...

ChatGPT: Cybersecurity friend or foe?

If you havent heard about ChatGPT yet, perhaps youve just been thawed from cryogenic slumber or returned from six months off the grid. ChatGPT--the much-hyped, artificial intelligence AI chatbot that provides human-like responses from an enormous knowledge base--has been embraced practically...

3 reasons to use a VPN

There are many good reasons to use a Virtual Private Network VPN, even if you are just casually scrolling. Privacy is a right that is yours to value and defend, and if you want to increase your online privacy then a VPN is one of the possible solutions. A VPN works like this: When youre connected...

New Discord username policy raises user privacy fears

Discord, the Voice over IP VoIP and instant message communications tool, is changing how usernames function in a major way soon. Many users are not keen on this change at all. What is going on over there, and why are so many people concerned about the upcoming alterations? When Discord launched...

Brightline breach hits at least 964,000 people, US records show

A pediatric behavioral health startup called Brightline informed its customers that their protected health data may have been stolen as part of a separate ransomware attack on a Brightline third-party service provider. "Based on the investigation, we identified a limited amount of protected healt...

Visitors of tax return e-file service may have downloaded malware

The IRS-authorized electronic filing service for tax returns, eFile.com, has been caught serving a couple of malicious JavaScript JS files these past few weeks, according to several security researchers and corroborated by BleepingComputer. Note this security incident only concerns eFile.com, not...

Stop! Are you putting sensitive company data into ChatGPT?

Helping to reduce costs and enhance productivity are both things that your employer will look kindly upon. But what if you use an external tool for those tasks and the tasks involve confidential data that ended up on a server outside of the control of your company? Thats a problem. As a news writ...

9 vital criteria for effective endpoint security: Insights from the 'Endpoint Security Evaluation Guide' eBook

Endpoint security has never been more important, and with the increasing complexity of the security stack, choosing the right solution can be confusing. The good news is that there is a guide available to help organizations navigate this complex landscape: the "Endpoint Security Evaluation Guide"...

Pre-ransomware notifications are paying off right from the bat

CISA Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has published the first results of its pre-ransomware notifications that were introduced at the start of 2023. Even though this initiative is relatively young, CISA says it has notified over 60 entities across the energy, healthcare,...

A week in security (March 27 - April 2)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Solving the passwords hardest problem with passkeys, featuring Anna Pobletts Food giant Dole reveals more about ransomware attack Bogus Chat GPT extension takes over Facebook accounts Ransomware gunning for transport sector's OT systems next GitHub accidentally...

Steer clear of this EE phish that wants your card details

Watch out for this piece of spam lurking in mail boxes and claiming to be from the EE mobile network. The mail, titled "We were unable to renew your monthly plan" with a likely random reference number alongside it, reads as follows: Due to a problem with your card, we were unable to charge your...

Bogus Chat GPT extension takes over Facebook accounts

If youre particularly intrigued by the current wave of interest in AI, take care. Theres some bad things lurking in search engine results waiting to compromise your Facebook account. A rogue Chrome extension deployed in a campaign targeting Facebook users is "hitting thousands a day" according to...

Facebook illegally processed user data, says court

The Amsterdam court has ruled that Facebook illegally processed user data in a case started by the Dutch Data Privacy Stichting DPS, a foundation that acts on behalf of victims of privacy violations in the Netherlands. According to the ruling, Facebook used personal data for advertising purposes ...

A week in security (March 6 - 12)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: 8 cybersecurity tips to keep you safe when travelling National Cybersecurity Strategy Document: What you need to know Intel CPU vulnerabilities fixed. But should you update? Warning issued over Royal ransomware Play ransomware gang leaks City of Oakland data...

National Cybersecurity Strategy Document: What you need to know

The US Government has been working on the National Cybersecurity Strategy Document 2023 for some time now, and its finally been released. The strategy document, which replaces the last such piece of work from 2018, attempts to indicate the general direction of the US approach to cybercrime and...

Arrested: Fearmongering data thieves who victimized thousands of businesses

The Dutch police have announced the arrest of three more suspects in one of the biggest data extortion cases to date. The men, all aged between 18 and 21, were allegedly involved in extorting businesses and selling stolen data to other criminals. During a two-year investigation the police learned...

Malwarebytes recognized as endpoint security leader by G2

G2 has released their Winter 2023 reports, ranking Malwarebytes as the leader across a number of endpoint protection categories. Based on verified customer reviews, Malwarebytes has been ranked 1 over top EDR vendors for endpoint malware and antivirus protection, detection and remediation of...

Introducing Malwarebytes Mobile Security for Business: How to find malware and stop phishing attacks on smartphones and ChromeOS

Malwarebytes is excited to announce Malwarebytes Mobile Security for Business, which extends our award-winning endpoint protection to mobile devices. Dont get it twisted: mobile devices may be small, but they have huge implications for your security posture. In fact, 73% of organizations...

Accountant ordered to pay ex-employer after bossware shows "time theft"

The case of Karlee Besse, an accountant in British Colombia, was recently dismissed by the Civil Resolution Tribunal CRT in Canada, with a judge ordering her to pay back her former employer, Reach CPA, for "engaging in time theft"--a revelation that wouldn't have been possible if not for software...

Microsoft ends extended support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 today

Time has finally run out for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise users. Microsoft will stop providing its Extended Security Updates ESU program for the OS version today, January 10. When the company ended its mainstream support for Windows 7 three years ago, it also offered an ESU program to...

Worldwide law enforcement action takes down major DDoS booter services

Criminals making use of booter services which execute Distributed Denial of Service DDoS attacks to take down websites will have to try a little bit harder today: A major international operation has taken no fewer than 48 of the most popular booter services offline. The operation, known as "Power...

Dormant Colors browser hijackers could be used for more nefarious tasks, report says

Researchers from Guardio, a cybersecurity company specializing in web browser protection, recently revealed a campaign involving a trove of popular yet malicious extensions programmed to steal user searches, browsing data, and affiliation to thousands of targeted sites. Nicknamed "Dormant Colors,...

New PHP-based Ducktail infostealer is now after crypto wallets

A phishing campaign known to specifically target employees with access to their company's Facebook Business and Ads accounts has significantly widened its net and begun using a first-of-its-kind information-stealing malware to go after crypto wallets. The Ducktail Woo-ooh! campaign was first made...

How to spot a scam

Unfortunately, scams are a fact of life online. The virtual ties that bind us are international now: Our public telephone numbers, social media accounts, email addresses, messaging apps, dating profiles, and even our physical mailboxes, can all be reached by any criminal and con artist from...

Cyberstalking, pig masks, and cockroaches: Former eBay execs are sentenced

The former Senior Director of Safety & Security at eBay, and the companys former Director of Global Resiliency, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a cyberstalking campaign. The targets of the campaign were the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as...

Kim Kardashian gets huge fine for crypto ad

The Securities and Exchange Commission SEC announced in a recent press release that it's charging celebrity influencer Kim Kardashian for violating Section 17b of the Securities Act of 1933, or the anti-touting provision. Kardashian was paid to promote EthereumMax or EMAX, a crypto asset security...

Vulnerability response for SMBs: The Malwarebytes approach

The intel you need to secure your business--delivered straight to your inbox From industry tips and best practices to the latest Malwarebytes product releases and how-tos, our Business newsletter is chock-full with the best of our business blog. Subscribe to our Business newsletter today. At...

Criminals socially engineer their way to bank details with fake arrest warrants

When an organization experiences a massive data breach, it knows at least that it needs to inform the federal government about the cybersecurity incident, get law enforcement involved, and then inform its clients and affiliates. Seems simple enough, but this process, which countries from the West...

Now it's BlenderBot's turn to make shocking, inappropriate, and untrue remarks

Last Friday, Meta unveiled its new BlenderBot 3 AI chatbot, a conversational AI prototype. The company said its chatbot is designed to learn by having natural conversations with people online. It also improves its skills via human feedback. Meta also asserts with confidence that the more the AI...

Bank fraud scammers trick victims with claims of bogus Zelle transfers

It pays to be careful where cold calls from someone claiming to work for your bank are concerned. Scam callers are impersonating bank staff, with suggestions of dubious payments made to your account. One unfortunate individual has already lost around $1,000 to this slice of telephone-banking base...

Facebook gets round tracking privacy measure by encrypting links

A form of individual tracking specific to your web browser is at the heart of a currently contested privacy battle, and one which Facebook has just got the upper hand to. This type of tracking involves adding additional parameters to the URLs that you click on a daily basis. When you click one of...