The CyberWire Daily

The Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director. The SEC rebrands its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit. Microsoft's quantum chip signals an urgent need for post-quantum security. Chat log leaks reveal the inner workings of BlackBasta. CISA advisories highlight Craft CMS and ICS devices. Researchers release proof-of-concepts for Ivanti Endpoint Manager vulnerabilities. Warby Parker gets a $1.5 million HIPAA fine. Our guest is Steve Schmidt, Amazon CSO, with a behind the scenes look at securing a major event. Researchers explore the massive, mysterious YouTube wormhole.

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Our guest is Steve Schmidt, Amazon CSO, talking about integrating physical and logical security measures. Learn more: "Securing a city-sized event: How Amazon integrates physical and logical security at re:Invent."

Trump loyalist Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director by the Senate despite deep Democratic doubts (AP)

SEC rebrands cryptocurrency unit to focus on emerging technologies (CyberScoop)

Microsoft’s Quantum Chip Breakthrough Accelerates Threat to Encryption (Infosecurity Magazine)

BlackBasta Ransomware Chatlogs Leaked Online (Infosecurity Magazine)

CISA Warns of Attacks Exploiting Craft CMS Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

CISA Releases 7 ICS Advisories Detailing Vulnerabilities & Exploits (Cyber Security News)

Ivanti endpoint manager can become endpoint ravager (The Register)

Feds Fine Eyeglass Retailer $1.5M for HIPAA Lapses in Hacks (GovInfo Security)

How a computer that 'drunk dials' videos is exposing YouTube's secrets (BBC)

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The CISA and FBI warn that Ghost ransomware has breached organizations in over 70 countries. President Trump announces his pick to lead the DOJ’s National Security Division. A new ransomware strain targets European healthcare organizations. Researchers uncover four critical vulnerabilities in Ivanti Endpoint Manager. Microsoft has patched a critical improper access control vulnerability in Power Pages. The NSA updates its Ghidra reverse engineering tool. A former U.S. Army soldier admits to leaking private call records. Our guest is Stephen Hilt, senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, sharing the current state of the English cyber underground market. The pentesters’ breach was simulated — their arrest was not. 

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Our guest is Stephen Hilt, senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, sharing the current state of the English cyber underground market. Learn more in the report. 

CISA and FBI: Ghost ransomware breached orgs in 70 countries (Bleeping Computer)

Trump to nominate White House insider from first term to lead DOJ’s National Security Division (The Record)

New NailaoLocker ransomware used against EU healthcare orgs (Bleeping Computer)

PoC Exploit Published for Critical Ivanti EPM Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek)

Microsoft Patches Exploited Power Pages Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

NSA Added New Features to Supercharge Ghidra 11.3 (Cyber Security News)

Army soldier linked to Snowflake extortion to plead guilty (The Register)

Katie Arrington Returns to Pentagon as DoD CISO (GovInfo Security)

Penetration Testers Arrested by Police During Authorized Physical Penetration Testing (Cyber Security News)

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You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

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Credential theft puts sensitive corporate and military networks at risk. A federal judge refuses to block DOGE from accessing sensitive federal data. New York-based Insight Partners confirms a cyber-attack. BlackLock ransomware group is on the rise. OpenSSH patches a pair of vulnerabilities. Russian threat actors are exploiting Signal’s “Linked Devices” feature. Over 12,000 GFI KerioControl firewalls remain exposed to a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.CISA issued two ICS security advisories. Federal contractors pay $11 million in cybersecurity noncompliance fines. In our CertByte segment, Chris Hare is joined by Steven Burnley to break down a question targeting the ISC2® SSCP - Systems Security Certified Practitioner exam.Sweeping cybercrime reforms are unveiled by…Russia?

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Welcome to CertByte! On this bi-weekly segment hosted by Chris Hare, a content developer and project management specialist at N2K, we share practice questions from N2K’s suite of industry-leading certification resources, for the past 25 years, N2K's practice tests have helped more than half a million IT and cyber security professionals reach certification success. Have a question that you’d like to see covered? Email us at [email protected]. If you're studying for a certification exam, check out N2K’s full exam prep library of certification practice tests, practice labs, and training courses by visiting our website at n2k.com/certify.

Please note: The questions and answers provided here, and on our site, are not actual current or prior questions and answers from these certification publishers or providers.

Additional source: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/sscp   

Hundreds of US Military and Defense Credentials Compromised (Infosecurity Magazine)

DOGE Team Wins Legal Battle, Retains Access to Federal Data (GovInfo Security)

Musk Ally Demands Admin Access to System That Lets Government Text the Public (404 Media)

Cyber Investor Insight Partners Suffers Security Breach (Infosecurity Magazine)

BlackLock On Track to Be 2025’s Most Prolific Ransomware Group (Infosecurity Magazine)

Qualys reports two flaws in OpenSSH, one critical DDoS (Beyond Machines)

Russian phishing campaigns exploit Signal's device-linking feature (Bleeping Computer)

Over 12,000 KerioControl firewalls exposed to exploited RCE flaw (Bleeping Computer)

CISA Releases Two New ICS Advisories Exploits Following Vulnerabilities (Cyber Security News)

Managed healthcare defense contractor to pay $11 million over alleged cyber failings (The Record)

Russian Government Proposes Stricter Penalties to Tackle Cybercrime (GB Hackers) 

We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show.

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

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Palo Alto Networks confirms a recently patched firewall vulnerability is being actively exploited. CISA warns of an actively exploited iOS vulnerability. Juniper Networks has issued a critical security advisory for an API authentication bypass vulnerability. The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) resigns after Elon Musk’s team sought access to sensitive personal data of millions of Americans. The EagerBee malware framework is actively targeting government agencies and ISPs across the Middle East. Proofpoint researchers document a new macOS infostealer. A new phishing kit uses timesheet notification emails to steal credentials and two-factor authentication codes. JPMorgan Chase will begin blocking Zelle payments to social media contacts to combat online scams. Our guest is Tim Starks from CyberScoop discussing his interview with former National Cyber Director Harry Coker. Transferring your digital legacy.

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Our guest is Tim Starks from CyberScoop discussing his interview with former National Cyber Director Harry Coker. You can read more about Tim’s interview “National Cyber Director Harry Coker looks back (and ahead) on the Cyber Director office” and companion piece “Trump picks Sean Cairncross for national cyber director” on CyberScoop. 

Palo Alto Networks Confirms Exploitation of Firewall Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

CISA Warns of Apple iOS Vulnerability Exploited in Wild (Cyber Security News)

Juniper Warns of Critical Authentication Bypass Vulnerability Affecting Multiple Products (Cyber Security News)

Top Social Security Official Leaves After Musk Team Seeks Data Access (New York Times)

EagerBee Malware Attacking Government Entities & ISPs To Deploy Backdoor (Cyber Security News)

Proofpoint Uncovers FrigidStealer, A New MacOS Infostealer (Infosecurity Magazine)

Microsoft Warns of Improved XCSSET macOS Malware (SecurityWeek)

Fake Timesheet Report Emails Linked to Tycoon 2FA Phishing Kit (GB Hackers)

Chase will soon block Zelle payments to sellers on social media (Bleeping Computer)

Digital Estate Planning: How to Prepare Your Social Media Accounts (New York Times)

We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. 

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc

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While we are taking a publishing break to observe Washington's Birthday here in the United States, enjoy this primer on how to create a podcast from our partners at Palo Alto Networks direct from the CyberMarketingCon 2024.

Podcasts have become vital tools for sharing knowledge and insights, particularly in technical fields like cybersecurity. "Threat Vector," led by David Moulton, serves as an essential guide through the complex landscape of cyber threats, offering expert interviews and in-depth analysis.

In this session, David will discuss the process behind creating "Threat Vector," highlighting the challenges and rewards of developing a podcast that resonates with industry experts. Attendees will learn about the foundational elements of podcasting, from initial concept development to content creation and audience engagement.

David's approach integrates his extensive background in storytelling, design, and strategic marketing, enabling him to tackle intricate cybersecurity topics and make them accessible to a broad audience. This session will dive into how to present intricate cybersecurity topics in an accessible and engaging manner and explore various techniques for producing compelling content and effective strategies for promoting a podcast to a wider audience.

Join David and guest host David J. Ebner of Content Workshop for an informative discussion on using podcasts as a medium for education and influence in the cybersecurity field. This session is ideal for anyone interested in starting a podcast or enhancing their approach to cybersecurity communication.

Threat Vector, Palo Alto Networks podcast, is your premier destination for security thought leadership. Join us as we explore pressing cybersecurity threats, robust protection strategies, and the latest industry trends.

The podcast features in-depth discussions with industry leaders, Palo Alto Networks experts, and customers, providing crucial insights for security decision-makers.

Whether you're looking to stay ahead of the curve with innovative solutions or understand the evolving cybersecurity landscape, Threat Vector equips you with the knowledge needed to safeguard your organization.

Palo Alto Networks enables your team to prevent successful cyberattacks with an automated approach that delivers consistent security across the cloud, network, and mobile. ⁠http://paloaltonetworks.com⁠

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Please enjoy this encore of Career Notes.

Senior Program Manager for Governance, Risk and Compliance at Illumio, Maria Thompson-Saeb shares experiences that led to her career in cybersecurity. Interested in computers and not a fan of math, Maria opted for information systems management rather than computer science. She started her career as a government contractor. Once in the private sector, Maria moved into the Unix and Linux environments where she says "something that would totally change everything." She gained an interest in security and took it upon herself to train up and move into that realm. Maria notes it was not without roadblocks, but that being flexible helped her address those challenges and make her career in security happen. We thank Maria for sharing her story.

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Nati Tal, Head of Guardio Labs, discusses their work on "“DeceptionAds” — Fake Captcha Driving Infostealer Infections and a Glimpse to the Dark Side of Internet Advertising." Guardio has uncovered a large-scale malvertising campaign dubbed “DeceptionAds,” which tricks users into running a malicious PowerShell command under the guise of proving they’re human. This fake CAPTCHA scheme delivers Lumma info-stealer malware while bypassing security measures like Google’s Safe Browsing.

Even after disclosure and takedown efforts, the campaign resurfaced—raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing defenses against ad-driven cyber threats.

• “DeceptionAds” — Fake Captcha Driving Infostealer Infections and a Glimpse to the Dark Side of Internet Advertising

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Nakasone addresses AI at the Munich Cyber Security Conference. Court documents reveal the degree to which DOGE actually has access. Dutch police dismantle a bulletproof hosting operation. German officials investigate Apple’s App Tracking. Hackers exploited security flaws in BeyondTrust. CISA issues 20 new ICS advisories. The new Astoroth phishing kit bypasses 2FA. Hackers waste no time exploiting a SonicWall proof-of-concept vulnerability. Our guest today is Lawrence Pingree, VP of Technical Marketing at Dispersive, joining us to discuss why preemptive defense is essential in the AI arms race. Have I Been Pwned ponders whether resellers are worth the trouble. 

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Our guest today is Lawrence Pingree, VP of Technical Marketing at Dispersive, joining us to discuss why preemptive defense is essential in the AI arms race. You can read more in "How Cybercriminals Are Using AI: Exploring the New Threat Landscape."

Putting the human back into AI is key, former NSA Director Nakasone says (The Record)

Court Documents Shed New Light on DOGE Access and Activity at Treasury Department (Zero Day)

Musk's DOGE team: Judges to consider barring it from US government systems (Reuters)

Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website (404 Media)

Dutch Police seizes 127 XHost servers, dismantles bulletproof hoster (Bleeping Computer)

Apple app tracking rules more strict for others – watchdog (The Register)

PostgreSQL flaw exploited as zero-day in BeyondTrust breach (Bleeping Computer)

CISA Releases 20 ICS Advisories Detailing Vulnerabilities & Exploits (Cyber Security News) 

Astaroth 2FA Phishing Kit Targets Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, and Third-Party Logins (GB Hackers) 

SonicWall Firewall Vulnerability Exploited After PoC Publication (SecurityWeek)

Have I Been Pwned likely to ban resellers (The Register)

We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. 

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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Salt Typhoon is still at it. Russian cyber-actor Seashell Blizzard expands its reach. The EFF sues DOGE to protect federal workers’ data. House Republicans pursue a comprehensive data privacy bill. Fortinet patches a critical vulnerability. Google views cybercrime as a national security threat. Palo Alto Networks issues 10 new security advisories. Symantec suspects a Chinese APT sidehustle. Guest Jason Baker, Principal Security Consultant at GuidePoint Security, joins us to share an update on the state of ransomware. A massive IoT data breach exposes 2.7 billion records. Here come the AI agents. 

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Today’s guest, Jason Baker, Principal Security Consultant at GuidePoint Security, joins us to share an update on the state of ransomware.

China’s Salt Typhoon Spies Are Still Hacking Telecoms—Now by Exploiting Cisco Routers (WIRED)

Russian Seashell Blizzard Enlists Specialist Initial Access Subgroup to Expand Ops (Infosecurity Magazine)

EFF Leads Fight Against DOGE and Musk's Access to US Federal Workers' Data (Infosecurity Magazine)

Elon Musk and the Right Are Recasting Reporting as ‘Doxxing’ (New York Times)

FortiOS Vulnerability Allows Super-Admin Privilege Escalation – Patch Now! (Hackread)

Cybercrime evolving into national security threat: Google (The Record)

House Republicans launch group for comprehensive data privacy legislation (The Record)

Palo Alto Networks Patches Potentially Serious Firewall Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

Chinese Cyberspy Possibly Launching Ransomware Attacks as Side Job (SecurityWeek)

Massive IoT Data Breach Exposes 2.7 Billion Records, Including Wi-Fi Passwords (Cyber Security News)

Are You Ready to Let an AI Agent Use Your Computer? (IEEE Spectrum)

We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. 

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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Is DOGE a cyberattack against America? The White House plans to nominate a new national cyber director. Patch Tuesday updates. Ivanti discloses a critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability. The GAO  identifies cybersecurity gaps in the U.S. Coast Guard’s efforts to secure the Maritime Transportation System. An Arizona woman pleads guilty to running a laptop farm for North Korea. A notorious swatter gets a prison sentence. Our guests are  Gianna Whitver and Maria Velasquez, co-hosts of the Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing podcast. Plague-themed phishing tests take it too far.

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Today, we welcome Gianna Whitver and Maria Velasquez, co-hosts of the Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing podcast, sharing their plans for 2025. You can listen to new episodes of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing every Wednesday airing on the N2K CyberWire network and wherever you get your podcasts. 

DOGE's Cyberattack Against America (Foreign Policy)

Trump plans to nominate GOP insider Sean Cairncross as national cyber director (The Record)

Microsoft Fixes Another Two Actively Exploited Zero-Days (Infosecurity Magazine)

Chipmaker Patch Tuesday: Intel, AMD, Nvidia Fix High-Severity Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek)

ICS Patch Tuesday: Vulnerabilities Addressed by Schneider Electric, Siemens (SecurityWeek)

Ivanti Connect Secure Vulnerabilities Let Attackers Execute Code Remotely (Cyber Security News)

GAO Tells Coast Guard to Improve Cybersecurity of Maritime Transportation System (SecurityWeek)

Arizona woman pleads guilty to running laptop farm for N. Korean IT workers, faces 9-year sentence (The Record)

California Teenager Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Nationwide Swatting Spree (US Department of Justice)

Phishing Tests, the Bane of Work Life, Are Getting Meaner (Wall Street Journal) 

We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show. 

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at [email protected] to request more info.

The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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