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Welcome to Cyber Watch series for today, July 21, 2023. At DigitalXForce, our Cyber Intelligence team curates a list of the latest cybersecurity news to keep you informed of stories that matter every week.
This week’s Cyber Watch top 10 list is a compilation of stories from 50+ relevant news sources across the web – all ranked according to the risk impact. We encourage you to review these stories and take steps to protect your organization.
Introducing WormGPT: New Phishing & BEC AI Emerges
SlashNext announced a new AI bad guy in town, a.k.a WormGPT. This new AI tool allows cybercriminals to launch sophisticated phishing and business email compromise (BEC) attacks. According to a recent report by The Hacker News, the author of WormGPT described this software “as an enemy of ChatGPT”.
Security researcher Daniel Kelley also acknowledged that “this tool presents itself as a blackhat alternative to GPT models, designed specifically for malicious activities such as automating the creation of highly convincing fake emails, personalized to the recipient.”.
Another Case of Data Leak – VirusTotal
Security Week and The Hacker News reported yet another data breach. This time, hackers targeted registered customer details of VirusTotal users.
VirusTotal, a popular threat analysis service recently had a data leak that exposed information on 5,600 of its premium customers. The exposed information included names and email addresses, and some of the records were associated with government organizations around the world.
Japanese Users Suffer As Android Spynote Attacks Electric & Water Utility
Attention, all electric and water utility users in Japan! McAfee Labs reported a new Android spy tool called Spynote which has been found targeting users of electric and water utilities in Japan.
This malware can steal your personal and financial information, as well as track your location. If you think you may have been infected, act now! Uninstall any apps you don’t recognize, and scan your device with a reputable antivirus program.
Google Takes Action, Creates Dedicated Red Team for AI Attacks
According to Security Week, Google has created a red team of AI experts to test attacks on its AI systems. This is a major development, as it shows that Google is taking the security of its AI systems seriously. The red team will be tasked with identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in Google’s AI systems.
This could help Google to prevent future attacks on its AI systems. However, this is also a cause for alarm. If Google’s AI systems are vulnerable to attack, then other AI systems could be vulnerable as well. This could have serious consequences, as AI systems are becoming increasingly important in our lives.
PokeStar Customers Suffer Data Leak As Hackers Wreak Havoc
Attention, all PokerStars users! Your personal information may have been exposed in a major data breach. The breach exposed 110,291 individuals, including their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. If you are a PokerStars user, you need to act now!
According to a recent report by Cyber News, the breach was caused by a vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer application, which PokerStars used to transfer data between its servers. The vulnerability allowed an unauthorized third party to copy files from PokerStars’ servers. The files contained personal user details, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers.
This is a major security breach, and it’s a reminder that no one is immune to cyberattacks. If you are a PokerStars user, you need to take action to protect your personal information.
Security Community Loses a Legend – Kevin Mitnick
A recent Cybersecurity News report revealed that Kevin Mitnick, the legendary hacker who was once the FBI’s Most Wanted Cybercriminal, has died at the age of 59. Mitnick’s death is a loss to the security community. He was a brilliant hacker who had a deep understanding of computer security.
He was also a charismatic figure who inspired many people to learn about hacking. His legacy will live on for many years to come. Here’s a fun fact about Kevin Mitnick: He used to whistle into phone lines to trick them into thinking he was someone else. This allowed him to access unauthorized systems.
From notorious cyber exploits to being a reformed security consultant, he’s done it all. Rest in peace, Kevin Mitnick. You will be missed.
Intellexa & Cytrox Blacklisted by U.S. Government
According to a recent CNBC report, the US government has blacklisted two European spyware firms, Intellexa and Cytrox, for building software to spy on Meta users, politicians, activists, and journalists around the world. This is a major blow to the two companies, as it will make it much more difficult for them to obtain the US technology they need to develop their spyware.
This is a significant development in the fight against cyberwarfare. It shows that the US government is committed to protecting its citizens from being targeted by foreign governments.
Rise of Mallox Ransomware Menace Reaches 174%
Cyware reported that Mallox ransomware activity has surged by 174% in 2023. The malware, which has been around since 2021, is delivered via phishing emails containing malicious OneNote files.
Once infected, Mallox encrypts files and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. The recent surge in Mallox activity is a clear indicator of the evolving threat landscape, and organizations need to be aware of the risks and take steps to protect themselves.
Hackers Strike, Exploit Critical Citrix Zero-Day Flaw
Cybersecurity News reported recently that Hackers are exploiting a critical zero-day flaw in Citrix NetScaler appliances to deploy webshells. The flaw, which was discovered by security researchers at Positive Technologies, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected devices.
Once a webshell is in place, attackers can gain full control of the appliance and use it to launch further attacks. Act now, safeguard your digital assets.
The Generative AI Boom: Plurilock Launches “Guardrails”
Plurilock, a Canadian cybersecurity provider, has launched a new product called PromptGuard that aims to prevent sensitive data from inadvertently being sent to generative AI platforms.
InfoSecurity Magazine reported that PromptGuard is an AI-driven cloud access security broker (CASB) that supports employee AI use while ensuring that sensitive data is not released to AI systems.
That’s all for today. See you next week!