Cybersecurity in 60 Seconds

Club Penguin Fans Hack Disney Server, Steal 2.5GB of Corporate Data

A group of Club Penguin fans hacked into a Disney Confluence server, intending to access information about the defunct online game, but instead made off with 2.5GB of internal corporate data. The stolen data includes documents on Disney's corporate strategies, advertising plans, Disney+, internal developer tools, business projects, and internal infrastructure, some ...

NIST Commits to Resuming NVD Work with Additional Funding and Partnerships

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a plan to address the backlog of vulnerabilities waiting to be added to the National Vulnerabilities Database (NVD). The plan includes additional funding, a third-party contract, and a partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). NIST aims to restore pr...

Snowflake Database Customers Targeted by Threat Actor

A threat actor known as UNC5537 has breached several Snowflake database customers using stolen credentials, conducting data theft and extortion attacks, according to cloud security firm Mitiga. The actor targets organizations lacking two-factor authentication, using a custom tool to access Snowflake environments. The campaign, which started in April, has attracted law enforcement...

Ticketmaster Hit by Cyber Attack, User Data Compromised

Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has confirmed that it fell victim to a cyber attack, resulting in the compromise of user data. The breach was discovered on May 20, and an investigation was promptly launched. A week later, a criminal threat actor attempted to sell the stolen data on the dark web. While experts say the stolen data does not appear to be severe, wi...

VPN Configuration Under Attack: Check Point Urges Review

Check Point, a cybersecurity firm, has issued a warning to customers to review their VPN configurations amid a surge in attacks targeting VPNs from various vendors. The company observed attempts to breach its customers' VPNs using outdated local accounts with password-only authentication, which did not exploit software vulnerabilities but leveraged weaker authentication method...

Merrill Email Error Exposes Walmart Pension Plan Members' Data

A Merrill employee's email mistake exposed the personal information of 1,883 Walmart 401(k) Retirement Plan participants, including names, surnames, and Social Security numbers. The error, which occurred on April 16, was discovered six days later, and the email has since been deleted. Merrill, a division of Bank of America, is offering two years of complimentary identity...

Microsoft Ties Executive Pay to Cybersecurity Performance

Microsoft is linking executive compensation to a successful cybersecurity strategy in response to criticism from the US government and rival tech companies over its failure to prevent a Chinese hack of its systems last summer. The hack, attributed to China, was described as "preventable" by a government review board, which pointed to a "cascade of errors" and a corporate cult...

EPA Warns of Rising Cyberattacks on Water Utilities

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an enforcement alert warning that cyberattacks on water utilities are becoming more frequent and severe, with about 70% of inspected utilities violating standards meant to prevent breaches. Recent attacks have been linked to groups affiliated with Russia, Iran, and China, which could lead to the disruption of safe water supply to...

Linux Kernel Organization Hit by Sophisticated Malware Attack

The Linux Kernel Organization's infrastructure was infected with sophisticated malware starting in 2009, at least two years longer than previously known.  It has compromising at four servers, and has stolen encrypted password data for over 550 system users. The malware, known as Ebury, has infected over 400,000 servers, mostly running Linux, for the past 15 years, using m...

FBI Shuts Down BreachForums

The FBI has seized the notorious BreachForums hacking forum, a platform used to leak and sell stolen corporate data to cybercriminals. The website, which was taken down on May 15, now displays a message indicating that the FBI has taken control of the site and its backend data, including email addresses, IP addresses, and private messages of its members. The seizure is a significant blow to the cybercrimi...

Google Patches Fifth Chrome Zero-Day This Year

Google has released a security update for Chrome to fix a high-severity zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2024-4671) exploited in attacks. This "use after free" flaw in the Visuals component could lead to data leakage, code execution, or crashes. The update (version 124.0.6367.201/.202) is rolling out to users over the next week. This is the fifth Chrome zero-day vulnerability fixed this year...

Dell Confirms Database Hack, 49 Million Customers Affected

Dell has confirmed a security breach involving a database containing customer information related to purchases. The company has sent out notification emails to affected customers, warning of a hack that is believed to have impacted 49 million customers. The email, titled "An important message about your Dell information," states that the database contains limited types of cu...

US Unveils New Cybersecurity Strategy to Counter Russia and China

The US State Department has released a new cybersecurity strategy aimed at countering Russia and China's digital influence in the developing world. The strategy, announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, seeks to promote a vision of cyberspace that rejects digital repression.  The policy   includes measures that would expose hackers and propagandists, rallys sup...

UnitedHealth CEO: 1 in 3 Americans Affected By Ransomeware Attack

A ransomware attack on UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Change Healthcare in February may have compromised the personal data of up to a third of Americans, according to CEO Andrew Witty's testimony before Congress. The attack disrupted medical claims processing, leaving some health clinics on the brink of financial collapse. Despite the FBI's advice against it, UnitedHea...

Senators Call for Update to National Vulnerabilities Database to Address AI Security Risks  

Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are proposing legislation to update the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) to better address security risks from artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The bill aims to improve tracking and processing of security and safety incidents related to AI, which can differ significantly from tradi...

Lawmakers Press DHS for Answers on Water System Hacks Amid Drought Concerns

A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers, Reps. Pat Fallon (R-TX) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), are seeking a briefing from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the recent hack of a water facility in Texas, which was attributed to a group with suspected ties to the Russian government. The lawmakers expressed concerns about the potential "devastating" im...

Russian Hacking Group Claims Responsibility for Cyberattack on Indiana Wastewater Plant  

A Russian hacking group, called the "People's Cyber Army of Russia," has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the Tipton West Wastewater Treatment Plant in Indiana. The group released a video on social media, showcasing the attack, which caused some minor disruptions to the plant's operations. The plant's general manager, Jim Ankrum, con...

State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Cisco Zero-Day Vulnerabilities

State-sponsored hackers have exploited two zero-day vulnerabilities in Cisco networking gear, delivering custom malware and facilitating covert data collection in a campaign dubbed ArcaneDoor. Attributed to a sophisticated actor tracked as UAT4356, the attack involves meticulous efforts to hide digital footprints and evade detection. The vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-20353 a...

Iranian Hackers Compromise US Government Agencies and Military Contractors

Iranian state-sponsored hackers have been accused of carrying out a five-year cyber espionage campaign, compromising hundreds of thousands of employee accounts at US companies and government agencies, including the Departments of Treasury and State, and defense contractors. The hackers used spearphishing and social engineering tactics, to trick victims into c...