Source: thehackernews.com – Author: . May 17, 2024NewsroomCryptojacking / Malware The cryptojacking group known as Kinsing has demonstrated its ability to continuously evolve and adapt, proving to be a persistent threat by swiftly integrating newly disclosed vulnerabilities to exploit arsenal and expand its botnet. The findings come from cloud security firm Aqua, which described the […]

La entrada Kinsing Hacker Group Exploits More Flaws to Expand Botnet for Cryptojacking – Source:thehackernews.com se publicó primero en CISO2CISO.COM & CYBER SECURITY GROUP.

The IntelBroker hacker has allegedly leaked a database belonging to the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), a cornerstone of child advocacy in America since its establishment in 1897. The National Parent Teacher Association breach, which occurred in March, was posted by the threat actor on May 13, 2024.  Over 70,000 records of registered users, comprising a wealth of sensitive data, were reportedly compromised in this PTA data breach. The leaked data, disclosed on nuovo BreachForums, includes a trove of information ranging from personal identifiers to financial details. 

Dark Web Hacker Discloses National Parent Teacher Association Breach 

Among the exposed data are insured data, college information, client lists, medical insurance records, and payment information. This PTA data breach not only poses a threat to the privacy and security of individuals but also raises concerns about the misuse of such sensitive information. [caption id="attachment_68309" align="alignnone" width="861"] Source: X[/caption] The impact of this breach extends beyond the confines of the PTA itself, affecting individuals across the United States, particularly in the North American region. With PTA.org being the primary platform for engagement, the breach, if true, can have severe consequences.  The post on BreachForums by the IntelBroker hacker, titled "Parent Teacher Association Database, Leaked - Download!" and timestamped May 13, 2024, provides insights into the extent of the PTA data breach. The threat actor proudly claims responsibility for the breach alongside an entity named GodLike. The data dump shared by IntelBroker reveals intricate details, including identifiers, addresses, contact information, and policy-related data.

Cyberattack on Educational Institutions

The Cyber Express reached out to the National Parent Teacher Association for clarification and response regarding the breach. However, at the time of writing this, no official statement or response has been received. Moreover, this isn’t the first time a student-centric organization was targeted in a cyberattack. Educational institutions, from K-12 schools to universities, store vast amounts of personal data, making them prime targets for cyberattacks. The educational sector witnessed a 258% surge in incidents in 2023, with 1,537 confirmed data disclosures, often attributed to vulnerabilities like MOVEit. Ransomware remains a major external threat, while internal risks stem from uninformed users and overworked staff.  Attacks, primarily financially motivated, exploit the emotionally fraught nature of personal data exposure. Common attacks include data breaches, ransomware, BEC, DDoS, and online invasions. Recent high-profile attacks, like those on the University of Manchester and the University of California, highlight the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures in educational institutions. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Будет! Russian ransomware rascals riled a Roman Catholic healthcare organization.

The post FBI/CISA Warning: ‘Black Basta’ Ransomware Gang vs. Ascension Health appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Source: thehackernews.com – Author: . The financially motivated threat actor known as FIN7 has been observed leveraging malicious Google ads spoofing legitimate brands as a means to deliver MSIX installers that culminate in the deployment of NetSupport RAT. “The threat actors used malicious websites to impersonate well-known brands, including AnyDesk, WinSCP, BlackRock, Asana, Concur, The […]

La entrada FIN7 Hacker Group Leverages Malicious Google Ads to Deliver NetSupport RAT – Source:thehackernews.com se publicó primero en CISO2CISO.COM & CYBER SECURITY GROUP.

Julius Kivimäki, one of Europe's most sought-after cyber criminals, has been sentenced to more than six years jail for attempting to blackmail more than 30,000 individuals whose confidential therapy notes he pilfered. Kivimäki, also known online under the moniker "Zeekill" obtained these notes by breaching the databases of Finland's largest psychotherapy company, Vastaamo in late 2018 and early 2019. Following a failed attempt to extort the company for 40 Bitcoins, which were equivalent to about 450,000 Euros at the time, Kivimäki resorted to directly reaching the patients via email and threatened them to expose the private information they had shared with their therapists. Vastaamo data breach is considered as the largest and one of the most disturbing breaches in Finnish history with regards to the sheer overall impact of the hacking incident. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, Kivimäki now aged 26, evaded authorities and was arrested in Paris under an assumed identity. Even during the trial, he absconded for over a week after refusing to return to prison as ordered by the court. The judges, upon rendering their verdict, found Kivimäki guilty on all counts, condemning his blackmail as "ruthlessly taking advantage of another person's vulnerability." The BBC first reported the conviction. The severity of Kivimäki’s sentence—six years and three months—marks the culmination of a cybercrime spree that commenced when he was merely 13 years old. Kivimäki was a prominent figure amongst teenage cyber gangs that operated between 2009 and 2015. He was arrested in 2013 at the age of 15, but received a juvenile non-custodial two-year suspended sentence. The lenient punishment likely failed to dissuade him, as Kivimäki was swiftly implicated in several other hacks carried out with adolescent cohorts before vanishing for years. Kivimäki’s name resurfaced in 2020, in connection to the Vastaamo hack, where after failed negotiations with the company he demanded $240 from the patients in exchange of deleting their sensitive information. Kivimäki himself led back law enforcement to him. Finnish investigators from the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP), in collaboration with Binance, followed the trail of payments to Kivimäki, who exchanged the funds for Monero and then exchanged them back to Bitcoin. The digital forensics and cryptocurrency tracing played pivotal roles in securing his conviction. Taking into account Vastaamo's position as a company producing mental health services, Kivimäki has caused great suffering or the risk of it to the interested parties," BBC cited the verdict document saying. Vastaamo's CEO, Ville Tapio, was also found guilty of failing to safeguard customers' confidential data. Investigations revealed that the company's databases were susceptible to exploitation due to inadequate safeguards. Tapio received a suspended three-month prison sentence last year, while the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman imposed an administrative financial sanction of 608,000 euros on Vastaamo. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Digital security is about so much more than malware. That wasn’t always the case. 

When I started Malwarebytes more than 16 years ago, malware was the primary security concern—the annoying pop-ups, the fast-spreading viruses, the catastrophic worms—and throughout our company’s history, Malwarebytes routinely excelled against this threat. We caught malware that other vendors missed, and we pioneered malware detection methods beyond the signature-based industry standard.  

I’m proud of our success, but it wasn’t just our technology that got us here. It was our attitude.  

At Malwarebytes, we believe that everyone has the right to a secure digital life, no matter their budget, which is why our malware removal tool was free when it launched and remains free today. Our ad blocking tool, Browser Guard is also available to all without a charge. This was very much not the norm in cybersecurity, but I believe it was—and will always be—the right thing to do.  

Today, I am proud to add to our legacy of empowering individuals regardless of their wallet by releasing a new, free tool that better educates and prepares people for modern threats that abuse exposed data to target online identities. I’d like to welcome everyone to try our new Digital Footprint Portal.  

See your exposed data in our new Digital Footprint Portal.

By simply entering an email address, anyone can discover what information of theirs is available on the dark web to hackers, cybercriminals, and scammers. From our safe portal, everyday people can view past password breaches, active social media profiles, potential leaks of government ID info, and more.  

More than a decade ago, Malwarebytes revolutionized the antivirus industry by prioritizing the security of all individuals. Today, Malwarebytes is now also revolutionizing digital life protection by safeguarding the data that serves as the backbone of your identity, your privacy, your reputation, and your well-being online.  

Why data matters 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that “data is the new oil” without reading any explanations as to why people should care.  

Here’s my attempt at clarifying the matter: Too much of our lives are put online without our control.  

Creating a social media account requires handing over your full name and birthdate. Completing any online shopping order requires detailing your address and credit card number. Getting approved for a mortgage requires the exchange of several documents that reveal your salary and your employer. Buying a plane ticket could necessitate your passport info. Messaging your doctor could involve sending a few photos that you’d like to keep private.  

As we know, a lot of this data is valuable to advertisers—this is what pundits focus on when they invoke the value of “oil” in discussing modern data collection—but this data is also valuable to an entirely separate group that has learned to abuse private information in novel and frightening ways: Cybercriminals.  

Long ago, cybercriminals would steal your username and password by fooling you with an urgently worded phishing email. Today, while this tactic is still being used, there’s a much easier path to data theft. Cybercriminals can simply buy your information on the dark web.  

That information can include credit card numbers—where the risk of financial fraud is obvious—and even more regulated forms of identity, like Social Security Numbers and passport info. Equipped with enough forms of “proof,” online thieves can fool a bank into routing your money elsewhere or trick a lender into opening a new line of credit in your name.  

Where the risk truly lies, however, is in fraudulent account access.  

If you’ve ever been involved in a company’s data breach (which is extremely likely), there’s a chance that the username and password that were associated with that data breach can be bought on the dark web for just pennies. Even though each data breach involves just one username and password for each account, cybercriminals know that many people frequently reuse passwords across multiple accounts. After illegally purchasing your login credentials that were exposed in one data breach, thieves will use those same credentials to try to log into more popular, sensitive online accounts, like your online banking, your email, and your social media.  

If any of these attempts at digital safe-cracking works, the potential for harm is enormous.  

With just your email login and password, cybercriminals can ransack photos that are stored in an associated cloud drive and use those for extortion. They can search for attachments that reveal credit card numbers, passport info, and ID cards and then use that information to fool a bank into letting them access your funds. They can pose as you in bogus emails and make fraudulent requests for money from your family and friends. They can even change your password and lock you out forever. 

This is the future of personal cybercrime, and as a company committed to stopping cyberthreats everywhere, we understand that we have a role to play in protecting people.  

We will always stop malware. We will always advise to create and use unique passwords and multifactor authentication. But today, we’re expanding our responsibility and helping you truly see the modern threats that could leverage your data.  

With the Digital Footprint Portal, who you are online is finally visible to you—not just cybercriminals. Use it today to understand where your data has been leaked, what passwords have been exposed, and how you can protect yourself online.  

Digitally safe 

Malwarebytes and the cybersecurity industry at large could not have predicted today’s most pressing threats against online identities and reputations, but that doesn’t mean we get to ignore them. The truth is that Malwarebytes was founded with a belief broader than anti-malware protection. Malwarebytes was founded to keep people safe.  

As cybercriminals change their tactics, as scammers needle their way onto online platforms, and as thieves steal and abuse the sensitive data that everyone places online, Malwarebytes will always stay one step ahead. The future isn’t about worms, viruses, Trojans, scams, pig butchering, or any other single scam. It’s about holistic digital life protection. We’re excited to help you get there.