Transcript
A (0:00)
From the CISO series, it's Cybersecurity Headlines.
B (0:07)
These are the cybersecurity headlines for Tuesday, November 26, 2024. I'm Lauren Verno. Microsoft 365 outage update if you're wondering whether Microsoft's outages on Monday should have been your cue to start your Thanksgiving vacation early, you weren't alone. Microsoft addressed widespread 365 outages affecting services like Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online and Outlook. The issue caused by a quote recent change has led to difficulties accessing these platforms and performing certain actions within Microsoft Fabric and Defender. For Office365. Microsoft says they deployed a fix to the affected environments, initiated manual restarts on impacted systems, and as of this recording is monitoring progress. While this follows a major outage in July caused by a DDoS attack, Microsoft has not attributed the current incident to any malicious activity. Quote Hair on Fire over China's Cyber Campaign the Biden administration met with telecom executives to discuss the impact of China's cyber espionage campaign targeting US Telecommunication networks, which may require a large scale rebuild of infrastructure. Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has raised alarms over China's persistent attacks on US Telecommunications networks, describing their severity as far exceeding previous incidents. He said China's actions make Russia linked incidents like SolarWind attack and the Colonial Pipeline attack look like, quote, child's play. Warner highlighted the attackers exploited wiretapping capabilities and stole extensive data from US Networks, while the administration's meeting emphasized sharing intelligence as an ongoing threat. China denies these claims, but US Officials have described the activity as significant and unresolved. North Korean Fake IT Worker Scheme Unveiled Microsoft has uncovered a widespread North Korean scheme where fake IT workers using stolen identities and AI generated profiles infiltrated companies globally, generating millions in revenue for Pyongyang's weapons programs. These workers have been targeting businesses through platforms like GitHub and LinkedIn, deploying phishing attacks and stealing cryptocurrency. Meanwhile, the China linked hacking group Storm 2077 is actively compromising government and private organizations worldwide, while Google recently shut down over a thousand websites linked to the glassbridge Group known for running pro China disinformation campaigns. Meta Cracks down on Scammers Meta announced it has removed 2 million accounts linked to scams like pig butchering, primarily originating from countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and the uae. These scams involve long term manipulation, often by individuals coerced into working in criminal hubs under threats of physical harm known as scam slave operations, where they lure victims into fraudulent investment schemes. The FBI reports these kind of operations are a major source of revenue for these criminal groups. Thanks to today's episode's sponsor, Threat Locker do zero day exploits and supply chain attacks keep you up at night? Worry no more. You can harden your security with threat locker. ThreatLocker helps you take a proactive default deny approach to cybersecurity and provides a full audit of every action allowed or blocked for risk management and compliance. Onboarding and operation are fully supported by their US based support team. To learn more about how ThreatLocker can keep your organization running efficiently and protected from ransomware, visit threat locker.com that's T H R E A T L O C K E R Zycel issues patch for exploited Vulnerability zyxel is warning users to update their firewalls after the heldown ransomware group exploited a command injection vulnerability to compromise devices running outdated firmware. The flaw, patched in September with firmware version 5.39, allows attackers to execute OS commands remotely and has been linked to rogue account creation for SSL VPN access. Insurance payout to New York the State of New York secured an $11.3 million settlement with Geico and Travelers Insurance companies over data breaches that expose sensitive information of over 120,000 residents, including driver's licenses used in Covid era unemployment. Fraud investigations found both insurers failed to meet New York's cybersecurity regulations, leading to penalties of 9.75 million for Geico and 1.55 million for Travelers. As part of the settlement, the companies also agreed to adopt stronger cybersecurity measures, including enhanced data security programs, authentication procedures and threat monitoring systems. UK creates AI Security Lab the UK has launched the Laboratory for AI Security Research to counter threats from adversaries like Russia by developing AI based cyber defense tools in partnership with universities and intelligence agencies. Backed by 8.22 million in government funding, the lab aims to address the AI arms race and enhance national and allied security, while warning of potential Russian cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure. The announcement coincides with tensions between the UK and Russia, with Russia threatening UK facilities following Ukraine's use of British made missiles. CISOs face a tough task. They must manage risk, but surveys show they feel increasing pressure to downplay those risks to the board. So how does a CISO do their job without getting dismissed as a buzzkill? That's what we're discussing in one of our segments on this week's CISO Series podcast. Look for the episode all your cybersecurity concerns are so adorable in your favorite podcast app. I'm Lauren Verno reporting for the CISO series.