Is the banking sector at risk??

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1.Open-source software now attacks the banking sector

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Cyber security researchers have uncovered the first open-source software supply chain attacks targeted specifically in the banking sector. The attackers used advanced techniques, including attaching malicious functionalities to specific components in the victim bank's web assets. They employed deceptive tactics, such as creating a fake LinkedIn profile and setting up customized command-and-control centers for each target. The attacks involved uploading malicious npm packages, and in one case, the malware author posed as an employee of the target bank. The attacks exploited legitimate services, making them difficult to detect. (hackernews)

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My thoughts: This story got me questioning what would happen if a bank got breached seriously impacting their day-to-day operations like basic withdrawals, bill payments etc. What would that mean for citizens? What if this happened closer to home?

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2.Norwegian government agencies attacked

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Twelve Norwegian government ministries have been targeted in a cyber attack. The attack exploited a weakness in a supplier's platform. The specific details of the impact and the perpetrators are yet to be determined. This incident marks a significant cyber security concern for Norway, whose state sector has experienced previous attacks. (rappler)

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My thoughts: Third-party vendor management is a must. Remember to keep a close tab and continuous checks with all your suppliers. As we have seen before…if you’ve been hacked, chances are you will be the target again.

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3.A less beautiful story

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Cosmetics company Estée Lauder is facing a cyber attack carried out by two separate groups - ALPHV/BlackCat and Cl0p ransomware operations. The attack has resulted in data exfiltration. The company is actively investigating the incident with the help of cyber security experts and law enforcement. Both BlackCat and Cl0p gangs have claimed responsibility for the attack. The extent of the data breach and the impact on Estée Lauder's operations are still being assessed. (computerweekly)

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My thoughts: So is one ransomware gang lying or did they work together to attack this company? Intuition tells me, that one gang is lying in an effort to increase their clout. Nonetheless, we hope they can recover quickly from this one.

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4.Top U.S. officials are victims of Chinese cyber attack

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The US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, and the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, were among the American officials whose emails were accessed in a recent Chinese cyber attack. The attack exploited a flaw in Microsoft's system. The email account of the commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo, was also compromised, along with hundreds of thousands of government email accounts that could also have been breached. The hackers may have gained access to sensitive information related to meetings and internal discussions. The cyber attack was attributed to the Chinese group Storm-0558, known for its espionage activities. (theguardian)

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My thoughts: Identity compromise is a big threat in today’s enterprise. Be sure to have a solution that can identify lateral movement by monitoring user account activity. To find unauthorized parties in your network before they gain access to sensitive data, look into SentinelOne.

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PLEASE NOTE

If you are worried about these incidents happening to you, send me a message or schedule some time in my calendar and we can chat about avoiding disaster in your enterprise.

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