Latest news with #DeepStrike
The National
28-07-2025
- Business
- The National
2025's biggest cyber attacks so far: Millions of customers at risk as hackers target global corporations
Germany-based insurer Allianz Life on Sunday confirmed that it was the victim of a cyber security breach and data of the majority of its 1.4 million customers in North America has been compromised. The company, a part of the global financial services conglomerate Allianz Group, is the latest among the fast-growing list of big corporations - a large number of which are household names - falling victim to cyber attacks. Tech giant Microsoft being hit by a wave of activity also made headlines this month, with the list of its affected clients still growing. Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, especially with artificial intelligence providing offenders with more ways of infiltrating systems and breaching layers of security. About 560,000 new malware pieces are discovered on average every day, according to San Francisco-based security company DeepStrike, which has an office in Dubai. The National takes a look at some of the biggest names that have been targeted by the digital underworld, on a monthly basis this year. January: 7 attacks Twenty-one data breaches were recorded in January, according to the industry watchdog Cyber Management Alliance (CMA), most notably an attack on the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, which revealed at the time it was investigating a new threat. Seven ransomware attacks were detected during the month, including on Japanese watch maker Casio and India's Tata Technologies. February: $9.5m in crypto Each day presents new threats and February escalated worries in the cyber realm, the CMA said. Five ransomware attacks were recorded during the month, while data breach-related incidents were also reported. Among the victims were companies including US delivery service GrubHub. The attack impacted personal information of a part of its customer base. However, arguably the most damaging attack was the one that befell on decentralised money lender zkLend, which said it lost $9.5 million worth of crypto to hackers - continuing the concerns over digital assets despite some "acts of Genius" from the US government to regulate them. March: X takes big hit Not even a company run by the world's wealthiest person is safe. Elon Musk's X - formerly Twitter - fell victim to what he described as a "massive" breach, which was later was termed a distributed denial-of-service attack. That was one of 13 cyber attacks for the month, plus six ransomware incidents that included one that hit Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport, wherein the government rejected a $10 million ransom demand. Meanwhile, 18 data breaches were recorded, including one at Oracle in which six million data records were taken. April: No fooling around Major British retailer Marks & Spencer headlined April's cyber attacks, hitting its deliveries, online transactions and gift card processing. Twenty major data breaches were recorded by the CMA, including one from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which revealed the discovery of unauthorised access to emails of employees and senior executives, and Britain's Royal Mail, involving about 144GB of stolen data. On the other hand, 11 ransomware attacks were noted - although six were from inconclusive sources. May: Coinbase extortion Retail majors Coca-Cola, M&S peer Harrods, Adidas, Victoria's Secret and Peter Green Chilled, a logistics company that serves British grocery chains, all suffered one form of attack. However, the most notable was the attack on crypto platform Coinbase, which said an "unknown threat actor" demanded a $20 million ransom. The company offered the same bounty to identify the extortionist. May was, by far, the most busy month in terms of attacked, with 20 and 21 recorded incidents for data breaches and cyber attacks, respectively, according to CMA data. June: Retail bonanza Aside from six ransomware attacks, June was a month when retailers remained a prime target, including outdoor gear maker North Face and luxury brand Cartier. The big names that suffered include attacks include Washington Post, where a cyber attack compromised its journalists' accounts, and Canada's WestJet, where flight operations were disrupted.
The National
28-07-2025
- Business
- The National
The Breach: A summary of 2025's biggest cyber attacks so far
Germany-based insurer Allianz Life on Sunday confirmed that it was the victim of a cyber security breach and data of the majority of its 1.4 million customers in North America has been compromised. The company, a part of the global financial services conglomerate Allianz Group, is the latest among the fast-growing list of big corporations - a large number of which are household names - falling victim to cyber attacks. Tech giant Microsoft being hit by a wave of activity also made headlines this month, with the list of its affected clients still growing. Cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated, especially with artificial intelligence providing offenders with more ways of infiltrating systems and breaching layers of security. About 560,000 new malware pieces are discovered on average every day, according to San Francisco-based security company DeepStrike, which has an office in Dubai. The National takes a look at some of the biggest names that have been targeted by the digital underworld, on a monthly basis this year. January: Starting with a bang Twenty-one data breaches were recorded in January, according to the industry watchdog Cyber Management Alliance (CMA), most notably an attack on the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, which revealed at the time it was investigating a new threat. Seven ransomware attacks were detected during the month, including on Japanese watch maker Casio and India's Tata Technologies. February: 'Just the tip of the iceberg' Each day presents new threats and February escalated worries in the cyber realm, the CMA said. Five ransomware attacks were recorded during the month, while data breach-related incidents were also reported. Among the victims were companies including US delivery service GrubHub. The attack impacted personal information of a part of its customer base. However, arguably the most damaging attack was the one that befell on decentralised money lender zkLend, which said it lost $9.5 million worth of crypto to hackers - continuing the concerns over digital assets despite some "acts of Genius" from the US government to regulate them. March: X takes the big spot Not even a companies run by the world's wealthiest person are safe. Elon Musk's X - formerly Twitter - fell victim to what he described as a "massive" breach, which was later was termed a distributed denial-of-service attack. That was one of 13 cyber attacks for the month, plus six ransomware incidents that included one that hit Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport, wherein the government rejected a $10 million ransom demand. Meanwhile, 18 data breaches were recorded, including one at Oracle in which six million data records were taken. April: No fooling around Major British retailer Marks & Spencer headlined April's cyber attacks, hitting its deliveries, online transactions and gift card processing. Twenty major data breaches were recorded by the CMA, including one from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which revealed the discovery of unauthorised access to emails of employees and senior executives, and Britain's Royal Mail, involving about 144GB of stolen data. On the other hand, 11 ransomware attacks were noted - although six were from inconclusive sources. May: Coinbase and retail bonanza Retail majors Coca-Cola, M&S peer Harrods, Adidas, Victoria's Secret and Peter Green Chilled, a logistics company that serves British grocery chains, all suffered one form of attack. However, the most notable was the attack on crypto platform Coinbase, which said an "unknown threat actor" demanded a $20 million ransom. The company offered the same bounty to identify the extortionist. May was, by far, the most busy month in terms of attacked, with 20 and 21 recorded incidents for data breaches and cyber attacks, respectively, according to CMA data. June: 'Damaging as ever' Aside from six ransomware attacks, June was a month when retailers remained a prime target, including outdoor gear maker North Face and luxury brand Cartier. The big names that suffered include attacks include Washington Post, where a cyber attack compromised its journalists' accounts, and Canada's WestJet, where flight operations were disrupted.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russia steps up offensives in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy oblasts, Syrskyi says
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 31 that Russian forces have ramped up assault operations across key fronts in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts. "(Russian troops) have notably increased activity in the Zaporizhzhia direction, where they are conducting active offensive actions," Syrskyi said following a strategic meeting assessing military operations in May. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine's Armed Forces are inflicting substantial losses on Russian troops, claiming over 34,000 Russian personnel were killed in May alone. Ukrainian artillery, aviation, and drone systems have been targeting enemy units "even before they reach our positions," he said. While Russia's main efforts remain concentrated on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman fronts in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast bordering Russia, Zaporizhzhia has seen an uptick in escalation, Syrskyi noted. He added that Ukrainian forces are reinforcing high-risk areas with reserves and intensifying firepower to repel attacks. In the Sumy Oblast, Russian forces have continued cross-border raids, shelling, and attempted sabotage missions. Ukrainian officials and military analysts warn of a possible new Russian offensive targeting the region. On May 29, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said Russia had amassed "sufficient forces" in neighboring Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an incursion into Sumy. Syrskyi also highlighted Ukrainian cross-border operations, stating that in May, Ukraine struck 58 military targets deep inside Russian territory using long-range DeepStrike systems. These included defense industry facilities producing explosive materials and combat drones. Fighting continues on the Kursk front, where Russia has deployed elite units initially intended for operations in eastern Ukraine. On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited Kursk Oblast after Moscow declared on April 26 that it had completed a military operation to liberate the territory from Ukrainian incursions. The Ukrainian military said on April 26 some of the areas were still under their control. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sumy Oblast's border area becomes main focus of Russian attacks – Ukraine's commander-in-chief
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has said in his report for May that the Russian army has significantly intensified its offensive on the Zaporizhzhia front. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Quote from Syrskyi: "The defence forces continue to hold back the enemy, inflicting significant losses on it. The enemy has focused its main efforts on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Lyman and Novopavlivka fronts and the areas bordering the Russian Federation in Sumy Oblast. It has become significantly more active on the Zaporizhzhia front, where it is conducting active offensive operations… ... We also defeat the enemy and its defence potential in the deep rear. Thus, using the means of DeepStrike, we struck 58 targets on the territory of the Russian Federation in May, destroying military facilities and undermining the capabilities of the aggressor's defence industrial base. Among the targets were explosives production facilities and attack UAVs." Details: Syrskyi stated that the operation on the Kursk front is ongoing. However, the commander-in-chief stressed that the Russians have an advantage in the use of fibre-optic drones. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian army retook 115 positions in April, Syrskyi says
The Ukrainian army retook 115 positions from Russian forces during April, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on May 1. "We use active defence tactics: thanks to these actions, our soldiers regained a total of 115 positions over a month," Syrskyi wrote on Facebook. The main task of the Ukrainian army now is to deter Russian troops in the "threatened areas," primarily Sumy, Kursk, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivsk, he added. Syrskyi highlighted the continued success of artillery, aviation, and UAVs. "In April, DeepStrike (long-range drones) hit 62 targets in Russia, destroying military facilities and undermining the aggressor's (Russian) military-industrial complex," he said. He also noted that the "18-24" mobilization project is progressing, as is the transfer of military from non-combat units to combat ones, with 30,500 soldiers moving to combat roles using the "Army+" application. Additionally, criminal offenses within the Ukrainian army have decreased by 43% compared to 2024, he said. Earlier on May 1, Syrskyi also reported that Ukrainian drones struck and destroyed more than 83,000 Russian targets in April, an 8% increase from March. Syrskyi said the growing success underscored the need to further expand drone operations. Ukraine and Russia both rely heavily on drones for surveillance and strikes. Kyiv has rapidly expanded domestic drone production, integrating them into reconnaissance and combat roles. On Feb. 9, Ukraine's Defense Ministry launched the "Drone Line" initiative to accelerate battlefield deployment. Ukraine has also developed long-range missile-drone hybrids, such as the Palianytsia and Peklo models, which use turbojet engines as cruise missile alternatives. President Volodymyr Zelensky has set a target of producing at least 30,000 long-range drones in emphasized that prioritizing drones allows Ukraine to inflict losses on Russian forces from a distance while preserving infantry lives. Read also: U.S.–Ukraine minerals deal: key points of the newly signed agreement We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
