Latest news with #GroupIB
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Safeguarding the internet for a sustainable future: Group-IB launches its inaugural sustainability report
Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime, today released its inaugural Sustainability Report. The report highlights Group-IB's commitment to upholding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) through its contributions to cyberdefence and law enforcement, the development and empowerment of cybersecurity talent, and a strong commitment to corporate governance and integrity. In 2024, Group-IB contributed to international and local law enforcement operations by dismantling approximately 207,442 compromised computers, removing them from cybercriminal control. These takedowns also led to the arrest of 1,221 cybercriminals, shielding 65 million potential victims from fraud and preventing more than US$2.7 billion in fraud losses. These operations further prevented nearly 22.4 million kWh of unnecessary electricity consumption, avoiding roughly 10,000 tCO₂e, equivalent to the carbon captured by 48,000 tree seedlings grown over ten years. Additionally, Group-IB's office in the Netherlands now operates on 100% renewable electricity through a partnership with Greenchoice. Group-IB's people-first culture is driven by its 444-strong global team, representing over 30 countries. In 2024, the company welcomed 183 new hires, expanding its global workforce by 41%. Every employee benefits from gender-equal, market-leading pay, comprehensive health insurance, and universal eligibility for parental leave. Employees also receive a minimum of 32 hours of annual training, 100% performance reviews, and mandatory anti-corruption and human rights education. Group-IB believes that social development and digital resilience go hand in hand. By investing in people, the company helps build inclusive, future-ready societies equipped to thrive in a connected world. To this end, Group-IB continues to cultivate the next generation of cybersecurity defenders through a robust internship programme and six university partnerships, training 1,291 aspiring professionals in the past year. All employees have also completed specialised human rights coursework. These efforts contribute to a diverse, highly skilled workforce that protects customers today while strengthening the global cybersecurity talent pipeline for tomorrow. Group-IB's board of directors maintains direct oversight of its ESG strategy. During the reporting period, the company recorded zero incidents of corruption, regulatory non-compliance, or customer data breaches, achieving 100% adherence to its Code of Conduct. Group-IB also retained certifications for ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 9001 quality and information security standards, supported by regular internal and external audits and a continuous improvement framework. "For more than two decades, Group-IB has been on the front lines of the fight against cybercrime, contributing to the dismantling of the world's most sophisticated cybercriminal networks while protecting critical digital infrastructure and safeguarding the digital lives of millions,' said Dmitry Volkov, CEO of Group-IB. 'Our inaugural Sustainability Report extends that same pioneering mindset to Environmental, Social, and Governance. We are committed to aligning with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, consciously reducing our carbon footprint, fostering ethical innovation, and building a diverse, inclusive workforce. We also invest in capacity building for law enforcement agencies and national institutions, helping countries strengthen their defenses against evolving cyber threats. This report represents our continued commitment to shaping a safer, greener, and more equitable digital future for all." "Cybersecurity must safeguard more than data — it must safeguard our shared future," said Anastasiia Komissarova, deputy CEO of Group-IB. "Our inaugural Sustainability Report lays out clear, measurable ESG targets so that customers, partners, and regulators can see exactly how we pair world-class threat-hunting with real-world impact. We are refining our product architecture to reduce energy use, powering offices with renewables, deploying AI only under strict ethical and privacy controls, and shaping a workplace where diverse talent can thrive. By making our progress public, we aim to prove that innovation, security, and sustainability can move forward together and to raise the bar for the entire cybersecurity industry." The Group-IB Sustainability Report 2025 is now available here.
Arabian Business
15-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
What happens when you can't rely on GPS anymore?
From aviation to banking, agriculture to telecommunications, global positioning systems (GPS) have become deeply embedded in critical infrastructure worldwide, but a sustained spike in disruptions is raising concerns about vulnerabilities in this essential technology. Industry reports show a 500 per cent increase in GPS spoofing incidents in 2024, with approximately 1,500 flights affected daily by mid-year, compared to just 300 per day in early 2024, according to Ivan Pisarev, Regional Technical Lead – META at Group-IB. In the one-month period from July 15 to August 15, 2024 alone, approximately 41,000 flights experienced spoofing incidents. 'What was once a rare technical issue is now becoming increasingly critical, and it is already impacting not only the aviation sector but also everyday users,' Pisarev told Arabian Business. Recent incidents have included ships appearing in incorrect locations, commercial flights losing satellite signals mid-air, and even mobile phone clocks displaying wrong times — events that have been noticed in the UAE and globally, experts said. A notable maritime incident in mid-June 2025 near the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a collision when GPS interference affected navigation systems. Beyond navigation While most consumers associate GPS with navigation apps, its role extends far beyond directions to the nearest café. 'GPS is not just about where you are, it's about when you are, too,' explained Luca Ferrara, General Manager at AQNav, SandboxAQ. 'Banks depend on it to time-stamp financial transactions. Data centres use it to keep their databases aligned. Telecom networks use it to manage traffic.' Pisarev added that GPS 'quietly becomes a backbone technology for everything from aviation and agriculture to mobile networks and financial markets.' The European Agency for the Space Programme projects annual shipments of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers to grow from 1.8 billion units to 2.5 billion units by 2031, underscoring the expanding reliance on this technology. Rising threats GPS signals are inherently vulnerable due to their public nature, experts said. 'Jamming is a growing concern, and it's relatively easy to do,' Ferrara noted. 'You can think of it like noise-cancelling headphones. By broadcasting signals that 'cancel out' GPS, even a small, low-power device, the size of a walkie-talkie can disrupt receivers.' More concerning is spoofing, where devices mimic authentic GPS signals to trick receivers into reporting false locations. The surge in attacks began notably in September 2023, with civil aviation spoofing increasing dramatically. Overall, 2024 saw a 62 per cent jump in GPS disruptions over conflict zones compared to 2023 — 430,000 incidents versus 260,000 the previous year. The Gulf region faces particular challenges due to its geopolitical significance and role as a global air travel hub. 'Due to geopolitical reasons, we might expect GPS jamming and spoofing to be prevalent on a daily basis for defensive reasons alone,' Ferrara said. 'It is also possible that intentional spoofing could be occurring to create disinformation which increases the fog of war so to speak.' Regional data shows approximately 200 flights per day are currently impacted by spoofing over the Gulf and Israel. In other hotspots, such as the Baltic Sea, a single jamming incident on March 23-24, 2024, affected over 1,600 aircraft. 'Single point of failure' The widespread dependence on GPS has created what experts describe as a 'single point of failure' in global infrastructure. 'The consequences vary — from relatively minor issues like rideshare delays to far more serious risks,' Pisarev said. 'Emergency responders may lose critical location data. Self-driving systems can go off-route. Delivery networks can stall.' Current fallback systems are often outdated and inefficient. In aviation, for example, pilots must revert to communication with control towers and inertial navigation systems that lose accuracy over time. 'If an aircraft were to have its GPS disrupted, then typically, the pilot has to radio the nearest control tower, where operators would use radar to pinpoint the plane's position and keep them on course,' Ferrara explained. 'But these towers are already busy, and you can imagine how quickly that system would be overwhelmed if dozens or hundreds of aircraft lost GPS at once.' Pilots have reported false terrain warnings and various systems malfunctioning, including Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), flight management systems, and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). Next-generation solutions Industry and governments are developing alternative navigation technologies to address these vulnerabilities. One approach involves using multiple GNSS systems simultaneously — combining GPS with signals from Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou to increase resistance to spoofing. 'One key shift is toward multi-GNSS — devices that use not just GPS, but also signals from Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. This dramatically increases resistance to spoofing, since disrupting four systems simultaneously is far more complex,' said Pisarev. Regulatory bodies are also taking action. The European Union plans to enhance Galileo authentication and encryption systems, with improvements expected to be ready by 2026. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and various national aviation authorities have issued guidance bulletins on handling GPS disruptions. More innovative solutions are also emerging. SandboxAQ has developed a system called AQNav that uses Earth's magnetic field for navigation, similar to how birds and whales navigate naturally. 'We've applied the same principle to create highly detailed magnetic maps of the Earth, which our systems can use for positioning even if GPS is down,' Ferrara said. 'This technology… is already being tested with the US Air Force, Airbus, and Boeing, and showing strong promise.' The UK has made significant progress with quantum navigation, conducting a trial in May 2024 at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, where an Avro RJ100 aircraft was equipped with quantum navigation equipment that used ultracold atoms to power quantum accelerometers and gyroscopes. 'The UK has already committed to deploying quantum navigation systems on all their commercial aircraft by 2030. This technology could become the future of aeronautical navigation,' Pisarev noted. The path forward? Experts emphasised that addressing GPS vulnerabilities requires a multi-faceted approach. 'It is important to understand that active measures to counter this problem are already being taken, both in terms of improving technical solutions and in data sharing,' Pisarev said. 'It is impossible to overcome such a complex issue with a single method — what is needed is the right architecture.' His recommended framework includes: more signals than interference, smarter receivers, systems that don't lose time, and visibility of attacks through monitoring and common reporting standards. Ferrara stressed the need for faster implementation of new technologies. 'While many committees and reports have been written of late, there needs to be more concerted efforts to introduce new technologies, processes, and procedures into the operations of airlines, shippers, and logistics companies to improve resiliency to GPS outages.' As autonomous systems become more prevalent in global economies, experts believe the urgency of addressing GPS vulnerabilities will only increase. 'As we seek to increase autonomy in our economies, the issue of GPS reliance will only become more acute,' Ferrara said. 'It is incumbent on us to fortify and diversify how systems position themselves, get time, and navigate, so they are ultimately less reliant on a single piece of what has been a truly revolutionary technology in GPS.'
Arabian Business
11-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
GPS jamming, spoofing continue to threaten global infrastructure after 500% surge
Global positioning system (GPS) disruptions continue to affect critical infrastructure worldwide following a 500 per cent increase in spoofing incidents last year, industry experts told Arabian Business. The ongoing surge in jamming and spoofing incidents coincides with rising geopolitical tensions and poses risks to aviation, shipping, telecommunications, and financial systems that rely heavily on satellite navigation. 'Recent industry reports show a rise in spoofing. In 2024, a 500 per cent increase in spoofing incidents was observed,' said Ivan Pisarev, Regional Technical Lead – META at Group-IB. 'Much of this has coincided with geopolitical flashpoints and increased regional tensions.' From July 15 to August 15, 2024 alone, approximately 41,000 flights experienced spoofing incidents. Overall, last year saw a 62 per cent jump in GPS disruptions over conflict zones compared to 2023 — 430,000 incidents versus 260,000 the previous year. The Gulf region is particularly vulnerable due to its strategic importance and proximity to conflict zones, experts said. 'Due to geopolitical reasons, we might expect GPS jamming and spoofing to be prevalent on a daily basis for defensive reasons alone,' said Luca Ferrara, General Manager at AQNav, SandboxAQ. 'Being a hub for global air travel further complicates the issue and increases the prevalence of the problem in terms of people impacted.' Regional data shows that approximately 200 flights per day are currently impacted by spoofing over the Gulf and Israel. In the Baltic Sea, a single jamming incident on March 23-24 of last year affected over 1,600 aircraft. A notable maritime incident in mid-June 2025 near the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a collision when GPS interference affected navigation systems. Critical dependencies GPS underpins billions of dollars of economic activity daily, with applications extending far beyond consumer navigation. 'GPS underpins billions of dollars of economic activity every single day,' Ferrara said. 'Today, entire industries would grind to a halt without GPS.' The technology is crucial for precise timing in financial transactions, telecommunications synchronisation, and data centre operations. According to the European Agency for the Space Programme, annual shipments of GNSS receivers are projected to grow from 1.8 billion units to 2.5 billion units by 2031. 'The deeper GPS gets embedded into our infrastructure, the more critical its reliability becomes — and the harder it is to ignore these disruptions,' Pisarev noted. Emerging solutions Both public and private sectors are developing alternative navigation technologies to address these vulnerabilities. The UK has made significant progress with quantum navigation, conducting a trial in May last year at MoD Boscombe Down where an aircraft was equipped with a Quantum Inertial Navigation System (Q-INS). 'The UK has already committed to deploying quantum navigation systems on all their commercial aircraft by 2030,' Pisarev said. Other innovations include magnetic navigation systems that detect Earth's unique magnetic 'fingerprints' for positioning. 'We've developed a system inspired by nature. Many birds and whales navigate by sensing the Earth's magnetic field,' explained Ferrara. 'We've applied the same principle to create highly detailed magnetic maps of the Earth, which our systems can use for positioning even if GPS is down.' Meanwhile, the European Union plans to enhance Galileo authentication and encryption systems by 2026, while military forces in several countries are returning to training with traditional navigation tools as a precaution. Call for action Experts are urging faster implementation of resilience measures across industries. 'There needs to be more concerted efforts to introduce new technologies, processes, and procedures into the operations of airlines, shippers, and logistics companies to improve resiliency to GPS outages,' Ferrara said. Pisarev emphasised the need for a multi-layered approach: 'There must be more signals than interference (multi-GNSS + LEO + eLoran). The receiver must be smarter than the attacker. The system must not lose time. The attack must be visible to everyone.' Aviation authorities including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and various national aviation authorities, have issued guidance bulletins on handling GPS disruptions. Pilots have reported false terrain warnings and various systems malfunctioning during spoofing incidents, including Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems and flight management systems. As autonomous systems become more prevalent in global economies, the urgency of addressing GPS vulnerabilities will only increase, experts warned.
Zawya
01-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Group-IB sounds the alarm on rising cyber threats in META region
Dubai, UAE: Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime, has released its latest META Intelligence Insights Report (May 2025) offering a detailed snapshot of the region's evolving threat report highlights an alarming rise in stolen credentials and payment data, with Kenya, Turkey, and Egypt among the most affected countries. As cybercriminal activity grows more aggressive and sophisticated, Group-IB is calling on organisations across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) to adopt stronger digital hygiene practices to protect against the surge in credential theft, banking fraud, and malware-driven breaches. Key findings from the Group-IB May 2025 Report: Top Malware Families: RedLine (23.4%), LummaC2 (22.9%), and Raccoon (19.4%) were the leading tools behind stolen data. Most Affected Countries: Kenya (23.1%), Turkey (21.7%), and Egypt (12.4%) recorded the highest volumes of compromised accounts. Bank Card Breaches: The GCC region led in compromised card data (47.1%), followed by South Africa and Egypt. With the threat landscape evolving rapidly, Group-IB urges individuals, businesses, and institutions across the META region to take immediate, informed action to secure their digital environments. Proactive education, the right technologies, and timely intelligence are essential tools in staying one step ahead of cybercriminals. Read the full May 2025 META Intelligence Insights Report here. ABOUT GROUP-IB Established in 2003, Group-IB is a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime globally. Headquartered in Singapore, and with Digital Crime Resistance Centres in the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific, Group-IB analyses and neutralises regional and country-specific cyber threats via its Unified Risk Platform, offering unparalleled defence through its industry-leading Threat Intelligence, Fraud Protection, Digital Risk Protection, Managed Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Business Email Protection, and External Attack Surface Management solutions, catering to government, retail, healthcare, gaming, financial sectors, and beyond. Group-IB collaborates with international law enforcement agencies like INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and AFRIPOL to fortify cybersecurity worldwide, and has been awarded by advisory agencies including Aite-Novarica, Gartner, Forrester, Frost & Sullivan, and KuppingerCole.
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Forbes
Is The Truth Behind The 16 Billion Passwords Leak Finally Revealed?
An exclusive new analysis of the 16 billion passwords leak database. When I reported on the leak of approximately 16 billion credentials, including passwords, that involved prominent names in the consumer tech sector, such as Apple, Facebook, and Google, I knew it was a significant story. Still, I never expected it to go viral in the way that it did. That article currently has more than 2 million views from all around the world. As I said from the get-go, the findings, from CyberNews researchers, concerned a leak, or more accurately leaks, rather than a breach of any centralized database. This didn't stop others from reporting the latter, and the story blew up out of all proportion. In an attempt to keep on top of the situation, I updated the original article as soon as new information was forthcoming, including the fact that numerous cybersecurity professionals had contested the claim that the data was new, rather than a compilation or aggregation of already leaked, compromised old credential datasets. Now, Group‑IB's Threat Intelligence & Attribution team has exclusively shared with me the results of an in-depth analysis of samples claiming to contain 16 billion compromised credentials, and this is what it revealed. The 16 Billion Passwords Leak Analyzed Semyon Botalov, a cyber intelligence analyst with Group‑IB's Threat Intelligence & Attribution team, has exclusively shared the results of an in-depth analysis of samples from what it says are the leaked datasets, with me through email conversations. Botalov said Group-IB obtained samples from a repository described as containing 16 billion compromised Apple, Google, and Facebook credentials, and was part of the team that undertook a comprehensive review to verify data provenance, freshness, and potential impact of the information contained within. The investigation began by gathering every accessible sample and filename mentioned in publicly shared screenshots and chat logs, Botalov told me, and then matching these partially redacted credentials against the Group-IB stealer log archive, totalling 17 billion records in all, that stretches from 2020 to 2025. This was achieved through the use of hashed and fuzzy-matching techniques. The first-seen timestamp for each credential pair was established, in order to pinpoint the earliest potential compromise date, and then cross-referenced with the folder names and directory structures of already known of public combolists and Telegram dumps. Finally, dark-web listings were sought that purported to be selling, or otherwise distributing, the 16 billion passwords dataset. The analysis has confirmed, Botalov said, that the dataset is 'an aggregation of historic stealer‑log data rather than a freshly sourced mega‑breach,' which confirms the thoughts of many security professionals. Key Findings Of The 16 Billion Passwords Leak Analysis The bullet point list of findings from Botalov and the other Group-IB analysts, was as follows: The latest updated CyberNews report, dated June 26, states that 'the data that most likely comes from various infostealers is recent, not merely recycled from old breaches,' while conceding that the 16 billion records count 'includes duplicates, as is common in these types of compilations.' I have approached both CyberNews, and the researcher behind the original leak findings, for a statement regarding the new analysis from Group-IB and Semyon Botalov. As I have said before, while you may not want to change all your account passwords as a result of this leak, new or old, I would certainly recommend it for those credentials that you have reused across multiple services.
