Latest news with #RansomHub
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
INE Security Alert: $16.6 Billion in Cyber Losses Underscore Critical Need for Advanced Security Training
New FBI Data Reveals Organizations Need Deeper Technical Expertise to Detect, Contain, and Remediate Advanced Attacks CARY, N.C., June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- INE Security, a global leader in cybersecurity training and certification, is emphasizing the urgent need for technical cybersecurity professionals who can detect, analyze, and neutralize threats once they've bypassed initial defenses. The FBI's latest Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report reveals a stark reality: cybercriminals extracted a record $16.6 billion from victims in 2024, representing a 33% increase over the previous year. While these losses include both individual and organizational victims, the enterprise-focused attacks highlighted in the report underscore a critical skills gap. The Technical Challenge Behind the Numbers While the FBI report captures the financial damage, the underlying technical reality is more complex: Ransomware Evolution: The 18% surge in critical infrastructure attacks, led by sophisticated variants like Akira, LockBit, and RansomHub, demonstrates that modern ransomware operators are using advanced techniques, including lateral movement, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration that require specialized detection and response skills. Post-Compromise Detection: The $2.77 billion in Business Email Compromise losses, which primarily target organizations, represent successful attacks that evaded initial security controls. Organizations need security professionals trained in forensic analysis, network traffic analysis, and incident response to identify and contain these threats after they've gained initial access. Cryptocurrency Attack Complexity: The 66% spike in cryptocurrency fraud ($9.3 billion total) includes attacks on both individual and organizational victims, but reflects increasingly sophisticated blockchain analysis requirements and the need for security teams trained in cryptocurrency forensics and threat hunting methodologies. INE Security's Technical Training Response "While the FBI report captures losses across all victim types, the enterprise-focused attacks demonstrate that organizations face increasingly sophisticated threats that require advanced defensive capabilities," said Dara Warn, CEO of INE Security. "Organizations need security professionals with hands-on technical skills to hunt threats, analyze malware, and respond to incidents with deep technical expertise." INE Security's enterprise training programs address the post-breach reality through: Advanced Threat Detection Labs: Hands-on training with current CVEs and attack techniques, enabling security teams to recognize and analyze the specific TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) used by ransomware groups and advanced persistent threats. Incident Response and Forensics Training: Practical skills in malware analysis, memory forensics, and network traffic analysis that enable rapid threat identification and containment once attackers have gained access. Threat Hunting Methodologies: Proactive detection techniques that help security teams identify compromise indicators before attacks reach their intended objectives. Industry-Specific Attack Simulation: Customized training environments that replicate the specific threats facing manufacturing, healthcare, government, and financial sectors—the industries most heavily targeted according to the FBI data. The Skills Gap Reality The FBI report's emphasis on successful Operation Level Up, which saved victims $285.6 million through proactive identification, underscores the value of skilled security professionals who can proactively hunt threats and analyze complex attack patterns. "The difference between a $10,000 security incident and a $10 million breach often comes down to detection speed and response capability," emphasized Warn. "Organizations with certified security professionals trained in advanced technical skills detect threats in hours rather than months." Enterprise Training That Addresses Real Threats INE Security's enterprise programs are designed around the technical realities revealed in the FBI report: Malware Analysis Training: Hands-on experience with current ransomware families and attack techniques Network Security Monitoring: Advanced skills in detecting lateral movement and data exfiltration Cryptocurrency Forensics: Specialized training in blockchain analysis and cryptocurrency threat hunting Custom Threat Simulation: Industry-specific attack scenarios based on actual threat intelligence For organizations looking to build the technical security capabilities needed to combat the sophisticated threats highlighted in the FBI IC3 report, INE Security offers customized enterprise training solutions. Organizations can request a demo to explore how advanced security training may enhance their detection and response capabilities. About INE Security INE Security is the premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity training and cybersecurity certifications. Harnessing a powerful hands-on lab platform, cutting-edge technology, a global video distribution network, and world-class instructors, INE Security is trusted by Fortune 500 companies worldwide for their cybersecurity training needs, and by IT professionals looking to advance their careers. INE Security's suite of learning paths offers an incomparable depth of expertise across cybersecurity education and is committed to delivering advanced technical training while also lowering the barriers worldwide for those looking to enter and excel in an IT career. ContactKathryn BrownINE Securitykbrown@ Logo - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE INE Security Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘RansomHub' behind CCSD cybersecurity incident that impacted thousands of student, staff data in July 2024
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County School District provided an update Tuesday regarding a cybersecurity incident that occurred in July 2024. The district said it conducted a 'thorough investigation' with external cybersecurity experts and found that a cybercriminal group known as RansomHub gained unauthorized access for roughly four days, July 16-19, impacting 20,653 students and staff dating back to 2005. When the incident was discovered, CCSD said it acted immediately to contain the threat, secure its network, and initiate a detailed forensic review. 'While the district does not publicly disclose specific vulnerabilities or methods used in the breach, we can confirm that the exploited vulnerability has been fully remediated, and our systems have undergone significant security upgrades to prevent future incidents,' the district said in a news release. The district said it did not pay a ransom or engage in negotiations with the cybercriminals at any point. Personal information compromised in the breach varied by individual. The district said it completed an exhaustive review to identify and notify those individuals whose information was affected. 'Notifications were recently mailed directly to impacted individuals and included specific details on the types of information involved, along with tailored guidance,' CCSD said. The district said it is offering complimentary identity protection services, including credit monitoring, identity theft recovery assistance, and a $1,000,000 insurance reimbursement policy to support those affected. District officials said individuals who were confirmed to have been impacted and received a letter are encouraged to take advantage of the protection services and to contact the dedicated call center at 1-877-522-6813 with any questions. Representatives will be available to provide assistance on that line between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
Forbes
17-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
19 Tech Experts Detail Emerging APT Tactics (And How To Prepare)
getty The thought of a successful cyberattack is a sobering one for any business, but even more alarming are advanced persistent threats. Through these sophisticated attacks, a bad actor infiltrates a network and is able to linger for an extended period of time, undetected, accessing sensitive data, disrupting operations or even conducting ongoing surveillance. Carefully planned and often tailored to specific industries and technologies, APTs are evolving and growing in number, with cloud migration, remote workplaces and increased reliance on third-party vendors expanding the attack surface. Below, members of Forbes Technology Council detail emerging APT tactics digital organizations must be ready for and how to prepare. Browsers have emerged as a significant threat vector. The significant majority of our work time is spent within browsers. As the use of SaaS applications continues to grow, the number of locations where sensitive data is stored expands, making it more challenging to secure data and leaving IT and security teams struggling to keep up. Our inability to mitigate browser-based threats poses critical risk for our organizations. - John Carse, SquareX Threat actors are weaponizing EDR bypass tools (or 'EDR killers') to launch their attacks, as seen in recent attempts by RansomHub. Threats that evade perimeter controls, however, must still cross the network—which can't be tampered with. Have a layered defense that includes network visibility to identify unusual patterns that could indicate malicious behaviors so attackers have nowhere to hide. - Rob Greer, ExtraHop Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? AI supports every phase of an attack, including command-and-control (C2) beaconing. If your security mostly relies on machine learning systems based on rules and known indicators, you're exposed. Most enterprises should expect their counterparties to be repeatedly hacked—until we all embrace adaptive deep learning as a defense. - Evan Powell, Deep Tempo APT groups will weaponize deepfake-driven phishing even further. AI-generated voices and videos will impersonate executives, bypassing traditional identity verification and social engineering defenses. Organizations must implement multifactor biometric authentication, behavioral analytics and AI-driven anomaly detection that can flag even the most subtle inconsistencies. - Aditya Patel, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud collaboration tools are increasingly being weaponized. Attackers 'live off the land' using trusted platforms like Microsoft 365 to evade detection. To combat this, organizations should implement strong multifactor authentication and behavioral analytics for cloud environments and train employees to recognize suspicious activity in the tools they rely on for daily collaboration. - Gergo Vari, Lensa, Inc. Advances in generative AI have become sophisticated, making social engineering attacks more convincing and challenging to detect. Identity-driven security, such as phishing-resistant authentication and verification, plays a crucial role in mitigating social engineering attacks by focusing on verifying and validating the identities of users and entities involved in digital interactions. - Venkat Viswanathan, Okta APTs are increasingly targeting backup and disaster recovery systems to sabotage recovery efforts. Organizations must implement immutable backups, enforce zero-trust access, regularly test recovery plans and use AI-driven threat detection to ensure cyber resilience. - Aliasgar Dohadwala, Visiontech Systems International LLC APT groups are increasingly leveraging infostealer malware to harvest credentials and session cookies, allowing them to bypass multifactor authentication and maintain stealthy access. To defend against this, organizations must monitor for stolen credentials, detect and invalidate compromised sessions, and enforce adaptive authentication to prevent attackers from exploiting legitimate user identities. - Damon Fleury, SpyCloud A rising APT tactic is supply chain attacks, where hackers exploit third-party vendors and software dependencies to breach networks. To counter this, organizations must conduct strict vendor assessments, enforce zero-trust security, implement continuous monitoring and strengthen incident response to safeguard critical systems and data. - Sanjoy Sarkar, First Citizens Bank While open-source AI models are a goldmine for software developers, they are equally attractive to cybercriminals for embedding malware. Organizations need to be able to discover which models are being used within their applications, and how they're being used, to screen them for security risks and enforce policies over which models can and cannot be used. - Varun Badhwar, Endor Labs Prepare for AI-driven APTs that autonomously adapt to security defenses. These attacks learn from detection attempts and modify their techniques to remain hidden. Prepare by implementing AI-based defense systems, conducting adversarial simulations, developing response playbooks, embracing zero-trust architecture and investing in threat intelligence for early warnings of new attack methods. - Priya Mohan, KPMG An emerging APT tactic is adversarial AI attacks, where threat actors manipulate machine learning models to evade detection or generate false insights. Organizations should prepare by securing AI training data, implementing robust anomaly detection and continuously stress-testing models against adversarial inputs. Strengthening AI governance and investing in explainable AI will enhance resilience. - Sai Vishnu Vardhan Machapatri, Vernus Technologies Attackers are deploying zero-click exploits—which require no user interaction—to infiltrate mobile devices, Internet of Things systems and critical infrastructure. Enterprises need continuous endpoint monitoring, hardware-level security enforcement and AI-driven anomaly detection for connected devices. - Vamsi Krishna Dhakshinadhi, GrabAgile Inc. An emerging APT tactic involves targeting unmanaged digital assets (that is, shadow IT) and poisoning AI training data to manipulate outcomes. Organizations should conduct regular audits to identify and secure shadow IT, enforce strict governance over digital tools, validate AI data pipelines and implement anomaly detection to ensure data integrity before model training. - Mark Mahle, NetActuate, Inc. A new APT tactic to watch for is adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks, where threat actors intercept and manipulate real-time communications to bypass authentication and hijack sessions. To prepare, organizations should implement phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, monitor session integrity and deploy AI-driven anomaly detection to flag unauthorized access attempts before they escalate. - Roman Vinogradov, Improvado APTs will increasingly target data governance gaps rather than technical systems. Organizations should prepare by establishing comprehensive data inventories and clear data lineage. When you know what data you have, who can access it and how it flows through systems, you eliminate the 'dark corners' where threats hide. - Nick Hart, Data Foundation Organizations must prepare for 'AI poisoning,' where attackers manipulate machine learning models by injecting corrupted data into training sets. This can lead to biased and incorrect results, eventually distorting fraud detection and security defenses. Organizations must implement robust data validation pipelines and regularly and proactively audit AI models for anomalies. - Harini Shankar Cloud-native attack chains are a rising advanced persistent threat trend. These use cloud services for stealthy, complex attacks that evade traditional defenses. Organizations must implement cloud workload protection (CWP), continuous API monitoring and SIEM that correlates cloud-native logs. Microsegmentation and least-privilege access are also vital to limit lateral movement. - Pradeep Kumar Muthukamatchi, Microsoft Attackers with long-term footholds in networks performing data exfiltration are a major concern. To combat this, businesses should implement zero-trust architectures to limit lateral movement and use next-generation firewalls that analyze traffic patterns to new or untrusted locations. - Imran Aftab, 10Pearls
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hackers slam Michigan tribe for not negotiating after cyberattack forced casinos to close
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The showdown between a group of hackers and a Michigan tribe is far from over, even as the tribe prepares to reopen its chain of casinos following an 18-day shutdown. Michigan casino chain forced to shut down after ransomware attack A group called has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack and submitted a letter to the on Feb. 16 to provide its 'side of the events.' The hacker group said it has made 'multiple attempts' to contact the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and said reports that they are demanding $5 million in ransom are false. 'They have received detailed instructions via phone voicemails, corporate and personal emails and internal network messages,' RansomHub . 'Despite these numerous efforts, no representative from the Sault Tribe has initiatives any communication with us. Therefore, the reported $5 million ransom figure is purely speculative, as no negotiations have taken place.' The attack was first discovered on Feb. 9, forcing the tribe to promptly . The Sault Ste. Marie location is set to open Wednesday. The St. Ignace casino will open at noon Friday. The other three locations, in Manistique, Christmas and Hessel, will open at noon March 3. Kewadin announces plans to reopen casinos weeks after ransomware attack RansomHub claims it has possession of more than 100 gigabytes of confidential data. Tribal Chairman Austin Lowes said the tribe is still working to determine the extent of what private data was stolen, but did confirm that his personal information and the private data of his family members was exposed. 'The financial situation of the tribe is sufficient to cover the expenses associated with this cyberattack,' the RansomHub letter read. 'The tribe's failure to act raises serious questions about its leaderships priorities and intentions regarding this matter.' Lowes has not made any mention of demands from the hackers or whether the two sides have negotiated a possible deal. Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter The ransomware focused on the tribe's computer networks and internal phone systems. In addition to shutting down the tribe's five casinos, it severely limited all sorts of tribal services, including its health centers. is a type of malicious hardware that locks users out of computer files, systems or networks and 'demands a ransom' to get it back. The FBI says there are several ways to unknowingly download ransomware onto a computer — anything from opening an email attachment, a pop-up ad or even visiting a website that has embedded malware. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KELA Releases State of Cybercrime 2024: The Alarming Rise of Infostealers and Ransomware & Predictions for 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KELA, the global leader in cyber intelligence, has released its annual State of Cybercrime 2024 report, offering an in-depth analysis of the past year's most pressing cyber threats and intelligence-driven predictions for 2025. The report uncovers the evolving landscape of cybercrime, with attackers forming alliances, leveraging artificial intelligence, and shifting towards new monetization models that challenge traditional security measures. "Cybercrime has reached an unprecedented level of sophistication, with attackers continuously adapting and evolving their tactics," said David Carmiel, CEO of KELA. "The surge in infostealers and ransomware, along with the increasing use of AI-driven threats, highlights the urgent need for organizations to rethink their security postures and adopt a more proactive intelligence-led approach." One of the most alarming trends identified in the report is the continued dominance of infostealer malware as a primary initial access vector. In 2024 alone, KELA tracked over 4.3 million infected machines worldwide, resulting in more than 330 million compromised credentials. Attackers are using these credentials to fuel sophisticated ransomware campaigns and large-scale data breaches. Meanwhile, ransomware operations continued to expand, with over 5,230 victims tracked throughout the year. Notably, the RansomHub ransomware group surpassed LockBit as the most prolific actor, while cybercriminals increasingly moved towards data extortion tactics beyond traditional encryption. Beyond ransomware and infostealers, the report highlights a growing convergence between state-sponsored actors, hacktivists, and traditional cybercriminal groups. Over 200 new hacktivist groups emerged, conducting more than 3,500 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, often in response to geopolitical events. The intersection of cybercrime and geopolitics has blurred attribution lines, making it even more difficult for organizations to track and mitigate threats effectively. AI-related cyber risks also intensified in 2024, with cybercriminals jailbreaking large language models (LLMs), stealing credentials for AI-driven platforms, and utilizing deepfakes for fraud and influence campaigns. "Cybercriminals are becoming more strategic, leveraging AI-driven automation, targeting supply chains, and exploiting new vulnerabilities at an alarming pace," said David Carmiel, CEO of KELA. "Organizations must shift from a reactive stance to a proactive, intelligence-driven approach. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners and customers to strengthen their security posture and stay ahead of cyber threats. KELA's expertise in cybercrime intelligence provides security teams with the foresight and actionable insights needed to counter evolving threats before they escalate." The State of Cybercrime 2024 report is now available for download, providing organizations with crucial insights into emerging threats, defensive strategies, and expert predictions for the cybersecurity landscape in 2025, helping businesses stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated adversaries. Download Here About KELAKELA is an Intelligence-Driven Threat Exposure Management company, redefining how organizations detect, monitor, and mitigate external threats. Our proprietary CTI Platform, combined with External Attack Surface and Third-Party Risk Management, provides real-time access to cybercriminal activity in the Deep and Dark Web. This empowers organizations to proactively reduce their exposure at any scale—from enterprises to national security. Learn more at Logo: For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:Ben Kaponbenk@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE KELA
