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Tag: cybercrime

What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 7/21/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: Woman gets 8 years for aiding North Koreans infiltrate 300 US firms

This article details the sentencing of Christina Marie Chapman to 102 months in prison for her pivotal role in a sophisticated scheme that allowed North Korean IT workers to infiltrate over 300 U.S. companies. Chapman facilitated this by operating a “laptop farm” in her Arizona home, creating the illusion that the workers were based in the United States. Her co-conspirator, Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr Didenko, ran an online platform, UpWorkSell, which provided false identities for the North Koreans seeking remote IT positions. This elaborate operation enabled the North Korean workers to illicitly collect over $17 million, a portion of which was funneled through Chapman’s financial accounts.

The scope of this infiltration was extensive, with North Korean individuals securing remote software and application development roles in a wide array of high-profile U.S. entities, including Fortune 500 companies, an aerospace and defense firm, a major television network, and a Silicon Valley technology company. This access not only generated significant illicit revenue for the North Korean regime but also posed substantial national security risks by potentially exposing sensitive information and intellectual property within critical U.S. industries. The scheme highlights the persistent and evolving methods used by foreign adversaries to exploit vulnerabilities in remote work environments.

In response to this and similar incidents, U.S. authorities have intensified their efforts to counter North Korean IT worker schemes. The Department of Justice has been actively disrupting extensive networks involved in these operations, leading to charges against individuals like Chapman and Didenko, as well as other foreign nationals. Concurrently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued sanctions against North Korean front companies and associated individuals. These actions, coupled with updated FBI guidance for U.S. businesses and joint advisories with international partners, underscore a concerted strategy to mitigate the threat posed by North Korea’s illicit revenue generation and espionage activities.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Web Application Basics – In Progress
Articles
- Ivanti Zero-Days Exploited to Drop MDifyLoader and Launch In-Memory Cobalt Strike Attacks – Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new malware called MDifyLoader that has been observed in conjunction with cyber attacks exploiting security flaws in Ivanti Connect Secure (ICS) appliances.
- CISA Orders Urgent Patching After Chinese Hackers Exploit SharePoint Flaws in Live Attacks – The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), on July 22, 2025, added two Microsoft SharePoint flaws, CVE-2025-49704 and CVE-2025-49706, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.
- Ukraine arrests suspected admin of XSS Russian hacking forum – The suspected administrator of the Russian-speaking hacking forum XSS.is was arrested by the Ukrainian authorities yesterday at the request of the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
- ExpressVPN bug leaked user IPs in Remote Desktop sessions – ExpressVPN has fixed a flaw in its Windows client that caused Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) traffic to bypass the virtual private network (VPN) tunnel, exposing the users’ real IP addresses.
- Nuclear Weapons Agency Breached in Microsoft SharePoint Hack – The US agency responsible for maintaining and designing the nation’s cache of nuclear weapons was among those breached by a hack of Microsoft Corp.’s SharePoint document management software, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
- Scattered Spider Hijacks VMware ESXi to Deploy Ransomware on Critical U.S. Infrastructure – The notorious cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider is targeting VMware ESXi hypervisors in attacks targeting retail, airline, and transportation sectors in North America.
- UK Student Sentenced to Prison for Selling Phishing Kits – Ollie Holman was sentenced to prison for selling over 1,000 phishing kits that caused estimated losses of over $134 million.
- Woman gets 8 years for aiding North Koreans infiltrate 300 US firms – Christina Marie Chapman, a 50-year-old woman from Arizona, was sentenced to 102 months in prison after pleading guilty to her involvement in a scheme that enabled North Korean IT workers to infiltrate 309 U.S. companies.
Podcasts
July 28, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 7/14/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: McDonald’s Chatbot Recruitment Platform Exposed 64 Million Job Applications

This reveals a significant data breach within McDonald’s recruitment platform, McHire, exposing the personal information of 64 million job applicants. The breach stemmed from two critical vulnerabilities: the persistence of default “123456” credentials for a test account belonging to Paradox.ai (the bot’s creator) and an insecure direct object reference (IDOR) weakness in an internal API. These flaws allowed security researchers Ian Carroll and Sam Curry unauthorized access to applicant data, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and even the ability to view and intervene in ongoing chatbot conversations. The ease with which such widespread data could be accessed highlights severe lapses in security protocols and underscores the potential for malicious actors to exploit similar weaknesses if not promptly addressed.

The incident underscores the paramount importance of robust security practices, particularly in platforms handling vast amounts of personal identifiable information (PII). The fact that a simple, unchanged default password from a 2019 test account could grant administrative access, combined with an IDOR vulnerability allowing sequential access to applicant records, points to fundamental oversights in development and testing. While Paradox.ai swiftly remediated the vulnerabilities upon notification, the incident serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly minor security gaps can have massive implications. It also calls into question the adequacy of their penetration testing, as these issues were not identified internally prior to the researchers’ discovery.

Despite the swift resolution and Paradox.ai’s assertion that only chat interactions of five applicants were accessed by the researchers and no data was shared online, the potential for harm was immense. The exposure of 64 million applicant records, even without highly sensitive data like Social Security numbers, still presents a significant privacy concern and could lead to various forms of targeted attacks like phishing. This incident should prompt other companies utilizing similar third-party recruitment platforms to scrutinize their own security measures and demand higher standards from their vendors to prevent similar breaches and safeguard applicant data.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Web Application Basics – In Progress
Articles
- McDonald’s Chatbot Recruitment Platform Exposed 64 Million Job Applications – Two vulnerabilities in an internal API allowed unauthorized access to contacts and chats, exposing the information of 64 million McDonald’s applicants.
- Google Gemini flaw hijacks email summaries for phishing – Google Gemini for Workspace can be exploited to generate email summaries that appear legitimate but include malicious instructions or warnings that direct users to phishing sites without using attachments or direct links.
- Telegram Messenger’s Ties to Russia’s FSB Revealed in New Report – The Telegram messaging app may have ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), according to an investigation.
- Louis Vuitton suffers two hacks in a week as customer data is accessed in UK and Korea – Louis Vuitton has revealed that customer data was stolen during an unauthorised breach of the fashion giant’s UK operation’s systems.
- Russian Basketball Star Daniil Kasatkin Arrested in Ransomware Probe – Daniil Kasatkin, a Russian pro basketball player, faces US ransomware charges after his Paris arrest. His lawyer claims he’s “useless with computers,” raising questions about his alleged negotiator role in cybercrime.
- Cloudflare says 1.1.1.1 outage not caused by attack or BGP hijack – To quash speculation of a cyberattack or BGP hijack incident causing the recent 1.1.1.1 Resolver service outage, Cloudflare explains in a post mortem that the incident was caused by an internal misconfiguration.
- China’s Salt Typhoon Hacked US National Guard – Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon targeted a National Guard unit’s network and tapped into communications with other units.
- Former US Army member confesses to Telecom hack and extortion conspiracy – A former US Army soldier pleaded guilty to hacking telecom databases, stealing data, and extorting companies by threatening to release the stolen info.
- Popular fitness app Fitify exposes 138K user progress photos – Fitify’s publicly accessible Google cloud storage bucket has exposed hundreds of thousands of files. Some of the files were user-uploaded progress pictures that individuals upload to track their body changes over time. After Cybernews contacted the company, the unprotected instance was closed.
- Salt Typhoon breach: Chinese APT compromises U.S. Army National Guard network – China-linked APT Salt Typhoon breached a U.S. Army National Guard unit’s network, accessed configs, and intercepted communications with other units.
July 21, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 7/7/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: Elmo’s X account was hacked and shared antisemitic and racist posts

The recent hacking of Elmo’s X (formerly Twitter) account represents a concerning incident that transcends a simple social media breach, highlighting broader vulnerabilities and the potential for weaponized online platforms. The unauthorized posts, which included antisemitic, racist, and politically charged content, not only severely damaged the innocent and wholesome brand associated with Elmo and Sesame Street but also demonstrated how easily prominent accounts can be leveraged to disseminate harmful narratives. The fact that such hateful messages were visible to nearly 650,000 followers, even for a brief period, underscores the immediate and widespread impact that compromised accounts can have on public discourse and perception. This event serves as a stark reminder of the constant threat of cyberattacks and the imperative for robust security measures across all major online platforms.

This incident also brings into focus the ongoing challenges faced by X, particularly in light of previous controversies surrounding its AI chatbot Grok and the proliferation of extremist views on the platform. The “disgusting” nature of the hacked posts, as described by Sesame Workshop, echoes similar issues where X has struggled to contain inflammatory content, including antisemitic remarks. The repeated instances of problematic content, whether through compromised accounts or algorithmic failures, raise serious questions about X’s content moderation strategies and its ability to safeguard users from harmful material. While XAI has acknowledged and attempted to address issues with Grok, the Elmo hack suggests that the platform’s vulnerabilities extend beyond AI-generated content to fundamental account security.

Ultimately, the Elmo account hack is more than just an isolated security breach; it’s a symptom of a larger, more complex problem concerning online safety, platform responsibility, and the weaponization of social media. For a character universally associated with childhood innocence and positive values to be used as a conduit for hate speech is deeply disturbing and illustrates the insidious nature of online extremism. This event should prompt renewed scrutiny of social media companies’ commitment to preventing abuse, ensuring account integrity, and protecting their users from the dissemination of harmful ideologies. The incident reinforces the critical need for continuous vigilance, technological advancements in security, and a proactive approach to combating the misuse of online platforms.

Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Web Application Basics – In Progress
Articles
- FBI warns travelers of ‘Scattered Spider’ group targeting airlines – SFGATE contributor Jim Glab rounds up air travel and airport news for our weekly column Routes
- Qantas is being extorted in recent data-theft cyberattack – Qantas has confirmed that it is now being extorted by threat actors following a cyberattack that potentially exposed the data for 6 million customers.
- Columbia data stolen in cyberattack that caused dayslong IT outage, University says – Bloomberg News reported that the alleged hacker stole the personal information of Columbia applicants.
- AT&T Reaches $177M Deal Over 2019 and 2024 Data Breaches – AT&T’s $177M data breach settlement. Check eligibility for payouts from 2019 and 2024 incidents.
- Alleged Chinese State Hacker Wanted by US Arrested in Italy – Xu Zewei has been arrested on charges that he is a member of the Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Hafnium (Silk Typhoon).
- Canadian Electric Utility Says Power Meters Disrupted by Cyberattack – Nova Scotia Power is notifying individuals affected by the recent data breach, including in the United States.
- U.S. Sanctions North Korean Andariel Hacker Behind Fraudulent IT Worker Scheme – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday sanctioned a member of a North Korean hacking group called Andariel for their role in the infamous remote information technology (IT) worker scheme.
- Russian pro basketball player arrested for alleged role in ransomware attacks – Russian professional basketball player Daniil Kasatkin was arrested in France at the request of the United States for allegedly acting as a negotiator for a ransomware gang.
- Elmo’s X account hacked to publish racist and antisemetic posts – In case it wasn’t obvious, no, that’s not the real Elmo that posted racist and antisemetic posts on Elon Musk’s X. Someone had hacked into the Sesame Street character’s X account.
Podcasts
July 14, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 6/30/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: US shuts down a string of North Korean IT worker scams

The US Department of Justice has successfully disrupted several sophisticated IT worker scams orchestrated by North Korea, leading to two indictments, one arrest, and the seizure of 137 laptops. These operations involved North Korean IT staff using stolen or fictitious identities to secure remote positions at over 100 US companies. Beyond drawing salaries, these individuals allegedly exfiltrated sensitive data for Pyongyang and engaged in virtual currency theft, with one instance involving a $740,000 cryptocurrency heist. This tactic of deploying remote IT workers, facilitated by the shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a significant evolution from North Korea’s traditional cybercrime activities, which are primarily aimed at circumventing international sanctions and funding their illicit weapons programs.

One key aspect of these scams involved the establishment of “laptop farms” in the US. These farms allowed North Korean coders to remotely control company-issued laptops, making it appear as though the workers were operating within the US, thereby evading detection by employers monitoring IP ranges. Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, one of the indicted individuals, is accused of setting up a fake software development business that funneled approximately $5 million back to North Korea and left US companies with an estimated $3 million in cleanup costs. This complex network highlights the critical role of US-based collaborators in enabling these schemes and the substantial financial gains reaped by both the North Korean regime and its stateside operatives.

The investigations also revealed a more direct form of cryptocurrency theft, as seen in the case of four North Koreans who traveled to the UAE to secure remote programming jobs. These individuals, using stolen identities, were able to gain access to company virtual wallets and subsequently steal significant amounts of cryptocurrency, which was then laundered using sanctioned tools like Tornado Cash. The ongoing nature of these threats underscores the challenges faced by companies hiring remote IT workers and the persistent efforts by North Korea to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain. The US Department of Justice is actively pursuing these cases, offering substantial bounties for information that helps dismantle North Korea’s illicit financial mechanisms.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Web Application Basics – In Progress
Articles
- US shuts down a string of North Korean IT worker scams – The US Department of Justice has announced a major disruption of multiple North Korean fake IT worker scams.
- Stablecoin protocol Resupply loses $9.6M to price manipulation exploit – A flaw in ResupplyFi’s contract allowed an attacker to manipulate token prices and drain $9.6 million from its wstUSR market.
- Hacker Conversations: Rachel Tobac and the Art of Social Engineering – Rachel Tobac is a cyber social engineer. She is skilled at persuading people to do what she wants, rather than what they know they ought to do.
- Hackers stole data on 2.2 million people in cyberattack affecting American grocery chains – The Dutch conglomerate behind dozens of major American supermarket brands said more than 2.2 million people had information stolen from its systems during a cyberattack in November that left customers unable to place delivery orders online.
- Aloha, you’ve been pwned: Hawaiian Airlines discloses ‘cybersecurity event’ – ‘No impact on safety,’ FAA tells The Reg
- The FBI warns that Scattered Spider is now targeting the airline sector – The FBI warns that Scattered Spider is now targeting the airline sector. Feds are working with aviation partners to combat the threat and assist affected victims.
- Ex-student charged over hacking university for cheap parking, data breaches – New South Wales police in Australia have arrested a 27-year-old former Western Sydney University (WSU) student for allegedly hacking into the University’s systems on multiple occasions, starting with a scheme to obtain cheaper parking.
- Qantas Confirms Major Data Breach Linked to Third-Party Vendor – Qantas has confirmed a data breach after attackers gained access through a third-party call centre platform, affecting millions of frequent flyers just as the airline industry heads into its busiest season.
July 7, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 6/9/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: 40,000 Security Cameras Exposed to Remote Hacking

Cybersecurity firm Bitsight has unveiled a significant vulnerability in the digital landscape, identifying over 40,000 security cameras globally that are susceptible to remote hacking. These cameras, operating primarily over HTTP and RTSP protocols, inadvertently expose live video feeds directly to the internet, making them prime targets for malicious activities ranging from espionage to botnet recruitment. HTTP-based cameras, commonly found in homes and small offices, often allow direct access to administrative interfaces or expose screenshots via simple URI manipulations. RTSP cameras, used in professional surveillance, are harder to fingerprint but can still be exploited to return live footage. This widespread exposure highlights a critical security flaw, transforming devices intended for protection into potential tools for privacy invasion and cyberattacks.

The geographical distribution of these exposed cameras reveals a concerning concentration, with the United States accounting for over 14,000 devices, followed by Japan with approximately 7,000. Other countries like Austria, Czechia, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and Russia also host thousands of vulnerable cameras. Within the US, California and Texas show the highest numbers, with other states like Georgia, New York, and Missouri also significantly impacted. Industry-wise, the telecommunications sector bears the brunt of the exposure, representing a staggering 79% of vulnerable devices, largely due to residential network connections. When excluding this sector, technology, media/entertainment, utilities, business services, and education emerge as the most affected industries, underscoring the broad scope of this security challenge across various critical sectors.

The implications of such widespread exposure are severe, extending beyond mere privacy breaches. Bitsight warns that these cameras are actively sought by threat actors on dark web forums, posing risks such as ensnarement in botnets or serving as pivot points for deeper network intrusions. The presence of these vulnerable devices in diverse locations like offices, factories, restaurants, and hotels amplifies the potential for corporate espionage and data theft. To counter these threats, Bitsight advises users and organizations to adopt crucial security measures: securing internet connections, replacing default credentials, disabling unnecessary remote access, keeping device firmware updated, and consistently monitoring for unusual login attempts. Adhering to these precautions is paramount to safeguard privacy and prevent these surveillance tools from becoming unintended liabilities.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Hashing Basics – In Progress
Articles
- Former Black Basta Members Resurface with New Tactics – Ex-Black Basta ransomware affiliates are now using new phishing and remote access techniques as part of the CACTUS ransomware operation.
- Rust-based “Myth Stealer” Malware Targets Gamers – A new Rust-based infostealer called Myth Stealer is spreading via fake gaming sites and malicious documents, targeting browser and crypto data.
- Massive Data Leak in China Exposes Billions of Records – Over 4 billion personal records were exposed from an unsecured Chinese database, marking one of the largest leaks in the country’s history.
- Google Warns of Salesforce Phishing and Data Extortion Campaign – Google flagged a campaign where attackers use vishing and fake tools to steal Salesforce data and extort organizations.
- Iranian APT “BladedFeline” Hides in Telecom Network for 8 Years – The Iranian group BladedFeline covertly accessed a Middle Eastern telecom for eight years using legitimate admin tools.
- New Zero-Click AI Vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Copilot – Researchers found “EchoLeak,” a zero-click vulnerability that could let attackers steal sensitive data from Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- WestJet Cyberattack Disrupts Airline Operations – A cyberattack on WestJet caused disruptions to the airline’s internal systems and operations.
- Trend Micro and Palo Alto Networks Patch Critical Flaws – Both cybersecurity vendors released patches for multiple critical vulnerabilities affecting their products.
- Hackers Abuse TeamFiltration to Target Microsoft Entra ID Accounts – Attackers leveraged the TeamFiltration pentesting tool to compromise over 80,000 Microsoft Entra ID accounts globally.
- 40,000 Security Cameras Exposed to Remote Hacking – Bitsight has identified over 40,000 security cameras that can be easily hacked for spying or other types of malicious activity.
Podcasts
June 16, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 6/2/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: Largest ever data leak exposes over 4 billion user records

The recent exposure of over 4 billion user records in China represents an unprecedented cybersecurity catastrophe, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of personal data in the digital age. This colossal leak, comprising 631 gigabytes of unsecure data, contained a vast array of sensitive information, including financial details, WeChat and Alipay records, residential addresses, and potentially even communication logs. The sheer scale and diversity of the exposed data — ranging from over 800 million WeChat IDs to 630 million bank records and 610 million “three-factor checks” with IDs and phone numbers — strongly suggest a centralized aggregation point, possibly for surveillance, profiling, or data enrichment purposes. This incident underscores a critical failure in data security, leaving hundreds of millions of individuals susceptible to a wide range of malicious activities.

With access to correlated data points on residential information, spending habits, financial details, and personal identifiers, threat actors could orchestrate large-scale phishing scams, blackmail schemes, and sophisticated fraud. The inclusion of Alipay card and token information further raises the risk of unauthorized payments and account takeovers, potentially leading to significant financial losses for users. Beyond individual exploitation, the possibility of state-sponsored intelligence gathering and disinformation campaigns cannot be overlooked, given the perceived nature of the data collection as a comprehensive profile of Chinese citizens. The swift removal of the database after discovery, coupled with the anonymity of its owners, further complicates efforts to understand the breach’s origins and implement protective measures for impacted individuals.

The inability to identify the database’s owners or provide direct recourse for affected users exemplifies the precarious position individuals find themselves in when their data is compromised on such a grand scale. While China has experienced significant data breaches in the past, this incident stands as the largest ever recorded, dwarfing previous exposures.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Hashing Basics – In Progress
Papers
- Research on insider threat detection based on personalized federated learning and behavior log analysis
Articles
- ‘Russian Market’ emerges as a go-to shop for stolen credentials – The “Russian Market” cybercrime marketplace has emerged as one of the most popular platforms for buying and selling credentials stolen by information stealer malware.
- Cartier discloses data breach amid fashion brand cyberattacks – Luxury fashion brand Cartier is warning customers it suffered a data breach that exposed customers’ personal information after its systems were compromised.
- Meta stopped covert operations from Iran, China, and Romania spreading propaganda – Meta stopped three covert operations from Iran, China, and Romania using fake accounts to spread propaganda on social media platforms.
- Victoria’s Secret hit by outages as it battles security incident – Fashion retail giant Victoria’s Secret said it is addressing a “security incident,” as its website and online orders face ongoing disruption.
- Crooks fleece The North Face accounts with recycled logins – Outdoorsy brand blames credential stuffing
- Coinbase breach tied to bribed TaskUs support agents in India – A recently disclosed data breach at Coinbase has been linked to India-based customer support representatives from outsourcing firm TaskUs, who threat actors bribed to steal data from the crypto exchange.
- Scattered Spider: Three things the news doesn’t tell you – With the recent attacks on UK retailers Marks & Spencer and Co-op, so-called Scattered Spider has been all over the media, with coverage spilling over into the mainstream news due to the severity of the disruption — currently looking like hundreds of millions in lost profits for M&S alone.
- Exclusive: Hackers Leak 86 Million AT&T Records with Decrypted SSNs – Hackers leak data of 88 million AT&T customers with decrypted SSNs; latest breach raises questions about links to earlier Snowflake-related attack.
- FBI: Play ransomware breached 900 victims, including critical orgs – In an update to a joint advisory with CISA and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the FBI said that the Play ransomware gang had breached roughly 900 organizations as of May 2025, three times the number of victims reported in October 2023.
- Largest ever data leak exposes over 4 billion user records – In what’s likely the biggest data leak to ever hit China, billions of documents with financial data, WeChat and Alipay details, as well as other sensitive personal data, were exposed to the public. Worryingly, there’s little that impacted users can do to protect themselves.
Podcasts
- Smashing Security 419: Star Wars, the CIA, and a WhatsApp malware mirage
June 9, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 4/21/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: Former Disney employee who hacked Disney World restaurant menus in revenge sentenced to 3 years in federal prison

This case highlights a serious insider threat incident with significant potential consequences. Michael Scheuer, a former Disney World employee, conducted a series of cyberattacks against his former employer, demonstrating a disturbing level of knowledge about the company’s systems. His actions went beyond mere vandalism, as he manipulated allergen information on restaurant menus, creating a dangerous situation that could have resulted in severe harm or even death for customers with allergies. This element of the attack underscores the malicious intent and the potential for real-world harm that can arise from disgruntled employees with system access.

The incident also reveals the complexity and scope of modern cyberattacks. Scheuer’s actions included manipulating menu information, altering wine region details to reference mass shooting locations, and launching denial-of-service attacks. This multi-faceted approach demonstrates the potential for a single individual to disrupt operations, spread misinformation, and target individuals within an organization. The FBI’s involvement and the subsequent prosecution emphasize the severity of these crimes and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect against both external and internal threats.

Ultimately, this case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity practices, including access control, monitoring, and incident response. The fact that Scheuer had the knowledge and access to carry out these attacks highlights the need for organizations to carefully manage employee access to sensitive systems, especially during and after termination. The potential for significant financial damage (as indicated by the restitution order) and the severe criminal penalties underscore the legal and financial ramifications of such cybercrimes.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Networking Secure Protocols – Complete
- TryHackMe – Tcpdump: The Basics – In Progress
Whitepapers
- 2025 Verizon DBIR – Read my breakdown here.
- The Sophos Annual Threat Report: Cybercrime on Main Street 2025
Videos

Articles
- China Names and Shames US Hackers, Calls Out 3 Alleged NSA Agents – Police in the Chinese city of Harbin say three NSA operatives disrupted the 2025 Asian Winter Games and hacked Huawei.
- Crosswalks hacked to play fake audio of Musk, Zuck, and Jeff Bezos – “Stop, look, and listen” is the standard advice we should allow follow when crossing the road – but pedestrians in some parts are finding that they cannot believe their ears – after a hacker compromised crosswalks to play deepfake audio mocking tech bosses Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos.
- DeepSeek Breach Opens Floodgates to Dark Web – The incident should serve as a critical wake-up call. The stakes are simply too high to treat AI security as an afterthought — especially when the Dark Web stands ready to capitalize on every vulnerability.
- Blue Shield of California leaked health data of 4.7 million members to Google – Blue Shield of California disclosed it suffered a data breach after exposing protected health information of 4.7 million members to Google’s analytics and advertisement platforms.
- FBI: US lost record $16.6 billion to cybercrime in 2024 – The FBI says cybercriminals have stolen a record $16,6 billion in 2024, marking an increase in losses of over 33% compared to the previous year.
- Cyberattack Knocks Texas City’s Systems Offline – The city of Abilene, Texas, is scrambling to restore systems that have been taken offline in response to a cyberattack.
- SK Telecom reveals cyberattack, customer USIM data stolen could be used in attacks – Scope and scale of SK Telecom attack still being investigated
- Verizon discovers spike in ransomware and exploited vulnerabilities – Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report noted a 37% increase in ransomware attacks and a 34% increase in exploited vulnerabilities.
- Former Disney employee who hacked Disney World restaurant menus in revenge sentenced to 3 years in federal prison – When a former Disney World employee was accused of changing the menus at Disney World restaurants, it made headlines. And in January, when he admitted to changing the menus — including information about allergy information that could have created serious health risks for diners — that also made headlines. Now Michael Scheuer, who faced 10 years in prison for fraud and an additional subsequent two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, has been sentenced.
Podcasts
April 28, 2025
AI’s Dark Side: The Emergence of “Zero-Knowledge” Cybercriminals
Ever feel like the cyber threats out there are like something out of a spy movie? Think shadowy figures with glowing screens and lines of complicated code? Well, while those folks do exist, there’s a new player on the scene, and they might surprise you. Imagine someone with pretty basic tech skills suddenly being able to pull off sophisticated cyberattacks. Sounds like sci-fi? Nope, it’s the reality of AI-powered cybercrime, and it’s creating a wave of what we’re calling “zero-knowledge” threat actors.

So, how does AI turn your average internet user into a potential cyber-naughty-doer? Think of it like this:
- Phishing on Steroids: Remember those dodgy emails with weird grammar? AI can now whip up super-believable fake emails, texts, and even voice calls that sound exactly like they’re from someone you trust. It’s like having a professional con artist in your pocket, but powered by a computer brain.
- Malware Made Easy: Creating nasty software used to be a job for hardcore coders. Now, AI is helping to automate parts of this process, and there might even be “Malware-as-a-Service” platforms popping up that are surprisingly user-friendly. Scary thought, right?
- Spying Made Simple: Gathering info on potential targets used to take serious detective work. AI can now scan the internet like a super-sleuth, finding out all sorts of things about individuals and companies, making targeted attacks way easier for even a newbie.
- Attack Automation – The Robot Army: Forget manually clicking and typing a million things. AI can automate entire attack sequences. Imagine a bad guy just hitting “go” on a program, and AI does all the heavy lifting. Creepy!
- User-Friendly Crime? The trend seems to be towards making these AI-powered tools as easy to use as your favorite social media app. That means you don’t need a computer science degree to potentially cause some digital mayhem.
What could this look like in the real world?
- Deepfake Deception: Your grandma might get a video call that looks and sounds exactly like you, asking for money. Except, it’s a fake created by AI!
- Ransomware for Dummies: Someone with minimal tech skills could use an AI-powered platform to lock your computer files and demand payment – think of it as ransomware with training wheels.
- Social Media Shenanigans: Fake profiles and convincing posts generated by AI could trick you into clicking on dangerous links or giving away personal info.
So, why should you care about this rise of the “zero-knowledge” cybercriminal?
- More Attacks, More Often: With more people able to launch attacks, we’re likely to see a whole lot more of them hitting our inboxes and devices.
- Smarter Attacks, Simpler Execution: Even if the person behind the attack isn’t a tech wizard, the AI they’re using can make their attacks surprisingly sophisticated.
- Our Defenses Need an Upgrade: The security tools we rely on might need to get smarter to keep up with these AI-powered threats.
Don’t panic! Here’s what you can do to stay safer:
- Become a Skeptic Superstar: Be super suspicious of anything online that asks for your info or seems too good to be true.
- Two is Always Better Than One (MFA!): Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever you can. It’s like having a second lock on your digital doors.
- Keep Your Digital House Clean: Update your software and apps regularly. These updates often include security patches.
- Think Before You Click: Seriously, take a breath before clicking on any links or downloading attachments, especially from people you don’t know.
- Spread the Word: Talk to your friends and family about these new threats. Awareness is key!
The cyber landscape is always changing, and AI is definitely shaking things up. The rise of “zero-knowledge” threat actors might sound a bit scary, but by staying informed and practicing good digital habits, we can all make it harder for these AI-assisted baddies to succeed. Stay safe out there, and keep learning!
April 9, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 3/24/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Featured Analysis

Featured article analysis: Mike Waltz takes ‘full responsibility’ for Signal group chat leak

The accidental inclusion of a journalist in a high-level Signal group chat discussing military strikes in Yemen has exposed significant vulnerabilities in the US National Security apparatus. While Signal offers strong encryption, this incident underscores that human error remains a critical weak point, as evidenced by the unexplained addition of the reporter. The debate over classified information sharing and the alleged use of auto-delete features raise serious questions about adherence to security protocols and federal record-keeping laws. This event highlights the inherent risks of using civilian communication apps for sensitive government matters, even with robust encryption, and emphasizes the critical need for stringent access controls, comprehensive training, and the consistent use of secure, government-approved platforms.

This “glitch,” as downplayed by some, serves as a stark reminder for cybersecurity professionals that technology alone cannot guarantee security. Robust operational security practices, including strict verification procedures and adherence to data retention policies, are paramount. The incident underscores the necessity of cultivating a security-conscious culture within government and prioritizing the use of dedicated, secure communication channels over potentially vulnerable civilian alternatives. The political fallout and calls for investigation further emphasize the gravity of this lapse and its potential implications for national security and trust.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Networking Essentials – Complete
- TryHackMe – Networking Core Protocols – In Progress
Articles
- Former Michigan assistant coach Matt Weiss charged with hacking college athletes’ computer accounts for intimate photos – Former NFL and University of Michigan assistant football coach Matt Weiss hacked into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes seeking intimate photos and videos, according to an indictment filed Thursday.
- [Paywall] The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans – U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
- Chinese Weaver Ant hackers spied on telco network for 4 years – A China-linked advanced threat group named Weaver Ant spent more than four years in the network of a telecommunications services provider, hiding traffic and infrastructure with the help of compromised Zyxel CPE routers
- Police arrests 300 suspects linked to African cybercrime rings – African law enforcement authorities have arrested 306 suspects as part of ‘Operation Red Card,’ an INTERPOL-led international crackdown targeting cross-border cybercriminal networks
- Infosys to Pay $17.5 Million in Settlement Over 2023 Data Breach – Infosys McCamish System has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle six class action lawsuits filed over a 2023 data breach
- New Atlantis AIO platform automates credential stuffing on 140 services – A new cybercrime platform named ‘Atlantis AIO’ provides an automated credential stuffing service against 140 online platforms, including email services, e-commerce sites, banks, and VPNs.
- After DDOS attacks, Blizzard rolls back Hardcore WoW deaths for the first time – New policy comes as OnlyFangs streaming guild planned to quit over DDOS disruptions.
Podcasts
March 31, 2025
What’s New in Cybersecurity This Week: Projects, Videos, Articles & Podcasts I’m Following – 3/17/25
Welcome to my weekly cybersecurity roundup! Here, I share updates on the projects I’m currently working on, along with the most insightful cybersecurity videos I watched, articles I found valuable, and podcasts I tuned into this week.

Projects
- TryHackMe – Networking Essentials – In Progress
Videos

Articles
- ClickFix Attack Compromises 100+ Car Dealership Sites – The ClickFix attack tactic seems to be gaining traction among threat actors.
- Jaguar Land Rover Breached by HELLCAT Ransomware Group Using Its Infostealer Playbook—Then a Second Hacker Strikes
- Microsoft isn’t fixing 8-year-old shortcut exploit abused for spying – An exploitation avenue found by Trend Micro has been used in an eight-year-long spying campaign, but there’s no sign of a fix from Microsoft, which apparently considers this a low priority.
- 11 State-Sponsored APTs Exploiting LNK Files for Espionage, Data Theft – ZDI has uncovered 1,000 malicious .lnk files used by state-sponsored and cybercrime threat actors to execute malicious commands.
- Capital One hacker Paige Thompson got too light a sentence, appeals court rules – Two of the three judges said five years’ probation and time served didn’t match the severity of the crime, among other reasons for overturning the sentence.
- Pennsylvania State Education Association data breach impacts 500,000 individuals – A data breach at the Pennsylvania State Education Association exposed the personal information of over 500,000 individuals.
- Dept of Defense engineer took home top-secret docs, booked a fishing trip to Mexico – then the FBI showed up
Podcasts
- Smashing Security 408: A gag order backfires, and a snail mail ransom demand – ‘Only’ a local access bug but important part of N Korea, Russia, and China attack picture
March 24, 2025