Content by Mathew J. Schwartz

Count of Organizations Breached via MOVEit Campaign Hits 400

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 21, 2023

The count of organizations affected by the Clop ransomware group's attack on MOVEit file-transfer software users continues to grow, now numbering over 400 organizations that were directly or indirectly impacted. More than 20 million individuals' personal details were stolen in the attacks.

Remembering World-Famous Computer Hacker Kevin Mitnick

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 20, 2023

Kevin Mitnick, the self-described "world's most famous hacker" - thanks in no small part to his being featured on the FBI's Most Wanted list during a two-year manhunt - has died at the age of 59. After serving time in prison, Mitnick went legit, warning others about the dangers of social engineering.

KillNet DDoS Attacks Further Moscow's Psychological Agenda

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 20, 2023

While self-proclaimed Russian hacktivist groups such as KillNet, Tesla Botnet and Anonymous Russia claim they're wreaking havoc on anti-Moscow targets, a fresh analysis of their attacks finds that despite rampant self-promotion, their real-world cybersecurity impact is typically negligible.

Biden Administration Blacklists 2 Commercial Spyware Firms

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 19, 2023

The U.S. government has added two more commercial spyware vendors - Cytrox and Intellexa - to its list of organizations that face restrictions if they attempt to procure American goods or services, owing to the firms' "threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide."

Number of Victims Breached Via MOVEit Zero-Day Keeps Climbing

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 18, 2023

How bad is the breach of the MOVEit zero-day to businesses, government agencies and their customers? The short answer is that the known fallout from the Clop ransomware group attack already looks bad and keeps getting worse as ongoing investigations add to the victim count of 20 million people.

Security Alert: Exploit Chain Actively Hits ColdFusion

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 18, 2023

Warning: Hackers are actively exploiting a flaw in Adobe's ColdFusion rapid web application development platform to execute malicious code. While Adobe attempted to patch the flaw, researchers say attackers appear to have found a way to bypass it by chaining together multiple flaws.

Hackers Stole Signing Key, Hit US Government's Microsoft 365

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 17, 2023

Suspected Chinese hackers gained access to senior U.S. officials' emails by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft's cloud environment. While Microsoft said customers couldn't have prevented the attack, the U.S. government says logging was key to spotting it.

As Data Breach Reports Surge, Healthcare Is Most Hit Sector

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 14, 2023

Based on the 1,862 U.S. data breach notifications issued in the first half of this year, 2023 looks set to break multiple records, especially as more breaches come to light due to the Clop ransomware group exploiting a zero-day flaw in widely used MOVEit file transfer software.

White House Issues National Cybersecurity Strategy Road Map

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 13, 2023

The Biden administration has released an implementation plan for the long-awaited national cybersecurity strategy it published in March, assigning deadlines and responsibilities for federal agencies across 65 different federal initiatives. Parts of the plan face an uphill battle.

Fake Used-Car Flyer for 2011 BMW Phishes Diplomats in Kyiv

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  July 12, 2023

Diplomats in Ukraine shopping for used cars have been targeted with a listing for a "very good condition, low-fuel consumption" 2011 BMW 5 Series. In reality, the listing was designed to push Russian-built malware onto diplomats' systems, security researchers warned.

Clop's MOVEit Campaign Affects Over 16 Million Individuals

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 29, 2023

More victims of the Clop ransomware group's supply chain attack against popular file transfer software MOVEit continue to come to light. Security experts say about 150 organizations now appear to have been affected by the attacks, which compromised the personal data of over 16 million individuals.

Apple Criticizes UK Government's Client-Side Scanning Push

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 28, 2023

Technology giant Apple has joined the chorus of voices calling on the British government to rethink its proposed Online Safety Bill legislation intended to increase public safety by monitoring people's private communications via client-side scanning.

Extortion Group Clop's MOVEit Attacks Hit Over 130 Victims

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 27, 2023

The tally of organizations affected by the Clop ransomware group's supply chain attack against users of Progress Software's popular MOVEit file transfer software continues to grow. UCLA and New York City schools - including students and staff - are the most recently named victims.

Army Alert on Free Smartwatches: Don't Sport These Wearables

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 26, 2023

Are unsolicited smartwatches the new USB thumb drive? The U.S. Army warns that service members are being sent free wearables preloaded with malware designed to steal data from mobile devices as well as intercept voice communications and hijack cameras.

MOVEit Hacks: Data Breach Victim Count Grows by Millions

Mathew J. Schwartz  •  June 23, 2023

The number of victims affected by a campaign that targeted a zero-day vulnerability in Progress Software's MOVEit file transfer product continued to grow as insurer Genworth Financial reported that up to 2.7 million of its customers and agents appear to have been affected by the breach.