Operational technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are core parts of an engine fueling critical infrastructure in industrialized nations worldwide. Water treatment facilities. Wastewater plants. Electrical transmission and distribution hubs. Nuclear power and manufacturing plants. Energy pipelines.

In a new threat briefing, Forescout Research – Vedere Labs details an exploitation campaign targeting organizations running Fortinet’s FortiClient EMS which is vulnerable to CVE-2023-48788. We are designating this campaign Connect:fun because of the use of ScreenConnect and Powerfun as post-exploitation tools – our first-ever named campaign.

The amount of money to run an AI-based disinformation campaign is miniscule compared to the influence the campaign can have on society. As I noted in my recent SecurityWeek piece “Preparing Society for AI-Based Disinformation Campaigns in the 2024 US Elections”, there are four common steps in these efforts: Reconnaissance, content creation, amplification and actualization.

What is the biggest cybersecurity challenge facing companies worldwide? The answer may vary depending on who you ask, but one indisputable fact remains clear: “What you can’t see, can and will hurt you.” Cyber threats lurk in the depths of the digital world, constantly evolving, poised to strike unsuspecting victims. They often strike by compromising unseen connected devices which, experience has proven, represent up to 50% of all devices on a network.*

On February 15, the US Department of Justice announced “Operation Dying Ember”: the takedown of a botnet controlled by APT28, the Russian military cyber threat actor also known as Fancy Bear. APT28 was previously known for developing the VPNFilter botnet, which targeted routers and network attached storage devices and was also disrupted by the DoJ in 2018.

The digital transformation of industrial landscapes has brought unprecedented advancements in efficiency and productivity for Operational Technology (OT) companies. But this surge in connectivity exposes critical infrastructure to heightened cybersecurity risks, such as: To address these risks, OT companies should adhere to the guidelines in the European Union’s Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS2).

When it comes to the evolving cybersecurity landscape of 2024, ransomware presents a unique challenge for professionals. Emerging threats underscore the need to revisit defense strategies and grasp the legal ramifications of successful ransomware attacks.

Our inaugural 2022 threat roundup report started by observing that “the year 2022 was eventful for cybersecurity.” As you can imagine, 2023 was no less eventful. Some of the key events included ongoing conflicts and the appearance of new ones, the emergence of critical vulnerabilities being mass exploited and the ever-increasing threat of cybercrime.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly infiltrating the business world and our daily lives. While revolutionizing how – and how efficiently – work gets done, it also introduces a new set of cybersecurity challenges. In response to the evolving, AI-shaped threat landscape, I foresee organizations adopting robust countermeasures.

The “fog of war” is a military term used to denote the uncertainty and confusion experienced on the battlefield. During periods of growing geopolitical conflict, it becomes increasingly hard to keep pace with new developments.