A new report shows massive increases in browser attacks in the second half of 2023, with over 31,000 threats specifically designed to bypass security solution detection. I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about phishing, social engineering, smishing, deepfakes and more – all topics centered around attack techniques designed to interact and fool a user.

Cybercriminals increasingly used malvertising to gain initial access to victims’ networks in 2023, according to Malwarebytes’s latest State of Malware report. The researchers note that the Royal ransomware group has been using phony ads for TeamViewer to deliver malware as a precursor to its ransomware attacks.

Growing cybersecurity threats, especially ransomware attacks, and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent rules have made having a cybersecurity-aware Board of Directors (BOD) a critical business requirement.

Organizations are finally dialing in on where they need to focus their cybersecurity strategies, starting with phishing. But the top four cited security risks all have one element in common. Organizations today realize that maintaining operational resilience is a matter of measuring and addressing risk. According to the 2024 Fortra State of Cybersecurity Survey Results Guide there is a distinct cybersecurity risk that stands out among its peers.

In a revelation that adds yet another chapter to the ongoing saga of international cybersecurity threats, the Dutch Ministry of Defense recently shed light on a significant security breach. Reports that state-sponsored Chinese hackers have infiltrated the internal computer network the ministry uses were confirmed.

Criminal threat actors are increasingly utilizing generative AI tools like ChatGPT to launch social engineering attacks, according to researchers at Check Point. “Malicious spam is one of the oldest illicit services found on underground cybercrime forums,” the researchers write. “Spam is the most common initial vector for various attack scenario objectives such as phishing and credential harvesting, malware distribution, scams/fraud, etc.

Organizations are increasingly facing cyber attacks resulting in data breaches, and part of their post-incident responsibilities includes adhering to mandatory reporting requirements. Notably, the infamous BlackCat ransomware group has been exploiting these requirements for their benefit. They apply pressure on victims by threatening to inform the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) about the company's supposed failure to report significant data breaches.

Check out this one line for a moment...“duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom were in fact deepfake recreations.” In a worrying display of social engineering sophistication, a multinational company was defrauded of $25 million through an intricately planned deepfake scam.

A new scam relies on a victim's sense of curiosity, brand impersonation, and the hopes of a new login to compromise Facebook credentials. We’ve all seen one of those posts on social media about some actor, musician or famous person that has passed away. Feeling a sense of sadness and wanting to know more details, these posts garner a lot of attention.

A phishing-as-a-service platform called “Greatness” is facilitating phishing attacks against Microsoft 365 accounts, according to researchers at Sucuri. “Greatness operates as a Phishing as a Service (PhaaS) platform, providing a number of features and components for bad actors to conduct their phishing attacks against Microsoft 365 accounts,” the researchers write. “URLScan results show thousands of affected pages related to this kit.