The BBC recently reported that Booking.com is warning that AI is driving an explosion in travel scams. Up to 900% in their estimation - making it abundantly clear that while AI can be a force for good, it can also be a formidable weapon in the arsenal of cybercriminals. One of the most concerning trends we've observed is the increasing use of AI by cybercriminals to carry out sophisticated phishing attacks.

Over 11 million phishing attacks have been reported to the UK’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) over the past year, according to new data from Action Fraud. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has also taken down more than 329,000 phishing sites since the SERS program started in 2020.

A crafty group of cybercriminals has been relentlessly pursuing Mexican banks, cryptocurrency platforms and other organizations in an extended campaign stretching back over two years. Their weapon of choice? A heavily customized version of the AllaKore remote access trojan (RAT). These threat actors are ruthlessly targeting any large Mexican enterprise they can get their hands on. With a sweet spot for companies pulling in over $100 million in annual revenue, they're not messing around with small fry.

My hacker story does not paint me in the best light, and it is not intended to. I am a firm believer in sharing one's mistakes and being open to learning from them. My incident taught me so much, and many years later, I am still benefiting from the learning opportunities. As the wise quote goes, "We have met the enemy, and they are us" — a sentiment that perfectly sums up my experience.

A new report from Barracuda has found that email conversation hijacking attacks have risen by 70% since 2022. Additionally, business email compromise (BEC) attacks accounted for 10.6% of social engineering attacks in 2023, compared to 8% in 2022 and 9% in 2021. These attacks require more effort on the part of attackers, but they typically have a much higher payout than other forms of social engineering.

Scammers are now impersonating legitimate services like Booking.com and Kayak to target people planning their summer vacations. One out of every 33 vacation-themed domains registered last month was malicious, researchers at Check Point warn. “In May 2024, Check Point Research (CPR) detected a significant surge in summer-related cyber scams, highlighting the need for travelers to stay informed and proactive in safeguarding their personal information,” the researchers write.

In this mad, mad world of breaches, organizations are scrambling to keep their heads above water. It's like trying to navigate a minefield while blindfolded and riding a unicycle — one wrong move, and everything goes up in flames. So, how do you know your security controls are up to the task of defending your organization? This is where red teaming comes in.

We live in a world where the term "cybersecurity" tends to make folks either shiver with anxiety or yawn with boredom. The narrative has always been about hacking, phishing, and all sorts of digital skullduggery. However, the overlooked truth is that users don't adopt best security practices because they’re designed without the slightest nod to the user experience.

Mandiant has published a report looking at cyber threats targeting Brazil, finding that more than 85% of government-backed phishing activity comes from threat actors based in China, North Korea and Russia. “The Brazil-focused targeting of these groups mirrors the broader priorities and industry targeting trends we see elsewhere,” the researchers write.

Increasing phishing attacks are a constant threat to organizations, making it crucial for users to report suspicious emails. This practice not only helps in identifying and mitigating potential threats, but also plays a significant role in educating and creating awareness among employees. The importance of reporting suspected phishing emails cannot be overstated, as it acts as a last line of defense against cyber threats.