Cyber Defense Advisors

Year: 2023

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  • December 2, 2023

Agent Racoon Backdoor Targets Organizations in Middle East, Africa, and U.S.

Organizations in the Middle East, Africa, and the U.S. have been targeted by an unknown threat actor to distribute a new backdoor called Agent Racoon. “This malware family is written using the .NET framework and leverages the domain name service (DNS) protocol to create a covert channel and provide different backdoor functionalities,” Palo Alto Networks […]

Cyber News
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  • December 2, 2023

Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Pleads Guilty for Creating TrickBot Malware

A Russian national has been found guilty in connection with his role in developing and deploying a malware known as TrickBot, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced. Vladimir Dunaev, 40, was arrested in South Korea in September 2021 and extradited to the U.S. a month later. “Dunaev developed browser modifications and malicious tools that […]

Cyber News
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  • December 1, 2023

Friday Squid Blogging: Strawberry Squid in the Galápagos

Scientists have found Strawberry Squid, “whose mismatched eyes help them simultaneously search for prey above and below them,” among the coral reefs in the Galápagos Islands. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered. Read my blog posting guidelines here. Tags: […]

Cyber News
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  • December 1, 2023

New FjordPhantom Android Malware Targets Banking Apps in Southeast Asia

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed a new sophisticated Android malware called FjordPhantom that has been observed targeting users in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam since early September 2023. “Spreading primarily through messaging services, it combines app-based malware with social engineering to defraud banking customers,” Oslo-based mobile app security firm Promon said in an […]

Cyber News
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  • December 1, 2023

AI Decides to Engage in Insider Trading

A stock-trading AI (a simulated experiment) engaged in insider trading, even though it “knew” it was wrong. The agent is put under pressure in three ways. First, it receives a email from its “manager” that the company is not doing well and needs better performance in the next quarter. Second, the agent attempts and fails […]

Cyber News

How a Cyber Breach Can Threaten Your Intellectual Property

How a Cyber Breach Can Threaten Your Intellectual Property In an age where the digital realm reigns supreme, protecting intellectual property (IP) is more crucial than ever. However, with this heightened dependence on digital platforms, there arises a new menace: cyber breaches. Such breaches pose a profound threat to the sanctity of IP, with consequences […]

Vulnerability Assessment

What Does Your Data Breach Incident Response Plan Look Like?

What Does Your Data Breach Incident Response Plan Look Like? Data breaches have become an all-too-common occurrence in the modern digital landscape. From multinational corporations to small businesses, no one is immune to the threat of a data breach. In recent years, the frequency and scale of data breaches have reached alarming levels, leaving organizations […]

Incident Response Testing

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore CIS-Based Risk Assessments

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore CIS-Based Risk Assessments In an increasingly interconnected world, where technology governs nearly every aspect of our lives, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern. The rise of cyber threats, data breaches, and malicious attacks on organizations and individuals alike underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures. One invaluable tool in the cybersecurity […]

CIS-Based Risk Assessment

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore NIST-Based Risk Assessments

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore NIST-Based Risk Assessments In the realm of cybersecurity, the stakes have never been higher. With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, businesses and organizations must take a proactive approach to protect their digital assets and sensitive data. One essential tool in the cybersecurity arsenal is NIST-based risk assessments. In this article, […]

NIST-Based Risk Assessment