Cyber Defense Advisors

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North Korean IT Worker Fraud Linked to 2016 Crowdfunding Scam and Fake Domains

Cybersecurity researchers have identified infrastructure links between the North Korean threat actors behind the fraudulent IT worker schemes and a 2016 crowdfunding scam. The new evidence suggests that Pyongyang-based threamoret groups may have pulled off illicit money-making scams that predate the use of IT workers, SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit (CTU) said in a report shared […]

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Google Cloud Researchers Uncover Flaws in Rsync File Synchronization Tool

As many as six security vulnerabilities have been disclosed in the popular Rsync file-synchronizing tool for Unix systems, some of which could be exploited to execute arbitrary code on a client. “Attackers can take control of a malicious server and read/write arbitrary files of any connected client,” the CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) said in an […]

Cyber News

Phishing False Alarm

A very security-conscious company was hit with a (presumed) massive state-actor phishing attack with gift cards, and everyone rallied to combat it—until it turned out it was company management sending the gift cards. Tags: false positives, phishing Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.  

Cyber News

The High-Stakes Disconnect For ICS/OT Security

Why does ICS/OT need specific controls and its own cybersecurity budget today? Because treating ICS/OT security with an IT security playbook isn’t just ineffective—it’s high risk. In the rapidly evolving domain of cybersecurity, the specific challenges and needs for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) security distinctly stand out from traditional IT security. […]

Cyber News

FBI Deletes PlugX Malware from 4,250 Hacked Computers in Multi-Month Operation

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Tuesday disclosed that a court-authorized operation allowed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to delete PlugX malware from over 4,250 infected computers as part of a “multi-month law enforcement operation.” PlugX, also known as Korplug, is a remote access trojan (RAT) widely used by threat actors associated with […]

Cyber News

3 Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaws Patched in Microsoft’s Latest Security Update

Microsoft kicked off 2025 with a new set of patches for a total of 161 security vulnerabilities across its software portfolio, including three zero-days that have been actively exploited in attacks. Of the 161 flaws, 11 are rated Critical, and 149 are rated Important in severity. One other flaw, a non-Microsoft CVE related to a […]

Cyber News

Critical SimpleHelp Flaws Allow File Theft, Privilege Escalation, and RCE Attacks

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed multiple security flaws in SimpleHelp remote access software that could lead to information disclosure, privilege escalation, and remote code execution. Horizon3.ai researcher Naveen Sunkavally, in a technical report detailing the findings, said the “vulnerabilities are trivial to reverse and exploit.” The list of identified flaws is as follows – CVE-2024-57727 – […]

Cyber News

Microsoft: Happy 2025. Here’s 161 Security Updates

Microsoft today unleashed updates to plug a whopping 161 security vulnerabilities in Windows and related software, including three “zero-day” weaknesses that are already under active attack. Redmond’s inaugural Patch Tuesday of 2025 bundles more fixes than the company has shipped in one go since 2017. Rapid7‘s Adam Barnett says January marks the fourth consecutive month […]

Cyber News

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

This is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak: I’m speaking on “AI: Trust & Power” at Capricon 45 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 11:30 AM on February 7, 2025. I’m also signing books there on Saturday, February 8, starting at 1:45 PM. I’m speaking at Boskone 62 in Boston, […]

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