On February 7, 2024, CISA issued an advisory detailing their discoveries concerning state-sponsored cyber actors linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Notably, the PRC-affiliated threat actor, Volt Typhoon, is actively engaged in efforts to infiltrate IT networks, with the potential aim of launching cyber attacks on vital U.S. infrastructure in the event of a substantial crisis or conflict with the United States.

A new and concerning chapter has unfolded in these troubled times of geopolitical chaos. The Cozy Bear threat actor has caused significant breaches targeting Microsoft and HPE, and more are likely to come. These recent events have sent shockwaves throughout the tech community, and for good reason. As we continue to uncover the fallout from these breaches, it has become apparent that the magnitude of the incident is more significant than we first realized.

On February 2, 2024, AnyDesk confirmed a compromise of its production systems in a security advisory, leading the company to revoke all security-related keys, including the cryptographic code-signing certificate used to publish their software. As an additional precaution, AnyDesk also reset user passwords on the AnyDesk web portal. AnyDesk has started using a new code signing certificate as of AnyDesk version 8.0.8.

Netacea is a noted vendor in a new Forrester report, The Bot Management Software Landscape, Q1 2024. The report provides important independent research into the evolution of automated attacks threatening businesses in the coming year, and how bot management solutions are positioned to defend against them. The main trend cited in the report is that now, anyone can launch a sophisticated bot attack.

On February 2nd, 2024, AnyDesk disclosed that their production systems had been compromised and that private code signing keys and source code were stolen, while an unknown number of user accounts had their passwords reset. This is a significant concern, as it would allow a malicious attacker to generate malicious versions of AnyDesk software with compromised code that appears to be legitimate. It is assessed that approximately 18,000 credentials are available for sale on the Dark Web as a result.

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.

Des Moines Orthopaedic Surgeons, P.C. (DMOS) has three clinics throughout Iowa’s capital; they offer comprehensive solutions for ortho-care, from joints to extremities and MRI imaging to outpatient surgery. DMOS utilizes a variety of third-party vendors to serve their patients and the surrounding regions; almost a year ago, DMOS experienced a cybersecurity event through one of these vendors. The unauthorized actors broke into their system and compromised the information of 307,864 individuals.

In the intricate web of digital security threats, one particularly disruptive technique stands out: the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This form of cyber assault involves numerous compromised systems, often referred to as bots or zombies, which are used to overwhelm a target website with an avalanche of requests. The result? Legitimate users find themselves unable to access the site, leading to significant operational disruptions.

As Microsoft Azure continues to gain market share in the cloud infrastructure space, it has garnered attention from adversaries ranging from hacktivist and eCrime threat actors to nation-state adversaries. Recent attacks on Microsoft by cloud-focused threat actors like COZY BEAR are becoming more frequent and garnering huge attention.