Another week, another extortion group data-leak site emerges. Cyjax has continued to observe the emergence of data-leak sites (DLSs) for extortion and ransomware groups. New groups FunkSec, ContFR, Argonauts, Kairos, Chort, and Termite appeared in December and November 2024 alone, bringing this year’s total up to 69. On 11 December 2024, Cyjax identified the emergence of a Tor-based DLS belonging to a new data-leak extortion group going by the name ’Bluebox’.

I have spent many years, perhaps too many, working in the world of IT and information security. I can’t complain, I have to say, it has been rewarding. And I have noticed in recent years that there has been a considerable shift in how cybersecurity is perceived within organizations, with this function gaining greater importance and relevance. The personal influence of the CISO has been improving lately, both in terms of attitude and perception.

Today, I am thrilled to announce the official closing of Bitsight’s acquisition of Cybersixgill, a leading provider of cyber threat intelligence solutions. This is not only a pivotal step in our long-term vision—it’s a reinforcement of our promise to help each and every one of our customers to make smarter, faster risk decisions. Bitsight was founded on the belief that cyber risk is not binary.

Imagine a former employee still being able to access your network or current employees wielding permissions far beyond their roles. Both scenarios sound risky, right? Excessive permissions aren’t just a minor oversight — they’re significant vulnerabilities that could lead to costly data breaches, regulatory penalties, and other problematic consequences.

MacOS, often regarded for its robust security measures, has increasingly become a target for sophisticated cyber threats. Among the latest examples is Banshee Stealer, a malware engineered to compromise macOS systems by extracting sensitive user information. Developed by Russian cybercriminals and offered at a premium subscription fee of $3,000 per month, this malware underscores the growing attention of threat actors toward macOS platforms.

The ultralytics supply chain attack occurred in two distinct phases between December 4-7, 2024. In the first phase, two malicious versions were published to PyPI: version 8.3.41 was released on December 4 at 20:51 UTC and remained available for approximately 12 hours until its removal on December 5 at 09:15 UTC. Version 8.3.42 was published shortly after on December 5 at 12:47 UTC and was available for about one hour before removal at 13:47 UTC.

Security advice for brand new devices this holiday season.

Cyber resilience keeps taking center stage. One of Europe’s compliance regulations, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), is doubling down on financial organizations. Established in 2022, DORA was created to address critical gaps in EU financial institutions that elevate information and communication technology (ICT) risks. The new rules taking effect meant that businesses were up against the clock to satisfy DORA requirements.

In today’s digital age, achieving cyber resilience is no longer an option—it has become a necessity. Yet, according to the latest report by Splunk, conducted in collaboration with Foundry, a significant cyber confidence gap exists among public sector organizations in this critical area.

Today, healthcare providers, insurers, and other HIPAA-covered entities are increasingly relying on websites to share information, engage with patients, and streamline operations. While websites offer numerous benefits, it’s crucial to understand the implications of online tracking technologies for the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI).