Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

When we’re away from the security of our homes and workplaces, we will often let our guard down when we’re surfing online. Whether relaxing in your favorite coffee shop, or living the dream at your favorite vacation spot, the last thing on your mind is getting hacked. But this is when a Wi-Fi hacker can achieve the most success because despite the risks of public Wi-Fi, 81% will happily connect to it, and 99% will connect without a VPN.

Hacktivism – the practice of carrying out cyberattacks to advance political or social goals – is not new. Hacktivist attacks go as far back as the 1980s. Yet today’s hacktivists often look and operate in ways that are markedly different from their predecessors. They’ve embraced new techniques, they often have more resources at their disposal and they can prove more challenging to stop.

The latest trend in cybercrime is that attackers don't really focus on “hacking” in; they’re logging in. We see this now in the wild, driven by organized criminal groups like Scattered Spider and BlackCat, who’ve reemerged with a renewed focus on gaining access through legitimate means, often exploiting help desks and social engineering tactics.

Yes, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) can stop hackers from accessing your accounts, but it’s not entirely foolproof and some forms of 2FA are stronger than others. 2FA is a type of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) that requires two authentication factors. With 2FA, you will need your username, password and another authentication method before you can access an online account.

A black hat hacker is a cybercriminal who accesses your computer systems and network without your knowledge to steal data, disrupt systems and extort money. Black hat hackers try to take advantage of an organization’s security vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to software, systems and networks. Once they gain access to an organization’s data, black hat hackers may hold the data for ransom or sell it to other businesses or cybercriminals.

In this episode of the Trust Issues Podcast, host David Puner sits down with CyberArk’s resident technical evangelist, white hat hacker and transhuman, Len Noe. They dive into Len’s singular journey from a black hat hacker to an ethical hacker, exploring his identity reinvention and the fascinating world of subdermal microchip implants and offensive security.

Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting service, warns that more than 33,000 people have reported that their online accounts have been hacked over the past year. Most of these hacks were the result of phishing and other social engineering tactics. Action Fraud describes one technique that involves using a compromised account to target the victim’s friends.

Read also: Finnish police shut down Sipulitie Dark Web market, Dutch police arrest two suspects linked to a massive SMS scam, and more.

Collaboration is critical to take down today’s most advanced adversaries. CrowdStrike regularly works with law enforcement agencies and industry leaders to identify, track and stop cyber threats. We recently cooperated with the Department of Justice as part of a broader effort to disrupt two individuals heavily involved in operating Anonymous Sudan.