As organizations embrace DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines to accelerate software delivery, their greater dependency on third-party components can introduce security risks. Because malware can infiltrate an environment during development, it’s important to check for it ahead of deployment.

Since December 16, 2024, Arctic Wolf has observed increased activity in a social engineering campaign associated with Black Basta ransomware. In this campaign, threat actors were observed using Microsoft Quick Assist and Teams to impersonate IT personnel and engage in malicious activities upon contacting victims. This is a continuation of the Black Basta campaign we reported on in a security bulletin sent in June 2024.

In a surprising development, Bumblebee Malware (a popular malware downloader) has resurfaced with an approach that was believed to be long gone: VBA macro-enabled documents. This comes just four months after Europol dismantled various trick bots—including Bumblebee, IcedId, Pikabot, TrickBot and systemBC—during a crackdown called Operation Endgame.

Threat actors impersonate HR in seasonal phishing campaign, Zloader receives new features and capabilities, and new details emerge about Secret Blizzard.

Before you prove your humanity to a pop up, make sure you’re not accidentally downloading malware.

Ransomware attacks targeting utilities have surged by 42% over the past year, with spear phishing playing a major role in 81% of cases, according to a ReliaQuest study spanning November 2023 to October 2024. Analyzing data from its GreyMatter platform and dark web activity, ReliaQuest found that utilities like water and energy systems are disproportionately affected. Their critical role in infrastructure makes them prime targets for cybercriminals.

Ransomware continues to be one of the most pervasive and costly cyber threats facing organizations worldwide. More than 40% of organizations surveyed by ESG research experienced a successful ransomware attack in the previous 12 months, and 32% were successfully attacked more than once. The consequences of failing to protect against ransomware can be devastating for any business. Beyond financial loss, victims can suffer operational downtime, reputational damage and potential regulatory fines.