Data breaches, an increase in auto theft, and cyberespionage
Mandiant researchers discovered a big Chinese espionage campaign utilizing Sogu malware to spy on European and US organizations' operations in Africa during a week full of noteworthy security advancements. This operation stands out not only for the variety of its targets but also for using thumb drives, a traditional malware delivery technique. The current cyber tensions were also exacerbated by claims made by Chinese officials regarding US cyberattacks and digital espionage.
Another headline highlighted the debate around Neuralink's study on primates. A private news outlet's inquiry into the animals' deaths discovered disturbing details that contradicted Elon Musk's recent claim that the monkeys used in Neuralink implant research were not in good health. This occurs as Neuralink gets ready to test its brain-chip implants on people.
A list of some of the major advancements is provided below:
1. Data demonstrates the scope of US Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts made possible by serious vulnerabilities Vehicles made by Kia and Hyundai have been easy targets for theft for years due to security flaws and a lack of defensive elements in their anti-theft systems. A substantial rise in car theft rates across the United States has not been stopped by recent initiatives by the corporations to distribute upgrades. Public records from eleven US cities show the scope of the issue, with alarmingly high theft rates in places like Chicago, Denver, and Atlanta.
2. Okta claims the Alphv cybercriminal organization attacked 3 additional clients: It was discovered that the same cybercriminal gang, Alphv, had targeted three other victims in various industries following the recent cyberattacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment. The enterprise identity management company Okta acknowledged the attacks on its clients in the manufacturing, retail, and technology sectors and pledged to work with law authorities in the ongoing investigations.
3. Researchers from the Wiz security firm discovered a huge data breach involving Microsoft AI researchers, exposing 38 TB of confidential data. During an attempt to open-source a training data repository, almost 38 gigabytes of confidential information, including more than 30,000 Teams messages, passwords, and private keys, were unintentionally posted to GitHub. An error in the setting of the data-sharing functionalities of Azure Storage led to the breach.
4. Chinese officials officially accuse the US of hacking Huawei in 2009: In a 2009 espionage attack, Chinese Ministry of State Security officials claimed that the US government had hacked and monitored Huawei's networks. Tens of thousands of harmful network attacks by the US on Chinese institutions and organizations were also allegedly made, according to the statement. Additionally, allegations that the US had installed backdoors in hardware and software around the world for spying purposes increased tensions in the current US-China cyber issues.
