Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - January 01–05

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence - March 18–22 - Featured Image

Weekly Threat Briefing • January 5, 2024

The Good

A big relief for Black Basta victims. Researchers have unveiled the Black Basta Buster decryptor tool that decrypts files between 5000 bytes and 1GB. In another vein, the FTC is running a contest that is aimed at protecting users from AI-enabled voice cloning threats.

  • SRLabs released a decryptor to help Black Basta ransomware victims restore their files for free. The firm found a weakness in the encryption algorithm used by the ransomware to discover the ChaCha keystream used to XOR encrypt a victim’s file. The decryptor can help fully recover files between 5000 bytes and 1GB. Using the decryptor, Black Basta victims from November 2022 to December 2023 could potentially recover their files for free.

  • The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Suojelupoliisi or Supo) reorganized its departments, from nine to eight, to enhance information gathering amidst rising cybersecurity concerns. The agency, responsible for foreign intelligence and domestic counterintelligence, anticipates a shift toward cyberespionage by Russia. The development highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in the face of geopolitical tensions and potential cyber threats.

  • The FTC is seeking submissions for a contest that aims at encouraging the development of technologies and policies to protect consumers from the malicious use of AI-enabled cloning voice technology. The contest is part of an effort to monitor and stop scammers from exploiting voice cloning technology.

The Bad

Massive data breaches rocked the healthcare sector as Fallon Ambulance Services and HealthEC disclosed that nearly one million and 4.5 million patients were impacted in separate incidents, respectively. Cross Switch, a payment gateway platform, also found itself in the soup after 3.6 million records were exposed online. Meanwhile, Gallery Systems reported an attack impacting around 800 museums.

  • The MyEstatePoint Property Search app had left a publicly accessible MongoDB server containing the sensitive details of nearly half a million of its users. The exposed instances contained details such as names, email addresses, plain-text passwords, and mobile phone numbers of users.
  • San Francisco-based Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe law firm fell victim to a data leak incident that exposed the health information of more than 637,000 users. The incident occurred in February 2023 and the type of stolen data includes names, dates of birth, email addresses, and government-issued identification numbers of users.
  • Orbit Chain lost $86 million in Ether, Dai, Tether, and USD Coin in a security breach. Although the identity and origin of the attackers are yet to be determined, it is believed to be the work of state-sponsored attackers based out of North Korea. The blockchain platform is working with South Korean police authorities to track the stolen funds and has warned users to be wary of phishing sites pretending to be connected with their wallets.
  • According to a breach notification, Fallon Ambulance Services disclosed that around 911,757 individuals nationwide, including 20,486 Maine residents, were affected by a ransomware attack between February and April 2023. The exposed data includes names, driver’s license numbers, and other identification numbers. The now-defunct ambulance service was a subsidiary of Transformative Healthcare.
  • A ransomware attack on Gallery Systems, a museum software solutions provider, impacted 800 museums, including MoMA, Met, the Chrysler Museum of Art, MoPOP in Seattle, the Barnes Foundation, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The incident has also impacted its online public viewing platform called eMuseum, commonly used by museums and colleges to create searchable online collections. The firm has notified law enforcement authorities and is conducting an internal investigation and working to restore the impacted systems.
  • A threat actor under the moniker IntelBroker reportedly stole and leaked the personal information of 3.6 million users of Cross Switch, a leading online payment gateway management platform in Africa. This included details such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers, messages, banking information, and dates of birth of users.
  • Xerox confirmed that its subsidiary XBS is dealing with a security incident that involves the theft of personal information. This comes days after a ransomware group named INC Ransom claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, the incident had no impact on XBS operations or Xerox’s corporate systems, operations, and data.
  • A hacker group, identified as ‘irleaks’, claimed to have stolen more than 3TB of data associated with Snappfood, an online food delivery service in Iran. This includes 130 million records containing details of over 20 million customers, data from 180 million devices, information of 35,000 bikers, and records of 240,000 vendors. The company has acknowledged the breach and is actively working to identify the source.
  • TuneFab converter exposed over 151 million users' private data due to a misconfiguration on MongoDB. The leaked data included sensitive information such as IP addresses, user IDs, emails, and device information. The leak was discovered and fixed within 24 hours, but the company has not yet commented on the matter.
  • The Cactus ransomware group claimed to have hacked Coop, a major retail and grocery provider in Sweden, and threatened to release over 21,000 directories of personal information. Coop had previously been affected by a supply chain ransomware attack in July 2021, which was traced back to its software provider Visma.
  • Private freight shipper Estes Express Lines notified over 20,000 customers that their personal information, including names and SSNs, was stolen in a cyberattack. The company discovered unauthorized access to its IT network and ransomware deployment but chose not to pay the ransom. The LockBit ransomware crew later claimed responsibility and leaked stolen data.
  • Google Cloud subsidiary Mandiant had its X (Twitter) account compromised for more than six hours in a cryptocurrency scam. It’s currently unclear how the account was breached but the hacked Mandiant account was renamed as ‘@phantomsolw’ to impersonate the Phantom crypto wallet service. Scammers advertised an airdrop scam, created counterfeit websites, and urged users to click on a bogus link and earn free tokens, with a follow-up message to ‘change password please’ and ‘check bookmarks when you get account back.’
  • CloudSEK researchers revealed a surge in dark web activity targeting X’s (previously known as Twitter) Gold accounts, introduced in December 2022. Cybercriminals are actively selling compromised Gold accounts on the dark web to launch scams and disinformation campaigns. The compromise methods include brute-forcing passwords and malware.
  • Russian hackers from the Solntsepek group, believed to be linked to the Sandworm APT group, wiped 10,000 computers and thousands of servers associated with Kyivstar’s network. Following the incident, mobile and data services went down, leaving around 25 million mobile and home internet subscribers without an internet connection.
  • A data breach at HealthEC impacted close to 4.5 million individuals who received care through one of the company’s customers. The breach occurred between July 14 and 23, 2023, when attackers gained unauthorized access to some of its systems and stole sensitive data. This includes names, dates of birth, SSNs, taxpayer identification numbers, and medical record numbers.

New Threats

The new Terrapin attack posed a massive threat worldwide as new research revealed that nearly 11 million SSH servers remain unpatched. In other updates, threat actors were found expanding their evasion tactics to deploy AsyncRAT and Remcos RAT onto victims’ systems.

  • The CISA added two flaws, CVE-2023-7024 and CVE-2023-7101, affecting Google Chrome and the Spreadsheet::ParseExcel library, respectively, to its KEV catalog, indicating their active exploitation in the wild. The flaw impacting the Spreadsheet::ParselExcel library can lead to remote code execution. It affects versions before 0.65 of the library. The flaw affecting Chrome web browser is a heap buffer overflow issue that exists in web browsers using WebRTC.
  • FortiGuard identified three malicious PyPI packages that deploy a CoinMiner executable on Linux devices. These packages, named modularseven-1.0, driftme-1.0, and catme-1.0, were created by an author known as "sastra" and bear similarities to the previously discovered "culturestreak" package. The attack methodology involves concealing the payload, downloading a configuration file and CoinMiner executable from remote URLs, and executing them in the background.
  • A recent report by Shadowserver warned that nearly 11 million SSH servers on the public web are vulnerable to Terrapin attacks. A majority of vulnerable systems were found in the U.S., followed by China, Germany, Russia, Singapore, and Japan. To successfully execute the Terrapin attack, attackers must be in a position where they can intercept and modify the handshake exchange, also known as an adversary-in-the-middle position.
  • A threat actor tracked as UAC-0050, was found deploying the Remcos RAT against government agencies in Ukraine. The infection chain leveraged a rare data transfer tactic that allowed threat actors to efficiently transfer malicious data to victims’ systems while avoiding detection. While the exact initial access vector is unknown, it’s suspected to involve phishing emails pretending to advertise consultancy roles with the Israel Defense Forces. Once deployed, Remcos RAT exfiltrates system and user information.
  • AT&T Alien Labs identified a new campaign to deliver AsyncRAT onto unsuspecting victim systems. As part of the evasion tactic, the attackers used JavaScript files embedded in a phishing page and a domain generation algorithm to register new phishing domains. Some of the identified targets were in the U.S.
  • Security researchers have uncovered SpectralBlur, a new macOS backdoor linked to the North Korean malware family KandyKorn. The sample, which is believed to be the work of the Lazarus group, was uploaded to VirusTotal in August 2023 but went undetected until recently. The malware’s capabilities include file operations, shell execution, and communication with a command-and-control server using RC4-encrypted sockets.

Related Threat Briefings

Jun 27, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 23–27, 2025

A Common Good Cyber Fund was launched to support non-profits delivering critical cybersecurity services for public benefit. The fund is backed by the U.K and Canada, with G7 leaders endorsing similar initiatives. A phishing email is all it takes to breach critical infrastructure. The OneClik APT campaign is targeting energy and oil sectors using Microsoft ClickOnce to deliver a .NET loader and Golang backdoor. A handful of outdated routers is all it takes to build a persistent espionage network. The LapDogs campaign is targeting SOHO devices with a custom backdoor called ShortLeash, giving attackers root access and control over compromised systems. A familiar package name could be hiding far more than useful code. North Korean actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign have published 35 malicious npm packages, including keyloggers and multi-stage malware. A fake Windows update might just be the start of something worse. The EvilConwi campaign is abusing ConnectWise ScreenConnect to deliver signed malware through tampered installers. Encrypted messaging apps aren’t immune to state-backed malware delivery. APT28 is targeting Ukrainian government entities via Signal, sharing macro-laced documents that deploy a backdoor named Covenant. Some WordPress plugins are doing a lot more than extending site functionality. Researchers uncovered a long-running malware campaign that uses rogue plugins to skim credit card data, steal credentials, and manage backend systems on infected sites.

Jun 20, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 16–20, 2025

As cybercriminals weave intricate webs in the digital underworld, global defenders are cutting through the chaos. Six nations toppled Archetyp Market, a darknet drug bazaar with €250 million ($288 million) in Monero deals, nabbing its admin and vendors while seizing €7.8 million ($9 million) in assets. The U.K unveiled a Cyber Growth Action Plan, injecting £16m ($21.2m) to fortify its £13.2bn ($17.5bn) cybersecurity industry after attacks bled retailers like M&S. Stateside, the U.S. reclaimed $225 million in crypto from investment scams, marking the Secret Service’s biggest digital heist bust yet. Cloud services are being quietly turned into covert attack channels. The Serpentine#Cloud campaign is abusing Cloudflare Tunnels and Python to deploy fileless malware via invoice-themed phishing lures. A popular WordPress plugin is exposing sites to full takeover. It affects the AI Engine plugin, impacting over 100,000 websites and opening the door to site-wide compromise. An official-looking email from the tax department may be anything but. Silver Fox APT is targeting Taiwanese users with phishing emails posing as the National Taxation Bureau, delivering malware like Winos 4.0, HoldingHands RAT, and Gh0stCringe. A new Android trojan is turning devices into data-harvesting tools under attackers’ full control. Attributed to the LARVA-398 group, AntiDot has infected thousands of devices through phishing and malicious ads. A fake job offer could now come bundled with custom-built spyware. PylangGhost is targeting crypto professionals in India. Delivered through spoofed job sites, the malware includes registry tampering, remote control, and data exfiltration modules aimed at compromising Windows systems. One compromised travel site is now a launchpad for infostealer infections. A new ClickFix variant, LightPerlGirl, is using fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA prompts and clipboard hijacking to deliver the Lumma infostealer.

Jun 13, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 09–13, 2025

A global sweep just knocked out thousands of malicious command centers. INTERPOL’s Operation Secure led to the dismantling of over 20,000 malicious IPs tied to 69 malware strains across 26 countries. NIST has published new guidance to help organizations put Zero Trust Architecture into action, offering 19 real-world implementations built with industry partners. CyberEye lowers the barrier for cybercrime with a plug-and-play toolkit. This .NET-based RAT uses Telegram for command and control while offering modules for keylogging, credential theft, and platform-specific data grabbing. The TokenBreak attack manipulates how text is tokenized in classification models to sneak past defenses. A Mirai variant is actively exploiting a command injection vulnerability in TBK DVR-4104 and DVR-4216 devices, to conscript them into a botnet for DDoS attacks. Unpatched IT tools are once again opening the door to ransomware attacks. CISA has warned about vulnerabilities in SimpleHelp RMM software being exploited by groups like Play and DragonForce in double-extortion campaigns. Fog ransomware operators are blurring the line between admin tools and attack chains. In a recent incident, they deployed a mix of open-source and legitimate software to gain persistence and exfiltrate data undetected. Over 20 phishing applications impersonating popular crypto wallets have been found stealing mnemonic phrases to drain users’ funds.

Jun 6, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, June 02–06, 2025

Authorities have taken down a major hub for stolen financial data. The DOJ seized approximately 145 domains associated with the BidenCash marketplace, which had evolved from a small credit card shop in 2022 into a massive hub for stolen payment data. In a move to reinforce Europe’s cyber defenses, Microsoft is stepping in with strategic support. The newly launched European Security Program offers EU governments free access to AI-driven threat intelligence, vulnerability alerts, and guidance to counter attacks from state-sponsored actors. Not all GitHub projects are built with good intentions. Researchers uncovered a widespread campaign involving more than 130 repositories booby-trapped with malware disguised as game cheats, hacking tools, and utilities. A free software download could end up costing your entire crypto wallet. ViperSoftX is back in circulation, targeting crypto users with malicious PowerShell scripts bundled into cracked apps, keygens, and torrent packages. Some attackers mine crypto, JINX-0132 mines misconfigurations. This threat actor is running a stealthy cryptojacking campaign against DevOps platforms, exploiting exposed defaults and overlooked RCE flaws. Destruction masquerading as maintenance tools is hitting Ukraine’s infrastructure. Researchers attributed a new wiper malware called PathWiper to a Russia-linked APT group, targeting critical systems by leveraging legitimate administrative frameworks. A few swapped letters could be all it takes to get owned. A new supply chain attack targets Python and npm developers through typo-squatting and name confusion. A new Android banking trojan, named Crocodilus, has emerged in the threat landscape. It masquerades as legitimate apps like Google Chrome and uses overlay attacks to steal credentials from financial apps.

May 30, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 26–30, 2025

Under the hood of vulnerability management, NIST just added a sharper diagnostic tool. The new Likely Exploited Vulnerabilities metric offers deeper insight into which CVEs are likely being used in the wild, complementing EPSS with more contextual signals. Digital warfare is no longer a future threat, it's a current investment. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has unveiled a £1 billion Cyber and Electromagnetic Command to protect military networks and support offensive cyber missions. With AI-driven systems like the Digital Targeting Web in development, the goal is seamless coordination across weapons platforms. A quiet but relentless campaign has been unfolding across multiple industries. The Chinese group Earth Lamia is targeting finance, government, logistics, and more by exploiting known web app vulnerabilities. APT41 hides malware commands where no one’s looking: your calendar. In a creative twist on C2 infrastructure, China-backed APT41 embedded encrypted instructions inside Google Calendar events. AyySSHush doesn’t make noise, it builds armies. More than 9,000 ASUS routers have been compromised by this botnet, which quietly slips in through a CVE-2023-39780 exploit. Fake CAPTCHA prompts are now doing more than testing if you're human—they're installing malware. EDDIESTEALER, a new Rust-based infostealer, spreads through deceptive CAPTCHA pages that trigger malicious PowerShell scripts. Threat actors are wrapping their tools in layers of obfuscation, and DOUBLELOADER is no exception. This new backdoor uses the ALCATRAZ obfuscator—once seen in the game-hacking scene—to disguise its presence. A new Go-based botnet called PumaBot is clawing its way through Linux IoT devices. It brute-forces SSH credentials, impersonates Redis files for stealth, and deploys rootkits to mine crypto and steal credentials.

May 23, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 19–23, 2025

Operation Endgame just dealt a major blow to the ransomware supply chain. Europol led the charge in dismantling malware infrastructure tied to multiple malware families, seizing 300 servers and more. Japan has officially gone on the cyber offense. The new Active Cyberdefense Law allows preemptive strikes against foreign cyber threats. It enables traffic analysis and takedowns of hostile servers. Think twice before clicking on that Ledger update. A new macOS malware campaign is deploying fake versions of the Ledger Live app to steal cryptocurrency seed phrases. A Turkish phishing lure leads straight to SnakeKeylogger. Fake AI tools are the new phishing lures and they’re convincing. Cybercriminals cloned Kling AI’s brand through Facebook ads and spoofed websites to trick users into downloading malware. The DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) malware is making the rounds again - this time disguised as a Turkish bank email. The copyright threat in your inbox might be bait. A phishing campaign sweeping across central and eastern Europe is using fake legal complaints to deliver the Rhadamanthys Stealer. Two years of silence, 6,200 downloads later - the malware is finally found. A malicious campaign targeting JavaScript developers slipped past detection by disguising harmful npm packages as plugins for frameworks like React, Vue.js, Vite, and Quill Editor. Researchers uncovered a stealthy new backdoor paired with a Monero coinminer, using the PyBitmessage library for encrypted peer-to-peer communications.

May 16, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 12–16, 2025

Not every AI tool on Facebook is what it claims to be. Threat actors are luring users with fake content-generation apps, pushing Noodlophile malware to tens of thousands of victims. Disguised as AI-powered services, these tools trick users into executing malicious files that steal browser credentials, crypto wallet data, and other sensitive information through a layered infection chain. OtterCookie is getting smarter with every version. The North Korea-linked group WaterPlum is actively using the malware to breach financial institutions and crypto platforms worldwide. Since late 2024, new iterations have added capabilities like credential theft from browsers and file uploads - each version revealing signs of modular development and distinct authorship. A flaw in Linux’s nftables is turning dirty sets into dangerous ones. A critical double-free vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges by exploiting memory corruption. Kernel-level fixes are already rolling out to improve cleanup routines and patch the vulnerable destroy path.

May 9, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, May 05–09, 2025

Another blow to DDoS-for-hire networks. Europol has shut down six services used to launch global cyberattacks, arresting suspects in Poland and seizing domains in the U.S. The UN has launched a new framework to help policymakers make sense of cyber intrusions. Called UNIDIR Intrusion Path, it complements models like MITRE ATT&CK but simplifies the technical details. It breaks down attacker activity into three layers, making it easier to evaluate threats in a policy context. Old routers are becoming cybercrime goldmines. The FBI has warned that end-of-life routers are being hijacked with malware like TheMoon and sold on proxy networks such as 5Socks and Anyproxy. These compromised devices are used for crypto theft, cybercrime-as-a-service, and even espionage. Crypto users on Discord are the latest targets of a phishing campaign tied to Inferno Drainer. Attackers were found impersonating the Collab.Land bot to trick users into signing malicious transactions. The Play ransomware group has joined the list of actors exploiting CVE-2025-29824. This Windows zero-day in the CLFS driver enables privilege escalation via a race condition during file operations. Linked to the Balloonfly group, the attacks targeted a U.S. organization and included deployment of the Grixba infostealer. COLDRIVER’s latest malware, LOSTKEYS, is now in play. The Russian state-backed group is deploying this tool to steal files and system data from advisors, journalists, NGOs, and individuals linked to Ukraine. Agenda’s playbook just got upgraded. The ransomware group has added two new tools: SmokeLoader and a stealthy .NET-based loader called NETXLOADER. The latter leverages techniques like JIT hooking and AES decryption to deploy ransomware. Corporate HR teams are the latest target in a spear-phishing spree by Venom Spider. Disguised as job applications, these emails deliver More_eggs backdoor, now upgraded with advanced features.

May 2, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 28–May 02, 2025

The FBI just dropped a massive breadcrumb trail. Details of 42,000 phishing domains tied to the LabHost platform have been released to help defenders investigate potential breaches. The service enabled the theft of 500,000 credit cards and over a million credentials. The takedown of JokerOTP has exposed just how far phishing has evolved. The tool was used in more than 28,000 attacks across 13 countries, tricking victims into handing over 2FA codes by mimicking trusted brands. The operation cost victims £7.5 million and has now led to serious criminal charges, thanks to a joint effort involving Europol and Dutch authorities. Malware’s now hitching a ride on Go modules. Socket has uncovered three malicious packages hiding disk-wiping payloads, designed to cause irreversible data loss, especially on Linux systems. These modules take advantage of Go’s decentralized ecosystem. In the shadows of the cybersecurity landscape, MintsLoader emerges as a formidable adversary, orchestrating a multi-faceted infection strategy that deploys the notorious GhostWeaver RAT. Some PyPI packages are doing more than importing functions. Researchers uncovered seven malicious Python packages under the “Coffin” naming scheme, using Gmail’s SMTP service as a stealthy C2 channel. Ransomware groups aren’t always the ones breaking the door open. Researchers have uncovered ToyMaker, an initial access broker selling network entry to ransomware groups. Using a custom malware strain called LAGTOY, ToyMaker establishes reverse shells and executes commands on compromised systems. New vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, collectively dubbed AirBorne, expose billions of devices to remote code execution without user interaction. Sharp and TX stealers are back, donning a new cloak - named Hannibal Stealer. It is going after credentials from browsers, crypto wallets, FTP clients, and VPN apps. It even captures Discord tokens and Steam sessions.

Apr 25, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 21–25, 2025

AI security finally has a global playbook. ETSI has released TS 104 223, a first-of-its-kind technical specification outlining how to secure AI systems across their entire lifecycle - from design to decommissioning. MITRE’s latest update is catching up with the cloud. ATT&CK v17 expands the framework to include ESXi and adds more than 140 defensive analytics. Platform-specific data collection advice, improved mitigation mapping, and deeper coverage of mobile threats like SIM swaps round out the upgrade. An APT group with deep roots in Southeast Asia is quietly siphoning data through everyday cloud platforms. Earth Kurma has been active since late 2020, targeting government and telecom entities across the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. Signal and WhatsApp are the new frontline for cloud compromise. Russian actors are running OAuth phishing campaigns against Microsoft 365 users tied to Ukraine and human rights work. A forged email that passes every security check - that’s the new phishing trick. Attackers are using DKIM replay tactics to forward legitimate Google security alerts to unsuspecting victims. It starts with a fake sales order and ends with FormBook silently stealing your data. A recent phishing campaign has been abusing a long-patched Microsoft flaw to deliver a fileless variant of the malware. Docker containers aren’t always what they seem. A new threat named TenoBot is targeting systems running outdated Teneo Web3 node software, deploying malicious containers to hijack environments. A stealthy new RAT is slipping through Ivanti Connect Secure devices in Japan. Dubbed DslogdRAT, the malware exploits a zero-day flaw to execute commands via web shell and quietly exfiltrate data using encoded C2 traffic.

Apr 18, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 14–18, 2025

The U.S. is drawing a hard line on data outflows. The DOJ’s new Data Security Program aims to block foreign adversaries, specifically nations like China and Russia, from acquiring sensitive American data through commercial channels. SSL certificates are about to expire a lot faster. In a move to tighten digital trust, the CA/Browser Forum has approved a gradual reduction in certificate lifespans - from the current 398 days to just 47 by 2029. One email, three stages, and no files to catch. Agent Tesla is being deployed through spam campaigns that use archive attachments with embedded JavaScript. They look like browser helpers, but they act like spyware. A set of 57 Chrome extensions have been found snooping on users. XorDDoS is now compromising Docker servers and deploying new features tied to a “VIP” variant. Most of the recent activity is hitting U.S. infrastructure. UNC5174 is keeping a low profile, but its targets aren’t. Active since late 2024, the Chinese state-linked group has been compromising Linux systems using a malicious bash script that drops SNOWLIGHT malware and a fileless VShell RAT. A wine-tasting invite with a side of malware. APT29, the Russian state-aligned group, is targeting European diplomatic networks with phishing lures disguised as event announcements.

Apr 11, 2025

Cyware Weekly Threat Intelligence, April 07–11, 2025

The U.K. government rolled out a Cyber Governance Code of Practice aimed at directors and board members, not just CISOs. Backed by the NCSC and other national bodies, the code includes practical actions, modular training, and a board-level toolkit. Startups building the future of cyber defense are getting serious backing. The British Business Bank has committed most of a £50 million fund to Osney Capital, which will invest in early-stage cybersecurity companies across the U.K. A torrent download might be doing more than delivering cracked software. A campaign has been distributing ViperSoftX to Korean users, likely run by Arabic-speaking threat actors. Invasive spyware campaigns are zeroing in on high-risk communities. MOONSHINE and BADBAZAAR are being deployed through trojanized mobile apps to surveil Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese individuals, as well as civil society groups. Search for QuickBooks during tax season, and you might land on a trap. Threat actors are placing deceptive Google Ads that link to phishing pages almost identical to the real QuickBooks login portal. It starts with a PDF search and ends with malware on your machine. A new campaign is using fake CAPTCHAs and Cloudflare Turnstile to lure users into downloading LegionLoader. Seed phrases aren’t supposed to come from strangers. The PoisonSeed campaign is targeting crypto holders and enterprise users by compromising bulk email services. Victims are lured with fake wallet setup instructions that embed attacker-controlled recovery phrases - giving threat actors full access once the wallets are used. A Chinese-linked threat group, ToddyCat, has been exploiting a security vulnerability in ESET's software to deliver a new malware, TCESB, in Asia.