Category: Guest blog
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Got a LinkedIn message from a recruiter? It might be Chinese intelligence, warn FBI and MI5
Got a LinkedIn message from a recruiter? It might be Chinese intelligence, warn FBI and MI5 If you’ve ever received an out-of-the-blue message via LinkedIn from a recruiter offering some well-paid consultancy work, intelligence agencies have a message for you: be very careful. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham…
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Police arrest man following hack of Ajax football club
Police arrest man following hack of Ajax football club Dutch police have arrested a 35-year-old man suspected of hacking into the computer systems of Amsterdam football giant Ajax, after the personal data of hundreds of thousands of supporters was put at risk. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley…
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MyPillow listed on ransomware gang’s leak site, but denies it has been breached
MyPillow listed on ransomware gang’s leak site, but denies it has been breached A notorious ransomware gang claims to have stolen MyPillow’s private data, but CEO Mike Lindell calls it a politically motivated “hit job.” With the countdown ticking toward a massive dark web leak, who is telling the truth? Read more in my article…
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FBI warns of Kali365 phishing kit that breaks into Microsoft 365 accounts – no password required
FBI warns of Kali365 phishing kit that breaks into Microsoft 365 accounts – no password required So, you’ve enabled multi-factor authentication. You’ve taught your staff never to type their passwords into dodgy-looking login pages. Surely your Microsoft 365 accounts are safe now? Well, think again. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security…
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Defenders fall behind, as AI rewrites the rules of a data breach
Defenders fall behind, as AI rewrites the rules of a data breach For almost 20 years, stolen credentials have been the most common route for attackers into organizations, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). But that’s no longer the case. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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FBI warns students and staff that ShinyHunters may come knocking after Canvas breach
FBI warns students and staff that ShinyHunters may come knocking after Canvas breach Having receive a ransom payment for its attack on Canvas, ShinyHunters and other extortion gangs are only likely to be further incentivised to launch similar attacks in future. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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Suspected Dream Market kingpin arrested after gold bars sent to his home address
Suspected Dream Market kingpin arrested after gold bars sent to his home address Lesson one for aspiring dark web kingpins: don’t have your laundered gold bars shipped to your home address. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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When ransomware gets physical: cybercriminals turn to threats of violence
When ransomware gets physical: cybercriminals turn to threats of violence Pay up, or we’ll pay someone to pay you a visit. Cybercrime gangs are increasingly turning to real-world threats – and even hiring local muscle to deliver the message. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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One in eight UK workers has sold their company passwords, and bosses think it’s fine
One in eight UK workers has sold their company passwords, and bosses think it’s fine One in eight UK workers admits to selling their company login credentials – or knowing someone who has – in the past 12 months. The really alarming bit? Their bosses are even more relaxed about it. Read more in my…
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Inside Department 4: Russia’s secret school for hackers
Inside Department 4: Russia’s secret school for hackers Most universities have a careers fair. At Bauman Moscow State Technical University, however, an elite group of students appear to have something rather more unusual: a direct pipeline into some of the world’s most notorious state-sponsored hacking groups. Read more in my article on the Hot for…
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Sri Lanka makes 37 arrests as it raids another scam centre
Sri Lanka makes 37 arrests as it raids another scam centre You don’t need to live near a scam compound for it to wreck your life. Americans lost $5.8 billion to crypto investment scams last year alone – and a raid in Sri Lanka this month shows exactly how the operations behind them keep finding…
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Teenager alleged to be Scattered Spider hacker arrested in Finland, faces US extradition
Teenager alleged to be Scattered Spider hacker arrested in Finland, faces US extradition Here’s a tip for you all. Unless you want to draw attention to yourself as a cybercriminal, don’t flaunt your diamond-encrusted “HACK THE PLANET” necklace on Snapchat, or pose as a Sopranos crime boss while the FBI is reportedly closing in. Read…
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Iran-linked Handala hackers leak US Marines data, send chilling WhatsApp threats
Iran-linked Handala hackers leak US Marines data, send chilling WhatsApp threats US Marines stationed around the Persian Gulf have been receiving WhatsApp messages from strangers suggesting they call home and make their final goodbyes. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Alleged Silk Typhoon hacker extradited to the United States to face charges
Alleged Silk Typhoon hacker extradited to the United States to face charges A man accused of working as a hacker for China’s Ministry of State Security has been extradited to the USA from Italy, and faces – if found guilty – the prospect of decades behind bars. Read more in my article on the Hot…
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French police arrest 21-year-old “HexDex” hacker over 100 alleged data breaches
French police arrest 21-year-old “HexDex” hacker over 100 alleged data breaches A 21-year-old man suspected of conducting approximately 100 data breaches since late 2025 – including a hack of the French Ministry of National Education that exposed records on almost a quarter of a million employees – has been arrested at his home in western…
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Sometimes changing the password on your email mailbox isn’t enough
Sometimes changing the password on your email mailbox isn’t enough Have you ever taken a look at your Microsoft 365 mailbox rules? If not, it might be worth a few minutes of your time. Because newly released research reveals that hackers may already have beaten you to it. Read more in my article on the…
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Singer loses life savings to fake wallet downloaded from the Apple App Store
Singer loses life savings to fake wallet downloaded from the Apple App Store If you hold cryptocurrency, there’s a very simple golden rule that you should always follow. Never hand over your seed phrase. Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love – the front man of blues-hip-hop outfit G. Love & Special Sauce – has…
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108 malicious Chrome extensions caught stealing Google and Telegram data from 20,000 users
108 malicious Chrome extensions caught stealing Google and Telegram data from 20,000 users Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that 108 malicious Google Chrome extensions have been quietly stealing user credentials, hijacking Telegram sessions, and injecting unwanted ads and scripts into browsers – all reporting back to the same central point. Read more in my article on…
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AI and cryptocurrency scams are costing Americans billions, FBI reports
AI and cryptocurrency scams are costing Americans billions, FBI reports The fraud landscape has been changed by AI and cryptocurrency in a way that should concern organisations and individuals alike. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Life imprisonment for Cambodian scam compound operators – but will it make a difference?
Life imprisonment for Cambodian scam compound operators – but will it make a difference? Cambodia has taken a dramatic step in its fight against scam compounds that have imprisoned innocent people, and forced them to work as virtual slaves defrauding victims via the internet around the world with romance scams and dodgy investment schemes. Read…
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Nigerian romance scammer jailed after being caught out by fellow fraudster
Nigerian romance scammer jailed after being caught out by fellow fraudster A Nigerian fraudster spent years posing as a woman online, romancing unsuspecting American men out of their savings – until he accidentally tried the same trick on a fellow scammer, who told him to “learn how to do a clean job.” The recovered chat…
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Alleged RedLine malware developer extradited to United States
Alleged RedLine malware developer extradited to United States A man has appeared in federal court in Austin, Texas, after being extradited to the United States to face charges related to his alleged role as a key developer of the notorious RedLine malware. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley…
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Iranian hackers breach FBI director’s personal email, and post his CV and photos online
Iranian hackers breach FBI director’s personal email, and post his CV and photos online It’s not every day that you read that the head of America’s top law enforcement agency has been hacked, but then – these aren’t ordinary times. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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World Leaks data extortion: What you need to know
World Leaks data extortion: What you need to know World Leaks is a cyber extortion operation that steals sensitive data from organizations and threatens to leak it via the dark web if a ransom is not paid. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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How one man used 10,000 bots to steal $8,000,000 from music artists
How one man used 10,000 bots to steal $8,000,000 from music artists A man has pleaded guilty to defrauding online music streaming platforms out of more than US $8 million, after creating hundreds of thousands of songs with AI, and then using bots to play them billions of times. Read more in my article on…
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LeakNet ransomware: what you need to know
LeakNet ransomware: what you need to know A ransomware gang that claims to be a group of “investigative journalists”? Meet LeakNet – the group using fake CAPTCHA pages to trick employees into hacking themselves. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Denver’s crosswalks hacked to broadcast anti-Trump messages
Denver’s crosswalks hacked to broadcast anti-Trump messages Pedestrians crossing a street in Denver, Colorado, got rather more than they bargained for last weekend, when the audio signals at two crosswalks began broadcasting a political message alongside their usual walking instructions. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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Free parking in Russia after Distributed Denial-of-Service attack knocks city’s parking system offline
Free parking in Russia after Distributed Denial-of-Service attack knocks city’s parking system offline Drivers in the Russian city of Perm have been enjoying an unexpected bonus this week: free parking. Not because the city council suddenly decided to embrace generosity – but rather because hackers succeeded in knocking the city’s payment system offline. Read more…
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Fraudsters are using public planning records to target permit applicants
Fraudsters are using public planning records to target permit applicants If you’re in the middle of applying for a planning or zoning permit, there is some unwelcome news: cyber-criminals have found a way to exploit the bureaucratic tedium of the process against you. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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Your Signal account is safe – unless you fall for this trick
Your Signal account is safe – unless you fall for this trick Signal, the encrypted messaging app trusted by security-savvy users around the world, has confirmed that hackers have managed to takeover accounts – with government officials and journalists among those being targeted. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham…
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Twitter suspended 800 million accounts last year – so why does manipulation remain so rampant?
Twitter suspended 800 million accounts last year – so why does manipulation remain so rampant? Elon Musk’s social media site says it suspended 800 million accounts in a year for spam and manipulation – but with state-backed campaigns still flooding the platform, the real question is how many fake accounts remain. Read more in my…
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How hackers bypassed MFA with a $120 phishing kit – until a global takedown shut it down
How hackers bypassed MFA with a $120 phishing kit – until a global takedown shut it down In a co-ordinated public-private operation between law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity industry partners, Tycoon 2FA – one of the world’s most prolific phishing-as-a-service platforms – has been dismantled. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security…
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They seized $4.8m in crypto… then gave the master key to the internet
They seized $4.8m in crypto… then gave the master key to the internet South Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) has found itself in the middle of a deeply embarrassing – and costly – blunder after accidentally handing thieves the master key to a seized cryptocurrency wallet. Read more in my article on the Hot for…
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Notorious ransomware gang allegedly blackmailed by fake FSB officer
Notorious ransomware gang allegedly blackmailed by fake FSB officer There is a certain poetic justice in a cybersecurity-related story that has emerged from Moscow this week: A man has been accused of trying to extort money… from a notorious Russian ransomware gang. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley…
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Your staff are your biggest security risk: AI is making it worse
Your staff are your biggest security risk: AI is making it worse A new report claims that the cost of insider security incidents has surged 20% in two years, reaching an average of US $19.5 million per organization annually, with no sign that the alarming figure is flattening. Read more in my article on the…
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$10,000 bounty offered if you can hack Ring cameras to stop them sharing your data with Amazon
$10,000 bounty offered if you can hack Ring cameras to stop them sharing your data with Amazon Amid a privacy backlash, a US $10,000 reward has been offered for anyone who can find a way to run Ring doorbell cameras locally, cutting off the flow of video data to Amazon’s servers. Read more in my…
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Spanish police say they have arrested hacker who booked luxury hotel rooms for just one cent
Spanish police say they have arrested hacker who booked luxury hotel rooms for just one cent Spain’s police force has announced that it has arrested a 20-year-old man who they claim managed to book luxury hotel rooms worth up to €1,000 a night for just one euro cent. Read more in my article on the…
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Dutch police arrest man for “hacking” after accidentally sending him confidential files
Dutch police arrest man for “hacking” after accidentally sending him confidential files Police in The Netherlands say they have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of hacking… after police officers accidentally sent him a link granting him access to their own confidential documents Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham…
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Urgent warnings from UK and US cyber agencies after Polish energy grid attack
Urgent warnings from UK and US cyber agencies after Polish energy grid attack A coordinated cyberattack that targeted Poland’s energy infrastructure in late December 2025 has prompted cybersecurity agencies to issue urgent warnings to critical national infrastructure operators on both sides of the Atlantic. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley…
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Polish hacker charged seven years after massive Morele.net data breach
Polish hacker charged seven years after massive Morele.net data breach A 29-year-old Polish man has been charged in connection with a data breach that exposed the personal details of around 2.5 million customers of the popular Polish e-commerce website Morele.net. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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Fake Dubai Crown Prince tracked to Nigerian mansion after $2.5M romance scam
Fake Dubai Crown Prince tracked to Nigerian mansion after $2.5M romance scam When a Romanian businesswoman fell for a fake Dubai Crown Prince in a $2.5 million romance scam, investigators tracked the fraudster to his Nigerian mansion – only to discover he was masquerading as a campaigning philanthropist. Read more in my article on the…
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Incognito Market admin sentenced to 30 years for running $105 million dark web drug empire
Incognito Market admin sentenced to 30 years for running $105 million dark web drug empire He promised “the best security there is” to hundreds of thousands of drug buyers, while quietly making the kind of mistake that guaranteed a 30-year sentence. And maybe training police on cryptocurrency while running a running a vast Tor-hidden drug…
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FBI takes notorious RAMP ransomware forum offline
FBI takes notorious RAMP ransomware forum offline The FBI has seized control of RAMP, a notorious cybercrime online forum that bragged to be the only place that allowed ransomware, and boasted over 14,000 active users. Now some of those users’ details are likely to be in the hands of the police… Read more in my…
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Beware! Fake ChatGPT browser extensions are stealing your login credentials
Beware! Fake ChatGPT browser extensions are stealing your login credentials If you’ve installed a browser extension to enhance your ChatGPT experience, you might want to think again. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Four arrested in crackdown on Discord-based SWATting and doxing
Four arrested in crackdown on Discord-based SWATting and doxing How badly do you want to win an online argument? I certainly hope it’s not enough to put the life of the other person at risk. Police in Hungary and Romania have arrested four young men suspected of making hoax bomb threats and terrorising internet users…
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European Space Agency’s cybersecurity in freefall as yet another breach exposes spacecraft and mission data
European Space Agency’s cybersecurity in freefall as yet another breach exposes spacecraft and mission data It has just been a few weeks since reports emerged of the Christmas cyber attack suffered by the European Space Agency (ESA), and the situation has already become worse. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.…
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Pro-Russian denial-of-service attacks target UK, NCSC warns
Pro-Russian denial-of-service attacks target UK, NCSC warns The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning about the threat posed by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks from Russia-linked hacking groups who are reported to be continuing to target British organisations. Are you prepared? Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.…
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WEF: AI overtakes ransomware as fastest-growing cyber risk
WEF: AI overtakes ransomware as fastest-growing cyber risk We can no longer say that artificial intelligence is a “future risk”, lurking somewhere on a speculative threat horizon. The truth is that it is a fast-growing cybersecurity risk that organizations are facing today. That’s not just my opinion, that’s also the message that comes loud and…
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Hackers get hacked, as BreachForums database is leaked
Hackers get hacked, as BreachForums database is leaked Have you ever stolen data, traded a hacking tool, or just lurked on a dark web forum believing that you are anonymous? If so, I might have some unsettling news for you. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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pcTattletale founder pleads guilty in rare stalkerware prosecution
pcTattletale founder pleads guilty in rare stalkerware prosecution The founder of a spyware company that encouraged customers to secretly monitor their romantic partners has pleaded guilty to federal charges – marking one of the few successful US prosecutions of a stalkerware operator. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley…
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Coinbase insider who sold customer data to criminals arrested in India
Coinbase insider who sold customer data to criminals arrested in India Police in India have arrested a former Coinbase customer service agent who is believed to have been bribed by cybercriminal gangs to access sensitive customer information. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Surveillance at sea: Cruise firm bans smart glasses to curb covert recording
Surveillance at sea: Cruise firm bans smart glasses to curb covert recording If you’re planning a cruise for your holidays, and cannot bear the idea of being parted from your Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, you may want to avoid sailing with MSC Cruises. The cruise line has updated its list of prohibited items, specifically banning…
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Man jailed for teaching criminals how to use malware
Man jailed for teaching criminals how to use malware A 49-year-old man has received a five-and-a-half year jail sentence after admitting to creating detailed video tutorials that showed members of a criminal gang how to infect Android phones with spyware and drain their bank accounts. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security…
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Gartner tells businesses to block AI browsers now
Gartner tells businesses to block AI browsers now Analyst firm Gartner has issued a blunt warning to organizations: Agentic AI browsers introduce serious new security risks and should be blocked “for the foreseeable future.” Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Four years later, Irish health service offers €750 to victims of ransomware attack
Four years later, Irish health service offers €750 to victims of ransomware attack Remember when a notorious ransomware gang hit the Irish Health Service back in May 2021? Four years on, and it seems victims who had their data exposed will finally receive compensation. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.…
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Ransomware may have extorted over $2.1 billion between 2022-2024, but it’s not all bad news, claims FinCEN report
Ransomware may have extorted over $2.1 billion between 2022-2024, but it’s not all bad news, claims FinCEN report A new report from the United States’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has shone a revealing light on the state of the criminal industry of ransomware. The report, which examines ransomware incidents from 2022 to 2024, reveals…
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Why the record-breaking 30 Tbps DDoS attack should concern every business
Why the record-breaking 30 Tbps DDoS attack should concern every business A new warning about the threat posed by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks should make you sit up and listen. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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FBI warns of surge in account takeover (ATO) fraud schemes – what you need to know
FBI warns of surge in account takeover (ATO) fraud schemes – what you need to know The FBI has recently issued a public service announcement that warns that since January 2025 there have been more than 5,100 complaints of account takeover fraud, and total reported losses in excess of US $262 million. Read more in…
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Asahi cyber attack spirals into massive data breach impacting almost 2 million people
Asahi cyber attack spirals into massive data breach impacting almost 2 million people Asahi Group Holdings, the makers of the popular Japanese beer Asahi Super Dry, has confirmed that the ransomware attack that disrupted its operations in late September also saw a significant data breach that affects more than 1.5 million customers and approximately 275,000…
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State-backed spyware attacks are targeting Signal and WhatsApp users, CISA warns
State-backed spyware attacks are targeting Signal and WhatsApp users, CISA warns CISA, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has issued a new warning that cybercriminals and state-backed hacking groups are using spyware to compromise smartphones belonging to users of popular encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Read more in my article…
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Shadow AI security breaches will hit 40% of all companies by 2030, warns Gartner
Shadow AI security breaches will hit 40% of all companies by 2030, warns Gartner Shadow AI – the use of artificial intelligence tools by employees without a company’s approval and oversight – is becoming a significant cybersecurity risk. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Operation Endgame disrupts Rhadamanthys information-stealing malware
Operation Endgame disrupts Rhadamanthys information-stealing malware International cybercrime-fighting agencies, co-ordinated by Europol, took down over 1000 servers and seized 20 domains earlier this month as part of Operation Endgame 3.0. Their target? Three major malware platforms: the infostealer known as Rhadamanthys, the VenomRAT remote access trojan, and the Elysium botnet. Read more in my article…
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UK’s new cybersecurity bill takes aim at ransomware gangs and state-backed hackers
UK’s new cybersecurity bill takes aim at ransomware gangs and state-backed hackers After years of delays, the UK government has finally introduced landmark cybersecurity legislation that could reshape how British organisations defend against digital attacks. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Wind farm worker sentenced after turning turbines into a secret crypto mine
Wind farm worker sentenced after turning turbines into a secret crypto mine A technical manager at a Dutch wind farm operator has been sentenced after it was discovered he had secretly installed cryptocurrency mining rigs at two wind farm sites – just as the company was recovering from a ransomware attack. Read more in my…
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A miracle: A company says sorry after a cyber attack – and donates the ransom to cybersecurity research
A miracle: A company says sorry after a cyber attack – and donates the ransom to cybersecurity research One of the sad truths about this world of seemingly endless hacks and data breaches is that companies just won’t apologise. Even when customers, partners, and employees are left wondering when their data will be published by…
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Russian hacker admits helping Yanluowang ransomware infect companies
Russian hacker admits helping Yanluowang ransomware infect companies A Russian hacker accused of helping ransomware gangs break into businesses across the United States is set to plead guilty, according to recently filed federal court documents. 25-year-old Aleksey Olegovich Volkov worked as an “initial access broker”, a cybercriminal specialist who focuses on the earliest stage of…
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Leading AI companies accidentally leak their passwords and digital keys on GitHub – what you need to know
Leading AI companies accidentally leak their passwords and digital keys on GitHub – what you need to know Many of the world’s top artificial intelligence companies are making a simple but dangerous mistake. They are accidentally publishing their passwords and digital keys on GitHub, the popular code-sharing website that is used by millions of developers…
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Hack halts Dutch broadcaster, forcing radio hosts back to LPs
Hack halts Dutch broadcaster, forcing radio hosts back to LPs A Dutch TV and radio broadcaster has found itself at the mercy of cybercriminals after suffering a cyber attack, and leaving it scrambling to find ways to play music to its listeners. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley…
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The rising tide of cyber attacks against the UK water sector
The rising tide of cyber attacks against the UK water sector Critical infrastructure is once again in the spotlight, as it is revealed that several UK water suppliers have reported cybersecurity incidents over the last two years. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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“Pay up or we share the tapes”: Hackers target massage parlour clients in blackmail scheme
“Pay up or we share the tapes”: Hackers target massage parlour clients in blackmail scheme South Korean police have uncovered a hacking operation that stole sensitive data from massage parlours and blackmailed their male clientele. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Spam text scammer fined £200,000 for targeting people in debt, after sending nearly one million messages
Spam text scammer fined £200,000 for targeting people in debt, after sending nearly one million messages The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has levied a fine of £200,000 against a sole trader who sent almost one million spam text messages to people across the country – many of whom were already struggling with debt. Read…
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LinkedIn gives you until Monday to stop AI from training on your profile
LinkedIn gives you until Monday to stop AI from training on your profile If you live in the UK/EU/Canada/Hong Kong, LinkedIn has given you until Monday to stop AI from training on your profile. You have to opt-out if you don’t want this to happen to your data. Take action now, and tell your friends.…
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Smashing Security podcast #440: How to hack a prison, and the hidden threat of online checkouts
Smashing Security podcast #440: How to hack a prison, and the hidden threat of online checkouts A literal insider threat: we head to a Romanian prison where “self-service” web kiosks allowed inmates to run wild. Then we head to the checkout aisle to ask why JavaScript on payment pages went feral, and how new PCI…
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Cybercriminals turn on each other: the story of Lumma Stealer’s collapse
Cybercriminals turn on each other: the story of Lumma Stealer’s collapse Normally when we write about a malware operation being disrupted, it’s because it has been shut down by law enforcement. But in the case of Lumma Stealer, a notorious malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operation used to steal passwords and sensitive data, it appears to have been…
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John Bolton charged over classified emails after Iranian hack of his AOL account
John Bolton charged over classified emails after Iranian hack of his AOL account Former US national security adviser John Bolton is the latest in a line of Donald Trump’s critics to find themselves on the sharp end of charges from the US Department of Justice. Bolton, who left the White Hose in 2021 and wrote…
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Hundreds of masked ICE agents doxxed by hackers, as personal details posted on Telegram
Hundreds of masked ICE agents doxxed by hackers, as personal details posted on Telegram Hundreds of US government officials working for the FBI, ICE, and Department of Justice have had their personal data leaked by a notorious hacking group. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Operation Heracles strikes blow against massive network of fraudulent crypto trading sites
Operation Heracles strikes blow against massive network of fraudulent crypto trading sites In a significant crackdown against online cybercriminals, German authorities have successfully dismantled a network of fraudulent cryptocurrency investment sites that has targeted millions of unsuspecting people across Europe. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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NCSC warns companies to prepare for a day when your screens go dark
NCSC warns companies to prepare for a day when your screens go dark The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre warns that the country now faces four nationally significant cyberattacks every week – a 129% jump in a year. Some headlines claim the NCSC is urging organisations to “go back to pen and paper,” but the…
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BreachForums seized, but hackers say they will still leak Salesforce data
BreachForums seized, but hackers say they will still leak Salesforce data Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Salesforce data breach: what you need to know
Salesforce data breach: what you need to know The Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters hacking group claims to have accessed data from around 40 customers of Salesforce, the cloud-based customer relationship management service, stealing almost one billion records. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Discord users’ data stolen by hackers in third-party data breach
Discord users’ data stolen by hackers in third-party data breach Discord has confirmed that users who contacted its customer support service have had their data stolen by hackers, who have attempted to extort a ransom from the company. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Japan running dry: Ransomware attack leaves nation days away from Asahi beer shortage
Japan running dry: Ransomware attack leaves nation days away from Asahi beer shortage Beer lovers will be sobbing into their pints at the news that a ransomware attack has brought Japan’s largest brewer to its knees and left the country days away from running out of its most popular beverage. Read more in my article…
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Your favourite phone apps might be leaking your company’s secrets
Your favourite phone apps might be leaking your company’s secrets Most of the apps on your phone are talking to a server somewhere – sending and receiving data through messages sent through APIs, the underlying infrastructure that allows apps to communicate. And here’s the problem – hackers have determined that the APIs of mobile apps,…
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From fake lovers to sextortionists: 260 scammers arrested in Africa
From fake lovers to sextortionists: 260 scammers arrested in Africa INTERPOL has announced the arrest of 260 alleged romance scammers, sextortionists, and online fraudsters as part of a multi-national operation across Africa. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Dutch teens recruited on Telegram, accused of Russia-backed hacking plot
Dutch teens recruited on Telegram, accused of Russia-backed hacking plot Two 17-year-olds have been arrested by Dutch authorities on suspicion of spying for pro-Russian hackers. The teenagers, who are said to have been recruited as “disposable agents” via Telegram, were reportedly arrested last week “on suspicion that are linked to government-sponsored interference.” Read more in…
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INC ransomware: what you need to know
INC ransomware: what you need to know INC is the name of a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation that first appeared in late summer 2023. Learn more about what it has been up to, and how to protect against its attacks, in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Vastaamo psychotherapy hack: US citizen charged in latest twist of notorious data breach
Vastaamo psychotherapy hack: US citizen charged in latest twist of notorious data breach 28-year-old Daniel Lee Newhard, an American citizen living in Estonia, has been charged in relation to the notorious hack of Vastaamo, the biggest data breach in Finnish history. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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“Pompompurin” resentenced: BreachForums creator heads back behind bars
“Pompompurin” resentenced: BreachForums creator heads back behind bars Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, the creator of the notorious BreachForums hacking forum, has been resentenced to three years in prison after a US appeals court overturned his prior sentence of time served and 20 years of supervised release. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security…
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From mischief to malware: ICO warns schools about student hackers
From mischief to malware: ICO warns schools about student hackers Recent research released by the ICO say that school pupils should be considered as an “insider threat” by schools. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Luxury fashion brands Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen hacked – customer data stolen
Luxury fashion brands Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen hacked – customer data stolen Luxury fashion group Kering – owner of the prestigious Gucci, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen brands, amongst others – has confirmed that hackers stole customer data from its systems in June 2025. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.…
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British rail passengers urged to stay on guard after hack signals failure
British rail passengers urged to stay on guard after hack signals failure Passengers of the UK’s state-owned London North Eastern Railway (LNER) have been warned to be vigilant after cybercriminals accessed traveller’s contact details and some information about past journeys. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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Lovesac warns customers their data was breached after suspected RansomHub attack six months ago
Lovesac warns customers their data was breached after suspected RansomHub attack six months ago American furniture maker Lovesac, known for its modular couches and comfy beanbags, has warned customers that their data was breached by hackers earlier this year, and that they should remain vigilant to the threat of identity theft. Read more in my…
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US charges suspected ransomware kingpin, and offers $10 million bounty for his capture
US charges suspected ransomware kingpin, and offers $10 million bounty for his capture A US federal court has unssealed charges against a Ukrainian national who authorities allege was a key figure behind several strains of ransomware, including LockerGoga, MegaCortex, and Nefilim. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Germany charges hacker with Rosneft cyberattack in latest wake-up call for critical infrastructure
Germany charges hacker with Rosneft cyberattack in latest wake-up call for critical infrastructure A 30‑year‑old man has been charged with launching a cyberattack on the German subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned oil giant Rosneft. The cyberattack, which happened in March 2022 in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, crippled the company’s operations and cost millions…
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Parents warned that robot toys spied on children’s location without consent
Parents warned that robot toys spied on children’s location without consent Parents are being reminded to exercise caution about the toys that they purchase their children, after the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it had taken action against a robot toy maker. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.…
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FBI warns seniors are being targeted in three-phase Phantom Hacker scams
FBI warns seniors are being targeted in three-phase Phantom Hacker scams The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says that the elderly are more at risk from falling victim to online fraud and internet scammers than ever before. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Hacker suspected of trying to cheat his way into university is arrested in Spain
Hacker suspected of trying to cheat his way into university is arrested in Spain Spanish police have arrested a suspected hacker for accessing a government website in order to alter the high school and university entrance exam grades of not only himself, but also some of his closest classmates. Read more in my article on…
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Cephalus ransomware: What you need to know
Cephalus ransomware: What you need to know Cephalus is a relatively new ransomware operation that emerged in mid-2025, and has already been linked to a wave of high-profile data leaks. Read more about it in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Alleged mastermind behind K-Pop celebrity stock heist extradited to South Korea
Alleged mastermind behind K-Pop celebrity stock heist extradited to South Korea A suspected hacker, believed to be the mastermind behind an organised campaign of attacks that stole millions of dollars worth of stocks from celebrities, including BTS singer Jung Kook, has been extradited to South Korea. Read more in my article on the Hot for…