CyberWire Daily

Latest Episodes:

AI ambitions clash with cyber caution. Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

The Department of the Interior removes top cybersecurity and tech officials. The DOJ looks to block foreign adversaries from acquiring sensitive personal data of U.S. citizens. Microsoft issues emergency updates to fix an Active Directory bug. Hackers are installing stealth backdoors on FortiGate devices. Researchers warn of a rise in “Dangling DNS” attacks. A pair of class action lawsuits allege a major adtech firm secretly tracks users online without consent. Google is fixing a 20-year-old Chrome privacy flaw. The Tycoon2FA phishing-as-a-service platform continues to evolve. My guest is Tim Starks from CyberScoop, discussing the latest from CISA and Chris Krebs. Slopsquatting AI totally harshes the supply chain vibe.

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CyberWire Guest

Today we are joined by Tim Starks from CyberScoop, and he is discussing the latest with CISA and Chris Krebs.

Selected Reading

Interior Department Ousts Key Cyber Leaders Amid DOGE Spat (Data Breach Today)

US Blocks Foreign Governments from Acquiring Citizen Data (Infosecurity Magazine)

Microsoft: New emergency Windows updates fix AD policy issues (Bleeping Origin)

Fortinet Issues Fixes After Attackers Bypass Patches to Maintain Access (Hackread)

Dangling DNS Attack Let Hackers Gain Control Over Organization’s Subdomain (Cyber Security News)

Two Lawsuits Allege The Trade Desk Secretly Violates Consumer Privacy Laws (AdTech)

Chrome 136 fixes 20-year browser history privacy risk (Bleeping Computer)

Tycoon2FA phishing kit targets Microsoft 365 with new tricks (Bleeping Computer)

AI Hallucinations Create a New Software Supply Chain Threat (SecurityWeek)

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Jennifer Walsmith: Pioneering and defining possible. [Cyber Solutions] [Career Notes] Apr 13, 2025

Show notes

Please enjoy this encore of Career Notes.

Vice President for Cyber and Information Solutions within Mission Systems at Northrop Grumman, Jennifer Walsmith takes us on her pioneering career journey. Following in her father's footsteps at the National Security Agency, Jennifer began her career out of high school in computer systems analysis. Jennifer notes she saw the value of a college degree and at her parents' urging attended night school. She completed her bachelors in computer science at University of Maryland, Baltimore County with the support of the NSA. Jennifer talks about the support of her team at NSA where she was one of the first women to have a career and a family, raising two children while working. Upon retirement from government service, Jennifer chose an organization with values that closely matched her own and uses her position to help her team define possible where they sometimes think they can't. We thank Jennifer for sharing her story with us.

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The new malware on the block. [OMITB] Apr 12, 2025

Show notes

This week, we are sharing an episode of our monthly show, Only Malware in the Building. We invite you to join Dave Bittner and cohost Selena Larson as they explore "The new malware on the block."

Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Join us each month to sip tea and solve mysteries about today’s most interesting threats. Your host is Selena Larson, Proofpoint intelligence analyst and host of their podcast DISCARDED. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by N2K Networks Dave Bittner —and our newest totally unbiased co-host, Archy, a highly sophisticated AI robot who swears they have no ulterior motives (but we’re keeping an eye on them just in case).

Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. On this episode, we talk about the latest shake-ups in the fake update threat landscape, including two new cybercriminal actors, fresh Mac malware, and the growing challenge of tracking these evolving campaigns.

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CISA shrinks while threats grow. Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

CISA braces for widespread staffing cuts. Russian hackers target a Western military mission in Ukraine. China acknowledges Volt Typhoon. The U.S. signs on to global spyware restrictions. A lab supporting Planned Parenthood confirms a data breach. Threat actors steal metadata from unsecured Amazon EC2 instances. A critical WordPress plugin vulnerability is under active exploitation. A new analysis details a critical unauthenticated remote code execution flaw affecting Ivanti products. Joining us today is Johannes Ullrich, Dean of Research at SANS Technology Institute, with his take on "Vibe Security." Does AI understand, and does that ultimately matter?

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CyberWire Guest

Joining us today is Johannes Ullrich, Dean of Research at SANS Technology Institute, discussing "Vibe Security," similar to “Vibe Coding” where security teams overly rely on AI to do their job.

Selected Reading

Trump administration planning major workforce cuts at CISA (The Record)

Cybersecurity industry falls silent as Trump turns ire on SentinelOne (Reuters)

Russian hackers attack Western military mission using malicious drive (Bleeping Computer)

China Admitted to US That It Conducted Volt Typhoon Attacks: Report (SecurityWeek)

US to sign Pall Mall pact aimed at countering spyware abuses (The Record)

US lab testing provider exposed health data of 1.6 million people (Bleeping Computer)

Amazon EC2 instance metadata targeted in SSRF attacks (SC Media)

Vulnerability in OttoKit WordPress Plugin Exploited in the Wild (SecurityWeek)

Ivanti 0-day RCE Vulnerability Exploitation Details Disclosed (Cyber Security News)

Experts Debate: Do AI Chatbots Truly Understand? (IEEE Spectrum)

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Former cybersecurity officials lose clearances. Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Trump targets former cybersecurity officials. Senator blocks CISA nominee over telecom security concerns. The acting head of NSA and Cyber Command makes his public debut. Escalation of Cyber Tensions in U.S.-China Trade Relations. Researchers evaluate the effectiveness of Large Language Models (LLMs) in automating Cyber Threat Intelligence. Hackers at Black Hat Asia pown a Nissan Leaf. A smart hub vulnerability exposes WiFi credentials. A new report reveals routers’ riskiness. Operation Endgames nabs SmokeLoader botnet users. Our guest is Anushika Babu, Chief Growth Officer at AppSecEngineer, joins us to discuss the creative ways people are using AI. The folks behind the Flipper Zero get busy.

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CyberWire Guest

Our guest is Anushika Babu, Chief Growth Officer at AppSecEngineer, joins us to discuss the creative ways people are using AI.

Selected Reading

Trump Signs Memorandum Revoking Security Clearance of Former CISA Director Chris Krebs (Zero Day)

Senator puts hold on Trump's nominee for CISA director, citing telco security 'cover up' (TechCrunch)

Infosec experts fear China could retaliate against tariffs with a Typhoon attack (The Register)

New US Cyber Command, NSA chief glides in first public appearance (The Record)

LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS ARE UNRELIABLE FOR CYBER THREAT INTELLIGENCE (ARXIG)

Nissan Leaf Hacked for Remote Spying, Physical Takeover (SecurityWeek)

TP-Link IoT Smart Hub Vulnerability Exposes Wi-Fi Credentials (Cyber Security News)

Study Identifies 20 Most Vulnerable Connected Devices of 2025 (SecurityWeek)

Authorities Seized Smokeloader Malware Operators & Seized Servers (Cyber Security News)

Flipper Zero maker unveils ‘Busy Bar,’ a new ADHD productivity tool (Bleeping Computer)

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The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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Major breach at the US Treasury’s OCC. Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Treasury’s OCC reports a major email breach. Patch Tuesday updates. A critical vulnerability in AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Agent allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. Experts urge Congress to keep strict export controls to help slow China’s progress in AI. A critical bug in WhatsApp for Windows allows malicious code execution.CISA adds multiple advisories on actively exploited vulnerabilities. Insider threat allegations rock a major Maryland medical center. Microsoft’s Ann Johnson from Afternoon Cyber Tea is joined by Jack Rhysider, the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Darknet Diaries. Feds Aim to Rewrite Social Security Code in Record Time.

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CyberWire Guest

In this episode of Afternoon Cyber Tea, Ann Johnson is joined by Jack Rhysider, the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast Darknet Diaries. You can hear the full conversation here. Be sure to catch new episodes of Afternoon Cyber Tea every other Tuesday on N2K CyberWIre and your favorite podcast app.

Selected Reading

Treasury's OCC Says Hackers Had Access to 150,000 Emails (SecurityWeek)

Microsoft Fixes Over 130 CVEs in April Patch Tuesday (Infosecurity Magazine)

Vulnerabilities Patched by Ivanti, VMware, Zoom (SecurityWeek)

Fortinet Patches Critical FortiSwitch Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

ICS Patch Tuesday: Vulnerabilities Addressed by Rockwell, ABB, Siemens, Schneider (SecurityWeek)

AWS Systems Manager Plugin Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Code (Cyber Security News)

Tech experts recommend full steam ahead on US export controls for AI (CyberScoop)

Don't open that file in WhatsApp for Windows just yet (The Register)

CISA Warns of Microsoft Windows CLFS Vulnerability Exploited in Wild (Cyber Security News)

CISA Urges Urgent Patching for Exploited CentreStack, Windows Zero-Days (SecurityWeek)

Pharmacist accused of spying on women using work, home cams (The Register)

DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse (WIRED)

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The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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Using AI to sniff out opposition. Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Is DOGE using AI to monitor federal employees? Google’s latest Android update addresses two zero-days. Scattered Spider continues its phishing and malware campaigns. Ransomware’s grip is slipping. ToddyCat exploits a critical flaw in ESET products. Oracle privately confirms a legacy system breach. Over 5,000 Ivanti Connect Secure appliances remain exposed online to a critical remote code execution vulnerability. CISA confirms active exploitation of a critical vulnerability in CrushFTP. In our Industry Voices segment, we are joined by Matt Radolec, VP of Incident Response at Varonis, on turning to gamers to to Build Resilient Cyber Teams. AI outphishes human red teams.

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Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you’ll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn.

CyberWire Guest

In our Industry Voices segment, we are joined by Matt Radolec, VP of Incident Response, Cloud Operations & SE EU from Varonis, as he is discussing research on “From Gamer to Leader: How to Build Resilient Cyber Teams.” Catch Matt’s keynote at RSAC 2025 on April 30th.

Selected Reading

Exclusive: Musk's DOGE using AI to snoop on U.S. federal workers, sources say (Reuters)

Tariff Wars: The Technology Impact (BankInfo Security)

Google Patched Android 0-Day Vulnerability Exploited in the Wild (Cyber Security News)

Scattered Spider adds new phishing kit, malware to its web (The Register)

Ransomware Underground Faces Declining Relevance (BankInfo Security)

ESET Vulnerability Exploited for Stealthy Malware Execution (SecurityWeek)

Oracle Confirms that Hackers Broke Systems & Stole Client Login Credentials (Cyber Security News)

Exploited Vulnerability Puts 5,000 Ivanti VPN Appliances at Risk (SecurityWeek)

CISA Warns of CrushFTP Vulnerability Exploitation in the Wild (Infosecurity Magazine)

AI Outsmarts Human Red Teams in Phishing Tests (GovInfo Security)

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UK Apple showdown gonna be public. Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

UK court blocks government's attempt to keep Apple encryption case secret. Port of Seattle says last year's breach affected 90,000 people. Verizon Call Filter App flaw exposes millions' call records. Hackers hit Australian pension funds. A global threat hiding in plain sight. Cybercriminals are yelling CAPTCH-ya! Meta retires U.S. fact-checking program. Our guest today is Rob Boyce from Accenture and he’s discussing Advanced Persistent Teenagers (APTeens). And Google’s AI Goes Under the Sea.

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CyberWire Guest

Rob Boyce, Global Lead for Cyber Resilience at Accenture, joins to discuss Advanced Persistent Teenagers (APTeens). Advanced Persistent Teenagers (APTeens) have rapidly become a significant enterprise risk by demonstrating capabilities once limited to organized ransomware groups, the threat from juvenile, homegrown threat-actors has risen steadily.

Selected Reading

UK Effort to Keep Apple Encryption Fight Secret Blocked in Court (Bloomberg)

Port of Seattle says ransomware breach impacts 90,000 people (BleepingComputer)

Call Records of Millions Exposed by Verizon App Vulnerability (SecurityWeek)

Cybercriminals are trying to loot Australian pension accounts in new campaign (The Record)

NEPTUNE RAT Attacking Windows Users to Exfiltrate Passwords from 270+ Apps (Cyber Security News)

Threat Actors Using Fake CAPTCHAs and CloudFlare Turnstile to Deliver LegionLoader (Cyber Security News)

Meta ends its fact-checking program in the US later today, replaces it with Community Notes (Techspot)

Suspected Scattered Spider Hacker Pleads Guilty (SecurityWeek)

This Alphabet Spin-off Brings “Fishal Recognition” to Aquaculture (IEEE Spectrum)

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Rick Howard: Give people resources. [CSO] [Career Notes] Apr 06, 2025

Show notes

Please enjoy this encore of Career Notes.

Chief Security Officer, Chief Analyst, and Senior Fellow at the CyberWire, Rick Howard, shares his travels through the cybersecurity job space. The son of a gold miner who began his career out of West Point in the US Army, Rick worked his way up to being the Commander of the Army's Computer Emergency Response Team. Rick moved to the commercial sector working for Bruce Schneier running Counterpane's global SOC. Rick's first CSO job was for Palo Alto Networks where he was afforded the opportunity to create the Cybersecurity Canon Hall of Fame and the Cyber Threat Alliance. Upon considering retirement, Rick called up on the CyberWire to ask about doing a podcast and he was hired on to the team. Rick shares a proud moment through a favorite story. We thank Rick for sharing his story with us.

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Bybit’s $1.4B breach. [Research Saturday] Apr 05, 2025

Show notes

Zach Edwards from Silent Push is discussing their work on "New Lazarus Group Infrastructure, Acquires Sensitive Intel Related to $1.4B ByBit Hack and Past Attacks." Silent Push analysts uncovered significant infrastructure used by the Lazarus APT Group, linking them to the $1.4 billion Bybit crypto heist through the domain bybit-assessment[.]com registered just hours before the attack.

The investigation revealed a pattern of test entries, VPN usage, and fake job interview scams targeting crypto users, with malware deployment tied to North Korean threat actor groups like TraderTraitor and Contagious Interview. The team also identified numerous companies being impersonated in these scams, including major crypto platforms like Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, to alert potential victims.