The Week in Breach News: 02/07/24 – 02/13/24

This week: Ransomware snarls operations at 21 hospitals in Romania and a children’s hospital in Illinois, an unsecured database exposes user data from a popular casino app and a look at the Valentine’s Day message that no one wants to receive: a deepfake (plus how a deepfake cost a Hong Kong company $25 million).

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Lurie Children’s Hospital

https://www.medpagetoday.com/practicemanagement/informationtechnology/108666

Exploit: Ransomware

Lurie Children’s Hospital: Medical Center

How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Medical centers like hospitals and clinics are treasure troves of data for the bad guys.

Kaseya to the Rescue: Learn about the growing list of cybersecurity challenges that organizations face in the Kaseya Security Survey Report 2023. DOWNLOAD IT>>

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Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000

https://therecord.media/california-union-lockbit-attack-ransomware

Exploit: Ransomware

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000: Trade Union

How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Trade unions can be an attractive target because they hold a myriad of personal and financial information about their members.

Kaseya to the Rescue:  Ransomware is often an email-based cyberattack. Our 5-Minute Guide to Phishing Attacks and Prevention offers a quick guide to stopping phishing. DOWNLOAD IT>>

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Middletown Area School District (Pennsylvania)

https://www.abc27.com/local-news/harrisburg/middletown-area-school-district-suffers-cyber-incident-investigation-ongoing/

Exploit: Hacking

Middletown Area School District (Pennsylvania): Regional Education Authority

How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Schools have been firmly in cybercriminals’ sights because they can’t afford downtime, making them more likely to pay a ransom.

Kaseya to the Rescue: Learn more about the cybersecurity threats that K-12 schools are experiencing in our infographic The Top Cyber Threats Schools Face and How to Stop Them. GET IT>> 

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Bank of America

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/tech/fulton-county-cyberattack/index.html

Exploit: Supply Chain

Bank of America: Bank

How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Cyberattacks on suppliers and service providers can be a fast path to cybersecurity trouble for the businesses they have relationships with.

Kaseya to the Rescue:  Get tips for mitigating risk created by business relationships in our eBook The Comprehensive Guide to Third-Party and Supply Chain Risk. DOWNLOAD IT>> 

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WinStar

https://www.computing.co.uk/news/4172871/breach-exposes-personal-info-worlds-biggest-casino-app

Exploit: Misconfiguration

WinStar: Casino Group

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Human error is the top cause of a data breach, and security awareness training helps mitigate that risk.

Kaseya to the Rescue:  Our infographic walks you through exactly how security awareness training prevents the biggest threats that businesses face today. DOWNLOAD IT>>

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Romania – Slobozia County Emergency Hospital

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-attack-forces-18-romanian-hospitals-to-go-offline/

Exploit: Ransomware

Slobozia County Emergency Hospital: Medical Center

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: attacks like this that impact regional healthcare can be dangerous for the community.

Kaseya to the Rescue: An endpoint detection and response solution can help businesses stop the spread of a cyberattack fast. This checklist helps you find the right one. DOWNLOAD IT>> 

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Austria – The Government of Korneuburg

https://therecord.media/funerals-canceled-due-to-ransomware-attack-on-austrian-town

Exploit: Ransomware

The Government of Korneuburg, Austria: Municipal Government

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Governments and government agencies are a major target for ransomware groups looking to profit from a high-profile attack.

Kaseya to the Rescue: Every organization needs to be ready for trouble with an incident response plan in place. This checklist can help. DOWNLOAD CHECKLIST>> 

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South Korea – Hyundai

https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/ransomware-groups-black-basta-lockbit-hit-hyundai-california-seiu-union

Exploit: Ransomware

Hyundai: Carmaker

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: Consumer data isn’t theonly thing bad actors are hunting for – corporate data is also attractive and valuable.

Kaseya to the Rescue: Learn more about the trade in data and credentials on the dark web and how bad actors make a profit in our infographic 5 Ways the Dark Web Endangers Businesses. DOWNLOAD IT>> 

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Phishing threats never stop evolving. Prepare employees for sophisticated phishing attacks with these three new phishing simulation kits that reflect the types of threats employees encounter all the time.

• Norton – Free Offer
• Xfinity – You’re Receiving a Credit
• World Health Organizations – Safety Measures

Learn more about these new phishing simulations and other updates in the BullPhish ID Release Notes. LEARN MORE>>

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6 confusing cybersecurity solutions, explained

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Cybersecurity is awash with confusing acronyms. In the 6 Confusing Cybersecurity Solutions infographic, we break down six cybersecurity acronyms that can leave you flummoxed, like automation and response (SOAR) and endpoint detection and response (EDR). Gain clarity for smart decision-making with this infographic. Great for educating decision-makers! DOWNLOAD IT>>

Did you miss… our 5-Minute Guide to Phishing Attacks and Prevention infographic? DOWNLOAD IT>>

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In today’s digital age, where technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, cybersecurity threats like phishing have become increasingly sophisticated. While traditional phishing emails often relied on fraudulent links or deceptive language, a new and more sinister trend has emerged: the use of deepfakes. A deepfake is a false piece of media, typically audio or video, in which bad actors manipulate or replace content to serve their purposes by making it appear as though it is authentic and created by the depicted individual. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI, has helped cybercriminals create highly believable, sophisticated deepfakes that can fool even savvy victims. 

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Deepfake phishing costs a finance company $25 million 

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Deepfakes can be distributed over email, messaging, phone calls, even video. One of the most dangerous gambits in deepfake email phishing is employing deepfakes to conduct successful business email compromise (BEC) attacks. A recent example of this is the disaster that recently befell a company in Hong Kong. The company recently lost $25 million to deepfake phishing after a worker in the finance department was taken in by a deepfake phishing scam. The attack started with email phishing, then evolved into an astonishing tale of deepfake phishing using a video call. 

Here’s how the incident breaks down: 

• An employee received an email purporting to be from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer (CFO).  
• The employee was initially suspicious of this email, which showed indications of phishing.  
• Specifically, the message directed the employee to transfer $25 million to an offshore account, raising the employee’s suspicions that this might be a scam.  
• After expressing his concerns, the employee was invited to a video call with the CFO to prove the transfer request was genuine.   
• On the video call, the participants’ voices and faces seemed genuine, allaying the employee’s suspicions. 
• The employee then transfers the $25 million as directed.  
• But the whole thing was a sophisticated scam, and the supposed video call was actually a deepfake.  

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Deepfakes are dangerously believable 

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Imagine receiving an email from your bank or a trusted colleague asking for sensitive information or requesting urgent action. The email appears legitimate, complete with the usual branding and language and even a video attached to increase its believability. There are no telltale signs of phishing. Wouldn’t you be likley to determine that teh email is genuine? Many people would fall for this scam. Deepfake emails exploit the trust individuals place in familiar senders and their susceptibility to social engineering tactics. By leveraging deepfake technology, cybercriminals can manipulate audiovisual content to deceive recipients into believing they are interacting with a trustworthy source, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful phishing attacks. 

The implications of deepfakes including those used foremail phishing are far-reaching and potentially devastating. Cybercriminals can use deepfakes to steal sensitive information, perpetrate financial fraud, sow distrust in institutions, damage someone’s reputation or even deploy ransomware. Deepfakes have long been a concern during election season because they can be used to spread fake information and sway voters. Thesedangeous message could also be used to erode the trust between a company’s staffers or damage its business relationships. The possibilities are limitless – making deepfakes incredibly dangerous.

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Deepfake use has grown by ten times in one year 

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Deepfake use in cybercrime like BEC is a fairly new development that has only really become a major concern in the past few years. However, it is ramping up quickly. In fact, there were ten times more cybercrimes like identity theft fueled by deepfakes in 2023 than in the previous year. Deepfake-fueled attacks grew the most in North America and in the Asia-Pacific region in 2023, but there were major increases around the world.  

Regions with the largest percentage of increase in deepfakes between 2022 and 2023 

Region	% increase in deepfake phishing
North America	1740%
Asia-Pacific	1530%
The Middle East and Africa	450%
Latin America	410%

Source: Infosecurity Magazine 

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Mitigating the threat of deepfake email phishing 

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Given the sophisticated nature of deepfake technology, combating phishing with deepfakes requires a multi-faceted approach that incorporates both technological solutions and user awareness. 

Advanced Detection Techniques: Implementing advanced email security solutions equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities can help detect and block deepfake emails before they reach their intended targets. 

Employee Training and Awareness: Educating employees about the dangers of email phishing, including deepfake-based attacks, and providing training on how to identify suspicious emails can empower them to recognize and report potential threats. 

Email Authentication Protocols: Implementing email authentication protocols such as DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) can help verify the authenticity of email senders and prevent domain spoofing. 

Vigilance and Verification: Encouraging recipients to verify the authenticity of email communications through alternative channels, such as phone calls or in-person interactions, can help mitigate the risk of falling victim to deepfake email phishing. 

As deepfake technology continues to evolve and proliferate, the threat of email phishing with deepfakes will likely persist and escalate. By leveraging a combination of advanced technologies and employee education, companies can mitigate their risk of trouble from threats like deepfakes, pursing safer email communication and safeguarding individuals and organizations from cybercrime. 

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Protecting businesses from cybercrime has never been easier or more affordable with Kaseya’s Security Suite

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Kaseya’s Security Suite has the powerful tools that IT professionals need to mitigate cyber risk without breaking the bank.  

BullPhish ID — This effective, automated security awareness training and phishing simulation solution provides critical training that improves compliance, prevents employee mistakes and reduces a company’s risk of being hit by a cyberattack.    

Dark Web ID — Our award-winning dark web monitoring solution is the channel leader for a good reason: it provides the greatest amount of protection around with 24/7/365 human and machine-powered monitoring of business and personal credentials, including domains, IP addresses and email addresses.   

Graphus — Automated email security is a cutting-edge solution that puts three layers of AI-powered protection between employees and phishing messages. It works equally well as a standalone email security solution or supercharges your Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace email security.     

Kaseya Managed SOC powered by RocketCyber — Our managed cybersecurity detection and response solution is backed by a world-class security operations center that detects malicious and suspicious activity across three critical attack vectors: endpoint, network and cloud.     

Datto EDR — Detect and respond to advanced threats with built-in continuous endpoint monitoring and behavioral analysis to deliver comprehensive endpoint defense (something that many cyber insurance companies require).     

Vonahi Penetration Testing – How sturdy are your cyber defenses? Do you have dangerous vulnerabilities? Find out with vPenTest, a SaaS platform that makes getting the best network penetration test easy and affordable for internal IT teams. 

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Practical Tips for Raising Cyber Resilience With Phishing Simulations 

Wednesday, March 6 |1 PM EST / 10 AM PST

You won’t want to miss getting actionable advice on running an effective and easy-to-manage phishing simulation and security awareness training program from an expert! Phishing defense advisor Brian Doty will share his expertise including: 

• Tips for setting up and running your phishing simulations for maximum effectiveness.
• How to use campaign reports to track progress and identify vulnerable users.
• Ways to reduce cyber risk with follow-up training for high-risk users and new hire training.

REGISTER NOW>>

February 20: Kaseya + Datto Connect Local Atlanta REGISTER NOW>>

February 22: Kaseya + Datto Connect Local Tampa REGISTER NOW>>

March 7: Kaseya + Datto Connect Local Symposium NJ REGISTER NOW>>

March 12: Kaseya+Datto Connect Local Security & Compliance Series Toronto REGISTER NOW>>

April 29 – May 2: Kaseya Connect Global (Las Vegas) REGISTER NOW>>

June 11 -13: Kaseya DattoCon Europe (Dublin) REGISTER NOW>>

October 28 – 30: Kaseya DattoCon (Miami) REGISTER NOW>>

November 12 – 14: Kaseya DattoCon APAC (Sydney) REGISTER NOW>>

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