Alerts Scam Watch AustraliaScam alert: Social media scams 2024-12-09Published 9 Dec 2024 Summary Scammers routinely take over or set up fake profiles on social media, messaging platforms and apps. Be aware of scammers using social media to contact you to steal personal and financial details.Scam alert: Online shopping scams 2024-12-04Published 4 Dec 2024 Summary Scammers are targeting online shoppers during the festive season, especially with Christmas shopping and Boxing Day sales. Criminals create fake websites to look like well-known brands. They pretend to sell products at unusually low prices and may write fake reviews to make the website look legitimate.Scam alert: Card collection scam 2024-11-20Published 20 Nov 2024 Summary Criminals are calling people and pretending to be from a trusted organisation like a bank, IT company or phone company. They will say your bank accounts or computers aren’t secure, ask for your PIN and tell you to leave your bank card in your letterbox so it can be cancelled […]Scam alert: Bulk email extortion scam 2024-10-23Published 24 Oct 2024 Summary Criminals are emailing people claiming they have hacked into their computers or webcams and have access to compromising images and videos of them. These criminals threaten victims saying they will release the images and videos unless they are paid.Scam alert: Scammers are targeting Australians in hardship 2024-10-22Published 22 Oct 2024 Summary Criminals are impersonating charities and offering fake financial assistance schemes to target people experiencing financial hardship.Scam alert: Scammers impersonating banks in text messages, phone calls and emails 2024-10-17Published 18 Oct 2024 Summary Criminals are calling, emailing or messaging people and pretending to be from their bank so that they can steal your money.Scams Awareness Week 2024: Share a story, stop a scam 2024-08-23Published 23 Aug 2024 Summary This Scams Awareness Week (26 to 30 August) the National Anti-Scam Centre is encouraging Australians to speak up, share their experiences with others and to report scams to Scamwatch.Consumers and businesses warned of potential scams following CrowdStrike outage 2024-07-20Published 20 Jul 2024 Summary The National Anti-Scam Centre is warning consumers and small businesses to be wary of unsolicited calls, emails or messages requesting they download a software patch or provide remote access to fix or protect their computer from the CrowdStrike/Microsoft outage.Scam alert: NASC impersonation scammers 2024-06-21Published 21 Jun 2024 Summary Criminals pretending they're from the National Anti-Scam Centre are calling people, saying your phone number is involved in a scam in China.Scam alert: Hang up on remote access scammers 2024-05-27Published 28 May 2024 Summary Criminals who contact you unexpectedly offering to help 'fix problems' with your account, phone or computer are causing increasing financial loss through remote access scams. Smart Traveller AustraliaGuam 2025-01-14We’ve reviewed our advice for Guam and continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Entry requirements for Guam are the same as for the United States of America (see 'Travel'). SmartravellerNiger 2025-01-14We continue to advise do not travel to Niger. The security situation remains highly volatile and there's ongoing political instability following a military takeover in July 2023. Movement restrictions may be implemented at short notice. There's a high risk of terrorism, and terrorists may target places visited by foreigners, government buildings and security facilities. There's […] SmartravellerUnited States of America 2025-01-14Wildfires are occurring in California, including parts of Los Angeles. Local authorities have declared a disaster and public health emergency. Heavy smoke and ash have degraded air quality conditions in Los Angeles County. Power outages and road closures are affecting parts of Los Angeles County. Monitor local media for updates and follow the instructions of […] SmartravellerMozambique 2025-01-14Protests and strikes continue across the country following the elections in October 2024 and in the lead up to the inauguration of the new government on 15 January. These have resulted in deaths, destruction of property and blockades of roads. Land border crossings into neighbouring countries may be restricted or blocked at short notice. You […] SmartravellerCuba 2025-01-14We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Cuba. If you've travelled to Cuba since January 2021, you're not eligible to participate in the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP). You can’t enter or transit the US on an ESTA, and you’ll need to apply for a visa from the nearest US Embassy. […] SmartravellerNew Caledonia 2025-01-14We advise exercise a high degree of caution in Noumea and western coastal areas between Kone and Noumea. We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to other parts of the country, including Loyalty islands and IIes de Pins and inland of the western coastal areas on Grand Terre, including on some major roads […] SmartravellerCanada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement 2025-01-14 SmartravellerRwanda 2025-01-03There was an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Rwanda in 2024. The Rwandan Ministry of Health has declared that the outbreak is over. The border with Burundi is currently closed (see 'Travel'). SmartravellerNamibia 2024-12-13You don't need a visa to enter Namibia if you're a tourist for up to 3 months. You'll need a visa in advance for other travel purposes (see 'Travel'). SmartravellerCosta Rica 2024-11-28We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Costa Rica. Violent crime, including carjackings and 'express kidnappings', is increasingly common in Costa Rica. Be aware of your surroundings. Smartraveller The Hacker NewsIllicit HuiOne Telegram Market Surpasses Hydra, Hits $24 Billion in Crypto Transactions 2025-01-14The Telegram-based online marketplace known as HuiOne Guarantee and its vendors have cumulatively received at least $24 billion in cryptocurrency, dwarfing the now-defunct Hydra to become the largest online illicit marketplace to have ever operated. The figures, released by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, show that monthly inflows have increased by 51% since July 2024. Huione […] Zero-Day Vulnerability Suspected in Attacks on Fortinet Firewalls with Exposed Interfaces 2025-01-14Threat hunters are calling attention to a new campaign that has targeted Fortinet FortiGate firewall devices with management interfaces exposed on the public internet. "The campaign involved unauthorized administrative logins on management interfaces of firewalls, creation of new accounts, SSL VPN authentication through those accounts, and various other configuration changes," cybersecurity firm CISA Adds Second BeyondTrust Flaw to KEV Catalog Amid Active Attacks 2025-01-14The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Monday added a second security flaw impacting BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access (PRA) and Remote Support (RS) products to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, citing evidence of active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2024-12686 (CVSS score: 6.6), a medium-severity bug that could Hackers Exploit Aviatrix Controller Vulnerability to Deploy Backdoors and Crypto Miners 2025-01-13A recently disclosed critical security flaw impacting the Aviatrix Controller cloud networking platform has come under active exploitation in the wild to deploy backdoors and cryptocurrency miners. Cloud security firm Wiz said it's currently responding to "multiple incidents" involving the weaponization of CVE-2024-50603 (CVSS score: 10.0), a maximum severity bug that could result in ⚡ THN Weekly Recap: Top Cybersecurity Threats, Tools and Tips [13 January] 2025-01-13The cyber world’s been buzzing this week, and it’s all about staying ahead of the bad guys. From sneaky software bugs to advanced hacking tricks, the risks are real, but so are the ways to protect yourself. In this recap, we’ll break down what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do to stay […] Ransomware on ESXi: The Mechanization of Virtualized Attacks 2025-01-13In 2024, ransomware attacks targeting VMware ESXi servers reached alarming levels, with the average ransom demand skyrocketing to $5 million. With approximately 8,000 ESXi hosts exposed directly to the internet (according to Shodan), the operational and business impact of these attacks is profound. Most of the Ransomware strands that are attacking ESXi servers nowadays, are […] WordPress Skimmers Evade Detection by Injecting Themselves into Database Tables 2025-01-13Cybersecurity researchers are warning of a new stealthy credit card skimmer campaign that targets WordPress e-commerce checkout pages by inserting malicious JavaScript code into a database table associated with the content management system (CMS). "This credit card skimmer malware targeting WordPress websites silently injects malicious JavaScript into database entries to steal sensitive payment Expired Domains Allowed Control Over 4,000 Backdoors on Compromised Systems 2025-01-13No less than 4,000 unique web backdoors previously deployed by various threat actors have been hijacked by taking control of abandoned and expired infrastructure for as little as $20 per domain. Cybersecurity company watchTowr Labs said it pulled off the operation by registering over 40 domain names that the backdoors had been designed to use […] Microsoft Sues Hacking Group Exploiting Azure AI for Harmful Content Creation 2025-01-11Microsoft has revealed that it's pursuing legal action against a "foreign-based threat–actor group" for operating a hacking-as-a-service infrastructure to intentionally get around the safety controls of its generative artificial intelligence (AI) services and produce offensive and harmful content. The tech giant's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) said it has observed the threat actors "develop DoJ Indicts Three Russians for Operating Crypto Mixers Used in Cybercrime Laundering 2025-01-11The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday indicted three Russian nationals for their alleged involvement in operating the cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io. Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko and Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik were arrested on December 1, 2024, in coordination with the Netherlands' Financial Intelligence and Investigative Service, Finland's National Bureau of Google Project Zero Researcher Uncovers Zero-Click Exploit Targeting Samsung Devices 2025-01-10Cybersecurity researchers have detailed a now-patched security flaw impacting Monkey's Audio (APE) decoder on Samsung smartphones that could lead to code execution. The high-severity vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-49415 (CVSS score: 8.1), affects Samsung devices running Android versions 12, 13, and 14. "Out-of-bounds write in libsaped.so prior to SMR Dec-2024 Release 1 allows remote Taking the Pain Out of Cybersecurity Reporting: A Practical Guide for MSPs 2025-01-10Cybersecurity reporting is a critical yet often overlooked opportunity for service providers managing cybersecurity for their clients, and specifically for virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs). While reporting is seen as a requirement for tracking cybersecurity progress, it often becomes bogged down with technical jargon, complex data, and disconnected spreadsheets that fail to AI-Driven Ransomware FunkSec Targets 85 Victims Using Double Extortion Tactics 2025-01-10Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on a nascent artificial intelligence (AI) assisted ransomware family called FunkSec that sprang forth in late 2024, and has claimed more than 85 victims to date. "The group uses double extortion tactics, combining data theft with encryption to pressure victims into paying ransoms," Check Point Research said in a new […] Hands-On Walkthrough: Microsegmentation For all Users, Workloads and Devices by Elisity 2025-01-10Network segmentation remains a critical security requirement, yet organizations struggle with traditional approaches that demand extensive hardware investments, complex policy management, and disruptive network changes. Healthcare and manufacturing sectors face particular challenges as they integrate diverse endpoints – from legacy medical devices to IoT sensors – onto their production networks. RedDelta Deploys PlugX Malware to Target Mongolia and Taiwan in Espionage Campaigns 2025-01-10Mongolia, Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia have been targeted by the China-nexus RedDelta threat actor to deliver a customized version of the PlugX backdoor between July 2023 and December 2024. "The group used lure documents themed around the 2024 Taiwanese presidential candidate Terry Gou, the Vietnamese National Holiday, flood protection in Mongolia, and meeting invitations, […] CrowdStrike Warns of Phishing Scam Targeting Job Seekers with XMRig Cryptominer 2025-01-10Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike is alerting of a phishing campaign that exploits its own branding to distribute a cryptocurrency miner that's disguised as an employee CRM application as part of a supposed recruitment process. "The attack begins with a phishing email impersonating CrowdStrike recruitment, directing recipients to a malicious website," the company said. "Victims are prompted […] Major Vulnerabilities Patched in SonicWall, Palo Alto Expedition, and Aviatrix Controllers 2025-01-09Palo Alto Networks has released software patches to address several security flaws in its Expedition migration tool, including a high-severity bug that an authenticated attacker could exploit to access sensitive data. "Multiple vulnerabilities in the Palo Alto Networks Expedition migration tool enable an attacker to read Expedition database contents and arbitrary files, as well as […] New Banshee Stealer Variant Bypasses Antivirus with Apple’s XProtect-Inspired Encryption 2025-01-09Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new, stealthier version of a macOS-focused information-stealing malware called Banshee Stealer. "Once thought dormant after its source code leak in late 2024, this new iteration introduces advanced string encryption inspired by Apple's XProtect," Check Point Research said in a new analysis shared with The Hacker News. "This development allows it […] Product Walkthrough: How Reco Discovers Shadow AI in SaaS 2025-01-09As SaaS providers race to integrate AI into their product offerings to stay competitive and relevant, a new challenge has emerged in the world of AI: shadow AI. Shadow AI refers to the unauthorized use of AI tools and copilots at organizations. For example, a developer using ChatGPT to assist with writing code, a salesperson […] Webinar: Learn How to Stop Encrypted Attacks Before They Cost You Millions 2025-01-09Ransomware isn’t slowing down—it’s getting smarter. Encryption, designed to keep our online lives secure, is now being weaponized by cybercriminals to hide malware, steal data, and avoid detection.The result? A 10.3% surge in encrypted attacks over the past year and some of the most shocking ransom payouts in history, including a $75 million ransom in […]
