Risky Business #713 -- Microsoft activates PR weasels after State Department hack

Risky Biz

On this week’s show Patrick Gray and Adam Boileau discuss the week’s security news. They cover:

• Microsoft’s weasel-word response to the State Department email hack
• JumpCloud got owned, maybe by DPRK
• Citrix 0day is getting stuff rekt
• Two more spyware firms sanctioned by USA
• Scammers list fake phone numbers for major airlines on Google Maps
• Much, much more

This week’s show is brought to you by security focussed enterprise browser maker Island. Dan Amiga, Island’s CTO and co-founder, is this week’s sponsor guest. He talks about why widespread enterprise browser deployment is inevitable.

Links to everything that we discussed are below and you can follow Patrick or Adam on Mastodon if that’s your thing.

Show notes

• China-based hackers breach email accounts at State Department
• Microsoft hardens key issuance systems after state-backed hackers breach Outlook accounts | Cybersecurity Dive
• Microsoft takes pains to obscure role in 0-days that caused email breach | Ars Technica
• Stealth Mode: Chinese Cyber Espionage Actors Continue to Evolve Tactics to Avoid Detection | Mandiant
• Hackers target Pakistani government, bank and telecom provider with China-made malware
• Risky Biz News: JumpCloud compromised by APT group
• Exploited 0-days, an incomplete fix, and a botched disclosure: Infosec snafu reigns | Ars Technica
• CISA warns of dangerous Rockwell industrial bug being exploited by gov’t group
• Rockwell Automation, Honeywell warned of critical vulnerabilities in industrial products | Cybersecurity Dive
• CISA gives US civilian agencies until August 1 to resolve four Microsoft vulnerabilities
• Google fixes ‘Bad.Build’ vulnerability affecting Cloud Build service
• White House unveils consumer labeling program to strengthen IoT security | Cybersecurity Dive
• Senate bill crafted with DEA targets end-to-end encryption, requires online companies to report drug activity
• Two more foreign spyware firms blacklisted by US
• Phone numbers for airlines listed on Google directed to scammers
• By criminals, for criminals: AI tool easily generates ‘remarkably persuasive’ fraud emails
• Itamar Golan 🤓 on Twitter: "A malicious LLM-based tool known as WormGPT 🪱 is rapidly gaining traction in underground forums. This tool empowers attackers to automate sophisticated phishing and BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacks, leveraging personalized fake emails to significantly enhance success… https://t.co/fAcrYhT696" / Twitter
• FCC chair proposes $200M investment to boost K-12 cybersecurity | Cybersecurity Dive
• Fed ends Capital One breach-related enforcement action | Cybersecurity Dive
• Norwegian Refugee Council hit by cyberattack
• Belarus-linked hacks on Ukraine, Poland began at least a year ago, report says
• Albania’s PM complains US is not providing country with cyberdefense funds
• VirusTotal: Datenleck offenbart Kunden der Google-Sicherheitsplattform - DER SPIEGEL
• Genesis Market sold to anonymous buyer despite FBI disruption