Author: HackWatchit
For years, gray-market services known as “bulletproof” hosts have been a key tool for cybercriminals looking to anonymously maintain web infrastructure with no questions asked. But as global law enforcement scrambles to crack down on digital threats, they have developed strategies for getting customer information from these hosts and have increasingly targeted the people behind the services with indictments. At the cybercrime-focused conference Sleuthcon in in Arlington, Virginia, today, researcher Thibault Seret outlined how this shift has pushed both bulletproof hosting companies and criminal customers toward an alternative approach.Rather than relying on web hosts to find ways of operating outside…
David Fletcher // The following techniques serve to illustrate methods for obtaining C2 communication in a particular Cylance protected environment. The configuration of the centralized infrastructure and the endpoint agents were not inspected prior to testing. The environment may exhibit configuration errors and may not conform with best practice for deployment of Cylance infrastructure. However, in our experience, misconfiguration is not uncommon and more times than not tends to have catastrophic results with regard to the overall security posture of an environment. This is the reason that we test deployments before accepting their stated protection levels at face value. In…
in an enterprise organization, you’ve probably felt the paradox firsthand. AI dominates your strategic decks, fills your review meetings, and weaves into roadmap discussions. However, when you actually try to turn these AI visions into practical solutions, you’re often left wondering: What’s actually working? Where do we start to see measurable value of AI? Right now, most AI conversations revolve around copilots, autonomous workflows, and agent chains. But what I’ve seen consistently succeed across data, operations, and platform teams are solutions that are focused AI Agents that streamline repetitive tasks, remove daily frustrations, and enable teams to spend their time…
The U.S. NIST released this week Special Publication 800-18r2 that focuses on the development of system plans that address system-level security, privacy, and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Plans (CSCRM) requirements that may derive from enterprise, organization, and mission/business process requirements. The agency is seeking feedback on the draft’s technical accuracy, clarity, usability, and the impact of changes made to the content. NIST is particularly interested in feedback on how the guidelines align with current organizational practices for documenting or reporting security, privacy, and cybersecurity supply chain risk management at the system level. It is also seeking input on how…
Microsoft has released a PowerShell script to help restore an empty ‘inetpub’ folder created by the April 2025 Windows security updates if deleted. As Microsoft previously warned, this folder helps mitigate a high-severity Windows Process Activation privilege escalation vulnerability. In April, after installing the new security updates, Windows users suddenly found that an empty C:\Inetpub folder was created. As this folder is associated with Microsoft’s Internet Information Server, users found it confusing that it was created when the web server was not installed. This caused some people to remove the folder, making them vulnerable again to the patched vulnerability. Microsoft…
David Fletcher // The following techniques serve to illustrate methods for obtaining C2 communication in a particular Cylance protected environment. The configuration of the centralized infrastructure and the endpoint agents were not inspected prior to testing. The environment may exhibit configuration errors and may not conform with best practice for deployment of Cylance infrastructure. However, in our experience, misconfiguration is not uncommon and more times than not tends to have catastrophic results with regard to the overall security posture of an environment. This is the reason that we test deployments before accepting their stated protection levels at face value. In…
Over Easter, retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) discovered that it had suffered a highly damaging ransomware attack that left some shop shelves empty, shut down online ordering, some staff unable to clock in and out, and caused some of its major suppliers to resort to pen and paper.In a gloating abuse-filled email to M&S CEO Stuart Machin, the DragonForce hacker group claimed responsibility for the attack.According to a BBC News report, the message read in part:”We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers”In…
A recent investigation has revealed that several widely used Google Chrome extensions are transmitting sensitive user data over unencrypted HTTP connections, exposing millions of users to serious privacy and security risks. The findings, published by cybersecurity researchers and detailed in a blog post by Symantec, reveal how extensions such as: PI Rank (ID: ccgdboldgdlngcgfdolahmiilojmfndl) Browsec VPN (ID: omghfjlpggmjjaagoclmmobgdodcjboh) MSN New Tab (ID: lklfbkdigihjaaeamncibechhgalldgl) SEMRush Rank (ID: idbhoeaiokcojcgappfigpifhpkjgmab) DualSafe Password Manager & Digital Vault (ID: lgbjhdkjmpgjgcbcdlhkokkckpjmedgc) There are other extensions as well that are handling user data in ways that open the door to eavesdropping, profiling, and other attacks. Extensions That…
Lately, my blogs have addressed coping strategies for navigating turbulent times. We usually can’t change what’s happening around us, but we can and should control our own responses and actions. One sure-fire way to fight uncertainty is to provide stability in our lives and the lives of others by honoring our commitments, even when it would be easier to walk away, or fail to show up. Commitment is about Character and Core Values Synonyms for commitment are dedication, loyalty, devotion, fidelity, and faithfulness. Those are powerful words! And they’re strong core values. Covenants, contracts, and charters are all instruments that…