Author: HackWatchit

Researchers from Forescout Technologies‘ Vedere Labs analyzed 35,000 solar power devices, including inverters, data loggers, monitors, gateways, and other communication equipment, which have internet-exposed management interfaces. Their goal was to highlight specific assets and assess geolocated risk. Europe emerged as the clear leader, accounting for 76 percent of the exposed solar power devices. One notable finding was that CONTEC SolarView Compact devices saw a 350 percent increase in internet exposure over the past two years. On Tuesday, Forescout disclosed that the top vendors identified are SMA Solar Technology, Fronius International, Solare Datensysteme, Contec, Sungrow, Kostal Solar, Kasco New Energy, Growatt,…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released information yesterday related to the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) handling of passenger watchlisting protocols. The department disclosed documents and correspondence suggesting deviations in how the TSA applied the Silent Partner, Quiet Skies, and other screening programs during the Biden administration. Among the cases reviewed was William “Billy” Shaheen, the spouse of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. DHS stated that Shaheen received a screening exemption after traveling on multiple occasions with an individual identified as a Known or Suspected Terrorist (KST). According to DHS, this exemption was granted following inquiries from Senator…

While exploring various certification options, I found that many were either overly theoretical or had a limited syllabus that didn’t match what I was looking for. That’s when a friend recommended the CPENT program. Overall, the key to success in CPENT was hands-on penetration testing. The exam requires more than just solving machines—it demands out-of-the-box thinking, creativity, and a strong ability to analyze and adapt to complex situations. Overall, CPENT tested more than just technical knowledge; it required creativity, adaptability, and the ability to stay calm and think critically under pressure. Unlike many other intermediate-to-expert level certifications, CPENT emphasizes real-world…

Robert Schwass*//   Last week I was asked twice in one day if I knew what XML External Entity (XXE) Vulnerabilities were. Maybe they are making a comeback in mainstream security buzz or sales jargon, I have no idea. (Often buzz-words propagated by the media or sales engineers become the driving factor for many of the conversations I have.) There are great articles out there already that explain the details of XXE, if you need clarification on the vulnerability, check out the GIAC Gold Paper by Carrie Roberts here. Until recently, XXE was never something I wouldn’t get excited about. Usually, I…

Law enforcement seized the carding marketplace BidenCash Pierluigi Paganini June 05, 2025 U.S. and Dutch authorities took down 145 domains tied to the BidenCash cybercrime marketplace in a coordinated law enforcement operation. The US DoJ announced the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and clear web domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and traditional internet domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace.” reads the press release. “BidenCash commenced operations in March 2022. BidenCash administrators charged a fee for…

second in a short series on developing data dashboards using the latest Python-based GUI development tools, Streamlit, Gradio, and Taipy.  The source dataset for each dashboard will be the same, but stored in different formats. As much as possible, I’ll also try to make the actual dashboard layouts for each tool resemble each other and have the same functionality. In the first part of this series, I created a Streamlit version of the dashboard that retrieves its data from a local PostgreSQL database. You can view that article here. This time, we’re exploring the use of the Gradio library. The…

As crypto continues to move from the margins to the mainstream, companies like Mercuryo are pushing the boundaries of how we interact with digital assets. From payments infrastructure to pioneering new financial products, Mercuryo’s latest move, launching a self-custodial Spend Mastercard crypto debit card in collaboration with Ledger, is a bold step toward integrating crypto into everyday life. We sat down with Arthur Firstov, Chief Business Officer at Mercuryo, to discuss what this launch means for the future of crypto payments, lessons from TOKEN2049 in Dubai, and how the lines between TradFi and DeFi are blurring faster than ever.Ishan Pandey:…

According to the Wallarm Q1 2025 ThreatStats report, 70% of all application attacks target APIs. The industry can no longer treat API security as a sidenote; it’s time to treat it as the main event. NIST seems to be on board with this view, releasing the initial public draft of NIST SP 800-228, a set of recommendations for securing APIs.  I recently sat down with AJ Debole, Field CISO at Oracle, for a practical, forward-looking discussion about why API security matters now more than ever – and how NIST SP 800-228 could be an all-important north star.  The Context: APIs,…

In an update to a joint advisory with CISA and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the FBI said that the Play ransomware gang had breached roughly 900 organizations as of May 2025, three times the number of victims reported in October 2023. “Since June 2022, the Play (also known as Playcrypt) ransomware group has impacted a wide range of businesses and critical infrastructure in North America, South America, and Europe. Play ransomware was among the most active ransomware groups in 2024,” the FBI warned. “As of May 2025, FBI was aware of approximately 900 affected entities allegedly exploited by the…