Author: HackWatchit

Kent Ickler // ADVISORY: The techniques and tools referenced within this blog post may be outdated and do not apply to current situations. However, there is still potential for this blog entry to be used as an opportunity to learn and to possibly update or integrate into modern tools and techniques. It seemed like we were always cross-referencing the Hashcat Wiki or help file when working with Hashcat. We needed things like specific flags, hash examples, or command syntax. We’ve generated a Hashcat Cheat Sheet for quick reference that may save you a bunch of time if you’re often reaching…

Hackers from the Scattered Spider group, known for UK retail attacks, are now targeting US retailers, Google cybersecurity experts have warned. The notorious cybercriminal group Scattered Spider is now actively targeting retail companies in the United States, following a string of disruptive attacks against similar businesses in the United Kingdom. This warning comes directly from cybersecurity experts at Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) and Google subsidiary Mandiant, who highlight the group’s effectiveness at bypassing even strong security measures. “The US retail sector is currently being targeted in ransomware and extortion operations that we suspect are linked to UNC3944, also known…

AI in the Cloud: The Rising Tide of Security and Privacy Risks Pierluigi Paganini May 16, 2025 Over half of firms adopted AI in 2024, but cloud tools like Azure OpenAI raise growing concerns over data security and privacy risks. As enterprises embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and accelerate decision-making, a growing number are turning to cloud-based platforms like Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, and Google Bard. In 2024 alone, over half of organizations adopted AI to build custom applications. While these tools deliver clear productivity gains, they also expose businesses to complex new risks, particularly around data security…

The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security convened a hearing to review the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, featuring testimony from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. She delivered her testimony as lawmakers voiced alarm over escalating cyber threats, particularly from China, and potential vulnerabilities in national infrastructure. “Most notably, malicious cyber actors associated with the Chinese government have targeted us with some of the most sophisticated and sustained hacking operations we have ever seen,” Mark E. Green, a Republican representative from Tennessee and House Committee on Homeland Security chairman, said in his opening remarks…

AlphaEvolve imagined as a genetic algorithm coupled to a large language model. Picture created by the author using various tools including Dall-E3 via ChatGPT. Models have undeniably revolutionized how many of us approach coding, but they’re often more like a super-powered intern than a seasoned architect. Errors, bugs and hallucinations happen all the time, and it might even happen that the code runs well but… it’s not doing exactly what we wanted. Now, imagine an AI that doesn’t just write code based on what it’s seen, but actively evolves it. To a first surprise, this means you increase the chances of getting…

In a concerning development, Dior, the iconic French luxury fashion brand, has reportedly been targeted by a cyber attack that appears to be a form of ransomware. According to the latest updates, hackers seem to have gained unauthorized access to the company’s internal servers, potentially compromising a range of sensitive customer information. While the full extent of the breach is still under investigation, initial reports suggest that the attack is linked to a file-encrypting malware, a type of ransomware where malicious actors lock away critical data until a ransom is paid.The Data Breach: What Was Compromised? The breach is believed…

Matthew Toussain// Join Matt Toussain as he talks about Mailsniper, a tool written by our very own Beau Bullock. Wouldn’t you like to START your pen tests knowing every username for all the individuals in your target environment? Gmail, G Suite, Outlook Web Access, Exchange Web Services… Email. A divine gift issued to hackers with no statute of limitations. In this webcast, we explore an exploitation workflow using new features of the MailSniper toolkit testing G Suite. In addition to leveraging G Suites as an Information disclosure engine, we explore the signaling involved with the Google Accounts authentication API. This…

ChatGPT is testing support for Model Context Protocol (MCP), which will allow it to connect to third-party services and use them as context. MCP is an open-source standard that allows developers to expose third-party data through MCP, so AI like ChatGPT could use it to finish tasks. For example, ChatGPT could connect to third-party apps like Gmail to access its information and use it in tasks to help you. MCP may not have a lot of use cases for consumers, but it could be a game-changer for enterprises, as it will allow businesses to connect their internal tools to ChatGPT and share data when…

Vought, who also serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, received a letter on Monday from the Financial Technology Association (FTA) calling for the rule to be withdrawn, claiming the rules exceed the agency’s statutory mandate and would be “harmful to financial institutions’ efforts to detect and prevent fraud.” The FTA is a US-based trade organization that represents the interests of fintech companies and their executives.Privacy advocates have long pressed regulators to use the Fair Credit Reporting Act to crack down on the data broker industry. Common Defense, a veteran-led nonprofit, urged the CFPB to…