Author: HackWatchit

Intelligence from encrypted platforms like Sky ECC and ANOM has led to the arrest of 232 individuals and the seizure of millions in assets in a major European law enforcement operation against drug trafficking. A joint law enforcement operation (dubbed Operation BULUT) involving international agencies has resulted in the successful dismantling of several well-established criminal organisations, mostly involved in moving illegal drugs into Europe and Türkiye. The operation was codenamed “BULUT,” meaning “cloud” in Turkish. The operation, supported by Europol, took place on April 15, 2025, and involved coordinated raids across multiple countries, resulting in the arrest of over 230…

By Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher, Cyber Defense Magazine In today’s hyperconnected world, protecting critical infrastructure has become a national imperative. From energy grids and transportation systems to water treatment facilities and manufacturing plants—operational technology (OT) environments are the backbone of our society, and they’re under siege like never before. As cyber adversaries evolve and nation-state threats multiply, it’s clear: passive monitoring alone is no longer enough. True OT security demands total asset visibility, deep configuration intelligence, and a platform that can scale across fragmented, often legacy-heavy environments. That’s why I’m shining a spotlight on Industrial Defender—a company that has spent…

PlexTrac launched PlexTrac for CTEM, expanding the platform’s capabilities with a proactive and continuous threat exposure management solution designed to help security teams centralize security data, prioritize risk based on business impact, and automate validation and remediation workflows. PlexTrac for CTEM enables organizations to move beyond traditional point-in-time assessments and embrace a continuous, proactive security approach. Key capabilities include: Centralized data management for comprehensive threat analysis Aggregate findings and asset data from various scanning tools, manual pentesting, and security assessments into a single platform, providing a holistic view of an organization’s attack surface. Operationalize pentest data in real time alongside…

Meta will use public EU user data to train its AI models Pierluigi Paganini April 15, 2025 Meta announced that it will use public EU user data to train AI, resuming plans paused last year over Irish data protection concerns. Meta will start training its AI models using public data from adults in the EU, after pausing the plan last year over data protection concerns raised by Irish regulators. In June 2024, the social media giant announced it was delaying the training of its large language models (LLMs) using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram following the…

As a former advisory board member to the CVE/OVAL initiatives, I’m sounding the alarm: MITRE has confirmed that funding for the CVE and CWE programs will expire on April 16, 2025. These programs are the backbone of global vulnerability management and coordination, helping defenders and researchers speak a common language about risk. Without CVE, we lose: A universal framework for tracking software flaws Coordinated disclosures across vendors and governments A critical piece of national cybersecurity infrastructure According to official records, the contract via the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire imminently: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_70RCSJ23FR0000015_7001_70RSAT20D00000001_7001 Yes, historical CVE records will remain…

Have you ever installed a Python tool / library only to then find out other Python based tools you’ve installed previously are now completely broken? Running Kali? Ever try installing a Python tool with apt-get and another with pip? Notice how some things don’t work anymore? Ever wondered if there was an easier way to install Python tools quickly without having to deal with dependency hell? If you’re using Python-based tooling on a regular basis (which most of the security community is) then odds are you’ve been in one of those situations multiple times. Turns out there are relatively simple…

Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry standard for designers, photographers, video editors, and creatives. But let’s face it: The full suite has a significant price tag. Regional pricing means that this cost can be considerably lower in specific places. The good news? A virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you access these lower prices, potentially saving a substantial amount on your subscription. Companies like Adobe often adjust their prices based on the local economy and market conditions of different countries. The same Creative Cloud subscription can cost considerably less in one country than another. This guide will explain how regional…

Is there anything more frustrating than building a powerful data model but then struggling to turn it into a tool stakeholders can use to achieve their desired outcome? Data Science has never been short on potential but is also never short on complexity. You can refine algorithms that shine on curated datasets but still face the hurdle of moving from prototypes and notebooks to production apps. This last step, often called the “last mile,” affects 80% of data science outcomes and demands solutions that don’t overload data teams.  Since its founding in 2013, Plotly has been a popular subject in…

Landmark Admin has issued an update to its investigation of a cyberattack it suffered in May 2024, increasing the number of impacted individuals to 1.6 million. Landmark is a Texas-based third-party administrator (TPA) handling policy accounting, regulatory reporting, reinsurance support, and IT systems for major insurers nationwide like Liberty Bankers Life and American Benefit Life. In October 2024, the company warned that it detected suspicious activity on its networks on May 13th, 2024. The unauthorized access was believed to have exposed the personal information of 806,519 people, including their: Full name Home address Social Security number Tax identification number Driver’s…