Author: HackWatchit
Are your Non-Human Identities (NHIs) and Secrets effectively managed? NHIs and Secrets have emerged as crucial elements. However, the question looms: are these entities being effectively managed to reduce risks without compromising system performance? Understanding the Critical Role of NHIs and Secrets NHIs are machine identities used in cybersecurity, akin to digital passports that provide a unique identifier. These machine identities are often enhanced with a ‘Secret’, an encrypted password, token, or key that grants specific permissions to the NHI by a destination server. In essence, Secrets are akin to visas granted based on your digital passport. Managing these NHIs…
U.S. crypto firms were heavily vested in President Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024, contributing upwards of $144 million towards his campaign. But “unchecked political spending” poses “profound risks,” according to a report published by the Center for Political Accountability (CPA), a nonprofit promoting transparency in corporate political contributions.The report states that the crypto companies’ “aggressive push for deregulation, combined with opaque and unaccountable political contributions,” has raised “red flags among the regulators.” More importantly, it has “eroded investor confidence and public trust in the long-term viability of these companies.”Crypto firms donated heavily to re-elect Trump, and it’s paying offU.S. crypto…
In November 2024, U.S. authorities charged multiple individuals for conducting cyberattacks on telecom and financial firms. They allegedly used phishing to steal credentials, breach networks, and exfiltrate data, leading to major security and financial losses. This incident highlights the escalating sophistication of cyber threats and the critical need for advanced defense mechanisms. Traditional security measures are inadequate, requiring organizations to adopt AI-driven cybersecurity strategies. Those who don’t get on board will be left behind due to the fast growth in both technology and threats. AI’s ability to process vast data in real-time helps counter evolving threats. By identifying anomalies and…
In a major coordinated operation, several U.S. law enforcement agencies have charged 12 Chinese nationals with a series of cyber attacks affecting government bodies, religious groups, media organizations, and international governments. The indicted individuals include two officers from China’s public security service, employees of a Chinese technology firm, and members of an alleged hacking group known as APT27 which is also called Iron Tiger, Emissary Panda, LuckyMouse, TG-3390, and Bronze Union. Officials from the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Departments of State and Treasury made the announcements, linking these cyber actors to operations…
Update 3/9/25: After receiving concerns about the use of the term ‘backdoor’ to refer to these undocumented commands, we have updated our title and story. Our original story can be found here. The ubiquitous ESP32 microchip made by Chinese manufacturer Espressif and used by over 1 billion units as of 2023 contains undocumented commands that could be leveraged for attacks. The undocumented commands allow spoofing of trusted devices, unauthorized data access, pivoting to other devices on the network, and potentially establishing long-term persistence. This was discovered by Spanish researchers Miguel Tarascó Acuña and Antonio Vázquez Blanco of Tarlogic Security, who presented…
Story # 1: A Basic iPhone Feature Helps Criminals Steal Your Entire Digital Lifehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-iphone-security-theft-passcode-data-privacya-basic-iphone-feature-helps-criminals-steal-your-digital-life-cbf14b1a Story # 1b: Apple’s iPhone Passcode Problem: Thieves Can Ruin Your Entire Digital Life in Minutes | WSJhttps://youtu.be/QUYODQB_2wQ Story # 2: Sensitive US military emails spill onlinehttps://techcrunch.com/2023/02/21/sensitive-united-states-military-emails-spill-online/?guccounter=1 Story # 3: Fruit giant Dole suffers ransomware attack impacting operationshttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fruit-giant-dole-suffers-ransomware-attack-impacting-operations/ Story # 4: Well-hidden Mac cryptomining malware found in pirate copies of Final Cut Pro; expect morehttps://9to5mac.com/2023/02/23/mac-cryptomining-malware/ Story # 5: AI Helps Crack NIST-Recommended Post-Quantum Encryption Algorithmhttps://www.securityweek.com/ai-helps-crack-a-nist-recommended-post-quantum-encryption-algorithm/ Story # 6: Snapchat launches ChatGPT integration, warns to not share your secretshttps://9to5mac.com/2023/02/27/snapchat-launches-chatgpt-ai/ Story # 7: How I Broke Into a…
SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 36 | Security Affairs newsletter Round 514 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION | Akira ransomware gang used an unsecured webcam to bypass EDR | Japanese telecom giant NTT suffered a data breach that impacted 18,000 companies | Mirai-based botnets exploit CVE-2025-1316 zero-day in Edimax IP cameras | The Role of Differential Privacy in Protecting Sensitive Information in the Era of Artificial Intelligence | International law enforcement operation seized the domain of the Russian crypto exchange Garantex | Medusa Ransomware targeted over 40 organizations in 2025 | Elastic patches critical Kibana flaw allowing code execution…
Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos: How QR code attacks work and how to protect yourselfWhile QR codes are convenient, they also present significant risks. In the past few years, cybercriminals have increasingly turned to these codes as a tool to carry out scams. The CISO’s bookshelf: 10 must-reads for security leadersDiscover essential reads for CISOs in this curated list of books covering cybersecurity leadership, risk management, zero trust, board communication, and more. Can AI-powered gamified simulations help cybersecurity teams keep up?Traditional training often lacks the hands-on experience cybersecurity teams need…
As Donald Trump’s administration continues its relentless reorganization of the United States federal government, documents obtained by WIRED showed this week that the Department of Defense is looking at cutting as much as three-quarters of its workforce that’s specifically focused on stopping proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the US Army is using its “CamoGPT” AI tool to “review” diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies per Trump administration orders. The military originally developed the AI service to improve productivity and operational readiness.US civil liberties organizations are pushing the director of national intelligence. Tulsi Gabbard, to declassify details about…