AMATAS celebrated our seventh birthday, and we couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks to our dedicated team of industry leaders, we continue to be a trusted cybersecurity provider and partner for organizations across the globe.
September also saw the release of the US’s Homeland Threat Assessment 2024 Report, highlighting that hackers using ransomware “are expected to have their second most profitable year”. During the first six months of 2023, malicious actors have already extorted at least $449.1 million globally.
Within our September threat report, we reveal more about:
- Senate staffer information about stolen credentials from US State Department accounts, following July hack;
- Two of the world’s biggest gambling companies’ (MGM Resort and Caesars Entertainment Ltd) systems were breached by cyberattacks;
- Airbus may have been affected by a potential data breach.
Read on to discover more about the sanctions of cybercriminals, believed to have perpetrated Trickbot malware and Conti ransomware schemes.
Cybercrime Breaking News
Hospitality and gambling giant MGM Resorts International dealt with a cybersecurity incident, impacting some of its systems (e.g. website, in-casino services, online reservations, etc.). Another gambling giant, Caesars Entertainment Inc., also was hit by a cyberattack and paid a ransom. A BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware affiliate, Scattered Spider, claims to be behind both attacks.
Senate staffer releases information about a July cyberattack that breached Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) email platform. The staffer attributes the attack to have been carried out by Chinese hackers, who are said to have stolen 60,000 emails from 10 State Department accounts.
Microsoft tracks the activity of Iranian nation-state threat actor, Peach Sandstorm. The malicious actor has been targeting international satellite, defense, and pharmaceutical companies. Microsoft believes that the reason for the campaigns is ‘to facilitate intelligence collection in support of Iranian state interests’.
Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) revealed a new zero-day vulnerability believed to be exploited by North Korean hackers, targeting security researchers.
Cybercriminals are spreading malware to target French-speaking architects, engineers and graphic designers’ computers’ Graphics Processing Units (GPU). The malware campaign’s aim is to exploit the machines for cryptocurrency mining.
Airbus investigated a potential data breach, as a malicious actor posted data pertaining to 3,200 of the company’s vendors.
Cybersecurity researchers disclosed how the hacking group W3LL has developed a tool used by multiple BEC (Business Email Compromise) phishing schemes, targeting Microsoft 365 users.
Cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine: Updates
CISA and international cybersecurity organizations published a joint Malware Analysis Report (MAR) on Infamous Chisel – a mobile malware targeting Android devices. Infamous Chisel is attributed to Sandworm, the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate’s (GRU’s) Main Centre for Special Technologies, GTsST, and has been used to target devices used by the Ukrainian military
Cybersecurity Justice
UK authorities and the US Justice Department sanctioned 11 Russian cybercriminals believed to have operated the Trickbot malware and Conti ransomware schemes. FBI Director Christopher Wray noted, “Today’s announcement shows our ongoing commitment to bringing the most heinous cyber criminals to justice – those who have devoted themselves to inflicting harm on the American public, our hospitals, schools, and businesses.”
FinTech Updates
Hackers target CoinEx, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, in a cyberattack. CoinEx official statement remarks that efforts were taken to isolate the ‘suspicious’ wallet addresses. North Korea-affiliated Lazarus Group are believed to be behind the attack.
Cybersecurity News Across The Globe
- Middle Eastern telecommunications companies and an Asian government have been targeted by China-linked threat actors, Budworm, an advanced persistent threat (APT) group.
- Cyberattacks hampered the work of Colombia’s government institutions, including the country’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Judiciary Branch, and Superintendency of Industry and Commerce.
- Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) was targeted by a DDoS attack. BaFin staff ‘immediately implemented all the right security measures and defenses’ to restore full website access.
- Kuwait’s Finance Ministry was targeted by a ransomware attack. In an official statement, government officials noted, ‘Since the first day of the cyberattack, we have been isolating the systems of the Ministry of Finance from the rest of the systems of government agencies…’
AMATAS News
AMATAS is the strategic partner and co-organizer of the largest in Bulgaria Cybersecurity and Data Protection cybersecurity organized by Капитал. The forthcoming edition will give practical knowledge on identifying, analyzing, evaluating, prioritizing, and responding to potential digital security risks. It will take place onsite at Sofia Tech Park on November 16, 2023, and will be streamed online.
Learn more about the agenda and register here 
CyberSecurity Forum 2023 – capital.bg
Virtual Financial Technology and Security Conference, USA
The Washington Bankers Association, in partnership with the Oregon, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Utah Bankers Associations, is holding their annual Virtual Financial Technology and Security Conference October 23-24, 2023
The conference covers current and relevant financial technologies, cybersecurity, and physical security topics that banks are considering today. As a bank technology and security partner, AMATAS is joining as a sponsor. Boris Goncharov, AMATAS CSO, will lead buzz sessions for the decision-makers and practitioners from banks in several states. More about the event Fintech Conference – WBA (wabankers.com)
October is the International Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This year we’ll be sharing insights and tips related to social engineering on our social media channels. As part of the awareness campaign,, AMATAS is again co-organizing Cyber Security Talks Bulgaria. We are thankful for having the chance to create togetherness and share insights related to digital security at a free event. Register here and learn more about the topics to be discussed https://lnkd.in/dAUP-yxe
6:30 p.m, 17th October, 2023; University of Telecommunications and Posts – 1 Akademik Stefan Mladenov St., 1700 Students Complex, Sofia
Read on to find out more about the role of the CISO in your organization:
AMATAS will continue to monitor this space and deliver salient information regularly.
Stay tuned for our next report and if you are interested in any of our privacy and cybersecurity services, please do reach out through our website www.amatas.com or by e-mailing office@amatas.com.
As always – be vigilant, stay alert, and think twice.
