Intelligent CISO Issue 57 | Page 25

threat updates
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GLOBAL
Logpoint research has revealed that ransomware group , BlackCat , had the fourth highest number of victims from May – November 2022 and the highest ransom demanded so far is US $ 14 million .
Logpoint ’ s Security Analyst team analysed multiple variants of the BlackCat ransomware to understand its Tactics , Techniques and Procedures ( TTPs ). The analysis reveals that the ransomware mainly achieved initial access via spearphishing , tricking victims into downloading macro-enabled documents . The ransomware supports multiple encryption modes along with intermittent encryption , providing speed and defence evasion capabilities . In addition , BlackCat uses the data destruction method to destroy essential data or render it useless , maximising the impact on the victim .

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UK
An investigation by the National Audit Office ( NAO ) has uncovered that 30 % of applications used by the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) are unsupported , having been developed with outdated software , increasing its security risk .
The report revealed that Defra , the government department overseeing environmental protection , food production and rural communities , use an estimated 1,962 different applications with 30 % not supported by their supplier in July 2022 .
The report outlined that Defra is at ‘ serious risk ’ of critical service failure or cyberattack as a result of a lack of investment in core IT systems and cybersecurity . www . intelligentciso . com
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