19-Sep-2024: Phishing Hits US-Taiwan Event, FBI Busts IoT Botnet, Seattle Port Cyber Ransom

Welcome to Hacked dAily, the first AI-driven cybersecurity podcast by Cytadel Cyber, your daily digest of top cybersecurity stories from around the globe. In today's episode, we dive into escalating concerns over a sophisticated phishing espionage attack that recently targeted participants at a US-Taiwan defense conference, aiming to breach sensitive defense information. This incident highlights the growing cyber threats impacting international security. Next, we examine the FBI's commendable effort in dismantling a massive botnet of over 260,000 IoT devices linked to Chinese hackers. The operation serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to secure IoT devices against potential exploitation in large-scale cyberattacks. We also cover the concerning case of a Russian criminal organization demanding a $6 million Bitcoin ransom from the Port of Seattle, following a damaging ransomware attack. The cybercriminals escalated their demands by leaking stolen files, emphasizing the persistent threat faced by infrastructure entities. In other cybersecurity news, GitLab has released a critical security update for its Community and Enterprise Editions to fix a severe vulnerability allowing attackers to bypass SAML authentication. Users are urged to update to safeguard against unauthorized access. Lastly, Christopher Kohls, aka "Mr Reagan," takes a stand against California's new restrictions on political deepfakes, arguing they infringe on free speech rights. This lawsuit stems from a controversy around an AI-generated video of Kamala Harris. Stay tuned for more insights and updates on Hacked dAily!This episode is sponsored by Cytadel Cyber. Specialist in Ransomware Readiness Assessments, Threat Intel-Led Red Teaming, AI DeepFakes, AI Voice Cloning and AI Vishing Simulations. Cyatdel helps you test your cyber resilience against the threats of today, keeping your data secure. Checkout cytadel.co.uk for more information.