Tag Archive for: cyber

Police apprehend global cyber gang implicated in large-scale fraud

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The Met Police, a long with a host of other global law enforcement agencies, have dismantled a criminal gang that used a technology service to facilitate fraudulent text messages, leading to theft from victims. The scam primarily targeted younger individuals familiar with the internet. The technology service, LabHost, aided scammers in sending deceptive messages and directing victims to fake websites resembling legitimate online payment or shopping services.



The criminals obtained identity information, including card numbers and Pin codes, resulting in significant financial losses. Though the exact amount stolen remains unknown, LabHost reportedly generated nearly £1m in profits. In the UK alone, around 70,000 victims are thought to have been deceived into providing their details online, with 25,000 identified victims receiving warning text messages about potential fraudulent sites.

Victims are advised to seek guidance on the Metropolitan Police website, and their cases have been reported to fraud investigators. Personal details discovered in data obtained from LabHost have been secured by authorities.

In light of this story, the cybersecurity community has been positive in hearing this news:

Adam Pilton, Cyber Security Consultant at CyberSmart, and former Detective Sergeant investigating cybercrime at Dorset Police: “This is another fantastic result for UK and international law enforcement. 

“In February, we saw the takedown of Lockbit, the largest ransomware gang. This was an international operation which stemmed from fantastic work by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

“This operation will be no different, and we should not underestimate the amount of work put into operations such as this. It took two years to reach this point and there would have been many people involved. This kind of incident would most likely have started from the intelligence gathered by law enforcement and investigative agencies. 

“This is why it is so important to report cybercrime: Even reporting phishing emails helps to build that intelligence picture, which enables law enforcement to protect us.

“One area of particular concern is the increasing tendency to see…

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U.S. Dams Face Growing Cyber Threats

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Critical Infrastructure Security

Hacks on Unregulated Dams Can Result in Mass Casualties, Experts and Lawmakers Warn

Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) •
April 18, 2024    

Hacking the Floodgates: U.S. Dams Face Growing Cyber Threats
Dams need better cybersecurity, warn experts. (Image: Shutterstock)

Could a hacker seize control of America’s dams, unleashing floods and chaos across vulnerable communities? Cybersecurity analysts and leading lawmakers warn it’s possible.

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During an April hearing on cybersecurity threats to critical water infrastructure, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., used stunningly apocalyptic framing to raise his concerns.


“As the chairman of the subcommittee responsible for dams, I don’t want to wake up to a news report about a small town in the Pacific Northwest getting wiped out because of a cyberattack against a private dam upriver,” the senator said.


Influential voices in the cybersecurity field typically avoid alarmist scenarios, favoring practical, actionable responses to threats. But with the majority of dams under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversight not having undergone comprehensive cyber audits, and only four full-time employees tasked with overseeing 2,500 dams nationwide, experts agree with Wyden about the vulnerability of the sector to cyberattacks that could result in loss of human lives.


“Human life and safety are in play here,” Padriac O’Reilly, a water cyber risk advisor for the Defense Department and chief innovation officer of the cyber risk firm, CyberSaint, told Information Security Media Group. “Operational technology, population centers near dams, critical power generation capacity – all of these coupled with a lack of knowledge with respect to the maturity of cyber risk management adds up to a very concerning…

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In A Historic First, Ukraine To Join NATO’s Largest Cyber Security Exercise, Locked Shields 2024

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For the very first time, Ukraine will debut in NATO’s flagship cybersecurity exercise, Locked Shields 2024, announced by the National Cyber Security Coordination Center (the first working body of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council). 

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Locked Shields, organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), is the world’s largest cybersecurity exercise. It will take place between April 22 and April 26.

The exercise serves as a crucible for honing cyber defense capabilities, fostering an environment where participants leverage their collective expertise to develop robust defense strategies. 

Since its inception in 2010, the exercise has evolved into the world’s largest and most realistic cyber defense drill, setting the standard for comprehensive cyber readiness.



This annual event convenes experts from diverse backgrounds to tackle cyber threats through realistic scenarios, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in defending against cyber-attacks.

The National Cyber Security Coordination Center of Ukraine stressed the growing importance of Locked Shields in strengthening international collaboration in cyber defense, which is evident from the increasing number of participating countries each year. 

In its previous iteration in 2023, Locked Shields saw the participation of 33 countries forming 24 different teams. This year’s exercise, hosted in Estonia, is expected to draw around 4,000 experts from over 40 nations tasked with safeguarding a fictional nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

According to the National Cyber Security Coordination Center, Kyiv is forming a joint team with the Czech Republic for the exercises. The goal is to cultivate skills, share experiences, and foster cooperation in countering modern cyber threats. 

In March 2022, Ukraine became a member of the NATO Cyber Center in response to Russia’s large-scale invasion. 

Serhiy Demedyuk, Deputy Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense…

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Russian ‘Cyber Sabotage’ A Global Threat: Security Firm

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A Sandworm cyber hacker groups linked to Russian intelligence services is expected by computer security firm Mandiant to take aim at Western elections the Kremlin would like to sway


Indranil Mukherjee

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