THN Recap: Top Cybersecurity Threats, Tools and Tips (Nov 25 – Dec 1)

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Ever wonder what happens in the digital world every time you blink? Here’s something wild – hackers launch about 2,200 attacks every single day, which means someone’s trying to break into a system somewhere every 39 seconds.

And get this – while we’re all worried about regular hackers, there are now AI systems out there that can craft phishing emails so convincingly, that even cybersecurity experts have trouble spotting them. What’s even crazier? Some of the latest malware is like a digital chameleon – it literally watches how you try to catch it and changes its behavior to slip right past your defenses.

Pretty mind-bending stuff, right? This week’s roundup is packed with eye-opening developments that’ll make you see your laptop in a whole new light.

T-Mobile Spots Hackers Trying to Break In: U.S. telecom service provider T-Mobile caught some suspicious activity on their network recently – basically, someone was trying to sneak into their systems. The good news? They spotted it early and no customer data was stolen. While T-Mobile isn’t pointing fingers directly, cybersecurity experts think they know who’s behind it – a hacking group nicknamed ‘Salt Typhoon,’ which apparently has ties to China. What makes this really interesting is that these hackers have a brand new trick up their sleeve: they’re using a previously unknown backdoor tool called GHOSTSPIDER. Think of it as a skeleton key that no one knew existed until now. They’ve been using this same tool to target telecom companies across Southeast Asia.

Do your employees keep getting phished with adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) kits like Evilginx, Nakedpages, and Tycoon? You aren’t the only oneā€¦ Ride along with Push Security as they tear down popular AitM phishing kits to demonstrate how attackers are finding ways through your detection controls.

We’ve spotted some big security issues in popular software this week. Whether you’re running a business or just managing a personal site, these could affect you. The fix? Keep your software updated. Most of these problems are solved with the latest security patches from the vendors.

The list includes:: CVE-2024-11680 (ProjectSend), CVE-2023-28461 (Array Networks AG and vxAG), CVE-2024-10542, CVE-2024-10781 (Spam protection, Anti-Spam, and FireWall plugin), CVE-2024-49035 (Microsoft Partner Center), CVE-2024-49806, CVE-2024-49803, CVE-2024-49805 (IBM Security Verify Access Appliance), CVE-2024-50357 (FutureNet NXR routers), CVE-2024-52338 (Apache Arrow R package), CVE-2024-52490 (Pathomation), CVE-2024-8672 (Widget Options ā€“ The #1 WordPress Widget & Block Control plugin), CVE-2024-11103 (Contest Gallery plugin), CVE-2024-42327 (Zabbix), and CVE-2024-53676 (Hewlett Packard Enterprise Insight Remote Support).

Your Screenshots Are Secretly Talking Behind Your Back ā€” Every screenshot you share could reveal your device info, location, OS version, username, and even internal system paths without your knowledge. Last month, a tech company accidentally leaked their project codenames through screenshot metadata! Here’s your 30-second fix: On Windows, right-click ā†’ Properties ā†’ Details ā†’ Remove Properties before sharing. Mac users can use Preview’s export feature (uncheck “More Options”), while mobile users should use built-in editing tools before sharing. For automation, grab ImageOptim (free) – it strips metadata with a simple drag-and-drop. Quick verification: Upload any screenshot to exif.app and prepare to be surprised at how much hidden data you’ve been sharing. Pro tip: Create a designated ‘sanitized screenshots’ folder with automated metadata stripping for your sensitive work-related captures. Remember, in 2023, screenshot metadata became a primary reconnaissance tool for targeted attacks – don’t let your images do the attackers’ work for them.

So here’s the thing that keeps security folks up at night – some of today’s smartest malware can actually hide inside your computer’s memory without ever touching the hard drive (spooky, right?). It’s like a ghost in your machine.

But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. The good guys are cooking up some seriously cool defenses too. Think AI systems that can predict attacks before they happen (kind of like Minority Report, but for cyber crimes), and new ways to encrypt data that even quantum computers can’t crack. Wild stuff!

Before you head back to your digital life, remember this fun fact: your smartphone today has more computing power than all of NASA had when they first put humans on the moon – and yes, that means both the good guys and the bad guys have that same power at their fingertips. Stay safe out there, keep your updates running, and we’ll see you next week with more fascinating tales from the cyber frontier.

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