The Top Cybersecurity News Stories This Month: November 2023
From the reporting role reversal of BlackCat Ransomware Group to the East Texas hospital network that could not receive ambulances, November revealed many noteworthy news stories. Today, National Computer Security Day is a great day to round up a few cautionary tales and celebrate the importance of embracing computer security.
Here are the top 5 cybersecurity news stories that emerged this month:
1. Cyber Attack on US Bank forces it to transit data via USB Sticks
Source: Cybersecurity Insiders
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, experienced a ransomware attack, hindering banking transactions and online services. To send settlement details to the US Treasury Trades they were forced to load the data onto USB sticks and bring them to the federal organization. LockBit Ransomware group is suspected as the attackers and ICBC’s security are looking to negotiate with them. They are also looking to recover the data from backups and help prevent any information leak.
2. BlackCat Ransomware Group Reports Victim to SEC
Source: Infosecurity Magazine
BlackCat/ALPHV, a ransomware group, reported MeridianLink to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. November 7 was BlackCat/ALPHV’s alleged date of the attack so in accordance with the new SEC rules, if BlackCat/ALPHV had access to the sensitive data that it claimed to have, MeridianLink’s disclosure of the material breach was required four days later. BlackCat/ALPHV used this to their advantage by reporting MeridianLink’s lack of timely response and reports. They used this to pressure MeridianLink, but MeridianLink held strong and gave their side of the story which was that they discovered the incident on November 10 and acted immediately to mend the situation. According to MeridianLink, BlackCat/ALPHV’s attack was not as mighty as it seemed.
3. 24 Years Worth of Government Employee Data Leaked in Canada
Source: Bitdefender
There is an investigation into a breach of Canadian government employee personal information, possibly dating back to 1999. The information was stolen from Brookfield Global Relocation Services and SIRVA Worldwide Relocation & Moving Services. The hacking group LockBit claims to have the information. The information regards members of the public service, RCMP, and the Canadian Armed Forces.
4. East Texas hospital network can’t receive ambulances because of a potential cybersecurity incident
Source: CNN
Hospitals in East Texas were not able to accept ambulances to emergency rooms on Thanksgiving Day and for days after. The hospital network that was affected is called UT Health East Texas. The network of 10 hospitals and more than 90 clinics is following procedures that were established prior to this event for a case of a possible cybersecurity incident like this one.
5. Weeks after Boeing attack, ransomware group leaks allegedly stolen files
Source: Cybersecurity Dive
The Russia-affiliated group LockBit took almost 45 gigabytes of data in a ransomware attack from the aircraft company Boeing. Lockbit leaked the information on Friday, November 10 but they claimed that they breached the system on Oct. 27. According to a screenshot posted by researchers on X, Citrix logs, email backups, provisioning services, audits and security controls were accessed and exposed.
To help you stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, check out our free mobile app, Onyxia: Cybersecurity Intel, on IOS and Google Play stores. Staying up to date on the latest security news is important. We hope this post made your National Computer Security Day more meaningful and don't forget to celebrate 🎉!
