Peter Chofield
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Scottish Council Two Years into Ransomware Recovery
The Scottish Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, or Council for the Western Isles, is now two years deep into recovering from a major ransomware attack that hit them in early November 2023. The direct financial fallout from this cyber incident has already exceeded 1 million euros. The attack highlighted inadequate continuity plans, unresolved IT infrastructure weaknesses,…
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Regions Calling: Life With No Internet Is the New Normal
Life without consistent internet is the new norm in many Russian regions. Frequent mobile outages and restrictions are transforming daily life far beyond Moscow, forcing a return to cash and impacting financial aid for soldiers and their families.
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ThreatsDay Bulletin: AI Malware, Voice Bot Flaws, Crypto Laundering, IoT Attacks — and 20 More Stories
This week’s cybersecurity bulletin highlights the re-emergence of Mirai-based botnets targeting IoT devices, a surge in sophisticated phishing attacks leveraging AI, and efforts by Singapore to curb government impersonation scams. It also covers privacy upgrades to the Tor Project, new malware techniques, and a major money laundering network takedown.
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U.S. Army buys more Bradley A4s from BAE Systems
The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a $390 million contract modification to procure additional Bradley A4 fighting vehicles, expanding its fleet of modernized armored platforms. These upgrades enhance lethality, protection, and onboard systems, supporting the Army’s commitment to equipping its Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
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Malicious Blender Files Used to Spread Malware
Cybersecurity experts are warning about malicious Blender files being used to spread malware that steals sensitive data. These files, found on platforms like CGTrader, leverage embedded Python scripts to initiate infections when opened. Security firm Morphisec first reported on this Russian-linked campaign, noting its use of malicious .blend files to deploy the StealC V2 data-stealing…
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3 SOC Challenges You Need to Solve Before 2026
Cybersecurity is facing a pivotal shift by 2026 as threat actors increasingly use AI for attacks. This includes scaling operations, automating reconnaissance, and crafting hyper-realistic social engineering campaigns. One major challenge for Security Operations Centers (SOCs) is the rise of evasive threats. Attackers use sophisticated tactics like ClickFix campaigns, abusing LOLBins, and multi-stage phishing with…
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France Conducts High-Intensity Armored Drills in UAE
France recently concluded intense armored drills in the UAE, showcasing its military readiness in desert conditions. The exercises spanned three days and involved Leclerc tanks, CAESAR artillery, and VBCI infantry fighting vehicles. These high-intensity maneuvers were part of the Franco-Emirati Gulf 25 exercise in Abu Dhabi. French forces maintain a forward presence in the Gulf…
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Hackers Hijack Blender 3D Assets to Deploy StealC V2 Data-Stealing Malware
Cybersecurity experts reveal a new campaign leveraging Blender 3D assets to spread a dangerous info-stealing malware. This operation has been active for at least six months. Malicious .blend files are being planted on popular platforms like CGTrader. Users unknowingly download these files, which contain embedded Python scripts. Upon opening in Blender, these scripts automatically execute…
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Lithuania Jails Ukrainian for Carrying Out Arson Attack Blamed on Russia
A court in Lithuania has sentenced a young Ukrainian man, Danylo Bardadym, to three years and four months in prison for an arson attack at an IKEA store in Vilnius, which was declared an ‘act of terrorism.’ Prosecutors allege Bardadym acted ‘in the interest of a foreign military intelligence service,’ indicating a potential state-sponsored operation…
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Chinese DeepSeek-R1 AI Generates Insecure Code When Prompts Mention Tibet or Uyghurs
A new report highlights a concerning trend with China’s DeepSeek-R1 AI model. Research shows it generates code with significant security vulnerabilities when prompted with politically sensitive topics. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike found that the likelihood of insecure code increases by up to 50% for topics the Chinese Communist Party considers sensitive, introducing new risks in AI-driven…