Image: Medibank

Medibank Hackers Dump Stolen Data on the Dark Web

Mihir Bagwe • December 1, 2022

The Russia-based ransomware gang behind the hack of Australia's largest private health insurer says it posted a full set of stolen data. The Australian Information Commissioner said it will probe the insurer's personal information handling practices.

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Governance & Risk Management

AxLocker Ransomware Adds a Twist: Stealing Discord Tokens

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Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Most Healthcare Ransomware Hits Include Patient Data Theft

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 2, 2022

Based on known ransomware attacks against the healthcare sector, here's good news: The volume of attacks seems to have declined, says Allan Liska, a principal intelligence analyst at Recorded Future. Unfortunately, most such attacks not only trigger downtime but include the theft of patient data.

Cloud Security

Zscaler CEO: 'Uncertainty Can Act as a Catalyst for Change'

Michael Novinson • December 1, 2022

Zscaler has notched large, multiyear, multipillar deals as the economic downturn prompts clients to seek replacements for expensive legacy point products, says CEO Jay Chaudhry. Clients are increasingly buying Zscaler's secure web gateway, private access and digital experience tools as one bundle.

Next-Generation Technologies & Secure Development

Elastic Lays Off Nearly 400 Employees as SMB Spend Dwindles

Michael Novinson • December 1, 2022

Security, observability and search vendor Elastic will shrink its workforce by 13% due to small and medium businesses reducing their purchases amid the economic downturn. Elastic will lay off nearly 400 of its 3,056 employees as it adopts an automated, low-touch motion for SMB customers.

Identity & Access Management

LastPass Breach Exposes Customer Data

Prajeet Nair • December 1, 2022

Hackers stole customer information but not passwords when they broke into password manager LastPass' third-party cloud storage service, the company disclosed. An unauthorized party used information stolen during a dayslong incident in August to exfiltrate the data.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Ransom Realpolitik: Paying for Data Deletion Is for Suckers

Mathew J. Schwartz • December 1, 2022

Ransomware-wielding attackers have myriad tactics for extorting victims, including demanding a stand-alone ransom for a promise to delete stolen data. But Coveware's Bill Siegel urges victims to never pay for such promises, in part because they rarely - if ever - get honored.

Fraud Management & Cybercrime

Why Ransomware Victims Avoid Calling It 'Ransomware'

Anna Delaney • December 1, 2022

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report discusses why too few organizations admit to being victims of ransomware attacks, how delayed enterprise subscription start dates forced CrowdStrike to cut sales forecasts, and leveraging threat intelligence to protect critical infrastructure.

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Open Systems Buys Tiberium to Automate Security on Microsoft

Michael Novinson • November 30, 2022

Open Systems has purchased an early-stage Microsoft-centric MSSP to help automate investigating, triaging and responding to basic security alerts. The Silicon Valley-based MDR provider says its acquisition of U.K.-based Tiberium will free up security analysts to focus on preventative defenses.

Identity & Access Management

Okta Clears Up Customer Identity Confusion as SMB Sales Dip

Michael Novinson • November 30, 2022

Okta has stemmed employee attrition and accelerated customer identity sales by clarifying product function but now has to grapple with longer sales cycles for small to midsized businesses. Okta says efforts to reposition its customer identity offering over the past quarter have borne fruit.

Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP)

CrowdStrike Sales Growth Slows as SMB Clients Delay Spending

Michael Novinson • November 29, 2022

A longer sales cycle for small businesses and delayed subscription start dates for large enterprises have forced CrowdStrike to lower its sales forecast going forward. The Austin-based endpoint security company says deals with SMB clients took 11% longer to close in the fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31.

Application Security

Veracode CEO Sam King on Joining AppSec, Container Security

Michael Novinson • November 29, 2022

The push to migrate applications to cloud-native architectures has driven increased use of containers and created the need for more security, says Veracode CEO Sam King. Veracode's expertise in application security helps the company identify open-source code and known vulnerabilities in containers.

Industry Specific

Why Are HIPAA Fines Down 93% - With Data Breaches Soaring?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • November 29, 2022

Healthcare providers and their vendors often fear federal regulatory action, but do fines and corrective action many any difference at all? As breach cases have nearly doubled since 2018, federal fines dropped 93% in 2022, and some say the agency is understaffed and crippled by legal challenges.

Industry Specific

Cybersecurity Stigma: More Victims Avoid Saying 'Ransomware'

Mathew J. Schwartz • November 29, 2022

Is the ransomware problem getting better or worse? Unfortunately, gauging attack trends continues to be complicated by the fact that many incidents never come to light publicly and many victims are hesitant to say "ransomware" when describing what hit them, says Comparitech's Rebecca Moody.