All news with #insider threat tag

📱 The Senate Committee on Armed Services concluded that unsecured use of non‑approved messaging apps is a wider problem in the Department of Defense. It found that Secretary Pete Hegseth violated policy by sharing operational details on Signal from a personal device two hours before a strike and inadvertently added a journalist to the group. The reports cite broader “shadow communications,” limited audit evidence, and recommend approved alternatives, training, and tighter authority controls.

🧾 Two Virginia brothers, former federal contractors Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, have been charged with conspiring to steal sensitive data and deleting roughly 96 government databases after being fired. Prosecutors allege the deletions occurred in February 2025 and that Muneeb also stole IRS and EEOC information for hundreds of individuals. One minute after deleting a DHS database he reportedly asked an AI tool how to clear system logs. Authorities say the pair wiped devices, destroyed evidence, and face multiple federal charges including computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

⚠️ Coupang has confirmed unauthorized access to delivery-related personal information affecting an estimated 33.7 million customers, including names, email addresses and phone numbers. The company says payment details and login credentials were not accessed, and it has blocked the access route and strengthened internal monitoring. Seoul police have identified a suspect, believed to be a former employee who has left South Korea, and are analysing server logs while tracking an IP address tied to the incident.

🛡️ The hiring pipeline is being exploited by sophisticated threat actors who create fake personas—complete with fabricated resumes, AI-generated videos, and stolen identities—to secure privileged remote roles inside organizations. Once hired these imposters can exfiltrate data, plant backdoors, or extort employers, making the risk especially acute for MSPs that manage multiple clients. Strengthening HR verification, staged access provisioning, hardware-based MFA, network segmentation, and ongoing security awareness training are essential to mitigate this insider impersonation threat.

🧟 In episode 445 of the Smashing Security podcast, Graham Cluley and guest Dan Raywood review a decade of insecure broadcast infrastructure that has allowed attackers to hijack TV and radio, issue fake emergency alerts, and even replace sermons with explicit content. They also examine an alleged insider leak at a cybersecurity firm that raises urgent questions about trusted access and internal controls. The discussion highlights persistent vulnerabilities in broadcast hardware and the broader implications for public safety and incident response.

⚠️ Unit 42 documents a renewed campaign by the Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters (SLSH) that combines a supply-chain driven data theft affecting Gainsight/Salesforce integrations with the emergence of a new Windows-focused ransomware-as-a-service, ShinySp1d3r. The actors publicly threatened mass ransomware deployment and set a leak deadline while also actively recruiting insiders and claiming hundreds of additional victim accesses. Organizations should prioritize rotating exposed tokens, enforcing strong insider controls, and engaging incident response if they suspect compromise.

🔒 CrowdStrike said it fired a “suspicious insider” after screenshots of company resources—including an Okta dashboard for internal access—appeared in a public Telegram channel run by Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters. The hackers claimed the material came from a Salesforce-ecosystem breach involving vendor Gainsight, a claim CrowdStrike denied. The company told TechCrunch investigators the images were produced when an employee shared pictures of their screen externally, that its systems were not compromised, and that customers remained protected. CrowdStrike has referred the matter to law enforcement.

🔒 CrowdStrike confirmed that an insider shared screenshots taken on internal systems with external threat actors but stressed that its systems were not breached and customer data remained protected. The company said it identified and terminated the suspicious employee after an internal investigation and has referred the matter to law enforcement. CrowdStrike declined to name the responsible group or the insider's motives, while screenshots surfaced on Telegram attributed to several extortion-focused collectives.

🔒 A technical manager at Dutch wind operator Nordex was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after installing three cryptocurrency mining rigs and two Helium network nodes on the company's internal network between August and November 2022. The rigs were plugged into a substation router and hotspots placed inside turbines at two sites while the firm was recovering from a Conti ransomware attack. He must pay €4,155.65 to Nordex and an equal sum to the state, highlighting the risks of privileged insider access.

🔒 DoorDash has confirmed a data breach in October 2025 that exposed customers' names, phone numbers, physical addresses and email addresses. The company said an employee was targeted in a social engineering scam that allowed unauthorized access, but there is currently no indication the data has been misused. DoorDash stated that sensitive identifiers and payment information were not accessed and that it has engaged an external firm, notified law enforcement, rolled out security enhancements and issued additional staff training.

🔐 Researchers at S-RM report a surge in activity by the Qilin ransomware-as-a-service operation, which leverages unpatched VPNs, single-factor remote access and exposed management interfaces to gain initial access. While some high-profile incidents hit healthcare, most victims are small-to-medium businesses in construction, healthcare and finance. S-RM also observed affiliates from Scattered Spider using Qilin’s platform, and noted new extortion channels including Telegram and public leak sites. The firm urges routine patching, widespread MFA adoption, network segmentation and proactive monitoring.

🔒 CrowdStrike's 2025 analysis documents a sharp rise in physical attacks and kidnappings tied to cyber intrusions, concentrated in Europe. The report cites the January 2025 kidnapping of a Ledger co‑founder and records 17 similar incidents in Europe from January through September 2025, 13 of them in France. Consultants warn attackers increasingly pair cyber operations with real‑world violence, driving organizations to strengthen physical and executive security and adjust incident response playbooks.

🔒 Peter Williams, a former general manager at L3Harris Trenchant, pleaded guilty in U.S. court to stealing and selling protected cyber-exploit components between 2022 and 2025. Prosecutors say he removed at least eight sensitive trade-secret exploit components intended for exclusive government use and sold them to a broker that works with the Russian government for $1.3 million in cryptocurrency. He now faces up to 10 years in prison and significant fines.

🔓 A leaked Ministry of Defence spreadsheet in February 2022 exposed thousands of Afghan nationals who assisted UK forces, and research from the charity Refugee Legal Support shows the fallout continues. Survivors report murder, torture, repeated home searches and persistent Taliban threats; 49 people are reported to have lost relatives or colleagues. Only a minority were offered relocation to the UK, underscoring how data leaks and inadequate responses can cause real, ongoing harm.

🔒 FortiGuard Incident Response observed that in H1 2025 financially motivated actors frequently used stolen credentials and legitimate remote-access software to gain and extend access across environments. Adversaries relied on compromised VPN logins, password reuse, or purchased credentials, deploying tools like AnyDesk, Splashtop, Atera and ScreenConnect to move laterally and exfiltrate data manually. These intrusions often bypass endpoint-focused defenses because activity mimics normal user behavior, so FortiGuard emphasizes identity- and behavior-driven detection, broad MFA enforcement, and monitoring of remote access tooling.

🛡️ Cybersecurity Awareness Month underscores that protecting organizational data requires attention to internal handling as well as external threats. Fortinet’s 2025 Insider Risk Report found 77% of organizations experienced insider-related data loss in the past 18 months, with nearly half of incidents tied to simple negligence. The report highlights mounting GenAI concerns and recommends a layered approach combining visibility, behavioral analytics, and real-time coaching to prevent accidental and malicious loss.

🔍 Organizations are facing a growing threat from applicants who pose as legitimate job seekers but are in fact operatives tied to overseas actor networks. Recent cases — including a July 2024 incident at KnowBe4 and longer running campaigns tracked as WageMole and DeceptiveDevelopment — show perpetrators use stolen identities, deepfakes and remote infrastructure to gain employment. The article outlines practical detection cues for recruitment teams and containment steps to limit insider risk.

🔒 The FinWise data breach involved a former employee who retained credentials and accessed systems on May 31, 2024, exposing personal records for 689,000 American First Finance customers. The intrusion remained undetected until June 18, 2025, prompting lawsuits alleging inadequate encryption and weak security governance. Experts say robust protection requires not only encryption but effective key management, strict access controls, and proactive monitoring. Vendor solutions such as D.AMO are presented as integrated platforms combining encryption, an isolated KMS, and centralized control to mitigate insider risk.

🔓 A hacking collective known as The Com has posted alleged personal details — names, addresses, and phone numbers — of hundreds of US government employees on private Telegram channels. Reporting by 404 Media indicates spreadsheets containing roughly 680 DHS entries, over 170 FBI email addresses, and more than 190 Department of Justice records were shared; the origin of the information is unclear. The group, which has ties to known ransomware and extortion actors, suggested further doxing and even solicited criminal collaboration, raising concerns about threats and physical safety for affected personnel and their families.

🔍 The 2025 Insider Risk Report finds insider-driven data loss is widespread and costly, with 77% of organizations affected and many incidents stemming from human error or compromised accounts rather than malice. It warns that traditional DLP often lacks behavioral context and visibility across endpoints, SaaS, and GenAI. The report urges adoption of behavior-aware, AI-ready platforms and five practical practices to reduce false positives and prevent data loss.