Tag: defense

5 trends that should top CISO’s RSA 2026 agendas

Feb 26, 2026 9:37 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, backup, business, cio, ciso, cloud, conference, control, corporate, cryptography, cyber, cybersecurity, data, defense, detection, edr, finance, framework, governance, group, healthcare, identity, incident response, intelligence, network, okta, resilience, risk, saas, service, skills, software, strategy, tactics, technology, threat, tool, training, update, vulnerability, zero-trust

CTEM in the spotlight: In another evolutionary trend, most organizations are moving beyond scanning for software snafus to continuous threat exposure management (CTEM). By doing so, security teams hope to get a full picture of all assets, as well as their configurations, locations, software vulnerabilities, ownership, and business criticality.Armed with this data, CTEM platforms look…
AI Shocks the Cybersecurity Market

Feb 26, 2026 5:37 AM

Tags: ai, business, compliance, crowdstrike, cybersecurity, data, defense, detection, governance, identity, incident response, intelligence, ml, okta, risk, service, software, threat, tool, update, vulnerability

The cybersecurity market was jolted last week after Anthropic dropped a bombshell announcement. The company’s new AI Claude model identified 500 previously unknown high-risk vulnerabilities hidden in widely used software. That is not a minor milestone. It is a technically significant achievement and a clear demonstration of how quickly AI capabilities are advancing. What came…
AI Shocks the Cybersecurity Market

Feb 26, 2026 5:37 AM

Tags: ai, business, compliance, crowdstrike, cybersecurity, data, defense, detection, governance, identity, incident response, intelligence, ml, okta, risk, service, software, threat, tool, update, vulnerability

The cybersecurity market was jolted last week after Anthropic dropped a bombshell announcement. The company’s new AI Claude model identified 500 previously unknown high-risk vulnerabilities hidden in widely used software. That is not a minor milestone. It is a technically significant achievement and a clear demonstration of how quickly AI capabilities are advancing. What came…
Steaelite RAT combines data theft and ransomware management capability in one tool

Feb 26, 2026 5:37 AM

Tags: access, android, attack, authentication, awareness, business, corporate, credentials, crypto, cybercrime, data, ddos, defense, encryption, endpoint, extortion, infection, infosec, malware, mobile, monitoring, password, phishing, ransomware, rat, remote-code-execution, theft, threat, tool, training, windows

CSO that this isn’t the most sophisticated RAT he’s seen. “The novel aspect here,” he said, “is the convergence. Steaelite bundles remote access, credential harvesting, data exfiltration, and ransomware (currently in development) in a single package.” Traditionally, he explained, these capabilities have occupied different parts of the cybercrime toolchain, but Steaelite unifies the functions, giving…
Inside the story of the US defense contractor who leaked hacking tools to Russia

Feb 25, 2026 9:37 PM

Tags: data-breach, defense, exploit, hacking, russia, software, tool

The former boss of a U.S. hacking tools maker was jailed for selling highly sensitive software exploits to a Russian broker. This is how we first learned of his arrest, reported the story, and some of the unanswered questions we still have. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/02/25/inside-the-story-of-the-us-defense-contractor-who-leaked-hacking-tools-to-russia/
Manual Processes Are Putting National Security at Risk

Feb 25, 2026 1:36 PM

Tags: data, defense, government, risk

Why automating sensitive data transfers is now a mission-critical priorityMore than half of national security organizations still rely on manual processes to transfer sensitive data, according to The CYBER360: Defending the Digital Battlespace report. This should alarm every defense and government leader because manual handling of sensitive data is not just inefficient, it is a…
Former U.S. Defense contractor executive sentenced for selling zero-day exploits to Russian broker Operation Zero

Feb 25, 2026 12:37 PM

Tags: defense, exploit, russia, zero-day

A former employee at U.S. defense contractor L3Harris got over 7 years in prison for selling eight zero-days to a Russian broker. Peter Williams, a 39-year-old Australian former L3Harris employee, received a prison sentence of just over seven years for selling eight zero-day exploits to the Russian broker Operation Zero for millions. Williams pleaded guilty…
US sanctions Russian broker for buying stolen zero-day exploits

Feb 25, 2026 12:37 PM

Tags: breach, defense, exploit, hacking, russia, tool, zero-day

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a Russian exploit broker who bought stolen hacking tools from a former executive of a U.S. defense contractor. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-sanctions-russian-exploit-broker-for-buying-stolen-zero-days/
Former Defense Contractor Boss Gets 7+ Years for Selling Zero Days

Feb 25, 2026 12:37 PM

Tags: defense, russia, zero-day

A former general manager of a US defense contractor has been sentenced after selling zero days to Russia First seen on infosecurity-magazine.com Jump to article: www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/defense-contractor-boss-7-years/
Starkiller Phishing Framework Bypasses Defenses with Reverse Proxies, Takes an SaaS Approach

Feb 25, 2026 11:37 AM

Tags: browser, chrome, container, credentials, defense, framework, mfa, phishing, saas

Starkiller is a new SaaS-style phishing framework that runs real brand websites inside headless Chrome containers, acting as a live reverse proxy to steal credentials, session tokens, and MFA-protected accounts while evading traditional detection. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/02/starkiller-phishing-framework-bypasses-defenses-with-reverse-proxies-takes-an-saas-approach/
Ex-L3Harris exec jailed for selling zero-days to Russian exploit broker

Feb 25, 2026 10:37 AM

Tags: defense, exploit, russia, zero-day

The former head of Trenchant, a specialized U.S. defense contractor unit, was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in federal prison for stealing and selling zero-day exploits to a Russian exploit broker whose clients include the Russian government. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ex-l3harris-exec-jailed-for-selling-zero-days-to-russian-exploit-broker/
Defense Contractor Employee Jailed for Selling 8 Zero-Days to Russian Broker

Feb 25, 2026 10:37 AM

Tags: defense, exploit, russia, theft, zero-day

A 39-year-old Australian national who was previously employed at U.S. defense contractor L3Harris has been sentenced to a little over seven years in prison for selling eight zero-day exploits to Russian exploit broker Operation Zero in exchange for millions of dollars.Peter Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets in October 2025.…
Treasury sanctions Russian zero-day broker accused of buying exploits stolen from U.S. defense contractor

Feb 24, 2026 9:02 PM

Tags: breach, defense, exploit, russia, threat, zero-day

The U.S. Treasury announced it was imposing sanctions against a Russian broker of zero-day exploits, its founder and two affiliates, citing a threat to U.S. national security. Another affiliated zero-day broker in the United Arab Emirates was also sanctioned. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/02/24/treasury-sanctions-russian-zero-day-broker-accused-of-buying-exploits-stolen-from-u-s-defense-contractor/
Cyber defense: From reactive to proactive

Feb 24, 2026 9:02 PM

Tags: access, ai, attack, automation, business, cloud, control, corporate, cyber, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, endpoint, google, infrastructure, intelligence, malware, microsoft, monitoring, phishing, ransomware, resilience, risk, service, social-engineering, threat

“It’s a cat-and-mouse situation. AI is changing the speed and sophistication of attacks, and AI is making phishing and social engineering attacks, thanks to deep fakes, harder to detect,” said Kevin McCall, director, cybersecurity, risk, and regulatory at PwC US, speaking during a webcast titled, “From Risk to Resilience: Building a Smarter Cloud Security Strategy.”McCall…
Deepwatch® Expands SIEM-Agnostic Guardian MDR Platform with Support for Securonix®

Feb 24, 2026 6:00 PM

Tags: ai, defense, siem, soc

Deepwatch Operationalizes Securonix with NEXAAgentic AI and 24/7 Elite SOC Palo Alto, CA”, February 24, 2026″, Deepwatch, the leader in Precision MDR powered by AI + humans, today announced native support for Securonix, a six-time Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant for SIEM, within the Deepwatch Guardian MDR Platform. The integration operationalizes Securonix’s Unified Defense…
From Exposure to Assurance: How CTEM and MITRE INFORM Enable Modern Cyber Defense

Feb 24, 2026 5:02 PM

Tags: cyber, data, defense, mitre

What if you could prove”, right now”, that your defenses actually work? See how CTEM and MITRE INFORM turn exposure data into real, board-level confidence. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/02/from-exposure-to-assurance-how-ctem-and-mitre-inform-enable-modern-cyber-defense/
Autonomer KI-Agent für das Human-Risk-Management

Feb 24, 2026 5:02 PM

Tags: ai, awareness, defense, intelligence, phishing, risk, risk-management

KnowBe4 führt AIDA-Orchestration ein. Dabei handelt es sich um den achten KI-gestützten Agenten in der KnowBe4-Suite, bekannt als AIDA (Artificial-Intelligence-Defense-Agents). Der AIDA-Orchestration-Agent ist ein autonomes, KI-gestütztes System für das Human-Risk-Management. Er erstellt, plant und verwaltet unabhängig personalisierte Phishing-Sicherheitstests und Security-Awareness-Trainings auf Benutzerebene, die sich dynamisch an das Risikoprofil jeder Person anpassen. Dadurch entfallen manuelle Kampagnen,…
How to Maximize DDoS Readiness with Proactive Protection Strategies

Feb 24, 2026 4:01 PM

Tags: ddos, defense, monitoring, risk, risk-assessment, strategy

Strengthen DDoS Readiness with proactive protection strategies, risk assessments, traffic monitoring, scalable defenses, and rapid response planning. First seen on hackread.com Jump to article: hackread.com/maximize-ddos-readiness-proactive-protection-strategies/
Euro allies aiming to rapidly build low-cost air defense weapons

Feb 24, 2026 11:02 AM

Tags: defense

We like our surface-to-air weapons affordable First seen on theregister.com Jump to article: www.theregister.com/2026/02/24/uk_joins_european_allies_aiming/
The rise of the evasive adversary

Feb 24, 2026 8:01 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, breach, china, cloud, credentials, crime, crowdstrike, crypto, data, defense, endpoint, exploit, finance, firewall, group, identity, infrastructure, intelligence, korea, lazarus, leak, mail, malicious, malware, microsoft, monitoring, network, north-korea, open-source, phishing, ransomware, remote-code-execution, russia, saas, service, software, strategy, supply-chain, tactics, theft, threat, tool, update, vpn, vulnerability, windows, zero-day

Big game hunters tighten their grip: CrowdStrike’s research highlights how big game hunting (BGH) ransomware actors have remained the dominant force in the eCrime landscape.Punk Spider, a group responsible for developing and maintaining Russian-language Akira ransomware, and its associated Akira dedicated leak site, conducted 198 intrusions in 2025, a 134% increase year over year. Victim-shaming operations…
WhatsApp Rolls Out Optional Password Feature to Strengthen User Security

Feb 24, 2026 7:02 AM

Tags: access, cyber, defense, google, password, unauthorized

WhatsApp is developing a new feature to significantly strengthen account security by introducing optional account passwords. Currently available in the Google Play Beta Program through version 2.26.7.8, this functionality aims to add another robust layer of defense against unauthorized access and account takeovers. While still under development and not yet available for beta testing, this…
Moving From Anomalies to Connections in Fraud Defense

Feb 24, 2026 12:02 AM

Tags: ai, ciso, defense, finance, fraud, intelligence, network

Shared Network Intelligence Adds Ecosystem Visibility to AI Models. Fraudsters collaborate, but most banks still detect fraud alone. This imbalance has defined fraud prevention for years. Now CISOs and fraud practitioners are rethinking their approach using network intelligence signals. Network intelligence shifts the lens by focusing on relationships across banks. First seen on govinfosecurity.com Jump…
ManagedDefense für ManagedProvider

Feb 23, 2026 3:01 PM

Tags: defense, endpoint, msp, service

Arctic Wolf gibt neue Endpoint-Sicherheitsfunktionen für seine Managed-Service-Provider-(MSP)-Partner bekannt. Mit der Einführung von Aurora-Managed-Endpoint-Defense, das Teil der Arctic-Wolf-Aurora-Plattform ist, können Partner ihre Kunden künftig noch umfassender schützen, die Servicebereitstellung effizient gestalten und ihr Angebot an Managed-Security-Services weiter ausbauen. Während MSPs ihre Kundenbasis erweitern, kann der Anspruch, jederzeit umfassenden Schutz zu ermöglichen, erhöhten Druck hinsichtlich Margen…
13 ways attackers use generative AI to exploit your systems

Feb 23, 2026 9:01 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, awareness, breach, captcha, ceo, chatgpt, ciso, cloud, credentials, crypto, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, dark-web, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, email, espionage, exploit, extortion, finance, flaw, framework, fraud, google, government, group, hacker, identity, infrastructure, intelligence, law, LLM, login, malicious, malware, marketplace, network, open-source, password, phishing, privacy, ransomware, resilience, risk, saas, scam, service, social-engineering, startup, supply-chain, tactics, technology, theft, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Facilitating malware development: AI can also be used to generate more sophisticated, or less labour-intensive, malware.For example, cybercriminals are using gen AI to create malicious HTML documents. The XWorm attack, initiated by HTML smuggling, which contains malicious code that downloads and runs the malware, bears the hallmarks of development via AI.”The loader’s detailed line-by-line description…
13 ways attackers use generative AI to exploit your systems

Feb 23, 2026 9:01 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, awareness, breach, captcha, ceo, chatgpt, ciso, cloud, credentials, crypto, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, dark-web, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, email, espionage, exploit, extortion, finance, flaw, framework, fraud, google, government, group, hacker, identity, infrastructure, intelligence, law, LLM, login, malicious, malware, marketplace, network, open-source, password, phishing, privacy, ransomware, resilience, risk, saas, scam, service, social-engineering, startup, supply-chain, tactics, technology, theft, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Facilitating malware development: AI can also be used to generate more sophisticated, or less labour-intensive, malware.For example, cybercriminals are using gen AI to create malicious HTML documents. The XWorm attack, initiated by HTML smuggling, which contains malicious code that downloads and runs the malware, bears the hallmarks of development via AI.”The loader’s detailed line-by-line description…
TDL 016 – Speed, Risk, and Responsibility in the Age of AI – Rafael Ramirez

Feb 20, 2026 9:02 PM

Tags: access, ai, antivirus, automation, awareness, business, ciso, cloud, control, country, cyber, data, defense, detection, dns, firewall, governance, government, hacker, ibm, incident response, intelligence, Internet, law, linkedin, login, mfa, microsoft, network, risk, saas, service, skills, software, startup, strategy, technology, threat, tool, training, update, vulnerability, windows, zero-trust

Summary In a recent episode of The Defenders Log, host David Redekop sat down with cyber security expert Rafael Ramirez to navigate the rapidly shifting landscape of AI security. As we move deeper into 2026, the duo explored how artificial intelligence has evolved from simple chatbots into powerful, autonomous “agentic” systems. The Double-Edged Sword of…
Using threat modeling and prompt injection to audit Comet

Feb 20, 2026 7:01 PM

Tags: access, ai, attack, captcha, control, data, defense, detection, email, endpoint, exploit, framework, injection, Internet, law, least-privilege, LLM, malicious, ml, monitoring, privacy, RedTeam, risk, social-engineering, threat, tool, training, update, vulnerability

Before launching their Comet browser, Perplexity hired us to test the security of their AI-powered browsing features. Using adversarial testing guided by our TRAIL threat model, we demonstrated how four prompt injection techniques could extract users’ private information from Gmail by exploiting the browser’s AI assistant. The vulnerabilities we found reflect how AI agents behave…
Dynamic Objects in Active Directory: The Stealthy Threat

Feb 20, 2026 6:01 PM

Tags: access, attack, blueteam, breach, cloud, computer, container, control, credentials, cve, data, defense, detection, dns, endpoint, group, identity, malicious, microsoft, monitoring, password, powershell, risk, soc, strategy, threat, tool, update, vulnerability

Active Directory’s “dynamic objects” feature offers attackers a perfect evasion cloak. These objects automatically self-destruct without a trace, so they allow adversaries to bypass quotas, pollute access lists, and persist in the cloud, leaving forensic investigators with nothing to analyze. Key takeaways The threat: Dynamic objects self-delete without leaving any traces, or “tombstones” in AD…
Turning Security Alerts into Actionable Defense

Feb 20, 2026 5:02 PM

Tags: attack, cyberattack, defense, detection, monitoring, threat

In today’s threat landscape, cyberattacks are no longer isolated incidents they are continuous, automated, and increasingly sophisticated. Organizations must move beyond traditional monitoring and adopt intelligent, real-time detection platforms capable of identifying both known and emerging threats. Seceon’s aiSIEM platform exemplifies this next-generation approach by delivering contextualized, behavior-driven security intelligence. The following real-world attack First…
Agentic AI in Cybersecurity is a Smarter, Faster Path to Resilience

Feb 20, 2026 2:01 PM

Tags: ai, cybersecurity, defense, detection, resilience, threat

Agentic AI is transforming cybersecurity by enabling autonomous threat detection, real-time response, and proactive defense across modern infrastructure. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/02/agentic-ai-in-cybersecurity-is-a-smarter-faster-path-to-resilience/