Tag: government
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New “Punishing Owl” Hacker Group Targets Networks Linked to Russian Security Agency
A previously unknown threat actor calling itself Punishing Owl has claimed responsibility for breaching a Russian government security agency, marking the emergence of what cybersecurity researchers believe is a new politically motivated hacktivist collective. The attack demonstrated sophisticated operational security capabilities beyond typical data exfiltration campaigns. On the same day as the breach announcement, Punishing…
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Zero-Day in Microsoft Office Enables Stealthy Malware Infections
Tags: cve, cyber, exploit, government, infection, infrastructure, malicious, malware, microsoft, office, vulnerability, zero-dayMicrosoft disclosed a critical zero-day vulnerability in Office products on January 26, 2026, tracked as CVE-2026-21509, with active exploitation in the wild confirmed. The vulnerability enables attackers to deploy sophisticated malware through malicious document files, targeting government organizations and critical infrastructure. Indicator Type Value CVE CVE-2026-21509 Malicious Domains freefoodaid[.]com, wellnesscaremed[.]com, wellnessmedcare[.]org C2 Infrastructure *.filen.net, *.filen.io…
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Netherlands latest European country to mull social media ban for children
The new Dutch minority government is pushing to raise the minimum age to access social media to 15, the latest such proposal in Europe after France and the United Kingdom announced similar efforts. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/netherlands-social-media-ban-children
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Notepad++ says Chinese government hackers hijacked its software updates for months
The developer of the popular text editor Notepad++ said hackers associated with the Chinese government hijacked its software update mechanism to deliver tainted software to users for months. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/02/02/notepad-says-chinese-government-hackers-hijacked-its-software-updates-for-months/
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Drone sightings have doubled near UK military bases, warns British government
The surge in sightings has prompted the government to expand the powers available to service personnel to deal with the threat from uncrewed aerial vehicles without having to first involve law enforcement. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/military-drone-sightings-double-uk-government
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Spyware maker is hijacking diplomatic efforts to limit commercial hacking, civil society warns
Spyware maker NSO Group trumpeted the company’s participation in the Pall Mall Process, which drew criticism from civil society leaders and government officials who called out human rights abuses. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/spyware-maker-pall-mall-process-reputation
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PeckBirdy Hackers Abuse LOLBins Across Environments to Deploy Advanced Malware
A sophisticated JScript-based command-and-control framework, PeckBirdy, since 2023, exploiting living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to deliver modular backdoors across diverse execution environments. The framework has been observed in two coordinated campaigns, SHADOW-VOID-044 and SHADOW-EARTH-045, targeting Chinese gambling industries, Asian government entities, and private organizations with advanced malware, including HOLODONUT and MKDOOR backdoors. PeckBirdy distinguishes itself through its…
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PeckBirdy Hackers Abuse LOLBins Across Environments to Deploy Advanced Malware
A sophisticated JScript-based command-and-control framework, PeckBirdy, since 2023, exploiting living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to deliver modular backdoors across diverse execution environments. The framework has been observed in two coordinated campaigns, SHADOW-VOID-044 and SHADOW-EARTH-045, targeting Chinese gambling industries, Asian government entities, and private organizations with advanced malware, including HOLODONUT and MKDOOR backdoors. PeckBirdy distinguishes itself through its…
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After TikTok: Navigating the Complex Web of Foreign Tech Bans
As federal and state governments extend their lists of banned foreign technologies, where is this trend heading next? Is your home network safe for work use? First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/02/after-tiktok-navigating-the-complex-web-of-foreign-tech-bans/
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Informant told FBI that Jeffrey Epstein had a ‘personal hacker’
The hacker allegedly developed zero-day exploits and offensive cyber tools and sold them to several countries, including an unnamed central African government, the U.K., and the United States. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/30/informant-told-fbi-that-jeffrey-epstein-had-a-personal-hacker/
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Russian hackers breached Polish power grid thanks to bad security, report says
The Polish government accused a Russian government hacking group of hacking into energy facilities taking advantage of default usernames and passwords. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/30/russian-hackers-breached-polish-power-grid-thanks-to-bad-security-report-says/
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TAMECAT PowerShell Backdoor Targets Edge and Chrome: Login Credentials At Risk
Tags: backdoor, browser, chrome, credentials, cyber, defense, espionage, government, hacking, iran, login, microsoft, powershell, riskTAMECAT is a sophisticated PowerShell-based backdoor linked to APT42, an Iranian state-sponsored hacking group. It steals login credentials from Microsoft Edge and Chrome browsers while evading detection. Security researchers from Israel’s National Digital Agency detailed its modular design in recent SpearSpecter campaign analysis.”‹ APT42 deploys TAMECAT in long-term espionage operations against senior defense and government…
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US wants to push its view of AI cybersecurity standards to the rest of the world
The Trump administration also envisions artificial intelligence playing a role in protecting federal government networks. First seen on cyberscoop.com Jump to article: cyberscoop.com/us-global-ai-cybersecurity-standards-push-national-cyber-director/
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Federal pivot on software security oversight could complicate vendor strategies
Software companies cheered the elimination of a government-wide attestation mandate. What comes next could be messy. First seen on cybersecuritydive.com Jump to article: www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/white-house-software-security-attestation-elimination/810765/
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French government agency fined nearly $6 million for data security failings
The French data protection authority fined the country’s national employment agency nearly $6 million for poor data security. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/france-travail-fined-cnil
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Zoom and Microsoft Teams Lose French Government Trust After Security Review
France’s government has made a decisive move to eliminate foreign videoconferencing platforms from its operations, rejecting Zoom and Microsoft Teams in favor of a domestically controlled alternative. On January 26, 2026, France announced the nationwide rollout of >>Visio,<< a sovereign videoconferencing solution developed by the Interministerial Directorate for Digital Affairs (DINUM), with full deployment across…
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CISA chief uploaded sensitive government files to public ChatGPT
Tags: access, chatgpt, cisa, compliance, control, cybersecurity, government, infrastructure, office, toolLeadership credibility questioned: The uploads triggered an internal DHS assessment involving the department’s then-acting general counsel Joseph Mazzara and chief information officer Antoine McCord, along with CISA’s chief information officer Robert Costello and chief counsel Spencer Fisher, the report said. The outcome has not been disclosed.According to the report, CISA spokesperson Marci McCarthy confirmed that…
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QA: Why Cybersecurity Is Now a Core Business Risk, Not Just a Technical Problem
Tags: attack, business, cyber, cybersecurity, data, government, infrastructure, resilience, risk, supply-chain, threatCybersecurity threats are escalating in scale and sophistication, and organisations around the world are scrambling to keep pace with the evolving digital risk landscape. Governments and corporations alike face increasing pressure to strengthen cyber resilience as attacks extend across critical infrastructure, supply chains and data systems with growing frequency. At the forefront of national and…
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Acting CISA Chief Flagged for Uploading Sensitive Government Files Into ChatGPT
The acting head of the federal government’s top cyber defense agency triggered an internal cybersecurity warning last summer after uploading sensitive government documents into a public version of ChatGPT, according to four Department of Homeland Security officials familiar with the incident. First seen on thecyberexpress.com Jump to article: thecyberexpress.com/cisa-chief-internal-cybersecurity-warning/
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Keir Starmer holds talks with Xi to bolster economic ties with China
PM is first UK leader to visit China in eight years and hopes to strengthen bond with superpower amid uncertainty over US allianceKeir Starmer has met the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday for historic talks he hopes will deepen economic ties at a time when some inside government fear the US is no longer…
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Keir Starmer to hold talks with Xi to bolster economic ties with China
PM is first UK leader to visit China in eight years and hopes to strengthen bond with superpower amid uncertainty over US allianceKeir Starmer will meet the Chinese president Xi Jinping on Thursday for historic talks he hopes will deepen economic ties at a time when some inside government fear the US is no longer…
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Government’s new approach to software security oversight could complicate things for vendors
Software companies cheered the elimination of a government-wide attestation mandate. What comes next could be messy. First seen on cybersecuritydive.com Jump to article: www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/white-house-software-security-attestation-elimination/810765/
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China-Backed ‘PeckBirdy’ Takes Flight for Cross-Platform Attacks
In two separate campaigns, attackers used the JScript C2 framework to target Chinese gambling websites and Asian government entities with new backdoors. First seen on darkreading.com Jump to article: www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/china-backed-peckbirdy-cross-platform-attacks
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Trump’s acting cybersecurity chief uploaded sensitive government docs to ChatGPT
A report cited officials as saying that Homeland Security sought to determine if there was any harm to government security as a result of the lapse. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/28/trumps-acting-cybersecurity-chief-uploaded-sensitive-government-docs-to-chatgpt/
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Cybercriminals Exploit Canadians’ Dependence on Digital Services in Widespread Attacks
Canadian citizens are facing a coordinated phishing campaign that leverages government impersonation and brand spoofing to harvest personal and financial data at scale. The campaign is heavily aligned with PayTool, a known phishing-as-a-service ecosystem specializing in traffic violation scams targeting Canadians via SMS. Beyond traffic fines, threat actors are impersonating Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Air…
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UK leaders warned country risks ‘absorbing’ cyber and hybrid attacks without offensive deterrence
The government must do more to actively disrupt and deter foreign cyber and hybrid threats, U.K. ministers were told at at a parliamentary hearing. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/uk-government-warned-cyber-hybrid-threats-offensive-operations
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Mustang Panda Deploys Updated COOLCLIENT Backdoor in Government Cyber Attacks
Threat actors with ties to China have been observed using an updated version of a backdoor called COOLCLIENT in cyber espionage attacks in 2025 to facilitate comprehensive data theft from infected endpoints.The activity has been attributed to Mustang Panda (aka Earth Preta, Fireant, HoneyMyte, Polaris, and Twill Typhoon) with the intrusions primarily directed against government…
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Slovakian man pleads guilty to operating darknet marketplace
A Slovakian national admitted on Tuesday to helping operate a darknet marketplace that sold narcotics, cybercrime tools and services, fake government IDs, and stolen personal information for more than two years. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/slovakian-man-pleads-guilty-to-operating-kingdown-market-cybercrime-marketplace/
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French government abandons Zoom and Microsoft Teams over security concerns
France intends to phase out non-European videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams from its public administration, opting instead for a nationally developed … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/28/france-zoom-teams-visio-public-administration/
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Google Warns of Active Exploitation of WinRAR Vulnerability CVE-2025-8088
Google on Tuesday revealed that multiple threat actors, including nation-state adversaries and financially motivated groups, are exploiting a now-patched critical security flaw in RARLAB WinRAR to establish initial access and deploy a diverse array of payloads.”Discovered and patched in July 2025, government-backed threat actors linked to Russia and China as well as financially motivated First…