Cyber

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ComputerWorld.com reported that “Two cybersecurity professionals charged with running a ransomware operation have pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct, delay, or affect commerce through extortion.”  The January 2, 2026 report entitled “US cybersecurity experts plead guilty to attacking US companies with ransomware” (https://www.computerworld.com/article/4112402/us-cybersecurity-experts-plead-guilty-to-attacking-us-companies-with-ransomware.html) included these comments:

They will…

Continue Reading Anyone surprised that cybersecurity professionals are charged with ransomware business?

SCWorld.com reported “Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and their companies face unrelenting attacks by cybercriminals and nation-state actors. Over the past two years, they have also been navigating an evolving legal and regulatory landscape shaped by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC’s decision Nov. 20 to dismiss its…

Continue Reading SolarWinds dismissal continues to impact CISOs!

DarkReading.com reported that “The global battle against digital fraud has become more fraught, with cybercriminals pivoting from high-volume, opportunistic attacks to sophisticated, AI-driven operations; they’re not just harder to detect, but can cause substantially more damage as well.”  The November 26, 2025 article entitled “Digital Fraud at Industrial Scale: 2025…

Continue Reading 2025 has been a bad year for Digital Fraud!

BankInfoSecurity.com reported that “Federal securities regulators abandoned their remaining charges against SolarWinds and its chief information security officer, ending a high-profile lawsuit that accused the company of masking cybersecurity weaknesses ahead of a far-reaching Russian cyberattack.”  The November 21, 2025 article entitled “SEC Ends SolarWinds Suit After Major Legal Setbacks”…

Continue Reading SolarWinds case ends without penalties to the CISO or company!

DarkReading.com reported that “It’s a story we’ve all heard before, yet somehow, we keep living it. Despite years of cybersecurity awareness campaigns, training sessions, and technological advances, the same fundamental security challenges continue to plague organizations worldwide.” The November 20, 2025 article entitled “Same Old Security Problems: Cyber Training Still Fails…

Continue Reading  Cybersecurity training failing!

Darkreading.com reported that “Amazon researchers discovered more than 150,000 malicious packages in the NPM registry, in what they called “a defining moment in supply chain security.”” The November 14, 2025 article entitled “150,000 Packages Flood NPM Registry in Token Farming Campaign” (https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/150000-packages-flood-npm-registry-token-farming) included these comments:

The packages were…

Continue Reading Java NPM Registry flooded with a tidal waive of malicious packages!

Darkreading.com reported that “Two massive technical outages over the past year underscore the need for cybersecurity teams to consider how to recover safely from disruptions without creating new security risks.”  The October 30, 2025 article entitled ” Cloud Outages Highlight the Need for Resilient, Secure Infrastructure Recovery” (https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/cloud-outages-highlight-need-resilient-secure-infrastructure-recovery)…

Continue Reading How secure is your Cloud Service?

Darkreading.com reported that “A $14 billion seizure by US investigators presents a warning for cybercriminals’ reliance on bitcoin but is still a positive development for the cryptocurrency industry.”  The October 23, 2025 article entitled “US Crypto Bust Offers Hope in Battle Against Cybercrime Syndicates” (https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/us-crypto-bust-hope-battle-against-cybercrime-syndicates) included these comments:…

Continue Reading Cybercriminals are still reliant on bitcoin!

DarkReading.com reported that “Attackers are pouncing on financially strapped US government agencies and furloughed employees. And the effects of this period might be felt for a long time hereafter.” The October 24, 2025 article entitled “Shutdown Sparks 85% Increase in US Government Cyberattacks” (https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/shutdown-increase-us-government-cyberattacks) included these comments:

The Media Trust found that the most targeted agency during this shutdown, by far, has been the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In second place — again, some distance from third — is the Department of Justice (DoJ). The chart below shows the volume of attacks that reached each agency in the first week of October.

Though the VA and DoJ might sound like an arbitrary duo, there may well be some hidden logic underneath.

When a government shutdown happens, employees fall into two buckets. Many are furloughed — sent home and barred from even checking their government email inbox. Some are deemed “essential,” though, and they have to keep working.

Essential workers are just as unpaid, stressed, and vulnerable, yet they still have to walk into their workplace everyday. Miller points out how, especially in these cases, “you’re going to have morale issues. And then with this minimal staffing, you’re creating a higher burden on the personnel who are there having to do probably additional work,” meaning cyber threats are more likely to slip through.

Because so many of them perform crucial medical and benefits work, 96.8% of employees at the VA are still going into work Monday through Friday. Similarly, 90% of DoJ employees are considered essential.

The White House has advised that, during the shutdown, “generally, agency cybersecurity functions are excepted as these functions are necessary to avoid imminent threat to Federal property,” but agencies have discretion in how they interpret this guideline. And with two-thirds of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) sitting at home, agencies already lack the support they’re used to at a time when they’re at greatest risk.

Are you surprised?

First published at https://www.vogelitlaw.com/blog/85-increase-in-us-government-cyberattacks-blamed-on-shutdown…
Continue Reading 85% increase in US Government Cyberattacks blamed on shutdown!