Page 19 – BlackCloak | Protect Your Digital Life™

SC Media: Ransomware payments breached $1 billion in 2023, a first

February 9, 2024/in /by Rachel Quinn

Ransomware attacks netted payments exceeding $1 billion globally for the first time in 2023, according to data published Wednesday.

Zero-day exploits, including the MOVEit hack, the spread of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) and “big game hunting” attacks seeking ransomware payments of $1 million or more helped drive record-breaking numbers, according to blockchain analysts at Chainalysis.

The $1.1 billion in ransomware payments tracked in 2023 represents a rebound from relatively low ransomware revenue in 2022. Total ransomware payments that year dropped to $567 million from $983 million in 2021.

Read the full article here: https://www.scmagazine.com/news/ransomware-payments-breached-1-billion-in-2023-a-first?nbd=Lz-Z0oABJRWPmOuPHfeI&nbd_source=mrkto&mkt_tok=MTg4LVVOWi02NjAAAAGRKcPQ1i0csnXzGvaA8cwCJvbC6A6xk-42paVnKi3wuTdPmANPc1wBHqEi7xdEY6j89RlKiykxGWBkGEJJODVzuO8f_Em_C70rykjpEqQMbWoW

USA Today: When cybercrime leaves the web: FBI warns that scammers could come right to your door

February 1, 2024/in News & Media/by Rachel Quinn

Betty Lin-Fisher; USA TODAY

International scammers are becoming more brazen by sending in-person couriers – also known as mules – to people’s homes in an attempt to trick victims out of their money.

In an alert this week, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported an uptick from May to December of 2023 in a scam, which instructs victims to liquidate their assets. Unsuspecting people are usually instructed to convert their assets to cash, or gold, silver and other precious metals, as a supposed safe way to protect their funds. The scam, often targeting senior citizens, has led to losses of over $55 million, the agency said.

What is new about this scam?

The escalation and change to in-person tactics for scammers, who usually “hide behind the veil of the Internet” or remote countries, is what is different about the latest scheme, said Chris Pierson, CEO of BlackCloak, an Orlando, Florida-based cybersecurity firm.

Read the full article here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/01/31/fbi-warning-cybercriminals-couriers/72408046007/

ITSP MAGAZINE: Beyond The Boardroom: Safeguarding Leadership With Dual Front Executive Defense

January 25, 2024/in News & Media/by Rachel Quinn

A Brand Story Conversation With Marco Ciappelli, Sean Martin, BlackCloak CEO And Founder, Chris Pierson, And Roland Cloutier, Former CSO Of TikTok And ADP

In this engaging podcast, cybersecurity leaders, Roland Cloutier and Chris Pierson, discuss with Marco and Sean the rising digital threats that executives face. With recent advancements in AI, phishing attacks and cyber crime have become sophisticated and harder to spot. The podcast underlines the importance of protecting the “executive digital space”—not just at the individual executive’s level, but also their families, considering the potentially detrimental impacts they can have on organizations at large.

The two experts point out that being aware of cyber threats and diligently safeguarding precious data isn’t enough. They propose a holistic approach to security, noting that the minimal knowledge most executives have about cyber threats plays to the advantage of cyber criminals. The alarming yet enlightening discussion encompasses physical security, AI-assisted scamming, artificially-created voice calls, and more.

A practical solution offered in the conversation is to outsource security measures to a reliable third-party for monitoring and immediate response to threats, thereby safeguarding everyone linked to the executive. The unique aspect here is the emphasis on a personalized, bespoke defense strategy that takes into consideration the differing security requirements of individuals. Ultimately, the mission here is to provide a safer cyber environment for executives and their families without impacting their personal lives.

Join this intriguing podcast and learn how to fortify not just your organization’s, but your executive’s life from cyber attacks.

Listen here: https://www.itspmagazine.com/their-stories/beyond-the-boardroom-safeguarding-leadership-with-dual-front-executive-defense-a-blackcloak-brand-story-with-chris-pierson-and-roland-cloutier

Guests

Chris Pierson, Founder and CEO of BlackCloak [@BlackCloakCyber]
On Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchristopherpierson/
On Twitter | https://twitter.com/drchrispierson

Roland, Cloutier, Former CSO of TikTok and ADP
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandcloutier/
On Twitter | https://twitter.com/CSORoland

CRAIN CURRENCY: Essential steps for protection in aftermath of recent data breaches

January 23, 2024/in News & Media/by Rachel Quinn

Family offices have recently been caught up in at least two major data breaches — involving Corewell Health, a major health care provider in Michigan, and the Real Estate Wealth Network — potentially exposing some of their most private information to hackers and criminals. Since the breaches involve a third party, family offices are left with few options except to harden their cybersecurity procedures and keep an eye out for suspicious activity, security experts say.

At the end of last year, cybersecurity breaches at both a health management platform and a software company contracted by Corewell affected in total more than 2 million residents of Michigan. The data revealed included name, address, date of birth, medical information such as diagnosis and mental/physical condition, prescription information, as well as insurance and billing information.

And of late December, it was revealed that 1.5 billion records containing information on property owners, sellers, investors and internal logging data were leaked in a data breach of the Real Estate Wealth Network. Among those affected were a slew of wealth investors such as Elon Musk and celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Dave Chappelle.

Read the full article here: https://www.craincurrency.com/family-office-management/essential-steps-protection-aftermath-recent-data-breaches

CNBC: CRYPTO WORLD New details emerge about SEC’s X account hack, including SIM swap

January 23, 2024/in News & Media/by Rachel Quinn

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Monday that a SIM swap attack was to blame for the breach of its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this month.

On Jan. 9, an unauthorized party gained access to the @SECGov account and displayed a fake post claiming the agency had approved the first-ever spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds. The cryptocurrency market moved following the unauthorized post, with bitcoin prices initially shooting up to nearly $48,000 from a low that day of just above $45,000. Then, after the SEC clarified that it had not yet approved the bitcoin ETF, prices fell below $46,000.

Read the full article here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/22/new-details-emerge-about-secs-x-account-hack-including-sim-swap.html

Schwab Network: The Calamitous Damage Of Cyberattacks

January 11, 2024/in /by Rachel Quinn

We’re seeing that calamitous damage that happens out in the social media space, and that’s what we saw yesterday with the SEC’s official X account being compromised, notes Dr. Chris Pierson. He discusses the importance of cybersecurity measures right now, as well as concerns about government cyberattack incidents. He highlights com cybersecurity stocks including PANW, FTNT, and CRWD. He then goes over cyberattack disclosures and risk management in today’s market, in addition to cybersecurity trends to monitor in 2024. Tune in to find out more about the stock market today.

Watch the full video here (https://schwabnetwork.com/video/the-calamitous-damage-of-cyberattacks) or below.

Daily Mail: Tech expert reveals how boom in AI has enabled hackers to create sordid real-life scenarios to target victims online - and what you can do to avoid being extorted

January 8, 2024/in /by Rachel Quinn

Online hackers are extorting victims out of thousands of dollars by creating sordid scenarios and luring in unsuspecting internet users

In one recent case, Kai Zhuang, 17, was plucked from a Utah mountainside after anonymous scammers convinced him to isolate himself
Once he was alone, kidnappers sent a ransom demand to his parents in China to be paid for his return
The rouse is part of an ongoing series of scams that are exploiting individuals around the world

Read the article here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12924023/virtual-kidnapping-expert-AI-enabled-hackers-online.html

KTLA 5: Cybersecurity Secrets of the Rich and Famous That You Should Do Too!

January 8, 2024/in /by Rachel Quinn

Rich DeMuro talks to cybersecurity expert Chris Pierson of BlackCloak to get the tips that can best help protect our digital lives.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fC5z8G6luk

Cybernews: ALPHV’s criminal reputation may be “tarnished” irreversibly

December 21, 2023/in /by Rachel Quinn

No matter how deeply the FBI penetrated the ALPHV ransomware gang’s dark web infrastructure, the cartel may struggle to prove to its team of racketeers that it can continue operating.

FBI’s notice of domain seizure on the ALPHV – also known as BlackCat – dark web blog may have been the nudge to send the cybercrime group responsible for a public hack of MGM Casinos tumbling down a proverbial cliff.

Read the full article here: https://cybernews.com/news/alphv-blackcat-seizure-reputation-explained/

Information Week: Clock Starts on SEC Cyberattack Rules: What CISOs Should Know

December 18, 2023/in /by Rachel Quinn

New federal rules will require public companies to disclose cybersecurity incidents as well as material risks from threats. Experts say the rules could be tricky to navigate and leave openings for exploitation by threat actors.

The Security and Exchange Commission’s rules policing disclosure and documentation of cyberattack incidents were adopted in July and started going into effect on December 15. Today, the remaining rules will apply to all public companies.

The rules will require businesses to disclose any cybersecurity incident they determine to be material and to disclose the incident’s scope, nature, and timing along with material impact. The rules also require organizations to describe processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from those threats as well as the board of directors’ and management’s role in assessing and managing risk. The written disclosures must be filed within four business days of the event’s discovery.

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.informationweek.com/cyber-resilience/clock-starts-on-sec-cyberattack-rules-what-cisos-should-know#close-modal