Top-5 Cybersecurity Events of August 2024

September 1, 2024

In case you missed it, these are the top-5 cybersecurity events from August of 2024.

  1. RansomHub Ransomware Hits U.S. Healthcare: The RansomHub ransomware group, previously known as Cyclops, launched attacks against U.S. healthcare providers, leading to data breaches and operational chaos.1
    Key Takeaway: Healthcare organizations need to continually evaluate their ransomware defense posture minimize potential vulnerabilities, focusing on active detection, incident response plans, and regular backups to mitigate damage from ransomware attacks.
  2. Iranian Cyber Attacks on U.S. Networks: Iranian state-sponsored cyber actors were observed exploiting vulnerabilities in Check Point and Palo Alto Networks devices to infiltrate U.S. networks. The attackers utilized these breaches to deploy malware and exfiltrate data.2
    Key Takeaway: Organizations using affected products should urgently apply patches and closely monitor network traffic for signs of compromise
  3. Exploits in Cisco IP Phones: Cisco announced that critical remote code execution vulnerabilities in its SPA 300 and 500 series IP phones were being actively exploited.3
    Key Takeaway: Companies should replace outdated hardware with more secure alternatives and perform regular security assessments on legacy systems.
  4. Microsoft Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Exploited: Microsoft’s August Patch Tuesday addressed six zero-day vulnerabilities, including a critical flaw in the Windows Line Printer Daemon service, which were actively exploited.4
    Key Takeaway: Regular patching and rapid adoption of security updates are crucial to protect against zero-day exploits.
  5. UK Local Government Platform Breach: A breach of the Locata platform, used by UK councils, resulted in phishing attacks targeting thousands of residents.5
    Key Takeaway: Local governments and other organization must continue to strengthen third-party risk management and supply chain security to minimize the potential for these type of attaks.

Sources

  1. CISA Advisory on RansomHub Ransomware
  2. CISA Alert on Iranian Cyber Attacks
  3. BleepingComputer Report on Cisco IP Phones
  4. Krebs on Security Coverage of Microsoft Zero-Day Exploits
  5. BBCC Report on UK Government Platform Breach