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AGs Cite Security Failures Leading to Illuminate Education's Late 2021 Data Theft
A California-based vendor of software used to collect and analyze student data, including records of children with disabilities and special educational needs, has been fined a total of $5.1 million by the attorneys general in three states in the wake of a 2021 hack that affected 3 million people.

Pedestrians Uniquely Refract Directional Radio Signals
The way you use your walk - specifically when striding through a Wi-Fi field shaped by directional antennae - can reveal who you are, found researchers who investigated the surveillance potential of wireless routers. "Every router is a potential surveillance device," say researchers.

Pentagon Formally Rolls Out Long-Awaited Cybersecurity Requirements for Vendors
The Department of Defense's final Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification rule went into effect Monday after years of industry debate, requiring all defense contractors and subcontractors to obtain cybersecurity certifications for any new contracts, contract renewals or extensions.

It's Time for Enterprises to Manage Risks Posed by Compromised Personal Devices
Online job scams have evolved beyond consumer fraud and now pose a direct threat to corporate networks. Google warns that scammers are embedding remote access Trojans and info-stealers disguised as interview software or application materials to hack personal devices and ultimately corporate systems.

OT Security 'a Generation Behind Traditional IT'
For those charged with the cyber defense of OT and industrial control systems, one challenge towers above all others: Data. Specifically, its scarcity. Most operators simply don't capture it, in stark contrast with their IT counterparts.

Senate HELP Committee Chair Seeks to Secure Data in Smart Watches, Health Apps
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chair of the Senate health committee, has proposed legislation that aims to create parallel HIPAA-like privacy protections to more types of health data - such as data collected by consumer wearable devices and health apps - not currently covered under HIPAA.

Keyless's Biometric Tech to Improve Privacy, Account Recovery and User Experience
Ping Identity will acquire Keyless to expand passwordless authentication to frontline workers who lack access to smartphones. The deal gives Ping deepfake-resistant, privacy-first biometrics that don't store user templates on servers, easing identity verification and account recovery.

Spyware Targets Samsung Galaxy Devices, Says Unit 42
Hackers used previously unknown commercial spyware dubbed "Landfall" to surveil the activities of Samsung Galaxy device owners in the Middle East, say security researchers who posit the threat actor has connections to the United Arab Emirates.

Central Jersey Medical Center Runs Health Centers for Schools in Newark
Central Jersey Medical Center, a federally qualified health center that partners with public schools in Newark, New Jersey, is notifying an undisclosed number of people of a data breach related to an August ransomware attack. The incident is latest to hit a resourced-stretched healthcare provider.

Audit Issues, Policy Debt and Limited Project Scope Are Hampering Adoption
Microsegmentation has long been touted as the gold standard for restricting lateral movement by hackers. It helps lock down network traffic and reduces the blast radius of a breach. Vendors say it's transformative, but if you walk into most large enterprises, you'll will find it half-implemented.

CISA Argues None of 54 Fired Workers Fall Under Union Protections
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency told a federal court it complied with an injunction blocking shutdown-related layoffs by sending reduction-in-force notices only to non-union staff within a unit vital to coordination with state, local and private-sector defenders.

OTsec India Steering Committee Discuss Cyberthreats, Compliance and Innovation
Featuring some of the most prominent voices in Indian operational technology cybersecurity, the steering committee for the inaugural OTsec India Summit shares insights on a range of topics including OT threats, regulatory imperatives and the latest innovations.

Nation-State Teams Tied to Grain Sector Targeting, Plus More Joined-Up Operations
Russia's nation-state hacking groups have returned to pummeling Ukrainian targets with destructive, wiper malware, including in apparent attempts to disrupt its economically valuable grain sector, alongside the repeat targeting of allied European nations, researchers report.

Also: SBF Appeals Conviction, PHP Exploits Fuel Cryptomining
Every week, Information Security Media Group rounds up cybersecurity incidents in digital assets. This week, Europol's 600 million euro fraud network bust, Sam Bankman-Fried conviction appeal, PHP exploits fueled cryptomining campaigns and sentencing set for Samourai Wallet founders.

Statewide Breach Hit 60 Agencies Before Ransomware Was Deployed
A threat actor infiltrated Nevada’s statewide systems undetected for months, ultimately disrupting at least 60 agencies by deleting backups and launching ransomware that forced a full rebuild of core infrastructure and triggered a multimillion-dollar emergency response.

Learn the Business, Be Intentional, Find a Mentor and Build Non-Technical Skills
New to cybersecurity? Start by learning how organizations work - their people, processes and priorities - before diving deep into technical stacks. Understanding how to translate technical findings into business risk differentiates a professional from a technician.

DOJ: Suspects Hit 5 Firms, Including 3 in Healthcare, Netted $1.3M in Ransom Money
Three former employees of two cybersecurity firms stand accused of using BlackCat ransomware in a conspiracy to extort five U.S. companies, including three in the healthcare sector. One of the victim companies paid nearly $1.3 million to the attackers, U.S. federal prosecutors said.