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Experts Express Surprise Over Major Social Platform Falling Victim to DDoS Attacks
One of the world's biggest social networks continued to face intermittent outages Tuesday, apparently due to unsophisticated, distributed denial-of-service attacks. Experts said the attacks were traced to malware-infected devices - many based in the U.S. - and pro-Palestinian hacktivists.

Plankey Led Efforts to Engage Energy Sector in Cyber Prep During Trump's First Term
President Donald Trump has nominated a former Energy Department and National Security Council cybersecurity official to lead the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. National Guard and Coast Guard Veteran Sean Plankey has been tapped to replace Jen Easterly as the director of CISA.

Abuse Can Lead to Fraud, Impersonation Scams
Need a new voice? Artificial intelligence has you covered. Need to protect your own? That's another story. Some of the most widely used AI voice synthesis tools offer only superficial safeguards against misuse - if any at all, researchers found in a recent analysis.

Stretched Agency Must Balance HIPAA Enforcement With Policing DEI in Healthcare
HHS investigators charged with protecting the civil rights and privacy of patients are now assigned to finding and stamping out diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities and hospitals, with DEI deemed discriminatory under the Trump administration.

British Government Proposals Also Include Payment Bans for Critical Infrastructure
Banning ransom payments by public sector and critical infrastructure entities, notifying the government of any intent to pay a ransom, and reporting incidents to authorities comprise three counter-ransomware initiatives proposed by the British government. Which ones will pass muster?

Kong's API Security Perspectives Report Says Many Teams Unprepared for AI Threats
Despite 92% of companies securing their APIs, 40% of leaders doubt whether their investments are adequate against AI-driven threats, said Kong's API Security Perspectives Report. Only 13% of organizations in the U.S. and 4% in the U.K. admit to taking no specific measures against AI threats.

Malware Used a Hardcoded IP Address for Command and Control
U.S. federal law enforcement said Tuesday it deleted more than 4,000 instances of PlugX malware used in a Chinese cyberespionage operation after a European partner gained control of the malware's command and control server. PlugX spreads through infected USB drives.

Mission Omega's Ian Mitchell on What Works and What Doesn't in Program Integration
Fraud management and anti-money laundering represent two distinct disciplines in financial crime prevention. While AML primarily is a compliance-driven function, fraud is a risk management function driven by the organization's risk appetite for fraud, said Ian Mitchell, co-founder of Mission Omega.

Experts Weigh the Pros and Cons of Work Culture and Merging AML and Fraud Teams
A recent report found that more than 57,000 Americans fall victim to scams every day. Financial fraud is rising globally. In response, the National Automated Clearinghouse Association is pushing for real-time fraud monitoring by 2026, requiring closer collaboration between fraud and AML teams.

HHS OCR Letter Also Reminds Entities That AI Tool Use Must Comply with HIPAA
Federal regulators are reminding healthcare providers, insurers and other regulated firms of their duty to ensure that AI and other emerging technologies for clinical decision making and patient support are not used in a discriminatory manner - and comply with HIPAA.

Proposals Calls for AI Growth Zones and National Data Library
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled a plan for converting the United Kingdom into an artificial intelligence "world leader," allowing it to shape the next phase of the "AI revolution." Key recommendations include creating multiple AI growth zones and a national data library.

Mitigating Cybersecurity, Privacy Risks for New Class of Autonomous Agents
Many organizations are looking to artificial intelligence agents to autonomously perform tasks that surpass traditional automation. Tech firms are rolling out agentic AI tools that can handle customer-facing interactions, IT operations and a variety of other processes without human intervention, but experts are cautioning security teams to watch for cyber and privacy risks.

Alterya's AI-Powered Data Will Combat Scams Across Traditional Financial Ecosystems
Alterya's AI agents now power Chainalysis' fraud prevention, integrating off-chain data sources like Venmo and Zelle with blockchain analytics. This acquisition marks a significant step in detecting and stopping scams earlier in the fraud cycle, said CEO Jonathan Levin.

New Export Rules Limit AI Chip Access Globally, Sparking Industry Criticism
U.S. export controls slated for publication Monday aim to block foreign adversaries from accessing American advanced computing chips and blueprints for machine learning models. Nvidia and industry leaders have criticized the policy, warning it may harm innovation.

Many important efforts by the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency to help the healthcare sector and other critical infrastructure sectors bolster their cybersecurity are likely to continue under the incoming Trump administration, predicted CISA Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan.

Days Are Dwindling, But Biden White House Unveils New AI Roadmap for HHS
With 10 days left in office, the Biden administration released an artificial intelligence strategic plan for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service. HHS called the plan a "comprehensive roadmap" outlining the department’s "commitment to trustworthy, ethical and equitable AI use.

Nvidia, Semiconductor Trade Group Push Back Against Reported Chip Restrictions
The White House’s reported final push to impose tighter restrictions on global semiconductor exports, including artificial intelligence chips critical for data centers, has drawn strong criticism from Nvidia and the semiconductor industry in the last days of the administration.

Also: Cybersecurity Tech Leader Amit Yoran’s Life, Leadership and Legacy
In this week's update, ISMG editors discussed the escalating geopolitical cyberthreats expected in 2025, including advanced and persistent campaigns linked to Chinese actors. Panelists also paid tribute to Amit Yoran, one of the cybersecurity industry's most influential leaders.