Critical Infrastructure Security

New federal Shields Ready campaign seeks stronger critical infrastructure security, resilience

Improved defenses and resilience against cybersecurity and physical security threats, as well as natural disasters, among U.S. critical infrastructure entities have been sought by the new Shields Ready campaign launched by the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Federal Emergency Management Agency, SecurityWeek reports. Aside from recommending the discovery of critical assets and systems, as well as the development and continuous improvement of incident response plans, CISA has also provided tabletop exercise assistance and operational resilience and cybersecurity evaluation services as part of the new campaign. "Our nation's critical infrastructure entities from schools to hospitals to water facilities must have the tools and resources to respond to and recover from disruption. By taking steps today to prepare for incidents, critical infrastructure, communities, and individuals can be better prepared to recover from the impact of the threats of tomorrow, and into the future," said CISA Director Jen Easterly.

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Details on 2021 Chemonics hack remain scant

International development firm Chemonics, which mainly caters to the United States Agency of International Development, has not yet provided more extensive information regarding a cyberattack that compromised more than 6,000 individuals initially reported in July 2021, reports FedScoop.

Media, think tank, service spoofing conducted in APT42 cyberespionage operations

Iranian state-backed hacking operation APT42 — also known as Mint Sandstorm, Mint Phosphorous, Charming Kitten, and TA453 — has spoofed major news organizations, including The Washington Post, think tanks, such as the McCain Institute, and internet services, such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Drive, as part of cyberespionage campaigns against journalists and human rights activists, reports CyberScoop.

Feds warn of new Kimsuky phishing attack techniques

The U.S. State Department, National Security Agency, and the FBI have issued a joint advisory warning organizations across the country, especially educational entities, non-profits, and think tanks, regarding the increasingly advanced phishing techniques leveraged by North Korean state-backed hacking group Kimsuky, also known as APT43, Emerald Sleet, and Velvet Chollima, Nextgov reports.

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