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Mozilla Researcher Uses Non-Natural Language to Jailbreak GPT-4o
Anyone can jailbreak GPT-4o's security guardrails with hexadecimal encoding and emojis. A Mozilla researcher demonstrated the jailbreaking technique, tricking OpenAI's latest model into generating python exploits and malicious SQL injection tools.

CIO Alex Gallo on Balancing Digital Change, Security and Continuous Learning
Alex Gallo, CyberEdBoard member and CIO, shared how he drives secure digital transformation by balancing AI integration with cybersecurity, fostering a security-first culture, and emphasizing continuous learning across his teams and the organization’s leadership.

Plastic Surgeon Paid $53K Ransom But Says ‘the Real Criminal’ Is HHS
Dr. James Breit recalled the day a hacker locked up his systems with ransomware at his plastic surgery practice. He paid $53,000 in ransom. Nearly, seven years later, after paying a $500,000 HIPAA fine, Breit claims he got better treatment from the cybercriminals than he did federal regulators.

Yakabod Deal to Strengthen Everfox's Insider Risk, Cyber Incident Response Platform
With its acquisition of Yakabod, Everfox expands capabilities in insider risk and cyber incident management. The move promises stronger integration and greater control over security workflows, benefiting public sector and critical infrastructure clients who operate in highly regulated environments.

Hackers Using Password Spraying to Steal User Microsoft Account Credentials
Multiple Chinese hacking groups are using a botnet named for a TCP routing port number to conduct password spraying attacks, warned Microsoft Thursday. The Quad7 operators are almost certainly located in China. Botnet activity can be difficult to monitor.

New Funding to Aid US Government Growth, Generative AI Security Product Development
Zenity has closed a $38 million Series B round to advance its agentic AI security platform and extend its no-code and low-code application support. With investment from Third Point Ventures and DTCP, the funding enables Zenity to cater to clients in sectors like financial services and healthcare.

Lazarus Group in Particular Using Cross-Platform Languages to Hit macOS Targets
Cryptocurrency-seeking hackers are increasingly targeting macOS users. So warn security researchers as they track a rise in macOS backdoors and information-stealing malware, much of which traces back to a well-known cryptocurrency heist culprit: North Korea.

Volt Typhoon, APT31 and APT41 Tied to Campaigns Targeting Sophos' Edge Devices
Firewall maker Sophos disclosed Thursday a half-decade worth of efforts by multiple nation-state Chinese hacking groups to infiltrate its appliances, calling the admission a wake-up call for the cybersecurity industry. Targeting firewall appliances is a known nation-state tactic.

Also: Breaches at OnePoint Patient Care and French ISP Free
This week: S&P said poor material vulnerability remediaton can be a material risk factor, OnePoint in the United States and French ISP Free suffered data breaches, a Russian court sentenced REvil members, Five Eyes published security guidelines for small businesses.

Understanding the Impact of Security on the Business Makes You More Effective
With cybersecurity now embedded across all industries and functions, the importance of aligning security measures with business objectives has never been greater. Here’s why being business savvy is crucial in cybersecurity - and how you can cultivate it to become a more effective professional.

New Compliance Tool Say Many AI Firms Fail to Meet Security, Fairness Standards
Large language models developed by Meta and Mistral AI are among a dozen artificial intelligence models that fail to meet the cybersecurity and fairness requirements of the European Union AI Act, which went into effect on Aug. 1, said developers of a new open-source AI evaluation tool.

NY AG Action and $1M Fine Follow Back-to-Back Hacks That Affected 224,500 in 2023
An upstate New York-based medical practice must spend $2.25 million to improve its data security practices over the next five years, plus pay state regulators up to a $1 million fine following an investigation into two ransomware attacks days apart in 2023 that affected nearly 224,500 people.

United States’ Top Cyber Defense Agency Mobilizes Nationwide Election Support Hub
The director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Wednesday the agency is establishing an election operations room to help counter foreign interference and support state officials amid escalating cyber and physical threats to the 2024 vote.

Insight Partners-Led Round Boosts US Growth, Fuels Threat Intelligence for Filigran
Filigran’s $35 million Series B funding, led by Insight Partners, positions the company to scale its threat intelligence and proactive security capabilities while expanding its U.S. footprint. Plans include doubling the engineering team and strengthening breach and attack simulation capabilities.

Vendor Blames Delta's Outage Severity on Its 'Own Response and IT Infrastructure'
CrowdStrike has countersued customer Delta Air Lines, accusing the airline of employing a lawsuit and seeking damages in "a desperate attempt to shift blame" for Delta's own IT inadequacies having exacerbated its outage, unlike "other major airlines" that quickly resumed operations.

Normalyze’s AI-Powered DSPM Technology Boosts Proofpoint’s Data Visibility, Control
Proofpoint will acquire DSPM startup Normalyze to strengthen its data security offerings across cloud, SaaS and hybrid environments. The company aims to give security teams enhanced visibility, control and human-centric risk reduction for sensitive data across complex infrastructures.

Foreign Minister Tajani Condemns Conspiracy as 'Threat to Democracy'
The foreign minister of Italy condemned Monday as a threat to democracy the private investigation firm that prosecutors in Milan say illegally accessed government databases for years to assemble illicit dossiers. Four individuals are under house arrest.

Foreign Influence Campaigns Intensify as Experts Tout Election Security Upgrades
More than 50 million votes have already been cast in the 2024 United States presidential elections, but new reports indicate the cyber and physical threats continue to escalate - with potential implications that could extend well beyond Election Day.

Scaling Business Often a Challenge in the Country, Experts Told Lawmakers
Dependence on foreign capital in the United Kingdom for investments into artificial intelligence will stymie British technological progress, a parliamentary committee heard Tuesday. An absence of capital makes it hard for British firms to scale operations, said Michael Holmes, CEO at Scale Space

When a large hospital in an urban area is shut down by ransomware, the disruption can be significant, but when a rural hospital faces a similar cyber outage, the impact on patient safety and the community can be extreme, said Nitin Natarajan of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.