Just been alerted to threats I was previously totally unaware of:
Volt Typhoon Energy Grid Cyberattack Exposes US Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
The Volt Typhoon advanced persistent threat (APT) group maintained access to a Massachusetts power utility’s OT network for almost a year, highlighting critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Home – Security Spotlight – Volt Typhoon Energy Grid Cyberattack Exposes US Infrastructure Vulnerabilities
An Energy Grid Cyberattack on US has exposed vulnerabilities within the US power grid. Security researchers at Dragos uncovered a prolonged cyber intrusion by the Volt Typhoon advanced persistent threat (APT) group, a threat actor linked to China.
The intrusion targeted Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments (LELWD), a small public power utility in Massachusetts. Volt Typhoon maintained unauthorized access to LELWD’s operational technology (OT) network for nearly a year, from February to November 2024.
“One of the biggest challenges with cybersecurity in critical infrastructure is the long lifespan of the devices. Something that was designed and tested to the best practices available when it was released can easily become vulnerable to attacks using more sophisticated attacks later in its lifecycle.”Tim Mackey, head of software supply chain risk strategy at Black Duck, warned
Nathaniel Jones, vice president of threat research at Darktrace, added that the impact on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) is a “continued and growing concern with the applications of AI-based capabilities for both offensive and defensive teams.”
The targeting of CNI entities suggests a strategic goal beyond simple data theft. Donovan Tindill, director of OT cybersecurity at DeNexus, noted that exfiltrating OT data allows attackers to gain geopolitical leverage:
Social engineering is a manipulation technique that exploits human psychology rather than software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to data or systems.
Phishing is the most common social engineering technique, but pretexting, baiting, vishing, and tailgating are also widely used.
The human element is a factor in about 60% of data breaches, according to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR).
Generative AI has made social engineering attacks faster to produce and harder to detect, particularly through AI-generated phishing emails and deepfake voice or video impersonation.
No single technical control stops social engineering. Effective defense combines employee training, verification protocols, and data-level controls that limit what an attacker can do even after a successful manipulation.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced coordinated nationwide law enforcement actions on June 30, 2025, targeting North Korean remote information technology workers’ illicit revenue generation schemes that have defrauded American companies and funded the DPRK’s weapons programs.
Summary 1. The U.S. DOJ conducted coordinated enforcement across 16 states on June 30, 2025, targeting North Korean remote IT workers funding DPRK weapons programs. 2. Operation resulted in 29 financial account seizures, 21 website takedowns, 200 computer seizures, and searches at 29 "laptop farms." 3. North Korean operatives infiltrated 100+ U.S. companies, generating $5+ million illicitly while causing $3+ million in damages. 4. Schemes involved stealing classified defense data under ITAR regulations and $900,000+ in cryptocurrency theft from blockchain companies.
The comprehensive enforcement action spanned 16 states, resulting in two federal indictments, one arrest, and the seizure of 29 financial accounts containing tens of thousands of dollars, 21 fraudulent websites, and approximately 200 computers.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
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