In a cyber twist reminiscent of a high-stakes thriller, Ukrainian activists are claiming to have performed a digital magic trick at the Russian Center for Space Hydro-Meteorology. The daring act allegedly involved breaking in and erasing a whopping two petabytes of data. If the Center had their cosmic ducks in a row with backups, they're in for a celestial restoration project that could take eons. The Planeta, as it's casually known, juggles the arrangement of aerospace data, including the management of military satellites, ground equipment like radars, and a plethora of stations monitoring everything from natural disasters to volcanic activity. The hackers, reportedly causing chaos across 280 servers, are giving the term "data wipeout" a cosmic spin. Despite the news being delivered by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, they're quick to deny any hands-on involvement, leaving the cyber curtain open for speculation.

Meanwhile, in the world of cybercrime, a member of the infamous Shiny Hunters crew has found themselves in a real-life courtroom drama. Sentenced to three years in the cyber slammer and slapped with a five-million-dollar damages bill, this former computer science whiz was nabbed by Moroccan authorities after the FBI sent out a digital wanted poster in May 2022. Through a plea deal that would make even seasoned negotiators nod in approval, the hacker avoided a potential 116-year prison stint for charges including electronic fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Shiny Hunters gang, known for its digital exploits in compromising over 60 companies, can now add the loss of one of its own to its criminal resume. Talk about poetic justice in the cyber realm.

As if we needed another plot twist in the cyber saga, "CyberKidnapping" is making headlines, featuring social engineering as the star of the show. In a recent American case, threat actors managed to get the upper hand by acquiring substantial information about a Chinese family with a 17-year-old son living in the U.S., while the rest of the family resided in China. Through a web of spoofed phone calls, these digital puppet masters convinced the family to fork over a hefty $80,000 for the supposed safe return of their son. The plot thickens as the young man is later discovered chilling in the mountains of Utah, having fallen victim to the cyber smoke and mirrors. Who needs Hollywood scripts when reality is writing its own cyber thriller?

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THIS MONTHS SPOTLIGHT, VULNERABILITY CHAT & PRIVACY HEADLINES

'Best car insurance company of 2023' fell victim to a significant data breach.
https://breachaware.com/research/best-car-insurance-company-of-2023-fell-victim-to-a-significant-data-breach
A total of 29 breaches were found and analysed resulting in 62,500,213 leaked accounts containing a total of 23 different data types. The breaches found publicly and freely available included Naz.API, Elephant Insurance Services, Klarna [2] (URL Redirected), Stealer Log 0410 and Vecer.

Music event ticket sellers' entire user base is exposed.
https://breachaware.com/research/music-event-ticket-sellers-entire-user-base-is-exposed
A total of 19 breaches were found and analysed resulting in 6,238,564 leaked accounts containing a total of 23 different data types. The breaches found publicly and freely available included Hathway Cable & Datacom, GSM Forum, Stealer Log 0407, Atlas Bus and Live4Fun.

"The McFlurry Bandit" exposed McDonald’s Single Sign-On (SSO) services.
https://breachaware.com/research/the-mcflurry-bandit-exposed-mcdonalds-single-sign-on-services
A total of 36 breaches were found and analysed resulting in 8,839,927 leaked accounts containing a total of 24 different data types. The breaches found publicly and freely available included Alpha Bank, Kredit Plus, Stealer Log 0406, The ACE Card Club and RCZ Bike Shop.

Energy engineers from 100 countries have fallen victim to a breach.
https://breachaware.com/research/energy-engineers-from-100-countries-have-fallen-victim-to-a-breach
A total of 18 breaches were found and analysed resulting in 3,873,960 leaked accounts containing a total of 20 different data types. The breaches found publicly and freely available included Leader ID, Stealer Log 0403, iGlobe, Stealer Log 0404 and Pelayanan Denpasarkota.

International peace and security organisation finds itself at the centre of a breach.
https://breachaware.com/research/international-peace-and-security-organisation-finds-itself-at-the-centre-of-a-breach
A total of 27 breaches were found and analysed resulting in 2,791,859 leaked accounts containing a total of 21 different data types. The breaches found publicly and freely available included Stealer Log 0402, Stealer Log 0400, Annuaire Sante, Stealer Log 0401 and X Ponential.