The CL0P ransomware gang has breached Podiatry WA, a key Australian healthcare association, as part of a massive 22-victim global attack wave. The incident highlights the escalating threat of data extortion targeting professional services and healthcare sectors across Australia.
Microsoft has issued an emergency patch for a high-severity zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2026-21509) in Microsoft Office. The flaw, which bypasses key security features, is being actively exploited in targeted attacks, posing a significant risk to organizations globally, including in Australia.
Hayward's HEN Technologies has secured $22 million in Series A funding to scale its AI-driven fire suppression platform. The company's IoT-enabled hardware captures real-world physics data, creating a predictive analytics engine for emergency response.
Inotiv has confirmed a major data breach after a Qilin ransomware attack exposed the personal, financial and health information of over 9,000 people. The hit on this large US research company highlights rising supply chain risks across the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.
Cyber News Centre's cyber update for 9th December 2025: Inotiv, a US-based pharmaceutical contract research organisation, has confirmed it suffered a significant data breach following a ransomware attack in August.
Inotiv is a contract research organisation (CRO) that provides nonclinical and analytical drug discovery and development services. The Indiana-headquartered company supports clients from initial discovery through to the investigational new drug (IND) application stage and beyond, also supplying critical research models.
Update: Indiana-based pharmaceutical research company Inotiv has confirmed that a ransomware attack in August 2025 exposed the sensitive data of 9,542 individuals. The incident, claimed by the Qilin ransomware group, occurred between August 5 and August 8, compromising a wide range of personal, financial, and health information. According to filings with the Maine Attorney General's Office, the stolen data includes names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, financial account details, and medical and health insurance information.
The breach affected current and former employees, their family members, and other individuals who had interacted with Inotiv or its acquired companies. The Qilin group claimed to have exfiltrated 176 GB of data, including financial records and research contracts. Inotiv, which has over 2,000 employees and reported revenues exceeding $500 million, stated it has restored its systems and is providing 24 months of credit monitoring to affected individuals while continuing to assess the full financial impact.
Why it Matters: This attack on Inotiv highlights the significant and growing threat of supply chain attacks within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. As contract research organisations (CROs) handle vast amounts of proprietary intellectual property and sensitive patient data for multiple clients, they represent a high-value target for ransomware groups like Qilin.
A single breach can have cascading consequences, disrupting drug development timelines and exposing the confidential data of numerous partner organisations. The incident demonstrates that even entities not directly providing patient care are critical infrastructure within the healthcare ecosystem, holding data that is immensely valuable on the dark web and making them prime targets for extortion.
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The CL0P ransomware gang has breached Podiatry WA, a key Australian healthcare association, as part of a massive 22-victim global attack wave. The incident highlights the escalating threat of data extortion targeting professional services and healthcare sectors across Australia.
Microsoft has issued an emergency patch for a high-severity zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2026-21509) in Microsoft Office. The flaw, which bypasses key security features, is being actively exploited in targeted attacks, posing a significant risk to organizations globally, including in Australia.
Nike is investigating a massive data breach after the WorldLeaks ransomware group claimed to have stolen 1.4TB of sensitive data, including Jordan Brand design files, supply chain details, and internal documents. The breach poses a significant threat to Nike's IP operations in Australia.
The Everest ransomware group has breached ASRock Rack, a major server hardware vendor, stealing 509GB of sensitive data including firmware, BIOS, and other critical files. The breach creates a significant supply chain risk, potentially allowing attackers to embed vulnerabilities in server hardware.
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