One of the largest lead generation datasets ever compiled has been found exposed online, containing 4.3 billion professional records in a 16 terabyte unsecured database.
By 2027 the race to become the first cosmic CEO is moving from science fiction to strategy. Starcloud has already trained an AI model in orbit on an Nvidia H100, while Google prepares Project Suncatcher. What remains missing is not ambition, but clear pricing and proof orbital compute can pay.
Melbourne-based broker ThinkMarkets has been hit by the Chaos ransomware group, which stole 512GB of data. The breach includes employee passports and customer KYC records, posing a major risk to the Australian financial services firm and its clients worldwide.
LockBit resurfaced days after a global takedown, relaunching on the dark web. While the group's return underscores the difficulty of permanent disruption, experts still view the takedown as a major win for law enforcement.
On the 20th of February this year, a coalition of international law enforcement agencies disrupted LockBit - a prolific ransomware group involved in several recent cyber incidents, such as the DP World hack and Citrix Bleed Vulnerability.
The action was hailed as a major win for cyber security institutions around the world as LockBit had become increasingly prolific in recent years, supplying ransomware as a service.
However, just 6 days later LockBit resurfaced on the darkweb and launched a new site shortly after a recent global law enforcement effort dismantled their infrastructure.
Despite the takedown, the group's leader posted a message and re-listed alleged victim organisations on the new site.
However, it appears that most, if not all, of the victims listed on the new site were targeted before the law enforcement takedown, suggesting that authorities may be able to provide decryptors for these victims. The FBI has not yet commented on the situation.
But it’s not all bad news, the takedown is still regarded as a major win for law enforcement and cyber security agencies with Emsisoft threat analyst Brett Callow stating:
“This doesn’t mean the disruption was a failure,” - “The fact is that LockBit, as a brand, is probably dead. It’s unlikely that anybody would trust an operation that was so completely compromised.”
According to The Hacker News, LockBit may already be in damage control having removed EquiLend and Ernest Healthcare from its data leak site as of February 29 2024, a promising sign for organisations globally.
“Bottom line: this was a very big win for the good guys. That said, this does highlight the challenges law enforcement face,” - “Some groups have cockroach-like resilience and permanently taking them out of action is far from easy.” - Brett Callow
ASIO’s $12.5 billion espionage warning is more than a tally of stolen secrets. It reveals a national digital crisis. With 24 major spy operations disrupted and identity systems exposed, Australia’s critical infrastructure and social services face a growing risk of collapse from unseen cyber threats.
Asia-Pacific faces escalating cyber threats: Qantas breach exposes 6M records, ransomware surges 57%, Japan doubles cybersecurity workforce by 2030. Singapore implements anti-scam laws, Indonesia establishes AI task force. Aviation sector under coordinated attack by Scattered Spider group.
Qantas has confirmed a cyberattack exposing data from six million customers. Cybersecurity experts link the breach to the Scattered Spider group, known for targeting critical infrastructure. The incident highlights rising threats across the global aviation sector.
Asia-Pacific faced over one-third of all cyberattacks in 2024, making it the world’s top target. From manufacturing breaches to talent shortages and rising ransomware, CNC investigates how a region of digital ambition became cybercrime’s global epicentre.
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