1.) A sophisticated cyber attack has reportedly halted the steel production across Iran and if the scenario doesn’t improve, it can fuel shortage of supply of the metal-based products across the world.
However, the Iranian government assured that the cyber attack that was of ransomware variant was contained at the start of its spread and a business continuity plan has been implemented to mitigate the risks associated with the attack.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the digital disruption caused at the production facilities of the state-owned Khuzestan Steel and two other steel companies could be the work of Israel funded ‘Gonjeshki Darande’.
2.) Second is the news related to a Miami based company titled Carnival Cruise Lines. After a lot of legal entangles set up by the Department of Justice of the USA, Carnival Cruise Lines has finally agreed to pay $6 million to end two separate lawsuits filed against by representatives from approximately 46 states.
In the year 2019, a ransomware group claimed to have taken hostage of personal information belonging to the cruise-liners customers and it includes details such as social security numbers, names, addresses, driving license info, passport numbers, and health and payment card info belonging to American populace.
The intrusion took place in March 2019 and the IT staff of the company identified the incident only after May 2019. But the company revealed about the incident after 10 months, i.e. in March 2020.
Prima facie revealed the intruders got hold of the information after compromising Microsoft Office 365 email accounts of about 146 employees and then got hold of PII of over 180,000 carnival customers and employees.
After legal prosecution, the company has now agreed to pay $6 million by this year’s end as compensation to end two separate lawsuits filed by the government of North America in 46 states.
3.) Third news is about a ransomware incident that took place at the Medical University of Innsbruck. Vice Society Ransomware Gang has taken responsibility for the sophisticated attack that led to data theft and service disruption, leaving 3,400 students and 2,200 employees without support to medical records, access to digital assets and blockage to medical care services, including surgeries.
Austrian University is recovering the encrypted information with the help of a third party and the local law enforcement authorities.
Meanwhile, reports are in that Vice Society Ransomware is only interested in targeting educational institutes operating in UK and has become super-active after Russia waged a war against Ukraine from the end of February this year.
