Vantage will employ more than 400 individuals during peak construction and create approximately 25 jobs to operate the campus.

Known as Edged Dallas, the facility will be built for high-density AI workloads and equipped with advanced waterless cooling and ultra-efficient energy systems. 

The Good | DoJ Indicts Cryptojacking Criminal and Botnet Operator Supporting Ransomware Actors

The DoJ doled out two indictments this week: the first announcing the arrest of Charles O. Parks III for his role in an elaborate cryptojacking scheme, the second, charging Alexander Lefterov, owner and operator of a major botnet.

Parks was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and illegal transactions, tallying up to a maximum of 30 years in prison. According to the DoJ, the basis of Parks’ scheme was renting $3.5 million worth of cloud servers through a number of fake LLCs in order to mine nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency.

After tricking the cloud service providers (CSPs) into escalating his privileges, Parks was given access to services equipped with powerful graphics cards that were then used to mine Monero, Litecoin, and Ether. The mined funds were laundered through purchasing NFTs and converting them through traditional banks and various crypto exchanges to fund a lavish lifestyle.

Lefterov was indicted by a federal grand jury for aggravated identity theft, computer fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Through the large-scale botnet he maintained, the Moldovan national and his associates have been linked to thousands of compromised computers across the U.S.

Using credentials harvested from the infected computers, Lefterov and his co-conspirators targeted victims’ financial accounts across banking, payment processing, and retail platforms to steal money. In tandem, Lefterov allegedly leased his botnet to other cybercriminals for ransomware distribution, later receiving a share of the profits from successful attacks.

Now, guests at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties can use AirPlay to seamlessly share entertainment and more to compatible TVs in their rooms.

Apple’s 2024 Environmental Progress Report shows the company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 55 percent since 2015.

Mission Critical is excited to introduce you to the 2024 Top 25 Women in Technology. Meet Cyre Mercedes Denny.

In an expanding collaboration between Chubb, one of the largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance companies, and SentinelOne, a cybersecurity leader, clients of SentinelOne who are also Chubb policyholders can now share their enterprise cyber health assessment data with Chubb. This facilitates a more efficient and precise underwriting process.

With the increasing emphasis on cybersecurity investment, insurance carriers are seeking greater transparency into their insureds’ cybersecurity health. The collaboration not only offers policyholders streamlined access to SentinelOne’s cybersecurity solutions, but also enhances transparency into policyholders’ cyber health investments through SentinelOne’s Vital Signs Report.

This post captures a Q&A between Craig Guiliano, SVP of Threat Intelligence and Policyholder Services at Chubb, and Bridget Mead, Senior Manager of IR Cyber Risk at SentinelOne, as they address some frequently asked questions about the Vital Signs Report.

Q: What is the Vital Signs Report?

Chubb/Guiliano: The Vital Signs Report (VSR) is an assessment of our policyholders’ cybersecurity posture. This report is going to be a game changer for not only how we, as the carrier, assess our individual policyholder’s cybersecurity health, but for our ability to assess our portfolio exposure as one of the world’s largest insurance companies. Our underwriters are quickly moving away from checkboxes on a questionnaire and moving towards data-driven policy renewal decisions.

SentinelOne/Mead: The VSR is based on a collection of internal signals that we mapped to the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) CIS18 framework. We make the report available to all SentinelOne clients at no charge. It displays the strength of a client’s digital environment in areas important to cyber security and the cyber insurance underwriting process. The graphic below shows the major categories included.

Apple today announced new projects to expand clean energy and replenish fresh water around the world.

We are thrilled to announce our latest S Ventures investment in Guardz, a unified cybersecurity platform built to empower MSPs to secure and insure small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

A Modern Approach to Cybersecurity for SMBs

SMBs today face a unique set of challenges when it comes to protecting against the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape. With cloud and SaaS adoption, SMBs’ IT infrastructures are becoming increasingly complex to manage. This is coupled with limited budgets and staff, making it difficult for SMBs to acquire and deploy best-in-class cybersecurity solutions. With 88% of the SMB market turning to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for cybersecurity protection, there is a critical need to build a scalable, easy-to-use cybersecurity platform that is specifically tailored to the needs of MSPs and their SMB customers.

In comes Guardz – addressing this gap head-on and developing a modern approach for SMB cybersecurity. The Guardz platform combines a robust cybersecurity technology and deep insurance expertise that ensures MSPs and their SMB customers can proactively safeguard their digital assets against a myriad of cyber threats, mitigate cybersecurity risks, and prevent the next cybersecurity attack.

Apple will open an Apple Developer Academy in Bali, expanding on its investment to increase opportunities for developers, students, and entrepreneurs.

Mission Critical is excited to introduce you to the 2024 Top 25 Women in Technology. Meet Makenna Deamer.

Last week, PinnacleOne detailed how firms can navigate the era of AI in cybersecurity and emerging tools to keep pace with advancing threats.

This week, we focus on recent escalation dynamics in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

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Insight Focus | Navigating International Conflict and Escalation Dynamics

Summary of Recent Events

Conflict between Israel and Iran simmered for decades before the most recent spike in tensions. The proximate cause for Iran’s assault on Israel this weekend was the result of that country violating well-established norms. Israel bombed an Iranian diplomatic facility adjacent to the main embassy in Syria killing senior Iranian generals. Embassies and their compounds are considered the sovereign land of the country that they represent – in the U.S., law enforcement agencies (like local police) are prohibited from stepping foot within their walls.

The Good | Police Unmask 200 LockBit Affiliates

Following the takedown of their operations earlier in the year, the inner workings of LockBit’s affiliate infrastructure have become clearer this week as investigations continue. The UK’s National Crime Agency, with assistance from the FBI, have reportedly matched a list of pseudonyms used by the ransomware gang to suspected cybercriminals.

So far, investigators have been able to link some 200 affiliates of LockBit who were using nondescript usernames to real world identities. The NCA’s senior officer on the case further confirmed that authorities have been able to connect specific affiliates back to particular cyberattacks. As the investigations carry on, all details collected are helping law enforcement to pursue more of the gang’s influential members, as well as any associated money launderers and malware developers.

Over the past three years, LockBit’s Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operations have left a long line of victims in its wake, with their ransom demands totalling at least $120 million.

Despite a dramatic takedown in February and having a senior administrator sentenced in March, LockBit lingers on through a new blog and data leak site, though lacking its prior momentum. Still, the gang’s ringleaders remain at large and cyber defenders continue to monitor for signs of rebranding – a strategy used by Hive and predecessors of BlackCat/ALPHV. Law enforcement’s efforts in matching up outstanding LockBit usernames to known criminals is a major step in disrupting LockBit’s new and future operations.

The Bad | New Phishing Campaign Drops Multi-Stage Malware via SVG Files

Security researchers this week reported on a complex cyberattack leveraging phishing emails to spread a wide range of malware, including Venom RAT, Remcos RAT, XWorm, NanoCore RAT, and a crypto wallet stealer.

Campaign Registry Requirements for SMS

As your trusted VoIP provider, we want you to stay informed about all aspects of your service, including how to comply with industry regulations that impact your communication. One such requirement that has come into effect for businesses sending SMS messages involves registration with the Campaign Registry. We suggest all new customers using the E...

New FCC Ruling on SMS and the DNC List

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented new regulations that significantly affect how businesses and individuals can send SMS messages to users listed on the Do Not Call (DNC) registry. As a service provider committed to ensuring that you stay informed and compliant, we've put together this guide to help you understand...

In today's fast-paced business environment, productivity and efficiency are more than just buzzwords—they are the pillars on which successful enterprises are built. Recognizing this, the introduction of the Elevate AI Assistant marks a significant leap forward in integrating Generative AI technology into everyday business operations. This tool is i...

Customers and independent repair providers will soon be able to utilize used Apple parts in repairs, beginning with select iPhone models.

Mission Critical is excited to introduce you to the 2024 Top 25 Women in Technology. Meet Devin de Lange.

New enterprise experiences leverage spatial computing to customize workspaces, collaborate on 3D designs, deliver special employee training, and more.

Mission Critical is excited to introduce you to the 2024 Top 25 Women in Technology. Meet Molly Bakewell Chamberlin.