Please enjoy our newest podcast, the weekly Security Sprint, on Spotify, Apple, as well as other locations accessible via the Spotify for Podcasters link or almost anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Check out the new Gate 15 Ransomware Resilience page!
In this week’s Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:
Opening:
- TribalHub Magazine, Winter 2025: A Publication For Technology Minded Professionals In Tribal Government Tribal Health, Tribal-Gaming And Non-Gaming Tribal Enterprises. Includes Tribal-ISAC happenings!
- React2Shell: Risky Bulletin: APTs go after the React2Shell vulnerability within hours & Critical Security Vulnerability in React Server Components
- We discussed our daily SUN and Weekly Ransomware & Data Breach Digest available via Gate 15’s GRIP: Join the GRIP! Gate 15’s Resilience and Intelligence Portal (GRIP) utilizes the robust capabilities available in Cyware’s Collaborate platform to provide the community with technology-enhanced, human-driven analysis products. Further, our team supports the implementation and use of Cyware Collaborate at the Enterprise level.
Main Topics:
FinCEN Issues Financial Trend Analysis on Ransomware. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is issuing a Financial Trend Analysis on ransomware incidents in Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data between 2022 and 2024, which totaled more than $2.1 billion in ransomware payments… Previous FinCEN Financial Trend Analyses have focused on reported ransomware payments and incidents by the date the activity was filed with FinCEN. Today’s report shifts the focus to the incident date of each ransomware attack and offers greater visibility into the activities conducted by ransomware actors.
- Reported Ransomware Incidents and Payments Reach All-Time High in 2023
- FinCEN Data Shows Ransomware Payments Top $2.1B in Just Three Years
- Financial Services, Manufacturing, and Healthcare were the Most Impacted Industries
- The Onion Router (TOR) was the Most Common Communication Method Reported
- ALPHV/BlackCat was the Most Prevalent Ransomware Variant Between 2022 and 2024
- FinCEN analysis shows scope of ransomware problem
Five-page draft Trump administration cyber strategy targeted for January release; The six-pillar document covers a lot of ground in a short space, and could be followed by an executive order implementing it, according to sources familiar with the draft. America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine
- Here’s what the new National Security Strategy says about threats to critical infrastructure
- New US National Security Strategy reveals Trump administration’s latest stance on Taiwan
FBI PSA: Criminals Using Altered Proof-of-Life Media to Extort Victims in Virtual Kidnapping for Ransom Scams. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns the public about criminals altering photos found on social media or other publicly available sites to use as fake proof of life photos in virtual kidnapping for ransom scams. The criminal actors pose as kidnappers and provide seemingly real photos or videos of victims along with demands for ransom payments… Criminal actors typically will contact their victims through text message claiming they have kidnapped their loved one and demand a ransom be paid for their release. Oftentimes, the criminal actor will express significant claims of violence towards the loved one if the ransom is not paid immediately. The criminal actor will then send what appears to be a genuine photo or video of the victim’s loved one, which upon close inspection often reveals inaccuracies when compared to confirmed photos of the loved one. Examples of these inaccuracies include missing tattoos or scars and inaccurate body proportions. Criminal actors will sometimes purposefully send these photos using timed message features to limit the amount of time victims have to analyze the images.
Quick Hits:
- US leader of global neo-Nazi terrorist group signals retribution for arrests
- ASD: Information stealers are on the rise, are you at risk?
- UK NCSC: Prompt injection is not SQL injection (it may be worse)
Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Spotify for Podcasters, Apple, Spotify, as well as other locations accessible from the Spotify for Podcasters link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:
- The Security Sprint is our weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.
- Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.
- The Gate 15 Interview, is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.
- The Cybersecurity Evangelist, with Jennifer Lyn Walker, is a cybersecurity-focused discussion with Jen and invited guests. This is presently a Gate 15 special podcast and occasionally is updated on our Gate 15 podcast channel.
- Venue Security, The IAVM Podcast Series was a 2024 limited series podcast as Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour hosted a series of short interviews with venue safety and security experts from the International Association of Venue Managers’ (IAVM) Venue Safety and Security Committee (VSSC) and other special guests from the IAVM community.
- The Risk Roundtable, was a monthly discussion among our team and occasional guests exploring the all-hazards threats and risks impacting the United States and internationally. This was suspended in September 2023.
We hope you’ll subscribe, listen and share your ideas and other feedback! Reach out to us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, via email at Gate15@gate15.global.
