Cybersecurity / Threat intelligence

'Bring Your Own Feed' (BYOF) refers to the practice of organizations customizing and integrating their own tailored threat intelligence feeds into their cybersecurity defenses. Instead of relying solely on generic or third-party threat data, BYOF allows security teams to use specific, relevant, and actionable threat information that aligns with their unique organizational vulnerabilities and risk profile, thereby enhancing their ability to detect and respond to cyber threats effectively.

Tailored threat intelligence is important because it provides organization-specific, detailed, and actionable information about cyber threats. This intelligence includes insights into threat actors, their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and indicators of compromise (IoCs) relevant to the organization's unique attack surface. Such customized intelligence enables security teams to prioritize threats, remediate risks more effectively, and improve overall security posture, moving from reactive to proactive defense.

Security leaders face an enormous volume of security data from various sources, making it difficult to analyze and respond effectively. Additionally, there is a shortage of skilled cybersecurity analysts who can interpret this data to identify and mitigate threats, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks.

AI integration can enhance threat intelligence by automating the analysis of large volumes of security data, improving the detection of sophisticated threats, and enabling proactive security measures. AI-powered tools can operationalize threat intelligence more effectively, helping security teams respond faster and with greater accuracy.

The Fortinet vulnerability referenced is a critical zero-day flaw in FortiOS devices that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain 'super_admin' privileges, especially on systems with exposed management interfaces. Exploitation began almost immediately after public disclosure, with attackers creating admin accounts, establishing SSL VPN tunnels, and moving laterally within victim networks within days of the vulnerability becoming known. This rapid exploitation underscores the importance of prompt patching, as threat actors actively scan for and compromise vulnerable devices globally, regardless of industry or geography[1][2].

While the provided search results do not detail specific AI-driven malware linked to Russian cyber threats, such a development would represent a significant escalation in cyber warfare capabilities. AI-driven malware can automate target selection, evade detection, and adapt to defenses in real time, making attacks more efficient and harder to mitigate. If Russian threat actors are indeed leveraging AI in malware campaigns, this could signal a new phase in state-sponsored cyber operations, with potential global implications for critical infrastructure and private sector security. However, specific technical details or confirmed incidents linking Russian groups to AI-driven malware are not covered in the available sources—readers should consult the original newsletter or follow trusted cybersecurity news outlets for the latest, verified information on this emerging threat.

Scattered Spider is a cybercriminal group composed mostly of English-speaking teenagers and young adults who use social engineering, phishing, and deception tactics to gain unauthorized access to company networks. They target large corporations and their third-party IT providers, including airlines and their vendors, to steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware. Their recent focus on the airline industry involves deceiving IT help desks to bypass multi-factor authentication and gain network access.

Industry experts recommend tightening help desk identity verification processes to prevent unauthorized access. This includes verifying requests before adding new phone numbers to employee or contractor accounts, resetting passwords, adding devices to multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions, or providing employee information. Organizations are urged to be on high alert for advanced social engineering attempts and suspicious MFA reset requests to mitigate the risk posed by Scattered Spider.

The cyberattack exposed deeply personal and sensitive information including names, addresses, dates of birth, National Insurance numbers, criminal histories, financial records such as contribution amounts, debts, payments, and employment status of legal aid applicants dating back to 2010.

The Legal Aid Agency operated on ageing legacy infrastructure that was not designed to withstand modern cyberattack techniques. Key cybersecurity measures such as network segmentation, real-time monitoring, and zero-trust principles were either lacking or poorly enforced, making the agency a prime target for attackers.

A unified threat intelligence model involves collecting, analyzing, and distributing actionable threat intelligence across sectors. This approach enhances cybersecurity by equipping organizations with comprehensive insights to proactively address evolving threats, particularly through collaboration via Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs).

Collaboration through ISACs allows organizations to share threat intelligence and best practices, fostering a collective defense approach. This enhances resilience by enabling proactive measures against AI-driven cyber risks, as organizations can leverage shared knowledge to improve their cybersecurity posture.

The ransomware attacks are exploiting vulnerabilities CVE-2024-55591 and CVE-2025-24472 in Fortinet products. These vulnerabilities allow unauthenticated attackers to gain super admin privileges on FortiOS firewalls.

The U.S. offering a $10M bounty for information on RedLine malware creators indicates a serious effort to combat cybercrime. It highlights the government's commitment to identifying and prosecuting those responsible for significant malware threats.