Archive for June 30, 2025

SOCRadar Iran-Israel Conflict Threat Landscape Report Is Available

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

The Iran-Israel conflict illustrates how geopolitical tensions can trigger widespread cyber fallout, affecting allies, industries, and neutral nations alike. Organizations must prepare for spillover threats—including disinformation, hacktivist actions, and retaliatory cyberattacks—regardless of direct involvement

In its just-released Iran-Israel Conflict Threat Landscape Report, SOCRadar threat intelligence researchers analyzed over 600 unique cyberattack claims across 100+ Telegram channels revealing critical cyberattack patterns, geopolitical dynamics, and disinformation campaigns that are reshaping global cyber risk exposure.

Key Insights from the Iran-Israel Cyber Conflict:

  • Surge in State-Sponsored and Hacktivist Activity: State-linked groups like Iran’s APT35 and Israel-associated Predatory Sparrow led aggressive cyber campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, media, finance, and telecommunications sectors.
  • Massive Cyberattack Volume on Telegram: Over 600 cyberattack claims were reported across 100+ Telegram channels in just 15 days, marking an unprecedented level of hacktivist engagement.
  • DDoS and Data Breaches Dominate: DDoS attacks, database leaks, and system defacements became key tactics. Israel faced over 440 attack claims, followed by the U.S., India, and Middle Eastern nations like Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
  • Dark Web Exposure: Both nations saw spikes in dark web threats—51.9% of Israeli-targeted posts involved data leaks, while 80% of Iran-targeted posts were financially motivated.
  • Disinformation and AI-Generated Content: Fake news, synthetic imagery, and manipulated video content proliferated, aiming to confuse civilians and destabilize perception on both sides of the conflict.

Other highlights include:

  • Unique Dark Web Activity Comparison Between Iran and Israel:  SOCRadar tracked and compared dark web posts targeting both nations, distinguishing between politically motivated exposure (Israel) and financially driven data sales (Iran). This dual-focus perspective is rarely seen in competing reports.
  • AI-Driven Disinformation Analysis with Visual Examples: The report includes a dedicated section exposing generative AI-powered fake news, images, and deepfake videos that circulated during the conflict. These are analyzed both visually and contextually, providing unmatched depth.
  • Region-Specific Threat Assessments Across Three Continents: Beyond just Israel and Iran, the report covers cyber threats and spillover effects in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia—something largely absent in other threat intelligence coverage.
  • Detailed Attribution of APTs and Hacktivist Groups: Instead of just focusing on a single APT group, SOCRadar profiles multiple threat actors (APT35, APT34, Predatory Sparrow, Cyber Av3ngers, etc.) with MITRE ATT&CK techniques, motivations, and cross-referenced dark web activity links.
  • Real-Time Threat Statistics and Attack Trends: Temporal threat charts that show attack spikes in correlation with kinetic events—providing strategic insight into how digital threats evolve in wartime.

Even though there’s is a cessation to the fighting, it may start up again putting you at risk. Thus this is worth a few minutes to have a look at.

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FBI warns of cybercriminals stealing health data posing as fraud investigators 

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

The FBI has warned Americans of cybercriminals impersonating health fraud investigators to steal their sensitive information.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns the public about criminals impersonating legitimate health insurers and their investigative team members. These criminals are sending emails and text messages to patients and health care providers, disguising them as legitimate communications from trusted health care authorities. The messages are designed to pressure victims into disclosing protected health information, medical records, personal financial details, or providing reimbursements for alleged service overpayments or non-covered services.

Commenting on this news is Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4: 

“This tactic uses the authority of large insurers, or the threat of investigative team members to create a strong emotional response to their messages. Whether it’s fear of having made an error, or the happy feeling of hearing that you had overpaid and will be refunded, the manipulation of our emotions is their primary goal. Humans tend to make bad decisions when in a heightened emotional state, something that these attackers are looking to exploit. If you’re being told you’re getting money back for something, you’re likely to get excited and be willing to provide a credit card or bank account information for the “refund” or provide more information under the guise of confirming your identity. This tactic can be used to collect sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, or much more, all of which can be sold on the dark web.”

“People should always be aware of their emotional state, and should train themselves to use a strong emotional response as a trigger to take a deep breath and look at things very clearly. This is where you’re liable to find out that email addresses don’t come from reputable sources, websites in links look odd, or any number of other things that could clue you into something being amiss.”

Remember, if someone is trying to pressure you into to something or use fear to get you to do something, you are likely dealing with a scammer. Which means you should run quickly in the other direction. Then you should report it to the authorities so that they can do their best to go after the perpetrators. That way, everyone is a tiny bit safer.

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AI could double the strain or solve it says Cisco

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

With companies increasingly pouring funds into AI, recent research from Cisco points to a major infrastructure shift across enterprise networks — AI could double the strain or solve it.

Here’s a snip from the press release that is tied to the report:

As AI assistants, agents, and data-driven workloads reshape how work gets done, they’re creating faster, more dynamic, more latency-sensitive, and more complex network traffic.

Combined with the ubiquity of connected devices, 24/7 uptime demands, and intensifying security threats, these shifts are driving infrastructure to adapt and evolve. The result: IT leaders are changing how they think about the network: what it is, what it enables, and how it protects the organization. The network they build today will decide the business they become tomorrow.

You can view the report here and it is worth your time to read if your responsibility covers this.

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ESET North America Announces Winners of the Tenth Annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

ESET is proud to announce the winners of its tenth annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants across the US and Canada, the ten scholarship recipients impressed the review panel with their academic achievements, passion for cybersecurity, and commitment to making a positive impact in STEM fields.

This year marks a milestone in the program’s evolution with the continued expansion of the Cybersecurity Trailblazer Award Tier, a designation reserved for the most exceptional applicants who have demonstrated outstanding technical proficiency, leadership, and a deep, sustained focus on cybersecurity. The recipients of this year’s Cybersecurity Trailblazer Awards are U.S.’ Alexis Eskenazi, Crystal Yang, and Ismat Jarin, each receiving a $10,000 scholarship in recognition of their exemplary work. The Canadian Trailblazer recipients are Azka Siddiqui and Constance Prevot, each receiving a $5,000 scholarship for their remarkable contributions and potential to drive change within the field.

This year, Canada also saw the launch of the Future Leader Award, a new scholarship tier recognizing emerging talent with strong potential in the field of cybersecurity. Five students were selected to receive $1,000 scholarships: Yushika Jhundoo, Meadow Agbor, Tina Ismail, Vrinda Joshi, and Yashvi Shah. Together, these individuals have shown exceptional promise as future leaders in cybersecurity. Their ambitions and achievements reflect the values at the heart of the Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship: innovation, inclusion, and impact.

ESET North America awarded $45,000 in scholarships this year to celebrate the program’s tenth anniversary, reaffirming its commitment to building a more inclusive and secure digital future.

Learn more about the Trailblazer Award recipients:

Alexis Eskenazi, Berkeley, California, United States: Alexis Eskenazi’s journey into cybersecurity began with competitive robotics, where building championship-level robots sparked her interest in how connected systems function. That passion led her to launch Eskenazi Ed-Tech & AI Consulting, bringing hands-on STEM education to over 400 students globally. From mentoring the world’s first all-female Indigenous robotics team in New Zealand to researching vulnerabilities in U.S. healthcare and semiconductor infrastructure, Alexis blends technical insight with education and policy to advance a more secure, inclusive digital world.

Crystal Yang, Katy, Texas, United States: Crystal Yang’s interest in cybersecurity was sparked by watching scam-baiting videos, which seem humorous on the surface, but reveal just how vulnerable people can be to social engineering. Determined to fight back, she built TimeWaster3000, an AI-powered bot that wastes scammers’ time using natural language processing and speech recognition. As the founder of Audemy.org, Crystal has also created AI-driven educational games used by more than 5,000 blind and visually impaired students worldwide and implemented in 19 schools. Today, she is focused on cybersecurity projects aimed at scam awareness and social engineering defense for businesses.

Ismat Jarin, Irvine, California, United States: Ismat Jarin’s path to cybersecurity began in her home country, where early experiences with societal biases and privacy violations fueled her resolve to protect underrepresented communities through technology. She became the first woman from her town to rank in the top 2% nationally for admission to her country’s top engineering university, later earning a Master’s in Systems and Security from UM Dearborn and now pursuing a Ph.D. at UC Irvine. Her research explores privacy risks in AI/LLMs and emerging technologies and has been published at leading conferences like PETS, NeurIPS(WiML) and CODASPY. Beyond research, Ismat is a passionate mentor and advocate, helping first-generation and underrepresented students find belonging and success in cybersecurity.

Azka Siddiqui, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: Azka Siddiqui’s passion for computer science began in fourth grade when she programmed Dash robots during a classroom activity, sparking her fascination with the intersection of hardware and software. Her interest in cybersecurity solidified during a 2024 internship at Nokia, where she helped refine an advanced filter tool that monitored over 10,000 alarms. In addition to furthering her technical skills, Azka serves as Vice Chair of a national nonprofit empowering girls in STEM, has led a coding club spanning three Canadian provinces, and conducted research on smart-grid anomaly detection and eye-tracking technologies in university labs. This fall, Azka will begin her Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where she plans to focus on cybersecurity and AI with an emphasis on making digital spaces safer for women.

Constance Prevot, Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada: Constance Prevot’s journey into cybersecurity began at Concordia University, where a Capture-The-Flag competition sparked a passion that would shape her academic and professional path. She has since represented Canada at the 2024 International Cybersecurity Competition in Chile, served as a SOC Analyst at OnePoint for Desjardins, conducted adversary-focused research at GoSecure, and co-presented her findings at conferences including HOPE and BSides. As President of Concordia University’s Software Engineering and Computer Science Society, she has led initiatives to make cybersecurity education more accessible, including launching “compétitionsquebec,” a platform cataloging local competitions and training resources.

Future Leader Awards: This inaugural award proudly recognizes five exceptional students who exemplify the next generation of innovators and changemakers. With a $1,000 award, these students are being honored not only for their academic excellence but also for their passion and potential to shape the future of technology. This year’s awardees are:

  • Yushika Jhundoo (Ottawa, ON) – Computer Science, University of Ottawa: Tech community builder and cybersecurity enthusiast dedicated to inclusive outreach and digital empowerment.
  • Meadow Agbor (Calgary, AB) – Computer Information Systems, Mount Royal University (MRU): Cybersecurity intern and youth mentor with a passion for digital safety and inclusive community engagement.
  • Tina Ismail (Mississauga, ON) – Electrical Engineering, McMaster University: Cybersecurity enthusiast and IEEE leader blending technical innovation, educational research, and creative expression.
  • Vrinda Joshi (Markham, ON) – Systems Design Engineering (Co-op), University of Waterloo: STEM equity advocate and nonprofit co-founder empowering youth through coding, robotics, and hands-on innovation.
  • Yashvi Shah (Caledon, ON) – Computer Engineering (Co-op), University of Toronto: Innovative researcher and tech educator with experience in AI, 3D simulation, and youth empowerment through coding and wellness initiatives.

Learn more about the Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship here.

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Bonx raises $8.6 million to champion European manufacturing with market-leading AI ERP 

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

Europe’s manufacturing sector is under pressure. Mid-sized factories – long the engine of the continent’s economy – are being pulled in two directions: on one hand, rising global competition and supply chain complexity; on the other, an urgent need to modernize with limited time, talent, and tools. Yet many manufacturers remain stuck with outdated ERP systems that were never built for their pace or precision. Bonx, a French startup building operational software for European industry, is changing that. 

Today, the company announced an $8.6 million seed round led by 9900 Capital, with participation from Kima Ventures, Purple, OSS Ventures, and Dynamo Ventures.

Founded in 2022 by Alexandre Barroux and Rémi Beges within OSS Ventures, Bonx is a modern ERP platform purpose-built for manufacturing. By combining no-code configuration, advanced AI capabilities and rapid deployment, the company enables mid-market manufacturers to digitize operations in weeks, not years. Bonx integrates seamlessly into existing environments, offering visibility and control across production, logistics, procurement, and quality – without replacing core finance or CRM systems. The platform is already being used by a growing number of French, Italian and Spanish manufacturers, including suppliers to Décathlon and emerging brands like French Bloom.

Unlike traditional ERP deployments, which often drag on for months or years and require expensive consultants, Bonx is designed to go live fast and evolve with the shop floor. Customers report full rollouts in as little as three to ten weeks, along with measurable improvements in traceability, purchasing workflows, and inventory coordination. The software’s modular, visual interface makes it intuitive for operators and supply chain teams – not just IT departments – and its adaptability means factories can shape the system to fit their actual processes, not the other way around.

The urgency is real. Across France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, mid-sized manufacturers are facing growing technical and operational complexity. Shifting regulations, fragmented supplier networks, and ambitious sustainability targets are all increasing the pressure to modernize. Yet many of the ERP platforms still in use across Europe were built for a different era – rigid, opaque, and unable to keep up with evolving demands. Even basic changes to workflows often require custom development. As a result, too many industrial teams are still managing high-stakes operations in spreadsheets, or locked into systems that were never designed for speed or interoperability.

Bonx steps into this gap with a platform built precisely for the complexity of modern European industry, allowing manufacturers to gain operational clarity fast without ripping out existing systems. Their company reflects a broader shift in how Europe’s industrial backbone is being rebuilt – not just with machines, but with software that understands how production actually runs.

With this new funding, Bonx will grow its team, deepen its product, and scale in Italy and Spain – two of Europe’s most important manufacturing economies, where Bonx is already present. The company sees clear demand for fast, modern ERP solutions that respect the way factories already work, while unlocking smarter, more connected operations. Over time, Bonx aims to become the foundational layer for industrial execution across the continent, offering a new kind of digital infrastructure that scales with production, not against it.

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Deepgram Expands Aura-2 Text-to-Speech Platform with High-Fidelity Spanish Voice Models 

Posted in Commentary with tags on June 30, 2025 by itnerd

Deepgram has officially expanded its Aura-2 text-to-speech (TTS) API with a new suite of high-quality Spanish voice models, bringing realistic, expressive, and business-ready voice synthesis to Spanish-speaking markets.

This launch marks a major step in Deepgram’s mission to enable real-time, natural-sounding voice experiences across global industries. The new Spanish voices are optimized for enterprise use cases, from customer support and IVR systems to healthcare and education, featuring precise pronunciation for currencies, timestamps, acronyms, emails, and more.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 10 new Spanish Aura-2 voice models tailored for professional use
  • Support for Mexican, Peninsular, Colombian, and Latin American accents
  • Models designed for diverse applications including advertising, IVR, storytelling, and customer service
  • Support for code-switching in select models (English ↔ Spanish)
  • Available now via REST and Websocket APIs

Voices like “Celeste” (Colombian, energetic and friendly) and “Nestor” (Peninsular, calm and confident) are just a couple of the expressive voices now available.

It is available now for use via Deepgram’s hosted TTS API platform. 

Here is a blog with details: https://deepgram.com/changelog/aura-2-spanish-tts 

Developers and product teams can find implementation examples and model specifications in the Deepgram Developer Documentation, here: https://developers.deepgram.com/docs/tts-models?_gl=1*1azt33a*_gcl_au*NzM3MTk0MjU1LjE3NDQ2NjQxNTE.*_ga*OTEzNjY5NzcyLjE3MzY4MDM3ODc.*_ga_TYPC1TBCKT*czE3NTA5NjIyNTckbzkyJGcxJHQxNzUwOTY0ODE3JGozMyRsMCRoMA..#aura-2-all-available-voices 

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