Tag: ciberseguridad

The FBI warns about the increase in scams targeting vulnerable victims

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the emotional state of victims of online fraud, increasing the damage at a moment of vulnerability. According to the FBI, more than a hundred reports of these attacks have been received in the last two years. Scammers create fake profiles on social media and join groups of other victims, claiming to have recovered their money with the help of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which lends credibility to their scam. The FBI warns about fake recovery scams targeting fraud victims One of the most common strategies involves […]

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the emotional state of victims of online fraud, increasing the harm at a moment of vulnerability.

According to the FBI, more than a hundred reports of these attacks have been received in the last two years.

Scammers create fake profiles on social media and join groups of other victims, claiming to have recovered their money with the help of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which lends credibility to their scam.

The FBI warns about fake recovery scams targeting fraud victims

One of the most common strategies involves contacting victims through different platforms, including emails, phone calls, social media, and forums.

Those who believe in these claims are directed to communicate with an individual who goes by the name Jaime Quin on Telegram. Quin presents himself as the Director of IC3, but in reality, he is part of the fraudulent scheme. Through this contact, he tells victims that he has recovered their funds and asks for access to their financial information, which can result in further theft.

The FBI has emphasized that the first contact by the scammers can vary, but almost all complainants report that they were promised the recovery of lost funds.

However, these promises are a deception that seeks to re-victimize those who have already suffered significant losses. To minimize the risk of falling into these traps, individuals are advised to only communicate with authorities through official channels and to never share passwords or sensitive financial information.

Security forces warn that it is unlikely they will contact you informally and, in no case, will they request sensitive information such as passwords or access to private services. It is vital to stay alert and protect yourself against these fraud attempts that seek to take advantage of people’s trust and vulnerability.

Security Researchers Warn of Vulnerabilities in Millions of IoT Devices

Security researchers have identified undocumented commands in the Bluetooth firmware of the ESP32 chip, which could potentially be exploited by attackers, highlighting a significant vulnerability in a product used in millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Miguel Tarascó Acuña and Antonio Vázquez Blanco from Tarlogic Security presented their findings at RootedCON in Madrid, initially referring to the commands as a “backdoor”.

However, they later clarified that the term may not accurately describe the nature of the issue, as the individual commands themselves do not inherently pose a risk.

Can be executed across multiple operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and Linux

The ESP32 chip, manufactured by Espressif, has gained immense popularity, with over a billion units sold globally. Its widespread deployment in IoT devices amplifies the potential impact of the discovered vulnerabilities.

The specific issue has been classified under the identifier CVE-2025-27840, revealing access to 29 hidden Host Controller Interface (HCI) commands, including critical operations such as 0xFC02, which enables memory writing.

This raises concerns that hostile actors could leverage these commands to conduct impersonation attacks and compromise sensitive devices, including mobile phones, computers, smart locks, and medical equipment by circumventing code audit measures.

These undocumented commands can be executed across multiple operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and Linux, presenting numerous vectors for potential attacks. In response to these findings, Tarlogic’s Innovation Department has created BluetoothUSB, a driver designed to facilitate comprehensive security audits of Bluetooth devices, regardless of the operating system or programming language employed.

This development aims to democratize access to essential security analysis tools, offering manufacturers a resource to ensure the safety of their Bluetooth-enabled products.

The details of this discovery, which are currently under further examination, underscore the pressing need for robust security practices in the design and implementation of IoT devices as vulnerabilities continue to proliferate.

The United States government has a cybersecurity problem

Cybersecurity experts have warned of an increase in cyberattacks targeting sensitive government servers, exploiting vulnerabilities in government software. This warning comes from the cybersecurity firm Trimble, which has identified that its Cityworks tool has been used in these attacks. Trimble alerted its clients through a letter, mentioning the discovery of a deserialization vulnerability, labeled as CVE-2025-0994, which allows for remote code execution (RCE) with a high severity score of 8.6. What do we know about this state vulnerability The exploitation of this vulnerability could allow […]

Cybersecurity experts have warned of an increase in cyberattacks targeting sensitive government servers, exploiting vulnerabilities in government software.

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This warning originates from the cybersecurity firm Trimble, which has identified that its Cityworks tool has been used in these attacks.

Trimble alerted its customers through a letter, in which it mentions the discovery of a deserialization vulnerability, labeled as CVE-2025-0994, which allows for remote code execution (RCE) with a high severity score of 8.6.

What we know about this state vulnerability

Exploiting this vulnerability could allow attackers to deploy Cobalt Strike beacons on Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) servers.

Cityworks, a geographic information systems (GIS)-based asset and permit management software, is designed to help governments and public services efficiently manage their infrastructure and operations.

After receiving reports of unauthorized access attempts to specific Cityworks implementations, Trimble has released updates to mitigate the risks: version 15.x has been updated to 15.8.9, and 23.x to 23.10.

In addition to the updates, the company warned about incorrect configurations of attachment directories and elevated IIS identity permissions in some on-premise implementations, which could increase risk. Trimble emphasizes that these issues must be addressed simultaneously to resume normal operations with Cityworks.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a coordinated advisory, urging affected organizations to apply security patches immediately and conduct an impact analysis and risk assessment before implementing defensive measures.

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Organizations that detect malicious activity must follow internal procedures and report any incident to CISA for better tracking.

A massive brute force attack uses 2.8 million IP addresses to take down VPNs

Almost 2.8 million IP addresses are being used in a massive brute force attack targeting network devices, such as those offered by Palo Alto Networks, Ivanti, and SonicWall. This type of attack, which seeks to access accounts by repeatedly trying username and password combinations, has seen a notable increase since its emergence in early January. According to reports from the Shadowserver Foundation, the implicated IP addresses come from various parts of the world, with more than 1.1 million of them originating in Brazil, followed by Turkey, Russia, Argentina, Morocco, and Mexico. How they are carrying out […]

Nearly 2.8 million IP addresses are being used in a massive brute force attack targeting network devices, such as those offered by Palo Alto Networks, Ivanti, and SonicWall.

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This type of attack, which seeks to access accounts by repeating combinations of username and password, has seen a notable increase since its emergence in early January.

According to reports from the Shadowserver Foundation, the implicated IP addresses come from various parts of the world, with more than 1.1 million of them originating in Brazil, followed by Turkey, Russia, Argentina, Morocco, and Mexico.

How attacks against VPNs are being carried out

The attackers appear to be using botnets and residential proxy networks to carry out these attacks, complicating their tracking by authorities. A botnet is a network of computers infected with malware, while residential proxies allow criminals to access the internet using IP addresses that appear legitimate. This helps them hide their identity and maintain their anonymity, which poses a considerable challenge for cybersecurity.

Despite the scale of the attack, to date, none of the major VPN services have been compromised. However, the importance of implementing strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect devices and networks is emphasized, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises that are often more vulnerable to these attacks.

A strong business VPN not only encrypts internet traffic but also protects data and allows secure access to servers and networks.

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All users, whether individuals or businesses, are advised to adopt good data privacy practices and consider using a VPN, which will provide an additional layer of security. Although there is a possibility that this type of attack will continue to increase, implementing appropriate measures helps mitigate the risk.

Google is off the hook: it is not responsible for Google Play gift card scams

Gift card scams are a very popular tactic worldwide, where scammers trick people into buying the cards and providing the codes they contain so that criminals can access the money without leaving a trace. Companies like Google, where their Google Play gift cards represent a large part of the business pie, take a commission for these gift card purchases ranging from 15 to 30% per purchase. And now a federal judge says that Google has no responsibility in the scams with all that […]

Gift card scams are a very popular tactic worldwide, where scammers trick people into buying the cards and providing the codes they contain so that criminals can access the money without leaving a trace.

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Companies like Google, for which Google Play gift cards represent a large part of the business pie, take a commission on these gift card purchases ranging from 15 to 30% per purchase. And now a federal judge says that Google has no responsibility in the scams with all that it implies.

Story of a scam that led to a federal complaint

The story begins in April 2021, when Judy May, a resident of Brownsville (Indiana), was the victim of a scammer who pretended to be a relative and told her she could qualify for a federal grant if she purchased Google Play gift cards.

Judy May was told she had to send codes from the back of gift cards to cover certain costs in advance and receive the grant money on the same day. She says she lost $1,000 due to the scam, money that Google refused to reimburse her.

May filed a class action lawsuit against Google in which she accused the company of illegally profiting from scams by refusing to refund money to victims. The lawsuit also claimed that Google engaged in a series of unfair practices and should place warnings on its gift cards informing buyers of potential scams.

District Judge Beth Labson Freeman dismissed the lawsuit this week. The judge stated that it was the scammers, not Google, who persuaded May to buy the cards, and added that the plaintiff had not demonstrated that Google knew it was receiving stolen funds or that it was the cause of the losses.

By the way, Google receives between 15% and 30% commission for the purchase of gift cards. Despite this, Judge Freeman said that the tech giant was not responsible for keeping the money, as Google’s conduct was not related to the original fraud.

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Freeman also said that Google did not engage in unfair practices and agreed with the company’s opinion that the funds were not considered stolen when May purchased the cards.

According to the FTC, Americans lost $217 million in gift card or reload card scams last year, and that only includes the cases that were reported.

A global Windows failure is affecting half of the world: banks, airports, media…

A widespread disruption related to Windows workstations has affected major companies, such as Sky News UK, Melbourne Airport, or the entire Aena platform, responsible for airports in Spain.

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Companies such as banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, broadcasters and television stations, and supermarkets have been left without service after blue screen errors appeared on Windows workstations worldwide.

Thousands of Windows computers are experiencing a blue screen of death (BSOD) issue upon startup, which affects banks, airlines, television networks, supermarkets, and many other companies worldwide.

A failure that comes from the CrowdStrike cybersecurity tool

A faulty update from the cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike is disconnecting affected computers and servers, forcing them into a recovery boot loop so that the machines cannot start properly.

CrowdStrike is widely used by many companies worldwide to manage the security of Windows computers and servers.

Banks, airlines, and Australian television networks were the first to sound the alarm when thousands of machines started to malfunction. Now the issues are spreading as European-based companies begin their workday.

The British chain Sky News is currently unable to broadcast its morning news bulletins, and displays a message apologizing for “the disruption to this broadcast”. Ryanair, one of Europe’s largest airlines, also says it is experiencing a computer problem with “third parties” that is affecting flight departures.

The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States says that all flights of Delta, United, and American Airlines are suspended due to a “communication problem”. And Aena, responsible for all flights in Spain, is announcing delays due to this failure.

In a Reddit thread, hundreds of IT administrators are reporting widespread issues and the steps to fix them involve booting the affected Windows machines in safe mode and navigating to the CrowdStrike directory and deleting a system file.

This will be problematic on some cloud-based servers, or even for Windows laptops that are deployed and used remotely. Microsoft is facing a very busy Friday.

4 keys to cybersecurity to improve your digital habits

Digital security has become a very important factor in current times, where more and more money and goods are being moved. There are recurring cases of people who suffer cybercrimes or lose key information because they do not know, or do not apply, some fundamentals that are much simpler than they might seem. In fact, with four useful habits, the digital security of any user will be greatly improved without making great efforts.

Many times, everyday users ignore many unwritten cybersecurity rules for simple convenience, but there are many others that can be carried out with little effort and that will ensure that valuable information is always properly protected. For that reason, if you are interested in improving your digital habits in that area, do not hesitate to take pen and paper (or open a notepad document).

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4 steps to improve your digital security

  • A timely restart can save you trouble. It is important to always locate the restart button or, failing that, the shortcuts to force a restart on your device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or PC. For that reason, you should always know how to restart the device you are using.
  • Backups are your friends. Whenever you need to factory reset a device, you risk losing everything inside. For that reason, a good habit is to regularly make backups to be able to recover the information or files that have the most value to you.
Image of a hacker disguised as anonymous
  • Don’t forget your recovery keys. Many times, due to the importance of regularly changing device passwords, you can forget which password you were currently using. However, if you keep your recovery key intact, or the unlocking method you have chosen to apply in your verification to recover your account, you will be able to access your accounts even if you forget your passwords. Whether it’s Google, Microsoft, or any other email client accounts, your recovery keys can save you a serious headache.
  • Encrypt your private data. Nowadays, it is very easy to encrypt content and put a password on it. If you want your personal data or files to be properly protected, don’t hesitate to encrypt them, as in that case, they can only be opened by people who have the password you have set during the encryption phase.
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Surprise: Boomers are the generation with the best cybersecurity habits

It may seem the opposite, but it turns out that the aging generation of Boomers (not to be confused with the Spanish baby boomers, who would be Generation X) is the least likely to be a victim of cybersecurity crimes. The reason? That, despite generally having less knowledge, their distrust prevents them from falling prey to fraud.

Likewise, Generation Z and Millenials are the generations most prone to suffer cyber-attacks, as their more regular presence on the network and their greater trust makes them fall into more traps and become victims of a greater number of online crimes.

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Younger people suffer more crimes due to overconfidence

This is the conclusion reached in a study conducted by Yubico, a Swedish company specializing in cybersecurity products and services. This study has shown that, despite not being digital natives, they are the most careful users in aspects such as the introduction of banking data or the use of different passwords.

It is also worth mentioning that, although Boomers are the least likely to suffer this type of attack, they also have less activity and use of the services available on the Internet due to the general distrust of making online payments. This implies that Boomers distrust online purchases by up to 42%, well above the 30% of Generation X, 29% of Millenials, or 23% of Generation Z.

Cybersecurity is one of the most relevant points of the network today

The digital divide is a thing of the past

Just a decade ago there was talk that the digital divide was a serious problem, but over the years and with the democratization of Internet access through smartphones, this problem has become less and less of a problem, both in terms of economic impact and age. Nowadays it is common to see retired people doing business and shopping online, although it used to be difficult to see in the past.

For this reason, with so many people being regular users of the Internet, cybersecurity has become more important than ever, especially with today’s advanced technologies. In addition to software improvements by companies offering their products and services over the Internet, the prevention qualities that each user has internalized are also important.

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