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ExfilSquad Targets New Victims, Shares Data via Torrents
Extortion group ExfilSquad lists 13 new US, UK and Swedish victims and now distributes stolen data via peer-to-peer torrents.
ExfilSquad, a data-theft extortion collective that emerged in mid-2026, announced 13 new victims in the US, UK and Sweden with an August 5, 2026 negotiation deadline. The group skips ransomware, instead stealing data and threatening publication on a dark web leak site. Resecurity says its TTPs center on exploiting misconfigured Microsoft Dataverse, Power Pages, case management and CRM portals. The group now distributes stolen data through per-victim torrent trackers and web seeds, making leaks hard to contain.
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U.S. agencies say Iranian hackers tried to pass ‘non-public’ Trump campaign docs to Biden’s campaign
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Iranian cyber spies used fake MRI scan results to hack ‘enemy of regime’
UK, US, and Dutch agencies expose CHOSEN BRICK spyware used by Iranian MOIS hackers to surveil dissidents, journalists, and activists via fake MRI lures.
The UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD jointly warned that Iranian state-sponsored hackers deploy CHOSEN BRICK Windows spyware against dissidents, activists, and journalists since at least 2025. Operators build rapport over WhatsApp and Telegram, often posing as known contacts or tech support, then deliver malicious files disguised as an MRI scan or installers for Pictory, RunwayML, Norton, Telegram, Adobe Flash Player, and KeePass. The malware steals contacts, emails, and social media messages, captures screen content and microphone audio, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, and uses per-victim Telegram bots for command and control. The FBI attributes the tradecraft to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, including the 'Handala Hack' persona, and stolen data has surfaced on pro-Iranian leak sites.
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Leaks, data breaches, and ransom notes: The worst hacks of 2026 so far
TechCrunch's 2026 roundup covers SSA data exposure, Iranian water-utility attacks, Klue breach hitting ~200 firms, and Meta AI chatbot account hijacks.
TechCrunch's mid-year roundup highlights a whistleblower claim that DOGE uploaded a live Social Security database copy to an unsecured third-party server, which House Democrats called potentially the largest US breach in history. CISA reported Iranian hackers targeted over 100 US water providers over the summer, while Russian-linked attacks hit Polish, Swedish, and Norwegian energy and water infrastructure. Market research firm Klue was breached via a stale 2022 pilot credential, exposing cloud keys of ~200 customers including Jamf, HackerOne, and LastPass to extortion gang Icarus. Separately, tens of thousands of Instagram accounts were hijacked by abusing Meta's AI chatbot to trigger password resets to attacker-controlled emails.
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