#cyberthreatintelligence — Public Fediverse posts

Handala is a bunch of fucking liars about their water attack claims. Don’t take it serious.

#cybersecurity
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec

Handala is a bunch of fucking liars about their water attack claims. Don’t take it serious.

#cybersecurity
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec

I have operationalized threat intel platforms, integrating them with SIEMs and modernizing SOC workflows. This enabled greater coverage and visibility for cyber defense, reducing the severity by improving MTTx. It also enhanced intelligence reporting because understanding your environment and your threats leads to more effective products.

I have built and led CTI teams and functions that span across the intelligence spectrum, driving threat hunt operations with F3EAD/OODA Loop frameworks, applied selection of structured analytic techniques. Frameworks are important to anchor analysis into trusted methods to produce high confidence assessments, detections, hunts, and strategies.

I’ve coached analysts to foster a holistic approach to threat intelligence instead of maintaining a single view of tactical, operational, or strategic. Intelligence is a full lifecycle, touching each stratum of intelligence when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Seeing analysts grow from simply observing and reporting to ATT&CK mapping intrusions, clustering, and campaign tracking brings more excitement to me than finding the smoking gun myself.

I have influenced strategic visions and directions based on a concrete understandings of an organization’s key risks and considerable threats. Successfully influencing stakeholders to implement positive change at the highest levels requires an innate ability to understand the problem(s) at hand through empathy and objectivity which is a balancing act in and of itself.

Need CTI to fit, conform, grow, scale, perform, succeed? I’ll do it.

#cti
#threatintelligence
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec
#cybersecurity

I have operationalized threat intel platforms, integrating them with SIEMs and modernizing SOC workflows. This enabled greater coverage and visibility for cyber defense, reducing the severity by improving MTTx. It also enhanced intelligence reporting because understanding your environment and your threats leads to more effective products.

I have built and led CTI teams and functions that span across the intelligence spectrum, driving threat hunt operations with F3EAD/OODA Loop frameworks, applied selection of structured analytic techniques. Frameworks are important to anchor analysis into trusted methods to produce high confidence assessments, detections, hunts, and strategies.

I’ve coached analysts to foster a holistic approach to threat intelligence instead of maintaining a single view of tactical, operational, or strategic. Intelligence is a full lifecycle, touching each stratum of intelligence when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Seeing analysts grow from simply observing and reporting to ATT&CK mapping intrusions, clustering, and campaign tracking brings more excitement to me than finding the smoking gun myself.

I have influenced strategic visions and directions based on a concrete understandings of an organization’s key risks and considerable threats. Successfully influencing stakeholders to implement positive change at the highest levels requires an innate ability to understand the problem(s) at hand through empathy and objectivity which is a balancing act in and of itself.

Need CTI to fit, conform, grow, scale, perform, succeed? I’ll do it.

#cti
#threatintelligence
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec
#cybersecurity

The Silent Breach and the Persistence of Unauthorized Access

938 words, 5 minutes read time.

Once the session token is successfully exfiltrated, the nature of the intrusion shifts from external deception to internal subversion. The attacker does not need to crack passwords or trigger further security alerts, as they are now effectively operating with the digital identity of a trusted employee. Analyzing these incidents, I see that the primary goal is often the establishment of persistence within the target environment, which is achieved through the modification of inbox rules or the creation of clandestine mailbox delegates. By silently forwarding incoming emails to an external address or creating hidden folders for sensitive correspondence, the adversary can monitor ongoing business deals, intercept financial instructions, and identify high-value targets for subsequent business email compromise attacks. This stage of the operation is characterized by extreme patience, as the threat actor avoids loud, disruptive actions in favor of a low-and-slow approach that can remain undetected for months. The tragedy is that the victim often remains entirely unaware of the breach, believing they are still securely authenticated while their environment is being methodically picked apart from the inside.

Challenging the Failure of Traditional Defensive Postures

When considering why these attacks continue to succeed with such alarming frequency, it becomes evident that the industry’s reliance on legacy defensive postures is a failing strategy. Many organizations still treat email security as a static barrier, implementing blacklists and rudimentary heuristic scans that are easily circumvented by adversaries who control their own infrastructure and rotating IP addresses. Furthermore, the human-centric nature of these scams renders technical controls inherently insufficient unless they are paired with a cultural shift toward skeptical verification. It is not enough to deploy an automated solution if the culture within a firm encourages speed over accuracy and ignores the red flags of irregular communication patterns. Consequently, the defense against these campaigns must evolve into a proactive, threat-hunting discipline that monitors for anomalous login locations, unexpected session durations, and unauthorized changes to account configurations. Without this layer of vigilant oversight, the technical barriers essentially act as a screen door, providing the illusion of protection while failing to stop the actual threat.

Implementing Rigorous Verification Protocols in a High-Stakes Environment

The path forward requires a departure from the convenience-first mindset that dominates modern digital work environments. Organizations must adopt hardware-backed authentication methods, such as FIDO2-compliant security keys, which are resistant to the proxy-based interception tactics that currently plague mobile-based push notifications and SMS codes. Additionally, the adoption of strict device posture checks ensures that an attacker cannot simply use a stolen session token from an unauthorized machine or an unrecognized geographic region. Beyond the hardware, there must be a fundamental hardening of organizational processes, such as implementing mandatory out-of-band verification for any request involving financial transfers or the sharing of sensitive credentials. It is a harsh reality that trust is the primary vulnerability in any system, and the most secure posture is one that treats every incoming request as potentially malicious until proven otherwise through independent channels. While this might introduce friction into the workflow, that friction is the necessary price of security in an age where the cost of a single successful breach is often the survival of the entity itself.

Call to Action

The time for passive observation has passed, as the threats currently infiltrating our inboxes are not waiting for an invitation to compromise your organization. You must decide whether to continue relying on outdated defensive protocols that offer only the illusion of safety or to begin the hard work of hardening your infrastructure against the reality of modern adversarial tactics. I urge you to conduct an immediate audit of your current authentication stack and evaluate the necessity of migrating to hardware-backed security keys, as this is the single most effective step you can take to neutralize the threat of proxy-based session hijacking. Furthermore, initiate a comprehensive review of your internal communication policies to ensure that your team is empowered to question anomalies rather than blindly following the path of least resistance. Security is not a product you purchase, but a discipline you practice, and the responsibility to bridge the gap between your existing defenses and the current threat reality rests entirely with you. Do not wait for a compromised session to force your hand, because by the time the impact of a breach is visible, the damage is already absolute.

D. Bryan King

Sources

• CISA: Business Email Compromise (BEC) Resources
• FBI: Business Email Compromise Information
• FIDO Alliance: Defining Phishing-Resistant Authentication
• Microsoft: Analyzing Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) Techniques
• NIST: Digital Identity Guidelines
• CrowdStrike: Phishing and Social Engineering Analysis
• Palo Alto Networks: Business Email Compromise Explained
• SANS Institute: Protecting Against Advanced Email Threats
• Cybereason: BEC Threat Landscape Report
• Check Point: The Evolution of Phishing
• Proofpoint: Understanding BEC Attacks
• Dark Reading: The Mechanics of Session Hijacking
• ZDNet: The New Era of Targeted Phishing
• Wired: Why Modern Phishing is Succeeding
• Trend Micro: BEC Comprehensive Guide
• Recorded Future: BEC Trend Analysis
• Infosecurity Magazine: FIDO2 and Phishing Resistance
• Varonis: Modern Phishing Techniques Deep Dive
• CSO Online: The Mechanics of BEC
• Fortinet: Cybersecurity Glossary on BEC
• SANS: Analyzing MFA Bypass Tactics
• BleepingComputer: Evolution of Phishing Kits
• Secureworks: BEC Defensive Strategies
• CISA: Mitigating Phishing Campaigns
• Mandiant: Evolving Tactics in BEC
• NIST: Phishing Training Resources
• TechTarget: BEC Definition and Prevention
• Elastic: Detecting Phishing Infrastructure
• Rapid7: The Threat of Session Token Theft
• Cloudflare: Understanding FIDO2 Protocol

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

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People are much quicker to provide criticism than they are willing to provide feedback. Is it a psychological thing where people perceive criticism as permissive lambasting? If that’s the case, then CTI fam needs to start asking for criticism instead of feedback. We never get feedback but we always get criticism.

#cti
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec
#cybersecurity

People are much quicker to provide criticism than they are willing to provide feedback. Is it a psychological thing where people perceive criticism as permissive lambasting? If that’s the case, then CTI fam needs to start asking for criticism instead of feedback. We never get feedback but we always get criticism.

#cti
#cyberthreatintelligence
#threatintel
#infosec
#cybersecurity

New intelligence has been recovered from Munich: Previously, there was only access to the full, uncut livestream recordings from the 2026 FIRST #CyberThreatIntelligence Conference. While valuable, locating specific insights sometimes felt like a hunt within itself...

Good news: the footage has now been processed, and individual session recordings are now available on the FIRST YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBAUUhONOrO8bq2Jlqguh-6idBJxBZBr-

Browse the #FIRSTCTI26 TLP:CLEAR session recordings now and relive the best moments from Munich, no time travel required.

Save the date for the 2027 Conference: April 21-23, 2027 | #FIRSTCTI27 | Berlin, DE.

New intelligence has been recovered from Munich: Previously, there was only access to the full, uncut livestream recordings from the 2026 FIRST #CyberThreatIntelligence Conference. While valuable, locating specific insights sometimes felt like a hunt within itself...

Good news: the footage has now been processed, and individual session recordings are now available on the FIRST YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBAUUhONOrO8bq2Jlqguh-6idBJxBZBr-

Browse the #FIRSTCTI26 TLP:CLEAR session recordings now and relive the best moments from Munich, no time travel required.

Save the date for the 2027 Conference: April 21-23, 2027 | #FIRSTCTI27 | Berlin, DE.

What happens when cyber threat intelligence professionals from around the world come together? Conversations turn into collaboration and collaboration strengthens the global security community ✊🌍

#FIRSTCTI26 brought together analysts, researchers, and security leaders for three days of discussion, knowledge sharing, and forward-looking conversations on the evolving threat landscape. From emerging trends and intelligence sharing to relationship building across organizations and borders, the event highlighted why community-driven CTI work matters more than ever.

If you couldn’t attend, or want to relive the experience, read the official event recap and catch some of the highlights and #FOMO from FIRSTCTI26: https://www.first.org/blog/20260518-FIRSTCTI26-Event-Recap

#FIRSTCTI #ThreatIntelligence #CyberSecurity #CyberThreatIntelligence #FIRSTdotOrg

What happens when cyber threat intelligence professionals from around the world come together? Conversations turn into collaboration and collaboration strengthens the global security community ✊🌍

#FIRSTCTI26 brought together analysts, researchers, and security leaders for three days of discussion, knowledge sharing, and forward-looking conversations on the evolving threat landscape. From emerging trends and intelligence sharing to relationship building across organizations and borders, the event highlighted why community-driven CTI work matters more than ever.

If you couldn’t attend, or want to relive the experience, read the official event recap and catch some of the highlights and #FOMO from FIRSTCTI26: https://www.first.org/blog/20260518-FIRSTCTI26-Event-Recap

#FIRSTCTI #ThreatIntelligence #CyberSecurity #CyberThreatIntelligence #FIRSTdotOrg

World Cup Scams Target Security Leaders with AI-Driven Threats

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, security leaders are on high alert for AI-driven scams that could compromise corporate devices and accounts, especially when employees use them for personal activities like hunting for tickets or booking travel. Even personal emails can become a threat vector, making effective…

https://osintsights.com/world-cup-scams-target-security-leaders-with-ai-driven-threats?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

#WorldCupScams #AidrivenThreats #EventdrivenScams #CyberThreatIntelligence #Radware

Hackers Exploit Human Behavior to Bypass Security Tools

As cyber threats evolve at an alarming rate, hackers are exploiting human behavior to outsmart security tools, forcing organizations to rethink their defensive strategies. With identity abuse and data extortion on the rise, businesses must stay ahead of the game to protect themselves.

https://osintsights.com/hackers-exploit-human-behavior-to-bypass-security-tools?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

#CyberThreatIntelligence #ThreatLandscape #IdentityAbuse #DataExfiltration #ExtortionModels

Confirming, I observed Kali365 activity as early as February this year. Arctic Wolf’s writeup is great on this phish kit.

Check your auth logs for successful logins from 216.203.20.X and 199.91.220.X. The last octet will vary across at least 2 neighbors. If you find compromised accounts, run your playbooks, turn on conditional access, inspect outlook rules, and monitor for outbound DNS requests to .xyz domains.

Check for email history with phishing themes related to construction and HR docs containing an outlook safelinks embedded URL or a PDF in some cases, dropping a trojanized version of ScreenConnect in the latter.

https://arcticwolf.com/resources/blog/token-bingo-dont-let-your-code-be-the-winner/

#cyberthreatintelligence
#cybersecurity
#infosec
#threatintel