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Active Ransomware Threat Groups Up 30% in 2024

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Secureworks annual State of The Threat Report outlines cybercriminals response as law enforcement operations successfully cause widespread disruption to ransomware operations
ATLANTA, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Secureworks® (NASDAQ: SCWX) 2024 State of the Threat Report has revealed a 30% year-over-year rise in active ransomware groups, which demonstrates fragmentation of an established criminal ecosystem. 31 new groups entered the ransomware ecosystem during the last 12 months, and based on numbers of victims listed the three most active groups are:

LockBit:The long established ‘top dog’ of ransomware groups accounted for 17% of listings, down 8% from last year, proving even further how the takedown has impacted their operations.PLAY: The second most active group, PLAY doubled its victim count year-over-year.RansomHub: A new group, emerging only a week after the LockBit takedown, is already the third most active group with 7% of the share of victims listed.A landscape previously dominated by a few, is now home to a broader set of emerging ransomware players. As smaller groups look to become established, it means there is less repeatability and structure in how they operate and organizations need to continue to remain alert for a wider variety of tactics. This year’s median dwell time of 28 hours reflects the newness of these partnerships. While some clusters of groups are executing fast ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks within hours, others spend hundreds of days in networks in the most extreme cases. As the new ecosystem continues to take shape, we can expect to see further variation and shifts in dwell times and methodology.
The annual State of the Threat Report examines the cybersecurity landscape from June 2023 to July 2024. Additional key findings include:
Law enforcement activity targeting GOLD MYSTIC (LockBit) and GOLD BLAZER (BlackCat/ALPV) caused significant disruption to the status quo of the ransomware operating landscape.The number of active ransomware groups using “name and shame” leak sites grew 30% year-over-year.Despite this growth in ransomware groups, victim numbers did not rise at the same pace, showing a significantly more fragmented landscape posing the question of how successful these new groups might be.Scan-and-exploit and stolen credentials remain the two largest initial access vectors (IAV) observed in ransomware engagements based on our observations.Observed increase in adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks – a notable and concerning trend for cyber defenders.AI is growing in use and in variation for cybercriminals – expanding the scale and credibility of existing scams like CEO fraud or “obituary pirates.”Shifting Sands of Ransomware
“Ransomware is a business that is nothing without its affiliate model. In the last year, law enforcement activity has shattered old allegiances, reshaping the business of cybercrime. Originally chaotic in their response, threat actors have refined their business operations and how they work. The result is a larger number of groups, underpinned by substantial affiliate migration,” said Don Smith, VP Threat Intelligence, Secureworks Counter Threat Unit™ (CTU™). “As the ecosystem evolves, we have entropy in threat groups, but also unpredictability in playbooks, adding significant complexity for network defenders.”
AiTM and AI as Growing Threats
In the past year, threat actors are increasingly stealing credentials and session cookies to gain access by using AiTM attacks. This potentially reduces the effectiveness of some types of MFA, a worrying trend for network defenders. These attacks are facilitated and automated by phishing kits that are available for hire on underground marketplaces and Telegram. Popular kits include Evilginx2, EvilProxy and Tycoon2FA.
As AI tools have become widespread and readily available, it was inevitable that cybercriminals would take note as they look to scale. Since mid-February 2023, Secureworks CTU researchers have observed an increase in posts on underground forums about OpenAI ChatGPT and how it can be employed for nefarious purposes. Much of the discussion relates to relatively low-level activity including phishing attacks and basic script creation.
“The cybercrime landscape continues to evolve, sometimes minor, occasionally more significant. The growing use of AI lends scale to threat actors, however the increase of AiTM attacks presents a more immediate problem for enterprises, reinforcing that identity is the perimeter and should cause enterprises to take stock and reflect on their defensive posture,” continued Smith.  
One novel example of AI being used by threat actors, as observed by Secureworks researchers, was the role it played in a fraud perpetrated by so-called obituary pirates. Threat actors monitored Google trends following a death to identify interest in obituaries and then used generative AI to create lengthy tributes on sites that were manipulated to the top of Google search results by SEO poisoning. They then directed users to other sites pushing adware or potentially unwanted programs.
State-Sponsored Threat Activity – A Summary
The report also examines the significant activities and trends in the behavior of state-sponsored threat groups belonging to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This year, we are also including threat group activity from Hamas, which has seen a notable increase since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, now spilling over into the public domain and our aperture. The primary drivers for these countries are geopolitical.
China:
Chinese cyber activity has continued to track with previous Secureworks observations. Their aims are broadly focused on information theft for political, economic, and military gain. Much of this activity targeted at industrial sectors that align with the high-level objectives of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Five Year Plan. In October 2023, the heads of the US, UK, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand security agencies warned of the “epic scale” of Chinese espionage. State-sponsored threat actors were not immune to the law enforcement activity. In March 2024, the US State Department unsealed indictments against seven named individuals all part of the BRONZE VINEWOOD threat group. The indictments contain details of an extensive campaign of intrusions committed by the group over more than a decade of malicious activity. In the same month, the UK government stated that China was responsible for two malicious campaigns against the UK Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022. However, no information was released about the group responsible.
Iran:
Iranian internal and external cyber activity remained driven by its political imperatives. Internationally, Iran primarily focuses on Israel, regional adversaries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and the US. Iran makes regular use of fake hacktivist personas to target enemies, allowing itself plausible deniability. There are two primary Iranian sponsors of cyber activity: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).
North Korea:
North Korean threat actors continued their pursuit of revenue generation via cryptocurrency theft and sophisticated fraudulent employment schemes to gain access to Western jobs. They were persistent in targeting the IT sector and weaknesses in the supply chain. There was a major focus on entities in the US, South Korea, and Japan. These activities were set within the geopolitical context of an increased willingness on the part of North Korea to work with Russia and Iran, with the intent to foster relations with countries that are prepared to confront related, perceived enemies despite international sanctions.
Hamas:
Secureworks tracks three threat groups: ALUMINUM SHADYSIDE, ALUMINUM SARATOGA and ALUMINUM THORN considered to be aligned with Hamas, the militant group that governs the Gaza Strip. The outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 led to an uptick of cyber activity targeted at Israel and countries perceived to be aligned with them. However, much of that activity is thought to have been the work of hacktivist groups and personas masquerading as Palestinian but more likely linked to Iran or Russia.
Russia:
The war in Ukraine continues to drive Russian state-sponsored cyber activity, both in Ukraine and abroad. Groups associated with all three of Russia’s intelligence agencies were active throughout the past year. CTU researchers assess that Russia’s most aggressive use of cyber capabilities in sabotage operations will remain focused on critical infrastructure targets within Ukraine. One notable example of this kind of activity this year was IRON VIKING’s cyber espionage attacks against battlefield control systems used by Ukrainian defense forces.
State of the Threat Report 2024
This 8th edition of Secureworks State of the Threat Report provides a concise analysis of how the global cybersecurity threat landscape has evolved over the last 12 months. The information within the report is drawn from the Secureworks CTU firsthand observations of threat actor tooling and behaviors and includes actual incidents. Our annual threat analysis provides a deep dive insight into the threats our team has observed on the front line of cybersecurity.
The Secureworks State of the Threat Report can be read in full here: https://www.secureworks.com/resources/rp-state-of-the-threat-2024 
About Secureworks
Secureworks (NASDAQ: SCWX) is a global cybersecurity leader that secures human progress with Secureworks® Taegis™, a SaaS-based, open XDR platform built on 20+ years of real-world detection data, security operations expertise, and threat intelligence and research. Taegis is embedded in the security operations of thousands of organizations around the world who use its advanced, AI-driven capabilities to detect advanced threats, streamline and collaborate on investigations, and automate the right actions.
Connect with Secureworks via LinkedIn and Facebook or Read the Secureworks Blog
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Supermicro Introduces New Versatile System Design for AI Delivering Optimization and Flexibility at the Edge

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October 8, 2024

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New 3U Server Supports up to 18 GPUs and Features Dual Intel® Xeon® 6900 series processors with P-cores
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI), a Total IT Solution Provider for AI, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, announces the launch of a new, versatile, high-density infrastructure platform optimized for AI inferencing at the network edge. As companies seek to embrace complex large language models (LLM) in their daily operations, there is a need for new hardware capable of inferencing high volumes of data in edge locations with minimal latency. Supermicro’s innovative system combines versatility, performance, and thermal efficiency to deliver up to 10 double-width GPUs in a single system capable of running in traditional air-cooled environments.

“Owing to the system’s optimized thermal design, Supermicro can deliver all this performance in a high-density 3U 20 PCIe system with 256 cores that can be deployed in edge data centers,” said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. “As the AI market is growing exponentially, customers need a powerful, versatile solution to inference data to run LLM-based applications on-premises, close to where the data is generated. Our new 3U Edge AI system enables them to run innovative solutions with minimal latency.”
For more information, please visit https://www.supermicro.com/en/solutions/edge-ai
The new SYS-322GB-NR includes two powerful Intel® Xeon® 6900 processors with P-cores, 8800 MT/s MRDIMM and up to 20 PCIe 5.0 expansion slots. This Supermicro system supports a variety of single or double-width GPUs, or to use some of the expansion slots for high-performance I/O or other add-on cards. Additionally, the server features up to 6TB of RDIMM memory and up to 14 E1.S or 6 U.2 NVMe drives.
One example use case that this system delivers is in the manufacturing industry, where Supermicro’s new system can be deployed on-site at an automated production environment to process data feeds from cameras and sensors without having to transfer the data to a remote location. This capability reduces networking requirements and improves response times. Another environment where the SYS-322GB-NR will excel is large-scale control rooms, where the AI accelerator cards can be partially replaced by multi-display cards to support up to 64 independent displays.
Supermicro at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Las Vegas
The SYS-322GB-NR will be on display at Supermicro’s booth #518 during MWC Las Vegas, October 8-10. Additionally, Supermicro will display systems that incorporate NVIDIA, AMD and Intel Xeon 6 processors, including X14 family edge and telco systems such as:
SYS-222HE-FTN – the Hyper-E brings data center performance to the telco edge with a dual Intel Xeon 6 processor in a 2U, short-depth form factor with front I/O access
SYS-212B-FN2T – a 2U short-depth system for AI in telco and edge deployments, featuring a single Intel Xeon 6700 series processor with E-cores and GPU support
SYS-E403-14B-FRN2T- a box PC sized, wall-mountable edge device capable of bringing the Intel Xeon 6700 series processor with E-cores and GPU support to remote environments
AS -1115S-FDWTRT – a 1U NEBS compliant system providing Telco performance for ORAN, Core and managed services. This system utilizes the AMD EPYC 8004 Series processor and support of up to 1 single-width GPU accelerator for heavy workloads.
In addition to showcasing Supermicro hardware systems, in partnership with NVIDIA, we will jointly demonstrate inferencing and AI solutions for on-premise and Edge applications including Enterprise AI, Retail, Telco Edge and Financial Services. We will demonstrate key generative AI solutions that include NVIDIA NIM, NVIDIA NeMo, NVIDIA Metropolis, remote management, security, and networking. For Telecom, Supermicro and NVIDIA will be demonstrating a live AI RAN solution using NVIDIA and Supermicro solutions showcasing performance, management and AI use cases.
Also, on display at MWC Las Vegas is the new a joint solution from Supermicro and Intel which combines the ruggedized IP65 Outdoor Edge system with a built-in AI Network Accelerator and Intel® Data Center GPU Flex 170. This solution enables fast and cost-effective deployment of multiple private 5G networks as well as Edge AI applications in a single device. The networks can be used and exploited by different users, offering a scalable solution for dense environments such as industrial and campus sites, venues and smart cities.
 About Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI) is a global leader in Application-Optimized Total IT Solutions. Founded and operating in San Jose, California, Supermicro is committed to delivering first to market innovation for Enterprise, Cloud, AI, and 5G Telco/Edge IT Infrastructure. We are a Total IT Solutions provider with server, AI, storage, IoT, switch systems, software, and support services. Supermicro’s motherboard, power, and chassis design expertise further enable our development and production, enabling next generation innovation from cloud to edge for our global customers. Our products are designed and manufactured in-house (in the US, Taiwan, and the Netherlands), leveraging global operations for scale and efficiency and optimized to improve TCO and reduce environmental impact (Green Computing). The award-winning portfolio of Server Building Block Solutions® allows customers to optimize for their exact workload and application by selecting from a broad family of systems built from our flexible and reusable building blocks that support a comprehensive set of form factors, processors, memory, GPUs, storage, networking, power, and cooling solutions (air-conditioned, free air cooling or liquid cooling).
Supermicro, Server Building Block Solutions, and We Keep IT Green are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All other brands, names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 
 
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Nfinite Launches SceneMagic AI, a Revolutionary Automated AI Solution for Creating Customizable, Photorealistic Product Images for E-commerce

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Solution converts basic 2D product packshots into diverse, photorealistic lifestyle images at speed and massive scaleProprietary image creation process able to reduce costs for high fidelity e-commerce visuals by over 95%SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nfinite, the leader in next-generation product visualization technology for brands and retailers, today unveiled SceneMagic AI, a pioneering AI solution that enables e-commerce giants to access photorealistic product images on a massive scale.

Using a proprietary AI to generate hyper-realistic backgrounds and settings, enhancing the visual appeal of products, SceneMagic AI powers the seamless conversion of basic 2D product packshots into diverse sets of photorealistic lifestyle images that can be tailored to a brand’s unique aesthetic.
“AI is most exciting when it goes beyond being just a technological novelty and addresses real, substantial challenges,” said Alexandre de Vigan, CEO at Nfinite. SceneMagic AI offers a paradigm shift in how brands can showcase their products through tailored visuals without the exorbitant costs and time delays that are typically associated with high-quality visual productions.”
Amidst growing demands for high-quality visual content in e-commerce, a recent Coresight Research report underscores the importance of innovative imaging solutions. The report revealed that 63% of leading U.S. and European retailers are prioritizing enhancements in image quality to mitigate returns, with those adopting new CGI technologies experiencing a 20% increase in conversion rates.
With its massive scalability, SceneMagic AI allows for the swift creation of extensive high-fidelity image catalogs from minimal inputs. Its dynamic content adaptability means visuals can be rapidly updated for seasonal themes or marketing campaigns. Leveraging cutting-edge 3D technology and spatial intelligence, the solution ensures each image is not only realistic but also free from AI-generated errors, all while slashing costs by over 95%.
“With SceneMagic AI, we’re not just meeting market demands—we’re setting new standards for how retailers engage with consumers online, enhancing user experiences while driving tangible business results,” concluded Alex.
For more information on Nfinite and the SceneMagic AI solution, please visit https://www.nfinite.app/genaiAbout Nfinite
Nfinite combines the power of AI, CGI and 3D to offer a unified visual platform for the world’s largest brands and retailers. Nfinite is uniquely designed to connect brands and retailers and unlock complete, consistent and immersive product imagery at scale. The Nfinite Platform helps automate high quality visual content, making it more affordable, adaptable, and faster to create. With Nfinite, companies can deliver endless visual combinations, interactive experiences, and real-time personalized content to their customers worldwide. Visit nfinite.app for more information.
For more information, please visit – https://www.nfinite.app/ 
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Careerminds Acquires Progression To Enhance AI-Driven Career Development Solutions

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October 8, 2024

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NEW YORK , Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Careerminds, a leading provider of global outplacement and career development solutions, announced today the acquisition of Progression, a London-based SaaS software company. Founded in 2019, Progression has developed an advanced AI platform that enables organizations to establish career frameworks and job architectures. This innovative solution empowers employees to enhance their skill sets, supporting both upskilling and reskilling efforts to help them realize their full career potential.

“Progression joining forces with Careerminds is a perfect fit for realizing our vision of our comprehensive career-development capabilities,” says Raymond Lee, President of Careerminds. “Jonny and Neil have co-founded and built an innovative software platform that reflects our shared commitment to helping organizations provide an end-to-end, career-development solution. Together, we aim to empower individuals to identify their career potential and navigate their pathways to success. Additionally, they have effectively addressed HR’s need for a modern job architecture, incorporating career pathways with a skills taxonomy, AI-embedded tools, and actionable upskilling and reskilling plans that drive engagement and boost employee retention.”
“Careerminds’ success with their career-development coaching platform, combined with Careerminds’ global coaching capabilities, creates a powerful synergy,” said Jonny Burch, Co-Founder and CEO of Progression. “Together, we are poised to make a significant impact in the career-development space.”
About Careerminds
Careerminds was founded in 2008 as a global provider of contemporary outplacement, leadership, and career development solutions. Careerminds combines cutting-edge AI technology with personalized, one-on-one career coaching for all job levels in major markets around the world. Their modern approach allows the company to deliver industry-leading results including job seekers landing new jobs and employees looking to grow and maximize their potential within their careers. For more information, please visit https://www.careerminds.com.
About Progression
Progression, founded in 2019, is a career framework SaaS software company based in the United Kingdom. Progression’s AI powered platform empowers companies to build powerful and scalable career and skill frameworks, their employees to track their own career growth over time and managers to get unique skill-based performance insights. They work with everyone from startups to public companies, with customers with up to 2,500 employees globally. For more information, please visit https://www.progression.co.

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