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Ousted Social Security Official Accuses DOGE of Bypassing Critical Data Protections
A former top official at the Social Security Administration has alleged that members of Elon Musk's controversial task force ignored critical security protocols to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data while disregarding established procedures designed to protect it.

GetVisibility's AI Mesh Integration Bolsters Data Classification, Risk Management
Forcepoint is buying Getvisibility to integrate its AI mesh technology, boosting data classification and risk assessment capabilities. The purchase fortifies Forcepoint’s cybersecurity solutions for highly regulated industries, with full integration expected by year-end pending regulatory approval.

Self-Described Hacktivists Appear to Remain Moscow Foreign Policy Extension
Russia's use of high-profile online nuisance attacks as a psychology ploy designed to amplify Moscow's geopolitical agenda continues. As Europe has rallied to support Ukraine, self-proclaimed Russian hacktivists have trumpeted their targeting of the U.K. and EU member states, instead of the U.S.

Biden-Era Cyber Aid Programs Are Still Available, But Future is Uncertain
Even though rural hospitals and other small healthcare providers don't have deep pockets, cybercriminals continue to target them with ransomware, often causing serious disruption and compromises affecting large swaths of patients. What can be done to help them strengthen cybersecurity?

White House Order Centralizes Crypto Seized Through Civil, Criminal Forfeitures
The Trump administration pledged not spend taxpayer dollars on cryptocurrencies deposited into a federal "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" created by a Thursday evening executive order. The government has collected an estimated 200,000 digital coins through criminal and civil forfeiture.

MDR Leaderboard Remains Unchanged as Vendors Pursue Gen AI, Detection as Code
Behemoth CrowdStrike joined pure-play vendors Expel and Red Canary atop Forrester's ranking of MDR vendors. MDR providers historically focused on identifying and mitigating security threats in real time, but as competition intensified, they recognized the need to differentiate their offerings.

Also: the Recent Ransomware Surge, Crypto Reserve Controversy
In this week's update, four ISMG editors discussed the recent surge in ransomware attacks, implications of the U.S. military's pause on cyber operations against Russia, and President Trump's bold but controversial plan to create a national cryptocurrency reserve.

Self-Described Hacktivists Appear to Remain Moscow Foreign Policy Extension
Russia's use of high-profile online nuisance attacks as a psychology ploy designed to amplify Moscow's geopolitical agenda continues. As Europe has rallied to support Ukraine, self-proclaimed Russian hacktivists have trumpeted their targeting of the U.K. and EU member states, instead of the U.S.

Artificial intelligence-based tools are among the most promising advancing technologies for healthcare sector organizations to help to address cybersecurity resource shortages, said Chris Tyberg, CISO of medical device and consumer health product manufacturer Abbott.

The use of artificial intelligence is not only reshaping healthcare delivery in the sector but also healthcare cybersecurity within organizations, said Anahi Santiago, CISO of ChristianaCare, the largest healthcare delivery organization in the state of Delaware.

Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, a money laundering destination for Russian and North Korean hackers, is no more after international law enforcement seized its servers. Prosecutors in the United States indicted the exchange's two principals in federal court.

Legacy apps and medical devices continue to pose persistent and considerable risk to healthcare IT environments, and many organizations are still unaware of their prevalence in their settings, said Keith Fricke, partner and principal consultant at tw-Security, who discusses mitigation steps to take.

State privacy laws, such as Washington State's My Health My Data Act, could throw a curve ball in the use of certain consumer information for artificial intelligence and machine learning endeavors, said regulatory attorney Adam Greene of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine.

Also: BianLian Ransomware Hackers Aren't Really Mailing You
This week, the U.S. sanctioned the Nemesis admin, Poco RAT spotted in Latin America, Apple challenged a British order to weaken encryption and the FBI warned against scam letters purportedly from BianLian. Also, a Nigerian tax scammer extradited to the U.S., a new botnet and a Webex vulnerability.

Trump's Former Cybersecurity Coordinator Says DOGE Firings Threaten Cybersecurity
Mass firings of federal probationary civil servants instigated by the Department of Government Efficiency will "destroy a pipeline of top talent," said Rob Joyce, a long-time National Security Agency official.

Armis' Purchase of Otorio Enhances On-Prem Security, Active Querying and Compliance
Armis' acquisition of Otorio for $120 million strengthens its on-premises operational technology security capabilities. The deal expands Armis' ability to serve air-gapped and compliance-driven industries while integrating secure remote access and active querying into its security platform.

Probe Into Microsoft's $13 Billion OpenAI Investment Launched in 2023
The U.K. antitrust regulator won't open an investigation into a partnership between computing giant Microsoft and artificial intelligence company OpenAI. U.K. Competition Market Authority concludes that there is no "relevant merger situation."

Provisional Agreement Tied to Ransomware Attack Affecting 2.2 Million Customers
American pharmacy chain giant Rite Aid reached a $6.8 million agreement to settle a data breach class action lawsuit, which includes a pledge to improve its cybersecurity practices. The breach involved a ransomware group stealing data pertaining to 2.2 million customers.

Weigh the Options for Open-Source and Vendor-Backed Solutions and Try Them Out
Open-source tools can be powerful, flexible and budget-friendly, but they are not always the right choice. Understanding their strengths, weaknesses and best use cases will help you decide when to use them and when to consider a commercial alternative.

Quantum computing could bring the next technology "revolution" in healthcare, but organizations will face critical cybersecurity issues when quantum becomes a reality, said attorney Lee Kim, senior principal of cybersecurity and privacy at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.