Week in review: Hackers extorting Salesforce, CentreStack 0-day exploited

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:

How to get better results from bug bounty programs without wasting money
The wrong bug bounty strategy can flood your team with low-value reports. The right one can surface critical vulnerabilities that would otherwise slip through. A new academic study based on Google’s Vulnerability Rewards Program (VRP) offers rare data on how to tell the difference.

Rethinking AI security architectures beyond Earth
If you think managing cloud security is complex, try doing it across hundreds of satellites orbiting the planet. Each one is a moving endpoint that must stay secure while communicating through long, delay-prone links. A new study explores how AI could automate security for space systems and whether the best approach is to centralize control or spread it out.

Behind the screens: Building security customers appreciate
In this Help Net Security interview, Jess Vachon, CISO at PRA Group, discusses the company’s multi-layered defense against fraud and its commitment to protecting customer trust. Vachon explains how PRA Group balances identity verification with a seamless customer experience.

From theory to training: Lessons in making NICE usable
SMBs may not have big budgets, but they are on the receiving end of many cyberattacks. A new study from Cleveland State University looked at how these companies could train staff without getting lost in the thousands of skills and tasks in the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The result is a stripped-down, scenario-based curriculum that may hold lessons for security leaders in much larger enterprises.

Cl0p exploits Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day in data theft, extortion campaign (CVE-2025-61882)
The Cl0p extortion gang exploited multiple Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) vulnerabilities, including one zero-day flaw (CVE-2025-61882), “to steal large amounts of data from several victim[s] in August 2025,” Charles Carmakal, CTO at Mandiant – Google Cloud, stated on Sunday.

Hackers launch data leak site to extort 39 victims, or Salesforce
Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters launched a data leak site over the weekend, aiming to pressure organizations whose Salesforce databases they have plundered into paying to prevent the stolen data from being released.

Leaked Oracle EBS exploit scripts expected to drive new wave of attacks (CVE-2025-61882)
Resecurity and watchTowr researchers have analyzed the leaked scripts used by attackers to exploit CVE-2025-61882 on internet-facing Oracle ESB instances. Whether the attackers were Cl0p or LAPSUS$, both, or even additional threat actors is still unknown, as the scripts have been leaked on Telegram.

Redis patches critical “RediShell” RCE vulnerability, update ASAP! (CVE-2025-49844)
Redis, the company behind the widely used in-memory data structure store of the same name, has released patches for a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-49844) that may allow attackers full access to the underlying host system.

North Korean hackers stole over $2 billion in cryptocurrency this year
North Korean hackers have stolen more than $2 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, according to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, and the year isn’t over yet.

Researchers uncover ClickFix-themed phishing kit
Palo Alto Networks researchers have discovered and analyzed “IUAM ClickFix Generator”, a phishing kit that allows less skilled attackers to infect unsuspecting users with malware by using the increasingly popular ClickFix social engineering technique.

Attackers compromised ALL SonicWall firewall configuration backup files
The attackers who brute-forced their way into SonicWall’s firewall cloud backup service accessed configuration backup files of all customers who have used the service, SonicWall stated on Wednesday, following the conclusion of a Mandiant-supported investigation into the incident.

Legit tools, illicit uses: Velociraptor, Nezha turned against victims
Threat actors are using an increasing variety of commercial and open-source products to carry out their attacks: according to researchers, Velociraptor and Nezha are the latest additions to their attack toolbox.

Attackers are exploiting Gladinet CentreStack, Triofox vulnerability with no patch (CVE-2025-11371)
CVE-2025-11371, a unauthenticated Local File Inclusion vulnerability in Gladinet CentreStack and Triofox file-sharing and remote access platforms, is being exploited by attackers in the wild.

Securing agentic AI with intent-based permissions
For decades, action-based permissions have performed the role of the seatbelts of enterprise security, essential guardrails that define what users or systems can do. But with the rise of agentic AI and autonomous software agents that operate independently and make decisions at scale, IAM now needs intent-based permissions that understand not only what an AI agent is doing, but why.

October 2025 Patch Tuesday forecast: The end of a decade with Microsoft
A lot of classic software is reaching end-of-life (EOL) this month. Windows 10, Office 2016 and Exchange Server 2016 have survived after nearly a decade of service. Not far behind, after six years in existence, comes the end of Office 2019 and Exchange Server 2019.

Turning the human factor into your strongest cybersecurity defense
In this Help Net Security video, Jacob Martens, Field CISO at Upwind Security, explores one of cybersecurity’s most enduring challenges: the human factor behind breaches. Despite advances in technology, most attacks still begin with people, not code. He explains how tactics like phishing and social engineering continue to succeed by exploiting human emotions such as urgency, fear, and even friendliness.

Meet ARGUS, the robot built to catch hackers and physical intruders
Hospitals, airports, and campuses are no longer dealing with separate security problems. Someone can slip past a checkpoint while another actor launches a network scan, and together those actions create a bigger risk than either one alone. Most surveillance tools and patrol robots are built to catch one or the other. A new study introduces ARGUS, a mobile system that watches the digital and physical environment at the same time and ties its findings together.

How to succeed at cybersecurity job interviews
Imagine this: you’ve made it through the résumé screen, your skills look solid on paper, and now it’s interview day. The next hour will decide whether you move forward or go back to the job boards. What separates the candidates who land offers from those who don’t is preparation and knowing what to expect when the questions start coming.

The architecture of lies: Bot farms are running the disinformation war
Bot farms have moved into the center of information warfare, using automated accounts to manipulate public opinion, influence elections, and weaken trust in institutions.

New system aims to keep people connected when networks fail
When disaster strikes, communication often fails. Cell towers can go offline, internet connections can disappear, and people are left without a way to share information or ask for help. A new research project looks at how to keep people talking even when regular networks are gone.

Developing economies are falling behind in the fight against cybercrime
Cybercrime is a global problem, but not every country is equally equipped to fight it. In many developing economies, cybersecurity is still seen as a luxury, something nice to have when budgets allow. That means little investment in tools, training, or talent.

Researchers develop AI system to detect scam websites in search results
Scam websites tied to online shopping, pet sales, and other e-commerce schemes continue to cause millions in losses each year. Security tools can accurately detect fraudulent sites once they are found, but identifying new ones remains difficult.

Proxmox Mail Gateway: Open-source email security solution reaches version 9.0
First released in 2005, the open-source Proxmox Mail Gateway has become a widely adopted mail proxy, positioned between the firewall and the internal mail server to stop threats before they reach users. The platform delivers anti-spam and antivirus filtering to help organizations counter email-borne risks such as malware, Trojans, and phishing campaigns.

DefectDojo: Open-source DevSecOps platform
DefectDojo is an open-source tool for DevSecOps, application security posture management (ASPM), and vulnerability management. It helps teams manage security testing, track and remove duplicate findings, handle remediation, and generate reports.

Nagios: Open-source monitoring solution
Nagios is an open-source monitoring solution, now included as part of the robust Nagios Core Services Platform (CSP). It delivers end-to-end visibility across the entire IT infrastructure, covering everything from websites and DNS to servers, routers, switches, workstations, and critical services. It helps organizations proactively detect issues, minimize downtime, and ensure the reliability of their systems.

Phishing is old, but AI just gave it new life
The volume of cyberattacks has reached staggering levels, with new tactics that blur the line between legitimate and malicious activity. A new threat report from Comcast, based on 34.6 billion cybersecurity events analyzed over the past year, shows what adversaries are doing and what this means for enterprise leaders.

Old authentication habits die hard
Many organizations still rely on weak authentication methods while workers’ personal habits create additional risks, according to Yubico.

Cybersecurity’s next test: AI, quantum, and geopolitics
Geopolitics, emerging technology, and skills shortages are reshaping cybersecurity priorities across industries, according to a new PwC report. The findings show a mix of rising awareness, persistent weaknesses, and uneven preparation for the next wave of threats.

Six metrics policymakers need to track cyber resilience
Most countries are still making national cyber policy decisions without reliable numbers. Regulations often focus on incident reporting after damage is done, but they fail to give governments a forward-looking picture of resilience. A new report from Zurich Insurance Group argues that this gap leaves economies exposed and slows the ability to respond to systemic threats.

Outdated encryption leaves crypto wide open
The cryptocurrency sector faces an existential threat on two fronts: none of the 2,138 web applications and 146 mobile apps tested by ImmuniWeb support post-quantum encryption, and more than 7.8 million user records are already circulating on the dark web.

Your SOC is tired, AI isn’t
Security teams have discussed AI in the SOC for years, but solid evidence of its impact has been limited. A recent benchmark study by Dropzone puts measurable evidence behind the idea, showing that AI agents can help analysts work faster and with greater accuracy during alert investigations, without major changes to existing workflows.

Cybersecurity jobs available right now: October 7, 2025
We’ve scoured the market to bring you a selection of roles that span various skill levels within the cybersecurity field. Check out this weekly selection of cybersecurity jobs available right now.

eBook: Defending Identity Security the Moment It’s Threatened
Credential-based attacks happen in seconds. Learn how to block weak or stolen passwords instantly, safeguard accounts in real time, and reduce helpdesk headaches with automated defense.

New infosec products of the week: October 10, 2025
Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past week, featuring releases from Object First, OPSWAT, Radiflow, and Semperis.