Pass-the-Hash succeeds when local admin passwords repeat and admins sign in everywhere. Small ADs can end that pattern fast. Use Windows LAPS to rotate a unique secret per device and enforce a Tier 0/1/2 admin model so privileged credentials never roam. Add Credential Guard and LSA Protection to shrink theft opportunities.
This Windows 11 (24H2) hardening guide delivers 20 Group Policy settings you can deploy today. You’ll protect credentials, block ransomware, enforce SMB signing, harden RDP, and tighten audit logging with version-specific notes and quick tests. Roll out in phases, validate with gpresult, and keep exceptions minimal and time-boxed.
Researchers documented CVSS 8.9 command injection in three official Claude Desktop extensions Chrome, iMessage, and Apple Notes. Because those connectors built AppleScript commands with unescaped user input, prompt injection could pivot from web content to local shell execution on macOS. Anthropic patched the issues. This analysis explains the exploit chain, the fixes, and the validation steps security teams should run to keep MCP servers safe.
EndClient RAT arrives as a signed MSI named “StressClear.msi,” which abuses code-signing trust and SmartScreen gaps. The package decoys with a VeraPort component while an obfuscated AutoIt loader executes in memory, establishes the IoKlTr task, and opens a JSON-over-TCP C2. To reduce risk, restrict MSI installs, enforce SmartScreen blocking, instrument MSI→AutoIt lineage, and remove scheduled tasks used for persistence.
A new attack variant against Cisco Secure Firewall ASA/FTD can force unexpected reloads, dropping VPNs and disrupting edge traffic. Reduce exposure, apply fixed releases, and harden management access. Validate HA under load and stream telemetry off-box to preserve evidence while you monitor for recurrence.
API rate limiting protects capacity and user experience. This guide shows how to ship it correctly on NGINX: define limit_req zones, tune burst/nodelay, add per-IP and per-token limits, return proper 429s with Retry-After, and combine limit_conn for connection abuse. You’ll get production-ready snippets and a safe rollout plan.
Gootloader is active again. Attackers poison search results for legal templates, hide content with glyph-mapped fonts, and ship malformed ZIP files that drop JavaScript. The post-compromise tempo increases, so defenders must harden browsers, restrict scripts, and tune detections now.
Spin up a free SIEM home lab this weekend. You’ll deploy Wazuh or OpenSearch, collect Windows telemetry with Sysmon, and run Sigma detections you can actually see and tune. This guide prioritizes students and hobbyists: minimal hardware, copy-paste steps, and safe tests so you learn detection engineering not just dashboards.
Seven fresh techniques let attackers leak ChatGPT data through everyday workflows: poisoned search, “q=” one-click links, allowlisted ad redirects, conversation injection, markdown hiding, and memory poisoning. Because exposure rides on normal browsing and memory behavior, prevention requires policy plus proof: sanitize URLs, block bing.com/ck/a, disable Saved Memory for high-risk roles, and validate controls continuously with OWASP LLM Top 10 and MITRE ATLAS as your benchmarks.
NGAV (next-gen antivirus) focuses on stopping malware and exploits with AI and behavior analysis. EDR adds continuous visibility, investigation, and one-click response when prevention misses. For most SMEs, start with a strong NGAV baseline and move to EDR as soon as you can support alerts and response especially if ransomware or hands-on-keyboard attacks worry you. …