Cyber resilience is often mistaken for a technical problem that belongs exclusively to the basement server room. In reality it is a business survival skill that requires the full attention of the board of directors. When a breach happens the leadership team must understand their specific roles immediately. If executives are looking at the IT team for every single answer during a crisis the organization has already lost the initiative.

The total cost of a cyberattack is rarely determined by a single moment. Instead it is the result of every decision made from the point of discovery through the final stages of recovery. Companies that prioritize high quality decision making over sheer panic are the ones that protect their bottom line. True leaders do not just react fast. They act with a level of precision that comes from rigorous preparation and a deep understanding of their operational risks.

BleepingComputer reports security researchers exploited an XSS flaw to hijack StealC malware operator control panels, revealing live attacker activity and tooling. 

The takeaway for CIOs/CISOs: infostealer-driven credential loss remains a fast path to ransomware and fraud. Treat identity telemetry and session security as critical controls—not “nice to have.”

Security leaders often spend their entire budget trying to keep hackers out. This strategy is fundamentally flawed because it assumes the digital perimeter is impenetrable. In a world of sophisticated threat actors the fortress mentality is no longer sufficient. Modern resilience is not about preventing every attack. It is about how your organization functions the moment a breach occurs. Readiness is the only metric that actually matters when the doors are finally kicked in.

A major data dump tied to BreachForums has exposed details on ~324,000 accounts—another reminder that even “criminal infrastructure” is fragile and error-prone. For CISOs, the lesson is clear: assume leaked credentials, recycled identities, and rapid retaliation cycles. Resilience and detection speed matter more than ever.

Crisis management is as much about human behavior as it is about computer code. Panic is the most expensive mistake an organization can make after a security incident occurs. When a breach is detected the natural human response is often fear or a rush to judgment. Effective response frameworks are specifically designed to remove this emotion from the decision making process. By practicing these scenarios in advance teams can replace chaotic reactions with a structured and professional execution of the plan.

The basic assumption of modern business is that the network is like the air we breathe. It is just there. Executives spend their days communicating through systems that are all plugged into the same central identity provider. They have built an entire world on the idea that they will always have access to their teams and their data. This works perfectly until someone on the outside decides to turn the lights off. Suddenly the very tools used to manage the company become the primary point of failure.

Reuters reports Poland detected what officials described as the strongest cyberattack on energy infrastructure in years, targeting communications between renewables and distribution operators. The attack failed—but the intent is the signal. For CIOs/CISOs, resilience now means OT visibility, vendor assurance, and tested response playbooks—not hope.

Qilin Ransomware Turns South Korean MSP Breach Into 28-Victim ‘Korean Leaks’ Mega Heist

South Korea’s financial sector is dealing with the fallout of a sophisticated supply-chain attack that started with the compromise of a single managed service provider (MSP) and ended in a multi-victim ransomware and data-extortion campaign dubbed “Korean Leaks.” The operation is attributed to the Qilin ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group, one of the most active ransomware franchises of 2025.

The Uncomfortable Truth: You WILL Be Breached

Every security leader knows it. Every board member fears it. Yet many organisations still operate as if they can avoid it entirely.

Let's talk about the reality of cyber security in 2025.

Massive NPM Supply Chain Attack Compromises 18 Packages With 2.5 Billion Weekly Downloads

A sophisticated phishing attack compromised 18 critical NPM packages with over 2.5 billion weekly downloads, including widely-used tools like Chalk and Debug. The malicious code targeted cryptocurrency transactions and API hijacking. This incident underscores the escalating risk of software supply chain vulnerabilities—highlighting why dependency monitoring and vendor validation must be executive-level priorities, not just IT tasks.

Qilin’s Hybrid Ransomware Tactics Signal Escalating Risk for Industrial OT and ESXi Environments

New reporting on the Qilin (aka Agenda) ransomware operation highlights a sharp uptick in activity through 2025 and a shift toward hybrid tradecraft: Linux payloads, bring-your-own-vulnerable-driver (BYOVD) techniques, and explicit focus on VMware ESXi. Analysts tracked 40+ victims per month across 2025 (peaking near 100 leak-site postings in June), with outsized impact in North America. For manufacturers running mixed Windows/Linux estates and virtualized plants, the combination raises the likelihood of line stoppage and widespread VM outages during an incident.  

Hostile cyber activity in the UK is growing more intense, frequent and sophisticated. This is causing significant financial and social harm to UK businesses and citizens. There is a direct and active threat to our economic and national security which requires an urgent collective response

F5 Confirms Nation‑State Breach, CISA Issues Emergency Patch Mandate.

Cybersecurity firm F5 Networks recently disclosed that it was the target of a nation‑state intrusion. According to F5, unauthorized access was detected in certain internal systems, and sensitive assets including source code may have been stolen

In our latest bi-weekly briefing, we review the cybersecurity incidents that shaped the period from September 8–21, 2025. This reporting window saw ransomware campaigns against healthcare providers in multiple countries, a large-scale supply chain compromise in the NPM ecosystem, active zero-day exploitation requiring emergency patching, and disruptions at major European airports caused by a vendor system outage.

This past week has been a stark reminder that cybercriminals are evolving faster than most organisations can adapt. The trends we’ve tracked indicate a significant shift in attacker methodologies, particularly in how they gain access, maintain persistence, and extort victims.

Cybercriminals no longer need to write complex malware or exploit software vulnerabilities to breach an organisation. They have found an easier, faster, and more effective way in—by targeting people. Social engineering has evolved from generic phishing emails to sophisticated, AI-driven deception tactics that can manipulate even the most security-conscious employees.

Cybercriminals are moving at speeds that most organisations are not equipped to handle. Last year, the average breakout time—the time it takes for an attacker to move laterally within a compromised network—dropped to 48 minutes. In the fastest observed case, it took just 51 seconds. That means by the time a security alert is triggered, the attacker could have already escalated privileges, exfiltrated data, and established persistence.

Artificial intelligence is not just a tool for businesses looking to optimize workflows and automate processes. It has also become a weapon for cybercriminals who are using AI to scale their attacks, evade detection, and manipulate targets with unprecedented precision. The organisations that fail to recognize this shift will be left defenseless against an adversary that is getting smarter, faster, and more efficient.

Cybercrime is no longer a niche problem or a side hustle for opportunistic hackers. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry with structured operations, specialized roles, and global reach. Criminal organisations have evolved into enterprise-grade operations, complete with research and development teams, strategic partnerships, and aggressive expansion plans. The modern cybercriminal doesn’t just hack into systems; they build scalable business models designed for efficiency, automation, and maximum return on investment.