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TESLA INSIDERS LEAK DATA OF 75,000 EMPLOYEES

Tesla filed a data breach notification that two former employees leaked more than 75,000 individuals’ personal information to a foreign media outlet. The leaked data includes social security numbers among other personally identifiable information. Tesla has sued the former employees and the German media outlet that received the data claims that they will not (and cannot) use it.

IVANTI SENTRY EXPLOITED IN THE WILD, PATCHES EMITTED

Ivanti has disclosed the exploitation of a critical MobileIron/Ivanti Sentry gateway authentication bypass bug, CVE-2023-38035. The vulnerability allows the takeover of sensitive network components. It requires access to admin port 8443 and impacts unpatched Sentry v9.18 and earlier.

OFFICENOTE APP

XLoader malware has re-emerged without Java dependencies, using native Objective-C/C code and signed as a fake "OfficeNote" productivity app. This post examines the new variant’s technical details and threat hunting indicators.

HOW TO IDENTIFY WHEN YOU’VE LOST CONTROL OF YOUR SIEM

An article discussing how to reduce complexity in SIEM deployments. This article begins with some symptoms of an overly complex SIEM and then discusses helpful questions to try and reduce the complexity to more manageable levels and regain control of it.

UNMASKING EVLF DEV - THE CREATOR OF CYPHERRAT AND CRAXSRAT

The CYFIRMA research team has discovered a new Malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operator that goes by the moniker EVLF DEV. This threat actor is responsible for the development of CypherRAT and CraxsRAT, which in the last 3 years was purchased by over 100 distinct threat actors on a lifetime license. In this research report, they discuss the MaaS operator and the malware being developed by them.

AUTOMATING PARTS OF ACTIVE DIRECTORY PENTESTS WITH BLOODHOUND CE

The latest BloodHound CE release brings useful enhancements, but the tool's Neo4j database also enables powerful custom queries to automatically find Active Directory weaknesses. This post demonstrates examples of querying the database directly or via API to uncover basic flaws and augment BloodHound's graph visualizations and attack path planning.

SWAT: SIMPLE WORKPLACE ATT&CK TOOL

SWAT is a command line tool that is designed for red teaming Google Workspace environments. The tool maps its functionality closely to the MITRE ATT&CK framework and allows for simulating suspicious adversarial behavior.

ENVSEC

Envsec is a tool that securely stores environment variables in the cloud of your choice. It is designed with developer experience in mind to be a pleasure to use. It comes with a command line tool and an accompanying Go library.

LOGLICKER

Tool for obfuscating and deobfuscating data by searching and replacing sensitive data based on regexes pulled from an inputted file.

WHAT’S NEW FOR SECURITY IN KUBERNETES 1.28

Kubernetes version 1.28 is now available. In this version, Validating Admission Policy reaches beta status as a more complex and flexible admission controller than Pod Security Admission. This release also adds an authorization API for users to query data about themselves

HACKER CONVERSATIONS WITH CRIS THOMAS (L0PHT HEAVY INDUSTRIES)

In this post, Cris Thomas (AKA Space Rogue) from L0pht Heavy Industries discusses the blurry boundary between researchers and hackers, with researchers being a subset of Whitehats. Thomas believes that researchers take a more formal approach to investigations, whereas hackers hack on stuff and experiment with things to see what breaks and what still works.

THE PHYSICAL IMPACT OF CYBER ATTACKS ON CITIES

Ransomware attacks on US local governments rose in 2022, highlighting risks as cities digitize. Hybrid attacks that start digital and eventually impact physical infrastructure will persist without preparation. Cities must find weaknesses, expect threats, and strategically communicate, both internally and externally, to ensure community resilience and recovery.

WHY US TECH GIANTS ARE THREATENING TO LEAVE THE UK

The UK has introduced several controversial proposals to try to rein in Big Tech. Some companies are saying there is a “tipping point” where they will leave the market instead of complying. The "tipping point" is upcoming UK regulations like the Online Safety Bill that is due to pass in the autumn.

SAAS SECURITY POSTURE MANAGEMENT REPORT 2023

A new State of SaaS Security Posture Management Report from AppOmni indicates that Cybersecurity, IT, and business leaders alike recognize SaaS cybersecurity as an increasingly important part of the cyber threat landscape.

VULNERABILITIES

Uptycs published its quarterly threat bulletin that notes a significant increase in the sophistication and complexity of threats faced by organizations globally. It also notes that in Q2 2023, rundll32.exe was the most abused utility for Windows malware. Crontab was the most abused in Linux, while OpenSSL and curl were prevalent in macOS.

WHY DO INVESTORS CARE SO MUCH ABOUT LTV:CAC?

Your CAC is a reflection of your sales and marketing spend to acquire a new user. The higher your LTV:CAC ratio, the more efficient that spending is. The more efficient it is, the more capital you’ll have to fund research and development to improve your product and continuously increase the LTV of your users. It’s a flywheel, and investors use this to directly value your company’s future potential.

AUTOMATING CREATIVITY

Wharton staged an idea-generation contest, pitting AI against a group of students. Human judges assessed idea quality. Of the 40 best ideas, 35 were created by ChatGPT. Oh boy. Thankfully, two other papers covered in this article mention that humans using AI tools can create even more powerful outcomes.

SECURING AI

The rush to AI is palpable and the inherent security challenges are of a complexity never seen before. As with every new technology, we need to think about how it's going to be weaponized WHILE it is hockey-sticking.

THE PERILS OF CUSTOMER SELECTION

Finding your first customers is a combination between intuition and strategy. Your customers dictate your trajectory. Great logos influence how others perceive you and they also dictate how you build your product and price it. If you choose the right customers early on (and they choose you!), it’ll act as a force multiplier to your success.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS AS A CEO

There’s no clear formal education that prepares you to be a CEO. Embrace a mindset of constant learning, seek support from fellow founders, assemble a strong team, prioritize self-care, and appreciate the unique opportunity to build something from scratch.

THE B2B SAAS GOLDEN QUADRANT

High-velocity sales motions aim for efficiency and quick returns, with shorter sales cycles and lower average deal sizes. On the other hand, enterprise field sales motions involve longer lead times and costly sales reps, resulting in higher net dollar retention rates. The ideal approach would combine the best of both strategies.

12 RESPONSE TEMPLATES FOR TRICKY CUSTOMER SERVICE EMAILS

Something something Pareto principle. How you efficiently handle tricky customers will enable you to spend more time on your best customers. Here’s a series of templates to tackle common customer escalations.

HOW GAMES TYPICALLY GET BUILT

As gaming gets increasingly more mainstream, and venture capital dollars flood to the space, should we think about building or joining a gaming startup? This article explores how building games stacks up against traditional software development. Hint: they’re pretty different.

LAYOFF LESSONS: FOUR THINGS I WISH I KNEW

Layoffs involve making decisions between different versions of bad. There’s no scenario where someone isn’t unhappy. Ask hard questions to ensure you only make one round of layoffs and focus your energy on supporting and motivating the employees who will remain with the company.

HOW TO AVOID KPI PSYCHOSIS

A practical guide to a good measurement culture in today’s data-obsessed world.

INTELLIGENT VS. SMART

There is a difference between intelligence and smarts: while intelligence involves technical abilities and logic, smarts require empathy, communication, and understanding emotional nuances.

GOOGLE RELEASES AUGUST 2023 BROAD CORE UPDATE

Search algorithm updates can cause SEO rankings to noticeably change - website owners should not make drastic changes if they see their rankings decline.

FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Meta users in the EU will be able to opt for a chronologically ordered feed that only includes content from users they follow. Search results will also exclude personalized results based on user activity. Meta is also expanding its EU Ads Library to include run dates and the specific targeting parameters used.

TRENDS THAT BRANDS SHOULD KEEP TABS ON FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

This article highlights influential shifts, including redefined luxury exclusivity driven by fandom communities, the rise of AI-generated content shaping perception of reality, and the adoption of “pop culture nihilism” for coping with dark times. Brands are advised to adjust their VIP experiences, use AI transparently, and incorporate dark humor to align with evolving consumer needs.

GAMIFICATION STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE AND RETAIN USERS

Companies using gamification for customer engagement are 7 times more profitable. Strategies to increase user retention include creating fun loyalty games, offering attractive rewards, and integrating social features.

“SOFT” INVESTMENT FALLACY

Businesses often fall into the trap of prioritizing performance over brand marketing during economic uncertainties. This article emphasizes the importance of building sustainable growth by nurturing a brand’s identity and reputation.

MAINTAINING PRODUCT MARKET FIT ON A WINDY ROAD

Achieving product market fit requires a constant adaptation to customer needs and market dynamics. This involves understanding if a product remains relevant to customers, assessing marketing changes, and refining product positioning to meet shifting demands.

UPGRADE

Demand Gen campaigns will replace Google Discovery Ads later this year, which are both designed to reach users who aren’t searching for a brand. This article explains the added features Demand Gen campaigns will have, including new YouTube formats, experimentation tools, and new bidding options.

TOOLS TO MONITOR COMPETITORS’ ADS

TikTok, Meta, Google, and LinkedIn offer free tools to view competitor ads, including some performance data. These tools provide insight into ad creative, video formats, ad copy, and call-to-action messaging. Paid tools, such as Semrush and Similarweb, provide additional performance detail.

YOUTUBE UPDATES THAT AFFECT MARKETERS

5 recent changes on YouTube include AI-generated summaries for viewers, removal of clickable links in Shorts descriptions and comments, easier channel management, additional insights added to YouTube Analytics, and viewer-curated YouTube Shorts playlists.

FUTURE PROOFING YOUR CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT STACK

In this podcast transcript, Chad Hacker, VP of Consumer and Digital Marketing at Allergan Aesthetics talks about the changing landscape of data privacy, AI targeting on digital platforms, and creating meaningful app experiences.

WHAT IS FRIEND.TECH, THE VIRAL CRYPTO SOCIAL MEDIA APP?

This crypto mobile app that garnered 101k users in under 2 weeks has many critics claiming it’s a scam.

AVA DISCOVERY VIEW: SURFACING AUTHENTIC MOMENTS

Netflix stores millions of image files and other artwork to represent their titles. Its assets are often created by selecting static image frames directly from our source videos. To make this process easier, Netflix created AVA, an internal tool that surfaces still frames from video content. The tool provides an efficient way for creatives to pull moments from video content that authentically represent the title’s narrative themes, main characters, and visual characteristics.

TYPESCRIPT’S GENERICS AND ADVANCED FUNCTION TYPES

This is a guide on how to create flexible and type-safe code environments using Typescript features like generics and advanced function types. Advanced function types help developers write robust and flexible code that adheres to static typing and OOP principles, through features like function overloading and optional, default, and rest parameters. Generics allow developers to create components that engage with various data types while preserving type information, ensuring both type safety and code reusability. The guide provides explanations and code examples of these concepts and also gives some best practices and pitfalls to avoid.

COMPANIES

Databases are notoriously hard to build and they have complex problems that are still being worked on today. Cloud-native databases are much more common as data has become more valuable and data sizes get larger. Building a cloud-native database adds another huge layer of complexity to the already hard problem set of databases. For example, it is expected that databases can scale up and down much more flexibly in the cloud, but this is very hard to do in practice.

CACHED TAKES: 80% OF COMPANIES DO NOT NEED SNOWFLAKE OR DATABRICKS

80% of companies don’t need Snowflake and Databricks when there are open source, free alternatives. The services that Snowflake and Databricks provide are mainly for large companies that can actually take advantage of all the tools provided. Instead, smaller companies should identify inefficiencies and replace paid software with open source software that mimics the core functionalities until there is a need to upgrade.

DEFAULT BEHAVIOR STICKS - AND SO DO EXAMPLES

Canarytokens is a security company that helps customers detect intrusions by using Canarytokens: decoys that are placed on a customer's network or systems. It recently realized that some of its customers, due to an example in its documentation, were using the same custom domain for their Canarytokens. This made the Canarytokens more identifiable because attackers could simply look for domains that matched the custom domain. To address this, Canarytokens will now show multiple examples of custom domains to its customers. This will make it more likely that customers will choose a unique custom domain for their Canarytokens, which will make them more difficult for attackers to identify.

VISUAL DB

Visual DB is an Airtable alternative. It allows developers to effortlessly create forms and sheets to enter data. Visual DB can display up to 100,000 records at a time.

PRETTYMAPP

Prettymapp is a web app and Python package to create beautiful maps from OpenStreetMap data. It provides a simple API to create maps with a focus on implementation speed.