--- title: "Cybersecurity News Update, Week 14 of 2023 | DuoCircle" description: "This week’s cybersecurity bulletin covers a lot of interesting updates from around the world." image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png" canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-14-of-2023/" --- Quick Answer Week 14 of 2023 covered: the Medusa ransomware gang attacking the Open University of Cyprus on March 27, 2023, taking down the eLearning platform, employment portal, and applications portal and demanding $100,000 within two weeks; Google Play Store's new policy effective for new apps in 2024, requiring Android developers to provide a web-based account-deletion option (apps that fail to comply will be removed from May 31, 2024); the arrest of Spanish cybercriminal José Luis Huertas (aka Alcaseca, Mango, Chimichurri), operator of stolen-data search engine Udyat (The Eye of Horus), accused of breaching Spain's CGPJ for data on 575,000 taxpayers and impersonating the Mediaset España CEO to steal €300,000; Check Point's discovery of Rorschach ransomware, observed during an attack on a US firm and deployed via DLL side-loading using a signed Cortex XDR component, combining curve25519 and the eSTREAM hc-128 cipher; a US DOJ seizure of six crypto accounts holding over $112 million from pig-butchering investment scams; and Ukrainian Cyber Police breaking up a fraud gang that ran 100 phishing sites against EU shoppers and stole $4.3 million from over 1,000 victims via two fake call centers in Vinnytsia and Lviv. 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Let us see what the threat actors have been up to recently and the **latest developments** in the cyber world. ## The Medusa Ransomware has targeted the Open University of Cyprus The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) fell victim to a significant cyberattack when the Medusa [Ransomware](/resources/locky-ransomware) gang **targeted** the institution and its systems. The university is renowned for providing online services, offers nearly 30 high education programs, and has over 4200 students conducting **scientific research**. The university fell victim to ransomware on 27 March 2023, with the cyberattack causing severe disruptions in its central services and critical systems. When the organization [found out](https://www.ouc.ac.cy/index.php/en/news-events/news/2847-cyberattack) about the attack, it took down access to its **eLearning platform**, employment portal, and portal of applications of prospective students as a precautionary measure. Medusa ransomware has listed the OUC on its [data leak](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/data-leak-hits-thousands-of-nhs/) portal and is threatening to publish the sensitive university data until their **ransom demand of $100,000** is met within two weeks. ## Google Will Require Android App Developers to Enable Account Deletion Google unveiled a new **data deletion policy** for applications on its Google Play Store, taking a step toward user data safety. Google released this new [policy](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2023/04/giving-people-more-control-over-their-data.html) to give its users more control, who will be able to access a web-based option, provided by application developers where they can delete their accounts or **in-app data**. The policy will be implemented with the beginning of 2024 and every application will feature a **“Data Deletion”** option. Developers that wish to offer an in-app [account deletion](https://www.techradar.com/news/apples-app-store-account-deletion-mandate-finally-has-a-date-for-developers) experience must also provide the web-based option, using which Android users will be able to delete their data without having to reinstall the application. _The applications that do not include this option for the safety and privacy of the users **will be removed** from the [Google Play Store](https://9to5google.com/2023/04/11/wear-os-games/) from 31 May 2024 onwards._ ## Spain’s Most Notorious Hacker Is Now in Police Custody José Luis Huertas (a cybercriminal better known as “Alcaseca,” “Mango,” and “Chimichurri”) was **arrested** in Spain. [![cyberattacks](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/04/SPF-record-checker-6827.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/04/SPF-record-checker-6827.jpg) Considered one of the most dangerous hackers in the country and a man behind **multiple high-profile** [cyberattacks](https://globalnews.ca/news/9614872/cyberattack-gas-infrastructure-justin-trudeau/), José Huertas is also behind the search engine Udyat (The Eye of Horus), the search engine dedicated to auctions of stolen personal information. The hackers were accused of breaching the computer systems of the **CGPJ (Spain’s National Council of Judiciary)**, making away with the data of 575,000 taxpayers, and creating a sensitive database with the collected information to sell the stolen data. The threat actor was also accused of impersonating Gestevisión Telecinco/Mediaset España’s CEO, Paolo Vasile, and stealing € 300,000 ($3,27,639) from the [CEO](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11881693/ChatGPT-CEO-admits-scared-bot-used-large-scale-disinformation.html). The [threat actor](/email-security/threat-actors-abuse-linkedins-smart-links-in-evasive-email-phishing-attacks/) was brought in on these charges, including attacks on high-state institutions, multiple cyberattacks, money laundering, and more. ## The Rorschach Ransomware Is the Fastest Encryptor That Has Been Observed to Date Researchers shared reports of a **new ransomware**, Rorschach, one of the world’s fastest encryptors. Checkpoint’s [researchers](https://research.checkpoint.com/2023/rorschach-a-new-sophisticated-and-fast-ransomware/) noticed the ransomware following one of its attacks on a US organization where the ransomware was deployed using **DLL (Dynamic Link Library)** side-loading techniques using a signed component Cortex XDR, which is a detection and response product of Palo Alto networks. _The [malware](/resources/malware-and-its-defense-mechanism) has many unique features, **self-propagating capabilities**, and an encryption scheme combining curve25519 and eSTREAM cipher hc-128 algorithms._ Checkpoint highlighted that the ransomware “raises the bar for ransom attacks” and employs the best features of the leading ransomware strains online. The ransomware operators are still **unknown,** but it is a significant new threat. ## Cryptocurrency Investment Scammers Have Had $112 Million Seized by the US Government The US DOJ (United States Department of Justice) seized six crypto accounts with **over $112 million in stolen funds**. The funds were stolen via **crypto investment schemes** such as “pig butchering” or “cryptocurrency confidence scams,” where the threat actors approached individuals on social media, gained their confidence via [social engineering](/phishing-protection/social-engineering-is-a-growing-threat/) tactics, and introduced them to these schemes. [![crypto projects](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/04/email-sending-services-.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/04/email-sending-services-.jpg) The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) [revealed](https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2022%5FIC3Report.pdf) that Americans **lost nearly $3 billion** to investment frauds in 2021, and there was a spike in pig butchering crypto investment scams in the country. _These scams have become a significant threat to individuals, with scammers **targeting individuals** via such schemes and [fake rewards](https://thehackernews.com/2022/09/fake-indian-banking-rewards-apps.html)._ ## Ukrainian Cyber Police has busted a Fraud Gang That Stole $4.3 Million Ukrainian cyberpolice arrested members of a fraudulent threat actor group with nearly $3.4 million in stolen funds from over **1000 victims** in the European Union. The cybercriminal group created 100 [phishing](/content/phishing-prevention/what-is-phishing) websites targeting French, Spanish, Polish, and Czech users with products listed below market prices. The products were circulated through **resellers and money mules**, and two fake call centers were set up in Vinnytsia and Lviv to communicate with the customers and place orders. The police conducted nearly 30 [searches](https://cyberpolice.gov.ua/news/kiberpolicziya-vykryla-uchasnykiv-zlochynnoyi-grupy-yaki-za-dopomogoyu-fishyngu-oshukaly-gromadyan-yes-na--miljoniv-gryven-5931/) seizing computers, mobile phones, and SIM cards, and **arrested individuals** of the gang. The police are also on the lookout for ten more gang members. ## Topics NewsSecurityUpdates ![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) Brad Slavin General Manager General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio. ## Secure your email infrastructure Protect, authenticate, and deliver. Contact our team to find the right solution. [Contact Sales](/contact/) [Explore Products](/products/) Share this article [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-14-of-2023%2F) [ ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Cybersecurity%20News%20Update%2C%20Week%2014%20of%202023&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-14-of-2023%2F) [ ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.duocircle.com%2Fblog%2Fannouncements%2Fcyber-security-news-update-week-14-of-2023%2F) Copy Related Articles - [ ![spam](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2021/07/sender-policy-framework-7535.jpg) Alert: Fix SPF & DKIM Settings For Your Email Forwarding Set Up Through Microsoft o365 SMTP Server Or Your Emails May End Up In Spam News ](/blog/announcements/alert-fix-spf-dkim-settings-for-your-email-forwarding-set-up-through-microsoft-o365-smtp-server-or-your-emails-may-end-up-in-spam/) - [ ![Cyber Security](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2022/01/spf-flattening-7011.jpg) Cyber Security News Update, Week 1 of 2022 News ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2022/) - [ ![Cybersecurity](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2023/01/spf-validator-6824.jpg) Cybersecurity News Update, Week 1 of 2023 News ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2023/) - [ ![cybersecurity](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2024/01/phishing-protection.jpg) EasyPark Data Breach, Ohio Lottery Cyberattack, GTA 5 Leak, Cybersecurity News \[December 25, 2023\] News ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2024/) ## Related Articles [ News 3m Alert: Fix SPF & DKIM Settings For Your Email Forwarding Set Up Through Microsoft o365 SMTP Server Or Your Emails May End Up In Spam Jul 20, 2021 ](/blog/announcements/alert-fix-spf-dkim-settings-for-your-email-forwarding-set-up-through-microsoft-o365-smtp-server-or-your-emails-may-end-up-in-spam/)[ News 6m Cyber Security News Update, Week 1 of 2022 Jan 7, 2022 ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2022/)[ News 7m Cybersecurity News Update, Week 1 of 2023 Jan 1, 2023 ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2023/)[ News 5m EasyPark Data Breach, Ohio Lottery Cyberattack, GTA 5 Leak, Cybersecurity News \[December 25, 2023\] Jan 4, 2024 ](/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-1-of-2024/) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Organization","name":"DuoCircle LLC","url":"https://www.duocircle.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.duocircle.com/images/duocircle-logo.png"},"description":"DuoCircle is a portfolio of specialized email products covering protection, authentication, delivery, and routing. 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