WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE RANSOM NEGOTIATOR? Edward Dubrovsky made a career helping organizations deal with ransomware gangs. Now the Canadian cybersecurity executive is facing U.S. federal extortion charges. According to CyberScoop, Dubrovsky, 54, was arrested in Pennsylvania on October 8. He is the former chief operating officer and co-founder of CYPFER (no relation to us at “Cipher”) a firm specializing in helping victims of cyberattacks, including negotiating with the criminals. Now, Dubrovsky is charged with conspiring to threaten the confidentiality of information to extort money, in violation of federal computer fraud law, and conspiring to commit Hobbs Act extortion, which involves using threats to affect interstate commerce. Other details of the case remain sealed. The New York Times and CyberScoop suggest that the case may be connected to the FBI's investigation of ShinyHunters, the hacking group that claimed responsibility for breaching the bureau's jobs portal and stealing sensitive personal information about employees and their families. The FBI is being a bit cryptic about the matter – judging by Director Kash Patel’s X post. Less than three weeks ago, Dubrovsky published a book called “Cyber Extortion Strategic Response.” So far, we have seen no response, strategic or tactical - from him or his attorney.
FOWL PLAY COOP D’ETAT: An Israeli poultry farmer reportedly went to check on his chickens and discovered that someone had turned his security camera into a spying mechanism. According to The Wall Street Journal, the farmer in northern Israel opened his webcam app during the war with Iran and found that the camera's language had been switched to Arabic. Israel's National Cyber Directorate investigated and discovered that hackers had commandeered the Chinese-made device. Their interest wasn't exactly poultry production. The camera had a view of Israeli security-force movements near the Lebanese border, making the chicken coop an unlikely intelligence collection post. Officials helped the farmer secure the camera and change its viewing angle. The incident is part of a much larger problem: Israeli authorities say Iranian-linked hackers have compromised hundreds of sensitive Israeli cameras, while Russia and Ukraine have also reportedly been hijacking civilian webcams to track military movements and help identify targets in their own war. It seems like cheap (or maybe cheep) intelligence has come home to roost. (We couldn’t resist.)
A MOLE IN MOLESWORTH? Two Latvians walk into a NATO intelligence hub. Police are still working on the punchline. The Associated Press reports that British counterterrorism police are trying to figure out why two Latvian citizens living in the U.K. entered RAF Molesworth, an installation in Cambridgeshire that hosts American and NATO intelligence operations covering Europe and Africa. On the night of Oct. 7, a security patrol reportedly spotted an abandoned car outside the base and then discovered a small hole in the perimeter fence. The men, ages 32 and 36, were arrested early on Oct. 8, according to press accounts. They’re being held on suspicion of trespass and entering a prohibited place “for a purpose prejudicial” to U.K. security, an offense under Britain’s 2023 National Security Act. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said police are “very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites.” She added there is “nothing to suggest” a link to RAF Fairford, where seven men were arrested after a security scare on Sept. 27.
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