Cybersecurity Decrypted #48

This week: Fired Developer Jailed For Shutting Down Employer’s Network With ‘Kill Switch’ Malware, First Known AI-Powered Ransomware Discovered, FBI Warning: Russia Is Targeting Critical Infrastructure Using Old Vulnerability

Last updated on Sep 1, 2025 1 Minute To Read
Joel Witts Written by Joel Witts

🚨Headlines

Fired Developer Jailed For Shutting Down Employer’s Network With ‘Kill Switch’ Malware, Impacting Thousands

A man has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for installing ‘kill switch’ malicious code on his former employer’s network after being fired. The attack impacted thousands of employees globally and cost the company $100,000+.

First Known AI-Powered Ransomware Found By Security Researchers

Threat researchers at ESET Research have uncovered the first known AI-powered ransomware, dubbed “PromptLock.” It can generate malicious scripts, exfiltrate selected data, and perform encryption on Windows, Linux, and Mac devices.

FBI Warning: Russia Is Targeting Critical Infrastructure Using 7-Year-Old Vulnerability

The FBI has warned that the Russian government is targeting computer networks and critical infrastructure across the USA and around the world running outdated networking devices.

Anthropic: “AI Systems Are Being Weaponized” By Vibe Hackers

Anthropic has caught multiple threat actors abusing AI for cybercrime, including North Korean remote workers, ransomware-as-a-service gangs, and one hacker who breached 17 companies. How worried should we be?

🔍From Expert Insights

Podcast: What’s The Next $20bn+ Cybersecurity Acquisition?

Deepak Jeevankumar, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital, shares his take on the latest cybersecurity trends.

Explainer: Spear-Phishing Explained

What is spear phishing, how does it work, and what should you be doing to keep your organization safe?

Article: Are EDR Solutions Enough To Protect Your Business?

EDR tools identify and block threats on corporate endpoints. But are they enough to protect your business?

📰 More News

Cybersecurity Dive: CISA updates SBOM recommendations

TheHackerNews: INTERPOL Arrests 1,209 Cybercriminals Across 18 African Nations in Global Crackdown

TheRecord: CISA warns of Apple zero-day used in targeted cyberattacks

Marektóth: DOM-based Extension Clickjacking: Your Password Manager Data at Risk

BleepingComputer: Citrix fixes critical NetScaler RCE flaw exploited in zero-day attacks

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Written By Written By
Joel Witts
Joel Witts Content Director

Joel is the Director of Content and a co-founder at Expert Insights; a rapidly growing media company focussed on covering cybersecurity solutions.

He’s an experienced journalist and editor with 8 years’ experience covering the cybersecurity space. He’s reviewed hundreds of cybersecurity solutions, interviewed hundreds of industry experts and produced dozens of industry reports read by thousands of CISOs and security professionals in topics like IAM, MFA, zero trust, email security, DevSecOps and more.

He also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted. Joel is driven to share his team’s expertise with cybersecurity leaders to help them create more secure business foundations.