---
title: "Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2023 | Phish Protection"
description: "This week in the cybersecurity world, we saw fake ransomware threats, hacktivists targeting Russian wives, and growing concerns regarding ChatGPT."
image: "https://phishprotection.com/og/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2023.png"
canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2023/"
---

Quick Answer

This week in the \[cybersecurity\](/content/cybersecurity-in-a-nutshell) world, we saw fake ransomware threats, hacktivists targeting Russian wives, and \*\*growing concerns\*\* regarding ChatGPT. All of these events prompted the need for enhanced \[phishing protection\](/) solutions

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This week in the [cybersecurity](/content/cybersecurity-in-a-nutshell) world, we saw fake ransomware threats, hacktivists targeting Russian wives, and **growing concerns** regarding ChatGPT. All of these events prompted the need for enhanced [phishing protection](/) solutions among all organizations . Read on to know more.

### Service NSW Suffers A Data Breach, Exposes Personal Data Impacting Thousands Of Customers

Service NSW said that the personal information of its customers got exposed to other **logged-in customers** in a privacy breach.

It released an update to the “[My Services](https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/service-nsw-breach-exposes-personal-data-affecting-thousands-of-customers-c-10240008?&web%5Fview=true)” dashboard on March 20, which caused the data breach, Greg Wells, the Service NSW CEO, told the impacted customers in an e-mail. Personal information that might be exposed includes vehicle registration, **driver’s license details**, children’s names, and contact information.

The agency believes that the affected customers logged in to the MyServiceNSW Account between 1.20 pm and 2.54 pm . It added that [hackers](/phishing/hackers-show-once-again-they-care-about-more-than-just-money) could not search the sensitive personal information, which was **isolated to the website**.

> 

Wells said he believes it was an isolated incident, and only the affected customers logged in at the time. “I can confirm that it wasn’t a [cyberattack](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/port-halifax-montreal-cyberattack-website-1.6808370), and Service NSW believes any risk presented by the incident is **very low**,” he said.

### Bank of England Warns of Potential Cyber Attacks on The Financial System

The Bank of England recently warned banks, market infrastructure companies, and insurers to **take immediate steps** to prepare against a potential major cyber-attack. It issued the warning amid growing concerns of[Russian-linked hackers](https://cyberwarzone.com/bank-of-england-warns-of-potential-cyber-attacks-on-financial-system/?web%5Fview=true)attempting to disrupt the financial system leading to widespread chaos.

![Phishing definition](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2023/04/phishing-definition.jpg) 

The move comes after Royal Mail and the Guardian became targets of **high-profile attacks** earlier this year. There are fears that [ransomware](/content/protection-against-ransomware/how-to-detect-ransomware) gangs will increasingly target businesses crucial to Britain’s financial system’s functioning.

The Bank of England instructed the companies to improve their systems and emergency response measures by March 2025\. Additionally, the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee urged the firms to invest in mitigations to better **manage their risks** to financial stability during an incident.

### Experts Say That Chinese E-Commerce Giant Pinduoduo Spies On Users

Researchers allege that the popular e-commerce application[Pinduoduo](https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/chinese-e-commerce-giant-pinduoduo-allegedly-spys-on-users-a-21599?&web%5Fview=true)can **bypass** mobile security and monitor user activity across other apps. _The comments come after Google suspended the application from its Play Store._

Google suspended the app because it discovered [malware](/content/protection-against-malware/what-is-malware) in its **Chinese versions**, which the users downloaded from other online stores. Additionally, CNN reported that the app **collects user data** without their consent.

> 

“E-commerce giant Pinduoduo has taken **privacy violations** and [data security](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/satori-wins-data-security-solution-123700146.html?guccounter=1&guce%5Freferrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce%5Freferrer%5Fsig=AQAAAJkfoQ1N41gdVVINYls7QmSUEUoiZUShQc84YrwnhzXDa%5F6n1FlYrNd9mgcETf7w7NlNcWi26JNSgclF1JSaFLXFmjPpvySZlN-ZNBZjMeoi05AgxAPP2uMGbzMUyBcZZAabXRA%5F%5F5j0JB3wxksmtirJOxCV3nAqiohmdbDlKsBZ) to the next level,” CNN said, citing various cybersecurity experts from Asia, Europe, and the United States.

### Fake Ransomware Gang Blackmails U.S. Organizations With Empty Data Leak Threats

![Anti phishing protection](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2023/04/anti-phishing-protection-3982.jpg) 

Fake extortionists are using the growing [data breaches](/phishing/data-breaches-and-phishing-attacks-how-third-party-vendors-jeopardize-organization) and ransomware incidents and threatening U.S. companies that they will **publish or sell** the stolen data unless the victims pay a ransom.

The attackers behind the activity go by the name[Midnight](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-ransomware-gang-targets-us-orgs-with-empty-data-leak-threats/?&web%5Fview=true), and they have been targeting **U.S. organizations** since at least March 16.

They also impersonated popular ransomware and [data extortion](https://www.corvusinsurance.com/blog/a-chilling-campfire-tale-of-data-extortion-how-data-theft-happens-in-detail) gangs in the e-mails and claimed they were the authors of the intrusion, stealing **gigabytes of essential data**.

Empty threats since 2019

Midnight Group’s **fake extortion** scam is not new. Coveware, a famous incident response company, observed it in 2019, calling it [Phantom Incident](https://cyberwarzone.com/phantom-incident-scam-in-ransomware-attacks/) Extortion.

### Ukrainian Hacktivists Trick Russian Military Wives Into Sharing Personal Info

Ukrainian hacktivists group[Cyber Resistance](https://www.hackread.com/ukrainian-hacktivists-russian-military-wives/?web%5Fview=true), also called the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, reportedly designed a unique strategy to hack into Russian **military personnel’s** e-mail accounts.

They convinced the wife of a Russian military serving colonel to participate in a **patriotic photoshoot**, who further convinced 12 more military wives to join. They allowed [hacktivists](https://colombiareports.com/hacktivists-leak-178000-documents-from-colombias-military/) to extract personal and sensitive data. The hacktivists **tricked** Colonel Sergey Valeriyevich Artoshchenko’s wife into a patriotic photoshoot and extracted personal information.

It assumes significance because Artoshchenko is currently **commissioned** at an aviation unit (960 Assault Aviation Regiment) in Crimea. The unsuspecting army wives clicked photographs wearing their **husbands’ uniforms**. These photographs provided [Ukrainian hackers](https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-hackers-say-they-have-compromised-russian-spy-who-hacked-democrats-2023-04-11/) with enough information to track down the personal details of their husbands, mainly Col. Areshchenko.

### Italy Raises Privacy Concerns And Temporarily Blocks ChatGPT

Italy temporarily **blocked** the AI software ChatGPT as it investigates a possible violation of the stringent European Union[data protection rules](https://www.securityweek.com/italy-temporarily-blocks-chatgpt-over-privacy-concerns/?web%5Fview=true).

The Italian Data Protection Authority said it took provisional action “until ChatGPT starts respecting privacy.” It temporarily limited ChatGPT from processing Italian users’ data.

U.S.-based OpenAI (ChatGPT’s developer) said it **disabled ChatGPT** for Italian users after the government’s request. It further added that its practices comply with European privacy laws and wishes [ChatGPT](/phishing-awareness/the-power-of-chatgpt-how-chatgpt-is-changing-the-phishing-game) would be available again soon.

Italy’s action is the **first nationwide restriction** of an emerging [AI platform](https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/04/13/amazon-launches-ai-platform-aimed-at-corporate-customers-joining-google-and-microsoft-in-ai-race/?sh=4ebe71f4483d) by a democracy and comes after several public schools and universities worldwide blocked ChatGPT over **student plagiarism** concerns.

### Protect Your Organization

- [Learn how phishing attacks work and how to spot them](/learn-what-is-phishing/)
- [See how Phish Protection blocks threats in real time](/anti-phishing-tools/)

## Topics

[ Announcements ](/tags/announcements/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across DuoCircle's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Protect your inbox from phishing attacks

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[Start Free Trial](https://portal.duocircle.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=101&brand=phishprotection) [View Pricing](/pricing/) 

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