Hacktivism, protestware, and information operations in a hybrid war. Brazi-based cyber gangs active in extortion. Steganography opens a backdoor. A free decryptor for Diavol ransomware.

The anticipated intense Russian cyber campaign has not yet emerged, but cyber threats and the Ukraine conflict continue to dominate the news. Cyber warfare is becoming increasingly real for satellite operators, and there are warnings that Russia could attack satellite communications networks. Banks are on alert for potential Russian reprisal cyberattacks on Swift. Hacktivism has taken a dangerous turn with "protestware," and activists are targeting Russians with open-source "protestware." Anonymous has successfully launched a cyberwar to undermine Putin's Ukraine invasion. Some Russians are breaking through Putin's digital iron curtain, leading to fights with friends and family. On Russia's VK, anti-war messages defy Vladimir Putin's Ukraine censors. The British military has ordered soldiers off WhatsApp amid fears that sensitive military details could be accessed by Russian hackers. Microsoft is investigating a claim of a breach by an extortion gang, and the Lapsus$ gang has sent a worrying message to would-be criminals. A new backdoor targets French entities with a unique attack chain, and Emsisoft has released a free decryptor for victims of the Diavol ransomware.