October 2025 Cybersecurity Roundup

A new malware strain called Sorvepotel is spreading via WhatsApp messages in Brazil by tricking users into opening ZIP attachments disguised as legitimate documents. Once opened, it hijacks WhatsApp Web sessions and automatically spreads to contacts, primarily affecting government and enterprise systems. (The Record)

How to protect your organization: 

• Restrict use of consumer messaging apps for internal communication, if possible.
  
• Train employees to avoid downloading attachments or links from unverified contacts.
• Implement email and web content filtering to detect suspicious archives and executable files.

Why it matters: 

Impersonation attacks thrive on unverified digital content. SSL.com’s Document Signing Certificates provide verifiable proof of authorship and integrity for PDFs, contracts, and other sensitive materials, ensuring recipients can trust that files came directly from your organization.

Scammers are impersonating the New York Department of Taxation and Finance via text messages offering “Inflation Refunds.” Victims are tricked into submitting personal and financial data via fake refund portals, resulting in identity theft and fraud. (Bleeping Computer)

How to protect your organization: 

• Educate employees and customers about SMS-based phishing (smishing).
  
• Verify URLs and sender domains before entering any sensitive information.
• Deploy SSL/TLS certificates on all public-facing sites to authenticate your brand online.

Why it matters: 

For government and regulated-industry leaders, digital trust must be scalable and auditable. SSL.com’s PKI and Digital Certificates for Government Services help public-sector agencies protect citizens’ data and ensure authenticity across digital systems.

A Chinese-linked group known as Silver Fox has expanded its Winos 4.0 malware campaigns to Japan and Malaysia. Using phishing emails with malicious PDFs and SEO poisoning, attackers deliver remote access trojans capable of disabling antivirus protections and stealing confidential data. (The Hacker News)

How to protect your organization: 

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all privileged accounts.
  
• Digitally sign internal software and update packages to prevent tampering.
  
• Use managed PKI solutions to centralize certificate issuance and revocation across global offices.

Why it matters: 

Phishing thrives on unrecognized or spoofed senders. SSL.com’s Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) make your emails unmistakable at first glance. Your verified logo appears next to your sender name, providing instant visual proof of authenticity and reinforcing brand trust.

A phishing campaign impersonating LastPass is deceiving users with fake inheritance requests claiming a family member submitted a death certificate. The links lead to fake recovery portals that capture credentials and passkeys, compromising password vaults and cryptocurrency accounts. (Bleeping Computer)

How to protect your organization: 

• Implement hardware-based or certificate-backed MFA instead of password-only authentication.
  
• Monitor for spoofed domains that imitate your organization’s brand.
• Use email signing certificates (S/MIME) to authenticate corporate communications.

Why it matters: 

Strong authentication prevents credential theft. SSL.com’s Email Signing (S/MIME) Certificates ensure your organization’s communications are verifiable and tamper-proof, reducing phishing success rates.

Canadian airline WestJet confirmed that personal and travel data of 1.2 million passengers were stolen in a cyberattack linked to the Scattered Spider group. The stolen data included passport details, loyalty points, and government-issued IDs. (TechCrunch)

How to protect your organization: 

• Encrypt sensitive customer data both at rest and in transit.
  
• Deploy client and server certificates for secure API and database communications.
• Limit data access by role and log all access attempts.

Why it matters: 

Data protection now demands identity assurance at every access point. SSL.com’s Client Authentication Certificates add a powerful layer of identity-based protection by ensuring that only verified users and devices can access sensitive assets. These certificates can also integrate with Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions for seamless yet secure access control.