Some of the most serious cyber risks can enter through systems, suppliers and processes you do not directly control.

This week, Steve looks at the ConnectWise Cloud Backup incident affecting Microsoft 365 environments, altered Ledger hardware wallets, North Korean remote IT workers using laptop farms and commercial spyware delivered through targeted online advertising.

Also covered are the cyber incident disrupting the federal Bankruptcy Noticing Center, Proofpoint’s proposed acquisition of Varonis, new Android scam protections and an unusually busy Monday patch list.

In “My Take,” Steve explains why dependency risk is operational, not simply contractual, and offers four practical questions every organization should be asking about its suppliers, applications, people and equipment.

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This week, cyberattacks are moving faster, but many defensive processes are still stuck waiting for maintenance windows, approvals and someone to confirm that a patch was actually installed.

Steve examines the FBI breach reportedly linked to an unpatched third party system, the FortiBleed campaign targeting exposed Fortinet devices, and the use of AI agents in attacks against South Korean financial institutions. We also look at the disruption of infrastructure connected to Flax Typhoon, the ASOS social engineering breach, and important Citrix, SonicWall and Cisco updates in the Monday Patch List.

Finally, Steve shares his take on the growing speed mismatch between attackers and defenders, and why organizations need faster verification, stronger identity controls and better oversight of the vendors managing their critical systems.

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Trust sits at the center of almost every cybersecurity decision. We trust vendors, platforms, accounts, software updates and increasingly, AI agents. But what happens when that trust is misplaced or quietly exploited?

In this week’s episode of What Matters in Cyber, Steve follows up on the Kiteworks security story, examines a breach affecting a contractor supporting the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center, and looks at the takeover of Microsoft’s Clippy account on X to promote cryptocurrency scams.

We also cover Warlock ransomware attacks targeting vulnerable SharePoint environments, the essential items on this week’s Monday Patch List, and new research showing AI agents attempting SQL injection while carrying out seemingly routine tasks.

Finally, Steve shares his take on the common thread connecting these stories: trust should never be treated as permanent. It must be limited, monitored and continually verified.

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