Day 119: Backdoors, Prompt Warzones, and the New AI Attack Record 🎯🧠πŸ’₯

Today’s threat feed feels cold and calculated β€” backdoors used for geopolitical surveillance, record-breaking volumes of AI-powered attacks, and deeper exploration into prompt injection as the new social engineering. We’re entering an era where code, language, and infrastructure all blur into one hostile surface.

πŸ› οΈ CISA Adds Broadcom Flaw to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
A critical Broadcom vulnerability is now confirmed to be under active exploitation and has been added to CISA’s KEV list. It affects common networking components used across enterprise infrastructure β€” and if it’s not patched, it’s already a liability.
πŸ”— https://thehackernews.com/2025/04/cisa-adds-actively-exploited-broadcom.html

🧠 Prompt Injection as an Engineering Problem
Bruce Schneier dives deep into prompt injection β€” not as a quirky AI bug, but as a serious security engineering challenge. As AI agents grow more autonomous, securing the input becomes as vital as validating output.
πŸ”— https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/04/applying-security-engineering-to-prompt-injection-security.html

πŸ” Securing Microsoft Cloud Environments: A Product Walkthrough
A hands-on guide breaks down common missteps in Microsoft 365 and Azure security β€” from weak default configurations to neglected logging. If it’s running your business, it needs a threat model.
πŸ”— https://thehackernews.com/2025/04/product-walkthrough-securing-microsoft.html

πŸ€– AI-Powered Automated Attacks Reach Record Highs
According to Security Magazine, automated attacks powered by machine learning have hit an all-time high. Think: real-time credential stuffing, phishing infrastructure generation, and instant lateral movement. Velocity is now a threat vector.
πŸ”— https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/101581-ai-powered-automated-attacks-have-reached-record-numbers

πŸ’» Windows Backdoor Used to Spy on Exiled Uyghur Activists
A disturbing case of a Windows backdoor being deployed to monitor members of the exiled Uyghur community β€” with strong indications of state-sponsored surveillance. This isn’t theory. This is oppression via code.
πŸ”— https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/windows-backdoor-targets-members-exhiled-uyghur-community

πŸ‰ SentinelOne Uncovers Chinese Espionage Toolkit
SentinelOne has documented a full espionage campaign β€” complete with stealthy loaders, encrypted comms, and deployment across Southeast Asian networks. The cyber cold war is real β€” and quiet.
πŸ”— https://thehackernews.com/2025/04/sentinelone-uncovers-chinese-espionage.html

πŸ₯ Security Leaders Weigh in on Blue Shield of California Breach
In the aftermath of a breach at Blue Shield of California, CISOs and risk managers are calling for stronger third-party controls and more aggressive data segmentation. The takeaway? Breaches start at the edge β€” but they explode at the core.
πŸ”— https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/101584-security-leaders-share-thoughts-on-blue-shield-of-california-data-breach

πŸ“‘ What Telecom Hacks Teach Us About Modern Infrastructure Gaps
Telecom systems are deeply embedded in everyday life β€” but they’re often built on fragile, unpatched components. This piece breaks down recent telecom compromises and the broader implications for critical infrastructure.
πŸ”— https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/what-can-we-learn-from-recent-telecom-hacks/

πŸ’­ Reflection
It’s Day 119, and the illusion of static security is fading. Backdoors don’t knock. AI doesn’t wait. And inputs β€” once considered safe by default β€” are now vectors. As I continue through CISSP and edge deeper into AI + DevSecOps territory, I’m seeing it clearly: we’re not just securing data anymore β€” we’re securing decision flows. And that means we need engineers, analysts, and ethicists in the same room.

The question isn’t β€œcan it happen?”
It’s β€œcan we catch it when it does?” βš οΈπŸ§ πŸ›‘οΈ