This brief covers cyber espionage operations targeting Philippines and Myanmar government data. Compromised WiFi routers with pre-programed backdoors. Developments in AI generated disinformation campaigns. And, analysis on recent cyberattacks targeting healthcare companies.
This brief covers threat actors exploiting remote access vulnerabilities from hidden back to access cameras of military drones to the disruption of critical infrastructure across continents. We also tackle how North Korea exploits remote work; and urgent security updates for consumer technology.
PSA Intelligence notes rising cyber espionage on APAC government databases and critical infrastructure attacks. Concurrently, AI models are escaping sandboxes to breach systems, and AI-generated phantom threats in CVE databases are wasting security teams' resources.
Regional cyber espionage, new data classification policies, artificial intelligence threats, and severe software vulnerabilities require immediate risk mitigation and security compliance
174 reports
Chinese state-sponsored threat actors hijacked the Notepad++ update infrastructure to distribute "Chrysalis" malware. This supply chain attack targeted developers and system administrators, weaponizing trusted software updates to maintain persistent remote access for regional espionage.
China-linked threat actors are utilizing the PeckBirdy framework to conduct fileless espionage across Southeast Asia. By mimicking legitimate traffic, the campaign targets government and energy infrastructure, including Philippine institutions, to maintain undetected access.
Scammers are exploiting Amazon’s reputation to target job seekers with fraudulent offers. By mimicking official branding and moving conversations to encrypted messaging apps, threat actors trick victims into providing sensitive data or paying fake "training" fees under the guise of recruitment.
Researchers uncovered a new Telephone-Oriented Attack Delivery (TOAD) campaign that exploits Zoom’s infrastructure to bypass security filters. By abusing trusted domains to send legitimate-looking emails, attackers lure victims into fraudulent calls to bypass MFA and steal sensitive financial data.
Multiple ransomware groups, including Qilin and Tengu, have claimed attacks on several Philippine firms, such as PSBank and Lenotech. While LM Metro Hotel confirmed a 30GB data breach, other claims remain unverified by authorities, highlighting a surge in local targeting.
Authorities are warning of a text scam impersonating government agencies like the MMDA and LTO, claiming recipients have unpaid traffic violations. These messages use pressure tactics and malicious links to redirect victims to fake payment portals to steal banking credentials and personal data.
HoneyMyte has intensified espionage in South East Asia, targeting government networks via DLL side-loading. The group bypasses security to harvest credentials and monitor activity. With 1,400 past victims in the Philippines, their persistence poses a major risk to national critical infrastructure.
Cyber Risks to Monitor
A critical authentication bypass vulnerability in n8n, dubbed "Ni8mare," allows unauthenticated attackers to achieve full remote code execution. With a maximum CVSS score of 10.0, the flaw enables attackers to weaponize workflows, steal credentials, and compromise connected services.
Cisco released urgent patches for a maximum-severity zero-day vulnerability in its Secure Email Gateway. Actively exploited by China-linked threat actors, the CVSS 10.0 flaw allows unauthenticated root-level command execution, enabling full device takeover and persistent network access.
Cisco Talos reports that China-linked group UAT-8837 is exploiting a critical zero-day vulnerability in Sitecore CMS to breach North American critical infrastructure. The group uses insecure configurations to bypass controls, establish long-term persistence, and monitor operational plans.
Microsoft's January 2026 update addresses 114 vulnerabilities, including three zero-days, most notably a memory leak in Desktop Windows Manager. Despite critical fixes, the rollout has caused operational disruptions, including Outlook freezes and Windows 11 shutdown failures.
Threat actors are using malvertising and fake online converter tools to distribute malware via deceptive "CAPTCHA" prompts. By mimicking legitimate productivity services, these fraudulent sites trick users into executing malicious commands and expose sensitive corporate documents to data theft.
Malicious browser extension campaigns, including are targeting enterprise systems to steal credentials and session tokens. By masquerading as productivity tools, these extensions bypass traditional defenses to capture sensitive data and trigger social engineering attacks.
Researchers uncovered a vulnerability in Microsoft Copilot which allows threat actors to exfiltrate chat histories via a single malicious link. The flaw enables silent command execution within browser-based sessions to send sensitive data to external servers without further user interaction.
The Canadian and Philippine militaries completed a five-day cyber operations course to bolster the AFP’s ability to defend critical infrastructure. Focused on detection and legal alignment, the training strengthens bilateral defense ties and regional resilience against rising cyber threats.
The CICC lifted the ban on X’s Grok AI after xAI committed to removing deepfake and content manipulation features. The swift reversal followed similar restrictions in Malaysia and Indonesia, highlighting regional efforts to force AI developers to comply with local safety standards.
The DICT is launching “Oplan Bantay Padala,” a centralized portal for filing complaints against courier services. Expanding on the “Oplan Bantay Signal” framework, the system aims to enhance accountability, monitor delivery performance, and professionalize the logistics industry.
The "Kimwolf" campaign has compromised over two million Android streaming devices, primarily off-brand TV boxes, to build a global botnet. These infected devices facilitate DDoS attacks, credential stuffing, and bandwidth theft, often arriving pre-infected or compromised minutes after setup.
Two malicious Chrome extensions, "Prompt Poaching," were found harvesting ChatGPT and DeepSeek chat histories. Posing as productivity tools, they bypassed security—one even holding a "Featured" badge—to exfiltrate sensitive AI data and intellectual property.
Threat actors are abusing Google Cloud’s “Application Integration” tool to send phishing emails from a genuine Google address. By bypassing filters and using fake CAPTCHAs, the multi-stage attack tricks users into entering Microsoft 365 credentials on fraudulent login pages.
The ClickFix campaign "PHALT#BLYX" targets the hospitality sector using fake BSOD errors to trick users into executing malicious code. By following "fix" instructions, victims paste commands into the Windows Run box, installing the DCRAT trojan to grant attackers remote system control.
The PNP-ACG reported a decline in major cybercrime categories for 2025, including drops in online selling and investment scams. While officials credit awareness efforts, analysts note the data reflects only PNP-handled cases and not the nationwide prevalence across other agencies.
Taiwan’s NSB reported that Chinese-linked actors, including Mustang Panda and APT41, average 2.63M daily intrusion attempts targeting critical sectors. The focus on energy infrastructure highlights risks for the Philippines' power grid, given its partial ownership by a Chinese state firm.
