Strengthening Retail Cybersecurity
Groupe Rocher CISO on strengthening a modern retail cybersecurity strategy
Global retail and beauty brands manage a unique cybersecurity balancing act. They depend on consumer trust, massive volumes of personal data, and a sprawling network of vendors, while also managing thousands of physical locations and dynamic digital growth.

In this Help Net Security interview, Jérôme Etienne, Group CISO, Groupe Rocher shares practical insights on closing strategy gaps, managing third-party risk, and securing online and in-store environments. In the conversation, he also discusses why point-of-sale and in-store systems can no longer be treated as secondary security concerns, especially as attackers increasingly target overlooked technologies. He also explains how CISOs can build a unified global security strategy that meets regional regulatory demands without creating fragmented policies and inconsistent controls.

Global retail and beauty brands sit at the intersection of consumer trust, complex supply chains, and aggressive growth targets. When you look at a typical enterprise in this space, where do you most often see a disconnect between stated cybersecurity strategy and actual business risk?

In the retail and beauty sectors, a common disconnect arises from the gap between the strategic intent of cybersecurity measures and their operational execution. This often manifests in the misalignment of cybersecurity priorities with actual business risks, particularly in areas like supply chain vulnerabilities and consumer data protection.

Enterprises might declare robust cybersecurity strategies yet fail to adequately address the threats posed by complex supply chains and aggressive digital transformation efforts. To bridge this gap, at Groupe Rocher, we have chosen to integrate cybersecurity into the core business strategy, ensuring that security measures are not only reactive but also predictive, leveraging threat intelligence to anticipate and mitigate risks effectively. Adhering to broader cybersecurity and regulatory best practices allows us to strengthen this alignment by requiring a comprehensive risk management approach, encompassing supply chain security, robust incident response capabilities, and overall resilience against evolving threats.

Additionally, we encourage a culture of cybersecurity awareness across all levels of the organization can help ensure that everyone understands their role in maintaining security. Regular training sessions and open communication about potential threats can empower our employees to act as the first line of defense against cyber risks.

Full interview here: helpnetsecurity.com


Businesses Should Be On Alert
Extortion attacks on the rise as hackers prioritize supply-chain weaknesses

Consulting firms and manufacturing companies accounted for many of the ransomware victims posted to the dark web in 2025, Intel 471 said.

Ransomware actors extorted consumer and industrial products vendors, consulting firms and manufacturing companies more than any other organizations in 2025, the security firm Intel 471 said in a report published on Tuesday.

The U.S. was, by far, the most affected country, accounting for more than half of all extortion victims.

Cyber threat actors exploited more than 40% of the 520 vulnerabilities disclosed in 2025, according to Intel 471, which predicted that AI would further reduce the time needed to exploit these vulnerabilities in 2026.

The number of extortion-related cyberattacks increased by roughly 63% in 2025 to 6,800, according to Intel 471’s report, which is based on data from the company’s analysis of dark-web forums. The previous year saw the “rapid ascension” of the Qilin ransomware gang, Intel 471 said, although the Sp1d3r Hunters alliance (composed of Scattered Spider, LAPSUS$ and ShinyHunters hackers) and the Cl0p gang grabbed most of the headlines with high-profile operations.

Businesses should be particularly alert for supply-chain attacks leveraging vulnerabilities in their contractors’ products, the report warned. By compromising a managed service provider or software vendor to access its customers’ systems, a supply-chain attack “leverages established trust, allowing attackers to bypass robust defenses and achieve a much greater impact with significantly less effort,” Intel 471 researchers wrote. cybersecuritydive.com


Millions Exposed in Data Breach
Data breach exposes personal data of 25M Americans

SafePay ransomware group claims to have stolen 8 terabytes of data containing personal information

A data breach that impacted a major government tech contractor is now believed to be significantly larger than initially thought, with more than 25 million Americans affected.

Conduent, a business technology firm that provides a variety of services like medical billing, toll transactions and processing prepaid cards for government programs, experienced a data breach that began in October 2024 and was mitigated in January 2025.

Last October, the company began informing consumers who were affected by the breach, which was believed to have affected more than 10 million people who had their names, Social Security numbers and medical information exposed.

Newly released data breach reports have pushed the number of people affected in Texas to at least 15.4 million, up from an earlier estimate of 4 million that was released in October, according to a report by TechCrunch. foxbusiness.com


That “summarize with AI” button might be manipulating you

Microsoft prepares to refresh Secure Boot’s digital certificate