================================================================ INFOSECFOLLOW -- security, markets, business, pittsburgh Saturday, August 22, 2026 - 8:05 AM EDT ================================================================ More than 9,300 leaked AWS keys sit live in the wild and a new phishing kit plants attacker-controlled passkeys, showing that stolen credentials now outlast every password reset. CONTENTS: Emerging Trends and Key Updates | Security | Business and Politics | Pittsburgh | Sports | Reading | Markets EMERGING TRENDS AND KEY UPDATES ---------------------------------------------------------------- * [TREND] Attackers chase durable footholds as more than 9,300 exposed AWS keys stay valid for years while the iAuthFlow V2 kit plants rogue passkeys surviving password resets. see: Thousands of Leaked AWS Keys Remain Active; iAuthFlow V2 Registers Attacker Passkeys * [TREND] Financially motivated malware keeps colonizing new turf, with the Grandoreiro banking trojan draining accounts across Latin America and Europe and fresh code hijacking Android car head units. see: Grandoreiro Banking Trojan Campaign; Android Car Head-Unit Malware * [TREND] The Russia-Ukraine war keeps bleeding into networks as pro-Ukraine group Black Spark spent over a month inside Russian monitoring firm Microolap and reached its EtherSensor platform. see: Pro-Ukraine Group Black Spark Breaches Microolap * [UPDATE (new)] U.S. lawmakers opened a probe into how staffing cuts at CISA have hollowed out the agency's cyber mission and lost expertise. see: Lawmakers Probe CISA Staffing Cuts * [UPDATE (new)] Washington's 50% tariffs on Canadian goods took effect Saturday after talks collapsed, and Ottawa immediately vowed matching duties on American products. see: U.S. Slaps 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods * [TREND] Pittsburgh-area school friction mounts, with families fearing lost special education services under proposed closures and West Mifflin parents decrying hour-long bus rides. see: Families Fear for Special Education in Closures; West Mifflin Bus Rides Run Over an Hour SECURITY ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. GRANDOREIRO BANKING TROJAN CAMPAIGN Ransomware and Cybercrime · [banking-trojan, malware] Latest developments: SecurityWeek on August 22, 2026 spotlighted a persistent Grandoreiro banking-trojan campaign running across Latin America and Europe, joining the spyware-equipped Manic and the expanded ToxicPanda 2.0 documented earlier this week. Grandoreiro is a long-running Latin American banking trojan that steals online-banking credentials and now strikes European victims. Banks and users should watch for malicious installer lures and enforce transaction verification. - SecurityWeek: https://www.securityweek.com/banking-trojans-manic-grandoreiro-toxicpanda-2-0-in-the-spotlight/ 2. THOUSANDS OF LEAKED AWS KEYS REMAIN ACTIVE Data Breaches · [cloud, credentials, supply-chain] Latest developments: BleepingComputer reported on August 21, 2026 that more than 9,300 AWS access keys exposed publicly between August 2022 and August 2026 stay active and valid, granting anyone who finds them full control over corporate accounts, as Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 warned that attackers now hit CI/CD pipelines and developer tools rather than application code. Developers leak long-lived AWS keys in public repositories, build artifacts, and code, and the keys open broad access to cloud accounts. Rotate exposed keys, move to short-lived credentials, and scan pipelines and artifacts for secrets. - BleepingComputer: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hundreds-of-leaked-aws-keys-give-full-control-over-corporate-accounts/ - Unit 42 (Palo Alto): https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/sdlc-supply-chain/ 3. PRO-UKRAINE GROUP BLACK SPARK BREACHES MICROOLAP Nation-State Activity · [hacktivism, nation-state, breach] Latest developments: Microolap confirmed on August 21, 2026 the cyberattack that the pro-Ukraine group Black Spark claimed a day earlier, saying intruders spent more than a month inside its network and reached internal systems including EtherSensor, its network traffic-analysis platform. Black Spark, a pro-Ukraine hacking crew, penetrated Russian network-monitoring vendor Microolap and accessed its EtherSensor traffic-analysis product. The intrusion pushes the cyber front of the Russia-Ukraine war into Russian security-tooling suppliers. - The Record: https://therecord.media/russian-network-monitoring-firm-confirms-cyberattack-claimed-by-pro-ukraine-group 4. IAUTHFLOW V2 REGISTERS ATTACKER PASSKEYS Ransomware and Cybercrime · [phishing, passkeys, identity] Latest developments: Researchers detailed iAuthFlow V2, a phishing toolkit that registers an attacker-controlled passkey during the login flow, granting persistent access that survives password changes and revoked sessions. iAuthFlow V2 abuses passkey enrollment to hold a foothold after victims reset credentials. Defenders should audit passkey and security-key registrations and alert on any new authenticator enrollment. - SecurityWeek: https://www.securityweek.com/new-phishing-toolkit-uses-passkeys-to-maintain-access-after-password-resets/ 5. ANDROID CAR HEAD-UNIT MALWARE Ransomware and Cybercrime · [malware, android, botnet] Latest developments: The Hacker News reported on August 21, 2026 that Kaspersky, which found the threat in June 2026, detailed a new malware family infecting Android vehicle head-unit firmware built by DoFun, spreading through the units' built-in updaters to deliver a multi-stage downloader for ad fraud and a proxy botnet. The malware rides DoFun-made Android head-unit firmware updaters in vehicles, then pulls payloads that commit ad fraud and enroll the units into a proxy botnet. Automakers and integrators should vet head-unit update channels and firmware sources. - The Hacker News: https://thehackernews.com/2026/08/android-car-malware-spreads-through.html 6. LAWMAKERS PROBE CISA STAFFING CUTS Policy and Regulation · [policy, cisa, government] Latest developments: U.S. lawmakers on August 21, 2026 called for an investigation into how staffing cuts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have affected its mission, saying little is known about the lost expertise or whether the agency has replaced it. Members of Congress want a formal review of CISA workforce reductions and their operational fallout. The push raises concern that thinned staffing weakens federal cyberdefense coordination. - The Record: https://therecord.media/lawmakers-call-for-investigation-into-impact-of-cisa-cuts BUSINESS AND POLITICS ---------------------------------------------------------------- * U.S. Slaps 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods Latest developments: The 50% tariffs took effect early Saturday, August 22, after negotiations collapsed Friday night, and Ottawa immediately promised matching duties on American products. The United States imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods after last-ditch talks failed; Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the terms as unfair, and Canada vowed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, deepening the rupture between the two allies. - WSJ World News: https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/u-s-to-impose-50-tariffs-on-some-canadian-goods-after-failed-talks-d1510425?mod=rss_worldnews - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/24f9c08e-e23f-434e-b0f4-fc1eb55a7b04?syn-25a6b1a6=1 PITTSBURGH ---------------------------------------------------------------- Weather: Today: Patchy Fog then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 82F. Tonight: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Showers And Thunderstorms, low 62F. Sunday: Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 74F. Business: * Okane Opens Downtown Latest developments: Okane, a three-story Japanese restaurant, opened in Downtown Pittsburgh on August 15 and hosted a preview of its rooftop menu. Okane, a new three-story Japanese restaurant, opened Downtown, serving dishes such as a salmon "cigar" on its rooftop level, adding to the city center's dining scene. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/lifestyles/food-drink/new-3-story-japanese-restaurant-okane-opens-in-downtown-pittsburgh/ * Contractors React to Data-Center Order Latest developments: Western Pennsylvania developers and officials weighed in on Governor Josh Shapiro's executive order restricting data centers, and contractor Alex Paris said he is not much concerned. Governor Josh Shapiro's executive order imposing statewide guardrails on data-center development drew reaction across Western Pennsylvania from builders, local officials, and environmental groups, with contractor Alex Paris downplaying its effect on his projects. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/local/regional/local-people-react-to-gov-shapiros-executive-order-on-data-centers/ Around town: * Democrat Takes Butler County Seat Latest developments: Days after the special election, residents and analysts debated whether Democrat Brandon Dukes's win over Republican Scott Timko in traditionally Republican Butler County signals a broader shift. Democrat Brandon Dukes captured a Pennsylvania House seat centered on Cranberry Township, Butler County, defeating Republican Scott Timko in a deep-red area, an upset locals like Susan Collier read as a possible sign of changing politics. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/local/regional/democratic-upset-in-red-butler-county-could-point-to-broader-political-shifts/ * Families Fear for Special Education in Closures Latest developments: Parents told TribLive that Pittsburgh Public Schools' proposed school-closures plan could disrupt special education services their children depend on. Pittsburgh Public Schools' plan to close buildings drew warnings from families that special education services would suffer, with one parent noting a child who can go from mildly sniffly to hospitalized within a single day. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/news/education-classroom/special-education-services-could-suffer-in-pittsburgh-publics-school-closures-plan-families-say/ * West Mifflin Bus Rides Run Over an Hour Latest developments: In the first days of the school year, West Mifflin Area School District parents complained of bus rides stretching beyond an hour. Transportation troubles hit the opening days of school in the West Mifflin Area School District, where parents said students endured bus rides exceeding an hour. - WPXI: https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/west-mifflin-school-district-parents-concerned-after-students-endure-bus-rides-exceeding-an-hour/OYFLBSP6TRG5JHGZYXQMHVP47E/ SPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- Around the Teams: * Steelers Sort Out the Quarterback Room Latest developments: Coach Mike McCarthy said he has seen enough of Mason Rudolph and set his quarterback plan for the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, while Post-Gazette columnist Noah Hiles argued keeping four quarterbacks would be a mistake. The Steelers hold Aaron Rodgers, veteran Mason Rudolph, and young passers Will Howard and Drew Allar; Howard and Allar struggled in the preseason loss to the New York Jets, though McCarthy said that will not alter how he evaluates them heading into the finale. - Post-Gazette Steelers: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/columns/2026/08/22/nfl-steelers-quarterbacks-aaron-rodgers-mason-rudolph-will-howard-drew-allar/stories/202608220031 - Post-Gazette Steelers: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/08/21/nfl-steelers-will-howard-drew-allar/stories/202608210032 * Cherington Era Nears 1,000 Games Latest developments: A Post-Gazette analysis marks general manager Ben Cherington approaching 1,000 games running the Pirates and traces the seven losing seasons under owner Bob Nutting. The Pittsburgh Pirates are about to reach 1,000 games under general manager Ben Cherington, hired in 2019, a stretch of seven straight losing campaigns that the Post-Gazette broke down season by season. - Post-Gazette Pirates: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2026/08/21/mlb-analysis-ben-cherington-bob-nutting/stories/202608200068 * Heyward's Podcast Hosts Benton and Joseph-Day Latest developments: Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" posted the second episode of its training-camp series, featuring defensive tackles Keeanu Benton and Sebastian Joseph-Day. On "Not Just Football," Steelers captain Cam Heyward and co-host Hayden welcomed defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and Sebastian Joseph-Day to talk about the coming season and camp. - Not Just Football with Cam Heyward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OTIxTpCMCU READING ---------------------------------------------------------------- * Stratechery -- Apple Settles With E.U., U.S. App Store Fees, ATT Rules in Germany Ben Thompson argues Apple has finally accepted lower App Store fees in settling with the European Union and adopting App Tracking Transparency rules in Germany, and that the EU can count the outcome a win even though it arrived late. https://stratechery.com/2026/apple-settles-with-e-u-u-s-app-store-fees-att-rules-in-germany/ * Ed Zitron -- What Happens If OpenAI Dies? Zitron war-games the collapse of OpenAI, tracing how its failure would ripple across the AI industry and the many companies and investors that depend on it. https://www.wheresyoured.at/what-happens-if-openai-dies/ * Cal Newport -- On AI Coding and Its Discontents Newport examines the frustrations of AI-assisted programming, opening with a converted AI-skeptic senior Silicon Valley engineer, and questions how much the tools actually change software work. https://calnewport.com/on-ai-coding-and-its-discontents/ MARKETS (weekly average, change vs prior week) ---------------------------------------------------------------- S&P 500 7,692.07 ▼ -0.9% Dow 53,260.49 ▼ -1.0% Nasdaq 26,302.67 ▼ -1.2% WTI crude 86.03 ▲ +4.3% EUR/USD 1.1640 ▲ +0.8% GBP/USD 1.3596 ▲ +0.6% USD/JPY 159.00 ▼ -0.2% ================================================================ Generated 2026-08-22 08:05 EDT. Sources: 24 security feeds; 9 Pittsburgh feeds; 4 Pittsburgh arts and events feeds; 6 Pittsburgh sports beat and podcast feeds; 4 Team USA feeds; the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the Financial Times; and Ed Zitron, Stratechery, Cal Newport. Markets from Yahoo Finance, weather from the NWS, scores from ESPN. Summaries are AI-generated from the linked reporting; verify at the sources. ================================================================