Today’s Topics:

• Organized Cybercriminals Use Legitimate Remote Tools to Hijack Freight Operations
• OpenAI Introduces Aardvark: A GPT-5 Agent That Detects and Fixes Code Vulnerabilities Automatically
• How can Netizen help?

Organized Cybercriminals Use Legitimate Remote Tools to Hijack Freight Operations

A new wave of cyberattacks is targeting the trucking and logistics industry through the abuse of legitimate remote monitoring and management tools. Proofpoint researchers Ole Villadsen and Selena Larson reported that since June 2025, organized criminal groups have been working with cyber actors to infiltrate companies and steal physical cargo, primarily food and beverage products. Once stolen, these goods are often resold online or shipped overseas for profit.

The attackers use a mix of phishing campaigns and compromised email accounts to impersonate freight brokers, carriers, and logistics coordinators. They post fraudulent listings on load boards using hacked accounts and send follow-up emails with malicious links to carriers who inquire about shipments. These links lead to installers for legitimate remote management software such as ScreenConnect, SimpleHelp, PDQ Connect, Fleetdeck, N-able, and LogMeIn Resolve. In some cases, PDQ Connect has been used to deploy ScreenConnect and SimpleHelp together, giving attackers multiple layers of access to a victim’s network.

After gaining remote access, the intruders perform system reconnaissance and deploy credential-stealing utilities like WebBrowserPassView to harvest passwords stored in browsers. This allows them to deepen access into the company’s infrastructure. In at least one confirmed case, the attackers used their control to delete existing bookings, block dispatcher notifications, and insert their own devices into the communications system. They then scheduled new shipments under the compromised company’s name, effectively hijacking legitimate freight operations to steal cargo.

The use of remote monitoring software provides a strategic advantage to attackers. These tools are trusted within enterprise environments and are rarely flagged by antivirus programs. Their installers are signed, legitimate payloads distributed through malicious means, allowing criminals to operate quietly and without the need for custom malware. As Proofpoint noted earlier this year, the legitimacy of these applications lowers suspicion among users and helps attackers avoid detection.

This emerging pattern reflects a shift from traditional data theft toward cyber-enabled physical theft. By blending digital compromise with operational fraud, attackers are managing to turn network access into real-world profit. Logistics and freight companies, particularly smaller carriers, remain vulnerable due to limited cybersecurity oversight and reliance on third-party platforms. Experts recommend tightening control over the use of RMM software, enforcing multifactor authentication on all dispatch and communication systems, and actively monitoring for unusual remote connections. Continuous monitoring and logging remain critical to identifying unauthorized sessions before they result in financial loss or disruption.

OpenAI Introduces Aardvark: A GPT-5 Agent That Detects and Fixes Code Vulnerabilities Automatically

OpenAI has introduced Aardvark, an autonomous GPT-5–powered agent designed to operate as an “AI security researcher” capable of detecting, validating, and patching software vulnerabilities without direct human intervention. The company describes Aardvark as an embedded security companion for development teams, running continuously within code repositories to analyze changes, assess risks, and generate targeted fixes.

According to OpenAI, Aardvark integrates directly into software development pipelines, monitoring commits and new code pushes to detect security flaws as they emerge. Once it identifies a possible weakness, the system attempts to exploit it in a sandboxed environment to confirm its validity before drafting a patch using Codex, OpenAI’s coding assistant. These patches are designed to be human-reviewable, allowing developers to maintain oversight while benefiting from automated triage and remediation.

The tool builds on GPT-5’s deeper reasoning capabilities and real-time model routing, allowing it to analyze large codebases more intelligently. OpenAI says that the agent not only detects vulnerabilities but also creates a dynamic threat model for each project, adjusting its assessments as new updates are made. In internal testing and limited external trials, Aardvark has already helped identify at least ten CVEs in open-source projects.

Aardvark joins a growing wave of AI-driven code security initiatives. Earlier in October, Google announced CodeMender, an agent that autonomously detects and rewrites vulnerable code to prevent recurring flaws. Other systems, such as XBOW, focus on continuous exploit validation and automated patching. Together, these technologies represent an accelerating push toward embedding artificial intelligence directly into DevSecOps workflows.

While automation offers significant benefits, some developers have voiced concerns about what’s being called “vibe coding,” the over-reliance on AI-generated code that often prioritizes syntactic correctness over architectural soundness or long-term maintainability. Critics warn that if agents like Aardvark are deployed without proper oversight, they could unintentionally reinforce flawed coding patterns or introduce subtle logic errors.

Despite those concerns, OpenAI maintains that Aardvark was built to complement, not replace, human security researchers. The company frames it as a “defender-first” model that works in tandem with developers by continuously protecting code as it evolves. OpenAI’s goal, they say, is to expand access to expert-level security analysis and reduce the time between vulnerability discovery and remediation, strengthening software defenses without disrupting innovation.

How Can Netizen Help?

Founded in 2013, Netizen is an award-winning technology firm that develops and leverages cutting-edge solutions to create a more secure, integrated, and automated digital environment for government, defense, and commercial clients worldwide. Our innovative solutions transform complex cybersecurity and technology challenges into strategic advantages by delivering mission-critical capabilities that safeguard and optimize clients’ digital infrastructure. One example of this is our popular “CISO-as-a-Service” offering that enables organizations of any size to access executive level cybersecurity expertise at a fraction of the cost of hiring internally. 

Netizen also operates a state-of-the-art 24x7x365 Security Operations Center (SOC) that delivers comprehensive cybersecurity monitoring solutions for defense, government, and commercial clients. Our service portfolio includes cybersecurity assessments and advisory, hosted SIEM and EDR/XDR solutions, software assurance, penetration testing, cybersecurity engineering, and compliance audit support. We specialize in serving organizations that operate within some of the world’s most highly sensitive and tightly regulated environments where unwavering security, strict compliance, technical excellence, and operational maturity are non-negotiable requirements. Our proven track record in these domains positions us as the premier trusted partner for organizations where technology reliability and security cannot be compromised.

Netizen holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 20000-1, and CMMI Level III SVC registrations demonstrating the maturity of our operations. We are a proud Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certified by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that has been named multiple times to the Inc. 5000 and Vet 100 lists of the most successful and fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Netizen has also been named a national “Best Workplace” by Inc. Magazine, a multiple awardee of the U.S. Department of Labor HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion for veteran hiring and retention, the Lehigh Valley Business of the Year and Veteran-Owned Business of the Year, and the recipient of dozens of other awards and accolades for innovation, community support, working environment, and growth.

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