Weekly Cybersecurity Digest [March, Week 1]
Posted on March 10, 2026
Dear Valued Clients,
Welcome to this week’s cybersecurity digest from Make Sense, your trusted partner in building measurable resilience across Europe’s rapidly evolving digital and financial ecosystems. February’s final week highlights a renewed surge in state-linked cyber-espionage activity and coordinated international enforcement actions against cybercrime infrastructure.
As geopolitical tensions intensify and threat actors target communication channels, cloud infrastructure and authentication systems, organisations must reinforce identity security, threat intelligence and cross-border cooperation to maintain operational resilience across Europe’s digital environment.
✅ Top Stories of the Week
i. Russian-Backed Hackers Target Messaging Accounts of European Officials
Dutch intelligence agencies warned that Russian-backed hackers are attempting to compromise Signal and WhatsApp accounts used by government officials, journalists, and military personnel. The campaign relies on social-engineering tactics to trick targets into sharing verification codes, enabling attackers to infiltrate private conversations. Authorities say the operation illustrates an escalation in cyber-espionage targeting European political and security communities. [Read more via Reuters]
ii. Researchers Uncover APT41-Linked “Silver Dragon” Cyber-Espionage Campaign
Cybersecurity researchers disclosed a sophisticated campaign linked to the Chinese state-associated group APT41, dubbed “Silver Dragon”. The attackers used tools such as Cobalt Strike and cloud-based command-and-control infrastructure to infiltrate government and technology networks. Analysts warn that the campaign reflects a broader espionage effort targeting organisations across Europe and other regions. [Read more via The Hacker News]
Question: How effectively does your threat-monitoring capability detect advanced adversary tools operating through cloud infrastructure or legitimate services?
iii. International Takedown Hits Tycoon 2FA Phishing Platform
An international coalition involving Europol, Microsoft and multiple cybersecurity firms dismantled Tycoon 2FA, a major phishing-as-a-service platform used to bypass multi-factor authentication. Authorities seized more than 300 domains supporting the operation. The toolkit enabled criminals to create convincing login pages and intercept authentication sessions, facilitating large-scale account compromises targeting organisations worldwide. [Read more via The Record]
✅ Industry Trends & Insights
Europol Warns Geopolitical Tensions Could Trigger Cyberattacks in Europe
Europol warned that escalating geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran conflict could increase the risk of cyberattacks across Europe. Authorities highlighted threats such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, disinformation campaigns, and cyber-enabled crime targeting critical infrastructure. The agency urged organisations to strengthen cyber resilience as geopolitical crises increasingly spill into cyberspace and affect European digital ecosystems. [Read more via Reuters]
European Debate Intensifies Over Creating a Sovereign EU Social Media Platform
A new European Citizens’ Initiative proposes creating a sovereign social media platform built and governed within the European Union. Supporters argue the move would reduce dependence on foreign technology companies and strengthen data protection and cybersecurity resilience. The proposal reflects growing concern across Europe about digital sovereignty, the risks of online misinformation, and the security of citizens’ data. [Read more via Cybernews]
Consider: How dependent is your organisation on external platforms for communication, marketing or engagement – and what risks would platform compromise introduce?
Switzerland and The EU Deepen Cooperation on Security and Cyber Resilience
Switzerland and the European Union announced plans to strengthen defence and security cooperation, including enhanced collaboration on cyber threats and intelligence sharing. The move reflects growing concern over hybrid threats targeting Europe’s digital infrastructure and the need for coordinated responses across European partners outside traditional EU security frameworks. [Read more via Reuters]
✅ Regulatory & Policy Updates
European Commission Opens Feedback on Cyber Resilience Act Guidance
The European Commission opened a consultation on draft guidance for implementing the Cyber Resilience Act, aimed at strengthening cybersecurity requirements for digital products sold within the EU. The guidance clarifies compliance obligations, including security support periods and handling of open-source software. The initiative is intended to help companies prepare for stricter EU cybersecurity standards across connected devices and software products. [Read more via Hyperight]
Reflect: Are your product development and procurement processes aligned with the lifecycle security expectations emerging under the Cyber Resilience Act?
EU Institutions Continue Work on Revised Cybersecurity Act and Supply-Chain Rules
EU institutions are continuing negotiations on a revised Cybersecurity Act (CSA2) to strengthen the bloc’s cyber resilience and reduce risks in ICT supply chains. The proposed framework would allow the EU to restrict high-risk technology suppliers in critical sectors and streamline cybersecurity certification rules, while aligning with NIS2 obligations and improving protection of digital infrastructure across member states. [Read more via Data Consilium]
✅ Cyber IQ Challenge + Proactive Security Hacks
Quick Quiz:
Which tactic is most commonly used in attacks targeting messaging platforms such as Signal or WhatsApp?
A) DNS cache poisoning
B) Verification-code phishing
C) Firmware exploitation
D) SIM card cloning
(Answer below)
Smart Security Moves of the Week
- Strengthen communication security: Train staff to recognise verification-code phishing targeting messaging apps.
- Harden authentication flows: Deploy phishing-resistant MFA such as hardware tokens or passkeys.
- Monitor identity telemetry: Detect suspicious session activity and token replay attempts.
- Expand geopolitical threat monitoring: Integrate external intelligence sources into security operations.
Answer: B) Verification-code phishing
✅ Conclusion
From state-linked espionage campaigns and attempts to compromise messaging platforms to international takedowns of phishing infrastructure, this week’s developments underline how identity and communication channels are becoming primary cyber battlegrounds. At the same time, regulatory initiatives such as the Cyber Resilience Act and revisions to the Cybersecurity Act signal stronger governance expectations across Europe’s digital economy.
Final reflection: If an attacker gained access to your organisation’s communications, identity tokens or authentication flows tomorrow, how quickly could you detect and contain the breach?
At Make Sense, we transform intelligence into measurable defence – strengthening identity security, monitoring emerging threats and embedding resilient controls across the digital ecosystem.
Stay secure,
The Make Sense SRL Team & CyberTania
