The UK faces a looming threat of a catastrophic ransomware attack. The Senate confirms a new National Cyber Director. The rivalry between malware groups BatLoader and FakeBat. BazarCall phishing attack and its unusual use of Google Forms. A serious vulnerability threatens K-12 student data. Spiderman game developer Insomniac Games becomes the latest ransomware victim. Today’s guest is Tim Starks from the Washington Post’s Cybersecurity 202 with China’s influence operations in Taiwan, along with a look back at 2023. We'll touch on Microsoft's Patch Tuesday and why outdated password policies are still a problem. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you’ll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today’s guest is Tim Starks from the Washington Post’s Cybersecurity 202. Tim and Dave discuss China’s influence operations in Taiwan, along with a look back at 2023.  Selected Reading UK at high risk of ‘catastrophic ransomware attack’, report says (The Guardian) Roll Call Vote 118th Congress - 1st Session  (United States Senate) How Does Access Impact Risk? (IST) API and App Security: Q3 2023 Snapshot (ThreatX) The Kids Aren’t Alright: Vulnerabilities in Edulog Portal Revealed K-12 Student Location Data (tenable) Press and pressure: Ransomware gangs and the media (Sophos) BazarCall Attack Leverages Google Forms to Increase Perceived Credibility (Abnormal) Two Competing, Russian-Speaking Cybercrime Groups Attack Employees from 23 Companies in the Manufacturing, Software, Legal, Retail, and Healthcare Sectors Using Malicious Google Ads (esentire) Spider-Man 2 developer Insomniac Games hit by Rhysida ransomware attack  (cyberdaily) Microsoft Patch Tuesday December 2023 (Sans) Share your feedback. We want to ensure that you are getting the most out of the podcast. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey as we continually work to improve the show.  Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © 2023 N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices