- Grinchbots strike again this holiday shopping season as bot traffic spikes 73%
December 8, 2021
The days are getting chilly, holiday drinks are back on the menu at your favorite café and family gatherings are planned. In an almost pavlovian response, Grinchbots have also returned in record levels to ruin your online holiday shopping experience. In the State of Security Within eCommerce in 2021, Imperva Research Labs predicted that bad bots ...
- US Cyber Command head confirms direct actions against ransomware gangs
December 8, 2021
General Paul M. Nakasone, head of US Cyber Command confirmed during a recent national security event that his agency has begun taking direct action against international ransomware gangs as part of a larger effort to curtail attacks on American companies and infrastructure. The General explained that his agency is working hand-in-hand with the NSA, FBI, and ...
- Inside the criminal groups using disinformation to sell fake COVID passes
December 8, 2021
“For all those who do not wish to be vaccinated, here is an alternative.” This is how fake or fraudulent EU COVID certificates are being advertised online by criminal groups. Sky News has found evidence of these passes, which could be used as proof of vaccination to enter the UK, being advertised in at least nine European ...
- Tor blocked in Russia
December 8, 2021
The Tor browser, which allows users to surf the internet anonymously and access prohibited webpages, has been blocked across much of Russia, according to recent reports from an internet-monitoring group. The Open Observatory of Network Interference, or OONI, reported last week that Tor’s system of proxy servers in Russia had partly stopped working at around 5:21pm ...
- When Scammers Get Scammed, They Take It to Cybercrime Court
December 7, 2021
Blocked from legitimate courts, cybercriminals have set up their own system for settling disputes, handing over ultimate decision-making to senior underground forum administrators who have awarded claims totaling as much as $20 million. A new report from Analyst1 details activities inside these underground systems and found more than 600 requests for mediation on just one Russian-language ...
- Canadian indicted for launching ransomware attacks on orgs in US, Canada
December 7, 2021
The FBI and Justice Department unsealed indictments today leveling a number of charges against 31-year-old Canadian Matthew Philbert for his alleged involvement in several ransomware attacks. Officials from the Ontario Provincial Police held a press conference on Tuesday to announce the charges and Philbert’s arrest in Ottawa. In a statement, US Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District ...
- The story of the year: ransomware in the headlines
December 7, 2021
In the past twelve months, the word “ransomware” has popped up in countless headlines worldwide across both print and digital publications: The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, the New York Times. It is no longer just being discussed by CISOs and security professionals, but politicians, school administrators, and hospital directors. Words like Babuk and REvil ...
- State of Cybersecurity in Germany in 2021
December 7, 2021
According to Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the country faces a grave and growing threat as society becomes more digitally connected and criminals more sophisticated. The BSI said threat levels have reached red alarm levels. Threat level increased BSI published their annual report “The State of IT Security in Germany in 2021.” It highlights that ...
- Emotet now drops Cobalt Strike, fast forwards ransomware attacks
December 7, 2021
In a concerning development, the notorious Emotet malware now installs Cobalt Strike beacons directly, giving immediate network access to threat actors and making ransomware attacks imminent. Emotet is a malware infection that spreads through spam emails containing malicious Word or Excel documents. These documents utilize macros to download and install the Emotet Trojan on a victim’s ...
- Indicators of Compromise Associated with Cuba Ransomware
December 2, 2021
The FBI has identified, as of early November 2021 that Cuba ransomware actors have compromised at least 49 entities in five critical infrastructure sectors, including but not limited to the financial, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology sectors. Cuba ransomware is distributed through Hancitor malware, a loader known for dropping or executing stealers, such as ...