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    12 Jan, 2022
    Who is the Network Access Broker ‘Wazawaka?’
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    In a great many ransomware attacks, the criminals who pillage the victim’s network are not the same crooks who gained the initial access to the victim organization. More commonly, the infected PC or stolen VPN credentials the gang used to break in were purchased from a cybercriminal middleman known as an initial access broker. This post examines some of the clues left behind by Wazawaka, the handle chosen by a major access broker in the Russian-speaking cybercrime scene. …

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    3 Dec, 2021
    Who Is the Network Access Broker ‘Babam’?
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , ,

    Rarely do cybercriminal gangs that deploy ransomware gain the initial access to the target themselves. More commonly, that access is purchased from a cybercriminal broker who specializes in stealing remote access credentials — such as usernames and passwords needed to remotely connect to the target’s network. In this post we’ll look at the clues left behind by “Babam,” the handle chosen by a cybercriminal who has sold such access to ransomware groups on many occasions over the past few years. …

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    8 Oct, 2020
    Amid an Embarrassment of Riches, Ransom Gangs Increasingly Outsource Their Work
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , ,

    There’s an old adage in information security: “Every company gets penetration tested, whether or not they pay someone for the pleasure.” Many organizations that do hire professionals to test their network security posture unfortunately tend to focus on fixing vulnerabilities hackers could use to break in. But judging from the proliferation of help-wanted ads for offensive pentesters in the cybercrime underground, today’s attackers have exactly zero trouble gaining that initial intrusion: The real challenge seems to be hiring enough people to help everyone profit from the access already gained. …

    Read MoreAmid an Embarrassment of Riches, Ransom Gangs Increasingly Outsource Their Work

    19 Aug, 2020
    Voice Phishers Targeting Corporate VPNs
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    The COVID-19 epidemic has brought a wave of email phishing attacks that try to trick work-at-home employees into giving away credentials needed to remotely access their employers’ networks. But one increasingly brazen group of crooks is taking your standard phishing attack to the next level, marketing a voice phishing service that uses a combination of one-on-one phone calls and custom phishing sites to steal VPN credentials from employees. …

    Read MoreVoice Phishers Targeting Corporate VPNs

    19 Aug, 2020
    Voice Phishers Targeting Corporate VPNs
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    The COVID-19 epidemic has brought a wave of email phishing attacks that try to trick work-at-home employees into giving away credentials needed to remotely access their employers’ networks. But one increasingly brazen group of crooks is taking your standard phishing attack to the next level, marketing a voice phishing service that uses a combination of one-on-one phone calls and custom phishing sites to steal VPN credentials from employees. …

    Read MoreVoice Phishers Targeting Corporate VPNs

    20 Apr, 2020
    Who’s Behind the “Reopen” Domain Surge?
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    The past few weeks have seen a large number of new domain registrations beginning with the word “reopen” and ending with U.S. city or state names. The largest number of them were created just hours after President Trump sent a series of all-caps tweets urging citizens to “liberate” themselves from new gun control measures and state leaders who’ve enacted strict social distancing restrictions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a closer look at who and what appear to be behind these domains. …

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    16 Apr, 2020
    Sipping from the Coronavirus Domain Firehose
    Cybersecurity , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Security experts are poring over thousands of new Coronavirus-themed domain names registered each day, but this often manual effort struggles to keep pace with the flood of domains invoking the virus to promote malware and phishing sites, as well as non-existent healthcare products and charities. As a result, domain name registrars are under increasing pressure to do more to combat scams and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. …

    Read MoreSipping from the Coronavirus Domain Firehose