Malware, Phishing and Ransomware

We can report that this week, Portuguese multinational energy giant Energias de Portugal (EDP) is the latest enterprise to be battling against cyber attackers after suffering a ransomware attack. The group behind this attack used the RagnorLocker malware variant and it has been reported that the hackers are demanding $10.9m as ransom in return for the stolen and locked files. It is believed that there is up to 10TB worth of critical corporate information which...

As mentioned in previous articles, Securonix, has devoted an entire taskforce to outlining key threats that are appearing under the guise of COVID-19 themed domain names or emails. The threat research team has been observing malicious threat actors attempting to exploit an increasing number of the associated cyberattack vectors such as:    Ransomware using weaponized COVID-19/coronavirus-related documents disrupting critical healthcare and other businesses’ operations;  Custom COVID-19 themed phishing attacks involving malicious documents to steal remote workforce credentials and infiltrate various organizations;  Malware using...

If these uncertain times have proved anything it is that now, more than ever, maintaining cybersecurity is critical to ensuring business as usual; especially as the workforce is moving towards a remote working environment. This means that even the slightest disruption to daily operations can cause catastrophic damage to businesses, many of whom are already struggling with these precarious times. With this in mind, we are fortunate that there are enterprises that put public wellbeing...

Unfortunately, ransomware is impacting businesses of all sizes across the globe. This means that critical systems and applications are encrypted by malicious actors and will only be decrypted if a ransom is paid. This will effect all but the most prepared enterprises, and as recent reports show, even prepared businesses can suffer. Offline backups of business critical information can be make or break when it comes to mitigating a ransomware attack. However unfortunately, some backups...

During the second quarter of 2019 Kaspersky experts detected multiple mailshots pretending to be offers for tax refunds worldwide. This period traditionally used as a deadline for filing tax returns and refunds in many countries. Using the scheme criminals, were trying to steal valuable information, or in some cases, install dangerous spyware. This and other findings are revealed in the Spam and Phishing in Q2 2019 Report. Spam and phishing malicious letters usually contain links...

Kaspersky researchers have uncovered a highly sophisticated cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from South Asian diplomatic, government and military entities. The campaign lasted almost six years and had ties to other recent attacks detected in the region. Further investigation into the tools and methods used in the campaign led researchers to the conclusion that the attacker behind it is the PLATINUM group – a cyberespionage actor that they thought had gone. For the activity...

Kaspersky Lab researchers have uncovered a worrying rise in malware designed to steal credentials and money from users’ bank accounts: in Q1 2019, researchers found 29,841 files of such malware, up from 18,501 in Q4 2018. Overall, attacks on more than 300,000 users were detected. These are among the main findings of Kaspersky Lab’s IT threat evolution in Q1 2019 report. Mobile banking Trojans are one of the most rapidly-developing, flexible and dangerous types of...

Nyotron, provider of the industry's first OS-Centric Positive Security solution to strengthen endpoint protection, today published the results of its study of the efficacy of leading antivirus (AV) solutions against known malware, including samples that first appeared over 20 years ago, such as 2001’s infamous ILOVEYOU virus. The top findings: even for decades-old malware, detection rarely lives up to vendors’ claims of 99.9% efficacy, and that rate drops dramatically with easy file modification or when...

The cost to companies from malware and “malicious insider”-related cyberattacks jumped 12 percent in 2018 and accounted for one-third of all cyberattack costs, according to new research published today by Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the Ponemon Institute. Based on interviews with more than 2,600 security and information technology (IT) professionals at 355 organisations worldwide, Accenture’s 2019 "Cost of Cybercrime Study" found that the cost to companies due to malware increased 11 percent, to more than...

Kaspersky Lab technologies have automatically detected a new exploited vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows OS kernel, the third consecutive zero-day exploit to be discovered in three months. The latest exploited vulnerability (CVE-2018-8611) was found in malware targeting a small number of victims in the Middle East and Asia. Because the vulnerability exists in the kernel mode module of the operating system, the exploit is particularly dangerous and can be used to bypass built-in exploit mitigation...