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Office 365 Credentials Stolen Using Sneaky Tactics

by News | Aug 30, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Over the last few months organizations using Office 365 are being attacked using a sneaky phishing campaign that is using a variety of different tactics to trick recipients and email security measures.

The focus of this campaign is to get recipients to unwittingly share Office 365 credentials that can be used to commit further email fraud. 

The campaign begins with phishing emails being shared from email addresses that appear to be authentic. This is accomplished as spoofed display names are being included to make the sender appear genuine. The campaign concentrates on specific groups and includes believable usernames and domains for sender display names linked to the target and the messages also incorporate authentic logos for the targeted company and Microsoft branding.

Additionally the messages feature believable Microsoft SharePoint lures to fool recipients into clicking on an embedded hyperlink that will take them to the phishing URL. Those who receive the email messages are advised that a co-worker has shared a file-share request that they may have missed, along with a link that will take the recipient to a web portal hosting a fake Microsoft Office 365 login form.

To get recipients to click on the URL, the emails say that the shared file includes information in relation to bonuses, staff reports, or price books. The phishing emails incorporate two different URLs with malformed HTTP headers. The main phishing URL is for a Google storage resource which points to an AppSpot domain. If the user  completes the signs-in process, they are brought to a Google User Content domain with an Office 365 phishing page. The second URL is embedded in the notification settings and brings users to a compromised SharePoint site, which again requires the user to sign in to get to the final page.

To trick email security solutions, the messages employ extensive obfuscation and encryption for file types often connected with malicious messages, such as JavaScript, along with multi-layer obfuscation in HTML. The threat actors have employed old and unusual encryption tactics, including the use of morse code to mask segments of the HTML deployed in the attack. A variety of the code segments used in the attacks are found in several open directories and are called by encoded scripts. Microsoft cybersecurity specialists found, and tracked, the campaign and compared it to a jigsaw puzzle, where all the pieces look normal on their own and only become dangerous when they are correctly pieced together.

This campaign is very dangerous, with the threat actor having gone to great trouble to mask their true intentions in order to get end users to hand over their credentials. 

Should you be worried in relation to your cybersecurity measures and wish to tackle attacks like this, contact the TitanHQ team now to find out more in relation to security solutions that can be easily put in place to prevent phishing and other email threats to enhance your security suite.

MSP Cybersecurity Selling Tactics

by News | Aug 27, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

While a lot of companies are unable to invest a large amount of money in cybersecurity solutions, many do opt to avail of the services provided by Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

Due to this it is important for MSPs to make smaller companies aware of the crucial service that they can provide for them. The lack of a good cybersecurity service can lead to data breaches and, in some cases, regulatory fines and legal issues. 

It is no surprise that cash-strapped small businesses have not invested thousands of dollars on cybersecurity measures so it is the role of their MSP to make them aware of the importance of having an adequate cybersecurity structure in place to prevent hacking attacks. So the onus is on the MSP to ensure that their client(s) are completely aware of the level of risk they are facing. As the needs of all businesses are different there will be different levels of threat that each faces. An audit of the risk the client is facing will provide them with the knowledge to enable them to make a smart decision when it comes to investment in cybersecurity. This is much more useful for a small company as they will not find themselves investing in a package with many features that are of no use to them.

Small companies will appreciate the level of risk that they are facing, rather than being bewildered with the technical aspects of each solution that they are being provided with. While this technical information should certainly be provided, it is not going to be the thing that pushes most small companies into making an investment decision. 

Monitoring is equally important for the prevention of cybersecurity attacks. Once installed, cybersecurity solutions must be maintained. This means it is important for MSPs to see to it that there is an adequate amount of staff working to spot all potential cyberattacks and work swiftly to mitigate them. In order for the client to know what they are investing in they need to be made aware of the difference between IT and cybersecurity support. A lot of clients will think that these two solutions are the same thing when this is really not the case. 

It is important to MSPs to be able to educate and add value for the stakeholders at their client companies so that the value of investment is appreciated and there is a build up in trust. This is one place where MSP clients can be assist4e by TitanHQ.

Through the provision of smartly priced , robust and proven cybersecurity solutions to address the threat posed by typical hacking attack vectors, in addition to a solution for backing up and archiving business critical data, Titan HQ enhances security measures everywhere. 

If you would like additional details in relation to the cybersecurity solutions for MSPs ,provided by TitanHQ, contact them now to find out more about TitanHQ email security, DNS filtering, and email archiving, and the TitanShield Partner Program.

Once up and running with the TitanShield Program, MSPs will gain strong tools, marketing assistance, and training support to help them sell cybersecurity solutions to their clients.

Remote Working on Public Wi-Fi Concerns

by News | Aug 10, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

The problems associated with working via public Wi-Fi are well known, especially now as workers globally shift to a remote working or hybrid model of office use. 

Even though a large number of companies have recognized the advantages linked to remote working and having staff members work from home, many other organizations are putting in place the hybrid working routine that permits employees to be based away from the office for part of their working week at least. 

However, there are many things to be wary of when it comes to accessing the Internet via public Wi-Fi networks, one of the most significant being the Wi-Fi access point that people log on to is not the same as the Wi-Fi network of the individual’s employer. It has happened on previous occasions that cybercriminals have created WiFi networks which are designed to look like authentic Wi-Fi access points. This type of connection has been labelled as ‘evil twins’.

Hackers are known to set up malicious proxies, view network activity, and create user redirects to take Wi-Fi users to websites that are loaded with malware. If Bluetooth and NFC are enabled, a hacker could locate nearby devices and download information that could allow them to locate and focus on a specific individual.

There are a range of different tactics that should be implemented to prevent remotely-based workers from sharing their details due to  a phishing attack, or otherwise impact their device or their organization’s databases. The most straightforward of these is to restrict or forbid the use of public Wi-Fi networks. However, doing so may greatly impact the productivity of remote workers.

Logging on to a public WiFi network, if there is no other solution available, should only be done if there is encryption and strong authentication in place to ensure a high level of security. It is also wide to make sure that a password is necessary to access the WiFi hotspot.

It is advisable for organizations to implement a variety of different security measures such as setting up a company policy that bans the use of public Wi-Fi networks or uploading any sensitive data on websites that do not begin with ‘HTTPS’. Creating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for employees with enough capacity to permit everyone to log on at the same time is a smart move as it extends the scope of web filters to remote workers’ devices. This will stop access to web pages known to be malicious and stop malware downloads.

Options like WebTitan are simple to configure so as to secure remote workers’ devices, and filtering controls will then be managed in the same manner as if the employee was sitting at a workstation in the corporate headquarters.

It is also important that cybersecurity best practices are followed like running all patches and software updates once they are available. Multi-Factor authentication should be enabled and anti-malware software installed. Anti-spam services – like SpamTitan  – should also be configured to stop email attacks, and firewalls should be switched on to stop unauthorized inbound and outbound connections.

Haron & BlackMatter: Two New Ransomware-as-a-Service Operations in Action

by News | Jul 30, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

July has witnessed the emergence of two new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups, Haron and BlackMatter. Cybersecurity experts have been closely examining the attacks that these groups are believed to be responsible for and have discovered links to some well known RaaS operations that have recently gone quiet – Avaddon, REvil, and DarkSide.

There is still no solid proof of a connection aside from a range of similarities which suggest that either the Avaddon, REvil, and DarkSide RaaS operations have reorganized their attacks or that those who worked on these attacks have begun their own group. 

Even though it is forbidden to advertise RaaS operations on some cybercrime forums, the BlackMatter RaS has been advertising for affiliates on Russian speaking cybercrime forums – even though they are not stating outright that this is an RaaS operation. A user referred to as “BlackMatter” created an account on July 19 on both the XSS and Exploit criminal forums looking for help seeking assistance to register on the networks of U.S., UK, Australian, or Canadian businesses with more than $100 million in annual revenues. They also made it clear that they were not seeking access to state institutions or any targets in the healthcare sector. This was not long after REvil and Avaddon revealed that they would also cease these types of attacks following the colonial pipeline attack.

An Escrow account, to be used to settle disputes over payments, was set up by the BlackMatter operator with a $120,000 deposit. A reward of between $3K and $100K is being offered by the group along with a share in any ransoms earned in exchange for access. The BlackMatter operators boast that their group uses the strongest features of DarkSide, REvil, and LockBit, all three of which are believed to have operated from inside Russia.

Similarities were identified between BlackMatter and REvil and DarkSide by several cybersecurity groups, with Recorded Future labelling BlackMatter as the heir to DarkSide and REvil, although proof remains circumstantial at this point in time.  For example, BlackMatter is very similar to BlackLivesMatter, which was the label for the Windows registry used by REvil. Mandiant reports that it has found some proof which indicates at least one member of the DarkSide operation working with Black Matter, although that individual may just be an affiliate that has moved their partnership.

S2W Lab has found similarities between Haron ransomware and Avaddon, notably a largely copy and pasted ransom note, similar appearances and wording on the ransom negotiation sites, the same structures on the data leak sites, and identical sections of JavaScript code for chat. However, while the Avaddon gang created its own ransomware, Haron was created using the Thanos ransomware.

There may be nothing in the similarities, or the code was just stolen by the BlackMatter creator to save time, as there are some significant differences between the two. As has been previously stated here, no clear proof has been found to indicate that Avaddon and Haron are one and the same.

Cybersecurity experts have ongoing investigations into the new groups, but regardless of who is managing the operations, their aims look quite similar. Both are focusing on large businesses with a lot of revenue and if the RaaS operations that have gone quiet remain out of action, there will be any affiliates looking for a new RAAS operation to avail of.

Attacks on Windows and Linux Systems Using LemonDuck Malware Increasing

by News | Jul 29, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Those managing the LemonDuck malware campaigns have increased their activity, whilst introducing new attack features, in the last few weeks.

While this strain of malware is chiefly known for the power of its botnet and the cryptocurrency mining targets there have been moves to concentrate on other aspects of their hacking attempts. Even though the bot and cryptocurrency mining activities remain live continue, now malware has been added that can disable security measures on infiltrated devices, quickly shifting laterally inside networks, dropping a range of tools onto infected devices, and stealing and stealing credentials.

Those operating the attacks have craft campaigns which feature emails related to recent news and events for their phishing attempts launched via Microsoft Office attachments.There are also attempts made to infect devices with new exploits and some older vulnerabilities. During 2020 this group was spreading malware through phishing emails using COVID-19 themed lures, and while phishing emails are still being used to broadcast the malware, the threat actor has also been targeting recently addressed vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange to gain access to systems, according to a recent security warning from Microsoft.

LemonDuck malware is slightly unusual as it is relatively unique for these malware strains to be deployed via Windows and Linux systems. The malware operators prefer to have complete management of infected devices so they can erase competing malware if it is present. To make sure no other malware variants have been downloaded, after accessing a device, the vulnerability LemonDuck exploited to gain access to a system is addressed.

If the malware is downloaded on a device with Microsoft Outlook installed, a script is activated that uses saved credentials to obtain access to the mailbox and copies of itself are then sent in phishing emails to all contacts in the mailbox, using a preset message and a malware downloader as an attached file.

The malware was first discovered during May 2019, with the previous forms of LemonDuck malware deployed in attacks within China, but the malware is now being shared on a larger scale. It has now been spotted in attacks launched in the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France, India, Germany, Korea, Canada, and Vietnam.

To date, Microsoft has discovered two different operating structures that both use LemonDuck malware which could suggest that the malware is being used by multiple groups with different aims. The ‘LemonCat’ infrastructure was put to action in a campaign focused on Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities to identify backdoors, exfiltrate credentials and data, and deliver other malware variants, including Ramnit.

Preventing infiltration attempts using this malware requires a range of tactics. A robust spam filter like SpamTitan should be implemented to tackle the phishing emails used to broadcast the malware. SpamTitan also reviews outbound messages to stop malware strains with emailing capabilities from being shared with contacts. Since vulnerabilities are targeted to obtain access to networks, it is important to have a rigorous patch management policy and to apply patches quickly after they are made available.  Antivirus software should be configured and set to automatically update, and a web filter is recommended to block malware installs over the Internet.

For additional details on enhancing your cybersecurity measures against LemonDucck malware and other malware attacks, call the TitanHQ now.

Education Sector Targeted by Pysa Ransomware Group

by News | Jul 26, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

During 2020, the healthcare sector has been constant focus of ransomware gangs, but the education sector is also dealing with a rise in attacks, with the Pysa (Mespinoza) ransomware gang now extensively targeting the education sector.

Pysa ransomware is another strain of Mespinoza ransomware that was first seen in ransomware campaigns during October 2019. The threat group responsible for the attacks, like many other ransomware gangs, uses double extortion tactics. Files are encrypted and a ransom demand is issued that must be paid to obtain the keys to decrypt files, but to improve the chances of the ransom being paid, data is stolen before file encryption. The gang threatens to sell the stolen data on the darkweb if the ransom is not paid. Many targeted healthcare organizations have been forced to pay the ransom demand even when they have backups, solely to prevent the sale of their data.

Since October 2019, the Pysa ransomware gang has focused on large companies, the healthcare sector, and local government bodies, but there has been a recent rise in attacks on the education sector. Attacks have been carried out on K12 schools, higher education institutions, and colleges, with attacks being reported in 12 U.S. states and in the United Kingdom. The rise in attacks led the FBI to issue a Flash Alert in March 2020 warning the education sector about the heightened risk of Pysa ransomware attacks.

Reviews of attacks revealed the gang carries out network reconnaissance using open source tools like Advanced Port Scanner and Advanced IP Scanner. Tools including PowerShell Empire, Koadic, and Mimikatz are employed to obtain credentials and elevate privileges and move laterally inside networks. The gang looks for sensitive data that can be easily monetized and exfiltrates the data before delivering the ransomware payload.

Discovering a Pysa ransomware attack in progress is tricky, so it is crucial for defenses to be hardened to prevent attackers from gaining access to networks. In attacks on French firms and government agencies, brute force tactics were used against management consoles and exposed Active Directory accounts. Some attacks have included exploitation of Remote Desktop Protocol flaws, with the gang also known to use spam and phishing emails to obtain credentials to gain a foothold in education networks.

As a range of methods are used for obtaining access, there is no one option that can be implemented to block attacks. Educational institutions need to use a combination of security solutions and cybersecurity best practices to improve their security posture and block attacks. Antivirus/antimalware solutions are vital, as is ensuring they are kept updated. Since many attacks begin with a phishing email, an advanced email security gateway is also crucial. Picking a solution such as SpamTitan that uses dual AV engines and sandboxing will increase the probability of malware being installed, which is used by ransomware gangs for persistent access to networks. SpamTitan also blocks phishing emails containing links to websites where credentials are harvested. SpamTitan uses machine learning methods to identify new types of email attacks.

Patches and security updates should be implemented quickly after they have been released to stop software and operating system vulnerabilities from being exploited. You should employ the rule of least privilege for accounts, limit the use of administrative accounts as far as you can, and segment networks to hamper efforts to move laterally once access has been gained. You should also be scanning your network for suspicious activity and investigate alerts to ensure infiltrations are quickly discovered. All redundant RDP ports should be closed, and a VPN used for remote access.

It is crucial for backups to be created of all critical data to ensure that file recovery can take place without paying the ransom. Multiple backups of data should be created, those backups should be tested to make sure file recovery is possible, and at least one copy should be stored on an air-gapped device.

Malware Being Shared Using Fake Windows 11 Installers

by News | Jul 26, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Microsoft announced, on June 24 2021, that the release on Windows 11 will be happening soon and represents a significant upgrade of the Windows NT operating system, the successor to Windows 10.

The last time an update of this scale was completed was when Windows 10 was released during 2015. Hence this has caused quite a stir as everyone is eager to see what will be included. The specifics of the launch date remain unknown but it will be before the end of the current calendar year. However, some users are being offered the chance to obtain a free copy before the official launch date. 

The first Insider Preview of Windows 11 was announced by Microsoft on June 28. Installing the upgrade to Windows 11 is quite easy. A small number are being offered a simple upgrade that simply requires them to register for the Dev channel of the Windows Insider Program.  Despite the obvious dangers of downloaded software updates from unknown or unofficial sources many people have been trying to locate one.

It is no surprise that unofficial ISOs are pretending to provide Windows 11 even though they are not in a position to do so. Their true aim is to install and share malware. Hackers have been sharing these fake Windows 11 download tools to share a wide variety of malicious payloads. There is a strong chance that these fake Windows 11 installers will place adware or unwanted programs on your devices, even worse they may install malware with various degrees of maliciousness, such as Remote Access Trojans and backdoors that give the attackers full access to the victims’ devices, information stealers such as keyloggers that obtain passwords and other sensitive data, cryptocurrency miners, and ransomware.

Cybersecurity experts working at Kaspersky Lab have discovered many fake Windows 11 installers being shared around the world, including one seemingly genuine downloader titled 86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator.exe. Despite the title and 1.76GB file size, it was not what it appeared to be. If the user executed the file and agreed to the terms and conditions, the file would then be installed to place a different executable that places a range of malicious software onto the user’s device.

As the publicity around the official Window 11 release date ramps up, we can expect there to be many other fake installers deployed. Hackers are fond of a long-awaited software release, as it’s easy to get users to double click on executable files. Malicious adverts, websites, and emails offering free copies of Windows 11 will increase, so be careful.

If it is wise to make sure that you have an advanced and effective spam filtering solution configured like SpamTitan. This will safeguard you in the face of malicious emails. A web filter like WebTitan will protect you from malicious file downloads and see to it that you only download software or applications from authentic sources.

Fake Kaseya Update Used in MSP Cobalt Phishing Campaign

by News | Jul 5, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

It is believed that, on July 2, the managed service provider (MSP) customers of Kaseya were impacted in a ransomware attack.

Leveraging the Kaseya Virtual System Administrator (VSA) platform cybercriminals were able to share ransomware with, Kaspersky Lab believes, approximately 5,000 attempts to infiltrate databases in roughly 22 countries. These attacks are believed to have taken place during the first three days after the initial breach. While it is, as of yet, unknown how many of the attempts bore fruit Kaseya estimates that 1,500 of its direct customers and downstream businesses were impacted during the attack.

The attack took advantage of reported KSA platform vulnerabilities identified in April by the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD). Following this discovery Kaseya released patches to address four of the seven reported vulnerabilities during April and May and was working on patches to fix the remaining three flaws. However, the REvil ransomware gang targeted a credential leaking flaw, referred to as CVE-2021-30116, before the patch was made available.

Once the breach was spotted by Kaseya they took action and created mitigations to restrict the potential reach of the attacks. These mitigations shut down all additional attempts to infiltrate the system but Kaseya users remain in danger from Kaseya phishing attacks.

Now hackers have created phishing Cobalt Strike attacks aimed at Kaseya customers pushing. These attacks are spoofed Kaseya VSA security updates. Cobalt Strike is an authentic penetration testing and threat emulation solution. Sadly, hackers are known to use it to obtain remote access to corporate databases.

The Malwarebytes Threat intelligence team were first to discover the attacks, using emails that carried a file titled SecurityUpdates.exe. There is also a URL that claims to host a Microsoft update to address the Kaseya vulnerability targeted by the ransomware group.

Users are directed to click on the included file or browse to an update page where they can download the Kaseya VSA to keep them safe from ransomware campaigns. Unfortunately completing this action will only result in Cobalt Strike beacons being delivered and allowing the hackers access to protected databases.

This is quite an intelligent attack as users will be expecting a security update to address the known flaw on Kaseya. Due to this the company (Kaseya) has broadcasted a warning to all users advising them not to click on any files or visit URLs click links in emails that appear to carry updates for the Kaseya VSA. Kaseya said any email sent in relation to this will never have hyperlinks or attachments included.

Alway deal with inbound emails that say they have security updates or files related to the same as potential ransomware attacks. Never visit a link in an email like this download attached files. If you must, go to the official company website to see if there are any security updates available.

87% growth in HMRC Phishing Attacks in Past Year

by News | Jun 26, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

In the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – the UK government department responsible for tax collection – is often impersonated in order to conduct cyberattacks.

Phishing campaigns using this mode of attack have been surging in the past year, with official figures obtained by Lanop Outsourcing under a Freedom of Information request showing the growth in HMRC impersonation attacks to be 87% with the amount of attacks jumping from 572,029 in 2019/2020 to 1,069,522 in 2020/2021. 

Email scams are the most common phishing vector and the most often leverage lures being fake notifications about tax rebates and refunds. These grew by 90% in the last year and the amount of HMRC phishing attacks sent using email grew by 109% to 630,193. Additionally growth was experienced in text-based phishing (smishing) campaigns. These jumped by 52% year-over-year and voice phishing (vishing) attacks were up by 66%.

Another public body which was used to try and trick recipients via impersonation scams was the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). There was a massive 661% increase in reports of phishing scams impersonating the DVLA during the past 12 months.

While these attacks are mainly focused on individuals they are also a serious concern for business groups due to their aim of stealing sensitive data such as passwords. If they get hold of these then there is a strong possibility that they will be used in attacks on companies. Phishing campaigns also attempt to spread malware to business networks. If this is successful then hackers can access  the databases before moving laterally and cause damage across an entire group network.

In order to defend your company from attacks like this it is vital to implement a thorough set of measures. Staff training is crucial so that those using the systems and software on your network know how to spot and mark an incoming cyberattack. As a minimum all staff should be aware what to do if a suspicious email lands in their inbox. When staff are engaging in distance and remote working, as is more common than ever these days, this is even more important.

All we all know is that staff training will not completely eliminate mistakes from happening. Individuals will either fail to pay sufficient attention, due to burn out or lack of interest, or try to use a shortcut, to get their work done more quickly, which is not best practice for cybersecurity. This means that you need a robust cybersecurity suite to bolster the staff training method and keep your organization safe.

A robust cybersecurity suite will alway include an advanced spam filtering solution that will spot and block phishing attacks. Remember that all spam filters are not created equal though. Some are proficient at tackling phishing emails from known malicious IP addresses only. However, stronger solutions like SpamTitan are able to spot previously unseen phishing scams thanks to artificial intelligence and predictive technologies for addressing the danger posed by  zero-day attacks. Additionally sandboxing fights malware attacks that have not yet been added to antivirus engines and DMARC mitigates the dangers presented by email impersonation attacks.

In order to safeguard your group from these types of attack contact TitanHQ now to discover more in relation to enhancing your cybersecurity suite.

Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack Started with a Compromised Password

by News | Jun 12, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

During April 2021, cybercriminals were able to log onto the databases of Colonial Pipeline and install ransomware that led to the shutdown of a fuel pipeline system that provides service to the entire eastern Eastern Seaboard of the USA.

This resulted in a lot of panic buying of fuel by Americans on the East Coast as fuel supplies were threatened. The knock-on effect of this was local fuel shortages and a surge in the price of gasoline to their highest level since 2015. There was a 4.6 million barrels drop in the level of stockpiles of gasoline on the East Coast.

The DarkSide ransomware-as-a-service operation was blamed for the attack and has now been taken down. Before it was shut down, Colonial Pipeline handed over a $4.4 million ransom to remove the encryption from their files. They took the decision to pay the ransom due to the danger facing the fuel supplies. Colonial Pipeline provided almost half (45%) of fuel to the East Coast. Though handing over the ransom was a difficult move to make, it had to be done due to the threat to fuel supplies. Another consideration was the length of time that it might take to retrieve the files without having the attacker-supplied decryption keys.

This attack should not have been allowed to gain access to such a critical infrastructure. The subsequent review into the cyberattack showed that all it took for the attack to be successful was the use of one compromised password to remotely access the database. The account that was compromised was not secured using multi-factor authentication.

According to Charles Carmakal, senior vice president at cybersecurity firm Mandiant which was involved in the investigation, the compromised password was for a virtual private network account. The account may have been dormant but it was still possible to use the login credentials to gain access to Colonial Pipeline’s network.

As of yet it remains unknown how the cybercriminals came to be in possession of this password. The password has since been located in a database of breached passwords that was made available via the dark web. There is a chance that an individual had created a password for the account and it was also in use on a separate account that was infiltrated. It is typical for passwords from data breaches to be used in brute force attacks as password reuse is commonplace. Phishing campaigns are used to obtain passwords also.

Mandiant searched for anything to suggest how the password was stolen by the cybercriminals. The cybersecurity experts found no evidence of hacker activity prior to April 29, 2021 nor any proof of phishing attempts. At this point in time it appears that how the password was obtained and the username determined may never come to be known.

Is it quite obvious that this hack could have been stopped using cybersecurity best practices including carrying out audits of accounts and closing down dormant accounts, creating setting unique and complex passwords for every account, configuring multi-factor authentication to prevent stolen compromised passwords from being used for access, and installing a robust anti-spam solution.

GitHub Repository Weaknesses Create Attack Points

by News | Jun 12, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Created in 2008, GitHub has recorded massive growth amongst developers and companies for its hosting, sharing and software code capabilities. These are available in both open source and proprietary codemaking it very popular with more than 100 million code repositories currently on the platform.

Sadly, this also means that GitHub is a very attractive target for cybercriminals who have used the platform’s popularity as as a basis for several attack types, including ranoms, backdoor attacks and code injection campaigns. GitHub Actions is a feature of GitHub that allows a CI/CD workflow pipeline for software delivery into production. It is one of the main infrastructures in GitHub that automates software workflow. In a recent exploit, experts at Google Project Zero discovered a design vulnerability in GitHub Actions. This vulnerability could allow a hacker write access to a repository, meaning that they could reveal encrypted secrets. One of the experts, Felix Wilhelm, was able to show the vulnerability using Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code GitHub repository, where he could inject code which was then shared with the project’s new issue workflow.

The flaws in Actions allow ways for cybercriminals to exploit the GitHub database network. Recently  code injection flaws and vulnerabilities in GitHub Actions allowed crypto-criminals to conduct bit mining malware. The attacks have been registering since late last year. The attack targets repositories using Actions, the automatic execution of software workflows feature to place malicious code into a software workflow. The process leveraged by the hackers is smooth slick: the malicious GitHub Actions code is first forked from original workflows, but then a Pull Request merges the code back, in tandem with the crypto miner code. The key to the attack uses GitHub’s infrastructure to share malware and mine cryptocurrency on GitHub’s servers. The flaw in Actions means that the attack does not need the repository owner to give permission for the Pull Request: The crypto-miner code, misnamed as npm.exe. is hosted on GitHub. The whole attack is expertly devised using a mechanism that has, so far, made a mockery of the critical infrastructure of GitHub.

The worry in relation to this recent crypto mining attack on GitHub repositories, is that the hacker, yet again, leveraging inherent infrastructure of a network. Any weakness in the corporate structure can be targeted. Bolstering the security of these infrastructure hatches is crucial to stopping cyber-attacks. Source code is a critical system and GitHub a critical infrastructure. Firms and vendors using GitHub should ensure they use best security practices. But even groups not using GitHub as a source code repository may well be receiving source code hosted via GitHub. To address this cybersecurity best practices must be implemented. People, processes, and technology are the some of the tje cyber best practices, but adding in awareness of possible infrastructure hacks is vital to keeping your business protected.

Some of the steps that you need to implement include:

• Stopping employees from visiting dangerous URLs or installing malicious software/files
• Preventing staff from accessing infected web portals
• Implementing GitHub security best steps when using the infrastructure to host source code
• Training staff to ensure they are conscious of security tricks and tactics

Preventing these attacks is possible with WebTitan Cloud DNS filter. It will tackle malware, phishing, viruses, ransomware & malicious sites.

Employees Returning to Offices Targeted in New COVID-19 Phishing Campaign

by News | Jun 4, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

As workers begin to return offices following the COVID-19 vaccine roll out hackers are launching new campaigns to take advantage of this turn of events.

This follows previous attacks that sought to take advantage of the interest in the COVID-19 virus at the height of the pandemic. Workers going back to their usual place of work has created  opportunity for scammers, who have launched a new phishing campaign targeting workers returning to offices.

The new attacks claim to be sent from the organizations Chief Information Officer to advise the staff in relation to new protocols and processes that have been devised to assist the returning workers avoid any possibility of infection. They appear to have been only broadcast internally in the organization, and even include the logo of the group and what looks like a signature of the CIO. There is a URL included that advises recipients to visit (a Microsoft SharePoint page) to view/download two documents in relation to this – a COVID-19 information sheet and an implementation letter that lists steps that the company has implemented as a result of the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and local health bodies.

While the majority of phishing attacks attempt to bring recipients of emails to a phishing form to collate Office 365 credentials, this campaign goes one step further in that phish is only initiated once the link is clicked on. When this is done, a fake Microsoft login prompt pops up and details must then be shared in order to access the files. Once the details are handed over, a message appears informing the staff member that their account or password is incorrect, and they must enter it again before they are finally brought to a genuine Microsoft page and are given access to the documents on OneDrive. This means that there is no clear indication that credentials have been phished.

This COVID-19 phishing campaign, like many others launched during the pandemic, feature. In this case, the emails have been excellently compose and have been written for individually-targeted groups, making them appear authentic and likely to trick lots of people. It remains unknown what the cybercriminals are aiming to do with the stolen data once it has been collected. They could be used to harvest lots of protected data held within Office 365 email accounts, would allow the cybercriminals to establish a footing in the corporate network for a more extensive compromise, or they could be sold for a profit to different cybercriminal collectives.

The best tactic for dealing with this level of threat is to using an advanced spam filtering solution like SpamTitan. With SpamTitan implemented, phishing attacks like this will be spotted and dealt with at the gateway so that employee are not being relied on to prevent the databases being infiltrated.

Contact the TitanHQ team now in order to enhance your security posture and tackle the dangers of cybercriminal attacks for your organization.

Infected Devices Turned into Cryptocurrency Miners with Digimine Malware

by News | May 29, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Digimine malware was first spotted in a campaign targeting users in South Korea; however, the attacks have now gone global. Digimine is a cryptocurrency mining malware that is installed and used to hijack the CPU and GPU on an infected device and use it to mine the cryptocurrency Monero.

The increase in popularity of cryptocurrency, and its meteoric rise in value, means mining cryptocurrency can be highly profitable. Mining cryptocurrency is the verification of cryptocurrency transactions for digital exchanges, which involves using computers to complete complex numerical problems. For verifying transactions, cryptocurrency miners are rewarded with coins, but cryptocurrency mining requires a lot of processing power. To make it profitable, it must be carried out on an industrial scale and hackers have realized the best way to do this is to use other people’s computers and servers. The processing power of hundreds of thousands of devices would result in the operation becoming highly profitable for cybercriminals, a fact that has certainly not been missed by the creators of Digimine malware.

Infection with Digimine malware will see the victim’s device slowed, as its processing power is being used mining Monero. However, that is not the only problem. The campaign spreading this malware variant works via Facebook Messenger, and infection can see the victim’s contacts targeted, and could possibly lead to the victim’s Facebook account being hijacked.

The Digimine malware campaign is being conducted through the Desktop version of Facebook Messenger, via Google Chrome instead of the mobile app. Once a victim is infected, if their Facebook account is set to login automatically, the malware will send links to all individuals in the victim’s contact list. Visiting those links will result in the installation of the malware, the generation of more messages to contacts and more infections, building up an army of hijacked devices for mining Monero.

Infections were first seen in South Korea; however, they have now spread throughout east and south-east Asia, and beyond to Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, according to Trend Micro.

A similar campaign has also been seen by FortiGuard Labs. That campaign is being carried out by the actors behind the ransomware VenusLocker, who have similarly changed to Monero mining malware. That campaign also began in South Korea and is spreading quickly. Instead of using Facebook Messenger, the VenusLocker gang is using phishing emails.

Phishing emails for this campaign include infected email attachments that install the miner. One of the emails claims the victim’s details have been accidentally revealed exposed in a data breach, with the attachment containing details of the attack and instructions to follow to mitigate risk.

Content Filtering Crucial for K12 Schools Chromebook

by News | May 23, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

The widespread use of Chromebooks in educational institutions worldwides has seen the device implement by up to 40 million users in this sector.

While these devices solve an issue in relation to the close equity, technology and homework gaps that many school districts need to address there is also the issue of cybersecurity that needs to be addressed A Chromebook in the end is only a tool that should be used in the proper manner. The main reason these device are supplied in an educational setting is to provide access to something online, usually an educational application or a game app.

Enforcing borders is crucial for young users as they prevent students from remaining connected to game sites and searching for malicious content. Along with this there is the issue of CIPA compliance for K12 institutions that depend on e-rate funding.  CIPA forces school districts to implement an internet safety policy that blocks and filters images and content that is classified as harmful to minors.  Secure borders are a requirement for school districts that implement Chromebooks on any scale.

Chromebooks required the same security as other computing devices. as they are susceptible to malicious code.  Even thought they will not run traditional .exe files can’t run on a Chromebook, Android malware and other dangers are an active threat. The main attacked vector is the internet for malware and other malicious campaigns.  Next generation DNS blocking is important for any multi-level cybersecurity strategy and should be used in all educational filtering solutions.

WebTitan on-the go for Chromebooks offers a level of excellence similar used by Windows admins to delivering user and device-level web filtering for their system’s Windows 10 devices. This is also available at a bespoke level for Chromebook. The WebTitan Cloud management interface is very easy to use and has a web-based intuitive design.

WebTitan is designed for the “Anywhere Workforce” as well as “Anywhere Learning.”  Whether your students are using their devices on campus within a traditional classroom or at a remote place, they and their devices are secured by the same granular internet filtering policies. The cloud based solution gives internal IT the ability to fully manage your web filtering system from anywhere globally.

This allows admins the same tools and interface regardless of there they are based. For onboarding, rather than relying on-premise or user client software, WebTitan simply redirects the DNS traffic of all of your devices in the cloud. Because there is no inline device, you don’t have to worry about intranet traffic being blocked or non HTTP/HTTPS traffic.

When it comes down to it, there is probably no institution more difficult to configured web filters for than K12.  WebTitan on-the-go for Chromebooks was created to work on the most complex of environments using a simple 3-step process.

• Set up your desired groups
• Configure granular filtering policies to prevent various categories
• Assign those policies to your groups

You can also override your policies with manually created exceptions.

The reporting feature of WebTitan allows for querying relevant information in relation to a student’s internet history and summarize it into a simple to read report.  Administrators and IT personnel can also identify broad based behavior patterns surrounding student internet usage at the system and group level.

Another reassuring feature is WebTitan’s malicious detection service which is always searching for malicious threats in real time with the assistance of AI-powered protection that can combat emerging phishing URLs and even zero-minute attacks.

How Your Business can Fight Ransomware Attacks

by News | May 20, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

The first quarter of 2021 has seen the surge in ransomware attacks on companies continue, with most of the victims targeted when they had insufficient security measures in place to fight the attacks,leaving both their databases and valuable data vulnerable,

In most cases the use of a range of recommended measures would have prevented an attack from being successful. Here we have listed the standard measures that will bolster your cybersecurity suite.

Measure that can Fight Ransomware Attacks on your Business

There are several ransomware mitigations that can be implemented to reduce the risk of ransomware attacks and limit the severity of an attack should a network be compromised.

1. Limit access to network resources: Use the principle of least privilege and implement a strict restriction administrative access and the ability to download and run software.
2. Configure a strong spam filter: The use of a strong spam filter will prevent phishing attacks and malware delivered via email from infiltrating your databases.
3. Use a web filter to review network traffic: Configuring a web filter will allows you systems to spot access attempts to malicious websites and recognise malicious IP addresses.
4. Set up multi-factor authentication: Stolen log in details, taken during phishing attacks, allow ransomware actors to invade networks. Multi-factor authentication will stop this and act as an additional safeguard if one log-in credential is stolen.
5. Limit or obstruct Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): Consider if RDP is necessary and disable it wherever possible. Double check originating sources are restricted and implement multi-factor authentication as mentioned previously.
6. Provide end-user security awareness training: This is make sure employees are aware of how to spot phishing emails and be conscious of cybersecurity best practices and participating in dangerous online activity.
7. Invest in the best available AV software: Using an advanced anti-virus solution that conducts regular scans of all IT assets for malware, will keep your network safe.
8. Apply patches promptly and update software regularly: This is crucial in order to fight the exploitation of vulnerabilities. The majority of vulnerabilities exploited in attacks are months old, yet patches were not applied.
9. Turn off macro scripts in Office files: Turn off Office macros on all devices unless there is a business need for allowing them. Open Office files sharing using email using Office Viewer software rather than the full Office application.
10. Do not allow inbound connections from Cobalt Strike servers: Do this and restrict the use of other post-exploitation tools where possible.
11. Add application allowlisting: Only allow applications and systems to run programs as permitted by your security policy. Prevent the execution of programs from popular ransomware locations such as temporary folders and the LocalAppData folder.
12. Put in place network segmentation: This is limit the harm that can be caused on different parts of your databases should an attack infiltrate your network.
13. Prevent inbound connections from anonymization services: Turn off access from Tor and other anonymization services to IP addresses and ports where external connections are not standard or required.
14. Create a robust backup policy: See to it that backups of critical data completed on a regular basis and tested to ensure file recovery can take place. Keep a copy of the backup in a secure offline place.

How Can You Prevent Email Impersonation Attacks on Your Businesses?

by News | Apr 20, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

In 2020, ransomware attacks increased and soaring and phishing and email impersonation attacks were witnessed at worryingly high levels.

Specialists in cybersecurity have already calculated that 2020 saw a global cost to businesses caused by ransomware will come in around $20bn. It has also be predicted that the ransomware will remain the main attack vector of hackers for years to come as it is a proven way of earning money for these groups.

The main focus of these attacks has always been large companies due to the huge amounts of personal data they manages and the potential for using this in identity theft campaigns. Smaller companies are a less attractive target. However, they also manage considerable amounts of customer data and attacks can still be return a lot of money for hackers. While the large enterprises are a lucrative target they can be tricky to infiltrate as they invest so much in cybersecurity measures. As smaller enterprises would not have a large budget to invest in cybersecurity they can have a number of weaknesses that would make them much easier for hackers to infiltrate.

This is why small to medium enterprises are often targeted with phishing campaign. Should a phishing email makes it to an employee inbox, there is a good possibility that he message will be opened and important details will  be compromised or malware will be downloaded.

The 2018 KnowBe4 Phishing Industry Benchmarking Report shows that on average, the probability of an employee clicking on a malicious hyperlink or taking another fraudulent request is 27%. That means one in four employees will click a link in a phishing email or obey a fraudulent request.

In these phishing emails the sender of the message is spoofed so the email looks like it was shared from a known individual or company. The email will feature an authentic email address on a known business domain. Without proper security measures configured, that message will land in inboxes and many staff members are likely to be tricked into sharing their credentials or open an infected file which downloads malware. More often than not, they will not realize they have been tricked.

One way of blocking these phishing messages from landing in staff inboxes is to apply Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) rules. Simply put, DMARC includes two technologies – Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).

SPF is a DNS-based filtering security measure that helps to discover spoofed messages. SPF established authorized sender IP addresses on DNS servers. Recipient servers carry out lookups on the SPF records to make sure that the sender IP is one of the authorized vendors on the group’s DNS servers. If there is a match the message is sent to the requested inbox. If the check does not match, the message is rejected or quarantined.

DKIM includes the use of an encrypted signature to prove who the sender is. That signature is created using the organization’s public key and is decrypted using the private key available to the email server. DMARC rules are then applied to either reject or quarantine messages that do not meet the authentication requirements. Quarantining messages is useful as it means network managers can review to see if genuine emails have not been flagged by mistake.

Reports can be made available d to monitor email activity and network managers can see the number of messages that are being rejected or dropped. A quick rise in the number of rejected messages indicates an attack is current.

DMARC might appear complicated. However, if it is set proper properly it will prove an invaluable security tool that defends against phishing and dangerous email content.

TitanHQ’s anti-phishing and anti-spam service used DMARC to prevent email impersonation attacks in addition to advanced anti-malware features such as a Bitdefender-powered sandbox. For more details about tackling  email impersonation on your organization contact TitanHQ now.

Multiple Malware Variants Delivered with Gootloader Malware via SEO Poisoning

by News | Apr 16, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

Recently, there has been rapid growth in the the use of a JavaScript-based infection framework known as Gootloader which is being used to deliver several different malware payloads. Gootloader been implemented for distributing the Gootkit banking Trojan, REvil ransomware, Cobalt Strike, and the Kronos Trojan via compromised WordPress websites.

Those responsible for Gootloader target susceptible WordPress websites and generate hundreds of pages of fake content, often totally unconnected to the theme of the website. A wide variety of websites have been impacted across many industry sectors, including retail, education, healthcare, travel, music, and many more, with the common denominator that they all leverage the WordPress CMS.

It is not yet known how the WordPress sites have been infected. It is possible that the sites have not been updated to the most recent WordPress version or had vulnerable plugins that were targeted. Legitimate admin accounts could have been hacked using brute force tactics, or other methods may have been employed.

The content placed on the compromised sites takes the format of forum posts and fake message forums, providing answers to specific questions. The questions are mostly linked to certain types of legal agreements and other documents. A review of the campaign by eSentire researchers found the majority of the posts on the compromised websites included the word “agreement”. The posts feature a question, such as “Do I need a party wall agreement to sell my house?” with a post added below using the exact same search term that users can click to install a template agreement.

These pages have very specific questions for which there are minimal search engine results, so when search engines crawl the websites, the content ranks highly in the SERPs for that specific search term. There may be relatively few people searching for these particular search terms, but most of those that do are looking for a sample agreements and will download them and unwittingly install malware.

The malicious file downloaded by users is a JavaScript file hidden inside a.zip file. If that file is executed, the rest of the infection process takes place in the memory, beyond the reach of traditional antimalware solutions. An autorun entry is established that loads a PowerShell script for persistence, which will ultimately be used to deliver whatever payload the threat actor wishes to put in place.

The content placed on the websites contains malicious code that displays the malicious forum posts only to visitors from certain places, with an underlying blog post that at first appears authentic, but is mostly gibberish. The blog post will be displayed to all visitors who are not being actively targeted. The campaign uses black hat SEO techniques to get the content listed in the SERPs, which will eventually be deleted by the likes of Google; however, that process may take some time and there are new questions and answers constantly being created to ensure Gootloader survives.

Preventing these attacks requires a range of security solutions and end user training. Installing any document or file from the Internet comes with a danger of a malware infection. Risk can be minimized by using a web filtering solution. Web filters will prevent access to websites that have been labelled as malicious and will perform a content review on new content. You can also create a web filter to block downloads of certain files types, such as JavaScript files and Zip files.

Endpoints should be configured to show known file types, as this is not set by default in Windows. This will make sure that the file extension – .js – is shown. End users should be advised not to install these files but ideally, endpoints should be configured to prevent JavaScript and Visual Basic scripts from trying to install and run files.

New Saint Bot Malware Dropper Shared using Phishing Emails

by News | Apr 14, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

A new malware variant being referred to as Saint Bot malware is being shared using phishing emails that feature a Bitcoin-themed lure. As Bitcoin values continue surge upwards it is thought that the lure will be more effective than ever and fool many into clicking on the attached files to use the bitcoin wallet.

The phishing emails inform the recipient that a Bitcoin wallet in the included Zip file. The Zip file comes with a text file with instructions and a LNK file that has an embedded PowerShell script. A PowerShell downloader installs an obfuscated .Net dropper and downloader, which will then load a BAT script that disables Windows Defender and the Saint Bot malware binary. If someone should follows these instructions it will set off a process that will result in the Saint Bot malware being installed on the device.

A feature of the Saint Bot malware dropper is that is can deliver secondary payloads including information stealers, although it can be used to drop any possible strain of malware. This new strain was initially discovered by researchers at Malwarebytes. They found that there are no novel techniques at play with this malware. However, appears that the malware is being continually evolved. Currently, detections have been at a comparatively minimal but Saint Bot malware could grow into a serious threat for email users.

Once installed the malware can find out if it is in a controlled environment and will remove itself should that be the case. Conversely, should it not be a controlled environment the malware will communicate with its hard-coded command and control servers, send information collated from the infected system, and install secondary payloads to the infected device using Discord.

The malware is not characteristic of a particular threat group and could well be shared to multiple actors using darknet hacking forums, but it could well become a significant threat and be used in widespread campaigns to take advantage of the opportunity in the malware-as-a-service (MaaS) market created by the takedown of the Emotet Trojan.

Safeguarding your database from malware downloaders such as Saint Bot malware requires a defense in depth approach. The simplest method of preventing infections is to implement an advanced spam filtering solution such as SpamTitan to block the phishing emails that spread the malware. Antivirus software should also be configured on all endpoints and set to update automatically, and communication with the C2 servers should be tackled using firewall rules.

Along with technical security, it is crucial to conduct security awareness training to the workforce to help staff spot malicious emails and show them how to react when a possible threat is discovered.

IRS Phishing Scam Promising Tax Refunds targets Universities

by News | Apr 12, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

The chance for cybercriminals to make massive profits by filing fake tax return submissions is significant, many time leasing to refunds of thousands of dollars being processed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Every year tax workers being sent a range of IRS phishing messages that seek to steal sensitive data that can be leverage by the cybercriminals to illegally obtain identities and send in fraudulent tax returns using their victims detail.

In 2021 many tax season phishing scams have been uncovered including the subject lines such as “Tax Refund Payment” and “Recalculation of your tax refund payment” that tries to trick the recipient’s into opening the emails. The emails feature the authentic IRS logo and tells recipients that they qualify for an additional tax refund, but in order to be transferred the payment they must click a link and fill out a form. The form in question looks like a real IRS.gov form, with the page an exact replica of the IRS website, although the website on which the form is displayed is not an official IRS portal.

The form seeks a wide range of private personal information to be supplied so that the refund can be processed. The form requests the individual’s identity, birth data, Social Security information, driver’s license number, existing address, and electronic filing PIN. For extra realism, the phishing portal also shows a popup notification saying, “This US Government System is for Authorized Use Only”, which is the same warning message that is displayed on the genuine IRS website.

The cybercriminals look like they are focusing on universities and other educational bodies, both public and private, profit and nonprofit with many of the reported phishing emails from staff and students with .edu email addresses.

Educational agencies should employ measure to mitigate the chance of their staff and students being tricked by these scams. Warning all .edu account holders to warn them about the campaign is crucial, particularly as these messages are getting around Office 365 anti-phishing measures and are landing in inboxes.

Any educational entity that depends on Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) for preventing spam and phishing emails – EOP is the default protection provided free with Office 365 licenses – should strongly think about enhancing anti-phishing security with a third-party spam filter.

SpamTitan has been created to supply better protection for Office 365 environments. The solution used along with Office 365 and easily integrates with Office 365 email while greatly improving spam and phishing email security, dual antivirus engines and sandboxing provide excellent security from malware.

To find out more in relation to SpamTitan anti-phishing security for higher education institutions call Spam. You can avail of a free trial to allow you to assess the solutions prior to deciding to buy it.

Extensive Amount of Personal Information Sought in new PayPal Phishing Scam

by News | Mar 23, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

A new PayPal phishing scam has been discovered that tries to steal an extensive amount of personal data from victims by pretending to be a PayPal security warning.

Fake PayPal Email Alerts

The emails seem to have been issued from PayPal’s Notifications Center and inform users that their account has been temporarily closed due to an attempt to log into their account from a previously unknown browser or device.

The emails feature a hyperlink that users are advised to click to log in to PayPal to verify their identity. A button is included in the email which users are told to visit a “Secure and update my account now !” link. The hyperlink is a shortened bit.ly address, that brings the victim to a spoofed PayPal page on a htacker-controlled domain using a redirect mechanism.

If the link is visited, the user is shown with a spoofed PayPal login. After entering PayPal account details, the victim is asked to enter a range of sensitive data to prove their identity as part of a PayPal Security check. The information must be provided to unlock the account, with the list of steps listed on the page along with the progress that has been made toward accessing the account.

AT first the hackers ask for the user’s full name, billing address, and phone number. Then they miust sharetheir credit/debit card details in full. The next page asks for the user’s date of birth, social security number, ATM or Debit Card PIN information, and finally the user is required to send a proof of identity document, which must be either a scan of a credit card, passport, driver’s license, or a government-issued photo Identification card.

Request for Excessive Data

This PayPal phishing campaign seeks an extensive amount of data, which should serve as an alert that all is not what it appears, especially the request to enter highly sensitive data including a Social Security number and PIN.

There are also indicators in the email that the request is not what it appears. The email is not sent from a domain linked with PayPal, the message begins with “Good Morning Customer” and not the account holder’s name, and the notice included at the bottom of the email advising the user to mark whitelist the sender if the email was sent to the spam folder is poorly composed. However, the email has been written to get the recipient to move quickly to prevent financial loss. As with other PayPal phishing campaigns, many users are likely to be tricked into sharing at least some of their personal data.

Consumers need to always be extremely careful caution and should never reply instantly to any email that warns of a security breach, instead they should stop and consider their next move prior to doing anything and carefully check the sender of the email and text. To review if there exists a genuine issue with the account, the PayPal website should be visited by viewing the proper URL into the address bar of the browser. URLs in emails should never be clicked on.

To discover more about current phishing campaigns and some of the key security measures you can put in place to enhance your protection from these campaigns, get in touch with the SpamTitan team now.

Caution Advised as all Devices on the Network Can be Automatically Infected by Ryuk Ransomware

by News | Mar 9, 2021 | ArcTitan, Email Threats

One of the most dangerous ransomware groups has amended the ransomware it is using, adding worm-like capabilities that can lead to it self-propagating and being distributed to other devices on the local database.

Ryuk ransomware initially came on the scene during the summer of 2018 and has evolved to become one of the most serious strains of ransomware. It is thought that the ransomware attacks are being conducted by an Eastern European threat group referred to as Wizard Spider, aka UNC1878.

In 2020, Ryuk ransomware was witnessed being included in ransomware attacks on large groups and companies. While some ransomware gangs opted to leave frontline healthcare organizations out of their attacks, that was not so with Ryuk. In fact, the threat group initiated a major campaign specifically targeting the healthcare sector in the United States. In October 2020, the gang targeted 6 U.S. hospitals in a single day. If security experts had not discovered a plan by the gang to attack around 400 hospitals, the campaign would have been much more successful.

The ransomware remediation company Coveware said that Ryuk ransomware was the third most prolific ransomware strain during 2020 and was deployed in 9% of all ransomware attacks. A review of the Bitcoin wallets linked with the gang suggest more than $150 million in ransoms have been transferred to the gang.

Ryuk ransomware is always being updated. The Ryuk gang was one of the first ransomware operators to use double-extortion tactics first launched by the operators of Sodinokibi and Maze ransomware, which include stealing data before the use of encryption and threatening to publish or sell the stolen data if the ransom is not transferred.

Ryuk ransomware was also amended to allow it to attack and encrypt the drives of remote computers. The ransomware uses the ARP table on a compromised device to capture a list of IP addresses and mac addresses, and a wake-on-LAN packet is shared to the devices to power them up to permit them to be encrypted.

The most recent update was first seen by the French national cybersecurity agency ANSSI during an incident response it managed in January. ANSSI discovered the most recent strain had worm-like capabilities that allow it to propagate automatically and infect all devices within the Windows domain. Every reachable device on which Windows RPC accesses are possible can be attacked and encrypted.

Ryuk is a human-operated ransomware strain, but the new update will greatly cut the manual tasks that need to be completed. This will allow the group to complete a greater number of attacks and will cut the amount of time from infection to encryption, which gives security teams even less time to identify and address an attack in progress.

While various methods are used for first access, Ryuk ransomware is usually shared by a malware dropper such as Emotet, TrickBot, Zloader, Qakbot, Buer Loader, or Bazar Loader. These malware droppers are distributed using phishing and spear phishing emails. Approximately 80% of Ryuk ransomware attacks use phishing emails as the first attack vector.

Once a device has been infiltrated it is often too late to spot and prevent the attack before data theft and file encryption, especially since the attacks normally take place overnight and during the weekend when IT teams are depleted. The best security is to prevent the initial attack vector: The phishing emails that distribute the malware droppers.

Having an advanced spam filtering solution in place is crucial for preventing Ryuk ransomware attacks. By spotting and quarantining the phishing emails and blocking them from reaching inboxes, the malware droppers that deliver Ryuk will not be installed.

To prevent these attacks, think about augmenting your email security tactics with SpamTitan. SpamTitan is an award-winning email security solution that will prevent phishing emails that deliver malware downloaders.

To discover more, callthe SpamTitan team or start a free trial of the solution now.