Pandemic, A Driving Force in 2021 Financial Crime

Financial cybercrime in 2021 is set to evolve, researchers say, with extortion practices becoming more widespread, ransomware gangs consolidating and advanced exploits being used more effectively to target victims. That’s according to key predictions from Kaspersky. Researchers said the drastic...

Don't Let DDoS Extortionists Deliver a KO Punch

Since mid-August, a variety of threat actors and copycats alike have been targeting organizations across all industries globally, threatening impending DDoS attacks unless Bitcoin is paid out. It's apparent, as the campaign rages on, that some businesses must be paying the extortion demands, --...

Don't Let DDoS Extortionists Deliver a KO Punch

Since mid-August, a variety of threat actors and copycats alike have been targeting organizations across all industries globally, threatening impending DDoS attacks unless Bitcoin is paid out. It's apparent, as the campaign rages on, that some businesses must be paying the extortion demands, --...

Ragnar Locker Ransomware Gang Takes Out Facebook Ads in Key New Tactic

The Ragnar Locker ransomware group has decided to ratchet up the pressure on its latest high-profile victim, Italian liquor conglomerate Campari, by taking out Facebook ads threatening to release the 2TB of sensitive data it stole in a Nov. 3 attack – unless a $15 million ransom is paid in Bitcoi...

Ragnar Locker ransomware gang using Facebook ads to extort victims

By Deeba Ahmed Ragnar Locker ransomware gang has attacked multiple firms recently, but now it has taken extortion to the next level. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Ragnar Locker ransomware gang using Facebook ads to extort victims...

Targeted ransomware: it’s not just about encrypting your data!

When we talk about ransomware, we need to draw a line between what it used to be and what it currently is. Why? Because nowadays ransomware is not just about encrypting data – its primarily about data exfiltration. After that, its about data encryption and leaving convincing proof that the attack...

Why Paying to Delete Stolen Data is Bonkers

Companies hit by ransomware often face a dual threat: Even if they avoid paying the ransom and can restore things from scratch, about half the time the attackers also threaten to release sensitive stolen data unless the victim pays for a promise to have the data deleted. Leaving aside the notion...

Maze ransomware gang announces retirement

The threat actors behind Maze ransomware have announced their retirement. On November 1, they posted the retirement announcement on the website where they would normally name and shame their victims that were unwilling to pay the ransom. image courtesy of Graham Cluley "The Project is closed. Maz...

Vastaamo psychotherapy data breach sees the most vulnerable victims extorted

“Hell is too nice a place for these people.” Never have we seen outrage about a cybercrime at such a level. The outrage is aimed at cybercriminals behind the data breach that occurred at Finnish psychotherapy practice Vastaamo. Vastaamo, which has treated some 40,000 patients, is a subcontractor ...

REvil Gang Promises a Big Video-Game Hit; Claims Massive Revenue

The REvil ransomware gang claims it will rake in $100 million by year’s end. That’s according to a REvil group leader in a rare Q&A with the YouTube Channel for tech blog “Russian OSINT.” During the live interview, the REvil hacker warned of a “big attack coming…linked to a very large video game...

DDoS attacks in Q3 2020

News overview Q3 was relatively calm from a DDoS perspective. There were no headline innovations, although cybercriminals did continue to master techniques and develop malware already familiar to us from the last reporting period. For example, another DDoS botnet joined in the assault on Docker...

2020 DDoS Extortion Campaign -- A Sequel More Thrilling Than the Original

Costarring Susan McReynolds and Tom Emmons As you might imagine, as the go-to enterprise DDoS mitigation experts, our phones have been "ringing off the hook" as the global extortion DDoS campaign sequel rages on. It's bigger, badder, and features a broader cast of criminal characters than seen...

A Hacker Is Threatening to Leak Patients' Therapy Notes

An extortionist has turned a breach of Finland's Vastaamo mental health services provider into a nightmare for victims...

Ransomware Group Makes Splashy $20K Donation to Charities

The Darkside ransomware group has distinguished itself from its cybercriminal counterparts not by technical innovation, but by slapping a shiny corporate veneer on its attacks. The latest evolution in Darkside’s ransomware-as-a-corporation gimmick is a hefty $20,000 donation that the group made...

Brute force attacks increase due to more open RDP ports

While leaving your back door open while you are working from home may be something you do without giving it a second thought, having unnecessary ports open on your computer is a security risk that is sometimes underestimated. Thats because an open port can be subject to brute force attacks. What...

2020 DDoS Extortion Campaign -- A Sequel More Thrilling Than the Original

As the go-to enterprise distributed denial-of-service DDoS mitigation experts, our phones have been "ringing off the hook" since the release of the global extortion DDoS campaign sequel. This latest installment of the cybersecurity saga is bigger, badder, and features a broader cast of criminal...

News Wrap: Barnes & Noble Hack, DDoS Extortion Threats and More

The Threatpost editors break down the top security stories of the week ended Oct. 16, including: Patch Tuesday insanity, with Microsoft and Adobe releasing fixes for severe vulnerabilities – including a critical, potentially wormable remote code execution bug known as the “Ping of Death” Barnes a...

Fancy Bear Imposters Are on a Hacking Extortion Spree

Nice looking website you've got there. It'd be a shame if someone DDoS'd it...

DDoS Extortion Examination

In terms of the Distributed Denial of Service DDoS landscape, 2020 was almost boring prior to the beginning of August. The excitement from the record peak Gbps and Mpps seen in early summer had worn off, and we weren't seeing...

Travelex, Other Orgs Face DDoS Threats as Extortion Campaign Rages On

Companies worldwide have continued to receive extortion emails threatening to launch a distributed denial-of-service DDoS attack on their network, unless they pay up – with British foreign-exchange company Travelex reportedly being one recent high-profile threat recipient. Researchers said that...