North Korean IT Workers in Western Firms Now Demanding Ransom for Stolen Data

North Korean information technology IT workers who obtain employment under false identities in Western companies are not only stealing intellectual property, but are also stepping up by demanding ransoms in order to not leak it, marking a new twist to their financially motivated attacks. "In some...

Andariel Hacking Group Shifts Focus to Financial Attacks on U.S. Organizations

Three different organizations in the U.S. were targeted in August 2024 by a North Korean state-sponsored threat actor called Andariel as part of a likely financially motivated attack. "While the attackers didn't succeed in deploying ransomware on the networks of any of the organizations affected,...

North Korean Hackers Shift from Cyber Espionage to Ransomware Attacks

A North Korea-linked threat actor known for its cyber espionage operations has gradually expanded into financially-motivated attacks that involve the deployment of ransomware, setting it apart from other nation-state hacking groups linked to the country. Google-owned Mandiant is tracking the...

BlueNoroff APT Hackers Using New Ways to Bypass Windows MotW Protection

BlueNoroff, a subcluster of the notorious Lazarus Group, has been observed adopting new techniques into its playbook that enable it to bypass Windows Mark of the Web MotW protections. This includes the use of optical disk image .ISO extension and virtual hard disk .VHD extension file formats as...

Microsoft disrupts China-based hacking group Nickel

Microsoft has taken control of 42 web domains that a hacking group was using to try to breach its targets. On December 2, the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit DCU filed pleadings with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia seeking authority to take control of the sites that it...

Microsoft Seizes 42 Malicious Web Domains Used By Chinese Hackers

Microsoft on Monday announced the seizure of 42 domains used by a China-based cyber espionage group that set its sights on organizations in the U.S. and 28 other countries pursuant to a legal warrant issued by a federal court in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Redmond company attributed the...

NICKEL targeting government organizations across Latin America and Europe

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC has observed NICKEL, a China-based threat actor, targeting governments, diplomatic entities, and non-governmental organizations NGOs across Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. MSTIC has been tracking NICKEL since 2016...

NICKEL targeting government organizations across Latin America and Europe

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center MSTIC has observed NICKEL, a China-based threat actor, targeting governments, diplomatic entities, and non-governmental organizations NGOs across Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. MSTIC has been tracking NICKEL since 2016...

Microsoft Digital Defense Report shares new insights on nation-state attacks

Microsoft is proud to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month as part of our ongoing commitment to security for all. Year-round, Microsoft tracks nation-state threat activities to help protect organizations and individuals from these advanced persistent actors. We’re constantly improving our...

Microsoft Digital Defense Report shares new insights on nation-state attacks

Microsoft is proud to promote Cybersecurity Awareness Month as part of our ongoing commitment to security for all. Year-round, Microsoft tracks nation-state threat activities to help protect organizations and individuals from these advanced persistent actors. We’re constantly improving our...