Next-Gen Ransomware Packs a 'Human' Punch, Microsoft Warns

Researchers are warning that “human operated” ransomware campaigns are growing more sophisticated, adopting new infection tactics and lateral movement techniques that traditional defense teams aren’t equipped to handle. Researchers said that “auto-spreading” ransomware – like WannaCry and NotPety...

2020 Cybersecurity Outlook Report

In case you missed it, we are excited to release our latest report from the VMware Carbon Black Threat Analysis Unit TAU, the “2020 Cybersecurity Outlook Report”. In the search for clarity in the modern attacker vs. defender battle, it’s all about behaviors. More broadly, we explore the age-old...

Charming Kitten Uses Fake Interview Requests to Target Public Figures

The Iran-based hacking group Charming Kitten has resurfaced with a new campaign that uses fake interviews to target public figures to launch phishing attacks and steal victims’ email-account information. In a report released Wednesday, security researchers at Certfa Lab say they discovered the...

Quarterly Report: Incident Response trends in fall 2019

By David Liebenberg and Kendall McKay. While many Cisco Talos Incident Response CTIR engagements have shown similar patterns over the past two quarters, we’re seeing a dangerous trend emerge this winter. Threat actors are increasingly combining the exfiltration of sensitive data along with data...

How Organizations Can Defend Against Advanced Persistent Threats

Advanced persistent threats APTs have emerged to be legitimate concerns for all organizations. APTs are threat actors that breach networks and infrastructures and stealthily lurk within them over extended spans of time. They typically perform complex hacks that allow them to steal or destroy data...

Beers with Talos Ep. #66: I Choose YOU! Attackers view of targets, RLAs, scam season

By Mitch Neff. Beers with Talos BWT Podcast episode No. 66 is now available. Download this episode and subscribe to Beers with Talos: If iTunes and Google Play aren't your thing, click here. Recorded Nov. 8, 2019 Joel is out on PTO, so Mitch, Matt, Nigel, and Craig carry the banner this episode...

Office 365 Admins Targeted in Ongoing Phishing Scam

A phishing campaign that uses legitimate organizations’ Office 365 infrastructure to send emails has emerged onto the cyberscam scene. According to Michael Tyler at PhishLabs, cybercriminals are looking to compromise Microsoft Office 365 administrator accounts to send out phishing lures – thus...

How the new Talos IR Cyber Range can prepare your employees for a cyber attack

By Gerard Johansen, Charles Iszard and Luke DuCharme. With the surge of ransomware attacks, information leaks and other cyber attacks in the headlines, most companies and organizations are aware that their employees need to be trained on how to stay safe online. But the real challenge lies in how...

APT33 Mounts Focused, Highly Targeted Botnet Attacks Against U.S. Victims

The Iran-linked, espionage-focused advanced threat group known as APT33 has been spotted using more than a dozen obfuscated botnets to carry out narrowly targeted attacks against government and academic targets in the Middle East, the U.S. and Asia. Each botnet, linked to its own...

Here are the most popular robocall scams and how to avoid them

We recently examined how robocall scams are a serious threat to privacy, alongside the astonishing rate at which their volume continues to increase. Forty-three billion calls in 2019 with an average of 131 calls per person in the US alone is not something to be sniffed at. No matter how careful y...

ICS Attackers Set To Inflict More Damage With Evolving Tactics

Future attacks on industrial control system ICS networks may inflict even more damage in the long run, according to new research. Analysts expect them to evolve from attacks that have immediate, direct impact to those with multiple stages and attack vectors that are more stealthy. While it remain...

Fake Voicemail/Office 365 Attack Targets Enterprise Execs

A phishing campaign is making the rounds that uses fake voicemail messages to lure victims into revealing their Office 365 email credentials. The targets are “high-profile companies,” according to researchers, mainly in the tourism, entertainment and real-estate industries. A wide range of...

ThreatList: Sharp Increase in Fake Mobile Apps Impersonating Legit Ones

Malicious mobile apps that try to dupe consumers by mimicking reputable apps is a persistent problem that’s on the rise, making an app store’s commitment to security a key factor to consider for mobile users who want to avoid these threats, according to a new report. The number of blacklisted app...

Fin7 Cybergang Retools With New Malicious Code

The Fin7 cybercrime group has ramped up its offensive capabilities by adding new malicious code to its malware arsenal. Researchers said that this is evidence that Fin7 is still a growing threat despite the arrest of several Fin7 members in 2018. The notorious group has adopted a new dropper samp...

Iran-Linked 'Charming Kitten' Touts New Spearphishing Tactics

An Iran-linked advanced persistent threat APT group tied to attacks on President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign has added new spearphishing techniques to its arsenal in an apparent ramp-up in operations. Charming Kitten—which goes by a number of names, including APT35, Ajax Security Team,...

Sextortionists Get Past Defenses with Cryptocurrency Shift

A sextortion campaign is making the rounds that attempts to evade detection by demanding payment in cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Sextortion operators typically send emails out claiming to have harvested webcam footage or browser histories related to adult content from the recipient’s...

The Phishing Industry

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, phishing attacks are now being created and executed on an industrial scale. Malicious actors are increasingly using highly sophisticated off-the-shelf phishing kits that allow them to deliver very targeted, short-lived attacks. These campaigns direct victi...

Cybercriminals Adding Sophistication to BEC Threats

Cybercriminals are boosting their game and employing new tactics to move up the chain of command with more sophisticated business email compromise BEC threats that pose a greater threat to organizations, according to a new report. Advanced BEC attacks–including impersonation attacks and CEO...

300 shades of gray: a look into free mobile VPN apps

The times, they are a changin'. When users once felt free to browse the Internet anonymously, post about their innermost lives on social media, and download apps with frivolity, folks are playing things a little closer to the vest these days. Nowadays, users are paying more attention to privacy a...

The Need for an Updated Kill Chain

“Cyber Kill Chain” The “Cyber Kill Chain”—created in 2011 by Lockheed Martin—was designed to be a model that “identifies what…adversaries must complete in order to achieve their objective.” This framework has been widely used through the cybersecurity world and informs prevention-heavy strategy. ...