International Malware Takedown Seized 100+ Servers
Europol led Operation Endgame against malware droppers, marking the largest such operation, targeting droppers like Bumblebee and causing financial losses worth millions. [ more ]
Global police operation strikes against malware infrastructure
Operation Endgame targeted droppers for a major takedown and disruption, leading to arrests and addition of suspects to Europe's Most Wanted list. [ more ]
Europol makes arrests, disrupts botnets in international op
A multinational law enforcement operation led by Europol, along with US and UK counterparts, resulted in arrests, server seizures, and takedowns of malware operators to combat ransomware. [ more ]
Cybercrime victims who aren't fluent in English are undercountedand poorly protected
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is an essential part of the FBI's efforts to combat cybercrime in the United States.
The IC3 publishes annual reports on internet crime, but its resources and information are only available in English, excluding those with limited English proficiency. [ more ]
911 S5 Botnet: One of largest botnets taken down by US
The US DOJ dismantled the massive 911 S5 Botnet involved in cyber-attacks, fraud, and child exploitation, with the arrest of its ringleader YunHe Wang. [ more ]
One of world's biggest botnets taken down, US says
Law enforcement agencies shut down a global malware network linked to $5.9bn theft, leading to charges against the operator with possible 65 years imprisonment. [ more ]
'Largest Botnet Ever' Tied to Billions in Stolen Covid-19 Relief Funds
A 35-year-old Chinese national named YunHe Wang has been charged with operating a massive botnet linked to various crimes, including fraud and child exploitation. [ more ]
US arrests man allegedly behind enormous botnet that enabled cyberattacks and fraud
A Chinese national allegedly ran an international botnet that infected over 19 million IP addresses, facilitating crimes worldwide and making $100 million in profits. [ more ]
The unmasking of Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev reveals the kingpin behind the LockBit ransomware operation, efforts to disrupt and dismantle it are ongoing. [ more ]
New North Korean group tied to ransomware, gaming campaigns
A cybercrime group linked to North Korea, known as Moonstone Sleet, is using fake job opportunities to deliver malware and ransomware for financial gain. [ more ]
Potent youth cybercrime ring made up of 1,000 people, FBI official says
A group of around 1,000 young cybercriminals known as Scattered Spider pose a significant cybersecurity threat through social engineering and collaboration with ransomware groups. [ more ]
Meet the leader of LockBit, the 'most active ransomware gang ever'
LockBit's alleged leader, Dmitry Khoroshev, unmasked by Cybercrime hunters, known for leading the most active ransomware group causing billions in damages. [ more ]
Microsoft's New Recall AI Tool May Be a 'Privacy Nightmare'
Eventbrite was used to facilitate the illegal sale of controlled substances and other illicit activities, with the company's recommendation algorithm inadvertently promoting posts for opioids alongside addiction recovery events. [ more ]
FBI seizes BreachForums infrastructure - but successor sites are already popping up
The FBI, in a joint operation, seized the underground cybercrime platform BreachForums hosting stolen data, raising concerns about the lasting impact and potential resurgence of such criminal activities. [ more ]
$10 million reward offer for apprehension of unmasked LockBit ransomware leader
Law enforcement agencies have identified Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev as the mastermind behind the LockBit ransomware group, offering a reward for his capture. [ more ]
New 152million fraud website will stop victims being conned, says City of London Police chief
A new service aims to stop more fraudsters and streamline victim reporting, essential for combatting the prevalence of fraud targeting Taylor Swift fans. [ more ]
Helen McEntee receives Cabinet approval for legislation to help gardai tackle online crime
The legislation will provide gardaí with a basis to seize potential digital and online evidence in criminal investigations, subject to privacy safeguards.
The bill will give law enforcement agencies modern tools to access online evidence while respecting individuals' privacy rights. [ more ]
Hacker spins up 1 million virtual servers to illegally mine crypto
A 29-year-old man in Ukraine was arrested for using hacked accounts to create 1 million virtual servers for crypto-mining.
The suspect is believed to be the mastermind behind a large-scale cryptojacking scheme that involves hijacking cloud computing resources for mining. [ more ]
Chelsea' Asked for Nude Pictures. Then the Sextortion Began.
Financial sextortion is a rapidly growing cybercrime targeting men, like David, who are coerced into sending explicit images followed by extortion threats. [ more ]
Taking the fight to the fraudsters: How AI safeguards the digital economy
Fraud prevention in digital transactions is crucial as cybercrime evolves, costing trillions globally. AI is instrumental in enhancing security and protecting consumers in real time. [ more ]
Volume of unique malware samples threatens to overwhelm defenders | Computer Weekly
BlackBerry's latest Global threat intelligence report reveals that cybercriminals are using a more diverse range of malware than ever before, with over 380,000 malicious samples observed.
The high volume of unique malware samples can overwhelm and bypass traditional security operations centers (SOCs) easily, increasing the need for advanced anti-malware protection.
BlackBerry recommends leveraging AI and ML capabilities for advanced anti-malware protection to ease the pressure on security teams. [ more ]
The AI experts who believe the AI boom could fizzle out
Generative AI may not meet expectations in boosting the world economy as initially predicted by Goldman Sachs.
Large Language Models like GPT-4 might be reaching a plateau in terms of capability, with no significantly more powerful models launched after. [ more ]
Cybercriminals are stealing Face ID scans to break into mobile banking accounts
Cybercriminals in Thailand are targeting iOS users with Face ID thefts to steal money from their bank accounts.
A Chinese-speaking cybercrime group called GoldFactory is distributing trojanized smartphone apps that trick users into performing biometric verification checks and harvest their biometric data. [ more ]
In Final Talks on Proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty, EFF Calls on Delegates to Incorporate Protections Against Spying and Overcriminalization or Reject Convention
The final text of the UN treaty on cybercrime, in its present form, does not include meaningful changes to limit surveillance powers across borders and lacks robust human rights safeguards.
The treaty allows countries to demand assistance from other countries and technology companies in surveilling individuals under investigation for cyber offenses, potentially compromising personal information and privacy. [ more ]
US imprisons Ukrainian SSNDOB administrator for 8 years
Vitalii Chychasov, a Ukrainian national, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for running an online marketplace that sold personal data of 24 million US citizens.
The SSNDOB Marketplace operated for over a decade and had access to data from US-based data aggregators.
US authorities estimate that the marketplace generated over $19 million in sales. [ more ]
ID Theft Service Resold Access to USInfoSearch Data
USinfoSearch, a consumer data broker, has been hacked and data is being sold on the cybercrime underground.
A service called USiSLookups operates an automated bot on Telegram that allows users to look up Social Security numbers and background reports on Americans for a fee. [ more ]
Europol and international law enforcement partners have arrested five individuals involved in ransomware attacks on over 1,800 victims worldwide.
The arrests were made following raids in Ukraine, and the suspects are accused of encrypting servers and extorting millions of euros from their victims.
This is part of a larger investigation that previously resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals in Ukraine and Switzerland. [ more ]
Scattered Spider Casino Hackers Evade Arrest in Plain Sight
The cybercrime group known as Scattered Spider is still operating and attacking US organizations despite being known to law enforcement for over six months.
Law enforcement's failure to make arrests or disrupt the group's activities is seen as a failure in cybersecurity law enforcement.
The FBI and CISA have released an advisory on Scattered Spider, providing recommendations for organizations to improve their cybersecurity posture. [ more ]
Access-as-a-service (AaaS) is a new business model in the underground world of cybercrime where threat actors sell methods for accessing networks for a one-time fee.
IABs (initial access brokers) steal enterprise user credentials and sell them to other attack groups who then use them in conjunction with ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) or malware-as-a-service (MaaS).
Countermeasures are essential to combat IABs and include understanding your risk profile and implementing measures to protect against stolen credentials. [ more ]