PhishLabs has observed a spike in malicious emails distributing ZLoader malware. The spike is notably one of the greatest upticks for a single payload observed in a 24-hour period over the past year, and is the first significant sign that another botnet may be stepping up in the aftermath of the Emotet takedown. May 2020 - February 2021 ZLoader Activity ZLoader is one of the most...

A threatening social media post targeting an executive, employee, brand, or any other asset often has merit to it, and investigating the online accounts associated with the threat actor is imperative in the process of assessing risk. By mapping social media accounts operated by the threat actor, as well as general social media risk monitoring, you can build a more comprehensive profile of the...

Recently, we published a piece highlighting early stage loaders often used in ransomware attacks. One of the most prolific was Emotet, which has since been taken down via a coordinated, multi-national effort. How will this impact the threat landscape? In this post, we take a look at loader activity in the aftermath of the Emotet takedown. Predominant Payloads In 2020, Emotet, Trickbot, and...

Recently, PhishLabs mitigated an attack using a fake social media page to steal the credentials of a credit union (CU) customer. Social media is increasingly used as a vehicle for attacks, and organizations should adopt social media protection measures to stay ahead of threats. The below demonstrates how the attack was executed. The Scam Initially, the threat actor sends the victim a text...

Ransomware continues to be one of the most impactful threats to enterprises. Aside from external vulnerabilities, its primary delivery method remains email phishing, with links or attachments containing early stage loaders. These loaders initiate attacks by compromising systems and installing additional malware. PhishLabs has analyzed these early stage loaders and observed a dramatic increase...

Obtaining the location of a social media threat actor can provide important information in the process of assessing risk. Verifying a geographical region of a user is vital in determining the credibility and risk level of the posted threatening content. Investigating true locations of threat actors can evidently turn a seemingly baseless low risk social media threat into something that may be...

The activist group known as Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) has published almost one terabyte of data originally leaked to dark web sites by ransomware operators. In addition, they are privately making another 1.9 terabytes of stolen data available to journalists or academic researchers. The data is just a portion of the terabytes of stolen emails, documents, and photos that...

Look-alike domains remain some of the most consistent elements of cyber attacks targeting organizations. At a high-level, there are two ways to mitigate the threat of a look-alike domain: remove the threat completely by taking it offline, or block attacks on your users by implementing IT security controls. If we dissect the construction of a look-alike domain, we see where each step in its...

In 2020, cybercrime has seen a dramatic evolution in ransomware attacks. This threat type has adopted increasingly malevolent tactics and targeted some of the year's most vulnerable industries. Operators are linking up, franchising their attacks, extorting their victims, then expecting organizations to believe them trustworthy. By 2021, ransomware is anticipated to cause $20 billion in loss. ...

Cybercriminals register hundreds of thousands of look-alike domains every year to impersonate reputable brands and make a profit. These domains are used for a variety of attacks including phishing emails, fraudulent websites, web traffic diversion, and malware delivery. Look-alike domains are intentionally misleading to give customers the false impression that they're interacting with trusted...

The novel coronavirus has dominated 2020, and in the cyber community, threat actors have capitalized on its impact from the beginning. In early March we saw the first of what would be an onslaught of criminal activity using the pandemic to manipulate users, and over the course of the year these attacks have been modified to reflect local and global fallout. The coronavirus has not only...

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), known for its collaborative analysis of phishing attacks and identify theft techniques, has released its Phishing Activity Trends Report for Q3 of 2020. Highlights from the report include more than two hundred thousand unique phishing websites detected in August and September, SSL encryption for phishing sites overtaking SSL deployment for general...

Impersonation enables threat actors to manipulate victims into disclosing sensitive information as well as enhance their ability to commit fraud. An organization's name, logo, or messaging can be incorporated into almost any threat type, making it an easy and versatile element of a cyber attack. Impersonation is an especially difficult technique to defend against because of its diverse range of...

By definition, a look-alike domain is a nearly identical, slightly altered domain name, registered with intent to deceive. Cybercriminals register hundreds of thousands of look-alike domains each year with the goal of impersonating legitimate brands and making money, usually by committing fraud. In this post, we'll describe how domains help us communicate on the Internet, the anatomy of a look...

Most phishing campaigns use social engineering and brand impersonation to attempt to take over accounts and trick the victim into divulging their credentials. PhishLabs has uncovered a previously unseen tactic by attackers that uses a malicious Microsoft Office 365 App to gain access to a victim's account without requiring them to give up their credentials to the attackers. In this technique,...

Today's enterprises are experiencing an accelerated digital transformation due to the pandemic, and adoption of initiatives that would normally span years are being fast-tracked to support remote workforces and transition to new platforms. The external digital landscape is also rapidly expanding, and organizations are being required to conduct business more frequently through non-traditional...

While paying ransoms to cybercriminals remains very controversial, the trend of ransomware groups threatening to leak sensitive data has added another layer of complexity to an already difficult decision. Should organizations pay up? Or should they refuse? According to a recent report, it may not matter. Data stolen in ransomware attacks is frequently becoming public even after the victim has...

App downloads fueled by COVID-19 lockdowns leapt to 37.5 billion in Q2 of this year, and collective global app usage is surging. Android users' screen time stands out significantly, with an increase of 25% above the weekly average from the previous year. As apps continue to be an integral part of how we conduct business and perform sensitive tasks, bad actors are using fake and unethical apps...

Malicious domains are attributed to a wide variety of cyber attacks capable of undermining a brand's credibility. A spoofed domain is easy and quick to create, and can act as the catalyst for malicious email campaigns and phishing sites. In order to detect and action domain threats targeting your organization, security teams need to implement mature and progressive processes for collection and...

Threat actors are leveraging stolen data to enhance ransomware attacks. Data leaks and ransomware - once considered two distinct threats - are overlapping into a hybrid tactic known as double extortion. While traditional ransomware attacks deny access to valuable systems and data, double extortion threatens to leak sensitive data if the ransom is not paid. Data Leaks on the Rise In Q1,...