Security News

The effects of law enforcement takedowns on the ransomware landscape
2024-03-13 15:00

While the results of law enforcement action against ransomware-as-a-service operators Alphv/BlackCat and LockBit are yet to be fully realized, the August 2023 disruption of the Qakbot botnet has had one notable effect: ransomware affiliates have switched to vulnerability exploitation as the primary method of delivering the malware. The researchers pointed out other current trends related to ransomware attacks: the attackers' use of vulnerable drivers, legitimate remote desktop tools, custom data exfiltration tools, and abuse of built-in Windows utilities to steal credentials.

LockBit Ransomware Group Resurfaces After Law Enforcement Takedown
2024-02-26 04:57

The threat actors behind the LockBit ransomware operation have resurfaced on the dark web using new infrastructure, days after an international law enforcement exercise seized control of its...

LockBit ransomware secretly building next-gen encryptor before takedown
2024-02-22 13:51

LockBit ransomware developers were secretly building a new version of their file encrypting malware, dubbed LockBit-NG-Dev - likely to become LockBit 4.0, when law enforcement took down the cybercriminal's infrastructure earlier this week. While previous LockBit malware is built in C/C++, the latest sample is a work-in-progress written in.

LockBit takedown: Infrastructure disrupted, criminals arrested, decryption keys recovered
2024-02-20 12:20

In the wake of yesterday's surprise law enforcement takeover of LockBit's leak site, the UK National Crime Agency and Europol have shared more information about the extent of the takedown. "Today, after infiltrating the group's network, the NCA has taken control of the infrastructure that allows the Lockbit service to operate, compromising their entire criminal enterprise and damaging their credibility," the Agency said.

After FBI Takedown, KV-Botnet Operators Shift Tactics in Attempt to Bounce Back
2024-02-07 15:11

The threat actors behind the KV-botnet made "behavioral changes" to the malicious network as U.S. law enforcement began issuing commands to neutralize the activity. KV-botnet is the name given to...

Chinese hackers fail to rebuild botnet after FBI takedown
2024-02-07 15:00

Chinese Volt Typhoon state hackers failed to revive a botnet recently taken down by the FBI, which was previously used in attacks targeting critical infrastructure across the United States. After obtaining a court order authorizing it to dismantle the botnet on December 6, FBI agents took control of one of its command-and-control servers and cut off the Chinese hackers' access to the infected devices.

Haier hits Home Assistant plugin dev with takedown notice
2024-01-18 17:37

Appliances giant Haier issued a takedown notice to a software developer for creating Home Assistant integration plugins for the company's home appliances and releasing them on GitHub. Haier is a multinational home appliances and consumer electronics corporation selling a wide range of products under the brands General Electric Appliances, Hotpoint, Hoover, Fisher & Paykel, and Candy.

BlackCat/ALPHV Ransomware Site Seized in International Takedown Effort
2023-12-20 21:15

The ransomware group, which has distributed ransomware to more than 1,000 victims, reportedly recovered control of its website on Tuesday. On Dec. 19, the Department of Justice announced the FBI had been working on a disruption campaign against the ransomware group known as ALPHV, Noberus or BlackCat that resulted in the seizure of several of the group's websites, visibility into their network and a decryption tool that could restore stolen data.

Qakbot's backbot: FBI-led takedown keeps crims at bay for just 3 months
2023-12-19 09:26

Multiple sources are confirming the resurgence of Qakbot malware mere months after the FBI and other law enforcement agencies shuttered the Windows botnet. Microsoft Threat Intelligence reckons a new Qakbot phishing campaign is active as of December 11 but attack attempts are currently low in volume.

Qakbot Takedown Aftermath: Mitigations and Protecting Against Future Threats
2023-12-01 10:50

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI recently collaborated in a multinational operation to dismantle the notorious Qakbot malware and botnet. While the operation was successful in...