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Creators of SpyEye Virus Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison

Creators of SpyEye Virus Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison

Apr 21, 2016
In Brief Two International hackers, Aleksandr Andreevich Panin and Hamza Bendelladj, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years and 6 months in prison for their roles in developing and distributing SpyEye banking trojan, a powerful botnet similar to the infamous ZeuS malware. Both hackers were charged with stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from banking institutions worldwide. Masterminds behind the development and distribution of the infamous " SpyEye " botnet have finally been sentenced to a combined total of 24 years and 6 months in prison. Aleksandr Andreevich Panin and Hamza Bendelladj have been sentenced for their roles in developing and distributing SpyEye malware that is said to have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the financial sector, the U.S. Justice Department said  on Wednesday. SpyEye, a successor to the notorious Zeus banking malware , has affected financial institutions since 2009. Once infected, the malware connects t
Enable this New Setting to Secure your Computer from Macro-based Malware

Enable this New Setting to Secure your Computer from Macro-based Malware

Mar 31, 2016
Do you deal with MS Word files on the daily basis? If yes, then are you aware that even opening a simple doc file could compromise your system? It is a matter to think that the virus does not directly affect you, but it is you who let the virus carry out the attack by enabling deadly "Macros" to view the doc contents that are generally on eye-catching subjects like bank invoice. How Macros are Crippling your System? The concept of Macros dates back to 1990s. You must be familiar with this message: " Warning: This document contains macros. " A Macro is a series of commands and actions that help to automate some tasks. Microsoft Office programs support Macros written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), but they can also be used for malicious activities like installing malware. Hackers are cleverly using this technique on the shade of social engineering by sending the malicious Macros through doc file or spreadsheet with an eye-catching subject in t
Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu
How Just Opening an MS Word Doc Can Hijack Every File On Your System

How Just Opening an MS Word Doc Can Hijack Every File On Your System

Feb 19, 2016
If you receive a mail masquerading as a company's invoice and containing a Microsoft Word file, think twice before clicking on it. Doing so could cripple your system and could lead to a catastrophic destruction. Hackers are believed to be carrying out social engineering hoaxes by adopting eye-catching subjects in the spam emails and compromised websites to lure the victims into installing a deadly ransomware, dubbed " Locky ," into their systems. So if you find .locky extension files on your network shares, Congratulations! You are infected and left with just two solutions: Rebuild your PC from scratch or Pay the ransom. Locky ransomware is spreading at the rate of 4000 new infections per hour , which means approximately 100,000 new infections per day . Microsoft MACROS are Back It is hard to digest the fact that, in this 2016, even a single MS Word document could compromise your system by enabling ' Macros .' This is where the poin
cyber security

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.
Here's How to Decrypt Hydracrypt & Umbrecrypt Ransomware Files

Here's How to Decrypt Hydracrypt & Umbrecrypt Ransomware Files

Feb 13, 2016
Over the last few years, we have seen several types of Ransomware malware that demand a whopping amount of money from users for the retrieval of their locked, compromised sensitive files. We have also witnessed the birth of decryption solution for some of the Ransomware like Cryptolocker (partial), Coinvault , Rescue Kit . One more solution has recently been released for decryption of newly emerging ransomware, dubbed as Hydracrypt and Umbrecrypt that are propagated through Angler Exploit Kit. Both of the malware belong to CrypBoss ransomware family. The source code of CrypBoss Ransomware was leaked last year on Pastebin, which was later analyzed by Fabian Wosar, a security researcher at Emsisoft. With the help of CrypBoss Source code, Wosar was successfully able to crack the encryption algorithm of the ransomware and quickly made the decryption tool for CrypBoss and its variants ( Hydracrypt and Umbrecrypt ). It is found that both Hydracrypt and Umbrec
Here's the Facebook Hacking Tool that Can Really Hack Accounts, But...

Here's the Facebook Hacking Tool that Can Really Hack Accounts, But...

Feb 09, 2016
Yes, you heard me right. A newly discovered Facebook hacking tool actually has the capability to hack Facebook account, but YOURS , and not the one you desire to hack. How to Hack Facebook account? How to Hack my Girlfriends Facebook account? My boyfriend is cheating on me, How do I hack his Facebook Account? These are the queries that most of the Internet users search on Google. But Beware! If you come across any Facebook hacking tool that promises you to help you hack your friends Facebook accounts, you may end up downloading a hacking tool that could hack you, instead of them. Facebook  Hacking Tool that Can Really Hack, But Your Accounts Dubbed Remtasu , the tool is marketing itself as a Facebook hacking tool but actually is a Windows-based Trojan that has accelerated globally over the past year, and has now capability to disguise itself as an app for accessing people's Facebook account credentials. The tool contains a Keylogger that can captur
Someone Hijacks Botnet Network & Replaces Malware with an Antivirus

Someone Hijacks Botnet Network & Replaces Malware with an Antivirus

Feb 05, 2016
The Dridex banking trojan that is widely being used by cyber criminals to distribute malware onto users' machines has now been found distributing a security software. A portion of the Dridex banking Trojan botnet may have been hacked or compromised by an unknown Whitehat Hacker, who replaced the malicious links with  Avira Antivirus  installers. What is Dridex Banking Trojan? How it Works? Dridex malware – also known as Bugat and Cridex – is believed to have been created by cyber criminals in Eastern Europe in an effort to harvest online banking details. Even after a high-profile takedown operation in late 2015, the Dridex botnet seems to be active again. The Dridex virus typically distributes itself through spam messages or emails that include malicious attachments, most often a Microsoft Office file or Word document integrated with malicious macros. Once the malicious file has been clicked, the macros download and install the main payload of the virus – th
ALERT: This New Ransomware Steals Passwords Before Encrypting Files

ALERT: This New Ransomware Steals Passwords Before Encrypting Files

Dec 04, 2015
You should be very careful while visiting websites on the Internet because you could be hit by a new upgrade to the World's worst Exploit Kit – Angler , which lets hackers develop and conduct their own drive-by attacks on visitors' computers with relative ease. Many poorly-secured websites are targeting Windows users with a new "Cocktail" of malware that steals users' passwords before locking them out from their machines for ransom. Yes, stealing Windows users' passwords before encrypting their data and locking their PCs for ransom makes this upgrade to the Angler Exploit Kit nastier. Here's How the New Threat Works: Once the Angler exploit kit finds a vulnerable application, such as Adobe Flash, in visitor's computer, the kit delivers its malicious payloads, according to a blog post published by Heimdal Security. The First Payload infects the victim's PC with a widely used data thief exploit known as Pony that systematic
Duuzer Trojan: A New Backdoor Targeting South Korean Organizations

Duuzer Trojan: A New Backdoor Targeting South Korean Organizations

Oct 27, 2015
Security researchers at Symantec have uncovered a new Backdoor Trojan that grants hackers remote access and some control over infected machines. " Duuzer ," as dubbed by the researchers, has been targeting organizations in South Korea and elsewhere in an attempt to steal valuable information. The Trojan is designed to infect both 32-bit and 64-bit computers running Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Duuzer gives attackers remote access to the compromised computer, allowing them to: Collect system and drive information Create, enumerate, and end processes Access, modify and delete files Upload and Download additional files Change the time attributes of files Execute malicious commands Steal data from infected system Know about victim's Operating System Duuzer Infects via Spear Phishing or Watering Hole Attacks It is currently unclear how the malware is being distributed, but according to Symantec Researchers, the most obvious routes ar
This Malware Can Delete and Replace Your Entire Chrome Browser with a lookalike

This Malware Can Delete and Replace Your Entire Chrome Browser with a lookalike

Oct 20, 2015
Security researchers have uncovered a new piece of Adware that replaces your entire browser with a dangerous copy of Google Chrome , in a way that you will not notice any difference while browsing. The new adware software, dubbed " eFast Browser ," works by installing and running itself in place of Google Chrome The adware does all kinds of malicious activities that we have seen quite often over the years: Generates pop-up, coupon, pop-under and other similar ads on your screen Placing other advertisements into your web pages Redirects you to malicious websites containing bogus contents Tracking your movements on the web to help nefarious marketers send more crap your way to generating revenue Therefore, having eFast Browser installed on your machine may lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. What's Nefariously Intriguing About this Adware? The thing that makes this Adware different from others is that instead of taking contr
New Botnet Hunts for Linux — Launching 20 DDoS Attacks/Day at 150Gbps

New Botnet Hunts for Linux — Launching 20 DDoS Attacks/Day at 150Gbps

Sep 30, 2015
A network of compromised Linux servers has grown so powerful that it can blow large websites off the Internet by launching crippling Distributed Denial-of-service (DDoS ) attacks of over 150 gigabits per second (Gbps). The distributed denial-of-service network, dubbed XOR DDoS Botnet , targets over 20 websites per day , according to an advisory published by content delivery firm Akamai Technologies. Over 90 percent of the XOR DDoS targets are located in Asia, and the most frequent targets are the gaming sector and educational institutions. XOR creator is supposed to be from China, citing the fact that the IP addresses of all Command and Control (C&C) servers of XOR are located in Asia, where most of the infected Linux machines also reside. How XOR DDoS Botnet infects Linux System? Unlike other DDoS botnets , the XOR DDoS botnet infects Linux machines via embedded devices such as network routers and then brute forces a machine's SSH service to gain ro
Lenovo Caught Using Rootkit to Secretly Install Unremovable Software

Lenovo Caught Using Rootkit to Secretly Install Unremovable Software

Aug 13, 2015
Two years ago Chinese firm Lenovo got banned from supplying equipment for networks of the intelligence and defense services various countries due to hacking and spying concerns. Earlier this year, Lenovo was caught red-handed for selling laptops pre-installed with Superfish malware . One of the most popular Chinese computer manufacturers 'Lenovo' has been caught once again using a hidden Windows feature to preinstall unwanted and unremovable rootkit software on certain Lenovo laptop and desktop systems it sells. The feature is known as " Lenovo Service Engine " (LSE) – a piece of code presents into the firmware on the computer's motherboard.  If Windows is installed, the LSE automatically downloads and installs Lenovo's own software during boot time before the Microsoft operating system is launched, overwriting Windows operating system files. More worrisome part of the feature is that it injects software that updates drivers, firmware, and oth
Hacking Team Spyware preloaded with UEFI BIOS Rootkit to Hide Itself

Hacking Team Spyware preloaded with UEFI BIOS Rootkit to Hide Itself

Jul 14, 2015
Last Week someone just hacked the infamous Hacking Team , The Italy-based cyber weapons manufacturer and leaked a huge trove of 400GB internal data , including: Emails Hacking tools Zero-day exploits Surveillance tools Source code for Spyware A spreadsheet listing every government client with date of purchase and amount paid Hacking Team is known for its advanced and sophisticated Remote Control System (RCS) spyware , also known as Galileo , which is loaded with lots of zero-day exploits and have ability to monitor the computers of its targets remotely. Today, Trend Micro security researchers found that the Hacking Team " uses a UEFI  (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)  BIOS Rootkit to keep their Remote Control System (RCS) agent installed in their targets' systems ." That clearly means, even if the user reinstalls the Operating System, formats the hard disk, and even buys a new hard disk, the agents are implanted after Microsoft Windows is
This 20-year-old Student Has Written 100 Malware Programs in Two Years

This 20-year-old Student Has Written 100 Malware Programs in Two Years

Jul 04, 2015
Security firm Trend Micro has identified a 20-year-old Brazilian college student responsible for developing and distributing over 100 Banking Trojans selling each for around US$300 . Known online as ' Lordfenix ', ' Hacker's Son ' and ' Filho de Hacker ', the computer science student first began his career by posting in forums, asking for programming help for a Trojan he was developing, researchers said. Developed More than 100 Trojans However, Lordfenix has "grown quite confident in his skills" and began developing and distributing malware tailored to pilfer financial information since at least 2013. "Based on our research, Lordfenix has created more than 100 different banking Trojans , not including his other malicious tools, since April 2013," Trend Micro says . "With each Trojan costing around R$1,000 (roughly $320), this young cybercriminal channeled his talent in programming into a lucrative, illegal venture." Trend Mi
Creator of Blackshades Malware Jailed 4 Years in New York

Creator of Blackshades Malware Jailed 4 Years in New York

Jun 24, 2015
A Swedish man who was the mastermind behind the $40 BlackShades Remote Access Tool (RAT) that infected over half a million systems around the world was sentenced to almost five years in a U.S. prison on Tuesday. Alex Yücel , 25, owned and operated an organization called "BlackShades" that sold a sophisticated and notorious form of software, called RAT, to several thousands of hackers and other people in more than 100 countries for prices ranging from $40 to $50. BlackShades malware was designed to capture keystrokes, steal usernames and passwords for victims' email and Web services, FTP clients, instant messaging applications, and lots more. In the worst case, the malicious software even allowed hackers to take remote control of victim's computer and webcam to pilfer photos or videos without the knowledge of the computer owner. Yucel (a.k.a. " marjinz ") was sentenced to four and three-quarter years in prison by U.S. District Judge Kev
Beebone Botnet Taken Down By International Cybercrime Taskforce

Beebone Botnet Taken Down By International Cybercrime Taskforce

Apr 10, 2015
U.S. and European law enforcement agencies have shut down a highly sophisticated piece of the botnet that had infected more than 12,000 computers worldwide , allowing hackers to steal victims' banking information and other sensitive data. The law enforcement agencies from the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union conducted a joint operation to get rid of the botnet across the globe and seized the command-and-control server that had been used to operate the nasty Beebone (also known as AAEH ) botnet . What's a Botnet? A botnet is a network of large number of computers compromised with malicious software and controlled surreptitiously by hackers without the knowledge of victims. Basically, a "botnet" is a hacker's "robot" that does the malicious work directed by hackers. Hackers and Cyber Criminals have brushed up their hacking skills and started using Botnets as a cyber weapon to carry out multiple crimes such as DDoS attacks
Europol Takes Down RAMNIT Botnet that Infected 3.2 Million Computers

Europol Takes Down RAMNIT Botnet that Infected 3.2 Million Computers

Feb 25, 2015
It seems like the world has declared war against the Cyber Criminals. In a recent update, we reported that FBI is offering $3 Million in Reward for the arrest of GameOver Zeus botnet mastermind, and meanwhile British cyber-police has taken down widely-spread RAMNIT botnet . The National Crime Agency (NCA) in a joint operation with Europol's European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and law enforcement agencies from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom has taken down the Ramnit "botnet", which has infected over 3.2 million computers worldwide, including 33,000 in the UK. Alike GameOver Zeus, RAMNIT is also a ' botnet ' - a network of zombie computers which operate under criminal control for malicious purposes like spreading viruses, sending out spam containing malicious links, and carrying out distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) in order to bring down target websites. RAMNIT believes to spread malware via trustworthy links se
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