The Coming Storm

IndependentKrebs

Fighting Fake EDRs With ‘Credit Ratings’ for Police

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:27:35 +0000

When KrebsOnSecurity last month explored how cybercriminals were using hacked email accounts at police departments worldwide to obtain warrantless Emergency Data Requests (EDRs) from social media and technology providers, many security experts called it a fundamentally unfixable problem. But don’t tell that to Matt Donahue, a former FBI agent who recently quit the agency to launch a startup that aims to help tech companies do a better job screening out phony law enforcement data requests — in part by assigning trustworthiness or “credit ratings” to law enforcement authorities worldwide.

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IndependentKrebs

The Original APT: Advanced Persistent Teenagers

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:55:38 +0000

Many organizations are already struggling to combat cybersecurity threats from ransomware purveyors and state-sponsored hacking groups, both of which tend to take days or weeks to pivot from an opportunistic malware infection to a full blown data breach. But few organizations have a playbook for responding to the kinds of virtual “smash and grab” attacks we’ve seen recently from LAPSUS$, a juvenile data extortion group whose short-lived, low-tech and remarkably effective tactics are putting some of the world’s biggest corporations on edge.

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IndependentKrebs

Hackers Gaining Power of Subpoena Via Fake “Emergency Data Requests”

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:07:27 +0000

There is a terrifying and highly effective “method” that criminal hackers are now using to harvest sensitive customer data from Internet service providers, phone companies and social media firms. It involves compromising email accounts and websites tied to police departments and government agencies, and then sending unauthorized demands for subscriber data while claiming the information being requested can’t wait for a court order because it relates to an urgent matter of life and death.

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IndependentKrebs

Pro-Ukraine ‘Protestware’ Pushes Antiwar Ads, Geo-Targeted Malware

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2022 22:33:21 +0000

Researchers are tracking a number of open-source “protestware” projects on GitHub that have recently altered their code to display “Stand with Ukraine” messages for users, or basic facts about the carnage in Ukraine. The group also is tracking several code packages that were recently modified to erase files on computers that appear to be coming from Russian or Belarusian Internet addresses.

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IndependentKrebs

Conti Ransomware Group Diaries, Part II: The Office

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:49:52 +0000

Earlier this week, a Ukrainian security researcher leaked almost two years’ worth of internal chat logs from Conti, one of the more rapacious and ruthless ransomware gangs in operation today. Tuesday’s story examined how Conti dealt with its own internal breaches and attacks from private security firms and governments. In Part II of this series we’ll explore what it’s like to work for Conti, as described by the Conti employees themselves.

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IndependentKrebs

Conti Ransomware Group Diaries, Part I: Evasion

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:50:30 +0000

A Ukrainian security researcher this week leaked several years of internal chat logs and other sensitive data tied to Conti, an aggressive and ruthless Russian cybercrime group that focuses on deploying its ransomware to companies with more than $100 million in annual revenue. The chat logs offer a fascinating glimpse into the challenges of running a sprawling criminal enterprise with more than 100 salaried employees. The records also provide insight into how Conti has dealt with its own internal breaches and attacks from private security firms and foreign governments.

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IndependentKrebs

Russia Sanctions May Spark Escalating Cyber Conflict

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2022 19:10:04 +0000

President Biden joined European leaders this week in enacting economic sanctions against Russia in response its military invasion of Ukraine. The West has promised tougher sanctions are coming, but experts warn these will almost certainly trigger a Russian retaliation against America and its allies, which could escalate into cyber attacks on Western financial institutions and energy infrastructure.

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