Spam and phishing in Q3 2021
Quarterly highlights Scamming championship: sports-related fraud This summer and early fall saw some major international sporting events. The delayed Euro 2020 soccer tournament was held in June and July, followed by the equally delayed Tokyo Olympics in August. Q3 2021 also featured several F1 Grand Prix races. There was no way that cybercriminals and profiteers could […] more…Financial Cyberthreats in 2020
2020 was challenging for everyone: companies, regulators, individuals. Due to the limitations imposed by the epidemiological situation, particular categories of users and businesses were increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. While we were adjusting to remote work and the rest of the new conditions, so were scammers. As a result, 2020 was extremely eventful in terms of digital […] more…Assessing the impact of protection from web miners
Brief summary: We present the results of evaluating the positive economic and environmental impact of blocking web miners with Kaspersky products. The total power saving can be calculated with known accuracy using the formula <w>·N, where <w> is the average value of the increase in power consumption of the user device during web mining, and […] more…APT review of the year
What were the most interesting developments in terms of APT activity throughout the year and what can we learn from them? Not an easy question to answer; everybody has partial visibility and it’s never possible to really understand the motivations of some attacks or the developments behind them. Still, with the benefit of hindsight, let’s […] more…EyePyramid and a Lesson on the Perils of Attribution
In the past weeks, information-stealing malware EyePyramid made headlines after it was used to steal 87GB of sensitive data from government offices, private companies and public organizations. More than 100 email domains and 18,000 email accounts were targeted, including those of high-profile victims in Italy, the U.S., Japan and Europe. The natural assumption for many […] more…Businesses as Ransomware’s Goldmine: How Cerber Encrypts Database Files
Possibly to maximize the earning potential of Cerber’s developers and their affiliates, the ransomware incorporated a routine with heavier impact to businesses: encrypting database files. These repositories of organized data enable businesses to store, retrieve, sort, analyze, and manage pertinent information. When utilized effectively they help maintain the organization’s efficiency, so holding these mission-critical files […] more…ATMZombie: banking trojan in Israeli waters
On November 2015, Kaspersky Lab researchers identified ATMZombie, a banking Trojan that is considered to be the first malware to ever steal money from Israeli banks. It uses insidious injection and other sophisticated and stealthy methods. The first method, dubbed “proxy-changing”, is commonly used for HTTP packets inspections. It involves modifying browser proxy configurations and […] more…CUTWAIL Spambot Leads to UPATRE-DYRE Infection
A new spam attack disguised as invoice message notifications was recently seen spreading the UPATRE malware, that ultimately downloads its final payload- a BANKER malware related to the DYREZA/DYRE banking malware. Background In early October we observed a surge of spammed messages sent by the botnet CUTWAIL/PUSHDO, totaling to more than 18,000 messages seen in a single day. CUTWAIL/PUSHDO has been in […] more…Being Secure In The Most Connected World Cup Ever
Sporting events are getting more and more connected, and the just-concluded World Cup is no exception. Brazilian telecom provider Oi made sure that no expense was spared in ‘connecting’ the World Cup , and even claimed that this year’s event is in fact the most connected in the history of the World Cup. Oi claims that they […] more…More information
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