Government hackers made hundreds of thousands of stolen credit cards ‘worthless’ to crooks
The UK’s Ministry of Defence and the intelligence agency GCHQ recently launched a joint operation aimed at taking action against computer networks utilized by cybercriminals. The operation seeks to protect the public from cyberattacks and render hundreds of thousands of stolen credit cards worthless to the cybercriminals who stole them.

The Global Cyber Criminal Threat: Interpol, Europol and European Nations Step Up to the Plate in 2022
Two recent developments in the fight against global ransomware criminal organizations should filter into your organization’s risk awareness relative to the events in Europe and the overall cyber threat worldwide.

Looking at IP Theft as a Cyber Criminal Offering
A recent article suggests that legitimate businesses have lost the fight against cyber-crime, applied defensives and cyber security strategies have ultimately failed to secure networks, and prevent the loss of sensitive information. The piece goes on to suggest that, while organizations would focus on the attack to improve remediation, hostile actors sought to develop their tactics, techniques, and procedures. These individuals and gangs sought to continually enhance their capabilities while organizational targets merely tried to survive the storm. By any measure, this has not been a winning solution.
Cobalt Strike Usage Explodes Among Cybercrooks
Cobalt strike usage among cybercriminals has increased by 161%, according to researchers at Proofpoint. Cobalt Strike is a legitimate, commercially available tool that is utilized by network penetration testers, however, it is abused by cybercriminals to conduct cyberattacks. Proofpoint tracked the year-over-year increase of the tool by analyzing the number
Police Reportedly Arrest Egregor Ransomware Members
Several members of the Egregor ransomware group have allegedly been apprehended by French and Ukrainian police as part of a serious crackdown on cyber criminals. The suspects were traced through Blockchain analysis after victims of the ransomware conceded to ransom demands and paid the exporters in Bitcoin, according to France
Diebold ATM Terminals Jackpotted Using Machine’s Own Software
Diebold, a leading ATM manufacturer, has issued a public warning that cybercriminals have been illegally dispensing cash across Europe through compromising ATM machines using a black box with proprietary code in attacks. The criminals are utilizing software from the manufacturer in a campaign across Europe to exfiltrate money from ATMs.
Thanos Ransomware First to Weaponize RIPlace Tactic
Researchers discovered a new ransomware-as-a-service RaaS tool, called Thanos, that is the first ransomware family to add the weaponize RIPlace tactic that enables it to bypass standard ransomware protection software. Researchers claim that Thanos is increasing in popularity in multiple different underground hacking forums. RIPlace is a Windows file system
Coronavirus-themed spam surged 14,000% in two weeks says IBM
Recently, there have been numerous reports of cybercriminals and hacking groups taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. IBM emerged with new information that stated that in the past two weeks, coronavirus themed spam has increased by 14,000%. The report by IBM’s X-Force reveals how much spam has been generated, taking
Phishers Use Fake HIV Test Results as Bait
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new phishing campaign that uses fake HIV test results to gather information from victims after clicking a malicious link, targeting insurance, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies around the world. Researchers at Proofpoint uncovered the campaign, stating that the cybercriminals were impersonating Vanderbilt University Medical Center and
5G hackers: These six groups will try to break into the networks of tomorrow
European security agency Enisa has identified the groups it believes are the biggest threat to 5G networks. Enisa warns that threats to telecoms infrastructure will increase with the arrival of 5G and next-generation mobile connectivity. 5G will present a wide array of risks, from automated factories to connected cars, attracting