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Ragnar Locker ransomware - what you need to know

What is this Ragnar Locker thing I’ve heard about? Ragnar Locker is a family of ransomware, which first came to prominence in early 2020 when it became notorious for hitting large organisations, attempting to extort large amounts of cryptocurrency from its victims. So just your bunch of cybercriminals then? Yes, although on their underground...
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Manufacturing was the top industry targeted by ransomware last year

Global supply chains are bearing the brunt of ransomware attacks, according to a new report that finds manufacturing was the most targeted industry during 2021. Knocking financial services and insurance off the top of the heap after a long reign, the manufacturing industry was found by IBM to be the most attacked sector - accounting for 23% of...
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Government agencies warn of sophisticated, high-impact ransomware

A surge in "sophisticated, high impact" ransomware attacks has prompted the United States's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and the Australian Cyber Security Center to issue a joint advisory about the techniques being used by cybercriminals to attack businesses and...
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BlackCat ransomware - what you need to know

What is this BlackCat thing I've heard about? BlackCat (also known as ALPHV) is a relatively new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation, which has been aggressively recruiting affiliates from other ransomware groups and targeting organisations worldwide. What makes BlackCat different from other ransomware-as-a-service providers? Like other...
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Dark Overlord collaborator imprisoned for trading stolen identities

A Canadian man has been handed a three year prison sentence after being found guilty of buying and selling over 1700 stolen identities on a dark web marketplace. 29-year-old Slava Dmitriev, who went by the online handle of "GoldenAce", bought and sold individuals' personal private information, including social security numbers, on the AlphaBay dark...
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Jail for prolific romance fraudster who fleeced besotted lonely hearts

To his victims, he was "Tony Eden," a middle-aged white man looking for romance online while working overseas for a drilling company. In reality, he was a school caretaker named Osagie Aigbonohan. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, he was part of a criminal gang with links to the notorious "Black Axe" group. Southwark Crown Court in London sentenced...
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Malicious USB drives are being posted to businesses

A notorious cybercrime gang, involved in a series of high profile ransomware attacks, has in recent months been sending out poisoned USB devices to US organisations. As The Record reports, the FBI has warned that FIN7 – the well-organised cybercrime group believed to behind the Darkside and BlackMatter ransomware operations - has been mailing...
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FluBot malware warning after 70,000 attacks launched over SMS

Finland's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-FI) has issued a warning about malicious SMS messages that have been spammed out to mobile users, directing iPhone owners to phishing sites and Android users to download malware. The messages are written in Finnish but without the customary accented characters. In some instances, the messages pose as a...
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The UK pushes for better supply chain cybersecurity

If the UK Government gets its way, IT service vendors and other cloud-based service providers may soon be required to adopt new measures to strengthen their cybersecurity, amid rising concerns about supply chain risks. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has floated plans to make mandatory compliance with the National Cyber...
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"PlugWalkJoe" indicted for $784K SIM swap cryptocurrency theft

The U.S. Department of Justice charged a British man for his alleged role in stealing $784,000 worth of cryptocurrency using SIM swap attacks. According to the unsealed indictment, Joseph James O'Connor – also known as "PlugWalkJoe" – conspired with others to steal approximately $784,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency...
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FBI warns of Ranzy Locker ransomware threat, as over 30 companies hit

The FBI has warned that over 30 US-based companies had been hit by the Ranzy Locker ransomware by July this year, in a flash alert to other organisations who may be at risk. According to the alert, issued with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), most of the victims were compromised after brute force credential attacks...
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Analysis of 80 million ransomware samples reveals a world under attack

Google has released a report taking a close look at the more than 80 million ransomware samples uploaded to its VirusTotal service in the last year and a half. Each day, approximately 150,000 ransomware samples were analysed by the free VirusTotal service after being submitted by suspicious computer users, and shared with the security community to...