WastedLocker Shuts Down US News Sites
Over 30 news sites were compromised in the latest WastedLocker attack that affected many sites under a single parent company. Of the more than 30 companies targeted, eight belong to the Fortune 500 group and were in the early stages of a experiencing a fully encrypting ransomware attack. Luckily, security teams monitoring these sites acted quickly and were able to block attacks against some sites while mitigating extensive damage to others. The infiltration of these sites was caused by employees accessing previously injected websites and compromising themselves in the process.
UCSF Pays Hefty Ransom
Following a ransomware attack on the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) last month, officials have decided to pay a ransom of $1.14 million to decrypt several vital systems. The ransom amount was decided upon after negotiations between the university and the attackers. The original ask was around $3 million but was cut to less than half and was paid the following day. UCSF is one of three universities targeted with ransomware by the Netwalker hacker group in June that decided to pay a ransom to restore normal network function.
EvilQuest Wiper Targets MacOS
A new malicious actor has taken aim at MacOS with an info-stealer disguised as a ransomware attack that goes by the name of EvilQuest. Upon execution of the malicious installer, the malware begins encrypting files indiscriminately and displays a ransom note demanding only $50 in Bitcoin for decryption. The notice of encryption, however, is merely a cover for the damage occurring behind the scenes: sensitive files removed from the system with no way to retrieve them.
Fake DNS Update Looks to Steal Login Credentials
Researchers have spotted a new malicious email campaign that spoofs security companies and claims to offer a DNS update if the domain admin enters their credentials. Using a surprisingly accurate landing page, which mocks the real login sites convincingly, the site user is instructed to log in to update. To make matters worse, the attackers can scan for the site’s hosting service and customize the fake landing page to their specific victim, thus ensuring a higher probability of gaining their login info.
Passports Compromised in COVID19 Scam
In the continuing saga of COVID19 HMRC scams, attackers in Great Britain have begun focusing on the passport details of self-employed individuals in hopes of attaining personal or banking information. The scam itself originates as a text message with an urgent warning for the recipient to access a legitimate looking Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs site to receive a tax refund. Dozens of victims have been identified across London. With these login credentials alone, attackers could access much of the victims’ data.
