fbpx
Frame-14

Privacy Ninja

        • DATA PROTECTION

        • CYBERSECURITY

        • Penetration Testing

          Secure your network against various threat points. VA starts at only S$1,000, while VAPT starts at S$4,000. With Price Beat Guarantee!

        • API Penetration Testing
        • Enhance your digital security posture with our approach that identifies and addresses vulnerabilities within your API framework, ensuring robust protection against cyber threats targeting your digital interfaces.

        • On-Prem & Cloud Network Penetration Testing
        • Boost your network’s resilience with our assessment that uncovers security gaps, so you can strengthen your defences against sophisticated cyber threats targeting your network

        • Web Penetration Testing
        • Fortify your web presence with our specialised web app penetration testing service, designed to uncover and address vulnerabilities, ensuring your website stands resilient against online threats

        • Mobile Penetration Testing
        • Strengthen your mobile ecosystem’s resilience with our in-depth penetration testing service. From applications to underlying systems, we meticulously probe for vulnerabilities

        • Cyber Hygiene Training
        • Empower your team with essential cybersecurity knowledge, covering the latest vulnerabilities, best practices, and proactive defence strategies

        • Thick Client Penetration Testing
        • Elevate your application’s security with our thorough thick client penetration testing service. From standalone desktop applications to complex client-server systems, we meticulously probe for vulnerabilities to fortify your software against potential cyber threats.

        • Source Code Review
        • Ensure the integrity and security of your codebase with our comprehensive service, meticulously analysing code quality, identifying vulnerabilities, and optimising performance for various types of applications, scripts, plugins, and more

        • Email Spoofing Prevention
        • Check if your organisation’s email is vulnerable to hackers and put a stop to it. Receive your free test today!

        • Email Phishing Excercise
        • Strengthen your defense against email threats via simulated attacks that test and educate your team on spotting malicious emails, reducing breach risks and boosting security.

        • Cyber Essentials Bundle
        • Equip your organisation with essential cyber protection through our packages, featuring quarterly breached accounts monitoring, email phishing campaigns, cyber hygiene training, and more. LAUNCHING SOON.

US Seizes Domains Used By APT29 in Recent USAID Phishing Attacks

US Seizes Domains Used By APT29 in Recent USAID Phishing Attacks

The US Department of Justice has seized two Internet domains used in recent phishing attacks impersonating the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to distribute malware and gain access to internal networks.

The two domains seized by the DOJ are theyardservice[.]com and worldhomeoutlet[.]com and were used to receive data exfiltrated from victims of the targeted phishing attacks and send further commands malware to execute on infected machines.

Microsoft first disclosed these attacks last Thursday and stated that they were conducted by a Russian state-affiliated hacking group known as NOBELIUM (APT29, Cozy Bear, and The Dukes). This group is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), a Russian intelligence service.

To conduct the phishing attacks, NOBELIUM compromised a Contact Contact account for USAID using for email campaigns. Using this account, the threat actors impersonated USAID in phishing emails sent to approximately 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations, including government agencies and human rights organizations.

Phishing attack impersonating USAID
Phishing attack impersonating USAID

Also Read: What Does a Data Protection Officer Do? 5 Main Things

Targeted recipients who received these emails and clicked on the enclosed links would be prompted to download HTML attachments that would install four new malware created by the threat actors.

The installed malware would eventually lead to installing remote access software, such as Cobalt Strike beacons that provided full access to victims’ computers, and ultimately the network.

“Upon a recipient clicking on a spear-phishing email’s hyperlink, the victim computer was directed to download malware from a sub-domain of theyardservice[.]com. Using that initial foothold, the actors then downloaded the Cobalt Strike tool to maintain persistent presence and possibly deploy additional tools or malware to the victim’s network,” says the Department Of Justice.

“The actors’ instance of the Cobalt Strike tool received C2 communications via other subdomains of theyardservice[.]com, as well as the domain worldhomeoutlet[.]com. It was those two domains that the Department seized pursuant to the court’s seizure order.”

In indicators of compromise (IOCs) for this campaign shared by Microsoft, there are a total of thirty-four domains used in some capacity during the attacks, which includes the two domains seized by the FBI.

Also Read: The DNC Registry Singapore: 5 Things You Must Know

This operation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and may allow law enforcement to gain a better understanding of who was breached during this attack and notify victims.

0 Comments

KEEP IN TOUCH

Subscribe to our mailing list to get free tips on Data Protection and Data Privacy updates weekly!

Personal Data Protection

REPORTING DATA BREACH TO PDPC?

We have assisted numerous companies to prepare proper and accurate reports to PDPC to minimise financial penalties.
×

Hello!

Click one of our contacts below to chat on WhatsApp

× Chat with us