Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Monster, a novel Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) built on Delphi, surfaced in March 2022 and caught the attention of the BlackBerry Incident Response (IR) team during an incident investigation. After its initial appearance, Monster’s capabilities and its ransomware partnership program were promoted on the Russian Anonymous Marketplace (RAMP) in June. The mastermind behind Monster ransomware later introduced an enhanced version named Beast Ransomware, incorporating advanced features.

The number of new types of attacks that compromise organizations’ cybersecurity is on the rise. Cybercriminals are more capable than ever of adapting and upgrading their attack formats to circumvent their victims' protection protocols. Data shows that the volume of new attacks is increasing every year. According to Astra, this year we have reached a record number of 560,000 new types of malware detected daily. This brings the number of malware currently in existence to over one billion.

A new report from the U.K. government’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) outlines both just how likely an attack on critical national infrastructure is and where they are vulnerable. The impact of a coordinated cyberattack on the U.K.’s national infrastructure could impact millions of citizens within its country, according to the JCNSS’s report A hostage to fortune: ransomware and UK national security.

In this version of the Hacker’s Playbook Threat Coverage round-up, we are highlighting attack coverage for newly discovered or analyzed threats, including those based on original research conducted by SafeBreach Labs. SafeBreach customers can select and run these attacks and more from the SafeBreach Hacker’s Playbook™ to ensure coverage against these advanced threats. Additional details about the threats and our coverage can be seen below.

With November demonstrating multiple increases when compared to various previous time periods, new data signals that we may be in for a bumpy ride in 2024. It’s nice when we get to see reports that are published relatively quickly to let us get a sense of where cyberattacks are today versus, say, a quarter or two ago (or even last year!). The NCCGroup’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Report was just published and covers ransomware attacks through November of this year.

ESO Solutions is a primary software developer and analytics platform for emergency and associated services; its programs connect emergency response agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state response offices. ESO collects and disperses data between the services, giving responders the most complete information.

According to CISA, since the latter part of 2021, the perpetrators behind Snatch Ransomware have persistently adapted their strategies, capitalizing on prevailing tendencies and the operational successes of other ransomware variants within the cybercrime arena. Snatch has cast a wide net, targeting numerous sectors critical to infrastructure, including but not limited to the Defense, Industry, Food and Agriculture, and Information Technology sectors.

So, here’s the deal with AntiVirus software these days: It’s mostly playing catch-up with super-fast athletes — the malware guys. Traditional AV software is like old-school detectives who need a picture (or, in this case, a ‘signature’) of the bad guys to know who they’re chasing. The trouble is, these malware creators are quite sneaky — constantly changing their look and creating new disguises faster than AntiVirus can keep up with their photos.

TA4557 targets recruiters via email, threat actors use OAuth apps to automate BEC and cryptomining attacks, and researchers discover Sandman APT’s connection to the China-based KEYPLUG backdoor.