Nov 07 2023
Welcome to Gone Phishing, your daily cybersecurity newsletter that’s ‘tough on cybercrime, tough on causes of cybercrime’ ???? Showing our age? ????
Today’s hottest cybersecurity news stories:
???? SecuriDropper-as-a-service storms new Google Play defences ????
⚠️ Google warns of how hackers could abuse its calendar service ????
???? Russian woman sanctioned by U.S. for laundering virtual currency ????????
???? Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a new Android threat, known as SecuriDropper, a Dropper-as-a-Service (DaaS) that's causing a stir in the cyber world! ????
???? What is a DaaS? It's a sneaky tool which can be purchased by anyone (hence ‘as-a-service) that helps cybercriminals install malware on your Android device, all while (in this case, at least!) bypassing Google's latest security measures. ????
????️ Google's Android 13 brought new security features, including "Restricted Settings" to prevent malicious apps from hijacking your device. But SecuriDropper cleverly sidesteps this safeguard by disguising itself as harmless apps. ????
????️ What's more, SecuriDropper uses a different Android API to mimic marketplace installations, making it harder to detect. ????
???? Cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric warns that this malware can lead to the distribution of nasty banking trojans like SpyNote and ERMAC. ????
???? Stay safe: Avoid downloading apps from sketchy websites and third-party sources. Stick to trusted app stores. ????️
???? Keep yourself informed about the latest cybersecurity threats, and remember that Android users have control over their app permissions. Google is also working tirelessly to protect users. ????
Stay safe out there, and keep those devices secure! ????????
Cybersecurity is more important than ever, and your Mac or PC are no exception. Over time, your Mac or PC can accumulate junk files, malware, and other threats that can slow it down and make it vulnerable to attack.
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Manage your extensions and apps to keep your Mac or PC running smoothly
Since 2008 MacPaw is trusted by over 30 million users worldwide, and it's the perfect solution for keeping your Mac or PC safe and secure.
???? Google has issued a warning about a potential threat involving its Calendar service being used for cyber attacks. ????
????️ The exploit, called Google Calendar RAT (GCR), was publicly shared on GitHub in June 2023. It cleverly uses Google Calendar Events as a command-and-control (C2) mechanism, with events hosted through a Gmail account.
????️♂️ The developer behind this tool, known as MrSaighnal, explains that GCR creates a "Covert Channel" by manipulating event descriptions in Google Calendar, allowing a direct connection with the target. ????
???? Google hasn't seen GCR used in real-world attacks, but its Mandiant threat intelligence unit has noticed threat actors sharing this proof-of-concept on underground forums.
????️ GCR can periodically check the event description for new commands, execute those commands on the target device, and update the event description with the command output. Because it operates on legitimate infrastructure, detecting suspicious activity becomes challenging.
????️ This incident emphasises how cyber threats are evolving, with attackers using cloud services to hide in plain sight. Even a nation-state actor has been caught using a .NET backdoor, codenamed BANANAMAIL, for Windows, which uses email for command-and-control operations.
???? Google is actively addressing these threats, taking down attacker-controlled Gmail accounts linked to such malware. Stay vigilant and follow best security practices to protect your data and devices. ????????????
???? The Motley Fool: “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.” Good ol’ George Dubya ???? Let us tell who’s not fooling around though; that’s the Crüe ???? at Motley Fool. You’d be a fool (alright, enough already! ????) not to check out their Share Tips from time to time so your savings can one day emerge from their cocoon as a beautiful butterfly! ???? Kidding aside, if you check out their website they’ve actually got a ton of great content with a wide variety of different investment ideas to suit most budgets ???? (LINK)
???? Wander: Find your happy place. Cue Happy Gilmore flashback ????️⛳????????️ Mmmm Happy Place… ???? So, we’ve noticed a lot of you guys are interested in travel. As are we! We stumbled upon this cool company that offers a range of breath-taking spots around the United States and, honestly, the website alone is worth a gander. When all you see about the Land of the free and the home of the brave is news of rioting, looting and school shootings, it’s easy to forget how beautiful some parts of it are. The awe-inspiring locations along with the innovative architecture of the hotels sets Wander apart from your run of the mill American getaway ????️???? (LINK)
???? Digital Ocean: If you build it they will come. Nope, we’re not talking about a baseball field for ghosts ⚾???????? (Great movie, to be fair ????). This is the Digital Ocean who’ve got a really cool platform for building and hosting pretty much anything you can think of. If you check out their website you’ll find yourself catching the buzz even if you can’t code (guilty ????). But if you can and you’re looking for somewhere to test things out or launch something new or simply enhance what you’ve got, we’d recommend checking out their services fo’ sho ???? And how can you not love their slogan: Dream it. Build it. Grow it. Right on, brother! ???? (LINK)
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken action against Ekaterina Zhdanova, a Russian individual, for her involvement in laundering virtual currency for Russia's elites and cybercriminal groups, including the notorious Ryuk ransomware gang. ????
???? Zhdanova is accused of facilitating large cross-border transactions to help Russian individuals access Western financial markets and evade international sanctions. She utilises entities lacking Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) controls, like the OFAC-designated Russian crypto exchange Garantex Europe OU (Garantex). ????
???? To move funds internationally, Zhdanova employs various methods, including cash and connections to international money laundering associates and organisations. It's worth noting that Garantex was previously sanctioned in April 2022, alongside the takedown of the dark web marketplace Hydra. ????
????️ She's also accused of assisting the Ryuk ransomware group by laundering over $2.3 million of suspected victim payments in 2021. Ryuk, a precursor to Conti ransomware, has targeted governments, healthcare, and more since 2018.
????♂️ In a related case, a Russian citizen named Denis Mihaqlovic Dubnikov pleaded guilty to money laundering charges connected to Ryuk ransomware attacks earlier this year.
???? As ransomware attacks continue to rise, organisations are urged to adopt comprehensive defence strategies, including robust backups, security software, user training, and proactive incident response plans. ????️????????????
Don’t get caught with your pants down folks; ransomware is the cyber-scourge of our time. Stay safe out there, true believers ✊
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So long and thanks for reading all the phish!
