Category Archives: The Coming Storm

This category includes blog posts about computer and Internet security threats now and on the horizon.

Hackers Gaining Power of Subpoena Via Fake “Emergency Data Requests”

March 29, 2022
52 Comments

There is a terrifying and highly effective “method” that criminal hackers are now using to harvest sensitive customer data from Internet service providers, phone companies and social media firms. It involves compromising email accounts and websites tied to police departments and government agencies, and then sending unauthorized demands for subscriber data while claiming the information being requested can’t wait for a court order because it relates to an urgent matter of life and death.

Pro-Ukraine ‘Protestware’ Pushes Antiwar Ads, Geo-Targeted Malware

March 17, 2022
112 Comments

Researchers are tracking a number of open-source “protestware” projects on GitHub that have recently altered their code to display “Stand with Ukraine” messages for users, or basic facts about the carnage in Ukraine. The group also is tracking several code packages that were recently modified to erase files on computers that appear to be coming from Russian or Belarusian Internet addresses.

Report: Recent 10x Increase in Cyberattacks on Ukraine

March 11, 2022
41 Comments

As their cities suffered more intense bombardment by Russian military forces this week, Ukrainian Internet users came under renewed cyberattacks, with one Internet company providing service there saying they blocked ten times the normal number of phishing and malware attacks targeting Ukrainians.

Conti Ransomware Group Diaries, Part II: The Office

March 2, 2022
33 Comments

Earlier this week, a Ukrainian security researcher leaked almost two years’ worth of internal chat logs from Conti, one of the more rapacious and ruthless ransomware gangs in operation today. Tuesday’s story examined how Conti dealt with its own internal breaches and attacks from private security firms and governments. In Part II of this series we’ll explore what it’s like to work for Conti, as described by the Conti employees themselves.

Conti Ransomware Group Diaries, Part I: Evasion

March 1, 2022
22 Comments

A Ukrainian security researcher this week leaked several years of internal chat logs and other sensitive data tied to Conti, an aggressive and ruthless Russian cybercrime group that focuses on deploying its ransomware to companies with more than $100 million in annual revenue. The chat logs offer a fascinating glimpse into the challenges of running a sprawling criminal enterprise with more than 100 salaried employees. The records also provide insight into how Conti has dealt with its own internal breaches and attacks from private security firms and foreign governments.

Russia Sanctions May Spark Escalating Cyber Conflict

February 25, 2022
54 Comments

President Biden joined European leaders this week in enacting economic sanctions against Russia in response its military invasion of Ukraine. The West has promised tougher sanctions are coming, but experts warn these will almost certainly trigger a Russian retaliation against America and its allies, which could escalate into cyber attacks on Western financial institutions and energy infrastructure.

Scary Fraud Ensues When ID Theft & Usury Collide

January 25, 2022
62 Comments

What’s worse than finding out that identity thieves took out a 546 percent interest payday loan in your name? How about a 900 percent interest loan? Or how about not learning of the fraudulent loan until it gets handed off to collection agents? One reader’s nightmare experience spotlights what can happen when ID thieves and hackers start targeting online payday lenders.

At Request of U.S., Russia Rounds Up 14 REvil Ransomware Affiliates

January 14, 2022
54 Comments

The Russian government said today it arrested 14 people accused of working for “REvil,” a particularly aggressive ransomware group that has extorted hundreds of millions of dollars from victim organizations. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said the actions were taken in response to a request from U.S. officials, but many experts believe the crackdown is part of an effort to reduce tensions over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to station 100,000 troops along the nation’s border with Ukraine.

‘Wormable’ Flaw Leads January 2022 Patch Tuesday

January 11, 2022
23 Comments

Microsoft today released updates to plug nearly 120 security holes in Windows and supported software. Six of the vulnerabilities were publicly detailed already, potentially giving attackers a head start in figuring out how to exploit them in unpatched systems. More concerning, Microsoft warns that one of the flaws fixed this month is “wormable,” meaning no human interaction would be required for an attack to spread from one vulnerable Windows box to another.

The Internet is Held Together With Spit & Baling Wire

November 26, 2021
37 Comments

Imagine being able to disconnect or redirect Internet traffic destined for some of the world’s largest companies — just by spoofing an email. This is the nature of a threat vector recently removed by a Fortune 500 firm that operates one of the world’s largest Internet backbones.