Malware

Advanced malware downloader GuLoader, also known as CloudEyE, was discovered by CrowdStrike researchers to be leveraging new techniques for bypassing security software.

Significant activity during the past year has made the FIN7 hacking group, also known as Carbanak, a prominent force in the cybercrime landscape, with the operation having compromised more than 8,147 victims around the world, most of which were in the U.S., according to The Hacker News.

Former Conti Team One threat actors have been operating Royal ransomware, which has been used in a slew of cyberattacks between September and December, SecurityWeek reports.

BleepingComputer reports that the Vice Society ransomware operation has shifted to the new PolyVice ransomware strain, which includes a robust hybrid encryption scheme combining the asymmetric NTRUEncrypt and symmetric ChaCha20-Poly1305-based encryption algorithms.

British news organization The Guardian has been impacted by a suspected ransomware attack on December 20, disrupting some business services but not its online site and applications, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

The FBI issued a public service announcement warning that cybercriminals are impersonating brands via search engine advertisements to direct users to malicious sites.

Group-IB researchers say Godfather uses “web fakes” to lure victims and then drain their accounts; a link to Russian-speaking threat actors hinted.

U.S. consumers continue to lag in identifying and defending against cybersecurity threats even though the average prevalence of connected devices per household has risen by 25% between 2020 and 2022, according to TechRepublic.