Tag: operating system
AI-powered ransomware fuels cybercrime
Cybercriminals are now weaponizing artificial intelligence (AI) to create potentially devastating off-the-shelf ransomware. Researchers at cybersecurity company ESET have discovered what they called "the first known AI-powered ransomware". The malware, which ESET has named PromptLock, has the ability to exfiltrate, encrypt, and possibly even destroy data, though this last functionality appears not to have been implemented in the malware as yet.
MacOS users targeted by ‘infostealer’ malware
Apple computer users are suffering a growing number of ‘infostealer’ attacks across multiple regions and industries. These are a form of malicious software created to breach computer systems in order to steal sensitive information. The Palo Alto Networks Unit42 research group has detected a 101 percent increase in macOS infostealers in the last two quarters of 2024. The researchers identified three particularly prevalent macOS infostealers: Poseidon, Atomic, and Cthulhu. The developers of Atomic Stealer sell it as malware as a service (MaaS) in hacker forums and on Telegram. The Atomic Stealer operators usually distribute their malware via malvertising - the use of online advertising to spread malware. This typically involves injecting malicious or malware-laden advertisements into legitimate online advertising networks and webpages. It is capable of stealing notes and documents, browser data such as passwords, and cookies, cryptocurrency wallets, and instant messaging data. Atomic Stealer, also known as AMOS was first discovered in April 2023.
Exclusive: CrowdStrike crash is only the beginning…
The famous “blue screen of death,” witnessed with horror by 8.5 million Microsoft Windows users worldwide as a result of the ongoing CrowdStrike outage, may soon become a far more familiar sight across a wide range of sectors. While there is no evidence that the widespread Microsoft Windows outage caused by the CrowdStrike upgrade was anything but accidental, many in the cybersecurity industry are seeing the past week’s experience as a dummy run for a full-fledged cyber-attack aimed at crippling critical infrastructure. As the current media pictures of people sleeping in airports testify, some sectors appear to be faring better than others.