Cybercriminals ‘hide in plain sight’ to shake down West African financial players
Cybercriminals are using a combination of hacking techniques to target financial institutions throughout West Africa, according to research published Thursday by Symantec. Firms in Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast have been hit with cyberattacks that combine known forms of malicious software with “living off the land” techniques to infiltrate organizations. “Living off the land” is industry jargon that refers to hackers’ exploitation of otherwise benign tools already installed on a computer. In this case, attackers used PowerShell scripts, remote desktop protocols and Microsoft administration tools in gaining access to their targets, researchers found. Symantec identified four types of such cyberattacks but did not attribute them to any specific hacking group. Instead it described the research as an example the globalization of cybercrime. “Until now, Symantec has seen relatively little evidence of these kinds of attacks against the financial sector,” the company said in a blog post. “However, it now appears […]
The post Cybercriminals ‘hide in plain sight’ to shake down West African financial players appeared first on CyberScoop.
Continue reading Cybercriminals ‘hide in plain sight’ to shake down West African financial players