WIRED simply revealed an article that made me each dissatisfied and shocked on the similar time. Safety researchers discovered USB-based Sogu espionage malware spreading inside African operations of European and US corporations.
Yup, you learn that proper: USB-based malware.
Here’s a fast abstract with a hyperlink to the complete article at WIRED. The upshot? You continue to want to coach your world workforce on the dangers of them good ‘ol USB sticks…
The cybersecurity agency Mandiant has uncovered a resurgence in USB-based malware assaults led by a China-linked hacker group referred to as UNC53. This group has efficiently hacked a minimum of 29 world organizations since final 12 months by social engineering workers into utilizing malware-infected USB drives.
Many of those assaults have originated from the African operations of multinational firms in international locations like Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. The malware used is a decade-old pressure often known as Sogu, which has been concerned in important cyber-espionage actions prior to now.
The marketing campaign is particularly efficient in areas the place USB drives are nonetheless generally used, like Africa. Mandiant discovered that the malware usually spreads from shared computer systems in locations like web cafés, affecting varied sectors together with consulting, banking, and authorities businesses. The malware makes use of intelligent techniques to contaminate machines, even these with out web connections, and communicates with a command-and-control server to steal knowledge.
Mandiant researchers observe that this indiscriminate methodology permits the hackers to solid a large web, sorting via victims for high-value targets later. The marketing campaign highlights the necessity for organizations to stay vigilant in opposition to all types of cyber threats, even these thought-about outdated. That is significantly vital for world networks that embody operations in growing international locations, the place older applied sciences like USB drives are nonetheless in use.