Jun 19, 2023Ravie LakshmananCyber Attack / Hacking Governmental entities in the Middle East and Africa have been at the receiving end of sustained cyber-espionage attacks that leverage never-before-seen and rare credential theft and Exchange email exfiltration techniques. "The main goal of the attacks was to obtain highly confidential and sensitive information, specifically … [Read more...] about State-Backed Hackers Employ Advanced Methods to Target Middle Eastern and African Governments
Methods
Hackers Opting New Attack Methods After Microsoft Blocked Macros by Default
With Microsoft taking steps to block Excel 4.0 (XLM or XL4) and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros by default across Office apps, malicious actors are responding by refining their new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). "The use of VBA and XL4 Macros decreased approximately 66% from October 2021 through June 2022," Proofpoint said in a report shared with The … [Read more...] about Hackers Opting New Attack Methods After Microsoft Blocked Macros by Default
Targets & Methods [Adversary Profile]
PIONEER KITTEN at a Glance Origins Islamic Republic of Iran Target Nations Israel, Middle East North Africa (MENA), North America, United States Last Known Activity July 2020 (earliest: 2017) Target Industries Highly opportunistic with a focus on Technology, Government, Defense and Healthcare Community Identifiers PARISITE, UNC757, Fox Kitten Motivations Espionage PIONEER … [Read more...] about Targets & Methods [Adversary Profile]