Improving AI-based defenses to disrupt human-operated ransomware
Microsoft’s deep understanding of human-operated ransomware attacks, which are powered by a thriving cybercrime gig economy, continuously informs the solutions we deliver to protect customers. Our expert monitoring of threat actors, investigations into real-world ransomware attacks, and the intelligence we ... continue reading
The many lives of BlackCat ransomware
The BlackCat ransomware, also known as ALPHV, is a prevalent threat and a prime example of the growing ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) gig economy. It’s noteworthy due to its unconventional programming language (Rust), multiple target devices and possible entry points, and affiliation ... continue reading
A Light Overview of Microsoft Security Products
Hi, Alan here today to lightly cover something I have been asked by customers in regard to Microsoft’s security products....and that is “what defender products does Microsoft have and what are they used for?”. Well, it’s a good question, so ... continue reading
Exposing POLONIUM activity and infrastructure targeting Israeli organizations
Microsoft successfully detected and disabled attack activity abusing OneDrive by a previously undocumented Lebanon-based activity group Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) tracks as POLONIUM. The associated indicators and tactics were used by the OneDrive team to improve detection of attack ... continue reading
Detecting and preventing privilege escalation attacks leveraging Kerberos relaying (KrbRelayUp)
On April 24, 2022, a privilege escalation hacking tool, KrbRelayUp, was publicly disclosed on GitHub by security researcher Mor Davidovich. KrbRelayUp is a wrapper that can streamline the use of some features in Rubeus, KrbRelay, SCMUACBypass, PowerMad/SharpMad, Whisker, and ADCSPwn ... continue reading
Beneath the surface: Uncovering the shift in web skimming
Microsoft security researchers recently observed that web skimming campaigns now employ various obfuscation techniques to deliver and hide skimming scripts. It’s a shift from earlier tactics where attackers conspicuously injected malicious scripts into e-commerce platforms and content management systems (CMSs) ... continue reading
Rise in XorDdos: A deeper look at the stealthy DDoS malware targeting Linux devices
In the last six months, we observed a 254% increase in activity from a Linux trojan called XorDdos. First discovered in 2014 by the research group MalwareMustDie, XorDdos was named after its denial-of-service-related activities on Linux endpoints and servers as ... continue reading
Ransomware-as-a-service: Understanding the cybercrime gig economy and how to protect yourself
Microsoft processes 24 trillion signals every 24 hours, and we have blocked billions of attacks in the last year alone. Microsoft Security tracks more than 35 unique ransomware families and 250 unique threat actors across observed nation-state, ransomware, and criminal ... continue reading
Dismantling ZLoader: How malicious ads led to disabled security tools and ransomware
As announced today, Microsoft took action against the ZLoader trojan by working with telecommunications providers around the world to disrupt key ZLoader infrastructure. We used our research into this threat to enrich our protection technologies and ensure this infrastructure could ... continue reading
Tarrask malware uses scheduled tasks for defense evasion
As Microsoft continues to track the high-priority state-sponsored threat actor HAFNIUM, new activity has been uncovered that leverages unpatched zero-day vulnerabilities as initial vectors. The Microsoft Detection and Response Team (DART) in collaboration with the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) ... continue reading
