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Ransomware as-a-Service Offers Tiered Membership Benefits
Jokeroo is the latest ransomware-as-a-service
(RaaS) to begin spreading through hacker forums, though it’s
differentiating itself by requiring a membership fee with various package
offerings. For just $90, a buyer obtains access to a ransomware variant that
they can fully customize in exchange for a 15% service fee on any ransom
payments received. Higher packages are also available that offer even more
options that give the user a full dashboard to monitor their campaign, though
no ransomware has yet to be distributed from the service.
Android Adware Apps are Increasingly Persistent
Several new apps on the Google Play store have been found to
be responsible for constant pop-up ads on over 700,000 devices after being
installed as phony
camera apps. By creating a shortcut on the device and hiding the
main icon, the apps are able to stay installed on the device for a considerable
amount of time, as any user trying to remove the app would only delete the
shortcut. Fortunately, many users have been writing poor reviews about their
experiences in hopes of steering prospective users away from these fraudulent
apps while they remain on the store.
Phone Scammers Disguising Themselves with DHS Numbers
People all across the U.S. have been receiving phone calls
from scammers claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
with actual spoofed
DHS phone numbers, requesting sensitive information. While phone
scams aren’t new, this campaign has upped the stakes by threatening the victims
with arrest if they don’t provide information or make a payment to the
scammers. DHS officials have stated they will never attempt to contact
individuals through outgoing phone calls.
Failed Ransomware Attack Leaves Thousands of Israeli Sites Defaced
A ransomware
attack aiming to infect millions of Israeli users through a widget
used in thousands of websites failed over the weekend. Though all sites began
displaying pro-Palestine messages, the intended file download never took place
due to a coding error that prevented execution immediately after the pop-up message.
After dealing with the poisoned DNS records for the widget creator Nagich, the
company was able to restore normal function within a few hours of the attack
beginning.
Chicago Medical Center Exposes Patient Records
Nearly eight months after a Rush
Medical Center employee emailed a file containing highly sensitive
patient information to one of their billing vendors, the company began
contacting affected patients and conducting an internal investigation. Rush has
setup a call center to provide additional information to concerned patients and
has offered all victims access to an identity monitoring service, while warning
them to check their credit history for any fraudulent activity.
The post Cyber News Rundown: New Ransomware Service Offers Membership appeared first on Webroot Blog.