Security
How “Squid Game” is Being Used to Spread Malware & Steal User Info
Image sourced from WhatToWatch. During the month following its release, Squid Game, a South Korean survival drama TV series, became Netflix’s biggest show, with more than 111-million viewers. Following this unprecedented demand from viewers, cybercriminals were not shy in taking advantage of fans’ eagerness to watch the show, with well-known fraud schemes hitting the web themed after the series. Experts from cybersecurity group Kaspersky share their insights on the most common and sophisticated Squid Game-related threats found in the wild, including Trojans, adware, and phishy offers of Halloween costumes. Download an Episode of Squid Game for Free. Oh, and Some Malware too. From September to October 2021, Kaspersky found several dozen different malicious files on the web, the names of whi...
Beware: These Are The Top 10 Brands Imitated in Phishing Attacks
Image sourced from Kaspersky. Check Point Research (CPR), the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies, a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, has published its new Brand Phishing Report for Q3 2021. The report highlights the brands which were most frequently imitated by criminals in their attempts to steal individuals’ personal information or payment credentials during July, August and September. In Q3, Microsoft continued its reign as the brand most frequently targeted by cybercriminals, albeit at a slightly lower rate. Twenty-nine per cent of all brand phishing attempts were related to the technology giant, down from 45% in Q2 2021, as threat actors continue to target vulnerable, distributed workforces during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon has replac...
Is South Africa a Playground for Cybercriminals?
The Attacks From All Angles 2021 Mid-year Cybersecurity Report by Trend Micro highlighted a 47% year-on-year increase in email threats as well as malicious files and URLs in the first quarter of 2021 globally. South Africa’s technology landscape is almost identical to that of other countries, which has seen black hat hackers using it as a testing ground for cybersecurity attacks before these are launched on their intended end-users. Ransomware Remains the Prime Threat Globally, ransomware remained the standout threat in the first half of the year. The pandemic has highlighted how easy it is to buy ransomware as a service (Raas) on the dark web. Africa accounted for 1.7% of these attacks, with 1.05% being targeted at South Africa. Our findings show that locally, South Africa was in the top ...
When It Comes to Cybercrime Beware of Social Engineers
You would be forgiven for thinking that terms like phishing, vishing, whaling, and pharming all had something to do with either a water sport or a pharmaceutical company, but every one of these is a cybercrime attack. These attacks leverage social engineering techniques to hack personal accounts, infect devices with ransomware, gain access to organisations or steal information to be sold on to the highest underground bidders. As Anna Collard, SVP of content and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa points out, it has become absolutely essential for people to be mindful of what they post on social media. Anna Collard, SVP of content and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. “The risk of identity theft has never been greater and according to a report by SAFPS, has increased by 337% in 2020,” she says. “When ...
‘No Honour Among Thieves’: Don’t Pay the Bad Guys say Rubrik & Microsoft
Image sourced from Mohamed Hasan – Pixabay. There is good news for companies who wish to keep their data safe, and who are opposed to paying hackers ransom money in order to have critical data returned in the event of a hack. This input comes in the recent announcement that global giant Microsoft, the American multinational technology corporation, is investing in cloud data management company Rubrik. “The two companies will combine on products that will help customers hit by ransomware to recover their critical data without paying the ransom,” says Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM Division at Networks Unlimited, which distributes Rubrik throughout Africa. “Data is one of a company’s most valuable resources, and it is critical that a business should not feel forced to ...
How Microsoft Was Able to Thwart the Largest DDoS Attack Ever
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The Mobile Malware Scourge Hits SA, Kenya & Nigeria
Internet security provider Kaspersky has blocked more than 206,000 mobile malware attacks across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region in just 6-months measured, between January to June 2021. Out of these attacks, a combined 30,000 originated from Nigeria (14,071), Kenya (10,697), and South Africa (5,499), respectively. Significantly, for the African countries monitored, Nigeria only trails Egypt (19,466) by the number of attacks blocked, pointing to how prevalent mobile threats have become in this highly connected country. In fact, Kaspersky’s latest research shows that when looking at the top ten countries by share of users attacked by mobile malware Nigeria places eighth (at 11.76%). Even though Kenya and South Africa might not feature as prominently, the mobile malware thre...
Most SAns Would Stop Trusting Brands Involved in Phishing Attacks – Survey
Image sourced from Kaspersky. According to the global Brand Trust survey by cybersecurity company Mimecast, almost three-quarters (74%) of South African consumers would stop buying from a brand if they fell victim to a phishing attack involving that brand, with 93% of South African consumers expecting their favourite brands to ensure their services, such as websites, emails and other communication, are safe to use. Heino Gevers, cybersecurity expert at Mimecast, says brands need to do more to protect their customers from cybercriminals. “South Africans are incredibly trusting with 69% of consumers not hesitating to open an email from brands they use regularly, and 56% readily clicking on links from their favourite brands. However, with cyber threats- including impersonation attacks and phi...
FirstNet Technology Services Broadens its Security Offering with EDR Solution from Fortinet
Image by Darwin Laganzon, Pixabay. FirstNet Technology Services, a First Technology Group company, has broadened its security portfolio offering to include endpoint detection and response (EDR). As a long-time Fortinet partner, FortiEDR was the natural choice. This is according to Dave Campbell, Product Manager: Cloud Services at FirstNet, who explains, “FirstNet holds an Advanced Level partner status with Fortinet. Our cloud and security services are underpinned by a range of Fortinet products, with the use of solutions including FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiEDR, and FortiToken, which makes the FirstNet and Fortinet partnership a compelling offer for our customers.” “This experience has made us one of the top Fortinet partners in South Africa with a wealth of technical and...
SEACOM Taps NETSCOUT for DDoS Services in SA & Kenya
Image sourced from Shutterstock. NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, a leading provider of security, service assurance, and business analytics has announced a new strategic partnership today with one of Africa’s leading broadband internet providers, SEACOM. This new strategic alliance aims to provide managed DDoS and security services to enterprise customers throughout Kenya and South Africa, as well as to Wholesale customers utilising SEACOM’s subsea and terrestrial networks, according to a statement from NETSCOUT. DDoS Attacks on the Rise With global DDoS attacks hitting more than 5.4 million in the first half of 2021, an 11% increase over the same period in 2020, the need to protect IT infrastructure has never been more acute. Research from Korn Ferry also points to a worldwide shortage of more than 4.3 ...
Ransomware Attacks Grew 1070% Since Last Year According to Fortinet
Image sourced from Feed Navigator. Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled the 2021 Global State of Ransomware Report. The survey reveals most organizations are more concerned about ransomware than other cyber threats, it also reveals that ransomware grew 1070% year over year from 2020. “According to a recent FortiGuard Labs Global Threat Landscape report, ransomware grew 1070% year over year. Unsurprisingly, organizations cited the evolving threat landscape as one of the top challenges in preventing ransomware attacks,” says John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet. “The high amount of attacks demonstrates the urgency for organizations to ensure their security addresses the latest ransomware attack techniques across n...
Vodacom SA Partners Cybersecurity Firm Evina to Fight Mobile Fraud
Image sourced from SABC News. Vodacom, one of SA’s leading network providers, has announced a partnership with mobile payments cybersecurity company, Evina, in a major step forward in mobile user safety. According to a statement from Vodacom, mobile users in Africa’s most advanced economy will now join the ranks of the tens of millions of consumers globally that are protected daily by Evina’s payments technology. In recent years, the South African mobile industry has attracted a large number of fraudsters leading to a substantial increase in user complaint rates. These frequent fraudulent attacks are due to the fact that a large number of the African population uses a cellular phone, especially as a mobile payment method. Fraudsters are never far from where mobile transactions are. In Sout...
