Tag: extortion

ESET predicts: Ransomware and fileless malware to present increased threat in 2021

December 8, 2020

After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic upended the way we live, work and socialize, we are likely to see an increased threat from ransomware and fileless malware in 2021, according to the latest trends report from ESET. Cybersecurity Trends 2021: Staying secure in uncertain times explores the predictions of experts from the global cybersecurity firm, revealing … More ESET predicts: Ransomware and fileless malware to present increased threat in 2021

5 ways cybercriminals can try to extort you

September 18, 2020

What are some common strategies cybercriminals employ in extortion schemes and how can you mitigate the chances of falling victim to a cyber-shakedown? When it comes to coercing people into parting with their money, cybercriminals seem to have an endless bag of tricks to choose from. There are some tricks, that they favor more than others, … More 5 ways cybercriminals can try to extort you

DDoS extortion campaign targets financial firms, retailers

August 28, 2020

The extortionists attempt to scare the targets into paying by claiming to represent some of the world’s most notorious APT groups. Over the last few weeks, a cybercrime group has been extorting various organizations all over the world by threatening to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against them unless they pay thousands of dollars in Bitcoin. The … More DDoS extortion campaign targets financial firms, retailers

Sextortion scammers still shilling with stolen passwords

May 1, 2020

The email includes the potential victim’s password as evidence of a hack, but there is more than meets the eye. Earlier in April, a new sextortion scam campaign was detected making the rounds in countries on both sides of the Atlantic. The spam emails that were detected by ESET’s research laboratory have been trying to … More Sextortion scammers still shilling with stolen passwords

Old extortion spam email in Irish mailboxes, with a new Coronavirus twist

March 20, 2020

At ESET Ireland we’ve come across a novel twist on the usual “send money or bad things will happen” extortion spam email, hitting Irish mailboxes. The extortion letter starts in the usual manner, showing a victim’s password, likely gathered from one of the major security breaches over the years, which the victim could recognise as … More Old extortion spam email in Irish mailboxes, with a new Coronavirus twist