Organizations today are overwhelmed by the number of dangers and threats to look out for. From span to phishing attempts to new infiltrating and ransomware tactics. This research investigates methods that are currently being employed by cyber groups to generate revenue and also the consequences of these cyber-attack tactics that now come with a sense of urgency.
An apparent increase in ransomware attacks, as well as the urgency to build a defense for organizations, is taking place in response to social media events such as WannaCry, Petya, and NotPetya. With immediate exposure, huge profits can be made and not just for the hackers themselves. The article takes a look at what motivates cyber-attack groups and provides information on how they operate against their targets.
The main targets of ransomware attacks are usually financial institutions, governments, and corporate entities. These large organizations have relatively higher defense capabilities than the average organization, yet they must still be careful when it comes to cyber-threats. In the article, Research Analyst Andrew Zonenberg delved into what motivates cyber-attack groups such as TheDarkOverlord and WannaCry.
In order to understand how these cyber groups operate, one must look back at similar events that occurred in the past. The first that is worth noting is the WannaCry event from May 2017 where approximately 687,000 computers were infected with ransomware in over 150 countries.
While the WannaCry attack impacted hundreds of thousands of users, the investigation into the attacker’s identity revealed that it was likely an individual or a group based in China, whose total revenue was about $140,000. In addition, WannaCry infected many hospitals in England eventually causing harm to patients who had been admitted.
After WannaCry became public news, other groups started to take note and took steps so as not to fall victim to similar attacks. This type of situation is what motivates cyber-attack groups such as TheDarkOverlord (TDO) who are also known as TDO Group. Their creation is based on their ability to cause harm and also the profit that they can earn.
In addition, there are several other cyber-attack groups whose motives are similar to TDO and these are discussed in the article. Petya, NotPetya, Poodle, and SamSam. Once again, these groups all share a common goal of generating profits through ransomware attacks which have a high barter value than any other attacks out there.
For any organization to combat ransomware is extremely challenging especially for smaller ones that do not have the same security capabilities as bigger companies. Despite this fact, Ransomware continues to cause damage in both large and small organizations across the world.
Data thefts, infections, and leakage of confidential information are all the top financial thefts that occur every year. Ransomware is one of the known cyber-threats that can take companies to the edge and cause huge losses for them. Read this article for more information on what motivates cyber group such as TheDarkOverlord (TDO) who target banks, health institutions, and other large organizations across the world.
Cyber-Attacks: A New Weapon Of Choice For OrganizedCrime
“Cybercrime has transformed from a mere means to steal an individual’s or organization’s money into a weapon that can be used to commit crimes against individuals and organizations. With this change, we are seeing a corresponding shift in the mindset of cybercriminals from merely being cash-motivated to being profit-driven. The prevailing threat today is that hackers, using sophisticated malware and cyber-attack tactics, will steal confidential data in order to blackmail the victim for a ransom”, said Andrew Zonenberg, Research Analyst at WisePoint.
Mature ransomware groups such as the TDO group are using their experience and creativity to outsmart organizations. They are using different methods to scam victims across the world and this is where ‘a sense of urgency’ plays an important role. For example, in most cases, the victim is asked to pay the ransom within a given time frame. With time and money being important factors to any organization, they are willing to pay.
The DarkOverlord which is a hacker group that takes part in cyber extortion and hacks of companies demands a ransom from the victim. Threats and attacks are already affecting people’s lives and this is why it is important to have an organization that can defend organizations against these attacks. Organizations should have solutions that keep their systems safe from these ransomware groups such as the TDO group with their ‘sense of urgency’ tactics.
Research Analyst, Andrew Zonenberg has been working with the WisePoint Security Research team to decipher the motives of various cyber criminal groups. Read this article for detailed information on what motivates cyber groups such as TheDarkOverlord (TDO).
The DarkOverlord – Another Ransomware Group On The Rise
According to WisePoint’s research team, there are many other Ransomware groups that are trying to get into this business. Among them is a well-known group that goes by the name of TDO Group or otherwise known as The Dark Overlord. “The Dark Overlord (TDO) is an organized crime group involved in blackmailing and extortion.
The Dark Overlord is known to have been active since 2016 and is most likely responsible for attacks on numerous organizations. They use a legitimate company called Command Information as their front. WisePoint monitors the DarkOverlord’s activity and provides a detailed report that provides insight into this hacker group and their methods in the following article.
The Dark Overlord is notorious for hacking companies such as Netflix, National Geographic, and many more. They then use the information to threaten organizations into paying them a ransom in order to prevent from exposing it publicly or even selling the data at bidding on dark web marketplaces.
In conclusion, the TDO group is a well-known cybercriminal group that exploits people in order to make money. This group has successfully hijacked companies such as Netflix, while threatening them with massive losses of traffic if they choose not to pay the ransom.
There are hundreds of organizations that have been attacked by the TDO Group and are yet to recover from it. As there are many cybersecurity organizations that can help companies recover from ransomware attacks, it is important for clients to consider these solutions and be protected from such groups.
Cybercrime is on the rise and many organizations are falling victim to it. It is vital for companies to take preventative measures to ensure that they are protected against these groups. Learn more about the TDO group in the WisePoint Security Report.
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