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BianLian
BianLian is a cybercriminal ransomware group, presumably based in Russia, which has targeted Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) in the US and private enterprises in Australia and the UK since June 2022, specializing since 2023 in encryption-based extortion. (It had previously used the more labor-intensive double-extortion model.) Valid Remote Desktop Protocol credentials are used to gain access to systems. On 20 November 2024, FBI, United States’ Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) released a joint security advisory concerning the BianLian group. Such has been its noterierty that on 6 March 2025 the FBI and its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued an advisory bulletin about unknown actors claiming to be BianLian. See also * Conti (ransomware) Conti is malware developed and first used by the Russia-based hacking group "Wizard Spider" in December, 2019. It has since become a full-fledged ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ransomware As A Service
Ransomware as a service (RaaS) is a cybercrime business model where ransomware operators write software and affiliates pay to launch attacks using said software. Affiliates do not need to have technical skills of their own but rely on the technical skills of the operators. The "ransomware as a service" model is a criminal variation of the "software as a service" business model. This model allows small threat attackers to gain access to sophisticated ransomware tools at lower costs, also lowering the threshold of entry into cybercrime and complicating defenses against hacking. Revenue models Affiliates can choose from different revenue models, including monthly subscriptions, affiliate programs, one-time license fees, and pure profit sharing. The most advanced RaaS operators provide portals that allow their subscribers to track the status of infections, payments, and encrypted files. This level of support and functionality is similar to legitimate SaaS products. A common profit sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cybercriminal
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or networks. It has been variously defined as "a crime committed on a computer network, especially the Internet"; Cybercriminals may exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm to individuals, organizations, and governments. In 2000, the tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders classified cyber crimes into five categories: unauthorized access, damage to computer data or programs, sabotage to hinder the functioning of a computer system or network, unauthorized interception of data within a system or network, and computer espionage. Internationally, both state and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Cybercrimes crossing internatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that Encryption, encrypts the victim's personal data until a ransom is paid. Difficult-to-trace Digital currency, digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, cryptocurrencies are commonly used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult. Sometimes the original files can be retrieved without paying the ransom due to implementation mistakes, leaked cryptographic keys or a complete lack of encryption in the ransomware. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using a Trojan horse (computing), Trojan disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment. However, one high-profile example, the WannaCry worm, traveled automatically between computers without user interaction. Starting as early as 1989 with the first documented ransomware known as the AIDS (Trojan horse), AIDS trojan, the use of ransomware scams grew inter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Critical National Infrastructure
Critical infrastructure, or critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the UK, describes infrastructure considered essential by governments for the functioning of a society and economy and deserving of special protection for national security. Critical infrastructure has traditionally been viewed as under the scope of government due to its strategic importance, yet there is an observable trend towards its privatization, raising discussions about how the private sector can contribute to these essential services. Items Most commonly associated with the term are assets and facilities for: * Shelter; Heating (e.g. natural gas, fuel oil, district heating); * Agriculture, food production and distribution; * Education, skills development and technology transfer / basic subsistence and unemployment rate statistics; * Water supply (drinking water, waste water/sewage, stemming of surface water (e.g. dikes and sluices)); * Public health (hospitals, ambulances); * Transportation systems ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cybersecurity And Infrastructure Security Agency
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for cybersecurity and infrastructure protection across all levels of government, coordinating cybersecurity programs with U.S. states, and improving the government's cybersecurity protections against private and nation-state hackers. The term "cyber attack" covers a wide variety of actions ranging from simple probes, to defacing websites, to denial of service, to espionage and destruction. The agency began in 2007 as the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate. With the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018, CISA's footprint grew to include roles protecting the census, managing National Special Security Events, and the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also been involved in overseeing 5G network security, securing elections, and strengthening the US grid against electromagnetic pulses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Remote Desktop Protocol
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft Corporation which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection. The user employs RDP client software for this purpose, while the other computer must run RDP server software. Several clients exist for most versions of Microsoft Windows (including Windows Mobile but the support has ended), Linux (for example Remmina), Unix, macOS, iOS, Android, and other operating systems. RDP servers are built into the server and professional editions of Windows operating systems but not home editions; an RDP server for Unix and OS X also exists (for example xrdp). By default, the server listens on TCP port 3389 Microsoft KB article 306759, revision 2.2. and UDP port 3389. Microsoft currently refers to their official RDP client software as Remote Desktop Connection, formerly "Terminal Services Client". The protocol is an extension of the ITU-T T.128 applic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement agency. An agency of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is a member of the United States Intelligence Community, U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the United States Attorney General, attorney general and the Director of National Intelligence, director of national intelligence. A leading American counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of Federal crime in the United States, federal crimes. Although many of the FBI's functions are unique, its activities in support of national security are comparable to those of the British MI5 and National Crime Agency, NCA, the New Zealand Government Communications Security ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australian Cyber Security Centre
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the successor to the Cyber Security Operations Centre, is the Australian Government's lead agency for cyber security. The ACSC is part of the Australian Signals Directorate and is based at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation headquarters in Brindabella Business Park in Canberra. The Centre is overseen by the Cyber Security Operations Board and is the joint responsibility of the Minister for Defence. History The Australian Cyber Security Centre was established in 2014, replacing the Cyber Security Operations Centre, also housed by the Australian Signals Directorate. In line with the recommendations of the 2017 Independent Review of the Australian Intelligence Community led by Michael L'Estrange and Stephen Merchant, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the role of the Australian Cyber Security Centre would be strengthened and that the Prime Minister's Special Adviser on Cyber Security, Alastair MacGibbon, wou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Internet Crime Complaint Center
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity. The IC3 gives victims a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations on the Internet. The IC3 develops leads and notifies Law enforcement agency, law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, local and international level. Information sent to the IC3 is analyzed and disseminated for investigative and intelligence purposes to law enforcement and for public awareness. History The IC3 was founded in 2000 as the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), and was tasked with gathering data on crimes committed online such as fraud, scams, and thefts. Other crimes tracked by the center included intellectual property rights matters, computer intrusions, economic espionage, Extortion, online extortion, international money laundering, identity theft, and other I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conti (ransomware)
Conti is malware developed and first used by the Russia-based hacking group "Wizard Spider" in December, 2019. It has since become a full-fledged Ransomware as a service, ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation used by numerous threat actor groups to conduct ransomware attacks. The Conti malware, once deployed on a victim device, not only encrypts data on the device, but also spreads to other devices on the network, obfuscates its presence, and provides a remote attacker control over its actions on the objective. All versions of Microsoft Windows are known to be affected. The United States government offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on the group in early May 2022. Description RaaS model According to leaked playbook core team-members of a Conti operation manage the malware itself, while recruited affiliates are tasked with exploitation of victim networks and encryption of their devices. Conti's ransomware as a service model varies in its structure fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cybercrime
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or Computer network, networks. It has been variously defined as "a crime committed on a computer network, especially the Internet"; Cybercriminals may exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm to individuals, organizations, and governments. In 2000, the tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders classified cyber crimes into five categories: unauthorized access, damage to computer data or programs, sabotage to hinder the functioning of a computer system or network, unauthorized interception of data within a system or network, and computer espionage. Internationally, both state and non-state actors engage in cybercrimes, including espionage, financial theft, and other cross-border crimes. Cybercrimes c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Organizations Established In 2022
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is an entity—such as a company, or corporation or an institution (formal organization), or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. Organizations may also operate secretly or illegally in the case of secret societies, criminal organizations, and resistance movements. And in some cases may have obstacles from other organizations (e.g.: MLK's organization). What makes an organization recognized by the government is either filling out incorporation or recognition in the form of either societal pressure (e.g.: Advocacy group), causing concerns (e.g.: Resistance movement) or being considered the spokesperson of a group of people subject to negotiation (e.g.: the Polisario Front being recognized as the sole representative of the Sahrawi people and forming a partially recognized state.) Compare the concept of social groups, which may include non-organizat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
