Tag: malware
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Despite the profitability of ransomware there is a good reason why mining malware is thriving
When, a few years ago, a friend and I were analysing a rather large botnet and we saw some network traffic indicating that it was engaged in Bitcoin mining, we felt rather disappointed: using malware to mine for cryptocurrencies is about as basic as it gets. It is the digital equivalent of breaking into someone’s house,…
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VB2017 preview: Crypton – exposing malware’s deepest secrets
Ask a programmer to perform the same task twice and they will write a tool that automates it. Malware analysts are no different, and the Virus Bulletin Conference has a long history of including papers on tools and tricks that make the task of analysing malware a lot easier. ‘Crypton’ is such a tool. It…
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VB2017 preview: Crypton – exposing malware’s deepest secrets
Ask a programmer to perform the same task twice and they will write a tool that automates it. Malware analysts are no different, and the Virus Bulletin Conference has a long history of including papers on tools and tricks that make the task of analysing malware a lot easier. ‘Crypton’ is such a tool. It…
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VB2017 preview: Mariachis and jackpotting: ATM malware from Latin America
A few years ago, I saw an ATM being opened for the first time. “Hold on,” I thought, “this is really just a Windows XP PC!” Suddenly, I realised that, to attack an ATM, cybercriminals wouldn’t need to write anything like Stuxnet-level malware. Indeed, ATM malware has been on the rise, particularly in Latin America,…
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VB2017 preview: Mariachis and jackpotting: ATM malware from Latin America
A few years ago, I saw an ATM being opened for the first time. “Hold on,” I thought, “this is really just a Windows XP PC!” Suddenly, I realised that, to attack an ATM, cybercriminals wouldn’t need to write anything like Stuxnet-level malware. Indeed, ATM malware has been on the rise, particularly in Latin America,…
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The WannaCry kill switch wasn’t inserted to make someone a hero
Almost three months after its damaging outbreak, the WannaCry malware remains shrouded in mystery. Last week’s arrest of security researcher Marcus Hutchings, better known and hereafter referred to by his online handle MalwareTech, has added yet more mystery. With very little factual information on the case available, there is little point in speculating about whether…
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The WannaCry kill switch wasn’t inserted to make someone a hero
Almost three months after its damaging outbreak, the WannaCry malware remains shrouded in mystery. Last week’s arrest of security researcher Marcus Hutchings, better known and hereafter referred to by his online handle MalwareTech, has added yet more mystery. With very little factual information on the case available, there is little point in speculating about whether…
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By removing VPNs from its Chinese App Store, Apple turns its biggest security asset against its users
A little over a month ago, Apple ‘s iPhone celebrated its tenth birthday. The iPhone has been one of the biggest commercial success stories ever, but it has also been a great success from a security point of view: malware targeting its iOS operating system remains extremely rare. iPhone is 10 years old today. After…
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By removing VPNs from its Chinese App Store, Apple turns its biggest security asset against its users
A little over a month ago, Apple ‘s iPhone celebrated its tenth birthday. The iPhone has been one of the biggest commercial success stories ever, but it has also been a great success from a security point of view: malware targeting its iOS operating system remains extremely rare. iPhone is 10 years old today. After…
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48 hours after initial reports, many mysteries remain around the latest ransomware/wiper threat
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet” Shakespeare’s philosophising can equally be applied to malware, and whether you call it Petya, NotPetya, Nyetya or Petna, the latest piece of malware to hit the headlines is just as damaging. The name isn’t the only thing…