Tag Archive for: game

Battle of the Botnets: How MSSPs Play the Game


In this article, MSSP Alert examines the tactics and technologies MSSPs and MSPs use to spot and stop botnets. Read part one of the two-part series: “What are Botnets and Why are MSSPs So Concerned?

Any time an MSSP or MSP signs up a new customer it’s an expedition into the unknown, an exploration on day one into a potentially under-managed and vulnerable cyberspace environment.

As you begin this journey, you’re wondering who had been watching the customer’s endpoints (hopefully, but not likely, all of points of entry) and what might have already slipped through detection (perhaps years ago) and infected its IT systems — like a botnet or some type of covert malware.

MSSPs and MSPs surely know the potential of a botnet finding its way into their own IT network or devices. Why wouldn’t the bad guys go after those who would prevent them from laying the track to a ransomware attack?

The tools and techniques of the cybercrime trade are not unsurprising inasmuch as the evolving sophistication of the instruments and tactics of today’s threat actors. For instance, AI is now being used by cybercriminals typically operating out of China, Russia and North Korea.

Waging the Botnet Battle

Jim Broome, president and chief technology officer at DirectDefense, said his MSSP employs a robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution with their customers.

“For us, it’s a two-fold answer,” he said. “The more traditional botnet activity that people are associated with is just malware. So we have a managed security services solution built around managed EDR, partnered with CrowdStrike and Cylance BlackBerry (and others). You have to put the two together to look for signs of infection.”

DirectDefense also has a dedicated practice around application security, largely penetration testing, red teaming, software development and lifecycle review. Essentially, these activities are delivered within a professional services package that complements its managed security services.

“This is how we’re helping organizations deal with the struggle of protecting their applications against botnet activity,” Broome said. “Time and time again we’re being called in either for incident response…

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Big Game Hackers Smash $1 Billion Ransomware Barrier


It has been reported that last year was the worst on record for cryptocurrency payments received by ransomware groups. According to the Chainalysis Crypto Crime Report for 2024, published on February 7, crypto-criminals have finally broken the elusive $1 billion in ransomware barrier for ransoms paid in a single year. Big game hackers played a significant role in beefing up the ransom demands, although they are not solely responsible for this watershed moment in the sad history of ransomware successes. This discovery by Chainalysis sheds light on what it means for the year ahead when it comes to this particular genre of cybercrime activity.

The $1 Billion Ransomware Payment Barrier Smashed In 2023

Blockchain analysts for Chainalysis tallied up the totals in paid ransoms using crypto-currency for 2023 and found it had broken the $1 billion barrier for the first time, reaching $1.1 billion. This compares to $567 million across 2022, a flagship year for law enforcement takedowns. The 2021 total is more comparable as it reached $983 million then. Indeed, the trend line for ransomware payments since 2019 is undoubtedly on an upward trajectory overall.

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Most worryingly, the Chainalysis report expects things to get worse, much worse. “The ransomware landscape is not only prolific but continually expanding, making it challenging to monitor every incident or trace all ransom payments made in cryptocurrencies,” it says, continuing, “It is important to recognize that our figures are conservative estimates, likely to increase as new ransomware addresses are discovered over time.” As to how much that readjustment might be, the totals for 2022 were eventually revised upward by 24.1%.

Ransomware On The Rise For 2024

Much of this upward trend for ransom payments has been driven by what is known as a big game hunting strategy. These big game hackers, perhaps best exemplified by the Cl0p ransomware group, choose bigger targets with average ransoms above $1 million. Although these groups carry out fewer attacks than…

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‘Spider-Man 2’ video game studio hit by $2 million ransomware attack



Perpetrators identifying themselves as the Rhysida group demanded a staggering $2 million from Insomniac – the video game studio behind ‘Spider-Man 2’ – as part of a huge ransomware attack.

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Children’s computer game Roblox insider tricked by hacker for access to users’ data



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The hacker had access to personal information, the ability to change passwords and two-factor authentication, and could steal valuable in-game items from some of the ‘richest’ players in the game
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A hacker who bribed a worker for the online video game Roblox managed to gain access to the personal information of a smaller number of users, the ability to change passwords and email addresses, and allocate in-game currency.
The hacker first paid an insider to look up data about users, and then targeted a customer support representative. They said they did it to “prove a point” to the company.
Speaking to Motherboard under the condition of anonymity, the hacker could also change security settings, enact bans, and steal items from other users.
Roblox is a free-to-play game that “lets you play, create, and be anything you can imagine,” according to its description on the Microsoft Store. It is available on a number of platforms, including Android and iOS smartphones, Xbox game consoles, and Windows computers.
Players can customise characters and then navigate ‘minigames’ such as running obstacle courses, scuba diving, acting as a superhero, and many other activities.
According to Techcrunch, its millions of users rage from between eight and 18, although its key demographic is between nine and 15 years old.
“A lot of kids come to Roblox to play with their friends,” Craig Donato, Roblox Chief Business Officer told Techcrunch. “It’s like a virtual playground where they tend to jump from game to game with their friends – almost like jumping like I used to jump from the swing set to the monkey bars.”
In screenshots reportedly seen by Motherboard, the hacker claimed to show a customer support panel containing user data from high-profile players such as YouTuber Linkmon99 – known for being the “richest” player due to the value of their in-game items.
The YouTuber confirmed to Motherboard that the email address shown was one “secretly”…

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