0ktapus

August 30, 2022

How 1-Time Passcodes Became a Corporate Liability

This post was originally published on this sitePhishers are enjoying remarkable success using text messages to steal remote access credentials and one-time passcodes from employees at some of the world’s largest technology companies and customer support firms. A recent spate of SMS phishing attacks from one cybercriminal group has spawned a flurry of breach disclosures from affected companies, which are all struggling to combat the same lingering security threat: The ability of scammers to interact directly with employees through their mobile devices. In mid-June 2022, a flood of SMS phishing messages began targeting employees at commercial staffing firms that provide […]
January 30, 2024

Fla. Man Charged in SIM-Swapping Spree is Key Suspect in Hacker Groups Oktapus, Scattered Spider

This post was originally published on this siteOn Jan. 9, 2024, U.S. authorities arrested a 19-year-old Florida man charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiring with others to use SIM-swapping to steal cryptocurrency. Sources close to the investigation tell KrebsOnSecurity the accused was a key member of a criminal hacking group blamed for a string of cyber intrusions at major U.S. technology companies during the summer of 2022. A graphic depicting how 0ktapus leveraged one victim to attack another. Image credit: Amitai Cohen of Wiz. Prosecutors say Noah Michael Urban of Palm Coast, Fla., stole at least $800,000 […]
February 1, 2024

Arrests in $400M SIM-Swap Tied to Heist at FTX?

This post was originally published on this siteThree Americans were charged this week with stealing more than $400 million in a November 2022 SIM-swapping attack. The U.S. government did not name the victim organization, but there is every indication that the money was stolen from the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which had just filed for bankruptcy on that same day. A graphic illustrating the flow of more than $400 million in cryptocurrencies stolen from FTX on Nov. 11-12, 2022. Image: Elliptic.co. An indictment unsealed this week and first reported on by Ars Technica alleges that Chicago man Robert Powell, a.k.a. […]