Company hacked after accidentally hiring North Korean cyber criminal

Published

3 weeks ago

October 18, 2024

admin

A company was hacked after it hired a North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor.

The unnamed company fell victim to a new North Korean hacking tactic, according to cybersecurity company Secureworks, which investigated the incident.

A North Korean cyber criminal posing as an IT contractor was hired for a fixed-term contract by the firm, which is based either in the UK, US or Australia.

Secureworks is keeping the company’s location general in order to protect the company.

Within days of starting work, the criminal “accessed and exfiltrated company data”, according to Rafe Pilling, who is the director of threat intelligence at Secureworks.

Then, when the employment contract was finished, the criminal used the hacked data “to demand a hefty ransom in return for not publishing” it, said Mr Pilling.

This is a new tactic for the North Korean regime, which was already trying to sneak its workers into UK companies.

“It is almost certain that UK firms are currently being targeted by [North Korean] IT workers disguised as freelance third-country IT workers to generate revenue for the DPRK regime,” said an advisory note published by the government’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) last month.

UK companies that hire these workers could be breaching the “significant” sanctions currently placed on North Korea, according to OFSI.

Although it is thought those workers’ salaries were being used to fund the North Korean regime, this latest incident, and others like it, mark “a serious escalation” of risk for companies, said Mr Pilling.

“No longer are [the fake workers] just after a steady paycheck, they are looking for higher sums, more quickly, through data theft and extortion, from inside the company defences,” he said.

UK companies should protect themselves from these kinds of attacks by being on “high alert”, he said.

OFSI published a list of tell-tale signs that a new contractor is not who they say they are and is, in fact, an agent for the North Korean government.

Some of those include being inconsistent with the spelling of their name, their nationality, location, experience and online presence or refusing to appear on camera.

Mr Pilling said companies should monitor for long pauses if they do appear on camera for job interviews and OFSI warns that people who request prepayment but then fail to complete tasks, or just generally fail to do the job, could also be suspicious.

Attempts to re-route corporate IT equipment sent to the contractor’s home, routing paychecks to money transfer services and accessing the corporate network with unauthorised remote access tools should also be red flags.

UK

Bird flu outbreak reported in Yorkshire, mass cull of poultry ordered

Published

8 hours ago

November 6, 2024

admin

Bird flu outbreak reported in Yorkshire, mass cull of poultry ordered

A mass cull of poultry has been ordered after an outbreak of bird flu on a farm in Yorkshire.

A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place around the farm near Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire and all the fowl on the property will be destroyed, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said.

The discovery of the H5N5 variant of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on the farm means DEFRA has increased the risk warning for wild birds “from medium to high”.

The virus is typically spread through birds’ faeces, mucus and saliva.

“All bird keepers are urged to remain vigilant and take action to protect their birds following a further increase in the avian influenza (‘bird flu’) risk levels in Great Britain,” DEFRA said in a statement.

Bird flu may be evolving under the radar

Bird flu has killed hundreds of millions of birds around the globe in recent years, and has increasingly spread to mammals, raising concerns it may lead to human-to-human transmission.

The last avian flu outbreak in the UK happened in February and was described as the country’s largest ever.

That was the H5N1 strain, while the latest outbreak in Hornsea is the H5N5 strain.

In July, US scientists said their was “strong evidence” bird flu has spread from mammals to humans for the first time, marking another step in the evolution of the deadly virus.

Analysis concluded a Texas farm worker who tested positive for the H5N1 virus caught it from sick dairy cattle.

Although there have been other people infected with the virus in recent years – including some who have died – they all acquired it from birds.

UK

Bonfire Night disorder across Edinburgh – youths hurl fireworks at police and start fires

Published

11 hours ago

November 6, 2024

admin

Bonfire Night disorder across Edinburgh - youths hurl fireworks at police and start fires

Large groups of youths have been throwing fireworks, bricks and bottles at police in Edinburgh, during a night of disorder across the city.

Video posted online shows officers responding to Bonfire Night incidents in the Sighthill, Niddrie, Gracemount and Gilmerton areas.

Riot police have been seen on the streets of Edinburgh, wearing helmets and carrying shields, as fireworks were lit and exploded around them.

Footage from Gilmerton, a suburb in the southeast of the city, also showed burning debris in the street as youths rode on bicycles.

Police were given extra stop and search powers in certain areas following “intelligence” about planned disorder and firework-related crime.

Superintendent Neil Wilson said: “We are currently responding to incidents of disorder involving large groups of youths throwing a range of objects, including fireworks, bricks and bottles, across Edinburgh.”

A helicopter was also deployed as part of Operation Moonbeam, aimed at supporting local police in tackling fireworks-related offences.

Meanwhile Lothian Buses withdrew all services from the Niddrie area for safety reasons.

Niddrie was also the scene of disorder on 31 October, when police and public transport vehicles were pelted with fireworks and bricks.

On Tuesday, officers in Glasgow seized a “significant quantity” of fireworks from a van in the Drumchapel area which it is alleged were being “sold to the general public, including children”.

Scotland’s first fireworks control zones (FCZ) are in place in parts of Edinburgh and Glasgow from 1 to 10 November.

Those convicted of setting off a firework within a FCZ face a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months in jail.

Meanwhile, it appears the famous Lewes bonfire night celebrations in East Sussex went off without incident after police urged people not to attend because of overcrowding concerns.

The so-called “bonfire capital of the world” is famous for burning effigies of controversial politicians and celebrities.

This year they included former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

UK

Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

Published

20 hours ago

November 5, 2024

admin

Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements after becoming unwell with chest infection

The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.

A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.

They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.

“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.

It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.

Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.

The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.