Organizations in the United States and Germany are now being targeted by a new hacker known as TA886. The custom malware performs surveillance and data theft on infected systems and according to Evidencehas been doing this since October 2022.
However, this malware is especially unique in that it first performs in-depth evaluations of your value before further penetrating a target to see if there is enough value.
How do these hackers monitor victims?
As first reported by Beeping computer, like many other malware scams, this particular one uses phishing emails with Microsoft Publisher (.pub) attachments containing malicious macros, URLs that link to .pub files containing macros, or PDFs with URLs that download dangerous JavaScript files. The emails can be written in English or German, depending on who the target is and where they are located.
Once the URL link is clicked, a multi-step attack chain begins that results in the download of “Screenshotter”, one of TA886’s main tools.
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The Screenshotter tool takes JPG snapshots of the victim’s device and sends those screenshots back to the TA886 server. Those screenshots are then manually searched to see how much value the victim has, and if they are deemed valuable, the malware will continue its invasion, stealing everything from financial credentials to personal information.
The best way to protect yourself from malware is to install antivirus software on your phone, computer, and other devices. (Kurt Knutson)
How can I protect myself from this happening to me?
The best way to protect yourself from malware is to install antivirus software on your device.
I’ve broken down the best antivirus protection for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices. My best choice TotalAV and includes real-time anti-malware protection that protects your computers from the very latest threats.
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Check out my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by searching “best antivirus” on CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.
Do you have antivirus software installed on your devices? Let us know how it works. (Kurt Knutson)
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Do you have antivirus software installed on your device? Let us know how it works for you.
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