ZeroFOX Threat Research: Quarter 1 2021 Threat Report
|by Alpha Team
ZeroFOX Threat Research: Quarter 1 2021 Threat Report
The ZeroFOX Threat Research team is excited to announce the release of our Quarterly Threat Report for Q1 of 2021.
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Report Summary
In the first quarter (Q1) of 2021, the global cyber threat landscape exhibited a series of events that included takedowns of criminal infrastructure, the persistence of ransomware extortion schemes, and creative tools and techniques used to deliver malicious artifacts to victims. Law enforcement agencies worldwide worked together to disrupt criminal operations in credit card networks, ransomware groups, and botnet infrastructure. The success of ransomware double extortion tactics led to the continuation of this method as new ransomware types emerged and operators used grey hat tactics to justify their criminal actions. Threat actors leveraged creative delivery tools and techniques that evade detection by security technologies and make analyzing cyber threats more complex.
In underground cyber communities, ZeroFOX Threat Research observed significant competition among threat actors due to increased traffic in marketplace networks. The investigation of the December 2020 SolarWinds Orion breach continued in Q1, with security researchers identifying six malware types used in the breach. Another large-scale attack took place against Microsoft Exchange Servers this quarter in which threat actors exploited a set of vulnerabilities to access target environments and install malware. Furthermore, four key industries faced cybersecurity risks due to COVID-19-themed threats, vulnerable infrastructure, and evolved technology. In this Quarterly Threat Landscape Review, ZeroFOX Research provides an overview and analysis of the prominent threats in Q1 2021.
Tags: all industries, global, threat actor