Q2 2022 Public Sector: Quarterly Threat Landscape Scorecard

Q2 2022 Public Sector: Quarterly Threat Landscape Scorecard

Product Serial: S-2022-08-05a

TLP: WHITE

ZeroFox Intelligence is excited to announce the release of our Public Sector Quarterly Threat Landscape Scorecard for Q2 of 2022.

Standing Intelligence Requirements

For the most up-to-date list of ZeroFox Threat Research’s Intelligence Requirements, please visit:

https://cloud.zerofox.com/alpha_team/advisories/14956

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View the full report here.

Scope Note

ZeroFox Intelligence is derived from a variety of sources, including—but not limited to—curated open-source accesses, vetted social media, proprietary data sources, and direct access to threat actors and groups through covert communication channels. Information relied upon to complete any report cannot always be independently verified. As such, ZeroFox applies rigorous analytic standards and tradecraft in accordance with best practices and includes caveat language and source citations to clearly identify the veracity of our Intelligence reporting and substantiate our assessments and recommendations. All sources used in this particular Intelligence product were identified prior to 5:00 PM (EDT) on July 21, 2022; per cyber hygiene best practices, caution is advised when clicking on any third-party links.

Executive Summary

Threat actors continued to exchange ideas on how to maneuver within the economic and political constraints brought about by the conflict in Ukraine in Q2. Public sector organizations faced a persistent threat from social engineering campaigns, with particularly increases in the use of fraudulent applications, fake Windows 11 upgrades, and employment-related scams to steal credentials and deploy trojans. The threat of vulnerability exploitation grew, averaging almost 70 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) disclosed per day—up from 56 per day at the end of 2021. The pace of vulnerability disclosure likely represents a new normal. The threat to the public sector from Initial Access Brokers (IABs) continued to fall in Q2, despite the market showing signs of resurgence in other sectors. Although spyware received significant media attention in Q2 2022—in particular, long-standing targeting of high-profile public sector individuals globally—this likely represents little change in the scale of threat posed. The threat from ransomware and digital extortion likely increased, with multiple central government and local government entities targeted. Ransomware threat actors may be struggling to elicit payments from victims, driving changes to extortion tactics. Lastly, while the ongoing war in Ukraine continued to be the primary driver of geopolitical risk, possible EU and NATO expansion—and new sanctions on Russia—will likely trigger Russian-leaning groups to target high-profile entities.

Key Findings

• Cybercriminals are concerned with challenges converting cryptocurrency to fiat currency.
• Social engineering campaigns increasingly used LNK shortcut files, fake Windows upgrades, and employment scams.
• The threat from CVEs and previously-unknown software vulnerabilities likely increased.
• The threat from IABs continued to fall in the public sector in Q2, despite the IAB market showing signs of resurgence in threats to other sectors.
• Although spyware received significant media attention in Q2—in particular, long-standing targeting of high-profile public sector individuals globally—this likely represents little change in the scale of threat posed.
• The threat to public sector organizations from ransomware and digital extortion likely increased. Eliciting payment from victims may be getting more difficult.