E-Business
Sophos Identifies Top Ransomware Families in Africa
Cyber security vendor Sophos has identified the top ransomware families that affected Africa in 2017.
According to Sophos, the Ceber ransomware accounted for 80% of attacks in Africa, followed by WannaCry (17%), and others like Jaff (1%), Locky (1%) and Petya (0.5%).
One of the most active kinds of ransomware out there, Cerber encrypts the files of infected users and demands money in exchange for enabling access to their files. It works even if a user is not connected to the Internet, so they can’t stop it by unplugging their PC.
Cerber, sold as a ransomware kit on the Dark Web, remains a dangerous threat, says Sophos, adding the creators of Cerber continuously update the code and charge a percentage of the ransom that the “middle-men” attackers receive from victims.
Regular new features make Cerber not only an effective attack tool, but perennially available to cyber criminals, the cyber security firm notes.
“This Dark Web business model is unfortunately working and, similar to a legitimate company, is likely funding the ongoing development of Cerber. We can assume the profits are motivating the authors to maintain the code,” says Dorka Palotay, SophosLabs security researcher and contributor to the ransomware analysis in the SophosLabs 2018 Malware Forecast.
The WannaCry ransomware attack was a May 2017 worldwide cyber attack by the WannaCry ransomware cryptoworm, which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the Bitcoin crypto-currency.
“Looking at the whole world, WannaCry was responsible for 45.3% of the ransomware attacks, while in Africa this value is only 17%,” Palotay says.
“In Africa, clearly Cerber was the biggest ransomware threat this year, since 80% of the ransomware lookups was caused by Cerber, while this number is only 44.2% if we look at the whole world. Regarding the smaller families, the results are very similar.”
The SophosLabs 2018 Malware Forecast report recaps ransomware and other cyber security trends based on data collected from Sophos customer computers worldwide from 1 April to 3 October 2017.
One key finding shows that while ransomware predominately attacked Windows systems in the last six months, Android, Linux and MacOS platforms were not immune.
“Ransomware has become platform-agnostic. Ransomware mostly targets Windows computers, but this year, SophosLabs saw an increased amount of crypto-attacks on different devices and operating systems used by our customers worldwide,” says Palotay.
She notes that for the first time Sophos saw ransomware with worm-like characteristics, which contributed to the rapid expansion of WannaCry.
“This ransomware took advantage of a known Windows vulnerability to infect and spread to computers, making it hard to control.
“Even though our customers are protected against it and WannaCry has tapered off, we still see the threat because of its inherent nature to keep scanning and attacking computers. We’re expecting cyber criminals to build upon this ability to replicate as seen in WannaCry and NotPetya, and this is already evident with Bad Rabbit ransomware, which shows many similarities to NotPetya.”
Temu is set to enchant the holiday season with its unique blend of green magic, bringing a touch of festive wonder to Christmas celebrations. The initiative, themed “Ride the ‘Wicked’ Wave,” promises to deliver an unforgettable experience, combining technology, entertainment, and commerce to create a magical holiday atmosphere.
Temu’s green magic initiative aims to captivate audiences with a variety of festive offerings, from fashion to home decor, handmade crafts, beauty items, chic clothes, shoes, and more.
The platform’s innovative approach ensures that customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience, with free shipping on all orders1.
As part of the celebration, Temu has also introduced a magical winter Christmas backdrop, perfect for creating a festive ambiance at home.
This backdrop, made from high-quality polyester, is designed to bring the spirit of the season to life, making it an ideal addition to any holiday decor.
With its commitment to providing exceptional products and services, Temu continues to set new standards in the e-commerce industry, ensuring that customers can enjoy the magic of Christmas in style
With the holiday season here, it’s not only a time for magic and celebration but also a prime opportunity for fraudsters to exploit the festive rush for gifts and bargains.
Amid the sparkle of year-end celebrations, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky have identified several prominent scams targeting consumers across various regions and languages.
Fake holiday shops
Deceptive online stores mimic the look and feel of legitimate e-commerce sites, offering seasonal items such as decorations, gifts, and even trees at steep discounts.
These sites often appear highly localised, adapting their language and currency based on the user’s geographic location, leveraging data extracted from browsers.
Victims typically encounter these stores by following links in ads or pop-ups.
These sites aim to steal funds. Often, these fraudulent stores exist only for a short period, as they get flagged by the vendors of goods.
Free mobile data offer
This scam plays on the allure of free services, claiming to provide free mobile data valid across all major telecom providers.
In order to receive the free data, victims are required to share the promotion link with 10–15 contacts via WhatsApp, ensuring the scam spreads exponentially.
After sharing, victims are prompted to enter their personal details — name, phone number, and email — into a form.
The collected data is then sold on the Dark Web or used in other fraudulent activities.
In some cases, victims unknowingly download malware that compromises their devices, leading to further exploitation.
Holiday payments on behalf of government agencies
Fraudsters impersonate government authorities, promising fictitious payments in celebration of the holidays.
This scam has been reported in several African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria.
To receive payment, victims are directed to fill out a survey which requires personal details like name and phone number.
Once the survey is completed the user is asked to share the link to the announcement with their connections via WhatsApp.
These details are collected and added to fraudulent databases, then sold to third parties or used for phishing attacks and identity theft.
This scam exploits trust in government systems and the festive spirit of giving.
Christmas recipe scam
This scam begins with a seemingly harmless email promoting a holiday cake recipe.
Victims are encouraged to pay a small fee to access the recipe.
Once payment is made, the victim’s credit card information is stolen. The fraudsters also collect other personal information essential for accessing banking services.
“Holiday scams are not a new phenomenon, but they have evolved to become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging regional traditions and technology to exploit unsuspecting victims.
The rush of the holidays makes people more vulnerable — they’re distracted, eager to grab a deal, or trust promotions that align with festive themes. Cybercriminals are not just stealing money — they’re building massive databases of personal information that fuel future fraudulent schemes.
The holiday season is a time for joy and giving, but users need to remain vigilant to ensure they’re not unknowingly giving fraudsters the tools to exploit them further,” said Olga Svistunova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.
Cybercriminals have persisted in targeting Nigerian government websites, with the most recent attack on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS confirmed the development in a brief statement posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account
It said that its newly redesigned official website has been hacked.
The NBS disclosed the incident and assured the public that efforts are underway to recover the website.
It urged the public to disregard any messages or reports posted until the full recovery of its website.
The statement on X read: “This is to inform the public that the NBS website has been hacked, and we are working to recover it. Please disregard any message or report posted until the website is fully restored.”
The NBS plays a vital role in Nigeria’s development, serving as the official statistical agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating statistical data on the country’s economy, governance, and development
This marks the latest in a series of attacks on Nigerian government websites, a trend that has been ongoing for some years.
From government ministries to officials, cyberattacks in Nigeria have surged to alarming levels, with even financial institutions falling victim.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) frequently issue warnings of cybercriminals targeting individuals, government entities, banks, and telecom companies.
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