the original malicious links . The motive behind these attacksAttack.Databreachwas to stealAttack.Databreachcredentials and spyAttack.Databreachon the victims . As per the research , hackers were targeting Educational institutes , Military organization and media companies from Palestine , Israel , Egypt , and the US . SecureUpdate , a malware disguised asAttack.Phishingan Android update was designed to download malicious payloads into the victim ’ s device while the Vamp was focused on stealingAttack.Databreachdata from victims ’ smartphones including call recordings , contact information , and stealingAttack.Databreachother important documents . The malware designed to target Windows operating systemsKasperAgent and Micropsia were capable of downloading other payloads , executing arbitrary commands , stealingAttack.Databreachfiles , capturingAttack.Databreacha screenshot , loggingAttack.Databreachkeystrokes and much more . Essentially the hackers were interested in stealingAttack.Databreachcredentials of the infected devices . At first , no connection was established between the attacks since all the malware were different from each other . On close inspection , however , the security firms found a link . The Same email address was used to register infectious domains which eventually revealed that the attacks were linked after all . Researchers revealed that more than 200 samples of the Windows malware and at least 17 samples of Android malware were discovered which means that potential victims of this malware could be numerous . The researchers at Palo Alto firm stated “ Through this campaign , there is little doubt that the attackers have been able to gainAttack.Databreacha great deal of information from their targets , ” The campaign also illustrates that for some targets old tricks remain sufficient to run a successful espionage campaign , including the use of URL shortening services , classic phishing techniques as well as using archive files to bypass some simple file checks . This is not the first time when a sophisticated malware attack was aimed at the Middle Eastern countries . Just last month StoneDrill malware was discovered targeting not only the Middle East but also Europe . Also , Shamoon malware from Iran is currently targeting Saudi Arabian cyber infrastructure
A lot of things can go wrong on your holidays , like losing luggage or missing a flight , forgetting your travel documents or getting sick at the worst possible time . But have you ever been locked out of your hotel room because of a cyberattack ? That ’ s just what happened to guests at a luxury hotel in Austria when they were left stranded outside of their rooms after a ransomware attackAttack.Ransomthat overrode electronic key systems . This concept , which can be summed up as “ if you don ’ t pay , your guests won ’ t be able to get into their rooms ” , underscores a strategy shift in ransomware . Instead of directly attackingAttack.Ransomthe hotel chain directly , cybercriminals are looking to increase profitability by compromisingAttack.Databreachthe well-being of paying customers . Infected computers and POS systems , credit card theftAttack.Databreach, accessAttack.Databreachto confidential information… in the age of the Internet of Things and smart homes , these attacksAttack.Databreachare becoming commonplace or even antiquated . Clearly the attacksAttack.Databreachthat this industry has been experiencing are not something casual or fleeting . Behind them lies a real economic interest and a preoccupation with stealthy operations . The hotel sector has become a major target for organized cybercriminals in possession of malware specifically designed to harm its running smoothly , not only in payment systems , but also by sealing off access to your room , turning lights on and off , or locking your blinds . This is , undoubtedly , a worrisome situation that could cause significant harm not only on an economic level , but also a PR level , sowing fear among clientele .