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Ransomware: The profitable business of cybercrime industry

cbrown — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 03:33:44 GMT

Recently, it was reported that a Victorian hospital fell victim to a cybercrime syndicate that held 15,000 medical files to ransom. This attack, a probable result of a phishing scam, inadvertently opened by a staff member, resulted in criminals hacking into the hospital’s server to plant ransomware that scrambled and encrypted data, locking access to files from medical staff.

Ransomware can happen in different forms. For hospitals, holding their data at ransom not only creates reputational damage but could have a serious impact on their patients. Another method of ransomware is to attack a company's IT infrastructure by disabling employee access to laptops or servers. The company is then held to ransom and the payment method is typically demanded in bitcoin or other forms of cryptocurrency. The use of cryptocurrency is prevalent in the cyber fraud community because of its ability to be transferred anonymously.

In 2017, two companies had their Amazon Web Services accounts compromised by hackers using the victims’ bandwidth and computing power to mine bitcoins, an energy intensive, but potentially lucrative exercise.[1]

Data ransom and bitcoin mining may seem simple and straightforward when compared to more sophisticated hacks such as one which occurred in 2017. The attack, called WannaCry, infected up to 200,000 computers, locking up users’ data in 150 countries, and demanded a ransom to release them. WannaCry was so damaging because the cyber criminals managed to exploit the vulnerabilities of older of Windows software when newer, more secure versions were available.

In Australia, conservative estimates show that cybercrime costs the economy in excess of AUD 1B each year. More than 500,000 small Australian businesses fell victim to cybercrime in 2017 and it is estimated that the majority paid an average of AUD 4,677 in ransom to unencrypt their data. Often small business fall victim as in some cases, maintaining the latest version of IT software is not their highest priority.

Source: Smart Company, From millions to malware: Cyber attacks in Australia by the numbers, July 2018

The cybercrime landscape is ever evolving, and it is therefore imperative for our industry to continually develop and advance a robust security framework. As an industry, we must uphold the highest standards when it comes to cyber security and maintaining the latest in secure software versions. This is non-negotiable when dealing with someone’s most important and emotionally significant investment – their home.

At PEXA, we are determined to ensure that the cyber security practices we have in place continue to protect our members and their customers. Our IT systems are annually audited by external professionals and we continually explore new ways to bolster the security posture of our network. This is achieved by investing, maintaining and constantly improving security controls as well as running a Security Operations Centre to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber-attacks.

For more information on the measures PEXA takes to bolster security, visit PEXA’s online Community forum.

[1] Bitcoin miners pool together different computers to solve complex algorithms, success of which generates a set number of valuable new bitcoins.

Re: Security alert | phishing e-mail

DMc — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:37:18 GMT

SpearPhish out there...

https://www.pinkhattech.com/2016/08/31/heads-up-voice-message-notification-email-warning-could-be-ransomware/

un-hackable network.

DMc — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:30:35 GMT

Is this a unicorn?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4727572/China-launching-unhackable-computer-network.html

Re: Security alert | phishing e-mail

Caz_at_Astills — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 23:08:22 GMT

Wow, they're getting clever.

Security alert | phishing e-mail - RESOLVED

Aoife — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 04:00:30 GMT

Hi Community,

PEXA is aware of a phishing e-mail received by various members of your network.

Details of phishing e-mail

From: Pexa Admin

E-mail: dfsffgsgg@telus.net

Subject: Monro-Sale: New conversation message received - Financial Settlement - Payout figure

The e-mail implies that the reader has received a message from ANZ RETAIL AND SMALL BUSINESS. It includes a Workspace number and requests the recipient to click on a link to read a message.

This is an example of a cyber-criminal creating an e-mail to resemble PEXA communications. It is likely member e-mail addresses were sourced from publicly available information online.

See below for a screenshot of the e-mail.

What to do

If you received this e-mail, clicked on the link and entered your PEXA username and password, we advise you to reset your PEXA password now. Please note, multi-factor authentication on entering your PEXA account protects you against unauthorised persons accessing your account.

If not the above, and you receive a similar phishing e-mail or another you believe to be suspicious, please:

Do not respond
Do not click links or download attachments
Delete the e-mail
Report it to your relevant security administrator or e-mail PEXA’s security team at security@pexa.com.au

Please note, all PEXA Workspace e-mails are system-generated from PEXA and will be received from pexa.admin@pexa.com.au.

PEXA will never send you an e-mail advising you to click a link to access the PEXA Exchange, and will always direct you to login to access your account via pexa.com.au.

Learn more about phishing e-mails here.

Kind regards

Aoife

Security alert | Phishing e-mail - RESOLVED

Aoife — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 05:30:22 GMT

Hi Community,

PEXA is aware of an instance where a member’s e-mail account has been hacked. The hacker proceeded to send e-mails from the conveyancer’s account to other PEXA members.

Details

The e-mail sent by the hacker informed the recipient of a shared document from PEXA.

Screenshot of e-mail

screenshot of phishing e-mail

What to do

If you receive a similar phishing e-mail or another you believe to be suspicious, please:

Do not respond
Do not click links or download attachments
Delete the email
Report it to your relevant security administrator or e-mail PEXA’s security team at security@pexa.com.au

Please note, all PEXA workspace e-mails are system-generated from PEXA. To receive a task related e-mail from a fellow PEXA member is unusual and unnecessary.

For outstanding tasks, please check your workspace(s) via your PEXA account.

Learn more about phishing e-mails here.

Kind regards

Aoife

A Hacker's Tale - A look behind the curtain #2

cbrown — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 22:04:58 GMT

It’s more than just an Internet romance...

The lover’s tale

Abigail thinks she’s in love. It must be love. She’s been looking for love for a while and Elliot seems like the perfect guy. Many of her friends have warned her about internet romances but Elliot’s different. He has never asked her for money. Never asked her for anything. She thinks he might be quite wealthy in fact. He is always moving money around. He’s been struggling lately though. So, she’s been helping him transfer money to his accounts. For some reason, he’s having issues sending money to his overseas account. Abigail doesn’t really know the reasons why, nor does she question it. It all seems too complicated, and as long as it’s not her money she’s transferring over, it must be okay… besides he’s committed to the relationship. He said they will be together soon.

Over the past couple of weeks Abigail’s been transferring money for Elliot’s family and friends. They are all preparing for a big holiday and need the money ready to meet them. It’s not much – a couple of hundred here and there. Now he’s asked for her help to transfer funds from the sale of his property in Australia.

Just a few days ago, Abigail received $250,000 to her account. She’s not meant to transfer everything over to him though. Elliot told her that while he was excited to have sold his house, he needs to move the money in parts to avoid government taxes. He’s asked her to transfer just under $10,000 at a time, over several days, because that way it doesn’t trigger any alerts. Abigail doesn’t completely understand the reasoning, but Elliot is good to her. He said they will meet face-to-face now that he has sold his house, and she is excited to finally put a face to her love.

For the third day in a row she has made the transfer. Something strange has happened though, all her accounts have now been frozen, and her bank keeps leaving messages to call them back.

The practitioner’s tale

Meanwhile your client, Grace, is frantic. She hasn’t received her house’s sale proceeds yet. It’s been a couple of days; how has this happened? You arranged the transfer of the money according to her instructions which you received just before finalising the payment. You look back at the details and see the account name Abigail King and a different BSB – not your client’s.

Wait. What’s happening?

Going back through the email trail you realise that there’s something funny about the email address. The instruction did not come from Grace. Blood drains from your face… you call the bank immediately to try and stop the funds from disappearing. Hopefully it’s not too late.

The Hacker’s tale

Meanwhile, Elliot is busy moving money around several of his accounts across the world and connecting with different people online. While he’s looking for a way to gain access to steal the funds, he has also been cultivating internet romances with men and women to transfer the funds outside of Australia. He loves living in the internet era where crimes can be performed anonymously, and no-one ever has to see his face. On the internet you can pretend to be whoever you want, and a lot of people believe you.

Money Mules

Unfortunately, the above scenario is all too common. Cyber criminals often use middlemen to transfer stolen money to their accounts. These middlemen are real people, with real accounts and they don’t have unusual bank account activity. Known as money mules, they are sometimes recruited or deceived into helping cyber criminals carry out these crimes. Offenders like our fictitious character Elliot.

These criminals have been known to recruit money mules via romance scams or employment scams. In a romance scam, the ‘money mule’ is emotionally invested and could also be considered a victim. Employment scams often offer potential money mules a job that requires minimal effort with lucrative returns – for instance, a small commission for receiving and transferring money.

According to the Australian Federal Police, it is a crime to transact in the movement of stolen funds, even if you are unaware that you are acting as a money mule. Money mules are caught because they are not trying to hide their activities, and when caught, they can have their entire bank accounts, including their own funds, suspended and potentially face criminal prosecution.

How can I protect myself?

Be wary of advertisements for a guaranteed income or job with lucrative returns and very little effort
Don’t transfer money on behalf of someone else, especially when you have never met them
Never give your bank details to anyone
Protect your personal information and be suspicious if anyone asks you for those details
Be cautious of people seeking financial assistance or asking you for financial details – money sent via wire transfer is rarely recoverable
As a business operator, when receiving instructions to transfer money, confirm that the instructions you’ve received have come from your client - verbally confirm details or changes with your client
Be cautious of situations where the name on the account differs from that of your customer

I think I am a victim, what can I do?

Anyone who has disclosed their bank account details, received funds into their account or suspect that they are a victim of a mule scam should contact their bank or financial institution immediately.

For more information on this and more, please refer to Scam Watch

Re: A Hacker's tale - A look behind the curtain

cbrown — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 23:19:50 GMT

Hey DMc,

Just got back from an awesome vacation, and yes, my cape is always on…

To address your questions, firstly, phone cloning is about having access to the phone and duplicating the SIM card. The likelihood of this happening, although possible, is considered relatively low. Because MFA is something you know and have, you would still need to know other information besides that gained from the cloned SIM card.

Also, offering practitioners the ability to choose their own PEXA name is part of our technology roadmap.

Today, what we have is MFA at login. Our teams are actively working on additional security validations that will be rolled out in the future. For example, cyber security, as we know it today, relates to three elements: something you know, for example your password, something you have, for instance, your phone, and something you are, biometrics. Our goal is to drive towards a seamless experience, and very much like Microsoft and Google, only ask for your validation when the three elements don’t match up.

On our secure digital communication… that’s a great question. However, I’m unable to provide more details here – you’ll have to wait for the announcement and I have a feeling that you’ll be excited at what’s to come. I’m looking forward to answering your questions then!

Re: A Hacker's tale - A look behind the curtain

DMc — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 03:45:42 GMT

Hey .

Hope you're wearing your cape still!

Since phone clones apparently happen - Is PingID or telecom provider able to detect and alert users of this, if/when it happens?

Can a practitioner opt/choose;

their own PEXA username, rather than a default username of their email which is often easily ascertainable?
to add additional MFA level/factor(s) to their PEXA user account? Most businesses already have Google &/ Microsoft Authenticator-could they be implemented as optional additional step(s) rather than just the lower level 2 step, of User and Password then PingID code?

How will PEXA implement the secure digital communication platform and environment, for the client to enter their private information, are they going to be issued an secure non-hackable browser, like BankVault SafeWindow and its invisible keyboard app to do so?

Will this Secure communication app-portal allow the Client and Practitioner delivery, response, and execution of secure forms as used in Conveyancing process?

A Hacker's tale - A look behind the curtain #1

cbrown — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 05:14:13 GMT

Shhh! Someone's listening...

An uninvited guest, Elliot, has inserted himself into your conversation. You are sitting at a coffee shop having a chat with your client Grace, and unbeknownst to you, Elliot, at the next table is virtually listening to your entire conversation. This unwanted guest eavesdrops the conversation with your client and gathers all their critical information. When you leave the table, he continues the conversation with your client pretending to be you.

I know what you’re thinking - this would not be possible face-to-face. Your client, Grace, knows what you look like, what you sound like. But what if I told you that this is not improbable at all… this is happening online today.

This seemingly far-fetched scenario is a very real cyber-attack method, aptly called man-in-the-middle (MITM). The hacker, in this instance, Elliot, effectively intercepts your conversation, places himself in the middle and conveys the information he wants to pass on to both sides.

How could this happen?

Hackers like Elliot use various methods to gain access to your computer systems. Elliot may have used a phishing scam, or capitalised on poorly secured Wi-Fi routers, often found in public areas with free hotspots. His goal is to obtain your password and access your email account. The current statistics show an increase of 80% in hacks performed through an email compromise.

Changing your password may not be enough

Once Elliot has got into your system, he can create a rule that automatically forwards your emails to a secondary account. This means that any email you receive is also sent to his email account. Using further filtering with key words, he only needs to monitor what he deems as relevant emails. So, even if you regularly change your email password, in this scenario, the hacker still has access to your emails.

How does it work?

With access to your emails, Elliot then uses the information he has obtained, and, mimicking your email style, he can begin a new conversation as you, with your client, Grace. With valuable context acquired, the hacker then impersonates Grace, responding to your emails.

Once he has obtained the information required, he then exits the conversation. You and your client, Grace, are none the wiser, until that is, you realise you are a victim of a scam. By then, money has exchanged hands and you may or may not be able to recover missing funds.

What can you do to protect against a MITM attack?

Be aware of potential phishing emails. They could appear to be from a trusted source, masked as from your family, friends or even your bank. Instead of clicking on the link, type the website address into your browser.
Moving your mouse over the link will show the website name. If the name doesn’t look like the site, don’t click on it.
Use secure Wi-Fi networks, or if using public networks, connect with a virtual private network (VPN)
Ensure you have a comprehensive internet security solution. An interesting article on this topic can be found here.

I think I am a victim, what can I do?

If you suspect that you’re a victim of a scam:

Change your passwords to be unique on all of your systems.
Check if there are any forwarding rules in your email account, and if found:
1. Record the email address being forwarded to
2. Confirm no-one in your organisation created this rule
3. Have your team check their email accounts for forwarding emails and reset their passwords too
4. Inform your clients by telephone and verbally reconfirm all details, especially bank account details
5. Delete the rule
6. If this has impacted your PEXA business, inform PEXA Security alias – security@pexa.com.au. PEXA is working with Law Enforcement to identify these types of behaviours and any information you provide could help in the tracking and potential capture of those involved in cyber-crime.

At PEXA…

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an additional level of security to access your PEXA Workspace. The levels include your PEXA account name, password, your MFA token, and your digital signing token and pin. However, you still need to be vigilant when it comes to communicating with your client. Soon, PEXA will introduce a new app that will allow your clients to input financial data directly into the Workspace and enable you to request and receive information from your clients securely. [Stay tuned]

As our world becomes more and more connected online, it’s important to be aware of the cyber threats that could compromise the security of your personal information and business operations. Cyber criminals have a low cost of entry into criminal activities and they often have the anonymity to avoid detection. With many targets they will usually go for the easiest person to scam so stay informed and be aware. Collectively, we are better together, as we work as one to reduce the threat of cyber-crime and stay smart online.

By Craig Brown, Head of PEXA Security

Re: PEXA Digital Certificate Software not correctly digitally signed

EmilyBilling — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 22:02:38 GMT

Hi - our security team have reviewed the Digital Certificate package and it will soon be updated to show Property Exchange Australia. Thanks for bringing this is our attention.

Re: PEXA Digital Certificate Software not correctly digitally signed

Andrew_GC — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 03:54:10 GMT

Sooo.... any news? I would have thought a month was enough time for your security team respond?

PEXA Security Initiatives

cbrown — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 03:17:01 GMT

Hi Community,

The team at PEXA continues to explore techniques and technologies to align with the ever-changing security landscape. Below is an update on current security initiatives happening on the PEXA platform including our insights into a topical security concern – phone porting.

Multi-Factor Authentication

In September, multi-factor authentication (MFA) was rolled out to PEXA members. MFA requires the user to provide two or more types of evidence to verify their identity when logging in to an account or completing a transaction. This includes a password and unique authentication code which regularly changes. Members choose to receive an authentication code by SMS, the PingID mobile app, or the PingID desktop app.

MFA was added as another layer of authentication on top of digitally signing. Members with the relevant authority must digitally sign-off transactions with their unique [bespoke] digital signing token and PIN, confirming that all details are correct prior to the transfer of funds.

More than verification

Additionally, we initiated the following measures to boost the protection of members while transacting online:

Increased monitoring of unusual activity surrounding password resets, new user creations and changes to BSB and account numbers. If such activity is detected by PEXA, a member of PEXA’s team will contact members to confirm that the activity is legitimate.
Machine learning algorithms to detect behavioural anomalies on a per user basis. If the behavioural pattern of a user changes, PEXA’s risk profiling mechanism is activated to trigger an alert. The member will then be promptly contacted by PEXA’s Security team.
Workspace time stamps and summary screen so that members can see when the Financial Settlement Schedule was last updated and by which user.

Phone porting

A current concern from industry is the possibility of phone porting – a situation where a scammer uses your personal details to port your mobile number from one provider to another, therefore accessing further personal details.

With a suite of security measures in place to protect PEXA members and your clients, and lawyers and conveyancers continuing to practice their due diligence, the small percentage of members who have chosen to receive their authentication code via SMS should not be alarmed.

It is important to note that for phone porting to occur, the scammer would require several pieces of a user’s ID, as well as the ability to convince a service provider to transfer the SIM details from one telco to another. Therefore, not only would the scammer need to know the targeted user’s personal information, they would also need to know if that user has chosen SMS as the preferred method.

To assist in preventing this from happening, I advise members to remain vigilant of people calling, emailing and requesting personal details.

If you have any questions about this information, please don’t hesitate to reply below.

Regards,

Craig Brown
Head of PEXA Security

Stay Smart Online Week

IndikaWimalasiri — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 02:55:39 GMT

This week is #StaySmartOnline Week.
The campaign aims to reverse the threat of cyber-crime by empowering people to discuss and own their cyber-security.
Over the next few days we’ll be sharing a number of best-practice resources to assist you, here on Community and on PEXA's social channels.

Re: Overseas login to PEXA

Jayson — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 11:07:35 GMT

Indika,

This is more than inconveniencing me. I am a Licensed Conveyancer for the State of Victoria, entitled to practice and work wherever I may be on vacation. PEXA is the only platform to settle from 1 October 2018.

You are effectively blocking me from my work. I have alerted the media and my local member of parliament in this regard.

I further intend lodging a complaint with the Victorian Human Rights Commission over nationality discrimination against Russian people being able to visit their family and friends, and have made the Russian Embassy of Australia aware.

Re: Overseas login to PEXA

IndikaWimalasiri — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 10:29:20 GMT

Hi Jayson,

We apologies if this has inconvenienced you in any way.

Regarding PEXA’s security decision, geographical blocking is an effective security control that many advanced technology companies are using to protect their customers from external threats.

The decision to block these countries is based on securing the wider conveyancing network. Global risk indicators and internal intelligence resulted in the decision to disallow connections originating from these countries.

We are continuously monitoring cyber-activity, if an assessment confirms China and Taiwan need to be blocked, we will do so.

We could also like to invite you to the PEXA Member Open day at our Melbourne office September 20. Our security team will be presenting and meeting with members to answer any questions you have.

Regards,

Indika

Re: Overseas login to PEXA

Jayson — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:32:00 GMT

Thank you for your reply Indika,

I am shocked. Are you telling me that the PEXA platform is soinsecure you can't even allow access to it from certain countries? We're supposed to be entrusting millions of dollars in conveyancing transactions to a system whose own security team doesn't have enough faith in its robustness that the page can't be accessed around the world.

I can't be the only practitioner absolutely gobsmacked by this. Surely you're all not going to be reading this in silence?

And your list of countries. Given that China and Taiwan feature in anybody's global risk or countries or origin of hackers, why are they not excluded?

Security alert | Phishing e-mail

Aoife — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:11:34 GMT

Hi Community,

PEXA is aware of a phishing e-mail received by a member of your network.

Details of phishing e-mail

From: Jessica Wong

E-mail: cains8x@nsas.avinetmail.net

The e-mail implies to have a contract of sale attached and requests to settle via PEXA. See below for a screenshot of the e-mail.

What to do

If you receive a similar phishing e-mail or another you believe to be suspicious, please:

Do not respond
Do not click links or download attachments
Delete the email
Report it to your relevant security administrator or e-mail PEXA’s security team at security@pexa.com.au

Learn more about phishing e-mails here.

Kind regards

Aoife

Phishing e-mail

Re: Overseas login to PEXA

IndikaWimalasiri — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 01:21:11 GMT

Hi Jayson,

Thanks for your question.

To keep the network safe for all members there is a handful of countries blocked from assessing PEXA. PEXA does not allow connections originating from Russia to access the platform. We also do not allow connections originating from Romania, Brazil, Turkey, and the Ukraine.

Was your support query related to this or something else?

Thanks

Indika

Security Team

Re: Overseas login to PEXA

Jayson — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 23:33:13 GMT

Anybody from PEXA able to respond to my post above, or to give me the courtesy of a response to my support query still outstanding? I have another upcoming trip to Russia.

Is a login from China also banned? Anywhere else?

We have compulsory PEXA from 1 October in Victoria - some answers would be nice.