Cisco Talos Blog

August 9, 2023 08:00

What is commercial spyware?

As the victims of commercial spyware are highly targeted individuals, the sobering truth is that some attackers have the means to be able to spend six figures to compromise a single target.

July 19, 2023 08:00

Why are there so many malware-as-a-service offerings?

Ransomware-as-a-service is a relatively new version of these commodity groups, such as DarkSide, known for the cyber attack in 2021 that disrupted the Colonial oil pipeline and made gas more expensive for thousands of U.S. consumers.

June 14, 2023 08:00

What does it mean when ransomware actors use “double extortion” tactics?

RA Group also introduces a new wrinkle to double extortion attacks: the threat that it will sell the data on the dark web. Double extortion tactics are known for leaking stolen data, but the sale is a potentially new gambit.

May 26, 2023 08:00

What is a web shell?

What are web shells? And why are attackers increasingly using them in their campaigns? We break it down in this blog.