How hackers find out if you’re a high-value target before stealing

Organizations in the United States and Germany are now being targeted by a new hacker known as TA886. The custom malware is performing surveillance and data theft on infected systems and according to Proofpoint, has been doing so since October 2022.

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However, this malware is especially unique because it will first perform in-depth evaluations of your worth before further invading a target to see if there is enough value.

How do these hackers surveil victims?

As first reported by Bleeping Computer, like many malware scams, this specific one uses phishing emails that include Microsoft Publisher (.pub) attachments with malicious macros, URLs linking to .pub files with macros, or PDFs containing URLs that download dangerous JavaScript files. The emails can be written in English or German, depending on who the target is and where they are located.

Once the URL link is clicked, a multistep attack chain begins and results in the downloading of “Screenshotter,” which is one of the main tools of TA886.

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The Screenshotter tool will take JPG snapshots of the victim’s device and send those screenshots back to the TA886 server. Those screenshots are then searched through manually to see how much value the victim has, and if they are considered high-value, the malware will continue its invasion and steal everything from financial credentials to personal information.

The best way to protect yourself from malware is to install antivirus software on your phone, computer and other devices. (Kurt Knutsson)

How can I protect myself from this happening to me?

The best way to protect yourself from malware is to have antivirus software installed on your device. 

I have broken down the top antivirus protection for Mac, PC, iOS and Android devices. My top pick is TotalAV and includes real-time anti-malware protection which keeps your computers protected against the very latest threats. 

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See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by searching “BestAntivirus” at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

Have you installed antivirus software on your devices? Let us know how it’s working. (Kurt Knutsson)

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Do you have antivirus software installed on your device? Let us know how it’s working for you.

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