The Dark Dive

In this episode of The Dark Dive we're looking at a particular type of malware called Information Stealers or "infostealers". This malware is designed to (you guessed it!) steal information from infected devices.

Threat Intelligence Engineers Rob Fitzsimons and Joe Honey discuss exactly how infostealers work, why this malware has become so prolific, and where it can be spotted on the dark web. 

During the episode we cover the differences between different strains of infostealer, recent law enforcement action that has succeeded in taking infostealers offline, and how organizations should be protecting themselves.

You can download Searchlight Cyber's infostealer report (discussed 26.53 - 29.40) here: https://slcyber.io/whitepapers-reports/infostealer-identified/

And find more information on Operation Magnus (discussed 38.18 - 47.06) here: https://www.operation-magnus.com/

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This episode of The Dark Dive focuses on encrypted communication apps, including Telegram, Tox, Signal, Session, and Jabber.

While not strictly speaking part of the "dark web", these apps are used by the same criminals to perpetrate many of the same crimes. We start with the "mainstream", taking a close look at the popular messaging app Telegram in the wake of the arrest of its CEO in August 2024. Vlad, a threat intelligence analyst at Searchlight Cyber, then takes us through the alternative apps that criminals may migrate to, should the privacy changes to Telegram make in an inhospitable environment for cybercrime.

We then take a look at the other end of the spectrum with the example of EncroChat - an enrcypted communication network that required a special device sold on subscription. Dave Osler, Head of Product at Searchlight Cyber, talks us through the type of crimes that took place on this "high end" encrypted network and the international law enforcement operation that brought the whole thing crashing down.

Further reading:

• The arrest of Telegram's CEO: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/telegram-messaging-app-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-france-tf1-tv-says-2024-08-24/
• Privacy changes on Telegram: https://thehackernews.com/2024/09/telegram-agrees-to-share-user-data-with.html
• Vice's reporting around the takedown of EncroChat: https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-police-took-over-encrochat-hacked/
• Europol and Eurojust's figures around EncroChat: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/dismantling-encrypted-criminal-encrochat-communications-leads-to-over-6-500-arrests-and-close-to-eur-900-million-seized
• The Ghost app takedown: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/global-coalition-takes-down-new-criminal-communication-platform

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In this episode of The Dark Dive we're joined by incident response heavyweight Caleb Barlow (former head of IBM X-Force and now CEO of Cyberbit) and Searchlight Cyber's Head of Threat Intelligence Luke Donovan to discuss the best ways to respond to a cyberattack.

Caleb and Luke share war stories, talk about what progress has been made in the cybersecurity industry (and areas of improvement!), and each give their own take on how organizations can best prepare for the fateful day that their network is breached.

Along the way we discuss how incident response has changed over the years, where threat intelligence and - in particular - dark web intelligence on cybercriminals fits into the incident response process, and why a eight-year-old Ted Talk now seems remarkably prescient.

The Ted Talk discussed at the 39 minute mark is "Where is Cybercrime Really Coming From?": https://www.ted.com/talks/caleb_barlow_where_is_cybercrime_really_coming_from?

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Can you quantify the risk the dark web poses to organizations? In this episode of the podcast, we discuss a landmark study that has tried to do just that.

We're joined by Scott Stransky, Managing Director and Head of the Marsh McLennan Cyber Risk Intelligence Center and Ben Jones, CEO of Searchlight Cyber and Scott unravel the findings of the report "The Correlation Between Dark Web Exposure and Cybersecurity Risk".

We discuss how cyber insurance loss data can be used to calculate the impact of dark web exposure on an organization's cybersecurity risk. We look at how different types of dark web exposure individually impact the chance of a cyberattack. Then we explore how multiple factors combined increase the chances of a cybersecurity incident.

Download the research report discussed in the podcast: https://slcyber.io/whitepapers-reports/the-correlation-between-dark-web-exposure-and-cybersecurity-risk/

Apply for a Dark Web Risk Report on your organization: https://slcyber.io/dark-web-risk-report-find-out-your-dark-web-exposure/

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This episode of the podcast looks at the Qilin ransomware group's attack on the UK's National Health Service. Or - more accurately - their ransomware attack against Synnovis, a third party pathology testing organization for a number of London hospitals.

Guests Louise Ferrett and Joe Honey go through time timeline of the attack - discussing the group's history, whether to trust claims that the attack was politically motivated, and the reasoning behind leaking 400gb of stolen patient data.

This episode also looks at the state of ransomware half a year into 2024 - including where some of the biggest groups from last year have disappeared off to, new groups that security professionals should be aware of, and the diversification of ransomware landscape as more groups emerge than ever before.

Want to find out more or have a suggestion for future podcast episodes?

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This episode of The Dark Dive takes a listener's question as a jumping off point to talk about the topic of data leaked on the dark web.

Guests Luke Donovan and Adam Wilson discuss noteworthy data leaks from over the years - impacting organizations such as 23andMe, Ashley Madison, and Yahoo! - and bring things right up to the present day (June 2024) by looking at the data leaks on BreachForums impacting Ticketmaster and Santander customers.

We look at how data such as credit card information, addresses, passwords, usernames, and even biometric information is stolen in the first place, how it is packaged and sold on the dark web, and the implications of highly sensitive data being leaked.

Want to find out more or have a suggestion for future podcast episodes?

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• Website: www.slcyber.io   
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• Weekly newsletter: www.slcyber.io/beacon/ 

For more background on the cases we discuss:

• Ticketmaster: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw99ql0239wo 
• Santander: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6ppv06e3n8o 
• 23andMe: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67624182 
• El Salvador: https://securityaffairs.com/162790/data-breach/el-salvador-massive-leak-biometric-data.html 
• Ashley Madison: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/02/01/ashley-madison-hack-returns-to-haunt-its-victims-32-million-users-now-have-to-watch-and-wait/ 
• Yahoo! 2013 data breach: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494 
• Nitro: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/massive-nitro-data-breach-impacts-microsoft-google-apple-more/

In the first episode of season two, The Dark Dive takes a forensic look at Operation Cronos, the international law enforcement takedown of the notorious ransomware group LockBit.

Dr. Gareth Owenson and Louise Ferrett give an overview of LockBit, explain how Operation Cronos has unfolded, and discuss why law enforcement has taken an unconventional approach (“the most epic trolling in cybersecurity history”) to this ransomware group takedown.

Recorded on May 14, this episode includes the “unmasking” of LockBitSupp in early May, how LockBit has responded to the law enforcement action, and how this operation has (and could still) impact other groups - with the BlackCat ransomware gang choosing early retirement.

Useful links:

NCA press release, February 20, 2024: https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/nca-leads-international-investigation-targeting-worlds-most-harmful-ransomware-group/

LockBit statement: https://x.com/vxunderground/status/1761506370656825531

US DoJ sanctions, May 7, 2024: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-charges-russian-national-developing-and-operating-lockbit-ransomware

Want to find out more or get in touch with us?:

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In this first episode of The Dark Dive we start at the beginning, with the question: what is the dark web?

Renowned dark web academic Dr. Gareth Owenson and threat intelligence expert Jim Simpson define exactly what the "dark web" is in relation to the "clear web" and the "deep web", how dark web networks like Tor work, and why it's relevant to law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals.

They also provide an overview of the types of traditional and cyber criminal activity that take place on the dark web, while busting (and confirming) some dark web myths.

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In this episode of The Dark Dive - the podcast that delves into the depths of the dark web - we take a forensic look at dark web markets.

Guests Louise Ferrett and Dave Osler outline the different types of marketplaces that exist on the dark web, the illicit and criminal goods they sell, and the challenges they create for law enforcement.

In the process, we discuss the difference between drug and digital goods markets (known as "autoshops"), the short lifespan of marketplace sites, and the strangest things they've seen sold on the dark web.

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We're joined by threat intelligence experts Joe Honey and Vlad to delve into dark web hacking forums.

The conversation covers how dark web forums differ from regular internet forums, the topics that users are discussing, and how forums manage to have such longevity in comparison to criminal marketplaces.

On the way our guests explain the "barrier to entry" to getting onto these forums, the blurry line between Russian, English language, and Chinese forums, and how these sites act as a market for a specific type of cybercriminal known as "Initial Access Brokers".

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Report, "Combatting Initial Access Brokers With Dark Web Intelligence": https://www.slcyber.io/whitepapers-reports/combating-initial-access-brokers-with-dark-web-intelligence/

In this episode of The Dark Dive we look at how cyber defender's biggest nemeses - ransomware groups - use the dark web.

Returning threat intelligence experts Jim Simpson and Louise Ferrett explain all of the functions of a ransomware leak site, how ransomware group members use dark web forums, and how monitoring this activity helps us understand how ransomware threat is evolving.

We cover some of the biggest groups*, take a fascinating look at how they work with each other, and host Aidan Murphy learns the difference between "state-backed" and "nation-backed" threat actors.

*Note - this episode was recorded before the takedown of LockBit in the international law enforcement action, Operation Cronos.

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Report: "More Groups, More Problems: Ransomware in 2023"

This episode of The Dark Dive looks at what host Aidan Murphy describes as "dark web service providers" - i.e. the services that keep dark web criminality ticking.

In particular, threat intelligence experts Carlito Perschky and Rob Fitzsimons explain where cryptocurrency fits into the dark web, how it has enabled illegal marketplaces to flourish, and the methods criminals use to hide where their funds are going to and from.

We also discuss the paradox of dark web search engines and link sites that criminals use to navigate the dark web, as well as stranger aspects of the dark web that haven't been covered in our previous podcast episodes.

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The final episode of this limited series looks at how law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals can respond to the dark web criminality outlined in the previous five episodes.

Returning guest Dr. Gareth Owenson is joined by Ben Jones, CEO of Searchlight Cyber, and Evan Blair, General Manager of North America, to discuss the actions that law enforcement agencies and private organizations are tackling threats that emerge from the dark web.

This bumper conversation ranges from how officers identify individuals that are masking their identity with the anonymity of the dark web, to how security teams are beginning to monitor the dark web for "early warning signals" that their organization is about to be attacked, and concludes with the final messages that our experts would like listeners to take away from this podcast series.

Want to find out more or have a suggestion for future podcast episodes?

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Report, "Government Agency Targeted on the Dark Web": https://www.slcyber.io/whitepapers-reports/government-agency-targeted-on-the-dark-web/

Introducing The Dark Dive, the podcast that demystifies the dark web.