Very Mindful, Very APT: Inside the Activity of Current Espionage Actors

Hello to all our mindful and demure cyber sleuths! Join host Selena Larson and today’s co-host, Sarah Sabotka as they chat with Joshua Miller and Greg Lesnewich, Threat Researchers at Proofpoint about the ever-evolving world of advanced persistent threats (APTs).

The team unravels the latest espionage tactics of threat actors from Iran, North Korea, and Russia, exploring everything from Iran’s sophisticated social engineering campaigns to North Korea’s customized Mac malware.


They also highlight the increasing interest in MacOS malware in the cybercrime landscape and examine examine the threat posed by a group targeting AI researchers with unique malware like "SugarGh0st RAT."

Also discussed:

• the quirky and often amusing names given to malware campaigns in the cybersecurity world.
• unexpected connections between cybersecurity and pop culture, featuring a discussion on how celebrities like Taylor Swift handle digital security.
• what recent activity suggests about the actors’ changing tactics.

Resources mentioned:
SleuthCon Talk: Presenter, Selena Larson

Rivers of Phish from CitizenLab

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/best-laid-plans-ta453-targets-religious-figure-fake-podcast-invite-delivering

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/security-brief-ta450-uses-embedded-links-pdf-attachments-latest-campaign

https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/elastic-catches-dprk-passing-out-kandykorn

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/ta444-apt-startup-aimed-at-your-funds

https://www.theguardian.com/music/shortcuts/2019/jan/29/digital-security-taylor-swift-facetime-privacy-bug-breaches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYHmTjFW-nY

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/ta422s-dedicated-exploitation-loop-same-week-after-week

https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/security-brief-artificial-sweetener-sugargh0st-rat-used-target-american 

For more information about Proofpoint, check out our website.

Subscribe & Follow:
Don't miss out on future episodes—subscribe to the Discarded Podcast on your favorite platform.