---
title: "Cyber Security News Update, Week 17 of 2020 | DuoCircle"
description: "A phishing scam that uses what to scam you? Hand sanitizer? That according to WHNT News."
image: "https://www.duocircle.com/images/og-default.png"
canonical: "https://www.duocircle.com/blog/announcements/cyber-security-news-update-week-17-of-2020/"
---

Quick Answer

Cybersecurity stories from the week of April 23, 2020: WHNT reported a phishing email impersonating the Better Business Bureau, offering exclusive antiviral hand sanitizer to BBB-accredited businesses with a malicious link to claim supply. Halton Regional Police in Oakville, Ontario received over 30 calls about a sextortion-style phishing campaign that quoted a real password, sourced from prior data breaches, as proof the attacker had access to the victim's computer, even though no such access existed. SC Magazine also reported that the Nemty ransomware-as-a-service crew was winding down its public operation to focus on a new private encryptor, signaling a continued shift among ransomware crews toward closed affiliate models.

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![Cyber Security](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/04/office-365-migration-service-8331.jpg) 

_A phishing scam that uses what to scam you?_ Hand sanitizer? That according to [WHNT](https://whnt.com/news/better-business-bureau-accredited-businesses-targeted-in-sanitizer-phishing-scam/) News.

“A **phishing email** went out to businesses saying the BBB had antiviral, antibacterial hand sanitizer that was being offered exclusively to those receiving the email. It said with only a few weeks until the area opens back up, businesses needed to be stocked. _The email then encouraged them to click a link in order to get their supply of hand sanitizer_. The BBB says this email was not sent from them, and was a scam.” Keep your hands clean, but not like that.

## Halton Region Computer Breach

Can a successful **phishing scam** really claim access to your computer? Yes, but just because it can doesn’t mean it did. And that’s what the police in Oakville Ontario are trying to warn the residents.

From the [Oakville News website](https://oakvillenews.org/phishing-scam-halton-password-computer-april-2020/), “Over the past week, _the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) received more than 30 calls concerning the same phishing scam email_. In this email, _a current or previous password used by the victim is provided as proof that the sender has access to the victim’s computer_.” But the scammers **do NOT have access** to the computers. The passwords were most likely obtained from a previous data breach as victims did not have [email security services](/). If you can’t trust hackers to tell you the truth during their scam, who can you trust?

[![Phishing email](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/04/office-365-migration-service-8332.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/04/office-365-migration-service-8332.jpg)

## Phishing Phrontier

_It’s always comforting to hear how cyber crooks are updating the technology used in their attacks_. This week, [Nemty](https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/cybercrime/nemty-comes-up-empty-as-cyber-gang-ditches-ransomware-for-newer-encryptor-2/) **ransomware-as-a-service** operation are reportedly folding up shop as they concentrate their efforts on a newly launched **malicious encryptor**.”

The really bad news? _Victims of their “old” technology now have only a limited time to pay up_. “The decision to shut down Nemty could leave some individuals in a lurch. As of April 14, the cybercriminals are giving victims one week to pay their ransom and receive a **decryption key** before Nemty’s payment infrastructure is supposedly dismantled. _This ticking clock could coerce some panicked victims to hastily pay up_.” Talk about pressure.

## Printer Hacking

_When you think of the items in your office that are vulnerable to a security threat_, you probably don’t think of your printer. But maybe you should. This from an [article](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/04/17/unprotected-printers/) entitled “_Office printers: The ticking IT time bomb hiding in plain sight_.”

From the article, “Last summer, a Russian hacker group penetrated numerous organizations by first **infiltrating unprotected printers**, which were connected to the same network as every other device, and then _laddering up to exploit increasingly sensitive areas_.” Let that be a lesson to you.

## Smart TV Breach

When do smart TVs become scary TVs? _When they get [spoofed](https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/malware/smart-tvs-spoofed-to-deliver-billions-of-fake-ad-impression/) to deliver billions of fake ad impressions_.

“_A cybergang created a botnet that used Smart TVs to generate fake eyeballs for a massive ad fraud campaign that saw billions of ad requests being generated per week_. The campaign, nicknamed Icebucket, was uncovered by a team of researchers at [White Ops Security](https://www.whiteops.com/blog/giving-fraudsters-the-cold-shoulder-inside-the-largest-connected-tv-bot-attack). At its peak in January **1.9 billion fake ad requests** were being generated per day by Smart TVs and other devices _impersonating about two million people scattered over 30 different countries_.” That’s why ads cost so much. Nobody is actually watching them, but your TV is watching you.

## Body Count

_We’re always shocked when tech companies get hit with breaches_. This week’s victim? [Application Software Technologies](https://www.scmagazine.com/home/security-news/data-breach/california-software-developer-hit-with-w-2-scam/). “The San Diego-based firm discovered on March 9 that an unauthorized party had accessed the company by obtaining access to a company email account. The attacker essentially took over the email account, used it to request the **employee’s 2019 W-2 data** and then divert the information to themselves.” Assume that one of the company’s applications is NOT email security.

## Financial Loss due to Covid-19 Scams

_We can now put a number of the financial losses experienced by US victims from COVID-19-related scams. $13 million_, according to the [FTC](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public%5Fevents/1582978/scam%5Fpandemic%5Fhow%5Fattackers%5Fexploit%5Fpublic%5Ffear%5Fthrough%5Fphishing.pdf). Not so fast. According to an [article](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2020/04/16/covid-19-fraud-losses/) on Help Net Security, “_The real amount must be higher, though, as these losses are just the ones associated with the 17,425 COVID-19 complaints_ the FTC received in the last three months and a half. There are surely victims out there that didn’t bother to file a complaint.” In other words, this is only the amount we know about. and it doesn’t count non-COVID scams.

[![Phishing Attack](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/04/office-365-migration-service-8333.jpg)](https://media.mailhop.org/duocircle/images/2020/04/office-365-migration-service-8333.jpg)

## German Government Phishing Attack

Not to be outdone by the Americans, the [German government might have lost tens of millions of euros in COVID-19 phishing attack](https://www.zdnet.com/article/german-government-might-have-lost-tens-of-millions-of-euros-in-covid-19-phishing-attack/). “The government of North Rhine-Westphalia, a province in western Germany, is believed to have **lost tens of millions of euros** after it failed to build a secure website for distributing coronavirus emergency aid funding.”

Continuing from the article, “_The funds were lost following a classic phishing operation_. Cybercriminals created copies of an official website that the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs had set up to distribute COVID-19 financial aid. Crooks distributed links to their sites using email campaigns, lured users on the sites, and collected details from locals. They then filed requests for government aid on behalf of the real users but they replaced the bank account where funds were to be wired.”

And that’s the week that was.

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/dmarcreport/images/team/brad-slavin.jpg) 

Brad Slavin 

General Manager

General Manager at DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across the email security portfolio.

## Secure your email infrastructure

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