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Microsoft seizes six domains used in COVID-19 phishing operations
ZDNet ^ | July 7, 2020 | Catalin Cimpanu

Posted on 07/07/2020 6:27:40 PM PDT by dayglored

Hackers used malicious Office 365 apps to gain access to customer accounts, which they later used to orchestrate BEC attacks.

Microsoft has obtained a court order this month allowing the company to seize control of six domains that were used in phishing operations against Office 365 customers, including in campaigns that leveraged COVID-19 lures.

According to court documents obtained by ZDNet, Microsoft has targeted a phishing group that has been targeting the company's customers since December 2019.

The phishers operated by sending emails to companies that hosted email servers and enterprise infrastructure on Microsoft's Office 365 cloud service.

The emails were spoofed to look like they came from fellow employees or a trusted business partner. This particular phishing operation was unique because attackers didn't redirect users to phishing sites that mimicked the Office 365 login page.

Instead, hackers touted an Office document. When users tried to open the file, they were redirected to install a malicious third-party Office 365 app created by the hackers...

(Excerpt) Read more at zdnet.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: covid19; microsoft; phishing; windowspinglist
Hurrah for Microsoft -- good catch. Those of us using Office365 express our appreciation!
1 posted on 07/07/2020 6:27:40 PM PDT by dayglored
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To: Abby4116; afraidfortherepublic; aft_lizard; AF_Blue; AppyPappy; arnoldc1; ATOMIC_PUNK; bajabaja; ...
Score One For The Good Guys ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

2 posted on 07/07/2020 6:28:19 PM PDT by dayglored ("Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government."`)
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To: dayglored

Credit where it’s due.


3 posted on 07/07/2020 7:37:19 PM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
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To: dayglored

Another reason I’ll never use Win 10.


4 posted on 07/07/2020 8:13:27 PM PDT by wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)
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To: dayglored

Now track down the hackers and beat them to within an inch of their lives... and when as they recover let them know we are going to do it again and again.


5 posted on 07/07/2020 8:19:45 PM PDT by Mr. K (NO CONSEQUENCE OF REPEALING OBAMACARE IS WORSE THAN OBAMACARE ITSELF)
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To: dayglored
...Hurrah for Microsoft -- good catch. Those of us using Office365 express our appreciation!...

While I appreciate the shut down of illegal activity, I am wondering what legal principle allows the domains to be awarded to Microsoft as opposed to being taken over by the government.

Next thing that happens is that they will catch the perps and lend them to Microsoft where they will be chained to a desk, fed only junk food and coffee, and forced to code for the rest of their lives.

6 posted on 07/07/2020 9:18:45 PM PDT by CurlyDave
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To: dayglored

>>including in campaigns that leveraged COVID-19 lures

I don’t get my CV19 information from Microsoft or any corporation or accept such “advice” unsolicited.

But these days Fakebook, aPple, etc all want to be your friend and your source of health updates. For your own good.


7 posted on 07/07/2020 11:47:31 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Joe Biden- "First thing I'd do is repeal those Trump tax cuts." (May 4th, 2019))
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To: wastedyears
Another reason I’ll never use Win 10.

LMAO! Need some context here. Otherwise your response just comes across as kneejerk anti-MS FUD.

8 posted on 07/08/2020 2:13:15 AM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: CurlyDave
I am wondering what legal principle allows the domains to be awarded to Microsoft as opposed to being taken over by the government.

"Awarded" to Microsoft? There's no government control of the domain naming system. ICANN oversees everything related to domain naming. Microsoft made both a technical and legal case to ICANN to overtake these domain names.

It's no different than if an organization sues a scammer who buys a domain with 1 letter different from the legitimate business and tries to masquerade as them. Think WhiteHouse.com from a few years ago.

9 posted on 07/08/2020 2:16:50 AM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: wastedyears

Okay then....


10 posted on 07/08/2020 4:11:57 AM PDT by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches, or Trump in general, while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
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To: rarestia

Sounds to me like you work for Microsoft. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only reason you would respond that way.

I don’t want Microsoft to see what I’m doing, what music I listen to, or have my settings reset on a regular basis due to their “updates” which regularly break something.


11 posted on 07/08/2020 8:27:15 AM PDT by wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)
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To: wastedyears

The article was about Microsoft seizing fraudulent websites. What does that have to do with your anti-Win10 comment?


12 posted on 07/08/2020 11:01:42 AM PDT by rarestia (Repeal the 17th Amendment and ratify Article the First to give the power back to the people!)
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To: rarestia

I meant to post that in another thread about Win 10.


13 posted on 07/08/2020 11:52:02 AM PDT by wastedyears (The left would kill every single one of us and our families if they knew they could get away with it)
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