Page 9 - Threat Intelligence 12-9-2019

Social Engineering

Microsoft: Spear-phishing email has doubled in a year, so here's how to beat it. pear phishing and business
email compromise (BEC) are big business these days, with BEC fraud costing US businesses $1.3bn in 2018.
Such huge rewards have incentivized scammers to improve targeted phishing attacks and expand their
campaigns. Microsoft warns that advanced spear-phishing attacks have become so targeted that it refers to
them internally as 'laser' phishing. These attacks often involve impersonating the CEO of a company and can
be convincing enough to fool IT executives into opening malware-laden attachments.

Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-spear-phishing-email-has-doubled-in-a-year-so-
heres-how-to-beat-it/

Watch out for this scam claiming your Netflix account is about to be suspended. Just about everyone has a
Netflix account these days, and scammers have taken notice. They’re using the popular streaming service as
bait in a new phishing scam. The email hits your inbox, and it appears to be from Netflix at first glance. It says
“the company” is unable to process your credit card for payment and the account will be suspended today.
With that sense of urgency, you might be tempted to use the handy link in the email to update your credit card
information. But if you glance at the email a second time, that’s the last thing you would do. The message is
clearly from an imposter.

Source: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/watch-out-for-this-scam-claiming-your-netflix-
account-is-about-to-be-suspended-100819.html

China Bans Deepfakes In New Content Crackdown. Beginning on January 1, any published deepfake videos
created with AI or VR not explicitly labeled will be illegal in China. Content providers will be liable for
prosecution and will be expected to police the system. A spokesperson for the government outlined risks
involved with deepfakes, including their ability to endanger national security, disrupt social order, and
undermine social stability. Although deepfakes in China are not typically created for political purposes, they
have grown popular with the rise of apps like ZAO.
Source: https://www.oodaloop.com/briefs/2019/12/02/china-bans-deepfakes-in-new-content-
crackdown/

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