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Financial Institutions in Guadeloupe Face Growing Cybersecurity Threats
The financial sector in Guadeloupe is facing an unprecedented number of cybersecurity threats, with several high-profile attacks targeting local banks and financial institutions. According to experts at SISA, these threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it essential for financial institutions to stay one step ahead to protect their sensitive data and assets.
Recent Threats Targeting the Banking and Financial Industry in Guadeloupe
In recent months, the following five significant threats have targeted the banking and financial industry in Guadeloupe:
1. Silent Skimmer Campaign Exploits Internet-Facing Applications
A financially motivated threat actor has been orchestrating an intricate web-skimming campaign for over a year, targeting online businesses and organizations reliant on ASP.NET and IIS. The attack begins by exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-facing applications, with an initial access point gained through exploits like CVE-2019-18935.
2. BBTok Banking Malware Strikes Latin American Banks
Security researchers recently uncovered a sophisticated cyber operation involving a variant of the BBTok banking malware, targeting users of over 40 major banks in Mexico and Brazil. The attackers create counterfeit interfaces mirroring the genuine banking portals of these institutions, aiming to deceive users into divulging sensitive information.
3. New Variant of Xenomorph Banking Trojan Targets Android Users
A recent campaign targeting Android users in Guadeloupe and other countries involves an updated variant of the Xenomorph Android banking trojan. The malware has introduced new features, including an anti-sleep function and a “mimic” mode, making it more difficult to detect.
4. EvilProxy Phishing Kit Targets Microsoft Users
Cybersecurity experts have uncovered an advanced phishing campaign utilizing the EvilProxy phishing kit to exploit an open redirection vulnerability on Indeed.com. The attackers target senior executives in sectors like Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, aiming to harvest session cookies and potentially bypass MFA systems.
5. New Chaes Malware Variant Targets Financials and Logistics Customers
The banking and logistics industries are facing a new malware variant called Chaes, which primarily targets e-commerce customers in Latin America. Despite significant architectural changes, Chaes maintains a consistent delivery mechanism, deploying malicious files through compromised websites to establish communication with a command-and-control server.
Mitigating Cyber Risks
To combat these cyber risks, financial institutions in Guadeloupe are advised to:
- Monitor bank statements and transactions for any unauthorized or suspicious activities
- Deploy advanced email filtering solutions that utilize machine learning and AI algorithms to detect and block phishing attempts
- Protect web applications against common vulnerabilities like XSS and CSRF that can lead to session cookie theft
- Keep all systems, applications, and plugins up to date with the latest security patches
- Train employees to recognize phishing attempts and suspicious activities
- Implement robust security monitoring and detection mechanisms to identify suspicious activities on web servers and applications
By staying informed about these threats and taking proactive measures, financial institutions in Guadeloupe can reduce their risk of falling victim to these sophisticated attacks.