How hackers find out if you’re a high-value target before stealing

Organizations in the United States and Germany are now being targeted by a new hacker known as TA886. Custom malware is monitoring and stealing data on infected systems and accordingly Proof pointDoing so since October 2022.
However, this malware is particularly unique in that it will first thoroughly assess your value before attacking a target to see if there is enough value.
How do these hackers monitor victims?
As previously reported Bleeping computer, like many malware scams, this particular one uses phishing emails that contain Microsoft Publisher (.pub) attachments with malicious macros, URLs linking to .pub files with macros, or URLs that download malicious JavaScript files. PDFs are included. Emails can be written in English or German, depending on who the target is and where they are located.
Once the URL link is clicked, a multistep attack chain is initiated and results in the download of the “screenshotter”, one of TA886’s main tools.
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The screenshotter tool will take JPG snapshots of the victim’s device and send those screenshots back to the TA886 server. Those screenshots are then manually searched to see how much value the victim has, and if they’re deemed high-value, the malware will continue its attack and steal everything from financial credentials to personal information.
The best way to protect yourself from malware is to install antivirus software on your phone, computer, and other devices. (Kurt Knutson)
How can I prevent this from happening to me?
The best way to protect yourself from malware is to install antivirus software on your device.
I’ve broken down the top antivirus protection for Mac, PC, iOS and Android devices. Is my top choice Total AV And it includes real-time anti-malware protection that keeps your computers safe from the very latest threats.
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Check out my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by searching.Best Antivirus” at CyberGuy.com by clicking on the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

Have you installed antivirus software on your devices? Let us know how it’s working out. (Kurt Knutson)
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