“The infamous gang is back,” all Gmail and Outlook users warned

CYBERSECURITY experts have warned of a dangerous malware that has resurfaced.

After a nine-month absence, malicious software called TA866 is now back.

The malware was spotted back in action by cybersecurity researchers at Proofpoint.

Proofpoint says TA866 has sent several thousand emails with topics like “Project Achievements” to targets in North America.

The emails contained a PDF attachment with OneDrive URLs and looked like this: “Document_[10 digits].prf”

When clicked, these links initiated “a multi-step infection chain that ultimately led to the malware payload,” Proofpoint said in its report. report.

Malware is a malicious file or code that can infect your smartphone, desktop or laptop.

This software can steal sensitive information from your devices, including bank accounts.

This particular malware is a variant of the WasabiSeed and Screenshotter custom toolset.

In short, TA866 can spy on victims' activities through screenshots before installing a bot and stealer.

The malware has been active since October 2022 and persisted until January 2023, and now until 2024.

Proofpoint observed campaigns that mainly targeted organizations in the United States.

However, researchers also noted sporadic attacks in countries such as Germany.

HOW TO STAY SAFE

For starters, it's important that you always keep your device up to date with the latest software.

These updates provide patches that can fix vulnerabilities that malware can exploit.

You should also avoid installing apps from unofficial system stores, and even then, do your research.

Furthermore, you should never download anything from strange emails, pop-up windows, or suspicious-looking websites.

It is also important to install an antivirus program on your device so that it can scan for malware.