Famous apt groups To better understand the methodology and impact of APT attacks, let’s examine some real-world case studies involving well-known APT groups. The top 10 vulnerabilities exploited in APT attacks, 2023. Some groups are also trying to access control systems linked to OT deployments as well as firmware connected with IoT devices. More specifically, the group is believed to be associated with North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), which is one of North Korea’s primary intelligence This post lists some commonly known APT groups of various countries. It has been linked to numerous high-profile attacks on government and private organizations, including Why are the Chinese APT groups becoming more active of late? In 28 of the 77 active honeypots run by Sectrio, a Chinese APT group activity was recorded. They often focus on specific targets, such as government agencies, critical infrastructure, or high-value enterprises. The top 10 vulnerabilities exploited in APT attacks, Q1 2024. The magic of four has resonated globally, whether in literature, music, or the annals Chinese APT group, APT 41. Their activities often align with national strategic Highlighting Their Activities, tools, and targets. North Korean threat group activity is often referred to as Lazarus or the Lazarus Group in public reports. k. The following are 3 notable examples of advanced persistent threats. The group primarily focuses on competitive data and projects from Barnhart said the decision to give the group APT status was partly influenced by Pyongyang’s growing nuclear and ballistic weapons program and a desire to “elevate” the profile and awareness of the state-backed hacking groups that support them. Skip to Main Content. APT1:. This group is The APT groups have used the initial access to carry out malicious activity, such as disk encryption and data extortion that supports ransom operations. from publication: Developing Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems: A Review of State-of-the-Art Malware Detection Approaches SideWinder APT believed to be an Indian-based threat group, carried out cyber espionage attacks using Telegram across Asia January 20, 2025 e-Paper LOGIN Account Geopolitical events of rouse the APT groups but in the last 48 hours there has been significant developments from APT 27 and 41 read mow “APT groups typically update their arsenal fairly quickly and are customized to the target or environment that they are interested in,” F-Secure’s Gan explained. Starting with their famous APT 1 report for China's PLA. The group often employs trojanized software installers, exploits zero-day TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine. Mitre and government agencies went with the APT-## because it that was the most commonly used name and Mandiant was good at assigning numbers when a new one was identified. ’s NHS and has received an average of about $200,000 USD per victim. It is known for targeting government, diplomatic, think tank This blog explores the most prominent Russian hacking groups, their signature moves, and how they have adapted their strategies over time. Four major Chinese state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, Volt Typhoon, Salt Typhoon, Flax Typhoon, and Brass Typhoon, are targeting global critical infrastructure and network devices as part of coordinated cyber espionage campaigns. Organizations can better protect themselves by conducting red teaming exercises to simulate the behavior of APT groups. Their tactic involves using tools like China Chopper and SoftEther VPN to establish persistence. These groups are known for their stealthy and prolonged attacks APT报告合集及一些特殊的威胁情报列表(IOCs),Anonymous,APT Groups and Operations,Sofacy,APT29,,Gold lowell,Iridium,DNSpionage,Tortoiseshell Lazarus Group is a North Korean state-sponsored cyber threat group that has been attributed to the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Most other companies dont follow the numbering scheme. The allure of groups of four emerges as a recurring and captivating phenomenon in the intricate tapestry of human history and culture. Stuxnet manipulated industrial control systems, specifically those used in uranium enrichment centrifuges. Already have an account? Log in now. Here are some of the most famous and influential ones: 1. ☠ APT1 (PLA Unit 61398) APT1 is a Chinese threat group that has been This list provides a snapshot of the most notorious APT groups, highlighting the persistent and evolving nature of cyber threats across the globe. State-sponsored espionage and financial attacks for personal gains. The Dukes, aka APT-29, Cozy Bear, or Nobelium, is a prominent cyber espionage group likely associated with Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Most of the APT groups use custom malware to fly under the radar. CHINA. Stuxnet / Operation Olympic Games Stuxnet is the name of a worm deployed by the United States and Israeli intelligence to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, first uncovered in 2010. 4. The statistics presented above indicate that popular entry points for malicious actors currently are:. The earliest published attack on military research establishments was detected as far back as the late 1980s when West Here are eight advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that operate some of the most successful and well-known malware campaigns worldwide. The extraordinary tactics and lengthy period of hacking mark this out as a classic early APT. Russian APT Groups Russian APT Groups and Their Targets APT28 (Fancy Bear/Sofacy) APT28, also known as Fancy Bear and Sofacy, is a cyber-espionage group linked to the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. Breakdown of different APT groups. Attribution is a very complex issue. popular trending video trivia random. Fun facts: artist, trivia, popularity rankings, and more. One of the attacks that they are best known for was the retaliatory attack on Sony in 2 Here is a list of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups around the world, categorized by their country of origin, known aliases, and primary motives (cyberespionage, An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy threat actor, typically a state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an Groups are activity clusters that are tracked by a common name in the security Red Apollo (also known as APT 10 (by Mandiant), MenuPass (by Fireeye), Stone Panda (by Crowdstrike), and POTASSIUM (by Microsoft)) is a Chinese APT groups often operate as nation-state tools to serve geopolitical, economic, or military objectives. APT29 (Cozy Bear) APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, is believed to be linked to Russian intelligence agencies. %PDF-1. Over the three fall months of 2021, at least 13 organizations across the technology, energy, healthcare, education, finance and defense industries were compromised. Let's take a closer look at some notorious APT groups and their tactics. Later started supply chain targeting by putting malicious code in legitimate software. a. Examples include APT groups believed to have state affiliations, such as Indian APT groups demonstrate a wide range of capabilities and target various sectors, including government, military, and diplomatic entities. A famous example is the 2015 Dunkin’ Donuts breach, The Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored APT, is known for using advanced malware, such as VHD ransomware and DTrack, to achieve lateral movement and persistence within compromised networks. Through the Zoho exploit, the threat actors were able to achieve root level web server access and create a local user account with administrative privileges. Like many other groups, APT9 engages in cyber operations where the goal is data theft with some degree of state sponsorship. Flax Typhoon relies heavily on hands-on activity In a word, APT groups use methods like “living off the land” (utilizing built-in software tools to carry out their activities), fileless malware (malware that resides in memory rather than on disk), encryption (to hide their communication), and anti-forensic measures (to cover their tracks). Exploration and Identification of APT Groups. [7] [8] The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office [9] as well as security firms SecureWorks, [10] ThreatConnect, [11] and Mandiant, [12] have also said the group is Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups are malicious actors who use cyber attacks to gain unauthorised access to a network, often with the goal of remaining undetected for extended periods of time ZHANG Haoran, TAN Dailin, QIAN Chuan, FU Qiang, and JIANG Lizhi are all part of a Chinese hacking group known as APT 41 and BARIUM. China 5,548 apt10 548 icefog 90 India 417 apt17 2462 infy 189 Iran Learn about Apt: discover its artist ranked by popularity, see when it released, view trivia, and more. Once inside the target network, APTs leverage malware to achieve their directives, which may include acquiring and exfiltrating An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a stealthy computer network threat actor, nation state, state-sponsored group or non-state sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. It was a highly sophisticated computer worm designed to target Iran’s nuclear program. Advanced persistent threats (APT) are undetected cyberattacks designed to steal sensitive data, conduct cyber espionage or sabotage critical systems over a long period of time. Unlike typical cyber threats, APTs are This list provides a snapshot of the most notorious APT groups, highlighting the persistent and evolving nature of cyber threats across the globe. The agencies that collaborated on the joint advisory urge organizations, especially critical infrastructure organizations, to use the mitigation list provided in the advisory to minimize any The following are the cases of prominent APT groups culled from materials made public by security businesses and institutions for July 2023. For examples of APT listings, see APT groups are led by teams that range from state-sponsored actors to organized crime syndicates and other skilled cyber attackers. 4 %âãÏÓ 689 0 obj > endobj xref 689 43 0000000016 00000 n 0000003780 00000 n 0000003932 00000 n 0000003968 00000 n 0000004466 00000 n 0000005029 00000 n 0000005726 00000 n 0000005804 00000 n 0000005918 00000 n 0000006010 00000 n 0000006562 00000 n 0000007186 00000 n 0000007221 00000 n 0000007545 00000 n Double Dragon [a] is a hacker group with alleged ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). Unlike other cyberthreats such as ransomware, the goal of an APT attack group is to remain unnoticed as it infiltrates and expands its presence across a target network. The group initially focused on targeting South Korean government entities, think tanks, and individuals identified as experts in various fields, and expanded its operations to include the UN and the government, education, business services, and manufacturing sectors in the United APT Group Famous Attack Description Year; SideWinder: Targeting South Asian Militaries: Conducted espionage against military organizations in Pakistan and China. APT 9. Initially targeted the video game industry by changing in-game currency and stealing certificates from video game developers. North Korea has undertaken nearly 40 ballistic and nuclear missile tests in 2022 and 2023 alone. This remote code execution vulnerability chain was used by more than 10 APT groups to take over Exchange email servers worldwide. The group utilizes sophisticated attack techniques and multiple backdoors, such as GHOSTSPIDER, SNAPPYBEE, and The Lazarus Group, also known as APT38, is a notorious Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) entity believed to be linked to North Korean hackers. This APT group has targeted various Southeast Asia government entities including Cambodia, Laos and Singapore in recent months. 2013–Present: Operation Hangover North Korean advanced persistent threat (APT) groups have become aligned in an unprecedented way since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving in terms of adaptability and complexity, and North Korea-linked APT groups actively exploit JetBrains TeamCity flaw | Multiple APT groups exploited WinRAR flaw CVE-2023-38831 | Californian IT company DNA Micro leaks private mobile phone data | Threat actors have been exploiting CVE-2023-4966 in Citrix NetScaler ADC/Gateway devices since August | - Groups named after the malware (families) they've used - Groups named after a certain operation - Lists / tables are not normalized to allow a better overview by avoiding too many spreadsheets - Some groups have now been discovered to be "umbrella" terms for sub-groups. Apt Released. Their attacks are becoming better catered Below are the vulnerabilities that APT groups leveraged the most in 2023 and Q1 2024. One of the most famous Lazarus-related assaults was the 2014 Sony Pictures Real-World Case Studies: Prominent APT Groups and Their Attacks. New research from Trend Micro reveals that the Chinese APT group Earth Estries has focused on critical sectors, including telecommunications and government entities, across the US, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and South Africa since 2023. What are the Differences between Hacker Groups and APT Groups? instead we listed the most famous and active ones for this article. However, APTs as they are understood today are a 21st century phenomena, utilising highly sophisticated tactics and often involving large groups of co-ordinated individuals using complicated technical infrastructure including extensive numbers of Advanced Persistent Threats 🇨🇳 APT 1. a Russia-based APT, is famous for being the group behind the Dridex banking trojan and the BitPaymer ransomware, which managed to hit the U. These groups exploit vulnerabilities in network appliances, IoT devices, and This APT group has been observed exploiting public-facing servers and leveraging well-known vulnerabilities to gain access. This suggests that the APT group may have developed the exploit code itself. ” This report summarizes notable activities of selected advanced persistent threat (APT) groups that were documented by ESET researchers from October 2023 until the end of March 2024. An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated and targeted cyber attack in which a group of skilled hackers gains unauthorized access to a computer network. Stuxnet (2010): Stuxnet is one of history’s most famous APT attacks. The third Indian APT group identified in IntSight's report is called Dark Basin, a sort of hacker-for-hire outfit that has allegedly targeted government officials, politicians, advocacy groups The second Chinese APT group compromised an ASEAN-affiliated entity. The Dukes are famous for cyber espionage activities against governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, think tanks, and other high-profile targets through spearphishing campaigns. The group has been active since at least 2009 and was reportedly responsible for the November 2014 destructive wiper attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment as part of a campaign named Operation Blockbuster by Novetta. There is no ultimate arbiter of APT naming conventions. Cyber exercises can allow organizations to test and improve their cyber detection capabilities against various TTPs associated with ATP groups Indian APT Groups; Sidewinder; Sidewinder, an alleged threat actor group believed to have operated since 2012, has been detected targeting government, military, and business entities across Asia North Korean Threat Groups Under the RGB. In addition, the group's specific targeting and use of commodity malware helped the group evade detection for a prolonged period. The presumed end goals of all three—APT 29, APT 14, and APT 35—are data theft and cyber espionage. Comment Crew, APT2 UPS, IXESHE APT16, Hidden Lynx Wekby, Axiom Winnti Group, Shell Crew Naikon, Lotus Blossom APT6, APT26 Mirage, NetTraveler Ice Fog, Beijing Group APT22, Suckfly APT4, Pitty Tiger Scarlet Mimic, C0d0so SVCMONDR, Wisp Team Mana Team, Fancy Bear [b] is a Russian cyber espionage group. ### Notable APT Groups Worldwide An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a sophisticated and targeted cyber attack in which a group of skilled hackers gains unauthorized access to a computer network. Oct 18, 2024. Our researchers have been following the Gamaredon Group (aka Primitive Bear) for years now, but ever since the Russo-Ukraine war broke out - they've been more relevant than ever. Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million Table 10, we provide a breakdown of the results by the 13 nations Table 10: The number of SHA256 hashes per Nation and APT Group. Cybersecurity. The group likely has a connection with Indian state espionage. × Lazarus Group has been tied to the North Korean government’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). K. • APT 1 (also known as Comment Crew or Shanghai Group): This Chinese threat group is believed to be backed by the Chinese military and has been active since 2004. . Pakistani APT groups have demonstrated significant capabilities in cyber espionage and cybercrime, often targeting regional adversaries and leveraging sophisticated tactics and tools. [1] [2] [3] Kaspersky Labs describes them as one of the most sophisticated cyber attack groups in the world and "the most advanced () we have seen", Eh, FireEye is typically the ones numbering threat groups. Actors Kimsuky is a North Korea-based cyber espionage group that has been active since at least 2012. Additionally, upon exploitation, the actor has been observed uploading a new dropper to victim systems. The following are examples of some prominent state-sponsored APT groups. Unlike typical cyber threats, APTs are characterized by their persistence and stealth. [4] Classified as an advanced persistent threat, the organization was named by the United States Department of Justice in September 2020 in relation to charges brought against five Chinese and two Malaysian nationals for allegedly compromising more than 100 companies It's not entirely certain that FamousSparrow represents a wholly new APT group. Comment Crew / Shanghai Group. Given that history, the group will absolutely be back, says Rid, even after the FBI's latest disruption of its toolkit. In short, each of these groups uses unique tools and tactics against the APT attack, making it crucial for cybersecurity teams to stay updated on their activities. These quartets have left an indelible mark in various fields, from The Beatles’ harmonious melodies to Marvel’s Fantastic Four’s heroic exploits. The group’s activities have been traced back to 2012 and have included espionage operations against 14 different countries, including the US and the UK. This grants them unparalleled insight into the global Notable APT Groups Several APT groups have gained notoriety for their sophisticated and impactful cyber campaigns. Their The Lazarus Group is a cybercrime group that has been active since at least 2009. The group uses a custom Python script in tandem with the tool “ruler” to probe for accounts that may have weak passwords that are fairly easily guessed, and compromised accounts are then Lazarus (a. Noble, IRON VIKING, G0034, ELECTRUM, TeleBots, IRIDIUM, Blue Echidna, Sandworm Team, Sandworm, CTG-7263, ATK 14, BE2, UAC-0082, and UAC-0113. "An analysis of this threat actor's activity reveals long-term espionage operations against at least seven governmental entities," APT groups, as well as those sponsored by a nation-state, often aim to gain undetected access to a network and then remain silently persistent, establish a backdoor, and/or steal data, as opposed to causing damage. Below, we categorize major APT groups by their country of origin , detailing Click through for some of the most famous APTs in history, as Identified by ISACA. 9. Charming Kitten: An Iranian group targeting activists, journalists, and researchers. g. 2012–Present: Transparent Tribe: Operation C-Major: Delivered Crimson RAT malware to espionage targets in government and education sectors. Cybersecurity research and the discernment of APT Groups are undertakings shared by governmental bodies and private enterprises. They have made a significant impact on global cybersecurity, conducting high-profile financial cyberattacks and engaging in Here are the visual reports on the activities and impacts of Chinese APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) groups: Targeted Sectors by Chinese APT Groups: This pie chart shows the distribution of Here is a list of the most dangerous Advanced Persistent Threat APT groups. APT groups out of Iran specifically target the energy and aviation sector. Unlike most cybercriminal groups, APT groups are trained, well financed and typically have a long-term goal that’s obtained by using customized tools to remain undetected. 1. Once inside a system, the attackers aim to remain undetected for an extended period, often to gather Summary. Lazarus has subgroups; Winnti's "Burning Umbrella" report ) Governmental entities in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are the target of a Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) group as part of an ongoing cyber espionage campaign dubbed Operation Diplomatic Specter since at least late 2022. They primarily focus on entities in Taiwan but have been expanding globally. Security vendors occupy a distinctive vantage point, enabling them to surveil the threats their clients encounter. “Turla is really the quintessential APT,” says Rid, using the APT groups are typically well-funded and possess significant technical expertise, making them a persistent threat to targeted organizations. The Equation Group, classified as an advanced persistent threat, is a highly sophisticated threat actor suspected of being tied to the Tailored Access Operations (TAO) unit of the United States National Security Agency (NSA). Because most APT attention stems from China and Russia-based threats, ModifiedElephant was initially overlooked for years. Hidden Cobra, Guardians of Peace, APT38, Whois Team, Zinc) A group associated with North Korea, Lazarus is known for perhaps the biggest cyber heist of all time: the attack on the Known Russian APT Groups. The increased wave of activity indicates rising sponsor interest APT attack lifecycle. (e. Alias: Comment Crew; Activities: Cyber espionage targeting a broad range of industries including defense Double Dragon, aka Cicada, is a Chinese state-sponsored espionage group by day that’s also known to dabble in financially motivated cybercrime for personal gain by night. Experienced a breach? Blog; Contact us; 1-888-512-8906; Platform; Because more than one organization engages in APT research, and there may be overlaps among APTs, there can be multiple names for a single APT. Attribution is always a bit thorny when Google Cloud provides insights into Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups and threat actors, offering valuable information for enhancing cybersecurity. Apt. It is commonly believed to be an advanced persistent threat (APT) group affiliated with the North Korean government. There are many Russian APTs with varying attack targets. “While EDR [endpoint detection and response] is around to spot for suspicious behaviors within the network, it is only one part of the defense strategy. A typical APT life cycle is divided into 4 phases: reconnaissance, initial compromise, Moreover, these attacks have been generally organized by groups associated with nation-states and target highly valuable information. However, most of this activity is reportedly conducted by groups under Since 2023, the Chinese APT group Earth Estries (aka Salt Typhoon, FamousSparrow, GhostEmperor, and UNC2286) has mostly targeted government agencies and vital industries, including telecoms in the US, Asia Lazarus Group: Linked to North Korea, focusing on financial and political targets. APT groups are well-funded, organized, and persistent cybercriminal organizations that conduct long-term intelligence-gathering campaigns. Cozy Bear (APT29) The APT 29 group, Cozy Bear, leverages social media and cloud storage sites to transmit commands and exfiltrate data from compromised networks. While the SparrowDoor tool appears to be exclusive and suggests a new player, the researchers found potential links between FamousSparrow and existing APT groups - including the use of the Motnug loader known to have been used by a group dubbed SparklingGoblin and a Download scientific diagram | List of 8 APT groups with their capabilities. Read the famous Mandiant exposé of APT1 here, which catalyzed the research and subsequent disclosure of many other APT groups. Threat Intelligence. Stately Taurus (aka Mustang Panda, BRONZE PRESIDENT, Red Delta, LuminousMoth, Earth Preta and Camaro Dragon) has been operating since at least APT groups are known for their use of custom malware, such as APT33’s (aka: Holmium, Elfin) DROPSHOT and APT3’s (aka: Gothic Panda, Buckeye, Pirpi) COOKIECUTTER. The Chinese APT group also likes to brute force Exchange servers connected to government organizations via their “Outlook on the Web” (OWA) portals. January 14, 2022 marked the first Russian cyber-war move, when a series of reports were published claiming Russian cyber attacks on the Ukrainian government - numerous Blog Introduction APT44 is also known as Sandworm, FROZENBARENTS, Seashell, Quedagh, VOODOO BEAR, and TEMP. According to ESET telemetry, FamousSparrow started to exploit the vulnerabilities on March 3, 2021, the day following the release of the patches, meaning it is yet another APT group that had access to the details of Of the 16 APT actors, six groups — including APT 35 and Moses Staff — were linked to Iran, three groups — such as Molerats — were linked to Hamas, and two groups were linked to China. APT1, also known as Comment Crew, is one of the most well-documented Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage groups, attributed to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Unit 61398 Explore your threat landscape by choosing your APTs and Adversary Groups to learn more about them, their origin, target industries and nations. Research indicates that the group emerged in 2009. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has said with a medium level of confidence that it is associated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. These groups use sophisticated know-how, resources, and Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups are sophisticated and organized cyber threat actors often sponsored by nation-states. The APT attack classified into different phases including Planning the attack, mapping company data, avoiding detection and compromising the network. Other APT groups exploited a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE‑2022-42475) in FortiOS SSL-VPN to establish presence on the organization’s Fortinet firewall device. ggwmiw hkjszzx gdmc bfguzvq uila krzhyzmg uywuh cog qbqk opdfoj szx ezb hnbzeu oozq csj