Latest news with #DOGE-themed
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
DOGE-themed malware mocks Elon Musk, demands $1 trillion in ransom
Phishing emails deliver the latest variant Live Events Growing impact and warnings from authorities FAQs A group of cybercriminals behind the Fog ransomware is hitting the headlines after issuing DOGE-themed ransom notes and demanding $1 trillion. In a bizarre twist, the note satirically referenced Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They asked the victims to provide bullet points of their workweek. This, seemingly, was a jab at Musk's infamous email to federal it looks humorous on the surface, the attacks are very real and dangerous. These attackers have used a variant of Fog ransomware, confirmed Trend Micro The attackers, according to the Forbes report, declared that they encrypted their data and copied some of it. They offered decryption services via a Tor browser. Reportedly, victims were warned to not 'snitch' and were told that their geolocation coordinates were also per the report, unlike earlier Fog campaigns, which relied on compromised VPN credentials, the latest wave employed phishing emails with a zip archive titled Pay If opened, a malicious LNK file triggers a PowerShell script, which downloads the ransomware and related quoted Trend Micro researchers stating that the script also included politically charged content. It can open YouTube videos and gather detailed system information. Victims, reportedly, were directed to pay the ransom via Monero . Some notes even offered free decryption if they forwarded the malware to someone else, highlighting the hackers' mocking Micro further observed that 173 ransomware incidents linked to Fog were recorded since June 2024. This mainly affected technology, manufacturing, education, and transport sectors. In February alone, 53 new victims fell prey to their report dated April 23, 2025, stated that ransomware is one of the most pervasive threats to critical infrastructure. Fog, the FBI said, was the most reported new ransomware variant in 2024. They said that it contributed to the $16.6 billion cost of cybercrime in the expert Dr Ilia Kolochenko reportedly warned the organisations against quietly paying ransoms. He stressed that there is a need for legal and technical consultation before making decisions. He said that it would be like sprinting on thin Micro too advised the organisations to bolster their defences with secure backups, regular patching, phishing awareness training, and network segmentation. They also released indicators of compromise to help identify Fog ransomware Despite the taunting tone, the ransomware does exist and has been confirmed by security experts. The attacks lead to data encryption and, in most cases, data not respond to the attackers. Report the attack to your local cybercrime agency or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre. Consult with cybersecurity experts.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Ransomware Gang Takes Page From Elon's 'What Did You Do This Week' DOGE Emails
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. A ransomware gang is channeling Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency by taunting victims with ransom notes that demand to know what they've "accomplished for work" in the last week. The FOG ransomware group has been distributing the DOGE-themed notes in recent weeks, according to malware samples that cybersecurity vendor Trend Micro discovered on the file-scanning service VirusTotal. 'We observed that these samples initially dropped a note containing key names related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),' Trend Micro says. The ransom notes also allude to Edward Coristine, who uses the online alias 'Big Balls." He reportedly has a history with cybercriminal groups, but was still appointed to Musk's DOGE team. A separate cybersecurity firm, Cyble, spotted the same attack generating a pop-up on computers that says 'DOGE BIG BALLS RANSOMWARE.' The FOG ransomware gang appears to be spreading its attack through phishing emails with an attachment titled "Pay If opened, the attachment will download and execute a PowerShell script designed to load the ransomware loader in " along with other malicious programs. "It also opens politically themed YouTube videos and includes written political commentary directly in the script,' Trend Micro notes. The attack is designed to gather data on the victim's PC before encrypting the files, and then leaving a ransom note, demanding the victim pay approximately $1,000 in the Monero cryptocurrency. According to Cyble, the ransom note, titled introduces the threat actor as 'Edward Coristine,' and lists his purported home address and phone number. The note then echoes Elon Musk's recent emails to federal workers and demand that victims justify their productivity by listing their weekly accomplishments. 'Give me five bullet points on what you accomplished for work last week or you owe me a TRILLION dollars,' the ransom note from the FOG gang says. 'The use of Coristine's name and the 'DOGE' reference in the ransomware could be a tactic to malign him and the DOGE initiative,' Cyble adds. In the ransom note, the FOG group also claims they'll decrypt the files for free, but only if the victim spreads the ransomware attack to another victim. 'FOG ransomware is a relatively new ransomware family that enterprises must add to their watchlist,' Trend Micro warns. The gang claims to have attacked over 100 victims, including organizations in the education, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, since January. Meanwhile, the official "what did you do this week" emails from DOGE are reportedly a bust. The Washington Post reports that the Office of Personnel Management basically told HR officials across the government that the emails are voluntary and that the agency didn't plan to do anything with the emails that were submitted.
