Country
Nigeria

Source
Article by Palo Alto Networks

Title
SilverTerrier: 2019 Nigerian Business Email Compromise Update

About
Dated March 2020| Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 researchers continue to focus a core area of their research on Nigerian cybercrime, given the dominant proportionality and sheer enormity of BEC attacks originating from the region. Assigned the name SilverTerrier, these actors have now collectively produced more than 81,300 samples of malware linked to 2.1 million attacks. | In five years (from 2014 to 2019), SilverTerrier actors have evolved from being novice threat adversaries to mature cybercriminals. | There was 1163% increase in BEC attacks against the professional and legal services industry in 2019.

Key findings
Empowering Law Enforcement: June 2018 – The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Operation WireWire, in which 74 individuals globally, including 29 Nigerians, were arrested for their involvement in BEC schemes. | October 2018 – The United States DOJ sentenced the developer of LuminosityLink RAT to 30 months in prison for computer intrusion crimes. | September 2019 – Unit 42 traced the development of Adwind RAT to an individual in Mexico. Additionally, the United States DOJ announced Operation ReWired, in which 281 individuals globally, including 167 Nigerians, were arrested for their involvement in BEC schemes. | November 2019 – The Australian Federal Police (AFP), with international activity coordinated by Europol, arrested the developer as well as the most prolific users of ImminentMonitor RAT. | December 2019 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued $115,000 in fines to the developers of Orcus RAT.

Website
https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/silverterrier-2019-update/