CostaRicto

Known Names 1 entries

Observed Target Countries 13

Based on ETDA data — countries highlighted in red

Description

(BlackBerry) During the past six months, the BlackBerry Research and Intelligence team have been monitoring a cyber-espionage campaign that is targeting disparate victims around the globe. The campaign, dubbed CostaRicto by BlackBerry, appears to be operated by “hackers-for-hire”, a group of APT mercenaries who possess bespoke malware tooling and complex VPN proxy and SSH tunnelling capabilities. Mercenary groups offering APT-style attacks are becoming more and more popular. Their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) often resemble highly sophisticated state-sponsored campaigns, but the profiles and geography of their victims are far too diverse to be aligned with a single bad actor’s interests. Although in theory the customers of a mercenary APT might include anyone who can afford it, the more sophisticated actors will naturally choose to work with patrons of the highest profile – be it large organizations, influential individuals, or even governments. Having a lot at stake, the cybercriminals must choose very carefully when selecting their commissions to avoid the risk of being exposed.

Tools Used 5

Reports & References 1