Hackers use fake ChatGPT apps to attack Windows, Android users / Russian hacking campaign against Ukraine, NATO is largest in history / New hacker group Nevada Group hacks almost 5,000 people

Plus: Chain Reaction raises $70M to design secure chips for blockchain and cryptocurrency use

Inside.com Part of   Network February 23, 2023

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Hackers are using fake ChatGPT apps to attack Windows and Android users. Over 50 fake apps have been tracked, a number of which are on Google Play Store. More: Security researchers have tracked fake domains such as chat-gpt-pc(.online). This domain was being marketed through Facebook ads as the real version of ChatGPT. Once users clicked on the link, they were redirected to a phishing website where their login credentials were targeted. Other domains, such as pay.chatgptftw(.com), contained fake landing pages where users were directed to put in their banking information, putting them at risk of having their entire funds stolen. One of the apps that were highlighted by researchers is named AI Photo. This app drops the Spynote malware, enabling hackers to steal call logs, contact lists, SMS, and files.

Dutch military intelligence and general intelligence authorities have stated that the Russian hacking campaign against Ukraine and NATO is the largest in history. Diplomatic espionage is Russia's biggest focus, according to a report by the intelligence agencies. More: The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service and the Military Intelligence and Security Service released a joint report sharing technical details regarding the hacking campaign Russia has launched against Ukraine and NATO countries since February 2022. According to the report, this campaign is the largest of its kind in history regarding the number of cyberattacks launched against Ukraine and the number of cyber specialists involved in it. Regardless of Russia's efforts to disrupt the Ukrainian digital infrastructure for an extended period, the campaign has largely failed to do so. Russian hackers have succeeded in temporarily taking control of Ukrainian media broadcasts and broadcasting Russian propaganda messages. Zoom Out: Russian threat actors have also breached Ukraine's critical infrastructure in previous campaigns, such as the 2015 power grid hack. Ukraine was hit by a second cyberattack that shut down its grid, this time in 2016. In 2017, Ukraine was hit by the largest-ever cyberattack at the time, the Petya malware attack.

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A new hacker group named Nevada Group has hacked almost 5,000 people globally. The collective may comprise Russia and China-based hackers. More: The threat actor has breached targets in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Hungary, etc. Nevada Group is reportedly asking for 2 BTC ($50,000) as ransom to decrypt the computer networks of the hacked victims. According to security researchers, this campaign is one of the largest in recent memory. Even more importantly, the victims were hacked using relatively simple tools, which could push other threat actors to use similar methods. The campaign has drawn comparisons with the ESXIArgs ransomware. The latter is ransomware that became public earlier this month after it breached numerous servers globally. The ransomware takes advantage of CVE-2021-21974, a flaw that was believed to have been successfully patched in February 2021.

Chain Reaction has raised a $70M Series C funding round to design secure chips for blockchain and cryptocurrency use. The company claims its revenue grew 900% YoY in 2022. More: Chain reaction wants to become the first company to make real-time computing on encrypted data a reality through its semiconductor technology. Morgan Creek Digital with Hanaco Ventures, Jerusalem Venture Partners, KCK Capital, Exor, Atreides Management, and Blue Run Ventures also participated. The company aims to use the funding round to grow its team and develop its product. Its two co-founders have previously sold companies for over $6B and have worked in the Israeli Prime Minister's office. Chain Reaction was founded in 2019 and is based in Tel Aviv. The company has raised $115M in total.

CyberSmart has raised a $15.4M Series B funding round to become a one-stop shop for cyber insurance. The company has over 4,000 customers. More: Cybersmart offers its feature product, Active Protect, a security software that is meant to be installed and used without needing help from IT experts. This software can detect dangerous malware and suspicious emails. CyberSmart's target group is Small and Medium-sized businesses in the U.K. This funding round was led by Oxx, with participation from British Patient Capital, Legal & General Capital, Solano Partners, IQ Capital, Eos Venture Partners, Winton Ventures, and Seedcamp. The company is based in London, U.K., and has raised $27M since its inception in 2016.

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Arbër is an Inside writer who also has experience in entrepreneurship. He has experience covering Consumer Tech, Venture Capital, NFTs, Crypto, etc. Arbër holds a Bachelor's degree in Business from XAMK University in Finland. When he is not reading(and writing) business news, he chooses to watch sports or anime...and then read news about sports or anime. Editor Aaron Crutchfield is based in the high desert of California. Over the last two decades, he has spent time writing and editing at various local newspapers and defense contractors in California. When he's not working, he can often be found looking at the latest memes with his kids or working on his 1962 and 1972 Fords.

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