FBI Pursues Scattered Spider Hackers, Urges Victims to Step Forward
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have issued an advisory on the tactics used by the Scattered Spider hacking collective, which now collaborates with the ALPHV/BlackCat Russian ransomware operation. Scattered Spider employs social engineering techniques such as phishing, MFA bombing, and SIM swapping to gain initial network access. The group consists of young English-speaking members with diverse skill sets and operates as a network of individuals rather than a cohesive gang, making it difficult to track. The FBI knows the identities of at least 12 members but has not yet made any arrests. The advisory provides recommendations for organizations to protect against Scattered Spider's threats.