Telecom
Attackers Exploit Stolen Session Cookies to Bypass Multi Factor Authentication and Gain Access to Corporate Resources – Sophos Report Reveals
Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, today announced in the Sophos X-Ops report, “Cookie stealing: the new perimeter bypass,” that active adversaries are increasingly exploiting stolen session cookies to bypass Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and gain access to corporate resources.
In some cases, the cookie theft itself is a highly targeted attack, with adversaries scraping cookie data from compromised systems within a network and using legitimate executable to disguise the malicious activity.
Once the attackers obtain access to corporate web-based and cloud resources using the cookies, they can use them for further exploitation such as business email compromise, social engineering to gain additional system access, and even modification of data or source code repositories.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen attackers increasingly turn to cookie theft to work around the growing adoption of MFA. Attackers are turning to new and improved versions of information stealing malware like Raccoon Stealer to simplify the process of obtaining authentication cookies, also known as access tokens,” said Sean Gallagher, principal threat researcher, Sophos. “If attackers have session cookies, they can move freely around a network, impersonating legitimate users.”
Session, or authentication, cookies are a particular type of cookie stored by a web browser when a user logs into web resources. If attackers obtain them, then they can conduct a “pass-the-cookie” attack whereby they inject the access token into a new web session, tricking the browser into believing it is the authenticated user and nullifying the need for authentication.
Since a token is also created and stored on a web browser when using MFA, this same attack can be used to bypass this additional layer of authentication.
Compounding the issue is that many legitimate web-based applications have long-lasting cookies that rarely or never expire; other cookies only expire if the user specifically logs out of the service.
Thanks to the malware-as-a-service industry, it’s getting easier for entry-level attackers to get involved in credential theft. For example, all they need to do is buy a copy of an information-stealing Trojan like Raccoon Stealer to collect data like passwords and cookies in bulk and then sell them on criminal marketplaces, including Genesis.
Other criminals on the attack chain, such as ransomware operators, can then buy this data and sift through it to leverage anything they deem useful for their attacks.
Conversely, in two of the recent incidents that Sophos investigated, attackers took a more targeted approach. In one case, the attackers spent months inside a target’s network gathering cookies from the Microsoft Edge browser.
The initial compromise occurred via an exploit kit, and then the attackers used a combination of Cobalt Strike and Meterpreter activity to abuse a legitimate compiler tool to scrape access tokens. In another case, the attackers used a legitimate Microsoft Visual Studio component to drop a malicious payload that scraped cookie files for a week.
“While historically we’ve seen bulk cookie theft, attackers are now taking a targeted and precise approach to cookie stealing. Because so much of the workplace has become web-based, there really is no end to the types of malicious activity attackers can carry out with stolen session cookies. They can tamper with cloud infrastructures, compromise business email, and convince other employees to download malware or even rewrite code for products. The only limitation is their own creativity,” said Gallagher.
“Complicating matters is that there is no easy fix. For example, services can shorten the lifespan of cookies, but that means users must re-authenticate more often, and, as attackers turn to legitimate applications to scrape cookies, companies need to combine malware detection with behavioral analysis.”
To learn more about session cookie theft and how adversaries are exploiting the technique to carry out malicious activity, read the full report, “Cookie Stealing: the new perimeter bypass,” on Sophos.com.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its full involvement in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewable Hope Agenda, leveraging technology to revive the nation’s economy.
In a statement on Thursday, Reuben Muoka, director of Public Affairs, NCC, said the Agency would work with Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, to achieve his Strategic Agenda 2023 — 2027 set targets to achieve a 50 per cent improvement in Quality of Service (QoS)
By the end of 2024; to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70 per cent by the end of 2025; to deliver data download speed of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural areas by the end of 2025; to provide coverage for, at least, 80 percent of the country’s population, especially the underserved and unserved populations by the end of 2026; to reduce the gap of unconnected Nigerians in rural areas from 61 per cent to less than 20 per cent by 2027; and to secure between 300 per cent to 500 per cent increase in broadband investment by the end of 2027.
Drawing from the Strategic Agenda of the Ministry, Muoka said Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) had emplaced three Strategic Focus Areas for the Commission: The Consumers, the Industry and Licensees; and the Government.
He said: “For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda draws us all to a more promising outlook. Inherent in his agenda is the pledge to embolden and support the youth and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy.
“In delivering this vision, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani unveiled a blueprint appropriately titled – “Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency” with the goal of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth by enhancing productivity, facilitated by digital innovation.” The NCC’s spokesperson maintained that digital transformation is happening globally as propelled by COVID-19, saying Nigeria is not lagging.
“In Nigeria, a young tech-savvy and upwardly mobile population is teeming, and exploring derivable benefits of digital technologies. They are propelled by rapidly expanding internet access and steady broadband penetration, currently about 43 per cent. Our digital economy is poised for significant growth, positively impacting various sectors and benefiting the nation through enhanced connectivity and digital skills.
Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Africa’s fastest-growing data centre company, has announced the achievement of Tier-III design certification from the internationally acclaimed Uptime Institute for its hyperscale core facility in Isando, Johannesburg
This milestone significantly advances the company’s mission to sustainably establish and operate world-class, client-focused data centre facilities in South Africa and throughout the continent.
Dr Ayotunde Coker, CEO of OADC, remarked, “This certification reflects our dedication to meeting and exceeding international standards in data centre operations. It reaffirms our commitment to deliver the highest level of reliability and uptime, suitable for mission-critical applications and services.”
The Tier-III design certification indicates that OADC Isando has been designed for high availability and redundancy, featuring multiple distribution paths for power and cooling, as well as concurrently maintainable infrastructure.
Representing the Uptime Institute, Tarik Bahanniss, vice-president, Africa, stated, “We are pleased to award OADC Isando with the Tier III Certification of Design Documents, the first step toward the important Tier Certification of Constructed Facility award. This certification reflects OADC’s dedication to global standards, beginning with the first set of design documents criteria set forth by Uptime Institute.”
With over 3,000m² of technical space and a site load of 12MW, OADC Isando has become a formidable hub providing scalable solutions tailored to the evolving needs and performance requirements of clients.
As a truly open-access and carrier-neutral facility, strategically located adjacent to major fibre routes, it offers a gateway to an extensive selection of onsite providers and metro connectivity to key data centres in the Johannesburg area.
“OADC Isando is not just a data centre; it is a comprehensive, vibrant interconnected digital ecosystem and a strategic partner for clients seeking reliable, secure and sustainable infrastructure and connectivity solutions,” added Dr Coker. “We remain committed to providing our clients with services to support their business growth and success.”
In Nigeria, a young tech-savvy and upwardly mobile population is teeming and exploring derivable benefits of digital technologies. They are propelled by rapidly expanding internet access and steady broadband penetration, currently about 43 per cent.
Our digital economy is poised for significant growth, positively impacting various sectors and benefiting the nation through enhanced connectivity and digital skills.
Digital transformation is happening globally at a record pace. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, remote work and virtual collaboration tools took centre stage; platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet became—and still are—essential for meetings, conferences and team collaboration. E-commerce and online retail have transformed how consumers seamlessly order and receive goods and services.
Even traditionally brick-and-mortar businesses are changing the ways they engage with their customers through introduction of digital solutions to improve the customer experience. It is a no-brainer that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are revolutionising our lives for the better, whether in education, healthcare delivery, living, public services, energy management, and much more.
Suffice to say, that underpinning this global digital transformation is the indispensable role of telecommunications infrastructure. Universal, affordable, reliable and fast telecom services are becoming social rights, as mobile networks and data-centres form the backbone for digital transformation by enabling the storage and processing of large amounts of data as well as the integration of digital technologies into numerous use cases.
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda draws us all to a more promising outlook. Inherent in his agenda is the pledge to embolden and support the youth and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy.
In delivering this vision, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani unveiled a blueprint appropriately titled – “Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency” with the goal of supporting Nigeria’s economic growth by enhancing productivity, facilitated by digital innovation.
Acknowledging the criticality of resilient telecommunications infrastructure to a robust digital economy, Dr. Tijani’s Strategic Agenda 2023 — 2027 sets targets to achieve a 50 per cent improvement in Quality of Service (QoS) by the end of 2024; to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70 per cent by the end of 2025; to deliver data download speed of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural areas by the end of 2025; to provide coverage for, at least, 80 per cent of the country’s population, especially the underserved and unserved populations by the end of 2026; to reduce the gap of unconnected Nigerians in rural areas from 61 per cent to less than 20 per cent by 2027; and to secure between 300 per cent to 500 per cent increase in broadband investment by the end of 2027.
Drawing from the Strategic Agenda of the Ministry, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) has emplaced three Strategic Focus Areas for the Commission: The Consumers, the Industry and Licensees; and the Government.
Dr. Maida’s approach to delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda comes from the recognition that each of these stakeholders has a unique perspective and different, occasionally-paradoxical expectations of the Commission. His goal is to forge a path that carefully balances each stakeholder’s needs while meeting their expectations.
Consider the Consumers—who are central to Dr. Maida’s focus—for example. His approach focuses on ensuring that they receive an enhanced Quality of Experience, beyond the narrow and very technically-evaluated Quality of Service. Quality of experience takes into account all touch points along the consumers journey in using telecom services from selection, through on boarding, usage, support and even off-boarding.
This means that, consumers are empowered to make the right network selection, enjoy a seamless onboarding into the network of their choice, enjoy quality service at fair costs, receive responsive customer service and enjoy protected off-boarding where they chose to leave the network.
To address consumer complaints on data depletion, the Commission has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to conduct an independent audit of their billing systems and is concluding a consultation process to simplify tariff plans. These initiatives would provide enhanced transparency to the consumer.
The Commission, under Dr. Maida, rather than taking a national outlook on data collection for Quality-of-Service delivery, has adopted an approach where more granular data is collected from operators and analysed to determine quality of service at very small, local levels, to allow the deployment of optimised solutions or regulatory actions where needed.
On the side of the Industry and Licensees of the Commission, Dr. Maida’s focus is aimed at forging a resilient industry and enhancing the delivery of regulatory services. Since he came on board, the Commission has shown commitment to tackling industry debt issues more seriously.
It has also embarked on critical advocacy initiatives to address long-term challenges in the sector, including advocacy for designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, as well as successfully persuading over six states to waive Right of Way (RoW) fees, even as he initiates discussions with more states.
The Commission, under Dr. Maida’s leadership, is equally engaging with the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms towards addressing multiple taxation issues in the telecoms sector.
In order to ensure that the industry is in line with current realities, the Commission is also undertaking a review of its extant Regulatory Instruments and Licensing Frameworks. For instance, Quality of Service Regulations have been reviewed to incorporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for 5G and other participants that are critical to the Quality of Service.
By achieving expected QoS KPIs, high-speed internet connectivity, and forging a resilient and innovative telecommunications industry, the Commission is actively supporting the Ministry’s vision of boosting economic growth and productivity through technological innovation, delivering on the promise of Renewed Hope for all Nigerians.
NCC Plans 500 Percent Increase in Broadband Investment by 2027
AEDC Announces Disconnection of Electricity Service to All Debtors
Femi Otedola, Billionaire Accuses Zenith Bank of Fraudulent Transactions on Companies’ Account
OADC achieves Tier-III certification in Johannesburg
PalmPay Honoured with ‘Customer Focused Digital Bank of the Year’ Award
INTERPOL Appoints Uche, Nigerian CP as Chairman, African Heads of Cybercrime Units
Odu’a Investment Declares N1.961Bn as Profit Before Tax
Multichoice Ignores Court Order, Implements Hike of DStv and GOtv Subscriptions
SLTV Breaks Pay TV Monopoly, Offers Affordable Alternatives to Nigerians
Airtel Hosts Interactive Knowledge Session for Secondary School Girls
E-Financial3 days agoFCMB Shareholders Approve ₦150 billion capital Raise to Drive Future Growth Plans
Telecom3 days ago63% of Marketers leveraging AI use generative while 54% use predictive AI is marketers’ top priority – and biggest headache
E-Financial3 days agoPenOp Seeks Legislation to Allow Offshore Investment of Pension Funds
E-Business3 days agoCybersecurity Skills Shortage Ranked as Biggest Risk to MSPs, Clients
News3 days agoFBNQuest Trustees Set to Host an Estate Planning Clinic in Ibadan
News3 days agoOrange, Digital Africa Partner to Grow Tech Start-ups
News3 days agoMoniepoint Celebrates Children, Promotes Financial Literacy in Low-income Communities
E-Financial2 days agoAccess Bank Supports Women Entrepreneurs to Tap $2Bn Event Industry Opportunity