Tuesday, April 29, 2025
30.7 C
Lagos

NCC Warns: Hacking Group Targeting Telcos, ISPs

In keeping with its commitment to continuously keep stakeholders in the country’s telecoms sector informed, educated and protected, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) wishes to, once again, notify the public of the existence of another hacking group orchestrating cyberespionage in the African telecoms space.
An Iranian hacking group known as Lyceum (also known as Hexane, Siamesekitten, or Spirlin) has been reported to be targeting telecoms, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Africa with upgraded malware in a recent politically motivated attacks oriented in cyberespionage.
Information about this cyber attack is contained in the latest advisory issued by the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT). The ngCERT rated the probability and damage level of the new malware as high.
According to the advisory, the hacking group is known to be focused on infiltrating the networks of telecoms companies and ISPs. Between July and October, 2021, Lyceum was implicated in attacks against ISPs and telecoms organisations in Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.
The advanced persistent threat (APT) group has been linked to campaigns that hit Middle Eastern oil and gas companies in the past. Now, the group appears to have expanded its focus to the technology sector. In addition, the APT is responsible for a campaign against an unnamed African government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
By the attackers’ mode of operation, Lyceum’s initial onslaught vectors include credential stuffing and brute-force attacks. So, once a victim’s system is compromised, the attackers conduct surveillance on specific targets. In that mode, Lyceum will attempt to deploy two different kinds of malware: Shark and Milan (known together as James).
Both malwares are backdoors. Shark, a 32-bit executable written in C# and .NET, generates a configuration file for domain name system (DNS) tunneling or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) C2 communications; whereas Milan – a 32-bit Remote Access Trojan (RAT) retrieves data.
Both are able to communicate with the group’s command-and-control (C2) servers. The APT maintains a C2 server network that connects to the group’s backdoors, consisting of over 20 domains, including six that were previously not associated with the threat actors.
According to reports, individual accounts at companies of interest are usually targeted, and then once these accounts are breached, they are used as a springboard to launch spear-phishing attacks against high-profile executives in an organisation. The report suggests that not only do these attackers seek out data on subscribers and connected third-party companies, but once compromised, threat actors or their sponsors can also use these industries to surveil individuals of interest.
However, to guard against this kind of threats, the NCC wishes to re-echo ngCERT reports that multiple layers of security in addition to constant network monitoring is required by telecom companies and ISPs alike to stave off potential attacks.
Specifically, telecom consumers and the general public are advised to:
1. Ensure the consistent use of firewalls (software, hardware and cloud firewalls).
2. Enable a Web Application Firewall to help detect and prevent attacks coming from web applications by inspecting HTTP traffic.
3. Install Up-to-date antivirus programmes to help detect and prevent a wide range of malware, trojans, and viruses, which APT hackers will use to exploit your system.
4. Implement the use of Intrusion Prevention Systems that monitors your network.
5. Create a secure sandboxing environment that allows you to open and run untrusted programs or codes without risking harm to your operating system.
6. Ensure the use of virtual private network (VPN) to prevent an easy opportunity for APT hackers to gain initial access to your company’s network.
7. Enable spam and malware protection for your email applications, and educate your employees on how to identify potentially malicious emails.
The NCC, as the operator of the telecom sector’s cyber threat response centre (CSIRT), hereby reiterates its commitment active surveillance and monitoring of cyber activities in the sector and will always keep stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector updated on potential threats within the cyber space. This is to ensure that the networks that deliver essential services are safe and that telecom consumers are protected from being victims of cyber attacks.

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img

Hot this week

PenCom, NERC Partner to Enforce Pension Compliance by GENCOs, DISCOs

From left: NERC Commissioner, Planning, Research and Strategy, Dr...

PenCom Moves to Recover N1.3bn Pension Contributions for Journalists

From left: Dr. Dili Ezughah, Executive Secretary, Nigerian press...

Stanbic IBTC Bank Drives Regional Trade Innovation at GTR West Africa 2025

Stanbic IBTC Bank has successfully concluded its strategic participation...

NDIC Initiates N47bn Payment to Heritage Bank Depositors

A liquidation dividend represents amount paid by the Corporation...

Insurance Meets Tech (IMT) Lauds NIA for Strategic Fintech Collaboration

Insurance Meets Tech (IMT), West Africa’s foremost conference and...

Topics

Nigeria Tops WA Hotel Projects with 77%

West Africa has been at the heart of the...

‘Stanbic IBTC Ready for Seamless Transactions as Cashless Policy Takes Effect’

  Stanbic IBTC Bank, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings,...

African Airlines Record 31% Cargo Growth in April 2021

African airlines’ cargo demand in April increased 30.6% compared to...

NCC Donates Four CBT Centres to JAMB

In order to augment facilities for smooth conduct of Computer Based Tests (CBT) by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has built and donated four of such centres to the examination board. This was disclosed recently by Acting Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, when JAMB officials paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja. The four centers are located in Kano, Niger, Bayelsa and Oyo states. The centres are equipped with computers, printers, other accessories and Internet connectivity.

Asankoko Group Plans Malaysia, Nigeria Bilateral Trade, Investment from Epe (Lagos)

L-R: Prince Olawale Sulaiman Ayinla, CEO of Asankoko Group;...

Soybean: The ‘Miracle Bean’ Against Protein Deficiency

By Veronica Ejembi Protein deficiency is at an all-time...

The Commonwealth ICT Awards 2018

The second biennial Commonwealth ICT Awards 2018 will take place in...

2,000 Youths Benefit from NCC’s Digital Job Creation Program

  More than 2000 Nigerian youths from the Six Geopolitical...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img