Notorious threat group Emotet has been detected testing new and significantly different attack techniques potentially in preparation for larger campaigns or selective and limited attacks, according to research from cybersecurity vendor Proofpoint. The firm stated the activity occurred while the prolific botnet and Trojan threat actor was on a period of hiatus and not conducting its typical high-volume campaigns.
New Emotet attack activity a departure from typical behaviors
Emotet targets Windows platforms to distribute follow-on malware and was considered one of the most prolific cybercriminal threats before its disruption by global law enforcement in January 2021. After a 10-month disappearance from the threat landscape, the group re-emerged in November 2021 and has since targeted thousands of users in multiple geographic regions. In some cases, the volume of malicious messages used in individual campaigns has reached over one million, Proofpoint stated. However, activity detected between April 4 and April 19, 2022, signifies a significant departure from Emotet’s typical attack behaviors, and is attributed to threat actor TA542.