SCKit abuses ScreenConnect to deploy remote access and target technician sessions
SCKit abuses ScreenConnect to deploy unauthorized remote access and target technicians.
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ARTEX abuse expands as cybercriminals target financial sector
In October 2026, the financially motivated threat actor Storm-3358 began targeting organizations in the financial sector using the agentic AI offensive framework ARTEX. -
Threat actors use agentic AI tooling to find and abuse exposed secrets
Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed threat actors using the agentic offensive security framework ARTEX to search GitHub for OAuth application secrets, which can be used to compromise the associated OAuth application and perform authenticated actions in the application’s tenant. -
Email threat landscape: Q3 2026 trends and insights
Microsoft Threat Intelligence observed a sharp rise in email-based phishing activity at the end of Q3 2026 (July – September), even as QR code phishing declined, CAPTCHA-gated phishing recovered, and malicious messages spoofing familiar business-service sender domains exposed risks associated with security overrides. Prevent threats with Microsoft Defender
The Microsoft Defender family offers comprehensive threat prevention, detection, and response capabilities for everyone—from individuals looking to protect their family to the world’s largest enterprises.
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What exploited vulnerabilities have in common: A data-driven analysis of real-world attacks
Real-world exploitation concentrates in a small, high-impact subset of CVEs. -
From help desk impersonation to AD CS abuse: Investigating ESC1 and ESC8 intrusion paths
Teams support impersonation led to remote access, malicious runtime execution, and Certificate Services abuse through authentication relay and Kerberos. -
The hidden network: Inside the phishing infrastructure ecosystem powering global cybercrime
Microsoft uncovered a Chinese-language cybercriminal ecosystem, an interconnected network of phishing kit operators (tracked as Storm-2990), and an illicit marketplace (tracked as Storm-3119) selling tools and infrastructure for large-scale phishing. -
Star Blizzard refines phishing and malware delivery with the RedFlick technique
Since January 2026, Microsoft has observed Russian state threat actor Star Blizzard evolve their detection evasion capabilities through large-scale phishing campaigns, the use of accounts on compromised websites, and a novel malware delivery technique, tracked by Microsoft as “RedFlick”. Retain Microsoft Defender Experts
Microsoft Defender Experts are available to strengthen your teams with expertise when and where you need it. Learn how to elevate your security with expert-led services.
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NeedyMantis: Unpacking a post-compromise malware family used in targeted operations
Microsoft Threat Intelligence identified NeedyMantis, a modular post-compromise malware framework used in targeted intrusions that combines custom loaders, encrypted archives, and extensible components to maintain long-term access and support follow-on operations. -
Beyond the ransomware: Tracking Storm-2570’s consistent tradecraft across deployments
Storm-2570 is a ransomware affiliate that uses consistent post-compromise tools and techniques across deployments involving Qilin, DragonForce, Anubis, and BERT ransomware, and provides guidance to help defenders detect and disrupt this activity before ransomware deployment. -
Unmasking EvilTokens: Getting to the root of device code phishing
EvilTokens has quickly become one of the top PhaaS platforms, enabling device code phishing attacks through AI-assisted lures, automated infrastructure, and token theft. -
DeadLock ransomware: Breaking down a Rust-based encryptor with decentralized recovery infrastructure
Microsoft Threat Intelligence examines DeadLock ransomware, an emerging financially motivated operation distinguished by its use of decentralized infrastructure to support victim communications, negotiations, and data leak operations alongside double extortion tactics used to pressure victims.
