Hackers are teaming up with organized crime gangs to steal cargo right from supply chains

• Hackers are creating phishing attacks for logistics companies
• They then gain access and redirect shipments to new destinations
• Real organized crime gangs lie in wait to steal the rerouted cargo

It seems like the obvious evolution of crime in an increasingly online world - but cybercriminals and offline gangs generally stick to their specialties, considering they require completely different skill sets.

However reports from ProofPoint have now surfaced of new attacks where cybercriminals are working together with traditional, real-world OCGs to combine their efforts - primarily targeting freight brokers and trucking companies.

The attacks are seriously sophisticated, as hackers start by sending malicious links via email to freight organizations, before then deploying remote monitoring and management tools (RMMs) - which allow them to re-route trucks or impersonate legitimate cargo.

New age highway robbers

The use of social engineering directly targets freight brokerage firms and logistics firms along the supply chain, allowing criminals to identify high-value shipments and gain access to information on other related organizations and cargo.

Attackers were observed deleting booking emails and blocking notifications from the dispatcher, impersonating the targeted firm and talking directly to truck drivers - appearing completely legitimate.

The trucks are then redirected to fraudulent pickup points, where the goods are stolen by the organized crime groups.

Although the researchers don't suggest any instances of violence have occurred, the physical theft by OCGs does suggest there is certainly a risk of harm to an unsuspecting driver if the goods are hijacked.

Cargo theft has been an issue for centuries, so it’s no surprise that criminals are evolving the old highway robber tactics to suit the modern age.

Cargo theft costs roughly $34 billion in losses annually, statistics estimate, but the digitization of supply chains worldwide leaves cargo exposed in a new way, threatening to dramatically increase the number of attacks.