Verizon’s VTRAC traced the breach to the company’s chief design engineer. The engineer fell victim to a supposed recruiter. The threat actor installed malware and a backdoor, communicating with a suspicious Chinese IP address. The attackers, likely a state-funded group, then precisely targeted and exfiltrated crucial design blueprints. The VTRAC Team pieced together this targeted social engineering and technical intrusion, confirming the theft of valuable intellectual property.
This is a true story.
A few years ago, the IT team of a large manufacturer of construction equipment spotted something suspicious during a routine check of their network logs (kudos to them for actually checking!). Computers in their R&D department were in “conversation” with an unknown internet address originating from Asia. In 24 hours, over two gigabytes of data headed out their door. They suspected industrial espionage, so they called the Verizon Threat Research Advisory Center (VTRAC).
