"Researchers Block Two Million Extortion Emails Daily"

Security researchers at Proofpoint are warning users to be on the lookout for extortion scams.  Proofpoint claimed that it blocks, on average, a million extortion emails every 24 hours, rising to two million on high volume days.  The researchers stated that such threats are not new, but the data shows how widespread they have become.  The researchers noted that victim information such as passwords is often included in the email to add legitimacy to the threat actor’s claim that they have hijacked the machine.  The researchers stated that cryptocurrency payments are a key part of these threats, enabling the attacker to remain anonymous.  The researchers noted that the extortion branch of the BEC taxonomy would not be as successful or as profound as it is today without cryptocurrency.

Infosecurity reports: "Researchers Block Two Million Extortion Emails Daily"