#FactCheck - Viral video attributed to the Australian Prime Minister is AI-generated; claim of cancelling Pakistani visas is false

The evolution of technology has presented both profound benefits and considerable challenges. It has benefited us with global interconnectivity, optimisation of the workforce, faster and solution-oriented approach, but at the same time increases risks of cybercrimes and the misuse of technology via online theft, fraud, and abuse. As the reliance on technology increases, it makes the users vulnerable to cyberattacks. 

One way to address this nuisance is to set global standards and initiate measures for cooperation by integrating the efforts of international institutions such as UN bodies and others. The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, which combats cybercrime and promotes the responsible use of technology, is making waves in these issues. 

Understanding the Scope of the Problem 

Crowdstrike had estimated the cybersecurity market at $207.77 billion in 2024 and expected it to reach $376.55 billion by 2029 and continue growing at a CAGR of 12.63% during the forecast period. In October of 2024, Forbes predicted that the cost of cyber attacks on the global economy would be over $10.5 trillion. 

The developments in technology have provided cybercriminals with more sophisticated means to commit cybercrimes. These include cybercrimes like data breaches, which are increasingly common, such as phishing attacks, ransomware, social engineering, and IoT attacks. Their impact is evident across various domains, including economic and social spheres. The victims of cybercrimes can often suffer from stress, anxiety, fear of being victimised again, a lack of trust and social polarisation/stigmatisation.

UNICRI’s Strategic Approach 

UNICRI actively combats cybercrimes and technology misuse, focusing on cybersecurity, organized crime in cyberspace, and terrorists' internet use. Since 2020, it has monitored social media misuse, analysed tools to debunk misinformation and balanced security with human rights. 

The key focus areas of UNICRI’s strategic approach include cybersecurity in robotics, critical infrastructure, and SCADA systems, digital forensics, child online protection and addressing online profiling and discrimination. It further supports LEAs (judges, prosecutors, and investigators) by providing them with specialised training. Its strategies to counter cybercrime and tech misuse include capacity-building exercises for law enforcement, developing international legal frameworks, and fostering public-private collaborations.

Key Initiatives under UNICRI Strategic Programme Framework of 2023-2026

The key initiatives under UNICRI set out the strategic priority areas that will guide its work. It  includes:

1. Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism: By addressing the drivers of radicalisation, gender-based discrimination, and leveraging sports for prevention.
2. Combat Organised Crime: Via tackling illicit financial flows, counterfeiting, and supply chain crimes while promoting asset recovery.
3. Promotion of Emerging Technology Governance: Encouraging responsible AI use, mitigating cybercrime risks, and fostering digital inclusivity.
4. Rule of Law and Justice Access: Enhancing justice systems for women and vulnerable populations while advancing criminal law education.
5. CBRN Risk Mitigation: Leveraging expert networks and whole-of-society strategies to address chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks.

The Challenges and Opportunities: CyberPeace Takeaways

The challenges that affect the regulation of cybercrimes are most often caused due to jurisdictional barriers, the lack of resources, and the rapid pace of technological change. This is due to the cross-border nature of cybercrimes and as many nations lack the expertise or infrastructure to address sophisticated cyber threats. The regulatory or legislative frameworks often get outpaced by technology developments, including quantum computing, deepfakes, or blockchain misuse. Due to this, these crimes are often unpunished.  

The opportunities that have been developing for innovation in cybercrime prevention, include AI and machine learning tools to detect cybercrimes, enhanced international cooperation that can strengthen the collective defence mechanisms, like multi-stakeholder approaches.  Capacity Building initiatives for continuous training and education help LEAs and judicial systems adapt to emerging threats, is a continuous effort that requires participation from all sectors, be it public or private. 

Conclusion 

Due to cybercrimes and the threats they induce on individuals, communities, and global security, the proactive approach by UNICRI of combining international cooperation, capacity-building and innovative strategies is pivotal in combating these challenges. By addressing the challenges of organised crime in cyberspace, child online protection, and emerging technology governance, UNICRI exemplifies the power of strategic engagement. While jurisdictional barriers and resource limitations persist, the opportunities in AI, global collaboration, and education offer a path forward. With the evolution of technology, our defences must also be dynamic and ever evolving, and UNICRI’s efforts are essential to building a safer, more inclusive digital future for all.

References

• https://unicri.it/special_topics/securing_cyberspace
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/10/11/the-10-biggest-cyber-security-trends-in-2024-everyone-must-be-ready-for-now/

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Introduction

Phishing as a Service (PhaaS) platform 'LabHost' has been a significant player in cybercrime targeting North American banks, particularly financial institutes in Canada. LabHost offers turnkey phishing kits, infrastructure for hosting pages, email content generation, and campaign overview services to cybercriminals in exchange for a monthly subscription. The platform's popularity surged after introducing custom phishing kits for Canadian banks in the first half of 2023.Fortra reports that LabHost has overtaken Frappo, cybercriminals' previous favorite PhaaS platform, and is now the primary driving force behind most phishing attacks targeting Canadian bank customers.

In the digital realm, where the barriers to entry for nefarious activities are crumbling, and the tools of the trade are being packaged and sold with the same customer service one might expect from a legitimate software company. This is the world of Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS), and at the forefront of this ominous trend is LabHost, a platform that has been instrumental in escalating attacks on North American banks, with a particular focus on Canadian financial institutions.

LabHost is not a newcomer to the cybercrime scene, but its ascent to infamy was catalyzed by the introduction of custom phishing kits tailored for Canadian banks in the first half of 2023. The platform operates on a subscription model, offering turnkey solutions that include phishing kits, infrastructure for hosting malicious pages, email content generation, and campaign overview services. For a monthly fee, cybercriminals are handed the keys to a kingdom of deception and theft.

Emergence of Labhost

The rise of LabHost has been meticulously chronicled by various cyber security firms which reports that LabHost has dethroned the previously favored PhaaS platform, Frappo. LabHost has become the primary driving force behind the majority of phishing attacks targeting customers of Canadian banks. Despite suffering a disruptive outage in early October 2023, LabHost has rebounded with vigor, orchestrating several hundreds of attacks per month.

Their investigation into LabHost's operations reveals a tiered membership system: Standard, Premium, and World, with monthly fees of $179, $249, and $300, respectively. Each tier offers an escalating scope of targets, from Canadian banks to 70 institutions worldwide, excluding North America. The phishing templates provided by LabHost are not limited to financial entities; they also encompass online services like Spotify, postal delivery services like DHL, and regional telecommunication service providers.

LabRat

The true ingenuity of LabHost lies in its integration with 'LabRat,' a real-time phishing management tool that enables cybercriminals to monitor and control an active phishing attack. This tool is a linchpin in man-in-the-middle style attacks, designed to capture two-factor authentication codes, validate credentials, and bypass additional security measures. In essence, LabRat is the puppeteer's strings, allowing the phisher to manipulate the attack with precision and evade the safeguards that are the bulwarks of our digital fortresses.

LabSend

In the aftermath of its October disruption, LabHost unveiled 'LabSend,' an SMS spamming tool that embeds links to LabHost phishing pages in text messages. This tool orchestrates a symphony of automated smishing campaigns, randomizing portions of text messages to slip past the vigilant eyes of spam detection systems. Once the SMS lure is cast, LabSend responds to victims with customizable message templates, a Machiavellian touch to an already insidious scheme.

The Proliferation of PhaaS

The proliferation of PhaaS platforms like LabHost, 'Greatness,' and 'RobinBanks' has democratized cybercrime, lowering the threshold for entry and enabling even the most unskilled hackers to launch sophisticated attacks. These platforms are the catalysts for an exponential increase in the pool of threat actors, thereby magnifying the impact of cybersecurity on a global scale.

The ease with which these services can be accessed and utilized belies the complexity and skill traditionally required to execute successful phishing campaigns. Stephanie Carruthers, who leads an IBM X-Force phishing research project, notes that crafting a single phishing email can consume upwards of 16 hours, not accounting for the time and resources needed to establish the infrastructure for sending the email and harvesting credentials.

PhaaS platforms like LabHost have commoditized this process, offering a buffet of malevolent tools that can be customized and deployed with a few clicks. The implications are stark: the security measures that businesses and individuals have come to rely on, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), are no longer impenetrable. PhaaS platforms have engineered ways to circumvent these defenses, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation.

Emerging Cyber Defense

In the face of this escalating threat, a multi-faceted defense strategy is imperative. Cybersecurity solutions like SpamTitan employ advanced AI and machine learning to identify and block phishing threats, while end-user training platforms like SafeTitan provide ongoing education to help individuals recognize and respond to phishing attempts. However, with phishing kits now capable of bypassing MFA,it is clear that more robust solutions, such as phishing-resistant MFA based on FIDO/WebAuthn authentication or Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), are necessary to thwart these advanced attacks.

Conclusion

The emergence of PhaaS platforms represents a significant shift in the landscape of cybercrime, one that requires a vigilant and sophisticated response. As we navigate this treacherous terrain, it is incumbent upon us to fortify our defenses, educate our users, and remain ever-watchful of the evolving tactics of cyber adversaries.

References

• https://www-bleepingcomputer-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/labhost-cybercrime-service-lets-anyone-phish-canadian-bank-users/amp/
• https://www.techtimes.com/articles/302130/20240228/phishing-platform-labhost-allows-cybercriminals-target-banks-canada.htm
• https://www.spamtitan.com/blog/phishing-as-a-service-threat/
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/five-government-provided-botnet-and-malware-cleaning-tools/articleshow/107951686.cms

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Executive Summary 

A video showing a house collapsing after a massive explosion is being widely shared on social media with the claim that it shows the Indian Armed Forces bombing the house of a minority community in Manipur. CyberPeace Research Wing ’s research  found that the claim is false. The viral video dates back to 2023 and shows a house being demolished in Churachandpur during the ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur.

Claim:

An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video with the caption: “This is Manipur, not Palestine. The Indian Army is destroying minority houses in Manipur.”

The post claimed that the visuals showed the Indian Army carrying out an attack on minority community houses in Manipur.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1042491035382024 

https://archive.ph/xw2zM 

Fact Check:

To verify the claim, CyberPeace Research Wing  conducted a reverse image search using keyframes extracted from the viral video. During the search, we found the same video shared by NDTV’s official Instagram account on July 21, 2024.

According to the caption of the post, the video was from 2023, when ethnic clashes broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur. The post stated that the incident took place in Churachandpur, where the house of Naorem Ibomcha Meitei was destroyed by the Kuki community during the violence.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/C9sQWeTSCFx/ 

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Further research  revealed that India Today had also shared the same video with similar details

https://www.instagram.com/reels/C9sRq1nSy51/

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Conclusion:

The research  found that the viral video is being circulated with a misleading claim. The footage does not show the Indian Armed Forces bombing a minority community’s house in Manipur. It is from 2023 and shows the demolition of a house in Churachandpur during the ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities.

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