Join us to hear stories from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community as they navigate the ever-evolving threat landscape - uncovering APTs, cybercrime gangs, malware, vulnerabilities, and other weird and cool tools and tactics in the world of cyber threats. Featuring tales of innovation, teamwork, and cyber espionage, tune in to hear in-depth analyses of Microsoft's influence on the threat landscape and behind the scenes stories from the tireless researchers and analysts that take part. This enthralling and insightful podcast is delivered in a casual, conversational style that transports you to the frontlines of cyber defense.
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Join us to hear stories from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community as they navigate the ever-evolving threat landscape - uncovering APTs, cybercrime gangs, malware, vulnerabilities, and other weird and cool tools and tactics in the world of cyber threats. Featuring tales of innovation, teamwork, and cyber espionage, tune in to hear in-depth analyses of Microsoft's influence on the threat landscape and behind the scenes stories from the tireless researchers and analysts that take part. This enthralling and insightful podcast is delivered in a casual, conversational style that transports you to the frontlines of cyber defense.
Ahoy! A Tale of Payroll Pirates Who Target Universities
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast
31 minutes
1 week ago
Ahoy! A Tale of Payroll Pirates Who Target Universities
In this episode of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, host Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by security researchers Tori Murphy and Anna Seitz to unpack two financially motivated cyber threats. First, they explore the Payroll Pirates campaign (Storm 2657), which targets university payroll systems through phishing and MFA theft to reroute direct deposits. Then, they examine Vanilla Tempest, a ransomware group abusing fraudulent Microsoft Teams installers and SEO poisoning to deliver the Oyster Backdoor and Recita ransomware.
Together, they discuss how attackers exploit trust in identity, code signing, and SaaS platforms and share practical steps organizations can take to strengthen defenses, from phishing-resistant MFA to stricter executable controls and out-of-band banking verification.
In this episode you’ll learn:
How Payroll Pirates diverted university salaries through SaaS HR phishing schemes
Why universities are prime targets for identity-based cyberattacks
How Vanilla Tempest evolved from basic ransomware to complex multi-stage attacks
Some questions we ask:
How are attackers stealing credentials and paychecks?
Why do attackers create inbox rules after compromising accounts?
What alerts should organizations monitor for these types of attacks?
Resources:
View Tori Murphy on LinkedIn
View Anna Seitz on LinkedIn
View Sherrod DeGrippo on LinkedIn
Investigating targeted “payroll pirate” attacks affecting US universities
Microsoft Threat Intelligence healthcare ransomware report highlights need for collective industry action
Related Microsoft Podcasts:
Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson
The BlueHat Podcast
Uncovering Hidden Risks
Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
Get the latest threat intelligence insights and guidance at Microsoft Security Insider
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast is produced by Microsoft and distributed as part of N2K media network.
Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast
Join us to hear stories from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence community as they navigate the ever-evolving threat landscape - uncovering APTs, cybercrime gangs, malware, vulnerabilities, and other weird and cool tools and tactics in the world of cyber threats. Featuring tales of innovation, teamwork, and cyber espionage, tune in to hear in-depth analyses of Microsoft's influence on the threat landscape and behind the scenes stories from the tireless researchers and analysts that take part. This enthralling and insightful podcast is delivered in a casual, conversational style that transports you to the frontlines of cyber defense.
