'Crime Rings Enlist Hackers To Hijack Trucks'

It's 'a complex mix of internet access and physical execution,' says the chief informance security officer at Cequence Security.

Long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 summarizes this article from The Wall Street Journal:

By breaking into carriers' online systems, cyber-powered criminals are making off with truckloads of electronics, beverages and other goods In the most recent tactics identified by cybersecurity firm Proofpoint, hackers posed as freight middlemen, posting fake loads to the boards. They slipped links with malicious software into email exchanges with bidders such as trucking companies. By clicking on the links, trucking companies unwittingly downloaded remote-access software that lets the hackers take control of their online systems. Once inside, the hackers used the truckers' accounts to bid on real shipments, such as electronics and energy drinks, said Selena Larson, a threat researcher at Proofpoint. 'They know the business,' she said. 'It's a very convincing full-scale identity takeover.'

'The goods are likely sold to retailers or to consumers in online marketplaces,' the article explains. (Though according to Proofpoint 'In some cases, products are shipped overseas and sold in local markets, where proceeds are used to fund paramilitaries and global terrorists.')

'The average value of cargo thefts is increasing as organized crime groups become more discerning, preferring high-value targets such as enterprise servers and cryptocurrency mining hardware, according to risk-assessment firm Verisk CargoNet.'

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