As reported by The Register, the FBI recently issued a warning about a group called Silent Ransom Group, which has been targeting U.S. law firms since 2022. Their methods include impersonating IT staff over the phone to trick employees into granting remote access. When that fails, they send someone in person, walking into offices and convincing staff to allow a USB drive to be plugged into a company computer. The goal is to copy files and use them as extortion leverage.
The advisory focused on law firms because that is where the reported incidents occurred, but there is nothing about this tactic that limits it to the legal industry. Any organization with sensitive data is a potential target.
When one of our technicians shows up at your office, you will know we are coming. We do not make unannounced visits. Every onsite appointment is scheduled, and our technicians arrive in a shirt with the Geek Girls logo on it. If someone shows up claiming to be from your IT provider and you were not expecting them, that is a concern worth investigating before you let them near a machine.
We also recommend restricting USB port access on workstations that can access sensitive data. This is a policy-level control that can be enforced through endpoint management, and it removes a whole category of risk. It does not have to apply to every machine, but for any machine that can access sensitive or critical data, it is worth seriously considering.
Several of our clients have enrolled their staff in the cybersecurity awareness training we offer for end users. This kind of incident is exactly why that training exists. The attack described in the FBI advisory works because employees are conditioned to be helpful and to defer to people who present themselves as technical authority figures. Training does not eliminate that instinct, but it gives people a framework for slowing down and asking the right questions before they comply.
The FBI specifically cited staff training as one of its recommended mitigations.
If you have questions about USB lockdown policies or end user training, reach out to us.
