The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about a hacking group known as Silent Ransom Group (SRG) that is impersonating IT support staff to gain physical access to company computers. The group, active since 2022, has shifted from remote cyber attacks to in-person tactics.
According to an FBI alert, SRG targets law firms in the United States, using social engineering calls to gain trust before sending a fake IT employee to the office. Once inside, the impersonator inserts a storage device into a computer to steal sensitive data, which is later used for extortion. The FBI noted that medical and insurance sectors may also be at risk due to the sensitive data they hold.
This low-tech approach exploits weak physical security and poor employee verification procedures. Bogdan Botezatu, a senior director at Bitdefender, commented: “Criminals do not use advanced techniques because they are fashionable; they use whatever works. This campaign is a reminder that cybersecurity is not only about AI, zero-days and malware. Sometimes the breach starts with someone at reception believing a stranger who says they are from IT.”
The warning comes as cyber defenders increasingly adopt AI, with initiatives like Project Glasswing bringing together major tech firms to secure critical software. However, attackers are also using AI for voice cloning and deepfakes to bypass defences.
