Exclusive-Hackers targeted US private equity, other firms including Blackstone, CME, data shows

Over the past month, hackers have targeted dozens of prominent U.S. financial institutions and businesses, including private equity firms and companies like Blackstone, CME Group, and Moody's. Using low-tech tactics like phone calls, the hackers compromised companies' passwords and multifactor authentication codes. Google categorized the hackers under various names, including Redact, Pink, Falcon, and Helix.

Some companies reportedly paid ransoms to the hackers, but it is unclear which companies were successfully compromised. The hackers employ social engineering tactics, posing as IT representatives and requesting urgent updates to passkeys or multifactor authentication. Despite advances in security programs and AI-driven threats, this old-school approach remains effective.