Alphabet Inc.’s Google detected a group of ransomware hackers trying to breach companies in 2021, exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft Corp.’s Windows. The group sent over 5,000 malicious emails a day to up to 650 global organizations, often leveraging a flaw in MSHTML. Microsoft issued a security fix for the Windows vulnerability in late 2021. Lately, the group has attacked various organizations and industries with a less specific focus. The group referred to by Google as Exotic Lily used artificial intelligence technology to create fake LinkedIn profiles. The group functions as an initial access broker, which breaks into corporate computer networks and passes that access to other cybercriminal syndicates. Exotic Lily is associated with the notorious Russian-speaking ransomware group, Conti. The operators worked a fairly typical 9-to-5 job, with very little activity during the weekends, and could be working from a Central or an Eastern Europe timezone. By Anusuya Lahiri © 2021 The …