- There Is A Threat Actor Out Thereby Mert SARICAIntroduction In recent years, as a cybersecurity researcher who frequently engages in conversations with threat actors who lack knowledge or concern about Operations Security (OPSEC) (Examples: Chasing the Threat Actor, Investment Scammers, WhatsApp Scammers), I once again had the opportunity to converse with another threat actor. The story of this…
- Istanbul Senin Data Breachby Mert SARICAIntroduction When the calendar showed May 26, 2025, a post appeared on DarkForums — a platform frequented by cybercriminals — from a threat actor using the alias kovalidis. In the message, the actor, claiming to be (or posing as) a member of the Powerful Greek Army (PGA) hacker group, announced…
- Phishing Cloaking Techniquesby Mert SARICAIntroduction Those of you who have read my blog post titled Investment Scammers have seen how scammers try to lure innocent people into their traps through fake ads on social media and networks. Just as in that article, websites play a critical role in fraud attempts and are essential for…
- How Are We Getting Phished?by Mert SARICAIntroduction Over the past 10 years of my 20-year cybersecurity career—primarily within Turkey’s leading banks and IT subsidiaries—I’ve taken on leadership and executive roles, including CISO, thanks to the knowledge, experience, and achievements I’ve gained. While the winds have carried me into executive leadership roles in recent years, I’ve continued…
- Chasing The Threat Actorby Mert SARICAAs seen in my research articles such as Investment Scammers, Deepfake Scammers, Was Turkey’s e-Government Hacked?, and WhatsApp Scammers, Telegram groups have increasingly become a hub for organized cybercrime groups, threat actors, and scammers in recent years. But why? The main reason for this is that Telegram’s anonymity and privacy…