Cybercriminals Exploit Remote Monitoring Tools to Infiltrate Logistics and Freight Networks

Proofpoint reports a campaign targeting trucking and logistics firms to steal physical cargo, focusing on food and beverages. Attackers hijack email threads and post bogus load listings; victims who click receive signed installers that deploy legitimate RMM tools (e.g., ScreenConnect, SimpleHelp, PDQ Connect, N-able). With footholds established, operators run recon and harvest credentials (e.g., WebBrowserPassView). In at least one case, access was used to alter bookings and reroute loads. Using RMM helps attackers blend in and bypass AV due to trusted, signed payloads.

Cyber crooks are eyeing the haulage sector, not for data but for actual cargo. According to Proofpoint, a crew active since mid-2025 is sliding into logistics firms via hijacked email threads and fake listings on freight load boards. The goal? Plant legitimate remote monitoring tools (think ScreenConnect, SimpleHelp, PDQ Connect, N-able) and quietly take control. (The Hacker News)
Once inside, the attackers behave like hands-on IT—only their “support” includes network recon, credential theft (e.g., WebBrowserPassView), and in some cases tampering with dispatch systems to reroute loads. One victim saw bookings deleted, notifications blocked, and a rogue device added to a dispatcher’s phone extension so the thieves could coordinate a pickup. (The Hacker News)
Why RMM? Because it looks normal. These tools are signed, common in enterprise estates, and rarely flagged by AV—perfect for staying under the radar while targeting high-value commodities, notably food and drink.

What to do:
• Verify load listings independently; treat unexpected listing changes as suspicious.
• Lock down RMM: allow-list tenants, require MFA, limit install rights, and alert on unusual remote sessions.
• Block initial lures with hardened email security and staff training on supply-chain scams.
• Hunt for legitimate tools in illegitimate places—and monitor for credential dumpers.

This isn’t your usual ransomware story; it’s cyber trickery with forklifts at the end of it. Patch your processes as well as your PCs.