In a troubling new development in cybercrime, attackers are once again targeting HR departments — this time with a more advanced twist.
According to a recent CSO Online report, a malicious campaign using fake resumes as bait has resurfaced, equipped with a revamped version of a previously known backdoor named “More_eggs.”
For businesses still relying solely on conventional "Detect and Respond" cybersecurity strategies, this is another wake-up call. These tactics are proving insufficient against increasingly stealthy and targeted attacks. It's time to rethink how we defend endpoints — especially those in departments most vulnerable to social engineering.
The Threat: Weaponized Resumes with Hidden Payloads
The latest wave of attacks centers on social engineering — specifically targeting HR professionals with job applications that appear completely legitimate. But once opened, these documents deploy a dangerous backdoor capable of downloading and executing additional payloads without detection.
The campaign uses updated versions of the More_eggs malware, known for its ability to masquerade as normal Windows processes. Once it’s in the system, it’s difficult to spot and even harder to remove. It creates a foothold for threat actors to execute further malicious activities, including ransomware deployment, data theft, and lateral movement across the network.
These resumes don’t just trick the HR team — they trick the entire security stack. Traditional EDRs and antivirus solutions may flag behavior only after the damage is done or entirely miss the threat because of the malware’s evasive techniques.
Why This Matters to Every Business
While HR departments are the immediate target, the real threat lies in what happens after the initial compromise. Attackers use HR as an easy entry point because it’s one of the few departments that routinely opens documents from unknown sources. Once inside, attackers can pivot, exfiltrate sensitive business data, or install ransomware that disrupts operations company-wide.
This is not a fringe case. Social engineering remains one of the top initial access vectors for cyberattacks, and this campaign shows how adversaries are improving their tools to bypass detection. Even well-trained employees can be deceived when attackers up their game.
Businesses that still rely on reactive security models — waiting to detect and respond to threats — are increasingly at risk. In today’s threat landscape, by the time a breach is detected, the damage is already underway.
A Better Way: Isolation and Containment with AppGuard
Instead of relying on detection-based security that assumes malware must be seen before it can be stopped, it’s time for a proactive approach — one that prevents malicious activity regardless of whether the malware is known or unknown.
AppGuard offers exactly that. As a proven endpoint protection solution with over 10 years of real-world success, AppGuard isolates and contains applications, preventing malware from executing even if it's never been seen before.
In the case of the fake resume attacks, AppGuard would prevent the backdoor from activating in the first place — because the malicious processes attempting to piggyback on legitimate applications would be blocked from executing outside their boundaries. There’s no need for detection, no waiting for a signature update, and no opportunity for the attacker to gain a foothold.
Business Leaders: It’s Time to Shift Strategies
The attackers are evolving. So must your defenses.
Every week, new headlines highlight the failings of traditional endpoint solutions to keep up with agile and stealthy malware campaigns. This updated fake resume scheme is just one example of how attackers are exploiting human trust and technological gaps to bypass detection.
If your cybersecurity strategy still depends on spotting threats after they’ve begun, you’re not protected — you’re exposed.
Let’s change that.
Talk with us at CHIPS to learn how AppGuard can stop these kinds of attacks before they start. The shift from "Detect and Respond" to "Isolation and Containment" isn’t just smart — it’s necessary.
Contact us today to discover how AppGuard can harden your business endpoints — and keep fake resumes, backdoors, and other advanced threats out of your network for good.
#AppGuardIsTheAnswer
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