Cybercriminals are getting bolder, and few groups have gained as much notoriety as Scattered Spider. Known for their clever social engineering and relentless tactics, these hackers have been using email bombing (a flood of junk messages designed to overwhelm an inbox) as the first domino in a chain of attacks that ends with full control of a victim’s computer. 

How the Attack Unfolds

Here’s how Scattered Spider’s scheme typically plays out:

  1. Email Bombing Chaos. An individual’s inbox is suddenly buried under thousands of junk emails. Among the noise, real messages, including urgent security alerts, are almost impossible to find. 
  2. Service Desk Out of Reach. Frustrated and locked out of normal communication, the individual tries to get help from the Service Desk. But here’s the trick—the hackers make sure real help isn’t available when it’s most needed, by timing their callback, tying up the Service Desk phone line by flooding it with calls, and other similar techniques. 
  3. The Imposter Call. Scattered Spider steps in, posing as the Service Desk! They call back the harried individual, pretending to be the lifeline they’ve been waiting for! 
  4. Remote Access. With convincing authority, the attackers ask the individual to launch a handy tool such as Microsoft’s built-in Quick Assist. Once granted access, the hackers are inside and ready to turn off defenses, install ransomware, or siphon sensitive data.

Why It Works 

This isn’t about breaking firewalls or cracking passwords. It’s about exploiting human trust under pressure. By engineering a stressful, chaotic moment and swooping in as the “savior,” Scattered Spider makes their victim an unwitting accomplice.

Variations and Expanding Tactics

CISA (the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) has documented several variations of this technique, showing how adaptable and persistent the group can be. Sometimes they use SMS or phone phishing instead of email floods. Other times, they exploit password resets or internal IT tools. The common thread is psychological manipulation first, technical compromise second.

Protecting Against Scattered Spider

You can defend yourself by:

  • Training yourself to recognize suspicious requests, even in stressful situations.
  • Updating all operating systems, software, and firmware.
  • Limiting remote access tools like Quick Assist to only trusted IS&T staff.
  • Monitoring inbox flooding patterns that might indicate an email bombing campaign.
  • Identifying and reporting abnormal activity.
  • Verifying calls and identities through Chapman’s internal directory, not caller ID.
  • Contacting the Service Desk by calling 997-6600 or emailing them at servicedesk@chapman.edu.

Scattered Spider’s email bombing campaigns are a reminder that in cybersecurity, the “weakest link” is often not the technology but the human being behind the keyboard. By staying vigilant and reinforcing trust channels inside organizations, businesses can turn the tables on these manipulative attackers. Remember, Chapman University S&T will never ask for your password. Do not share your password with others. Please do not respond to any such e-mails or share your personal information with others.

Please continue to report suspicious or malicious messages by forwarding them to abuse@chapman.edu.