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The software that runs internet-connected industrial robots is outdated and vulnerable to hacking, according to a new report from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro and the Politecnico de Milano. The researchers found tens of thousands of industrial devices were susceptible to hackers, which included industrial robots.

Trend Micro's Mark Nunnikhoven said the attack was "extremely clever" because it's difficult to filter email with a legitimate Google URL. The URL can't be blocked because it's a legitimate domain, owned and controlled by Google. Defending against this attack relies entirely on the user," he noted.

"As far as the robot thinks, it's still drawing a straight line," Mark Nunnikhoven, vice president of cloud research at Trend Micro, told Forbes. "It's a remote code exploit to change the configuration file, we're not changing the instructions, we’re changing what the robot believes to be true about its environment.

First emerging on the Russian underground marketplace in March 2016, Cerber has been issued in a number of versions with each iteration evolving its structure, techniques and functions. It is now being cited by Trend Micro as the "most prolific family of ransomware in the threat landscape."

Discovered by Trend Micro, FalseGuide's main focus is on infecting and adding as many devices to a centrally-managed botnet. The purpose of this botnet is to show unrequested ads to victims, via popups or other means.

"Despite the best efforts of law enforcement to stem the exponential growth of cybercrime, the truth is that it's an uphill struggle," writes Ed Cabrera, Trend Micro's chief cybersecurity officer. "Transnational cybercriminals these days are well resourced, determined and agile."

A hacking group linked by cybersecurity experts to Russia's military intelligence apparatus has begun taking aim at France's centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron, the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro said in a report published on Tuesday.

The group, dubbed "Pawn Storm" by security firm Trend Micro, used email phishing tricks and attempted to install malware at think tanks tied to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Feike Hacquebord said.

“There are several things which suggest that the group behind the Macron hacking was also responsible for the DNC breach, for example. We found similarities in the IP addresses and malware used in the attacks,” said Rik Ferguson, vice president of Trend Micro’s security research program.

Machine learning serves as a heavy lifter in security software protecting businesses’ data from cyber criminals’ exfiltration efforts. Since the first deluge of spam created the demand for email security, Trend Micro has been researching and implementing strategies for combining computer intelligence with the wisdom of human experience. Its XGen™ Smart Protection Suite focuses on endpoint, email, and web security, all of which are regularly exploited by criminals.