Cybercrooks are targeting Bengal cat lovers in Australia for some reason

Sophos reported a new Gootloader campaign that leverages SEO poisoning and malvertising to trick users (in one observed case, Australian Bengal cat enthusiasts) into downloading malicious ZIP/JS files. The multi-stage attack chain establishes persistence, executes PowerShell to stage Gootkit, and ultimately can deliver tools such as Cobalt Strike and ransomware; researchers note this technique (search-result poisoning) has been widely used by malware-as-a-service and initial access brokers.