According to TheRegister.com, cybercriminals are increasingly partnering with organized crime groups to orchestrate sophisticated cargo thefts targeting the logistics industry. Proofpoint researchers Ole Villadsen and Selena Larson have attributed nearly two dozen recent campaigns with high confidence to criminals using remote monitoring and management tools to infect US logistics companies, working with OCGs to collect and sell stolen goods. The attacks begin with compromised broker load board accounts where criminals post fake loads, then use malicious RMM installations to gain network access and hijack legitimate shipments. CargoNet’s Q3 2025 report shows $111.88 million in stolen goods from 772 thefts, with the average stolen shipment value doubling to $336,787 compared to the previous year. This criminal collaboration represents a significant evolution in supply chain attacks that combines digital infiltration with physical theft operations.
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The RMM Tool Exploitation Framework
The technical sophistication of these attacks lies in the weaponization of legitimate remote monitoring and management tools like N-able, ScreenConnect, and SimpleHelp. These applications are essential for IT support teams to remotely manage systems, but cybercriminals are exploiting their inherent trust and functionality. The attack chain begins with social engineering through fake load postings on industry platforms, but the real damage occurs when victims install what appears to be legitimate software. Once established, these RMM tools provide persistent access that bypasses traditional security controls, as they’re whitelisted applications with extensive system permissions. The criminals then use these tools to conduct credential harvesting and lateral movement across the victim’s network, essentially turning business-critical software into a criminal backdoor.
Systemic Vulnerabilities in Logistics Infrastructure
The logistics industry’s operational tempo creates inherent security weaknesses that criminals are expertly exploiting. The rapid bidding process on load boards, where carriers must respond quickly to secure business, creates pressure that reduces security diligence. This time-sensitive environment means companies often don’t properly vet digital communications before taking action. Furthermore, the fragmented nature of the trucking industry—with many small, family-owned operations lacking sophisticated cybersecurity—makes them soft targets. The criminals’ target-agnostic approach demonstrates they’re exploiting systemic industry weaknesses rather than targeting specific companies, suggesting the entire logistics ecosystem needs security upgrades.
The Lucrative Economics of Digital Cargo Theft
What makes these attacks particularly concerning is their economic viability for criminals. The doubling of average shipment value to $336,787 indicates criminals are becoming more selective and efficient in their targeting. Unlike traditional cybercrime that focuses on data theft or ransomware, this hybrid approach delivers immediate physical assets that can be quickly monetized through established black markets. The types of goods stolen—from energy drinks to electronics—show criminals understand market demand and liquidity. When combined with RFQ scams and social engineering tactics, this creates multiple revenue streams from the same infrastructure. The criminal division of labor, with cyber specialists handling digital intrusion and OCGs managing physical theft and distribution, creates an efficient criminal enterprise model.
The Unique Defense Challenges
Defending against these attacks presents unique challenges because they exploit legitimate business processes. Traditional cybersecurity measures struggle to detect malicious use of approved RMM tools, and the social engineering component bypasses technical controls through human manipulation. The criminal methodology of impersonating legitimate brokers and carriers means verification processes themselves become attack vectors. Companies face the difficult balance of maintaining operational speed while implementing additional verification steps. The distributed nature of logistics operations, with drivers and dispatchers working remotely, further complicates security enforcement and incident response.
Broader Industry Implications
This criminal evolution signals a fundamental shift in how organized crime operates in the digital age. The collaboration between cyber specialists and traditional theft operations creates a dangerous synergy that law enforcement and industry are poorly equipped to handle. The $35 billion in estimated annual losses from cargo theft represents a massive economic drain that ultimately affects consumer prices and supply chain reliability. As criminals refine their methods, we can expect to see more sophisticated targeting of high-value shipments and expansion into new geographic markets. The logistics industry will need to develop specialized security protocols that address both digital and physical threats simultaneously, requiring unprecedented cooperation between cybersecurity teams, physical security operations, and law enforcement agencies.
