After recent cyber attacks on high-profile companies like Facebook, Twitter and then Apple, everyone seemed to be pointing fingers at China. But now reports have surfaced claiming that the attacks on those companies originated from Eastern Europe.

An Eastern European gang, that is determined to sell company secrets like research and other confidential information in the underground market, is responsible for the attacks according to the reports. Tom Kellermann, who is head of security at Trend Micro believes that we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to other places just because everyone is talking about China. “We’ve all been watching China, but they’re not the most advanced cybercriminals,” he says. “The most advanced are from the Eastern Bloc and Russia.”

He then goes on to add that there is now a “giant arms bazaar” in Eastern Europe where criminals are selling tools to others that will enable more cybercrimes and attacks. Some criminal groups are even believed to possess tools as advanced as the ones governments are using.

Wherever these attacks are coming from, it’ll be a good idea to keep in mind that you can never be too careful. While these are high-profile companies that are being targeted, there are still a multitude of cybercrimes being committed against everyday users. Using a Mac doesn’t mean you’re safe, and it would be wise to uninstall Java if you don’t need it, as well as find an alternative to Adobe Reader.

[via CNN, image via Renato Ganoza]