Cybercriminals are exploiting anxiety and uncertainty by luring the public into malware and ransomware traps. These “Scareware” attacks will escalate as online searches increase and people work from home, moving outside of the in-built security that corporate networks offer.
Hackers are targeting people’s need for help and advice, deploying a malware strain known as Azorult.RK which poses as an app overing diagnosis support. Made up of 12 layers of malware, this malware strain was discovered by the SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team on March 16th.
More than ever, the public needs to be hyper aware of the interactions they have online, particularly involving the links and emails they open. Cybercriminals do their utmost to take advantage of trying times by tricking users into opening dangerous files, through what they consider to be trusted sources.
Signs to look out for are email communications from colleagues or bosses with “urgent” in the subject line – this will be particularly common as we log in to work from home in the coming weeks. These messages will be used by phishers to trick people into installing malware or to steal login information and gain direct access into your network.