Google Ads Used to Push Fake Google Chrome Installer

google ads, Google Chrome, malware, Ophtek, SecTopRat, security software, security_updates, , , , , ,
25
Mar 2025

Cybercriminals are exploiting Google Ads to distribute malware disguised as a genuine Google Chrome installer, tricking users into downloading the malware.

Threat actors are always innovative, and this recent attack underlines exactly why you need to be on your guard when online. Attackers have been purchasing ads which appear when PC users search for popular software downloads e.g. Google Chrome. Unfortunately, the ads which are served up lead to dangerous websites which closely resemble official download pages. This deception tricks users into downloading and installing malware.

As we spend a high proportion of our work time online, we’re going to dig deep into this attack to see what we can learn.

How Can Google Ads Compromise Your PC?

In this attack, users searching with terms such as “download Google Chrome” might find themselves confronted with a sponsored ad at the top of their search results. This ad can, at first, appear genuine, often having a URL which includes “sites.google.com” – a Google platform used to build free websites. Accordingly, users feel confident that these pages are official and trustworthy, especially when they look very similar to official download sites.

Once a user clicks the ad, they’re redirected to a malicious page which is a highly convincing imitation of the official Google Chrome download site. This page urges users to download a file named “GoogleChrome.exe” and, so far, everything appears as you would expect. With nothing unusual to suspect, users make the decision to trust the page, download the file, and then launch it.

However, once executed, the installer begins to act suspiciously. Firstly, it connects to a remote server to retrieve additional instructions. Secondly, it requests that they user grants it administrative privileges to assist in completing the download. At this point, alarm bells should start ringing, but most users still feel as though the software can be trusted. Once administrative privileges are granted, the installer executes a PowerShell command which prevents Windows Defender from scanning the malware’s location, enabling it to operate quietly in the background.

A further file is then downloaded to the BackupWin directory and, masquerading under the name of a genuine piece of software, opens up a communication channel with the threat actors’ remote server. The malware used is SecTopRAT, a Remote Access Trojan which allows the attackers to take remote control of the infected system and steal sensitive data such as capturing keystrokes, accessing files, and recording user activities.

Protecting Against the SecTopRAT Threat

Your employees are busy with their daily tasks and, therefore, it’s easy for them to have a lapse of judgement and quickly click on something they believe to be genuine. However, this can be disastrous for your IT infrastructure, so it’s crucial that your staff are mindful of the following:

  • Be Cautious of Sponsored Ads: Just because an ad is that the top of the search results, this doesn’t mean it can be trusted. This is why it’s important to always verify the authenticity of a URL before clicking it. Check for any unusual spellings or, to be fully safe, navigate directly to the official website for that software.
  • Only Download from Official Sources: The best approach is to always head straight to the developers website rather than trusting other online sources. Aside from sponsored ads, it’s critical that your team avoids downloading via links in emails or through torrent sites – both of these sources often lead to nothing but malware.
  • Keep Your Security Software Updates: One of the simplest ways to thwart attackers is to make sure your security software is up to date. This software regularly scans your system for threats, but it needs to be updated as soon as possible to detect the latest threats.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Malicious Code Found Embedded in Steam Downloads

anti-malware_software, malware, Ophtek, PirateFi, security, Steam, vidar, , , , ,
18
Mar 2025

A malicious game on Steam called PirateFi was found to contain malware which steals personal information, highlighting the risks of unverified downloads.

A recent attack involving a game on Steam has highlighted the importance of vigilance when downloading software. The game, called PirateFi, was available to download on Steam – an online platform for buying and playing games – but contained malware designed to steal personal data from players’ computers.

Pirates Strike Gold on Infected Systems

PirateFi – which was a free to play game – was developed by Seaworth Interactive and available on Steam from February 6th to February 12th, 2025. Promising an engaging and challenging survival experience, setting players objectives such as base building, food gathering, and making weapons, PirateFi was downloaded by around 1500 players and generated numerous positive reviews.

However, it was soon discovered that PirateFi was not simply a game meant to excite players and take their minds off the real world. Reports soon emerged that the game contained malware known as Vidar, a data-stealing program. Vidar is designed to harvest sensitive data from infected computers, so this could easily include passwords, financial information, and personal documents. Rather than Vidar being bundled with PirateFi as bloatware, Vidar was embedded within the game’s files, allowing it to be launched when the game was started.

Valve, the company behind Steam, quickly removed PirateFi from their platform on February 12th, when the threat was identified. They were also swift in issuing security notifications to those who had downloaded the game. Valve’s advice was, for those who had downloaded PirateFi, to run a full system scan using up-to-date antimalware software to detect and remove any dangerous files. Alternatively, Valve suggested that those at risk fully reinstalled their operation system to ensure Vidar was completely removed.

Staying Safe from Dangerous Downloads

This attack underlines the ingenuity and evolving tactics of threat actors, who are increasingly targeting popular platforms like Steam and GitHub to distribute their malware.

By disguising their malware as legitimate tools on these platforms, the threat actors are exploiting the trust users place in these websites. For a threat actor, this is fantastic as it opens up their attack to a huge audience. However, for a user it’s highly frustrating and dangerous. Accordingly, you need to practice the following to remain safe:

  • Be Cautious with Unverified Software: Before downloading and installing new software, especially from lesser-known sources, always take the time to research the application. Seek out reviews from reputable sources and check for any reports of malicious activity relating to the software.
  • Keep Your Security Software Updated: Ensure that your antivirus and anti-malware programs are always up to date. Regularly scan your system for potential threats, particularly after installing new applications. Updated security software can detect, quarantine and delete the latest malware threats before they can take hold of your system.
  • Monitor for Unusual Activity: Always be mindful of any suspicious activity on your networks, such as unusual drops in performance, unfamiliar programs executing, or unauthorized access to your accounts. If you notice signs such as these, there’s a chance that your network has been breached.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Fake Job Scam Used to Serve Up Malware

fake recruiters, Linkedin, malicious websites, Ophtek, phishing_email, update security software, verify identities, webcams, , , , ,
28
Jan 2025

Threat actors are highly innovative – one recent attack tricked victims into addressing fake webcam and microphone issues to gain system access.

We’re constantly advised to be aware of phishing emails, infected documents, and malicious websites, but what happens when threat actors take a different approach? Well, they increase their chances of breaching your defenses. This is why it’s crucial to keep up to date with developments in the world of cybersecurity. This latest attack targeted professionals on LinkedIn, but it could easily be used in other environments.

Ophtek wants to keep you secure from these types of threats, so we’re going to summarize this attack and show you how to stay safe.

The Interview from Hell

Job interviews are always stressful affairs, but at least they don’t hit you financially. However, there is an exception – the LinkedIn attack. With 1 billion members, LinkedIn is hugely popular and this makes it the perfect target for a threat actor.

Victims are approached on LinkedIn by fake recruiters who claim to be working for crypto firms such as Kraken and Gemini. On offer is the opportunity of a number of high-ranking roles at these firms, and the victims has been specially chosen to apply. Victims who take the bait and then posed a series of long-form questions relating to the crypto industry e.g. which crypto trends will have the most impact in the next 12 months.

It may, at first, seem like any other job interview, but the final question posed requires an answer filmed on video. This is where the breach begins. The threat actor will issue an error message stating that there’s an access issue for the victim’s camera and microphone. The problem is apparently caused by a cache issue but, luckily, the ‘interviewer’ has a set of instructions to fix the error. Unfortunately, following these instructions simply hands the threat actor access to the victim’s PC, where their crypto wallet is likely to be targeted.

How to Stay Safe on LinkedIn

You may have a LinkedIn account, and even if you don’t, it’s important that you know how to defend against a similar attack. The three main ways you can protect your PC are:

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The 5 Best IT Security Practices to Adopt for 2025

AI, cybercrime, Employee Training, Ophtek, secure IoT, security practices, supply chain security, zero trust architecture, , , , , ,
21
Jan 2025

2025 promises to be an exciting year for businesses, but cybercrime will remain a major threat. That’s why strengthening your cybersecurity is essential.

With the costs of cybercrime expected to hit $10.5 trillion in 2025, it’s evident that tackling cybercrime is a major priority for all businesses. However, it’s easy to become complacent with the quality of your defenses. You may feel that 2024 was a quiet year for you in terms of malware, so why change anything? Well, it’s this complacency that threat actors prey upon. Therefore, you need to constantly evolve your defenses to remain safe.

Start Enhancing Your Cybersecurity Today:

You may be wondering where to start, but this is where Ophtek has your back. We’ve pooled our resources and knowledge to bring you the 5 best IT security practices to adopt in 2025:

  1. Train Your Employees to Stay Safe: Your first line of defense against threat actors remains your employees. If your employees understand the threat of malware then you increase your chances of staying safe. However, if they don’t understand the telltale signs of ransomware and trojans, this manifests itself as a major chink in your armor. You can remedy this by conducting regular training sessions to educate and update your team on all the latest threats. This makes your staff less likely to fall victim to scams and protect your systems. 
  2. Use Zero Trust Architecture: Trust is crucial in business, but it can be dangerous when it comes to IT systems. Therefore, adopting a zero trust architecture (ZTA) model can enhance your security practices. ZTA involves enforcing strict identity verification – such as Microsoft Authenticator – and segmenting your networks to restrict access to only those who need it. These practices will minimize the risk of both external and internal threats, optimizing the security of your IT infrastructure.
  3. Secure Your IoT Devices: The number of connected IoT devices is set to grow significantly in the next five years, up to 32.1 billion devices by 2030. Start securing them by checking if any of them are still using default passwords – if they are, change these to strong passwords immediately. It’s also a good idea to segment IoT devices onto separate networks, this limits how far malware can spread through your IT infrastructure in the case of an infection. Finally, make sure that software patches and firmware updates are installed promptly.
  4. Implement AI Cybersecurity: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used to detect and neutralize threats in real time. Capable of analyzing huge amounts of data and identifying unusual activity, AI excels at spotting sophisticated threats before they create a foothold in your networks. This automation allows you to stay ahead of the threat actors and safeguard your systems more effectively than ever. Consequently, exploring options such as IBM’s range of AI tools could make a vast difference to your defenses in 2025.
  5. Maximize Your Supply Chain Security: Threat actors are as innovative as they are dangerous, this is best evidenced by their attempts to target your vendors to gain access to your systems. To keep your business safe, audit the vendors you work with to verify their cybersecurity protocols and compliance. Working closely with your vendors will enable you to limit threat actors exploiting any gaps in security.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Infostealers: What They Are and How to Stay Protected

Infostealers, malicious sites, malware, Ophtek, Phishing Email, SambaSpy, security software, SnipBot, software updates, , , , , , , ,
03
Dec 2024

Infostealer malware is frequently referenced as the go-to weapon for threat actors, but what is it? And how do you protect your IT systems from it?

You only have to take a quick look over the Ophtek blog to understand the popularity of infostealers in modern hacking. From fake Zoom sites through to SnipBot and SambaSpy, threat actors are determined to get their hands on your sensitive data. Infostealers, therefore, present an everyday threat to PC users and it’s crucial you understand their methods and impact.

Luckily, Ophtek has your back, and we’re going to take a deep dive into infostealers to equip you with the knowledge you need to stay safe.

What is an Infostealer?

The main objective of all infostealer malware is to harvest confidential data from a compromised system. With this stolen data, threat actors have the opportunity to conduct numerous crimes such as identity theft or financial damage. This makes infostealer malware such a serious threat, especially in the age of big data, where organizations hold huge amounts of data on their IT systems. As with most modern malware, infostealer has strong stealth capabilities, allowing it to operate in the background without being detected and strengthening its impact.

The Danger Behind Infostealers

Infostealers can be individual malware threats or part of a more extensive suite of malware applications. Whatever their method, infostealers tend to focus on stealing the following data:

  • System login credentials
  • Social media and email passwords
  • Bank details
  • Personal details

All of these data categories have the potential for serious damage e.g. hacking someone’s personal emails and reading confidential information or clearing someone’s bank account out. From a business perspective, infostealers also have the potential to gain access to secure areas of your IT infrastructure and compromise the operations of your business. All of this data is taken directly from your servers and then discreetly transmitted to a remote server set up by the threat actors.

How Do Infostealers Strike?

Threat actors have developed numerous strategies to launch successful infostealer attacks with the two most common methods being:

Protecting Your Systems Against Infostealers

Despite the threat of infostealers, it’s relatively easy to stay safe and protect your systems from them. All you need to do is follow these best practices:

  • Be Wary of Suspicious Emails: Any emails which ring even the slightest alarm bell should be closely scrutinized. If something about the wording doesn’t sound quite right, or there’s a sense of urgency to commit to an action, the chances are that this could be a phishing email. In these instances, don’t click anything and, instead, contact an IT professional to review the content.
  • Always Update Your Software: One of the easiest ways for threat actors to deploy infostealers on your system is through software vulnerabilities. No piece of software is perfect, and they often contain weak spots which can be exploited. However, as these vulnerabilities are picked up by the developers, security patches are issued to remedy these weak spots. Accordingly, installing these updates should be a major priority.
  • Install Security Software: There are numerous security packages available such as AVG and Kaspersky which monitor your systems in real time and can block malware threats instantly. This automatic defense enables you to stay safe from infostealers and keeps your networks healthy and productive.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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