updates Archives - Page 7 of 11

Malware Links Are Being Spread Through YouTube

antivirus software, malicious links, malicious websites, malware, Ophtek, Updates, YouTubeAntivirus software, malicious links, malicious websites, malware, Ophtek, updates, youtubeOphtek, LLC

Nov 2021

YouTube is one of the most popular destinations online thanks to the entertainment it offers. But where there are lots of people, there are always hackers.

Close to 43% of internet users visit YouTube at least once a month, so this is a significant amount of traffic. Accordingly, this presents hackers with a huge audience to target. Hacking YouTube directly is difficult, so hackers are unlikely to succeed in embedding malware into videos. However, you can embed URLs into video descriptions. These are usually used to redirect the viewer to a destination that is related to the contents of the video. For example, a video advertising a brand’s product may include a link to that product in the video description. But the truth is, this link could take you anywhere.

Spreading Malware on YouTube

Using malicious links on YouTube is nothing new, but security researchers have noted that this technique has been growing in popularity recently. In particular, two specific Trojans have been detected: Raccoon Stealer and RedLine. One of the main reasons that hackers have been targeting YouTube is down to the Google accounts they have already stolen. Setting up a YouTube channel requires you to have a Google account, so it makes sense for hackers to take advantage of YouTube.

The fake YouTube channels are then used to host videos related to topics such as VPNs, malware removal and cryptocurrency. Each video will center around a particular call-to-action, most likely involving the download of a tool e.g. a malware removal application. Viewers will be encouraged to download this from the link in the video description. These links appear to either use a bit.ly or taplink.cc address to redirect users to malicious websites. The users are then instructed to download the relevant tool. Unfortunately, all it will download is malware.

This malware is used to scan PCs for login credentials, cryptocurrency wallets and credit card details before transmitting it to a remote server. The hacker behind the attack can then harvest this data and continue to steal further data from the victim.

Remaining Vigilant Online

The number of threats we face daily seems to be rising daily and it may feel that being vigilant online is an exhausting job. However, it’s crucial for your safety that you remember the basics of online security:

Be Wary of All Online Links: Even the biggest and most secure websites are at risk of being compromised. YouTube is one of the most popular sites online and yet it still houses hackers in plain view. Therefore, the likelihood of coming across malicious links online is highly likely. Therefore, verify all links before clicking them. A good way to do this is by highlighting the link, copying it and then posting it into Google to see if it brings up any red flags.

Always Use Antivirus Software: It’s likely, at some point, that you will fall for an infected link at some point. But this doesn’t mean you should remain at the mercy of the malware. You can limit the damage caused by malware by always using antivirus software. This will automatically scan your PC throughout the day and identify any malware. In many cases it will even check all downloaded files and scan them before opening.

Install All Updates: Many strains of malware will rely on your PC being home to vulnerabilities in software and hardware. However, by regularly installing upgrades and patches, you can ensure that these holes are plugged to prevent hackers getting a foothold. Make sure that you set all updates to automatic to give yourself maximum coverage in terms of protection.

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

3 Million Windows PCs at Risk of Login Credential Theft

attachments, email links, malware, Ophtek, Updates, Windows PCattachments, links, Login, malware, Ophtek, updates, Windows PCOphtek, LLC

Jul 2021

Login credentials are a sure-fire way to protect your IT systems. But hackers are now using a new piece of malware to steal them from your organization.

User ID / Password combinations have been a cornerstone of IT security since the earliest days of computers. Traditionally, it was almost impossible to guess both of these values. The only option a hacker had was to literally look over the shoulder of the user as they entered the details. But a lot has changed in the way we use computers since then. And the possibilities created by the internet mean that hackers can now steal login credentials from anywhere in the world. All they need is some malware and a potential victim.

A new piece of malware has recently been discovered which has been used in a large scale attack, so it’s important we take a closer look.

What is this Latest Attack?

This latest malware – discovered by Nord Security and currently unnamed – to hit the digital headlines is classified as a Trojan. As the name suggests, a Trojan is a piece of malware which disguises itself as genuine software, but contains malicious code. Little is known about the origins of this latest malware or its exact mechanisms, but its strength is beyond question. This has been demonstrated by the malware carrying out the following:

Infecting three million Windows PCs
Stealing 1.2TB of data which includes email addresses, cookies and over six million individual files
Using infected PCs in-built webcams to take photos of the victims

How Do You Avoid Falling Victim to Malware?

Malware is a complex threat to tackle due to the ease with which it can be constructed by hackers. This allows the hacker to give their malware an individual blueprint with unique features that are difficult to detect. Even the best defenses in the world can easily fall victim to malware. Nonetheless, you are far from helpless when it comes to combatting the threat of malware. To help strengthen your defenses, make the following part of your security structure:

Always Verify Links: Almost every website and email will contain at least one link. But these links can easily be disguised to contain something nasty. A link may, for example, claim to take you to a Microsoft security fix, but the true destination within the link may be for a malicious website. Therefore, always make sure you hover your cursor over links to reveal their true destination.

Double Check Email Attachments: Highly powerful malware can easily be packed into a small file and delivered as an email attachment. Accordingly, you need to be suspicious of all files entering your organization. Even if an email is received from a reputable source you need to remain vigilant. Genuine email addresses can easily be hacked and used to spread malware. If something doesn’t feel right about an email then check with an IT professional.

Install all Updates: All software and hardware is prone to vulnerabilities due to the amount of code involved in their operation. And these vulnerabilities provide hackers with quick and easy access to your IT systems. Thankfully, manufacturers regularly issue security patches to plug these holes. Make sure that these are always installed quickly to minimize any risk.

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

Defense Companies Under Attack from ThreatNeedle

Hackers, macros, Ophtek, spear phishing, threatneedle, Updateshacker, macros, Ophtek, spear phishing, threatneedle, updatesOphtek, LLC

Apr 2021

Defense firms in over a dozen countries have found themselves targeted by a new backdoor threat named as ThreatNeedle. And it’s hitting firms hard.

The last thing that a defense firm wants is for their networks to be breached. Not only does it damage their reputation as a defense firm, but it puts significant data at risk. Hackers, of course, love to cause trouble, so a defense organization is the perfect target. But the hackers behind the ThreatNeedle malware are more than just a minor hacking group. The threat is believed to come from Lazarus, a secretive hacking group with ties to the North Korean government.

As this is a major threat we’re going to put ThreatNeedle under the microscope for a closer look.

What is ThreatNeedle?

ThreatNeedle takes a spear phishing approach to begin its campaign and does this by faking email addresses that look as though they belong to the target company. This move, which is relatively easy with an email server and the right software, allows the victims to be lulled into a false sense of security. This scenario is then exploited by embedding malicious links or attaching infected documents. Often, these emails have been laced with a COVID-19 theme in order to fully engage the user, but any subject may be used to rush the recipient into action.

The attackers, once the ThreatNeedle payload has been unleashed, are then able to take control of the victim’s PC. Naturally, this means that they will carry out typical hacking attacks such as:

Executing remote commands to run applications and download further malware
Send workstations into hibernation mode to disrupt IT activities
Log data and transmit to a remote PC where it can be archived and exploited

However, ThreatNeedle also has an innovative ace up its sleeve. Generally, if a network is segmented then malware will be limited to the segment it infects. This limits the amount of damage that can be caused to an entire network. So, for example, a set of PCs which are not connected to a network by the internet should be safe from all hacks. Unfortunately, ThreatNeedle is able to take advantage of IT department’s administrator privileges. This grants them the opportunity to access all segmented areas of a network. And it maximizes the damage they can cause.

How Do You Protect Against ThreatNeedle?

As with all malware, you don’t have to fall victim to ThreatNeedle. You just need to keep your wits about you and understand its threat. You can do this by carrying out the following:

Disable Macros: The ThreatNeedle emails rely on macros being executed within infected documents. But, if you disable Macros across your organization, the malware will not be able to run. This will stop ThreatNeedle at the earliest opportunity.

Educate Staff on Phishing Emails: It’s important that your staff are fully trained on the dangers of phishing emails. Social engineering is a popular technique employed by hackers, but it can be thwarted if you know what to look for.

Always Install Updates: ThreatNeedle, as far as researchers are aware, does not exploit any vulnerabilities in software or hardware. But this doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t in the future. Either way, it always pays to be proactive with installing updates to protect your PC.

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

Understanding the Basics of Botnet Attacks

botnets, Hackers, Online Security, Ophtek, PC Maintenance, Security, Updatesbotnets, Ophtek, security, updates, vulnerabilityOphtek, LLC

Nov 2020

The internet has connected us to each other in a way we would have thought impossible a few decades ago. But these massed connections can be very dangerous.

The beauty of the internet is that one PC can connect to another PC with relative ease. And these connections allow us to pool resources, share information and provide services. The foundations of almost every web service are based upon collections of PCs all working together to deliver an end result. These are often automated tasks that allow a website to continue operating correctly. But the fact that these PCs are generally left to their own devices means they aren’t actively monitored. And this situation makes them a security risk.

Known as botnets, these collections of PCs can have their cumulative power put to use for the gains of hackers.

What are Botnet Attacks?

While most botnets combine harmless coding with hardware, malicious botnets are another matter. A malicious botnet can gain access to your PC via two methods:

A targeted attack such as an infected email or password breach
The discovery of a vulnerability in your PC by an automated code which crawls the internet in search of such weaknesses

Regardless of the strategy involved, the end result is the same: an infection which adds your PC to the hacker’s botnet. Naturally, the more PCs added to the botnet, the more powerful it is. And, with the infection in place, the hacker will have full control of your PC. This allows them to carry out the following tasks:

Spread across the rest of your organization’s PCs by executing malware in order to swell the numbers of the botnet
Loading fake adverts in your internet browser designed to trick you into providing financial details to malicious websites
Use the cumulative processing power of all the PCs in a botnet to carry out DDoS campaigns in order to take websites down
Generating spam emails to be automatically sent from your organization’s email server

How Can You Protect Against Botnets?

As you can tell, a botnet attack will do your organization no favors and will cause untold damage to other businesses it targets. Therefore, you need to put these precautions into place:

Make sure that your internet traffic is monitored in terms of both what is entering and leaving your network. Any unusual levels of internet traffic are often an indicator that a botnet is either attacking you or you have become part of a botnet.
Install all updates to prevent falling victim to any vulnerabilities. Hackers regularly unleash web crawling bots that automatically scan online PCs for these vulnerabilities. With all updates in place, however, you are minimizing this risk.
Practice best email security practices such as not opening attachments that look suspicious or from senders you don’t recognize. Remember, all it takes is one infected email to bring your organization to a halt.
Use internet security software to help protect your PC as comprehensively as possible. Tools such as Kaspersky and McAfee’s security suites can provide warnings against visiting malicious websites and infected email attachments – two sure-fire ways of falling victim to a botnet.

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

The Best Ways to Keep Your PC Organized

Best Practices, Ophtek, Organize, PC, Security, Updatescomputer, Ophtek, organize, pc, productivity, updatesOphtek, LLC

Jun 2020

The workplace can be a very stressful environment, so it’s vital that you keep organized. Key to this organization is a PC which doesn’t cause you stress.

It’s likely that your PC is your most important tool at work. After all, they can do almost anything from creative tasks through to data handling and communicating. But this is only possible if your PC remains organized. A badly organized PC will not only hinder your productivity, but it can have a negative impact on the health of your system.

The best workplaces avoid these shortcomings by making sure that employees follow simple, yet effective methods for organizing their PCs. And, as luck would have it, we’re going to share these with you today.

Keeping Your PC Organized

You don’t need a degree in computer science to keep your PC organized. You just need to follow these best practices:

Tidy Up Your Desktop: A cluttered desktop quickly becomes difficult to navigate, so it’s crucial that you keep it tidy. Ideally, your desktop should only ever contain shortcuts to the apps you use the most. Saving random files to your desktop may seem quick in the short term, but, in the long term, it makes finding everything on your desktop more difficult.

Audit Your Files: No two files are the same and, accordingly, they will all have different lifespans in terms of usefulness. A spreadsheet on outgoing costs, for example, is likely to be something you regularly use. But a spreadsheet detailing a one off order is going to experience less usage. Therefore, it’s a good idea to regularly go through your files and see which can be archived and which should be kept on your system. This will free up storage on your PC and allow you to find useful files more quickly.

Use a Structured Folder System: Structure is the backbone of all organization and, as a result, it should be integrated into your folder system. And this should be more extensive that just moving everything into My Documents. Everyone, of course, will need and want a different system as our brains all work differently. But what’s crucial is that you breakdown all your files into their simplest terms e.g. specific client names and then into increasingly specific folders such as customer orders, correspondence and contact details.

Install All Updates: Perhaps the best way to keep your PC organized is by installing all updates as soon as possible. Making sure that all your software and hardware is optimized minimizes the risk of any system crashes or security flaws. And if anything is going to disorganize your PC it is these two risks.

Final Thoughts

A well- organized PC allows an employee to work to their full potential. It’s essential that all your employees are in this position as it will provide a massive boost to your productivity. Best of all, the most effective solutions are also some of the easiest to implement. However, consistency is crucial when it comes to organization, so make sure these best practices are regularly followed.

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

« Previous 1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 11 Next »

Tag Archives: updates

What are Botnet Attacks?

How Can You Protect Against Botnets?

Keeping Your PC Organized

Final Thoughts