A new, sophisticated, cyber virus has been discovered that has been targeting large entities with its malicious malware. Security researchers have been able to track this malware and found that it has targeted five universities, 23 private companies, and several government agencies.
Comodo Threat Research Labs are credited with exposing this malware, which according to the researchers, the developers behind the malware camouflaged their malicious payload in several layers. Rather than deploying the malware through the usual email attachments, the hackers tried to build a “complicated chain to bypass technical security means and deceive human vigilance”.
These types of phishing emails are designed to fool individuals into clicking on a link from a what’s thought to be a trusted email address. In this specific case, the hackers sent out emails from FedEx that includes a message telling the user that they have a package that cannot be delivered so they need to click on a link to download and print out an attached label that needs to be submitted in order to receive their mail.
Once downloaded, this sophisticated malware deciphers the infected computers operating system, infiltrates applications, and goes to work by stealing private data (targeting the user’s login credentials via web browser activity, messenger apps, and email).
It’s important for businesses to stay ahead of these cyber attacks by educating employees, who are typically the first line of defense for their organizations. As malware attacks like these get smarter and more difficult to detect, end-users need to pay attention to the source of attachments they are clicking and downloading.
Evolve MGA’s cyber risk insurance (or hacker insurance) covers policyholders in the event their cloud data is hacked, lost, or stolen. Contact us about buying a policy before an event happens to your business.
To read more about this new-sophisticated malware, click here.