7 Ways Malware Can Get on Your Device | Total Security

Everyone knows malware is dangerous. But how do you actually catch them?

 

Malware is one of the most common threats internet users face daily. You may have heard of all kinds of malware, but you may not yet know how malware can infect your devices.

The first step in protecting your digital life is to understand the types of threats that exist. But the next and arguably more important step is to understand how threat actors try to get their malware onto your computers, smartphones, and tablets.

So in this blog post, let's take a look at some of the most common methods and tactics used to trick internet users into downloading malware and compromising their data and security.

Phishing and Malspam Emails

The main aim of phishing emails is usually to steal sensitive information such as your access data to essential services, your card verification code (the three digits on the back of your credit card), your PIN code, or other personal information. For this, the backers absolutely want to appear as a trustworthy institution. However, attachments or links contained in the emails may also contain malware or install them.

It is therefore always advisable not only to skim e-mails but to read them carefully. In the case of unsolicited notifications of sweepstakes, it is easy to guess that it is a fraud. This is more difficult with the supposed pick-up notification from a parcel deliverer. Therefore, watch out for telltale signs in the e-mails, such as misspellings, evoking urgency, requesting personal information, or suspicious domains in sender addresses.

Fraudulent Websites

Cybercriminals like to fake websites from well-known brands or organizations to trick victims into downloading malicious apps.  Scammers create fake websites that look deceptively similar to the real ones. Often times, the domain name resembles the real company's domain and is forged as closely as possible. There are mostly subtle differences here and there, e.g. B. adding a letter or symbol or even a whole word. The websites are littered with malware, trying to trick the victim into clicking links and downloading malware onto their devices.

You can avoid malware infecting your device every time you visit one of these websites by always searching for the official domain using a search engine or manually using the browser's address bar.

We never tire of pointing out that a reputable security solution will protect you from most threats of this type, as well as preventing you from accessing known malicious websites.

USB Sticks

External storage devices are a popular way of storing and transferring files. And they come with several risks. For example through the “lost USB stick” social engineering strategy. USB sticks are left lying around so that ignorant, well-meaning people who want to find the owner can connect these compromised USB sticks to their computers. Once the drive is connected and opened, your device can be infected by a keylogger or ransomware.

If you are not careful, malware can be transferred not only to your computer but also to other storage media. To reduce the chance of your PC being contaminated, use a reputable and up-to-date endpoint security solution that will scan all external media attached to your device and alert you if it contains suspicious content.

P2P Sharing and Torrents

Over the past few decades, peer-to-peer networks and torrents have become known primarily for illegally downloading software, games, and media. Also, they were used, among other things, by developers to simply distribute their open-source software or by musicians to distribute their songs (although the vast majority of the music available there was always illegal, pirated copies).

P2P sharing is also notorious for being misused by hackers who add malware to files shared on the network. Most recently, researchers discovered cybercriminals who misused the BitTorrent protocol and the Tor network to distribute KryptoCibule, a multitasking crypto stealer for multiple currencies.

The best way to minimize the risk of exposure is to avoid using P2P networks altogether. Not least to avoid criminal offenses by downloading and distributing illegal pirated copies. If you want to use P2P for legitimate purposes and to minimize the dangers, you should use a reputable VPN network (VPN) to encrypt your traffic and keep it safe from prying eyes. Also, use an up-to-date security solution that can protect you from most threats, including viruses or malware, which may be part of the downloads you are trying to download.

Compromised Software

While not that common, there are still times when the software is compromised directly by cybercriminals. A prominent example of this is the attack on the CCleaner application. The Black Hats injected the malware directly into the application, which then downloaded malware onto the computers of the unsuspecting users of the app.

Since CCleaner is a trustworthy application, it would never have occurred to a user to examine it too closely. Even when downloading software that you trust, you should always be careful. Again, our tip is to use a reputable security solution. Also, don't forget to patch and update your apps regularly. Security patches usually fix any vulnerabilities or loopholes in the affected apps.

Adware

Just as websites can contain malicious links, so can advertisements on websites. In general, the goal of ads is to generate revenue for the websites and to attract the advertisers' attention and clicks. In the case of adware, however, the ads contain malware. If you click on these ads or adware, you may involuntarily download them to your device. Some ads deliberately try to scare users by tricking them into believing that their device has been compromised and only their solution can clean it up. However, this is rarely the case.

A significant amount of adware can be avoided by using trustworthy ad blockers. This prevents malicious ads from appearing in the first place. You can also avoid suspicious websites that use such advertisements altogether.

Fake Apps

The last item on this list is fake mobile applications. These apps usually masquerade as real and try to trick users into downloading them onto their devices, thereby compromising the devices. For example, they can impersonate fitness tracking tools, cryptocurrency apps, or even COVID-19 tracing apps. In reality, however, it is not the advertised services that run after installation on the end devices, but various types of malware such as ransomware, spyware, or keyloggers.

To avoid falling for fake apps, you should always carefully check the origin of the applications. First of all, avoid installing apps from outside the official app stores. Also check which developer is behind the app, how often it was downloaded and how and whether it was rated. If the values ​​are very low or the reviews are bad, caution should be exercised.

It is also important that you keep your devices and the (legitimate) apps up to date. This protects you from various threats that try to exploit the vulnerabilities that may be present in older versions of apps and operating systems.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the list of attack strategies used by cybercriminals on the "normal user" is long and may become even longer in the future. Knowing about their tactics and taking active action against them are among the most important protective measures. The top priority is the use of total security solutions and regular updates of the operating systems and applications.