Cyber ​​attack: what it is, how it works, objective and how to prevent it: example of the spread of Malware

A Malware cyber attack is definible as a hostile activity against a system, a tool, an application or an element that has a computer component. It is an activity that aims to obtain a benefit for the attacker at the expense of the attacked.

Today we report a real example of the spread of malware, a case that occurred just in these days in the Google Play Store.

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Google removes several apps from the Play Store that distribute malware

Earlier this week, Google blocked many “bad” Android apps from the official Play Store. Blocking and removing these apps was a must, as they were spreading various malware belonging to the Joker, Facestealer and Coper families via the virtual market.

According to the findings of researchers at Zscaler ThreatLabz and Pradeo, the Joker spyware extracted SMS messages, contact lists and device information and lured victims to subscribe to premium services.

A total of 54 Joker download apps have been unearthed by the two cybersecurity companies, with the apps installed cumulatively over 330.000 times. Almost half of the apps belonged to the communication category (47,1%), followed by tools (39,2%), personalization (5,9%), health and photography.

ThreatLabz experts also discovered multiple apps compromised by the Facestealer and Coper malware.

Facestealer spyware was first discovered in July last year by researchers at Dr. Web and was designed to steal Facebook user logins, passwords, and authentication tokens.

Coper malware is a banking Trojan that targets banking applications in Europe, Australia and South America. Hackers distribute apps by masking them as legitimate apps in the Google Play Store.

"Once downloaded, this app triggers the Coper malware infection which is able to intercept and send SMS text messages, make USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) requests to send messages, keylogging, lock / unlock the device screen, performing excessive attacks, preventing uninstallations and generally allowing attackers to take control and execute commands on the infected device via remote connection with a C2 server "

If you become a victim of a malicious app from the Play Store, immediately notify Google via the support options in the Play Store app.

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Malware Attack Prevention

To avoid such a Malware attack, We recommend that you refrain from granting unnecessary permissions to apps and verify its authenticity by checking developer information, reading reviews, and reviewing their privacy policies.

While Malware attacks are potentially very dangerous, you can do a lot to prevent them by minimizing risks and keeping your data, money and… dignity safe.

Get a good antivirus

You absolutely must get an effective and reliable antivirus software
If your budget is tight, you can find numerous free antivirus online

SECURITY ASSESSMENT

It is the fundamental process for measuring your company's current level of security.
To do this it is necessary to involve an adequately prepared Cyber ​​Team, able to carry out an analysis of the state in which the company finds itself with respect to IT security.
The analysis can be carried out synchronously, through an interview carried out by the Cyber ​​Team or
also asynchronous, by filling in a questionnaire online.

We can help you, contact the specialists of hrcsrl.it writing a rda@hrcsrl.it.

SECURITY AWARENESS: know the enemy

More than 90% of hacker attacks start with employee action.
Awareness is the first weapon to combat cyber risk.

This is how we create "Awareness", we can help you, contact the HRC srl specialists by writing to rda@hrcsrl.it.

MANAGED DETECTION & RESPONSE (MDR): proactive endpoint protection

Corporate data is of enormous value to cybercriminals, which is why endpoints and servers are targeted. It is difficult for traditional security solutions to counter emerging threats. Cybercriminals bypass antivirus defenses, taking advantage of corporate IT teams' inability to monitor and manage security events around the clock.

With our MDR we can help you, contact the HRC srl specialists by writing to rda@hrcsrl.it.

MDR is an intelligent system that monitors network traffic and performs behavioral analysis
operating system, identifying suspicious and unwanted activity.
This information is transmitted to a SOC (Security Operation Center), a laboratory manned by
cybersecurity analysts, in possession of the main cybersecurity certifications.
In the event of an anomaly, the SOC, with a 24/7 managed service, can intervene at different levels of severity, from sending a warning email to isolating the client from the network.
This will help block potential threats in the bud and avoid irreparable damage.

SECURITY WEB MONITORING: analysis of the DARK WEB

The dark web refers to the contents of the World Wide Web in darknets that can be reached via the Internet through specific software, configurations and accesses.
With our Security Web Monitoring we are able to prevent and contain cyber attacks, starting from the analysis of the company domain (e.g.: ilwebcreativo.it ) and individual e-mail addresses.

Contact us by writing to rda@hrcsrl.it, we can prepare a remediation plan to isolate the threat, prevent its spread, and defiwe take the necessary remediation actions. The service is provided 24/XNUMX from Italy

CYBERDRIVE: secure application for sharing and editing files

CyberDrive is a cloud file manager with high security standards thanks to the independent encryption of all files. Ensure the security of corporate data while working in the cloud and sharing and editing documents with other users. If the connection is lost, no data is stored on the user's PC. CyberDrive prevents files from being lost due to accidental damage or exfiltrated for theft, be it physical or digital.

«THE CUBE»: the revolutionary solution

The smallest and most powerful in-a-box datacenter offering computing power and protection from physical and logical damage. Designed for data management in edge and robo environments, retail environments, professional offices, remote offices and small businesses where space, cost and energy consumption are essential. It does not require data centers and rack cabinets. It can be positioned in any type of environment thanks to the impact aesthetics in harmony with the work spaces. «The Cube» puts enterprise software technology at the service of small and medium-sized businesses.

Contact us by writing to rda@hrcsrl.it.

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