Protect your Business Against these Fraudulent Software Updates

We go to a lot of effort working to protect our clients from online security threats. These could come in the form of key loggers that record you as you enter your login information, or DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. This overwhelms a service with fake traffic and causes it to crash.

As part of our service, we always advise our clients to install software updates right away when they first become available, and support them through the process where they need help.

But if you visit a website that asks you to install an Adobe Flash update stop immediately!

Flash itself was actually discontinued in 2020 and is no longer supported. You should assume that any Flash update messages will be a major security threat.

Currently, fake Flash messages are being used as a cover for a new ‘botnet’ campaign that installs a malicious browser extension, called Cloud9. If you use applications like Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge you could be an easy target.

A botnet forms a group of infected devices that are controlled as one, without the owners’ knowledge, stealing sensitive data, sending spam, or performing DDoS attacks.

But what’s even worse is that the Cloud9 botnet will attempt to install additional malware to your device or network if it’s not stopped in time.

This type of attack is hard to spot because it looks like a genuine request, and just about anyone could be a target.

But there’s some good news as well!

Here are a few things that you can do to protect your business from malware:

First is to ensure everyone’s aware of the cyber security threat. If your people know what to look out for it’s far less likely they’ll install a malware update in the first place.

Next, make sure everyone’s running the latest version of their browser and that security software is all up to date.

An additi0nal step you can take is to enable Enhanced Protection in your browser’s Privacy and Security settings. This will give you a warning if you ever stumble upon a risky website or download. That way, you’ll be more prepared for a potential threat and less likely to get your data stolen.

We can help you keep your business protected from cyber criminals. Just get in touch with us at Itechra.

Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.