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The internet is a big place. While it’s changed the world for the better — making our daily lives that much easier! — it can also be a playground for cybercriminals who would love to get their hands on our personal information.
When this happens, it can result in identity theft. While it can be scary to deal with, there are things you can do to protect yourself and recover from this type of cybercrime.
In this article, we’ll tell you what identity theft is and how to recognize its various forms. We’ll also go over what you can do to bounce back after your identity has been taken.
Life online presents so many cool opportunities, but it can also make us vulnerable to cybercriminals. But that doesn’t mean you need to get offline. A little knowledge can go a long way in keeping you safe. It all starts with understanding what identity theft is.
Identity theft is when someone steals your personal or financial information to commit fraud or deception, typically for monetary gain. Depending on their goals, they might take a variety of information. Unfortunately, this is something most people will experience — either directly or indirectly — at some point in their lives.
What makes identity theft really troublesome is that the consequences can go beyond just affecting your credit score. You might experience issues while trying to get jobs, see an increase in your auto insurance rate, get a surprise tax bill, and even find out you have a criminal record! Not to mention it can cost a lot of time and money to fix.
Just as important as it is to understand what identity theft is, it’s also important to know the different types of identity theft so you can keep an eye out.
You work, play, and shop on the internet every day, but you shouldn’t let the fear of identity theft stop you from doing what you enjoy online. All it takes is a little information to outsmart online criminals — including knowing the different types of identity theft. They include:
How does an identity thief get your information? Any time you make a purchase, subscribe to a website, file a tax return, or do anything else online, you share your personal information. And some cybercriminals are pretty good at getting that information for themselves.
Here are a few of the most common ways thieves can get access to your data:
The type of information that hackers take during a breach can vary widely. It just depends on what information a company stores, what data the cybercriminal can access, and even the purpose of the attack. A hacker might be making a political statement or simply “showing off” their skills.
During a breach, hackers target information that can be resold on the dark web or used for identity fraud, like debit card or credit card accounts. They might also collect data like people’s full names, email addresses, passwords, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
Dealing with identity theft can be stressful and a little bit scary, but we promise it’s not the end of the world. The important thing is to be quick about it and stay alert for signs of identity theft, like:
The good news is that if you’re ever the victim of identity theft, there are several things you can do to limit and reverse that damage. We’ll explore these steps in the next few sections.
Notify your credit card company, financial institution, or the business where the thief is using your data right away. For example, if the criminal is using your credit card number to buy clothing online, contact the store immediately. They’ll be able to stop any further purchases from being made.
Banks don’t like scams, either. Some banks may require you to show them a police report about your identity theft before they’ll refund any fraudulent charges or withdrawals. Call your local law enforcement office to report identity theft as soon as you can.
Before speaking to an officer, though, take the time to go over all the information so you don’t leave anything out. Be as detailed as possible. Let the cops know how your sensitive information was used and what dates and times it was used. You may want to bring a copy of your bank statement as proof.
One of the biggest pains about identity theft is that it can affect your credit score, which can affect your ability to do things like secure a business loan or buy a house. File a fraud alert with each of the three major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian — and let them know which activity on your credit report is false.
When you file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), they’ll create a free recovery plan for you to deal with your identity being stolen. The FTC is a government organization that protects the rights of consumers. You can get started by visiting IdentityTheft.gov.
The best time to deal with identity theft is before it happens. When you sign up for all-in-one protection, like McAfee Total Protection, you’ll get $1 million of identity theft protection insurance.
We’ll also provide identity monitoring to help catch threats to your information before they get out of hand. You’ll also get access to our Secure VPN and our quality antivirus and safe browsing software to protect you from threats like malware.
You deserve to live your life online and enjoy the internet the way it was meant to be. That’s where McAfee can help — making the digital world a safe place for you and your family!
We’ve got your back when it comes to your online identity with our identity protection service. When you sign up, we’ll keep tabs on up to 60 unique types of personal data, including your financial information. We’ll also notify you up to 10 months sooner than similar services if it seems like your identity has been compromised. And on top of $1 million of ID theft coverage, you’ll receive hands-on restoration support to get your identity back.
See how McAfee can help secure your personal information online and give you peace of mind. What Is Identity Theft and How Do You Recover From It?
The post What Is Identity Theft and How Do You Recover From It? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The pandemic forced many parents into screentime management Bootcamp. We learned quickly that more hours at home require more intention in managing family technology. The exact purpose holds true for summer. Before things get too crazy—vacations, camps, and a revolving door of friends—a priority might be putting a screentime plan in place.
Add to the summer equation that many parents are still on remote or hybrid work schedules, and the need for a summer screentime plan becomes even more important.
But first, what’s the cost of just winging it with screentime this summer? Doing so could harm your child both emotionally and physically. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children spend an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, such as televisions, computers, phones, and other electronic devices. Now that summer is here, we can assume that number will increase.
Balancing your child’s screentime is also a safety issue. As the summer ticks on, boredom can lead to more time online, which can open the door to threats such as cyberbullying, self-esteem and body issues, risky behavior, and connecting with strangers.
Keep in mind that every family’s summer screentime balance plan will be different depending on family schedules and children’s ages. Not sure where to begin? The AAP has an excellent, customizable Media Plan that includes a Screen Time Calculator. The guide will help you design a plan based on the ages of each child in your family.
One mom on Facebook recently shared a powerful reminder that, as parents, we only have 18 summers with our kids before—poof—they are grown. She also shared an inspiring visual reminder. She keeps a clear jar with each of her children’s names on it in plain view. Inside each jar, she places 18 colorful tiny pom-poms. She subtracts one pom pom each year on their birthday. As the pom poms visually decrease, it reminds her to make the most of her time with each child. Here’s hoping your summer is packed with less screentime and more moments that make each pom pom count.
The post 6 Tips to Help Your Balance Your Children’s Summer Screentime appeared first on McAfee Blog.
How crypto mixers, also known as crypto tumblers, are used to obscure the trail of digital money
The post Crypto mixers: What are they and how are they used? appeared first on WeLiveSecurity
Emotet malware is back with ferocious vigor, according to ESET telemetry in the first four months of 2022. Will it survive the ever-tightening controls on macro-enabled documents?
The post How Emotet is changing tactics in response to Microsoft’s tightening of Office macro security appeared first on WeLiveSecurity
The topic most top of mind today for HR professionals is keeping and acquiring great talent. One of the most important elements of doing both is providing a desirable and meaningful set of employee benefits.
The idea of Digital Wellness isn’t exactly brand new, but the world we’ve lived in for the past few years has cemented it into one of the main pillars of employee benefits, joining the traditional big three of Financial, Mental and Physical Wellness.
One of the main reasons Digital Wellness has become essential is that so many people have had to both live and work exclusively online for an extended period of time – spending 8+ hours a day on personal things in addition to all those hours they spend working via the web. Things like banking, telehealth and shopping to name a few.
There’s almost no aspect of life that isn’t touched by the internet for most people, especially when adding their work environment into the mix.
In addition to all the regular life they live online, employees have become accustomed to working remotely, even if it’s just part of the time.
With these kinds of stats, it’s hardly surprising that 74% of employers plan to maintain some sort of remote/hybrid workforce into the foreseeable future6.
The digital world has become a veritable smorgasbord for hungry cyber criminals. In fact, there’s been a 400% increase in cybercrime just over the last couple of years7. To put it in perspective, here are a few sobering statistics that happen on a daily basis:
Unfortunately, all this means that people are in a constant battle to protect themselves from cyber risk.
With everyone going about their daily activities and working whenever and wherever they happen to be at the time, it’s probably no surprise that more than half of employees are using their personal devices for work11. It’s just too convenient not to. However, when you also realize that 95% of breaches are caused by human error12, this intersection between personal life and work-life becomes risky for both the employees and their employers. It’s no wonder that companies with a large number of employees working remotely have seen a 24% increase in breaches since the pandemic began13.
When companies’ networks are breached it causes their customers to be vulnerable, risking a huge blow to their reputation and invoking serious fines and penalties due to compliance failures. And trying to get cyber insurance to protect against financial loss has become increasingly more difficult. A recent article by the Wall Street Journal reported that cyber insurance premiums rose 92% in 2021 and the hoops companies have to jump through are much more stringent to be eligible for the coverage – things like providing cyber education and ensuring they’re taking stronger steps to protect their network and customer data14.
In addition to the direct financial impact of cyber threats, there’s also the loss of human capital. It can take up to six months and up to 200 hours of a person’s time to address and correct identity theft15. If employees are focusing on digital healing, it’s a fair bet they’re not focusing as closely on their work.
Preventative care is the first step toward Digital Wellness, and it consists of three, simple parts.
Restorative care is the second step in the Digital Wellness journey. If a digital threat sneaks through even after all the careful preventive care, it’s important to quickly remedy the situation.
Great benefits that have real meaning for employees are key to helping retain and acquire amazing talent. Providing an all-in-one and easy-to-use Digital Wellness solution designed to safeguard against compromised devices, privacy leaks, identity theft and other frustrating, time-consuming issues not only provides peace of mind for employees but also directly – and positively, impacts a company’s bottom line. Choosing a trusted cyber protection solution like McAfee for your Digital Wellness benefit will give your employees a brand they love and your company the advantage of 30+ years of experience protecting people from digital threats.
For more information on McAfee Digital Wellness, visit www.mcafee.com/employee-benefits-info or send an email to EmployeeBenefits@McAfee.com.
Footnotes –
The post McAfee’s Digital Wellness Delivers Online Protection As An Employee Benefit appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Authored by Dexter Shin
Instagram has become a platform with over a billion monthly active users. Many of Instagram’s users are looking to increase their follower numbers, as this has become a symbol of a person’s popularity. Instagram’s large user base has not gone unnoticed to cybercriminals. McAfee’s Mobile Research Team recently found new Android malware disguised in an app to increase Instagram followers.
You can easily find apps on the internet that increase the number of Instagram followers. Some of these apps require both a user account and a password. Other types of apps only need the user to input their user account. But are these apps safe to use?
Many YouTubers explain how to use these apps with tutorial videos. They log into the app with their own account and show that the number of followers is increasing. Among the many videos, the domain that appears repeatedly was identified.
The way the domain introduces is very simple.
When you run the function, you can see that the number of followers increases every few seconds.
Some Telegram channels are promoting YouTube videos with domain links to the malware.
We have also observed a video from a famous YouTuber with over 190,000 subscribers promoting a malicious app. However, in the video, we found some concerning comments with people complaining that their credentials were being stolen.
We analyzed the application that is being promoted by the domain. The hidden malware does not require many permissions and therefore does not appear to be harmful. When users launch the app, they can only see the below website via the Android Webview.
After inspecting the app, we observe the initial code does not contain many features. After showing an advertisement, it will immediately show the malicious website. Malicious activities are performed at the website’s backend rather than within the Android app.
The website says that your transactions are carried out using the Instagram API system with your username and password. It is secure because they use the user’s credentials via Instagram’s official server, not their remote server.
Contrary to many people’s expectations, we received abnormal login attempts from Turkey a few minutes after using the app. The device logged into the account was not an Instagram server but a personal device model of Huawei as LON-L29.
As shown above, they don’t use an Instagram API. In addition, as you request followers, the number of the following also increases. In other words, the credentials you provided are used to increase the number of followers of other requesters. Everyone who uses this app has a relationship with each other. Moreover, they will store and use your credentials in their database without your acknowledgement.
The languages of most communication channels were English, Portuguese, and Hindi. Especially, Hindi was the most common, and most videos had more than 100 views. In the case of a famous YouTuber’s video, they have recorded more than 2,400 views. In addition, our test account had 400 followers in one day. It means that at least 400 users have sent credentials to the malware author.
As we mentioned in the opening remarks, many Instagram users want to increase their followers and likes. Unfortunately, attackers are also aware of the desires of these users and use that to attack them.
Therefore, users who want to install these apps should consider that their credentials may be leaked. In addition, there may be secondary attacks such as credential stuffing (=use of a stolen username and password pairs on another website). Aside from the above cases, there are many unanalyzed similar apps on the Internet. You shouldn’t use suspicious apps to get followers and likes.
McAfee Mobile Security detects this threat as Android/InstaStealer and protects you from this malware. For more information, visit McAfee Mobile Security.
SHA256:
Domains:
The post Instagram credentials Stealers: Free Followers or Free Likes appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Authored by Dexter Shin
McAfee’s Mobile Research Team introduced a new Android malware targeting Instagram users who want to increase their followers or likes in the last post. As we researched more about this threat, we found another malware type that uses different technical methods to steal user’s credentials. The target is users who are not satisfied with the default functions provided by Instagram. Various Instagram modification application already exists for those users on the Internet. The new malware we found pretends to be a popular mod app and steals Instagram credentials.
Instander is one of the famous Instagram modification applications available for Android devices to help Instagram users access extra helpful features. The mod app supports uploading high-quality images and downloading posted photos and videos.
The initial screens of this malware and Instander are similar, as shown below.
Figure 1. Instander legitimate app(Left) and Mmalware(Right)
Next, this malware requests an account (username or email) and password. Finally, this malware displays an error message regardless of whether the login information is correct.
Figure 2. Malware requests account and password
The malware steals the user’s username and password in a very unique way. The main trick is to use the Firebase API. First, the user input value is combined with l@gmail.com. This value and static password(=kamalw20051) are then sent via the Firebase API, createUserWithEmailAndPassword. And next, the password process is the same. After receiving the user’s account and password input, this malware will request it twice.
Since we cannot see the dashboard of the malware author, we tested it using the same API. As a result, we checked the user input value in plain text on the dashboard.
According to the Firebase document, createUserWithEmailAndPassword API is to create a new user account associated with the specified email address and password. Because the first parameter is defined as email patterns, the malware author uses the above code to create email patterns regardless of user input values.
It is an API for creating accounts in the Firebase so that the administrator can check the account name in the Firebase dashboard. The victim’s account and password have been requested as Firebase account name, so it should be seen as plain text without hashing or masking.
As an interesting point on the network traffic of the malware, this malware communicates with the Firebase server in Protobuf format in the network. The initial configuration of this Firebase API uses the JSON format. Although the Protobuf format is readable enough, it can be assumed that this malware author intentionally attempts to obfuscate the network traffic through the additional settings. Also, the domain used for data transfer(=www.googleapis.com) is managed by Google. Because it is a domain that is too common and not dangerous, many network filtering and firewall solutions do not detect it.
As mentioned, users should always be careful about installing 3rd party apps. Aside from the types of malware we’ve introduced so far, attackers are trying to steal users’ credentials in a variety of ways. Therefore, you should employ security software on your mobile devices and always keep up to date.
Fortunately, McAfee Mobile Security is able to detect this as Android/InstaStealer and protect you from similar threats. For more information visit McAfee Mobile Security
SHA256:
The post Instagram credentials Stealer: Disguised as Mod App appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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McAfee Labs have been observing a spike in phishing campaigns that utilize Microsoft office macro capabilities. These malicious documents reach victims via mass spam E-mail campaigns and generally invoke urgency, fear, or similar emotions, leading unsuspecting users to promptly open them. The purpose of these spam operations is to deliver malicious payloads to as many people as possible.
A recent spam campaign was using malicious word document to download and execute the Ursnif trojan. Ursnif is a high-risk trojan designed to record various sensitive information. It typically archives this sensitive data and sends it back to a command-and-control server.
This blog describes how attackers use document properties and a few other techniques to download and execute the Ursnif trojan.
Threat Summary
Infection Chain
The malware arrives through a phishing email containing a Microsoft Word document as an attachment. When the document is opened and macros are enabled, Word downloads a DLL (Ursnif payload). The Ursnif payload is then executed using rundll32.exe
Figure-1: flowchart of infection chain
Word Analysis
Macros are disabled by default and the malware authors are aware of this and hence present an image to entice the victims into enabling them.
Figure-2: Image of what the user sees upon opening the document
VBA Macro Analysis of Word Document
Analyzing the sample statically with ‘oleId’ and ‘olevba’ indicates the suspicious vectors..
Figure-3: Oleid output
Figure-4: Olevba output
The VBA Macro is compatible with x32 and x64 architectures and is highly obfuscated as seen in Figure-5
Figure-5: Obfuscated VBA macro
To get a better understanding of the functionality, we have de-obfuscated the contents in the 2 figures shown below.
Figure-6: De-obfuscated VBA macro (stage 1)
Figure-7: De-obfuscated VBA macro (stage 2)
An interesting characteristic of this sample is that some of the strings like CLSID, URL for downloading Ursnif, and environment variables names are stored in custom document properties in reverse. As shown in Figure-7, VBA function “ActiveDocument.CustomDocumentProperties()” is used to retrieve the properties and uses “StrReverse” to reverse the contents.
We can see the document properties in Figure-8
Figure-8: Document properties
Payload Download and Execution:
The malicious macro retrieves hidden shellcode from a custom property named “Company” using the “cdec” function that converts the shellcode from string to decimal/hex value and executes it. The shellcode is shown below.
Figure-9: Raw Company property
The shellcode is written to memory and the access protection is changed to PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE.
Figure-10: Code of VirtualProtect
Figure-11: Shellcode’s memory and protection after calling VirtualProtect()
After adding the shellcode in memory, the environment variable containing the malicious URL of Ursnif payload is created. This Environment variable will be later used by the shellcode.
Figure-12: Environment variable set in Winword.exe space
The shellcode is executed with the use of the SetTimer API. SetTimer creates a timer with the specified time-out value mentioned and notifies a function when the time is elapsed. The 4th parameter used to call SetTimer is the pointer to the shellcode in memory which will be invoked when the mentioned time is elapsed.
Figure-13: SetTimer function (Execution of shellCode)
The shellcode downloads the file from the URL stored in the environmental variable and stores it as ” y9C4A.tmp.dll ” and executes it with rundll32.exe.
| URL | hxxp://docmasterpassb.top/kdv/x7t1QUUADWPEIQyxM6DT3vtrornV4uJcP4GvD9vM/ |
| CMD | rundll32 “C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\y9C4A.tmp.dll”,DllRegisterServer |
Figure-14: Exports of Downloaded DLL
After successful execution of the shellcode, the environment variable is removed.
Figure-15: Removal of Environment Variable
IOC
| TYPE | VALUE | PRODUCT | DETECTION NAME |
| Main Word Document | 6cf97570d317b42ef8bfd4ee4df21d217d5f27b73ff236049d70c37c5337909f | McAfee LiveSafe and Total Protection | X97M/Downloader.CJG |
| Downloaded dll | 41ae907a2bb73794bb2cff40b429e62305847a3e1a95f188b596f1cf925c4547 | McAfee LiveSafe and Total Protection | Ursnif-FULJ |
| URL to download dll | hxxp://docmasterpassb.top/kdv/x7t1QUUADWPEIQyxM6DT3vtrornV4uJcP4GvD9vM/ | WebAdvisor | Blocked |
MITRE Attack Framework
| Technique ID | Tactic | Technique Details | Description |
| T1566.001 | Initial Access | Spear phishing Attachment | Manual execution by user |
| T1059.005 | Execution | Visual Basic | Malicious VBA macros |
| T1218.011 | Defense Evasion | Signed binary abuse | Rundll32.exe is used |
| T1027 | Defense Evasion | Obfuscation techniques | VBA and powershell base64 executions |
| T1086 | Execution | Powershell execution | PowerShell command abuse |
Conclusion
Macros are disabled by default in Microsoft Office applications, we suggest keeping it that way unless the document is received from a trusted source. The infection chain discussed in the blog is not limited to Word or Excel. Further threats may use other live-off-the-land tools to download its payloads.
McAfee customers are protected against the malicious files and sites detailed in this blog with McAfee LiveSafe/Total Protection and McAfee Web Advisor.
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Mobile banking and finance apps have become increasingly popular in recent years. These apps provide a quick and convenient way to see checking and savings account balances and make and receive payments.
It’s no surprise that many people use these third-party apps to manage their finances. In 2021, the U.S. saw 573.1 million finance app downloads, a 19% increase from the previous year.
However, despite its benefits, mobile banking isn’t immune to risks. This article will discuss the safety and security of mobile finance apps and give you a few pointers to protect yourself while using these apps.
Yes, mobile banking is a pretty safe way to manage your finances; however, there can still be some risks associated with it, including fraud and scams.
If you’re careful, there are plenty of ways to protect yourself while using this incredibly easy banking method.
Here are a few tips to help you improve the safety of your online financial accounts.
A bank’s website will often include links to their mobile apps that provide related mobile banking services, along with details about the app’s features and how users can use it. You should use a trusted platform when installing the app, like the App Store for iPhone or iOS users or the Google Play Store for Android users.
You should also take time to go through reviews and related information about the app before downloading it to ensure its legitimacy. If you have any doubts, clarify the issue with your bank before downloading what could be a fake banking app.
While this may seem obvious, the reality is that many people don’t pay enough attention to their passwords. To create a strong password, you should use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters in no particular order or pattern.
In addition, security experts recommend long, complex passwords to exponentially increase the time it takes to crack them. It also helps to have unique passwords for each of your accounts.
If you’re concerned about remembering and managing multiple passwords, you can use a reputable and secure password manager like McAfee True Key to store your passwords.
Many services nowadays offer two-factor or multifactor authentication. This function refers to the additional layers of security against hackers. On top of a traditional username-password login, users are required to identify themselves with a code that’s sent to their cellphone or email.
By confirming the user’s identity this way, organizations eliminate a degree of uncertainty. While it isn’t foolproof, two-factor or multifactor authentication helps increase security. It’s worth checking if your finance app offers this feature.
Public Wi-Fi networks are convenient in urgent situations; however, they often come with a warning saying the network is unsecured. This means that the network is unencrypted, making it easy for hackers to access your personal information. The best practice is to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks, especially when carrying out any form of financial transaction.
If you need to make purchases or send and receive money while on the move, though, you’ll want to consider a virtual private network (VPN) like McAfee Secure VPN. The VPN provides a secure network even when using public Wi-Fi by hiding your IP address and encrypting your data.
The easiest way to protect your finances is to keep a vigilant eye on all of your transactions. However, security notifications from your bank are a great added measure. Most credit card companies allow you to turn on transaction alerts for various services, such as balance transfer requests, international purchases, and exceeded credit limits, which can help you recognize any suspicious activity on your account.
It’s also important to remember that financial institutions will never contact you over the phone or through email to ask for your banking information. If you receive such a message, it’s most certainly a scam. A common way people get duped is through calls or emails claiming they’ve won a prize and need to share personal account details to receive the money. Never share your bank account details, passwords, or one-time codes with strangers.
Always check with your bank to confirm any activity that seems out of the ordinary. In addition to alert notifications, banks can also send helpful tips to protect your account against fraud.
McAfee Security for Mobile is an award-winning cybersecurity tool that helps address the issues mentioned above and more. It’ll scan your device for malware, suspicious websites, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks so you can use social media or shop online with complete peace of mind.
It also comes with other features, like system cleaning services that clean junk from your phone’s storage. These features can boost battery life and help locate your phone if it’s ever stolen or misplaced.
Mobile and online banking both have their benefits and drawbacks, but which is the safer option? Experts often have varied opinions on the matter.
Some people believe it might be easier to download malware on a computer unknowingly, as it’s tricky to judge the authenticity of a website or malicious links. Users typically download apps from reputed app stores when using mobile devices, which lowers the risk.
On the other hand, professionals believe that both methods are equally safe. The choice depends on the network available to the user, as private networks are significantly less susceptible to hacking than public ones. Some users may prefer computers to mobile phones simply because they find it easier to perform tasks on a bigger screen.
Both internet and mobile banking are convenient and offer a quick way to manage your personal finances, as you don’t have to travel to a physical bank or carry large amounts of cash in your wallet.
However, while mobile banking is generally considered a safe method of managing your finances, it can have some vulnerabilities that scammers may try to take advantage of.
Following the tips mentioned above — like using a private network, not sharing personal details with anyone, and using a comprehensive mobile security tool like McAfee Security for Mobile — can make all the difference.
The tool’s security features include safe browsing, a secure VPN, and antivirus software. This means you can use your mobile finance apps confidently knowing McAfee is looking out for you.
The post How to Know If Your Mobile Finance Apps Are Safe appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The explosion of e-commerce sites has changed how we shop today, providing access to millions of online stores with almost unlimited selections.
Just as you would take basic precautions in a brick-and-mortar store — perhaps hiding your PIN number while paying and making sure the business is legitimate — you should also practice safe shopping habits online.
Here are eight ways you can avoid fake websites and other online scams and ensure that you’re dealing with legitimate companies and safe online stores.
One of the best ways to tell if an online store is legit and avoid debit and credit card scams, domain name and subdomain name takeovers, and other problems is with a free and effective download like McAfee WebAdvisor.
This smart tool helps you surf and shop with confidence, protecting you from malicious sites that can contain:
McAfee WebAdvisor is a free browser extension that downloads quickly and installs easily, working in the background automatically to protect you from malware and phishing as you surf, search, and enjoy online shopping.
McAfee WebAdvisor works with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, and 7 (32- and 64-bit) computers and is compatible with these browsers:
Here are other ways to make sure you know when you’re dealing with scammers online.
When checking an e-commerce site’s credentials, start with the address bar. Often, hackers will use URLs that are very close to the real site’s URL but not quite the same. Look for typos or use Google to see if a search takes you to the same page. Also, look for a padlock icon in the address bar.
Click the padlock and look at the drop-down menu that provides information, such as if the site has a valid certificate like SSL (verifying that the web address belongs to the company), how many cookies are in use, other site settings, and whether your information is safe when sent to this site.
The protection is pretty good but not perfect since some cybercriminals have been able to replicate these padlocks or take over legitimate sites that have them.
Trust seals, such as the TrustedSite certification, are stamps created by a certificate authority (CA) to confirm the legitimacy of a site. A trust seal tells visitors that they are on a safe site and the company that displays the mark prioritizes cybersecurity. Click on it, and you should be taken to a webpage that verifies the authenticity of the trust seal.
Google’s Safe Browsing technology crawls through billions of web addresses every day on the lookout for unsafe websites. The technology discovers thousands daily — often legitimate sites that have been compromised. Warnings for unsafe sites pop up in your browser and on the Google search engine. You can also search specific URLs to see if a site has been compromised.
It’s worth checking a company on social media to see if they appear to have a genuine following and legitimate posts. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also has suggestions for spotting fake social media accounts, including those on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You should look for:
Another way to test the legitimacy of an online retail store is to check its contact information. Does it have a physical address, phone number, and email contact? Does the email address on the contact page have the company domain name in it, or is it generic (like a Gmail address)? If you send an email, does it get delivered?
Check to see if the e-commerce site looks as if it has been professionally produced or whether it has been thrown together with slapdash results. Are there typos, grammar errors, poor-quality images, and a sloppy design? Does it have a poorly worded return policy or no return policy at all?
All the things that undermine the professional appearance and authenticity of a site should be red flags and convince you that you’re on a scam website.
If the online company is a legitimate website (not a scam site) and has been around for a while, there should be authentic third-party reviews from previous customers. Review sites include Google My Business, Amazon, and Yelp.
If the reviews are uniformly bad, on the other hand, you have another type of problem to confront.
Since virtual shopping is fast becoming the new norm, it’s important to guard against cybercriminals that are increasingly targeting retailers and their customers. A great way to shop with confidence is to use McAfee WebAdvisor, which is available as a free download.
The web browser extension works tirelessly in the background to protect you as you browse and buy. Think of it as a gift to yourself so you can use the internet to its full potential while keeping your information protected.
The post 8 Ways to Know If Online Stores Are Safe and Legit appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Say you’re getting married. You and your partner have booked the venue, made the seating arrangements, trained your dog to be the ring bearer – and everything is running smoothly. You’ve used a trusty wedding planning website to make everything a breeze. Nothing could ruin this day for you! Except, there’s an uninvited guest. They’re not crashing the wedding and making an awkward toast, but they’ve crashed into your wedding planning website account and now have access to your information.
There are many things that could go wrong during wedding planning – some of them out of anyone’s control. Maybe the caterer canceled last minute, or the live band is stuck in traffic. Other things may be easily avoided, but you don’t necessarily see them coming. Like a hacker accessing your wedding website and making fraudulent bank transfers right before your big day.
Zola, a wedding planning site allowing couples to create websites, budgets, and gift registries, confirmed that hackers had managed to access the accounts of some of their users, The Verge reported. Once these accounts were infiltrated, hackers used the linked bank accounts or funds held inside the site to make cash transfers. The main method these cybercriminals used was purchasing gift cards through the user’s account and sending them to their email addresses to avoid being easily traced.
These criminals did not hack the Zola website itself but hacked their users’ accounts with a method called credential stuffing. This is a strategy where hackers take email and password combinations involved in previous breaches of other websites and use them to log into other online profiles.
You may not even know that your information had been breached previously and that cybercriminals now had your logins for a number of different accounts. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself and your information from credential stuffing tactics to stop hackers in their tracks.
Just because you’ve hypothetically grown up and are ready for lifelong commitments doesn’t mean you’ve outgrown those old trusty email addresses and passwords (hello, “basketball4life23”). There’s a level of nostalgia that comes with using the email account that you made in middle school, or maybe you just haven’t gotten around to changing it. However, keeping those old email addresses and logins are doing you more harm than good. Want to make sure that hackers aren’t able to credential stuff your accounts? Here are some trusty tips to keep your information safe.
The best way to know that your old accounts aren’t coming back to haunt you is to make sure those ancient logins are dead and gone. If you don’t remember all the accounts you’ve made and no longer use, don’t sweat it! There are settings through your internet browser that will show you all the accounts and passwords you have saved. A password manager also keeps track of all your credentials, so you don’t have to wrack your brain to try and remember every account you’ve ever made. Once you’ve gone through all your old online accounts you no longer use, close them for good! Though this step will require some time and patience, it’s always better to put in the effort and know your information is safe than to risk it.
Only having to remember one password for every account may make logging in easier, but ensuring that each of your accounts is unique and secure is worth the extra effort. Having a strong and unique password for each of your accounts helps protect them from credential stuffing and other threats. Varying your passwords across online accounts will assure you that if one of them is breached, the others will remain safe. A password manager can also help with this step, because many of them, such as True Key, can generate strong, random, and unique passwords for every account.
Keep an eye out to make sure that if a website or company you have an account with is breached, you are updating your credentials so that hackers can’t access them. If you see that there has been a hack and your information is vulnerable, immediately update your logins and passwords on that account to keep yourself safe.
Using multifactor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts. This safety measure requires more than one method of identity verification to access the account, helping to prevent criminals from gaining access to your password-protected information.
Don’t let cybercriminals get the jump on you! Take the necessary steps to protect your accounts and your personal information. Though combing through your old accounts and deleting them or coming up with a new and unique password for every site login isn’t a glamourous activity, you’ll enjoy greater peace of mind that your accounts are safe, leaving you free to enjoy life’s best moments.
The post Wedding Planning App Users Hacked Before the Big Day appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The great thing about the internet is that there’s room for everyone. The not-so-great part? There’s plenty of room for cybercriminals who are hungry to get their hands on our personal information.
Fortunately, internet scams don’t have to be a part of your online experience. In this article, we’ll tell you about some of the most common internet schemes and how you can recognize them to keep your identity safe.
Scams are scary, but you can prevent yourself from falling for one by knowing what to look for. Here are a few tell-tale signs that you’re dealing with a scammer.
If you get a message that you’ve won a big sum of cash in a sweepstakes you don’t remember entering, it’s a scam. Scammers may tell you that all you need to do to claim your prize is send them a small fee or give them your banking information.
When you enter a real sweepstakes or lottery, it’s generally up to you to contact the organizer to claim your prize. Sweepstakes aren’t likely to chase you down to give you money.
Scammers will often ask you to pay them using gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin), or through a particular money transfer service. Scammers need payments in forms that don’t give consumers protection.
Gift card payments, for example, are typically not reversible and hard to trace. Legitimate organizations will rarely, if ever, ask you to pay using a specific method, especially gift cards.
When you have to make online payments, it’s a good idea to use a secure service like PayPal. Secure payment systems can have features to keep you safe, like end-to-end encryption.
Scammers may try to make you panic by saying you owe money to a government agency and you need to pay them immediately to avoid being arrested. Or the criminal might try to tug at your heartstrings by pretending to be a family member in danger who needs money.
Criminals want you to pay them or give them your information quickly — before you have a chance to think about it. If someone tries to tell you to pay them immediately in a text message, phone call, or email, they’re likely a scammer.
Many scammers pretend to be part of government organizations like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). They’ll claim you owe them money. Criminals can even use technology to make their phone numbers appear legitimate on your caller ID.
If someone claiming to be part of a government organization contacts you, go to that organization’s official site and find an official support number or email. Contact them to verify the information in the initial message.
Scammers may also pretend to be businesses, like your utility company. They’ll likely say something to scare you, like your gas will be turned off if you don’t pay them right away.
Most legitimate organizations will thoroughly proofread any copy or information they send to consumers. Professional emails are well-written, clear, and error-free. On the other hand, scam emails will likely be full of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
It might surprise you to know that scammers write sloppy emails on purpose. The idea is that if the reader is attentive enough to spot the grammatical mistakes, they likely won’t fall for the scam.
There are certain scams that criminals try repeatedly because they’ve worked on so many people. Here are a few of the most common scams you should watch out for.
A phishing scam can be a phone or email scam. The criminal sends a message in which they pretend to represent an organization you know. It directs you to a fraud website that collects your sensitive information, like your passwords, Social Security number (SSN), and bank account data. Once the scammer has your personal information, they can use it for personal gain.
Phishing emails may try anything to get you to click on their fake link. They might claim to be your bank and ask you to log into your account to verify some suspicious activity. Or they could pretend to be a sweepstakes and say you need to fill out a form to claim a large reward.
During the coronavirus pandemic, new phishing scams have emerged, with scammers claiming to be part of various charities and nonprofits. Sites like Charity Navigator can help you discern real groups from fake ones.
These scams also became much more prominent during the pandemic. Let’s say you’re preparing to fly to Paris with your family. A scammer sends you a message offering you an insurance policy on any travel plans you might be making. They’ll claim the policy will compensate you if your travel plans fall through for any reason without any extra charges.
You think it might be a good idea to purchase this type of insurance. Right before leaving for your trip, you have to cancel your plans. You go to collect your insurance money only to realize the insurance company doesn’t exist.
Real travel insurance from a licensed business generally won’t cover foreseeable events (like travel advisories, government turmoil, or pandemics) unless you buy a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) addendum for your policy.
Grandparent scams prey on your instinct to protect your family. The scammer will call or send an email pretending to be a family member in some sort of emergency who needs you to wire them money. The scammer may beg you to act right away and avoid sharing their situation with any other family members.
For example, the scammer might call and say they’re your grandchild who’s been arrested in Mexico and needs money to pay bail. They’ll say they’re in danger and need you to send funds now to save them.
If you get a call or an email from an alleged family member requesting money, take the time to make sure they’re actually who they say they are. Never wire transfer money right away or over the phone. Ask them a question that only the family member would know and verify their story with the rest of your family.
You get an email from a prince. They’ve recently inherited a huge fortune from a member of their royal family. Now, the prince needs to keep their money in an American bank account to keep it safe. If you let them store their money in your bank account, you’ll be handsomely rewarded. You just need to send them a small fee to get the money.
There are several versions of this scam, but the prince iteration is a pretty common one. If you get these types of emails, don’t respond or give out your financial information.
Your online experience is rudely interrupted when a pop-up appears telling you there’s a huge virus on your computer. You need to “act fast” and contact the support phone number on the screen. If you don’t, all of your important data will be erased.
When you call the number, a fake tech support worker asks you for remote access to your device to “fix” the problem. If you give the scammer access to your device, they may steal your personal and financial information or install malware. Worse yet, they’ll probably charge you for it.
These scams can be pretty elaborate. A scam pop-up may even appear to be from a reputable software company. If you see this type of pop-up, don’t respond to it. Instead, try restarting or turning off your device. If the device doesn’t start back up, search for the support number for the device manufacturer and contact them directly.
Scammers will often pose as popular e-commerce companies by creating fake websites. The fake webpages might offer huge deals on social media. They’ll also likely have a URL close to the real business’s URL but slightly different.
Sometimes, a criminal is skilled enough to hack the website of a large online retailer. When a scammer infiltrates a retailer’s website, they can redirect where the links on that site lead. This is called formjacking.
For example, you might go to an e-commerce store to buy a jacket. You find the jacket and put it in your online shopping cart. You click “check out,” and you’re taken to a form that collects your credit card information. What you don’t know is that the checkout form is fake. Your credit card number is going directly to the scammers.
Whenever you’re redirected from a website to make a payment or enter in information, always check the URL. If the form is legitimate, it will have the same URL as the site you were on. A fake form will have a URL that’s close to but not exactly the same as the original site.
These scams are similar to tech support scams. However, instead of urging you to speak directly with a fake tech support person, their goal is to get you to download a fake antivirus software product (scareware).
You’ll see a pop-up that says your computer has a virus, malware, or some other problem. The only way to get rid of the problem is to install the security software the pop-up links to. You think you’re downloading antivirus software that will save your computer.
What you’re actually downloading is malicious software. There are several types of malware. The program might be ransomware that locks up your information until you pay the scammers or spyware that tracks your online activity.
To avoid this scam, never download antivirus software from a pop-up. You’ll be much better off visiting the website of a reputable company, like McAfee, to download antivirus software.
Dealing with credit card debt can be extremely stressful. Scammers know this and try to capitalize off it. They’ll send emails posing as credit experts and tell you they can help you fix your credit or relieve some of your debt. They might even claim they can hide harmful details on your credit report.
All you have to do is pay a small fee. Of course, after you pay the fee, the “credit expert” disappears without helping you out with your credit at all. Generally, legitimate debt settlement firms won’t charge you upfront. If a credit relief company charges you a fee upfront, that’s a red flag.
Before you enter into an agreement with any credit service, check out their reputation. Do an online search on the company to see what you can find. If there’s nothing about the credit repair company online, it’s probably fake.
Admitting that you’ve fallen for an online scam can be embarrassing. But reporting a scammer can help stop them from taking advantage of anyone else. If you’ve been the victim of an online scam, try contacting your local police department and filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Several other law enforcement organizations handle different types of fraud. Here are a few examples of institutions that can help you report scams.
Fraudsters shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your time online. Just by learning to spot an online scam, you can greatly strengthen your immunity to cybercrimes.
For an even greater internet experience, you’ll want the right tools to protect yourself online. McAfee’s Total Protection services can help you confidently surf the web by providing all-in-one protection for your personal info and privacy. This includes identity protection — which comes with 24/7 monitoring of your email addresses and bank accounts — and antivirus software to help safeguard your internet connection.
Get the peace of mind that comes with McAfee having your back.
The post How to Recognize an Online Scammer appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Online banking puts the ability to pay bills, check your balance, or transfer money at your fingertips. Unfortunately, it can also make you vulnerable to scammers who may try to trick you into giving them access to your account.
By remaining vigilant, though, you can avoid common scams. This article discusses mobile banking scams and how to avoid them.
Online banking can be super convenient — for both you and cybercriminals. And hackers may use a variety of tactics to gain access to your accounts. Most of these involve tricking you into giving them your account information.
With this type of online scam, fraudsters may send a text message or email that looks like it’s from your bank. Often, the message will ask for immediate action, such as confirming your information to keep the account from being closed.
The message might even include a link to the bank, but it actually goes to a fraudulent website designed to look like the bank’s website. When you enter your account information, the scammers record it.
Sometimes, the email asks you to call a fake customer service number. If you do, you’ll speak to someone who tries to get you to give over sensitive information, like your date of birth or Social Security number (SSN).
Occasionally, scammers already have some of your personal information. To gain your trust, they might mention personal details like your date of birth or the last four digits of your SSN. They may have learned this information from your social media posts or accessed it in a data breach.
Another way hackers may try to access your bank account is to steal or guess your password. If they can log into your account, they can use your sensitive information for personal gain, otherwise known as identity theft. They can then open credit card accounts in your name, purchase merchandise, or transfer money out of your account.
Cybercriminals use technology to guess billions of passwords per second. However, it’s more difficult to guess long passwords with a combination of letters and numbers.
For example, a computer can instantly guess a password consisting of eight letters. Adding one uppercase letter extends the time it takes to crack a password to 22 minutes. In contrast, a 12-character password with an uppercase letter, a number, and a symbol would take the computer 34,000 years to crack.
When you click a link or attachment in an email or download fake antivirus software, your device can become infected with malicious software or malware. A virus can let hackers view data from your device and use it to access your financial information or bank accounts.
Consider getting antivirus software to help protect your devices, like what’s offered through McAfee Total Protection. Our award-winning antivirus software provides 24/7 real-time threat protection against online threats like malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing, across Apple and Android systems.
Public Wi-Fi gives you convenient, free access to the internet in restaurants, airports, and department stores. But it can also be easy for hackers to see your private information on an open network that doesn’t require a password.
If you log into your online bank account, your login information could be exposed, making you vulnerable to bank fraud. Shopping online with public Wi-Fi could also expose your credit card information.
Fortunately, you can protect yourself from cybercriminals with sensible precautions and a healthy dose of suspicion. Use the tips below to help safeguard your accounts from online banking scams.
McAfee Total Protection provides all-in-one protection for your personal information and privacy. You’ll have coverage for all of your laptops, tablets, and smartphones on most operating systems — Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS. In addition to premium antivirus software, you get identity monitoring and a secure VPN that shields your data when using public Wi-Fi.
You can better recognize phishing emails once you understand how banks communicate with customers. There are certain things legitimate banks never do. If you get a message like that, assume it’s fraudulent. Some other tips include:
At some point, almost everyone has used the same password for different websites. But this is one of the simplest ways for hackers to get into your accounts. If they figure out the password for one, they can sometimes access your other accounts.
The most common passwords are:
Use unique passwords for each website. They should be 12 characters long and include numbers, lowercase letters, uppercase letters, and symbols. McAfee Total Protection includes a password manager to help generate and store your passwords in a single location.
If you get an email about an issue with your bank account, you can always go directly to your bank’s website. Don’t click any links in a text or email — just go directly to your bank’s website to check your account. Similarly, if you get a phone call, dial your bank directly using the official telephone number.
Use two-factor authentication when logging into websites for your financial institutions. You’ll get a one-time code by text or email to use each time you log into your account.
When you log onto public Wi-Fi, anyone can see your internet activity. For that reason, you shouldn’t log into your bank account with public Wi-Fi unless you’re using a virtual private network (VPN).
McAfee Secure VPN protects your privacy by turning on automatically for unsecured networks. Your data is encrypted so it can’t be read by prying eyes. The VPN also keeps your online activity and physical location private and secure from advertisers.
Review your bank statements carefully each month to ensure there are no unauthorized transactions. Contact your bank immediately if you see any payments or withdrawals that you don’t recognize.
Being vigilant and understanding how scammers work can help you avoid online banking scams. For an additional layer of security, use McAfee Total Protection. Our comprehensive cybersecurity services protect all of your devices with award-winning antivirus, a secure VPN for safe Wi-Fi connections, and advanced identity monitoring. There’s even a team of security experts available to assist you around the clock.
With McAfee, you can bank online with ease knowing your personal data is secure.
The post Types of Online Banking Scams and How to Avoid Them appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It’s difficult to imagine what life was like before the internet. We log in daily to pay bills, shop, watch movies, and check out what friends and family are up to on social media. While the internet has made life easier, we may not consider how our online activities can make personal information — such as our Social Security numbers (SSNs) or bank account and credit card numbers — vulnerable to cybercriminals on the dark web.
Fortunately, you can find out if your information is on the dark web and keep tabs on your sensitive information with extensive dark web monitoring, offered through McAfee’s Identity Protection services.
This article explains what the dark web is, how to find out if personal details have reached the dark web, and how to protect your sensitive information.
Unlike the surface web we use for things like shopping and online banking, the dark web is part of the internet that’s not indexed by search engines. It can only be accessed with special web browsers. A few widely known networks include Tor, I2P, and Riffle.
Cybercriminals can browse, sell, or trade on dark websites with confidence and complete anonymity. Because of its highly layered encryption system, hackers can communicate without giving away their location, IP address, or identity.
Data can end up on the dark web in several ways, including through data breaches, using public Wi-Fi, visiting a nonsecure website, and leaving an offline paper trail.
A cybercriminal may hack into company databases and take personal data, such as email account addresses, passwords, and phone numbers. And while we all love to work at our favorite coffee shop, using an unsecured Wi-Fi network can leave our personal information in public view.
That’s why using a virtual private network (VPN) like McAfee Secure VPN, which comes with bank-grade encryption to scramble your data, can be a good idea. You’ll also only want to visit encrypted webpages when browsing online — keep an eye out for URLs beginning with HTTPS rather than HTTP. The “S” means added security for you. Lastly, shred paper containing your personal information or lock it away until you can.
With identity monitoring through McAfee Identity Protection, you’ll receive notifications if we find your personal information on the dark web. Our extensive monitoring service keeps tabs on up to 60 unique types of personal data and can notify you up to 10 months sooner than similar services. Plus, you get peace of mind with up to $1 million of ID theft coverage and hands-on restoration support to help reclaim your identity after identity theft.
While you can’t remove your information once it’s on the dark web, there are plenty of steps you can take to help protect yourself and prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands. You can:
No one wants their information to end up on the dark web. Fortunately, you can do a few things to minimize your risk of exposure. Here are some tips you can use to keep your data safe.
Identity protection software from McAfee can help keep your information out of the hands of cybercriminals. Some features of McAfee identity protection include expert security support, award-winning antivirus protection, a password manager, and firewall protection. Choose the plan that works best for you and keep tabs on your personal information.
This extra layer of security double-checks your identity when signing into an online account. You enter your password as usual and a unique six-digit, one-time code is sent to a trusted device via text. This added step can help improve the security of your personal information.
When creating or updating your account passwords, make sure to choose ones that are difficult to guess. Avoid using a pet’s name, your name, or other personal information that others can guess. It goes without saying, but don’t share any of your passwords.
Shared content can tell a lot about someone. Have you ever shared the make and model of your first car, your favorite movie or band, or your high school graduation year? This information helps unsavory characters figure out online passwords and security questions.
There are a lot of cool apps out there, and many are harmless. However, some may request access to your location, photos, contact list, and even microphone. Certain apps, especially those filled with malware, can then collect your data and share it with others. Fortunately, Android devices and Apple iPhones allow you to change your permission settings for apps.
With so many emails arriving in our inboxes, we may not always pay close attention to what we’re opening. However, scammers may use phishing emails in an attempt to access your personal information. Sometimes, these emails are obvious, but they can also look legit and appear as a trusted company, such as your bank or credit card company. If something seems amiss, such as a billing error or an invoice, log in through the company’s website rather than click links inside the email.
No one wants their information on the dark web. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to keep your personal information secure, including all-in-one protection from McAfee.
McAfee Total Protection comes with advanced identity monitoring, which provides faster and broader detection for your identity, plus premium antivirus software, safe browsing, and Secure VPN.
With easy setup and extensive monitoring, you can maintain your digital identity and gain peace of mind.
The post A Guide to Finding Out If Your Information Is on the Dark Web appeared first on McAfee Blog.
If you’re like most people, you probably use your computer for most of your online activities. It’s amazing what the internet can do to make our lives easier. But if you’ve spent any time online, you know the internet also comes with some risks.
Malware (or malicious software) is one risk of living a connected life. Whether it comes from infected websites, innocent-looking email attachments, or applications and tools you think you can trust, malware can expose your private information to cybercriminals who may use it for personal gain.
If you suspect that malicious software has infected your device, it’s important to remove it quickly to protect yourself.
Though dealing with malware can be scary, there are a few things you can do. This article will explain how malware can infect devices and how you can remove it from them.
There are many types of malware, which do their work in different ways. They can include viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more.
Some common ways that Windows PCs, Macs, tablets, and smartphones can get infected include:
Malware can affect you in a variety of ways. For example, malware can allow hackers to steal your private information, uncover passwords, cause financial issues for you or your company, delete files, and render your device unusable.
Malware can also move from your computer to other devices, so you may unwittingly infect friends, family, or co-workers. It can gobble up your computer’s memory, slow its operation to a snail’s pace, and more.
For these reasons, it’s a good idea to find out how to remove malware and learn to protect yourself from it in the first place.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Information points out some ways to know if malware has infected your device, including if it:
If you think your computer, smartphone or tablet has been infected by malware, the first step is to stop shopping, banking, and doing other things online that involve usernames, passwords, or other sensitive information until you have the problem resolved.
If you don’t have an antivirus program on your device, it’s a good idea to get one. McAfee’s antivirus software provides award-winning protection for your data and devices. It’s important to get antivirus software from a trusted name because some malware can even masquerade as security software.
It’s also important to make sure that your operating system for your different devices and applications are up to date. Older programs and apps might not have the latest security features — cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways to get people’s information — and outdated software can have a harder time fighting off infection.
Once your cybersecurity software is in place, you should:
If you have a PC with Windows 10 or 11, you already benefit from free virus threat protection with Microsoft Windows Defender. Windows Defender, or built-in Microsoft security, compares new files and programs against a database of known malware. It keeps an eye out for signs that an attack is underway, such as the encryption of key files.
Defender can run in active, passive, and disabled mode. In active mode, it’s the primary antivirus app on the device. This means the program will scan files, remedy any threats, and show detected threats in your organization’s security reports and in the Windows Security app.
Microsoft Defender will automatically turn off if you have another antivirus app installed and turned on. Microsoft Defender will turn back on automatically if you uninstall the other app.
In passive mode, Microsoft Defender isn’t used as the primary antivirus app on the device. It’ll scan files and report any threats but it won’t remedy those threats. Finally, Microsoft Windows can’t detect or address threats if it is disabled or uninstalled.
You can run quick and advanced scans in Windows Security. If you’re worried that a specific file or folder has been compromised, you can also run a manual scan by:
You’ll see the scan results and options for dealing with any potential threats.
Microsoft Defender is also available to protect Android smartphones from viruses and malware. It can also help against phishing and phishing and scans your Android device automatically to track and identify potentially unwanted, and dangerous, applications on your device.
Apple users, as well, have built-in antivirus software to help detect and fight off malware. Malware is commonly distributed across macOS systems by being embedded in a harmless-looking app.
Luckily, settings in Security & Privacy preferences allow you to designate the sources of software installed on your Mac. Just follow these steps:
Apple iPads and iPhones have strong built-in security and privacy protections, so it is up to the user on whether or not they want to install antivirus for additional malware protections. Apple boasts a “walled-garden” approach–meaning that their operating system is closed to outside apps and games not affiliated with their official app store unless you jailbreak the device.
Remember that while cybersecurity features built into devices are a great starting point, they’re not always comprehensive. That’s where antivirus software, like McAfee Total Protection, can help. It offers continuous protection against malware, viruses, phishing, ransomware, and other online threats. It also automatically updates so you don’t need to worry about manual upgrades.
The security software also includes alerts before you connect to risky websites and offers one-click fixes to help you stay safe online.
Antivirus software like McAfee works to block malware from infecting your computer, smartphone, or tablet. If malware somehow does get through, it can act as a powerful malware scanner by searching every file on your device for infections.
It can troubleshoot, look for vulnerabilities, and compile a list of infected software that can be quarantined (or isolated) to prevent it from doing harm and deleted at the end of the virus scan using removal tools.
McAfee’s anti-malware software updates its virus database by using an automatic web crawler that scans the internet, identifies online threats like malicious software, and figures out how to delete them.
McAfee antivirus uses this data to automatically update your device’s protective set-upl, providing strong protection so nothing harmful gets in.
Besides desktop computers, McAfee provides mobile security for both Android and Apple devices. For example, when you use your iPhone or Android phone on a public Wi-Fi system, McAfee’s Wi-Fi privacy protection (VPN) in effect turns the public network into a private one, where you can surf safely. Of course, its antivirus app regularly scans for threats and malware while actively blocking them in real time, keeping your mobile devices protected.
McAfee offers a variety of plans tailored to fit your needs and budget so your computer and other devices — including Android smartphones, Apple iPhones, and various tablets — are protected from malware and other online threats.
McAfee is a leader in consumer security, and our antivirus software is used on more than 6 million devices. It’s easy to install and use, provides 24/7 real-time threat protection, and comes with a Virus Pledge — a money-back guarantee that it’ll remove all viruses from your protected devices.
You can get antivirus software as part of McAfee’s Total Protection services. This includes all-in-one protection for your personal info and privacy, with identity restoration assistance and up to $1 million of identity theft coverage for data breaches. You also have access to identity monitoring, safe browsing, and a secure VPN.
With McAfee, you can turn apprehension about malware into the peace of mind that comes from proper protection.
The post How to Quickly Remove Malware in 2022 appeared first on McAfee Blog.
If your PC runs on Windows 10, you’re in very good company. The Microsoft operating system is the most widely used OS in the world. Many Windows 10 users have also been upgraded to Windows 11 through a rollout that began in 2021. Microsoft plans to complete the Windows update by mid-2022.
Unfortunately, its success as a widely used operating system makes Windows attractive to hackers. And if malicious software like malware can make a home in Windows, there are a lot of targets. So, this might raise the question of how best to protect your Windows 10 or 11 device.
Should you just use Windows Defender — Microsoft’s free version of antivirus software — or buy additional protection?
Read on to learn what Microsoft Defender covers and how additional virus protection can secure all of your connected devices.
For years, Microsoft has offered anti-malware protection, but the current version provides effective security against viruses. Windows Defender is a free antivirus tool that’s built into the Windows operating system.
While it’s considered one of the best free antivirus software programs, it doesn’t have any extra features that might come with paid security software. If you’re just looking for good antivirus software, though, Windows Defender can get the job done.
If you’re not using third-party antivirus protection, you’ll want to make sure that your Windows Defender antivirus coverage is working on your computer. Here’s how to check:
To make sure your Windows security is running, follow these steps:
With built-in coverage, you may wonder if you should invest in paid antivirus software. The answer is, of course, yes! It can be a good idea to get another antivirus solution because blocking malware and viruses should just be one part of your threat protection.
Today’s cybercriminals are using elaborate ruses to try to access your personal information, such as your bank and credit card numbers. And some of their scams might even target your devices with risky apps or links on social media.
As they always say, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Having another antivirus program can make sure you have real-time protection and access to the latest security features.
There are a lot of antivirus protection programs out there, but they aren’t all created equal. When looking for the best antivirus software for your needs, here are some things to consider for your devices running on Windows 10 or 11.
If you have a Windows PC, use an iPhone, and your tablet runs on Chrome, it helps to have an antivirus app that works across multiple operating systems. The good news is that McAfee Total Protection is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, so you can continue enjoying all of your different devices without losing protection.
For greater cybersecurity, antivirus software should defend against a variety of online threats like viruses, spyware, and ransomware. And that’s exactly what you get with McAfee Total Protection. Our antivirus software can also help you avoid phishing attacks, which are fake messages to trick you into providing information or clicking a malicious link. The software will give you a warning when it recognizes a risky link, website, or file.
Functionality is another thing you’ll want to consider when looking for antivirus software. If the program isn’t easy to use to begin with — especially if you want to easily manage multiple devices — what good will it do you?
But you don’t have to worry with McAfee Total Protection, which allows you to connect and manage all of your computers and mobile devices from one single dashboard.
To keep your devices free from online threats like malware, good antivirus software will scan your files for threats. McAfee Total Protection provides 24/7 protection with real-time, on-demand, and scheduled scanning of files and applications.
McAfee Total Protection was developed with an understanding of how cybercriminals operate. Scammers may use a variety of tactics to try to steal your personal information, so our all-in-one protection also includes:
Using Microsoft’s built-in antivirus software can protect your Windows devices from viruses and malware. But to really keep your network and all of your devices secure, it’s good to rely on comprehensive protection like McAfee Total Protection. With services like identity monitoring, safe browsing, and a secure VPN, you can enjoy the internet without worry.
The post Does Windows 10 or 11 Need Antivirus Software? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The growing number of internet crimes targeting senior adults is mind-blowing.
In 2021, more than 92,000 people over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion, according to IC3, the FBI’s Internet Crime division. That number reflects a 74 percent increase in losses from 2020.
These numbers tell us a few things. They tell us that scamming the elderly is a multi-billion-dollar business for cybercriminals. It also tells us that regardless of how shoddy or obvious online scams may appear to anyone outside the senior community, they are working.
However, information is power. Senior adults can protect their hard-earned retirement funds and government benefits by staying informed, adopting new behaviors, and putting tools in place designed to stop scammers in their tracks. And, when possible, family, friends, and caregivers can help.
The FBI said confidence fraud and romance scams netted over $281 million in losses.
The top four types of scams targeting seniors: Romance scams (confidence scams), fake online shopping, false utility representatives, and government agent imposters. Here’s how to make a few shifts to mindset and your daily routine and steer clear of digital deception.
Just as the seasons change in our lives, so too must our behaviors when connecting to people and information via our devices. Cybercriminals target older people because they assume they aren’t as informed about schemes or technically savvy as younger people. Senior adults and their loved ones can work daily to change that narrative. With the right mindset, information, and tools, seniors can connect online with confidence and enjoy their golden years without worrying about digital deception.
The post Seniors: How to Keep Your Retirement Safe from Online Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
This blog was also published by APNIC.
With so much traffic on the global internet day after day, it’s not always easy to spot the occasional irregularity. After all, there are numerous layers of complexity that go into the serving of webpages, with multiple companies, agencies and organizations each playing a role.
That’s why when something does catch our attention, it’s important that the various entities work together to explore the cause and, more importantly, try to identify whether it’s a malicious actor at work, a glitch in the process or maybe even something entirely intentional.
That’s what occurred last year when Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers staff and contractors were analyzing names in Domain Name System queries seen at the ICANN Managed Root Server, and the analysis program ran out of memory for one of their data files. After some investigating, they found the cause to be a very large number of mysterious queries for unique names such as f863zvv1xy2qf.surgery, bp639i-3nirf.hiphop, qo35jjk419gfm.net and yyif0aijr21gn.com.
While these were queries for names in existing top-level domains, the first label consisted of 12 or 13 random-looking characters. After ICANN shared their discovery with the other root server operators, Verisign took a closer look to help understand the situation.
One of the first things we noticed was that all of these mysterious queries were of type NS and came from one autonomous system network, AS 15169, assigned to Google LLC. Additionally, we confirmed that it was occurring consistently for numerous TLDs. (See Fig. 1)
Although this phenomenon was newly uncovered, analysis of historical data showed these traffic patterns actually began in late 2019. (See Fig. 2)
Perhaps the most interesting discovery, however, was that these specific query names were not also seen at the .com and .net name servers operated by Verisign. The data in Figure 3 shows the fraction of queried names that appear at A-root and J-root and also appear on the .com and .net name servers. For second-level labels of 12 and 13 characters, this fraction is essentially zero. The graphs also show that there appears to be queries for names with second-level label lengths of 10 and 11 characters, which are also absent from the TLD data.
The final mysterious aspect to this traffic is that it deviated from our normal expectation of caching. Remember that these are queries to a root name server, which returns a referral to the delegated name servers for a TLD. For example, when a root name server receives a query for yyif0aijr21gn.com, the response is a list of the name servers that are authoritative for the .com zone. The records in this response have a time to live of two days, meaning that the recursive name server can cache and reuse this data for that amount of time.
However, in this traffic we see queries for .com domain names from AS 15169 at the rate of about 30 million per day. (See Fig. 4) It is well known that Google Public DNS has thousands of backend servers and limits TTLs to a maximum of six hours. Assuming 4,000 backend servers each cached a .com referral for six hours, we might expect about 16,000 queries over a 24-hour period. The observed count is about 2,000 times higher by this back-of-the-envelope calculation.
From our initial analysis, it was unclear if these queries represented legitimate end-user activity, though we were confident that source IP address spoofing was not involved. However, since the query names shared some similarities to those used by botnets, we could not rule out malicious activity.
These findings were presented last year at the DNS-OARC 35a virtual meeting. In the conference chat room after the talk, the missing piece of this puzzle was mentioned by a conference participant. There is a Google webpage describing its public DNS service that talks about prepending nonce (i.e., random) labels for cache misses to increase entropy. In what came to be known as “the Kaminsky Attack,” an attacker can cause a recursive name server to emit queries for names chosen by the attacker. Prepending a nonce label adds unpredictability to the queries, making it very difficult to spoof a response. Note, however, that nonce prepending only works for queries where the reply is a referral.
In addition, Google DNS has implemented a form of query name minimization (see RFC 7816 and RFC 9156). As such, if a user requests the IP address of www.example.com and Google DNS decides this warrants a query to a root name server, it takes the name, strips all labels except for the TLD and then prepends a nonce string, resulting in something like u5vmt7xanb6rf.com. A root server’s response to that query is identical to one using the original query name.
Now, we are able to explain nearly all of the mysterious aspects of this query traffic from Google. We see random second-level labels because of the nonce strings that are designed to prevent spoofing. The 12- and 13-character-long labels are most likely the result of converting a 64-bit random value into an unpadded ASCII label with encoding similar to Base32. We don’t observe the same queries at TLD name servers because of both the nonce prepending and query name minimization. The query type is always NS because of query name minimization.
With that said, there’s still one aspect that eludes explanation: the high query rate (2000x for .com) and apparent lack of caching. And so, this aspect of the mystery continues.
Even though we haven’t fully closed the books on this case, one thing is certain: without the community’s teamwork to put the pieces of the puzzle together, explanations for this strange traffic may have remained unknown today. The case of the mysterious DNS root query traffic is a perfect example of the collaboration that’s required to navigate today’s ever-changing cyber environment. We’re grateful and humbled to be part of such a dedicated community that is intent on ensuring the security, stability and resiliency of the internet, and we look forward to more productive teamwork in the future.
The post More Mysterious DNS Root Query Traffic from a Large Cloud/DNS Operator appeared first on Verisign Blog.
Congratulations! You reached 10,000 steps today!
It’s a great feeling when a wearable fitness device vibrates to let you know when you hit the day’s fitness goal. The digital fireworks display that lights up your watch’s screen is a signal that you should keep on moving to challenge yourself more … or spend the rest of the day on the couch guilt-free.
While fitness wearable devices, trackers, and apps are excellent motivators for you, cybercriminals love them for their vulnerabilities and privacy loopholes. This doesn’t mean you have to chuck your expensive watch in the bin or delete your fitness apps from your smartphone. Awareness and smart habits go a long way in deterring cybercriminals. Keep reading to learn more about wearable technology vulnerabilities and how you can sidestep each.
Many fitness tracker apps and wearables are equipped with GPS. At the end of a run or long walk, you can view your exact route, sometimes with detailed maps that show street and town names. This tracking feature was potentially dangerous back in 2018 when a fitness app released a heat map of all its users’ running routes for the year, which clearly outlined secret military bases.1
Even if you’re stationed in a suburb and not hostile territory, you may consider the risks of sharing your location data. A determined criminal who has time to spare can guess your address and see the times of days when you’re commonly out at the gym or on a run.
When you purchase a wearable fitness device, you often have to pair it with an accompanying smartphone app to see your daily stats and tailor your fitness goals. Think about all the personally identifiable information (PII) that app now houses: your full name, password, address, height, weight, location, medical concerns, daily activity patterns, etc. In the hands of a cybercriminal, this information can bring a nefarious actor one step closer to impersonating you. Plus, if your health data makes it onto the dark web or is sold to health companies, it may result in serious privacy concerns.
Luckily, there are ways to get peace of mind about the security of your identity. Identity protection services, such as McAfee Identity Monitoring Service, provide expert identity theft support and up to $1 million in identity theft coverage.
Wearable devices complement any athleisure outfit and are a fun way to inspire athletic competition between a group of friends. Here are a few ways you can patch some of their security shortcomings:
When you first purchase any new device, fitness trackers included, your first step should always be to reset the factory password. Cybercriminals know that many people often skip this step, making it easy for them to walk right into new accounts. If you have a hard time remembering your passwords, consider entrusting them to a password manager to remember them for you. McAfee True Key makes it so that you only have to remember one master password to unlock the rest, and it’s protected by one of the strongest encryption algorithms available.
This is a tip you should consider for all your social media accounts. When you post about your life online, you actually divulge a lot of personal details that are helpful to cybercriminals. In the case of fitness trackers and apps, sharing the times of day when you go to the gym, are at the local track, or are on a bike path may give a criminal an idea of windows during the day when your home is empty. It’s unsettling to think that strangers can track your whereabouts, so it’s best to keep those details exclusive to people you personally know and trust.
In the case of fitness trackers and apps, a savvy cybercriminal may be able take an educated guess at your address, with which they can do a myriad of nefarious activities. Some running and fitness apps may be able to still create maps of your running routes but erase street names and other landmarks to make it more private. But when in doubt, turn off geolocation.
Fitness trackers are a fun way to stir up some friendly competition, keep connected with your fit friends, and motivate yourself to exercise and maintain healthy habits. While you’re shopping for a new device or when evaluating your current tracker, keep these tips in mind to enjoy this technology to its fullest.
The post Why You Should Care About Fitness Tracker Security appeared first on McAfee Blog.
There were multiple times during my digital parenting journey when I would have loved to put my head in the sand. Pretend that life was easy and that my kids weren’t going to grow up and want devices and to join social media. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. With four kids who had technology running through their veins, I had no choice but to embrace it.
While many kids will first experience the internet from a family laptop or via their parent’s phone at a coffee shop (we’ve all done it), it’s when they get these devices into their hot little hands unsupervised a few years down the track that the real show starts. And that’s usually when they get access to a phone. Research from our eSafety Office shows that just under half of Aussie kids between 6 and 13 use a smartphone with about 1/3 owning their own device.
And while we can all wax lyrical about the good old days when we used payphones and how great it would be if our kids didn’t have smartphones, we need to keep it real. Technology is not going anywhere so the best thing we can to accept it’s here, educates our kids about how to use it safely and introduce boundaries and rules to ensure they are as safe as possible.
So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the concept of a family technology contract – a great way to manage your kids and their tech use.
I like to think of a tech agreement as a clear outline of your expectations of your kids’ digital behavior – any behavior that occurs while using a device should be included in the agreement and yes, include TV here too! Now, before we progress, I have to share one key tip – don’t even think of putting together an agreement like this when tensions are high, or a heated argument is still in place – it will never work. Only talk about this or start working on it when you are in a calm and serene headspace.
The most important thing is to have an agreement that is suitable for your kids’ ages and maturity and one that works for your family’s schedule. There’s no point making your 5-year-old sign an agreement that limits their time on Instagram when they’re probably quite happy visiting only the online sites that you have ‘bookmarked’ for them. And if your kids have a super busy schedule then you might want to include a rule that means there is no ‘leisure screen time’ (eg TV/movie viewing) till all homework is complete.
While it’s entirely based on your kids’ interests and tech usage, I think 3 is a good age to start with a basic agreement. That’s when they start understanding rules. And how old is too old for a tech contract, I hear you ask? Well, I acknowledge that introducing new rules and boundaries when your kids are well into their teens may be difficult however if things feel out of control and you are concerned about their mental health and less than ideal digital habits then it may also be exactly what you all need!
Keeping an agreement age-appropriate and relevant is essential. You may also want to keep it simple and focus on a few key things, such as:
But it can include so much more. Here are some items you may choose to include in your own personalized version. Think of this list as a shopping list. Simply, pick & choose what works for the ages of your kids and your family’s structure.
Online Behaviour
I understand that access to my devices is a privilege and breaking this agreement will lead to the following consequences: (list what you feel is appropriate)
I would have all parties sign and date the agreement: both parents and kids. You may choose to keep a copy on the fridge? Again, whatever works for your situation.
So, if you are feeling like this digital parenting thing is getting the better of you, please consider introducing an agreement. For decades, parenting experts have written about the virtues of establishing clear boundaries for our kids and in my opinion, a tailored family tech agreement absolutely does that!
Good luck!!
Alex x
The post Why You Need to Get a Family Technology Agreement Happening appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As millions of people around the world practice social distancing and work their office jobs from home, video conferencing has quickly become the new norm. Whether you’re attending regular work meetings, partaking in a virtual happy hour with friends, or catching up with extended family across the globe, video conferencing is a convenient alternative to many of the activities we can no longer do in real life. But as the rapid adoption of video conferencing tools and apps occurs, is security falling by the wayside?
One security vulnerability that has recently made headlines is the ability for uninvited attendees to bombard users’ virtual meetings. How? According to Forbes, many users have posted their meeting invite links on social media sites like Twitter. An attacker can simply click on one of these links and interrupt an important conference call or meeting with inappropriate content.
Online conferencing tools allow users to hold virtual meetings and share files via chat. But according to Security Boulevard, communicating confidential business information quickly and privately can be challenging with these tools. For example, users are not always immediately available, even when working from home. In fact, many parents are simultaneously doubling as working parents and teachers with the recent closure of schools and childcare providers. If a user needs to share private information with a coworker but they are unable to connect by video or phone, they might revert to using a messaging platform that lacks end-to-end encryption, a feature that prevents third-party recipients from seeing private messages. This could lead to leaks or unintended sharing of confidential data, whether personal or corporate. What’s more, the lack of using a secure messaging platform could present a hacker with an opportunity to breach a victim’s data or device. Depending on the severity of this type of breach, a victim could be at risk of identity theft.
With the recent surge of new video conferencing users, privacy policies have been placed under a microscope. According to WIRED, some online conferencing tools have had to update their policies to reflect the collection of user information and meeting content used for advertising or other marketing efforts. Another privacy concern was brought to light by a video conferencing tool’s attention-tracking feature. This alerts the virtual meeting host when an attendee hasn’t had the meeting window in their device foreground for 30 seconds, resulting in users feeling that their privacy has been compromised.
As users become accustomed to working from home, video conferencing tools will continue to become a necessary avenue for virtual communication. But how can users do so while putting their online security first? Follow these tips to help ensure that your virtual meetings are safeguarded:
There are plenty of video conferencing tools available online. Before downloading the first one you see, do your research and check for possible security vulnerabilities around the tools. Does the video conferencing tool you’re considering use end-to-end encryption? This ensures that only meeting participants have the ability to decrypt secure meeting content. Additionally, be sure to read the privacy policies listed by the video conferencing programs to find the one that is the most secure and fits your needs.
To ensure that only invited attendees can access your meeting, make sure they are password protected. For maximum safety, activate passwords for new meetings, instant meetings, personal meetings, and people joining by phone.
To keep users (either welcome or unwelcome) from taking control of your screen while you’re video conferencing, select the option to block everyone except the host (you) from screen sharing.
By turning on automatic updates, you are guaranteed to have all the latest security patches and enhancements for your video conferencing tool as soon as they become available.
The post How Secure Is Video Conferencing? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
By Oliver Devane
Update: In the past 24 hours (from time of publication) McAfee has identified 15 more scam sites bringing the total to 26. The combined value of the wallets shared on these sites is over $1,300,000 which is an increase of roughly $1,000,000 since this blog was last published. This highlights the scale of this current scam campaign. The table within this blog has been updated to include the new sites and crypto-wallets.
McAfee has identified several Youtube channels which were live-streaming a modified version of a live stream called ‘The B Word’ where Elon Musk, Cathie Wood, and Jack Dorsey discuss various aspects of cryptocurrency.
The modified live streams make the original video smaller and put a frame around it advertising malicious sites that it claims will double the amount of cryptocurrency you send them. As the topic of the video is on cryptocurrency it adds some legitimacy to the websites being advertised.
The original video is shown below on the left and a modified one which includes a reference to a scam site is shown on the right.
We identified several different streams occurring at a similar same time. The images of some are shown below:
The YouTube streams advertised several sites which shared a similar theme. They claim to send cryptocurrency worth double the value which they’ve received. For example, if you send 1BTC you will receive 2BTC in return. One of the site‘s frequently asked questions (FAQ) is shown below:
Here are some more examples of the scam sites we discovered:
The sites attempt to trick the visitors into thinking that others are sending cryptocurrency to it by showing a table with recent transactions. This is fake and is generated by JavaScript which creates random crypto wallets and amounts and then adds these to the table.
The wallets associated with the malicious sites have received a large number of transactions with a combined value of $280,000 as of 5 PM UTC on the 5th of May 2022
| Scam Site | Crypto Type | Wallet | Value as on 5PM UTC 5th May 2022 |
| 22ark-invest[.]org | ETH | 0x820a78D8e0518fcE090A9D16297924dB7941FD4f | $25,726.46 |
| 22ark-invest[.]org | BTC | 1Q3r1TzwCwQbd1dZzVM9mdFKPALFNmt2WE | $29,863.78 |
| 2xEther[.]com | ETH | 0x5081d1eC9a1624711061C75dB9438f207823E694 | $2,748.50 |
| 2x-musk[.]net | ETH | 0x18E860308309f2Ab23b5ab861087cBd0b65d250A | $10,409.13 |
| 2x-musk[.]net | BTC | 17XfgcHCfpyYMFdtAWYX2QcksA77GnbHN9 | $4,779.47 |
| arkinvest22[.]net | ETH | 0x2605dF183743587594A3DBC5D99F12BB4F19ac74 | $11,810.57 |
| arkinvest22[.]net | BTC | 1GLRZZHK2fRrywVUEF83UkqafNV3GnBLha | $5,976.80 |
| doublecrypto22[.]com | ETH | 0x12357A8e2e6B36dd6D98A2aed874D39c960eC174 | $0.00 |
| doublecrypto22[.]com | BTC | 1NKajgogVrRYQjJEQY2BcvZmGn4bXyEqdY | $0.00 |
| elonnew[.]com | ETH | 0xAC9275b867DAb0650432429c73509A9d156922Dd | $0.00 |
| elonnew[.]com | BTC | 1DU2H3dWXbUA9mKWuZjbqqHuGfed7JyqXu | $0.00 |
| elontoday[.]org | ETH | 0xBD73d147970BcbccdDe3Dd9340827b679e70d9d4 | $18,442.96 |
| elontoday[.]org | BTC | bc1qas66cgckep3lrkdrav7gy8xvn7cg4fh4d7gmw5 | $0.00 |
| Teslabtc22[.]com | ETH | 0x9B857C44C500eAf7fAfE9ed1af31523d84CB5bB0 | $27,386.69 |
| Teslabtc22[.]com | BTC | 18wJeJiu4MxDT2Ts8XJS665vsstiSv6CNK | $17,609.62 |
| tesla-eth[.]org | ETH | 0x436F1f89c00f546bFEf42F8C8d964f1206140c64 | $5,841.84 |
| tesla-eth[.]org | BTC | 1CHRtrHVB74y8Za39X16qxPGZQ12JHG6TW | $132.22 |
| teslaswell[.]com | ETH | 0x7007Fa3e7dB99686D337C87982a07Baf165a3C1D | $9.43 |
| teslaswell[.]com | BTC | bc1qdjma5kjqlf7l6fcug097s9mgukelmtdf6nm20v | $0.00 |
| twittergive[.]net | ETH | 0xB8e257C18BbEC93A596438171e7E1E77d18671E5 | $25,918.90 |
| twittergive[.]net | BTC | 1EX3dG9GUNVxoz6yiPqqoYMQw6SwQUpa4T | $99,123.42 |
Scammers have been using social media sites such as Twitter and Youtube to attempt to trick users into parting ways with their cryptocurrency for the past few years. McAfee urges its customers to be vigilant and if something sounds too good to be true then it is most likely not legitimate.
Our customers are protected against the malicious sites detailed in this blog as they are blocked with McAfee Web Advisor
| Type | Value | Product | Blocked |
| URL – Crypto Scam | twittergive[.]net | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | tesla-eth[.]org | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | 22ark-invest[.]org | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | 2xEther[.]com | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | Teslabtc22[.]com | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | elontoday[.]org | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | elonnew[.]com | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | teslaswell[.]com | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | 2x-musk[.]net | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | doublecrypto22[.]com | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
| URL – Crypto Scam | arkinvest22[.]net | McAfee WebAdvisor | YES |
The post Crypto Scammers Exploit: Elon Musk Speaks on Cryptocurrency appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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Whether you think you might have a virus on your computer or devices, or just want to keep them running smoothly, it’s easy to do a virus scan. How to check for viruses depends on the software and device you have, so we’ll go through everything you need to know to run a scan effectively and keep your computers, phones and tablets in tip-top shape.
First, let’s cover a few of the telltale signs your device might have a virus. Is your computer or device acting sluggish or having a hard time booting up? Have you noticed missing files or a lack of storage space? Have you noticed emails or messages sent from your account that you did not write? Perhaps you’ve noticed changes to your browser homepage or settings? Or maybe, you’re seeing unexpected pop-up windows, or experiencing crashes and other program errors. These are all examples of signs that you may have a virus, but don’t get too worried yet, because many of these issues can be resolved with a virus scan.
Each antivirus program works a little differently, but in general the software will look for known malware that meets a specific set of characteristics. It may also look for variants of these known threats that have a similar code base. Some antivirus software even checks for suspicious behavior. If the software comes across a dangerous program or piece of code, it removes it. In some cases, a dangerous program can be replaced with a clean one from the manufacturer.
The process of checking for viruses depends on the device type and its operating system. Check out these tips to help you scan your computers, phones and tablets.
If you use Windows 10, go into “Settings” and look for the “Updates & Security” tab. From there you can locate a “Scan Now” button.
Of course, many people have invested in more robust antivirus software that has a high accuracy rate and causes less drain on their system resources, such as McAfee Total Protection. To learn how to run a virus scan using your particular antivirus software, search the software’s help menu or look online for instructions.
Mac computers don’t have a built-in antivirus program, so you will have to download security software to do a virus scan. There are some free antivirus applications available online, but we recommend investing in trusted software that can protect you from a variety of threats. Downloading free software and free online virus scans can be risky, since cybercriminals know that this is a good way to spread malware.
Whichever program you choose, follow their step-by-step instructions on how to perform a virus scan, either by searching under “help” or looking it up on their website.
Yes, you can get a virus on your phone or tablet, although they are less common than on computers. However, the wider category of mobile malware is on the rise and your device can get infected if you download a risky app, click on an attachment in a text message, visit a dangerous webpage, or connect to another device that has malware on it.
Fortunately, you can protect your devices with mobile security software. It doesn’t usually come installed, so you will have to download an application and follow the instructions.
Because the Android platform is an open operating system, there are a number of antivirus products for Android devices, that allows you to do a virus scan.
Apple devices are a little different because they have a closed operating system that doesn’t allow third parties to see their code. Although Apple has taken other security precautions to reduce malware risks, such as only allowing the installation of apps from Apple’s official app store, these measures aren’t the same as an antivirus program.
For more robust protection on your Apple devices, you can install mobile security software to protect the private data you have stored on your phone or tablet, such as contacts, photos and messages.
If safeguarding all your computers and devices individually sounds overwhelming, you can opt for a comprehensive security product that protects computers, smartphones and tablets from a central control center, making virus prevention a breeze.
New online threats emerge every day, putting our personal information, money and devices at risk. In the first quarter of 2019 alone McAfee detected 504 new threats per minute, as cybercriminals employed new tactics. That’s why it is essential to stay ahead of these threats by using security software that is constantly monitoring and checking for new known threats, while safeguarding all of your sensitive information. Virus scans are an essential part of this process when it comes to identifying and removing dangerous code.
Most antivirus products are regularly scanning your computer or device in the background, so you will only need to start a manual scan if you notice something suspicious, like crashes or excessive pop-ups. You can also program regular scans on your schedule.
Of course, the best protection is to avoid getting infected in the first place. Here are a few smart tips to sidestep viruses and other malware:
The post How To Do A Virus Scan appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Authored by Jyothi Naveen and Kiran Raj
McAfee Labs have been observing a spike in phishing campaigns that utilize Microsoft office macro capabilities. These malicious documents reach victims via mass spam E-mail campaigns and generally invoke urgency, fear, or similar emotions, leading unsuspecting users to promptly open them. The purpose of these spam operations is to deliver malicious payloads to as many people as possible.
A recent spam campaign was using malicious word documents to download and execute the Ursnif trojan. Ursnif is a high-risk trojan designed to record various sensitive information. It typically archives this sensitive data and sends it back to a command-and-control server.
This blog describes how attackers use document properties and a few other techniques to download and execute the Ursnif trojan.
The malware arrives through a phishing email containing a Microsoft Word document as an attachment. When the document is opened and macros are enabled, Word downloads a DLL (Ursnif payload). The Ursnif payload is then executed using rundll32.exe
Macros are disabled by default and the malware authors are aware of this and hence present an image to entice the victims into enabling them.
Analyzing the sample statically with ‘oleId’ and ‘olevba’ indicates the suspicious vectors..
The VBA Macro is compatible with x32 and x64 architectures and is highly obfuscated as seen in Figure-5
To get a better understanding of the functionality, we have de-obfuscated the contents in the 2 figures shown below.
An interesting characteristic of this sample is that some of the strings like CLSID, URL for downloading Ursnif, and environment variables names are stored in custom document properties in reverse. As shown in Figure-7, VBA function “ActiveDocument.CustomDocumentProperties()” is used to retrieve the properties and uses “StrReverse” to reverse the contents.
We can see the document properties in Figure-8
The malicious macro retrieves hidden shellcode from a custom property named “Company” using the “cdec” function that converts the shellcode from string to decimal/hex value and executes it. The shellcode is shown below.
The shellcode is written to memory and the access protection is changed to PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE.
After adding the shellcode in memory, the environment variable containing the malicious URL of Ursnif payload is created. This Environment variable will be later used by the shellcode.
The shellcode is executed with the use of the SetTimer API. SetTimer creates a timer with the specified time-out value mentioned and notifies a function when the time is elapsed. The 4th parameter used to call SetTimer is the pointer to the shellcode in memory which will be invoked when the mentioned time is elapsed.
The shellcode downloads the file from the URL stored in the environmental variable and stores it as ” y9C4A.tmp.dll ” and executes it with rundll32.exe.
| URL | hxxp://docmasterpassb.top/kdv/x7t1QUUADWPEIQyxM6DT3vtrornV4uJcP4GvD9vM/ |
| CMD | rundll32 “C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\y9C4A.tmp.dll”,DllRegisterServer |
After successful execution of the shellcode, the environment variable is removed.
| TYPE | VALUE | PRODUCT | DETECTION NAME |
| Main Word Document | 6cf97570d317b42ef8bfd4ee4df21d217d5f27b73ff236049d70c37c5337909f | McAfee LiveSafe and Total Protection | X97M/Downloader.CJG |
| Downloaded dll | 41ae907a2bb73794bb2cff40b429e62305847a3e1a95f188b596f1cf925c4547 | McAfee LiveSafe and Total Protection | Ursnif-FULJ |
| URL to download dll | hxxp://docmasterpassb.top/kdv/x7t1QUUADWPEIQyxM6DT3vtrornV4uJcP4GvD9vM/ | WebAdvisor | Blocked |
| Technique ID | Tactic | Technique Details | Description |
| T1566.001 | Initial Access | Spear phishing Attachment | Manual execution by user |
| T1059.005 | Execution | Visual Basic | Malicious VBA macros |
| T1218.011 | Defense Evasion | Signed binary abuse | Rundll32.exe is used |
| T1027 | Defense Evasion | Obfuscation techniques | VBA and powershell base64 executions |
| T1086 | Execution | Powershell execution | PowerShell command abuse |
Macros are disabled by default in Microsoft Office applications, we suggest keeping it that way unless the document is received from a trusted source. The infection chain discussed in the blog is not limited to Word or Excel. Further threats may use other live-off-the-land tools to download its payloads.
McAfee customers are protected against the malicious files and sites detailed in this blog with McAfee LiveSafe/Total Protection and McAfee Web Advisor.
The post Phishing Campaigns featuring Ursnif Trojan on the Rise appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Molding and shaping our kids while we can is every parent’s dream. When kids are young – and sweet! – they are far more inclined to take on board our advice and lovingly imposed rules. Oh, how I miss those days!! And in a nutshell – that’s what a good set of parental controls can do for you and your kids. In my opinion, parental controls can absolutely help you create good habits but it’s essential that they are accompanied by an invested parent who’s keen to help their kids navigate the online world.
With Aussie kids spending at least 5 hours online a day, it’s no secret that they can be exposed to a broad range of people, websites and themes – some potentially quite disturbing. And with most kids sporting an internet-connected phone plus a laptop, there’s no limit to what they can access – and usually when you aren’t around.
I like to think of parental controls as another way of helping establish healthy habits and good decision-making strategies with your kids. For example, if you have told your kids there is no screen time before bed, then you are able to use Parental Controls to make that a reality. And if you have agreed that they are able to use only certain apps or social media platforms then Parental Controls can also make this happen by blocking access if they deviate. I believe that over time, these routines, and boundaries simply become part of your child’s day-to-day life and become good habits.
McAfee’s Parental Controls, called Safe Family, can also let you view your kids’ activity online and let you know where your kids are at all times. How good??
While it’s commonly believed that it takes just 21 days to form a habit, courtesy of Dr Maxwell Maltz in the 1960’s, more up-to-date research shows that it could take considerably longer. In fact, research conducted in 2010 by Health Psychology Researcher Philippa Lally at The University College in London shows that it takes around 2 months or 66 days to be precise to make a new habit stick!
And while I love the idea that we could help our kids adopt new positive habits in just 2 months, I think we need to keep it real. Fear of missing out (FOMO) coupled with the lure of their shiny devices might mean that it takes a little more than 66 days to make a change, particularly if you are trying to modify their current usage as opposed to starting from scratch.
There is no-one that better understands just how time poor parents can be. Having spent the last 20 plus years rearing 4 boys and working, I feel like I’ve earnt the time poor t-shirt! So, understandably, many parents feel like they just don’t have the ‘band with’ to take on much more so digital parenting is often put in the too hard basket. And I totally get it!
But using parental controls without some knowledge of your kids’ digital world, is a little like filling your car with petrol but not worrying about the oil. It will eventually be a problem!
So, I’m going to break it down for you. Digital parenting doesn’t have to be overwhelming, particularly if you break it down. So, in a quest to keep it simple, here are 4 things you can do to up your digital parenting game:
The day your child picks up a device is the day you start talking about cybersafety. If this is when they are 18 months of age, then that’s when you start. Always ensure the messages are age-appropriate and keep them simple. You could start with:
And when your kids get older, weave in more age-appropriate messages, such as:
Knitting cybersafety messages into your family dialogue needs to also become automatic. Talk about it just like you would sun safety or road safety. And why not share stories around the dinner table about your own online experiences or even relevant news stories to engage them in a dialogue.
I love the idea of a clear contract between parents and kids that details your expectations about their online behaviour and technology use. It’s a great way of developing a set of guidelines that will help them navigate the risks associated with being online. Now, this agreement should definitely be a family exercise so ensure your kids are invested in the process too. If you want a starting point, check out this one from The Modern Parent here.
Taking some time to understand how your child spends their time online is the best way of truly understanding the risks and challenges they face. So, join ALL the social media platforms your kids are on, play their games and download their messaging apps. You will develop a better understanding of how to manage privacy settings and the language/online culture that is a big part of your child’s life. And the best part – if they know you understand their world, I have no doubt that you will develop a little ‘tech cred’ which mean that they will be more likely to come to you with any issues or problems that may face online. Awesome!
There is some amazing technology available that makes this digital parenting thing a heck of a lot easier and that includes Parental Controls. McAfee’s Safe Family is a comprehensive parental controls solution that lets you monitor and block apps and websites, manage screen time, see where your kid’s devices are at all times, and more, giving you peace of mind in an ever-mobile world. The perfect partner to an invested parent!
Parental Controls can be an awesome way of helping your kids establish positive habits around their tech use, but they are even more impactful when combined with an invested parent who has got a good handle on the online world. So, by all means, invest in Parental Control software but also commit to ramping up your digital parenting game – it’s the best way to help set up your kids for a safe and positive experience online. And isn’t that every digital parent’s dream!
Take Care
Alex
The post Can Parental Controls Can Help You Create Good Habits? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
While biometric tools like facial ID and fingerprints have become more common when it comes to securing our data and devices, strong passwords still play an essential part in safeguarding our digital lives.
This can be frustrating at times, since many of us have more accounts and passwords than we can possibly remember. This can lead us to dangerous password practices, such as choosing short and familiar passwords, and repeating them across numerous accounts. But password safety doesn’t have to be so hard. Here are some essential tips for creating bulletproof passwords.
Every year surveys find that the most popular passwords are as simple as “1234567” and just “password.” This is great news for the cybercrooks, but really bad news for the safety of our personal and financial information.
When it comes to creating strong passwords, length and complexity matter because it makes them harder to guess, and harder to crack if the cybercriminal is using an algorithm to quickly process combinations. The alarming truth is that passwords that are just 7 characters long take less than a third of a second to crack using these “brute force attack” algorithms.
Tricks:
Passwords that include bits of personal information, such as your name, address, or pet’s name, make them easier to guess. This is especially true when we share a lot of personal information online. But you can use personal preferences that aren’t well known to create strong passphrases.
Tricks:
If you reuse passwords and someone guesses a password for one account, they can potentially use it to get into others. This practice has gotten even riskier over the last several years, due to the high number of corporate data breaches. With just one hack, cybercriminals can get their hands on thousands of passwords, which they can then use to try to access multiple accounts.
Tricks:
If just the thought of creating and managing complex passwords has you overwhelmed, outsource the work to a password manager! These are software programs that can create random and complex passwords for each of your accounts, and store them securely. This means you don’t have to remember your passwords – you can simply rely on the password manager to enter them when needed.
Tricks:
Now that you’ve made sure that your passwords are bulletproof, make sure you have comprehensive security software that can protect you from a wide variety of threats.
Tricks:
The post 5 Tips For Creating Bulletproof Passwords appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Imagine, if you will, a person goes online each day with the sole mission to trigger confrontation and provoke conflict. Sounds bizarre and exhausting, doesn’t it? Sadly, that’s precisely what online trolls hope set out to do. And while trolls often target adults, when they target kids, the emotional impact can be confusing and painful.
A troll is a person who posts inflammatory messages in an online forum to purposefully cause confusion or harm to other users online for no reason at all.
A 2021 Pew Research report found that nearly 41 percent (four in ten) Americans have encountered online harassment. Additionally, 55 percent think it is a “major problem.” Seventy-five percent of the targets of online abuse say their most recent experience was on social media.
It’s important to differentiate bullies and trolls. While both cause harm, bullies often know their targets. Trolls, however, amplify the emotional complexity of online harassment by targeting strangers. Their goal is to anger and exhaust people with name-calling, body shaming, political or gender bashing, and other forms of emotional abuse.
Helping kids understand, process, and respond in a healthy way to this kind of cruel behavior is, no doubt, a challenge all parents face today. So, what can we do? There are a few things.
1. Prepare. Consider taking the time to discuss this important topic with your child. If they have yet to encounter a troll, it won’t be long. Define what a troll is, what their motives might be, and the different ways they wreak havoc online. For a few conversation starters, google “trolls and motives.” You will find that, among other reasons, trolls incite mayhem online to attract attention, exercise control, and hurt and manipulate others. In fact, some studies show trolling is associated with (among other personality disorders) psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism.
Helping your kids understand these personalities—and not internalize a troll’s hurtful comments—will take time and consistency.
2. Parental Controls. One way to help your kids steer clear of trolls is parental controls. This level of software will block apps and filter websites trolls might frequent. In addition, parental controls will generate online activity reports and help parents limit screentime, both factors in reducing online conflict.
3. Starve the trolls. It’s human nature. We want to strike back hard and fast with an epic comeback when we’re attacked online. However, studies show that the best way to deal with a troll is to ignore or starve them. Trolls feed on angry reactions so arguing is like serving them a chocolate sundae. Instead, consider coaching your child to take a deep breath, step away from their devices, process the troll’s motives, and lastly, not engage. This will not only starve the troll, hopefully, it will also help your child build self-control.
4. Exercise your power. Is it tough to ignore the trolls? You bet! However, muting, blocking, and reporting is still a way for kids to exercise their power. A good reminder to relay to kids: While the internet may be free and open to everyone, your child’s profile, page, or blog belongs to them. It is not a democracy that requires them to tolerate free speech or abusive behavior. Encourage your child to exercise their power and voice by using the reporting tools—unfollow, mute, block, report—designed to help them feel secure and safe online.
5. Make accounts private. Many trolls tend to operate under anonymous names and use hidden IP addresses. For that reason, encourage your child to limit their online circles to friends only. While this may not ward off all trolls, it will reduce their chances of getting through the gates. This is especially important for children who play video games and chat online with unknown online players who may be trolls. Remind them to create private accounts on social networks and to keep all personal information private.
6. Take appropriate action. If a trolling situation escalates to stalking or threats, report it to authorities immediately. A great place to learn more about trolling is the Crash Override Network, an exhaustive list of resources for victims of online harassment. Note: Be sure to take screenshots of the abusive posts, so you have proof in case the person attempts to edit or delete them.
It’s easy to forget that each time your child logs into a device, they step into a literal worldwide web of strangers with diverse behaviors and agendas. Taking time to talk about trolls—before your kids rush to scroll Tik Tok or play Fortnite—will help equip them to deal with this growing threat.
The post 6 Ways to Help Your Kids Deal with Haters and Harassers Online appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Whether it was bush fires, Covid, floods, or the Ukraine conflict, the news agenda over the last two years has been jam-packed. So, when McAfee released the findings of their first Global Connected Family Study, it was clear to me that connecting safely online needs to make it back into the news.
Over 15,000 parents and 12,000 children aged 10-18 from 10 countries (including Australia) were interviewed for the study with the goal of finding out how families both connect and protect themselves online. So, let me share with you the results that need to spring us into action.
I’m the first to admit that being a digital parent can be incredibly overwhelming. Staying abreast of the latest trends, apps and social media platforms can seem like a full-time job! And let’s not forget the latest threats and risks too. But findings, like the ones above, do have a way of shaking up priorities and do serve to provide clarity on where we need to focus our attention as parents.
So, let’s break it down into 5 steps that you can take to ensure you are minimising the negativity and risks your kids may experience online:
Without a doubt, one of the best things you can do for your family is create a culture where honest and genuine communication is a feature of everyday life. If your kids know they can confide in you, no matter what the problem is, then they are far more likely to come to you before a problem such as cyberbullying can feel unsolvable.
It’s impossible to set boundaries and appreciate the risks in the digital world, if you don’t really know what your kids are dealing with. You may have little natural interest in joining Kik, Snapchat or Instagram but if you kids use it – then you know what you need to do! And if your kids can see that you are more actively involved online and using similar platforms, they will be more likely to come to you if they experience a problem.
In my opinion, one of the biggest causes of issues online is the fact that children are given internet-enabled devices that require adult levels of maturity and problem-solving skills. But let’s keep it real – that horse has bolted – most of our kids have phones in their pockets! So, the best way of managing this is to introduce a family technology contract.
Now this can be as simple or complex as you feel is necessary for your tribe. You may want to insist on just a few rules such as not sharing passwords with friends, seeking permission before downloading apps, and always being kind online. You could simply write these on a piece of paper and have your kids sign it. Whatever works for you but remember, the research is showing that our kids are looking to us to help keep them safe online, so include as much here as you think your kids need. And of course, these need to be age-appropriate. I love this one for under 5’s from our eSafety Commissioner and this one is great for tweens and teens from The Modern Parent.
Bullying has existed long before the internet was even a word so unfortunately, it isn’t going anywhere. But coupled with the intensity and very public nature of the online world, it can be devastating. In my opinion, the key to cyberbullying is prevention. So, ensuring your kids know they can come to you with any problem, having a tight connection with your child so you can pick when things are ‘off’ and arming them with a basic cyber safety toolkit (not sharing passwords, privacy settings on, being kind online & having time away from devices) is essential.
One of the ways we can also keep our kids from making mistakes online is by teaching them empathy. If kids haven’t developed empathy, then they make decisions based solely on their own desires – without any consideration for others. Many experts believe that it is the absence of empathy that leads directly to bullying.
So, be a role model and start weaving the good old saying ‘do unto others as you would like them to do to you’ into your family dialogue.
The research findings are very clear: our kids want us to take charge of their online safety. So, let’s get technology working for us so we can keep them safe.
Parental controls are not the silver bullet but when they are used in conjunction with proactive parenting then they can be transformative. McAfee’s Safe Family offers parents the ability to monitor device activity, limit screentime, block apps, and filter websites. This is a great way of teaching boundaries and limits while also giving yourself peace of mind that your kids are as safe as possible.
Investing in comprehensive protection software for your (and your kid’s) devices is another way of adding a layer of protection to their online world. Comprehensive security software like McAfee’s Total Protection will protect against dangerous downloads, viruses, malware, online threats, and visits to risky websites. It will also encrypt the files on your computer and help manage your passwords! A complete no-brainer!!
So, please don’t be overwhelmed and don’t even aim to be the perfect digital parent! Break it down and do the best you can because protecting our kids online needs to be a top priority. So, as soon as possible – check your family communication, take some time to understand your kids’ online world, put a digital contract in place, talk a little, and use some parental controls. But please do not forget about the power of role modeling. As parents, we are our kids’ biggest influencers so it might just be time for you to up your own digital safety game too!!
Till next time.
Stay safe everyone!
The post Aussie Children Have 2nd Highest Rate of Cyberbullying, Time To Focus on Digital Parenting appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Like most things in life, online privacy is a 2-way street. As consumers, we expect the companies we deal with online to manage and safeguard our data to a super professional level however we also have a role to play here too. So, this Privacy Awareness Week (PAW), let’s focus on what we can do to ensure our personal information is kept as secure, and private as possible.
There’s nothing like a dedicated ‘week’ to renew our focus and in my opinion, this year’s PAW does just that. This year’s theme is – The Foundation of Trust – we all have a role to play, a great reminder of how it’s up to all of us to ensure we manage online privacy. There’s no doubt that managing our privacy is low on the to-do list for many. And I get it – we’re all strapped for time, and we don’t ever think privacy breaches will affect us. Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that privacy breaches do happen. Identity theft is a reality of living life online. In fact, in 2020/21, nearly 155,000 Aussies had their identities stolen and they were the cases that were reported. But the good news is that if you take a proactive approach, you can minimise the risk of this ever happening.
Believe it or not, most of your privacy action plan involves small steps that are, I promise, relatively painless. The most important thing here is that you need to commit to doing them. The last thing you want is to spend months dealing with the fallout from having your identity stolen. It’s exhausting, stressful, and absolutely worth avoiding.
Without further ado, here’s your action plan:
Strong and complex passwords are essential to keeping your online information tight. Ideally, a password should have between 8-10 characters and be a combination of letters – both lower and uppercase, numbers and symbols. Each online account should also have its own password too – which is a very overwhelming concept! Consider using a password manager such as McAfee’s TrueKey to help generate and manage passwords.
Ensure all the family checks their social media accounts to ensure they are set to private. This will mean that only their chosen friends can see their private information. Each social media platform will have its own ‘help’ page which provides specific steps on how to do this.
If you are serious about your online privacy, then you need to use public Wi-Fi sparingly. Unsecured public Wi-Fi is a very risky business. Anything you share could easily find its way into the hands of cybercriminals. So, avoid sharing any sensitive or personal information while using public Wi-Fi. If you travel regularly, consider investing in a VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your activity which means your login details and other sensitive information is protected. A great insurance policy!
Adding an additional layer of security to protect yourself when accessing your online accounts is another great way of guarding your online privacy. Turn on two-factor authentication for Google, Dropbox, Facebook and whatever other site offers it. For those new to this option, this means that in addition to your password, you will need to provide another form of identification to ensure you are who you say you are. Most commonly, this is a code sent to your mobile phone or generated by a smartphone app.
Most web surfers rely on Google for their searching but why not use a search engine that doesn’t collect and store the information? And there are loads of more ‘privacy focussed’ options to choose from. Check out DuckDuckGo, that doesn’t profile users or track or sell your information to third parties.
Comprehensive security protection software is an easy way to help firm up your online privacy too as it does a great job of keeping malicious software (malware) at bay. Malware can wreak absolute havoc: from installing pop ups to scanning for personal information. And if you’re likely to click dodgy links (we’re all human after all), then this is a no brainer! Super-duper security software will also guard you against viruses and online threats, direct you away from risky websites and dangerous downloads and protect your smartphones and tablets too, it can also back up your files. McAfee’s LiveSafe protection software comes with a 100% guarantee to protect you against viruses.
So, this Privacy Awareness week, please take the time to ensure you are doing all you can to nail your online privacy. And of course, please get your kids involved too. Do your research and find some stories of ‘real life’ people who have had their identity stolen to share around the dinner table because identity theft can absolutely happen to anyone!
Till next time,
Stay Safe!
Alex
The post Are You Playing A Role In Protecting Your Online Privacy? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Passwords: we entrust our most important data to these strings of letters, numbers, and special characters. So, we should make sure our passwords are words or phrases that we can easily remember, right? While this might be the most convenient option, there are more secure ways to digitally lock up your most sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). In celebration of World Password Day, we’re diving into how you can practice top-notch password security without compromising convenience.1
Over the years, the password has remained a good first line of defense against cyberattacks. However, most of us tend to choose passwords based on memorable things from our lives, like family names or our pets’ birthdays. As it turns out, these details are easy for hackers to find on social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. It’s also human nature to opt for convenience, and for many people that means setting easy-to-remember and easy-to-guess passwords. Plus, out of convenience, people often reuse passwords across multiple accounts and services. The downside is that if one account becomes compromised, all accounts become compromised.
As an alternative to single-word passwords, many security experts advocate for passphrases over passwords. Passphrases are longer strings of words and characters that are easier for you to remember and harder for nefarious software and cybercriminals to guess than random strings of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. But, according to a study, the average American internet user was projected to have 300 online accounts by 2022.2 Can you imagine memorizing 300 different passphrases? We can all agree that sounds pretty unrealistic, so users tend to look for other solutions.
If the answer is yes, you may want to reconsider, as there are several risks associated with this practice. Although it’s convenient to have your browser save your passwords, they tend to do a lousy job of safeguarding your passwords, credit card numbers and personal details, such as your name and address.
Let’s take Google Chrome, for example. Unlike most dedicated password managers, Chrome doesn’t use a primary password to encrypt all your credentials. (Note that some browsers do use one, and are therefore more secure, though you’ll still need to trust your browser provider.) This makes your Chrome-stored passwords relatively weak to “local” attacks. For example, if someone gets hold of—or guesses—your Windows password, they can then see all the logins stored in your browser’s password manager.
Another consideration to note is that the security of all your accounts is tied to your browser account’s security. Let’s say you use the sync option to make your credentials available on all your devices. This means that logins are stored in the cloud and, though encrypted, if someone manages to hack into your browser account, they will gain access to all your logins.
What can you do to help ensure your online profiles are kept safe without spending hours managing a complex list of passwords? Here are some easy ways to lock down your digital life without sacrificing convenience:
A password manager is a software application that stores your passwords and other sensitive information. You can install it on computers or mobile devices and store all passwords in an encrypted file (or database). The best option is to use a password manager like McAfee True Key to store and create strong, random passwords for each site you visit. You’ll have one primary password that grants access to the rest of them—ideally, a long and random passphrase that you can remember. Once everything is set up, it should be seamless. As you log in to new sites, the password manager will offer to save your credentials for later use.
One of the best ways to protect your accounts against unauthorized access is to turn on two-factor authentication for every site that offers it. Using two-factor authentication means a site will prompt you for a unique security code, in addition to your password, whenever you log in to an account for which you have enabled this feature.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring another form of identification after you enter your username and password. Some services send a temporary passcode over text message. Others require the user to approve login attempts from new devices using an app. If someone steals your device or gains access to your account details, they’re out of luck unless they also have access to this second piece of information. Two-factor authentication is available on a wide range of websites and can help keep your accounts safe from would-be hackers, so you should always use it when available.
A VPN, or virtual private network, encrypts your data and masks your online behavior from snooping third parties. When you go to a website, your computer connects to the server where the site is hosted, and that website can see a certain amount of data about you and your computer. With a VPN, you connect to a private server first, which scrambles your data and makes it more difficult for digital eavesdroppers to track what you’re doing online.
VPNs can provide users with greater peace of mind when on the go. Say you’re traveling on a business trip and need to connect to the Wi-Fi network provided by your hotel. Shifty characters often lurk on unprotected, free networks (such as those provided by hotels, coffee shops, airports, etc.) to lift PII from people handling sensitive emails, making banking transactions, or shopping online. McAfee Safe Connect VPN encrypts your online activity with bank-grade encryption to protect your data from prying eyes. With a premium paid plan, you can protect up to five devices at once and enjoy unlimited data protection.
With your growing number of accounts all requiring passwords—emails, social media profiles, online banking—it’s no wonder that people tend to reuse passwords across multiple sites. This may be convenient, but it creates significant security risks if a suspicious actor manages to obtain one of your passwords and attempts to use it elsewhere. That’s why having strong passwords matters.
Do yourself a favor and opt for a dedicated password manager that will auto-save and store your credentials for you, so you only have one password to remember. Who says security and simplicity can’t coexist?
The post This World Password Day, Here’s How a Password Manager Can Simplify Your Life appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Imagine – your favorite brand on Instagram just announced a giveaway. You’ll receive a free gift! All you have to do is provide your credit card information. Sounds easy, right? This is a brand you’ve followed and trusted for a while now. You’ve engaged with them and even purchased some of their items. The link comes directly from their official page, so you don’t think to question it. Don’t fall prey to crypto scams, download reputable mobile security protection.
This is the same mindset that led to several Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs being stolen by a cybercriminal who had hacked into the company’s official Instagram account. Let’s dive into the details of this scam.
Bored Ape Yacht Club, the NFT collection, disclosed through Twitter that their Instagram account had been hacked, and advised users not to click on any links or link their crypto wallets to anything. The hacker managed to log into the account and post a phishing link promoting an “airdrop,” or a free token giveaway, to users who connected their MetaMask wallets. Those who linked their wallets before BAYC’s warning lost a combined amount of over $1 million in NFTs.
Despite the large price tag attached to NFTs, they are often held in smartphone wallets rather than more secure alternatives. MetaMask, the crypto wallet application, only allows NFT display through mobile devices and encourages users to use the smartphone app to manage them. While it may be a good method for display purposes, this limitation provides hackers with a new and effective way to easily steal from users’ mobile wallets.
BAYC does not yet know how the hacker was able to gain access to their Instagram account, but they are following security best practices and actively working to contact the users affected.
This scam was conducted through the official BAYC account, making it appear legitimate to BAYC’s followers. It is incredibly important to stay vigilant and know how to protect yourself and your assets from scams like these. Follow the tips below to steer clear of phishing scams and keep your digital assets safe:
A seed phrase is the “open sesame” to your cryptocurrency wallet. The string of words is what grants you access to all your wallet’s assets. Ensuring that your seed phrase is stored away safely and not easily accessible by anyone but yourself is the first step to making sure your wallet is secure.
With all transactional and wallet data publicly available, scammers can pick and choose their targets based on who appears to own valuable assets. To protect your privacy and avoid being targeted, refrain from sharing your personal information on social media sites or using your NFT as a social media avatar.
Phishing scams targeting NFT collectors are becoming increasingly common. Be wary of any airdrops offering free tokens in exchange for your information or other “collectors” doing the same.
Phishing scams tend to get more sophisticated over time, especially in cases like the Bored Ape Yacht Club where the malicious links are coming straight from the official account. It is always best to remain skeptical and cautious, but when in doubt, here are some extra tips to spot phishing scams:
As crypto and NFTs continue to take the world by storm, hackers and scammers are constantly on the prowl for ways to steal and deceive. No matter the source or how trustworthy it may seem at first glance, always exercise caution to keep yourself and your assets safe!
The post Instagram Hack Results in $1 Million Loss in NFTs appeared first on McAfee Blog.
There’s a digital counterpart for nearly everything we do, which means more of our personal information is online. And although this tends to make our lives easier, it opens the door for information to land in the wrong hands. Identity theft happens when someone uses your personal identifiable information (PII) for their own monetary or personal gain. Sensitive data like credit card numbers and Social Security numbers can be incredibly valuable if it gets into the wrong hands.
The good news is that you can take steps to minimize the risk of identity theft. This article breaks down some of the most interesting fraud statistics and trends about identity theft in the United States and offers ways to protect your personal data from cybercriminals.
The number of identity theft cases reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has increased in the last five years. According to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) report, the number of reported cases more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.
One possible reason for this upward trend is the coronavirus pandemic. Congress passed legislation that included more than $5 trillion in various government benefits. This money was helpful to out-of-luck Americans, but it was also extremely attractive to scammers who used the opportunity to create fake identities and steal unemployment checks. In fact, the most common type of identity theft this past year was government documents and benefits fraud.
What else do the numbers say about the rise in identity theft? Let’s take a closer look:
These statistics only scratch the surface, though. Keep reading to learn more about the latest identity theft data and what you can do to protect your personal information.
Identity theft is a huge issue in the United States, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Fraud reports show that the number of identity thefts in the U.S. continues to grow and grow. The graph below shows the number of identity theft reports from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2021.
The reported instances of identity theft have risen sharply from just over 100,000 in the first quarter of 2017 to well over 500,000 in the first quarter of 2021. 2020 had the sharpest increase in reports, as cybercriminals did their best to capitalize on the pandemic to take people’s government benefits.
Not every state is affected by ID theft equally. Where you live can have a big impact on your likelihood of experiencing identity theft. The graph below shows the amount of identity theft cases reported to the FTC per 100,000 residents for each state in the U.S.
With a closer look, the five states with the most identity theft reports include Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Rhode Island, which takes the top spot. The number of reports in Rhode Island more than doubled in 2021, from 1,191 in 2020 to 2,857.
At the other end of the spectrum, South Dakota remained the state with the lowest occurrence of identity theft, with only 76 residents per 100,000 experiencing it.
Here’s a list of the 20 metro cities where you have the highest chance of having your identity stolen.
Anyone can become the victim of identity theft, in large part because so much of our information is online. However, certain age groups are more likely to experience different types of scams.
For example, baby boomers are more likely than Generation Z to benefit from government programs. This makes them more susceptible to scams like benefits fraud (where a criminal poses as someone else to steal government benefits).
On the other hand, younger generations like millennials have grown up with the internet, and activities like shopping online are more frequent. This makes them more susceptible to identity theft through credit card fraud.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common identity theft types from various generations:
There are several different types of identity theft, ranging from stolen financial information to compromised health care data. Some forms are pretty straightforward. For instance, credit card fraud occurs when somebody steals your credit card number and uses it to buy things. Others, like medical identity theft, might be a bit harder to recognize.
Here’s a list of five of the most common types of identity theft:
Although these are five of the most common types of identity theft, they can serve as umbrella terms for more specific forms of fraud. The diagram below shows the number of reported fraud cases of these various types of identity theft In 2021.
While the internet has made our day-to-day lives more convenient, it’s also made it much easier for scammers to steal our personal information. Identity theft has become increasingly more common in the United States over the past five years.
The more you use the internet, the more opportunities scammers have to steal your data and sell it on places like the dark web. Social media platforms, e-commerce businesses, banking companies, and a host of other online businesses can store your information for a variety of reasons.
If you use the internet for online shopping, for instance, there’s a good chance a large number of databases stored your personal and financial data. While businesses use your information to give you a better online experience, scammers can also access it to steal your identity.
The graph below shows the growth of different types of identity theft from 2017 to 2021.
Criminals use many tricks to get your information. Scammers or hackers might send phishing emails pretending to be the IRS, snoop around social media pages for password clues, get info through a data breach, or simply buy information on the dark web.
Here are a few things you can do if you believe you are the victim of identity theft:
The internet makes our lives easier in many ways. Although identity theft is rising, you shouldn’t let online scams prevent you from enjoying these digital conveniences. Identity thieves are an unavoidable part of using the internet, but you can greatly limit your risk of falling victim to cybercrime if you know what to watch out for and you’re smart online.
Recognizing the signs of identity theft can help you stay ahead of fraudsters, and investing in McAfee Identity Protection services can offer another layer of protection. When you sign up for our identity protection services, you get perks like $1 million in identity theft protection insurance and email address and bank account monitoring. With our help, you can continue to use the internet with confidence.
The post A Guide to Identity Theft Statistics for 2022 appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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