Black Friday marks the start of malware activity increase
Some say that consumerism is a horrible thing, especially during holiday season. However, the Black Friday is the start of never-ending shopping marathon. From the 25th of November shopaholics will start looking for great offers and spend their money offline and online till the Christmas season is over. The Internet has changed shopping habits, so customers and retailers should be aware of the cyber threats that are lurking online. No matter how pleasant and joyful online shopping may be, it may also lead to the unwanted and serious problems such as ransomware attack, money loss or malware infections. Cyber security specialists have noticed that malware attacks increase at the late November. Last year, malware attacks doubled, compared to 2014 data, and this year the growth is expected as well.
Malware creators are aware of human psychology and behaviour. Great offers and discounts catch shoppers’ eye. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want to purchase something for the smaller price or save some money during the last minutes’ shopping. According to various statistical data, the increase of the malware attacks correlates with the growth with online shoppers. Therefore, malware developers prepare for this season for the several months and try to get as many benefits as possible. If you’re one of those online shoppers that are waiting for November 25th, you should be aware of the cyber threats that may disturb the joy of shopping. You should know that some of advertisements and links online, newsletters or special offers sent to your email may include malware.
Misleading ads are one of the most common malware distribution techniques. Online shoppers tend to catch great deals and discounts popping up while browsing the Internet. Unfortunately, some of those advertisements may include malware. Users may be tricked to click an ad which looks like reliable one, and after that, they may get infected with browser hijackers or adware programs. Usually, computer users think that malicious or infected adverts are placed on high-risk websites only; however, it’s not true. These ads may show up on legitimate sites as well. Sadly, they are hard to recognize, so you have to be careful and think about the consequences before clicking on a discount coupon or amazing shopping deal.
While browsing the great shopping offers online, you may encounter various strange and malicious links that may lead to questionable websites. If you see an increased amount of strange links placed on the regular Internet site, there’s also a possibility that your computer has been infected with a browser hijacker or an adware program. These nasty computer infections, such as mylucky123.com or Webstarts.biz virus, can cause lots of troubles and makes shopping online even more dangerous.
Before Black Friday you can expect lots of newsletters and offers delivered straight to your email inbox. However, with one of them you may receive Locky or Thor viruses. Instead of purchasing another pair of shoes or a new gadget for a small price, you may be offered to pay the ransom for your personal files. Keep in mind that malware creators can pretend to be from reliable and well-known companies, so you should be careful. Don’t get overexcited if you receive an offer that belongs ‘too good to be true’ category. Even though it’s Black Friday, you should not expect a luxury product for a ridiculously small price. Usually, what looks too good to be true is only a scam.Retailers started preparing for lots of visitors in the stores, banks and financial institutions preparing for increased transactions and online shoppers should be preparing for cyber threats. During Black Friday shopping you may not only encounter a malware, but some hackers may try to steal your credit card details and credentials to online banking account. However, we wish you to stay smart and, hopefully, you will stay safe during this online shopping season.
Retailers started preparing for lots of visitors in the stores, banks and financial institutions preparing for increased transactions and online shoppers should be preparing for cyber threats. During Black Friday shopping you may not only encounter a malware, but some hackers may try to steal your credit card details and credentials to online banking account. However, we wish you to stay smart and, hopefully, you will stay safe during this online shopping season.
