Beware of click-baits as GE14 looms closer
When a news sounds too good to be true, it is likely fake news. However, the masses still fall for these and this is how Clickbait phishing sites or emails with attachments are often sent with sensational titles that bait users to click links for ‘Exclusive’ or ‘Shocking’ stories.
KUALA LUMPUR: Quann Malaysia (formerly known as eCop Malaysia) urged Malaysians to be prepared for a rise in Clickbait Phishing links that could potentially be a cybersecurity threat as the upcoming 14th Malaysian General Elections (GE14) grows closer.
In a press statement, Quann Malaysia general manager Ivan Wen says, “When a news sounds too good to be true, it is likely fake news.
“However, the masses still fall for these and this is how Clickbait phishing sites or emails with attachments are often sent with sensational titles that bait users to click links for ‘Exclusive’ or ‘Shocking’ stories.
“Once clicked, users are led to a phishing site that tricks victims into giving their personal data such as email addresses, identity card numbers, and even credit card information.
“These could compromise critical financial information. These phishing emails can also launch ransomware attacks that encrypt important information on the device. In a worst-case scenario, this can become a national threat.”
Besides that, Wen warned that these phishing links could automatically be shared with your contacts once they have access to your device, potentially putting your contacts at harm. According to a report by Dynamic Business Technologies, 48 per cent of IT providers reported that phishing emails were behind ransomware attacks.
Quann cites two country elections where clickbait links resulted in cyber security threats. The 2016 US Elections, a phishing campaign by Russian Intelligence Agency was launched against a US company involved in developing election systems.
Fake Google alert emails were send to employees which when clicked took them to a legitimate looking Google site where hackers were able to steal their data.
Using information obtained in the attack, the hackers sent 122 phishing emails containing Microsoft Word document attachments to local government agencies offering ‘election related products and services’.
These documents had been ‘trojanised’ with a Visual Basic script that once connected to the internet, downloaded an unknown payload to the device, to steal and access the victim’s information.
In the UK last year, several parliament MPs were targeted in a targeted phishing campaign. While the report said parliament sites and addresses were not compromised, several individuals’ personal emails were being compromised with key information leaks.
To prevent being infected by malware via clickbait links, Wen advices users to take several precautions.
Wen adviced users to key in the address of a legitimate news site instead of directly clicking links sent to you to avoid being tricked or misdirected to fake websites.
He also pointed out that before clicking, hover your mouse pointed over the link to view the link address.
“Do not click website links that are unfamiliar, even if they came from someone you know. Their accounts
Ivan Wen, Quann Malaysia general manager
could have been compromised,” he added.
Wen also urged users to install an Anti-Phishing Toolbar and Antivirus that run quick checks on sites you visit to ensure they are safe to visit
It is also advisable to only access secure sites that begin with ‘https’ with a closed lock icon near the address bar.
Aside from that, Quann Malaysia urged users to regularly monitor their online accounts as well as update their browsers with the necessary security patches.
“Juicy news is hard to resist, but the possibility of losing your critical data, or worse, your money is not worth succumbing to curiosity conjured by the unbelievable clickbait news or offer titles,” Wen concluded.