A new inspector general report details how government-contracted hackers managed to gain covert access to Census Bureau systems in a simulated attack against the federal agency.
Email scams often contain elaborate details to entice you into clicking a link or opening an attachment. Usually, there is some heartfelt backstory to why you must open that document or a severe threat of what will happen if you don’t.
These are relatively easy to spot as suspicious if they didn’t end up in your email spam folder. But scammers never stick to the same tactics. Malware is constantly developed to circumvent security measures.
Read on to see how a clever new phishing scheme makes it easier to spread malware.
Emotet is a dangerous malware variant that started wreaking global havoc years ago. It was so devastating that international law enforcement agencies worked together to bring it down in early January of 2021.
It seemingly disappeared for good, only to show up again last November. The malware was once described as “the most dangerous malware botnet in existence” as it locks infected devices into a worldwide botnet system controlled by hackers.
But security researchers at Proofpoint discovered how the malware now tricks victims into opening a malicious attachment. Instead of a long-winded introduction or heartfelt plea, the latest tactic is a one-word subject line in the email.
Researchers noted that it simply read “Salary” or Payment” in most cases with an attachment in the email’s body. The one-word subject might entice people to open the email and click the link. But if you do, your device will be infected with malware.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself against cyberattacks is to be aware of the tactics used by criminals. Now that you know one-word subject emails with only a link in the body are dangerous, don’t click on the link.
Here are more ways to avoid falling victim to phishing attacks and keep your devices malware-free.
In hopes of combating a string of violent attacks on CTA trains and platforms over the past several months, teams of unarmed security guards and people trained in martial arts will ride the Red Line for an eight-hour shift Friday to be on the lookout for crime.
The effort however is not led by the city of Chicago, or Chicago Police. Instead, community activist Tio Hardiman is leading the charge.
“We want to be proactive and preemptive. We don’t want things to get bad before we do something, things are already getting bad,” Hardiman said. “Put yourself in the the shoes of some working-class person, getting up to go to work and someone gets up in your face on the train.”
Hardiman says he has called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Police Department to collaborate with volunteer patrols and work with him to identify train lines and problem time periods to continue the eight-hour shifts on an ongoing basis.
Hardiman’s plan is to have 10 unarmed, volunteer security guards specifically for Red Line trains — 5 on northbound trains to Howard, and 5 on southbound trains to 95th Street.
Hardiman says the volunteers will wear a specific logo to be identifiable, and will ride the Red Line for an eight-hour shift beginning at 11 a.m. Friday.
Hardiman said his volunteers won’t have weapons, but most are veterans and have martial arts skills.
They also have been trained to act as “violence interrupters” to deescalate situations, and also will be able to direct those with substance abuse problems or people who are homeless to community resources.
Andre “Tank” Hart, a former Marine whose 300 Elite Protection security firm will provide officers for Friday’s patrols, said his officers will not be armed but many are military veterans and champions in martial arts such as jiujitsu and judo.
Volunteers from God’s Gorillas, a South Side nonprofit organization, also will ride along.
Crime says it has increased on trains and platforms during the pandemic, and earlier this month CTA said it has added more…