Hackers are looking for potential victims on social media! Cybersecurity experts from Palo Alto Networks have warned that hackers are meticulously studying user behavior on social media in order to launch targeted phishing attacks, which could potentially disrupt business operations and even lead to financial losses.
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In a recent announcement, Palo Alto noted that hackers typically visit the social media profiles of their victims, including company employees, before delivering digital threats that trick users into providing their personal information and sensitive business data.
"These attacks appeal to emotions such as fear, curiosity, urgency and greed and invite unsuspecting employees to click on a link or attachment, ignoring basic security guidelines," he explained.
Palo Alto noted that ransomware is one of the most common digital threats . It is a type of cyberattack that holds an entity's data or system hostage until a ransom is paid . This form of malware is designed to illegally infiltrate computer networks .
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According to the company's "Unit 42 Network Threat Trends Research Report," 66% of malware is distributed via PDF (Portable Document Format). These can usually be attached to emails, and when users click on them, hackers can potentially gain access to the company 's database .
“As public interest in generative AI (artificial intelligence) grows, malicious actors are taking advantage of it, with ChatGPT increasingly being used to spread malware on platforms like Facebook, Instagram , and WhatsApp,” Palo Alto added.
According to Kaspersky Security Network, almost half of Filipinos were targeted by online threats last year, most of which were malware.
Source of information: asianews.network
