Recently, cybersecurity experts at Kaspersky uncovered some dangerous malware that’s causing trouble on the internet. The three main culprits are DarkGate, Emotet, and LokiBot. These malicious software types are employing clever strategies to pilfer user information. It’s crucial to stay mindful of these tactics.
DarkGate Malware:
In June 2023, Kaspersky discovered a new type of malware called DarkGate. This malicious software is quite different from the typical ones we usually come across. It comes with some tricky elements such as a hidden VNC, making sure Windows Defender doesn’t detect it, and even taking away Discord tokens. DarkGate follows four steps to get into a computer, and it smartly scrambles its messages using special codes and its own way of turning data into text.
Emotet Malware:
Emotet is a notorious botnet that made a comeback after being taken down in 2021. Recently, it’s been causing trouble again. Imagine this: there’s a sneaky computer trick that tricks people into opening bad OneNote files. When these files are opened, a secret computer script runs and tries to grab harmful stuff from different websites. Once it’s in your computer, it puts a special file in a secret place and makes it run. This special file has hidden directions that let the trick do its bad stuff.
LokiBot Malware:
Kaspersky researchers discovered a tricky plan where cybercriminals aimed at cargo ship firms using a sneaky computer bug called LokiBot. This bug has been causing trouble since 2016. Once inside your computer, it secretly grabs important login details from various apps, even the ones you use to browse the internet or transfer files.
These attackers tricked people by sending emails with an attached Excel file. The email asked them to turn on something called “macros” in the Excel file. This was like opening a hidden door for the bad guys. They knew about weak points in Microsoft Office, the software many people use for work stuff. Using these weak points, they got the computer to grab a special type of document (called an RTF document), which was full of the LokiBot bug. Then, this bug woke up and started causing all sorts of problems on the computer.
It’s really important to stay watchful and keep yourself safe from these sneaky malware types. Make sure your antivirus software is up to date, don’t download sketchy files or click on unfamiliar links, and remember to regularly update your computer and apps. This way, you can stay secure while using the internet.