Blog

Hackers Are Using NFT Excitement To Trick Users

Feb 24, 2022 | Blog

Researchers from Fortinet are warning of a new threat to be on the lookout for.

Right now, NFTs are all the rage.  Everyone is talking about them, and many are excited about them.  Hackers have been quick to take advantage of that fact, and the Fortinet researchers have stumbled across a poisoned spreadsheet that purports to contain information about NFTs.

The spreadsheet actually quietly deploys a malware strain called BitRAT when opened.

BitRAT is a particularly nasty strain of malware that first appeared for sale on the Dark Web back in late 2020.  It is notable because it can bypass User Account Control (UAC), which is a Windows feature designed to prevent unauthorized access to the OS.

Once installed on a target system BitRAT can steal login credentials from browsers and other applications. It can log keystrokes and upload or download files which makes it more than capable of installing other forms of malware once the beachhead has been established.

It’s too early to say yet whether NFTs are here to stay or if they’re just a flash in the blockchain pan.  Either way, if they are generating buzz and excitement around the world, hackers will continue to exploit that excitement.

As the Fortinet researchers put it:

“Be mindful that attackers often use attractive and trendy subjects as lures. As NFTs become increasingly popular, they will be used to entice victims into opening malicious files or clicking on malicious links.”

The best thing you can do is to educate your employees and inform them of the threat.  Remind everyone you know that no matter how exciting the topic might be, it’s never a good idea to open files from untrusted sources or click on links embedded in emails.  If you need to go to a website open a new browser tab and manually type in the URL.  Better safe than sorry.

FBI Program Tasked with Infrastructure Security Compromised

FBI Program Tasked with Infrastructure Security Compromised

The FBI program tasked with ensuring critical infrastructure security has been compromised by hackers, who now offer access to the program's data on the dark web. The breach was initially disclosed by Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, who claims that the data was for...

Streamline Your Business with the Latest Smart Home Technology

Streamline Your Business with the Latest Smart Home Technology

Are you a business owner looking to get the most out of your Google smart home devices? If so, you're in luck! Google has enabled its Nest products and Android OS with the initial rollout of the Matter smart home standard. This means that businesses now have the...

Data Breach at Sequoia One Exposes Sensitive Customer Information

Data Breach at Sequoia One Exposes Sensitive Customer Information

What do you do when your most personal information has been compromised? This is likely the question that customers of Sequoia One asked themselves earlier this month as they were informed that the company had been hacked. Sequoia One specializes in the management of...

Cisco Reports Critical IP Phone Vulnerability

Cisco Reports Critical IP Phone Vulnerability

As a business owner, it's important to stay informed about potential vulnerabilities that could impact your organization. Recently, Cisco reported a critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2022-20968, affecting its IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series. This new vulnerability...

Google Chrome Releases Two New Features

Google Chrome Releases Two New Features

Google Chrome is one of the more commonly used web browsers. Over the years, though, Chrome has gained a reputation for utilizing a large portion of a computer's memory. This can be a problem if you're running other resource-intensive tasks and don't want to slow...

Get a Free Consultation

 

Fill out the form below to receive a free consultation and learn how we can make your technology worry-free!

 

Contact Information

  • 39301 Badger Street, Suite 500
    Palm Desert, CA 9221
  • (760) 333-8523
  • info@icn.tech