Cryptocurrency thefts last June totaled $76 million. Hackers managed to obtain the passwords of thousands of customers on platforms such as Syscoin Bridge, Polymarket, Secret Network, and Humanity Protocol, among others.

The estimated number of hacks was 40, according to security firm PeckShield. Among the most relevant aspects of these thefts, the company highlights “bridges between networks, poorly protected smart contracts, and compromised private keys.”

The losses were broken down as follows: Humanity Protocol lost over $30 million; Syscoin Bridge, $10 million; the Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) bot (JaredFromSubway.eth), $7.5 million; and Secret Network, $4.67 million.

Similarly, Aztec Payments lost $2.16 million, and Aztec Connect recorded losses of $2.1 million. Polymarket lost $3 million; SecondFi and TESSERA each recorded losses of $2.4 million; and Taiko Bridge suffered losses of $1.7 million.

The hackers attacked using malware and phishing, among other methods, to steal customer assets across various platforms, protocols, bridges, bots, and networks.

M.Pino

Source: diariobitcoin

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Microsoft issued an alert regarding cryptocurrency theft through the release of malware when an infected USB drive is connected to a computer.

The attack targets crypto wallets on Windows computers. The threat is particularly novel because it doesn’t involve the user opening a suspicious link; instead, it is triggered by inserting the infected USB drive.

“The worm intercepts stored shortcut files.” Once the user opens a file on a Windows computer, “the system silently runs an installer that places the worm on the computer.”

When activated, the malware monitors the Windows clipboard in real time. “Every time it detects a copied crypto wallet address, it replaces it with the attacker’s address. The user believes they are sending funds to the correct address; the real destination is another wallet.”

Copy and paste operations in cryptocurrency transactions such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, USDT, USDC, and any stablecoin are intercepted.

This worm is more difficult to detect because it operates in the background; there are no pop-up windows to alert the user, and it can only be noticed by reviewing the transaction history on the blockchain.

Experts mention some measures to protect your crypto wallet, such as “always verifying the last four characters of the pasted address before confirming any transfer, comparing them with the address displayed on the recipient’s screen.”

In addition, never connect USB drives of unknown origin to the computers used to manage crypto assets. This warning applies generally to any file query or download.

Furthermore, they recommend “using a hardware wallet with its own screen that displays the destination address independently of the Windows clipboard, since the transaction signature is performed on the physical device and not on the potentially compromised computer.”

M.Pino

Source: cripto247

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Football fans are eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup. However, the sporting event is becoming a hotbed of fraudulent activity aimed at deceiving the public with dubious offers.

In several countries, warnings have been issued about the sale of counterfeit collectible albums and stickers, particularly in cases of street purchases, without any commercial backing. Despite the buyer’s responsibility, this is an act of bad faith towards fans who trust in acquiring genuine items at low prices.

On the other hand, there are accommodation offers at prices that suggest a scam. In these cases, the recommendation is to look for packages from verified tour operators and establish direct contact with the company to avoid falling victim to scams.

A greater risk of being deceived lies in online promotions and offers for items related to soccer teams, such as jerseys, caps, team bags, and sports brands.

Cybercriminals take advantage of this to lead internet users down false paths and install malicious software to steal personal information for criminal purposes.

Prevention and common sense

It is important to remain alert to any indication of dubious offers or promotions. Ideally, avoid accessing unknown websites, pop-up windows that appear automatically while browsing, and emails from unknown or unverified senders.

Likewise, be wary of incredible offers; that is, promotions that are, even, ridiculous.

Remember that no platform can request passwords or banking information. Sending authentication codes is essential during online searches to protect sensitive data.

M.Pino

With information from national and international media

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An analysis based on the latest ESET Threat Reports reveals critical changes in the infostealer ecosystem: Although global detections decreased by 18% in the second half of 2025, attacks are now more sophisticated.

The use of artificial intelligence and new distribution models are redefining risk for businesses and citizens throughout Latin America. “Infostealers remain a favorite tool of cybercriminals because they allow them to steal large volumes of credentials and sensitive information silently. Although we saw a decrease in the number of detections last year, we also observed an evolution in their sophistication, with better-targeted campaigns and the use of new technologies to optimize attacks,” says David González, Cybersecurity Specialist at ESET Latin America.

Researchers at this company, a global leader in cybersecurity, analyzed the evolution of malware, specifically this type designed to steal sensitive information such as passwords, banking data, and browser history. With the discontinuation of Agent Tesla, other families like Formbook and SnakeStealer have taken the lead in information theft.

This information is of relevant interest to both experts and advanced users, as well as those with basic knowledge who are undergoing preventative education and training.

Local radar alert: the threats setting the trend in our region

According to ESET telemetry, these are the malware families with the greatest impact that users in Latin America should closely monitor:

– Formbook (Win/Formbook). This was the most identified family globally at the end of 2025, accounting for 17.3% of total detections, primarily distributed through phishing campaigns.

– Lumma Stealer (Win/Spy.LummaStealer). Responsible for massive attacks, especially targeting users in Mexico, focused on stealing credentials and data stored in browsers.

– Agent Tesla (MSIL/Spy.AgentTesla). Despite a slowdown in its development, it continues to be widely distributed through malware downloaders such as CloudEyE (GuLoader).

– NGate / PhantomCard (Android/Spy.NGate). A mobile spyware threat primarily targeting the Brazilian banking ecosystem, with the ability to steal contacts and card data.

– Spy.Banker_(JS/Spy.Banker). JavaScript-based Trojans that mainly affect users of financial services and have a global detection rate of approximately 9.5%.

How are these threats distributed to carry out attacks?

The main infection vectors include: Phishing and targeted spam, with malicious attachments that simulate invoices or orders. ClickFix, a social engineering technique that displays fake system errors or prompts users to activate software to make it fully functional or unlock new features in the paid version; in both cases, the goal is to convince the user to execute malicious commands. Malware downloaders, such as CloudEyE (GuLoader), which experienced strong growth during the second half of 2025. Fraudulent websites that impersonate official stores like Google Play to distribute applications.

Digital Survival Guide: What You Need to Know to Protect Your Information Today

Latin America has become a key target for cybercriminals. Don’t ignore these recommendations; they are essential tools to avoid becoming the next victim.

• Strengthen your credentials: It is vital to improve the protection of your passwords and use early threat detection methods.
• Beware of “ClickFix”: Don’t fall for fake system errors that prompt you to run malicious commands to “activate” software.
• Mobile security: Strengthen security in mobile environments and be extremely cautious with payment technologies like NFC, which are increasingly used in financial attacks.
• Verify your downloads: Avoid websites that impersonate official stores like Google Play, as they are common vectors for distributing fraudulent applications.

ESET invites you to learn more about cybersecurity by visiting: https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/.

For other useful preventative information, also available in Venezuela:  https://www.eset.com/ve/, and on their social media channels @eset_ve. Also on Instagram  (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

With information and reference image provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) announced on Friday, March 13, the results of a 72-country operation against cybercrime, which led to the arrest of 94 people, the seizure of equipment, and the suspension of websites.

Among the Spanish-speaking countries where the operation was carried out are Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, and Venezuela, in addition to Spain.

The agency, headquartered in Lyon, France, stated that in addition to suspending some 45,000 servers and web addresses used for criminal activities, it is still investigating 110 individuals.

Operation Synergia III, as the Interpol operation is known, was conducted between July 18, 2025, and January 31, 2026, with actions in key locations through the coordinated efforts of national authorities investigating online cyber scams or phishing, malware, and ransomware.

Cases of identity theft and credit card fraud were also identified, as well as romance scams to obtain bank transfers; and fake online casinos, banking sites, or government websites used to steal money from users or obtain sensitive customer information.

M.Pino

Source: bancaynegocios

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The research team at ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, has discovered the first known Android malware that abuses generative AI in its execution flow to achieve persistence. Since the attackers rely on an AI model (specifically, Google’s Gemini) to guide the malicious manipulation of the user interface, ESET has named this family PromptSpy. The malware can capture data from the lock screen, stop uninstallation attempts, collect device information, take screenshots, record screen activity, and much more. This is the second AI-based malware discovered by ESET Research, following PromptLock in August 2025, the first known case of AI-driven ransomware.

This is information of general technological interest in the field of cybersecurity, and of course, an important finding for all Android users in particular.

Key points of the ESET research

• PromptSpy is the first known Android malware that uses generative AI in its execution.
• PromptSpy uses Google’s Gemini algorithm to interpret the elements displayed on the compromised device’s screen and provide instructions on how to perform various actions to remain in the recent apps list.
• The primary goal is to deploy a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) module on the victim’s device, allowing attackers to view the screen and perform actions remotely.
• PromptSpy can capture lock screen data, prevent uninstallation, gather device information, take screenshots, record screen activity, and perform other malicious activities.

This time, while generative AI is used in a portion of the code responsible for achieving persistence, it has a significant impact on the malware’s adaptability. Specifically, Gemini is used to analyze the current screen and provide PromptSpy with instructions on how to ensure the malicious application remains in the recent apps list, preventing the system from easily removing it. The AI ​​model and prompt are predefined in the code and cannot be modified.

“The use of generative AI allows malicious actors to adapt to virtually any device, design, or version of the Android operating system, which can greatly expand the number of potential victims,” says Lukáš Štefanko, the ESET researcher who discovered PromptSpy. “The main objective of this malware is to deploy an embedded VNC module, which gives operators remote access to the victim’s device,” Štefanko adds.

PromptSpy is distributed through a specific website and has never been available on Google Play

The expert and researcher elaborates that, based on linguistic localization clues and distribution vectors observed during the analysis, this campaign appears to be financially motivated and primarily targeting users in Argentina.

PromptSpy is distributed through a specific website and has never been available on Google Play. However, as a partner of the App Defense Alliance, ESET shared the findings with Google. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is enabled by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.

Given that the app’s name is MorganArg and its icon appears to be inspired by Morgan Chase, the malware is likely trying to impersonate Morgan Chase bank. MorganArg, almost certainly an abbreviation of “Morgan Argentina,” also appears as the name of the cached website, suggesting a regional focus.

PromptSpy blocks uninstallation by overlaying invisible elements on the screen. The only way for the victim to remove it is to restart the device in safe mode, where third-party apps are disabled and can be uninstalled normally. To enter safe mode, users typically have to press and hold the power button, press and hold “Power off,” and confirm the “Reboot to safe mode” message (although the exact method may vary depending on the device and manufacturer).

Once the phone restarts in safe mode, the user can go to Settings → Applications → MorganArg and uninstall it without interference.

“Although PromptSpy only uses Gemini in one of its functions, it still demonstrates how the implementation of these tools can make malware more dynamic, providing malicious actors with ways to automate actions that would normally be more difficult with traditional scripts,” says Štefanko of ESET.

ESET invites you to learn more about cybersecurity by visiting: https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/.

For other useful preventative information, also available in Venezuela: https://www.eset.com/ve/, and on their social media channels @eset_ve. Also on Instagram  (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

Information and image provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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Password theft continues to rise. According to recent data, the Snakestealer malware scheme is leading the attacks.

“The malicious code known as infostealer is topping the list of the most frequent attacks worldwide. These programs infiltrate computers and devices undetected, with the sole purpose of stealing personal data, login credentials, and even banking information.”

The SnakeStealer variant has the most detections, according to recent security reports. This is a well-known malware family that has grown in the criminal world due to “its effectiveness and ease of access, making it the preferred tool of cybercriminals.”

“SnakeStealer’s distribution model is based on the malware-as-a-service (MaaS) scheme, a format similar to that of legitimate commercial software, but offered on underground forums.” In other words, this means that anyone, even without advanced programming knowledge, can rent or purchase the malware and deploy large-scale attacks.

According to specialists, SnakeStealer is so lethal because it can disable processes related to antivirus and malware analysis tools, avoiding detection. Furthermore, it “verifies whether the victim computer is being monitored in a virtual machine, to avoid being analyzed by security experts. Once installed, it seeks to ensure its permanence by modifying the Windows operating system’s boot records.”

What follows from this phase is the theft of sensitive information, such as passwords saved in browsers, email clients, messaging apps like Discord, and even Wi-Fi networks stored on the computer.

As if that weren’t enough, the malware can record the user’s keystrokes (keylogging), capture screenshots, and copy data from the clipboard.

This stolen information can be sent via different means: it can be transmitted through FTP servers, sent through a Telegram channel, or even sent as a compressed attachment in an email.

Security tips to prevent an attack

Preventive measures to reduce the risks of this infostealer include keeping operating systems and programs always updated. “Likewise, it is essential to have reliable security solutions installed on computers and mobile devices.” Regarding email, stay alert to attachments and links received from unknown senders. And if you receive suspicious communications from recognized companies or institutions, the safest thing to do is to verify them directly through their official channels.

M.Pino

Source: infobae

(Reference image source: Volodymyr Kondriianenko on Unsplash)

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Digital crimes are a threat to virtually every productive sector worldwide. Just as they empty people’s bank accounts, steal personal data, and impersonate others, hackers are finding new ways to affect sectors such as industry, healthcare, manufacturing, education, telecommunications, and supply chains, among others.

Internet criminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods, including the use of AI that allows for virtually imperceptible impersonation, to breach the protective barriers of individuals and businesses, as well as universities, oil facilities, healthcare centers, manufacturers, and more.

Among the most common attack methods is the introduction of malware into both personal and corporate computers to steal information. But cybercriminals also commit crimes through phishing, asset theft, card cloning at points of sale, malicious applications, and cyberespionage.

Losses from cyberattacks are in the millions. Beyond companies seeing their data exposed or simply losing it to hackers, there’s also the theft of assets, money in bank accounts that ends up in the hands of cybercriminals, data ransom demands, and operational disruption.

Solving all of this comes at a cost. In this sense, some projections of losses from cyberattacks this year point to more than $10.5 trillion.

M.Pino

With information from international media

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Online file conversion programs could be used to commit scams, steal information, spread infected files or use data for illicit purposes, according to a recent FBI warning.

The US security agency has issued an alert in this regard, referring to such digital tools as a possible weapon against users.

Usually, people turn to PDF to Word or JPG file converters. Among the recommendations to people who need to use these programs is not to use the first one they find on the Internet, but rather to prefer, for example, the Premium version of Adobe Acrobat.

In this way, according to the FBI, it is possible to avoid the activation of malware that cybercriminals hide in apparently defenseless versions of online converters.

By processing files in this way, viruses are loaded onto computers, causing cases of ransomware. But it is not the only way to attack users; The FBI also indicates that they can do this through tools to download videos or convert MP4 to MP3.

In that case, converters can return the document with JavaScript code that exploits a vulnerability or also installs commands on the device.

In the process of sending a file to convert and receive the one the client wants, digital criminals also keep the client’s information, since they can scrutinize the content and find an email address, address, phone number or, worse still, banking information, passwords, photos.

In short, everything that normally goes on a CV for a job. Hence, the FBI’s warning to carefully select the digital tools used to convert files, download or share information.

M.Pino

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ESET, one of the leading companies in computer security worldwide, celebrated 15 years in the country with a Technological Breakfast aimed at specialized media and communicators. The event served as a platform to address crucial issues such as artificial intelligence, regulatory compliance and data protection in the digital age.

“It’s been 15 years where the company and the brand have trusted the country, educating on the subject of cybersecurity,” said Carlos López, support and training manager at ESET Venezuela. “We have always worked on the educational pillar, raising user awareness to make the Internet a safer place.”

Artificial intelligence, a technology in constant evolution, was one of the central points of the day. López highlighted that this tool, while representing a great advance, also poses new challenges. “We must always be at the pace and level of technology,” he said.

Michele Flammia: Solid commitment

For her part, Michele Flammia, general manager of ESET Venezuela, highlighted the company’s commitment to the national market since 2009. “ESET is a cybersecurity company that has antivirus, anti-malware, XDR protection products and all the technologies that use artificial intelligence.”

José Luis Rangel, commercial manager of the company, emphasized the importance of education in this area: “We have managed to bring awareness talks to important educational institutions in the country.” It is important that people never take for granted that security is not necessary on their electronic devices, he stressed.

ESET’s positive outlook

ESET executives agreed that one of the main challenges is getting companies and users in general to understand the importance of protecting themselves from cyberthreats and implementing preventive measures. “Many still see cybersecurity as an expense and not an investment,” said Flammia.

Despite the challenges, ESET representatives were optimistic about the future. “We will always be at the forefront of technology,” said Flammia. “You can continue to trust in ESET’s development.”

Education and awareness are essential foundations of the company’s strategy in Venezuela. For this reason, they have developed various educational programs aimed at students, professionals and companies, with the aim of strengthening the culture of cybersecurity in the country.

For more information, visit the ESET website: https://www.eset.com/ve/. Also, their social networks: Instagram (@eset_ve)  and Facebook: (ESET).

Direct media coverage of Grupo EL SUMARIO, more information from ESET and Comstat Rowland Strategic Communications

Audiovisual production: Jesús Ramírez

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