It might sound exaggerated, but a large part of our lives revolves around our cell phones: photos, emails, online banking, social media, work, sensitive documents, conversations. That’s why ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, is sharing the steps to follow for a quick phone security check. This is extremely important for all users.

“In 10 minutes and with simple actions, you can detect risks, close unnecessary access points, and prevent problems before they occur. This significantly reduces the risk of your entire digital life becoming vulnerable,” explains Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

Minute 1–2: Update – The first step is to install available updates for both the operating system and the applications you use. It’s crucial to have the latest version installed because cybercriminals know how to exploit old vulnerabilities or weaknesses to carry out their attacks.

Minute 3: Lock – Activate device locking with a PIN, pattern, or biometric data. Ideally, avoid using common patterns or birthdates, and configure your screen to lock automatically as soon as possible. Physical access remains one of the simplest ways to compromise a device, since an unlocked cell phone allows anyone to access apps, emails, and social networks.

Minute 4: Delete – Review the list of installed applications and delete those you no longer use or recognize. Reducing the number of apps also reduces the entry points for cybercriminals.

Minute 5: Limit – Another important point regarding apps is to control the permissions they request. For example, does a flashlight app really need access to your contacts? You can check this in the “Settings” menu, then go to “Privacy,” and under “Permissions,” limit those you consider unnecessary or suspicious. According to ESET, the danger is clear: the microphone can listen to ambient noise, the camera can record without your knowledge, and location services can constantly track your movements.

Minute 6: Reduce – Decrease your attack surface by turning off Bluetooth when not in use and deleting saved public Wi-Fi networks. Both public Wi-Fi networks and active Bluetooth can be used by cybercriminals to intercept information or attempt unauthorized connections.

Minute 7: Enable – Activate two-factor authentication (2FA) on all possible accounts: email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Google, Apple ID, etc. This prevents malicious actors from hijacking your account, stealing your networks and contacts, and accessing your banking services.

Minute 8-9: Back Up – It’s advisable to check if you have active backups (on Google Drive or iCloud), confirm when the last backup was performed, and enable automatic backups of photos, contacts, files, and system data if they aren’t already configured. Not all security incidents can be prevented. Backups are what allow you to recover your information, and if you don’t have a recent copy, the impact can be more severe.

Minute 10: Boost – Install a reliable security solution that provides protection against phishing sites and malicious apps, and detects malware in real time. Not all threats are visible: in fact, as users, we often don’t detect malicious links, dangerous apps, or suspicious behavior in time, and a security solution adds constant monitoring, reducing the margin for human error. ESET solutions, for example, include protection for online banking and payments, blocking of sensitive applications, and anti-theft tools to locate or lock your device in case of loss or theft.

“Cybersecurity isn’t about magic solutions, but about small habits that can make a big difference. This 10-minute security check is a step toward a better-protected device. Since most digital incidents occur due to minor oversights or carelessness (installing an unofficial app, not updating systems, a weak password), a good goal is to make this quick and concise check a daily habit. And thus, enjoy your digital life more safely,” concludes Micucci from 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 provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

Image source: Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash

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An analysis conducted in late 2025 by ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, highlighted the evolution of ransomware (data kidnapping) as one of trends to watch closely in 2026. This first quarter of the year confirms its importance, and the cybersecurity company analyzes the most attacked industries, which countries were most affected, the situation in Latin America, and the incidence of each group.

Topics of paramount importance and interest to both experts and cautious users who follow these incidents.

According to the ransomware.live report, the three groups that dominated the first quarter of the year were Qilin, The Gentlemen, and Akira, which together accounted for almost 900 victims, representing more than 30% of the total attacks (approximately 2,200).

Qilin ransomware took first place with more than 400 attacks during the quarter. This ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group, which also held this position last year, took the professionalization of cybercrime to a new level, so to speak, by providing legal counsel to its affiliates to strengthen their leverage during ransom negotiations.

Second place, with almost 250 attacks, went to The Gentlemen. This RaaS group represents a new era: it is moving away from mass attacks to focus on tailored operations. A silent and far more dangerous model, according to ESET, that redefines the rules of the game with targeted and adaptive campaigns.

Akira completed this negative podium, with more than 200 attacks to its name, many in Latin America. Its spread was so widespread that it even put major cybersecurity agencies around the world on alert, including the FBI.

Regarding the industries most affected by ransomware during the first three months of 2026, ESET found the manufacturing, technology, and healthcare sectors to be the most impacted. Following closely behind were business services, construction, and financial services.

“What is clear is that cyber attackers do not choose their victims randomly, but rather seek out organizations where they can generate a strong impact or sense of urgency, whether due to the immediate need to have their systems available, because they cannot afford long operational downtime, or because they handle critical or sensitive information. Ransomware groups continue to focus on economic and reputational impact, targeting industries undergoing digitalization but demonstrating less maturity in cybersecurity,” says Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

Internationally, with more than 1,000 attacks recorded, the United States was the country most affected by ransomware during the first quarter of 2026. The countries that followed recorded only 100 attacks or fewer, such as Germany, Great Britain, and France. Canada completed the top five affected countries.

Regarding Latin America, Brazil (50 attacks) and Mexico (30) were the most affected countries, but incidents were also recorded in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic

The first quarter of 2026 confirms the trend that ransomware is not a temporary or declining threat, but a consolidated and constantly evolving phenomenon. “The combination of highly active groups, new emerging actors, and increasingly targeted attacks demonstrates that the model remains profitable for cyber attackers. Looking ahead, the focus should be on how organizations can strengthen their prevention, detection, and response capabilities, especially in critical sectors and regions where cybersecurity maturity still has significant gaps,” concludes Micucci of ESET.

For more information on this topic, please visit: https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/ransomware/actividad-ransomware-primer-trimestre-2026/.

Additionally, for other useful preventative information, visit https://www.eset.com/ve/ in Venezuela, and follow them on social media @eset_ve, Instagram (@esetla), and Facebook (ESET).

With information and image reference ​​provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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Last November, the UK’s Security Service alerted members of Parliament about a foreign intelligence-gathering scheme: two LinkedIn profiles were contacting people working in British politics to request “insider information.” The MI5 revelations triggered a £170 million ($230 million) government initiative to address espionage threats against Parliament. While this is a high-profile case, ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, states that it is far from the first or only one. The site could also be a veritable treasure trove of corporate data that could be maliciously used to support fraud or threat campaigns.

Therefore, it is important to learn from this analysis and valuable professional opinion provided by ESET.

LinkedIn has amassed over one billion members worldwide since its founding in 2003. This represents a vast pool of potential targets for state-backed or financially motivated threat actors. Firstly, it is an extraordinary source of information where malicious actors can discover the roles and responsibilities of key individuals within a target company and reconstruct or reshape the relationships between individuals and projects they might be working on. Furthermore, it provides credibility and cover because, as a professional network, it is frequented by both high-level executives and lower-level employees, and it is a context in which a victim is more likely to open a direct message or InMail from someone on the platform than an unsolicited email.

On the other hand, it bypasses “traditional” security because there is no guarantee that phishing messages, malware, or spam won’t get through; and due to the site’s perceived credibility, target users may be more likely to click on malicious content. Finally, it’s easy to start operating; anyone can create a profile and begin lurking on the site to gather intelligence or send phishing messages and Business Enforcement (BEC) scams. Furthermore, attackers can hijack existing accounts or create fake identities before posing as candidates and recruiters for positions and jobs. The large number of compromised credentials circulating on cybercrime forums (due in part to infostealers) makes this relatively easy.

There are several ways threat actors can operationalize their malicious campaigns:

• Phishing and spearphishing: By using the information users share in their profiles, attackers can customize phishing campaigns (fake emails) to increase their success rate.
• Direct attacks: Contact can be made directly through malicious links designed to deploy malware, such as infostealers, or promote fake job offers intended to steal credentials.
• BEC: Similar to phishing, LinkedIn provides a wealth of intelligence that can be used to make Business Email Compromise attacks appear more convincing. It can help scammers identify who reports to whom, what projects they are working on, and the names of partners or suppliers.
• Deepfakes: LinkedIn can also host videos of targeted individuals, which can be used to create deepfakes and employ them in subsequent phishing, BEC, or social media scams.
• Account hijacking: Fake LinkedIn pages (phishing), infostealers, credential stuffing, and other techniques can help attackers take control of user accounts. These hijacked accounts can then be used in subsequent attacks targeting their contacts.
• Attacks on suppliers: LinkedIn can also be tracked for information about partners of a target company, who would also be targeted with phishing as part of a malicious “domino effect” strategy.

“The challenge posed by threats on LinkedIn is that IT departments find it difficult to obtain accurate information about the extent of the risk their employees face, and the tactics used to attack them. However, it makes sense to include LinkedIn threat scenarios like those described above in security awareness training courses. Employees should also be warned about the risk of oversharing information on the platform and given guidance on how to detect fake accounts and typical phishing lures,” says Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

ESET provides information on various threat groups that have used some of these tactics

• The Lazarus Group (North Korea) has posed as recruiters on LinkedIn to install malware on the computers of people working at an aerospace company, according to ESET Research. In fact, the research team also recently described the “Wagemole” campaigns, in which individuals aligned with North Korea attempt to obtain employment at foreign companies.
• ScatteredSpider contacted MGM’s help desk, impersonating an employee whose identity they obtained from LinkedIn, in order to gain access to the organization. The subsequent ransomware attack resulted in losses of $100 million.
• A spearphishing campaign called “Ducktail” targeted marketing and human resources professionals on LinkedIn, delivering malware and stealing information through links sent via direct message. The malware was hosted in the cloud.

Prevention

“To prevent account hijacking, a policy of regularly updating patches should be followed, security software should be installed on all devices (from a trusted vendor), and multifactor authentication should be enabled. Additionally, in corporate environments, it may be worthwhile to organize specific training sessions for executives, who are often the most frequent targets of attacks. Above all, ensure that the team is aware that, even on a network considered trustworthy like LinkedIn, not everyone acts in good faith or in their best interest,” recommends the ESET researcher.

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

For other useful preventative information, also available in Venezuela at: 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

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