The Venezuelan Banking Association (ABV) has spoken out about fake accounts collecting funds and humanitarian aid for disaster victims in Venezuela following the earthquakes.

The organization “detected the proliferation of fundraising channels of dubious origin, a fraudulent practice that seeks to divert financial contributions from their true charitable purpose.”

 

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Una publicación compartida por Asociación Bancaria de Venezuela (@asobancave)

The ABV has recommended several preventative measures to the public to avoid becoming victims of scams and, above all, to help ensure that all donations effectively reach those who need them most.

Some of the ABV’s suggestions are:

• Make donations through a duly registered NGO, as well as corporate foundations or recognized charitable institutions.
• Prioritize transfers to accounts in the institution’s name and avoid methods like mobile payments or transfers to individuals, except when you fully trust them.
• Never reveal personal information, user passwords, or OTP codes via calls, messages, or social media.
• Discard any suspicious links and verify that you are using an official application.

M.Pino

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(Reference image source: Expressa Digital on Unsplash)

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La entrada Venezuelan Banking Association warns of fake humanitarian aid accounts apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The radical transformation of digital crime has forced corporations to abandon static security schemes. In response to this situation, the fifteenth edition of ESET Security Day, one of the most significant annual technology events held in the Venezuelan capital, took place to showcase the new cybersecurity paradigm, where attacks have ceased to be isolated incidents and have become automated operations enhanced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

Michele Flammia, General Manager of ESET Venezuela, highlighted the value of these informative forums for protecting the region’s business ecosystem. During the event, the brand’s specialists demonstrated, through a live simulation, how modern groups operate and how technologies such as XDR (Extended Detection and Response) and threat intelligence allow for action before the impact materializes.

Innovation in response and strategic advantages

Camila Oliveira, Channel Manager of ESET LATAM (currently based in the regional office in Argentina), addressed cybersecurity as a competitive advantage, inspired by Stephen Covey’s bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. During his presentation, he detailed the capabilities of the continuous training programs (AARNES) and the value of the managed detection service:

“We want companies to understand that technology and cybersecurity are not an expense, but an investment. ESET’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service has the shortest detection time on the market. Competitors use this technology differently, as they don’t offer 24/7 support and their response times are longer,” Oliveira emphasized.

The democratization of attacks through Artificial Intelligence

David González, Security Researcher at ESET Mexico, delivered a keynote address on the impact of generative AI models since the arrival of ChatGPT, a platform that has already reached 400 million users. The expert warned that this widespread adoption has led to a dangerous reduction in the technical barrier for criminals:

“In the cybercriminal world, we are witnessing a democratization of capabilities. It is no longer necessary to possess advanced technical knowledge to carry out an attack; AI allows for the generation of malicious code or the compromise of organizations in a matter of minutes. Time is working against the defenders,” González warned. Given this, he urged organizations to adopt the Diamond Model to dynamically analyze four key aspects of the adversary: ​​infrastructure, capabilities (such as zero-day exploits), victims, and the attacker’s motivations.

An unprotected market against autonomous attacks

For his part, José Luis Rangel, Commercial Manager of  ESET Venezuela warned about the growing interest of digital criminal organizations in targeting critical sectors such as healthcare, energy, and telecommunications using autonomous AI agents. Rangel posed a direct question to the companies and attendees: “What are you doing? It is important that we consider what the organization is doing to prepare before an attack occurs.”

Finally, Carlos López, Pre-Sales Manager at ESET Venezuela, provided critical metrics on corporate neglect in the face of technological evolution over the last 15 years. He explained that between 35 % and 37 % of companies lack basic defenses, and only 41 % have proactive detection and response capabilities.

In addition, 39 % of firms do not have a defined policy for the use of artificial intelligence, which facilitates data breaches. The regional situation reflects that one in four organizations in Latin America does not implement basic security measures, 51 % report having suffered incidents, and it is estimated that an attack occurs every 39 seconds globally.

The speakers emphasized that companies can no longer rely on reactive solutions, which compels corporate leaders to become directly involved in cyber defense and adopt advanced visibility tools to neutralize threats before suffering irreversible financial impacts.

For more information, visit the ESET website: https://www.eset.com/ve/. You can also follow them on social media: Instagram (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

Thanks to on-site coverage, more information from ESET and Comstat Rowland Comunicaciones Estratégicas Integrales.

Audiovisual production: Jesús Ramírez

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La entrada ESET Security Day Venezuela: Experts reveal that one-third of companies lack basic protection apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has ceased to be an exclusive tool of innovation and has become the new engine of cyberattacks. Currently, criminals are accelerating data extraction through advanced machine learning models, turning cybercrime or fraud into a systematic process that no longer depends on chance. Faced with this reality, citizens must evolve from spectators to protected users.

Carlos López, support and training manager at ESET Venezuela, warns that the human factor remains the most critical point. “Of every ten news stories circulating, eight are fake. We must remain vigilant and constantly investigate, as the foundation of every cyberattack is social engineering.”

The value of “corporate gold”

Although technology changes, the attack vector remains: “They seek to manipulate the user into participating in their game,” López points out. Phishing through emails, links, and messages with tempting offers continues to be the primary method for capturing personal data through a single mistaken click.

In the corporate environment, global interconnectedness demands a strategic vision. López emphasizes that the landscape has definitively changed with the post-pandemic virtual acceleration. “Organizations must prioritize cybersecurity when managing payroll, cloud services, and vendors. Once the damage occurs, it is irreversible,” the ESET representative asserted.

Legislative challenges and critical digital prevention measures

“In Venezuela, it is imperative to move towards data protection legislation. If you contract a service, the company must be responsible for the integrity of that information, which represents the company’s most valuable asset. The theft of IT assets not only fuels cybercrime but can also benefit larger-scale criminal organizations.”

To avoid becoming a victim of scams, the recommendation is to always be skeptical and implement technological controls. Protecting devices and using two-factor authentication are fundamental measures, since compromising initial access is always the attacker’s primary objective.

News update / ESET Security Day Caracas 2026

This Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 2:00 pm, at the JW Marriott Hotel, the “ESET Security Day” will take place in Venezuela (Caracas); a series of information security events for the corporate public that ESET carries out throughout Latin America and globally, celebrating 15 years of this specific and valuable international initiative.

This year’s event will focus on the theme: “Unveiling the Attack: The Evolution of Threats and the New Cybersecurity Paradigm.” The event will feature prominent speakers David González, Security Researcher at ESET Latin America, and Camila Oliveira, Channel Manager at ESET Latin America, as well as specialists and representatives from ESET Venezuela.

For more information, visit the ESET website: https://www.eset.com/ve/. You can also follow them on social media: Instagram (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

Information and image provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada AI and cybersecurity: the new paradigm of technological crime, explained by ESET apareció primero en Bitfinance.

ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, analyzes recovery scams, a type of money recovery fraud that operates as an umbrella term encompassing various predatory tactics, all aimed at the same goal: a second blow. Furthermore, it warns that if you take a moment to understand how they work, you’ll have a good chance of staying safe should you be contacted.

“Scammers only care about making money and take advantage of every opportunity to do so. If you’ve fallen for a scam, you shouldn’t let your guard down, as they won’t hesitate to revictimize you or exploit your desperation to recover stolen funds,” warns the ESET Latin America Cybersecurity Research Lab.

These scams begin when fraudsters buy lists of victims who have already fallen for fraud from other criminals, or they directly target victims of fraud they themselves have committed. Once identified, they contact them and impersonate recovery service providers, consumer protection agencies, government officials, law enforcement, regulators, and so on.

When exchanging information about the case, they promise to try to recover the funds in exchange for an advance payment, or they may claim that they already have the money and are redistributing it to affected customers. Another alternative is that they mention they only need to complete paperwork to release a refund supposedly managed by a government agency or entity.

“This is basically a form of advance fee scam, which in the United States in 2024 resulted in more than 7,000 reports and more than $102 million in losses. Even so, these numbers likely represent only the tip of the iceberg,” adds the ESET Lab.

ESET reports and details the warning signs to avoid a recovery scam

• Exaggerated claims: They say they already have funds or “guarantee” their recovery.
• Unsolicited contact: They arrive without being sought out, via email, social media, SMS, or phone call.
• Upfront payment: They request an initial fee, perhaps called a retainer fee, processing fee, administrative charge, or even a tax-related fee.
• Social engineering: They pressure you into making hasty decisions.
• Impersonation: They claim to be from an official agency, bank, or fraud team.
• Untraceable payment methods: They request crypto, gift cards, or payment apps that are difficult to reverse.
• Unprofessional emails: They use Gmail accounts or other webmail services instead of legitimate corporate addresses.

To avoid becoming a victim again, ESET shares and mentions some recommendations to keep in mind: never pay upfront fees to someone who contacts you out of the blue; always verify the identity of the person contacting you by looking up their information on official websites; And avoid posting stories online about how you were scammed, as criminals monitor the web for victims to target again.

If you have already been a victim of a money recovery scam, according to ESET, your options are limited. They advise reporting the incident to the relevant official authority in your country. This helps authorities map the fraud landscape and protect future victims. If you paid through a bank, notify them as soon as possible. Monitor your accounts and freeze any affected cards. If you provided personal information, change your passwords, activate MFA, and prepare for more convincing phishing attempts in the future.

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

For other useful preventative information, you can also visit: https://www.eset.com/ve/, and their social media channels @eset_ve. They are also on Instagram (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET).

Information and image provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada The double deception: Fake services that scam you to recover money after you’ve been frauded apareció primero en Bitfinance.

ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, announces the launch of Cloud Workload Protection, a new security module designed to protect virtual machines in public cloud environments and extend threat visibility beyond traditional endpoints and servers.

Presented at RSA Conference 2026, this new module allows organizations to integrate cloud workload protection within ESET’s detection and response platform, consolidating the security management of endpoints, servers, and cloud environments into a single console.

“Many companies, especially in the midmarket and managed service providers, are increasingly adopting cloud services like virtual machines to improve their productivity,” says Michal Jankech, Vice President of Enterprise & SMB/MSP at ESET. “With ESET Cloud Workload Protection, we extend our protection to public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, reducing the attack surface and providing greater visibility into potential threats.”

The ESET Cloud Workload Protection module protects virtual machines in public cloud environments and integrates telemetry from these systems within the ESET PROTECT XDR platform, enabling security teams to gain broader visibility and respond more efficiently to incidents that may affect both on-premises and cloud infrastructures.

Unlike many solutions on the market that offer cloud workload protection as a standalone product, ESET includes this capability at no additional cost for ESET PROTECT customers (except for the Entry edition).

According to various industry estimates, the average cost of a data breach in public cloud environments can exceed $5 million per incident, reinforcing the need for tools that simplify protection and enable faster response to threats.

Furthermore, the new module maintains ESET’s characteristic focus on providing lightweight and efficient solutions, allowing IT teams to validate security controls and generate evidence of compliance with regulatory standards such as NIST, CIS, HIPAA, and PCI DSS.

AI-Powered Enhancements

Along with the new module, ESET is announcing several enhancements to the ESET PROTECT platform, focused on simplifying incident investigation and improving response capabilities to attacks.

Key new features include:

Advanced AI-powered reporting in ESET LiveGuard Advanced. ESET’s cloud sandboxing technology now includes more detailed behavioral reports on analyzed files. For organizations using subscriptions with XDR capabilities, these reports incorporate AI-generated summaries that help quickly interpret complex findings.

Enhancements to incident investigation for EDR and XDR customers. The platform now offers more comprehensive incident graphs, clearly visualizing how an attack unfolded, identifying the initial entry point, and tracking its evolution over time. New contextual data, such as identity-related information, is also incorporated to accelerate analysis and response processes.

Integration of ESET AI Advisor into the ESET PROTECT console. ESET’s AI-powered assistant is now directly integrated into the management console, providing security teams with easy access to its analysis and recommendation capabilities.

With these new capabilities, ESET continues to expand its security platform to help organizations manage increasingly hybrid and complex environments, combining proactive protection, advanced detection, and investigation tools to enable faster and more efficient responses to modern threats.

In parallel, the company also announced eCrime Reports, a new service within the ESET Threat Intelligence portfolio that offers detailed analysis of real-world incidents related to ransomware and infostealers. These reports include indicators of compromise (IoCs), technical campaign analysis, attack patterns, and recommendations to help security teams anticipate threats and strengthen their defense strategies.

To learn more about ESET solutions, visit: https://www.eset.com/latam/empresas/protect-platform/.

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

For useful preventative data, 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 reference images provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada ESET strengthens cloud security with new AI-powered capabilities apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Although the conflict is unfolding in the Middle East, the repercussions in cyberspace can affect organizations worldwide. A clear example occurred less than 24 hours after the start of the conflict, when Iranian drones attacked cloud infrastructure facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, affecting critical services and business applications in various regions.

ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, analyzes the impact of the war in Iran on the global cybersecurity landscape and warns about the main risks that organizations must monitor in this scenario.

Such incidents demonstrate that physical distance from a war zone does not guarantee isolation from its consequences, especially in highly interconnected environments.

However, for most organizations, the most immediate risk manifests itself in cyberspace. Following the initial military operations, actors linked to Iran rapidly increased their activity, with dozens of hacktivist groups actively supporting their interests.

Cyberspace is yet another active front, where attacks can escalate rapidly and have a global impact

This context creates a scenario in which multiple threat actors—from organized groups to hacktivists—can carry out attacks with different objectives, expanding the risk surface for companies and organizations worldwide.

“These types of conflicts highlight that cyberspace is yet another active front, where attacks can escalate rapidly and have a global impact. Organizations must be prepared to face an increase in malicious activity, even if they are far from the epicenter of the conflict,” comments Martina Lopez, Information Security Specialist at ESET Latin America.

Given this scenario, ESET emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring the evolution of threats, strengthening protection strategies, and understanding that current geopolitical conflicts have a direct impact on the digital world.

If you would like to learn more about this topic, you can visit: The impact of the war in Iran on cybersecurity: key risks you should monitor.

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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La entrada Conflict in Iran: its impact on global cybersecurity and the risks it generates apareció primero en Bitfinance.

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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La entrada What’s happening with infostealers and credential theft? Is your digital identity at risk? apareció primero en Bitfinance.

In its effort to offer clients solutions that minimize risk and strengthen its platforms, Bancamiga is advancing initiatives to create a safe and reliable environment, with a constant emphasis on awareness and individual caution.

Protect yourself from fraud!

Even with the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to safeguard the interests of clients and the bank, effective security requires active collaboration, where clients and the financial institution work hand in hand.

Direct Access, Virtual Lock, and ID Check are three of the most recent initiatives implemented by Bancamiga to enhance security.

With Direct Access, Bancamiga customers have an icon pinned to their desktop and taskbar, mitigating the risk of accessing pages with malicious links.

Installing Direct Access is very simple: log in to Bancamiga Online (www.bancamiga.com), enter your credentials and dynamic password. A pop-up window will appear; click “Install” and confirm. The shortcut will automatically be created on your desktop, with the option to also add it to the taskbar.

Virtual Lock is another tool that increases security by temporarily blocking the use of card data for online purchases, preventing unauthorized access. It is activated through Bancamiga Online or Bancamiga Suite before a transaction and deactivated upon completion.

Another initiative promoted by Bancamiga is ID Check, an extra layer of security with codes generated by the app for online purchases.

Bancamiga warns: Beware of fake websites!

Through informational campaigns, Bancamiga constantly promotes recommendations that emphasize proactive prevention and the use of its security tools.

Among its frequent tips are the following:

1. Type www.bancamiga.com directly into your browser.

2. Avoid clicking on links in emails, SMS messages, or search engines to avoid falling for fake websites.

3. Do not reply to or provide confidential information (username, password, CVV) via email, WhatsApp, or phone calls. Bancamiga never requests this information through these channels.

4. Keep the Virtual Lock closed when you are not making online purchases.

5. Activate biometric authentication (fingerprint or face) and 2FA in the app for extra protection.

6. Download apps only from official stores (Google Play/App Store).
7. Check your account activity regularly.

8. Use strong passwords (uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, symbols) and change them regularly. Do not reuse the same password on multiple sites.

For any questions, please visit www.bancamiga.com, call 0500TUBANCA (0500-8822622) or 0501TUBANCA (0501-8822622), or follow us on social media: @bancamiga.

Information provided by Bancamiga Banco Universal                               

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La entrada Bancamiga prioritizes prevention and encourages individual caution apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Employee advocacy has existed as a concept for over a decade. But what began as a well-intentioned way to enhance corporate profile, thought leadership, and marketing also has some unintended consequences. When professionals post about their work, their company, and their role, they expect to reach like-minded professionals, as well as potential clients, allies, and partners. ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, warns that malicious actors are also paying attention and that the more information there is, the more opportunities there are to carry out malicious activities that could seriously affect an organization. Once that information is publicly available, it is often used to help create convincing spearphishing or business email compromise (BEC) attacks.

“The first stage of a typical social engineering attack is information gathering. The next is to weaponize that information in a spearphishing attack designed to trick the recipient into unknowingly installing malware on their device. Or, potentially, into sharing their corporate credentials to gain initial access. This could be achieved through an email, a text message, or even a phone call. Alternatively, they could use the information to impersonate a high-level executive or supplier in an email, phone call, or video call requesting an urgent bank transfer,” reveals Martina Lopez, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

“The first stage of a typical social engineering attack is information gathering.” The main platforms for sharing this type of information are the usual ones. LinkedIn is perhaps the most widely used. It could be described as the world’s largest open database of corporate information: a veritable treasure trove of job titles, roles, responsibilities, and internal relationships. It’s also where recruiters post job openings, which can reveal too many technical details that can then be exploited in spearphishing attacks.

GitHub is perhaps best known in the cybersecurity context as a place where careless developers post hardcoded secrets, IP addresses, and customer data. But they can also share more innocuous information about project names, CI/CD pipeline names, and details about the technology stacks and open-source libraries they use. They can also share corporate email addresses in Git commit configurations.

Then there are the classic end-user-oriented social platforms, such as Instagram and X. This is where employees often share details about their travel plans to conferences and other events, which could be used against them and their organization. Even information on your company’s website could be useful to a potential scammer or hacker. Think about details on technical platforms, suppliers and partners, or important corporate announcements, such as mergers and acquisitions. All of this could serve as a pretext for sophisticated phishing.

The attacks mentioned above typically require a combination of impersonation, urgency, and relevance. Here are some hypothetical examples:

• An attacker finds information on LinkedIn about a new employee in the IT department of Company A, including their main duties and responsibilities. They impersonate a key technology vendor and claim an urgent security update is needed, referencing the target’s name, contact information, and job title. The update link is malicious.
• A malicious actor finds information about two colleagues on GitHub, including the project they are working on. They impersonate one of them in an email asking the other to review an attached document, which contains malware.
• A scammer finds a video of an executive on LinkedIn or a company website. They see on the person’s Instagram feed that they are giving a presentation and will be out of the office. Knowing that the executive may be difficult to contact, they launch a BEC deepfake attack using video or audio to trick a member of the finance team into transferring urgent funds to a new vendor.

ESET describes real-world examples of malicious actors using open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques in the early stages of attacks. These include:

• A business email (BEC) attack that cost Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) $3.6 million: Malicious actors likely reviewed press releases about a newly announced campus to gather details, including the hospital’s construction partner. They then used LinkedIn and/or the company’s website to identify key executives and finance team members at the construction firm involved (JE Dunn). Finally, they impersonated the chief financial officer in an email to CHOA’s finance team requesting that they update their payment information for JE Dunn.
• The Russia-based SEABORGIUM and Iranian-aligned TA453 groups use OSINT for reconnaissance before launching spearphishing attacks against pre-selected targets. According to the UK’s NCSC, cybercriminals use social media and professional networking platforms to “research the interests [of their targets] and identify their real-world social or professional contacts.” Once they have established trust and a relationship via email, they send a link to collect the victims’ credentials.

Education: the most powerful preventive weapon

“While the risks of oversharing are real, the solutions are simple. The most powerful weapon is education. Updating security awareness programs is crucial to ensuring that everyone in a company understands the importance of not oversharing on social media. Ask staff to avoid sharing information through unsolicited direct messages, even if they recognize the sender (as their account could have been spoofed), and ensure they are able to detect phishing, BEC, and deepfake attempts,” advises Lopez from ESET Latin America.

” Furthermore, among ESET Latin America’s security recommendations is the need to support this with a strict social media policy, defining clear limits on what can and cannot be shared, and establishing clear boundaries between personal and professional/official accounts. It may also be necessary to review and update corporate websites and accounts to remove any information that could be used as a weapon.

Checking multifactor authentication (MFA) and strong passwords (stored in a password manager) should also be standard practice for all social media accounts, in case professional accounts are compromised to attack colleagues.

Finally, monitor publicly accessible accounts whenever possible to detect any information that could be used for spearphishing and business email marketing (BEC), and conduct red team exercises with employees to test their awareness.

“AI is making it faster and easier than ever for malicious actors to profile their targets, gather OSINT, and then draft convincing emails/messages in perfect natural language. AI-powered deepfakes further increase their options. The takeaway should be that if something is in the public domain, you can expect a cybercriminal to know it too and soon come knocking,” concludes Martina Lopez 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).

With information and reference image provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada Oversharing and Cybersecurity: Dangers when employees share too much online apareció primero en Bitfinance.

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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