ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, is on the cusp of a new era, breaking new ground with its updated portfolio of B2B (business-to-business) products that directly address current and future risks arising from the advancements of the AI ​​era, the company stated in a press release.

The cybersecurity landscape is being transformed by artificial intelligence

As employees adopt AI tools, developers incorporate programming assistants, and organizations integrate AI agents and AI-powered workflows, new attack surfaces are emerging. ESET has observed, analyzed, and taken action on this shift firsthand. Its research team discovered AI-based threats such as PromptLock and PromptSpy, while also detecting thousands of actionable malicious AI skills. While AI accelerates innovation, it also accelerates risks, demanding a new approach to cyber resilience.

“It is precisely at this point that organizations, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are facing difficulties. They are expected to stay ahead of this rapidly changing new threat landscape, but many lack the necessary support to do so. In such circumstances, cybersecurity must move beyond simply adapting and instead take the initiative,” said Michal Jankech, Vice President of Enterprise & SMB/MSP.

Maintaining productivity without compromising security

That’s why ESET is enhancing its B2B offering by adding a new AI security module to the ESET PROTECT platform. By helping organizations protect themselves against threats across the entire AI ecosystem, ESET empowers businesses to adopt AI with greater confidence through the following capabilities:

• AI Agent Security: A dedicated security layer protects organizations using autonomous AI agents against malicious AI components. This extends defenses to the AI ​​agent ecosystem to maintain productivity without compromising security.
• AI Behavior Monitoring: A continuous monitoring capability that tracks the behavior of autonomous AI agents, detecting and flagging suspicious actions to help reduce risk, strengthen oversight of AI agent operations, and prevent suspicious AI behavior from becoming a security incident.

Long-term commitment and €40 million investment

ESET has also strengthened its core AI-based detection technologies, decades in development, by investing in AI foundations that prioritize protection and are specifically designed for cybersecurity. These include ESET LiveCortex, a correlation and response engine that spans all perimeters and is part of the ESET PROTECT platform. Similarly, ESET AI Advisor will be renamed ESET LiveAI to better reflect its place in the company’s core product portfolio and its new capability, which provides real-time context for incident resolution.

“As cybersecurity enters the era of autonomous AI, ESET is introducing an updated B2B portfolio designed to help organizations address emerging AI-driven threats. Along with an additional €40 million investment in AI by 2026, this new offering reflects our long-term commitment to closing the AI ​​security gap and ensuring that protection remains fundamental to innovation,” added Jankech.

Discover more about the breadth and variety of ESET PROTECT modules: Cybersecurity with AI.

Read how ESET PROTECT Elite Cloud performed in the latest AV-Comparatives test.

Visit them at:

@ESETLA     /company/eset-latinoamerica      /esetla     /ESETLA     /@esetla.

For more valuable information on cybersecurity, visit the ESET website: https://www.eset.com/ve/. Also follow them on social media: Instagram (@eset_ve) and Facebook (ESET).

Information provided by ESET and Comstat Roland Strategic Communications

(Main reference image source: Numan Ali on Unsplash)

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La entrada ESET launches new B2B features specially designed for the AI ​​era apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Those who enjoy the popular Roblox game have likely been tempted at some point to look for a way to get free Robux. This virtual currency (Robux) can unlock a wide variety of experiences within the platform. Younger players, in particular, may want more Robux due to a combination of FOMO (fear of missing out) and the desire to improve their online status. ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, warns of the importance of differentiating between “free” and “earned” when it comes to obtaining Robux, in order to distinguish between legitimate offers and avoid scams.

There are official Roblox programs, as well as programs from trusted partners like Microsoft, that allow you to complete tasks and/or answer questions to earn a Roblox gift card. Additionally, Roblox offers 25 % more Robux when users legitimately purchase the virtual currency through the website, computers, or gift cards. There are also ways to monetizar contenido dentro de Roblox. For example, through subscriptions, charging access fees, selling items or skills that other Roblox users can buy, offering private servers, or marketing models and add-ons for other creators in the Creator Store. It’s even possible to sell avatar items in the Marketplace and earn a share of the profits.

However, these are opportunities to earn Robux, and they can be more difficult to access than they seem. In other words, you really don’t get anything for free.

“Roblox makes it very clear: ‘There is no such thing as free Robux, free subscription offers, cheats, or codes.’ What does exist, unfortunately, are numerous scammers trying to trick you into giving away your personal information and account login details by promising free Robux,” says Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

ESET maintains that there are as many variations of these scams as there are legitimate ways to earn Robux. Here are some of the most common:

• “Free” Robux generators that ask for your Roblox username and, in some cases, request that you complete surveys or install software. As you might expect, the criminals only want your username to try to hijack your account. The surveys are often designed to collect personal information without the user’s knowledge, and the software may include malicious code. Roblox is a popular platform among cybercriminals for distributing malware.
• Phishing pages that you reach after clicking a link in an email, unsolicited message, or malicious ad. These pages mimic the official Roblox website to steal your credentials.
• Fake giveaways on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Discord. The administrator claims to be giving away thousands of free Robux, but the provided link is malicious.
• Limited-time offers, which can arrive via phishing emails or social media posts and ads. The goal is to create a sense of urgency to trick you into making a bad decision, such as clicking a link or sharing personal information in exchange for supposed “free Robux” that don’t actually exist.
• Fake gift cards are another opportunity for scammers to get what they want. They may offer to exchange personal information, login credentials, or even money for a gift card code that doesn’t actually exist.

Legitimate promotions will never ask for your password or two-step verification code

“Any site that asks for login credentials or a supposed ‘human verification’ outside of the official Roblox website is a scam, unless you can independently verify that it is an official Roblox page or an authorized partner,” warns the ESET researcher.

ESET advises that legitimate promotions will never ask for your password or two-factor authentication (2FA) code. They also won’t use limited-time offers or attention-grabbing promises. They won’t warn you that you could lose Robux if you don’t act quickly. And they will never ask you to download a supposed “Robux generator.”

“Be wary of any special offers related to Robux. Never share your login credentials or personal information with other users. Also, avoid clicking on suspicious links or entering your passwords on non-Roblox websites,” advises Micucci.

If you are a parent or guardian and you are worried that your child might fall for these types of scams, it is important to take a moment to talk about these concerns. The main goal is to teach good digital security habits, such as not sharing passwords or clicking on suspicious links. It’s also important to help them understand that “free Robux” doesn’t exist and that this virtual currency has a real cost.

ESET maintains that it’s important for children to feel comfortable approaching adults with any problem, regardless of what happened. This can only be achieved by calmly explaining why they can’t freely access their credit card and why they can only use the platform responsibly.

If you believe a child or teenager has already been the victim of a scam, ESET recommends changing the account login credentials (and any other shared credentials), enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), and verifying that the recovery email address hasn’t been changed. Review linked payment methods for suspicious activity and consider contacting the bank or freezing the card. If there are concerns about malware, it’s important to scan the device with a reliable security solution. Above all, do not blame the child, but listen to them, reassure them, and help them follow these steps.

To learn more about ESET and this topic, you can check:  https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/seguridad-menores/robux-gratis-estafas-roblox/.

Other useful preventative information regarding cybersecurity and protection can be found at: 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 real and what’s a scam: Are there free Robux in Roblox? apareció primero en Bitfinance.

An IP address is a set of numbers that identifies a device connected to the internet and functions as a digital address, similar to a postal code for a residential address, pinpointing exactly where information should be delivered.

Although essential for the functioning of the internet, ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, warns that IP addresses also contain information that can be used against users themselves. The approximate location, internet service provider, and, in some cases, even usage patterns become visible to those who know where to look.

Understanding what an IP address is, how it works, and how to protect it is the first step to browsing more securely

The acronym IP stands for Internet Protocol, the set of rules that enables communication between devices on a network. Every computer, cell phone, router, or any other internet-connected device receives an IP address. Thanks to this address, websites, applications, and services know exactly where to send the requested information, whether it’s to open a page, watch a video, or send a message.

Not all IP addresses work the same way. There are different classifications, and understanding them helps you understand the risks involved:

• A public IP address is the address that identifies your connection to the rest of the internet. Your internet service provider assigns it, and it’s the number that any website or service sees when you access the network. It’s like your house address seen from the outside—what the outside world sees.
• A private IP address, on the other hand, operates within your own network, usually your home network. Each device connected to the router, whether a computer, cell phone, or Smart TV, receives a different private IP address so the router can distinguish one device from another. This address is not visible from outside the network.

“Having an exposed IP address doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be attacked, but it does mean there’s a vulnerability that can be exploited if proper precautions aren’t taken. Cybercriminals use IP addresses in various ways to plan or execute attacks,” says Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

Threats and risks

One of the most common uses is location tracking. From a public IP address, it’s possible to determine the city and, sometimes, even the approximate region from which someone is connecting, as well as the internet service provider. This information alone isn’t enough to pinpoint a person’s location, but combined with other information, such as leaked data from a service, it can help a scammer create a more complete profile of the victim.

Another risk is the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, in which cybercriminals use a network of infected devices to send a massive volume of requests against a specific IP address, overloading the server until it crashes. The scale of these attacks can be alarming. In 2018, GitHub, for example, was briefly taken offline after suffering what was then the largest recorded DDoS attack, with a peak of 1.35 terabits per second of malicious traffic directed at the platform.

There is also IP spoofing, a technique by which a cybercriminal falsifies the source IP address of a communication, making it appear as if the traffic originates from a trusted source. This technique is used to bypass security systems, conceal the true origin of an attack, or deceive networks that rely on certain known IP addresses, and it is precisely the mechanism behind many of the largest DDoS attacks.

Finally, an exposed IP address can be used as a starting point for direct intrusion attempts, especially if the device connected to that address has open ports or unpatched vulnerabilities. In these cases, the cybercriminal analyzes the IP address for specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Preventive tips

“Protecting an IP address doesn’t mean hiding it completely from the internet—something practically impossible if you want to browse normally—but rather making it harder for it to be used against you,” Micucci points out.

The most effective tool for protecting an IP address is a VPN, short for Virtual Private Network. When using a VPN, the connection passes through an intermediary server before reaching the final destination, which means that websites and services see the VPN server’s IP address and not your real IP address. This makes it harder to track your location and adds an extra layer of privacy, especially useful on public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in airports and cafes, where the risk of data interception is higher.

Another important measure is to keep your router and internet-connected devices always up to date. Vulnerabilities in routers are one of the main entry points for attacks, and manufacturers release updates precisely to fix these vulnerabilities. Changing the router’s default password to a strong one, disabling remote access when not needed, and closing unused ports also reduces the attack surface.

A well-configured firewall, whether built into your router or part of a security solution, helps block suspicious connection attempts before they reach your devices. It acts as a filter between your network and the internet, analyzing traffic and blocking anything that appears malicious.

Finally, it’s important to be careful with the information you share publicly. Live streams, online games, and even certain applications can expose your IP address if they aren’t configured correctly. Reviewing the privacy settings of these platforms and avoiding sharing unnecessary data is a simple way to reduce risks.

To learn more about ESET and various cybersecurity topics, you can visit: https://www.eset.com/latam/blog/cultura-y-seguridad-digital/que-es-direccion-ip-como-fucniona/

You can also find other useful preventative information in Venezuela at: https://www.eset.com/ve/, and on their social media: Instagram (@eset_ve) and X (@eset_ve)

You can also find them on Instagram (@esetla) and Facebook (ESET)

Information and image courtesy of ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada Let’s clarify what an IP address is, what it is used for, and how you can protect it apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Mass-appeal events have become prime targets for global cybercrime. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, the cybersecurity company ESET Venezuela organized a specialized online event to analyze the main digital threats facing fans.

 During the session, experts shared and explained that collective enthusiasm and the urgency to obtain tickets or exclusive promotions often cloud users’ judgment. This psychological factor is exploited by attackers to carry out large-scale financial scams and identity theft.

 Most common frauds in online football

The technical presentation detailed that the most common types of fraud operate through:

Cloning websites dedicated to selling tickets.

Deceptive offers of travel packages and accommodations.

Furthermore, ESET analysts examined for participants how cybercriminals use social media, instant messaging applications, and fake websites. Using advanced social engineering techniques, attackers impersonate official sponsors to trick victims into downloading malicious applications, compromising their mobile devices and exposing their banking information.

Key digital security tips for the World Cup season

To mitigate this vulnerability, the ESET Venezuela team shared practical recommendations for maintaining safe browsing during the global event:

• Verify the authenticity of all links received.
• Avoid entering credentials or financial data on unofficial platforms.
• Be wary of raffles or prizes of dubious origin.

In this way, the company reaffirmed the need to adopt a digital security approach to fully enjoy the biggest football event without putting technological, personal, or corporate assets at risk.

To learn more about cybersecurity, 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 courtesy of ESET and Comstat Rowland Strategic Communications

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La entrada Experts analyze cyber scams related to the 2026 World Cup: Beware of a digital own goal apareció primero en Bitfinance.

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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La entrada Manufacturing, technology, and healthcare organizations: Industries most affected by ransomware in 2026 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.

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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In Latin America, the mobile landscape has very clear characteristics. The region concentrates many malware detections for Android, focusing on Mexico and Brazil, according to the latest ESET Threat Report. Unlike more northerly regions or Europe, Android is the most prevalent operating system by a significant margin. In line with what ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, observes globally, the phone is the primary device for most people, and recent devices coexist with models that no longer receive updates. According to the research group, this mix of high dependency, fragmentation, and outdated versions creates an environment where many malicious codes find space to proliferate. This is an issue we should all be aware of, whether we are basic and occasional users or advanced and active ones.

“In addition, many of the most effective distribution channels remain fully operational in the region. SMS or messaging campaigns with direct links, modified APKs shared outside of official stores, and applications that manage to enter legitimate stores with very few reviews or signs of real activity continue to be key vectors. This ecosystem facilitates both the circulation of known malware families and the constant emergence of new or unsophisticated variants that still manage to gain traction,” comments Martina Lopez, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

ESET analyzes the 3 most frequently detected malware families in the region during 2025

Trojan.Android/Exploit.CVE-2012-6636: An old vulnerability that remains present in the mobile ecosystem because many Android applications continue to use legacy components. The flaw affects apps that use WebView with an insecure configuration and that were compiled with versions prior to Android 4.2. Even if the device is modern, the application may retain this vulnerable behavior. In this context, a malicious webpage loaded within the WebView itself can interact with the app’s internal code in ways that should not be possible, opening the door to the execution of unauthorized actions.

In the current mobile threat landscape, this exploit is not usually the focus of complex campaigns, but it does appear embedded in APKs distributed outside of official app stores or present in applications that no longer receive updates. Publicly available exploits exist for CVE-2012-6636, including modules embedded in frameworks like Metasploit, making it easy for malicious actors to use. Furthermore, it was reported as one of the most prevalent Android exploits in 2023, according to the ESET Security Report 2024.

Trojan.Android/Exploit.Lotoor: This is a family of privilege escalation exploits used for over a decade to gain root access on Android devices. It encompasses a set of techniques that abuse operating system vulnerabilities in various early versions of Android, especially flaws discovered between 2010 and 2013. Under this umbrella are exploits that take advantage of errors in drivers, system services, or memory management, allowing code to be executed with privileges higher than those of the application.

Its modules continue to reappear within malicious tools that seek to activate advanced functions such as uninstalling security apps, modifying internal configurations, or installing additional payloads. This is not the first time the research team has observed Lotoor in the top spots.

Trojan.Android/Pandora: This is malicious code linked to a variant of Mirai adapted for the Android ecosystem. It was first observed in 2023 within popular streaming applications in the region, especially on Android TV boxes and sticks commonly used to access unofficial content. In these cases, attackers distribute APKs that function as legitimate streaming apps but include a malicious component capable of turning the device into part of a botnet. In some models, modified firmware was even detected that came infected from the factory, amplifying the reach of the attack.

Once installed, Pandora maintains communication with a command and control server, receives instructions, and executes the typical capabilities of a Mirai-based botnet, with the focus on launching distributed denial-of-service attacks.

“This 2025 outlook shows us that Android threats continue to rely on well-known vectors and the lack of device and application updates, which keeps exploits and vulnerabilities that have been circulating for years alive. Even so, this doesn’t mean the risk is limited to the usual suspects. Less widespread, but equally relevant, threats also persist, such as banking trojans or fraudulent lending apps, which operate in a much more targeted way and seek a direct impact on the user’s finances. And, in parallel, emerging threats and increasingly innovative techniques are appearing, such as malware capable of cloning cards via NFC, reflecting a constantly evolving mobile ecosystem with a growing level of sophistication,” concludes Lopez from ESET Latin America.

In this context, protecting information and devices from these threats becomes vital.

ESET shares the following tips to avoid becoming a victim

• Keep your device updated and don’t use older versions of Android if an update is available.
• Install applications only from official stores or verified sources.
• Avoid APKs from unknown sources, even if they promise “premium” features or free content.
• Check permissions, developer activity, and the actual number of reviews before installing an app.
• Use reliable security solutions that detect exploits, Trojans, and anomalous behavior.
• Avoid disabling system protections and prevent the installation of unknown apps.
• Be wary of messages, links, or ads that promise quick access, discounts, or special features.

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).

Bitfinance.news

(With information and images provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland)

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