Commercials are a nuisance at best and a security risk at worst. You put yourself at risk just by reading your daily news online. Malvertising is hard to notice and terrible to deal with. However, there are preventative measures you can take to lessen the impact of becoming a victim. Continue reading for more details about malvertising attacks, examples, and how to remove malvertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cybercriminals employ malvertising, often known as malvertising, to infect consumers’ computers with malware when they visit rogue websites or click on online advertisements. Malvertising may also send consumers to a compromised website where their data can be stolen or malware can be downloaded onto their computers. If you watch or click an ad, your computer or mobile device could slow down, you could lose access to your personal information, or all of the above could happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below are some examples of malvertising that can be readily apparent if you know what to look for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malvertising appears on malevolent and trustworthy websites. Sometimes advertisers don’t understand their malvertising is detrimental, thinking it’s simply another ad. Ads are provided to safe websites after advertiser clearance. After a user clicks, the malvertising code runs in the background, potentially downloading malware. This download is “drive-by.” The New York Times stated that the US government had to remove malware from the web to prevent Russian hackers from exploiting it to enter networks after so many infections. Rarely does the drive-by download occur without the user clicking on the malvertising. Users can download the malware from an infected webpage or landing page. If an infected link is clicked, the user may be led to a site that exploits browser security holes with ads. This exploit is different from an exploit kit, a malware hacking toolkit used by attackers to exploit victims’ machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When discussing malvertising attacks, we could divide it into two parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you view an ad on a website, you may unwittingly download malware onto your device through a technique known as a drive-by download attack or a redirect to a malicious website known as pre-click malvertising. Pre-click malvertising is problematic as there’s only so much you can do. The New York Times and The Atlantic, both of which have been involved in similar fraud in the past, are two examples of reputable publications that may host malicious advertisements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the name suggests, post-click advertising requires you to click on an ad to start the download of malware onto your device or redirect it to a dangerous website. Post-click malvertising is just as hazardous as pre-click malvertising; the difference is that you have to take an extra step to avoid it. In this scenario, cybercriminals not only get access to your device, but they can also infect it with spyware, adware, and other harmful software and use it for their own ends (such as cryptojacking).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spyware allows cybercriminals to monitor your keystrokes, take control of your camera and microphone, and steal your personal information. Identity theft is the next step for cybercriminals when they gain access to your personal information. Aware malware is another tool used by scammers. Fraudsters profit from the ads you view once they install ad-displaying software on your device. Repeatedly committing the same cybercrime usually results in financial gain for the perpetrators. Adware like this may not seem as malicious as spyware at first, but it is still a kind of cybercrime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is apparent that the precautions the scammers take improve constantly. However, there are measures you can take to improve your chances of secure browsing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first things you should do to improve your cybersecurity is to install and run a reliable antivirus product. Keeping it up-to-date is the second one, especially when it comes to malvertising prevention. Avoid falling for phony security apps while trying to stop malvertising. Do not employ them for cybersecurity unless you are certain they will not spy on you, despite their claims to the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ad-blocking software is helpful, but it shouldn’t be your only defense. These programs shield you from harmful advertisements by preventing pop-ups and blocking banner ads. However, it’s important to remember that scammers have already developed methods to bypass ad blockers. Therefore, you must combine them with additional resources (like antivirus software).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Due to its susceptibility to drive-by download attacks, your browser must always be up-to-date. All of those upgrades will perform better if they are completed as soon as possible. You should get rid of Flash and Java from your browser’s plugins. The former will cease to exist at the end of 2020, and the latter is no longer maintained. You should remove these plugins immediately because they pose a security risk to your browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some examples of malvertising are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The KS Clean as Malvertising example campaign involves sneaking adware into a helpful mobile app. Malware-infected advertisements were used to target users. Once the individual clicked on the ad, the malware would start covertly downloading in the background. There would be no warning to the user that they were being targeted. The sole indication would be a message telling them to update the program because their phone had a vulnerability. With a single click of the OK button, the installation would be finalized and the malware would have root access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n