Dear Customers and Prospects,

SARS-CoV-2 is now, available all over our world, and everyone wants to stay up to date on the latest outbreak locations and confirmed cases. Hackers seized this opportunity and created new attacks based on strong community interest in this virus. A member of your company can make your company become a victim.

One of the most common of these attacks is an email impersonation attack. In this attack, the hackers impersonates organizations like the UN World Health Organization (WHO) or the annoucement from the gorvement to trick users into opening a malicious email.  Multiple government organizations have issued warnings against these attacks.

To reduce the possibility of computer virus infection, users should do as below:

• Don’t open attachments from anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t open links from anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t reply to spam or forward chain emails.
• Before browse disk, disc, thumb drive. Be sure to run scan virus for un-trust disk, thumb drive.
• Very carefully when open strange email or unknown sender email.
• Do not access strange website, do not download any unknown origin software, etc.,
• When detect strange phenomenon on the computer, please shutdown PC or disconnect from network and contact NSV asap.

Malicious Email examples 1: attached word file

Hackers spread malicious code via e-mail with attachment of the header file “Chi Thi cua thu tuong nguyen xuan phuc.lnk”. The file is a shortcut with the extension “.ink” disguised as a text file icon to deceive the user.

If users download the attachment and open it on the computer , the malicious code will be activated, installed on the computer, connected to the control server to download. other malicious scripts and receive control commands from hackers, and open text files to deceive users.

Malicious Email examples 2: attached excel file

Some files contain malicious code that has been distributed via email. For example, an Excel-format file containing a list of Covid-19 infected victims is attached in an email from “WHO” but in fact a trojan downloader capable of downloading and installing malicious files on the user’s computer. This second file is a trojan-spy designed to collect a variety of data, including passwords, from the victim’s device and send it to hackers.

Malicious Email examples 3: phishing email

Phishing emails CDC. At first glance, the email looks trustworthy until you click on the domain cdc-gov.org and is redirected to the Outlook login page. At this time, it is highly likely that the user will have their email login information stolen.

Malicious Email examples 4: phishing website

An email sent from “WHO” leads to a phishing website to steal users’ data.

Source:

• Barracuda Blog
• IPA JP