Coronavirus is the new clickbait — Here’s how to keep it from infecting your machines

• There’s been a surge in Coronavirus hits online as people search for more information — and the bad guys know it.
• Coronavirus is the new clickbait with over 100,000 new domain names registered with related keywords.
• Here’s a list of suspicious things to watch out for as you browse online so that your device doesn’t end up infected.
• Follow the comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact, and other useful resources that can help you in the fight on Business Insider India.

The Coronavirus pandemic reaches most corners of the world. More people are browsing the net and staying online to pass time. Bad guys aren’t any different. They’re also adapting to the new reality and taking advantage of the situation to launch cyber attacks veiled as innocent information.

The true threat of these bad actors has little to do with technology but more to do with how humans are using the internet during the pandemic, according to Ryan Olson who heads Unit 42 of Palo Alto Networks threat intelligence team.

Coronavirus is the new clickbait
Over 100,000 new domains showed up on the internet containing keywords like ‘covid’, ‘virus’ and ‘corona’. Although not all of them are malicious, it’s recommended to treat any new site with a healthy suspicion.

Despite many claiming to have testing kits, pandemic related information or a cure — the fact that they didn’t exist until very recently is a good reason to be skeptical, according to Olson.

The same applies for mobile applications as well. Most people are looking for information on how Coronavirus will impact their lives and how they can stay safe, on their smartphones.

Olson believes the best way to protect yourself is to make sure that whatever new application you install is either for the Google Play Store or the App Store. Avoid third-party sources as much as possible.

Coronavirus in your inbox
The third point of attack is directly in your inbox. Since people are paying more attention to alerts and notifications that read Covid-19, attackers are using the opportunity to send malicious messages with clickbait phishing links.

This is not restricted to one particular type of malware or event campaign. It is a diversified net of attacks looking to spread.

Here are some keywords that Unit 42 has identified as threats:

• CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE // BUSINESS
• CONTINUITY PLAN ANNOUNCEMENT STARTING MARCH 2020
• Latest corona-virus updates
• UNICEF COVID-19 TIPS APP
• POEA HEALTH ADVISORY re-2020 Novel Corona Virus
• WARNING! CORONAVIRUS

The file attachments to these emails normally include the following names:

• AWARENESS NOTICE ON CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 DOCUMENT_pdf.exe
• Coronavirus COVID-19 update:xlxs
• CORONA VIRUS1.uue
• CORONA VIRUS AFFECTED CREW AND VESSEL.xlsm
• covid19.ZIP

However, neither of these lists is absolute. As time goes, new variants will quickly emerge to replace existing ones. Olson believes that the ones listed will at least continue to for the next few months.

See also:
Coronavirus cases in Kerala news and updates

Coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu news and updates

Coronavirus cases in Haryana news and updates