Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Downloading extensions from portals like the <keyword id="2569255" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Chrome-Web-Store" source="Orion">Google Chrome Web Store</keyword> (<keyword id="22184647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GCWS" source="keywords">GCWS</keyword>) has become second nature for web users seeking to enhance their browsing experience. From catching grammar slips and crafting to-do lists, to sniffing out discount codes and blocking advertisements, these extensions can do it all. But now, the GCWS—known for its extensive repository of third-party Chrome extensions—finds itself at the centre of a troubling discovery. A study by Stanford University security experts Sheryl Hsu, Manda Tran and Aurore Fass has revealed that millions of users are unknowingly running compromised versions of the <keyword id="19913526" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google-Chrome" source="keywords">Google Chrome</keyword> browser. The reason behind this security breach? <keyword id="22184643" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="malware-infected-extensions" source="keywords">Malware-infected extensions</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The extension tension" comment="subhead" text="The extension tension">The extension tension</cmsannotation> Despite their popularity, <keyword id="22184646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="third-party-extensions" source="keywords">third-party extensions</keyword> come with inherent risks. Issues like varying quality levels and potential malware threats are always a concern. The Stanford research team focused on the latter, investigating the extent of malware risk in extensions available on GCWS. Their methodology was twofold. First, they examined historical data from previous research on Chrome web extensions' security vulnerabilities. Next, they embarked on a massive analysis. They downloaded and scrutinised the code of approximately 1,25,000 extensions available on GCWS from July 2020 to February 2023, searching for security-noteworthy extensions (SNEs). These are extensions that either violate GCWS policies or contain malware or vulnerable code. The analysis uncovered alarming results. Around 346 million users had downloaded SNEs from GCWS during the two-year period. A staggering 280 million of these downloads involved extensions with malware. Furthermore, the research highlighted the variability in how long SNEs remain on GCWS—ranging from a few months to several years—suggesting that problematic extensions often fly under the radar for extended periods. User reports of problematic extensions are infrequent, further exacerbating the issue. This stands in stark contrast to Google's assertion that less than 1% of extensions hosted on GCWS contain malware. Despite Google’s claims of thorough vetting procedures, the study’s findings indicate a significant gap between policy and practice in ensuring user safety on the GCWS. The findings were recently posted on the arXiv preprint server and can be accessed <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.12710">here</a>.

Millions of people are using compromised Google Chrome browsers due to malware-infected extensions, Stanford researchers find

<ul><li>Over 28 fake extensions disguised as aids for <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>, <keyword id="196143" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vimeo">Vimeo</keyword>, and others are infecting <keyword id="182214" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Chrome">Google Chrome</keyword> and Edge browsers with <keyword id="54201" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malware">malware</keyword>.</li><li>A report by Avast Intelligence Security estimates that over 3 million people around the world have been affected by these malicious extensions capable of redirecting URLs, collecting <keyword id="74417" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-information">personal information</keyword>, and tracking your location. </li><li>Google and Microsoft are currently investigating the issue, but the extensions remain available on the Chrome Web Store and the Microsoft Edge Add-ons portal. </li></ul>Immensely popular and innocently disguised Facebook, Vimeo and Instagram extensions on your web browser may actually be malware, according to the internet security provider <a href="https://press.avast.com/third-party-browser-extensions-from-instagram-facebook-vimeo-and-others-infected-with-malware">Avast</a>. Especially if you’re a part of the majority using Google Chrome. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Browser </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Number of malicious extensions </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Google Chrome </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Edge </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13 </td></tr></tbody></table> The malware is affecting around three million people around the world as per install numbers and can ‘hijack’ your URL. It means that the extension can track every time you click on a new link and alert the hacker. The hacker then has the option to redirect you to a new URL of his choosing, rather than sending you to your real destination. And, as with most crimes, there’s a monetary motive at play. Redirecting user traffic to ads and phishing sites by the millions can yield a pretty steady income stream. "For every redirection to a third party domain, the cybercriminals would receive a payment," said the report by Avast Threat Intelligence. Malware extensions are tracking everything you do online Even though the end goal is getting more revenue off of ads, the malicious extensions on Google Chrome and Edge are capable of collecting data as well. According to Avast, these extensions can collect personal data like birth dates, email addresses, and device information. This includes even the most minute details like first sign-in time, last login time, name of the device, operating system, used browser and its version, and even IP addresses. Stealing an IP address or knowing your login time may not seem like a big deal. But, collectively, that information points to your approximate geographical location as well as your daily routine. Even though Avast only discovered these extensions a month ago, evidence indicates that some of them have been on the rampage since at least December 2018. "Our hypothesis is that either the extensions were deliberately created with the malware built-in, or the author waited for the extensions to become popular, and then pushed an update containing the malware," said Avast malware researcher <a href="https://press.avast.com/third-party-browser-extensions-from-instagram-facebook-vimeo-and-others-infected-with-malware">Jan Rubín</a> explaining that the origin story of these extensions remains elusive. "It could also be that the author sold the original extensions to someone else after creating them, and then the buyer introduced the malware afterwards," Rubin added. Microsoft and Google are currently looking into Avast's findings but, for now, these extensions remain available on the Chrome Web Store and the Microsoft Edge Add-ons portal. Full list of extensions infected with Malware on Google Chrome and Edge: <ol><li>Direct Message for Instagram</li><li>Direct Message for Instagram™</li><li>DM for Instagram</li><li>Invisible mode for Instagram Direct Message</li><li>Downloader for Instagram</li><li>Instagram Download Video &amp; Image</li><li>App Phone for Instagram</li><li>App Phone for Instagram</li><li>Stories for Instagram</li><li>Universal Video Downloader</li><li>Universal Video Downloader</li><li>Video Downloader for FaceBook™</li><li>Video Downloader for FaceBook™</li><li>Vimeo™ Video Downloader</li><li>Vimeo™ Video Downloader</li><li>Volume Controller</li><li>Zoomer for Instagram and FaceBook</li><li>VK UnBlock. Works fast.</li><li>Odnoklassniki UnBlock. Works quickly.</li><li>Upload photo to Instagram™</li><li>Spotify Music Downloader</li><li>Stories for Instagram</li><li>Upload photo to Instagram™</li><li>Pretty Kitty, The Cat Pet</li><li>Video Downloader for YouTube</li><li>SoundCloud Music Downloader</li><li>The New York Times News</li><li>Instagram App with Direct Message DM</li></ol>SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-and-reliance-industries-mukesh-ambani-spoke-but-had-no-chemistry/articleshow/79739547.cms">Zuckerberg spoke to Ambani but there was no chemistry — even with a multi-million dollar partnership between them</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-inaugurates-new-railway-line-with-bangladesh-to-save-its-chickens-neck-from-china-on-vijay-diwas/articleshow/79750869.cms">After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/supercomputer-shows-tropical-cyclones-hitting-india-are-going-get-more-destructive-that-is-until-the-flooding-starts/articleshow/79764803.cms">Supercomputer shows tropical cyclones hitting India are going get more destructive — that is until the flooding starts</a>

Fake Instagram, Facebook, and Vimeo extensions on Google Chrome can ‘hijack’ your URL, steal personal information and track your location

<ul><li>A new malware dubbed Adrozek by Microsoft is affecting three of the most popular web browsers in the world — <keyword id="182214" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Chrome">Google Chrome</keyword>, <keyword id="160304" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mozilla-Firefox">Mozilla Firefox</keyword> and <keyword id="2830338" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="microsoft-edge">Microsoft Edge</keyword>. </li><li>The malware is capable of messing with your browser’s security settings, installing fake extensions, and ultimately pushing out more ads amid your search results. </li><li>Users in India, Europe and Southeast Asia are among the most impacted by the new malware. </li></ul>It doesn’t matter if you’re using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Yandex Browser — a new malware campaign doesn’t differentiate and can infect any unsuspecting browser. The Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team calls this family of malware ‘Adrozek’. It messes with the web browsers’ security, pulls in malicious browser extensions, and makes changes to users’ computers without their consent. And, users in India are among the worst affected. Other places with a heavy concentration of attacks include Europe and Southeast Asia. <div type="image" title="adrozek1" msid="79676822" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Geographic distribution of Adrozek encounters from May to September 2020&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Microsoft claims that Adrozek has been on the prowl since at least May 2020. By August, it was launching attacks against as many as 30,000 devices every day. Its distribution networks sprawl across 159 unique domains. On average, each domain can host an average of 17,3000 unique URLs. These URLs, in turn, can host an average of 15,300 malware samples. That means there’s a grand total of over 42 billion different malware samples just waiting to latch onto their latest victim. Once installed, Adrozek makes multiple changes to browser settings and components. These changes allow the malware to inject ads into search engine result pages. <div type="image" title="adrozek2" msid="79676831" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Comparison of search results pages on an unaffected machine and one with Adrozek running&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Extensions replace toolbars Browsers are among the most popular targets for hackers since the days of yore. Just over a decade ago, unwanted ‘free toolbars’ were the flavour of the season. Installing software from unverified sources could lead to Yahoo becoming the default search engine and no matter times you get your original settings back, the toolbar would just keep returning. While Adrozek doesn’t come with toolbars, it’s installing malicious extensions instead — malicious extensions that look a lot like the real thing. On Chrome, for example, the malware often makes changes to the Chrome Media Router service to install ‘Radioplayer’, which sounds legitimate enough until you actually try and use it. The real danger of Adrozek What makes Adrozek more potent than the other threats hanging out in the dark spaces of the internet is its ability to modify your security settings. “The malware maintains persistence and exfiltrates website credentials, exposing affected devices to additional risks,” Microsoft said in its blog post. And, the fact that it can attack different types of browsers with ease makes it difficult to stop. What do you do if infected with Adrozek? If you think you’re one of the users who has been affected by this new malware, Microsoft recommends re-installing the browser from scratch. It also suggests installing some kind of URL filtering solution that can detect such malware before it’s installed. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/carbon-emissions-in-india-show-third-highest-drop-after-us-and-europe-in-2020-thanks-to-covid-19-lockdowns/articleshow/79673023.cms">Carbon emissions in India show third-highest drop after US and Europe in 2020 — thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/new-species-are-more-likely-to-emerge-in-extreme-environment-coldspots-rather-than-hotspots-like-the-amazon-rainforest/articleshow/79665428.cms">New species are more likely to emerge in extreme environment ‘coldspots’ rather than ‘hotspots’ like the Amazon rainforest</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/as-rare-as-a-unicorn-a-new-horse-sized-species-of-the-beaked-whale-spotted-off-the-coast-of-mexico/articleshow/79665103.cms">As rare as a ‘unicorn’ — a new horse-sized species of the beaked whale spotted off the coast of Mexico</a>

Indian users among the most affected by a new threat that is affecting three of the most popular web browsers in the world

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li style="font-weight: 400;">There are several steps you can take to get rid of a virus on an infected <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/mac">Mac</a> computer and get it back up to speed.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">If you've identified which programs on your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/mac">Mac</a> are malicious, you can use the Activity Monitor to check for and remove any malware that may be active.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Stopping a virus altogether involves searching your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/mac">Mac</a> pretty thoroughly to ensure all traces of the virus are gone. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;">You should use malware-scanning software to help identify and eliminate viruses. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>We all know the signs: Sudden reboots. Frozen screens. Pop-ups that just won't stop. Mysterious extensions showing up in your browser. Getting a virus on your <a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac</a> is never fun, especially when it starts interfering with your computer's performance. But there are ways to stop it in its tracks and get rid of it. And, perhaps best of all, those methods are free. To help identify malicious programs, you should consider first using malware-detection software like <a href="https://macpaw.com/cleanmymac">Clean My Mac X</a> or <a href="https://www.malwarebytes.com/">Malwearbytes</a> to scan your computer. Once you've identified likely sources of infection, there are a few ways you could go about manually removing programs or extensions to help get your <a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac</a> back up to speed.<h3>Check out the products used in this article: </h3><h4><a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MacBook Air (From $1,199 at Apple)</a></h4><h2>How to get rid of a virus on a Mac</h2><h3>Stop malicious programs from running on your Mac</h3>1. Go to your Launchpad (the rocket ship icon in your bottom toolbar).2. Search for the activity monitor and click to open it. It may be located by default in a folder labeled "Other."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>3. If you know which programs are malicious, find them in the CPU tab of your activity monitor and stop them from running by clicking the 'x' in the top-left area of the window.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><h3>Uninstall bad apps</h3>1. Open your Finder.2. Toggle over to "Applications."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>3. Look for any apps you don't recognize, or any that have exhibited malicious behavior (e.g. opening unprompted and unexpectedly).4. Drag any such apps to the Trash icon (located in the bottom toolbar of your screen).5. Empty the trash by clicking on the icon and selecting "Empty" (located in the top-right corner of the window).<h3>Get rid of any virus-related browser extensions</h3><h4>Safari</h4>1. Launch the browser.2. In the top toolbar, click "Safari" and then "Safari Extensions."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>3. Look for suspicious extensions and uninstall those.<h4>Chrome</h4>1. Launch the browser.2. Click the three stacked dots in the top-right corner of the screen.3. Hover over "More Tools" and then click "Extensions."4. Look through your extensions and "Remove" any you don't recognize.<h4>Firefox</h4>1. Launch the browser.2. In the top-right corner, click the three vertical lines and choose "Add Ons."3. Toggle over to the extensions tab and get rid of any that you aren't familiar with.You may also want to change your browser's homepage and search engine preferences if the virus has impacted those areas.<h3>Get rid of login items you didn't opt for</h3>This is another area where viruses can hide within your <a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac</a>. Here's how to find yours and get rid of any extra ones:1. Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen and then select "System Preferences."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>2. Tap "Users &amp; Groups" and toggle over to "Login Items."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>3. Untick the box next to any login items that you don't recognize.<h2>Other steps you can take to get rid of a virus on a Mac</h2><ul><li style="font-weight: 400;">Even if you go through all of the above steps, it's still a good idea to once again run a malware-detection software like <a href="https://macpaw.com/cleanmymac">Clean My Mac X</a> or <a href="https://www.malwarebytes.com/">Malwearbytes</a> - both are free and will give you peace of mind when it comes to your computer's health.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">If you're still worried about having a virus, you may want to create a new user profile on your <a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac</a>. Many viruses are user-specific, rather than device-specific.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">For those who use Time Machine, one other thing to consider is restoring an old version of your computer to wipe out all traces of the virus. It's relatively quick and easy, but you'll lose any changes that have been made since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-backup-mac">the last backup</a>.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">And, as a last resort (or for those who have access to Apple's technical support), calling in a professional can be a good idea.</li></ul><h2>How to avoid getting another virus on your Mac</h2>Be sure to look out for virus-friendly websites and files, and avoid them by doing things like leaving spam emails unopened and only downloading from trusted, known sourcesInstalling a security system on your <a href="http://apple.sjv.io/c/196318/435031/7613?subId1=bi_062119_get-rid-of-virus-on-mac&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fshop%2Fbuy-mac%2Fmacbook-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mac</a> is also a good idea to prevent malware from infecting your computer in the future. Another positive step to take is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-update-mac">keeping your Mac updated</a>, so that new software patches can be applied, leaving your computer less vulnerable to bad characters. And, as always, be sure to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-backup-mac">back up your Mac</a> so that, even in the event of a virus, your data and media are protected.<h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tech-how-to">How To Do Everything: Tech</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/can-iphones-get-viruses-what-you-need-to-know">Can iPhones get viruses? Here's what you need to know</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remove-virus-from-iphone">How to diagnose and remove any virus from your iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/can-ipads-get-viruses-what-you-need-to-know">Can iPads get viruses? Here's what you need to know</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-free-up-space-on-mac">How to free up space on a Mac computer that's running out of storage</a></h3></li></ul>

How to get rid of a virus on an infected Mac computer, and protect your Mac from getting infected again

<ul><li>Hackers are using the <keyword id="8692121" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="panic-around-coronavirus">panic around coronavirus</keyword> to launch data theft attacks using malware. </li><li>The most common way that cybercriminals are infiltrating systems is by using the Emotet software designed to steal personal and financial data. </li><li>Kaspersky’s security experts have found at least 10 different file types being used to trick users into installing malware. </li></ul><keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> is trending across Google and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The panic around the outbreak has incentivised cybercriminals to launch malware attacks to exploit user interest. Hackers are sending out clickbaity links to trick people into divulging sensitive data. What looks like a harmless link might actually be a trojan virus or worm. And, the most common way to achieve this objective is to use the <keyword id="8692117" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="emonet-software">Emonet software</keyword>. "After a brief recess around Christmas and New Year, Emotet is very much back as the behemoth of email malware," Mollie MacDougall, the threat intelligence manager at Cofense, told Global Data. What does a coronavirus malware attack look like? The first malware campaign centred around the coronavirus was detected by IBM’s <a href="https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/collection/18f373debc38779065a26f1958dc260b">X-Force Threat Intelligence</a>. According to their investigation, the malware was targeting victims suspected of being infected by the outbreak. In most instances, hackers are sending out emails that look like they come from public health centres — with a <keyword id="174648" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft-Word">Microsoft Word</keyword> document attached. The documents normally have an urgent-looking title to bait users into opening it. However, on opening the link, there is no additional information about the coronavirus. Instead, the malicious malware called Emotet is installed — software that’s designed to steal financial data, banking logins and other personal information. But, it’s not only Microsoft Word documents that are on the prowl. According to Kaspersky security experts, malware disguised as pdf and mp4 files have also been spotted. "So far, we have seen only 10 unique files, but as this sort of activity often happens with popular media topics then we expect that this tendency may grow," Anton Ivanov, a malware analyst at Kaspersky told <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252477578/First-coronavirus-cyber-threats-seen-in-the-wild">Computer Weekly.</a> How to protect yourself against a coronavirus theft malware Analysts believe that areas that are more susceptible to the coronavirus are being targeted more actively. For instance, a large number of the emails discovered by IBM X-Force were written in Japanese. In order to keep yourself protected from such threats, avoid clicking on unfamiliar links. If you really want more information about the coronavirus, it’s probably better to run a separate Google Search. Maintain a healthy suspicion of new links, even if shared by friends or family members, because they may not be aware that their security has been breached. Also, keep an eye on file extensions. Legitimate documents and video files are unlikely to have .exe or .lnk formats. These precautions are recommended in addition to the basics — like having anti-virus software and an active firewall on your device. "We expect to see more malicious email traffic based on the coronavirus in the future, as the infection spreads," said the report by IBM. "Unfortunately, it is quite common for threat actors to exploit human emotions such as fear — especially if a global event has already caused terror and panic," it adds. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/there-is-only-one-way-to-know-if-you-have-the-coronavirus-and-it-involves-machines-full-of-spit-and-mucus/articleshow/73783040.cms">There is only one way to know if you have the coronavirus, and it involves machines full of spit and mucus</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-us-has-reported-its-first-case-of-the-deadly-wuhan-coronavirus-heres-how-to-protect-yourself-while-traveling-/articleshow/73507124.cms">The US has reported its first case of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus. Here's how to protect yourself while travelling.</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-outbreaks-of-both-the-wuhan-coronavirus-and-sars-started-in-chinese-wet-markets-photos-show-what-the-markets-look-like-/articleshow/73535775.cms">The outbreaks of both the Wuhan coronavirus and SARS started in Chinese wet markets. Photos show what the markets look like.</a>

Hackers are using the coronavirus panic to trick victims into downloading malware

Of all crooked money-minting methods hackers use, the most common is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ransomware&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">ransomware</a>. 
 
It’s a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=malware&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">malware</a> that’s delivered via infected email attachments, hacked websites, etc that encrypts files on your computers, and renders them useless. The <keyword id="32574" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="hacker">hacker</keyword> then demands a ransom for the key to decode the encryption. It's sick, and scary. 
 
Cyber-criminals make millions of dollars from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ransomware&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">ransomware</a>. Several organizations around the world have been badly hit by <keyword id="6362094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ransomware">ransomware</keyword>. One apparently ended up paying 40 bitcoins ($17,000/Rs. 11.27 lakhs). 
 My laptop recently got infected by one of the latest versions of this <keyword id="54201" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Malware">malware</keyword> which goes by the name ‘Cerber’. It was first detected last month by two malware analysts, so you obviously don’t expect your free <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Avast+Antivirus&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Avast Antivirus</a> to detect it, and it didn’t. 
 
Here’s what it does. 
 
The malware encrypts users' files using AES encryption and demands that victims pay a ransom of 1.24 Bitcoins, or approximately $500 (Rs.33k). 
 
It was silly of me to download and install what seemed an interesting free software, and I sealed my fate. You’ve been warned. 
 
Interestingly, I hear Cerber checks if the victim is from a particular country. If the computer appears to be from any of the following countries, it will terminate itself and not encrypt the computer. 
 
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan 
 
If the victim is not from one of the above countries, which I’m not, the Cerber installs itself in the %AppData%\{2ED2A2FE-872C-D4A0-17AC-E301404F1CBA}\ folder and names itself after a random Windows executable. It restarts the computer soon after, and the ransomware begins wreaking havoc with my files, encrypting each document's filename and adding a .CERBER extension to it. 
 
When encrypting your data, Cerber will scan your drive letters for any files that match its list of over 50 file extensions. When it finds a match, it encrypts the file using AES-256 encryption, encrypt the file's name, and adds .CERBER extension to it. So your file Office_Presentation.doc may be renamed as Zu0ITC4HoQ.cerber. 
 
The worst is yet to come. Cerber creates 3 ransom notes on your desktop, and in every folder it has attacked. These files are called # DECRYPT MY FILES #.html, # DECRYPT MY FILES #.txt, and # DECRYPT MY FILES #.vbs. These ransom notes have threats and instructions on what has happened to your data, and every single one has links to the Tor decryption service where you can make the ransom payment and retrieve the decryptor. 
 
At the end of each ransom note there’s this Latin quote: 
 

	Quod me non necat me fortiorem facit 
	- Cerber Ransom Note
 
In English, this translates to ‘That which does not kill me makes me stronger’. That made my blood boil. 
 
Anyway, Cerber is special than other ‘unsophisticated’ malware out there. The # DECRYPT MY FILES #.vbs file contains VBScript, which will cause the victim's computer to speak to them. You heard me right! 
 
My attacker spoke to me via an automated message that says this: 
 
<audio controls="">
	 </source></audio>
 
That can scare anybody. The geek in me was worried for the first time. 
 
If you have the money, which I didn’t, you go to the decrypttozxybarc.onion Tor site, which acts as the payment and decryption service. This site is called Cerber Decryptor and can be accessed in 12 languages. 
 
Once you select the language, you will be prompted to enter a captcha, and will be greeted with the main Cerber Decryptor page. This page will provide information on how to pay the ransom, the ransom amount, and the worst part? 
 
<a href="http://www.bleepstatic.com/images/news/ransomware/cerber/cerber-decryptor.jpg">Image Source</a> 
The ransom will double if not paid within 7 days. WHAT! 
 
Once a victim makes a payment to the listed bitcoin address, their payment will be shown in the Payment History section of the decryptor page. After a certain amount of bitcoin transaction confirmations, this page will then provide a download link for the victim's unique decryptor. 
 
<a href="http://www.bleepstatic.com/images/news/ransomware/cerber/cerber-decryptor.jpg">Image Source</a> 
The sad truth is there is no way to decrypt your files for free. If you’re a victim, the best option is to restore your files from a backup. If you don’t have one, like me, God help you. 
 
<a href="http://media.indiatimes.in/media/content/2016/Jan/chinese-hackers-target-southeast-asia-india-researchers-say-1437465357_1453797016_725x725.jpg">Image Source</a> 
</source></source></source></source></source></source></source></source>

My Laptop got infected by a Virus that spoke to
me, and there’s absolutely no remedy

<div class="image-container float_right"><div class="image">Reuters/Beck Diefenbach</div></div> <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> has been the target of a malware attack that poses as a video from one of your Facebook friends.
<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/malicious-software-poses-as-video-from-a-facebook-friend/?ref=technology">The New York Times reports</a> that this new threat hijacks your Facebook accounts and Web browsers, according to Italian security researchers who have been investigating the issue.
The <keyword id="10860" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Virus">virus</keyword> appears as a link in an email or Facebook message that tells you someone has tagged you in a Facebook post. When you go to Facebook and click the link you're sent to a different website and told to download a browser extension or plug in, in order to watch the video.
After the plug-in is downloaded the attack can gain access to everything you have stored in your browser, including accounts with saved passwords.
This is a threat because many people store their passwords to various social networks within their browsers.
The researchers say that the virus has been spreading at a rate of about 40,000 attacks an hour and has infected more than 800,000 people via Google's Chrome browser.
Google is aware of the attack and has already disabled the extensions that allowed it. Facebook also detected the virus and is working to clear the links.
A Facebook spokesperson says it is currently blocking people from clicking through the links.

A New Virus Is Using Facebook To Steal Passwords: It's Already Affected 800,000 People

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image">Sony Pictures </div></div></div>"Careto" is the name of "a sophisticated suite of tools for compromising computers and collecting a wealth of information from them," <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/10/this-malware-is-frighteningly-sophisticated-and-we-dont-know-who-created-it/">reports The Washington Post</a>.
Here's how it works.
It sends out emails designed to look as though they were sent legitimately from news sources like The Guardian and others. A population of people end up clicking on a link that takes them to a shady site that scans their computer for vulnerabilities. It works against Windows, OS X and Linux systems, and there may be iOS and Android versions on the way.
Once infected, a computer surrenders pretty much any info the malware wants. It can collect "network traffic, keystrokes, Skype conversations, analyze Wi-Fi traffic, PGP keys, fetch all information from Nokia devices, screen captures and monitor all file operations."
And lest you need a reminder, no one knows where it came from.
If you want to dig into the nitty-gritty of it all, <a href="http://www.securelist.com/en/downloads/vlpdfs/unveilingthemask_v1.0.pdf">Kaspersky Labs released this extensive report</a> on Careto that gets into a lot of the scarier technical details.

A Scary New Malware Is Tearing Up The Internet And No One Knows Where It Came From

<ul><li><keyword id="73080" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ATTACKERS">Attackers</keyword> hijack default search engines and web pages using <keyword id="87479" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="viruses">viruses</keyword>. </li><li>Many users may not immediately notice that their <keyword id="99706" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="search-engine">search engine</keyword> has changed, allowing these viruses to fly under the radar. </li><li>Attackers then make money by earning referral fees from search engines. </li></ul>At some point, we’ve all had our computers infected by viruses. While it’s not easy to determine exactly what viruses do, in many cases they hijack the victim’s default search engine. This may seem trivial initially – many victims might not even realize what has happened. That’s because they don’t lose data due and their computers seem to run fine. However, viruses fly under the radar. Search engines are a multi-billion-dollar industry The search engine industry is worth billions of dollars. In the US alone, companies spend an estimated $80 billion on search engine optimization (SEO). This makes it lucrative for cybercriminals and hackers to create viruses that change the browser and search engines on victims’ computers. When a victim uses the search engine and clicks on an ad on the results page, the search engine earns money. In turn, hijackers earn money via referral fees that they charge to these search engines. How do these hijackers change your search engine There are several ways in which cybercriminals and hijackers change your default search engine. <a href="https://blog.malwarebytes.com/pups/2020/01/billion-dollar-search-engine-industry-shady-advertisers/">Malwarebytes</a> has listed some of the most common ways: Start page Start page is the easiest to hijack. It is the first thing that shows up when you launch the browser. These pages display the search bar prominently, so most users end up using it. New tab page The new tab page is pretty much like the start page and has the search bar displayed prominently. Modifying your search engine Almost all modern browsers allow you to search using the address bar as well. Viruses change the default search engine here as well. Search page Taking it a step further, some viruses also install browser extensions to modify data on a web page. As a result, you might start seeing excessive ads, results and web page redirects. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/new-malware-on-the-rampage-might-target-jio-users-next/articleshow/71819198.cms">New malware on the rampage might target Jio users — and uninstalling it won’t help</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/malware-affecting-jio-apps-whatsapp-flipkart-and-hotstar-primarily-targeted-indian-users-through-alibabas-app-store/articleshow/70168751.cms">Malware affecting Jio Apps, WhatsApp, Flipkart and Hotstar ‘primarily targeted’ Indian users through Alibaba’s app store</a>

Here's why viruses keep trying to change your default search engine

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">USAA marketing deal with "Mr. Robot" went awry for Firefox when some users thought they had accidentally downloaded a virus or malware.</div></div></div><ul><li>Firefox users are upset after a marketing deal with "Mr. Robot" made some users think they had accidentally infected their computers.</li><li>Mozilla pushed a mysterious add-on for Firefox called "Looking Glass 1.0.3," with no description other than "MY REALITY IS JUST DIFFERENT THAN YOURS," causing concern.</li><li>Some Firefox fans, and at least one employee, say that it was a breach of trust with Mozilla.</li></ul>Users of the popular Mozilla Firefox web browser are up in arms after a viral marketing stunt for the hit hacker drama "Mr. Robot" made them think they had somehow accidentally downloaded a real-world virus. The confusion began earlier this week, when Firefox users noticed that the browser suddenly had an "add-on" extension called "Looking Glass 1.0.3." It had no description, other than "MY REALITY IS JUST DIFFERENT THAN YOURS" and the names of the people who created it."I did not remember installing this addon, I would not knowingly install it. Firefox, Antivirus and OS are all up-to-date. Any explanations welcomme because I can't find any reference online," <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1194583">wrote a user on Mozilla's official Firefox support forums earlier this week</a>. A little bit of detective work from the Firefox community turned up the truth about "Looking Glass," confirmed by Mozilla. It's a so-called "alternate reality game," letting fans of "Mr. Robot" follow a bunch of show-related clues and turn up more information about this season's story. Mozilla also confirmed that it was an official part of Firefox, and that you had to explicitly find it and turn it on before it does anything, as part of the game.This explanation did not satisfy Firefox fans, who wondered why and how Mozilla was allowed to install add-ons to Firefox without the permission of users - especially an add-on that sounds so vague and sinister. Even Mozilla developer Steve Klabnik took to Twitter to complain about how his employer handled the deal: "This is totally indistinguishable from malware," he <a href="https://twitter.com/steveklabnik/status/941720956292227072">wrote</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Screenshot/Matt WeinbergerThe current version of the "Looking Glass" add-on. A previous version didn't include the description, making people wonder if they had actually downloaded some kind of virus.</div></div></div>"You need use [sic] a meaningful description - not some random quote that you think might be cute. It's not amusing to the millions of users who are thinking WTF," <a href="https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1194583#question-reply">wrote a Firefox fan on the support forum in a highly-rated post.</a>On Thursday, the add-on was updated to "Looking Glass 1.0.4," and now spells out the marketing deal, calling it " a collaboration between Mozilla and the makers of Mr. Robot to provide a shared world experience."Still, it seems like the damage is done. Much of Firefox's popularity is due to the perception that Mozilla is more focused on user choice and privacy than Google and its leading Google Chrome browser.<form id="form-t1_dra2fegfhp" action="https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/7jvm2t/this_looking_glassmr_robot_sht_really_psses_me_off/#"><div><div>"I'm glad that Mozilla is so serious about the principles of security and privacy and knowing what information I'm sharing online, that they installed telemetry and didn't tell me about it," <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/7jvm2t/this_looking_glassmr_robot_sht_really_psses_me_off/dra2feg/">joked a user on Reddit</a>.</div></div></form>"We need our users to trust that we are honestly advocating in their best interests. This is completely counter to that," <a href="https://twitter.com/steveklabnik/status/941709048529014784">wrote Klabnik on Twitter</a>.Mozilla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sophia-robot-citizen-thanksgiving-message-humanity-video-hanson-robotics-2017-11">Sophia, the world's first-ever robot citizen, has a message for humanity this Thanksgiving</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A Firefox marketing stunt for 'Mr. Robot' went wrong when people thought they'd actually downloaded a virus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>If your <keyword id="6354717" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Windows">Windows</keyword> <keyword id="6365259" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="PC">PC</keyword> won't turn on or fails to start, don't panic. It might be a minor problem rather than a catastrophe. </li><li>Try to move the <keyword id="31675" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="computer">computer</keyword> to a different power source and make sure the display is working correctly. </li><li>You can also listen for error code beeps from the motherboard at startup as another way to identify why your PC won't turn on. </li><li>Here are 10 common (and less common) ways you can troubleshoot a computer that won't turn on. </li></ul>Your first reaction when discovering your PC won't start is probably to panic, but the issue often isn't catastrophic. It's likely a mundane and easily fixable glitch. There are a lot of reasons why your computer won't turn on, and a lot of definitions of "won't turn on," ranging from "nothing is happening at all" to "Windows won't start properly." <h2>How to troubleshoot your Windows PC when it won't turn on</h2>Below are the 10 most common solutions for getting your computer up and running with that spectrum of problems in mind. <h3>Try a different power source</h3>If you try to turn on your computer and absolutely nothing happens, there are generally only two possibilities. Either the computer's internal power supply has failed, in which case it probably needs to be replaced, or there's no electricity entering your PC. Unplug the computer from wherever it's currently plugged in and plug it directly into a wall outlet, bypassing the UPS, surge suppressor, or power strip. If nothing still happens, make sure that outlet works by plugging something else into it, like a desk lamp, and confirming it turns on. <h3>Try a different power cable</h3><div type="image" title="A person plugging in a laptop with a power cord" height="1414" width="1885" msid="78919087" hostid="261"></div>This is highly unlikely, but it's an easy fix. If you have a spare power cord available, swap it out. If the original cord has failed, your computer should restart with the new cable. <h3>Let the battery charge</h3>If the computer that won't work is a laptop and you recently ran the computer out of juice, then it's not unusual for it to fail to start even if it's now plugged into wall power. Plug the laptop in and let the battery charge for at least a half-hour. Then try turning it on again.<h3>Decrypt the beep codes</h3>Some computer motherboards issue a set of beeps at startup. A single beep may signal that all is well, while a long, continuous tone could point to the power supply experiencing a critical fault. There's no single standard set of codes, but the beeps can sound like Morse Code, with long and short tones. Check the computer's user guide, website, or tech support service to figure out what the error is pointing to. Unfortunately, not all motherboards even use beep codes, so this may not be a feasible option.<h3>Check your display</h3>If your computer appears to be running — or it's at least making some noise — but nothing appears on the screen, ensure the monitor is turned on and connected to the computer. It's also worth checking to make sure the brightness didn't get accidentally set to zero. If it's an option, try plugging the computer into a different display to see if that resolves the problem.<div type="image" title="Man plugging cords into a computer monitor on a desk" height="1414" width="1885" msid="78919090" hostid="261"></div><h3>Check your BIOS or UEFI settings</h3>If your computer appears to do something but isn't proceeding to boot to Windows, there are several possibilities as to why. Start with the computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which, in most modern PCs, has been replaced with the far less friendly-sounding UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). You might need to check your computer's user manual to know which specific key to press to access the BIOS or UEFI. You may even see instructions on the screen at startup that tell you which key to press. But regardless of how your PC is equipped, here's how you should be able to access the BIOS or UEFI. 1. Turn on the PC. 2. Immediately press the boot key specific to your computer; common keys include the ESC, Delete, F1, or F2. Once you're in the BIOS or UEFI, make sure the computer is set up to boot to your primary hard drive, disable Fast Boot, and look for any other unusual settings that might be causing startup problems. You can also reset the BIOS or UEFI to factory defaults and see if that solves the problem. <div type="image" title="Why won't my PC turn on 2" height="540" width="960" msid="78919091" hostid="261"></div><h3>Try Safe Mode</h3>If you can get to your computer's BIOS, you might also be able to get to Windows' special boot options. If possible, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-boot-in-safe-mode-windows-10">start the computer in Safe Mode</a>. It can be tricky, so here's how to do it. 1. If there are any power lights or signs of activity, hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off.2. Press the power button to turn the PC on.3. Watch carefully, and at the first sign the computer is booting – generally, you'll see a logo on the screen – hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn it off again. 4. Turn it on and off a total of three times.5. On the fourth power-on, let the computer stay on. It'll enter the Windows Recovery Environment. 6. On the "Choose an option" page, select "Troubleshoot."7. Select "Advanced options."8. Choose "Startup Settings." 9. Hit "Restart."10. When the computer restarts, pick "Safe Mode with Networking" from the list of options.If your computer boots normally, try to undo any recent changes you made to the computer. That may include uninstalling recently added hardware. You might also want to roll your computer back to a clean install of Windows using the "Reset this PC" section of Windows Settings. <h3>Disconnect everything non-essential</h3>A fundamental rule of troubleshooting is to eliminate as many variables as possible. So if you've tried the previous solutions and it's still unclear what's going on, disconnect everything that isn't absolutely essential from your computer. That generally means removing the printer cable, scanner, webcam, and anything else connected to the computer. Now, try booting the computer with just the power cord, monitor, mouse, and keyboard. <h3>Make sure nothing has come loose</h3>While something coming loose might be a relatively uncommon problem, it's still worth troubleshooting. You can do this by removing the computer's side panel and – with the power removed – making sure everything is still seated properly. For the most part, that means inspecting the video card, sound card if you have one, memory chips, and all the power and data cables. <h3>Check for ransomware or a virus</h3>If your computer is clearly powering on but won't boot properly to Windows, your computer may be infected with malware, such as a virus or ransomware. Poorly written malware can be buggy enough that it prevents Windows from running correctly. <div type="image" title="USB drive plugged in to a PC" height="1414" width="1885" msid="78919093" hostid="261"></div>Try to boot your computer not from the internal hard drive but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-boot-from-usb-windows-10">a USB drive</a>. If you can successfully get the computer running this way, you can then use anti-malware software to inspect your PC for unwanted software.<h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tech Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-boot-from-usb-windows-10">How to boot your Windows 10 computer from a USB drive</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-factory-reset-windows-10">How to factory reset a Windows 10 computer, to help you troubleshoot or prepare to sell a PC</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-find-computer-specs-windows-10">How to find your computer's specs on Windows 10, for information on its processor, video card, memory, and more</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-boot-in-safe-mode-windows-10">How to boot your Windows 10 computer into 'Safe Mode,' to diagnose and troubleshoot problems</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-clear-cache-in-windows-10">How to clear the cache on a Windows 10 computer in 3 ways to help it run more efficiently</a></h3></li></ul>

Why won't my PC turn on? 10 ways to troubleshoot your Windows computer when it fails to start

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Bi Screenshot</div></div></div>Here's a new online scam that's targeting both Macs and PCs: if you accidentally type ".om" instead of ".com," you could find yourself redirected to a webpage that wants to install malware and other nasty software on your computer.The attack was first discovered by <a href="https://www.endgame.com/blog/what-does-oman-house-cards-and-typosquatting-have-common-om-domain-and-dangers-typosquatting">Endgame</a>, which has a fantastic, detailed write-up from a security perspective on its blog.They explain:House of Cards Season 4 debuted on Netflix this past weekend, much to the joy of millions of fans, including many Endgamers. One particular Endgamer made an innocent, but potentially damaging mistake. He mistyped the domain "www.netflix.com" as "netflix.om" in his browser, accidentally dropping the "c" in ".com". He did not get a DNS resolution error, which would have indicated the domain he typed doesn't exist. Instead, due to the registration of "netflix.om" by a malicious actor, the domain resolved successfully. His browser was immediately redirected several times, and eventually landed on a "Flash Updater" page with all the usual annoying (and to an untrained user, terrifying) scareware pop-ups. Basically, Engame discovered that malicious parties have taken to buying up the web domains of popular typos related to popular websites, with the hopes that unsuspecting people will see the fake "Flash Updater" popup and install the infected software out of fear.Luckily, when you arrive at one of these websites, the malware won't immediately install itself. Instead, it will prompt you to download a file that could look like a Adobe Flash update. It goes without saying, but don't download or install it. It's fake, and will infect your computer with spammy software.According to Kaspersky Lab, that fake "Flash Updater" download usually carries a payload called Genieo, which installs itself as an extension on your browsers and generally serves pop-ups and other annoyances on your computer.When I visited "netflix.om" a few minutes ago, I wasn't prompted to install anything, but I found myself on a site that was decidedly sketchy and may have been phishing for my email password. Google Chrome wouldn't even let me visit "adobe.om.," as our company firewall detected something wasn't right.As Endgame points out, ".om" is the country-specific domain name for Oman, and domains associated "with the vast majority of brands" may currently be unregistered. If you own a company, it might be worth picking up your associated .om domain name if you've found yourself the target of phishing scams before.Here's the <a href="http://pastebin.com/q2WCuw6K">complete list</a> of sketchy ".om" sites found so far:126.om 163.om 1688.om 17173.om 28.om 4399.om 53.om 58.om 6pm.om 6pmc.om aa.om aaa.om aac.om abercrombie.om adidas.om adobe.om adp.om aetna.om agoda.om alibaba.om aliexpress.om aliexpressc.om aljazeera.om amazon.om amazonc.om americanexpress.om ameritrade.om ancestry.om aol.om aolc.om ask.om asos.om att.om autotrader.om autozone.om avg.om badoo.om baidu.om baiduc.om bankofamerica.om barnesandnoble.om beeg.om bestbuy.om bestbuyc.om bet365.om bet365c.om betfair.om bing.om blogfa.om blogger.om blogspot.om bol.om bolc.om boohoo.om bookingc.om capitalone.om cbs.om chasec.om cheapoair.om chegg.om cibc.om citi.om citibank.om citibankc.om cj.om cnet.om cnn.om cnnc.om costco.om creditkarma.om ctrip.om cvs.om dailymotion.om dangdang.om dell.om delta.om deviantart.om digg.om directv.om discovercard.om douban.om dropbox.om drugstore.om dubizzle.om dw.om dx.om eastbay.om eastmoney.om ebates.om ebayc.om enterprise.om etao.om etrade.om etsy.om evite.om expediac.om facebookc.om fedex.om fiverr.om flickr.om flipkart.om fnac.om footlocker.om forever21.om fox.om foxnews.om freelancer.om ft.om gamestop.om ganji.om geico.om gilt.om github.om gizmodo.om globo.om gmail.om gnc.om go.om godaddy.om googlec.om groupon.om hao123.om haosou.om hi5.om hilton.om homedepot.om hotelsc.om hottopic.om hotwirec.om hp.om hsn.om htc.om huanqiu.om huffingtonpost.om hulu.om hupu.om ifeng.om ign.om ihg.om ikea.om imdb.om imgur.om indeed.om instagram.om instagramc.om intuit.om iqiyi.om istockphoto.om jcpenney.om jcrew.om jd.om jdc.om jet.om kaspersky.om kayak.om kayakc.om kmart.om kohls.om kooora.om lan.om lastminute.om lenovo.om linkedin.om linkedinc.om live.om livejournal.om livescore.om lowes.om lufthansa.om macys.om mapquest.om meituan.om mi.om miniinthebox.om mlb.om monster.om monsterc.om msnc.om mtv.om nascar.om nba.om nbc.om netflix.om newegg.om nfl.om nhl.om nike.om nj.om nordstrom.om norton.om nuomi.om office365.om officedepot.om okcupid.om oldnavy.om one.om opentable.om oracle.om orbitz.om outlook.om outlookc.om overstock.om pandora.om paypal.om paypalc.om pch.om photobucket.om pinterest.om pnc.om pof.om pogo.om priceline.om progressive.om qq.om qqc.om qunar.om qvc.om qz.om realtor.om realtorc.om reddit.om rediff.om rei.om renren.om rr.om samsclub.om samsung.om scottrade.om sears.om shutterfly.om si.om skype.om snapdeal.om sogou.om sohu.om sony.om soundcloud.om southwest.om sportsdirect.om spotify.om sprint.om staplesc.om starbucks.om statefarm.om steampowered.om stubhub.om suning.om suntrust.om t-mobile.om taobao.om taobaoc.om targetc.om tdcanadatrust.om tesco.om ticketmaster.om tigerdirect.om tmall.om tmallc.om tmz.om toysrus.om travelocity.om trulia.om tudou.om tumblr.om tuniu.om united.om ups.om urbanoutfitters.om usaa.om usaac.om usbankc.om usps.om vanguard.om verizon.om verizonwireless.om vimeo.om vip.om vistaprint.om vk.om vkc.om vrbo.om vueling.om walgreens.om walmart.om walmartc.om wayfair.om weatherc.om webmd.om weibo.om weiboc.om wellsfargo.om wellsfargoc.om wetter.om whatsapp.om williamhill.om woot.om wordpress.om wordpressc.om wsj.om wwe.om xbox.om xe.om xvideos.om y8.om yahoo.om yahooc.om yandex.om yatra.om yellowpages.om yelp.om yhd.om youku.om youtube.om youtubec.om zappos.om zapposc.om zara.om zillow.om zulily.om <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-messaging-tricks-apple-smartphone-tech-mute-location-forward-2016-3">How to send self-destructing messages - and other iPhone messaging tricks</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Uzb254MTE6qWwKvpjtvaX0v3cMi-Vdxd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "malware infected extensions" and got 12 results

Millions of people are using compromised Google Chrome browsers due to malware-infected extensions, Stanford researchers find

Kunal Kambli

Fake Instagram, Facebook, and Vimeo extensions on Google Chrome can ‘hijack’ your URL, steal personal information and track your location

Prabhjote Gill

Indian users among the most affected by a new threat that is affecting three of the most popular web browsers in the world

Prabhjote Gill

How to get rid of a virus on an infected Mac computer, and protect your Mac from getting infected again

Devon Delfino

Hackers are using the coronavirus panic to trick victims into downloading malware

Prabhjote Gill

My Laptop got infected by a Virus that spoke to me, and there’s absolutely no remedy

Saikat Pyne

A New Virus Is Using Facebook To Steal Passwords: It's Already Affected 800,000 People

Kevin Smith

A Scary New Malware Is Tearing Up The Internet And No One Knows Where It Came From

Dylan Love

Here's why viruses keep trying to change your default search engine

Rounak Jain

A Firefox marketing stunt for 'Mr. Robot' went wrong when people thought they'd actually downloaded a virus

Matt Weinberger

Why won't my PC turn on? 10 ways to troubleshoot your Windows computer when it fails to start

Dave Johnson

Look out for misspelled websites like 'Netflix.om' - they're designed to trick you into downloading malware

Kif Leswing

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides