Subj : Watch out - that Amazon or Microsoft ad could just be malware
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon May 29 2023 15:30:04

Watch out - that Amazon or Microsoft ad could just be malware

Date:
Mon, 29 May 2023 14:16:07 +0000

Description:
Just because an ad is on Google, it doesn't mean it's clean - hackers can 
abuse the platform to deliver malware.

FULL STORY
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Advertising fraud on trusted internet platforms such as Google is on the rise 
again, according to a new report from Malwarebytes. 

In a blog post , Jrme Segura, Senior Threat researcher at the company 
explained how criminals abuse legitimate advertising services to get 
malicious links in front of unsuspecting victims. 

As it turns out, the criminals are able to buy ad space on Google Ads, for 
example, which ensures that their ad will show up at the very top of Googles 
Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). Fake ads 

The scammers would then create a fake ad for a popular company with millions 
of monthly searches, such as Amazon, for example. 

Given that people usually click on whatever link shows up at the top of the 
SERPs, the researcher claims, having a malicious link appear there is very 
dangerous. 

These ads, which impersonate major brands, are done in a way that bypasses 
Googles filtering mechanisms and are even able to display legitimate links. 
In a screenshot showing one such example, the legitimate Amazon link is 
clearly visible, even though thats not the website the victim ends up 
visiting, should they click the ad. Read more 

> Tackling malicious domains and typosquatting 


 > This huge typosquatting campaign is being used to run tech support scams 


 > These are the best identity theft protection solutions today 

The victims that end up clicking the ad are usually shown a fake antivirus 
scan claiming their computer has a virus and needs to be cleaned with the 
help of a professional. The professional would then usually trick the victim 
into downloading remote desktop solutions, which opens the doors for 
countless other malware . In other instances, the victims would be shown a 
landing page mimicking the login prompt for popular services such as Amazon, 
Microsoft, or Google. 

Tackling the issue isnt that straightforward, the researcher also says, 
describing malvertising as a complex issue that generates billions of daily 
ad impressions. Still, the best way forward is for businesses to educate 
their employees and users about malvertising. 

Still, we can't blame them for clicking on paid ads that are supposedly 
verified as trusted, he concludes. These are the best firewalls



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/watch-out-that-amazon-or-microsoft-ad-could-jus
t-be-malware


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