How the virus uses spam to steal the personal data of...

Researchers from Check Point, a cybersecurity company, recently updated their international threat rankings, covering the most active malware during the month of September 2020. In addition to the Emotet and Qbot Trojans, new malware has appeared in the ranking, it is the Valak malware.

Appeared for the first time at the end of 2019, Valak was entitled to several versions, each more sophisticated than the last. Its objective is to steal the sensitive data of its victims who can be both individuals and businesses. The stolen data comes from Microsoft Exchange messaging systems, but user IDs and domain certificates are also stolen.

Spammy spam

During the month of September, the Valak malware increased the number of large-scale attacks via email campaigns infected with malicious attachments. The virus is hiding in files. doc attached to spam emails.

“These new campaigns with Valak demonstrate yet again how cybercriminals want to maximize their investments in proven forms of malware,” said Maya Horowitz, director of threat research and intelligence at Check Point. “Organizations need to analyze how they implement anti-malware solutions to prevent such content from reaching end users. They should also advise their employees to always be careful when opening emails, including when the emails seem prima facie from a trusted source. “

In general, it is important to be critical when receiving an email containing a document as an attachment or which invites us to urgently click on the link embedded in the text. Always check the sender’s email address and not just their name. This may indeed have been spoofed. Do not download everything we send you, even if it means asking the sender for confirmation.