Cybersecurity researchers at Check Point Harmony Email have announced that hackers have found a way to extract confidential information from Internet users through the simplest means possible: the image.
Some schemes used by hackers are surprisingly simple. According to Check Point, very effective phishing campaigns are underway in which it is not a question of downloading a disguised attachment in an Excel file or in another format. They simply consist of sending a image containing promotional text. If the recipient clicks on it, he is redirected to a phishing site.
The advantage of this rudimentary technique is that hackers avoid virus checks. Indeed, the link to malicious site is hidden in the image. Moreover, as the proverb attributed to Confucius says, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. According to Check Point, this is true with this scam, given the many Internet users falling into the trap and click to follow the link.
Hackers use greed and a simple technique to trick their victims
It is the lure of profit that most often leads victims to click on the flyer received in their email. The text contained in the image promises them a reward or offers them to participate in a prize draw, in exchange for some personal information. As Tech Radar asserts, this can range from a “password to personally identifiable data that can be used for identity theft.” Here is a tip for protect yourself from such attacks.
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If one day you receive an e-mail consisting only of an image, hover over it with your mouse to reveal the hyperlink to which it redirects. If you find that URL does not match sender at all or the brand that is supposed to contact you, “this indicates that it is most likely a scam”. In addition, security solution creators “should implement a system that examines all URLs and emulates the page behind it”.