What is Aluc Service?

At a glance, Aluc Service may look like a legit service among hundreds of ones running in Windows. However, even a tiny bit of research shows that it is not something common. No programs among well-known ones have their service named in such a manner. Moreover, users commonly report that it consumes significant amounts of CPU power. This makes me assume that it is most likely related to coin miner malware activity.

But why would malware take the disguise of a service? Well, the vast majority of malware does this trick – hooking up to a system service to make itself run without any permissions. The thing is, not much other malware takes as much CPU power as coin miners do. While a strange service launched by spyware will remain unnoticed, miners would not – quite an easy math here.

Aluc Service – Is It Dangerous?

The main issue coin miners like Aluc Service create is system overloading. Such pieces of software do not care whether you want to use your computer and what for – they will take 60-80% of your CPU power. By connecting hundreds and thousands of infected machines to a mining pool, hackers provide themselves with a free mining farm. Even though mining crypto on a CPU is inefficient, the amount of processors involved covers possible performance issues. Moreover, crooks commonly opt for coins with a less complicated blockchain, like Monero or DarkCoin.

However, an overloaded system is not a single issue here. Hackers who work with coin miners often use the services of dropper malware. That means you can have one more malware – or even several if other hackers used the same dropper to deliver their payloads. Possibly, there could be several other malicious things in your system, and they are much more stealthy than the coin miner is.

How did I get infected?

There could be a lot of possible ways of getting infected, but hackers commonly opt for a couple of the most cost- and effort-efficient methods. Among them are email spam, software cracks, and search results hijacking. Two former can spread pretty much any malware, while the latter is a common basis for multi-staged attacks. Droppers I mentioned above prefer to sneak as fake software installers, and then perform all the dirty deeds.

That being said, it is important to keep in mind that cybercriminals seek new opportunities pretty much constantly. Hackers adjust their attack campaigns correspondingly to the circumstances, so it is tough to know what you should be prepared for.

How to remove Aluc Service?

Removing such things manually is not the best idea. Malware that exploits service creation for persistence can sometimes protect them, so attempts to remove it by simply stopping & deleting may end up with a BSOD. Moreover, you can see the Aluc Service running, but can be missing all other threats present in your system. For that reason, a scan with a proper anti-malware program is recommended. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an anti-malware program that will make this problem sorted in 10 minutes.

How to stay safe online?

Based on the spreading methods and injection approaches I mentioned before, it is not hard to create a list of effective ways to avoid malware infections.

Be cautious with email spam. There are several places to watch out for:

• Verify Sender. Never open email attachments or click on links in emails from unknown or suspicious senders. Verify the sender’s identity if you’re unsure.
• Check for Spelling and Grammar. Be wary of emails with poor grammar and spelling, as these are often red flags for phishing attempts.
  Avoid Pop-Up Promotions. Don’t click on pop-up promotions or offers in emails, especially those that seem too good to be true.

Steer clear of software cracks. Their hazards are not only about malware but also about legal consequences for breaking the copyright law.

• Use Legitimate Sources. Only download software and applications from reputable sources and official websites. Avoid using cracked or pirated software, as these often come bundled with malware.
• Regularly Update Software. Keep your operating system, software, and antivirus programs up to date. Updates often include security patches that protect against vulnerabilities.

Protect against search engine hijacks. There, your attention and checkups are king.

• Avoid Clicking Search Result Ads. Google, along with other search engine providers, embeds advertisements at the top of its search results. As users tend to choose top results, they click promoted sites, without thought it may be a malicious link.
• Verify Search Results. Before clicking on a search result, review the URL and ensure it looks legitimate. Avoid clicking on suspicious links.

Employ anti-malware software. A well-done security solution, like GridinSoft Anti-Malware, will serve for both proactive and reactive protection.

• Install Reliable Security Software: Use a reputable antivirus and anti-malware program on your computer and keep it updated. Schedule regular scans of your system.
• Enable Real-Time Protection: Activate real-time protection features to prevent malware from executing on your system.

The post Aluc Service: What Is Aluc App & How to Remove? appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Sometimes developers themselves include adware in their software to partly cover development costs or make the software free for users. If users want free ad software they will need to buy a premium subscription. The main danger that comes from adware is that it often gets exploited by threat actors in various ways and once on the targeted device it takes a significant toll on the device’s operations and state.

Understandable for users this program seems frightening and the premonition is justified. Because it prevents the device from performing proper tasks slowing down the browser and in some cases causing substantial harm to the user’s data. Adware mainly targets personal computers but mobile devices may also be infected with this kind of threat.

But the problem and its risks could be reduced if you learn how to identify and mitigate them. The next top eight signs may hint that you’re dealing with adware infection.

You literally get bombarded with an avalanche of various kinds of advertisements

Pop-up windows are one of the most common signs of the presence of advertising software on your device. It sometimes can be hard to click them away because they continually pop up on your screen. The other annoying thing about them is that they appear in unusual places on your device.

When visiting different websites, you may notice various banners or forms that supposedly need to be filled in or advertisements that urges you to follow some strange links. Because this kind of malware is mainly aimed at stealing the user’s sensitive and valuable information the ads may be designed in various ways so that the victim will click on it.

Be careful with these ads because clicking on them you can not only lose your sensitive and important information but also get yourself another portion of malware like spyware, trojans, even ransomware.

You started to experience lack of storage on your PC

Adware aims to steal not only your privacy but also to cause some harm to documents and files. After adware has infiltrated your PC, the hard drive gets to be filled with all sorts of unnecessary and unfamiliar programs that may have clogged up your storage to its limits.

It means that if you see a new program on your desktop that you don’t remember to install, then don’t rush to click on it because once you do so you can do even more damage to your computer than getting it infected with an adware. Better find the name of this program on the Internet and make sure it is not malicious. If you do find that this program is a rogue one then scan your PC with antivirus protection and get rid of it.

Your hard drive works strange

When adware appears on your device, the hard drive will begin to show suspicious and unusual activity. This means that you will notice an excessive load on your computer at a time when not even a single program will work. You will also be disturbed by notifications that the hard drive is full, although it is not.

Your PC started to perform sluggish and slow

It is worth adding the fact that when adware appears on the device, the work of the device itself will be significantly slowed down. This sign is too obvious to miss and certainly hints that something is wrong with your device. You will notice that your operating system simply stops to properly upload all that it was tasked with or do so with considerable slowness. The good idea here would be to check if you have run out of RAM and start taking appropriate steps to deal with the problem.

To check RAM, you can follow the instructions below:

In Windows PC:

• Press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open your task manager. Then you need to go to the Performance tab to see how many GB of RAM is being used within each section.

In the Mac PC:

• Launch the Activity Monitor app. Then go to the System Memory to see the RAM usage.

If after this check the RAM is in order, then you need to look for the presence of virus in the operating system.

Strange Browser Homepage Redirections

If adware appears, the home page redirection may begin to behave unusually strange. You can ask to open one page, but you will be moved to some completely third-party pages. This happens because at some point you clicked on a pop-up window and installed the malware. And it made some adjustments to your device and in particular your browser.

The adjustment is done so every time a victim will open their browser the adware will redirect every search input to the pages completely different from the intended purposes of the search. Be aware that whatever web service you have been maliciously redirected don`t click on anything or in any other way interact with just close the malicious tab and start looking for the source of messed up redirections.

Unexpected Warning Messages And Strange Behavior

If you start to encounter some strange messages that carry warning signs and on general view your device starts to behave strangely enough for you to suspect that something might actually be wrong, then you may have an adware on your PC. It’s a common sign of the malware presence when a user`s device starts to behave not in a way it normally used to behave. We should also warn you that you might also experience an infection of a scareware or spyware that might cause strange and unusual behavior and pop up various fake warning signs.

Here are some examples of signs that you need pay attention to and deal with the potential malware as soon as possible:

• Automatic closing and opening of your programs;
• Windows shuts down for no reason;
• A strange message appears that says you have lost access to some of your drives.

Your Antivirus Programs Stopped Working

If you notice that your antivirus protection does not work, although your license should still be valid, then you might have adware. This may seem strange, but some kinds of adware specifically targets the protection software on victims` devices. But they can wage their attacks only on traditional anti-malware. We recommend not to forget about installing a good protection program, regularly updating it as required by the developers.

All Files Turned Into Shortcuts

If after using some external USB drive you later notice that your files and documents are in the form of shortcuts, then such sudden change may hint that you actually have an adware infection. In addition these labels can be not available, which only further confirms the fact of infection. But beyond that, these infected files can jeopardize the rest of the software on your device.

How to Avoid Adware Malware Infections?

All the above-mentioned information explains how to discern the signs of adware infection. But it’s of course better to avoid the problem than to deal with it, so we will provide you with the simplest rules that you should follow when securing yourself, your data, and your device from future adware attacks:

• Avoid installing freeware and shareware. Such kinds of programs often turn out to be filled with malicious elements and among them not only adware but various types of trojans, spyware, even ransomware. Don’t download or click on these programs even if they seem to be copies of some official software that you actually have to pay money for;
• Download software only from reliable and trusted sources. Peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms and sites are famous enough for being the hosts to malware infected files. It will be better to download an app, files or other software only from reliable and trusted sources only. These could be official app stores ( for example, Google Play and Apple App Store), official developer and manufacturer websites, etc;
• Read before you accept any terms and conditions. Sadly, it is a popular habit of not reading all the conditions of an app or other software before downloading and installing them ( On the other hand how can we blame users who don’t have the patience to read seemingly endless scrolls of terms and conditions even of a simple image editor).
  But that’s where the problem is when users accept terms and conditions thus granting an app permissions they don’t have a slightest clue about and actually just ticking away everything they allow the app including installing an adware;
• Use antivirus and anti-malware tools. Here we would suggest you one of the adware cleaner try to use our Gridinsoft Adware Removal Tool product to help you remove adware from the device. The antimalware tool is excellent at detecting and protecting against malware. We also should mention that this tool won’t not slow down the work of your PC, effectively stopping and removing various kinds of cyber threats. After downloading and installing it you will forget about all the above signs, the protection program will be perfectly able to relieve you from them and help you get rid of the adware.

The post 8 Symptoms Of Adware: How to Avoid it appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

But among the simplified solutions, that offer only essential anti-malware functionality, it is also hard to make a decision. We recommend you to use GridinSoft Anti-Malware, and let me give you 15 reasons to choose it.

1. High detection rates

The most important quality of any anti-malware program is its ability to correctly detect and remove the hazards. It can have a bunch of other positives, but the main function is obliged to be as good as possible. And GridinSoft Anti-Malware shows perfect protection against a wide range of threats present in the wild. All kinds of adware, trojan viruses, malicious scripts and questionable programs – they shall not pass the security layer created by GridinSoft Anti-Malware. Such a high level of protection is available thanks to the advanced scanning system and diligent work of malware analysts, who upload the database updates as often as possible.

2. Advanced detection systems

GridinSoft Anti-Malware manages 3 different detection mechanisms – the “classic” database-backed detection, heuristic engine and neural network. The former does not need any introduction, since it is the alpha and omega of all antiviruses. But let’s have a closer look at heuristic and neural detection mechanisms.

3. High resource efficiency

PC performance is an object of concern of the vast majority of users. Installing any software that is about to run in the background means risking to have significant decrease of the PC speed. GridinSoft developers paid additional attention to that aspect, in order to make their program as resource-efficient as possible, even having your proactive features on. You will barely feel the impact of this program running in the background – it takes almost less than 1% of CPU power and ~300 MB RAM. Compared to things like Windows Defender, which consumes 5-10% of CPU and up to 1GB RAM, it is literally nothing.

4. Simple interface

Have you ever struggled with a huge number of tabs in the programs? Some of the antiviruses, especially ones that have a lot of unnecessary functions, have this problem. But GridinSoft Anti-Malware is the other story – it offers a clear interface with all important functions and information available at the glance. Functions and settings are logically divided on categories, corresponding to their purpose, and the detailed info (scan logs or update changelogs) is available in just several clicks.

5. Full-time support

Having problems on your PC? Think something is broken inside of your operating system? Struggle to make a decision in our program? Support specialists will help you to solve any case, at any moment of time. GridinSoft Anti-Malware licence features the 24/7 multilingual tech support, so you will definitely receive the proper answer. For tough cases, the manager can offer extended support – via the remote connection. Such an approach will definitely help you to solve the issue.

6. High compatibility

Even in 2022, people still use old operating systems for certain reasons. Some people don’t want to update because of the hardware requirements, some dislike the new appearance of the OS, and some users don’t want to lose the compatibility with the programs they use. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will perfectly fit all of these categories, offering the support for a wide range of Windows versions. It will successfully run on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8/8.1, 10 and 11 – a timeline of more than 20 years of software development. And on any of these versions the security tool from GridinSoft will show an excellent efficiency.

Moreover, GridinSoft Anti-Malware also works perfectly with other antimalware and antivirus software. For people who want to have several security solutions running together, it will be a perfect addition. You will never see any detection conflicts, and the modest resource consumption will not interfere with the other programs’ efficiency.

7. Setup flexibility

Despite the easy-to-use interface, GridinSoft Anti-Malware offers a wide range of settings that will fit different users. Scanning schedule, use of heuristic rules during scans, ability to adjust the startup settings, and manage the active modules of the proactive protection – that will be enough to personalise the experience as much as possible. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is designed with an idea to give the users the right to choose the program mode it wants.

8. Reasonable price

Most of the antivirus solutions contain a huge amount of functions, which are about to be paid for regardless of the fact you use them or not. When it comes to GridinSoft Anti-Malware, you pay only for the functions you will definitely use – exactly, the genuine anti-malware software features. For an annual licence, you have to pay only $40 – or less, if you will use a discount that is available multiple times a year. You will not find the same functionality & efficiency combination for this money.

9. Nothing excessive

In the previous paragraph, we mentioned the services and features available in GridinSoft Anti-Malware. It does not feature keychain, additional traffic controlling or VPN service. In the developers’ opinion, users can decide if they want to use one, and must not obligatory pay for them. On the other hand, you receive a full bunch of various features that are really needed for the anti-malware software – a full-featured proactive protection, quarantine, and various tools for system recovery. Isn’t that a fair swap?

10. Constant database updates

The efficiency of anti-malware programs is measured by their detection quality. That is, exactly, the most important part of the program – low detection capabilities make it just a useless app. But even the most advanced detection databases & mechanisms are getting outdated with time, and their detection rates fall inexorably. New malware appears each day, and to retain the effectiveness, you should update the databases as often as possible. GridinSoft Anti-Malware receives database updates each hour, so even the most fresh malware will be taken into account pretty quickly.

11. Trial and Demo mode

Any purchase must be rated correspondingly, after weighting all pros and cons for yourself. That’s why trial mode in GridinSoft Anti-Malware makes it possible for you to test it from all aspects. 6 days of full functionality within the trial licence is enough to feel all qualities of this program, get familiar with the interface and have some real-world testing.

But even in the situation when you did not purchase the licence, you are still able to scan your device for threats in Demo mode. It is able to detect the malware, but cannot remove it, and lacks proactive protection features. This mode provides the testing capabilities as well – but can’t show you the real potential of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

12. System applications repairing capabilities

Modern malware pretty often exploits the operating system vulnerabilities in order to conduct its activities. When it is removed, the touched system elements remain damaged, and it is very important to fix them. Contrary to the third party apps, that may be changed as well, modified system elements may cause errors and even system failure. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is able to effectively find and repair the system elements that were damaged by malware, saving you from manual recovery.

13. Browser reset functions

Nasty malware types that show us advertisements of different forms, like adware and browser hijackers, generally act through modifying your browser settings. They invade each web browser you have on your device, to show you the ads wherever you go. Even after removing viruses from your PC, your browsers will keep the changes made by malware. GridinSoft Anti-Malware has the ability to revert these changes in all browsers in a single click – thanks to the Reset Browser Settings function. A single click – and your browser is as good as new.

14. Multi-layer on-run protection

On-run protection, also known as proactive protection, is a very useful feature that controls the application activity on your computer. Each launch of the application and each opened folder are monitored by the anti-malware program. GridinSoft Anti-Malware checks-up processes and directories with a three-part system – databases, heuristics and neural network. Using all three systems makes it impossible to miss the malware – it will definitely be detected and defused, even if it was not active at the moment.

The On-Run Protection function in GridinSoft Anti-Malware can have two additional functions. Besides the basic scanning of all activities, it also can act as a network monitor, and removable devices scanner. The former will be very effective in blocking the unwanted websites, that may expose your PC to a hazard. Removable Device scanning is a function that checks all of the connected storage devices, both removable drives or USB flash drives. That will safeguard your computer from the intrusion from most of the typical malware spreading vectors.

15. Quarantine

Sometimes, neither the program nor the user is sure that the detected file is dangerous. To give the time gap and chance to choose, GridinSoft Anti-Malware features threat quarantine. That is, exactly, the separated area on the disk, where the blocked files are stored until the decision is made, or the 30-day term is expired. Items in Quarantine are impossible to launch and interact with the rest of the system, so even dangerous stuff does not put your system into a hazard.

Try out GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You have seen a lot of arguments that prove the efficiency and convenience of GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This security tool has great functionality for a reasonable price. The features this program has make it really superior to its contemporaries. Having a try of this application for 6 days will surely dot all the i’s. And the support managers will be glad to answer any of the questions regarding the program functionality.

The post 15 Reasons to Choose GridinSoft Anti-Malware appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

The commercial element makes the danger more tangible and serious. Let us list and describe the nastiest and most dangerous malware attacks in all areas likely to cause trouble in 2022.

#1. Attacks by Nation-State Threat Actors

Nation-state threat actors are the most dangerous cyber criminals on the Web. There are several reasons for thinking so. Nation-state hackers are professionals. They possess the best available technology. They work together with the countries’ secret services and can afford long-term preparations. They are legal in their own countries, and finally, they stake on stealth, so it is hard to detect them.

For example, the malware used by nation-state hackers recently discovered Pipedream is not targeting private computers. The aim of such attacks is industrial objects and programmable logic controllers on plants, factories, gasworks, etc.

These actors can also target banks or state registries. However, the most shocking news was the warning by the US authorities about Pipedream-armed hackers being ready to strike the electricity and natural gas supply facilities with the possibility of damaging real industrial objects.

#2. Clop Ransomware Attacks

Like any other ransomware, Clop encodes the targeted data files, making them inaccessible. Then the user finds a ransom note wherein racketeers tell where to send money (in the form of cryptocurrency) to get a decryption key. Clop ransomware is extremely dangerous as it works on most versions of Windows, highly evasive regarding security programs.

Note: Clop ransomware (sometimes stylized as “Cl0p”) has been one of the most prolific ransomware families in the last three years.

After the malware infiltrates the system, it gets escalated privileges and gains permission to alter and overwrite system files. Clop creates an entry in the Windows registry that broadens its capabilities.

Afterward, it sends data about the system right to the crooks. Clop then begins to scan the computer looking for files to encode. The target is images, videos, text documents, mp3, and other data files. The malware settings may vary, though.

Since Clop ransomware aims mainly at corporations, the range of ways it infiltrates the victim’s devices can probably be narrowed to links and attachments in messages and emails pretending to be sent by recognizable companies. Theoretically, ransomware can penetrate the system in many ways, though.

#3. Agent Tesla Malware Attacks

Agent Tesla is a highly elusive multifunctional malware complex combining features of spyware and stealers. It is an example of a harmful program that can be ordered as a service. That means Agent Tesla is a highly targeted weapon.

Agent Tesla is spyware that collects information about the actions of its victims by recording keystrokes and user interactions. On a special website that sells this malware, it is incorrectly positioned as legitimate software. Unpacking the final payload after the malware’s primary injection is a sophisticated process that involves steganography and unfolds in several stages. Such complexity allows Agent Tesla to avoid signature-based detection by security software.

The list of malicious functions of Agent Tesla is impressive: collecting and stealing device and system data, keylogging, screen capture, form-grabbing, stealing credentials, stealing browser data, etc.

#4. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is not anything that substantially differs from the usual ransomware. What makes the difference is what happens behind the scenes. RaaS is a business model wherein one side provides the software and the infrastructure for paying the ransom (bitcoin wallet and technical support for victims). In contrast, the other side deals with delivering ransomware and provides the prey likely to fall victim to ransomware.

AS A FACT: I want to remind you that the introduction of ransomware is one of the most dangerous forms of cyberattacks. These include: Conti ransomware, Matrix ransomware, Makop ransomware, STOP/Djvu ransomware, etc.

RaaS does not guarantee the campaign’s success as it works just as usual in a software-as-a-service scheme. However, such a commercial attack is more likely to succeed because it is less random. The one who orders a service has a better approach to the victim, unlike a ransomware author trying to perform an attack by guesswork.

#5. AlienBot Malware Attacks

AlienBot malware is a password stealer targeting Android devices. It is a part of a malware-as-a-service scheme. AlienBot compromises legitimate banking applications, and although its primary goal is to harvest logins, passwords, banking credentials, and other fillable forms data, AlienBot provides criminals with a much broader range of possible malfeasance.

If Alienbot infiltrates the system, it lets criminals download any applications, backup data, control the device via TeamViewer, etc. .

Alienbot inhabited nine applications that crooks distributed via Google Play. This vulnerability has been fixed, and such a flagrant campaign is impossible with this malware. Nevertheless, users are still endangered if they carelessly follow dubious links and download unchecked applications onto their Android devices.

#6. Cryptojacking Malware Attacks

Cryptojacking is a state-of-the-art and relatively light type of attack. The already mentioned coin miners are a type of cryptojacking. However, we are talking now about a different case – when victims receive no malicious code on their computers.

Cryptojackers perform their attacks by luring users to click on banners and links, leading them to the script-wired web pages. The security software will not allow malicious scripts to run if the victim uses an antivirus program. It will simply block the dangerous webpage from opening.

However, if the victim has no protection – the enslaved processor will keep working for the sake of criminals until the end of the session. The crooks count on the massive quantities of people who will click this dangerous link.

#7. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering is an indispensable tool in a wide range of frauds aimed at fishing critical data such as logins and passwords for social media accounts from the victims without even employing malware. These campaigns are called phishing, and they most often use deceptive emails that make people think they are dealing with an actual company. Frauds disguise themselves as social media platforms, delivery services, banks, money transfer services, etc.

Phishing attacks are often combined with spoofing – the visual design of emails and fake websites that aims at the same goal – to make a person believe that the site they are viewing is what it tells it is.

Then the victim does not fear inputting their credentials in the signup form or any other trap. The login and password, or it might be the banking data or credit card details, go right to the crooks.

#8. Gameover ZeuS Virus

Zeus Gameover is a botnet that steals banking information from browsers by keylogging and form-grabbing executed by a Trojan. The main danger of malware attacks is its antivirus-evasion method.

NOTE: Often, botnets will launch a spam campaign on someone’s social media page or do it under someone’s YouTube video.

Unlike its predecessor, ZeuS, Zeus Gameover connects to its command and control servers via an encrypted peer-to-peer communication system. That makes the Trojan much harder to detect.

As the connection is established, besides stealing their victims’ credentials, hackers can control the system of the infected device up to installing and removing programs. Another menace comes from an extra function of Zeus Gameover – distribution of the Cryptolocker ransomware.

#9. Browser Hijacking

Browser hijackers are not a new phenomenon, but they are still active and dangerous throughout the web. The main characteristic of this type of malware is that it modifies the settings of the infected PCs’ web browsers. Usually, the user notices that the browser homepage and default search engine are suddenly changed. Other effects may vary.

A browser hijacker is a vehicle for the malicious payload, most likely spyware, adware, or both. Spyware collects data from the user and sends it to the threat actors. The consequences range from the data sold to third parties to identity theft and tangible harm.

Adware is a different thing – it throws pop-up banners with advertising right over webpages, opens unwanted pop-ups, and adds hyperlinks on webpages where they have not existed initially. It might seem that adware is comparatively harmless, but it is not so since any ad banner rendered by adware is also a menace.

Avoiding Virs Malware Attacks: Choosing a Security Solution

Modern security software is a must-have for today’s Internet users. Despite not being a panacea, for the malware is constantly transforming and antiviruses have to catch up, a decent security program protects its user from most malware specimens. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a technically masterful and economically beneficial solution. It is a versatile program that can serve as a primary antivirus or an auxiliary scanning utility alongside another security system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware features on-run defense (background protection,) Internet protection (blocks dangerous and warns about suspicious webpages) and deep scanning. The program is regularly updated, especially paying attention to the latest ransomware.The World Wide Web is not a hostile realm by itself, but any Internet user should be aware of the dangers lurking on the Net. If earlier harmful software was just fun for the hackers or vandalism in the worst case, today, malware attacks are a viable business model.

The commercial element makes the danger more tangible and more serious. Let us list and describe the nastiest and most dangerous malware attacks in all areas likely to cause trouble in 2022.

#1. Attacks by Nation-State Threat Actors

Nation-state threat actors are the most dangerous cyber criminals on the Web. There are several reasons for thinking so. Nation-state hackers are professionals. They possess the best available technology. They work together with the countries’ secret services and can afford long-term preparations. They are legal in their own countries, and finally, they stake on stealth, so it is hard to detect them.

For example, the malware used by nation-state hackers recently discovered Pipedream is not targeting private computers. The aim of such attacks is industrial objects and programmable logic controllers on plants, factories, gasworks, etc.

These actors can also target banks or various state registries. However, the most shocking news was the warning by the US authorities about Pipedream-armed hackers being ready to strike the electricity and natural gas supply facilities with the possibility of damaging real industrial objects.

#2. Clop Ransomware Attacks

Like any other ransomware, Clop encodes the targeted data files, making them inaccessible. Then the user finds a ransom note wherein racketeers tell where to send money (in the form of cryptocurrency) to get a decryption key. Clop ransomware is extremely dangerous as it works on most versions of Windows, highly evasive regarding security programs.

Note: Clop ransomware (sometimes stylized as “Cl0p”) has been one of the most prolific ransomware families in the last three years.

After the malware infiltrates the system, it gets escalated privileges and gains permission to alter and overwrite system files. Clop creates an entry in the Windows registry that broadens its capabilities.

Afterward, it sends data about the system right to the crooks. Clop then begins to scan the computer looking for files to encode. The target is images, videos, text documents, mp3, and other data files. The malware settings may vary, though.

Since Clop ransomware aims mainly at corporations, the range of ways it infiltrates the victim’s devices can probably be narrowed to links and attachments in messages and emails pretending to be sent by recognizable companies. Theoretically, ransomware can penetrate the system in many ways, though.

#3. Agent Tesla Malware Analysis

Agent Tesla is a highly elusive multifunctional malware complex combining features of spyware and stealers. It is an example of a harmful program that can be ordered as a service. That means Agent Tesla is a highly targeted weapon.

Agent Tesla is spyware that collects information about the actions of its victims by recording keystrokes and user interactions. On a special website that sells this malware, it is incorrectly positioned as legitimate software. Unpacking the final payload after the malware’s primary injection is a sophisticated process that involves steganography and unfolds in several stages. Such complexity allows Agent Tesla to avoid signature-based detection by security software.

The list of malicious functions of Agent Tesla is impressive: collecting and stealing device and system data, keylogging, screen capture, form-grabbing, stealing credentials, stealing browser data, etc.

#4. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is not anything that substantially differs from the usual ransomware. What makes the difference is what happens behind the scenes. RaaS is a business model wherein one side provides the software and the infrastructure for paying the ransom (bitcoin wallet and technical support for victims). In contrast, the other side deals with delivering ransomware and provides the prey likely to fall victim to ransomware.

AS A FACT: I want to remind you that the introduction of ransomware is one of the most dangerous forms of cyberattacks. These include:Conti ransomware, Matrix ransomware, Makop ransomware,STOP/Djvu ransomware, etc.

RaaS does not guarantee the campaign’s success as it works just as usual in a software-as-a-service scheme. However, such a commercial attack is more likely to succeed because it is less random. The one who orders a service has a better approach to the victim, unlike a ransomware author trying to perform an attack by guesswork.

#5. AlienBot Malware

AlienBot malware is a password stealer targeting Android devices. It is a part of a malware-as-a-service scheme. AlienBot compromises legitimate banking applications, and although its primary goal is to harvest logins, passwords, banking credentials, and other fillable forms data, AlienBot provides criminals with a much broader range of possible malfeasance.

If Alienbot infiltrates the system, it lets criminals download any applications, backup data, control the device via TeamViewer, etc. .

Alienbot inhabited nine applications that crooks distributed via Google Play. This vulnerability has been fixed, and such a flagrant campaign is impossible with this malware. Nevertheless, users are still endangered if they carelessly follow dubious links and download unchecked applications onto their Android devices.

#6. Cryptojacking Malware

Cryptojacking is a state-of-the-art and relatively light type of attack. The already mentioned coin miners are a type of cryptojacking. However, we are talking now about a different case – when victims receive no malicious code on their computers.

Cryptojackers perform their attacks by luring users to click on banners and links, leading them to the script-wired web pages. The security software will not allow malicious scripts to run if the victim uses an antivirus program. It will simply block the dangerous webpage from opening.

However, if the victim has no protection – the enslaved processor will keep working for the sake of criminals until the end of the session. The crooks count on the massive quantities of people who will click this dangerous link.

#7. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering is an indispensable tool in a wide range of frauds aimed at fishing critical data such as logins and passwords for social media accounts from the victims without even employing malware. These campaigns are called phishing, and they most often use deceptive emails that make people think they are dealing with an actual company. Frauds disguise themselves as social media platforms, delivery services, banks, money transfer services, etc.

Phishing attacks are often combined with spoofing – the visual design of emails and fake websites that aims at the same goal – to make a person believe that the site they are viewing is what it tells it is.

Then the victim does not fear inputting their credentials in the signup form or any other trap. The login and password, or it might be the banking data or credit card details, go right to the crooks.

#8. Gameover ZeuS Virus

Zeus Gameover is a botnet that steals banking information from browsers by keylogging and form-grabbing executed by a Trojan. The main danger of this malware attacks is its antivirus-evasion method.

NOTE: Often, botnets will launch a spam campaign on someone’s social media page or do it under someone’s YouTube video.

Unlike its predecessor, ZeuS, Zeus Gameover connects to its command and control servers via an encrypted peer-to-peer communication system. That makes the Trojan much harder to detect.

As the connection is established, besides stealing their victims’ credentials, hackers can control the system of the infected device up to installing and removing programs. Another menace comes from an extra function of Zeus Gameover – distribution of the Cryptolocker ransomware.

#9. Browser Hijacking

Browser hijacker is not a new phenomenon, but they are still active and dangerous throughout the web. The main characteristic of this type of malware is that it modifies the settings of the infected PCs’ web browsers. Usually, the user notices that the browser homepage and default search engine are suddenly changed. Other effects may vary.

A browser hijacker is a vehicle for the malicious payload, most likely spyware, adware, or both. Spyware collects data from the user and sends it to the threat actors. The consequences range from the data sold to third parties to identity theft and tangible harm.

Adware is a different thing – it throws pop-up banners with advertising right over webpages, opens unwanted pop-ups, and adds hyperlinks on webpages where they have not existed initially. It might seem that adware is comparatively harmless, but it is not so since any ad banner rendered by adware is also a menace.

Avoiding Malware: Choosing a Security Solution

Modern security software is a must-have for today’s Internet users. Despite not being a panacea, for malware attacks are constantly transforming and antiviruses have to catch up, a decent security program protects its user from most malware specimens. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a technically masterful and economically beneficial solution. It is a versatile program that can serve as a primary antivirus or an auxiliary scanning utility alongside another security system.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware features on-run defense (background protection,) Internet protection (blocks dangerous and warns about suspicious webpages) and deep scanning. The program is regularly updated, especially paying attention to the latest ransomware.

The post TOP 9 Malware Attacks: Compilation 2022 appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

From a certain point of view, antivirus programs, anti-malware software, security tools, and antivirus scanners are just synonyms. Sure, they have a lot of things in common – enough to call them somewhat the same things. However, when we talk about a scientifically correct term (cybersecurity is a science!), it is important to make a distinction between these terms.

What is an antivirus scanner?

Let’s start with the last one. An antivirus scanner is a program capable of detecting malware on your computer during the scanning process. It may apply any known detection methods – heuristics, database-backed, or neural network. This class of programs can also offer you proactive protection features – the continuous scanning of your PC in the background.

The main disadvantage of antivirus scanners is that they cannot remove malware from your computer. They check the system and notify about the present threats. Well-done scanners can also block the dangers but not remove them. Some of the Antivirus vendors offer their products for free testing – with only antivirus scanner functionality. Such vendors are Avast, AVG, Kaspersky, and McAfee.

Security tool

This term is wider, and can be used as an umbrella term for any software that is able to detect malware. Nonetheless, besides the “antiviruses”, security tools also include programs that manage to close the security breaches or enhance the overall system security. Those programs may be made manually – batch scripts, for example – or produced by cybersecurity vendors, but their purpose is single and same.

What is the difference between antivirus and anti-malware?

Antivirus and anti-malware are probably the most similar in their functionality. Both of them can scan your system and remove the threats. Both use all possible detection methods and optionally provide proactive protection. The main difference between these two types of programs hides in the recovery abilities.

By definition, antivirus programs are full-featured applications that are able to recover not only system files and elements, but also files of the third-party programs. Such function was needed in the times when viruses (as a class of malware) were dominating the market. The activity of this malware usually leads to massive failures in the software, both OS-related and external. That’s why antivirus should be able to fix all things.

Anti-malware software, on the other hand, is lightweight and has fewer functions. It is capable only of repairing the system files and all standard functions. Some say this term is just more modern than the “antivirus”. This version has a foundation, but the difference between antivirus and anti-malware is pretty strict. Lightweight programs are usually less expensive and consume fewer system resources during the scans or recovery operations.

Which security tool is the best?

That is only your choice. There is no all-purpose program that will fit anyone. Generally, I can advise you GridinSoft Anti-Malware – as a lightweight and efficient solution with a reasonable price. You can have your own opinion at this point – regarding what you need to protect with this program. And, of course, according to the thickness of your wallet.

Anyways, the primary security tool must be present anywhere in your awareness. There is no need for complicated, all-in-one antivirus programs when you know the primary ways to protect your system. When you are not clicking the strange ads online and don’t use pirated software, you already have much fewer chances to get malware on your PC. These principles must be the same essential as “do not stick your fingers in the socket” or “wash your hands”.

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Many people don’t realize it but using public Wi-Fi puts you at a great risk of losing confidentiality of your data and many other unpleasant consequences of poor cyber hygiene. A wireless access point (WAP) or just access point (AP) allows you to connect as many as possible wifi devices to a wired network.

The danger comes from within. In all public places like hotel rooms, public transport, libraries, coffee shops, restaurants, airports, shopping malls, etc. often lack some important security measures. And we are not talking here only about passwords. 

Why is Public Wi-Fi Insecure?

The public Wi-Fi network can be considered insecure for several reasons that can lead to further compromise of your device and data. Any public wifi will surely have some of them that you should be aware of in order to have some countermeasures already prepared in case you would need to use a public wifi network. You also would not necessarily have some of them immediately but rather when there’s one then here comes the another. Using tips and tricks you will be able to protect yourself and use public Wi-Fi safely. To be short, here are the reasons why it is important to secure your Wi-Fi network:

1. Theft of personal information. If you get hacked on any public wifi network the most serious loss could be of your personal info including banking logins, social security number, etc. Once a threat actor manages to obtain some of them they can infer further damage to you.
2. Potential cyberattacks. We mean here the risk of getting malware that depending on the nature of it can also bring no less “pleasant” consequences. It can be something like an infostealer or trojan but sometimes other interesting representatives of this specific fauna.
3. Unencrypted connection. Some websites have unencrypted connections that puts a user on the public wifi to significant risk.
4. You don’t control network network security settings. You have not set up passwords and also don`t know if there`s encryption in place.
5. Outdated router software. If it’s outdated then there’s a huge amount of exploits for anyone willing to go after your device and data.
6. Misconfigured Wi-Fi routers. Configuration means setting general wifi router settings like LAN (Local Area Network) Setting, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Setting, WAN (Wide Area Network) Setting, etc. For those threat actors who would know how to exploit any of the security breaches in one of these elements, misconfiguration of them gives an excellent try.

IMPORTANT: The Emotet Trojan tries to spread through available Wi-Fi networks¹. Once it finds an available network, Emotet tries to guess the credentials to access it. If the attempt is successful, the malware searches the new network for all Windows machines that might also be infected.

Hackers Can Use Public Wi-Fi

How to use Wi-Fi for free and keep your data private² is a very important topic to research. If you are intrested how exactly you can get hacked while using public wifi then it`s the next “challenge” for threat actors:

• You can get your session hijacked. During a session between your computer and some website an attacker can intercept the connection and pretend to be on the backend of the website you were connecting to. Because you’ve already logged in the attacker can have all the access, for example, to your banking account.
• You can get infected with a malware³. If you use public wifi you put yourself at a risk of a malware infection. It can be ads on the websites you visit that usually don’t have ads or it can be a much more serious threat like some info stealer.
• You can have your packet sniffed. It may sound funny but actually it’s not as funny as you’d think. In simple words anyone that is on the same connection as you can view what you are transmitting over the wifi network. Of course it’s possible if the connection is unencrypted, which in most cases is true for the public wifis.
• You can become victim of a Man-In-The-Middle Attack. When conducting this type of an attack the threat actor will set their own hotspot similar to the one, for example, of a hotel you`re currently staying in. The hotel named their wifi WellSleep but the attacker`s could be named WellSleap. Everything you will do while connecting to this fake public wifi will be on the attacker`s computer like login information,personal info, passwords, etc. Pay attention to this so that you can use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats.

Protect Your Information: Use Public Wi-Fi Safely

We’d say it’s better to use your own smartphone as a hotspot but if it can`t  be an option then a user should stick to some security measures to have safe and secure usage of public wifi. In all their bad light public wifis can sometimes really help you when you urgently need to connect to some website or just check the currently needed information. Don`t forget to use them every time you decide to connect to any public Wi-fi in a hotel or airport:

1) Use Antivirus. The most basic thing of today`s cyber hygiene. Use a special antivirus solution to protect your device in case of a malware cyber attack. Also don’t forget to check if you will be running the latest version of an antivirus solution. Set an alert for any future malware encroaching on your device`s safety and security. One of the profitable and working methods is Gridinsoft Anti-malware.

2) Also use a firewall. Firewall doesn’t allow any external threats to come to your system. It can be considered a complete protection but having one on the security guard of your device won’t be a waste of time and effort. You already have the inbuilt firewall in your system just go to check if it’s enabled or not. This is one of the recommendations that will help you use public Wi-Fi safely.  

3) Use HTTPS.  If you don’t use VPN then it’s very important for you to look only for those sites that have the encryption in place. The encryption means that the connection between the web server and browser is secured and no one except you can access the shared data. Most browsers will have a padlock to show that the connection on this website is secured.

4) Use  Virtual Private Network.  A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you anonymously to surf through the internet without anyone knowing your actual location. The tool also helps you to encrypt your data traffic so when you are using an unencrypted connection on some website your data will be secured. It creates a protected tunnel that your data will be passing through making it unobtainable by threat actors. Using a VPN will help you use public Wi-Fi safely and without threats to your personal data. 

5) Verify public wifi network,  configure it and turn off sharing option. Before you connect to any public wifi network go and ask for the right name for it. Check with an employee if that is the right wifi hotspot you are looking for. If you have this set then put the important for your safety security settings like disable sharing file option, right after you are done working with the public wifi network put the optin forget it so you won’t be automatically connecting to it once you will come to the place again. 

6) Don’t access or send any sensitive data. To be hundred percent sure your highly sensitive data won’t get exposed while you are using a public wifi network it will be better not to work with it at all. Simply because you don`t know for sure if the apps you are using don’t have any flaws themselves that will allow threat actors to access your sensitive data. 

7) Use 2-Factor Authentication. In case a threat actor will manage somehow to obtain your login information they still could not use it. Because in this security method apart from entering your login information you will also have to enter a code sent to your phone to additionally check your identity. Any website that deals with highly sensitive information will have this one that works as a secondary authentication method.

8) Pay attention to any warnings arisen. Always attend to any notifications that will appear on your phone as they might indicate the compromise of your device, let it be fake notifications created by malware or the actual system alert. The same goes for the websites because most browsers will warn before you proceed to the website you want to visit. Don’t just be careless and instead be your own first security guard. 

8) Install browser add-ons or plug-ins that will help you to boost the security. You can use special add-ons in your browser to help you with the encryption of website connection. For example in the Firefox browser you can install HTTPS-Everywhere and Force-TLS that makes the browser apply the encryption on popular websites that don’t have it. But they do not work on every website so you still have to look for the padlock in the address bar. 

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