Warning as new cybersecurity threat ‘killware’ that aims to cause ‘real-life destruction’ could be DEADLY

HOMELAND Security is warning of a new king of cybersecurity threats called "killware."

Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he thinks that things are poised to go a step further in that direction in the very near future, CPO Magazine reports.

"Killware" is a type of malware that is being deployed with the sole intention of causing physical harm, even death, according to Panda Media Center. Killware is a relatively new term that has been heavily mentioned in the media over the last couple of weeks.

WHAT IS KILLWARE?

In soft terms, cyber psychopaths deploying such malicious code have one goal – to case pure real-life destruction.

A good example is an incident that occurred in Florida earlier this year.

The cybercriminals behind the attack used malicious code to tackle a water plant in Oldsmar, Florida. The sole purpose of the hacker who penetrated the system was to cause water contamination that could have harmed real people living in the sunshine state.

Luckily, the attack was stopped before the water quality was affected. However, the attacker was never caught, and to this day, no one knows who was behind the attack. 

Experts are encouraging consumers to practice cyber hygiene more as different forms of cyber attacks continue to appear.

Android users have been urged to check they haven't downloaded the unofficial app based on the hit Netflix show over malware concerns.

Lukas Stefanko, malware researcher at ESET, said a malicious app known as "Squid Game Wallpaper 4k HD" was being used to spread the notorious Joker malware.

The "Squid Game Wallpaper 4k HD" app was reportedly downloaded over 5,000 times from the Google Play Store before it was banned.

Cybercriminals are also reportedly targeting employees at financial companies via a new phishing email campaign.

According to TechRadar, the campaign is being called "MirrorBlast."

It was first detected in September this year by cybersecurity firm ET Labs.

Another company called Morphisec then investigated the issue and revealed all in a blog post.

It said that the bad Excel files can bypass malware detecting systems.

Americans can take several steps to ensure they don't fall victim to scams.

If a family member, friend, or acquaintance sends a QR code, be sure to reach out to them directly to make sure they did send it.

Additionally, do not scan QR codes sent by strangers, and double-check the URL before opening the link.

Make sure to verify the source that sent the code by physically visiting the official website.

Comments are closed.