Malnets pose one of the most serious Internet security risks. A malnet is a network of malware hosts that can wreak havoc on any device it attacks. There are a growing number of dispersal methods used by cyber criminals to get their malware onto the devices of the general public. Even though devices can become infected with malware in a variety of different ways, there are four Internet security risks which are particularly dangerous.
Search Engine Poisoning
One of the most dangerous Internet security risks is known as search engine poisoning. Every day millions of searches are conducted across the most popular search engines. With so many searches taking place at any given time, cyber criminals only need to subvert an extremely small percentage in order to reap the benefits. This Internet security threat is based off of similar strategies used by search engine marketing companies to improve their rankings of their websites.
Cyber criminals make constant adjustments to their website content in order to boost their rankings. Not only does this method generate traffic to malicious websites, but people inherently trust search engine results which lends credibility to dangerous websites. This Internet security risk is one of the most difficult to discern because the malicious sites are listed alongside of legitimate sites.
Social Networking
Considering the evolution of malware, it shouldn’t be surprising that social networking can pose a serious Internet security risk. Social networking provides a cybercriminal access to millions of potential victims. A common social networking malware tactic is the “fake photo”. Portions of an image are shown and the user is asked to click on the image to see more. When this happens, they are taken to a malicious site which infects their device with malware.
Malvertising
Malvertising is not as common as other malware related Internet security threats; however its growth rate has skyrocketed over the past few years. To use this tactic, malnet operators create and promote a legitimate site for several months in order to gain the trust of large ad delivery networks. After a few months, they will insert an iFrame injection into the ads which trigger drive-by downloads to install malicious software without the user’s knowledge. To make matters worse, legitimate sites and ad networks don’t know that they are serving bad ads until it is too late. In most instances, these Internet security attacks last several weeks before they are discovered.
Spam
The final malware Internet security threat is also one of the oldest – spam. Malnet operators use spam which tells users to update or verify an account. In many cases, the spam will mention a real account they use to lend it some credibility. Once the user clicks on the link to update their information, they are redirected to malicious websites. Not only will malware infect their device but their personal information can be stolen.
There are a lot of different malware Internet security risks to be cognizant of. Keeping up with the latest trends in cybercrime can be difficult, but focusing on the four major methods of deploying malware is the easiest way to start developing safe Internet security practices.
Jake Cunningham is a writer with an interest in various internet services and technologies such as VPNs for UK. His articles provide information on online security, privacy, and freedom.
