Malware: When you receive a good morning picture - don’t mess with it and be careful about introducing malware.

*When you receive a good morning picture, don’t mess with it and be careful about introducing malware.*

Google Translation of 

"收到早安图别乱点 小心引入恶意软件 

https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20240112-1461779 "

*When you receive a good morning picture, don’t mess with it and be careful about introducing malware.*

Wang Yinghui

2024-01-13

It only takes a second for malware to invade an electronic device, allowing crooks to sneak inside and steal the victim's confidential information. Attachments such as "good morning pictures" and holiday blessing electronic cards may contain malware. If you click on them accidentally, you will fall into the trap of scammers.

Dr. Clement Arul Jeeva, a "white hat hacker" with 18 years of experience in network security, said in an exclusive interview with Lianhe Zaobao that modern people are increasingly inseparable from the online world, and scammers take advantage of people's online habits to spread malicious messages. Software, their most common tricks are to use artificial intelligence technology, QR code scanning, or physical electronic equipment such as USB chargers and U disks, or even an ordinary photo or greeting, which may contain malicious logic software.

Under the arrangement of NTUC LearningHub, the reporter participated in an online security course organized by Dr. Clement to gain an in-depth understanding of the scammers’ usual methods and how to take further precautions.

In class, Clement demonstrated how he hacked into students' tablets through a phishing website. The whole process is completed in the blink of an eye and is difficult for students to notice. Students' photos, voices, locations and other information are readily available. Intruders can also browse their web records and even remotely send text messages to victims, or send text messages in the victim's name. The battery level of the students’ tablet computers and whether the screen is turned off can also be seen at a glance.

Artificial intelligence technology is becoming more and more mature. After hacking into the victim's electronic device, scammers may intercept the victim's recordings or face photos, and then impersonate the victim to defraud, causing big trouble to the victim.

Clement showed in class that scammers can use artificial intelligence to imitate the victim's voice and record audio, and the scammer can also modify photos to create a fake video of the victim. What is even more worrying is that this kind of technology is not only available to experts. You can find many artificial intelligence websites by searching online, and some can be used for free without any difficulty or "obstacle".

Think twice before scanning to order food Malware can sneak in

QR codes with malware attached are also one of the ways scammers hack into electronic devices. By scanning suspicious QR codes without identification, malware has already sneaked in even without clicking “allow” permission or downloading.

Clement pointed out that after the outbreak of the coronavirus, it has become more and more common to use QR codes to register or order food, but people must think twice before scanning the codes and confirm with reliable channels if they have any doubts.

"Some people think that as long as their hands are not fast enough and they don't subconsciously click randomly, they will not be attacked by malware. This is actually a misunderstanding. Regardless of whether they click 'Allow' or not, once the code is scanned, malware may hack."

Electronic devices of unknown origin or containing malware

In addition to using new technologies to assist fraud, scammers may also use USB chargers or USB flash drives to attach malware to these physical electronic devices. Clement said you should buy official products when possible and never leave electronic devices unattended on the table to avoid scammers taking advantage of them.

He also revealed that scammers are targeting groups where modern people often post photos on social messaging software. Their latest method is to take the opportunity to attach malware to photos, such as "good morning pictures" and e-greeting cards. As long as someone You will fall into a scam if you click to open the photo, so be careful especially during the festive season.

Android users are almost always the victims of malware-related scams. Clement said: "Many people think that Apple phones are safe, but this is wrong. Apple phones can also be attacked by malware, and Apple users still need to be vigilant."

Home Minister and Law Minister Shanmugam revealed in a written reply to Congress on Tuesday (January 9) that from January 2022 to November 2023, the police had received about 2,000 reports of Android device users being invaded by malware. The police have not yet detected any cases of Apple iOS devices being hacked.

======The end====