Scams have become a regular part of online life in recent years, which means that finding ways to protect yourself is key to your continued enjoyment of the world wide web. Between ransomware attacks holding your data hostage to phishing emails tricking you into giving it up yourself, knowing what kind of scams are out there is the first step in protecting yourself. That’s why we’re getting the word out that a new scam is using keyword-laden PDFs to get your personal information with you even realizing it.
— Microsoft Security Intelligence (@MsftSecIntel) June 11, 2021 This method, dubbed SEO poisoning, is surprisingly effective, yet not nearly as new as it may sound. Hackers have been using it for a while to spread malware, although Microsoft notes this is a particularly thorough one that put you through quite the ringer before eventually getting you to download a malicious file. It starts with a web search. Because the PDFs are chock full of SEO keywords, these malicious links could be within the first page of Google of virtually any topic — from “insurance forms” to “math answers” — giving the appearance of a reputable resource. Once you’ve clicked that link, the madness begins. You’ll be redirected to between five and seven different Google Sites until you eventually land on “an attacker-controlled site, which imitates Google Drive.” At that point, you’ll be asked to download a file, which will have the malware on it. Once you’ve done that, you’re in trouble. The malware will scrub your device for personal information, passwords, credit card numbers, and anything else that might be valuable to a hacker. Still, if you want to make sure you don’t fall victim to this or any other malware attack, your best bet is going to be antivirus software. These platforms are designed to not only warn you about malicious links, but also steer you clear of these kinds of phishing websites. If you want to take it a step further, password managers and VPNs are the best way to keep yourself safe online. Given that passwords are the first and sometimes only obstacle to hackers and that unsecured networks run rampant throughout the US, both tools can do a lot to keep you safe when it comes to your online presence.
