In this blog post, we're here to guide you through Infostealers, delving into what they are and how they work.
What are InfoStealers?
InfoStealers are a type of sneaky software designed to steal your personal or sensitive information. Once they infect your device, they grab the data they want, save it, and often delete themselves to cover their tracks.
To get on your device, InfoStealers trick you into downloading them. This can happen through phishing emails, sketchy websites, or by downloading counterfeit software or gaming cheats.
Though InfoStealers have been around since 2006, they've become more widespread recently (for example, this type of malware was used as part of the MGM/Ceasers attack). Check out our recent analysis for more information.
What Information do they take?
InfoStealers steal a range of sensitive data, including:
- Account usernames and passwords
- Credit card or debit card numbers
- Cryptocurrency wallet details
- Browser-saved info like passwords and addresses
- Automatic logins for different sites
Because of the data they can steal, this malware can make it easy for cybercriminals to exploit individuals or businesses.
Who's at Risk?
Almost anyone with a digital presence is at risk, regardless of net worth or business size. Gamers, especially teenagers, often fall prey to InfoStealers hidden in video games. From a commercial perspective, employees are often targets for InfoStealer attacks initiated by social engineering.
All it takes is one unsuspecting employee to download an InfoStealer unknowingly, giving the cybercriminals access to crucial business information like logins. Depending on the employee's role, this could lead to a breach of vital networks, databases, or the company website.
How can I protect myself and my customers?
To protect yourself, your business, or your customers from InfoStealers- awareness and preventative cybersecurity measures are paramount.
- Install anti-virus software: It’s important to ensure that all devices have good anti-virus software. Update and scan devices regularly.
- Phishing education: Training on phishing campaigns is essential. It’s important to understand the signs to look out for that could save you or your customers from that fatal click.
- Use multi-factor authentication: Turn on multi-factor authentication, as this adds an extra layer between the hacker and the accounts at risk. Also, it’s important to be aware of multi-factor authentication fatigue attempts
Stay protected with DynaRisk
Even if you have all the necessary steps in place, you may still be unaware of the presence of an information stealer in your network. This is where DynaRisk's software becomes crucial. Our cyber risk management and monitoring software uses passive scans and dark web monitoring to quickly alert users of any potential cyber threats.
If we detect that any data has been compromised, the user will be notified immediately, allowing them to take swift action and protect their sensitive information. Due to the rising threat of InfoStealers, we are excited to announce that we are currently in the process of adding InfoStealer data as a new data source to our ever-growing Dark Web dataset - look out for our official announcement!
Find out more about our personal cyber risk management tool, Cyber Xpert and our cyber risk management tool for businesses, Breach Defence.
Or, if you’re a business looking to monitor your client portfolio for cyber risks, find out more about our tool Breach Check.
Keep learning about InfoStealers and how they affect insurers by reading our next blog