How To Do A Virus Scan

New online threats emerge every day, putting our personal information, money and devices at risk. In its 2024 Internet Crime Report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime—including ransomware, viruses and malware, data breaches, denials of service, and other forms of cyberattack—resulted in losses of over $16 billion—a 33% increase from 2023.

That’s why it is essential to stay ahead of these threats. One way to combat these is by conducting virus scans using proven software tools that constantly monitor and check your devices while safeguarding your sensitive information. In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know to run a scan effectively to keep your computers, phones and tablets in tip-top shape. 

What does a virus scan do?

Whether you think you might have a virus on your computer or devices or just want to keep them running smoothly, it’s easy to do a virus scan. 

Each antivirus program works a little differently, but in general the software will look for known malware with specific characteristics, as well as their variants that have a similar code base. Some antivirus software even checks for suspicious behavior. If the software comes across a dangerous program or piece of code, the antivirus software removes it. In some cases, a dangerous program can be replaced with a clean one from the manufacturer.

Unmistakeable signs of a virus in your device

Before doing a virus scan, it is useful to know the telltale signs of viral presence in your device. Is your device acting sluggish or having a hard time booting up? Have you noticed missing files or a lack of storage space? Have you noticed emails or messages sent from your account that you did not write? Perhaps you’ve noticed changes to your browser homepage or settings? Maybe you’re seeing unexpected pop-up windows, or experiencing crashes and other program errors. These are just some signs that your device may have a virus, but don’t get too worried yet because many of these issues can be resolved with a virus scan.

Are free virus scanner tools safe and sufficient?

Free virus scanner tools, both in web-based and downloadable formats, offer a convenient way to perform a one-time check for malware. They are most useful when you need a second opinion or are asking yourself, “do I have a virus?” after noticing something suspect. 

However, it’s critical to be cautious. For one, cybercriminals often create fake “free” virus checker tools that are actually malware in disguise. If you opt for free scanning tools, it is best to lean on highly reputable cybersecurity brands. On your app store or browser, navigate to a proven online scanning tool with good reviews or a website whose URL starts with “https” to confirm you are in a secure location.

Secondly, free tools are frequently quite basic and perform only the minimum required service. If you choose to go this path, look for free trial versions that offer access to the full suite of premium features, including real-time protection, a firewall, and a VPN. This will give you a glimpse of a solution’s comprehensive, multi-layered security capability before you commit to a subscription.

Cloud-based virus solutions 

If safeguarding all your computers and mobile devices individually sounds overwhelming, you can opt for comprehensive security products that protect computers, smartphones and tablets from a central, cloud-based hub, making virus prevention a breeze. Many of these modern antivirus solutions are powered by both local and cloud-based technologies to reduce the strain on your computer’s resources.

Online virus scan: A step-by-step guide

This guide will walk you through the simple steps to safely scan your computer using reliable online tools, helping you detect potential threats, and protect your personal data.

1. Choose a trusted provider

When selecting the right antivirus software, look beyond a basic virus scan and consider these key features:

• Real-time protection. This is paramount, as it actively blocks threats before they can execute.
• An effective solution must also have a minimal performance impact so it doesn’t slow down your device.
• Look for a program with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to schedule scans and manage settings. 
• The best protection goes beyond a simple virus detector. It should include features such as a firewall, a secure VPN for safe browsing, and identity protection. 
• Look for reliable brands with positive reviews and clear privacy policies, and that provide a powerful virus scanner and proactive protection for both Android and iOS devices.

2. Initiate the scan

The process of checking for viruses depends on the device type and its operating system. Generally, however, the virus scanner will display a “Scan” button to start the process of checking your system’s files and apps.

Here are more specific tips to help you scan your computers, phones and tablets:

On a Windows computer

If you use Windows 11, go into “Settings” and drill down to the “Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection” tab, which will indicate if there are actions needed. This hands-off function is Microsoft’s own basic antivirus solution called Windows Defender. Built directly into the operating system and enabled by default, this solution provides a baseline of protection at no extra cost for casual Windows users. However, Microsoft is the first to admit that it lags behind specialized paid products in detecting the very latest zero-day threats. 

On a Mac computer

Mac computers don’t have a built-in antivirus program, so you will have to download security software to do a virus scan. As mentioned, free antivirus applications are available online, but we recommend investing in trusted software that is proven to protect you from cyberthreats. 

If you decide to invest in more robust antivirus software, running a scan is usually straightforward and intuitive. For more detailed instructions, we suggest searching the software’s help menu or going online and following their step-by-step instructions.

On smartphones and tablets

Smartphones and tablets are powerful devices that you likely use for nearly every online operation in your daily life from banking, emailing, messaging, connecting, and storing personal information. This opens your mobile device to getting infected through malicious apps, especially those downloaded from unofficial stores, phishing links sent via text or email, or by connecting to compromised wi-fi networks. 

Regular virus scans with a mobile security software are crucial for protecting your devices. Be aware, however, that Android and IOS operating systems merit distinct solutions. 

Antivirus products for Android devices abound due to this system’s open-source foundation. However, due to Apple’s strong security model, which includes app sandboxing, traditional viruses are rare on iPhones and iPads. However, these devices are not immune to all threats. You can still fall victim to phishing scams, insecure Wi-Fi networks, and malicious configuration profiles. Signs of a compromise can include unusual calendar events, frequent browser redirects, or unexpected pop-ups. 

Apple devices, however, closed platform doesn’t easily accommodate third-party applications, especially unvetted ones. You will most likely find robust and verified antivirus scanning tools on Apple’s official app store.

Scanning files and attachments safely

Before you open any downloaded file or email attachment, it’s wise to check it for threats. To perform a targeted virus scan on a single file, simply right-click the file in Windows Explorer or macOS Finder and select the “Scan” option from the context menu to run the integrated virus checker on a suspicious item. 

For an added layer of security, especially involving files from unknown sources, you can use a web-based file-checking service that scans for malware. These websites let you upload a file, which is then analyzed by multiple antivirus engines. Many security-conscious email clients also automatically scan incoming attachments, but a manual scan provides crucial, final-line defense before execution.

3. Review scan results and take action

Once the scan is complete, the tool will display a report of any threats it found, including the name of the malware and the location of the infected file. If your antivirus software alerts you to a threat, don’t panic—it means the program is doing its job. 

The first and most critical step is to follow the software’s instructions. It might direct you to quarantine the malicious file to isolate the file in a secure vault where it can no longer cause harm. You can then review the details of the threat provided by your virus scanner and choose to delete the file permanently, which is usually the safest option. 

After the threat is handled, ensure your antivirus software and operating system are fully updated. Finally, run a new, full system virus scan to confirm that all traces of the infection have been eliminated. Regularly backing up your important data to an external drive or cloud service can also be a lifesaver in the event of a serious infection.

4. Schedule an automatic scan for continuous protection

The most effective way to maintain your device’s security is to automate your defenses. A quality antivirus suite allows you to easily schedule a regular virus scan so you’re always protected without having to do it manually. A daily quick scan is a great habit for any user; it’s fast and checks the most vulnerable parts of your system. Most antivirus products regularly scan your computer or device in the background, so a manual scan is only needed if you notice something dubious, like crashes or excessive pop-ups. You can also set regular scans on your schedule, but a weekly full scan is ideal.

Final thoughts

These days, it is essential to stay ahead of the wide variety of continuously evolving cyberthreats. Your first line of defense against these threats is to regularly conduct a virus scan. You can choose among the many free yet limited-time products or comprehensive, cloud-based solutions. 

While many free versions legitimately perform their intended function, it’s critical to be cautious as these are more often baseline solutions while some are malware in disguise. They also lack the continuous, real-time protection necessary to block threats proactively. 

A better option is to invest in verified, trustworthy, and all-in-one antivirus products like McAfee+ that, aside from its accurate virus scanning tool, also offers a firewall, a virtual private network, and identity protection. For complete peace of mind, upgrading to a paid solution like McAfee Total Protection is essential for proactively safeguarding your devices and data in real-time, 24/7.

The post How To Do A Virus Scan appeared first on McAfee Blog.

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Drs-Malware-Scan - Perform File-Based Malware Scan On Your On-Prem Servers With AWS

Perform malware scan analysis of on-prem servers using AWS services

Challenges with on-premises malware detection

It can be difficult for security teams to continuously monitor all on-premises servers due to budget and resource constraints. Signature-based antivirus alone is insufficient as modern malware uses various obfuscation techniques. Server admins may lack visibility into security events across all servers historically. Determining compromised systems and safe backups to restore from during incidents is challenging without centralized monitoring and alerting. It is onerous for server admins to setup and maintain additional security tools for advanced threat detection. The rapid mean time to detect and remediate infections is critical but difficult to achieve without the right automated solution.

Determining which backup image is safe to restore from during incidents without comprehensive threat intelligence is another hard problem. Even if backups are available, without knowing when exactly a system got compromised, it is risky to blindly restore from backups. This increases the chance of restoring malware and losing even more valuable data and systems during incident response. There is a need for an automated solution that can pinpoint the timeline of infiltration and recommend safe backups for restoration.

How to use AWS services to address these challenges

The solution leverages AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS), Amazon GuardDuty and AWS Security Hub to address the challenges of malware detection for on-premises servers.

This combo of services provides a cost-effective way to continuously monitor on-premises servers for malware without impacting performance. It also helps determine safe recovery point in time backups for restoration by identifying timeline of compromises through centralized threat analytics.

• AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS) minimizes downtime and data loss with fast, reliable recovery of on-premises and cloud-based applications using affordable storage, minimal compute, and point-in-time recovery.

• Amazon GuardDuty is a threat detection service that continuously monitors your AWS accounts and workloads for malicious activity and delivers detailed security findings for visibility and remediation.

• AWS Security Hub is a cloud security posture management (CSPM) service that performs security best practice checks, aggregates alerts, and enables automated remediation.

Architecture

Solution description

The Malware Scan solution assumes on-premises servers are already being replicated with AWS DRS, and Amazon GuardDuty & AWS Security Hub are enabled. The cdk stack in this repository will only deploy the boxes labelled as DRS Malware Scan in the architecture diagram.

1. AWS DRS is replicating source servers from the on-premises environment to AWS (or from any cloud provider for that matter). For further details about setting up AWS DRS please follow the Quick Start Guide.
2. Amazon GuardDuty is already enabled.
3. AWS Security Hub is already enabled.
4. The Malware Scan solution is triggered by a Schedule Rule in Amazon EventBridge (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-ScheduleScanRule). You can adjust the scan frequency as needed (i.e. once a day, a week, etc).
5. The Schedule Rule in Amazon EventBridge triggers the Submit Orders lambda function (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-SubmitOrders) which gathers the source servers to scan from the Source Servers DynamoDB table.
6. Orders are placed on the SQS FIFO queue named Scan Orders (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-ScanOrdersfifo). The queue is used to serialize scan requests mapped to the same DRS instance, preventing a race condition.
7. The Process Order lambda picks a malware scan order from the queue and enriches it, preparing the upcoming malware scan operation. For instance, it inserts the id of the replicating DRS instance associated to the DRS source server provided in the order. The output of Process Order are malware scan commands containing all the necessary information to invoke GuardDuty malware scan.
8. Malware scan operations are tracked using the DRSVolumeAnnotationsDDBTable at the volume-level, providing reporting capabilities.
9. Malware scan commands are inserted in the Scan Commands SQS FIFO queue (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-ScanCommandsfifo) to increase resiliency.
10. The Process Commands function submits queued scan commands at a maximum rate of 1 command per second to avoid API throttling. It triggers the on-demand malware scan function provided by Amazon GuardDuty.
11. The execution of the on-demand Amazon GuardDuty Malware job can be monitored from the Amazon GuardDuty service.
12. The outcome of malware scan job is routed to Amazon Cloudwath Logs.
13. The Subscription Filter lambda function receives the outcome of the scan and tracks the result using DynamoDB (step #14).
14. The DRS Instance Annotations DynamoDB Table tracks the status of the malware scan job at the instance level.
15. The CDK stack named ScanReportStack deploys the Scan Report lambda function (with prefix ScanReportStack-ScanReport) to populate the Amazon S3 bucket with prefix scanreportstack-scanreportbucket.
16. AWS Security Hub aggregates and correlates findings from Amazon GuardDuty.
17. The Security Hub finding event is caught by an EventBridge Rule (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-SecurityHubAnnotationsRule)
18. The Security Hub Annotations lambda function (with prefix DrsMalwareScanStack-SecurityHubAnnotation) generates additional Notes (Annotations) to the Finding with contextualized information about the source server being affected. This additional information can be seen in the Notes section within the Security Hub Finding.
19. The follow-up activities will depend on the incident response process being adopted. For example based on the date of the infection, AWS DRS can be used to perform a point in time recovery using a snapshot previous to the date of the malware infection.
20. In a Multi-Account scenario, this solution can be deployed directly on the AWS account hosting the AWS DRS solution. The Amazon GuardDuty findings will be automatically sent to the centralized Security Account.

Usage

Pre-requisites

• An AWS Account.
• Amazon Elastic Disaster Recovery (DRS) configured, with at least 1 server source in sync. If not, please check this documentation. The Replication Configuration must consider EBS encryption using Custom Managed Key (CMK) from AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS). Amazon GuardDuty Malware Protection does not support default AWS managed key for EBS.
• IAM Privileges to deploy the components of this solution.
• Amazon GuardDuty enabled. If not, please check this documentation

• Amazon Security Hub enabled. If not, please check this documentation

  Warning
  Currently, Amazon GuardDuty Malware scan does not support EBS volumes encrypted with EBS-managed keys. If you want to use this solution to scan your on-prem (or other-cloud) servers replicated with DRS, you need to setup DRS replication with your own encryption key in KMS. If you are currently using EBS-managed keys with your replicating servers, you can change encryption settings to use your own KMS key in the DRS console.

Deploy

1. Create a Cloud9 environment with Ubuntu image (at least t3.small for better performance) in your AWS account. Open your Cloud9 environment and clone the code in this repository. Note: Amazon Linux 2 has node v16 which is not longer supported since 2023-09-11 git clone https://github.com/aws-samples/drs-malware-scan

   cd drs-malware-scan

   sh check_loggroup.sh

2. Deploy the CDK stack by running the following command in the Cloud9 terminal and confirm the deployment

   npm install cdk bootstrap cdk deploy --all Note
   The solution is made of 2 stacks: * DrsMalwareScanStack: it deploys all resources needed for malware scanning feature. This stack is mandatory. If you want to deploy only this stack you can run cdk deploy DrsMalwareScanStack
   * ScanReportStack: it deploys the resources needed for reporting (Amazon Lambda and Amazon S3). This stack is optional. If you want to deploy only this stack you can run cdk deploy ScanReportStack

   If you want to deploy both stacks you can run cdk deploy --all

Troubleshooting

All lambda functions route logs to Amazon CloudWatch. You can verify the execution of each function by inspecting the proper CloudWatch log groups for each function, look for the /aws/lambda/DrsMalwareScanStack-* pattern.

The duration of the malware scan operation will depend on the number of servers/volumes to scan (and their size). When Amazon GuardDuty finds malware, it generates a SecurityHub finding: the solution intercepts this event and runs the $StackName-SecurityHubAnnotations lambda to augment the SecurityHub finding with a note containing the name(s) of the DRS source server(s) with malware.

The SQS FIFO queues can be monitored using the Messages available and Message in flight metrics from the AWS SQS console

The DRS Volume Annotations DynamoDB tables keeps track of the status of each Malware scan operation.

Amazon GuardDuty has documented reasons to skip scan operations. For further information please check Reasons for skipping resource during malware scan

In order to analize logs from Amazon GuardDuty Malware scan operations, you can check /aws/guardduty/malware-scan-events Amazon Cloudwatch LogGroup. The default log retention period for this log group is 90 days, after which the log events are deleted automatically.

Cleanup

1. Run the following commands in your terminal:

   cdk destroy --all

2. (Optional) Delete the CloudWatch log groups associated with Lambda Functions.

AWS Cost Estimation Analysis

For the purpose of this analysis, we have assumed a fictitious scenario to take as an example. The following cost estimates are based on services located in the North Virginia (us-east-1) region.

Estimated scenario:

• 2 Source Servers to replicate (DR) (Total Storage: 100GB - 4 disks)
• 3 TB Malware Scanned/Month
• 30 days of EBS snapshot Retention period
• Daily Malware scans

Service Breakdown:

Note The figures presented here are estimates based on the assumptions described above, derived from the AWS Pricing Calculator. For further details please check this pricing calculator as a reference. You can adjust the services configuration in the referenced calculator to make your own estimation. This estimation does not include potential taxes or additional charges that might be applicable. It's crucial to remember that actual fees can vary based on usage and any additional services not covered in this analysis. For critical environments is advisable to include Business Support Plan (not considered in the estimation)

Security

See CONTRIBUTING for more information.

Authors

• Rodrigo Monge
• Thierry Francois
• Diego Pérez Holguín
• Leandro Santi

How to Protect Your Smartphone from SIM Swapping

You consider yourself a responsible person when it comes to taking care of your physical possessions. You’ve never left your wallet in a taxi or lost an expensive ring down the drain. You never let your smartphone out of your sight, yet one day you notice it’s acting oddly.  

Did you know that your device can fall into cybercriminals’ hands without ever leaving yours? SIM swapping is a method that allows criminals to take control of your smartphone and break into your online accounts. 

Don’t worry: there are a few easy steps you can take to safeguard your smartphone from prying eyes and get back to using your devices confidently. 

What Is a SIM Card? 

First off, what exactly is a SIM card? SIM stands for subscriber identity module, and it is a memory chip that makes your phone truly yours. It stores your phone plan and phone number, as well as all your photos, texts, contacts, and apps. In most cases, you can pop your SIM card out of an old phone and into a new one to transfer your photos, apps, etc. 

What Is SIM Swapping? 

Unlike what the name suggests, SIM swapping doesn’t require a cybercriminal to get access to your physical phone and steal your SIM card. SIM swapping can happen remotely. A hacker, with a few important details about your life in hand, can answer security questions correctly, impersonate you, and convince your mobile carrier to reassign your phone number to a new SIM card. At that point, the criminal can get access to your phone’s data and start changing your account passwords to lock you out of your online banking profile, email, and more. 

SIM swapping was especially relevant right after the AT&T data leak. Cybercriminals stole millions of phone numbers and the users’ associated personal details. They could later use these details to SIM swap, allowing them to receive users’ text or email two-factor authentication codes and gain access to their personal accounts. 

How Can You Tell If You’ve Been SIM Swapped? 

The most glaring sign that your phone number was reassigned to a new SIM card is that your current phone no longer connects to the cell network. That means you won’t be able to make calls, send texts, or surf the internet when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. Since most people use their smartphones every day, you’ll likely find out quickly that your phone isn’t functioning as it should.  

Additionally, when a SIM card is no longer active, the carrier will often send a notification text. If you receive one of these texts but didn’t deactivate your SIM card, use someone else’s phone or landline to contact your wireless provider. 

How to Prevent SIM Swapping 

Check out these tips to keep your device and personal information safe from SIM swapping.  

1. Set up two-factor authentication using authentication apps. Two-factor authentication is always a great idea; however, in the case of SIM swapping, the most secure way to access authentication codes is through authentication apps, versus emailed or texted codes. It’s also a great idea to add additional security measures to authentication apps, such as protecting them with a PIN code, fingerprint, or face ID. Choose pin codes that are not associated with birthdays, anniversaries, or addresses. Opt for a random assortment of numbers.  
2. Watch out for phishing attempts. Cybercriminals often gain fodder for their identity-thieving attempts through phishing. Phishing is a method cybercriminals use to fish for sensitive personal information that they can use to impersonate you or gain access to your financial accounts. Phishing emails, texts, and phone calls often use fear, excitement, or urgency to trick people into giving up valuable details, such as social security numbers, birthdays, passwords, and PINs. Be wary of messages from people and organizations you don’t know. Even if the sender looks familiar, there could be typos in the sender’s name, logo, and throughout the message that are a good tipoff that you should delete the message immediately. Never click on links in suspicious messages. 
3. Use a password manager. Your internet browser likely asks you if you’d like the sites you visit to remember your password. Always say no! While password best practices can make it difficult to remember all your unique, long, and complex passwords and passphrases, do not set up autofill as a shortcut. Instead, entrust your passwords and phrases to a secure password manager, which is included in McAfee+. A secure password manager makes it so you only have to remember one password. The rest of them are encrypted and protected by two-factor authentication. A password manager makes it very difficult for a cybercriminal to gain entry to your accounts, thus keeping them safe. 

Boost Your Smartphone Confidence 

With just a few simple steps, you can feel better about the security of your smartphone, cellphone number, and online accounts. If you’d like extra peace of mind, consider signing up for an identity theft protection service like McAfee+. McAfee, on average, detects suspicious activity ten months earlier than similar monitoring services. Time is of the essence in cases of SIM swapping and other identity theft schemes. An identity protection partner can restore your confidence in your online activities. 

The post How to Protect Your Smartphone from SIM Swapping appeared first on McAfee Blog.

How to Spot Dating Scams

For years now, the popularity of online dating has been on the rise—and so have the number of online romance scams that leave people with broken hearts and empty wallets.

In a recent CBS News story, one Texan woman was scammed out of $3,200 by a scammer claiming to be a German Cardiologist.  After months of exchanging messages and claiming to be in love with her, he said that he’d been robbed while on a business trip in Nigeria and needed her help.

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the reported cost of online romance scams was $1.14 billion in 2023. 

How do online dating and romance scams get started? 

Dating and romance scams aren’t limited to online dating apps and sites, they’ll happen on social media and in online games as well. However, the FTC reports that the scam usually starts the same way, typically through an unexpected friend request or a message that comes out of the blue. 

With the phony relationship established, the scammer starts asking for money. The FTC reports that they’ll ask for money for several bogus reasons, usually revolving around some sort of hardship where they need a “little help” so that they can pay: 

• For a plane ticket or other travel expenses. 
• For medical expenses. 
• Customs fees to retrieve something. 
• Gambling debts. 
• A visa or other official travel documents. 

The list goes on, yet that’s the general gist. Scammers often employ a story with an intriguing complication that seems just reasonable enough, one where the romance scammer makes it sound like they could really use the victim’s financial help. 

Common types of online dating scams 

People who have filed fraud reports say they’ve paid their scammer in a few typical ways.  

One is by wiring money, often through a wire transfer company. The benefit of this route, for the scammer anyway, is that this is as good as forking over cash. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The victim lacks the protections they have with other payment forms, such as a credit card that allows the holder to cancel or contest a charge. 

Another way is through gift cards. Scammers of all stripes, not just romance scammers, like these because they effectively work like cash, whether it’s a gift card for a major online retailer or a chain of brick-and-mortar stores. Like a wire transfer, once that gift card is handed over, the money on it is highly difficult to recover, if at all. 

One more common payment is through reloadable debit cards. A scammer may make an initial request for such a card and then make several follow-on requests to load it up again.  

In all, a romance scammer will typically look for the easiest payment method that’s the most difficult to contest or reimburse, leaving the victim in a financial lurch once the scam ends. 

How Do You Avoid Getting Tangled Up in an Online Dating or Romance Scam? 

When it comes to meeting new people online, the FTC suggests the following: 

• Never send money or gifts to someone you haven’t met in person—even if they send you money first. 
• Talk to someone you trust about this new love interest. It can be easy to miss things that don’t add up. So pay attention if your friends or family are concerned. 
• Take the relationship slowly. Ask questions and look for inconsistent answers. 
• Try a reverse-image search of any profile pictures the person uses. If they’re associated with another name or with details that don’t match up, it’s a scam. 

Scammers, although arguably heartless, are still human. They make mistakes. The stories they concoct are just that. Stories. They may jumble their details, get their times and dates all wrong, or simply get caught in an apparent lie. Also, keep in mind that some scammers may be working with several victims at once, which is yet another opportunity for them to get confused and slip up. 

Protecting Yourself Further From Scams on Your Social Media Accounts 

As mentioned above, some romance scammers troll social media and reach out through direct messages or friend requests. With that, there are three things you can do to cut down your chances of getting caught up with a scammer: 

1. Go private

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you’re doing, saying, and posting, which can help protect your privacy and give a romance scammer less information to exploit. 

2. Say “no” to strangers bearing friend requests

Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers could be more than a romance scammer, they could be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of cybercrime, or they can be an account designed to spread false information. There are plenty of them too. In fact, in Q4 of 2023 alone, Facebook took action on 693 million fake accounts. Reject such requests. 

3. Protect yourself and your devices

Online protection software like ours can help you spot fakes and scams. Features like Text Scam Detector use advanced AI to detect scam links in texts, email, and social media messages before you click. Our Personal Data Cleanup can keep you safer still by removing your personal info from sketchy data broker sites — places where scammers go to harvest useful info on their victims. And if the unfortunate happens, we offer $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support.​

Put an End to it 

If you suspect that you’re being scammed, put an end to the relationship and report it, as difficult as that may feel. 

Notify the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov for support and next steps to help you recover financially as much as possible. Likewise, notify the social media site, app, or service where the scam occurred as well. In some cases, you may want to file a police report, which we cover in our broader article on identity theft and fraud.  

If you sent funds via a gift card, the FTC suggests filing a claim with the company as soon as possible. They offer further advice on filing a claim here, along with a list of contact numbers for gift card brands that scammers commonly use.  

Lastly, go easy on yourself. If you find yourself a victim of online dating or romance fraud, know that you won’t be the first or last person to be taken advantage of this way. By reporting your case, you in fact may help others from falling victim too. 

The post How to Spot Dating Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.

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EDRaser - Tool For Remotely Deleting Access Logs, Windows Event Logs, Databases, And Other Files

EDRaser is a powerful tool for remotely deleting access logs, Windows event logs, databases, and other files on remote machines. It offers two modes of operation: automated and manual.

Automated Mode

In automated mode, EDRaser scans the C class of a given address space of IPs for vulnerable systems and attacks them automatically. The attacks in auto mode are:

• Remote deletion of webserver logs.
• SysLog deletion (on Linux).
• Local deletion of Windows Application event logs.
• Remote deletion of Windows event logs.
• VMX + VMDK deletion

To use EDRaser in automated mode, follow these steps:

python edraser.py --auto

Manual Mode

In manual mode, you can select specific attacks to launch against a targeted system, giving you greater control. Note that some attacks, such as VMX deletion, are for local machine only.

To use EDRaser in manual mode, you can use the following syntax:

python edraser.py --ip <ip_addr> --attack <attack_name> [--sigfile <signature file>]

Arguments:

• --ip: scan IP addresses in the specified range and attack vulnerable systems (default: localhost).
• --sigfile: use the specified encrypted signature DB (default: signatures.db).
• --attack: attack to be executed. The following attacks are available: ['vmx', 'vmdk', 'windows_security_event_log_remote', 'windows_application_event_log_local', 'syslog', 'access_logs', 'remote_db', 'local_db', 'remote_db_webserver']

Optional arguments:

• port : port of remote machine
• ``
• db_username: the username of the remote DB.
• db_password: the password of the remote DB.
• db_type: type of the DB, EDRaser supports mysql, sqlite. (# Note that for sqlite, no username\password is needed)
• db_name: the name of remote DB to be connected to
• table_name: the name of remote table to be connected to
• rpc_tools: path to the VMware rpc_tools

Example:

python edraser.py --attack windows_event_log --ip 192.168.1.133 

python EDRaser.py -attack remote_db -db_type mysql -db_username test_user -db_password test_password -ip 192.168.1.10

DB web server

You can bring up a web interface for inserting and viewing a remote DB. it can be done by the following command: EDRaser.py -attack remote_db_webserver -db_type mysql -db_username test_user -db_password test_password -ip 192.168.1.10

This will bring up a web server on the localhost:8080 address, it will allow you to view & insert data to a remote given DB. This feature is designed to give an example of a "Real world" scenario where you have a website that you enter data into it and it keeps in inside a remote DB, You can use this feature to manually insert data into a remote DB.

Available Attacks

In manual mode, EDRaser displays a list of available attacks. Here's a brief description of each attack:

1. Windows Event Logs: Deletes Windows event logs from the remote targeted system.
2. VMware Exploit: Deletes the VMX and VMDK files on the host machine. This attack works only on the localhost machine in a VMware environment by modifying the VMX file or directly writing to the VMDK files.
3. Web Server Logs: Deletes access logs from web servers running on the targeted system by sending a malicious string user-agent that is written to the access-log files.
4. SysLogs: Deletes syslog from Linux machines running Kaspersky EDR without being .
5. Database: Deletes all data from the remotely targeted database.

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Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 1)

Welcome to the new normal. We’re all now living in a post-COVID-19 world characterized by uncertainty, mass home working and remote learning. The lines demarcating normal life have shifted abruptly – perhaps never to return. That’s not the worst that can happen, as we all know, but it does mean we all need to get used to new ways of living, working and studying from home. This has major implications for the online safety, security and privacy of our families.

To help you adapt to these new conditions while protecting what matters most, Trend Micro has developed a two-part blog series on “The New Normal.” Part 1 identifies the scope and specific cyber-threats of the new normal. Part 2 provides security tips and products to help address those threats.

What’s going on?

In April, nearly 300 million Americans were estimated to be in government-mandated lockdown. Even as some businesses, municipalities and states begin to relax these rules, experts have warned of subsequent waves of the virus, which could result in new localized lockdowns. In short, a lot of people will continue to work from home, while their children, also at home, attempt to study remotely from their mobile devices.

This has considerable implications for how we spend our time. Without that morning commute to work or school, more of it than ever will involve sitting in front of a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone screen. Even the smart TV is enlisted. Dangers include

Risky behavior

Unfortunately, the increase in working from home (WFH), especially for those not used to it, may lead to an increase in risky behavior, such as: using non-approved apps for work; visiting non work-related sites on work devices; and using personal devices to access work resources. Recent global Trend Micro research found that:

This is not about restricting your freedom to visit the sites you want to visit while at home. It’s about reducing the risk of exposing corporate data and systems to possible malware.

What are the bad guys doing?

Unsurprisingly, there has also been a major uptick in the volume of cyber-threats targeting home users. With a captive audience to aim at, it’s a huge opportunity for cyber-criminals to steal your log-ins and personal data to sell to fraudsters, or even to steal corporate passwords and information for a potentially bigger pay-off. They are helped by the fact that many home workers may be more distracted than they usually would be at the office, especially if they have young children. Your kids may even share the same laptops or PCs as you, potentially visiting risky sites and/or downloading unapproved apps.

There’s also a chance that, unless you have a corporate machine at home, your personal computing equipment is less secure than the kit you had in the office. Add to that the fact that support from the IT department may be less forthcoming than usual, given that stretched teams are overwhelmed with requests, while themselves struggling to WFH. One recent report claimed that nearly half (47%) of IT security pros have been taken off some or all of their typical security tasks to support other IT-related jobs. In another, only 59% of respondents said they believe their cybersecurity team has the right tools and resources at home to perform their job effectively.

It’s time to step up and take security into your own hands. Stay on the lookout for the following threats.

So what’s a remote worker/concerned parent to do to protect themselves and the family in the midst of the “new normal?”

Read Part 2 in this mini-series, which we’re publishing simultaneously with Part 1, where we share some best practice advice on how to keep your digital lives and work systems safe from online threats during lockdown—and where we provide tools to help you do just that.

The post Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 1) appeared first on .

Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 2)

The past few months have seen radical changes to our work and home life under the Coronavirus threat, upending norms and confining millions of American families within just four walls. In this context, it’s not surprising that more of us are spending an increasing portion of our lives online. But this brings with it some familiar cyber-risks. In Part 1 of this mini-series, we explained how cyber-criminals are looking to capitalize on these sweeping changes to society to further their own ends.

Now let’s take a look at what you can do to protect your family, your data, and access to your corporate accounts.

How you can stay safe online

The bad guys are laser-focused on stealing your personal data and log-ins and increasingly see the remote worker as an easy target for leapfrogging into corporate networks. That’s not to mention the potential internet safety risks inherent in bored kids spending more time in front of their screens. To respond, you’ll need to create an equally focused “home security plan” governed by sensible policies and best practices. Here are some of the key areas to consider.

Protect your smart home and router

Increasingly, unprotected smart home devices are being targeted by cyber-criminals to turn into botnets to attack others. They might also provide sophisticated attackers with a stepping-stone into your corporate systems, via the home network. The home router, with its known flaws, is (after the modem) the digital front door to the smart home and the basis for your networking, so it should be first in any security strategy. Consider the following when tackling home network security:

Secure your home office

Cyber-criminals are primed to take advantage of distracted home workers and potentially less secure PCs/devices. Secure this environment by doing the following:

Stay safe from phishing

Phishing is the number one tactic used by attackers to trick you into installing malware or handing over your log-ins. Emails, text messages, social media messages and more are spoofed to appear as if sent by a legitimate company or contact. In response:

Use video conferencing safely

New videoconferencing platforms can introduce risk, especially if you’re not familiar with the default settings. Here’s how to stay safe when video conferencing:

Stay safe shopping and banking

Next, protect your financial information and stay safe from e-commerce fraud by doing the following:

Think about online safety for kids

They may be under your roof for more hours of the day than usual, but your children are also likely to be spending more time online. That means you need to have a measured conversation with them about internet safety, backed up with parental controls. Consider the following:

Mobile security best practices
Finally, sheltering at home has limits, particularly for restless kids. When they go to the store or out to the park, facemasks notwithstanding, they’re likely going to use their mobile devices, just as they’ll continue to do at home. Of course, you’re not exempt either from mobile threats. Ensure mobile security by

How Trend Micro can help

When it comes to protecting the home from security and privacy threats during lockdown, leave no stone unturned. Cyber-criminals will always look for the weak link in the chain and focus their efforts there. Network security is important, but it doesn’t replace the need for protection on each individual device. You’ll need to cover your router, network, smart devices, and all endpoints (PCs, laptops, mobiles and other devices). Here’s how Trend Micro can help:

Trend Micro Home Network Security

Trend Micro Home Network Security provides industry-leading protection against any threats to internet-connected devices in the home. The solution

Trend Micro Security (PC and Mac)

Trend Micro Security, available in various editions (led by Trend Micro Maximum Security), is Trend’s flagship endpoint security product for consumers. Available for both PCs and Macs, it features AI learning to stop advanced threats. Among a wide range of protections, it includes:

Trend Micro Mobile Security:

Trend Micro Mobile Security provides endpoint security for all your mobile devices, whether Android or iOS-based.

Additional Trend Micro Tools:

Network and endpoint security should be supplemented with tools that accomplish specific tasks, such as protecting your internet connections, your passwords, and your identity data. Trend Micro provides

Maintaining your family’s security and privacy on all their devices during the coronavirus lockdown above all means changing your mindset, to take into account the mix of work and play in the household during the “new normal.” Use these tips and tools during lockdown and you’ll be well on your way to ensuring you and your family’s safety from malicious viruses—both digital and natural.

The post Top Tips For Home Cybersecurity And Privacy In A Coronavirus-Impacted World (Part 2) appeared first on .

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