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I love to get stuck in and let the creative juices flow. My strengths lie in idea generation, development and execution. Over 5 years experience in B2B cybersecurity. I reign supreme when my imagination and creativity can run wild.
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Phishing Alert: Don’t Fall for Barbie Movie Scams
The Barbie movie has captivated audiences worldwide, breaking box-office records and generating massive excitement and enthusiasm among fans. However, as with any major news sensation, threat actors are quick to exploit the fervor surrounding the movie for their malicious gain.
The Barbie movie, given its immense popularity, has become an ideal bait for cybercriminals seeking to exploit the frenzy around it. Reports have surfaced about scams that involve fake offers, merchandise, and behind-the-scenes footage of the movie, all designed to lure fans into compromising their data.
Phishing Sites Selling Limited Edition Barbie Dolls
The demand for limited edition Barbie dolls has always been high, and cybercriminals have seized this opportunity to create fake websites claiming to offer exclusive dolls from the movie. Unsuspecting fans eager to acquire these collectibles might unknowingly fall into the trap set by threat actors, risking their personal and financial information.
These fraudulent sites imitate the appearance and functionality of legitimate online stores, making it difficult for users to identify the scam. To protect themselves, users should always verify the authenticity of websites before making any purchases and ensure they are using secure payment gateways (Cyberint held a webinar on how to do this recently – watch it here).
Free Movie Clips That Are Not Really Free
Threat Actors are also offering a free movie stream, with the intention of gaining user banking information. A small fee (~$1) is required for registration, where users link their bank card. The threat actors then enable unauthorized debits from users accounts.
The Redline Stealer Malware from “Barbie the Movie” Videos
As excitement builds around the release of any major movie, fans often search for leaked behind-the-scenes videos and exclusive content. Threat actors are well aware of this behavior and have incorporated malware, such as the Redline Stealer, into fake “Barbie the Movie” video links.
When users click on these seemingly authentic video links to download the clips, the malware is installed on their devices, granting threat actors unauthorized access to sensitive information like login credentials, financial data, and personal files. Over 100 instances of these fake links have been observed in the past month. 37% of these attacks have focused on the US, with 6% targeting Australia.
The threat actors direct unsuspecting victims to a website or a Discord server. There victims download the “Redline Stealer” malware (other malware is also being used) disguised as an .exe file. This malware then extracts personal info, login information, and more from the victim’s device.
Preventing Phishing Attacks: Stay One Step Ahead
Individuals and organizations must implement security measures to safeguard against phishing attacks. Here are some proactive steps to protect yourself and your company from falling prey to these scams:
Employee Training and Awareness
Education is the first line of defense against phishing attacks. Organizations should conduct regular cybersecurity training sessions to keep employees informed about the latest phishing tactics and how to recognize suspicious emails, websites, or messages. Simulated phishing exercises can also help in identifying areas that need improvement.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Enabling multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to user accounts by requiring additional verification beyond passwords. Even if attackers manage to obtain login credentials, MFA makes it significantly harder for them to gain unauthorized access.
Robust Email Security Measures
Email remains one of the primary avenues for phishing attacks. Deploying advanced email security solutions that include anti-phishing filters and domain authentication protocols can help prevent malicious emails from reaching users’ inboxes.
Ensure Secure Downloads
Cyberint advises organizations to direct their users to the official platforms where they can download legitimate company programs and files.
Block Similar Threats
To prevent similar threats, Cyberint suggests the following measures:
– Analyze the malicious file’s behavior and extract malicious IOCs to block.
– Block any IOCs associated with these malicious files from the company’s internal systems.
Protecting Your Brand from Phishing
Intercept emerging phishing threats before an attack is executed. Detect malicious website clones before they go live. 66% of phishing URLs are created by copying the original page. Cyberint’s patented technology allows organizations to detect this type of phishing campaigns by injecting a small code (“the beacon”) into their main webpages or public facing login pages. Once implemented and configured, the beacon alerts Cyberint should the page be copied and hosted on any other domain.
Cyberint’s Phishing Protection
Cyberint is constantly on the lookout for new malware threats, monitoring forums, marketplaces, and code repositories to detect and intercept them before they can be used by cybercriminals. We help our customers defend against these threats and take them down in time. We drastically reduce response time and number of attacks and detect malicious website clones before they go live. Companies can request take down of phishing pages in a click of a button.
