14 DAY TRIAL // As US citizens prepare to elect their president, cybercriminals have intensified their malicious campaigns in an effort to take advantage of the buzz that surrounds the event.
Security experts from GFI Labs have come across all sorts of schemes. For instance, individuals who might be forced to vote via email or fax because of the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy might come across an executable file entitled “election card1.exe,” which hides a piece of malware called Trojan.Win32.Rotinom.b.
Researchers have also come across files named “Romney_Obama_Focus_On_ Key_States_ on_Final_Lap.zip.” The archive contains and executable that actually opens an election-related document when it’s executed. However, in the background, a malicious element is unleashed.
Finally, some YouTube videos related to the “2016: Obama’s America” documentary have been found to advertise links that lead to malicious movie players and download managers.
Internauts are advised to beware of anything that’s election-related these days. If it doesn’t come from a trusted source, it should be treated with maximum caution.