When we hear the word "bots," our minds may conjure up images of innovative AI chatbots. However, there is a darker side to bots that we cannot ignore. Bot malware has emerged as a serious new security threat that businesses must defend against.
Malware bots are particularly treacherous because they can swipe entire user profiles, including a complete snapshot of your ID and settings. This presents a severe risk, as cybercriminals can potentially bypass even robust security measures such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
Traditionally, even if a hacker obtains your username and password, they cannot access your account without your MFA authentication method. However, with access to your entire profile, including your cookies and device configurations, they can trick security systems and effectively disable MFA.
Once these profile details are stolen, they are sold on the dark web for as little as $5. And the worst part is that it doesn't take super-sophisticated cybercriminals to deploy this technique. Anyone can obtain your details and use them for phishing emails, scams, and other criminal activity.
Since 2018, a whopping 5 million people have had 26.6 million usernames and passwords stolen, which granted access to accounts including Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. This situation demands immediate action to protect your profiles and your business from bot malware.
To defend against this threat, there are several things that you must do right away:
Firstly, update your antivirus software and keep it on at all times. This step is critical in combating the latest bot malware that evolves rapidly.
Secondly, use a password manager and Multi-Factor Authentication to safeguard your login credentials. This helps to ensure that even if hackers manage to obtain your username and password, they still cannot access your account.
Lastly, encrypt all your files so that if anyone does access your profile, there is very little to steal. This is an effective strategy to help limit the potential damage from a cyberattack.
We assist our clients with these tasks every day. Contact us if you need help implementing a comprehensive Cybersecurity solution!