Just when you thought it was safe to let your guard down a little, the security world proves that you need to be on guard all the time, as the Winter Olympics brings online criminals out in droves.
We’re only a few days into the Winter Olympics in Seoul, and yet cybercriminals are already cashing in on the event, looking to make money off people connected with it.
McAfee has uncovered a malware attack specifically targeting organisations connected with the Olympics, which found it was using spoofing emails to break into accounts for financial and personal data, among other things.
Called “Operation GoldDragon”, it’s yet another attack by cybercriminals involving the use of emails purporting to be from someone else, with fake emails from real-looking email addresses, all with the target of dropping an attack on the computer in question.
With the Olympics being a world event, countries all around the world are likely being targeted, but while the news isn’t great for all parts of the world, Australians on the whole appear not to have to worry.
Ian Yip, McAfee’s Chief Technology Officer for the APAC region, told Pickr that “Australians do not appear to be true focus of the campaign at this stage”, with the real target being organisations that have a connection to the Olympics.
“However, the attackers appear to be casting a wide net with this campaign so it is possible that organisations and individuals on the periphery may be affected,” he said. “We advise that anyone involved with the Winter Olympics remain vigilant.”
That means you probably don’t have to worry, but like all security issues and scams, best be on alert, and don’t click on things that look too good to be true.
