In the current emergency situation with the spreading corona virus, many people are looking for reliable sources of information. One of them is the live map of the worldwide infection numbers of the US Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Cyber criminals have now also recognized this and are sending files that lead to the official site, but at the same time also install spy software on the PC, as reported by inFranken.de.
What is the JHU and how is the data on the live card composed?
The JHU is one of the most renowned universities in the world. According to TopUniversities.com, it currently ranks 24th in the international university ranking.
more on the subject
Nvidia wants you to use your gaming PC against the corona virus
Among other things, the university runs a website with a live map of all confirmed coronavirus cases. This is made up of information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the American CDC and other national and regional sources.
What exactly does the scam look like?
The malware is sent via email or messenger services such as WhatsApp. Filenames such as »CoronaMap.exe« or »Corona-virus-Map.com.exe« obviously do not only hide a link to the JHU live map, but also a malware program that reads and steals passwords, credit card numbers and the like .
How can you protect yourself?
Just as with the corona virus, where experts see the greatest protection in simple hygiene rules such as regular hand washing and not coughing up at one another, basic "hygiene" in dealing with unknown or suspicious content also helps with fraud.
General tips for handling critical emails and messages:
- Don't just open files if you don't know what they are and what source they are from
- In the case of an email, a look at the sender usually helps to uncover an attempt to defraud; more detailed information can be found in the header.
- Read carefully, because fraudulent emails and messages often reveal themselves through poorly translated German or generally not "officially" sounding language.
Otherwise, as always: First think, then click.
