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F-Alert report: cyber threats in March 2024
Criminals phishing in plain sight. The world’s largest known data leak. AI scams personalized to victims. Discover the latest cyber threats in March 2024 and find out what they mean for you from our experts.
Summary: Must-have smart tech or easy gateways for threats?
From stolen iPhone security advancements to a debunked story about breached internet-connected smart toothbrushes, this month’s F‑Alert focuses on vulnerabilities in smart tech.
New criminal tactics are also in the spotlight this month; we explore AI voice cloning, how Telegram is used to sell phishing kits, and how criminals are fooling Google with trojans.
Finally, we delve into the mother of all breaches — the world’s largest known data breach.
Apple battens down the iPhone
If you haven’t ever lost your smartphone or had it stolen, it’s likely you know someone who has. iPhone theft has historically been a lucrative business for criminals — but that’s all about to change. Ash Shatrieh, Threat Intelligence Researcher at F‑Secure, explains how Apple’s new passcode-free Stolen Device Protection works and how biometric authentication could stop criminals in their tracks.
Texting in a scammer’s paradise?
Once upon a time, phishing was an underground operation. Criminals would receive secret invites to exclusive forums on the dark web, where they’d source information and resources for phishing scams. But today’s scammer is bolder. Laura Kankaala, Threat Intelligence Lead at F‑Secure, investigates how instant messaging app, Telegram, is being used by criminals to publicly advertise and sell phishing kits.
The mother of all breaches has hit
The largest data leak of all time by a considerable margin. That’s what happened when a firewall misconfiguration enabled unauthorized access to data breach search engine, Leak Lookup’s, data last December. Joel Latto, Threat Advisor at F‑Secure, explores what this stolen data consists of, how criminals could use these billions of stolen records, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Google Ads are turning malicious
Cyber criminals are tricking Google into advertising malicious ads masquerading as downloads of popular free software. Amit Tambe, Researcher at F‑Secure, uncovers what criminals are doing to bypass Google’s filters and advertise malware as a sponsored Google Ad. He explains what you can do to avoid dangerous websites and how to identify genuine software downloads from malicious copies.
Read about these cyber threats in March 2024 in our F-Alert
From trending online scams to the latest data breaches, our monthly F‑Alert threat reports guide you through the biggest cyber security stories happening right now across the world.
Informed by F-Secure threat intelligence experts, each month we tell you what’s currently happening in online security, why it’s happening, and what you can do to protect yourself from cyber attacks.
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