Dangerous CD's from China
US Governments are warning of Malware Laden CD's sent from China
Email isn't the only way your computers can get infections. According to security expert Brian Krebs, several US State and local government departments have issued warnings.
It seems that people have received unsolicited letters sized packages containing CD's that are apparently sent from China. Yep - sent by Snail Mail!
Curiosity is often used in marketing and the same ploy is being used by the senders of these CD's. Although a crude method, this sort of method will work with some people who just can't resist the temptation to discover what is on the media.
Similar to leaving a malware laden USB pen drive in the car park of an office building, the attack vector can succeed by enticing individuals into inserting the media onto a computer.
Once installed the use will often be tempted to open any documents to "discover the owner", but that is exactly what the hackers/scammers are hoping for.
The MS-ISAC said preliminary analysis of the CDs indicate they contain Mandarin language Microsoft Word (.doc) files, some of which include malicious Visual Basic scripts.
We have our own set of guidelines for staying safe online, but Brian Krebs has 3 simple rules that will help you stay safe online as well:
- If you didn't go looking for it - Don't install it
- If you installed it - update it
- If you no longer need it - remove it
Sure, this is a pretty crude attack, using a USB pen drive with a well written letter would get a lot further, but the point here is that any media that you can't identify should probably be destroyed.
Remember that that material is possibly someone's potential Security Breach so destroying it helps them and possibly keeps them in business (GDPR fines are potentially huge). At worst you are saving yourself from a massive virus or malware infection.
So remember to "Keep your W.I.T.S. about you.
Steve Richards
Watchman IT Security
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