Cybercriminals are already capitalizing on the chaos from Friday’s massive global tech outage. Hackers have been setting up phony websites meant to appeal to people seeking information on, or solutions to, the worldwide IT meltdown, but in reality, are designed to harvest visitors’ information or breach their devices, security experts say.
Bad actors routinely try to take advantage of current events, so it’s not surprising to see them attempting to take advantage of this one.
Threat actors are sending sophisticated phishing emails and texts, as well as launching malicious websites designed to trick users into compromising their systems, credentials and information. CrowdStrike itself warned of hackers trying to exploit the situation by “leveraging the event as a lure.” In a blog post, CrowdStrike said malicious actors are not only creating fake websites but also impersonating CrowdStrike employees in scam emails and phone calls, even selling bogus software purporting to fix the glitch.
Stay vigilant!
A reputable company will NEVER ask you to share login credentials or sensitive information through websites, chat sessions or phone calls. If you receive these requests, be aware they could be a scam.
Safeguard your personal and business information using these Do’s and Don’ts as a guide:
- DO NOT click on links or download attachments from emails you don’t 100% trust. Criminals will create websites and email addresses that look legitimate so if there is even the slightest doubt about the legitimacy of an email, do not click on ANYTHING in the email.
- DO NOT provide log-in credentials (including passwords), or information about your organization and fellow employees via email. No reputable company will ever ask you to do this.
- DO NOT accept the help of an unknown company or person offering to fix your issues. Reputable companies will not engage in unsolicited outreach on the back of high-profile cyber events.
- DO NOT enter your credentials into a third-party site purporting to help you address your outage.
- DO NOT allow anyone to remote into your computer if you are not 100% sure of who they are and your company’s relationship with them.
- DO stay vigilant; double check that emails and phone calls are coming from known contacts and verify that the other party is who they say they are. Be suspicious of unsolicited communications.
- DO verify the email address on inbound emails.
- DO Look carefully for misspellings/similar spellings in emails, texts, and on websites.
- DO verify an email, phone call, or text by contacting the company directly. If this is a company you’ve worked with before, refer to previous, legitimate communications and paperwork.
- DO hover over links to check URLs without clicking; look for discrepancies. Scrutinize web addresses and emails/texts for misspellings and illegitimate domain names.
About BrightStar Care of Carlsbad, CA:
BrightStar Care of Carlsbad is the #1 rated home care agency in California by Home Care Pulse. They offer a wide range of in-home support services, including companion care, personal care and skilled nursing. They also specialize in care for people with Parkinson’s and dementia. Because BrightStar caregivers are trained and supported by a RN Nursing Director who watches over our clients and staff – something extremely rare for home care companies -- they can provide early detection and intervention when medical issues arise. In fact, BrightStar clients are 25% less likely to be hospitalized compared to clients of other home care companies.