It is a fact that there are certain times of the year when there are more cyber attacks. Hackers adapt to the times when they can be most successful. They are usually festive dates, where there are holidays or more purchases are made. And yes, just today is one of the days of the year, perhaps the most marked, in which cybercriminals launch more attacks. They can arrive by mail, when entering websites, downloading files … We are going to explain how a virus can sneak into you and, of course, how to be protected.
Black Friday brings many cyber attacks
With the Black friday There are many who hope to buy that mobile that they have seen for months, that television to change the old one with less benefits or simply an advance gift for any family member or friend. But of course, hackers know that and are prepared to sneak viruses.
It is not strange these days to receive emails of offers, messages to the mobile or that they pass us a link by WhatsApp from a store where they sell a discounted product. But is all that safe? This is precisely where cybercriminals can take advantage and strain virus. They can simply send an e-mail pretending to be from a store or platform, such as Amazon, indicating that there is an interesting offer of something in particular.
The problem is that it is a scam. When we click on that link or download the file where there is supposedly a discount code or an offer, it is right when our device is infected. And this can affect both mobile phones and computers. We click, they take us to a page that has been created by the attacker and it can even look very similar to that of Amazon, eBay or any online store.
A cybercriminal could even take advantage of Black Friday to steal passwords. You can send an SMS, email or through false links on social networks or WhatsApp. These links, when opened, take us to a website created by the attackers and where we will have to log in. For example put the data to enter Amazon. But of course, we are facing an example of a Phishing attack and that password will end up on a server controlled by them.
How to avoid viruses for Black Friday
So what should we do to prevent a virus from sneaking in or stealing our passwords on Black Friday or any other day? Without a doubt the most important thing is the common sense. It is essential not to make mistakes and always take a good look at which page we are on and how we got there. We must be wary of any strange e-mail that we receive with supposed offers, SMS to the mobile that we do not really know if it is safe or even a link that a friend or relative sends us through WhatsApp, since it is possible that your mobile phone has been previously infected and send it unknowingly.
It will also be very important to have good security programs. A good antivirus can help prevent the entry of malware. In Windows we can name some like Windows Defender, Avast or Bitdefender, which work very well, but any other option that we see reliable will work. The same on mobile devices.
But another key point, and that on many occasions we do not take into account, is to keep the updated systems. An attacker, especially on dates like Black Friday, can take advantage of security flaws in a computer or mobile. They can sneak in some malware whose mission is to take advantage of that error to steal passwords, spy on us or make the computer malfunction.
In short, just today on Black Friday it is more likely that they will try to sneak a virus than on any other day of the year. It is essential to be prepared, maintain common sense at all times and that the equipment is properly protected and updated.
