Word of the Day: malvertisement

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | August 3, 2018 malvertisement A malvertisement (malicious advertisement) is an advertisement on the Internet that is capable of infecting the viewer's computer with malware. According to the network security company Blue Coat Systems Inc., malvertising is the current computer hijacking technique of choice for organized crime. Compromised computers can be used to create powerful botnets that can be used to carry out identity theft, corporate espionage or other illegal activity. Malvertisements are commonly placed on a website in one of these two ways: Legitimate advertisements: Initially, a criminal may place a series of malware-free advertisements on a trusted site that runs third-party ads and leave them alone for several months in order to establish a good reputation.Later on, the criminal will inject a malicious payload into the ad, infecting as many computers as possible in a short amount of time before removing the malicious code or discontinuing the ad. This type of attack is often run on websites that run third-party ads. Pop-up ads: A pop-up ad can deliver a malicious payload as soon as the ad appears on the viewer?s screen. Scareware, which is malicious code disguised as an anti-virus application, is often delivered through pop-up ads. In some cases, the malware will execute when the viewer clicks the "X" to close the pop-up window. By infiltrating popular syndicated online ad services, thousands of sites can be infected at once. Unfortunately, websites that run third-party ads can do little to protect their visitors because syndicated ads are not under their direct control. In fact, the company from whom they receive the ads may use ads from other publishers, so the original source of the advertisements can be several parties removed. Malvertisement infections are becoming so prevalent that many security experts recommend that users block all pop-up ads and create an application whitelist that will only allow their computer to run programs that have been positively approved. Quote of the Day "To reduce the risk of malvertising attacks affecting the enterprise, security teams should follow general endpoint antimalware advice such as keeping up to date with patches, not running as an admin and so on." - Nick Lewis Trending Terms malware botnet identity theft scareware Stegano antimalware   Learning Center Malvertising campaign tied to legitimate online ad companies Several online advertising companies were implicated in a Check Point Research report on an extensive malvertising campaign that involved more than 10,000 compromised WordPress sites. How does the Stegano exploit kit use malvertising to spread? The Stegano exploit kit is being spread through a malvertising campaign found on major websites. Find out how organizations can prevent malvertising. Healthcare breaches drop, but ransomware attacks rise Healthcare breaches of patient data dropped in 2017, but ransomware incidents increased, and the insider threat remained strong. New cloud threats as attackers embrace the power of cloud Here's a look at the top cloud threats in 2018 and some guidelines for protecting platforms and infrastructure in public clouds. Android vulnerability: How can users mitigate Janus malware? Android recently disclosed a new Android vulnerability -- dubbed Janus -- that injects malicious code into reputable apps and infects systems. Discover how this vulnerability works with expert Nick Lewis. Quiz Yourself The CEO thought everyone could ______ easily once the antivirus software was updated but unfortunately the company wasn't protected against social engineering tactics. a. breath b. breathe Answer Stay in Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed! FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.