Beware of Malvertising: The Silent Danger

On the internet, we often encounter advertisements across various websites, some tailored to our specific interests and others more generic. Although many of these ads are harmless, some hide a dangerous secret: malvertising.

Malicious advertising, or malvertising, stands out as one of the most insidious cyber threats. Why? Because you don’t have to click on anything or download suspicious files to become a victim; simply visiting a website is enough to put your data and devices at risk.

By understanding the risks associated with malvertising and taking proactive steps to protect yourself, you can significantly reduce your chance of falling victim.

Read: The Best Practices Against Cyber Attacks

What Is Malvertising?

Unlike traditional malware attacks that require user engagement, malvertising exploits legitimate online advertising networks to gain unauthorized access and deliver malware to unsuspecting users. Malvertising can appear on trusted websites, as attackers sneak their harmful ads laced with malicious code among legitimate ones. Since ad space is sold and distributed through various channels, it’s easy for malicious ads to slip through the cracks. When users click on or simply view a compromised ad, their device can become infected, leading to compromised personal information, financial accounts or devices.

How Malvertising Works

The malvertising process is deceptively simple yet highly effective. When you visit a website that displays advertising, like a news site or social media platform, the ad network gathers data about your device, browsing history and preferences to deliver personalized ads. While legitimate advertisers use this data to display tailored content, cyber criminals leverage it to target vulnerable targets.

Malvertising looks exactly like a regular ad, often mimicking real promotions to blend in. But here’s the catch: you don’t even need to click on these ads to be exposed. Behind the scenes, cyber criminals use drive-by downloads to automatically install malware on your device without you realizing it. These attacks rely on exploit kits to scan your system, browser or plugins for vulnerabilities, such as outdated software. Once the exploit kit finds a weakness, it communicates with the attacker’s server to download a second payload, which can hijack your system, steal sensitive information, lock your files for ransom or add your system to a botnet.

Malvertising can also do forced browser redirects, which take users to malicious websites, exposing them to more threats.

By piggybacking on the ad network, cyber criminals can exploit the broad reach of online ad networks to infiltrate reputable websites with thousands of visitors. Since ad space is sold and distributed through various channels, it’s easy for malicious ads to slip through the cracks. Some cyber criminals have even created their own ad networks to guarantee a presence on popular sites. They initially run clean, legitimate ads to build a trustworthy reputation before switching to malware. Sometimes, they rotate between safe and malicious ads to avoid detection.

The Dangers of Malvertising

The consequences of malvertising can be severe and wide-ranging:

• Data theft: Malware can steal sensitive information, financial data and login credentials.
• Identity theft: Stolen information can be used to commit identity theft, leading to financial loss and damaged reputation.
• Financial loss: Malvertising can lead to financial losses through fraudulent transactions, unauthorized purchases or ransom demands.
• Business disruption: Malware infections can disrupt productivity, cause system downtime and damage a company’s reputation.
• System damage: Malware can corrupt files, damage hardware and compromise a device or network’s security, making them susceptible to further attacks.

Protection from Malvertising

Malvertising is a persistent and evolving threat that requires vigilance and proactive measures to protect yourself and your business.

• Use antivirus software and ad blockers: Install and maintain cybersecurity tools that can detect and block malicious websites and prevent drive-by downloads. Consider using reputable ad-blocking software to prevent malicious ads from being displayed.
• Keep software updated: Regularly update your operating system, browser, extensions and other software to close any security vulnerabilities that exploit kits could target.
• Enable security features in browsers: Modern browsers have built-in security features that can limit the damage done by malvertising.
• Be wary of clicks: Always be cautious of clicking on online ads, especially those offering deals that seem too good to be true or redirect you to unknown websites.
• Regular training: Educate your employees about the risks of malvertising and how to recognize malicious ads. Ensure staff know the best practices for online safety.
• Monitor network activity: Monitoring network traffic for unusual behavior is crucial. If malware gets installed through malvertising, early detection can help prevent a minor incident from becoming a large-scale breach.
• Enable click-to-play: Click-to-play requires user intervention to play multimedia content, like videos. This can prevent plugins like Flash or Javascript from running automatically, which malvertisers usually exploit to execute malicious code.

Read: IT Best Practices that Get Missed: Cybersecurity Basics

Cybersecurity with Thriveon

As more and more cyber threats evolve, it’s crucial to protect your business. That’s why partnering with an award-winning managed service provider like Thriveon is a strategic move.

Our cybersecurity-intensive approach ensures you can defend against cyber threats and breaches, including malvertising. We can help you comply with regulations and write cybersecurity policies.

Schedule a meeting now for more information.