Most employees have some awareness about malware attacks. Many probably know that you should never open an executable file from a stranger or install a thumb drive found in the parking lot, for example. But videos, or links to videos, can deliver malware just like that executable or thumb drive. Do your employees know this too? And even if they do know it, will they be tricked into chasing malicious videos anyway?
Here’s why it’s time to start focusing on video malware.
Video Is the Perfect Bait for Social Engineering
The lure of video might be the perfect social engineering trick for malware attacks. Recent trends in person-to-person communications and social media have conditioned the public to compulsively open many videos every day. Facebook and Instagram have been retrofitted with viral, addictive video features to keep up with upstarts such as Snapchat and TikTok. YouTube has always emphasized compelling videos, and messaging applications are increasingly carrying video as well.
In other words, video has emerged as the digital “drug” of choice when it comes to escapism, boredom relief and information delivery. As a bonus for cybercriminals, users may believe video files to be harmless, meaning even security-savvy users who would otherwise avoid clicking on suspicious links are likely to open and play videos.
The video habit (or addiction) in our culture has paved the way for video malware — malicious code embedded into video files. Video malware is part of a larger trend toward more effective stealth in the delivery of malware. It’s also the latest, and probably ..
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