How to Be Safe from Malicious Browsers Extension | Total Security

Protection from Malicious Browser Extension

More and more tasks are done directly from the web, from the browser, and without having to install any app. The extensions improve the functions of the browser and provide tools that are sometimes really interesting. This, however, not only brings convenience benefits to the user but often also to third parties when it comes to obtaining information without the user's permission. And for this, browser extensions are a perfect gateway.

According to ZDNet, in recent days Google has removed a total of 49 extensions from Chrome. All of them were posing as legitimate cryptocurrency wallets when they were actually inserting malware into the browser or directly stealing passwords and other access data to users' cryptocurrencies. The security expert who found them explains that they all used a similar system, so probably the same person or group is behind all of them.

The extensions imitated other genuine ones in appearance, only that when entering the data they went directly to a private server or a Google Docs form. According to a controlled test that was done, cryptocurrencies were not stolen directly. This suggests that either the attacker was not interested in small sums of money or did not have an automatic way to get the money out of their victims' wallets.

Deal with Malicious Browsers Extensions

Google, Mozilla, Apple, and other companies are continually seeking to improve total security on their browser extension platforms. This, however, is not something simple and on more than one occasion the malicious browsers extension stores have been filled with malware. There is more lack of control in who publishes them and above all it is much faster and easier for the user to install than an app, so it is easier than it seems to fall into a fraudulent one.

What can be done to avoid it? Take precautions and be very clear about what is being installed and what permissions are granted to each extension. The fewer extensions installed in the browser, the better and as long as they are from known and verified developers in the extensions store. On the other hand, when installing them, you have to verify what permissions are really given and be suspicious of those that request access to functions that they do not really need for their task. It would be surprising to see the number of extensions that request access to the reading of the text entered in any text field of the browser (that is, to be able to read practically any email or password that is inserted in a form).

The Security Risk of Malicious Browser Extensions

Beyond the great utility that extensions can have for the browser, we must also take into account the risk that using extensions that are insecure must be taken into account. Sometimes we can compromise our privacy if we use these types of tools without taking into account certain important tips.

We are going to explain why malicious browser extensions can be a security problem. In each case, we will give a series of tips to avoid being victims of security problems related to browser add-ons.

Extension Permissions

When we install an extension it can ask us for a series of permissions. Sometimes they will be necessary for their operation, while in other cases it may be a problem for our privacy and that their real objective is to collect all kinds of user data.

That is why it is very important to check the permissions of the extensions that we install in the browser. For example, if they ask us for access to the camera, the history, or any other application. Maybe what they really want is to collect user data to later sell it to third parties. We already know that our information on the Internet has great value today and many services seek to obtain personal data of all kinds.

Malicious Software

Of course one of the main problems is directly installing malicious software. This happens more often than we think. It can mainly happen if we install software from third-party sites. In these cases, we run the risk of installing malicious software or that has been modified to steal our data.

Our advice is to always install from official sources and make sure everything is in order. We must avoid adding software from links that we find on third-party sites, for example. This must also be applied to applications, as well as to the browser itself.

Outdated Extensions

Sometimes security flaws can arise that are corrected through updates and patches. It is the manufacturers and developers themselves who release updates to correct it. We must always have the extensions correctly updated and in this way make sure that a possible hacker is not going to take advantage of these flaws to carry out their attacks.

Changes in Operation

In addition to worrying about the installation process, we must also take into account that many extensions undergo changes over time. This means that their functionality can change and not always for the better.

Sometimes they incorporate changes that can be negative for our privacy and security. Therefore, it is advisable to be aware of these possible changes that may pose a problem for our privacy.

Vulnerabilities

One final risk is vulnerabilities. Sometimes by the browser and sometimes by the extensions themselves. These vulnerabilities may allow the injection of malicious code by cybercriminals. They could attack our security and also put the proper functioning of the devices at risk.

In short, extensions for the browser are very interesting tools and provide different functions. However, we must bear in mind that they can also pose a problem for our security and privacy. Therefore, we need to take into account everything that we have discussed in this article. The goal is that our privacy and security are always present and for keeping our data private we should use software that gives us total security from all the extensions that we use.

Why Do Not Need Antivirus on Linux?

Linux Does Not Need Antivirus

Believe it or not, there are antivirus programs for desktop Linux users. If you've just switched to Linux and are looking for an antivirus solution, don't worry - you don't need an antivirus on Linux.

There are a few situations when running an antivirus on Linux makes sense, but the average Linux desktop isn't one of them. You just want an antivirus to check for Windows malware.

Few Linux Viruses Exist in The Wild

The main reason you don't need an antivirus on Linux is because very little Linux malware exists in the wild. Windows malware is extremely common. Shady advertisements squeeze out malicious software that is practically malware, file sharing websites are full of infected programs, and malicious individuals target security vulnerabilities to install Windows malware without your permission. For this reason, using an antivirus program on Windows is an important layer of protection.

However, it is very unlikely that you would stumble upon - and be infected by - a Linux virus, just as you would be infected with malware on Windows.

Whatever the reason, Linux malware is not all over the internet like Windows malware. Using an antivirus is completely unnecessary for desktop Linux users.

Why Linux Is More Secure than Windows

Here are a few reasons Windows is struggling with a malware problem while a few malware targets Linux:

• Package Managers And Software Repositories: When You Want To Install A New Program On Your Windows Desktop, You Go To Google And Search For The Program. To Install Most Programs On Linux, Open Your Package Manager And Download It From Your Linux Distribution's Software Repositories. These Repositories Contain Trusted Software That Has Been Verified By Your Linux Distribution - Users Are Not Used To Downloading And Running Arbitrary Software.
• Other Security Features: Microsoft Has Done A Lot Of Work Fixing Serious Security Issues With Windows. Until The Introduction Of UAC With Windows Vista, Windows Users Almost Always Used The Administrator Account. Linux Users Typically Used Restricted User Accounts And Only Became Root When Needed. Linux Also Has Other Security Features Like AppArmor And SELinux.
• Market Share And Demographics: Linux Has Had A Small Market Share In The Past. It Was Also The Domain Of Geeks, Who Tend To Be More Computer Literate. Compared To Windows, It's Not Nearly As Big Or Simply A Goal.

Stay Safe on Linux

While you don't need an antivirus, there are a few basic security procedures that you must follow no matter what operating system you're using:

• Keep Your Software Updated: In An Age When Browsers And Their Plug-Ins - Especially Java And Flash - Are The Main Goals. It Is Important To Be Up To Date With The Latest Security Patches. The Biggest Malware Problem On Mac OS X Was Caused By The Java Plug-In. With Cross-Platform Software Like Java, The Same Vulnerability Can Work On Windows, Mac, And Linux. On Linux You Can Update All Of Your Software With A Single Built-In Updater.
• Beware Of Phishing: Phishing - Creating Websites That Pretend To Be Other Websites - Is Just As Dangerous On Linux Or Chrome OS As It Is On Windows. If You Visit A Website That Pretends To Be Your Bank's Website And Enter Your Banking Information, You Are In Trouble. Fortunately, Browsers Like Firefox And Chrome On Linux Have The Same Anti-Phishing Filter As They Do On Windows. You Don't Need An Internet Security Suite To Protect Against Phishing (Note, However, That The Phishing Filter Does Not Intercept Everything).
• Don't Run Commands You Don't Trust: Linux Command Prompt Is Powerful. Before Copying Into Terminal A Command You Read Somewhere, Ask Yourself If You Trust The Source. It Could Be One Of The 8 Deadly Commands You Should Never Run On Linux.

If You Need An Antivirus on Linux

Antivirus software is not entirely useless on Linux. If you run a Linux-based file server or mail server, you will likely want to use anti-virus software. If you don't, infected Windows computers can upload infected files to your Linux machine, which can infect other Windows systems.

The antivirus software looks for Windows malware and deletes it. It doesn't protect your Linux system - it protects the Windows computers from themselves.

You can also use a Linux Live CD to scan a Windows system for malware.

Linux is not perfect and all platforms are potentially vulnerable. However, as a practical matter, Linux desktops do not require antivirus software.

What Is Antivirus Software and What Do I Need It For?

Antivirus Software Is One of The Most Important Things Everyone Needs.

Antivirus software is a data security program that is installed on a computer system to protect against viruses, spyware, malware, rootkits, Trojans, phishing attacks, spam attacks, and other online threats.

Why Do You Need Antivirus Software?

A system without antivirus is like a house with the windows open. The open and unprotected windows will attract all intruders and burglars into your home. Similarly, an unprotected computer will end up inviting all viruses into the system. An anti-virus program acts as a closed window with a guard for your computer that fends off all malicious viruses.

Protegent Security is one of the most famous antivirus providers that deal with effective antivirus software that will protect your device from viruses and other malware attacks. The company offers an extreme level of protection against viruses, malware, and other cyber threats. The company is primarily engaged in three products - Protegent Antivirus, Protegent Total Security, and Protegent Complete Security.

Protegent Antivirus is a very effective product from Protegent. It offers advanced security for your device against unwanted threats. The company offers a solution for Android, Windows, iOS, and macOS devices. There are several advantages of Protegent Antivirus. In this article, I mentioned 10 benefits/advantages of Protegent Antivirus. Let's take a look at it.

Benefits of Protegent Antivirus

As the use of the internet has increased, so have the numbers of hackers, viruses, malware, and other cyber threats. To protect your PC from these unwanted threats, there is various antivirus software on the market. Protegen Antivirus is one of the antivirus software that protects your PC from viruses. Protegent Antivirus offers an extremely high level of security against viruses, malware, and other cyber threats. It provides an active and well-populated database of cybersecurity threats to test against. The company has provided cybersecurity for your computing device for more than thirty years.

Proactive Exploit Protection (PEP)

Proactive Exploit Protection (PEP) is one of the key benefits of Protegent Antivirus. It is a computer framework designed to protect Windows computers from "zero-day" attacks. These cyberattacks target the vulnerabilities in Windows and its operating system to create fertile ground for hackers.

SONAR Protection

Protegent Complete Security is one of the most effective tools for protecting your PC from malicious attacks. Sonar keeps an eye on the programs running on your computer and identifies any clues that may be malicious. It is the application that helps your PC detect the virus, malware, and other cyber threats.

Protegent Virus Removal Guarantee

At every level of Protegent's security product, the company has provided Protegent Virus Removal Assurance. Under this commitment, if your system becomes infected with a virus while you are running the Protegent Antivirus program, the company will offer a full no-ask questions-asked refund. One of Protegent's most popular factors is that they guarantee to protect both your computer and your wallet.

Smart Two-Way Firewall

Protegent's extremely good feature is that it offers a smart two-way firewall that prevents both internal and external traffic. It offers great protection against both inbound and outbound traffic. Sometimes the traffic generated by surfing the internet can generate malware that can seriously affect your computer. This Smart Two Way Firewall will protect your computer from these suspicious attacks.

Cybersecurity Threats in 2021: Where Are Security Gaps?

In 2020, the number of cybersecurity threats as a result of the corona pandemic increased significantly worldwide. Savvy cybercriminals found new ways to exploit vulnerabilities with the trend to work from home during the crisis. For example, computers used in the home office were hacked. New phishing attacks triggered by buzzwords such as “diagnosis of the virus” or “economic stimulus package” also appeared for the first time. Widely used technical systems such as Windows PowerShell were targeted and login details for Zoom were stolen.

What about the biggest security threats a year later? A large number of the dangers mentioned have not yet been resolved this year either. In addition, new security gaps appear. Cybercriminals continue to force the attack methods that have proven so successful over the past year and develop new threats to exploit the most important vulnerabilities in today's IT landscape.

 

Threat # 1: Extending the Perimeter to Employees' Homes

Due to the increasing number of employees who have been working from home since 2020, companies are expanding their perimeter to include their workforce's apartments. As a result, security professionals have difficulty using traditional perimeter monitoring and access controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor their internal networks. In addition, 84% of all IT managers expect a further and more permanent spread of homework even after the pandemic, which means that these challenges will be with us this year and beyond.

IT teams must therefore increasingly rely on effective systems for endpoint security, such as tools for Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). Such tools provide better visibility and control over the data, including when it comes to third-party applications like Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft 365. This approach also includes traditional means of securing endpoints by ensuring that security tools such as antivirus, malware -Protection installed, patches up-to-date, secure configurations set and endpoints protected.

 

Threat # 2: Criminals Become Aware of External Hacker Attacks

With the successful SolarWinds hack, the subsequent attack on over 300 of the company's customers, and other third-party data breaches, more and more companies are focusing on their third-party risk management programs. This development illustrates the increased sophistication, complexity and tenacity of the attackers.

Mergers, acquisitions and licensing management should work more closely with the governance, risk assessment, and compliance teams to prevent such third party attacks from disrupting their networks. A thorough security check of all external providers are crucial. In addition, such in-house cooperation prepares companies for compliance regulations that will be more effective in the future, which will require more comprehensive and sound risk management programs for third parties.

 

Threat # 3: Growing Ransomware Attacks

The number of ransomware attacks rose significantly in 2020: According to the FBI, it grew by 300% by April alone and by the middle of the year it had increased sevenfold. In 2021, it looks like attacks of this type will continue to be among the strongest threats.

One of The reasons for this is that more and more companies are taking out insurance against ransomware, which has not escaped cybercriminals. Since the companies are covered by insurance, the amount required to decrypt the data is simply paid instead of repelling the attack. The attackers achieved quick successes.

A good approach to preventing ransomware attacks is to go back to the basics of cyber hygiene. This includes, for example, timely patching, enforcement of the principle of “least access rights” and regular backups in secure storage locations.

 

Threat # 4: New Forms of Phishing Email Scams

In 2020, both the number and the complexity of attacks with phishing emails continued to increase. Cybercriminals use phishing to distribute malware, steal access data and fraudulently deprive users of their money. Study results show that at the beginning of the pandemic, users were three times more likely to click on a phishing link and enter their login details. In a survey conducted in mid-2020, 38% of respondents said that one of their colleagues had been a victim of a phishing attack in the past year.

Although phishing attacks did not change fundamentally in 2020, the actors adapted their strategies over the course of the year and adjusted their keywords to new areas of interest in the population. At the beginning of the year, attackers preferred to use catchwords such as “pandemic” and “COVID”. As the public discussion moved in the direction of possible solutions for overcoming the crisis, attackers switched their vocabulary to emotionally charged terms such as “vaccinations” and “aid money”.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that guarantees you can ward off malicious emails. However, with the help of a combination of coordinated systems and trained staff, you can reduce the threat of phishing emails:

• Run the technical security controls on your email platforms.
• Mark e-mails sent by non-company senders as "external" with a banner.
• Use analysis tools for emails that detect the content of untrustworthy senders as well as newly created, only temporarily used email accounts and domains.
• Implement a comprehensive security awareness program for your employees so that they can recognize phishing attacks that could not be blocked beforehand.
• You can also simulate phishing attacks in the company so that your employees know what to do with suspicious emails.

Protect your data from a phishing email, we are introducing you Protegent Free Antivirus Software

What Is Your Cybersecurity Risk Score?

It is important to understand the maturity of your cybersecurity program in order to make informed decisions about how to counter attackers and the tactics, techniques, and procedures involved. With this self-assessment of your cybersecurity risk, you are taking the first step in the right direction. After answering these simple questions about your cybersecurity technology, your processes, and your people, you will receive a cybersecurity risk assessment based on our benchmark. This will help you discover common security vulnerabilities in your environment that you may not have been aware of.

Don't Forget Your DNS When Planning Your Security Strategy

DNS for Your Security Strategy

Whether consciously or unconsciously - every organization is dependent on the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS enables people to find your website, shop on your eCommerce app, and send you an email. It therefore not only makes a decisive contribution to your business but also to the entire Internet.

Hence, it is also understandable that DNS servers have become a popular target for cybercriminals:

• 82% of all companies were victims of a DNS attack in the past year.
• 63% of all companies have experienced downtime on their applications due to a DNS attack.
• Widespread DNS hijacking was reported in 2017 and 2018 targeting multiple industries in 12 different countries.
• 80% of malware uses DNS to connect to a command and control (C2) server to steal data and spreading malware.

 

If your company only blacklisted Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) to prevent DNS-based attacks, you should read on. Malicious actors and attack vectors are becoming more and more sophisticated - so your security should be too.

 

Common DNS Attack Vectors

As such, your DNS servers are not always the target of DNS-based attacks. Instead, the functionality of the DNS protocol is often misappropriated so that the attacker can smuggle sensitive data out of your environment.

In most cases, when a user on your network accidentally visits a malicious website, malware is installed on the connected machine. As soon as this computer is infected, it uses the DNS to establish a connection to the C2 server and to act based on further instructions. Once an attacker has gained a foothold in your environment, the potential for malware to spread is significantly increased.

Other common DNS attack vectors include:

• Domain hijacking: This can include Include unauthorized changes to DNS records and/or domain registrars, which consequently redirect traffic from the original server to a new (mostly malicious) destination.
• DNS flood attack: This is a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) affects the availability of DNS servers.
• DNS spoofing (cache poisoning): Attackers use weak points in the system and try to smuggle malicious data into the cache of a DNS resolver.
• DNS tunneling: As soon as a computer is infected, the malware misuses the DNS to steal sensitive data and obtain instructions from the attacker's C2 server.

 

A DNS attack recently reported by SecureList illustrates the scale of the challenge:

“In mid-May [2020] Israeli researchers reported a new vulnerability in DNS servers lurking in the DNS delegation process. This vulnerability exploitation scheme was known as 'NXNSAttack'. The hacker sends a request to multiple subdomains of a legitimate recursive DNS server within the authoritative zone of his own malicious attack server. The malicious server then delegates the request to a large number of fake DNS servers within the target domain without specifying their IP addresses. As a result, the legitimate DNS server sends queries to all proposed subdomains, whereupon the data traffic increases by 1620 times. "

 

Why Is DNS so Vulnerable?

The functionality of DNS is critical, but it also poses many security vulnerabilities risks:

• 24/7 Internet access is required for DNS. As a result, efforts are generally made to avoid any interruption in DNS operations, even during security checks.
• Most DNS queries are not restricted and can therefore pass through security devices. This creates a potential target.
• Some organizations try to ward off DNS attacks by blacklisting “bad domain names”. However, attackers circumvent these restrictions by using Domain Generation Algorithms (DGA). These allow the attackers to create and rotate thousands of domains to keep the C2 intact between the customer and the server, even if some of the domains are blocked.
• Manually blacklisting a steadily growing number of malicious domains involves considerable administrative effort.

 

How to Protect a System from DNS Attacks

To counter this growing threat, Palo Alto Networks has introduced a new feature: DNS security. This is used in combination with the functions of the anti-spyware provided by the "Threat Prevention" license. The new function uses a cloud service that is updated in real-time from various feeds. In this way, the data traffic from already known malicious domains can be detected, but also from those domains that were created by a Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA domains).

The DNS security function takes important information about known malicious domains from various, trustworthy threat intelligence feeds. This information is then used in combination with machine learning and predictive analysis to dynamically identify and block access to domains created by DGA.

As soon as a client sends a request to a malicious domain, the next-generation firewall from Palo Alto (with configured DNS security) intercepts the data traffic and compares the DNS request with the information in the cloud database. If the request is displayed as corrupt in the cloud database or if DNS tunneling is suspected, it can be deleted automatically. On the one hand, this interrupts the connection and, on the other hand, an administrator learns that there is a device on the network that may require additional verification.

To improve your security protection you need to install good antivirus software.