Many people don’t actually have an idea that hacking threats are spreading everywhere. The risks are always there since our devices tend to connect to the internet quite a lot. When surfing the internet, oftentimes, we find some websites that look suspicious enough.
These are the tools hackers spread in all parts of the internet to do something we usually call Malvertising. This activity is another type of hacking that uses a combination of hacking tools and ads. Yes, ads can even hack you now.
It’s actually not a new thing to see a website full of ads, especially on sites where you can stream something that is labeled as illegal. Through these ads (which most of the time are intrusions), hackers can hack into somebody without their realizing. The condition is bad, really bad. It’s that bad to the point that a report stated that there were millions of hacking attempts done through malvertising alone.
The effect is sure scary and actually quite alarming, knowing that there are still many of us who are still regularly using third-party websites all the time just to enjoy some entertainment. Before talking about the preventive methods to fight against malvertising, let us understand this problem better.
Understanding Malvertising
You can see malvertising as a ship or a container penetrating your security layer when browsing on the internet. The word basically consists of malicious and advertising. So yes, these ads do look quite suspicious most of the time.
Usually, hackers do two kinds of techniques in malvertising, one through the pre-click and the other one through post-click. Pre-click uses a prepared script that will automatically breach the personal account once the ad has been seen, not clicked. So if a user visits a landing page and is bounced to another new page that looks really different from the destination, it’s a big red flag.
Meanwhile, the post-click one means that the user still has to click the ads in order to get hacked. But still, the hackers will require visitors to go to different pages.
Seeing how dangerous the whole thing is, it’s advisable for anyone to install an additional security layer, through having a VPN connection, for example. There are so many options you may consider here. For beginning you can find some cheap VPNs, which don’t cost a lot. Most of the time, they’re pretty reliable in dealing with security risks. That way, you can always be protected no matter where you are and what kind of device you’re using.
Malvertising And Adware
Please note that malvertising is different from adware. Adware is a computer program that, when installed, will have an impact on the computer, always displaying unwanted advertisements, or automatically directing victims to advertising sites.
But not all ads in adware are malvertising because maybe they are real ads, and the attacker wants to achieve a target in getting visitors to the advertising site.
How Does It Work?
Malvertising works after the ad is clicked by the victim. Once clicked, the malvertising will send a specific hacking code to the victim’s device and destroy it from the inside. But, the methods may be different according to what kind of malvertising method is used.
The hackers can gain access to these ads by buying an ad space, which is not too hard to get. So, instead of using the ads for marketing, they put their codes in and do the hacking by spreading these ads.
There’s also something called timely-assembled malware. And as the name implies, it works secretively behind the scene by doing the assembly off-screen. At first, the ads will send the code through the victim’s device, and once clicked, these codes will be assembled into malware that’s located deep beneath the device. It’s really hard to track and has to be removed as soon as possible.
Where Does It Come From?
The thing is, malvertising usually comes from sites that are usually related to illegal materials. The most common example is illegal streaming websites. These sites usually contain a lot of ads which placed terribly. Once clicked, these ads will take you somewhere strange-looking. The page is blank sometimes, which really looks questionable.
And that’s why you should avoid this kind of site immediately. Yes, using legal streaming platforms may be a bit pricey, but at least it’s a lot safer and gives a more enjoyable experience than streaming illegally.
Other than illegal streaming sites, the other sources of malvertising come from flash game sites, Torrent sites, non-hosted sites, betting sites, and also sites that often offer free stuff, like gift cards, quick money, etc.
But due to its characteristics, it’s possible to find malvertising in almost every corner of the internet. You see, it disguises itself as a legitimate ad, which is already too hard to avoid. As a first preventive method, it’s better to avoid these websites for good.
How TO Avoid Malvertising
But, no need to worry, there is something that you can still do to counter the malvertising, like disabling Flash, using the extension for script management, always updating your antivirus, and using a secure internet connection.
And yes, it’s pretty obvious that you have to avoid it at all costs. See it in the same way as the need to prevent all kinds of hacking attempts in general. By doing preventive measures, you’ll likely be more protected from these attacks.
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