Summary
Most common cyber-attacks today are about tricking people and not using fancy tools. In this article, we talk about ClickFix, which is one such scam. Read on to understand how it works and how it can be prevented by keeping some basic things in mind. User awareness and cyber hygiene are all that it takes to prevent a big disaster.
The digital age we are all living in comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The biggest threat it poses it opens doors to malicious intentions, and cyber attackers all over the world are taking advantage of the same. Cyber attackers play with human emotions, urgency and trust, and one such technique often used by them today is the ClickFix technique.
This is a social engineering method which is sophisticated and uses human psychology to urgently fix an issue they are facing, like CAPTCHA or an error dialogue or even a verification prompt. Case studies show that they make the user use regular copy-paste commands and thus, they can easily pass through many security controls. Let us understand how thinking before you click and taking care of basic cyber hygiene, and having basic cybersecurity awareness, you avoid falling in this trap.
Let us begin by understanding what ClickFix is, as this will be the first step towards threat awareness and user awareness. ClickFix is a scam used by cyber attackers which uses human psychology’s instinct of trust and urgency to solve issues urgently. The way it works is:
The hacker sends an email or sees a website that looks authentic, like a bank page or a government page. The website flashes a message saying things like, ‘fix the error now’ or ‘verify your account’.
The page gives instructions to copy a command or click on a link, which seems harmless to the user. It is also seen that, without the user realising, the code which has the virus gets directly copied to the clipboard.
As the user pastes and runs the command, the malware delivery of the software takes place the attacker gets access to the information and can also give them remote access, leading to a cyber attack on the system of the user and may be the organisation.
This scam works on the premise that the user thinks it is they are pressing the keys and no one has any access or control of the system.
While most organisations today are careful and take cyber insurance, the issue is that such attacks, in the beginning, look genuine and thus, many fall prey to them. Let us look at some real-world examples:
There is a case study reported where users got emails pretending to be sent by the tax authority. The link, when clicked, took the user to a website that in no way looked illegitimate, but it asked the user to paste a command to be able to go further. As soon as they clicked on this link, the malware delivery took place, and the attackers got access to financial and personal data.
Another case study that has been noticed is when users get emails from a government authority, like the Social Security Administration. A fake verification screen pops up, and once the so-called ‘test’ is passed, the hackers get access to the system and all the information they need.
Various other instances have been seen for users using streaming websites, etc. Users on these sites, when they clicked on the play button, were directed to landing pages and given system access. The case studies are a reflection of how the attack vector can be, through fake alerts or phishing emails, or even attacking users when doing regular browsing.
As ClickFix security attacks are based on human behaviour, proper policies and tools and training are needed to avoid severe consequences. Threat awareness and cyber hygiene are extremely important, along with adequate cyber insurance policies, to avoid these issues. The common misconception is that high-tech skills are needed to prevent these attacks, whereas the truth is that all it takes is some basic things that have to be kept in mind.
If there is any suspicious link or button in any email, avoid clicking on it. One can always hover over it to see the link. This can be a way of checking the authenticity of the link. If there is any command or email, or message which instructs to copy and paste anything into the run box of the computer, etc, stop immediately, as no trustworthy company will ask anyone to do this.
Ensure all applications on the system are always updated and always use unique passwords with multi-factor authentication to avoid giving access to important information.
All organisations should ensure regular security training, which explains to employees how to look for fake alerts, phishing emails, etc. Exercises like these can help ensure that employees stay alert and can take necessary actions or contact the IT department the minute they notice something irregular.
All systems, whether personal or in an organisation, should have reliable antivirus software installed. Having endpoint protection software and browser safety tools is highly recommended, as they can block malicious websites. Using email filters is another suggested option by experts, as these can block phishing attempts.
If you did not realise and clicked on something wrong or pasted a wrong prompt, immediately disconnect from the internet and contact the IT support. Being alert and taking timely action can always prevent a big disaster.
There is no doubt that in today’s times of high dependency on the digital world, cyber insurance is mandatory and not an option. The insurance with good coverage will cover financial and recovery losses, provided the client has taken care of basic precautions.
Conclusion
Cyber criminals today have various tools and tricks to get into a system and get the information they need. They just use a trick as they understand human behaviour. ClickFix is a great example of social engineering, which shows how manipulation is a great tool in the hands of a cyber attacker. One needs to be safe and not stressed. All that one needs is to be alert and take care of cyber hygiene. Some simple things to take care of are: do not trust any alert or email that you were not expecting, do not paste commands that you do not understand and in such a case, seek expert help and ALWAYS think before you click.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
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