Saving passwords in browsers like Chrome or Edge is a much-used tool and is actually considered quite secure. It makes logging in to any websites easier, as there is no need to remember login details.
After a recent security dilemma at one company, IT researchers are now warning against the use of such features in all browsers, reports the New York Post. That’s because criminals appear to be taking advantage of the pandemic high number of people in the home office. “Although the feature to save account data in browsers is very handy, users are advised not to use this feature and only use programs from trusted sources, as there is a risk of account data leaking if infected with malware,” AhnLab said.
According to AhnLab’s security experts, an employee fell victim to an attack while using a VPN service to access the company’s network. The device was previously infected with a malware called Redline Stealer and was able to use the password management function provided by the web browser. Subsequently, despite having anti-virus software installed, sensitive account data and passwords were stolen from various websites, including information for accessing the company’s VPN. 3 months later, the hackers were able to spy on the business data with the obtained access data.
Redline Stealer, with a price of just $150, is quite cheap and easy to get on the dark web. Therefore, it is hard to attribute the incident to a specific group as many people can access it. The hacking tool first appeared March 2020. The malware was spread using various methods such as phishing emails or disguised as an image editor.
During the pandemic, there was a huge increase in cybercrime. This is also shown by statistics from Austria in 2020.
- source: futurezone.at/picture: Image by methodshop from Pixabay
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