WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KRONOS MALWARE
The Kronos Malware or “kronos hack client” was first seen on the market in 2014 for sale for a whopping price of $7000. It was posted as an ad on a Russian cybercrime forum and got the attention of a lot of security researchers because of its price. Regular malware is usually sold for hundreds of dollars or sometimes offered for free.
What is Kronos malware?
Kronos is a particular type of malware that records and extracts user credentials and other personal information from protected computers. It is capable of stealing these data from browsing sessions in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. It uses form-grabbing and HTML content injection techniques. It is also referred to as banking Trojan.
In conclusion, the Kronos is a malicious software that has the ability to steal a user’s banking details and break into their accounts to commit fraud.
Trojan
A Trojan is a kind of malware that disguised as an application and tricks victims into downloading and running malicious codes from attachments on dodgy emails.
Aside from email attachments, Trojans are also known to bundle with legitimate software downloaded online. Once installed, a Trojan can be used to steal usernames and passwords, log keystrokes and many more.
How does the Kronos Malware work?
The Kronos behaves like a typical banking Trojan, by sending several large email campaigns to various targets such as universities, hospitals and banks.
The malware is sent via a legitimate looking attachment sent via an email. Once the recipient clicked on this attachment, the Trojan now starts to infect their computer.
The Kronos uses a so called “form-grabbing” technique which is a more complex alternative to keylogging. Form grabbing captures data before it is sent, compared to keylogging which can often miss sensitive data.
How do you protect your device against Malwares?
- Install an anti-virus/anti-malware software
The first step to keeping your devices secure is having a strong security in the form of an anti-virus/anti-malware software. This should be your first line of defense against those nasty viruses. Make sure to run regularly scheduled scans. It’s a good practice to do it weekly, but if you can, do it every night after you’re done working on your computer.
- Keep your anti-malware software updated
Malwares and other viruses get smarter and smarter, and your software regularly come out with updates keep your device safe from new viruses that may come up. Make sure you install these updates regularly.
- Think before you click
Prevention is better than cure. Be wary of suspicious emails that come from nowhere. Remember that these emails would try to look legitimate, make sure you verify first before you open any attachment that came with the email.
- Secure your network
Make sure your wi-fi connection requires a strong password. Use WPA or WPA2 encryption and never broadcast an open network. It’s also a good practice to change your wi-f password regularly.
- Keep your personal information secure
Be wary of websites that ask you to sign up for stuff. This is one easy way to gather personal information from someone. Many hackers would only need a few important information, enough to access your banking data or steal your identity and commit fraud. Always be cautious when inputting personal data online especially on social media., and make sure you check your privacy settings from time to time.
