Grammy bites: 31,000 users attacked by malware disguised as Billie Eilish in The United Arab Emirates
Unique malicious files using selected Grammy nominees’ names detected by Kaspersky products
The connection between the rise in popularity and malicious activity is very evident in the case of newer artists such as Billie Eilish. The teenage singer became hugely popular in 2019, and the number of users who downloaded malicious files with her namehas risen almost tenfold compared to 2018 – from 254 to 2171, the number of unique distributed malicious files – from 221 to 1,556.For instance, while the number of users attacked by Malware disguised as Billie Eilish songs in The United Arab Emiratesaccounted for only 139in 2018, 2019 saw this number increased to 31,782. Overall, United Arab Emiratessaw 61of such malicious files distributed in this regionin 2019, with 100,961attacks.
However, while nomination for a prestigious award and recognition connected to it affects users’ interest in specific artists and, as a result, a growth in malicious activity, this is not necessarily the case for more established artists such as Lady Gaga, whose name use also experienced a rise in attacks in the past year
Kaspersky also analyzed which records and songs, nominated for a Grammy in 2019, received most attention from cybercriminals. Post Malone’s ‘Sunflower’, Khalid’s ‘Talk’ and Lil Nas X’s‘Old Town Road’, led the way for songs with the most malware attacks.
“Cybercriminals understand what is popular and always strive to capitalize on that. Music, alongside TVshows, is one of the most popular types of entertainment and, as a result, an attractive means to spread malware, which criminals readily use. However, as we see more and more users subscribe to streaming platforms, which do not require file download in order to listen to music, we expect that malicious activity related to this type of content will decrease,” – comments Anton Ivanov, Kaspersky security analyst.
To avoid falling victim to malicious programs pretending to be popular music files, Kaspersky recommends taking the following steps:
If you want to listen or download famous artists’ songs, use reputable services like Apple Music, Spotify Premium, and Amazon Music. Or try to find a recognized free music site that allows you to download songs legally.
Try to avoid suspicious links, promising exclusive music content. Check musicians’ official social media accounts or read reputable music blogs like Pitchfork, to make sure that such content exists.
Look at the downloaded file extension. Even if you are going to download an audio or video file from a source you consider trusted and legitimate, the file should have an mp3, .avi, .mkv or .mp4 extension among other music and video formats, definitely not .exe or .lnk.
التكنولوجيا وأخبارها بوابة الإمارات لتكنولوجيا المعلومات والإتصالات
