What Is Malspam?

One of the newest cybercriminal infiltration involves something called “malspam”. Malspam is like malware, but it’s that advertisement-type “spam”.

Spammers have learned that users are less likely to download a file from some spam message, so they’ve adapted. Now they use malicious URLs. Whether the message has a URL or a viral file, it’s of the “malspam” variety.

IT services providers in Los Angeles have been helping providing security solutions for businesses to reduce impact from varying emerging cyber threats like malspam.

What Does Malspam Look Like?

IT companies in Los Angeles must shift the means by which they define malspam as new tactics develop. For example, one common tactic is getting a message which says your Facebook or Snapchat or Instagram account has been compromised. You’ll get an email with an urgent message designed to circumvent your thinking.

It will say something to the effect of: “your account will be closed down in X amount of time if you don’t verify your information,” then below the cryptic, alarmist message is a link. You click the link, and a box pops up where you enter your username and password. Then it doesn’t take you to the social media or email website in question. That’s because the idea was to get your login information for later hacking.

Approximately 57% of all malspam will use this tactic–it’s known as “domain spoofing”. Malspam may additionally send you to a site designed to infiltrate your network in one way or another, perhaps downloading a file to the device accessing it, or something else.

What You Can Do

IT services experts in Los Angeles advise that you should design protocols which account for malspam. You’ve got to regularly train your employees to watch out for such messages. Sometimes malspam comes in a domain spoof, but sometimes it will pretend to have originated from someone in management contacting workers within your company. Work with IT support experts to determine common, trending malspam techniques and the best protective measures.

Don’t Be Sidelined By Malspam

An IT services company in Los Angeles like Advanced Networks can help you get an idea what malspam looks like, how to avoid it, and what sort of employee education is most appropriate to keep you from being impacted. To learn more, get in touch with us.