Emotet Malware Attack: What to Know

In the recent cyber security news involving Emotet malware attacks on a number of business organisations and government agencies in France, Japan, New Zealand and other countries, there has been a growing interest among companies and large corporations in getting to know more about Emotet malware and how it operates. 

What Is Emotet Malware?

Emotet is an advanced banking Trojan that has been identified since 2014. The malware has undergone multiple versions throughout the years, which continues to infect and disrupt both systems and users until now. During the initial version, Emotet was targeting banks to steal banking credentials by illegally tapping into web traffic. The latest version of Emotet has now transformed from a banking Trojan into a Dropper. Basically, the Trojan “drops” malware programmes such as TrickBot and Ryuk onto your electronic devices in an attempt to access bank accounts with your login information or to encrypt data and subsequently deny the user access to this data or the whole system. 

What Does Emotet Do?

Emotet mainly spreads via email spam campaigns. It normally comes in the form of phishing emails containing an attachment or link while prompting you to click on it. They may be emailed to you under the guise of your contacts and well-known companies. Once clicked, additional malware programmes will be downloaded onto your device and thus will secretly spy on your online activities to gain user credentials and contacts. As a result of this IT security breach, it may lead to serious privacy issues and financial loss.    

Steps to Protect Yourself From Emotet

Below are some of the preventive measures to take note of when protecting your devices from Emotet and other types of malware: 

1. Delete Emails with Suspicious Titles and Content 

If the email is from someone you know but the title appears suspicious, check with the sender if it is really from them. Not only will it give you peace of mind as the recipient, but it will also alert your contact that their email address has been misused. Another related case study is when you receive an email from a major commercial brand. In this case, visit the brand’s official site to confirm the email content without clicking any of the attachments or links. 

2. Install a Robust Firewall Security 

A strong email protection consists of advanced firewall features that can provide additional security and outbound email scanning to detect Emotet spam emails. Once the detection is made, the firewall can identify the machines responsible for the Emotet activities and quarantine them from the network. A sophisticated malware threat such as Emotet requires heavy firewall protection with end-to-end visibility and access control, particularly among financial institutions and government agencies which have a large pool of user data. 

3. Create a Strong Password for Important Logins

When it comes to logging in to your bank account, email account or any other sites that involve online money transfer services, it is a good habit to create a password that is hard to guess. It is recommended to use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. If the site offers authentication options, do opt for it as it adds another security layer for anyone trying to gain access to your private accounts. 

Cyber attacks will always be present and will continue to evolve into complex variations. Nonetheless, knowing the preventive steps will secure your devices in the first place. For businesses and corporations who want to explore the cyber security solutions available in the market, CARE Singapore has IT professionals that are experienced in cyber threat intelligence to propose advanced IT security and IT infrastructure solutions to keep your business data safe and secure. Click here to contact us today!