A warning has been issued for those who have a Gmail account and use Google Chrome on the computer. People with Gmail accounts have been urged to follow the advice by cybersecurity experts after a new type of malware is using these services to hack into your personal emails.
The cyber attack uses a fake Chrome browser extension known as AF, to target PCs and harvest your data from Gmail inboxes. According to cybersecurity experts, victims of this scam were tricked after they received an email urging them to install this bogus extension.
As reported by the Express, the virus was first discovered by the joint cybersecurity team from the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea.
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Since the hackers initially targeted Gmail users in South Korea, it has begun spreading to the US and then Europe, which means that people need to be on high alert.
They warned that once the extension is installed, the virus will hijack the victim’s Gmail account, allowing hackers to peer into your personal messages and steal your information.
A North Korean hacker group known Kimsuky, are the crooks who are behind this cyber attack. They are currently primarily targeting high-ranking officials like diplomats and politicians, and also journalists.
This extension can be installed on any computer, therefore you need to be on high alert when you receive any emails asking you to download files to Chrome.
Officials have advised that you should never install anything onto a PC without doing plenty of research on it first to avoid getting hacked.
If you’re interested in downloading popular Google Chrome extensions like Grammarly and Tab managers, it’s best to do some from official sites like the Chrome web store.
Users should check reviews before downloading anything, this could reveal security issues.
The hackers from Kimsuky are also using the extension to target Android smartphones, giving another reason people need to be more careful.
It seems that once the victim’s Gmail has been hacked, the cyber crooks can use Google’s web-to-phone synchronisation feature to install apps from a PC right onto a phone without the user's permission.
After this, the victim’s smartphone will be filled with FastViewer malware, which could be used to steal your most personal information.
These viruses could also allow hackers to listen in on your phone calls, watch keystrokes on the screen and see what the user is up to using the front-facing camera.
Although this type of malware has not become a widespread problem yet, it is still a worrying development, and users are urged to do everything they can to keep their devices safe.
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