New malware attacks targeting voters in key states in the 2018 US midterm elections

by ddos ·

Less than two weeks before the 2018 midterm elections, the amount of malware activity in at least eight primary battlefield states is rising rapidly. According to new data from cyber defense company Comodo, hackers are using Trojan horses, ransomware and “suspicious” data sniffing applications such as adware.

To varying degrees, different types of malware have various tasks. But in general, malware is designed to disrupt elections and suppress voting. Hackers use applications with adware technology as part of a two-pronged attack. First, they collect information about the target, and then they use that data to send phishing attacks.

According to Kenneth Geers, a chief research scientist at Comodo Network Security and former NATO network security, Comodo has seen a surge in Trojan horses deployed in Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee and Wisconsin since July. Comodo has seen a dramatic increase in malware, such as ransomware and adware in Minnesota, Missouri, and New Jersey, with the intent of collecting data on campaigns and voters and then using that data to launch targeted follow-up attacks.

It is almost impossible to attribute the growth of malware to any particular role before the midterm elections. US government experts are tracking several clues. Digital clues and their scum traces may allow experts to discover the purpose of superpowers such as Russia.

Via: CNET

Tags: malware attacks