Be wary if you are receiving PDFs at this time. Hackers have infected such a file with dangerous malware that can steal your personal data and even spy on everything you do.
IT security is a complex subject and the threats we are exposed to are constantly evolving. When it comes to scams, scammers are constantly doubling their imagination to develop ever more sophisticated persuasion strategies to get their victims to fall into their traps. And malware developers are not far behind, devising formidable tactics to infect their victims’ computers while evading antivirus software.
Cybersecurity experts from Fortinet recently discovered the very original operating mode of a dangerous virus called Byakugan. Once installed on the victim’s computer, this malicious software allows a hacker to film everything that appears on their screen, record their keyboard strokes, steal their personal data, spy on everything that he does in his browser and even uses the resources of his PC to discreetly “mine” cryptocurrencies!
And Fortinet’s investigation revealed that to compromise their victims’ machines, attackers use a very simple method: a PDF file. The document, only found in Portuguese for the moment but which could be emulated in other languages, appears blurry when opened. It asks the user to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on a link, which then triggers the download of a seemingly innocuous file named “Reader_Install_Setup.exe”. Obviously, this is a malicious program which will install the famous virus. And although it only affects PCs, Byakugan also seems very good at evading the surveillance of antivirus software, by hiding among legitimate programs and services, which makes it more difficult for security devices to detect it. In short, it is really dangerous malware that can do great damage.
If by chance you open a PDF file that appears blurry and invites you to download software via a link, close it immediately to avoid being infected! Today, it is no longer essential to install a specific application to read a PDF file since all Internet browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, etc.) can do it, without needing anything. either. And if you want more features, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader from a safe site!