Are you a gamer?
Do you have an account on Steam, EA Origin, or the Epic Games Store? If so there's an emerging threat, you should be aware of.
A new strain of malware is now being sold on the Dark Web. Discovered by researchers operating out of Kaspersky Lab the new malware strain has been dubbed BloodyStealer
Once BloodyStealer is installed on an infected machine the malware is cable of stealing personal identifiable information (PII) including but not limited to login details at the sites mentioned above, information contained in cookie files, payment card information, and more.
Once the information is siphoned from a target system it is uploaded to a command-and-control server. There it is aggregated with the data from other pilfered accounts to be sold on the Dark Web. More disturbingly is the malware itself is being sold on the Dark Web which is leading to rapid and widespread adoption.
The researchers note that although the new malware strain isn't made exclusively for targeting the gaming platforms listed above gaming is big business. They included those accounts controlled by gamers represent a lucrative segment of the market that's very attractive to hackers and scammers around the world.
The researchers who discovered BloodyStealer had this to say
"BloodyStealer is a prime example of an advanced tool used by cybercriminals to penetrate the gaming market. With its efficient anti-detection techniques and attractive pricing, it is sure to be seen in combination with other malware families soon.
Furthermore, with its interesting capabilities, such as extraction of browser passwords, cookies, and environment information as well as grabbing information related to online gaming platforms, BloodyStealer provides value in terms of data that can be stolen from gamers and later sold on the darknet."
My perspective
Keep a watchful eye out for this one, especially if you're a gamer.
Just like the Robot said:
"Danger, Will Robinson!"
By Denis Wilson
Thanks for reading this short post. For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPIA Blogs. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
I am also a published author and speaker on cloud computing, work@home, and cybersecurity. I work extensively with business and professional associations to provide free small business technology education programs.
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