Malvertising: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting Digital Ads
In an era that demands a strong digital presence to succeed, necessity has forced advertisers to become adept at harnessing social media and search engines to amplify their reach. Digital ads rule the modern landscape of marketing, and sponsored ads flood smartphone screens every minute of every day.
Within these ads, however, lie wolves in sheeps’ clothing. Armed with nefarious intent, a rising trend of malvertising has emerged where cyber criminals spread malware through digital ads on reputable websites. These ads, which exploit the user’s trust in familiar brands, steal sensitive information by luring victims to deceitful websites and directing them to download malware disguised as harmless content.
Looking to safeguard your business and workforce against malvertising? This article will break down all you need to know about the malvertising threat, and the precautions business owners can take to avoid falling victim to malvertising.
Why Malvertising Is An Issue
Malvertising, while not the latest nor most cutting-edge tool in the arsenal of cybercriminals, is a notable example of how cyberthreats are becoming more ingenious. This speaks to a larger pattern of evolving cyberthreats that prey on the trust of victims, utilising social engineering and phishing techniques to breach established cybersecurity defences.
The consequences of malvertising have the potential to ripple out into regulatory, financial, and reputational issues, posing a problem for companies not on alert. In the case of regulatory scrutiny, companies such as Meta are already facing enhanced scrutiny and fines for allowing misleading advertisements to run rampant on their platforms. Additionally, the marketing costs of malvertising also compounds the financial dilemma that businesses might face, as large enterprises continue overspending to compete for ad placements against the misleading ads created by cybercriminals.
Lastly, businesses risk reputational damage and loss of consumer trust by inadvertently serving malicious ads that appear related to their brand. Users might end up associating the brand with security risks and avoid visiting their website or using their services entirely in the future.
How To Spot Malvertising
Despite its rampant proliferation, malvertising as a threat is still easily detected. Malvertising operates by posing as a credible source to misdirect people towards suspicious links – ultimately making it obvious to spot, for those who know what to look out for. In general, when dealing with a suspicious advertisement suspected to be malvertising, users should take the time to carefully inspect website elements and outbound links. Alternatively, users can be extra cautious by tallying the redirected URL with the official website’s URL to determine its legitimacy.
For an additional level of safety, trusted cybersecurity consultants offer businesses a comprehensive way to spot and avoid malvertising. Besides providing access to tools that can determine whether a website and its corresponding URL is trusted or not, these consultants also offer a wide range of services ranging from penetration and vulnerability testing to IT security audit assessments that determine a company’s level of cybersecurity readiness.
What To Do If You Fall Victim To Malvertising
As with all phishing threats, malvertising relies on targeting a large volume of users to succeed. It wants to be seen as much as possible, and this logic is largely why cybercriminals mimic legitimate digital ads. Their goal is to redirect as much attention as possible to malicious links, in order to increase the likelihood of malware being downloaded by victims.
To prepare for this eventuality, it is crucial that businesses have measures in place to deal with the fallout of malvertising attacks. Starting with ad-blocking and protective services such as managed firewalls, businesses can take preventative measures to identify suspicious ads and not view them altogether.
Furthermore, these tools can be applied alongside regular security audits to get a complete picture of any potential points of entry or vulnerabilities that cybercriminals seek to exploit. By breaking down the architecture of your website, ad networks, and any third-party plugins or scripts used in ads, businesses can further bolster their cyber defences against malvertising attempts.
Lastly, business leaders should make it a point to keep themselves and those around them updated. By introducing an environment protected by the latest security patches and updates, businesses can complement a resilient and educated workforce with software and systems designed to withstand cyber attacks.
Be cybersecurity-savvy and stay safe by reaching out to MyRepublic Business today! Our experienced cybersecurity advisors are ready to help solve complex security issues and offer a tailored solution that suits your company’s needs.
