It is quite common to encounter threats that directly target certain applications that we use daily. In this case, it is a new threat that puts Microsoft Teams users at risk. It is malware capable of sneaking malicious payloads and putting your system at risk. We are going to tell you how they do it and what you can do to protect yourself and avoid problems.
Microsoft Teams is a widely used service for working online. It allows you to unify chat, video meetings or file storage in the same place. It has a fairly complete integration. The fact that hackers set their sights here is because they can reach many potential victims.
Malicious invitations
What cybercriminals are doing is using a compromised Teams user to send hundreds of malicious chat invitations. When the victim accepts the request, the hackers try to get them to download a file via a file with a double extension and give it a name like “Future Changes.”
When the victim downloads and installs it, the problem begins. This is DarkGate malware and can allow cybercriminals to steal data or take over the system. It should be mentioned that this malware is not new, since in recent months they have also tried to sneak it through Skype, with a similar method.
This attack, or at least attempt, is relatively simple to carry out. Microsoft allows an external user to send messages within Teams. Therefore, if a malicious user manages to sneak into a group chat, they will simply have to wait for someone to fall for the bait and download that malware.
There have been waves of similar attacks in recent months against both Teams, as well as other similar platforms such as Skype. This means that we must take extreme precautions and not make mistakes. You can always protect Telegram to improve security, WhatsApp, Skype and any similar platform.
How to protect yourself
But what can you do to protect yourself from these types of attacks against Microsoft Teams? Without a doubt, the most important thing is not to make mistakes. If you get a strange message, with an attachment that you don’t think makes sense, you should never download it. It could be a Phishing message and you could get DarkGate or any other malware.
Additionally, it is good to disable external access in Microsoft Teams. It is also important that all members are trained so that they know how to detect messages with strange origins and that they know that Phishing is a reality. This will prevent them from making mistakes of this type and affecting their privacy.
On the other hand, protecting devices is another point to take into account. Always install a good security program, since antivirus will help you detect threats and thus prevent malicious software from sneaking in. Having your equipment updated will also help you correct problems.
As you can see, it is essential not to make mistakes when using platforms like Microsoft Teams. In this case, we have seen the threat of DarkGate malware that could sneak into you. However, there are many more dangers that you can encounter in your daily life and it is key to be protected.
