Cybercriminals have a reputation for constantly devising new ways to trick us into handing over login information or sensitive data.
And, while you might expect your team to detect an attempted attack, you might be surprised. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of intelligent people, including many business leaders, get caught off guard.
One of the most recent scams is very retro… and it appears that this is why people are falling for it.
Cybercriminals have returned to their roots. They’re sending USB drives through the mail.
The packaging and branding on the drives indicate that they are manufactured by Microsoft (they are not).
The story goes that there is an updated version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus on the drive that must be installed immediately.
Of course, this is a complete lie. Microsoft has confirmed that these are not genuine packages. They’re warning people that they will never send unsolicited packages.
When you insert the drive into your computer, it will detect a “virus” and prompt you to contact customer service.
Scammers on the other end will pretend to remove the virus in order to gain your trust. They will then request payment information in order to complete your subscription setup.
It’s may be outdated, but we can see how the combination of the physical USB, the belief that it’s from Microsoft, and the phony support line would be appealing to someone who is pressed for time and just wants to get back to work.
We’re expecting elaborate, clever attacks through our email. Our guard is down with this mix of events.
Play it safe and inform everyone in your company about this scam.
This is also an excellent time to review the software and employee training you use to protect your company.
We can assist you in finding the right combination of the two. Get in touch.