SnoopWall, the world's first counterveillance security software company, issued a major public warning – that a new wave of malware has followed directly upon news of the birth of the royal baby, Prince George.
Not only has media coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton and their infant son captivated millions around the world, but cyber criminals and malicious hackers have exploited the news as a means to conduct scams and spread drive-by malware.
SnoopWall's Research Division has discovered an alarming development that a significant number of websites, email messages, Twitter and Facebook posts are offering false promises of access to images and exclusive video coverage of the young prince's first days. It appears that cyber criminals will exploit this news while it remains the most popular story across the globe, this week, possibly through the month of August.
"Malicious ne're-do-wells are exploiting enthusiasm around the happy arrival of the prince by launching new scams and malware designed to steal personal and confidential information as well as to gain control of consumers' laptops, smartphone and tablet devices," said Gary S. Miliefsky, President and Founder of SnoopWall.
SnoopWall warns consumers to exercise extreme caution when receiving emails from both unknown and apparently trustworthy sources that contain links to news associated this specific historic event. In addition, they should not visit sites or attempt to watch online video from odd locations or less popular sites outside of Vimeo or YouTube. With the announcement on July 24 of Prince George's name, email and Internet users can anticipate additional waves of ransomware, spyware, Trojans and other kinds of malware launched from hyperlinks to searches of the baby's name and related keywords. Finally, given their typically "unprotected" settings, users of laptops, tablet and smartphones may be particularly vulnerable, and may benefit from proactive protection.
SnoopWall applauds the selection of forward-thinking consumer-focused media who have also called attention to the rash of anticipated royal baby security scams, including these articles:
The Huffington Post: "Beware Royal Baby Scams"
Information Week: "Royal Baby Malware Attacks"
Threatware: "Royal Baby Spam Campaign Leads to Black Hole Infected Site"
