Online Job Seekers Vulnerable to Malware Infections

Computer security criminals have stared to target job seekers more aggressively by promoting scams and dangerous viruses against them. Read our article to discover some of the dangers that lurk on the web.

Malware Targets Job Seekers

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Searching for a new job or changing career paths is always daunting. As more and more people use LinkedIn, Glassdoor and related services to find out new opportunities, they should now worry more about possible malware infections. A new trend among computer criminals is to target these platforms and try to infiltrate both the service and its users. This article will showcase some of the scenarios that security experts have identified.

LinkedIn Social Engineering Job Seekers Attacks

The LinkedIn professional network is one of the main platforms where ordinary users are targeted. One of the reasons why it is popular among attackers is that in many company networks do not place it in their blacklists. It is very easy to craft a profile and distribute hyperlinks that link to various viruses such as Trojans and ransomware. Criminals can impersonate HR recruiters and other personnel which provides a very easy way to implement social engineering tricks in the attack campaigns. In many cases corporate networks and companies emphasize on perimeter and endpoint security measures. The various email and link abuse messages are not always filtered correctly by these solutions.

A well-known fact is that most professionals sign into the LinkedIn service using their personal email address. While corporate environments always use email virus scanners, they do are usually not associated with the personal accounts of the users. This allows users to distribute documents with malicious macro or another type of malware. Increased risk is associated with fake profiles that are connected with legitimate users. In many cases publications, posts and links use URL shortening services which are used to mask the actual malware.

GlassDoor Job Seekers Abuse

Glassdoor is one of the most popular sites where employees can anonymously rate their employers and management staff. The service can be used to institute fake ratings which can deceive the readers. As the ratings are primarily written in a narrative style it can be quite easy to insert references to various sites that host malware. They may either be controlled by hackers or hacked in an attack campaign.

Other Job Seekers Risks

There are several important risks that are associated with these services. Some of the other important factors that everyone must take into account include the following circumstances:

  • Computer criminals can use counterfeit accounts to post spam and impose reputation damage to companies, HR recruitment staff and even candidates.

  • The posted personal information on the various job seeker platforms can be used in various social engineering campaigns.

  • The online professional networks are often a target of hacker attacks. If they are breached the account credentials of all registered users can be harvested by criminals.

As a result of these issues online job seekers should exert more caution when using these services. By default they are used with a high degree of trust. However the recent cyber attacks against them should make everyone more wary of the possible dangers.

Malware infections can easily be remedied when people use a trusted anti-spyware solution. If you suspect that you are may be victim of a virus infection or want to protect your computer you can download a quality software product from our site.

SpyHunter anti-malware tool will diagnose all current threats on the computer. By purchasing the full version, you will be able to remove all malware threats instantly. Additional information about SpyHunter / Help to uninstall SpyHunter

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Author : Martin Beltov

Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.


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