Hackers Hiding Spyware In Social Media Posts

As workers get wise to suspicious links in emails, savvy hackers are hiding spyware in other places, including social media links. Recently, a Pentagon official clicked on a Twitter post promising a family-friendly vacation package for the summer, and instead opened the government system to a Russian hacker. “Pentagon officials are increasingly worried that state-backed hackers are using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to break into Defense Department computer networks,” the New York Times reports. “And the human error that causes people to click on a link sent to them in an email is exponentially greater on social media sites, the officials said, because people are more likely to consider themselves among friends.” A 2016 report by Verizon found that 30 percent of “spear phishing” (the act of sending a malicious file or link through a seemingly harmless message) emails are opened by their targets, while another analysis from cybersecurity firm ZeroFOX found that 66 percent of targets opened spear phishing messages sent through social media sites. Government officials warned that workers should be wary of anything they receive, even if the message appears to come from family or a friend.