Kaspersky warns public: Online meeting platforms now vulnerable to hackers

CEBU, Philippines —  Zoom, Moodle, Google Meet are identified as the top three meeting platforms that have caught the attention of hackers.

According to Kaspersky, about 98 percent of the threats encountered were not-a-virus, which is divided into riskware and adware. Adware bombards users with unwanted ads, while riskware consists of various files – from browser bars and download managers to remote administration tools – that may carry out various actions on computer without consent. Trojans made up roughly one percent of the threats encountered.

Users typically encounter threats disguised as popular video meeting apps and online course platforms through fake application installers, which they may encounter in unofficial websites designed to look like the original platforms or emails disguised as special offers or notifications from the platform.

“Unfortunately, until all students are back in the classroom full-time, educational institutions will continue to be a popular target for criminals, particularly since this sector has traditionally not prioritized its cybersecurity. However, the pandemic has made it clear that this has to change, especially since technology is increasingly being incorporated in the classroom—virtual learning or not,” said Anton Ivanov, security expert at Kaspersky.

 Zoom is the most popular platform for virtual meetings, with more than 300 million daily meeting participants. The second most popular was Moodle, followed by Google Meet.

 The number of users that encountered threats disguised as popular online learning/video conference platforms increased for all but one platform—Google Classroom.

Users faced threats disguised as popular online learning platforms. This increased by 60 percent in the second half of 2020

To help educators and their students stay secure when using digital tools in the classroom, Kaspersky has put together a variety of resources, including an online course that teaches cybersecurity best practices.

 As the pandemic continues and schools experience renewed closures or pursue a hybrid model of learning (in-person and remote), the educational sector continues to attract the attention of cybercriminals on the Internet. From July to December 2020, 270,171 users encountered various threats disguised as popular learning platforms—an increase of 60 percent when compared to the first half of 2020.

From January to June 2020, the total number of users that encountered various threats distributed under the guise of popular online learning platforms/video conferencing applications was 168,550 – a 20,455 percent increase when compared to the same period for 2019.

This number has only continued to grow from July to December, as discovered by Kaspersky experts.

As of January 2021, the number of users encountering various threats using popular online learning platforms as a lure reached 270,171– a 60 percent increase when compared to the first half of 2020.

To stay safe from malware and other threats disguised as video conferencing apps / online learning platforms, Kaspersky advised not to download any unofficial versions or modifications of these applications or platforms. Instead, look for information about the developer and choose the official app stores.

Using different, strong passwords for each account is also critical.

“Always make sure you are on the official company website before proceeding to download anything to your device. Fake websites may look just like the real thing, so you should always double-check the URL format and spelling of the company name before you download anything,” Kaspersky further warned.