Firms affected by the recent widespread IT outage are now facing another threat – scammers and hackers looking to exploit the situation. The chaos began with an error in a Windows hosts update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, causing disruptions in various sectors like travel, banking, retail, and healthcare.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz warned of potential exploitation by adversaries, urging vigilance and official communication channels. Threat actors were found distributing a malicious ZIP archive named “crowdstrike-hotfix.zip” containing a dangerous payload.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) alerted of ongoing malicious activities, including phishing attempts leveraging the outage. With the outage receiving widespread coverage, users should be cautious of fake updates or links posing as essential for their PC.
It is crucial to verify sources and stay alert to avoid falling victim to cyber threats during this sensitive period.
