{"id":37602,"date":"2020-02-05T11:45:51","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T03:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/?p=37602"},"modified":"2020-02-05T11:45:55","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T03:45:55","slug":"malware-hides-behind-top-music-award-nominees-kaspersky","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.upgrademag.com\/web\/2020\/02\/05\/malware-hides-behind-top-music-award-nominees-kaspersky\/","title":{"rendered":"Malware hides behind top music award nominees – Kaspersky"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cybercriminals are actively exploiting the names of artists and songs nominated for Grammy 2020 awards, to spread malware. Kaspersky protection technologies detected a 39% rise in attacks (attempts to download or run malicious files) under the guise of nominees\u2019 works in 2019, compared to 2018. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Post Malone were attackers\u2019 favorites, with these nominees\u2019 names used most often in 2019 as a disguise for malware.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music has universal appeal \u2013 it is not just entertainment, but a form of therapy and education, as well as providing an atmosphere and message platform. Its popularity and widespread availability is the reason why, even in the age of streaming services, music is not free from malicious activity: criminals use popular artists\u2019 names to spread malware hidden in music tracks or video clips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of the biggest music awards of the year, to show the extent of the problem, Kaspersky researchers analyzed Grammy 2020 nominated artists\u2019 names and song titles for malware. As a result, Kaspersky found 30,982 malicious files that used the names of artists or their tracks in order to spread malware, with 41,096 Kaspersky product users having encountered them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysis of the nominated artists showed that the names of Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Post Malone were used most to disguise malicious files, with over half (55%) of detected malicious files named after them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unique malicious files using selected Grammy nominees\u2019 names detected by Kaspersky products<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of attempts to download or run the files containing names of these pop stars also grew significantly for almost all artists in the research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Attacks on Kaspersky product users using files with selected Grammy nominees\u2019 names<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The connection between the rise in popularity and malicious activity is very evident in the case of newer artists such as Billie Eilish. The teenage singer became hugely popular in 2019, and the number of users who downloaded malicious files with her name has risen almost tenfold compared to 2018 \u2013 from 254 to 2171, the number of unique distributed malicious files \u2013 from 221 to 1,556. However, while nomination for a prestigious award and recognition connected to it affects users\u2019 interest in specific artists and, as a result, a growth in malicious activity, this is not necessarily the case for more established artists such as Lady Gaga, whose name use also experienced a rise in attacks in the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Malicious activity related to Billie Eilish<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaspersky also analyzed which records and songs, nominated for a Grammy in 2019, received most attention from cybercriminals. Post Malone\u2019s \u2018Sunflower\u2019, Khalid\u2019s \u2018Talk\u2019 and Lil Nas X\u2019s \u2018Old Town Road\u2019, led the way for songs with the most malware attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCybercriminals understand what is popular and always strive to capitalize on that. Music, alongside TV shows, is one of the most popular types of entertainment and, as a result, an attractive means to spread malware, which criminals readily use. However, as we see more and more users subscribe to streaming platforms, which do not require file download in order to listen to music, we expect that malicious activity related to this type of content will decrease,\u201d comments Anton Ivanov, Kaspersky security analyst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid falling victim to malicious programs pretending to be popular music files, Kaspersky recommends taking the following steps:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n