Fileless Malware Attacks: What They Are and How to Protect Yourself

Fileless malware attacks? You may not have heard of them, but it’s important that you know what they are and how to protect yourself from this new threat. According to The Windows Club, earlier this year over 140 enterprises worldwide were hit with this Fileless Malware – including banks, telecoms, and government organizations.

First, it’s important for you to know that many people and businesses fall victim to typical malware attacks through infected files. With fileless malware (also known as non-malware attacks), there is no host file or any files at all for that matter. Hackers use current software and malware code to infect a host residing in the computer’s memory. Because of this, fileless malware is often not detected by antivirus scanners.

Fileless malware resides in the Random Access Memory (RAM) of your computer system and no antivirus program inspects the memory directly, making it is the most dangerous area for the attackers to intrude on your PCs to steal your data. ]

Microsoft recently reported the names of a few of the most recent Fileless Malware infecting computer systems worldwide: Kovter, USB Thief, PowerSniff, Poweliks, PhaseBot, Duqu2.

Most recently, we have seen this type of attack targeting restaurants (this malware is being referred to as FIN7). The objective of FIN7 attacks is to seize system control and install a back door to steal financial information at will. Victims first receive a well-crafted phishing email, sent along with an RTF Word document attached, which if opened, launches a fileless attack.

Earlier this year, FIN7 attacks also occurred on government agencies and financial institutions.

Here is a list of precautions from Microsoft to take and how to protect yourself from fileless malware.

• Apply all the latest Windows Updates – especially the security updates to your operating system.
• Make sure that all your installed software is patched and updated to their latest versions.
• Use a good security product that can efficiently scan your computer’s memory and also block malicious web pages that may be hosting attacks.
• Be careful before downloading any email attachments. This is to avoid downloading of the malware coding.
• Use a strong Firewall that lets you effectively control Network traffic.

As hard as you try to follow all protocols, you may still become a victim if you don’t have a dedicated and experienced IT team to stay on top of all systems and updates. Valeo Networks specializes in custom IT plans for small to medium-sized businesses. Contact us anytime at 800-584- 6844 or via sales@saalexIT.com for a free consultation.