Zak Doffman has covered security, surveillance and privacy on Forbes since 2018, focusing on the latest updates from the world’s largest tech companies, staying safe on smartphones and social media, and the dangers of AI.
With over a billion users, including 150 million in the US alone, it’s inevitable that the super-simple, super-viral app would be targeted by bad actors looking to hack users and their devices. Little surprise then, that users are suddenly being warned that TikTok is now being used “to redirect victims into a credential-stealing trap.”
There has always been an issue with the security of links our from social media platforms, “we've seen phishing attempts leveraging popular social media platforms,”says, “such as YouTube or Facebook, before to spread malicious links.” But this attack is new, and “the use of TikTok in this case stands out.
The attack identified by Cofense is a perfect case in point, pushing malicious links through the mobile-only TikTok platform, with URLs that “redirect to whatever site the profile holder chooses.” Given “the trust many have in the platform,” TikTok users are being lulled into a false sense of security. According to Zimperium, 83% of phishing sites specifically targeted mobile devices.
While the phishing site itself has some telltale signs, the scare tactics are well tested. Warnings that data will be deleted “are a common tactic used to incite fear and scare the user if action is not taken,” and this particular approach ramped up those tactics by “posing the email as if it is an Office 365 alert from the user’s company IT department.” While that’s clever in theory, it’s difficult in practice.
Zimperium warns “personal apps downloaded from public app stores can introduce malware or exploit platform vulnerabilities, potentially compromising enterprise apps and in-app data,” while Cofense says it “highlights the increasing sophistication of threat actors who exploit social media platforms to deceive recipients.”Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.
Tiktok Spying Tiktok Surge Tiktok Ban Iphone Warning Android Warning Microsoft Warning Windows Warning Password Hacking Warning
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