Yahoo has suffered a recent malware attack when his ad servers distributed through malicious advertisements web pages of the company, as reported by USA Today. Ads are estimated to have affected about 300,000 users per hour who visited the infected ads in different European countries. Yahoo issued a statement Sunday afternoon saying it has taken measures against malicious attacks, and that the ads were exposed to North America, Latin America or users in Asia Pacific.
How can I protect myself against a future attack from malware?
Although the malware attack has no impact on North American users, it is always essential to know what to do if a similar event were to occur again in the future.
1. Get Internet security software: This software not only detect attacks of current malware that your computer may have, but also to detect any malware that attempts to download to your computer in the future. In addition to detecting malware, Internet security software also checks the security of your personal information when using the Internet. It is also essential that you run a scan of your computer immediately after downloading security software to remove the malware from your computer. Most Internet security software protects more computers for a low annual fee. Visit our internet security software reviews to see which service will best suit your needs and budget.
2. Change passwords for important online accounts: This is an essential step to finish as soon as possible, because there is a chance that your passwords have hacked within the malware. important online accounts include all accounts that might reveal personal information, such as online banking, email and all accounts of online shopping. Make sure you do not do all the same password or a variation of another because that could make you vulnerable to hacking account in the future. Also, make sure to include some variation of at least six lowercase and uppercase letters, special characters and number in your new passwords.
3. Monitor bank statements carefully: As there is a chance that the malware gathered login information to your bank accounts or credit cards, there is a chance that hackers could also have had access to your banking information. That is why it is essential to carefully review your bank statements each month to confirm that you have completed all transactions. If you see a fraudulent transaction possible, you should call your bank to report potential fraud.
What additional steps can I take to protect myself?
An additional step you can take to protect your identity after a malware attack is signing up for a service protection against identity theft. These services check the security of your personal information - such as your social security number, name and even credit card or debit information - by ensuring it does not appear fraudulently on public folders or it is not sold or exchanged for identity thieves on the Internet black market. Protection against identity theft services also actively monitor your credit reports and alert you if anything changes on one of them. Learn more about these services by visiting our identity notice of protection against theft.