The well-known Adobe Flash player has been affected by security vulnerabilities since 2017. Criminals can use them in order to infect users. Since the app has lost its popularity in recent years, Adobe has decided to end the support for Flash by 2020.
Beware the bait
Adobe does offer regular updates from time to time as it tries to keep it as safe as possible. This prompted some malicious entities to come up with a whole new idea: fake or hijacked websites that will prompt you to install malware which looks like the real deal. The scam works in some cases, as users which are not particularly tech savvy will benevolently install the fake program.
Know the difference
In most cases, the user will visit a hacked site without knowing it. The site will flash a message that strongly encourages them to ‘’install the newest flash player update’’ usually in order to see a video or play a flash game. In most cases users will end up installing some form of malware and they will have to spend valuable time in order to remove it.
How to avoid them?
- Here a few tips that will help you keep your system safe and minimize any risks you can encounter:
- If a random page asks you to update your flash player, don’t do it. Go to the official Adobe website and download the latest update straight from the source.
- As an IT manager or business owner, warn your colleagues and/or employees against this scam. Even one affected PC can compromise an otherwise secure network.
- In order to keep your PC or network secure, you should opt for DNS-based protection services. They will add an additional layer of security, and protect you against several threats.
- Update you flash player often. A recently released update addresses Spectre and Meltdown, two famous hardware vulnerabilities that render many modern PCs vulnerable to attacks.
Henry Lares is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including Tech Crunch and the Huffington Post. In regards to academics, Henry earned an engineering degree from Apex Technical School. Henry has a passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
