One in 33 newly registered travel-related domains in May was malicious or suspected of being malicious, cybersecurity firm Check Point Software has revealed in its latest report. This is a significant increase in malicious domains compared to the same period last year. Vacationers should be extra vigilant and pay attention to cybersecurity both before and during the holiday season.
As May turns into June, many are eagerly planning their long-awaited vacations down to the last minute. But amidst the excitement of booking flights and accommodations, it’s important to be vigilant about the ever-increasing cyber threats targeting consumers, and vacationers are no exception. While we long for a time of relaxation, cybercriminals are also gearing up, exploiting vulnerabilities in vacation planning to carry out phishing attacks and distribute malicious websites aimed at stealing personal information.
In May of this year, Check Point detected a significant increase in summer-related cyber fraud. A large number of newly created domains related to holidays or vacations were identified, with a significant increase compared to the same period last year. Of the 25,668 new domains registered, one in 33 was found to be either malicious or suspicious.
Check Point has identified several fake domains that have copied well-known hotel and ticket purchase websites. But it doesn't stop there, they have also identified phishing emails that pretend to come from well-known companies. In one example, the cybercriminals pretend to be Booking.com where the subject line suggests that the email is a booking confirmation and attached to the email is an invoice. However, the attached PDF file instead contains malicious files that damage the victim's computer when opened.
“We often see how cybercriminals exploit events such as holidays or events to deceive their victims, and the holiday season is no exception,” says Mats Ekdahl, security expert at Check Point Software. It is therefore important to always be vigilant when surfing the internet. Both through modern security solutions that can secure digital devices, and through proactivity and attention to detect malicious links and emails before disaster strikes.
According to the press release.
